simple living

The Starting of my SHAPE Program

2011-08-23T13:23:00.001+08:00

I am currently now in the NUS-MDA SHAPE program. I landed in San Francisco Airport on 22^ndJuly evening.

I started work on 25^th July with TixxMe Inc.TixxMe was one of a startup at Standford Startup Accelerator Program, locatedat AOL Building. It was on my first day of work that my supervisor, Alvin Tse,informed me that TixxMe project was going to pause in two weeks later becauseone of the founders had personal problems. Lucky, Aaron, who was TixxMe’smentor, had already planned to take me and Lucas, another intern from NOC, into intern at Rebeacon Inc. where he is the CTO. While the paper work is being

processed, I continued to work at TixxMe to prepare the pausing website.

My first saturday weekend was with dinner at anAmerican’s house, which the NOC program participants call her “Mama”. For manybatches of NOC participants, she has shown hospitality and host monthly dinnerfor them. I was lucky to be there to experience such hospitality. On Sunday,there was a SG connect pot-luck picnic at half moon bay. SG connect is a Singaporean group whichgather frequently to keep each other in touch. Handful turn up for thegathering and it was relax with kite flying, socializing and simple food.

Days at TixxMe was relaxed as there wasn’t muchtasking. All there was to be done was to make improvement to TixxMe logo andcreate a website to allow the founders to share the public why they werepausing the project. Almost every lunch at TixxMe is at R&B Seafood, aChinese restaurant, and occasionally at Joanie’s café which serve all daybreakfast menu. After every lunch, I would head back office and grab myfavorite French vanilla latte.

During mysecond week, I decided to learn driving and get myself a car. The main reasonis my housemates are all from NOC program and they have their programcommitments and therefore if I were to rely on them to travel around, whichthey do not have much time, I would be short changing my own overseaexperience. In addition to that I realized how inconvenient it is to be withouta car. Public transport here Is either expensive or infrequent. The caltraincomes hourly most of the time and the bus ride cost two dollars per ride.Therefore, I went to proceed with learning my driving in California, thinkingthat I can convert it back to Singapore driving license. It was after someresearch done, that I realized that if you want to convert a foreign drivinglicense to Singapore driving license, you need to be in that country for atleast a half a year.

During mythird week, I started my work at Redbeacon Inc. It was a company made up of ateam of fifteen people, mainly computer engineers. The other intern, Lucas, and I was tasked topick up a programming language, python, and framework, Django, as soon aspossible as they are required for our job scope and for us to have anycontribution to the team. The atmosphere there is very different from TixxMe,at StartX. It is more work focus and less casual, but they are all friendlypeople making sure we feel fit into the company and office.

I also wentfor second hand car hunting, this week, with my friend to help me test drivingas I do not have any driving experience. I managed to come by this car that Ithought it was a good buy. It was a 1994 Honda Civic, selling at twenty fivehundred. The reason why I thought was a good buy because the mileage was lowfor its age and the car look very new. My friend, who drove test it, mentionedthe test driving felt okay. However, the very next day after I bought it, thecar broke down and cost me seven hundred ninety dollars to fix it and there arestill some other non essential problems that I did not fix. In addition, thecar failed the smog test, which is essential for any car in California, and Ihave to spend even more money to get it to pass. This is a really expensivelesson. I shouldn’t have tried to save the money when it comes to buying cars.The money that I am going to spend on this car, I could have been able to but anewer and higher quality used car.

During mythird weekend, Saturday, I celebrated Singapore National Day with the rest ofthe Singaporeans, who are in the San Francisco area at Hotel Sofitel. Iestimate there are several hundreds of people. Many of them stay in the statesfor more than half a decade and their children speaks with perfect Americanslang. On Sunday, I went to San Francisco to visit its Ferry Terminal and piersnear North and South Beach and CIot Tower. The Ferry Terminal and the piers arecrowded with people. Many of them are just sitting on the bench, chatting withtheir partners and enjoying the breeze and beautiful scenery. At one of thepier also have a handful of poor people fishing for their meals.

My First Step into Photography

2011-05-24T01:58:00.001+08:00

Ever since the end of last semester exams, I have been giving deep thoughts about owning a DSLR.

DSLR is not cheap and it is not a necessity either. For a couple of years I have been thinking about it and this holiday I managed to convince myself to materialize this thought.

As it is expensive to own a DSLR, I decided to buy second hand instead and these are my loots.

Canon 550D + Original Battery Grip + Original Battery + 3rd Party Battery + Canon Bag= $850
Canon EF 50mm 1.8f + Emolux UV Filter = $110
Canon EFS 18-135mm + HOYA Polarising Circular Filter = $380

Total Cost = $1340

I feel that I have save quite an amount considering that if I had bought Canon 550D 18-135mm Kit Set, I would have spent $1549 instead.

The only downside is the I have spent all my cash away and now I officially has only 2 digit number in my bank account. I have never reached so low in my life so far.

I hope to pick up photography using this budget items because even though they are budget, they are still expensive. With my interest and money spent, I need to make full use of it.

As for now, I am keeping my eye on the stock market. Even though I have already reached my investment target for this year, I hope to do a bit more especially to make use of the the recent market hippcup due to EU economy instability situation if it get worse.

Yesterday, I was watching a TV programme regarding Warren Buffett and it reminds me something that might have slipped my mind. The two things are a company financial power/value and there is no need to put your eggs in many basket. This will be some food for thought before I have any money to invest further.

Confirmed my oversea details liao

2011-05-12T13:57:00.000+08:00

Finally, after a long tussle over my oversea details, I have managed to confirm them today.

I will fly off to San Francisco on the 21st July and flying back on 28th Dec.

I will be working at a start up for mobile app and travel for ~2weeks before I fly back.

What suck is because I have reservist to go just before my oversea intern.

Thus, before I go for my reservist, I need to prepare everything nicely. I need to have enough cash, I need to buy all the stuff that I want go this trip, I need to pack all my stuff!

Finally, the kick of going oversea internship is finally getting on to me! =)

Photography at Raptors08 Gathering 2011

2011-04-01T13:56:00.000+08:00

I managed to borrowed out Canon 550D again for my assignment testing over the weekend.

I brought it to raptors08 gathering 2011. I took photos but the pictures didn't come out nice because of the low light. I tried to give more exposure but I didn't seem to help because it just didn't allow me to take at all. In the end all the pictures that come out wasn't really to my satisfaction.

I think I will have to ask Lionel and Violet how to take photos in low light over the weekend.

First Experience on Photographing

2011-03-27T13:40:00.000+08:00

I went to Beach Fiesta yesterday with the intention of to get connected with my FASS friends and also to take photographs.

Armed with a DSLR that I borrowed from school for my module and a 18-135mm, I headed down to tanjong beach. I initially intended to stay till early noon, but I got asked to help to be backup-backup-backup photographer by a friend since I am interested in photography and I am there already. I end up staying for the whole event. I managed to escape away with minimal burn, but still burn.

I came back home and only to realize that my photos are not as I expected. I am glad with today's age of technology. If it have been film, I would have wasted so much money on developing so many photos that are lousy. Most of my photos are either over-exposed or the color balance is off. I end up using photoshop to do a batch auto-colour and auto-tone. The batch action is still not very satisfying, but at least it makes much more of my photos still viewable.

Apart from the colour, I realized that from all the photos that came out, alot of them are without meaning. I came to realized that whenever to go for any photography, one need to have a main aim for it. Aimless photographing will only leads to a souless photoshoot outcome.

Lesson learnt is from this experience.
1) As much as possible, dont use auto white balance
2) Aperture priority seems easier to get nicer shoots than Speed priority
3) Nv trust what you see on the display screen under the huge sun.
4) Know the aim/purpose of every shootout
5) Tracking is important
6) Auto focusing is easier than manual focus for fast moving actions/subjects

Genting Accomodation Cost Findings

2011-03-16T14:52:00.001+08:00

This is the cost for going Genting in May with 3D2N, 1 night on non-peak day and 1 night on shoulder day.

All prices included coach and 2 night stay only.

The prices here are only my findings and yet to be confirmed.

How Big the Cake Should Be?

2011-03-09T00:30:00.001+08:00

I found this two links that are very informative for people who are ordering cakes for festive occasions!

For rectangle cakes... http://www.hurryupcakes.com/general-cake-information/how-many-people-does-a-sheet-cake-feed

For circle cales... http://larkcakeshop.com/CakeServeGuide2.pdf

Not performing

2011-03-02T20:31:00.004+08:00

Hm..

just got back my CS3248 G1 report results. 6.58 / 10. I am very disappointed. I am sure that our group effort worth more than that.

Just had my CS3248 I2 presentation. I didn't feel that I did well. Recent formal presentations just doesn't seem as smooth for me as last year.

Just have my NM3208 Final project presentation. Lecturer doesn't seem to like it at all. Damn.

Feeling a little depress. My work is piling up on me and I seems to be idling around even though I spent large amount of time doing time.

I guess I need some time on my own. I need some time to wake up my bloody idea, and find what is wrong.

绑架冰欺凌

2011-01-24T01:46:00.002+08:00

I just finish watching 绑架冰欺凌 on ppstream.

NICE! I wont tell you about the storyline, but I strongly recommend you to watch. Its around an hour and a half. The storyline is not draggy and unfold itself at a very pleasant pace. In addition, I like the songs, especially "Its okay" by 叶熙祺.

Singapore Security Plan

2011-01-21T16:04:00.001+08:00

I hear this over the 9.58FM.

What is Singapore defense? Singapore is too small a country to have any efficient defense. However, Singapore is still counted to be relatively safe even though she is surrounded by different ideology neighbours. The reasons are because

1)Singapore is strategically important located
2)Singapore economy is essential for the economy of her neighbours and vice versa
3)Singapore has strong alliances around the world

Therefore, even if any country is to occupy Singapore, that country have to weight the pros and cons. What Singapore government is doing now, with all the involvement in all aspect of the world economy is actually to increase the cons of any country who is to start a war on Singapore.

@font-face problem

2011-01-18T03:40:00.001+08:00

I am facing @font-face problem on my website kennykhek.com and I cant seem to find out what is the problem. It was working just fine when I just started the site a month ago and I do not know since when did the @font-face stop working. Hm... its frustrating!

My Brain Stopped

2011-01-14T02:37:00.000+08:00

Its only the third day of school and my brain have signs of being fried already.

Out of five modules, three have assignments due very soon and each have substantial weightage towards the final.

Just hope that my brain can warm up soon enough so as not to have a bad start. I shall sleep soon so that I can better concentrate tomorrow for SC3213 lecture and maybe do some work after that.

Workload Overload?

2011-01-12T01:34:00.000+08:00

Today is my first day of school and I attended first lesson for two modules.

OH MY GOD... I think workload for NM3221 and NM3208 is enough for whole semester already.

NM3221 need to do up 50 sketches and wire frames and a 6pages paper in 12 weeks.
NM3208 have 4 assignments, 2weeks each, 4presentations and a group video project in 12 weeks.

I don't dare to go for CS3248 lecture already. Workload is crazy! However, I think this will be a very fulfilling semester with many new things to learn. =)

Its Horrible to Have Not Enough Money In the Bank

2011-01-10T17:27:00.000+08:00

Oh my... It is horrible to have not more than $500 in the bank.

Do you know that for DBS and OCBC saving account, they will deduct $2 if you do not have an average of $500 in the bank?

It is not that I want that $2, but it is just that I do not feel that it is fair to pay the bank $2 just because I have very little money in the account.

However, what can I do? I am now trying very hard not to overspend the cash that I have in my wallet, which is $16. It is quite impossible since there are still 21 days.

Increasing my Investment Portfolio

2011-01-05T00:33:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I just bought in on two stocks.

SP Ausnet @ $1.15
Hyflux @ $2.32

I have increased my portfolio by 40%. That is 10% more than I aimed for last year.

With these latest investment I made, my annual dividend is expected to increase by 40% (if the dividend payouts remain the same as last year).

Last year, my investment portfolio returns remain to below 4% on dividends. This year, I expect it to be above 5% (if the economy remains to perform like this year or better.

This year, I plan to increase my portfolio by 5% only, due to some huge expenses that I am expecting to make during later part of the year.

Modules 2010/11 Semester 2

2011-01-04T01:56:00.000+08:00

The modules that I will be taking for my 6th semester in NUS are..

CS3248 - Design of Interactive Media
NM3221 - Situated Interaction Design
NM3208 - Designing Content for New Media
ST2334 - Probability & Statistics
SC3213 - Ethnographic Analysis of Visual Media

4 core modules and 1 minor module, which means... its zero S/U-able module. Good Luck Kenny Khek

A New Blog Site

2011-01-04T01:51:00.000+08:00

Hi peoples,

Have you been wondering why there are decreasing number of post over here?

Wells, I have just created a new site where I will also be blogging. Its kennykhek.com The purpose of that site is also for blogging and in addition, to showcase myself.

At kennykhek.com, I will be blogging more informative stuff while I will be blogging more day to day and nonsense stuff over here. Therefore, feel free to bookmark kennykhek.com . I hope you will find it useful some day. =)

Its Holiday!!

2010-12-14T02:57:00.001+08:00

Wondering why I have not been updating my blog for the past two weeks? Well, its the holidays and things are getting increasingly interesting! =)

Last week I have been busy with a temp job as 3rd World Junior Wushu Competition Subcommittee. I am in it because my mum is the part of the committee member. Its pretty good money and I managed to know a few friends of around my age and glad to be able to expose to international events.

Singapore Wushu Federation invite participants from all over the world to take part. Surprisingly enough, such a world-wide event, the organizing committee, though experienced, did not seems professional enough. Still, I learnt quite a number of stuff over there. However, there are two things I wished it could be better. First is the I wished I had already own a DSLR and able to take lots and lots of pictures of people sparring and their coaches screaming by the ringside. Second is that I wished I had a better position where I can have more interaction with more foreign participants. I like to have cultural exchange!

This work took me 7days off my holidays, though long, was well spent. The rest of my time after my last paper was used to do up my website. It had gone through many iterations and I am glad that the design is improving. I really hope to get it started and going by end of holidays, best if I can start fresh for next year.

Other then building my own website, I have also been working on an idea together with two of my friends. I am giving the role of visual and interaction designer. The visual part is new to me because I was the interaction designer for my school project. The visual part has never been so daunting. I spent days trying to get inspiration for a doable designer by my standard and I spend another two days trying to materialize it. Now abstractfont.com is my best friend.

Wells, stay tune to my blog. I hope to get my own domain name and sever space and then I will move to wordpress where I will start a new and ready for the things awaiting me.

Finding it Hard to Tune Back

2010-11-30T06:07:00.000+08:00

Finally, the day that I have been waiting for for the past 13weeks. Its finally end of examinations!

Yesterday was the last day of exam. The last paper ended at 7pm. I went to NTU to meet my girlfriend and reached home at around 11.45pm. I spent some time doing some excel spreadsheet stuff for my mum and had my dinner/supper.

I played around an hour of single player campaign L4D2, the first campaign. After which I spent 2 hours clearing out my notes. I am so glad to be able to file them away. I threw away unwanted notes and roughly cleaned my files, As I was filing the notes and cleaning my files I managed to catch two movies, the Assault Girls and Hot Tub Time Machine. The Assault Girls is super lame,

I finished all my stuff at around 5am and I rolled around my bed for an hour and I still can't fall into sleep. I can feel that my body is fatigue, but my brain is still active. This is how exams can screw up a person's body clock. My girlfriend said that sleeping late can cause long term memory lost!

I don't know what to do now and therefore I decide to switch on my laptop and blog an entry. I should find something else to do online... =|

Studying for exams is nv just about mugging

2010-11-18T04:13:00.001+08:00

Wells, exam is close by. To be exact, it is next week. My paper starts on next Tuesday and every alternative days since. My last paper is on 29th Nov. However, instead of focusing on studying only, my mind is crowded with many things.

1. Obviously it is my studies and worried that I cannot remember things I should remember when I see the paper.

2. I am working on doing up my own website. I have not buy my own domain name yet, but I will do that when my exams end. Currently my own site's structure is roughly there, just adding in the content and some designs. I forsee I will need to jump into photoshop soon to get nice graphic.

