At Your Service

Simple End-Game Outcome

2011-01-20T16:21:00.000+08:00

You think I'm not contributing.

I think you're not appreciating.

I see where it's going.

2010 Fade Off

2011-01-01T05:39:00.002+08:00

The year 2010 is becoming a fast-diminishing spot in the rearview mirror. As we leave it all behind in our endeavour to progress towards another year, here are the highlights of this year.

Mount Kinabalu
As the mastermind said, we bought tickets there because it was cheap. It was only after that we decided to embark on the vertical journey, towards the misty summit of one of the highest peaks in South East Asia.

Balance Sheet of Arrivals and Departures
If someone is keeping records on the registry of people coming and going on this planet, he/she is doing a mighty decent job. The amount of weddings and wakes attended this year almost balances each other out. Weddings out scored wakes by just a little, but who's to say some weddings may not result in offspring being created.

In addition to experiences, meaningful conversations that left an impact on my perspectives in life were also recorded.

With James, he pointed out that your first year in your job, is not all about learning the domain knowledge of your field. In fact, you may very well be spending the first year learning your way around the organization, how to adapt to working styles of colleagues, how to write emails... This made sense for a fresh graduate who has little prior working experience. And reminds me not to be too impatient to want to contribute towards my organization. Because that day will come, but meantime it's preparation for it.

Another colleague has padded my list of unorthodox approaches towards work. Because there's only 8 hours in a work day, and it's so dynamic that priorities of work can take sudden shifts within the span of a few hours. To that end, the phrase "if the emperor is not in a hurry, neither should the eunuch" best describes the stance that one should take at work. Unless bosses really chase you hard for it, whatever you're working on for them may not seem as important as they make it sound.

Alex has taken up the challenge to run his first marathon, thereby leading by example how to go for projects of longitudinal duration. Now he has bragging rights along with a blister on his foot to show for his run that lasted a whole working day.

Gary has shown how he prioritizes family in front of many other things. That is actually a warming sight to know his family is close together as a unit that plays and therefore stays together. Now that he has set an example for people to follow, it's a lesson learnt on how focusing on the family can make you a wholesome person.

Su has once again reminded me to get more sleep in order to reduce reliance on gcalendar so that i won't get my dates wrong should the almighty google crash one fine day. He has demonstrated that unhappy events from 2009 have mostly stopped haunting him.

Glad that same goes for me, as well as June. Learnt from her that girls set criteria for their soulmates that belong to various categories, such as physical attributes, family assets and personality. Lucky thing there is a category that is flexible and may be subject to changes.

With so many more things to learn from during conversations with poeple close to heart, here is a wish for 2011 to be full of eipc adventure, strengthening of friendships, a clearer direction in career and a year of love.

Sawadee 2011.

rude awakening

2010-11-10T07:06:00.001+08:00

there i was on top of his shoulers walking along a corridor, scenes of an old wet market. next was the white plaque on which words were written in english.

I have lived. I lived. I am no longer ashamed of women.

followed by a few words that have grown fuzy while I slowly gained consciousness.

In the Mood

2010-09-20T23:50:00.002+08:00

When even Winamp knows that I'm headed for memory lane, it adapts by playing songs that I heard a lot in 2007-08.

我和春天有個約會, 不能說的秘密，路一直在，你是心新內的一首歌, It ends tonight, 只對你有感覺，刺激2005, 一見鍾情

But this has got to stop. There have been signs that the cycle should be completed.

I will relive, with fondness. And then I will let live.

I will bring out the mood in the photos. I am in the mood. Your wedding photos part 2 will turn out beautiful, Gary and Huang Hui.

One Wild Ride

2010-09-18T20:46:00.002+08:00

To put the hump day out of its misery, the volunteers for YOG were invited to the Universal Studios to frolic in the waning rays of the evening sun. While I was prepared for the worst scenario (been told by a friend that entrance costs only $5 in the evening because the rides were not operational), I went ahead knowing that I will nonetheless meet up with many friends there.

Not only did I end up spending one great evening in the theme park unwinding on the thrill rides, all expenses paid, I also felt a transcendental connection made with the senses. Probably owing to how we explored the park in dimly-lit circumstances, with the theme songs from movies of yesteryear playing from hidden speakers, the city life that many have grown weary of had been suppressed even if it was for that fleeting moment inside the park. Especially fascinating was the exhibit where Hollywood revealed the behind-the-scenes of a filming set. The setting was a warehouse looking out towards New York City. On a television set in the warehouse, the weatherman was narrating the current situation to the audience. A thunderstorm was recreated with the aid of simulated rain to produce the aural illusion of pattering raindrops into the sea. Gales were created with fans, doors opened and shut by unseen mechanical setups played along as if the doors were indeed blown into motion by the winds. The invasive smell of kerosene penetrated the nose as the sea caught ablaze when a suspended speedboat fell and exploded. The finale was an earth-shattering collision from a humongous tanker into the stage where we were standing, sending tremours across the platform and buckling many knees.

The rides were a bonus for the night since I expected to just have a meal inside the theme park with like-minded friends who took it upon themselves to carry the 330-million-dollar Olympic torch project through its tour of Singapore. After a whole day in the office, it was amazingly therapeutic to have your bones momentarily jostled out of alignment from the jerks and bumps of the Mummy ride, not to mention an unobstructed view of the built-up Sentosa while suspended in mid-air and feet trailing precariously above the ground.

In retrospect, I am sure this inter-cultural exchange on a large scale between athletes from around the world and our very own volunteers must have helped promote Singapore’s image as an international city to participants at the very least. Indeed it is no minor feat to be host of the youth Olympics, screw-ups or not. I remember the warmth it brought when I asked this athlete from Tonga what she thought of Singapore, and her response was that it was a most beautiful city, and that she would like to come back. That from someone patriotic enough to paint her face with her country flag. It’s the heart of the people that made things run smoothly. And if you were part of it, this post is dedicated to you. We totally deserved the Universal Studios visit as domestic tourists of this vibrant city that is Singapore.

I remembered the initial reluctance to hunt down the training venue to listen to Alex Siew coach us on how to take photos. All the way to SP and find a hidden classroom in the rain! And the seemingly endless visits to Kay Siang to attend briefings and role-playing trainings were not particularly alluring. But all that came in useful when the flame eventually landed and set the gears into motion at the floating platform.

As photographers, the very first challenge we received was nothing related to pictures. Instead, it was how to read the training schedules that we received via email. With so many things happening at once, and athletes not sticking to their schedules, it was nearly impossible to track them down. With the dedication of each member, we did the best we could. Following the athletes on culture education programmes was more rewarding, as the people could be photographed at optimum proximity. Ubin was greatly preferred to Hort Park because there were more opportunities where athletes would engage in exciting activities thereby eliciting more varied expressions for their portraits to be painted digitally.

You may have benefitted in the most unlikely way. Maybe you learnt how to work with others better. You may have improved your eye for photography. You may have picked up a foreign language while interacting with the athletes/coaches. You may have gotten to hone certain skills through the various activities. You may have overcome your fear of thrill rides after the USS visit. You may have made someone beside you deaf when you screamed really loud on the thrill rides.

Whatever it was, this post serves to close the Singapore 2010 chapter with dignity. And together with that, lots of respect for all your hard work and late nights poured into the year’s worth of preparation. I am certain that we’ll cross paths again, one day.

Exabytes Free Hosting

2010-09-12T12:25:00.002+08:00

And a chance to win an iPad. With that it'll be a less boring ride to work reading comics on it.

2010-08-31T16:30:00.001+08:00

Created by Oatmeal

Making Sense

2010-08-26T15:10:00.002+08:00

As if to compensate for a rather uneventful July, the month of August felt like eating an eight-course dinner in fast-forward mode.

Celebrations, trip, missed celebrations, YOG, singing exam. Mostly good things in fact.

Until the Aug 23 tragedy that happened in the Philippines that is. An invisible blanket carrying the mourning people's tears seems to have descended on the enclave of Hong Kong people in Singapore. In the midst of angry people quick to assign blame, media reports on the survivors' families, people defending the dignity of their race and lashing back, it's hard to find a place of sense to put an opinion or sentiment anywhere.

The more you read, the more depressing it feels. Facts get digested to effect emotions and there's no mood to do much. Maybe it's true. It's time to detach from these stories for a while. People who need counselling should get it over and done with. People who hate the whole country's system should not be so naive as to want to take on the establishment. Who are they to judge. Condemn the sin, since the sinner resides way out of reach, up high in the blame game. And at the end of the search you may not be able to uncover a single face to it.

Let there be love, mourn for the loss. Leave hate out of the equation. That's all I ask.

Back from the Cat City

2010-08-13T02:41:00.000+08:00

For a city that is named after a favourite household pet, I was rather disappointed when I left Kuching without catching sight of a single cat. With a history of being under British rule, a Sir James Brooke, Kuching reveals traces of its colonial past in the architecture composed of museums and post office.

Forgoing the plans of what set out to be a brothers-only trip, we made concessions for our dear sister HH and endeavoured not to make things difficult for Gary.

Upon disembarking at the Kuching airport, I saw second-tier highways leading to the city set in a reasonably green milieu of vegetation. Impressive infrastructure, perceivably for a place said to house a mere 600,000 residents. The grey skies helped to provide some comfort from a scorching sun.

While the map on hostelworld has assured me that we are located not far from the waterfront, actually sensing the proximity to the calm waters on the taxi heightened the joy of realizing that our chosen accommodation was well-made. Along the way, we saw live pigs mulling over their uncertain fate in rather cramped quarters. After turning into a rather narrow lane between rows of two-storied shop houses, we alighted right outside our hostel.

With a décor that goes along the theme of rustic Balinese furniture and a red paint job that’s vibrant yet not too intense, Mr Drowsy hostel gave us a run for our money. It didn’t matter all that much to young people like us. At the end of the day, we only returned to catch our forty winks before heading out to take in the sights and sounds of the locale.

The three things worthy of mention are the food, the trip to the Sarawak Cultural Village, and the produce from this rather obscure part of Malaysia.

Being in a consumer-oriented travel group, courtesy of Hungry Gary, we went all-out in the search for the better tasting of the kolo mee in Kuching. Read: we ate many a bowl. From many a stall.

The champion goes to Ryooyi, a black horse in our quest for the best tasting kolo mee in Kuching. Located in a shop house, it was not in the midst of other food stalls, and expectations wasn’t high. The minced meat on top of the noodles provides a subtle salty flavour to accentuate the texture of the noodles as it enters the mouth… It has earned the status of the KL beef noodles.

I would put Kuching’s laksa in between that of Penang’s Assam style and Singapore’s rather heavy style. Its soup is not as thick and saturated as Singapore’s laksa, and not as watery as the assam convention. Ingredients are slightly different as well. Where the Katong laksa serves a bowl with Chinese parsley on top, the Kuching style does not have that. They also do not spoil their customers in Kuching by snipping the noodles into spoon-sized servings.

