angzzz

grandfather

2012-01-19T23:32:00.002+08:00

this morning, i heard popo shouting at grandfather in their room as usual, walked into their room and realised it's because my grandfather's belt was spoilt and the black material on it was flaking.. and it was all over the floor lol. so gong gong was making a ruckus about how the belt is not his (even though popo keeps saying it is), and that he needs a new belt.

so grandma told me to get him a belt haha. and so after school i happily went to get him one from his favourite brand - goldlion. black leather with silver buckle. went home, gave him the belt, and he was so happy i cant even describe it. he tried it on, looked at it for at least half an hour and kept going on about how this belt is nicer than my uncle's, that i have good taste, and that it's very very very nice hahaha!

so it's moments like this that i hope i will remember.. so heartwarming :') to know that one small action of yours can really make a loved one's day..

---

this semester is going to be too slack for my own good. my 3 day week could potentially turn into a 2 day week.. and i just generally feel no motivation to study at all, since my class of honours is more or less fixed. except that i realise how difficult it will be for me to apply for grad school :( but time will tell, and as always i think things will turn out fine.

hopefully summer will be great, with the possibility of internship, japan and oxford/yale..

2012-01-15T00:40:00.001+08:00

Back from London since Monday, it was really fun travelling with B and we really enjoyed all the eating, shopping and sightseeing! Oxford was pretty nice too, though it got a little boring after two days haha.

Now it's back to school, and a summer to look forward to!

new year 2012

2012-01-01T03:55:00.003+08:00

It's already new year in Singapore, but about 8pm here in London! travelled for so long and finally reached London in one piece :)
we went to visit Tower bridge, London bridge, the closed Leadenhall market, Tower of London and shopping at Harrod's winter sale wahaha!

Great countdown to the new year in London yayyy

It's been a new year with new experiences, and I'm ending off year 2011 feeling very blessed, especially thankful for my family. I really enjoyed Switzerland and Paris, will miss it very much..

europe trip 2011

2011-12-30T06:50:00.002+08:00

about halfway through my 18day europe trip! here's a record of the places ive been to, one day i should list down all the countries/cities/states ive been in just so i get reminded of how lucky i am!

Switzerland: Zurich, Lucerne, Lausanne, Interlaken, Bern
France: Dijon, Paris

last day in paris tomorrow before heading to London!

MOF internship

2011-12-23T00:19:00.003+08:00

a chapter comes to an end at MOF, and another one begins soon in Switzerland, Paris and London! :)
i must say this is probably the best internship I can ever go through.. us interns celebrated a birthday and had gift exchange and my semi-farewell lunch today. it's been great meeting this new fun bunch of friends. and the job has really been so enriching and eye-opening. glad i survived and did this! i will miss you, Treasury, and especially our pantry gathering sessions and lunch.

2011-12-15T22:47:00.000+08:00

got this off prof's facebook post,

"You find real peace of mind, by accepting your life as you have it now, even in the midst of great tragedy. What a wonderful thing that is. How do you find this peace? Let go of all the past and guilt, by forgiving, don’t worry about the future, and learn to appreciate the moment. Do your duty and put fun into whatever you have to do. Peace of mind is as free as the air: Drink it, enjoy it, and take it with you. It’s always there, if only you look in the right place."

Mt faber here we come!

2011-12-10T00:29:00.002+08:00

MOF's dinner&dance tonight, after which a very kind bf came to pick me up and send me home haha. anywayyy the d&d was really quite fun and as usual, this internship is allowing me to learn more about myself/ reinforce what i already know..

"it does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop" -Confucius

will be off to Switzerland, Paris and London for a long 19day trip from xmas eve!

i love my job

2011-12-01T23:57:00.003+08:00

this might be the first and last time im saying this, though i really hope it isnt: i love my job!!! i love the culture and what i'm doing now. i think it's really eye-opening, so meaningful and impactful and exciting. i've always wanted to do something in which i can contribute/impact society, and i really see it in what i'm doing now. plus, my project is probably the MOST EXCITING PROJECT you can EVERRRRR work on during an internship!!!!!!!!

:D

2011-11-21T23:58:00.003+08:00

it's the reading + exams week now, reading week was spent sleeping and shopping and slacking. i never knew reading week could be like holiday week! and the most ironic thing is that i'll be busier after exams than during/before exams :(

starting internship at MOF 2 days after finals, a significant improvement from last sem where i started 2 hours after finals. b says that my life is sad haha.

For a shield, from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm, I turn to you
For the strength to be strong, for the will to carry on
For everything you do, for everything that's true
I turn to you

When I lose the will to win
I just reach for you and I can reach the sky again
I can do anything 'cause your love is so amazing
'Cause your love inspires me
And when I need a friend you're always on my side
Giving me faith taking me through the night

2011-11-10T23:30:00.002+08:00

end of sem 1, AY201112. end of year 3 sem 1. it's been a different sem because the friends i always hung out with are on exchange. but it's been a pretty awesome sem.

sometimes you don't know why things happen for a reason, but when you look back, you see how the dots join..

had the most awesome butter crab EVERRRRRR with b today, and we ended up with butter hair(s) and a butter-ed ben sherman shirt :)

pp5215, ec4396

2011-11-04T23:46:00.004+08:00

I think on hindsight, taking the masters module at LKY school is one of the best choices i made this sem. knowing more about Singapore's history and the challenges we faced really puts things into perspective and makes me appreciate the country I live in today even more than before. learning from a wise and probably the kindest professor i will ever meet in my life, plus such diverse opinions from all my working adult classmates was really eye-opening. and it really motivates me and reminds me of what i want to do, which i am proud of and extremely thankful for. :)

today's also the last class for economic analysis of law II, and i'm glad to have met this bunch of friends in our 7 people smallest ever tutorial in probably the whole history of NUS econs haha.

2011-10-20T23:06:00.003+08:00

I must say that the talk with two renowned and knowledgeable public sector economists yesterday and today really kept my flame burning strong for public service.

And just last year, the dialogue inspired me very much, and so did one of my favourite local economists. this year, he inspired me again! what an idol economist :) it's times like these that remind me of what i did, what i want to do, and how glad i am to be able to learn about economics.

+today i'll remember is the first time i shook hands with a minister and asked him a question about minimum wage

Cheers!

2011-10-17T23:28:00.003+08:00

I think there are always some photos that will never fail to bring a smile to someone's face. Here are the ones that make me smile:

2011-10-15T00:14:00.003+08:00

i haven't blogged here in quite awhile.. so what's been interesting in the past few weeks?

lunch treat by a professor - don't think i'll ever have this again, dr lee has got to be one of the nicest people i'll meet in my life. been pretty lazy and at the same time swamped with work. had a presentation that lasted for ONE AND A HALF HOURS today are you kidding meeeeeeee :( i don't think i'll ever, ever, EVER have such a long presentation in NUS ever again. how is it even possible?! sighhh

anyway the one person who has been ever so important is the guy who will always carry my stuff for me, who thinks that my carbonara tastes great, who brings me to nice places to eat (while trying to stop me from eating too much), who thinks my ugliest photos are the prettiest, and who is always there for me no matter what mood i'm in and what i'm wearing. :)

we are having the ride(s) of our lives haha!