3. My friend and I thought of an wishlist idea and we wanted to work on it as a pet project through the holidays. We want to profit from it and also as a learning experience. We are now still at quite beginning of the whole business concept / product design process. We are still looking for people to join us.

4. Stock market always has ups and downs. It seems that recently the stock market is readjusting itself. I feel quite sad that I could have sold on of my stock for a fruitful some of profit, but I didn't. However, its okay, my paper value is still worth more than I paid for. Now it is more of waiting for stocks that I am eyeing to be at the correct price.

Overall, I am still scare for my results. I need to pull my cap up as much as possible if I want to confirm a space for NUS-MDA SHAPE programme. Jia Yous! =)

Busy Busy Buzzy Bunny

2010-10-28T17:17:00.001+08:00

Its super busy now. Barely got a real breather now.

Multiple assignments due next weeks.
Four exams in three weeks time.

Looking back at past entries... it seems that last year I was in the same situation, Oct 26 2009.

WTH... I still can't forget the seniors and teachers back in junior college days, saying that junior college is the toughest of whole education period in Singapore. LIKE REAL LA! University studies is much tougher and much no life, but I must admit that as an university student, I have much more control of how and what I want to spend my time on. Even though this true, but taking the environment of foreign talents and smart locals flooding NUS like Atlantis, it is barely manageable for me to just float and survive.

I am really looking forward to improve my CAP so that I can increase my chances of successful application of NUS-MDA SHAPE. I want to go overseas. I want to explore the industry of interaction designing. Ever since I got interested in this program, I realized I have two more friends applying too! but at different time though. One is applying for January and the other for May. I planning to go in July.

A mist my soon-to-be-dead dealines, my brain is still stimulated to think outside of academic work. Recently I have been thinking of starting an online broadcasting platform for Singapore tertiaries' film society and Singapore INDE films to gain exposure. However, there are many hurdles and problems. There are so much to think about it to make it successful. It is not as simple as I thought it would be after speaking to a couple of people about it. However, I think I should first get a mash-up first. This holiday is going to be busy.

I think I should get back to my assignments before they suffocate me to death as the date creep closer to their deadlines. =S

SC2213 Reading Journal Eight

2010-10-19T20:33:00.002+08:00

Imaging, Keyboarding, and Posting Identities: Young People and New Media Technologies
A Critic

Sandra Weber
Claudia Mitchell

I have to agree with the authors when they say that with the increasing integration of technology into our daily lives and especially the lives of the digital natives, the boundaries between teens and babies are blurred. While true, the authors also mentioned that that it is not to the same extent for all children due to economic digital divide.

However, I find it weird when they mention that adults are catching up with youth in terms of hardware adoption and use. I agree there are adults who are also keeping themselves in pace in terms of current technology adoption. Yet, the use of the words “catching up” seems to means that adults are not adopting or slow in adopting in the first place. I would like to beg the differ.

First, technologies are discovered, invented and spread by adults, so why would the authors say that adults be slow in adopting the hardware and use? Second, just as the authors says that it is unfair to assume adults’ learning and engagement with new technologies mirror childhood processes, it is unfair to say that adults are slow in adopting latest technologies. This is because the purpose of usage for adults and children differs, the former uses for more economical purpose while the latter uses for more social activities. Therefore, as recent technologies developments seem to be more towards social purposes, it is unfair to say that adults are slow in adoption.

I also have a question, as the digital natives grow up from childhood to adulthood and become elderly, will the current problem, that generally elderly are resistance to technologies to replace means of activities that they learn when they are younger, still persist?

The authors managed to bring up an interesting point that I have not thought off. That is today’s scholars, who write about how new technologies impact youths, are writing something that have never experience before. Therefore, how true will their topic be? On the other hand, wouldn’t such situation have advantages too? This will allow scholars to have a more objective view on the topic than affected by emotions and empathy.

I agree with the authors that like youth identities, new technologies keep changing, converging, morphing, seemingly always in flux and like youth identities, young people’s own digital productions facilitate media mix. As new technologies become available, there is a phenomenon that youth using these technologies to create their own identities, “identities-in-action”. Therefore, it is important to abandon the distinction between producers and consumers as digital media intertwine both together and simultaneously.

Even though I agree with that standpoint, I think that the authors have generalized youth too much. While there are youths who are, what the authors call, prosumers, we must not ignore that there are many youths who are just consumers. In addition, as technologies field stretches over a large area, it is too sweeping to say youths are prosumers for all of them as they may be just consumers or just producers in some of these fields.

The authors also mentioned that youths are using technologies to setup a space where they can look back at their production, reflect on the multiple meanings that have different audiences, including themselves and to allow for revision. There are certain shared features of digital production that can be useful to understand both youths as cultural producers and youth identities-in-action. (1)Constructedness (2)Collectivity & Social Construction (3)Convergence (4)Reflexivity & Negotiation (5)Embodiment (6)Learning.

In conclusion, identity is not something that can ever be achieved once and for all. It is fluid and open to negotiation, but also subject o many constraints. Digital production of youth reflects a broader view of identity that has permanence or longevity, an existence tied to embodiment and concept of bricolage. This is an evolving active construction that, instead of being viewed as fragmented, is shedding and adding fragments through dialectical interactions with the world. Social and individual identities co-constitute each other.

SC2213 Reading Journal Seven

2010-10-19T20:32:00.000+08:00

Introducing Identity
A Summary

David Buckingham

Psychological accounts. Adolescence is a critical period of identity formation, a state of transition, a matter of “becoming” rather than “being”, where confusion about one’s identity is a mark of incomplete development. Through self-reflection and self-definition, adolescence arrives at an integrated, coherent sense of their identity as something that persists over time. This is a period in which young people negotiate their separation from their family, and develop independent social competence.

Online authorship provides important opportunities for self-reflection and self-realization and for expressing some of the conflicts and crises that characterize this period. Social networking site provide opportunities for social interaction and affiliation that are crucial for development especially when their access to “offline” public spaces has become increasingly restricted.

Sociological accounts. Adolescence behaviors are resulted from social uncertainties. Social context, like race, social class and gender, plays a significant part in nature of youth. Youth is seen as essentially a social and historical construct, rather than a universal state of being. Some even see youth expression as simply a function of adult attempts at socialization.

Contemporary youth cultures are increasingly diverse and fragmented that it transformed from self-contained “subculture” to more fluid “scenes” or “lifestyle” to which youth are only temporarily attached. While commercial forces both create opportunities and set limits on youth’s digital culture, this culture provide symbolic resources for construction or expressing their own identities, and even evade or resit adult authority.

Individual and Group. Identity is a fluid, contingent matter. Individual selfhood is a social phenomenon, but the social world is constituted through the actions of individuals. While people asset their individuality, they also join others and work to sustain their sense of status or self-esteem to form of identity, a process that involve stereotyping or “cognitive simplification”. An approach of such social interaction is to divide “front-stage”, social identity, and “back-stage”, personal identity. However, this overstates the importance of rules and neglect aspects of improvisation. It also sees social interaction as a form of performance.

Identity Politics. Question of identity tied up with issue of social status. This approach has the tendency to generalize about members of a particular group and assimilate them to a singular identity, runs a risk of fixing identity, ignoring their diversity. On the other hand, identity is something we do rather than something we are. It is fluid and permanent “under construct”, a matter of free choice and emphasizes the potential for diversity and resistance to dominant identities, while neglecting the pressure to confirm and comparative predictability of everyday behavior and undermines any attempt to speak of a particular identity.

Internet provides significant opportunities for exploring and sharing information on facets of identity that might previously have been denied or stigmatized. Media can be used as a means of expressing or even discovering aspects of one’s “true self”. Yet, media also provides powerful opportunities for identity play, for parody and subversion of the kind promoted by queer theory.

Identity in Social Theory. While one may see modern individuals have making decisions about what they should do and who they should be to be constantly “self-reflexive,” it can also be seen as self-monitoring and self-surveillance. What is regard as form of liberation, democratization, can be seen as a mean of exercising disciplinary power, governmentality.

Technology. While technologies where promoted by glorifying the opportunities they present, they be threaten established social relationships. While technology liberate individual from constraint and narrow hierarchy, it is a false substitute for supposedly authentic values it is seen to be replacing. The view that technology is neutral, “desocialized” it. However nor is the view, that technology entirely shaped by existing social relations, is correct.

Its role and impact is partly determined by the uses to which it is put, but also contains inherent constraints and possibilities which limit that ways in which it can be used, and which are in turn largely shaped by the social interest of those who control its production, circulation, and distribution.

Digital Generation. There is a powerful discourse about the ways in which digital technology is threatening or even destroying childhood. New “digital generation” regards technology as means of empowerment, as a force of liberation for youth, allowing them to reach past constraining influence of their elders and to create new means and new autonomous forms of communication and community. However, the limitation of such argument is that they tend to neglect the fundamental continuities and interdependencies and coexist of new media and old media which exist at the level of form and content as well as in economics. This view inevitably ignores the undemocratic tendencies of many online communities, the continuing “digital divide” and the banality of much new media use.

In learning with and through these media, youth also learn how to learn and develop particular orientations towards information. They are likely to experience a strong sense of their own autonomy, and of their right to make their own choices and to follow their own paths, however illusory it may be. This raises the important question, not so much of how young people learn with technology but of what they need to know about it. While technology does provide important new possibilities for self-expression and communication, they clearly show that technology in itself does not make the difference.

Font Converter! From dfont to tff

2010-10-14T01:58:00.001+08:00

Have you ever faced a situation in projects that you need to have a similar font for the whole group but there are group members use MAC and Windows? MAC seems to have nicer fonts and it uses .dfont while windows uses .tff. So if one cannot simply just share the dfont font file and expect it to work on windows.

I also faced this problem. I tried to find the solution but many of them requires linux system to work properly. One of them is I tried a program called DFontSplitter. This program has an easy interface to convert dfont to tff. However, the tff it produced require FontForge, which require linux, to produce a installable font on windows. However, Installing linux subsystem or by-pass program is not easily understandable for non linux or non programmers user and designers.

Today, I managed to find an super easy solution! Let me introduce to you...........

ONLINE FONT CONVERTER!!!

This website is super easy to use. Just upload the .dfont file and choose to convert to .tff file. Then click on the tff files that it managed to split and click install on the top left hand corner. No need to install addition stuff or any other hassle. Just plain upload, click and click. Everyone can do it!

I hope this will be useful for many group designing projects that requires different typography and between MAC users and Windows users.

Dental Services @ NUS

2010-10-13T02:31:00.001+08:00

Now my teeth is BLING BLING la, haha! I can't stop myself from touching my teeth with my tongue. I believe its the kind of stuff that many people will do after they have just cleaned their teeth by the dentist. Especially when the last time my teeth is cleaned my a dentist is three years ago.

Having yearly dental check up is important for good oral health. However, youth our age are not very rich to spare out the money, or rather, we rather spend it on other stuff. Therefore I advice that we should make use of school facilities while we are still a student and pay under student price.

After speaking to a few friends, I realized that many people do not know that NUS has dental service other than the clinic. Thus I hope that by blogging here, people from NUS will know more about this service.

NUS dental is at NUS Health Centre. It is situated at basement, below the health clinic. Therefore to reach the dentist, you have to enter the health clinic and exit through its back door. You will see a short corridor and a stair at the end right in front of you. You will see the dental clinic once you reach basement.

The receptionist told me that the cost of the dental service is $45-65, roughly around there. I think it is due to to the discrepancy of the dentist, who charge me $55 today. The dentist who attend to me today is a guy and I am quite satisfy with his service or maybe my teeth are not as bad shape as they are three years ago when I last visit a dentist.

Wells, so if you have not been visiting the dentist annually, please don't wait any longer. Pay a visit to the dentist soon!

Dental Clinic opening hours are
Monday -Thursday 9AM - 5PM
Friday 9.30AM - 5PM
Saturday 9AM - 1.30PM

For appointment, call 6773 1613. Oh... I also recommend to call a day or two in advance. The last time I see their clinic schedule... it is packed for at least a day in advance.

IOGraph

2010-10-07T16:24:00.002+08:00

I recently encountered this program, IOGraphica, that track your mouse movement and turn it into some kind of art. Its nothing functional but its kinda of interesting and arty-farty.

This is my mouse movement yesterday. It was 7 hours worth of tracking!

I bought TY Beanies

2010-10-05T13:33:00.001+08:00

Recently I bought something from Amazon and it was my first time I bought something online. I bought FOUR plush toys!!!!

GIGANTO the Mammoth

COLOSSO the Mammoth

ZIP the Black Cat

ZIP the cat is my girlfriend and her sister childhood toy and they are both very attached to it. Recently, her sister went to America for tertiary studies and she brought this cat over. Therefore I am buying this cat for her. After I told her my purchase, she wanted to buy one for me too, so that she know that the cat will be with me like it is with her.

As for the mammoth toy, I bought it for our 2nd year anniversary because it is kind of an animal that both of us relate to as we used to watch National Geographic Wild Channel together and she like how the baby elephants hold their mothers tail when they are on the move.

Wells, initially I wanted to try to find it in Singapore, but I cant find in several toys shop and online. After some research, I realized that it is because these toys are no longer in production. These toys are by TY Beanies. This company phase out their products once it has reached a certain production. This is their business model, to allow their products to have a certain level of scarcity. Many of these toys are counted as collectors' items around the world!

Therefore, these toys aren't cheap like those that are still found on shops' shelves. The cost of each of the toys I bought range from USD$12 to USD$29! Lucky I get to save on the delivery charge from US to Singapore because I managed to find a friend of mine, whose brother is in US, to help me bring over when he come back in November. Heng ah, like tat save around SGD$30!

But I still find a little uneasy because I not if the toys are the one that I intended to buy. What if the actual product that is delivered is different from the one that I thought they are? Wells, these are the risk that online shopping have. Amazon is a trustworthy website and the onlineshop that I bought from has very high rating. Hopefully I will be a satisfied customer the goods finally reach me end of next month.

School is not a place where dreams are achieved...

2010-09-29T23:39:00.002+08:00

A few ago, I received an email regarding UROP. I was so excited. I was really interested in doing this program last year but my results were way off the requirements. This year, my CAP have improved and I thought that I have a chance. I talked to Chris, who is currently in the program, and Kah hong about it. They gave me hope even though I knew that my CAP have yet to reach the mark. I wanted to find a prof immediately and ask him/her to supervise me in this program.

However, being afraid that I might doing all these just on implies, I decided to give myself some time to cool down and attend the UROP talk today. As days passed, my excitement built up but suddenly today it's all gone.

I went to the talk and the vice dean seems reluctant to take me in as I not only didn't fulfill the CAP requirement but also I didn't fulfill the module requirement.

Two things I learnt about in NUS. 1) if your results suck in school, to the school you are a waste of time to develop into a bright student. 2) you need to know what you want way before hand, or else you will have a tough time getting what you when you realized later.

Being knocked back onto earth after a few days of cooling down and after the UROP talk, I being to realized that school is really not the right place to explore. There is a limit to how much school programs can allow and the limit is pretty small. That is if you are smart or you are rich.

I think that explains why there so many people are while they are in school. School is just to restricting and academic result based.

Now I am even more motivated to pick up HTML and CSS. I need to start picking up these web based skills on top of what I can take away from the uni modules, if they are relevant.

I have a dream. But what exactly is it?

Towards the end of recess week

2010-09-25T02:12:00.003+08:00

This recess week sped pass quickly. Last week, when I was planning, the schedule wasn't suppose to be this pack!

I think that the main culprit is CS3242 HW1. I had already spent 3days, here and there, till today and I still having get a really workable one.

Other than all academic, I did managed to get some time off from studies and to National Geographic channel on SCV. It was very enriching to really know something out of our urban city, about the bears, anaconda and even sturgeons!

It's Friday already, can't believe it. Uni Year3, year3.... So fast. I feel that I haven really accomplish much these three years. This will have to change so..... I have something in mind. I will updates you all more on that soon!

My Latest Investment Urge

2010-09-21T02:53:00.001+08:00

As the economy picks up, I suddenly got the urge to pour my money into the stock market again.

Some Updates,

Genting Singapore is now around $2.00! I sold it at $1.20 a few months back. A lesson learnt next time. The reason why I decided to sell Genting previously is because I wanted to reinvest in another stock, but that stock prices raises more than I wanted to buy it for.