Seafood dinner at Top Spot was gratifying. Sea bass and squid deep-fried with condensed milk. Not to mention the local fern that the locals stir-fry – a herb called midin. While some may be turned off by the fact that a mucus-like substance resides inside the crunchy stems, it does have a redeeming fragrance about it. OK. Enough of food.

A motif of this trip arose from our visit to the cultural village. In addition to experiencing how 3 tribes of people lived and fought for their turf expansion, we were treated to traditional performances by Sarawakian warriors and maidens. Gary noted how the flailing hands of the womenfolk resembles the gesture for people to “wait a minute”, and it became the accidental highlight of the trip. Throughout dinner and beyond, we imitated the dance move much to the amusement of ourselves, and yet another lady in our group.

Getting my hands on the traditional instrument found at the longhouse of the Orang Ulu, I realized how fortunate we are to be born in an age of 6-strings, Marshall amplification, and compact analogue effect pedals. Strumming two open notes and being restricted to one single scale at the highest string wasn’t my idea of lead guitar playing. A precursor to the ukulele, perhaps.

Always interesting to see what a country sells in its souvenir shops, above and beyond the traditional woodcraft hand-me-downs. In Kuching, the order of the day was bird’s nest, pepper, and ironically, cat-themed trinkets. In the cultural village, we were walked through the process of grounding pepper, and how black pepper tastes more spicy and is rougher compared to the white pepper which has the pepper seed’s outer layer removed. We also saw a time-lapsed demonstration of separating birds’ saliva from their feathers, and a bleaching process to add that all-important cosmetic touch to the product.

Journeys are always fun. Whether or not you take something back with you is another matter altogether. My main takeaway from this brief yet succinct 3 day 2 night trip is that I should learn to increase my tolerance for the flaws of the human condition even more, especially when faced with such bathos where the eponymous city of Kuching actually has no cats.

Analyse This

2010-08-02T14:12:00.001+08:00

What is Your Love Language? Your Result: Quality Time Quality time is more than mere proximity. Itâ€™s about focusing all your energy on your mate. A husband watching sports while talking to his wife is NOT quality time. Unless all of your attention is focused on your mate, even an intimate dinner for two can come and go without a minute of quality time being shared. Quality conversation is very important in a healthy relationship. It involves sharing experiences, thoughts, feelings and desires in a friendly, uninterrupted context. A good mate will not only listen, but offer advice and respond to assure their mate they are truly listening. Many mates donâ€™t expect you to solve their problems. They need a sympathetic listener. Quality activities are a very important part of quality time. Many mates feel most loved when they spend physical time together, doing activities that they love to do. Spending time together will bring a couple closer, and, in the years to come, will fill up a memory bank that you can reminisce about in the future. Whether itâ€™s sitting on the couch and having a brief conversation or playing together in a tennis league, quality time is a love language that is shared by many.
Acts of Service
Receiving Gifts
Physical Touch
Words of Affirmation
What is Your Love Language? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Missing Out

2010-08-02T01:54:00.002+08:00

In a night, I’ve had the finger pointed at me no less than 3 times. The accusation? I am too cynical. Something about how I always question people’s motives, and was suspected to be in depression. Much as I am used to being misunderstood, I felt a compelling need to clarify myself that night.

You see, sounding rather negative in the projection of things is merely a means of preparing for the worst. PR 101, you prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Murphy’s always been my best friend. Always been, always will be.

I am merely an optimist learning to be practical in this realistic world. To carry on organizing outings despite being aware of the daunting prospects of poor attendance and no-shows. Instead of accepting things as they are like most people do, and submitting to the fact that everyone’s busy with their own lives and will not bother to turn up. If I were really so bitter about everything, I won’t have gone on to suggest a meet up, would I?

Life’s less-than-kind experiences may have left some of us feeling disillusioned. To that end I plead guilty. Weary about the idea of finding that special someone to spend the rest of your life with, at a tender age of twenty-something. Perhaps that’s not a good way to describe it. Perhaps a better way to put it would simply be, both sides are probably not ready for an arrangement such as marriage yet.

Most men (secretly or not) would want their wives to stay at home and stay out of the world of temptations, once they’re married. To take care of affairs at home and tend to the kids. But at this age, unless there’s backing from parents, it will be largely unwise. How would a middle class family relying solely on the man’s income expect to live comfortably? I cannot fathom the idea of facing the same someone for at least 40 years starting from the tender age of 25. Neither can she I’m sure. Because at a certain age, certain things you just cannot expect a guy to be able to provide.

At the basic level is security. In multiple senses of the word.

Financial security: unless there’s a pot of gold in the family stronghold, most guys won’t be able to be the provider that most of us are programmed biologically to want to do. To feel useful and prove our selves worthy to our mates and folks.

Emotional security: while it is mutually beneficial to be in a long term relationship where you put each other on the priority list, you cannot put aside the thought of having fun out there once in a while. There lies the great temptation to party till the early morning before returning to a fretting other half who felt deserted for one night while you were expending the better part of your youthful energy on the dance floor and inevitably catching the attention of some nubile chick.

So why try so hard, to decide upon someone only to have your heart broken when she flies out of your reach after deciding one day that she deserves better? At this age, no one can promise anything. Correction, at this time and age, nothing can be set in stone anymore. It’s much too easy to hit Control Z in life with seemingly less impact than yesteryear, even the stigma of single parents and divorcees being slowly diluted with help from drama serials that insidiously entrench eroding values into our thoughts.

My heart goes out to you at this moment, if you’re troubled by the end of a “good thing” and it’s causing insomnia and that unstoppable leakage from the tear ducts. When you finally get a grip on yourself, these words will make sense - You deserve better. Much better.

Be more practical, be more careful with who you hand your heart to, but before the elements become right for mating season, why not face affairs of the heart with more optimism, more wariness, more flamboyance and aim to derive more pleasure than pain out of each other’s company?

In other words, can we keep it casual?

Don't scream your lyrics!

2010-07-29T23:12:00.002+08:00

Win

2010-07-21T11:48:00.002+08:00

Success is when preparation meets opportunity.

Don't slack.... too much!

Radio Gaga

2010-07-19T00:04:00.008+08:00

After so many non-stop appointments after work, it seems only right to be resting 2 weekends at home just listening to the radio, letting life slow right down. What used to be on power 98 is now on class 95. That’s just a sign of the times.

Here are some songs that were played during those weekends and the sentiments triggered from within when they started:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE This is one of the first songs that got me noticing the existence of this low frequency sound from the bass guitar that could only be heard when I put on earphones. Trusty Sony CD walkman. Previously the radio at home played on speakers and those had raspy interferences and little bass.

2. http://bit.ly/9F4nYD -> copy paste. Didn’t use to like ballads and piano songs, much preferred the warm overdriven guitars of Oasis. But this song intrigued me with the blue themed music video and the association with Batman and Robin.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvKs133Udmk The first radio hit I heard was actually Ms Jackson which was rather catchy, but the follow up didn’t disappoint. One of the songs in the hip-hop compilation CD-Rs. Never knew the keyboard could make that sound in the chorus.

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4YqKeZT5Do This one seems to have a higher pitch but it’s the original video. Original song in another video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YePmikngFRg. Studying at home was best accompanied by songs that make you feel peaceful and yet thought-provoking. You won’t get that with rock songs. Remembered her more for what Rick Dees revealed about her in the Dees Sleaze fashion.

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0nKrD5If7U Original music video had something burning if I don’t remember wrongly. Most of the songs stuck in the head mostly because the MTVs were shown on channel 5 between programs. But this instrumental plucking at the beginning caught my attention as well, I thought it didn’t sound quite like a guitar. Didn’t know about the banjo then. Sure sounds like it.

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWxzM9_gEo0 2 years before I learnt about the Gothic tradition, I didn’t know how to classify this video. The lone figure and colour scheme and darkness and the hidden trap door. But it stuck in my head for sure.

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCca5mPMp9A I thought the DJ was kidding when he introduced this band. That was when Singapore has the 4D and Toto while Hong Kong has Mark 6. Something about the melody and the way the chorus was delivered. The singing has a nice transition from verse to chorus.

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqTLlHkfSC4 Probably the ‘live’ sets have overwritten all the previously recorded videos of the Eagles, when this version and Hotel California sounded better than the LP. Something about the guitar that gives a tranquil feel, and the soothing voice reassuring you that love will indeed keep you alive. Used to think the guitar part is hard to play, but it’s probably a switch in the string to pluck only.

9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS0CV_GWEMI Didn’t like it as much as my JC friends used to. But when it played again on radio recently it was like a diamond in the rough that just showed off its radiance after much polishing. Didn’t like it because the singing seemed to come in a irregular timing, never knew the lyrics were packed with imagery that takes you on a trip if you’d just close your eyes and listen.

And I’m looking forward to more radio reminiscing on class 95, less of the iTunes library.

June's highlights

2010-06-30T20:35:00.001+08:00

Office 2010 launch party. Thanks for the pizza Lex.

Ichiban for Father's Day dinner, cheap and good. Must try the wagyu beef hot plate next time.

Bowling contest, got water bottle and electric fan for 4 and 3 continuous strikes ^^

Cat sidles up one evening after work, yay.

Lucky it's not the N95 or I'd have fainted from suffocation. Price to pay for wild trip.

Ultra man thing didn't belong to June, oops.

Change

2010-06-16T00:31:00.000+08:00

This post is dedicated to the topic of change. How nothing ever stays in place. Three incidents helped string up this rather strong sentiment of how change can disorientate you from where you thought you were and where you are going to.

Good buddy has strong objections when I suggested running the Kent Ridge Park route instead of our usual campus route on a given Wednesday. The meat of his complaints was why we cannot stick to our usual route, and why things must change. He learnt to cope with that when he realized that one week prior to his departure on an epic Southeast Asia trip, his flight and accommodations are still subject to changes, changes that happen as a result of his travel mates changing their plans.

At the wake of an army friend's mum, I was told that her condition had deteriorated rather rapidly. The thankful thing was that she left them in the early morning. According to the local folklore, this means that the people whom she left behind will be burdened the least. He thought that she would have lasted a bit longer, while he was outside. Little did he know that her health took a change for the worse in that brief moment he left her side.

Things at home. For some reason, when you really want to find something. It will hide behind the bar counter, under the sofa, deep within the piles of paper. It just refuses to be found when you need it. Its location changes contradicting the memory where you thought you knew where it was when you put it there.

Things change, plans change, people move on. Find a mental anchor to make sense of it all, and you'll be safe.

Yayness

2010-06-01T09:40:00.001+08:00

Finally a jazz performance^^

https://www.alumnet.nus.edu.sg/ContentImages/Upcoming%20events/peabodyjazz.html

Pondering

2010-05-26T13:32:00.000+08:00

Once in a while, do something that scares yourself. So that you have one less thing to be afraid of in the near future. With that I put forth my latest pondering.

How much can i really eat?

Escape from Chalet, finally

2010-05-18T02:21:00.001+08:00

753 photos from Sunday to go through, glad most of them turned out fine, missed some shot ideas but should still be able to pick out some decent shots from there.