2011-09-22T21:21:00.000+08:00

words to round off this bad day:

trying but persevering :/

2011-09-21T23:25:00.002+08:00

Gong gong has been hospitalized again, yesterday he still looked pretty rosy and energetic in the ward. oh and he's in the same ward as the one he'd been in in March, except that it's two beds away.. so yesterday we accompanied him to A&E and subsequently he got warded. checked his blood, it was okay, checked his excretory system &stuff and today they said it's okay as well. he went for a brain scan this afternoon, results should be out tomorrow and if all is well he'll be coming home soon.

I'm not sure what to make of it if the doctors find that all is well/not well.. if all is well, but he is still feeling uncomfortable then? but at the same time i hope he'll be fine too.

So nowadays i keep harbouring the idea of going back to london in december, and i think of how life would have been completely different had i gone to sweden.. but at the same time, i know i would feel terrible knowing that my grandpa is in the hospital while i was out playing in the snow. we live by our choices.

Saw this quote somewhere before, "We are not defined by our gifts or abilities, but by the choices we make" - very often, happiness is a choice.

:]

MAF 2011

2011-09-11T00:08:00.002+08:00

过去的就让它辗转过去
不要一味回顾
收拾起我们破碎的心情
不再停下脚步
让我们试着开拓新旅程
把华初灿烂的光芒
照亮路上无数次的黑暗

never will we ever forget all the times we had in Hwa Chong :')

met up with people, saw much less people from our batch than i did the past few years, feel like we're really getting old, and still miss the good ol' times. went for supper, and sam came over to my place to say goodbye to my mum and maipo haha it was kinda cute. will miss my best male friend very much!!!!!

2011-09-02T00:28:00.002+08:00

meeting up with 2 friends today over dinner and starbucks green tea latte was just nice. even though the driving and heading to/from the really ulu and freaky carpark is quite frightening.

today just sort of reminded me of how pure, simple friendships like these are precious and hard to come by. it's been awhile since i'm reminded of it.. i feel that there are so many many friends i want to meet and talk to but the sheer number to meet and effort/time i will have to spend is such an inertia.

already i feel that i'm packed for next week.. i just want to settle down in my studies and hang out with people i enjoy hanging out with, especially after stepping down, but i realise that's almost impossible to do and even that alone is so time consuming and exhausting!!!!!

okay dinner tomorrow and kayaking on sat

2011-08-29T02:06:00.000+08:00

白云奉献给蓝天　星光奉献给黑夜
我拿什么奉献给你　我的爱人
长路奉献给远方　玫瑰奉献给爱情
我拿什么奉献给你　我的爱人
白云奉献给草场　江河奉献给海洋
我拿什么奉献给你　我的朋友
我拿什么奉献给你
我不停地问　不停地找　不停地想
白鸽奉献给蓝天　星光奉献给长夜
我拿什么奉献给你　我的小孩
雨季奉献给大地　岁月奉献给季节
我拿什么奉献给你　我的爹娘

2011-08-25T23:33:00.005+08:00

lesson learnt:
- never do things you don't want to do, you might end up with a ton of regret

AGM is over, time for me to focus on more important things..
a nice end to the year: The Economaniac, of which i contributed mainly to the WithiNUS section

click on NUS Economic Society's Economaniac 2010/2011!!!

there's also a nice photo of myself taken by my boyfriend :p

NEFMQ 2011

2011-08-07T00:01:00.005+08:00

it's been one year. i still remember quite clearly how it was like organising nefmq 2010, but it's been one year. nefmq 2011 officially comes to a close today. it feels really weird, things happened so quickly and ended so fast it feels simply surreal. so this year, i wasn't the stage manager anymore. this year, i went up on stage to give a speech to all the profs/judges/friends/jc/poly students and their teachers, one of whom is an ex econs lecturer from hc haha. this year, i sat in between two profs at the front row instead of at the backstage controlling lighting/music etc.

big giant kudos to the organising committee, and all the awesome people who helped out in one way or another. all these will be nothing but great memories. the last official event, i'm glad it's nefmq, and it's almost time!!!

and for memory's sake,

NUS Economics Society President Opening Address
National Economics and Finance Management Quiz 2011

A very good afternoon to Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, Vice-dean of the NUS Office of student affairs, Associate Professor Wong Wei Kang, Advisor to the NUS Economics Society, Dr Lee Soo Ann, Chairman of the NUS Economics Alumni, Mrs Tan Say Tin, Curriculum Planning Officer at the Economics Unit, Humanities Branch of the Ministry of Education, Mr Salim, a chartered financial consultant and immediate past president from the association of financial advisers (Singapore), ladies and gentlemen. A very warm welcome to the National Economics and Finance Management Quiz 2011! I am indeed honoured to be standing here today to address you.

As an Economics student myself, I often ask, what is it that I am studying and for what purpose I am studying it. Economics is a social science, and its definition is, “The branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth”. But to me, Economics is not just a branch of knowledge; it is also a lens with which I can use to view the world and more specifically, to understand real world issues and to be able to make an impact.

In fact, when one looks around carefully, Economics is everywhere! It can be applied to everyday decision making processes, and can be particularly useful. Take for example the rule of marginality. I’m sure you have been told in class that optimization occurs at the point where marginal benefit is equal to marginal cost. Have you ever wondered whether that applies in the real world? Subconsciously, I think you have. Whenever you make a decision, you subconsciously or consciously weigh the marginal benefits and costs to the decision and then decide on what to do. For example, when you attend a buffet, the first bite into a piece of abalone will probably taste heavenly. The marginal benefit it brings to you is obviously high, whereas the cost of having to chew and swallow it is low. But as you eat more and more of it, such as when consuming the 20th piece, the benefit from consuming the abalone becomes extremely low, and the cost to you of potentially vomitting is really high! Hence to obtain the maximum utility, you should consume up to the point where your marginal benefit is equal to your marginal cost.

But aside from allowing you to make decisions about how much abalone to consume at a buffet, Economics also allows you to better understand real world issues and equips you with the tools that you will need to be a researcher, policymaker, or analyst. Economics has many insights about inflation for example, which is a pertinent issue that everyone faces. Singapore's inflation rate last month - driven by higher housing, transport and food costs - hit 5.2 per cent compared to a year ago - the highest level in five months since it peaked at 5.5 per cent in January. The pinch of higher prices may or may not be uniform across all income groups, but the question remains – how can one manage their finances given the rise in prices across the board?

It is precisely with the purpose of improving Singaporeans’ financial literacy that MoneySENSE, the national financial education programme, was set up in October 2003. It is also with this aim of improving the financial literacy of students, as well as to enhance the understanding of real world issues using Economics, that the NUS Economics Society organised NEFMQ; and we are extremely glad to have MoneySENSE as our main sponsor for this annual event.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors: MoneySENSE, chapter 2, botak jones, gardenia, frolick, the public utilities board, as well as the NUS Office of Student Affairs, the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, and the NUS Economics Department for all their help and support rendered throughout the organization of today’s event. The organising committee for NEFMQ 2011, led by Abhinav and Hoiting, have also put in much effort and hard work into the smooth running of the quiz.

Last but not least, I will conclude by sharing that the reason why I enjoy Economics is because I believe that I can make a difference with it, so that I can be able to (quote The Economist), “ work to build society's safety net so that those hit by life's inevitable unfairness aren't left destitute and hopeless because of it." (end quote) And with that, I hope you have an enjoyable afternoon, and continue to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and study of Economics.

