First performance of 2016

Just had the first performance of 2016 with the amazing Phil youth. This is my first concert with PY as principal trumpeteer, a position which I did not really want to take up, because of the additional responsibilities that I do not feel prepared to have. Not just in terms of music, but as a leader of the section. But I'm really grateful for the support that the section and the band has given me.

At an individual level, being able to play well is not a responsibility, but an expectation. Rehearsals were a moral downer for me, as I kept screwing up important parts of pieces. I'm sure those around me would notice how uptight I was when it came to those parts. For the concert, my solo for West Side Story turned out better than expected, given how many times I messed that up during rehearsals. But the feeling of pride satisfaction did not last long, as I soon screwed up the starting solo for Rhapsody in Blue. Then, I started to lose my chops and couldn't reach the high notes in Glenn Miller and Big Band Tribute. Most parts came out well, but some left more to be desired.

Nonetheless, I had fun on stage, and this concert felt really good to play in. It might not be the best performance of the band, but I think we definitely have potential to improve much more.

~~~

And now, I'm relieving the concert blues with Sodagreen. I believe all performers, especially those who stand on stage, such as musicians, dancers and theatre actors will definitely relate very well to this song and its lyrics. Nothing in this world compares to the blood, sweat, tears we spent, and the friendships we forged as we prepare for each production.

可能忙了又忙 可能傷了又傷可能無數眼淚 在夜晚嚐了又嚐可是換來成長 可是換來希望如今我站在台上 這麼對你講
十年的功聚成燦爛 那一分鐘的夢生命舞台發光的人 絕不是只會說

~~~

2016 is a year that is very important to me. This is the year where I focus on the two most important modules of my 4 years as an undergraduate. I will be working on my FYP and design project, and I have high hopes and expectations for myself for these two subjects. And I wish I could get a good job offer before I graduate, and this means that I will be working hard on my resume and (hopefully) interviews for job applications.

Aside from this, It will be the final months of my term as the President of NUSWS. Now with better experience with concert preparation, I hope that the next InTempo will be a successful one.

I don't have big aspirations for 2016. I will focus on 修身、齐家。治国、平天下 can come later when I'm more prepared.

끝

Life was perfectly beautiful
just so long as there were those sweet memories.

Even though life was uncertain in my youth
Not a single moment passed without leaving a sweet taste of life.

Fragments of those sweet memories made my life perfect.
They seemed to last forever

29 Mar, LKY State Funeral

Today is a poignant day in the history of Singapore. Thousands of Singaporeans line the streets or tune in to the media, to send off the founding father of the nation. They stand resolute, undeterred by the pouring rain.

As I watch the live telecast from home, I came to realise just how much he has contributed to Singapore. The meticulous city planning itself was just so evident from the TV footage. The people standing united is validation of his efforts to integrate a nation. The sheer number of foreign dignitaries present was a clear testament of his success in diplomacy and international relations. The guests and representatives from so many different sectors of the community and institutions: defence, private and public sectors, religious groups, sports, culture, arts and media, research and education, with their presence, is a moving reminder of just how many lives he has touched and affected for the better, in so many different ways.

In a way, I am one of the many lives he has touched.

Without his foresight and tenacity in building regional relations, I would probably have not received my ASEAN scholarship Tuition Grant and have the opportunity to study in one the best education systems in the world -- one which he helped to build.

Without his help to establish The Band Movement, I would have been a very different person, for the school band is where I have learnt so much from, in terms of character building and music. The Singapore Band Movement is also very much an influence of Malaysia's band scene, where I started from.

His economic policies will also be a major part of what I will experience as I graduate, and it is in fact on which I have experienced, not just through my scholarship, but in my Industrial Attachment as well.

Some might think that thanking him for all these might be fallacious, as these are all fruits of labour which can be enjoyed, regardless of which leader was present at that time. But, by looking at differences in ideology and achievements between Singapore and regional nations, it becomes evident, that his outstanding successes - how he built so much from so little - were no coincidence. His values, vision, veracity, are as valuable as can be. They were unique. They are the reasons of his success. The reasons why we are able to enjoy prosperity and sustainability today.

I did not attend his wake, nor line the streets to give him tribute. But deep down from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank him for everything he has done. His legacy will live on.

Realisations

Today has been quite a roller coaster ride.

After a fun-filled MT2001 class, things seem to be all fine until a classmate broke into fits/seizures. Not sure what the name of the medical condition is, but it certainly took so many of us by surprise.

It went on for almost an hour, and the classmates tried to control and restrain him. Thankfully the condition was stable, and he was able to explain to us some of his thoughts.

It was a relief seeing how so many of us were willing to help him, though we had no experience, and do not know what to do most of the time.

I wonder how much has he gone through, since this is not the first time he had such outbreaks.

Sometimes, it's only when such things happen, that we realise that we take our health and other's well-being for granted. There's so much more to humanity than just seeking rewards and thrills. So much more can be learned simply by understanding those around us. Walk in their moccasins for a moon and you'll be amazed, dumbfounded.

Life is a blessing. And it's never too late to show someone care and concern.