Sembawang Crop. I was looking at it when it was $3.60 a few months back. I wanted to buy it for $3.60 but I didn't manage to get it and since then it raises and raises till its around $4.45 now. Thus, I decided that I should not pursue it further.

CoscoCorp. After Sembawang Crop raises, I begin to take notice of CoscoCorp. However, same story, It was $1.50 when I showed interest and now it is $1.70. Off my limit for this stock.

After missing the opportunities to buy in various stocks, I decided to consolidate my stocks instead. I decided to buy the same companies whom stocks that I already hold. I want to make increase my share in it so that I can have an easier time calculating my portfolio. Therefore, now I am looking at MIIF and SP Ausnet.

I am now waiting for the market to correct itself as it has been on a bull run for a couple of weeks. Hopefully tuesday announcement from the US Fed will lead to to some market correction so that I can buy into the stocks that I want to buy at fair price.

Wish me luck! =D

I Feel Guilty

2010-09-17T23:19:00.014+08:00

I feel guilty for sleeping in class.

Today is friday and the first lesson is NM4210 user experience. I managed to stay awake for the first half of the class which Ms Foong explain about probes as user experience.

During the break, I did not go to buy coffee because I want to save that 70cents.

So it turn out that during the second half, I I begin to drift off. I know it myself. I even went to the toilet to wash my face, but it didnt help. In the end, I knocked off for 15mins or more.

I woke up again when Ms Foong went through our Mini-project which I got B+ 16 out of 20. As she was going through the outstanding works, I managed to peeped at the results for the rest of the class. Ninety percent of the class got B+ and around nine percent got A and above and a percent got around C.

After she went through, I think I understand why I got only B+ while there are handful that got A. My work is only a single flow chart. Those works that got A, they are wireframing and JJG interaction chart which she mentioned to us at one of the lessons during the few weeks. I have to work on these two.

In addition, if I want to ace this module, I need to participate more on the forum to get the participation points. I tried to talk in class, but the constant few people are just so overwhelming in class.

Still at the end of the day, I feel guilty for snoozing 15mins in Ms Foong class. Sorry!

The King of SoC

2010-09-16T23:45:00.014+08:00

Today Kah Hong and me went to find A/P Leow. We nickname him King of SoC.

The reason why we arranged a meeting with him is to settle some curriculum matters due to the recent change of requirements.

Kah Hong problem was that he is going for a year of NOC starting semester of this academic year. This way, he will be missing out of CS3248 which is required for CS4348. However next semester onwards, CS4348 will be replaced by CS4201 and CS4202. Calculating the number of semesters, he won't be able to complete his studies within 9 semesters but require 10 semester with the last semester taking only 1 module.

My problem was that I am considering to go for ATAP or take a half year leave to work or do some intern next academic year. This way, I will miss out CS4202, thus similiar outcome with Kah Hong.

Wells, we tried to communicate our problem to the administrators for almost a month now. However, the emails and questions kept being ping pong here and there. In the end we were directed to A/P Leow who was this year curriculum Chairperson. He settled both out problem in less than 20mins.

He proposed that we replaced CS4202 with CS3106 Independent Project so that we can graduate in our 9th semester instead of 10th. We are very impressed by him on how he can quicky come out with a solution that took us months to settle at SoC Undergrad Office.

IPhone 4 Camera in Dim Area

2010-09-05T00:47:00.000+08:00

I just realised that my iphone 4 has a problem.

IPHONE 4 CAMERA HAS PROBLEM!!!! However, I believe that this is not a problem that all iphone 4 have.

Yesterday I was taking a photo at MacDonald. The place is actually not very dim but the photos had a yellow tint when taking photos at the place. My friend's 3GS didnt face that problem. I also didnt face that problem before when I used to take photos in bright areas.

I came home and googled about it. I realised that the problem is not unique to me only, there are many others who have this problem. I also read that there are some people, who went to exchange for a iphone4 because of this problem!

I want to do that, a brand new iphone 4! WoW!

However, if I go and exchange a new iphone4, it will be the latest firmware that has no jailbreak. Does it worth it? But I do not want to be stuck with a faulty "night mode" camera phone! I paid for my phone and I have the right to have a quality goods.

After some thoughts, I decided that I should go and ask M1 to help me repair or exchange for new one, it is my rights, but will only go to find them when my free bumper come in October. It makes more sense to have newer phone if I have bumper to protect it. If not there will be a chance that I might damage my newly repaired/exchanged phone!

SC2213 Reading Journal Six

2010-09-02T22:41:00.000+08:00

Becoming a Moral Child: The Socialization of Shame among Young Chinese Children
A Summary

Heidi Fung

Although the young come into the world equipped with primitive means of expressing emotion, the child must acquire, discover, construct, and reconstruct the preexisting, collectively shared norms and display rules through repeated interaction with more mature social members. The socialization of emotion refers to this interactive and dynamic process by which a member inducts structures and interprets the novice’s emotional experience, and the novice accedes to, resists, or playfully transforms the messages and norms holed out to him or her. Although every emotion is subject to culturally patterned norms and assumptions and requires socialization, shame as the quintessential socio-moral emotion, is particularly illuminating in this regard.

What is Shame?

In the process of growth, the superego and ego ideal enforced respectively by guilt and shame are developed as the superstructure for self-regulation. Guilt is associated with transgression and it comes from the internal voice of the superego or conscience. Shame, however, accompanies failure and shortcomings, aroused by being seen. Shame, similar to face, is often a group, rather than an individual, concern. This shows that the person is interdependent in construing self as separate from the social context, but as more connected and less differentiated from others.

What differentiate shame from non-shame socialized culture is that (1) members are explicitly expected to acquire a sensitivity to shame and to other people’s opinions, judgments and evaluation, and (2) failing to acquire this sensitivity has great social consequences and earns the contempt of others.

In contrast to the primary emotions resent from birth, shame is one of the self-conscious emotions that emerge later in life and depends upon (1) the maturation of cortical and limbic structures, (2) the sense of self as a distinct physical entity, and (3) the growing ability to symbolically represent a standard of behavior. Socialization is crucial to development of a sense of shame.

The cultural meanings of shame are revealed through identifying a set of problems in social relationship and in real or symbolic violation of cultural codes. The multiple levels of interactional, dynamic and fluid context overlap, weaving together in complex ways and mutually influencing one another.

Conclusion

According to parents’ informal ethno-theories, shaming was closely related to the notion of opportunity education. From the caregivers’ perspective, the purpose was to motivate the children to take responsibility for their own actions and to improve and strive upward. Shaming was hence often accompanied by reasoning as well as a demand for confession. Children were expected to be amenders rather than avoiders, which may also explain why compliance might not necessarily bring an end to shaming, and why past transgression were brought up and reenacted. In other words, parents engage in shaming for the purpose of teaching children how to be part of society, to include them rather than to set them apart.

By the very nature of children and contexts as interdependent systems, it is not possible to extract a separate model of the child from the world or culture in which he or she is situated. Only when the mutually interdependent nature of development and culture is fully appreciated on its own terms can valid cross-cultural comparison be achieved.

SC2213 Reading Journal Five

2010-09-02T22:40:00.000+08:00

The Comparative Study of Parenting
A Summary

Robert A. LeVine
Suzanne Dixon
Sara E. LeVine
Amy Richman
Constance Keefer
P. Herbert Liderman
T. Berry Brazeltion

The different views about interactive aspects of infant environments indicate a general problem of to child development. This article discuss mainly about population and cultural perspective on child development.

A Population Perspective on Child Development

Population-specific characteristics have usually been regarded merely as an extension of individual differences. Population-level variation in social organization and social behavior is a characteristic of the human species. Populations can be defined as interactional networks within which communicative processes tend to be concentrated. A population tends to share an environment, symbol systems for encoding it and organizations and codes of conduct for adaption to it.

Human adaptation is largely attributable to the operation of specific social organization following culturally prescribed scripts in subsistence reproduction and other domains of animal behavior. The different patterns of subsistence translate into distinct goals for child rearing and dissimilar patterns of childhood experience.

Thus when two human populations, vary as drastically in the institutions through which they attain fundamental adaptive goals, it will affect parents’ conceptions of child care and their agenda for the development of children. The shape of childhood environments will be correspondingly differentiated and childhood experience, though varying from one individual to another even in the same family, will reflect the dominant cultural scripts for social interaction, emotional expression, and other psychologically significant aspects of social behavior.

Developmental Issues

There are three single explanatory model of parental behavior, “organic hardware,” “ecological firmware” and “cultural software.”

The hard-wired aspect of reproduction and child development evolved through natural selection and are still evolving.

Ecological firmware refers to population-level characteristics of human environments that affect the resources available to children in the form of food, protection from health risks, other material goods and social attention.

The software is the ideas that influence parents in a particular population, and give them a common sense of what is natural, normal, and necessary in reproductive behavior and child care.

Cultural Mediation Model

Parent-child interaction begins with the universal hardware of child care, that is, innate capacities for communicating and responding, but the child is born in a social environment into which the local conventions of interpersonal communication and kin relationship have been preinstalled as scripts for interactive performance. It is a highly directive program but it is nevertheless another underdetermining influence on parental behavior.

Operating under diverse constraints and pressure, parents within the same community vary in their realization of the cultural scripts to which they may all subscribe. Thus the influence of cultural scripts on parental behavior is to create central tendencies rather than uniformities in a population.

However, we cannot ignore the biological, developmental, and economic context, but assess them independently of the parental perspective as well as through it.

Sore Eyes

2010-08-27T22:22:00.001+08:00

My eyes has been itching since yesterday evening. At first I though it was just a usual "thing-catch-inthe-eye", but the itch lasted quite long and I can feel the warm in my left eye. Soon, my left eye got a little red with all those thin blood vessels.

This morning I woke up, my left eye was red and swollen. I still remember Kah hong say that he will see me in contacts today when if my eyes are red. Haha, he was wrong. I'm not that metrosexual to sacrifice my well-being to look nice.

My eyes got a little better as the day pass. However, it did not recover as I hope. Now both my eyes are kind of milky, with red vessels. It's kinda of scary when I look at myself in the mirror. I suspect that it might be bacteria infection. I guess I will rest my eyes for a month or so then.

Working hard...

2010-08-27T22:15:00.001+08:00

Yesterday was quite a day. I had only 3hours of sleep the night before. It was due to CS3241 first assignment. The requirement is the draw anything with openGL. The lecturer said to spend max of five hours on it. Till now, I have spent more than ten hours. It is not that I aim to spoil the Market with super high standard, but it is because I am new to C and new to openGL. I spent most of my time searching online for explanation of codes and sintext of C.

CS3243 turn out to be quite funny, at least for now, because I'm taking with two other friends. We seem to have formed our study group for that module already. During the hour before the tutorial, we sat together and discuss through the tutorial questions. In addition, our lecturer is also our tutor, Prof Min. His tutoring style is actively getting students to think and participate. It is quite impossible to let the mind wonder off. Haha...

Singtel Fixed My Line

2010-08-27T08:44:00.000+08:00

Singtel came to fix my homeline on Wednesday as they promised. As I was not at home to see that the technicians are doing, my mum was there to supervise and assist.

Throughout the day I kept receiving calls from singtel, updating me about the status, like their technician are coming down, they have reconnected my line etc. Though, I think it might be a kind of good service, but it can be a little irritating especially when I'm having lesson.

When I reached home, the line was reconnected, the account password is changed and the wireless connection is renamed and a new WAP password. It's like FINALLY!! My days of fugitive from home due to lack of Internet connection is finally over!!

This was from NUS AS6 on 24th Aug 2010

Singtel Lousy Customer Service

2010-08-23T10:45:00.000+08:00

I not just dislike Singtel, I start to hate them.

Yesterday my houseline was down. As I did not remember Singtel hotline, I have to find it online. Lucky, I have my iPhone already, or else what can I do? However, I tired to access the singtel website. It's so dense with other information that I can find the information that I want. When I do managed to juz click the "contact us" page, I was given a pop up that the website server stop responding to my request. This suck. I tried twice and it suck twice. I search google instead

I called the hotline. The computerised operator is so damn complicated. I managed to get the tech-support later, but it was not useful at all. We were on the phone for 15-20mins and the problem got worse. He decided that he could not help me and send the technician to my house. However the technician schedule is full till Wednesday! 3 days of no house line nor broadband? What kind of service is this, Malaysia service? I tried to ask for other alternative. He suggested that I can change my modem personally at their modem headquarters near paya layba, which is so far from my house and I'm not free due to school. Thus I have no choice, I have to wait till Wednesday then. In bid to get my payment of service, I request that Singtel is able to waive my payment for this few days due to disprution of service.

I tried calling singtel again this morning to ask them regarding my singtel bill. I called the singtel hotline, 1688, again. This time, with more experience with the options, I managed to get to the phone operator pretty quick. However, all the phone operators were busy and I were put on hold. I hate it, I was on hold for five minutes before I decide that Singtel service is really lousy. It's customer service is one of the worst.

I tried calling M1, within a minute I managed to get to the phone operator and within another minutes, I finished my enquries and settle my request to remove voice mail.

These days people are getting busier and busier. There is a need to be efficient and fast to response. singtel is unable to keep up with the raising need, incompetence to fulfil it's customers' needs. Singtel, you suck!

Exercise

2010-08-23T10:02:00.000+08:00

I can still feel the aching.... that shows how "strong" my body is.

Today 1 sets of :-
20 x push ups
30 x sit ups
.....In 5 mins

SC2213 Reading Journal Four

2010-08-22T18:11:00.002+08:00

Understanding Chinese Child Development: The Role of Culture in Socialization
A Summary

Sing Lau and Patricia P. W. Yeung

The authors believes that human functioning cannot be separated from the cultural and immediate context in which children develop as the zone of proximal development is where culture and cognition create each other. Focusing on the socio-cultural context of a child’s development, development is inseparable from human social and cultural activities as children develop through socialization and their immediate families or peers thus become their main social agents.

Theories of Development: Western and Chinese Perspectives

From Western perspective, development is viewed as a lifelong process. There are in general well-defined boundaries, domains of development. In terms of domains such as cognitive development, it is suggested that a child’s ability to think and to reason progresses through a series of distinct stages. Each stage has its own unique characterization, yet it could vary considerably depending on intelligence, cultural background and socioeconomic factors.

Chinese perspective, different from Western theorist, is that they tend to be predominantly intuitive in their thinking, and they also do not diversify the viewpoints and distinctly label them into different psychological categories. Chinese perspectives seem to build solely upon some integrative framework, such as Confucianism.

In terms of cognitive development, there is emphasis on progressive learning, timing, and a human instinct or capacity to learn. In terms of moral development, there is emphasis on respect for authority and a well-defined hierarchy of human relationships in government, society, and at home. It is the latter aspect, morality that Western psychologists pay the greatest attention to.

Unlike Western theories of development, there is a notable lack of an empirical base from which Chinese thinking on child development is structured, more like philosophies than theories of nature.

Theoretical Basis of Chinese Development Research

Focusing on only one ideology has created a phenomenon whereby researchers tend to over-generalize the influence of Confucianism. This may even generate misconceptions in the process of investigating Chinese culture and child development. There are many cases of over-generalized some Chinese traditional behavior and falsely interpreted and such cases are trapped in the traditional and stereotypic modes of thoughts where the focus is solely on one aspect of Chinese.

Chinese tradition has its own uniqueness, but one cannot deny that there are some areas that are comparable with other cultures as well. There is research in variety of cultures that provided evidence of impressive regularities across cultures in the field of development. There are also consistent findings that children’s behavior and development in terms of specific patterns or ways of manifestation may vary according to cultural context.

Critique of theoretical assumption from Confucianism

Confucianism only covers the areas of family, society, the moral person, self-fulfillment and happiness, etc. Chinese orientation toward children tends to be moralistic rather than psychological. The ideology might have neglected, for example, teaching and learning or the psychological development of an individual.

Therefore to reply on a single ideology to study Chinese culture and child development is simply not appropriate. First the ideology may not be all-perfect. If one decides to use it as a theoretical base, both positive and negative aspects should be taken note of. Second, the ideology may not be all encompassing. Thus it is only appropriate that any assumption should be empirically measured and tested.