Thank you.

2011-08-03T23:22:00.002+08:00

About today: woke up really early in the morning to go to school, prepared for the presentation to the freshies for the department talk, and had a really short one in the end due to time constraint. attended the briefing after that, talked to professor again for cca-related stuff, went back to the room to draft my speech for saturday, had a meeting, then looked for prof again.

it has really been a long journey, it has been trying; though i do admit that sometimes it's really worth the pain. some professors have been like angels to me - they have inspired me and encouraged me to search for what i enjoy doing. of one positive and inspiring conversation i probably will not forget, was with a prof last friday. i literally just sat in his office to talk to him for 1.5 hours! at first he told me he had 1.5 hours to spare cos immediately after he had to chair a seminar, but i thought i won't take up too much of his time (i'd expected at most half an hour lol!), afterall, it's just an interview with like 5 questions..

but he ended up sharing alot more, not just about academics, but alot about his personal experiences, his beliefs and what he enjoys doing. i don't think i'll forget what he said. he made me so glad i decided to do this and happy that i'll be writing all of this down and publishing it (though sad to say i cant record everything down). he talked about how students always feel that grades are important, but it really is not. what's important is to work on what interests you and what you enjoy - in that way, you will discover your true self and what you do will impact you positively and help you somewhere along life. he also shared that one of his best choices in life was to become an economics professor, then he corrected himself and said that his best choice in life is to find his wife. :]

moments like these make it worth the sacrifice..

2011-07-28T23:48:00.003+08:00

It feels abit weird but at the same time kind of nice to be home. nice because it's all so familiar, it's so safe, now i'm no longer worried about walking anywhere in singapore in the middle of the night (although my bf might disagree :p)
but weird because i'll start comparing things to what they're like in london, i'll miss london, and get abit sad cos it's just so near but also so far away.

as time goes on and as i grow older, i also see that i have to grapple with what life and death truly means. today my granduncle got warded into the ICU, it's my first time there, and i hope it's also my last. i hope he'll get well very soon. it's sad to see some of your elderly relatives grow old and some pass away, but this is a part of life and a part of what i need to cope with.

we had the meeting with the alumni, exco and potential exco today. looking back it's been one year, i'm reminded of what i was doing this time last year, what motivated me to run for elections, and i see where i've come..

goodbye, London

2011-07-25T06:06:00.004+08:00

the past 3 weeks have been a mix of sadness, sian-ness, joy, peace, love and a greater sense of confidence, independence and appreciation of things around me. and with that, i say goodbye to you London, thanks for the beautiful memories.

and thanks to my family for giving me the chance to be here.

goodbye:
russell square, holborn, strand campus, king's college london, tottenham road court, oxford street, bond street, marble arch, knightsbridge, harrod's, selfridges, dorothy perkins, zara, sales, hyde park, covent garden, leicester square, buckingham palace, portobello road, borough market, big ben, westminster abbey, london eye, st stephen's church, houses of parliament, king's cross, trafalgar square, piccadilly circus and all the great places i've been to, you'll be missed :) :(

2011-07-24T04:20:00.002+08:00

London has been nice, i'll miss this place so much :( can't believe how time flies, it's been 3 weeks but just felt like yesterday when i arrived at Heathrow and entered the apartment.

I've explored London, walked around so much, been to Oxford street like 20 times in 3 weeks, have 9 pairs of shoes to bring home, and have a beautiful home to go home to.

Goodbye London, time for me to leave in 2 days, i'll see you soon <3

2011-07-20T04:59:00.003+08:00

Today, i travelled to:

Westminster first, where i saw the Big Ben, London eye, Westminster Abbey and St Stephen's church :) then walked over to Trafalgar square and the National gallery + National portrait gallery. then, i continued walking to Covent garden (had some macaroons from La duree omg love them!!! and shopped around at the markets and shops) and then to Leicester square + Chinatown!

after Leicester square i decided to walk to Tottenham court road (tried looking for sam's apartment but failed haha i think his description of his place is just too lousy), then to Oxford circus and finally Bond street (been there for like 10 times seriously). walked like crazy, felt the crazy weather, felt really carefree and happy just to be by myself, exploring the streets of London..

Gong gong said he wanted to come pick me at the airport :') he sent me off went i left, on his wheelchair.. the power of love and the amazing-ness of my grandpa :)

2011-07-11T02:53:00.002+08:00

I've travelled to Knightsbridge, Oxford circus, Regent street, Bond street, Marble Arch.. shopped at Harrod's, Selfridges and pretty much everywhere else from Zara to Topshop! walked around Trafalgar square, the campus is just beside the Somerset house, cooked awesome meatballs and mushroom spaghetti..

Bought lots of stuff, skyped my family and b, and still miss them very much :)

And I keep going to Harrod's.. gonna go there for a fourth time soon i think haha this is bad :(

2011-07-06T01:21:00.002+08:00

London's weather has been really nice, but everything else is pretty expensive, and on a whole, london is quite overrated.
Miss my family and boyfriend :(

Hopefully i'll make the best out of this! there's an essay due this fri, presentation next wed, and 2 more essays on the following 2 fridays. hai...

2011-06-27T00:11:00.003+08:00

this is really ironic but i think i'll be busier now that my internship has ended, and suddenly i feel that there's too many things on my plate!!!!!!!!!!! i want to spend time with some friends before i leave so ends up i'll be meeting like more than 20 people next week which means that i dont have much time with my family and bf too :( but they are the ones i will miss the most haha

and i gotta pack the luggage and prepare, and try to complete economists withinus and maybe the research work!!

AHH why do i always get myself into this :/ ok back to nus tmr zzz

2011-06-25T00:11:00.004+08:00

I've survived the internship, looking back i guess it always looks better than it was while going through it. about 1 week more to london, i'm totally unpacked and unprepared, a little scared but excited as well!

we're celebrating mum, wenyan and b's birthday tmr, i love what i bought for all of them :)

and gosh there's so much stuff to do.. settle london trip, settle the publication, settle the research work!
am getting a taste of research work as an undergraduate research assistant with an econs prof now, it's really quite exciting to know how your work may potentially have an impact and i must say, it's so interesting!! at least much more than scientific research, to me :p

2011-06-15T23:32:00.002+08:00

there is no pain in this world greater than the pain of losing a loved one.

death came as a shock, and it hurts to see the closest people around you who you've never seen cry cry, and even sob.
what will happen to the great grandmother, what will happen to ji maipo's husband, will her youngest grandson who is only 7 remember her, will they be ok? my ji maipo is a great woman, a kind, happy, good person. we will all miss her.

i start to recall the last time i saw her, i remember it was the day i drove to her place to give her some books that my cousin wants to pass to her grandsons. i remember she was always a jovial and nice lady. the shock and hurt of having someone leave just like that is something i will never want to experience again in my life.

love the people around you.

人有悲欢离合
月有阴晴圆缺
此事古难全
但愿人长久
千里共婵娟

2011-06-13T22:45:00.001+08:00

the world has been generally disappointing

but you and my family and some friends make it better.