Session Eight - Post Processing

2010-05-17T16:58:00.002+08:00

Essentials to digest before preparing photos for the couple to print out at their bed or living room:

http://www.larry-bolch.com/dpi-revealed/

Words into Flesh

2010-05-13T11:42:00.000+08:00

By some strange stroke of Providence or higher power or whatever you may choose to think of, thoughts have been translated into action more frequently that I would have anticipated. For one, while I was on my way to the airport with my mum, and thinking about how it will lead to many posts on laomasays, Mr Robot Chow sent a message telling me the exact same thing I was thinking about. So there was little option left but to get to work on taking minutes.

In another occurrence, I was thinking to myself, it's been some time since ebay closed anything for the past months, and then this morning I logged on to find a deal. Are our thoughts really so powerful?

Session Seven - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-05-12T11:26:00.000+08:00

With various shot ideas in mind, it is a matter of execution. To prepare for white-outs from strong sunlight for the outdoor setting, I am glad I got my circular polarizer and recently acquired ND 4 filter from HK in time for the wedding.

More visuals, flood my senses with visual inspiration.

http://yesterdaywasgreat.wordpress.com/

A Hot Cup of Tea

2010-05-09T01:22:00.002+08:00

After trying all the delicacies the land of shopping and eating has to offer, I must say, the most important tip I have for the curious explorer in HK is to down the bitter bowl of "24 tastes" herbal tea.

This vile-looking (and even more quaint tasting) concoction of traditional chinese medicine origins is able to pre-empt most flu-like symptoms you may have. After visiting my grandma's grave, and being exposed to the rain, I am glad I downed a full bowl of this before going home.

The result was an unsuccessful attempt on the flu bug to take a shot at my immune system. The swollen eyes and runny nose lasted all of 15 minutes, after which I was up and about again.

Therefore, I encourage you to give it a try!

Mock Up of Jetsaver Challenge

2010-04-30T10:31:00.004+08:00

Think of it as tea party without the tea.

Here We Go!

2010-04-30T00:44:00.004+08:00

Wanderlust claims another victim

2010-04-27T23:53:00.004+08:00

After being back in Singapore for barely 2 weeks, the hunger is upon me again to travel. Next Monday it's off to Hong Kong to visit my relatives. My choice of airline? Jetstar Asia, because the promotional airfare came at the right time last year.

With the two-to-fly promotion, it was hard to say no to my mother who wanted to go to HK to do some shopping and visit her relatives. I had initially wanted to save my leave for the end of year when discount season is here. It seems the deals were too good to be missed.

Next up, Jetsaver Light Challenge to see if the buddy and I would get to go to Taiwan and do a star jump under the Taipei 101, stuff some stinky tofu at our palates, or even chat up some cute Taiwanese girls who're fortunate enough to meet us while out shopping.

Session Six - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-04-23T17:22:00.004+08:00

While running the risk of going off-tangent, which happens quite frequently in my life, I am amused by the tips by this photographer on what not to do. Growing up, I've been exposed to many of the wrong practice and there's that need to unlearn what was nurtured to be the right way.

Photographing kids at the venue, about 15 of them according to the groom, would add to the diversity of the album and contribute to the youthful appeal of the newly weds by association with children.

http://om.ly/iahT

Session Five - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-04-21T17:33:00.001+08:00

Ideas:

- Same place different distance
- Same place different poses

http://www.39eastphotography.com/

Session Four - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-04-12T10:50:00.002+08:00

Ideas for shot list:

1. Ring and flower
2. Food and drinks
3. Longshot in front of swimming pool
4. Take from second storey of chalet
5. Hand holding zoom in and middle range shot

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4006045&id=90792728582#!/photo.php?pid=4006024&id=90792728582&fbid=381460763582

Session Three - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-04-09T10:45:00.002+08:00

Have some business cards printed off before the wedding and carry them on the day
Dry clean a suit before the wedding. The aim is to look smart and professional at all times - all of which will make an impression on guests and again, hopefully generate some business.
Spend time looking at the work of good wedding photographers - a great source of inspiration. Get ideas about how to pose the couple and creative angles.

http://photography.suite101.com/article.cfm/wedding-photography-tips

Session Two - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-04-07T08:40:00.002+08:00

1. Read up Amherst Media or Bill Hurter's works at book stores
2. Keep couple informed of your movements
3. Determine the couple's preferred style (B/W, traditional etc)
4. Shot list prepared in advance
5. Arrive early to get settings right

http://digital-photography-school.com/wedding-photography-survival-tips-the-preparation

Session One - Wedding Photography Anticipation

2010-04-06T17:33:00.003+08:00

In preparation for May 2010, I am going to read up on literature pertaining to wedding photography. This can be involving topics like lighting, settings on camera, positioning people, things to anticipate, equipment, software touch-up and to seek inspiration.

Top 5 takeaways today:

1. attention to detail
2. setting expectations
3. have a ground recce
4. list of shots in mind
5. photog helps set the mood - enjoy it and the guests will

Source:
http://digital-photography-school.com/wedding-photography-21-tips-for-for-amateur-wedding-photographers

Climbing Kinabalu

2010-03-08T08:37:00.002+08:00

4 days, 2 showers, 2 plaster changes, one splitting headache and a big seafood meal later, I was sitting at the waiting hall, waiting for the gates to open, together with my mates. No one seems to show any signs that we just climbed the third highest peak in South East Asia barely 24 hours ago. That is, until the time came to board, and I can hear disgruntled moans from them as their thighs complained for having to move again.

It all started with Aaron discovering the cheap tickets last October.

"Hey guys, only 90 bucks to Kota Kinabalu!"

What started off as a friendly challenge to climb Mount Kinabalu became a cause for staircase climbing instead of taking the lift, and running around the hilly grounds of NUS for a change.

On the day of departure, with everything packed inside our backpacks, we met at Terminal 2 of Changi airport. Poncho, winter wear, quick bites, camera, checked. Liong Koon, Aaron and I had our breakfast at McDonald’s, possibly our last one in such comfort. Cheeks was to join us later.

A day checking out the quiet little town of Kota Kinabalu revealed a seaside town with low rise buildings, slow moving traffic, but not without its fair share of local delicacies. We bought head lamps to be used during our pre-dawn climb up to the summit and got ripped off, for it would have cost SGD8.90 at departmental stores, but it went to MYR30 (SGD12.50) for the same 15-LED lamp.

We had dinner, met up with Cheeks at the hostel, and went out with his senior to have supper before the long climb ahead.

The next day, our transportation arrived at 7am to pick us up to Kinabalu National Park, where we would start the ascent from the park towards the halfway rest house. We booked a package that would include a guide, certificates of completion, insurance, lodging at the Laban Rata, food for the two days one night and transport to and from the park. It cost less for Malaysians and more for foreigners.

Our last piece of equipment was purchased – the tongkat, or walking stick – at the last pit stop, and we were ready to go!

Andrew, our experienced guide, would take us past 7 checkpoints to the halfway rest house. The climb took us at least 5 hours. Starting at 10.30am, we reached the place not without a great amount of huffing and puffing. At close to 4pm we arrived at the rest house level, a house among the clouds. There was a sepak takraw net at the level ground which greeted us as we climbed the last few steps.

Exhausted from carrying our backpacks past 7 checkpoints, we waited at the restaurant for 5pm when dinner was served. One thing about the package was that you won’t want to miss the meal timings because when the restaurant closes, you’re on your own granola bars and diminishing water. The highlight of the trip was perhaps the comforting cup of Sabah tea after the climb. It was uniquely flavoured, somewhat like the Korean tea which has a wheaty flavour to it. Sabah tea quenches thirst and made the feeling of giddiness from altitude seem more bearable.

We took our time snapping pictures of the sunset from the café, playing Monopoly Deal (courtesy of Liong Koon), and underestimated the time needed to reach our lodge. By the time we reached, the sun had set, we needed our headlamps to find our way, and there was no more hot water for shower.

Learning a painful lesson that the hot water shuts off at 7.30pm, we proceeded to sleep. Aaron and I shared a room with a couple from Bristol. It was rather amusing to hear people shout while I was brushing my teeth “eh, no more water!”. They were probably stark naked and stuck inside the shower with the temperature fast dropping below 10 degress Celsius. Not to gloat in others’ misfortunes, I decided against bathing while we were up in Laban Rata, lest I get caught in a similar predicament.

Sleeping at 8.15pm, we knew we had a long climb ahead for the last 2 km to the summit.

At 1.30am, the couple’s alarm rang, and I remember waking up with a throbbing headache. Throughout disrupted sleep, I could hear footsteps outside, I could feel my feet getting stiff from the cold, and I sensed a slight pressure towards the top of my skull. When I sat up in bed, it took a while to figure out it’s probably altitude sickness that made my head throb, and the lack of water made it hard to swallow even my own saliva.

After a hearty breakfast, followed by the customary cup of Sabah tea, the final journey began.

Though we were one of the last teams to leave the restaurant, we caught up with enough people to see much more trails of white lights coming from the tops of other climbers’ heads later on. Fortunately, we did not have to carry the same load as we had up the first half, as the rest of the items could be left in the lodge.

However, I had with me my house keys all the same, to remind myself that I had to reach the summit and go home to tell my folks about it.

In the pitch darkness, all we really needed was the head lamp so we won’t fall into a hidden pothole or off the track, thick clothes because the temperature difference from the base to the half way point was remarkable, and water because there was no checkpoints with dispensers of spring water unlike the first half of the climb. Above all, a certain amount of courage, or recklessness as some may have it, was required for one to step into the path lit up only by the next three steps ahead. On top of the above, I had with me my trusty Canon EOS, to capture our triumphant moment, a pair of shades so that I would look cool in the pictures, and the tongkat that has bonded metaphorically with my being over the 2 days.

Mentally acknowledging the effort of every climber I passed, it got to a point where less and less people were ahead. The distance grew sparse between the next group of climbers who started at different times.

At first it was like the night version of the climb from the previous day – man-made steps in the rocks and physical wooden stairs, between some sharp bends that threw you off course if you did not pay attention to the direction of the track. Eventually, I waited for the rest at the foot of a part where we have to pull ourselves up the steep slope. We have a rope that was fastened to the face of the cliff by means of bolts, and that rope was to hold the weight of full-grown men and women as they attempt to defy the act of gravity. The guide helped us to hold our tongkat, which had hitherto been our best friend, our second spine or knee, while we use both our hands to hoist ourselves up.

The legs also have work to do, as there was traction between the face of the cliff and the soles of our shoes. The walk up with the help of the ropes led in a zig-zag manner to the booth where our names were verified for the certificate of completion. At that point the four of us took a break before the final ascent towards the summit, which could be seen at the end of countless more rope segments. The stars were shimmering brighter than most head lamps that were still snaking their way up towards where we were. There was a grey ring much wider than the width of the moon that circled mysteriously around it, like a force field to protect the frail moon goddess.

After our guide’s customary smoke break at every check point, we start making the climb!