Different aspects and issues of Chinese Child development

Studies have shown that the value orientation and life goals of modern Chinese are creating another chapter in Chinese history. There are also a value preference of Chinese high school students playing greater emphasis on personal and competency values. This is complete contrast to the general collectivistic depiction of Chinese in relation to adolescent development. Lying ahead of Chinese people is great uncertainty and traditional Chinese culture will be affected and modified over and over again.

SC2213 Reading Journal Three

2010-08-22T16:12:00.002+08:00

Children’s Knowledge About the Mind
A Summary

John H. Flavell

The author stated that there are three main waves of research on the development of children’s knowledge about the mind. First, Piagent’s theory and research that shows children begin development by being cognitively egocentric. That is, initially, they do not know that there exist such things as conceptual, perceptual and affective perspectives. Even after children become aware of the existence of perspectives and perspective differences, they only gradually acquire skill in discriminating their own from other people’s. Second wave is theory and research on children’s meta-cognitive development and lastly is theory-of-mind development.

Theories of Development

Theory theories think that their knowledge is a foundational theory. They argue experience plays a formative role in children’s theory-of-mind development. They believe that experience provides young children with information that cannot be accounted for by their present theory of mind, information that will eventually cause them to revise and improve that theory.

Modularity theorist believe that young children are not acquiring a theory about mental representations, but rather, the acquisition through neurological maturation of a succession of three domain-specific and modular mechanisms for dealing with agents versus non-agent objects. Although experience may be necessary to trigger the operation of these mechanisms, it does not determine their nature.

Simulation theorist propose that children are introspectively aware of their own mental states and can use this awareness to infer the mental states of other people through a kind of role-taking or simulation process. They also assume that experience plays an important formative role.

Developments During Infancy

Fairly early on, infants develop basic discrimination abilities. They come to construe people as “compliant agents” where entities that are self-propelled and capable of independent movement (agents) but also influenceable at a distance by communication signals (compliant). The infant then starts to understand “aboutness”. They can recognize that the adult’s emotional display refers to or is “about” a particular object just as they can recognize that the adult’s spoken label refers to or is “about” a particular object. They also are beginning to understand human psychology, appearing to try manipulating others rather than social referencing.

Problems of Interpretation

Infants could respond appropriately in many situations if they could merely predict people’s overt behavior from their gaze direction, thus they would not actually have to be aware that the people are also having perceptual and cognitive experiences. However, theorists have made the argument that it would be hard to imagine how infants could learn to make mental state attributions later if wholly incapable of anything like it earlier.

Later Developments

Through later researches, researchers have found the development in infant on various areas, like visual perception, attention, desires, emotions, intentions, beliefs and related mental representation, knowledge, pretense and thinking. Children starts from none or weak to be increasing, over time, similar to mental state of adult by the end of infancy.

Differences in Development

Intracultural Differences. Studies of intracultural differences in development have identified social experiences that appear to foster theory-of-mind development. There are individual differences in people’s implicit theories about human attributes.

Intercultural Differences. There are important differences among cultures in adult theories of mind and also important similarities that appear to exist across cultures and languages in theory-of-mind development.

Interspecies Differences. Other primates seem to have less knowledge about the mental world.

The List in my Mind Recently

2010-08-21T00:50:00.006+08:00

I shall start clearing stuff as they come to my mind in an orangised matter now since now I'm on a very quite bus home.

I need to purchase a share of Sembawang Crop by end of September.
I need to upload my SC2213 reading journals by tonight.
I need to do my NM4210 readings and small assignments.
I need to do my SC2213 reading journals for coming week.
I need to get back my six pack and exercise to a reasonable level.
I need to practice CS3241 taught during last lecture.
I need to find out more about CS3243 assignment.
I need to let my girlfriend's parent know what I am.
I need to get a CAP of 4 for this semester.
I need to cut my fingernails.
I want a 4 men tent.
I want to create an iPhone app that wakes people up when it is reaching their desired stop.
I want to purchase a Canon 550D by the end of the year.
I want to design my blog own header.
I want to redesign my own blog by learning HTML, CSS and others.
I want to get closer with my girlfriend so that we can understand each other better.
I want to own more card games like Bang Wild West Show, Loot, Guillotine, Dominion, Munchkin and the Settlers.
I want to laminate those cards.
I want to learn more about interaction designing during NM4210.
I want to get a locker at level 2 COM1.
I may want to go for oversea volunteerring project end of the year.

My Mind is Spinning....

2010-08-20T22:06:00.002+08:00

There are many things up my mind now. These few days have been very mind boggling. Readings from Plato, small ideas among my peeps, socialising with my friends, handling relationship, thinking and planning for the future at the same time.

All seems so overwhelming now especially with the pile of readings waiting for me to read. NM4210 has readings, SC2213 has readings, GEM1004 has readings, CS3241 has coding and CS3243 has algothrims.

There is just not enough time for me to chill out enough and think for myself in a calm and relax state. I feel that I'm like pulling an ocean-liner across the ocean.

I think I probably should start to clear my mind out before all these translate into frustration and anger.

SC2213 Reading Journal Two

2010-08-20T02:49:00.002+08:00

Reading Journal Week One

“Challenges and Opportunities in the Anthropology of Childhoods: An Introduction to “Children, Childhoods, and Childhood Studies”
A Summary

Myra Bluebond-Langner
Jill E. Korbin

The authors believe that children are at once developing beings, in possession of agency, and to varying degrees vulnerable.

The authors commented that studies of global problems of children have uncovered the reality that children are not only aggressed against but also aggressors and children are not only acted on by adults but also agents of political change and cultural interpretation and change. While the authors increasingly view children as coexistence of agency and vulnerability, they nevertheless are among the most vulnerable members of society and have particular needs for nurturance.

This article speaks of some of the challenges and opportunities in a resurgence of anthropological interest in children and childhood.

Agency and vulnerability

Anthropology’s core concern is with the contextual nature of child development. Children, like adults, do not escape structural constraints. Similarly, the effect that any one individual or groups of individuals can evince in a situation or society is variable and requires interrogation so too with regard to children.

There is an increasing emphasis on agency and children are less regarded as passive recipients of action. However there is tension between conceptions of children as developing beings who are vulnerable and in need of protection and of children as in possession of agency, capable and able to make interpretations of their worlds and act on them. Portraying children as social actors not only renders them worthy of study in their own right but also increases interest in studies of children among those who would not necessarily see their value for development of social theory.

Ascription of agency to children also fits well with a long-held tenet in anthropology about individuals as meaning makers. Available models of children and childhood with more structural and chronological substrates place emphasis on becoming, maturing, reaching a particular end state. When such modules are in play, the child is measured against “an excessively idealized version of adult autonomy, independence, and maturity” which in itself is flawed.

However the problems and pitfalls of trying to give voice to children raise issues of authenticity, children’s perspectives, and the nature of their participation in the research process. If these issues are not addressed, such research risks becoming marginalized once more and will fail to provide an arena within which children are seen as social actors who can provide a unique perspective on the social world about matters that concern them as children. In using quotations from children we have to be cognizant of all of the following: selectivity of representation, uncritical quoting, and polyphony of voices, whose point is being made, and whose agenda is being serves. We need not only to document what children say but also to accompany those statements with accounts of how what they say is played out with attention to the social and cultural constraints in operation at that time.

There is a need to re-examine the understanding of children’s perspective, especially the process of cultural continuity and change within and across cultures. In addition it is also a common bias when we may want to attribute agency to acts we label as morally good or right, but we do not want to do so in acts we regard as morally wrong, particularly when committed by children.

Blurring of Research and Policy

The authors commented that we are still struggling with definition of the terms child, youth, and childhood. As a discipline we are still grappling with the questions of cultural relativism, pluralism, multiculturalism and globalization. As they study children and childhood, they also need to confront the messiness and untidiness of social reality, not reduce it.

They also remind that while, methods of study also need to be re-examined, the use of technology and as of children as researchers from a less polemical base, there is a need to insure that the studies conducted do not become the illustrative cases for the lasts fashionable, rediscovered, or borrowed social theory or political agenda.

Exercise

2010-08-19T09:04:00.001+08:00

I decide to do a little this morning as my army friends and I are having a buffet gathering at crystal jade great world city.

Today 2 sets of :-
20 x push ups
30 x sit ups
.....In 15 mins

SC2213 Reading Journal One

2010-08-19T07:09:00.003+08:00

Reading Journal Week One

“Why Don’t Anthropologist like Children?”
A Summary

Lawrence A.Hirschfeld

The article addresses the neglect of children in mainstream anthropology pursuit.

The author reviews this widespread marginalization and suggests reasons why child-focused research should be brought into attention.

Widespread marginalization

One of the reasons that the author suggested for the widespread marginalization is the children are closely associated with women and their traditional spheres of influence, the hold and heard. As a result some have suggested that children suffered the same systematic exclusion as their mothers.

Another reason is that, ironically, while anothrologists are interested in other forms of age-related issues, children are viewed as culturally incompetent beings who are at their “appendages to adult society” stage hence lacking of inherent interest. With children characterized as in transition to cultural competence rather than as having genuine mastery of it, discussion of children is typically focusing on the adult end-state and adult influence on “achieving” it. Children’s activities are cast as ancillary or subordinate. As a consequence, the contributions that children make to their own development are often obscured, if not effaced.

Socialization theory – the idea that adult depositions are achieved largely through adult interventions in children’s lives – only obstructs the appreciation of the contribution children make to the acquisition of cultural sensibilities and also often overestimates the influence adults actually wield.

Why child-focused research should be brought into attention?

The author comments that mainstream anthropology has “put the cart before the horse” by thinking that children’s culture is sculptured. However, children do not ape culture, they learn or acquire it, represent cultural information, manipulate these representations, and use them as the basis for making sense of the world and organizing action in it.

He feels that anthropology has marginalized children because it has marginalized the two things that children do especially well, which are the ability to adept at acquiring adult culture well and to create their own culture. In fact, children create and inhabit cultures of that are almost independent of and distinct from those of the adults with whom they live. Therefore in making their own cultural traditions, children deploy singular conceptual skills that significantly constrain and mold both the adults and their own cultural productions.

With the contemporary anthropology’s commitment to the idea that culture is learned, not inherited, he supported the idea children do the bulk of cultural learning even though acquiring cultural skills is a life-long project. Although often not considered fully expert, by adolescence children are adept participants in a cultural tradition.

To move children in from the margins, the author brings about the point that children’s live and experience simply coincide with anthropology’s study of the nature and scope of differences in the ways different populations act, think and speak as children’s behavior, thought and speech differ systematically from that of adults. Children constitute themselves into semi-autonomous subcultures and as such can be usefully explored by anthropologists.

Children and Various Cultures

The author has tried to show the developmental evidence does not support that children might naturalize social groupings simply because adults do. Rather, children come to naturalize these groups on their own initiative. He believes that the epistemic relationship between child and adult, between children’s culture and adult culture, is, in this respect, the inverse of conventional wisdom. Children do not become who their elders is but rather their elders become what the child affords, more specifically what the architecture of the child’s mind.

According to conventional wisdom, children come to naturalize these (gender, race, kin, caste, age, etc.) precocious acquired social entities because of political economic salience they have in the wider (adult) society. That is to say, according to conventional wisdom, they are early emerging categories because they are so socially conspicuous. The author contents that it is the case because it is easily thought and learned by children. This fits the well with the children’s early mapping of social world and the conceptual architecture that guides children’s developing visions of the world.

epistemic - of or pertaining to knowledge or the conditions for acquiring it.

precocious - prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc.

conspicuous - easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable

Trying to Get Back a Healthier Life

2010-08-18T14:39:00.002+08:00

I have not been exercising regularly since my last IPT which was during this year Chinese New Year in February. I had gain a little more than a kilogram.

Recently, I feel tired easily and looking at the fats gathering around my waist is a little ego-killing. Haha...

In light of my general health, I decide to keep a log of amount of exercise I have done so that I will more discipline.

Today will be my second entry, ad I will back date an exercise entry for last week run.

Today 3 sets of :-
20 x push ups
30 x sit ups
.....In 15 mins

Bad User Experience with Phillip's On-Line E-Mart System

2010-08-15T23:02:00.001+08:00

As my friends know, I'm a stock market investor. Currently I have phillip trading account and it have been my sole n primary trading account for the past 5 years.

Recent years, I have been keeping an eye on stock markets online. For phillip account holders, the online version can be accessed through www.poems.com.sg . It's a very simple but lousy web site that runs on JavaScript.

The login ID is a six digit number given by Phillip. Omg.. What era is this already and they still limiting their clients by numbers. The current technology should have no trouble allow users having their unique user name.

The password security system can be a hassle. It is normal that after three tries, the system will lock your account, but the thing is that there are no pop-ups to warn you about it throughout the three tries. In addition, since all users are a set of six numbers, how I know someone did not type their user ID as mine n try logging in three times?

What more hilarious is that when my account is locked. The user has only three ways to unlock it, 1) fax in a request form 2) mail in a request form 3) call my reminiscer to unlock. These three ways will only mean that anyone can expected to receive help during working hours, what about those trading international markets? This only reflects how much Philip has invest in their technology. Why isn't there any email option? Why can't there be a 24hr hotline or other authentication options?

I have been using the online version for years and for years it has remain the same. I would expect upgraded versions with newer and easier interfaces at least every two years. Today's technology has increasing focus on interfaces and user experience thus I believe that it is not unreasonable to ask phillip to allocate it's revenue and profit towards these areas.

This has show the lack of, if any, effort to improve the online experience of their online clients. If this does not change, I will have to change. The young adults of the current generation are a group of people who know are less likely to be satisfied with such sub-standard services from any company.

Last Day of First Week of Semester

2010-08-14T22:04:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I had my first sociology lesson for this semester. It's SC2213, childhood n youth. It's by Mr Marranci again, who taught me SC3202 last semester. For this module, there is a reading journal to be handed in every week. SC2202 was also like that, thus I wonder if all level 2000 sociology modules have the similar structure.

Though reading journals weekly is very tedious, but I like them. That is because I will be forced to do my readings on time thus I won't have lots of undone readings left during the reading week. In addition, these reading journals are usually open to the whole class, therefore, I will be to read some other classmates' journals n compare with my understanding.

I also had NM4210 by Foong pin sym yesterday. It was so early in the morning, 9am.... and four straight hours long!!! My friend said she is a boring lecturer and I think he is right. I almost fell asleep, within half an hour. Lucky, there are three hours of group activities. However, I must say that I like how she structured the modules, almost like CS2103, and I look forward with all the stuff she has installed for us for the rest of the semester.

Running in school

2010-08-11T23:47:00.001+08:00

Today a run route of :-
From COM1 - BIZ2 - PGP - Back of King Edward - Back of A*IMRE - BIZ2 Busstop
.... In approx. 45mins

First Day of Year Three Semester One

2010-08-10T22:39:00.001+08:00

Today, I woke up at 9.30am but went directly back onto sleep for another hour and a half. 3 nights had passed and I'm still suffering from insufficient rest. That's how much being a FOW ogl can do to you.

Ecev though I have no lessons, I still went to school for gym n to meet friends for dinner. It was only when I reach NUS SRC that I realized that area is cornered of for don't know what reason. I should have read the NUS email! A changed of plan, I managed to find the usual clique at com1 basement to deposit my bag with them while I ran.

This is the first exercise I have since 6 months ago. I intend to start slow. I ran from com1 to PGP to the back of king edward residence to biz. I wanted to run all the way back to com1 but i know my body cannot take it without suffering from the fainty mind thingy so I ended my run at biz.

Dinner was at clementi sumo house with the usual clique. Wing, Jonah, Sylvia, Cliff, Caudline, Brata n Jack. Though I seldom participate much in their conversation n neither am I studying the same major as any of them, I feel good hanging around with these people. They are a group of people who seems to have a goal in life yet remaining carefree n as if if the world were to turn upside down the clique will still remain as a pack that will find laughter n joy.

This first day as a NUS year three student, ended with me taking a long journey from clementi to changi as my girlfriend came back from indon. She brought almost $200 worth of clothes and a stack of movies!!! Haha... Girls are girls, they can really spend so much on clothes.

Wells, as the day come to an end with me heading back home, today ain't a bad day to start this academic year. Good luck n many well wishes to everyone n myself. =)

First ICT

2010-07-19T16:09:00.001+08:00

I just came back from my first National Service In-Camp-Training (NS ICT).