2011-06-02T23:47:00.002+08:00

Ah, so many things to pen down..

the internship; letting me find out more about myself, even though it's kinda a reinforcement of what i already know. talking to people with good advice about future options, talking to people i love

realising how i've grown, hating (sometimes) but accepting (most of the time) who i am, grateful to the people who love me despite me not loving myself sometimes, and seeing angels all around

may there be more professor Xs in this world :)

2011-05-31T23:30:00.001+08:00

Amazed

Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you

2011-05-28T00:12:00.001+08:00

Live like you were dying

I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
And he said: Some day, I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dying

Beautiful song :)

2011-05-23T23:28:00.002+08:00

Almost everything is set, flight's booked, accommodation almost confirmed, tuition fees paid, and i can't wait for summer in London!! (though ironically summer in London is like, winter in Singapore. lol) :)
I'm really thankful to the Dean's office for the award and to my parents, family, bf and bff for being great and awesome like they always are. much thanksss to my crazy best friend who's letting me and my friends stay over at her apartment!

The entire Saturday was burnt at the Fass open house, and i guess in the end it's worth it. talking to these incoming freshmen and people who want to find out more about what lies ahead of them in NUS Econs and FASS, in a way, let me sort out my thoughts and allowed me to share what i genuinely felt. it's nice to know that people want to hear about your experience, and i've had many parents and incoming freshmen ask about my personal experience and my goals. and it is through sharing with them that i hope i've helped them the way i received help from seniors in the past; it is also through sharing with them that i realise what an amazing adventure i've had here for the past 2 years.

For one, i prob would never have thought that i'd be going to King's one day and even get an award to go there, which is truly great and shows the opportunities that are being offered. it's only a matter of whether or not you put in the effort for it and whether or not you dare to try. was talking to my colleague who's coming to Nus soon and he asked if i had regrets, and my reply was like this: I did not regret many unique experiences i've had in uni, though i did wish i'd done better academically in some semesters.

But my bet is on the fact that when i finally graduate, i'd be really proud of what i've accomplished, the path i have walked, and what i've left behind.

I'm starting on Economists WithiNUS. and for that alone, i feel a great sense of accomplishment :)

2011-05-19T22:41:00.002+08:00

Just paid for my tuition fees for london, and it's 28 working days away!
Work has been pretty alright nowadays, because of the 2 colleagues i have in office and we always end up (sort of but not really) slacking together haha. tomorrow's lunch is gonna be spent in Nus.. again. preps for Fass day on saturday!
B has finally finished his exams, it's time for our EGG YOLK CRAB! WAHAHAHAHAHA!

And I know an angel was sent just for me
And I know I'm meant to be where I am
And I'm gonna be
Standing right beside her tonight

Chris Medina's song really touches the heart..

2011-05-16T20:34:00.003+08:00

I was lamenting in my office today (after completing a 34 page report in 1 week though it's supposed to be a 10 page report due in 3 weeks) how tedious a journey this is/ has been.
There is just so much happening/ so much that has happened and so many things are out of my control; some things happen and as the leader i just have to take the responsibility for it. that's the thing about leaders, you just have to be completely accountable whether or not it was your fault, in the past i just thought that this was plain unfair but now, i really know what it means and i take it as a part of me, a part of my responsibility.

I'm everything I am because you loved me

2011-05-12T23:46:00.000+08:00

This has been crazy, i guess it is kind of crazy to be stuffing everything into this holiday, and i guess i shouldn't be complaining. Things are quite exciting sometimes i suppose.. though excitement is often accompanied by stress haha!
Internship starts at about 8am everyday and i pull through till about 6pm before going off to meetings, then coming home to continue working on either Ens stuff or my report. On some days, and i suspect in many days to come during my internship, i'd be going down to Nus during my lunchbreak to settle Ens stuff as well, like tomorrow. This sat is also gonna be spent in school for the Nefmq talk, but alright after that i am 'forced' to head down to Kbox and mahjong at my place with 7 of them.

Hk is confirmed i can't wait, and London is about to open a brand new chapter - both of which i'm really thankful for! just that i'd prob have to write my speech for 6/8 in London and come back rushed. then again.. i shouldn't be complaining as well.

I wanted to write about the beautiful things that have happened in the past 2 years but that's gonna be on hiatus for awhile :p

Not for a lighter burden but for broader shoulders

2011-05-05T23:59:00.002+08:00

exams have come to an end, the funniest thing is that at the end of the exam many people (esp graduating seniors who were having their final paper in life, ever) were rejoicing and going whoo end of exams! summer holidays! and all i could muster was, yay! start of my internship 2hrs later!

and it was pretty good, i kind of like what i'm doing so far, but then again it's only been one day so we'll see. i realised i just completed my year 2 in nus. someday soon i'm gonna write here the things i've done so far, and honestly, looking back i have no regrets and am indeed very honoured to have come where i am. i would never have thought that i'd achieve what i did today more than 2 years back, and i'm truly thankful.

giving.

2011-04-30T21:03:00.000+08:00

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann (1872-1945)

2011-04-27T23:09:00.003+08:00

The GE fever is coming to me, i can't help but divert some attention to it while studying, which has made my studying extremely unproductive. oh well!
Summer is gonna be packed and eggciting! internship's starting 2hrs after i finish my finals, so i'll prob grab lunch and head to work haha kinda looking forward to what i'll see but it also means there's no time for a break. i got the award from Dean's office to go to King's for summer WHOO :D and i'll prob be flying off one day after my internship ends heee
newfound goal, publish the tentatively titled Economists withiNUS. hopefully i'll get to do it, and hope it will be a significant contribution to econs majors in NUS.

SUMMA TIME

2011-04-16T23:00:00.003+08:00

Tell me about this. Of bureaucracy, of getting credit by not putting in any effort when things go well and of blaming others when things crop up. Of pushing blame and of shaking responsibility. Not that i didn't already know but then it sucks to have that point made known again.

Of all the effort i've put in, the hours spent, the sweat dripped and tears fallen, of standing my ground and pushing through with what i believed was the best for my society. All my efforts led to naught. One thing to add to the list of why i have failed as a president. :(

On a brighter note to cheer myself up, summer is going to be great, with my internship and London (hopefully) calling!

2011-04-14T00:12:00.002+08:00

I just emailed a Swedish lady who I'll probably never meet in my life, "I wish you happiness, love, ..." because of a simple sweet gesture.
All's so uncertain, i've gotten a reply from the hk uni, but everything else is unfixed and all i can do is wait!
Exams are around the corner, time to buck up, motivate myself and to strive towards what i aimed for; to achieve my newfound goals.

The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Flight to Arras, 1942, translated from French by Lewis Galantière

2011-04-08T00:33:00.002+08:00

Happy birthday 74, it's been 5 years since i've known you all, wow i never actually realised how long it's been. thank you for forming the bulk of my beautiful memories in hwachong. :) may pure, simple friendships last!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
- Douglas Adams

2011-04-06T00:15:00.003+08:00

the past week and this has been filled with so much stuff to do, but i guess im handling okay
had the most memorable april fool's last friday, it was epic and im very thankful for the fun and awesome bunch of friends i have

choices, exchange and all, checking them out now and everything makes me feel the inner hunger to want to look at the world outside of singapore, to go overseas, though i know i'll eventually come home
unlimited wants&ambitions curb them no?