Thoughts on studying overseas

Sometimes, I question myself, asking why is it that I want to study overseas so much? I felt sad when I gave up on the UK universities which accepted my through UCAS. Gaining admittance to such universities seem to be proof that I am more than what I am. It's like a status symbol, a way to show that you are destined for greatness.

Of course, I also wish to live in a totally different environment, a city that offers much to die for. After A Levels, somehow, UK was the only overseas country I considered. London was the aspiration. Receiving an acceptance letter from Imperial College seemed like a dream come true. It is such a world-leading institution, and it is also in the center of London - and right beside the Royal Albert Hall. It was the best of both worlds in terms of study and stay (and entertainment).

Deciding not to attend Imperial College was tough. My brother was also accepted, and if both of us attend, we'll definitely put a huge strain on our family's finances. Receiving ASEAN scholarships made the decision easier. It was comforting knowing that my parents do not need to scrimp and save and fret over the tuition fees - we'll probably be in huge debt if we had gone to Imperial together. My father is not one who openly talks about our financial status, and he did say that he could have enough to send us overseas, but I know that it will probably use up most of his savings.

At first, I looked at studying in Singapore with a certain amount of disdain. In all honesty, Singapore is wonderful. But when I had set my mind on London for so many months, Singapore felt like a much lesser option. However, studying in Singapore did open up my mind to many different possibilities, and I made lots of wonderful friends. And I found myself letting go of the ego that used to consume me a little. I realised that there are many others who made harder decisions than me. I realised how Singapore was actually the aspiration for many others. I used to admire people studying overseas so much, but I realised that there are also many others who admire me for what I have - when I did not even appreciate those. Of course, I also realised that I am far from being the high-achiever I thought I am, when I did not score as well as I expected in terms of grades. These are all very humbling experiences.

I also came to realise that there are many more important things in life, and I do not need to spend a huge sum of money chasing after aspirations. Any choice you take can be a good one, as long as you make the best out of it. Also, prestigious affiliations are good to have, but you can still be recognised for many other things.

Now, I am glad because I still got to study overseas. Having an exchange in Norway was really eye-opening as well. I was exposed to many different cultures, and I realised how myopic my initial fascination with London was. There are so many other places in the world which can offer rewarding experiences. Also, in terms of study, I realised that university rankings are not all that matters. NTNU is a small university compared to NUS, but I have encountered and interacted with many brilliant minds here in Trondheim. I believe that one reason was because of the size, which brings teachers and students closer together. Furthermore, this university has lots of researchers and teaching staff who are outstanding leaders in their field. During my stay here, two researchers were awarded the Nobel prize in Physiology and Medicine. It was really an exciting time to be here.

My initial fascination with studying overseas was also due to my desire to travel. I really got to fulfil this wish of mine during my exchange, albeit at a cost. I am very satisfied with the way this experience turned out, but of course,  I wished that I have met more people, and travelled more within the wonderful Norway. I travelled alone, travelled on road trips, travelled with new friends, and soon I'll travel with my parents, then my old buddies from high school. 

In this whole exchange experience, I really found peace with myself. I got to discover some of what I like and what I don't, I got to experience a truly independent lifestyle - the many years of hostel life still do not amount to what I learnt in these few months here. I met people, had great experiences, and saw many wonderful places. I had plenty of time alone, and I particularly enjoyed strolling about all by myself, discovering pretty sights here and there. Furthermore, I also felt even more attached to home, and even more proud of my cultural identity - more than I have ever did as a Malaysian in Singapore.

This post was also one of the most honest one I have written. Writing these thoughts in words seems to be a form of letting go - of the things that has been occupying my mind when I was younger - and also a reconciliation and acknowledgement of some conflicting thoughts in my head.

Now, back to studying for tomorrow's exam. I gotta fill in my cheat sheet with more stuff.

In the midst of exams at NTNU

I just had two exams done. The first one was separation technology, which was ok, except that I could not get a few questions right. The exam was held in Trondheim Spektrum, which is like the MPSH area of NTNU, It is located near a u-shape bend of the Nidelva river, and the view along the building was simply amazing.

Next time I go Trondheim Spektrum, I'll make sure that I bring my camera along.

My second exam was actually a poster presentation for Energy from Wind and Tidal Systems. It was a really fun module as we got to design our own wind turbine, assembled from a blade and a generator. We brought it to a wind tunnel for testing, and our group's turbine had the best performance among all the others. And we got a free NTNU mug and a multi-purpose scarf. For the The poster presentation was more than just a presentation. There were groups who brought huge ass TV screens to show videos, and also some who displayed their blade on lamp stands etc. And most interestingly, everyone brewed coffee and baked cookies/cakes, some of which are inspired by wind turbine design. So you get gingerbread wind mills/ wind turbines, turbine-shaped cakes, etc. The mood was just wonderful. We also brought a tablecloth, had candles, etc. As our blade was so smooth and so well designed and well polished, the prof wanted to keep it! It will be in a hall of fame somewhere. Here's our wonderful team:

I'm the shortest among them all. And apparently, I could very well use a hair cut.

Our multi-national team :)

I have another exam tomorrow. So not looking forward to it, as it is a module which I found it hardest to understand (Process Modelling).