For 5 days, I was forced, by law, to re-enter army and revise the weaponries that I had learned before in army. As usual, army days are full of "rush-to-wait, wait-to-rush" situations. 5days worth of training could have been easily packed to 3days training if necessary.

My first reservist is quite a refreshing experience that is different from the previous two years of army. It is much less regimental from the top-down and resistant to command from bottom-up. It seems like everyone knows that everyone else is just coming in to just get their respective job done.

Although the 5days programmes seems quite slack, by the end of the 3rd day, many of us can already feel the mental and physical strain on ourselves already. I cannot imagine what it would be like for high key training (more than 7days ICT).

Next year ICT will be a high key for me. I planned to bring in more "luxurious" stuff because there will be confirm be at least a 3days 2 night outfield training. Stuff like packets of wet tissue, a small electronic fan and some canned food.

In addition to the training programmes, the allocation of manpower is pretty hectic too for the first ICT. There was an over estab of people in the company. There are like 3 times more officers and twice more specialists needed in the company. Even with that there might be a chance that I might be promoted from Section Commander (SC) to Platoon Sergeant (PS) for another platoon. =S

The reason why there might be shift of the orbat is because the company previous appointed an very inexperience Comapny Sergeant Major(CSM) and does not seems to have the capability to be one. Thus, another PS might be promoted to replace the CSM place and I to fill the PS place.

Wells, see how it goes. There are many pros and cons of both being what I am now and being a PS. Anyway, this is only approx of once a year "event". It does not worth spending so much brain cells on it.

Ridiculous Module Requirements

2010-06-18T14:52:00.007+08:00

Recently I have been looking at what modules I want to and can take for the rest of my two years in NUS. As I was reading the modules requirements, I realised something. Some important modules, the faculty had changed the requirements.

These changes have effectively removed my ability take those important elective modules. I was shocked. I wrote in to my faculty administrators to clarify this matter and also to appeal on this matter as I feel that it is very unfair to my peers and I.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 1:56 PM
Hi,

I'm Kenny, a Yr3 Computing student majoring in communication and media.

As MPE is coming soon I'm looking for modules to take this coming semester. I found this module NM4210 User Experience Design that I am interested in taking to fulfil my degree programme elective requirement.

I would like to ask if the prerequisites of NM4210 (Completed 28MCs in NM) applies to students like me, from SOC.

The reason I ask is because it seems very difficult for SOC students to fulfil the 28MCs NM modules prerequisites. I am hoping this does not applies to students from SOC.

Hope you can help to clarify this for me. Thanks!

Cheers
Kenny Khek

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, June 17, 2010 3:14 PM
Dear Louis

Preceding email referred. Appreciate your advise.

Regards
Pamela

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thu 6/17/2010 3:47 PM
Thank you, Pamela.

Hi Kenny,

I regret to inform you that the pre-requisite applies to all students who are interested to read NM4210. As NM4210 is an advanced Communications and New Media module, we do require students to have a significant amount of experience in NM subjects before reading it. While the 28MCs requirement is indeed very difficult to achieve, it is, however, a requirement that has to be met since that is the way the curriculum is created.

If you have read 28MCs worth of modules that carries elements of Communication and New Media topic from outside of CNM AND have read CS3282 or CS3240 or CS2103 or NM2216, perhaps you can try writing in to appeal to read NM4210. Sorry that I am not of much help and thank you for your kind understanding in this matter.

Best,
Louis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, June 17, 2010 7:36 PM
Hi All,

Thanks for getting back to me on this matter.

I would like to clarify something regarding the programme requirements of Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media.

First,
On one side,
Under Major Requirements (Communications and Media Related), a student is to take at least 24 MCs from the three CM Programme Elective Groups, with at least 16 MCs at level-4000 or above.
This means that we have only a maximum of 8MCs to fulfil prerequisites of any level-4000.

On the other side,
All the NM4*** modules in the elective groups has the same prerequisites of 28MCs in NM.
This would mean that if a student want to take level 4000 NM modules, he would have to use all his breadth and unrestricted MCs to fulfill the prerequisites of some modules that are already part of his degree programme.

In doing so, does this defeat the purpose of UE, which is to enable students to pursue their different academic interests and aspirations and may also be used to satisfy partially or wholly the requirements of other programmes?

In doing so, doesn't this almost removed the chances of doing any high level NM modules for current students in this major and misleading prospective students who are looking at modules in this programme elective group?

Second,
Cohort 2006 and before: (1) Read & pass a minimum of 80MCs, (2) CS3282 or CS3240 or CS2103 or NM2216. Cohort 2007 onwards: (1) Completed 80MCs, including 28MCs in NM, with a minimum CAP of 3.5 or be on the Honours track. (2) CS3282 or CS3240 or CS2103 or NM2216.

I am of cohort 08/09 and a student who has already planned to major in Communication and Media since year one semester one and I have not forsee to have such changes. It is only this academic year 10/11, that the requirements of these level 4000 NM modules in Programme Elective Group B have changed from Read and pass a minimum of 80 MCs. CS3282 or CS3240 or CS2103 or NM2216. In addition throughout my two years, I have already used more than half of my UE MCs to pursue my academic interests in sociology.

Thus, even if I am willing to give up my other interest in order to study modules that I am interested in my own major, I am only able to do so if I take several special semester modules and graduating with more than 160MCs.

I feel that this sudden change in requirements has short change students of my peers in this major, as most of us would have used our UEs on some other things during our two years in NUS.

Therefore,
I sincerely hope that my faculty can help us, its own students to ask if the 28MCs prerequisites can be changed. For example, this prerequisites be effective only to students who matriculated this academic year onwards. Or, maybe have a different prerequisites for SoC students. Or some other ways that can help us.

Thanks so much.

If I like to appeal, who can I write to?

Thanks.

cheers
Kenny Khek

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fri 6/18/2010 1:41 PM
Dear Kenny

Thanks for the email.

We are verifying with CNM department on the matter. Will keep you inform in due course.

Regards
Pamela

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really shocked at how this multidisciplinary degree, multiples faculties, are handled this way. They should have consulted various faculties first before making changes and also to inform of all affected students. Had I not found out, wouldn't I be stuck with no modules to take during my final year as I do not fulfil any the prerequisites?

As more and more multidisciplinary degrees springing out in many universities, I really urge all univeristies to take care of these undergraduates just as if they were their own faculties students. More authorities looking after a group of people does not mean that it is better care for.

*********************** EDIT January 06,2010 **********************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Kenny

I am pleased to inform that the pre-requisite that was recently introduced to NM4000 level modules have been revised for SoC students as follows :

"Completed 80MCs, including 28MCs in NM (not applicable to SOC students), with a minimum CAP of 3.5 or be on the Honours track.”.

I believe your concern has been addressed.

Regards
Pamela Lim

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ah... its finally settled. *smiles*

************************************************************************

As the economy continues to become bearish

2010-05-24T04:54:00.002+08:00

Last Friday I went for a Merrill Lynch invitation-only investment talk. It was a three talk and mostly for its internal staffs, some other related companies and private investors. By luck, my girlfriend had a pass from her cousin. However, I went only for the last day due to other commitments.

From the talk, though I do not understand lots of their professional jargon, I get the impression that they are saying that the market is bearish. Oil and pertrolchemical industry will take a hit due to oversupply from last year left over. Hong Kong investment properties continue to have neutral/good prospects. Australia is underperforming and China and India is performing well.

Currently, my views on investment in local market is to wait till mid July, after world cup and I believe that this view is agreed by many financial professionals and investors.

Europe is facing alot of financial problems and with each solution implimented to solve them, another problem spring out with it. Just take Germany restriction on short selling as an example. I believe that during the world cup period, governments will take this time to really think about the problems and solutions. People around the world will also trade less and focus more on world cup.

Last friday, STI drop to almost 2700 points. If things get worse, it might even drop to 2500 points. Even if things do not get worse, I doubt it will get any better. Therefore, why not wait out and use this time to save more money before buying in? At least that will be what I will be doing.

With STI at 2701points, my portfolio has almost return to its principle amount. But I'm not scared that my investment will become worthless because I do my homework before I buy my shares. I have confident that the companies that I have shares in are those that are able to take the beating and still able to stand upright.

MIIF has already proceed to the sale of the whole of 8.7% of Arqiva ownership, increasing the cash flow by 18cent per share. Together with its cash on hand of S$466.5 million, I believe that it will be able to invest in good investment as now, a poor market, it is always easier to have good value for money investments. The mangement also propose to return the money to its shareholders it they did not invest the money. I think it is good because they cannot use the money to increase the value of MIIF, I rather them giving my back my money and I increase my own portfolio value.

SP Ausnet is a company with a Singapore Power having a control interest. Anything that have to do with Singapore government, it will not be bad, either its neutral or good. With consistent dividends and strong profits. I believe that though it has significant debts, but they are all financed well. I think it is typical of utility companies to be as such. They have significant debts, but also have significant inventories that can add up to their total value but also depreciate quick and need huge maintenance. However, as electricity is a basic necessity, the revenue will also be consistent. The industry is also heavily regulated thus affecting the ease of entry of new players.

Wells, that is my two cents worth of my own porfolio. Feel free to share with me with what you think. =D

Jobless for a Some Time Now

2010-05-16T11:34:00.001+08:00

My examination has ended for a week now. I could have earned some money for a week already, but I did not. I'm currently still jobless and unable to find an internship. Its quite unexpected as I started to find intern since two weeks before my reading week.

Now, I'm starting to get worried about my next year intern possibility and future career path. Will it be so difficult too? Will I find a job after I graduate?

This "intern-hunting" I realised that there are many jobs that require computer engineers and computer scientist. There are little adveristiments for temperory/intern employment of my studies, computer science communication and media. Those little that I managed to come across mostly require the knowledge of javascript, .NET, or some other requirement that I do not have.

This holiday, I'm catching up on those that I do not have. I learning javascript. Though javascript is a simple language by itself, but to use it with php, asp, etc will need some time to get familiar with.

On Friday, I have sent out some emails to recruitment agencies for partime/temp job, seven dollars per hour. I'm not looking for intern anymore. Now, I'm out to learn just money.

I hope that next week will be a more fruitful week in getting a job. I do want to make use of my holiday to earn some cash to invest in this low stock market.

Felon (2008)

2010-05-15T11:43:00.054+08:00

Felon is a 2008 drama film about a family man who ends up in state prison after he kills an intruder. The film was written and directed by Ric Roman Waugh, and stars Stephen Dorff, Val Kilmer and Harold Perrineau. The story is based on events that took place in the 1990s at the notorious California State Prison, Corcoran.

Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff) is a family man and business owner, a few months away from marrying his girlfriend of six years, who is the mother of his son. However, one night a burglar enters his home. Wade, pursues him out onto the front lawn and subsequently strikes him across the head with a baseball bat, killing him. The district attorney, while sympathetic to Wade's case, is nevertheless compelled by the evidence to reject his plea of self-defense and convict him of involuntary manslaughter.

Wade's subsequent incarceration forces him into a world unlike any he had known before. First the crowded confines of the county jail, and then 'The SHU', the security housing unit of the prison he is incarcerated at. 23 hours a day in a concrete box, shackles, orders, and no warnings. The only freedoms left to Wade are in his head and in the yard. But the yard, as he soon finds out, has been turned into a figurative gladiator arena for the inmates of the SHU, where prison politics and violence rule. As he struggles to survive inside, Wade discovers two things - the humanity of his cellmate, an infamous multiple murderer (Val Kilmer), and the growing sadism of the security housing unit's commander,(Harold Perrineau).

I feel that this movie is a very good movie even though it only get 65% on rotten tomatoes. The pace of progression in the movie is just nice with many parts of the story reasonably explained, though without much detail. The transitions of the storyline is smooth and I'm able to related each scene together. I am no expert in this matter but I believe there are also sufficient reseach done on prison politics of the guards and the inmates and is protrayed in movie.

I believe that prison movies like these alway amazed me because it makes prison, a society correctional facility, can also be a society bottomless pit where criminals only get suck deeper into the world of defiance to survive.

I like the movie and give it a 7.5/10. It is a motivational movie that remind its movie watchers the motivation that family can give to people in times of need. So to people out there, who have family members in need, give them your strength.

One more paper left

2010-05-06T03:28:00.001+08:00

Wells, four papers have past and I am left with my last paper CS3240 HCI on saturday afternoon. I have a strong feeling that my CAP will drop to before three again this semester, but I am praying hard it will not.

SSD1203 was not difficult, however, there were so many things to write I had to restrict myself so that I could finish all the questions on time. In addition, it was my first paper thus I it took me a while to warm up my pathetic language writing. I predict a B-, Grade point 3.0.

MA1521 was my second paper. This time, it was unexpectedly tough. The lecturer said that he set it as 50% tutorial questions and we should be able to answer all those questions to pass and he will use the rest of the 50% to form the bell curve. After the paper, I knew he was kidding. The paper was tough, though not to the undoable standard, but I had the feeling that the answer would be within my reach if I would be give 10-15mins more per question. I predict a B+, Grade point 4.0.

SC3202 was horrible. It was totally horrible. I was not that I did not know understand the lectures or understand that the module is about. The problem was that I do not know what the questions wants specfically. I practically just dumped whatever I managed to memorize. I believe that I did not answer the questions at all. My only hope was to show the lecturer that even though I might not know what the questions are asking, I understand the letures. My bell curve situation is even worse because I'm the only non-arts student taking that module and almost half of them are graduation end of this semester. I predict a C, Grade point 2.0.

CS2105 was okay. There are a few questions here and there that I do not know how to do, but I think it was acceptable taking need to create a bell-curve. Most questions are straight forward, some are questions that he asked and answered himself during the lectures which I did not take note of it. I predict a B+ Grade point 4.0.

I'm left with CS3240. I really hope I have the B Grade point 3.5 feeling this saturday after my paper. Then this semester I will have a CAP 3.3 for this semester and improve my accumulative CAP by 0.01. I also have the intention to S/U, any non-requirement modules that I got C+ and below so as to be able to pull my CAP higher. I have to grad with at least CAP3.5

Wells, I will tuck into my bed now. For the enxt two days, I have to study for CS3240 because I really need the grade. Lucky to myself.

Good luck to myself

2010-04-29T03:59:00.000+08:00

I cannot believe it. My laptop crash on me again the day just before my exam. It was running okay when I shut it down in the afternoon before I went out. During the shut down, my laptop give me the blue screen of crap! I didn't settle it immediately. I was almost late for my interview at Anika Insurance Brokage.

I went for this interview at Anika. Its under GIA internship programme too. The person interview me gave me a very strong impression. He seems to be a vert strict yet helpful person. He gave me the impression that the company is alittle male chauvinist because of the indication that he gave interest to SAF testimonial. Anyway, I'm glad at least that I did not screw up my NS.

The interview went well and he offered me the intern on the spot. I'm so relieved. Finally, I'm now not jobless. However, other things to headache surfaced. Will I be able to handle the GIA training during my examination week, which I have 3 papers? Will Lucasflim offer me an internship too?

I really do not mind interning at Anika, even though it is a small company, because the person who interview me seems to really have prepared to allow me learn lots of stuff. However, lucasfilm also did not lose out on that with the collaboration of a small project with interns at US. Lucasfilm is also a closer industry to what I'm studying now than insurance. After many many thoughts, I decided that I will put GIA internship on hold first and wait for lucasfilm till friday. The reason is because if I intern at lucasfilm, at least I can concentrate on my examination.

After the interview, I went to school to continue studying for my 2 papers later in the morning. Till now, I have not finish my revision.

Anyway, I already have something to do during my holidays to help build my portfolio. My friend is going back to his orangeOasis. He ask me to help him build a timetable builder for nus. I am quite excited because finally, this will be my first piece of work that will enter my portfolio. There is another chance for me to add another thing into my portfolio, TED designing competition "Move Your Apps". I'm also interested in joining too and have formed a team. However, it is very disadvantage for us because it starts now and end on 20+ May. That leave me only 2 weeks to build an apps that I have never done before, so did my team. However, they end earlier. We have not really confirm to enter the competition, but we will discuss and see how.

I really want to score well for this semester because at the end of day, people look at results. I still have alittle more before I finish my revision and I shall head back to my studies. Good luck to myself.