‎"The proper response is to work to build society's safety net so that those hit by life's inevitable unfairness aren't left destitute and hopeless because of it." The Economist

2011-03-28T23:39:00.002+08:00

Having been to the hospital everyday for the past 2weeks+, i'm really glad to not have to go there anymore. albeit a slight sense of attachment towards that place. i've also earned a huge amount of respect for nurses, they are truly respectable and kind people. may grandfather stay healthy and happy at home..

I can't wait for all this to be overrrr :/ so sad that our Japan trip is gonna be cancelled, but go Japan, recover soon :]

2011-03-13T23:05:00.004+08:00

Gong gong has been feeling better nowadays, he looks much better and his hands aren't so pale anymore. I remember since young i'd always comment on how his palm is really red, the past 2 weeks, i saw that he was deteriorating as the colour from his hands faded. now it looks much better and i'm really thankful for everything.

He still says really funny things though, it makes me wanna laugh while feeling abit sad at the same time. it's really cute, some things he say.. yesterday he shouted in the ward and kept scolding the malay uncle across the ward cos the nurses tied his hands up to stop him from pulling out all the tubes and he said he wanted to call the mata, ask reporters to come down, and scolded the guy cos he didn't help him call the police. hahaha! i'm glad though that he asked about liangbin, and shouted my name a few times today, he hasn't called my name so loudly for a long time.

Times like these, i'm really thankful for my family, and it makes me appreciate my family even more. i love my grandfather and i hope he'll still be here to watch me get married and become a great grandfather.

Band, hope everything will be alright on your side. <3

2011-03-09T22:18:00.003+08:00

Today, gong gong thought i was my cousin. his mind is also not v clear now, cant seem to rmbr stuff and keeps asking to go to the washroom even though he has the thing put in his bladder and diapers. very worrying to let him stay overnight in the hospital without us, every few minutes he'll touch all the things stuck on his hand or try pulling them out. last night the uncle who was in the same ward said that he kept calling for my grandma and today my grandma said that while sleeping he was mumbling and talking to me or smthg..

i just hope he feels well, is healthy and happy. all the things i wish for.

2011-03-08T23:26:00.005+08:00

Grandfather got admitted into the hospital today. we all went to visit him. i've been so busy after i got home at night that i couldn't feel anything while typing out all my assignments, but i know it's just somewhere within me.
It really is very sad to watch someone you love and someone who has been there for you all your life slowly feel more and more unwell.. it hurts very much and i feel so helpless but there's nothing much i can do, times like these, i really wish..

It gets me teary very easily, once i think about him i'll start to force myself to hold back my tears. sometimes, like now, i just let the tears flow. i always remember how since young i'd be very afraid and teary when i think of my grandparents ever leaving me, and that has never changed no matter how much i changed.

The doctor told us to be prepared for anything anytime. i don't know. but i recall how this conversation made us all smile:
the doctor was asking my grandfather questions to see if he is still clear about things, stuff like his name, who the people around him are (yes he remembered me), his address (he only remembers our road name), what time is it, and who the prime minster of singapore is. my grandfather said "wu zuo dong" and the doctor was like are you sureee? so he said he cant really remember anymore. after that he said "WO!" with all the might he has, and we all laughed.

On the train to the hospital i saw an old couple with their two grandchildren, and how it reminded me of myself when i was young, how they took care of me, and how it brings back happy teary memories. a beautiful photo :)

2011-03-06T21:21:00.003+08:00

I've been pretty busy the past week, and there's just so much stuff going on next week, assignments, essays, meetings, being the ambassador for open house lol. at some point i almost went crazy with the amount of things to do. i hope i stay sane and persevere!!!

Got into lse and cuhk summer schools, but realised later that the lse one clashes with an impt event on the calendar for ens. well it's ok one day i'll have my chance (:

My grandfather is deteriorating everyday, and i never realised how painful it is to see the one you love slowly age away. it hurts very much and i hope i can make things better, i really do.. the only consolation is that through this i see my grandmother's never ending and selfless love for him.

"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow."
-Dorothy Thompson

2011-02-27T00:25:00.003+08:00

Tiring day! drove grandma to the eye clinic this morn, waited for a long time, then headed to town to meet samu sam and ahlong (the loan shark). sam is so atas. i suggested having seafood for lunch meaning tzechar and dear sam happily brought us to ion Nautilus project to have tiny slices of seafood. we were not satisfied and went over to Mandarin gallery wild honey for high tea. awesome toast and drinks!
met 74 after and went for a storytelling session at Esplanade lol. thanks for the unglam pics and song i appreciate all ur effort :)

...oh no midterms

If i fall
Just a sign

2011-02-25T23:10:00.002+08:00

i forgot to mention that last saturday was beautiful. we had dinner at Jewel box @ Mt faber and went over to vivo for coffee at pacific coffee company .. to try to sit on the swings haha. then decided to head over somewhere! so on the way to east coast i think we decided to drive to marina barrage instead. it was so breezy and pretty with the sky lit by kites with led lights. if only every saturday's so awesome!

but then there's midterms. hehe. gonna head for seafood with sam&gang tmr then dinner with 74. no time to study!!!

plus the student achievements award ceremony today took away all my time..

GOGOGO

2011-02-23T22:10:00.003+08:00

this is how my 21st is spent (mostly):

going to school to meet the exco and people from the venue to discuss plans for the upcoming dinner, run errands around the school, look for the professor.

this is the life as the President. your 21st birthday is still spent doing stuff like that lol.

other than that, thank you for the 'surprise' and the dark walk along the drain haha! thanks band for the bak kut teh and tiffy for the mailed present lovelove and thank you guys for everything :]

2011-02-22T18:05:00.001+08:00

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony

2011-02-15T00:30:00.002+08:00

for my 1001th post, i'd like to say, thank you for walking with me and for always being there for me through the sun and rain. thank you for your love :)

happy valentine's day and happy birthday tiffany!
may the world be filled with deeper and more selfless love :]

2011-02-13T15:57:00.004+08:00

I achieved what i set out to do last sem, made it into the D list :)

Had my early birthday celebration ytd, with the family at Mandarin orchard hotel triple three buffet. enjoyed myself very much, and made the same birthday wish i make every year, that is for all my loved ones to be happy and healthy. for without them, i am nothing. thank you i am very blessed and touched and happy, with a deep sense of appreciation i will never forget. all the gifts and angbaos can never amount to the love i have received this year. i'm turning 21! and aptly, this is my 1000th post on supermanzzz :)

Where your love has always been enough for me

CNY 2011

2011-02-03T23:07:00.002+08:00

This is why i really love Chinese new year. love my family, love my cousins, love my nieces and nephews. they are the reason why i love and am who i am.

Monday pwease don't come!!!!!!!

2011-02-02T01:52:00.004+08:00

Had reunion dinner at sam's place tonight with puku el and lilong. we are now part of the family!

Looking forward to chinese new year in a few days' time, the reason why i do is because it really is a time where i get together with people i care about most and where i see relatives i may not have seen the entire just this once this year.

Finished writing the article for publications, i really like it :) but sigh, i have to admit that many a times i fail and as much as i hate it i must also admit that it really is a learning and growing process.