After tomorrow, I will have exams for Petroleum Engineering, where 100% of the grade depends on the exam, as well as for Process Control, which I hope I can do well.

I have a little more than a week left in Trondheim, and when the time comes, I will probably miss this place so much!

7 dec: 3am stroll in the snow

7 dec: long exposure near a small gathering area, after the snow has cleared

8 dec: snow just started falling (after sunset)

Exchange at NTNU

It has been a long time coming. And finally I am back in this blog.

I really did not make it a point to keep diaries/ journals, but I do hope to do as much as I can.

I have had the best trip of my life. In fact, the trip is still ongoing, as now I am an exchange student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

I have learned so much here, and  I really can't be grateful enough for all my experiences. I learned how to write in LaTeX from Truls, my lab partner for Separation Technology (we had two experiments, and there was so much work in this lab - so glad that it is over), and I am learning Process Control from one of the best professors in this field. What better way to learn about Skogestad IMC tuning ruls from Skogestad himself? I am just regretting that I did not attend his lectures that often, due to my travels and my inability to wake up early. In fact, I just submitted the report for one of the most challenging projects I have done, and it was on Process Control. I was supposed to do the project in a group of three, but due to miscommunication on my part, I did not have one. So I decided to do it alone, for the flexibility, and partly to prove that I can do it. It was so challenging,  and I was doing the reports even during my travels. A Chinese group of tourists even commended how hardworking I am while I was doing work on the Switzerland trains. I am so glad that I managed to pull through for this project, and thankful for the help rendered by the TAs. One more reason that I was so proud of my project was because I wrote it in LaTeX, and the final report did look fantastic.

Apart from the above two core modules, I am taking Process Modelling, which was a mega pain in the a$$. It was a module that I partly neglected, and am still struggling, even though it was the module with the best lecture attendance on my part. There are programming parts in Python which I struggled so much at the start, and also modelling parts which I still am struggling. Not to say I am good at Python, but the exercises gradually became easier, closer to the MatLab exercises I did in NUS. But the modelling exercises were so tedious.

My experience here in this university was even better because of the two technical electives I am taking: Petroleum Engineering (Basic Course) and Energy from Wind and Tidal Systems. The Petroleum module has 5 mini-modules within the course, and had 5 lecturers. I was very amazed at how the course content is really a synthesis of knowledge from geology (and geophysics), chemical engineering, material sciences, etc. There was so much to learn, but it was really very enjoyable. Towards the later part of the course, I started to regret not applying to an oil and gas company for internship. I really enjoyed studying this course in Norway, as of course, Norway is so wealthy today because of its rich resources in this area, and we really learn from industry experts.

Energy from Wind and Tidal Systems was particularly interesting. It was really just two parts: design of a wind turbine blade using mechanical/aerospace engineering knowledge, and design of a generator using electrical engineering knowledge. As a chemical engineer, I really had trouble understanding the course. To make matters worse, I was travelling quite consistently, and I missed many important parts of the project phases. This project requires us to construct a working model of a wind turbine, and test it. There are no exams, but there is a final poster presentation. I really felt so bad for missing out on some of the project meetings and I was away during some important submission dates, so I hope to redeem myself by making the final report look really good, in LaTeX of course.

So, apart from the studies aspect, I am really thankful for being able to have exchange in Norway. Here are my top few reasons:

1. The academics aspect was wonderful. Scandinavians give out the coveted Nobel prizes after all. While I was here in NTNU, two researchers even received the Nobel prize for biomedical research! It was an exciting time to be here. I also had the opportunity to study with the best experts in their field.
2. Northern lights. The first time we saw the aurora, we went to the beach. The second time, I was able to watch them from my kitchen!
3. Internationality. So many different people from all walks of life, many opportunities to make friends
4. Trondheim is a very beautiful city. It is small, quaint, and charming.
5. Hiking and outdoors. There is no better way to enjoy these, as hiking spots are so easily accessible.
6. Weather and climate. It is so different from Malaysia and Singapore, and if you are looking for a very different experience, why not go as far as you can, to somewhere like here?
7. Schengen. This place has the best of both worlds. You have the outdoors like in New Zealand and Iceland, but you can easily travel to other parts of Europe, and enjoy other cities in this wonderful continent. Even better, due to the near-elimination of border control, I was able to travel around even though my passport was stolen (happy and sad)
8. Salmon. Everything here is expensive, but there's cheap salmon!