I got shingles in the mist of exam.

2010-04-28T22:34:00.002+08:00

Last saturday, I got this rash on my neck and I didnt give too much of attention to it. It got worse as day passed by. Not only did it become more itch, it there are bubbles like thing forming over the rash. It was until monday then it got wrose and I went to see a doc from NUS Wellness Centre after paper. I was diagnose with herpes zosters.

In layman term, its shingles, like chicken pox part two but only at isolated area around the neck. I was given a medication that I have to take every 4 hourly over 5 days and cost me $46! So expensive. I was also arranged to take my exam papers at an isolated room. However, I guess the medication is worth it. I managed to live through 4 papers and my shingles are recovering although the occasional painful tingling feeling can still be felt at the affected area.

For the medication expenses, I have to cut down my other expenses. That today, my lunch and dinner is just a packed box from dect and two bread from home.

The heat

2010-04-24T14:57:00.001+08:00

Its March now and the weather is horrible. In the afternoon, the scorning heat can easily dehydrate a person within 15 minutes. In the evening, there will be pouring rain. By the time it reach sleeping time, it will be humid and make it uncomfortable to sleep. In my impression, March weather does not used to be like that. Some people say it sthe El Nino that cause the recent weather to be so. Personally, I do not think that there is only one sole factor, which is the El Nino. I believe that the increasing the amount of green house gases in the atmostphere has a part to do too.

There are various scientific journals and newspaper reports stating the global temperature worldwide has raised a degree of two over the decade and will contiune to raise not due to the natural occurings, but due to man's work. The amount of greenhouse gases that we produces in our daily lives the amount of greens that we destroy everyday too satisfy our daily needs.

Its time we have to be responsible for mother nature. I'm not saying here that we should stop whatever we are doing now and immediately jump back to the caveman age. What I'm trying to advocate is that we should not take what we know we cannot return.

We should do as much as we can to keep life on mother earth substainable as long as possible. We should also focus our R&D not only to improve values and way of life, but also to decrease cost of our way of life. We should find ways to build eco-friendly structures that are green both theorically and statistically. We should help increase the rate of reforestation and increase the greens around us. We should cut down our emission of greenhouse gases produced through our transportation vehicles and our air-cons.

It is time that everyone must do his part. A small act goes a long way, for our future and also for the future of the generations to come.

Sick

2010-04-21T08:05:00.001+08:00

Its nearing exam period. I should be concentrating on my revision and getting all ready for my papers next wednesday. However, I'm unable to do that because I just caught up with a flu bug! It is so irritating that I have to get sick at this period of time. I'm already one day behind my planned revision.

I'm blogging here from my girlfriend's hall. I have been stay here since saturday morning, studying with her since then. Here, unlike home, I was not able to have good recuperation time at the end of my day. The floor I slept on is not inviting at all and food that I eat for meals can never be compared to my mother's cooking. Its actually not as bad as I might implied, especially having been through army and 3 semesters of mugging period. However, I think that the reason I'm sick now is because during this period of time, I need good rest and good nutrition, which I'm unable to get here.

Anyway, there can be no excuse why I cannot study for my exams. Every paper is critical to improve my cap and thus I cannot waste it. I just got back my scoiology term paper and I got a B. I have to put in more effort for my eamination.

Jia youS!

Can NUS Sci Faculty do something about this?

2010-04-13T21:24:00.003+08:00

I have been wanting to post this for a very long time. However, it was only last week did I manged to grab hold of my camera while in here.

I wan to complain about this male toliet at NUS S16 Lvl 2. Seriously, I do not understand why there is a board protruding above the urinal. WHY?

This protruding board irritating as you can see from the picture. I drew a normal size man using the urinal. This protruding board is just nice at the nose/chin level of the person using it. It has cause much difficulties. While using the urinal, no guys can look down because it blocked. There are three options left.

1)Look up, and act like an idiot.
2)Look side ways, and other people will think you are peeping at them.
3)Stand further, and wet the ground during the "retracting period".

This is not a good design and I'm sure it has been there for many years now. Why has not any staffs/students commented about it to the management? Hm... or maybe it can be used as an excuess for bad targeting? or just that science people are more tolerating towards bad design?

My love hate relationship with the weather.

2010-04-13T19:37:00.001+08:00

Singapore's weather might be the worse in the world, but recently its getting worse. I am thinking, in my future house, there must be an air-con in the "office" room. Without it, I really cannot concentrate in this kind of unbearable weather.

Yesterday I was studying at my girlfriend's hall. The weather was super humid and hot. I could not concentrate on my studies. I had no choice but to ask my girlfriend to on the air-con.

Last night was even worse. I had to blast my fan at speed 3 and sleep under the fan. This morning when I woke up, I almost got very serious nasal inflammation and a unbearable sore throat because of sleeping under that kind of fan.

In the afternoon, the weather is getting worse. The sun was scorching hot and so humid. A few seconds under the sun, I was perspiring already. I continued to perspirie even I had bathed after my gym.

Whats even more lucky is that when I was on my way home, it rained. I had to take an extra stop and cross the bridge in order to avoid getting wet.

The weather is cool now. The rain had stopped but the wind is still blowing. I hope this contiune through the night as I will need this nice weather to study for my finals.

Its tough

2010-04-05T16:55:00.004+08:00

Apple Globe

Life is tough. No one would agree that life is easy, right? If it had been easy, then you must be feeling quite unaccomplished right now. Have you been doing anything meaningful?

Its the project hell week last week and this week. All will end by the end of this week with CS3240 project due on wednesday and CS2105 due on coming monday. I'm tired, tired of givingall my best for my project. However, I know I would not regret it because my results will show. If it does not show, it will only means I did not put in effort for my finals.

Even though CS3240 project is not finished yet, but I'm have put it aside after doing it non stop since thursday night. That is around 74hours of flash designing and programming. I'm suffering from a programmer's brain drain. Learning a new programming language is not an easy task. However, I'm glad that I learn something new this semester.

I have not been doing another work from other modules since I start full fledge on CS3240 progject. I will have to catch up this evening. That is yet another fire fighting. I have CS2105 tutorial, SC3203 tutorial and MA1521 two tutorials. Is it possible to finish? I'm quite negative about it. Still, lucky tomorrow have no tutorials for SSA1203 in the morning.

I still recieved no news from GIA for my internship for General Insurance. I'm stilling to lose confidence in their way of working. My initial impression of GIA and GI industry as a steady-fast and robust industry is breaking down because of response I get from GIA. It has been two weeks and they can provide no progress on getting AXA to reply them, reason, their person in contact is on holiday.

Excuses, I would say. If GIA would to have their interns in mind, they would have move on to request other companies to host their interns instead of "sitting under the tree, waiting for the rabbit to come out". Even if they are doing something, not giving their "consumers" frequent updates on current situation is a very bad business practice.

The impression that GIA internship is of high prestige in GI industry is quicky crumbling down like biscuit crumbles. Anyway, I have sent out several interns application to other companies, like Bloomberg and HDB. Hope they get back to me soon so that I can concentrate on my examinations.

My mobile line is expiring this jun 21st and I have been thinking if I should continue to be a customer of Singtel. The new rule of only $50 discount of mobile phone for recontract is not very appealing as compared to $100 discount of mobile phone for porting over to other providers. Another think that have been in mind too, is whether I should get an smart phone for internet usage.

I have been thinking of buying an iphone. I have been debuting between myself and I. Is it really worth it. Is it really going to be useful? Is it going to be reliable? Is it going to be lasting? I know that sometimes one who thinks too much are not fit for huge responsbilities. However, one who belittles his responsbilities are incompetent too. An iphone cost half a thousand. It is really an amount of money that worth my time debuting between myself.

The lack of sleep and sleeping at odd hours for the past week is slowly eating up both my mental and physical health. I cannot wait for holidays to come, so that I can work and earn money and have my evening free to just nua at home.

Its tough, around where I am now.

Life is a Bitch

2010-03-29T04:31:00.001+08:00

I went to the beach on saturday together with wei jie. He was participating in the pageant because he wanted to win the $350 worth of vouchers from everlast and singtel. That explain why I'm currently suffering from third degree burn on my shoulders and neck. I was already very careful with my exposure to the sun. 75% of the time, I was standing under the protect of the tentage and with fan.

The Beach Fiesta was quite impressing to me. There was six hundred plus people participating the activities not including people like me who never participate but turn up. Activities went on smoothly since 8am till 5pm. There was a casual band, with Chinglee inside, and free flow of plain water and a booth for ramly burger. Woah... Being part of the organizing committee before, I really apprecipate the orgnizing ability of Beach Fiesta organizing committee.

Other then being there to support weijie for his pageant, I also wanted to go to the beach to play volleyball. However to my dismay, there is not much people who know how to play volleyball and yet noob enough to play with me. There was a group of helpers from Beach Fesita playing, towards the end, and I wanted to join them, however, I decided not to due to various reasons.

At the beach, the number of babes are inevitable. How I wish my girlfriend was there with me because my girlfriend is a babe too, though she lacks the beachy aura that the other girls at the beach had. I wished that I have a super good camera that allows me "click" and "click", but to think again, what is the use of having those photos? They are useless. While allowing the guy nature of appreciating beauty of others, I kept in mind the importance of soul partner is not the appearance, but the ability to share my joy and burden and there is only one person is up for the job.

I left the beach at mid-noon for my girlfriend's house. I said waved goodbye to the few friends I had over there and I felt kinda of sad that I does not really have a clique. My friends are mostly here and there. Not that having friends here and there is a bad thing, but sometimes having a close clique will feel more sense of belonging to the society. And that was one of the time I felt that way.

I feel that I should change my current lifestyle. The active me seems to have lost himself after a terrible univeristy year one which ended with a not very value-adding cca and terrible results. Withdrawn into myself, my goal for this academic year to achieve better results and repeat or better the amazing feat of semester one of scoring 3As and 2Bs in semester two.

Therefore, I am going to start my gyming again and make sure that I work during this holiday to primarily gain industry experience and secondarily, earn some cash. If possible, I would wan to join windsurf camp this year. I had also signed up myself for coming freshmen orientation week as ogl. I could not commit myself to freshmen orientation camp because my work plans for the holidays are still not confirmed yet. I also planned to join an oversea volunteering trip at the end of the year.

Year one, I tried to have a active uni life. Now, year two, I have a year concentrated on studies. Next year, year three, I intend to have a balanced uni life and during the last year, to give priority to studies.

Its getting increasing user friendly

2010-03-26T04:27:00.008+08:00

Haha! just when I'm about to tell the world how much technology has and is going to improve work and user the embedded video function from youtube give me problem.

Please go and see this. Its amazing how photoshop has progress from a simple pixel editer to such a environmental aware program. That is shows the intelligence of the programmers and how the focus of software development has changed.

I really wonder how the algorithm for such program works. Haha! yes... this kind of thing only geeks will wonder. But isn't it amazing? Imagine how this will change the working environment of designers. Designs can be created faster and therefore anything that to do with designs will be produced at a faster rate and so will the consumption. The world won't be the same anymore. However it really depends on how the market accept it.

For example, even though google map and bing map are increasing getting more interactive and informative not many users are aware of its potential. If you too are unaware of what these two maps do, pleaes do view through the video below. Its really revolutionalize how maps works and I believe that in time to come, it will change how many business processes.

Getting no where

2010-03-23T02:28:00.003+08:00

I do not understand human have to be suspicious of other people. Is it a survival instinct or some redundant thoughts that grews in the mind.

Why cannot people just keep themselves from others if they feel uncomfortable with or just ignore them? Why do they have to continue to cover their real feelings behind a vile, and maintain a untrusted relationship?

Are such relationships healthy or does it satisfy the adrealine of people who likes to complicate social links?

Maybe I'm more of a straight foward person and do not have ultra motive when I approach matters. I believe that things have to be kept simple to be efficient. Get it done, get it well, and get over with. Aren't these doing things?

I know that human relations are not simple as they seem. There are people with ultra motives. Therefore the chinese saying, "害人之心不可有,防人之心不可无" We should not have the motive to hurt others, but we must have be prepared to defend ourselves.

I hate living in a complicated society.

So Irritating

2010-03-22T16:42:00.002+08:00

I was all agree to get my new E71 today and I return back home empty handed, so unproductive.

Do you all remember that last time there was this $100 mobile voucher for people who have ended their 2 year contract and the incentivise them to re-sign a new contract? I though there was still sich promotion. Thus, I checked online, Singtel webby, if my singtel contract had ended. It stated that I can sign a new contract and mobile phone without any additional charges. So, happily I went to the Singtel shop at J8 and ask if my contract had ended and ask if I can purchase E71. It was only then he say that my contract is still on 21st month and signing a new line with signtel is not equal to porting over from other providers which the $100 offer applies.

WHAT?!

First, the statement that displayed that I can sign a new contract and mobile phone has misled me to think that I have finished my 2yrs contract. Second. $100 does not apply to signing a new line at the end of 24months?! Setting the first misconception of the statement aside, the second statement does not make sense either. This would means that I will be rewarding for me to hop around service providers instead of remaining "loyal" at one. So much of the attracting compeition. Its more of making the market population more mobile by push them around. Something must be wrong with people in the mangement.

My friend suggest that I write email to their management to get that $100 and there is another that advice me to port over to M1 instead. I will consider both, but first, I shall write email to singtel and ask politely what their mangement is thinking or it is just that their frontline are not sure of their policy.

End of Week 9 of Year 2 Sem 2

2010-03-19T22:41:00.001+08:00

Today is friday and so its the end of my NUS year 2, semester 2 week 9.

I got back my MA1521 results, 43/50. I'm just a mark above meadian but the mode is 47. I guess I'm in the grade B range. I thought I was in grade A range. Wells, it turn out that i'm not alone in thinking that the module is achieveable and there are people who thing that the module is kids' play. I have to work harder. I can score in this in the final. I want my A!!!

I have not been sleep much for this week. I have been up doing my readings, coding and design. I'm glad that I managed to clear up most of my "mountain" already. YES! I'm still in school now and I just finished part of my coding. I'm heading home soon to finish up my coding and so that I can start on my sciology essay.

The sciology is 2/3 done and its due by the end of the month. I have already let the lecturer take a quick browsed and he seemed to like the way I present my agruments. However, he is little concern about the depth of certain content. I still have to work on it and finished it up soon. I want to have a second draft before I hand in.

I just had a quarrel with my girlfriend a few days ago. Hm.. its more of she upset about my certain behaviour/practice. She feel that I'm not concern about her enough. I managed to safe the situation by explaining myself. I came to realised that relationship is really not about just liking each other. Its about understand each other way of thinking and behaviour because different people can interpret the message different.

Wells, I got to go before I missed my last bus. Cya! =D

Another day went by

2010-03-15T16:08:00.003+08:00

As the weeks pass by towards the end of the semester... it is becoming increasing monotonous and less motivating.

I cleared half of the work that I had accumulated since mid terms, but I still have long way to go.

I have not found time to change my blog template even though I had found a template that I like. Hopfully, I can change it soon.

I have not finished my SC3202 sociology essay which I should by the end of the week.

My CS3240 project has not progress much since last meeting. However, I feel bad rushing my group mate who has lots of other modules' project "over" him.

There is a quiz for MA1521 this Friday yet I have not revised. Unlike the previous quiz where I'm confident, I'm not this time because I had not been concentrating while I was doing the tutorial.

CS2105 project has not start yet because my group mate still have a mid term paper tomorrow. I hope to start on it by this week. It seems easy, but I will only know if I'm right when we start.

Today is my girlfriend's 21st Birthday. I wish her a Happy Birthday and all her wish come true. After her celebration, I will have to burn some midnight all to clear some work before my 9am tutorial tomorrow.

I really thank the person who invented coffee.

Happy 21st, Dee!!!

2010-03-15T01:08:00.001+08:00

Today is my girlfriend's 21st Birthday.

I wish you a Happy Birthday and all her wish come true.

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 <3<3<3

Life can be so tired and screwed

2010-03-09T22:11:00.004+08:00

I do not know what happen, but it seems that I'm having lots of fire fighting recently. I'm so worn out now. I could really appreicate a good 12hours sleep.