2011-01-26T22:18:00.004+08:00

So here i am, it's been a long day, got home at 9pm+ and much has happened. Had the presentation for delegates from turkey to nus in the evening, was underprepared.. got a shock when i entered the room to see my name, title and society printed on a piece of paper on the conference room table, omg it was.. haha

Leaders have such great responsibility. the name/title always sounds good, like hey i'm the President, but behind all that lies so much hard work, effort both physical and mental, and for me - courage, breaking free from who i am to be a representative. it's not always easy, there are times i stumble and all.. times i do a cost benefit analysis haha. i guess i never really realised what it means to be a true leader, because that involves so much responsibility it is quite overwhelming. whatever others do, whatever mistakes others make, you have to answer for it. whenever something goes wrong, you must be accountable. you are the representative, and honestly you have to handle all big occasions, for the one sole reason that you are The leader and you have no choice but to always be the representative who speaks up. i liken it to being an adult, when you have a kid, no matter what mistakes the kid makes, others will blame it on the parents.. hahaha

In the end it all boils down to the motivation, passion, belief, strength. something i hope to have in my future career. i was also thinking about the kind of life i want to lead in future, of course things may change along the way, but a thought: i think people often underestimate the joy a simple life can bring. ever heard of the fisherman story?

A man was sitting by the harbour, relaxed, fishing. A fisherman just came back from the sea with quite a few fishes in his net, when the man asked him, "hey what are you doing with those fish?" The fisherman replied, "oh i'm selling them at the market so i can earn some money" and the man replied, "then what are you gonna do with those money?". The fisherman smirked and remarked, "well, i can get a bigger boat with the money and then fish for more fish! then i can sell them for even more money". The man, puzzled, probed, "and what do you do with the money again..?" the fisherman, thinking that it's such a silly question, said matter-of-factly, "with more money, i'll get a ship, bigger nets, hire some men to help me fish and earn more money." The man continued to ask what the money was for and irritated, the fisherman scowled, "when i have all that money i'll be happy and can sit down by the harbour all relaxed and fish!"
So the man said slowly but surely, "that's what i'm doing now, and it's what you can do now."

I just wrote that story myself it's like another version of something similar i've heard before. so ultimately, i hope i remember what i want, stay true to it, and i hope i walk in the direction that will point me to the kind of happiness i want and define for myself.

I also realised i've changed quite alot from the past secondary/jc school days.. but then again, most of me still remains haha but i have lost some parts of it, while gaining some. definitely a more open mind and greater appreciation of my family, which is really great.

For now, i'm pretty happy with the life i'm leading :) and i can't wait for cny!!!!!!!!!! happy birthday daddy

(anyone has any ideas to help me publish an article titled "The Dating and Financial Markets - any Links?" haha i'm serious, it shall get published..) with inspiration from the module Money and Banking :>

2011-01-18T19:03:00.004+08:00

So happy!! and relieved at the same time lol. the meeting with the two profs today was so.. heart attack-ish. they dropped 'protocol bombs' on us, that's what i'd call it. it's really amazing how our world works and how people can be so different in every way!

Finally submitted the cbm form too, hope it works out!! thank goodness the prof was quite nice about it.

I just got back from a 9.05km biking session at a maximum speed of 30.2km/h, my fastest speed on a bike so far! :) continuing to bike later with b when he comes over at night heh

Best news of the day!!! my sunflowers are growing healthily WHOOOOOOOOOO so happy to watch my tiny little plants grow i'm going to water them with water from my own cup and talk to them. feel my love and grow into a nice big sunflower pretty please ^.^ this is how my garden's gonna look like in about 8 weeks hahaha

2011-01-17T21:47:00.002+08:00

it's only mon and i'm really tired, physically and mentally. i should learn from my mistakes. may tomorrow be a good day!

2011-01-16T22:42:00.002+08:00

Mon morn: Exco meeting
Tue aftnn: Meeting with profs and exco, aftnn: Meeting with prof
Wed evening: EDB networking, night: ESS networking
Thu aftnn: AIA meeting, night: Alumni meeting
Fri: YAY!!! end of week two

If i calculate the number of hours each week spent on ENS, i think i can classify it as a level 10,000 module haha! maybe it's time to drop a module :p

2011-01-14T00:19:00.004+08:00

End of week 1, semester 2, AY 2011/11!!!
This sem, i'm taking 6 modules (again.. i know) but it's different because the modules are of higher levels, and it's 24 MCs instead of 22 MCs haha! plus, one of them might turn out to be a USP advanced ride-on CBM :O ahh.. hope all turns out well. And i hope i'll do as well as i did last sem, and maybe at the end of my 4 years in uni be very proud of myself.

Next week, i've about 4 meetings + events to attend.. luckily tutorials haven't started. but when tutorials start and the work come piling in, i think i'll start slapping myself for taking that extra module lol.

I've been accepted to be a Fellow too!!!!!! by an organisation that's based in London :] yayyyy it's awesome, hopefully i'll get to do some research on development soon, it's something exciting and really meaningful.

Here we go once again

2011-01-10T23:52:00.002+08:00

"Growth makes people happy" sounds trivial, but has deep implications and is everywhere! really agree with what prof said today :)
it's the start of the new sem, new goals with a positive attitude.

2011-01-04T10:40:00.004+08:00

Back from Hokkaido, Japan, and now i think i should have been born a Japenese or i should migrate to Japan to become a ninja (lol). what i really liked about hokkaido or japan in general was the courtesy and friendliness of the people, the general culture, the hygiene, the food and their pace of life. i'm thinking i will be a happier person if i were to stay in hokkaido. peaceful life, i'll just drink miso soup everyday, take a walk on the snow, drive slowly by the countryside, visit a mountain or two, and get to a ski resort during the holidays to go skiiing. awesome life :)

so i've been drinking miso soup every day, every meal for the past week i was in hokkaido, and now i'm hooked! hahaha. also tried skiiing for the first time and it's really fun, though i have a giant battle bruise on my leg now. i miss the place, and if only holidays never ended..

back to the street, back to reality, back to work..

but if we never had the courage to say goodbye, we would never have experienced beauty

2010-12-27T21:40:00.002+08:00

Off i go to Hokkaido, hope your Christmas was merry, and here's wishing everyone a Happy new year in advance! may your days be gleeful and bright in 2011 :)

and i think i'll be very sad when i come back from Hokkaido hah school's starting soon!

spring cleaning

2010-12-24T00:09:00.002+08:00

played squash with zen and jem today, met the rh people, had a match with this guy who was pretty good and we took 1 set each!
met b after for yummy lunch at ikea, got some stuff for my room spring cleaning, and headed home for BAI JIA LE.
omgggg crazy we spent like forever packing the room my room is crazy messy i have no idea how i can have so many things. in the end i threw away so much stuff i wanted to throw away everything i see, even money. i have 9 bags of garbage now hahahaa it's crazieee!

2010-12-21T23:57:00.003+08:00

looking back on the trip, i think the best thing that happened to me in hc was meeting this bunch of friends in 07s74.
hols are almost coming to an end, so many people to meet up with, so many things to do!
and i'm so glad that i managed to accomplish what i set out to do this sem :)))

back to the street

2010-12-20T00:01:00.003+08:00

just got back from the road trip, had loads of fun, laughed alot, ate alot, walked around alot..
i think i laughed more in these 4 days than in the entire year

but now, slapped back into reality.

I'm going home
To a place where I belong
Where your love has always been enough for me
I'm running from
No I think you got me all wrong
i don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
So I'm going home

2010-12-16T00:08:00.002+08:00

noooo 2weeks more to start of the term!
we're off on our 74 road trip to malacca&desaru tomorrow, it'll be fun with these crazy exclassmates.
been sick the entire last week and kinda this week :s
got my winterwear for hokkaido

and i dont have much to say for now. +i ought to really appreciate!