So, in trying to make this a real update of my life, I shall also write down the things I did related to /during this exchange:

1. Solo travel (27 July - 8 Aug). So after SIBF, I flew to London as soon as I can. I took Air France and deliberately chose a 12-hour transit so I could do a speed tour in Paris. I then spent a few wonderful days in London, travelling according to the London Pass, and having outings with the beloved Xue Zheng and Han Loong. Berry picking and Primrose Hill and Street Fest and stuff. I then went to Brussels and Amsterdam, where I was truly alone. But the travelling was wonderful.
2. Geiranger roadtrip (28-31 Aug): We drove a car to Geiranger, stopping along the way to enjoy the spectacular Norwegian scenery. It had been a truly remarkable experience!
3. Barcelona getaway (19-25 Sep): Barcelona was wonderful. Our trip even coincided with the La Merce festival in Barcelona, and there was just so many sights and sounds everywhere. The fireworks display at the end was magnificent, and the crowd was just so huge! We were glad to find a good place to watch the show, but I was sad cos my passport and pretty pouch was stolen... I should have been more careful.
4. Birthday trip (16-26 Oct): To celebrate my birthday, I chose to travel in Europe with my twin, and it was definitely an experience I will never forget. We went to Munich, Salzburg and Switzerland. So many beautiful sights: Neuschwanstein, Sound of Music tour, as well as the amazing Swiss Alps. Switzerland was particularly expensive, but I felt that everything we did was worth it. Got a swiss army knife for a self-gifted birthday present, and I started having interests in swiss watches, especially Swatch's Sistem 51, for being a affordable and tasteful automatic watch. Should have bought one! But I shall see if I have enough money to spare.

These were the major trips, and I am looking forward to spending time in further trips:

1. Stockholm (15-17 Nov) to tour the Venice of the North, and also visit the Embassy of Malaysia in Stockholm, to apply for a new passport. sigh
2. Tromso (End Nov) to experience the cold, and see more northern lights!
3. Flam and Bergen (End Dec) with my parents, who are coming to visit
4. Poland and the rest of Europe (End Dec and early Jan) with my friends staying in Europe, before I fly back to Singapore

And by then it will be the end of my exchange journey. I applied for Industrial Attachment, and I have accepted Abbott's offer as a process safety engineer. I kind of hope that it will work out. At the point of applying, I felt really interested, but after a while I started asking myself a lot of what-ifs?. But I should just treat it like another challenge, and a way to understand myself better. After that, my module choices will be more or less set in stone, and I will need to deal with the challenge of writing my FYP in one semester. I will worry about that later.

For now, I am thankful for being here.

Time to start doing my Process Modelling exercise due 2 hours ago...

Beauty World (8 Feb)

I have had many performing experiences, but those are more or less limited to band performances on stage, or ensemble performances with a small audience. Never have I expected to be part of a live band for a 2.5hr musical, playing music to nearly a thousand people.

This is so challenging - there are so many solos throughout, and the notes are so high (many top Ds and a top E). And the brass section and I are so heavily mic-ed up any mistakes will be perfectly audible. Mr Lun's mouthpiece was a savior - without his Bobby Shue, I would not be able to play those high notes so well. There were a few misses (mostly over-pitching) but I'm super happy with my playing on that day.

The musician team was so perfect on the performance day. (There's definitely some room for improvement. But it only shows that we are human, and that itself is "perfect" in its own way). Now that I remember how we started of fumbling all over the place, I realised how much we have improved. And all the angst and whines do not matter anymore.

Of course, this show will not be successful without the efforts of the cast, the props team, the lights and sounds people, and chorus). Everybody was so amazing, and played their part to the fullest. This is the type of show I have always admired, and I am glad to be part of this collaborative success.

Now that this project is over, I can't wait for what's lying ahead :)

SEP

Since secondary school, I have had the privilege to study at one of the best secondary school in Singapore. It wasn't all smooth-sailing, but I did learn a lot, and I most definitely will be a very different person if I have continued my studies in Malaysia. But I have always set my sights much further abroad. My father's subscription to National Geographic might have played a key role in my aspirations - I have always imagined myself in the shoes of those photographers snapping photos of the beautiful landscapes. I wanted to see places, I wanted to experience those diverse cultures, I wanted to get myself out and about.

I was quite passionate about applying for studies in UK after JC. Then again, I was rather naive, and thought that the most accessible place for overseas, privileged education was in UK. I did get offers from a dream university, but decided not to attend, as it was expensive and I could not secure an overseas scholarship. NUS offered me a scholarship, and I accepted it after much deliberation.

Then came the chance to apply for Student Exchange Programme. I didn't really know what I wanted. There were so many choices, and I really did not need to limit myself to English-speaking countries. Almost anywhere seems possible. Well, I did regret not putting enough effort into my SEP research - my aspirations are largely held back by my laziness. There were so many things to research on - location, accessibility, cost, and most importantly, module mappings. I even had to make changes to my application after the deadline due to change in minds. All was well till the announcement of the offers.

I was offered an SEP to Norway in Semester 2. And I was immediately hit with many after-thoughts. Longer semester time = larger cost. SEP in Sem 2 = no chance for IA. Inability to map HR modules = only able to do TEs and UEs. Limited mappable TEs = inability to specialise. My cortisol levels rose so high I had trouble sleeping. After talking to many seniors and department staff (who were so very kind), I finally made an appeal to change my SEP to Semester 1. It was hard justifying my intentions when my initial application put down Semester 2 for Norway. And to add on to the stress, my request was only put forward on a Friday afternoon, and the application deadline was a Sunday. The coordinator who makes the decision was on a half day leave, and this means that she can only inform me of her decision (and whether there are vacancies) the day after the deadline.

Fortunately, the coordinator was so kind. She advised me to accept the offer first, while waiting for the appeal to be processed. On the next Monday, she called to inform me that all was well, and I can re-accept the SEP, this time for Semester 1.