It was encouraging to see the progress with every wooden board that shows the height we have scaled. 6km… 7km… 7.5km… To see those distances in terms of a runner covering it around the track would be to think that the experienced pastry chef would also be able to make a big delicious bowl of XO bee hoon.

It eventually led to the bald face of the mountain Kinabalu. Vegetation was rare, as was soil and even oxygen. I never knew what altitude sickness is until I reflected on the headache upon waking up, and how it could only be minimally assuaged with some Sabah tea during breakfast.

Now, as I look behind me, I see the warm lights of the lodge and they seem very far away. And very small. Maybe the sheer height itself made me light-headed. I felt that no matter how many breaths of air I took in, it did not reach my legs which were working very hard for me. It would be “pant, pant, pant, one step. Pant, pant, pant, another step”.

The exposed surface of the cliff gave the wind no obstruction in trying to freeze the climbers in their own sweat that they worked out while taking baby steps towards the summit.

Maybe it was the wind that was taking away my breathable air. I do not remember how many times I stopped to sit on a protruding piece of igneous rock that resembled a bench on the cold hard surface of the mountain. It helped that Cheeks was with me on this, as the spirit can reassure each other to carry on.

I would have loved to carry on the mundane task of telling my leg to take the next step, while letting my eyelids droop and open them only when my head smacks into the sign that says I’ve reached the summit. But to do that would risk straying off the path marked by the rope, and I could have fallen flat on my face tripping over uneven layers of rock.

You know the tongkat and climber are inseparable when the climber goes through great pains to retrieve it. My tongkat slipped from my hand and slid a few meters down. At first I was worried if it would stop sliding at all! Fortunately for some cracks in the rocky surface, it was lying platitudinous in the crack. Though the thought of back tracking was daunting, especially when looking at the bright lights at the summit and knowing how far more there was to go, it had to be done.

After many more baby steps, and what seemed like a very long time, Cheeks exclaimed “we’ve reached!”It was 6am. We took 3 and a half hours to reach the summit from our starting point at the Laban Rata.

I perched on a rock for a long time, catching my breath. Somehow at the top, the air did not seem so hard to breathe any more. Even though the wind was strongest there, threatening to blow off any one who dared to open a sail in the windward direction, it did not affect the psyche of one who has just summited.

Just in time to see a faint orange line emerge in the distance, from where we stood.

Nature paints beautifully on a million-megapixel canvas. The gentle azure of the sky illuminated by rays of the sun and the cold dark rocky surface of the ground level sandwiched the warm streak of dawn, as if cradling a child in its infancy with great care, making sure it develops into a healthy lifeform.

All the checkpoints, all the altitude-linked dizzy spells, the chilly winds, culminated to this point in our trip. The purpose of us having come to Kota Kinabalu. When Aaron and Liong Koon arrived shortly after, we took our time in basking in the fast emerging sun’s rays, admiring not just the crimson ball of fire that would soon put an end to our battle with the cold, but also the shadow that was formed by the peak blocking the sunlight from the east. It was nature’s pyramid, that even the mighty sun could not reach.

We sat and watched the sunrise in silent admiration, more from the fatigue of the climb than anything. But more so, it was the grim thought that what we spent 2 days doing, we would have to do that and more in our descent from Mount Kinabalu…

Aaron thinks that by conquering this peak, we have gone through a rite of passage. We can call ourselves men! I beg to differ, and argue that unless we become fathers, we will always be boys and proud of it.

Perhaps one day when my child asks me, “Dad, how do I climb a mountain?”, I would answer with a hint of encouragement in my eyes and say, “Why, you do it one step at a time of course, my dear!”

I Rather You Ignore

2010-01-26T14:22:00.004+08:00

If you said you're coming and you don't. It's even worse. All it takes is a "sorry" over sms and the deed is done. All that anticipation to seeing every one at gatherings. It doesn't even feel personal. You and I have done it before. Just that at the time of execution, you probably didn't think for a moment in the shoes of the person who'd put it all together.

So much "sorries". What's worse are empty promises. "Oh I'll treat you this this that". And then it's another awkward situation if one side forgets and the other side remembers. At the point there was no expectation of anything in return. Perhaps it's better to lay down some conditions before granting favours next time. In the interest of the two parties.

I really don't know.

Some things you don't wanna hear. But they pop up in your life like weed growing out of the concrete.

I rather you not promise or offer anything. Really. I can be altruistic. Don't lift expectations. It's not like I'm dying for a treat. But for the social affair of making the effort to meet up and connect.

If it's emotional blank cheques that is becoming a norm as we grow older.

Then, please.

It's on the house.

Track Record

2010-01-18T17:48:00.003+08:00

Harvard has a prominent fundraising department that actively seeks out donors. However, due to the recession and some trouble the previous president was in for some comments, the campaign has been delayed.

Will this trend catch on in Asia? What would make you excited to want to give to a tertiary institution?

And i think to myself

2010-01-15T12:43:00.001+08:00

Am I ready for Shanghai Sept 2010?

Summary from reading done on a plane:

2009-12-27T03:13:00.001+08:00

Case statement

1. write in numbered list
2. dream merchant is the name of the game
3. less is more for statistics use
4. focus on the organization's future direction rather than its past
5. cost of the dream should only be mentioned at the end
6. people have the need for something. the organization is the answer to providing the solution
7. write in present tense
8. humanize stories before putting it into a bigger picture
9. the case statement is the crucial first step in fundraising

Midweek Grunt

2009-11-18T15:46:00.003+08:00

Dee's been to nightspots in Singapore.

Zirca, Attica, Gotham Penthouse, Butter Factory, Zouk, Soho.

Crazy Elephant, Brewerkz, Wala Wala, Timbre (save for Mount Sophia).

But the night safari was by far a great place compared to all these party places. But among the party places, Zirca's gotta be taking the cake for being spacious and generous with its interior.

Climbing the ladder

2009-10-16T10:25:00.001+08:00

be sure to find your successor the day you enter the organization, advice from the spiciest ginger.

About YOG Participants

2009-10-15T15:31:00.001+08:00

Singapore 2010 – Blazing the Trail

Singapore will be hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) from 14 to 26 August 2010. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will receive some 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with an estimated 1,200 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and more than 500,000 spectators. Young athletes - aged between 14 and 18 years - will compete in 26 sports and take part in the Culture and Education Programme.

The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games aims to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. It will create a lasting sports, culture and education legacy for Singapore and youths from around the world, as well as enhance and elevate the sporting culture locally and regionally.

Indeed?

2009-10-13T00:53:00.001+08:00

13 / 10 / 2009

This day will be favorable to confirmed and unconfirmed singles; they'll make promising encounters. You'll enjoy astral support on the psychic plane, which will speed up the healing of an existing illness of psychosomatic origin.

Employed

2009-09-30T16:00:00.003+08:00

After having been confirmed a place in the university playing a different role, i heave a sigh of relief and satisfaction. For now. Because of the nature of this job, I believe it has what it takes to bring me to the next level. To open my eyes and let me see further, to reach further and to fly higher. And yet maintain the humble human side of me. To still be able to eat food at student prices, access the library like an undergrad, to be so close to the source of high impact research and sheer knowledge. Knowing profs are an email or phone call or shuttle bus ride away, and where prata is always available.

Tonight meet up with jiemei and ivan, then going to buy shoes and tights for marathon. Flunked last night's session totally, probably coz of the 2 pieces of steak I gobbled down and not resting enough before going to run. Stitches and knees hurt. Break the barrier of pain, and also be wiser in next week's run.

Look out! Insane activities coming your way.

Yours Truly,
Dee

Kofi Annan to be Prof in NUS

2009-09-03T09:59:00.002+08:00

Though I don't know what the School of Public Policy does, it is amazing that such a prominent figure as Kofi Annan is coming to be a professor. Is he attracted by the $3m professorship grant for coming? No matter, any one who has been a Nobel prize winner gets recognition and respect, especially for his peace prize accolade that together with the UN where he has been secretary-general for 10 years they achieved. Peace. Love. Do it your way.

Target

2009-08-31T10:56:00.001+08:00

Raise profile of da skool! Start idea pool.

The Case of Women

2009-08-28T22:54:00.000+08:00

See this post is just to declare openly the sentiments of males when they face off against the fairer sex. It's understandable from our human nature that opposite sexes behave and think differently. Hence the saying 'men are from Mars and women are from Venus'. Two people coming together takes some degree of chemistry, coincidence, attraction and commitment. And yet staying together becomes tricky, Venus may expect Mars to have some telepathic connection with her and be able to read her mind. Mars on the same note expects Venus to understand that the fact that he commits to her shows he's trying to adopt that frequency. But Venus gets angry when Mars does not do anything to maintain the relationship. While it's known that men tend to stagnate and let the passion plateau because they're in a comfort zone with the girl they love and they think that's enough. However, women would always hope secretly that their men would do something for them.

If you're in a similar situation, ask yourself some questions as well, dear Venus.

1. If he's able to be telepathic and shower you with little gifts and make you really satisfied, won't it worry you that he's able to charm lots of OTHER women that way since he has the key?

2. If he were anymore sensitive, won't it worry you that he's not very man enough, like he bitches more than you, is conscious about his looks more than you, and going emotional watching movies and end up crying on your shoulder instead?

3. If he were any better, aren't you worried that other women may try to snatch him away and cause you even more worry if he doesn't come home right after work and goes on overseas business trips?

Some food for thought. I know women are never satisfied, but here's some brakes on your neverending move towards perfecting your man. Cheers!

The Jam

2009-08-25T11:49:00.001+08:00

Can't hate others for nuts, don't know how to love self enough.

Mission: Capitalize and Overcome

2009-08-18T10:31:00.002+08:00

+ Sincere
+ Positive
+ Caring
+ Proactive
+ Outgoing
+ Approachable

- Short-sighted
- Impatient
- Easily distracted
- Over-confident
- Presumptuous
- Not tactful enough

After seeing the world

2009-08-17T16:53:00.000+08:00

People do get more ambitious.

Affinity

2009-08-17T11:44:00.002+08:00

Chances are if people will hit it off well, if they have it: affinity. Is it a simple matter of charm or is it a matter of effort? I believe it can be built upon. Having the good first impression helps of course, but it is something that unfortunately needs reinforcement like the flowering of a potted plant. Constant reminders of the existence of affinity between people and people or people and organizations help to foster good ties. It becomes a formula for relationship, but the contents of the reminder lies in the art. It can be constant reminders of things that do not matter anymore to the people involved with the organization. There is therefore a need to remain relevant as well. This makes the process a two-way thing - feedback is needed from receivers whether or not the messages received are appreciated or not. That is but the planning stage to build the above-mentioned intangible state of things.

Who'd have known that good bye was forever

2009-08-15T16:24:00.001+08:00

离人

银色小船摇摇晃晃弯弯悬在绒绒的天上
你的心事三三俩俩蓝蓝
停在我幽幽心上
你说情到深处人怎能不孤独
爱到浓时就牵肠挂肚
我的行李孤孤单单散散惹惆怅
离人放逐到边界
彷佛走入第五个季节
昼夜乱了和谐
涨泛任性涨退
字典里没春天
离人挥霍着眼泪
回避还在眼前的离别
你不敢想明天
我不肯说再见
有人说
一次告别天上就会有颗星又熄灭

Misunderstood

2009-08-14T21:11:00.000+08:00

It's a tough feeling. When the very friend you trust is also the friend you must be wary of.