This morning I woke up early, ate my breakfast and do some planning and packing. I decided to take a quick shut for half an hour. When I woke up again, I had an acute pain in my lower adominal. It only got better after an hour, which I happen to shit it out. As I was already tired, the whole ordeal drained what is already left inside. I end up sleeping for another hour, missing my CS2105 tutorial by the time I reach school. That tutorial is important!

A few days ago, I was trying to add a map to my blog template. However, since I'm not good at these template codes, I cant seem to get the layout that I want. In the end, I mess up my blog layout and I did not have the initial one because I thought I wont need it. Now, I have to either change my blog template or find back the old one and redo everything.

Interview photos!

2010-03-08T23:11:00.004+08:00

I had my GIA interview yesterday and it was when I was going to leave my house that I realised that I lost my passport size photos that I must bring with me. I took them 2weeks ago and stuffed them in my wallet. But it was not there already. I had to rush down to J8 to take instant passport photos again. Thank lord, there is a such instant machine at J8. Even though I spent an additional $6 for 4 photos, I'm glad that this incident did not turn any worse.

Making Use of What is Left of Life Rather Then How it Should Have Been

2010-03-03T18:43:00.004+08:00

I just finished a sociology lecture on cosmopolitanism. Its really true to see how globalization is affect today's society in Singapore and more importantly, my life.

I was googling the term "cosmopolitan" and guess what came out?

Woah, pretty ladies!!! in more academic terms, "consumerism" came out. ^.^

Before my CS3240 mid-term paper, there was a friend of mine asking another friend of mine to go NOC Silicon Valley with her. I called my girlfriend earlier and she told me she not going for student exchange to Mexico but trying against next semester for UCLA. I was checking my email a minute ago and there was an email in my nusMail regarding IARU summer programs.

I too, want to be a real cosmopolitan. All the interaction that I have with foreign culture is through secondary sources. I want first hand experience.

I really hope my second interview next monday for GIA goes well, because first I can get to know more about the general insurance industry and second there is a slim chance of going overseas.

I was talking to my girlfriend that I wanted to go for student exchange but the economical cost just does not seems good to me. However, I'm not giving up my hope of going oversea, not including holidaying. I'm still keeping my eye open for affordable oversea experience while in NUS.

IPT

2010-02-26T12:03:00.057+08:00

I had my IPPT yesterday and I'm strained my back muscles while doing my pull-up. It was my last session of IPT which means that I had fulfilled mine NS commitment for IPPT this year, yea! I'm so glad that one thing is strike off my to-do list for the year. To know that I have to do this every year till I'm 35 years old is giving my nightmares.

NS regulation for IPPT works this way. Every Singapore has to clear their IPPT, Individual Physical Proficiency Test, every year till they are around age of 35. SAF give out monetary awards for people who pass and also those who score well. Pass = $100, Silver = $200 and Gold = $400.

You can opt to go for IPT, IPPT Preparatory Training. You are not given allowance for this, however, you just need to finish seven sessions and attempt one IPPT within a time frame, in order to consider attending a IPT phase. Schedule of each sessions is flexible as long as you have a day break in between each session. If you finish a IPT phase, you are not required to attend RT is you did not pass your IPPT during the year.

RT are counted as last's year IPPT fulfillment. You are given an allowance for attending this. It is split into two phase. During each phase if you pass the IPPT test, you are counted as finished your RT. If not, then you have to finish both phases, or face charges from SAF. First phase is twice a week and second phase is thrice a week. Each phase four weeks.

Even though with is awards, there are tons and tons of people who do not go to attempt taking the test and there are also many poor souls who not able to pass the test because of several stubborn reasons. Why I know these? It is because I have been through RT at different places. In addition, it is always full booking of two-three months at three different FCC, Fitness Conditioning Centre. It is also because I have been through IPT too.

For me, it is not that I do not want the money. I want the money. But I'm not motivated to train on my own. I'm able to score A/B for all static stations (pull-up, sit-up, standing broad jump and shuttle run), but I just cannot even pass my 2.4km. The closest I came in was 11min 50sec. The passing time for my age group is 11min 20sec. 30sec seem short to you, but it is really not short for someone like me.

Sad. Just because of one station, I cant get my money. Now, I do not want the money. All I want is to quickly get over and done with my NS IPPT commitment for each year and so that I cant concentrate on other more productive and more entertaining stuff.

Go somewhere specific, Nasa

2010-02-25T07:53:00.004+08:00

Go somewhere specific, Nasa

LOL! When I read this, I was laughing sarcastically.

Its kind of sad that NASA, which was the American Dream and show of technology superiority in the 1960s, is now told be to "WAKE UP YOUR IDEA!" and "do something practically and realistic". If you have been keeping yourself updated with missions statements of NASA over the years, it would not be difficult to find out that their have not been achieving much of what they want.

However, this is hardly of any surprise at all. The financial crisis, 1973 Oil crisis, 1989 US Saving & Loan crisis, 2001 DotCom burst, 2007 Financial crisis and the forever huge amount of debts, to-date of near US$20 trillion, that US is in. There are also only 3 out of 8 US president since the 1970s that are of democratic party which are supposedly to be more economic-orientated than military-orientated.

Many times, I heard from NASA is that they facing difficulties due to shrinking funds. I don't really believe it, are NASA people's brain all scientists and zero business and economic thinking? Two things I do not understand. One is that with all technology going nano and stuff, why fighter planes are getting faster, submarines are going deeper, why is the space launcher vehicle remains to be as huge as before? Second, why with the huge amount of time, money and manpower, there are still high risk of a mission going haywire? Even the percentage of US soldiers killed in the recent wars is lower.

NASA was unable to accommodate with the flow of time. The world now is increasing modern and globalized, NASA management have to evolved, to understand the abilities and needs of its home country, US, and the rest of the world. Serve a purpose NASA! Give us back the out of the world dream and start fulfilling them without excuses.

please put on your seat belt

2010-02-23T04:41:00.003+08:00

I saw this ads over one of my friends twitter's link.

I think its nicely done. The slow motion expression and most of all. Its obvious, short and to the point, yet unique.

I have been wanting to create such ad since I took MKT1003 during year 1 semester 1, where my prof Mrs Ang Swee Hoon expose her students to many ads campaigns. I hope to be able to do something nice, like this, during NM3208 next year.

my vision

2010-02-22T16:54:00.022+08:00

yesterday i went to the my optician to get my eye sight check and also to place orders for my contact lens.

I have not been wearing contact lens regularly since I finished my previous half-year supply in Oct09. However, I decided to place orders again because of various reasons. First, I will need to wear them for interview for my internship, my sister's wedding and my summer internship or temp job. Second, this year ang bao is more than expected, thus there are extras pennies to spare for my contact lens.

At the optical, the optician keep asking asking if I had my meal already. He asked almost up 10 times throughout the short period of 30mins of checkup for my eye sight. geshz! The results of my checkup, short sightedness of my left eye remain at 400++ but my right eye decreased by 50 to 200+. Astigmatism increases for left eye from zero to less than 50 and right eye 100 to 150. That is if I did not remember the numbers wrongly.

I went home to understand more about astigmatism. However, it seems that there are not particular daily behavior that cause it. I wonder what I can do to improve my eye sight.

Anyway, I just received a call from him that my contact lens have arrived. I should be going to pick it up on Thursday and maybe also go G2000 to grab a piece or two of formal wear for my GIA GIP second interview. I really want it bad, wish me luck. ^.^

My Brain Is Like Fried

2010-02-09T14:53:00.001+08:00

I do not know why, but my brain seems to be fried since last night at 1.30am. I was doing my SSD1203 tutorial and after I finished, brain stall. Nothing register inside and nothing comes out seems logical. I decide to dive into my bed after an hour of trying to restart my brain.

I woke up 7.30am today. My brain is still in the same situation. I attended two tutorials already. Even though I wrote many stuff that my tutors said, but I cannot remember any of the stuff now. During my second tutorial, i kept shutting off. I was writing a sentence half away and then suddenly I "black out" for a split second. My tutorial sheet looks horrible now.

Now I am in Science Library and my condition has not improved yet. I initially planned to write my abstract now and send to my professor, however, I have change my plan. I will relax and read newspaper here and take an hour nap. I believe I really need that sleep, a power nap. At 4pm, I will attend my math lecture with a cup of coffee tea till 6pm. After which, I will head back to COM1 munch on my pineapple tarts and do my abstract paper.

I have to generate that abstract paper today. I have to send it to my prof today. I need to consult him before the CNY holidays so that I can work on it during the holidays. I felt an urge to go toilet and shit now. Lets see how the situation develop as today goes by.

Not many things are trust worthy

2010-02-09T01:55:00.001+08:00

Its so saddening.

I applied for TATA internship through NUS Career Centre and they did not get back to me while my friends over at NTU have already finished their first round of interview for many weeks now. I suspect that the problem lies NUS Career Centre, they must have not send my application to TATA. I really cant find a reason why a company who was utilized so much resources for recruitment marketing and stingy for first round of interview.

I have lost faith in depending on Career Centre to do my application. This has happen before during last year summer holidays too. I applied for 4 through NUS Career Centre for informal jobs and only one call me back. I will not send my application through NUS Career Centre anymore. I have learnt my lesson well.

This time, I sent out 3 intern applications that I sent out, only one called me back and arranged an interview.
The internship is from GIA. I'm not 100% disappointed that why only 1/3 of my application get back to me. In actual fact, I'm happy that GIA got back to me because I'm really interested in going for this internship. It will be very interesting to gain more knowledge about an industry whose reputation is smeared by the personal insurance. General Insurance is strong industry all around the world and I'm really excited to get 3 months of experience on it.

The reason why I'm sad is because, as usually, not always goes as plan and that probability increased with less internship interviews. I'm afraid that I will end up with zero interns and I have go out to hunt for 3 month of boring and mundane jobs.

However, even though I'm disappointed, sad or afraid, there is nothing I can do now to change current situation right? I can only get well prepared for my GIA interview on 18th Feb so that I proceed to second round and finally get officially selected.

No plan B, no back up plans. Do or die. Give me your fighting spirit! ROARS

Approaching A New Year

2010-02-07T01:22:00.001+08:00

As a new lunar year approach, my assignments and projects are already knocking on my door steps!

My goal of saving my one million does not change but I have to push back the year of attaining my one million. Just like any plans, nothing goes smoothly and always have to change according to life development.

However, my goal to retire still does not change. I plan to retire at age of 40. For now, I still think it is quite possible. To achieve this, I believe that it is important to have a soul partner that can understand and help me. Even though my current girlfriend is not very savvy and do not understand much about finances, I work towards that goal. She is still young, there are many things for her to learn and understand and that is similar to me too.

Life is journey that we must also face it with a goal, a plan and a positive attitude. For each moment you slight lost of what you want to be ahead of yourself, you lose much more time to achieve it.

Every Poor Man Knows That No Money Comes Easy

2010-01-28T04:13:00.000+08:00

Recently, I'm very upset all the stock that I listen to my mother to buy in, is losing money super big time and I need that money. The stupid stock is Jiutian Chemical. I bought 4000shares at $0.76 and last done price yesterday was $0.16. My money from $3040 to $640, losing a total of $2400 within a year. Under the influence of my mother, I also bought 1000shares of Genting SP at $1.15 and the last done price was $1.10 yesterday.

I regret listening to my mother. All the money that I earned from dividends of the 4years since I start having investments in stock market, I give it all back. I do not blame my mother, she way of "playing" the stock market is different from mine. It was my own greediness that I succumb to the temptation for quick capital gain which backfired. I learnt my lesson. From today onwards, I shall not listen to my mother's advice on stock market. I shall believe in my own research and decisions. My hard earned money and hard earned lesson, I shall not never fall for "playing" stock market again.

Identifying Your Dominant Values

2010-01-27T23:30:00.001+08:00

I just did a questionnaire to find out my dominant values. The website is introduced to me by my girlfriend who is currently studying Organization Behavior this semester.

Not surprising Stimulation and Self-Direction are dominant values that direct my life. But I find this questionnaire very irritating and difficult because the scale is from -1 to 7, it is not the traditional 1 to 10.

If you are abit confused of what is directing your life, you might want to do this questionnaire to understand more about yourself. Please do not that these things are not always 100%, do only take then with a pinch of salt.

An In-born Responsibility that All Singaporean guys have

2010-01-23T05:36:00.000+08:00

National Service.

This suck big time. I'm not complaining that NS is bad or what so ever, but it is really a torn in the A**. Its like asking a someone who dun eat veg to eat veg, asking Usain Bolt to swim competitively and asking the terrorists to stop their violence. All these are not impossible, just that it will be torturous to the person.

Anyway... I have booked IPT for next month. That means that my Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays are my exercising days for month of February. If only I can get myself to pass my 2.4km. I'm only a few seconds away from passing, from my $200 from Government. Sigh.... just because I cannot pass, I have to go through all these shit of using my precious time to exercise instead of studying.

Still I have not much ground to complain as it is the responsibility of every male Singaporean to be IPPT-ly fit. In addition to that, I have to serve 7 high key ICTs within my 13years NSmen service. Almost two years have passed and I have not been called back year. I cannot imagine how my life would be with all those ICTs squeeze together towards the end of my service.

Oh wells... while all other fits guys go around getting their free $200 from Government every year, I guess I just have to go through IPT every year until I'm 40 years old. Good luck to myself, bleh...

My Personality

2010-01-22T01:51:00.003+08:00

"Dominant Introverted Sensing

Dependable, reliable and trustworthy, they like to belong to solid organisations that are reasonable in their ambitions and loyal to their employees. They feel useful when their roles and responsibilities are clearly established and they can monitor their activities and productivity in tangible ways. They tend to be rather modest, traditional and conventional, to like sensible clothing, to be thrifty, careful and wise with both money and possessions.

Once they accept a project, they will see it to the end. They manage their time well and are realistic about how much time and resources will be needed.

They tend to like to stay in one neighbourhood, often choosing to live close to where they were themselves raised. They are often involved with volunteer organisations and have a developed sense of citizenship and accountability. When they purchase something, it is after careful consideration; rarely will they buy something without having a known need or use for it. They may keep possessions for a lifetime and treasure those that were given to them.

They tend to have a good memory for specific facts that are necessary in their day-to-day life at work and at home. They accumulate facts and details to orient themselves, relying on repeated experiences that have been proven trustworthy. A fact once experienced may be the product of circumstance and happenstance; it is not in and of itself reliable. When an introverted sensing type hears an idea, they rummage through reams of archived facts to find an experience that provides information for the relevance and realism of an idea. When an introverted sensing type utters, "It's never been done!" they are saying that no information about the relevance or usefulness of the idea is available to them. They tend to shy away from surprises and what is perceived as unnecessary change."

Thats ME! At least that is what people who is from school of Myers-Briggs says I'm suppose to be =D

I Miss Those Days

2010-01-15T22:41:00.001+08:00

I'm updating my flickr photo album just now since I cleared my whole database over there and re-upload to make sure that any inappropriate photos are removed even before I approach my job hunting times.

I have not even went through whole of last year's photo and start to feel kinda of miss those days. Two of those many days are the Gopeng Trip that I was assistant trip leader with Kenneth and Eunice and the other is the Panti Recee with Shunyi, Wanlin and Oliver.

I miss those days, it seems so different from my normal school days. I wanted to go with oliver, shunyi and wanlin to malaysia last winter holidays, but I was restricted by money and my RT sessions. If I want to go, I think i should start to have plans, to save EVEN MORE on top of my additional savings that I need to fulfill for my grad trip and also to get over and done with for my annual IPPT. The former will allow me to enjoy my holidays with lesser guilt and the latter will allow me to have more free time.

Anyway... I haven upload those to my flickr yet because I reached this month quota already. I will upload them next month.

First Day of School

2010-01-12T22:43:00.002+08:00

Today is the first day of school.

I first headed to NUS Law faculty to print my lecture notes. This is my first time going to the law faculty. The place is surprising serene unlike the the main NUS streaming with people and with rooms and corridors everywhere. I would describe it as a place where one would like enjoy a cup of old-fashion British tea. However, I think that the place is quite small. The Law library is filled with books each 5cm thick at least on each shelves. I cannot imagine the amount of case studies lawyer students have to go through in their years in school.