My choice for Semester 1 was largely based on module compatibility, and the prospect of applying for Industrial Attachment after that. For now, I stand by my decision, and I am proud to have made the choice. I have never felt so happy in my life - I am finally going on an adventure!

Mahler 2

O glaube, mein Herz, o glaube:

Es geht dir nichts verloren!

Dein ist, ja dein, was du gesehnt!

Dein, was du geliebt,

Was du gestritten!

O glaube

Du wardst nicht umsonst geboren!

Hast nicht umsonst gelebt, gelitten!

Was entstanden ist

Das muß vergehen!

Was vergangen, auferstehen!

Hör' auf zu beben!

Bereite dich zu leben!

~~~~ o ~~~~

O believe, my heart, O believe:

Nothing to you is lost!

Yours is, yes yours, is what you desired

Yours, what you have loved

What you have fought for!

O believe,

You were not born for nothing!

Have not for nothing, lived, suffered!

What was created

Must perish,

What perished, rise again!

Cease from trembling!

Prepare yourself to live!

~~~~ o ~~~~

German text and English translations of the "lyrics" from Mahler's Symphony No.2 Fifth Movement (taken from wikipedia). I find it to be such a great mugging anthem for the exams. I am not too confident for the physics exams today, but I'll let it pass. Other exams are more important!

On a side note, the dinner today was awesome. In a sense that they are not cheap. Crayfish and steak don't come to your dinner plates often!

Vietnamese Coffee

My first contact with Vietnamese coffee was at Vivocity, after the Msian scholars' outing to Sentosa. We ate at a Vietnamese restaurant which offered set meals at around S$6, which was suprisingly budget, considering its location. BX ordered hot Vietnamese coffee, and we were so intrigued by the weird contraption served to him- a cup on a plate on a cup.

Those who ordered iced coffee only got iced coffee in a plastic cup (top-right).

Turns out, the stainless steel cup above is a coffee filter which has ground coffee powder inside, and hot water from metal cup will seep through the coffee powder and drip out as dark coffee. "Oooh gravity's pulling it down!" exclaimed the Physics students.

Since then I've always wanted to make my own Vietnamese coffee, and finally I had the chance to do so when I visited Hanoi in June. It's a pity I didn't get to drink any authentic coffee from the coffee shops in Hanoi. (We did get to eat a lot of authentic and awesome street food though) But we did get to drink some coffee on the morning of our Halong Bay Cruise, and it was horribly bitter, as though each drop of coffee contains the 'essence' of a thousand bittergourds. But then again, the coffee was brewed beforehand, and was poured from a glass into our cups. We didnt use any coffee filters at all, which is what I want to do.

Yay and the chance came when our friends brought us to a mall when we returned to Hanoi. We bought coffee - both instant coffee packs and ground coffee powder, and *ta-da* a coffee filter.

I tried to make my own Vietnamese coffee, but failed terribly on the first try. Some of my mistakes:

• Using only one and a half teaspoons of coffee powder. By right: at least 3-4 teaspoons required.
• Pouring a lot of boiling water into the filter, causing the water to gush pass the thin layer of coffee powder and the filter. Result: water does not have enough time to mingle with the coffee, causing bland coffee; coffee powder falls through the filter easily. By right: pour only ~20ml of boiling water into the cup at first, and let the coffee powder absorb the water. The powder will then enlargen and clump together, and will be less likely to fall through the filter. Let the powder absorb the boiling water for a few seconds, then add a cup-ful of hot water to the filter, and let it drip
• Did not use a glass cup

My second try was much better. The coffee was much thicker and flavourful, much drinkable. But there is still quite a lot of coffee powder which fell through the filter, and hence the coffee isn't so 'clean'. More room for improvements.

Making your own cup of Vietnamese coffee is an art in itself. There are so many things that go into a perfect cup of coffee. It's like Chinese calligraphy, like playing piano or gardening. There is no way you can get it perfect in your first try. Often, you fail badly. But with repeated tries, and of course, some learning of technique, you gain experience and expertise. You can't be perfect - that is very subjective - but you can get better. The danger of this is that with each try, you want to improve on your previous try, and achieve better. I haven't tasted such a yearning for improvement in such a long time, and I fear that I may become addicted to making coffee. With each sip of your own coffee, you marvel at how much you have improved from your previous try (or how little), but you always think of how you can make your coffee better on your next try. More powder? A little more/less water for the coffee to absorb? More condensed milk? How to make the coffee richer, how to reduce the amount of coffee powder which fell through the filter?

But the best thing about Vietnamese coffee is not its flavour per se. It's waiting for your coffee to drip, and tasting from your cup the passion and affection that was poured in together with your coffee. Each bead of coffee dripping down from the filter has its own story to tell. It is the result of an invisible journey of water through coffee powder. The results of small individual droplets of coffee gathering together, forming a suspended bead below the filter. Each bead then falls and cluster to form a cup of coffee. Watching the coffee drip is such a therapeutic experience. You can't be 'hasty', as Treebeard will call it. It would be pointless to force the coffee to flow down faster - you run the risk of ruining your coffee. In the hectic world where instant coffee is the norm, filtering your own coffee offers a respite from all the hustle and bustle of the city. That is what makes this coffee so attractive.