:)love

2010-12-02T23:50:00.006+08:00

past few days have been spent mostly relaxing, met up with the band, pacman, had good food like marche and din tai fung, shopped abit, got my running tights (!!!)
went to school for meeting, met up with betty for the last time - my American friend who's here at nus for exchange this semester and who's going back next week, i'll probably never see her ever again till the next time i get to America, and we both agree that that will happen when we both have babies. so we'll visit each other when we have babies haha! well i'm glad for the friendship forged, the lunches in nus and our epic run-to-esplanade-in-the-pouring-rain adventure today. take care friendddd :)

the holiday already feels like it'll be too short for my own good, already there's the flurry to complete module preallocation, application for internships, MEETINGS, responsibilities, obligations to fulfill.. chalet, road trip, hokkaido,
not to mention the quiet but personally important solitude and family time

it's all just gonna fly past and zoom i'll be back at nus again, living my fourth semester, second and last semester as president, the most stressful semester i'll probably have thus far.. plus, this time next year, i'll probably be in Sweden or touring the rest of Europe :) part of me can't wait, part of me can't bear to leave

i feel like i really am gonna get myself a road bike, maybe next year - i always enjoyed cycling since i was young, pretty much under the influence of my brother and this time i really want to own something i love and enjoy feeling the breeze in my face as my muscles work out

got my eyes set on the scott contessa speedster 25 triple 2011 :) it's not available in singapore now, though the speedster 25 2010 is.. good bike, not that pricey, though it'll still burn a hole in my pocket :]

2010-11-30T00:53:00.003+08:00

exams are finally over! went with zen and jeremy to town today to catch Megamind after micro paper, the movie was awesome and hilarious :) and it actually has quite some truth in it.. chilled out later for a long while at starbucks, talked abt loads of things from sep to academics, economics and life lol.
met up with sam and lilong after who made me travel to chinatown just to get drunk with xo fish beehoon haha! we went back to town laterrr and shopped around heh love you two fatties i havent laughed that much in a day in a long whileeee

now that exams are over, there's a wider range of things to be busy with, including meeting up with people and other commitments.. stuff to do include applying for internship, deciding on whether or not to go to Sweden, keeping fit (im so determined to exercise like crazy now!!), module and studies planning, research on ism maybe??? and like what zen said, read inspiring books hahaha

looking back on the sem, it's a much more smooth sailing one compared to the last, well at least academically (except for the worst module ive ever taken in uni yet..). i hope i will be able to accomplish what i set out to at the beginning of the sem, come what may 21st dec!

Megamind: You may be a villain, but you are not a SOOPER VILLAIN!
Titan: What's the difference?
Megamind: PRE... SEN... TA... TION! :D

2010-11-20T21:21:00.003+08:00

ytd i was looking forward to having our pan pacific hotel buffet today to celebrate the start of finals haha. but then at 6am today, got awoken by a worried grandma, who said that my bro got into an accident and was in the hospital. i swear that feeling at that very moment is something i will never want to experience ever again in my life. bro went night cycling and somehow got into an accident.. he's not sure how it happened because he was unconscious and only woke up when he got onto the ambulance. his helmet cracked too :s
thank you to whoever out there who was looking out for him.. thank goodness he's safe, with mainly external injuries only. to all my friends and family, please always take good care of yourself because when anything happens, the people who love you suffer the most.

i think i haven't learnt how to cope with death (not my own, but i don't quite know how to express it), and deep down i hope i will never have to because i don't want to face it.. well someday i will have to but still.

all the effort put in for the semester will show up soon, it all boils down to how well i do in finals. i doubt i'll be able to achieve what i set out to this sem, so good luck to me i'll need it :) all zee best friends, and welcome home band! :]

2010-11-15T23:23:00.001+08:00

how does one cope with death?

2010-11-10T22:41:00.001+08:00

"We are not defined by our gifts or abilities, but by the choices we make"

it's been one year and i still remember how we were like one year ago. one year on, it's amazing that we've changed so much, seen so much more but are still very much the same. sam has ord-ed, lilong has travelled taiwan and came back, and i have experienced more than i ever asked for in this year. welcome home boy!

2010-11-08T22:31:00.002+08:00

And so it's week 13, last week of school, had some last lectures for some modules today. it was a packed day, giving out our first Ens welfare packs, and then going to the library sometimes, or looking for profs..
I also attended the talk titled "Saving the world" by Prof Mahbubani, who is an awesome speaker. i think the word awesome is an understatement for his achievements. he was the President of UN security council, and was named top 100 intellectuals in the world. his talk was really engaging and i think it's the best talk i've listened to in university.

Spent deepavali and the past two days slacking, going swimming with b at grandaunt's house, eating very nice teppanyaki and tze char and slacking my ass off.. :p
time for me to start working hard, i really need some motivation!

And i can't believe year2 sem1 is coming to an end, time is like a bullet train, it never felt so fast.. and to think that i've survived one sem of presidency.. ahh i cant believe it, it's so fast! zoooommmmm

Welcome home dear li long and thanks for calling me at 1am when you touched down and i was sleeping.. nevertheless i'm glad you called me first wahahha!

2010-10-31T18:35:00.003+08:00

i realised that driving a manual car means that 90% of the time, i'm driving with only one hand on the steering wheel.
i feel more and more lost during tutorials... :s
you need to start mugging!!! 8)

if perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same

2010-10-28T23:48:00.004+08:00

there is one word about me being a leader, that i think i've done in the past and am doing now. that word is sacrifice.
i just hope that at the end of it all, the sacrifice will be worth it.

it's my belief that i should be there for people, to show that i care and am involved. sacrifice explains why i can be sick and sniffing, yet bother to wake up early to go to school on a one hour bus ride that left me feeling like i was going to faint and vomit, just to pass someone something. sacrifice explains why i dragged my sick body all over nus trying to attend all the meetings that i can, when i have different meetings at 1pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 6.15pm in nus and 7.30pm at city hall. sacrifice explains why i was the only one to stay back till 10pm when i still gotta be in school early the next day.

there are times i experience bouts of self doubt; i know that it's a learning process and i'm still growing in this experience. but sometimes i can't help but simply question. i really hope i'm good enough! no matter what, i tell myself that at least i'm trying and maybe, doing my best. what's important is this: believing in what you're doing, and i hope that at the end of the journey, it will all be worth it. and that i will not lose sight of what matters.

i need to buy my grandpa his socks. :)

one in a million once in a lifetime

ANDAND i really miss you shanti tiffany and lilong so glad you guys are finally coming back soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-10-27T22:25:00.001+08:00

When you smile
The whole world stops and stares for awhile

2010-10-23T23:08:00.002+08:00

we are such cool smart people -- went to the marina barrage today (in the haze) to fly kites. when we arrived there and started flying in the thick haze, there was no wind so at 12noon we decided to play asshole daidee under the hot sun haha! after playing for 1 round, we all felt wind blowing on our faces and so we went back to fly our kites. we succeeded!! and then it started raining, there was a lightning warning and we had to leave HAHAHA awwww. i realised most of our time was spent walking around.. but we were filial grandchildren to our dear lao ah gong :)

after walking all day in the haze and sun i'm feeling abit sick myself. get well soon b!!!!!!!! i will get you the large koi honey milk tea soon :D

mamma mia here i go again

i need to find motivation to study. now.