In life you learn lessons along the way when things go wrong in love, studies, work.

Sometimes you only know things are going wrong when it's too late. Sometimes you see them

but you can't do anything about it. Sometimes you wish you didn't say something but you did.

Sometimes you tell people things not expecting it to end up in the ears of the person you

don't want most to hear. But these are life's lessons. No one is to blame anyone. Because

the blamer ends up being at the root of it - why say or do it in the first place? Life's

lessons are expensive. For someone who prides himself in streamlining all daily operations

and ensuring that life does not take more detours than it has to, I can only say, I have

succeeded only in academic aspects mostly. I did not take longer than I had to to finish my

degree with an overseas stint to boot. I have managed to secure internships and temp work

with pretty good timing to make sure my vacations didn't go to waste, but that's just drive.

And I am glad I had it nonetheless.

Regret regret regret.

No one teaches such lessons in life. But people are watching and judging you all the time for such qualities or the lack of it. It's a tough world out there. Yet that is precisely the motivation to overcome and succeed!

Remember the Name

2009-08-13T11:23:00.001+08:00

板蓝根

Systematic Volunteer Management

2009-08-12T15:59:00.004+08:00

Individual Giving Survey 2008 Data:

- 2000-2008 has seen increase in number of former volunteers - 10.7% to 16.7%.
- from 2002 to 2006, main reason for volunteering changed from personal interest to helping less fortunate (underlying reason being increase in media exposure about charities soliciting donations? Like NKF, Ren Ci)
- Religious communities were where the volunteers mostly come from (2008), followed by education and health (2004) and social service and education (2008).
- Youths ranging from 15-24 were the most active volunteers followed by 35-44 (2004 & 2008)
- Demographics - 5-room HDB, monthly income of $4k above
- Satisfaction from ability to give back to society (2006) vs sense of well being (2004)
- Mostly volunteered because they wanted to (!) only small percentage asked by friends/relatives
- Most volunteered only occasionally
- Top complaints from volunteers/ suggested improvements: better organization, proper training and realistic expectations from the organization
- Workload and flexibility of time area of concern for former/non-volunteers
- Reasons for not volunteering: No Time (2004 & 2006)
- Challenges faced by regular volunteering: Hard to recruit and retain
- Short term solutions: Perks & rewards, on top of those mentioned by Fundraising Article (staff support, recognition...)
- Long term solutions: redesign volunteer jobs, reframe needs of clients (referring to beneficiary)
- Ad Hoc volunteering possibilities
1. Specialized - web site, legal, medical support, public relations, consultancy
2. General - clean up homes of elderly, marshals, packing, outings
- Volunteers expect:
1. feel good experience
2. empowerment
3. accountable organization
4. tangible results
5. alignment with own passions
6. part of fun event
7. customer service
- Framework for Volunteer Management System:
stage 1 (conceptualize)
stage 2 (plan)
stage 3 (implement)
stage 4 (review)
- Conceptualize:
articulate vision/mission/goals
assess needs of your volunteers (short-handed?)
design budget for them
record-keeping (manpower hrs, b'days, previous volunteering experience)
- Planning:
write job description
develop action plans for short term assignments
support facilities, risk management
writing policies & procedures
- Implementation:
plan recruitment
screen interview place
orientate & train
supervising volunteers
- Review:
recognize & retain
performance reviews & appraisals
volunteer exit
volunteer programme assessment

Nutshell: Integrate ad hoc projects into program; make the most of the volunteer lifespan; build relationships with volunteers; work with core team of volunteers/staff; have a management system in place!

Source: Extracted from Individual Giving Survey 2008 findings, NVPC

On Volunteer Recruitment

2009-08-12T11:15:00.003+08:00

Types of theories behind people who give:
- altruists (for ability to do good)
- communitarian (for benefitting society which they care about)
- devout (for religion)
- investor (possible payback to self or others in future)
- socialite (for attending charity events)
- repayer (been helped before)
- dynast (family culture of giving)

= 55% of donors stop giving within the first year, and 85% stop within 5 since they last gave. Hmm. Blood is easier to part with.

= People who gave, they preferred simple acknowledgment (written letter, with their names properly spelt out) rather than physical gifts (medals, trophies) in recognition

= Volunteers fail most often because of lack of support from staff and tools to succeed

= Add on, they look for
1. clear expression of expectations
2. tools provided
3. their presence is making a difference

= Fundraising volunteers are a unique type of volunteers, that's true. "I can give my time, but I won't ask for money on behalf of your organization." Can imagine that happening.

= Good fundraisers have 5 of the traits:
1. impeccable integrity
2. good listener (two ears vs one mouth)
3. ability to motivate
4. hard worker
5. concern for people
6. savvy about current events (deaths, crisis, know what to say at the right time) -> by me

= What volunteer fundraisers can do, concrete examples:
1. special events (bazaar, matriculation fair, competitions across campuses)
2. telephone fundraising (phonathon)
3. corporate appeals
4. grant proposals (for sponsoring students overseas to offset expenses)
5. major gift appeals (statue for supporting arts like Siemens for SSO)
6. capital and endowment campaigns
7. planned giving efforts

= volunteers are ideal for fundraising because...
1. they don't get paid
2. they have a real commitment to the cause
3. they have made a significant contribution themselves
4. they care enough to take time off their 'real' work to take part in nonprofit organization's program
5. it's not a glamourous job but they see a need for it to be done

Nutshell: article shares the psyche of donors/givers; ideal traits of volunteer fundraisers OR how to identify good ones; suggested approaches for fundraising engine

Source: Nonprofit Essentials: Recruiting and Training Fundraising Volunteers by Linda Lysakowski

The Big Idea

2009-08-11T15:49:00.002+08:00

Fundraising

then

Capital Campaign

then

Advancement

The goals of an organization. Means not much to me yet but I have a feeling it will. In time to come.

*wink

Research

2009-08-07T10:25:00.002+08:00

From factiva, facts for personal notes.

- NUS has average of 1000 applicants for bursary but only 130 actually get it (2005)
- It launched the Annual Giving drive in 2005, to reach out to alumni for donations. this is modelled after US universities
- 150,000 alumni as of 2005 (how come so little, if every year 7,000 grad. in 104 years that'd be more like 7 mil? even if some do remain overseas)
- 1.5mil is needed to support all needy students
- endowment plan and expendable plan; this 1.5mil above prob goes to endowment as a sustainable generation of bursary
- 40% of alumni in US donate, 1% for NUS -.-
- alumni involvement is around 15% in US
- NUS engaged a call centre to update particulars and to inform alumni about the annual giving program
- NTU does a similar way of calling up grads
- SMU's culture has grads pooling together money voluntarily as 'senior class gift', and WOM
- 2.5%, 4048 out of 162000 NUS alumni donated in 2008
- NTU: 4185/88200
- SMU: 560/1167
- actual amt: NUS(5mil), NTU(1.5mil), SMU(13k)
- no fond memories of place; no sense of attachment (is it because initiation/orientation itself was not comprehensive)
- no social calendar here? calendar of sporting events, formal dinners, parties
- compared with sec schools, sense of belonging stronger
- alumni felt only treated well before graduation to prime them for donation
- no inculcation of school spirit (hmm there are activities but do they prioritize or dare to take part for fear that playing and socializing will affect the all important CAP and the bell curve?)
- perception is changing, if school spirit is nurtured from early stages
- signs: NUS 2008@2005 - 36% vs 8% donate. 2.5% participation vs 0.5%

Questions:
- how come US education cost so much, 40k USD a year amounting to 160k for a grad, they still can raise so much money? 800 over mil USD by Stanford vs 5 mil SGD by NUS
- why can't just ask the top elites in the country to donate?
- have universities in SG really figured out how to inculcate the school spirit?

《不如不見》

2009-07-02T12:04:00.001+08:00

作曲:陈小霞填词:林夕
编曲:孙伟明 c.y. 陈珀
监制:Davy Chan c.y. Eason Chan

頭沾濕　無可避免　倫敦總依戀雨點
乘早機　忍耐著呵欠　完全為見你一面

#尋得到　塵封小店　回不到相戀那天
靈氣大概早被污染　誰為了生活不變

越渴望見面然後發現　中間隔著那十年
我想見的笑臉　只有懷念
不懂　怎去再聊天

像我在往日還未抽煙　不知你怎麼變遷
似等了一百年　忽爾明白
即使再見面　成熟地表演　不如不見#

Me

2009-06-18T23:59:00.000+08:00

Depression

2009-06-05T14:56:00.002+08:00

It just hit while I was playing game at the computer terminal. I should have seen it coming. But mum just sneaked up behind and gave me the entire guilt trip and all, telling me how tough it is for her at work and how she expected me to be disciplined enough to find something to do while waiting for graduation and employment.

While it saddened me that it has finally come, the nagging of concerned parents over their children's future, I have a lot of burden on me, the weight of the future balanced precariously on these two young shoulders of mine. Sure I have had overseas working experience, and have interned at a renowned MNC during my undergrad days. But the uncertainty of the future is always full of nasty surprises, with disappointments waiting at every corner. It's the part I hate most, competition for the ideal job. Competing with people you know, and competing, just the mere thought, for something. Someone ending up with nothing. Seeing people get let down, seeing someone gloat over their good fortune.

Life can be so cruel at times. I know she is trying to slap reality in as gently as she can already. I should understand. I should see it coming. After hearing my friends talk about it. But when it comes, it really does paralyze you for a while, when you think about what can happen in the near future.

I love my mum, and I don't want her to continue working at the shithole she is in. I have to do what it takes to support the family, and fulfill my duties as a functional member of the household. I must not disappoint. The road ahead can be unpaved. It can be rough. It can be dry.

But it must not be avoided.