Anyway... today I got my first lecture that starts my semester.. MA1521. Looking at the syllabus, its seems like upper secondary math plus jc math and moving them into 3 dimension spaces. The module size seems small, typical of computing modules that not hardcore core. This would be easy to ace and easy to fail too. I want to ace this module since it is a jc math with a pinch of 3D, I should be top few of my cohort. But lets not be so cocky at the start, things never go the way I planned anyway.

After lecture I thought I can find some friends over at the deck, apparently I found none. I print my readings for this semester because there is not course book, all readings have to be printed out ourselves either through IVLE or find out articles from various journals and print them out. Its all over the place. Today is the first day of school and I already spent $20 on printing. That says abit of the amount of readings I will be having, as I have not even finished printing them and not including the lecture slides that are not out yet.

I do not quite like how every semester starts because the readings always starts with piling up first. The reason is because the first lectures already have 3 readings and the reading materials do not get uploaded until the first day of school or later. Anyway.. I not have 3 readings and 4 chapters to read before I head of to bed tonight. Each one is at least 11pieces of double sided, each side double some more.

I hope I can wake up tomorrow morning for my 10am lesson. SSD1203 is going to be very interesting, at least to me.

Off to do my readings already, cya!

Headache Over Modules

2010-01-08T05:47:00.002+08:00

Planning for what modules to take is getting increasingly difficult as I approach my senior years in NUS. The reason is because I have lesser and lesser freedom to choose what module I want to fulfill my degree requirement.

I have a few points that I take note when I plan for my modules. First thing is obviously that it does not clash for exams, tutorials and lectures. Second, exams dates are at least two days apart. Third, it must be useful and interesting to me.

The third point is important because I want to use of all my modules to help to pull my CAP up. S/U a module may help to prevent my CAP from dropping, but I would have wasted a chance to increase my CAP. An interesting and useful module will allow me learn better from the lectures and therefore able to score better.

Bidding round 2A is over and I did not get the module that I wanted because I wanted to save my bidding points for more interesting and critical modules towards year3 and year4. I have to do my planning all over again. Its really a headache because I really choose my modules carefully. Each MCs is important to help me pull my CAP to my goal.

Its a HEADACHE!!!! argh..... results is more more important at the end of the day.. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS

Keeping My Attractive Self

2009-12-29T22:38:00.003+08:00

Yesterday I managed to webcam with my girlfriend for a few minutes.

She managed to notice my obvious long and untidy hair and unshaven mustache. Haha, I look like a unemployed drunkard! I quickly reassured her that I will have my hair cut and a clean shave before she come back Singapore on the 8th.

I feel that keeping one's appearance is important as it is a basic respect to other people who, by no choice, are born with the gift of sight. When one is single, the person has to keep him/herself appealing especially to everyone because there is a need to find a life soul partner, which sadly usually has a physical looks element in this search.

When one is attached, the person has to keep him/herself appealing especially to the other party because because that person is going to be by your side for the rest of the your life. Imagine waking up in the bed every morning, only to find an annoying and unpleasant looking person beside you. EEEEEEEEE!!!

I think that cosmetic is a amazing thing. I was watching 康熙来了 on ppstream and they have a few episodes that female celebrities 卸妆 on that variety show. Wah.. can really see the difference. There are two things in cosmetic that I feel that is very important for girls and can really make the difference are eye shadow and eyeliner. Maybe it is because these two products can really change the general feeling of a girl, from a normal looking girl to a pleasant looking one and a beauty to a fairy.

okay..... after spending lots of my brain juice changing and customizing my new blog template.. its time to play some games before school starts. L4D2!!! roars!!!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-28T00:06:00.003+08:00

Merry Christmas peeps,

Christmas, like any other festive, is said to be meant for the gathering of the close mates and family.

I like the idea of gathering of friends and family, but now I cant because i cant afford the money to host it and 2)there aint people are really close enough that are free and 3) I dun like crowd.

Suddenly, I feel how poor I am now. I know friends who already had 5-7 digits in their saving, but I....

Anyway, for now, it is really to save save and save money. If I want a comfortable life in the future, now is not the time to spend like a royal highness. Save and invest, save and invest.

Miss my darling dearly. She is currently overseas with her family. Since last year, before we official be together, I already know tat my Christmas and New Year will remain the same for some years. I will still be alone because she will spend hers with her family back in Indonesia. I do not blame anyone or feel unsettled, I just feel that a thing that some people say is correct. Its some thing like, a couple do not need to be together and available for each other 365days. Sometimes, a reasonable amount of separation keeps the lingering feeling of falling in love alive.

Merry Christmas.

Which One Fits Me Better?

2009-12-18T19:25:00.001+08:00

I hate to buy things that cost more than $50. The reason is because I will take tons of time to research online about the product and usually takes a few months before I come to a decision to buy a certain products.

Now adays, products have so many varieties. To reduce my headache, I have come up with a way to help me reduce the scoop. Starting with the most important criteria and last comparison is the last important detail.

For example for my camera, IXUS 85IS, which i bought last year, my fixed my price range to be $200-$400, battery life, durability, sharpness of shoots, pictures in low light conditions then mega pixels.

Recently, I'm looking at touch-screen phones. My mobile phone plan is expiring next year march and, if the tradition does not change, I will get a $100 discount off if I re-contract. I want to use this discount to purchase a touch screen phone, to be part of the "modern young adults".

I was just looking at Singtel mobile phone catalog. I was at the the webby for like 2 hours and alt-tabing to starhub and other mobile phones review websites to compare. My brain is exploding!!!! There are just too many phones in the market and there are a lot of many reviews ranging from critics and praises. There is a lot source evaluation to be made and etc. etc. Zzz...

I still wondering if I spend my money on a touch-screen phone is worth it. Will I need it? Will I use it efficiently? Will it be lasting? I still trying to balance cost and returns for owning a touch screen phone.

Inferior

2009-12-18T05:08:00.001+08:00

I'm surfing the facebook and blogs and I'm feeling inferior again.

There are so many things people are doing and I wish I could.

I wish to spend more time with my grilfriend making memories.

I wish to be able to cook good food.

I wish to be able to take more photographic shoots.

I wish to be able to design better.

I wish to be able to travel and stay at different countries for at least 6months each.

I wish to be able to design and construct my dream house.

I wish to be able to be rich.

I wish all my wish will come true. I have to make goals and fulfil them one by one. Just you WAIT! =P

Camping At East Coast Park

2009-12-12T22:04:00.001+08:00

haha!

I went camping with my girlfriend at east coast park! Camping license free. =P

I went to many NTUC to buy our bbq stuff. I went to AMK Hub's, Bishan Central's and J8's NTUC to get all the food. Haha, I was sourcing for the cheapest and fit our share of food. There is only the two of us, so I was finding stuff that do not pack in large serving.

The night before, I cycled to my weijie's house to get the speaker and injured my toe. =[ In the end I cannot play by the beach as my gf have planned. A lesson learnt, wear shoes when cycling.

Initially, we planned to meet at 2pm, but we dragged and dragged and dragged. In the end, I left house at 3pm plus and cab down to her house then to east coast park.

We found a place near the beach. My gf want to pitch on the sand, but the weather is so hot and there is no shade over there. Therefore, we pitch under a shady area and near a stone bench.

The tent is so not like the normal NUS ODAC tent, there is not metal tent poles. It is made up of multiple PVC pipe!!! Interesting... haha! I think its not a bad idea as it will decrease the weight.

After we pitch the tent, I placed a cupboard outside the tent, like a door mat and then we quickly "hide" inside. The weather is so hot and there is not wind! =[ For the past few times we went to ECP for walk, it is so windy, then when we camp, no wind! argh...

Gf was hungry at 4pm and keep urging me to start our bbq! haha! it is only 4pm!!! We started at 5pm though, because I was also hungry. =P Anyway, lucky we started early because the sky starts to darken at around 6pm and by the time it become dark, we had already finished our bbq and even wash up. The timing was just right.

I prepared a little more food then we could finish. There was salmon, squid, chicken wings, pork slices, beef balls, yong tou fu, veg, hotdog, wanton, bacon and asparagus. There was a sweet potatoes and a corn. In the end, we could not finish the sweet potatoes and the corn and we could barely finish the the chicken wings, hotdog and beef balls.

here is the list that I would recommend for bbq of 2 people

chicken wing and drum stick - as ordered by individuals
hotdog - 4 sticks
beef ball - 8 balls
salmon fillet - $6-7 worth
pork/beef slices - 125g (each slick around 0.3-0.5com thick)
sweet potatoes and corn - as ordered by individuals
china wong bok - $0.20 worth
yongtaofoo pack - 180g / est~ 6-8items
bacon and asparagus - enough to make 4-6 rolls
squid - 1 whole
drinks - 4-5 cans
charcoal - 3kg
ice - one mini cooler full (make ownself)
utensils, cups and thongs - bring ownseif

est total cost - $40-50 (with tray and net cost included)

After bbq, we bathed at ECP. Our camp site is very near to the bathing toilet so it is very convenient. We walked to seven eleven to buy some snacks, which we did not eat. LOL... the price at seven eleven is like 2.25 times more expensive then NTUC. WTH!!! I recommend next time, please do bring your own snacks instead of buying from ECP. It is very not worth it.

We made our way back and the wind finally came. However, by the time we reach back tent, the wind died down. ARGH!! It was a windless night by the beach! =[ We heated up our left over from the bbq and watch the HURT LOCKER from my laptop. It was a war movie and lublub did not understand quite a number of parts of the movie.

When the movie ended, we tidy our tent abit and she fell asleep almost instantly!!! NOOB, haha!! There was a group of malays near our tent. They were also camping. They were alittle noise even at that hour, but the heat is culprit that keep me from sleeping well.

The morning was even worse, the morning sun was heating the tent like an oven. The heat woke us up. I look out of the tent and I saw a the malays sleeping right under the scorning morning sun. woah... Aint they feeling hot?

We quickly packed our stuff and headed to the MACs for our BIG BREAKFAST! Woah.. the BIG BREAKFAST is really very "BIG". I must say, it really shrink in size by at least a cm or something. My gf say is because I grew larger. hm.. haha!

Throughout the meal, we talked about pets, maids, gays and etc etc. haha... The lack of good night sleep makes me a very good talking partner because I think less about whether my content and just say them out without must thoughts and therefore I'm more talkative then usually, which lublub always complaint that usually I have nothing much to say. haha!

We made our way back home. I like camping with lublub... In fact I love spending real quality time with lublub, like a holiday or something, without inference from studies, friends and family.

Its Over

2009-12-07T14:12:00.000+08:00

Finally exams are over since last friday. Its a HUGE relieved. It was a very hectic semester with tons of projects and other stuff.

Now that exams are over, I cant wait for results to be revealed. I have a feeling that I will do well this semester, but I also is used to being disappointed about my expectations. Thus I'm looking forward to know which of my feelings is correct.

I have many things plan out for my holidays. I have many things to pick up, many books that I want to read and many stuff that I need to do. BUT, since friday, I have been doing nothing but playing game and going out with girlfriend. My girlfriend is leaving for Japan on the 16th, thus it is really justified to give my time to her now, since I enjoyed it anyway. Playing game was not part of my plan initially. I "replanned" to allow myself to play for one out of the five weeks.

My RT sessions started and I went for my second session last saturday, I did not go for last wednesday because it clashed with my examination. The training was not very slack nor is it tough. One set of static and a 1.6km run. The one static set is almost similar to my past static regime. Still, it was tiring.

Yesterday, I went to my gf house and cooks pasta. It tasted fine, but could have tasted better. Two things we screwed up. First, we washed the pasta and second, we added mushrooms too fast in before the bacon flavour could really come out. The end product was not bad other than the some thick crunchy pasta that stick together and not so flavoured-bacon pasta sauce.

Salmon Alfredo

2009-12-07T06:24:00.001+08:00

Salmon Alfredo

(4 serving)

Ingredients List

1Can Alfredo Sauce Premade
1 Tablespoon Mixed Herbs
½ Tablespoon of Nutmeg
450g Salmon Fillet
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dried Basil
2 Tablespoon dried Parsley
Butter
2 Capsicums
4 Large Button Mushrooms
400g Short Pasta / 280g Long Pasta
Parmesan Cheese
1drop of oil
Pinch of salt

Note: Cups used are metric - 250ml. The tablespoon is 15ml.

Salmon Seasoning

450g Salmon Fillet
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of dried Basil
1 Tablespoon of dried Parsley
½ Tablespoon of Nutmeg

Cut salmon into cubes of roughly 1½cmX1½cm. Season cubed salmon with lemon juice, nutmeg, dried basil and parsley.

Capsicums, Mushroom and Salmon

2 Capsicums
4 Large Button Mushrooms
Seasoned Salmon
Butter

Slice button mushrooms of roughly 7mm thick.
Slice capsicums to roughly 2mm thick.
Melt butter in a pan over low heat. Increase heat to medium. Add sliced capsicums till fragrance is released. Add sliced button mushrooms and mixed well. Lay cubed salmon on the mixture. Cover and cook for ~3mins.

Alfredo Sauce Mixture

1 Can Alfredo sauce
Capsicums, mushroom and salmon mixture
1 Tablespoon Mixed Herbs
1 Tablespoon Parsley

Heat Alfredo sauce and add half can of water. Mixed well till simmer again and add mixed herbs and parsley till preferred thickness. Add capsicums, mushroom and salmon mixture, mix well.

Pasta

1drop oil
Pinch of salt

Add oil and salt to boiling water. When the water boil again, lower heat to middle/low and add pasta. Cook pasta to suitable texture. ~8-12mins

Serve

Add pasta to mixture and mix well. Serve with parmesan cheese and parsley.

Not in shape

2009-11-17T17:08:00.000+08:00

Its second day of the reading week and I'm still no into mood of mugging. Its difficult transferring from project and assignment mood to mugging.

I have to do something soon. My progression is twoo SLOW!!!! At this rate, all my efforts to do well in my projects and assignments is going to go down the drain.

RoRS

Its reaching the end of the this tunnel

2009-11-16T13:46:00.001+08:00

Finally all is coming to an end soon.

Projects and assignments are finally over after 2weeks of midnight oil burning, tedious projects meetings and brain teasing assignments.

NM2208 assignments and project - I'm not satisfied with my work in this module because i ran out of time for all the project and portfolio. I could have done better, there is so many things that I want to improve on. If I have gotten a B or below, I know why. However, I enjoy the project group work. It is very interesting and entertaining to work with people from arts and interact with people not from my "species". They constantly remind me not this world is not just the world that I see.

CS3249 project is another hectic one. I'm quite sad that my peer grading dropped from 14 to 43 out of ~49 people for second grading. Still, it is not surprising and I kind of expected but try to reject the reality. My team is too strong. People from ELITE programme, scholar from China and a super pro final year student, nothing can go wrong. I feel like I'm leeching on them and the peer grading basically just reflect that. Towards the end, I did contribute a little. However, I learnt a lot of stuff from them like flash animation, actionscript3 and etc. Listening to their conversation is also very entertaining. If I'm really a frog in the well, they are like frog conversing outside the well. Things they are talking is like from another world, but I try to understand because I know there are sure to be something that I can learn from them.

SC2202 is over and I'm sad because I love the lectures and tutorials. It is very interesting and I enjoy the lectures. Hopefully Dr Son will teach the sociology module that I want to take next year again.

MPE is coming soon and I'm still trying to get my modules for next semester into order. Basically now, I'm should be taking the following:

CS2105 Introduction to Computer Network
CS3240 Human-Computer Interaction
NM3208 Design Content for New Media
MA1521 Calculus for Computing
GEK2013 Real Estate Finance

Timetable don't clash and exams don't clash. Hopefully tutorials wont clash either because I haven take a look at it. 4core modules but only 2computing modules, this is not suppose to be heavier.

Now its end of projects and assignment mode. Its time to get back to mugging MODE!!! roars!

NUS NM2208 Principles of Visual Communication

2009-11-12T18:00:00.009+08:00

Life is more and more SOC

2009-11-08T21:29:00.000+08:00

Uni life is getting more and more shitty.

Its Sunday night today and I'm now currently still at NUS AS6 Media Lab1 doing my project that is due tomorrow 12pm and two of my members who also have major assignment due tonight mid-night.

Anyway.. I just had subway for dinner and I paid for a regular meal. I can't believe that I forget to claim my cookies!!!! Now I'm hungry and there goes my money... =/