Hence, not using a glass cup was a mistake. You can't see the coffee drip.

New earphones

I got the Klipsch reference S4i earphones from Singapore's IT fair. So far, I have no complaints, cos the sound from these earphones is really crisp and rather accurate. I don't know how to praise it in the correct earphone jargon, but its great and definitely worth the bucks. Comes with a two-year warranty :)

On first sight, the pair of earphones did not appeal to me at all. I am used to earphones which are either all black or all white, and this black/copper combi seemed a bit nauseating. The wire of the earphones feel thin and plasticky too. But my scorn quickly disapeared, as I realised that the thud-thud noise whenever the wires of such in-ear headphones bounce of your chest is much lesser than other headphnes, and it's plastic rigidity makes it more tangle-free. The wires are actually made of the same material as home theater cables, and it reeks of durability and practicality. 

After I found out that these earphones are actually modelled after the Klipsch Reference home theater system, with its black and gold colour scheme, my impression of the earphones changed immediately from "cheap-looking" to "classy".

I used to have another pair of sound-cancelling earphones from Sony, and that really sucked- pain in the ears and poor sound quality. This pair of Klipsch has oval-shaped earbuds (patented) and it is supposed to fit more comfortably in the ears. The default size suits my ears better, imo. I don't know if its me or the earphones, but when I tried on the earphones with the other earbud sizes, sound quality differs. It deteriorated, to be exact. So I stuck with the default, medium size.

I brought the earphones along to Vietnam, and watched Pirates of the Caribbean with the Reference s4i in my ears. Noise cancellation is superb, and it was quite comfortable. The sounds were great too: ranges in dynamic and pitch can be heard clearly amid the bustle of the LCCT. However, I needed quite a lot of breaks in between the movies, as I'm still not to the in-ear headphones being in my ears for too long.

The bass was not too boomy, like the Jays a-jay four which I tested during IT fair. Uuh Mahler on the a-jay four sounded disgusting with the bass overpowering everything else. I didn't regret buying this pair of earphones, considering the sound quality was good, and it wasn't exceptionally expensive.

------

By the way, I just jailbroke my iPhone about a week ago, and I am still learning a lot about jailbreaking. First thing I did was to remove the slider and the clock from the lock-screen, and the larger picture area of the lock screen was fantastic.

I also installed the VLC player, along with the SSH stuff so I can use my phone to watch movies of almost all formats, especialy .avi which the iPhone does not support. I just installed installous today, and hehe I downloaded Sparrow and Asphalt 7. Still downloading, in fact. :)

Traveling

Yesterday while on the bus to BTP, I met a guy at the Singapore customs. "Excuse me", said he, and pointing to a Singapore map in a small book, he asked whether he was waiting in the correct bus lane to go to Queen street. "Yes, correct, you take this bus all the way, and you will be at Queen street."

"Are you Japanese?" I asked, as I noticed that his book has some Japanese on it. The book is what I will call a map-book. It is roughly A5 size, easy to fit in any bag, and on its pages are rectangle cut outs of maps, something like what my dad uses to find his way around Singapore, a primitive, hard-copy GPS (my dad's map-book is way larger in size though)

"Yea, yea, I'm Japanese" he said, and in a rather broken English, told me that he's here in Singapore to tour, and he'll be in Singapore for two days. Then he'll go to Malaysia, and visit the Penang island.

"You have to go to the beaches!" I said, knowing islands sure have beaches, but partly because I can't remember what other tourist attractions does PP have xD

And he went on to tell me that he'll be touring South-east Asia for one whole month. And that's not all. After South-east Asia, he will tour Europe for another month. Alone. Orz. And he's just 22 years old.

He's so young, and he's doing exactly what I want to do: travel. Which made me think, I'm still young too, and I still have a lot of time left. My dream of going overseas may not be realised so soon, but it is certainly not dashed. I can, and I will tour the world another day.

An update of my life:

我到了我人生中一转定终生的十字路口。
- NTU Chem engineering with ASEAN scholarship?
- SUTD with ASEAN scholarship?

NUS has not given their reply.
Because of financial woes, I am not going to Imperial College London for its Chem Engineering course, unless I receive a scholarship. 我可不想为了一张文凭、几年的狂欢，而欠上一大屁股债。

I do want to try out SUTD, but if they do not deliver what they promise, I'll be really let down. Then again, the government will not allow SUTD to fail.

In SUTD, I believe, you have to create your own university life. It has a tiny campus. It does not have the crowd. You have to create your own CCA. This translates to either a boring uni life if you do not have any initiative at all, or a very exciting one if you are enthusiastic. Then again, it also depends on the people around you, your peers. I believe that those who choose SUTD are like-minded people who really wish to try out new things, and who are passionate about creating something different. Face it, SUTD is pretty unorthodox.

If my concern about SUTD is about the uncertainty regarding the teaching staff quality, I shall put on my 啊Q cap, and realise that SUTD has really good staff, which I probably would not get in Malaysia. And of course, the staff will be trying their best too. Effective learning relies on the effort made by both parties- teachers and students.