San Francisco

2009-06-01T11:40:00.000+08:00

San Francisco Day 1
SIN  NRT  SFO
This travel blog aims to inform you of the cost and time needed to travel within San Francisco. We spent a total of 3 days, 2 nights in the coastal city in California. Prices quoted include a tax of 9.25%. The trip begins with the whole family waking up at 5.45am on Thursday to reach the airport at 6.15am. Our flight with ANA was at 8.15am. Finding the flight was a problem though, as our e-ticket reflected a different flight code from the one we saw at the airport. We did not see NH112 as printed on the ticket, but in its place was NH8. That was the first minor setback. After going from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 to find our row, we had our luggage checked in, and proceeded to the departure gate E5, which wasn’t too far a walk. The flight to Narita airport was pretty smooth, I watched movies during the 7-hour flight. We were served Kings ice-cream by the friendly air stewardesses as well. They thought we were Japanese and spoke to us in their language while we could only politely reply in English to each new face that spoke to us. I ordered the alcohol on board like I knew it all, from the Shanghai experience – first an Asahi dry, followed by a Suntory Premium. Upon arriving at Tokyo, we were initially taking our time to get to the connecting flight hall because the time on my watch said it was only 3.20pm, and our flight was 4.40pm, but after a while we realized to our horror that after adding an hour to reflect Tokyo time, we had 20 minutes to get to the next departure hall!
Running from one terminal to another was no fun, especially when ANA at Singapore did not tell us the gate number at Narita airport – she said we had to find out when we got there. And acting smart, we tried to read off the display boards at Narita’s departure board to find the flight at the same time, though once again the flight number did not tally with that of our ticket, but since it happened once we thought it was another change of flight on the spot. At the end, it was a mad dash for gate 53 in terminal 2, from 38 in terminal 1 where we landed. The underground hallway connecting the two terminals was long and wide, it resembled a sanitized sewer and gave me the creeps with the hollow echoing of our footsteps as we ran to meet the timing. It was only upon completing the final sprint that we were told that boarding time was 4.40pm, and we had 10 minutes to spare. That run was good, on hindsight, for our health, just to ensure we entered the US in the pink of health ><
Finally, we were on the longest leg of the journey yet, having been airborne from 5.15pm Japan time until 10.05am San Fran time – a grand total of almost 9 hours, on top of 7 hours from Singapore, and an hour of waiting. On board the plane we were served Haagen Dazs ice cream, and beef lasagna Japanese style. Nearing the final 3 hours of the flight, I was still awake as the time difference slowly set in – we flew from a place where it was dawn, to another place which was just experiencing day break. I could not sleep, either because the Ocean’s Eleven series was so captivating, or my body clock was getting screwed. I must mention the turbulence we experienced nearer the end of the journey. I really thought the plane was going to tear apart, as it did not just ascend and descend drastically – this time was probably the worse I have ever seen, as the plane rocked left and right as well. Having a clear view of the wing from the window was not a good idea either, as I could see it move so much it could have broken right off. This was to be the precursor to our impression of the US, where everything is bigger, even the turbulences.
With fatigue setting in, we took a cab from SFO to our hotel, and crashed all the way till 8pm San Fran time. Realizing there’s nothing left to do around our hotel, we had a chat with the friendly concierge at the Vagabond Inn, booked online before we left Singapore. To save money, we got a Queen bed single bed and squeezed onto it. The facilities included the usual bathtub, fridge, TV and kettle. But it also had an ironing board and microwave, to make a quick snack without going out. It was cold at night, around 10 deg C and almost double in the day. We planned to sign up for local tours on the second day but after a talk with Wilson, our friendly concierge, decided to go our own way.

014 – dawn in San Fran
Expenditure:
Hotel:
5/7/2009  $74.00
5/8/2009  $74.00
Vagabond Inn Executive: USD $162.80 (inc 10% taxes)
Air tickets: SGD $951 x 3
Taxi to hotel (found out later there was a half-hourly shuttle to our hotel for free): USD $11.90
Meals: provided by ANA, and dinner was instant noodles we brought
San Francisco Day 2
Vagabond Inn  Millbrae station Golden Gate Park  Golden Gate Bridge  Fishermen’s Wharf  Union Square  Millbrae station
The first morning in San Francisco. Outside temperature was cold as the sun was hidden by clouds and the winds were strong. That’s for staying just by the coast. But in exchange for the cold we got fresh air and good circulation. All 3 of us woke up at 6am though the alarm was set at 7am, probably because we slept too much the day before during daytime in the US. First time experiencing what they call jetlag. Really a bad bad lethargic feeling where an unseen evil force saps your energy away without leaving a backup battery. Breakfast was a treat, with choices of cereal, bread, muffins and bagels, lots of spread for the bread: peanut butter, jam, butter, honey and cream cheese. The highlight of breakfast must be the waffles machine, where we cook the mixture and wait 2 minutes for the motherload.
After that heavy breakfast, we were ready to take on San Fran and what it has to offer. We walked down to Millbrae station, one of four mass transit lines in operation, and took the BART down to Embarcadero, followed by a train that went above ground as well. That train took us to Ocean Beach. We did not know that after yanking at the cord to stop the train, we had to press the bar at the door to open the door manually. For that we missed the accurate entrance of Golden Gate Park. Eventually we made it there, after exiting near the left-most end of it, and got close to the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Highlights of the hike include a toilet with no door, air that is fresh and fragrant with flower scents, close up and personal shots of seagulls and squirrels.
Then we took the MUNI to the Golden Gate Bridge, a route 29. Waiting time was long, but it was worth the wait, upon reaching the suspension bridge. Upon alighting, we were greeted by the statue of the chief engineer behind the structure. Apparently, it was a great feat for the Americans because it was thought to be impossible to build at that time. We walked all the way to the first hump on the suspension bridge, mobbed throughout the long hike by cyclists and joggers who overtook us. The greatest pity is not having stayed till night time to take pictures of the illuminated bridge as seen on postcards.
Having taken enough photos and recovering from the awe of the magnificent bridge, we went on to take bus 28 to the area closest to Fisherman’s Wharf, which was a place known as Fort Mason. Be warned that there are two buses that have the same 28 plate but travel in opposite directions, just take note of the terminal station which is shown on the display board in front. The walk from Fort Mason to Fisherman’s Wharf took around20 minutes – you will walk through a park where people might be sunbathing, up a hill which allows you a distant view of the Golden Gate bridge, and down to a pier which is very near Alcatraz. That brings me to the second biggest pity of the day: not having visited the structure which held Al Capone captive.
It was however quickly forgotten as the seafood lunch by the wharf was so tasty that it made up for the loss. We ate at Ciioppino’s, an Italian restaurant that was run by the third generation of descendants of fishermen. The Dungess crabs, shrimp and calamari were very fresh and made me fall in love with their natural flavours. Dipping them in salsa and tarter sauce made them provide a tangy sensation on the tastebuds. A local recommended that we try the sourdough bread, and that was exactly what we did. It tasted like bread from Russia, a kind of sour cream bread that was appetizing to pave the way for our main course. I also embarked on the mission to try the American beers, so we tried the pale ale.
One thing to take note, check the back of the printed maps of the area provided by your hotel and see what places have coupons offering discounts at the many restaurants, as we missed a shot at free clam chowder at Ciopinno’s. We went on to take the Hop On Hop Off sightseeing trip around downtown San Fran, with Philip as the witty tour guide who yakked all the way downtown, singing Frank Sinatra at this restaurant called Morton which only played his songs. Though I read that the Tenderloin area was home to great restaurants, we did not go there due to time constraints. And more so because of the urban legend on how its name came about – that it was historically so dangerous that cops who patrolled that area were given risk allowances so high that they could afford to eat the expensive tenderloin steaks as a compensation for putting their lives at stake patrolling that area. Wonder what actually goes on there. After two rounds around town, we alighted at Union Square, and walked around the shops. GAP, H&M, Macy’s and Tiffany’s were all near the place we alighted. My impression of San Fran was further upped when I was looking at a map while waiting for the traffic light to change, and a friendly girl asked if I needed help. It was not as easy to find a toilet along the streets but there’s always a Starbucks close by.
Since we were in the States, it didn’t make sense to eat Chinese food. Or so we thought as it was only the second day after all and we were eager to see what wonders we could uncover in the lore of the American diet. The cheeseburger ended up more than enough for our little stomachs – everything IS bigger in the States. But we were really still full from the seafood attack earlier, it’s up to you to decide who attacked who. It was an enjoyable walk back from In-N-Out burger, just outside of Millbrae station, with the wind blowing gently and the air fresh in our faces.
Breakfast: hotel
Lunch: Cioppino USD 40 for free flow sourdough bread, two pale ales, a warm glass of milk, side dish of risotto, seafood platter serves 2-3
Hop On Hop Off sightseeing tour: USD 26.99/pax valid for 48 hours
Dinner: In-N-Out Burger USD 12.99 for two cheeseburger sets, includes medium fries and soft drink, one hamburger
San Francisco Day 3
After complaining while we were walking to and from Millbrae station that we were wasting a lot of time walking, I got my way. We walked down the road from our hotel and found the vehicle rental shop. After negotiating and making friends with the dealer, he let us have a Sering convertible for the day, and we were on our way!
While I planned to go to Google and eBay since we were going to drop by Palo Alto, I didn’t think we had enough time. In the end we went to Stanford University along the San Jose 101. Things to get used to when driving in the States: left hand drive, means you peek out the left side instead, to check blind spots if you still do; then again there were so much more cars than motorbikes there. Driving an auto car made it easier to concentrate on the road, and road signs. It takes time to adjust to the mph speed limit as well, as the labeling on the speedometer was different. Of course you don’t want to peer down too often.
We had lunch around the university town, in a restaurant that served Vietnamese food, but it more like fusion because the noodles were thicker and the portions were insane. The interior was very innovatively decorated, using glass bottles with their bases cut away to act as lampshades. After lunch, we took a drive around the campus and it was on flat land, with lots of trees all around, and a shopping mall inside. Having visited Stanford, we left for San Fran again. The drive back was plagued by congested traffic even on the freeway. There were moments where the car in front stopped totally, so a note to drivers, to set aside some time for travelling down this part of California.
Without much ado, after returning the car, we went back to our hotel, said our goodbyes to Wilson who happened to be on duty again, and left for Seattle on the 7.30pm flight, which draws the action-packed San Francisco chapter to a close.
Breakfast: by hotel
Car rental: Blue Oval:USD 88.33 5 hours, we could return anytime before the next day without incurring charges, after 5pm when they close just park and leave the key inside the mail box outside
Lunch: ZAO serving Vietnamese food, 261 University Avenue, Palo Alto: USD 30.59 for a beef ramen, monk’s delight, and a chicken pho, all of monstrous proportions
Transport to airport: free shuttle by hotel, usually 10 mins late. There was a domestic and international hall in the airport, and inside the domestic hall there were restaurants as well as stores selling sourdough, which seems to be an ideal souvenir from this part of the States. Renting trolleys cost USD 4 as well, and the machine dispenses a quarter upon returning, that’s why Tom Hanks could afford to buy his burger kings in The Terminal.

Taking the Next Step

2009-04-16T14:50:00.002+08:00

A convenient excuse to put less priority on studies during the final lap of undergraduate studies actually, but have been sending out close to 10 serious applications to organizations I'm interested in working with, MICA, CAAS, MFA, MINDEF. Some random ones that caught my attention were from jobsdb and those job portals which is seriously not meant to be individually applied for, IMHO. Those are meant to be mass applied in batches, hence the batch function in jobsdb. Wonder when they'll ever trawl through to my little presence in this little corner of the island?