2010-10-15T22:44:00.001+08:00

plsplspls let me get into royal holloway so i can stay with sam and tiffany during autumn!!! probability=0.00001 :(

2010-10-14T22:28:00.005+08:00

just got back from mti economic dialogue, which was really interesting! now i feel all motivated to become an economist and to gear myself back to the public sector :) this quote is really interesting, "they say economists know the price of everything, but the value of nothing" and prof actually said, "that's not true, in fact, economists know the value for many things" which got a really funny look from the other panelist haha!

the networking session after that was sweet cos i got to meet up with many high flyers (ahh didn't talk to minister haha), talked to the profs, met up with the presidents of the ntu and smu econs society, and other bigshotsi. the reason why i thought it was interesting is because alot of these people that i talk to are actually very knowledgeable people who have had many experiences in life and who offer valuable advice. awesome stuff :D

met up with betty on tues for lunch, she's this exchange student from USA, connecticut who's here for one sem. i met her at the night cycling session for usp, and she's really funny, i love talking to her and hearing her stories. she also told me how UConn actually has cows walking around the school and a really cool dairy bar with awesome ice cream haha! i wonder how we'd feel if we had cows walking around in nus..

gonna drive to the airport at 5am later in my daddy's cool car to pick him up! i love driving :)

there's not a thing that i would change

2010-10-10T00:47:00.003+08:00

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the nights
Streetlights, people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the nights

Working hard to get my fill,
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose
Some are born to sing the blues
And now the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Don't stop believin
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight, people

endless emails!!! and stuff to do, i need to consume leisure ahh how come my indifference curve has such a negative slope haha
halloween horror at night safari today was EXCITING and scary hahahahah so many ghosts kept popping up randomly and i really got a shock! it's quite worth the money actually, the show was really cute and interesting too.
gotta apply for exchange soon, still haven't really made up my mind..

2010-10-08T22:32:00.002+08:00

midterms have ended, although i prob didnt meet my expectations but ohwell i must study hard for finals!
lots of emails to read, reply, meetings to attend nowadays.. but i'm getting much more used to it, and happier going about doing it.
our new spring cleaned ens room is awesome too :)

going to night safari tomorrowwww halloween horror haha!

2010-10-05T00:27:00.003+08:00

you're every line you're every word

it's e-learning week, time to catch a slight breather, prepare for one more midterm, and catchup on some work!
spent a good few hours ytd on skype talking to shanti tiff and lilong, the overseas friends. miss you all! :)

2010-09-28T18:57:00.002+08:00

zzz screwed up midterm :(
supah tired!

2010-09-25T00:33:00.002+08:00

hello!
been busy with i don't know what nowadays.. studying, hanging out at home and kinda enjoying it. had supper with b today at changi village, had the longest interview of my life (40mins+) on thurs, need to study harder and do better, alot of random stuff popping in my mind, but relatively happy and calm :)

cause we're living in a world of fools

2010-09-18T23:24:00.002+08:00

gone are the days where i'll eat 10plates of seafood at sakura buffet, cycle and play with a tricycle till 2am, eat durian mousse and laugh..
take care best friend!

2010-09-15T22:47:00.002+08:00

过去的就让它辗转过去
不要一味回顾
收拾起我们破碎的心情
不再停下脚步
让我们试着开拓新旅程
把华初灿烂的光芒
照亮路上无数次的黑暗

had our last ifg squash match ytd, where i won and we won! :) it was super dramatic.. the score was 2-2 and for the deciding match, it went to a 3 setter. what's more is.. we deuced 5 times hahaha! good job guys thanks for being part of the team :D squash really brings back good memories..

MAF 2010

2010-09-11T23:31:00.004+08:00

it's MAF once again.. sigh, every year after MAF i'll feel so happy yet sad and nostalgic. every year people change, the building and tiles change, yet the memories still stay the same. i can still remember how it used to be like, sitting on the floor or on the class bench every morning, going for morning assembly and standing in line for the national anthem. all the stupid things that we used to do together as a class, and still do -- like playing with the class bench haha omg so exciting!

so much has changed, but deep down i still feel very much the same person that i was 3 years ago. how time flies, it's been 3 years.. :( i really miss alot of things back then, our innocence and simple fun, back then things felt so easy and happy.

10 years down the road will we ever get to see one another?
will things ever be the same will we still be friends forever?
never will we ever forget all the times we had in Hwachong

i'll never forget :')

2010-09-06T23:24:00.002+08:00

learning to take baby steps, taking one step at a time.. learning to let things come and go and just suck it up haha
ahgong just talked to me abt being pres for 1mth.. it sure felt alot shorter than that!
ifg's here, it's gonna come and go and then it'll be time for me to step down as asst sports director. looking back, i think i've really learnt quite abit, and i'm thankful for it. squash games these few days -- today we lost 3-2 to arts but it's okay, i mean just compare the relative sizes of these two faculties haha :p i'm really proud to say that usc squash has really grown and gotten better over the years!

on sat, there's 3 ifg sports, on sun there's contact rugby which usc is organising, last week there was sepak takraw that lasted till 11. sometimes i feel like i'm too busy for my own good, but then again..
i must study properly! focus!!!

2010-09-05T00:46:00.000+08:00

All men have a sweetness in their life. That is what helps them go on. It is towards that they turn when they feel too worn out.

- Albert Camus

that sweetness, family friends love

2010-08-27T00:15:00.000+08:00

pierce right through

2010-08-22T22:39:00.003+08:00

i've come to realise how much i really love and treasure my family :)
the weekend was awesome. we looked at fireworks from the 57th level, at night, in the pool of marina bay sands hotel. it was beauti-foo! celebrated maipo's bday today, ate alot haha my fave xia jiang ji and DURIAN!

"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow."
-Dorothy Thompson

2010-08-19T23:54:00.000+08:00

I should have more days like today :) cant wait for tomorrow and the weekend!!!
I really miss the duck rice but laksa, chicken wings and or jian will do :)

2010-08-17T00:24:00.002+08:00

all for one word

2010-08-10T22:27:00.000+08:00

first day of school

and i wonder how i'm going to pull through this academic year

2010-08-09T23:25:00.000+08:00

i have come to understand what "being responsible" truly entails..

2010-08-09T18:08:00.002+08:00

the past few days have been really great!
i rmbr swimming with b a few days ago, coming home to eat one chicken that my mum bought, going to marina bay sands hotel with b + my family, swimming at the skypark pool at night (super nice we could see marina bay and esplanade and the entire cbd while we were in the pool how cool is that!), drinking two large cups of koi mostly by myself haha!

basically a well spent weekend, a deserved break.. though a really short one :( it just dawned on me that school's starting very soon, there's loads of stuff to be done, the stress is gonna pile up..

clearing the ifg registration, planning for night cycling, first exco meeting on the first day of school.. which is gonna be really tiring cos i've lessons from 10-5 and only one break from 2-3, which will be spent at the meeting anyway..

stay calm. be focused. remember your responsibility. do your best. be happie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

p.s. i feel a constant stress lurking at the back of my head. there's always something i forget!!!!!!!!!!! :/