If my concern about SUTD is about the people around me, I hope to eventually realise that they are all similar people who are trying to challenge themselves, to put themselves into foreign land and see how much they can learn from it. Those who have subscribed to SUTD will not let themselves fail.

If my concern about SUTD is about the probable lack of depth in engineering knowledge, I shall compensate that with knowledge I gain from independent studies and reading. I know I can do it. This is a very brave claim, but whatever.

If my concern about SUTD is the small campus and the lack of facilities compared to other universities, well, size is not everything, and hopefully they provide quality over quantity.

If my concern about SUTD is the fact that I may not be used to the curriculum, well, it is invalid. Adaptibility, if not already inherent, is best aquired for your own good.

If my concern about SUTD is the lack of reputation and the uncertainty whether its degree can get me what I want, well, it may not be as easy as the traditional paths, but I believe it will eventually work out.

OK i need to stop thinking. My dandruff is coming back.

a comment by a malaysian on http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/dear-mahathir/

If we want to criticise the government for its race based policies, it is only fair we also criticise our own race based mentality. To point the finger only one way is sheer hypocrisy. We have ALL contributed to the rot in some way – with our way of thinking, our actions, our words, our inactions, our apathy. None of us can claim to be innocent.

How many of us see ourselves as Malaysians first followed by our ethnicity? I think we all know the answer is not many. How many of us hold on to age old stereotypes i.e. Malays are lazy & stupid, Indians are untrustworthy & violent, Chinese are greedy & selfish? I think we all know the answer is quite a lot. How many of us then are willing to (to quote the late Michael Jackson) ‘start with the man in the mirror and ask him to change his ways’?

Just as the government is guilty of playing us against each other, we are also guilty of playing ourselves up against each other. If Malaysia is to have any chance of a better future, we MUST change our mindsets. The old way of ‘every race for itself’ is NOT going to work. We need to see ourselves and each other as MALAYSIANS first and everything else a distant second. Then and only then will the wheels of change begin to turn. Until then we will remain stuck in the pit of quicksand that is the past, sinking lower with each passing minute.

There is still some hope left but my fellow Malaysians (yes, MALAYSIANS not Indians, Chinese, Malays or dan lain-lain), voting is just the tip of the iceberg. In the same way we’re all gung ho about getting people to vote, we need to get them (ourselves included) to think or rather re – think. The real change starts much sooner. In fact it starts right now.

“Be the change you want to see” – Gandhi

Setuju! Setuju!

Too long since I last posted here

It has been so long since I last posted on this blog. Looking back at all the previous posts I made, I can't help but feel embarassed by all the crap I spilled out across this blog.

And hence this attempt to refurbish my blog, with an *ahem* two-prong approach. (I've never used that phrase for years. It's not a phrase I like to use in my Econs and GP essays)

1) Remove (some) traces of glaring immaturity, by changing the blog skin, and removing (some of the) irrelevant 'gadgets' at the side of the blog. #Minimalism.

2) Hopefully, I will be able to write more thoughtful posts here. Personal stuff will go to my diary; other stuff here on Blogger, or Tumblr.

I'm now in the next phase of life, post-A-levels and pre-university. And I'll divide this phase into different sections:

1) Before the release of A Level results. One of the most carefree periods in life. I get to find a job, learn how to drive, and chill around, practice my music and exercise.

2) After the release of A Level results. One of the busiest periods of my life. After the emotional roller coaster on results day, after feeling down and discouraged for not achieving my desired results, I really think it's time to move on. After all, my results are not that bad either.

3) After the scholarship and uni applications. I really don't know what to expect here.

There's so much things running in my head now- whether I made the correct decision on uni choices and uni courses previously; whether I am doing enough, whether the decisions I am going to take are reasonable and appropriate.

I applied for Chemical Engineering in UK universities, so if I go UK, I'll be studying the course.

But I am starting to doubt whether I'll like ChemE. The careers it offers are not exactly what I envisioned myself to be in. Petroleum industry - my family is not very keen on this because you get exposed to many health problems; pharmaceutical industry - we don't really support the use of presciption drugs or medicines because of the many side effects they cause. But of course, showing negative support to the use of drugs would be injustice to those that are really required to save lives. Food industry - I refrain from eating mass-produced food as much as possible. My family is quite purist in nature.

Of course these are not the only career paths offered to Chem Engineers. There are some which could be aligned with my interests and values. For example clean energy, waste management, etc. But there are other courses such as Materials and Civil/Env engineering which can bring me there also.

And what about my childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist, a vet, an archeologist, an environmentalist, a nutritionist, a musician, or a TCM shifu? Should I continue to pursue these fields of study? Since making the decision not to take Bio in Sec 3, I've sort of relegated these interests from "ambitions" to "possible past-times".

I would most probably stick with Chemical Engineering.

There are many other things in my consideration for uni courses, but I can't say all of them here. In essence, I feel like I'm going through a mid-life crisis now.