So there're all these courses out there for you to further your skills during career fairs, but the actual recruiters happen to be MOE, the Police and other uniformed groups ie those with high occupational hazards. Not to sound pessimistic and worried, because the loan has been suspended till next year. Which means some might really take that long to get employed. With the recent announcement by UBS to lay off up to 8000 jobs, even those few hundreds opened by CAAS and MOM might not be able to meet the demand. I think the worse thing that can happen despite all these is landing yourself a dead-end job. Not very encouraging to have 4 calls just this week alone telling me to for an interview regarding a "financial consultancy" role, and most recently, one with "HR, Admin, Sales and marketing" positions available :C While half truths can get you over the initial rejection phase, what if people studied so much precisely for the purpose of not walking the path. Starting the first lie by not disclosing the nature of the job and the company name already invites the criticism, the backlash after people are excited hoping to find prospective career paths that relate to the field that they majored in.

Graduating in bad times does indeed have a dampening effect on morale. Hang in there!

Status:

Sent: 12
Responded: 0

Your Average Troubled Male

2009-04-05T21:48:00.002+08:00

Problem: You live on campus and are generally not near any ATMs. You did not draw money from the ATM before heading out for a project meeting, and are stuck with 10 bucks that you borrowed from your best friend. You spent $6 of that on lunch yesterday and did not bring out the coins from the change today, that leaves you with a $2 note inside your wallet. Where you are now does not have any ATMS, but the prata shop and Chinese food shop are open. With that amount in cash you can only order an egg prata that won't fill you.

Solution: Head over to the 7-11 instead and stock up on instant noodles, milk, chocolates etc and rack up a bill of $15. Pay by NETS. Seems that life takes a strange turn when you don't have cash on you.

Random: Saw Watchmen and Gran Torino over 2 days straight.

Jammed

2008-12-08T10:15:00.002+08:00

The Unspoken Ills of the City?

2008-11-24T17:21:00.001+08:00

Today when I was at the washroom of the Esplanade in the afternoon, I had a thought strike me like most moments of epiphany strike you when you are in the washroom first thing in the morning. Only it was not in the morning for my case, and the epiphany was not any great idea for improving mankind as most such ideas would usually not stray away from. The event that triggered such a thought in me was indeed one strange act that made me think that way. What happened was while I was in the washroom minding my own business and taking my time at the urinal, I heard the flushing of the WC in the cubicle nearest the corner of the washroom. As I was the only other person there, I could hear the sounds of only my own splashing against the urinal and the flushing sound. This went on qutie a whlie, as I was under the effects of my now-customary cup of afternoon coffee to make me concentrate in my attempt to revise for the upcoming examinations. It made me go to the loo more often.

I could not help but notice then, throughout the duration of my unnaturally long peeing run, that the flushing of the WC never seemed to stop. There was intervals between the flushing of the and the replenishing of the water tank. The water replenishing went on for a couple of seconds, and the hand would work on the lever again, letting water down the commode. That worked out to a pretty rthmic symphony of running water peformed in E minor at the washroom of the Esplanade washroom. I thought that there was a malfunctioning switch at first, but upon peering towards the bottom of the cubicle, I saw a pari of shoes inside.That turned the aura of mystery by a full notch, and I was left puzzled and tried my best to make sense of it. Why would someone stand at a cubicle and just press the flush button so frequently without any specific purpose since one flush is all it takes to clear what’s inside the commode?

After watching the stationary pair of shoes and hearing the flushing sounds forat least six times while I was at the mirror sweeping at my fringe, I decided not to hang around to see the face of the person inside the cubicle in case it was something I did not want to see. I promptly made my way out just before the person left the cubicle. As curiosity would have it, I could not help but try to steal a glimpse of the person leaving the washroom as I was on the escalator back to where I was studying – in the library.. The pilar blocked my sight as I ascended the escalator, never seeing who the person is.

The idea that the someone inside was not mentally sound could not escape from my vivid imagination of sticking distorted features like a crooked nose and unfocused eyes to the unknown face. But it could well be someone who looks handsome and has very normal habits to the outside world. I feel that there are people among our midst who appear normal to everyone else, but inside a certain private sphere they would detract from the behavioor that the society views as normal, and are capable of really weird antics. What keeps us in our place and prevents us from letting loose and going out of control whlie we’re at work, in school, and pressing buttons fervently without consciousness of what’s right and wrong?

Palm Tungsten C

2008-11-09T21:18:00.004+08:00

For sale: Palm Tungsten|C in perfect working condish no dead pixels

Chou Hen

2008-10-28T10:24:00.001+08:00

oohh wee

2008-10-25T22:04:00.001+08:00

Vested Interested

2008-10-22T12:21:00.002+08:00

This will be our fourth session of focus groups, for NM4101, and the participants are contacting me to sign up. Where previously we have had to beg and plead with our circle of friends to turn up and say something.

What's in it for the participants? Why, participation credits of course. This takes a lot of work out of our hands having to make sure friends came down. Should have 2101 and 1101 people take part as well. The power of 靠山 in this modern age and time I argue is still the same. I must internalize this, among other things which are evading me especially in terms of the objectives of NUS to turn me into a critical thinker. Like when I'm actually thinking and using some brain cells at all.

The phrase use it or lose it does jolt me into some awakening and I endeavour to be more active in thinking for all of 5 minutes of course. Can't wait for the next HK Outing, and Friday's dinner with the NOC gang at Seoul Garden, and my new phone on Thurs, and restocking on my aromatherapy incense from ebay.

All's good. I think. Until the thunder claps and the lighning strikes. Which would be soon. Transcripts, essays, presentations, are breathing hard and heavy. It's that time of the semester. That time. Bad time.

Comments on Singapore Gaga

2008-10-20T15:23:00.003+08:00

Wanted to post this comment on their website but i think it failed:

just watched this film for a Singapore Studies lecture in NUS and I think this adds a much needed entry to the cultural heritage of Singapore for a collage of snapshots of Singapore in the 90s. Especially beautiful were the harmonica and guitar playing in harmony. Great video that emphasizes instead on the audio. However, certain cut scenes did not seem to match the mise-en-scene, like the harmonica on the MRT - clearly they didn't have the music played to them, a case of misplaced non-diegetic sound. And some enjambment in the mode when in Serangoon we hear the dialect news, an unlikely pairing of the Indian people's scene and the Chinese people's scene in Singapore. However the video inconsistency can be forgiven for the effort in the capturing of the soundscape of Singapore, so good work!

Thought it was another feature film that I can afford to miss since I haven't known much about it. But after watching it or rather listening to it another feeling came over me. It is the classic case of not appreciating what you have in front of you but instead you yearn for the world outside. The fact that it's a documentary gave it a bit more truth and awareness, with bits where you can hear the interviewer asking questions softly. It felt raw and a scene that you and I could have passed by without noticing anything special about it. Except it is.

http://tanpinpin.com/sgg/sggaga_trailer.mov

Why like that

2008-10-20T01:02:00.003+08:00

I am confounded, flabbergasted, exasperated, frustrated, dumbfounded, about this fact about women. Why is it that we miss a 15 minute conversation with the other half thinking we can rest earlier because it has truly been a long day and we're just tired and stressed out. We hope to claim a private time to clam up and not say and word and hit the bed. And then the next thing you know, bam! you're hit with a 2-hour dreadful confrontation about missing the 15 minute conversation the previous night.

Doesn't sound equitable for a case of borrowed time, with the interest rate at 8 times the borrowed rate.

No, you don't get the point. It's not about the time, it's the period of silence and emotional blackmail they put you through during that 2-hour trial before the execution. With no consideration for the fact that you're physically unwell in a rare bout of flu and other combinations of afflictions. Despite having tried all sorts and means of pacifying them, with 'dog and pony' antics thrown into the mix, it did not work out any peace.

One more time.... Just one more time...

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

2008-09-14T01:02:00.005+08:00

To all friends and family who have loved ones by your side, hope you enjoy this.

This week: interview at Radiopulze studio at CIT near Central Library about the NOC experience, to publicize for the program and to share about my year there. Thanks Aaron!

The Return

2008-09-08T23:21:00.003+08:00

It's almost been a month since we've landed from Hong Kong back here. Good old Singapore with the new Crowne Plaza Hotel at the airport that wasn't there the last time I remember. And a working Terminal 3.

No major changes otherwise, supper gang, the band and most friends have remained largely the same. Getting used to life back in NUS was a hard hitting reality. Well not really, it slowly sinks in that it's quite a lot more theoretical compared to life in Fudan university, where there's little reading that's compulsory, we listen to the one-way lectures but in NUS we're expected to contribute proactively. That brings me to the 6 module semester syndrome. It's gradually pushing me towards an invisible wall of compacted readings, assignments, project discussions and pressure to participate.

Core modules:
NM3220 - Research for communication management. The selling point is no exam, the project is to design a campaign for the client Counselling Centre to find out the most effective media channel to reach out to youths in NUS so that they will attend the events organized by them.

NM4101 - Advanced Communications and New Media Research. My lecturer asked me why I was so quiet today since there's 30% of the grade allocated to class participation and we're expected to ask questions after classmates finish presenting, which was on the topic of surveys today. Well, if I knew what was going on I'd gladly do so!

NM4204 - Ethics in Communications and New Media. A highly abstract module that has a lot of tough readings that touch on philosophy and is not for the weak hearted. Taught seminar style and is an evening class.

NM4213 - Knowledge Economies. Finally we've left the dry bits on the techno-capitalist transition and what made the information society from the industrial era. But otherwise it's kinda strange for the presenting group to finish and the lecturer rehashes the week's topic based on the same readings. But like he said, an effective way to learn is through repetition, that I cannot refute especially now that I seem to have been afflicted with a case of chronic absent-mindedness.

MNO1001 - Management of Organizations. Have been saving this as a breadth to take, but it's no thanks to the rejection of our request to take an internship module from CNM that caused me to have to take another module in the graduation requirements. This is the main cause of the pain resulting in a 6-module semester. But lectures are general and light hearted. We watch Winnie the Pooh, The Office and other interesting clips. Feels more like a psychology module though with rather extensive focus on human behaviour and participation in personality tests as part of the class exercises.

SSA2218 - Singapore Film: Performance and Identity. Love this module as I've been waiting since Sem 1 in Year 1 to take it. All the films I've always been digging, strangely, as part of my fascination with Singapore films, maybe because I consider myself largely an outsider and am in actual fact consuming the films as if I were a foreigner. Because that's where I learn dialects and know about the mindset of the indigenous Singaporean middle class. Helps that after watching two black and white films (Hang Jebat and Bujang Lapok) with Malay dialogue, we watched a film about a pimp in Singapore during the 70s today, and it's all in colour.

On top of that, facilitating primary school kids when they go on learning journeys at local places of attraction is the avenue for pocket money as well as for financing my ticket back to Shanghai this December. It has proven not enough with serious issues with efficiency and reliability: after signing up on the website for the trails, I was not informed about the status on whether or not I got it. And sometimes we are informed at the last minute if there're jobs or briefings at the place of attraction. Hence, the plunge into the unknown as I explore the prospects of private tuition.

I know my patience is meant for me to do such things. I just need to get the hang of it. All this while working on the band with our newly recruited bassist Alex. That makes Malkee, Rickado, Dee and Lex a complete band. Lots of work needs to be done in order to prepare us for the gigs but at least we're a step closer.