[insert title here]

sweet and bitter at the same time. especially when her voice goes coarse

 

and this is the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin when she was like 19

the next one is her again when older

and even older.. and *plumper* but still good

 

 

and this uber hilarious article from lhzb:

马可能打破惯例 委任华人出使中国 (16-05-2009)
http://www.zaobao.com/yx/yx090516_507.shtml

（吉隆坡综合讯）马来西亚政府可能打破一项不成文规定，首次委任华人出使中国，以示信任华人效忠国家。

亲巫统内幕者新闻网报道，首相纳吉正在考虑委任马华前总会长黄家定或哥哥黄家泉（前总秘书）为驻中国大使，打破驻华大使向来都不由华人担任的先例。

报道引述政府消息说，黄家定已经婉拒，因此目前最热门人选是黄家泉。

黄家泉承认，马华一名元老曾经告诉他，马华将推荐他出任驻华大使，但他尚未接到正式委任，因此一切仍属传言。

他说：“这只是一项传言，我至今并没接获任何提名出任驻中国大使，况且我还是一名国会议员，我必须服务选民直至任期结束。”

黄家泉去年马华党选竞选署理总会长，败给卫生部前部长蔡细历，结果在纳吉今年4月组织新内阁时被除名。这之前，他担任房屋及地方政府部长。

黄家定也曾任房屋及地方政府部长，马华去年大选蒙受重挫后，他放弃部长职位，随后又宣布退位。黄家定否认他可能出任驻华大使，他说，他没有出使中国的意愿，也没有接到提名。

华人是马国第二大族群，但政府从来不委任华人为驻华大使，假如黄家泉或黄家定受委，这将反映政府在心态上的改变，不再怀疑华人的效忠程度。一直以来，不但驻华大使没有华人，马国驻印度最高专员也没有印度人，只是曾有印度人出任驻华大使，也曾有华人出任驻印度最高专员。

不过，内幕者新闻网报道指出，纳吉打算打破先例，并且表示将委派最佳人选出任大使，以促进马国和外国的双边关系，不分种族。

此举也是为了修复华人及印度人与政府的关系，尤其是纳吉上台后，极力打造他是全民首相的形象。由于不满新经济政策出现严重偏差，华人和印度人在去年大选支持前副首相安华领导的人民联盟，使到国阵遭遇40年来最大失利。

若政府委任黄家泉或黄家定出使中国，也将象征它有意加强与中国的关系。

纳吉将在下个月访问中国，庆祝马中建交35周年。1974年，纳吉的已故父亲，第二任首相拉萨破天荒访问中国，两国建交。

另据当今大马新闻网报道，马华消息指出，黄家泉或黄家定是否接受委任，取决于他们愿不愿意被“发配边疆”。根据过去的经验，政治人物出使外国之后，在党内就难以重返主流。

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

cheers lol =D

WOW impressive!

 

she’s so amazing. i kept replaying and replaying the song and i wont feel sian. very great! and she’s just 16 O.o and has performed with mariah carey, celine dion, andrea bocelli.. and featured on ellen degeneres’s show and oprah winfrey’s too

 

little boy but vr pro.. the next michael buble? started singing at age of 3.. he’s half british half filipino, and his 台风 vr imba

 

buble with his sleek voice. 赞! i first heard him on tv ad, and he’s really good

 

have been listening to whitney houston these few days, and it has been WOW speechless. she's 46 yrs old now xD

 

and 2 powerhouses: Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole. was literally 'saying' their prayers loudly xD

 

CHeers! =D

RANDOM lol

SMS

Zhang Yi: Bojun, i nt going flag raising ltr, if hav. coz i gt ace presentation need to prepare

Me: Actu that’s not a valid reason but u are lucky and should thank the sky for tricking the school and let them issue a lightning alert

Zhang Yi: Haha, ya, thx god. My fren ask if u want to bojun him.

Me: Wad does bojun mean and when did it become a verb

Zhang Yi: He say bojun is sth sick

Me: U go screw him. Thx =.=

Zhang Yi: Huh bt tt wud mean i bojuning him

Me: Bojun him then.

Zhang Yi: U have just accepted the meaning of the word

Me: I dont care, lamer. Go mug and save ur class msg

lol does bojun like to bojun?? i dont think so.

and later

Zhi Hao: The mattress is huge, serious.

And it really is =D
and its comfortable too!

Oh and most of the band sec ones are quite punctual in handing in money. keep up the good work! though there are certain ones, like there will be in every batch, who are just not present every time.

The bandits too, SYF photo money was quite smooth in the collection. partially cos those who go SYF are the non-attitude-problem-or-whatsoever people, who bother to hand in money on time.

 

i hope i can pass the ihc test. 'got owned' by the test...
hope that i have succeeded in explaining 3 out of the 5 sources for whether is peace possible.
and the previous 2 were just okay okay lar..
I JUST CANT MANAGE MY TIME
and xiao hua is like "希望可以得到 14 out of 20 for IHC test.." and "你还好，IHE 可以帮助你拉高分数.. 我三个IHE只拿过一次A1.."

Hope that Ms Sunita, the epitome of infinite kindess, can help me in my cause for peace.. in my soul..
but i should really bang my head against the wall (sorry wall) for not managing my time well.
and xiao hua is right. i should mug for IHE.

NE Quiz bah

wow. cheers =D