Finally, it's good to be back as I embrace my reality that I am a final year undergrad in the National You-never-study of Singapore.

10 out of 11 isn't too bad!

2008-02-09T23:54:00.000+08:00

Attendance for today's cycling trip around the park connectors in the east side:
11

Ho Wai, Tsz Ming, Shing Kit, Kate, Fie Fie, Me, Adam, Wai Wang, Benny, Irene, Carol

Time on wheels:
almost 7 hours

Expenditure on bike rental:
$16 each, two hours for the price of one

Places covered:
East Coast Park, Airport area, Changi Village and back via Tampines, Bedok Reservoir

Now, thighs are aching, but it's all worth the workout. The highlight of the day must have been Benny's introduction of Tekong to our friends on exchange here, Irene and Carol. Visuals coming right up (right Kate?)

Cheers to life!

The original night cycling / supper gang minus Andy.

The line-up - Irene, Fie Fie, Benny, Kate, SK, Carol

Wai Wang and his skills being put to the test - two bikes, one man. Salute.

It Feels Like Home

2008-02-08T01:35:00.000+08:00

The weather, the people, the buildings still look familiar. Can't believe that I'm home for the New Year. Memories come and go, memories that have been asking for release. And yes, it's time to release them from the recesses of the memory.

Forget me not, yet forget what has been done wrong.

Missing Home A Little

2008-01-26T11:27:00.000+08:00

Watching the combination of snow and rain fall down on the pedestrians below my office in the busier parts of town, I can't help but think of the difference between this and what it's like in Singapore.

How different indeed!

Never have I wished that I wore more clothings rather than less, how not remembering to wash and dry either of two pieces of thermal underwear will lead me to experience a prolonged period of involuntary shivering just to keep from freezing over.

Slight regrets for not going with the gang to Xi'an last week, but I'm sure there'll be opportunities in the near future.

When u love someone

2008-01-05T12:46:00.000+08:00

u really do.

原来我是慢性毒药。

什么都要比人家慢一拍。不，应该说至少是一拍。在生活里那个方面都一样。
这也许就是我与生俱来的性格，很难改的。它给人的感觉，就是散漫，不够热忱。不过，热身过后，我可以比哪一个都积极，而且可以长时间面对着它也不会觉得厌倦。

不是每个人都能看到这一面。

因为相处的时间太短了。

时间，过得好快。这毒药，会有机会在你注射进你身上，慢慢散发吗？

Self-tuning guitar

2007-12-04T10:51:00.000+08:00

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/225587.asp

Ooh baby.

朋友嘅生意

2007-11-29T18:48:00.000+08:00

難做啊. 難做.

*暈倒

最好朋友介紹其他客人最理想, 免得什麽事情搞得雙方都尷尬. 要不就是朋友找我, 我找同事給我做. 這樣還好.

難做........ 難過......

The Difficulties in Life

2007-11-26T15:38:00.000+08:00

It's often said that we should choose our friends wisely, for many reasons. One of them is that the type of friends you have is a reflection of who you are. Contrary to this common belief, I have chosen to befriend all because of the nature of the Libran who rarely, if ever, bears a grudge against anyone. Another reason, which I feel strongly for at this moment, is because the friend must be someone who can compliment your own temperaments and make up for your own shortcomings, and in a way, balance your life by covering what flaws you have. For example, when you have a habit to shoot your mouth off without much thinking, you'd want someone who has a quieter nature who won't hesitate to stop you from making a fool of yourself during social / networking events.

Based on the simple economic concept of scarcity, in terms of time/money, should there really be some people whom we should not even bother to contact if the personalities clash? As in, he/she will not be able to stop you from blabbering your mouth off?

Some people are just not worth it.

Good Read: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119518271549595364.html

Send in the negotiator

2007-11-20T10:05:00.000+08:00

Help... Stitches After Watching This

2007-11-16T14:25:00.000+08:00

Courtesy of KZ.

灰

2007-10-29T10:05:00.000+08:00

It is not possible to achieve a CAP of [4.00] from your current CAP of [x]. The average grade point you need to achieve is [6.33], which is higher than A+/A grade.

But then again, i never came to NOC hoping to push my CAP up that much. It was more to stabilize it for the final push in the last year. So there!

Jia yoU!

Gladness

2007-09-14T00:48:00.000+08:00

If there's such a word, it's gotta be gladness. I hope that Frostbled will continue to be close as we are a year from now. Attend baybeats together, play some gigs now and then, entertain and be entertained.

Calling out to my bros. Keep it going!

Ouch

2007-08-30T10:40:00.000+08:00

Interesting lyrics, bound to make you laugh.

Vacant Blog

2007-08-22T13:07:00.000+08:00

Text reside here but blogger is elsewhere.

This time of the year, for the past 2 years, I'd be begging for tutorial slots, hooking up with friends to do modules with me. Specifically, Aaron Susu for most of the time, simply because we believe we're brothers if there ever was a last life.

And I can't believe it! Here I am, comfortably perched on this chair in the office, overlooking the city of Shanghai, touted as a city more high-tech than Singapore. It almost feels like I've graduated and am working already, save for the peanuts as renumeration. But that's beside the point, bodies in NUS supporting students going overseas are giving more than enough to supplement what's needed to live here.

For this, I do not need to graduate later, I did not spend my undergrad years in one location (take that, Kate and Caryn ;p), I get to intern with a company overseas and learn what it's like being in another culture so I can compare when I'm back in SG, or HK for that matter. I get to know what it's like to study in another university other than our dear NUS. What more can you ask for, seriously? NOC, it's the program to join. Here are the 14 talented people (correct as of Jul 18 07) who have gone through 2 rounds of intensive interviews, been crazy enough to handle company interviews (some through trunk calls with the employer overseas and some through meet-ups in the Singaporean offices) all during the exam period, and are willing to leave all that they have in Singapore behind to come to a foreign place and see just how far they can take it. The theme at the end of the day, is technopreneurship, and we mustn't lose sight of this now.

To just leave here with the knowledge of the mechanics of working in a company would be to throw a spanner into the gears of a machine you just built after months of non-stop effort. Yet, all this post serves to do is to show gratitude, that such a program exists in NUS, and I found out about it. This is the closest to personal space I can ever ask for, some time away on my own to grow. And yes I miss my friends and family. It's sinking in. I won't see most of them for a year. But they're still very close to heart everytime we connect on MSN.

A short moment to think of those who've gone, may you find peace wherever you are.

It Sucks

2007-08-15T11:16:00.000+08:00

To have a girl cry for you.

It sucks to cry for a girl.

Why can't we edit the group policy in the control panel of human emotions and check the option that disables crying, for any reason?

The day I am no longer able to shed a tear for you, I cease to harbour any feelings of affection towards you.

I'm sorry I made you cry.

Oh! The Irony of it All!

2007-08-13T14:51:00.000+08:00

I googled a way to bypass the great firewall of China. It yielded many results. Only to get blocked when I tried loading those pages.

Argh.

Truth Be Told

2007-08-10T12:52:00.000+08:00

It is fun to be in a foreign place, with all the room in the world to make mistakes without much to lose; to venture and explore in awe of everything that is not familiar; experiencing and immersing self in a setting that is conflicting with your own system of values and beliefs; where self-doubt, something which you thought has long been locked up and the key thrown away, comes to haunt you when you make a decision based on nothing but sheer guts and instinct; having lost the support of those close to you and having to build new ties and bridges.

It all stretches you to grow in terms of tolerance, like it or not.

Yet, at the end of the day, don't you yearn for someone who will whisper your Chinese name in the darkness, her soft breath teasing your left ear, as your head touches the silky pillow and that's the last thing you hear before heading into oblivion?

Face Value

2007-08-07T17:55:00.000+08:00

Sad that people tend to take things at face value. I changed a faulty keyboard today with yet another faulty today. The old one had a space bar that was coming loose, and the "new" one is so stiff that you wish you had mastered the art of tapping on guitar fretboards just to use it properly. Just because the replacement was inside a new keyboard box.

When will we ever learn to stop taking things at face value?

The Ground Rules

2007-08-07T00:00:00.000+08:00

Never fall for someone maternal
Never fall for someone chlidish
Never fall for someone materialistic
Never fall for someone cruel
... Never fall for anyone?

諗到哩度, 應該可以去食屎o架喇 ><

Masochism

2007-08-06T17:08:00.000+08:00

Intentionally subjecting self to conditions that would normally be seen as substandard and detrimental to one's state of well-being.

Includes sending oneself off to a less developed and comfortable place to another of lower standard of living.

Without Burger King near the school canteen like how the new Deck is going to have.

Fortunately, I do have a fourth year with NUS.

Since I can't respond to comments thanks to the firewall here, Fie fie: yes Laurent is the CEO of the company, and he's French! Don't see him often though~

Happy

2007-08-02T13:39:00.000+08:00

爷爷嫲嫲，我可以請你地飮茶喇！

Change of plans, HK in December, October holidays still open.

狐假虎威

2007-07-31T12:04:00.000+08:00

Good. I like! Let's play this strategy for a year.

I'm going to make sales calls to companies in China like the good old days of Teledirect! Least they won't offer me a cigarette over the phone =p

Have a safe trip back to SG Neng Giin 老大.

Getting it

2007-07-31T11:55:00.000+08:00

Don't you sometimes wish that you can get it all the time, that there would be more of those *ding* Eureka kinda feeling? I wish that I can "get it" more often. That's the difference between the brilliant ones and the dull ones. I bet the brilliant ones hear bells all the time.

十一假期

2007-07-26T15:47:00.000+08:00

一定会回香港！那十二月的假期，该去哪里呢？

Touchdown

2007-07-20T22:30:00.000+08:00

Only the second official day I woke up in the bed with 2 other people sharing it, but it seems like weeks since I last set foot on Shanghai ground. Days become exceedingly long when fighting administrative and housekeeping problems. And then there is the proverbial "great firewall" of China to behold in all its glory, blocking access to certain websites. Like blogger. Until now.

Useless fact of the day: Shanghai is divided by the 黄埔 river, and the western end is more developed and land there is more valuable, although the eastern part is nearer the Pacific Ocean and is supposedly more conducive for trade and development.

We mean business

2007-07-09T00:05:00.000+08:00

Don't we now?

請你聽歌!

2007-07-07T18:24:00.001+08:00

係唔係好懷匶呢?

冇嘢嘅

2007-07-05T15:13:00.000+08:00

人地俾嘢你做,係因為人地相信你會做好佢,先至俾得你o架. 係好事,絶對係好事!

六月三十日 - Clubbing at Zouk = Died from 2nd hand smoke but good music
七月四日 - Clubbing at St James Powerhouse = Fresh air but music was so-so

But I prefer clean air to everything else!

Anyway, it's good to be alive. And I still think that bathing / eating are a shameful waste of time!

Useless fact of the day: Pandas spend more than 40% of their time a day eating. What shameful time-wasters!

倒数 - 十三日

*Uneasy Cough

2007-07-04T17:41:00.001+08:00

Uh, guys, if you stare at other guys' willies while peeing, shame on you!