My Flight Back from the US

I wrote this post on my flight back.. and due to some extreme red tape, it finally get to see the light of the internet tonight:

So here I am, in a twist of fate, enjoying the Business class life on my SFO-Incheon (Korea) leg in a SQ15 Boeing 777-300ER back home. I initially requested to switch my middle seat to an aisle seat (I feel my lengthy legs need some more room than an Economy could provide), but the request couldn’t be met as the plane was at maximum capacity – or in Economy terms. You can piece the rest of the puzzle. There was so much to take in, and I thought this is a feeling that many of us would have felt – and it’ll only become more frequent as time goes by. First, let’s just list some key features: 1) omg such a huge ass seat. 2) the table is huge, it’s even bigger than most tables in the lecture halls back in UCB 3) there’re so many places to stash your belongings 4) the legendary Business class service (they know my name :O) 5) last but not least, just this general feeling of swag. I’m sure many of you would be able to relate to this: you’ve been used to a certain life, and suddenly, by a stroke of sheer luck, you are whisked away into this land of privilege. To top it all, all your pre conceived notions about the “elite” or “rich behavior” come flooding your brain, you wonder how you should act, you wonder what you should be doing, you wonder whether what you should do to not make a fool of yourself (I spent a good 5 minutes trying to ease the table out of its hiding spot because it was like a behemoth trapped in a small cave), you wonder what do the air stewards think of you, you wonder and you wonder and you wonder. Then again, it’s a really nice feeling, this feeling of privilege, because after all, I’m an Economical person.

3 course meal? Fresh prawns? Steak? Omfg (well due to health reasons they only made it Medium-Well done. I prefer my steak Medium-Rare but it’s fine) And champagne. I thought I was dreaming – what did I do to deserve this luxury?

So I just watched Fast and Furious 7, and I must say it was an amazing movie. Yea, there were some plot holes, some inconsistencies, and the heroes always win. However, the action scenes were great, the story was well paced, and there was this overall theme about family which I thought was really great. And at the last part, the tribute to Paul Walker just made me board the feels train. I don’t know him personally, nor am I such a great fan of Fast 7, but what I really liked was the camaraderie between the actors (and the team in Fast 7). I guess that makes us human, this friendship that keeps us together. And when I see a group that has so much synergy, you just can’t help but feel great on the inside – and jealous too.

And now I’m listening to a playlist of the National Day songs of Singapore, arranged by, surprise surprise, SIA. I heard that this might be Kit Chan’s last NDP ): Our original Home singer won’t be around for the future NDP, and I hope the newer generation of singers don’t defile the original NDP songs. Just stick to the classics please? Listening to these songs can really invoke the patriotism in you. Just read Sumiko Tan’s (Omg it just hit me that I’ve not read her columns for a year! I used to diligently read her columns every weekend in the Sunday Times) rumination on how the intangibles are the ones that keep you “Singaporean”. I have to agree though – I seriously can’t wait to meet my parents, my relatives and my friends. And here’s a shout out to the friends who have stuck with me for so long – I’m talking about my primary school friends.

I was browsing the menu for the inflight catering service, and I saw that most of the items were pretty Western inspired. In fact, in retrospect, the very surprise that I had when I saw steak as a menu item, was a surprise in itself. I talked about this to some guy before, about how in Singapore, we still look at Western “culture” or “things” as more superior and exquisite. While the Singapore Girl still wears the traditional SIA kebaya – which I really admire, the air steward wears ironed out Western jacket and tie. This does not apply to just the air steward, but to the general business scene in Singapore. We’ve been taught that to look “professional” is to wear “long sleeve shirt with tie”, and if you want to look even better “add a jacket (which we all know is pretty stupid in Singapore)”, and these are, I think, very Western views. Of course, to pander to the Western clientele, we should dress the way that impress them. But is there any room that can accomplish both? The Singapore Girl’s kebaya is an example. It’s so elegantly done, it’s colorful, it’s uniquely “Un-Western” (although ironically it’s designed by a Westerner I think, have to double check), yet I doubt anyone can say it’s any less professional. I’ve grown up in such a culture long enough that I can’t think of any new designs that will be more Singapore yet not throwing away a “professional” image. I think I just like my polo shirt and jeans.

Sadly I won’t be able to enjoy this luxury on my final leg, unless I get incredibly lucky – I think I just spent all my karma points on this flight. Well I won’t mind if the seat beside me is empty. But this Business class business has got me thinking – one thing about first living as a regular man on the street before being able to get bumped up to a “higher tier” is that you get to appreciate all these finer things much more. You compare between what you used to have, and what you have now, and you go “oh my god, there’s so much out there”. But then again, does this mean I was any less privileged when I was flying Economic all the while? You can have this Business class, but it does not take away the fact that I’m here on this flight alone. And assuming that I get the money to keep flying Business class, will I end up taking this for granted? It reminds me of this story that was circulating around the internet for some time: *Let us celebrate this moment, a brand new day awaits - oops* In a classroom, each kid was given a paper ball and they have to toss the paper ball into a bin that was placed right at the front below the chalkboard. Naturally those at the back saw their position and complained of unfairness; but those at the front are unable to see their luxury of having the bin nearer to them. Well it’s meritocratic – whoever lands the ball in the bin gets rewarded, but how can you judge what is based on merit? A child who has to help his parents to earn money may be as smart as another child who has the privilege of his 3 meals taken care of, but because he has less time to study he’s already worse off compared to the latter. Meritocracy is definitely a good social equalizer, but there is opportunity to improve on the system. So now that I was given the taste of being in luxury, is this luxury something that is an unfair advantage? (Rambling detector turns on) Well, the Business class is also a way for SIA to rake in higher profit. I’m not sure exactly how much more SIA earns from a Business class compared to a group of Economy class (technically 1 Business class seat is about 2 Economy class seat), but having a plane full of Business class will earn SIA more than a plane of Economy class – or maybe there’s a golden ratio that statisticians in SIA has figured out.

The air stewards/stewardesses are really well trained. I’ve heard of the grueling training and selection that each staff has to undergo before they can actually step foot on the plane. In addition to the impeccable service (they were so polite I find it uncomfortable,  I’m just not used to it), whenever they walk past your seat their eyes do a quick scan and will remove any trash that is within reach automatically.

End of story: I would love my friends to experience this luxury once in a while. But remember to stay humble in person. It’s definitely a good tale (and bragging rights), and definitely good advertisement for SIA Business Class. And if you are wondering, I am not paid by SIA. Just keep this in mind if I do get successful in the future.

The curious incident of me, my landlady and the kitchen

I've been wanting to blog about this. Some of you might know the full story, some might only know partially - the fact that I can only cook from 8pm to 10pm everyday, but that's only the outcome and not the full story. In fact, there's a great takeaway from this exchange, and I would like to share with you.
Warning, it's pretty long.

First, let's set the environment. This is her kitchen, taken from the doorway. 

It's a pretty nice kitchen. And it has a fire stove! :D

It's a decent kitchen, with a well stocked cabinet of crockery and utensils, although her array of knives is a dismay to a Chinese xD - who needs all the paring knives, steak knives etc.

Background: Me and Shutao got an internship in Pfizer in Andover and there weren't any student hostels or apartments to rent out. In fact, this was the only room that was available in Airbnb in Andover - which is near enough to our workplace. Any further we would have to rent a car, hence being poor students we are, we didn't have much of a choice. So prior to leaving Berkeley for Andover, there was some communication between us and the landlady. She laid down some house rules, and the most relevant ones are:

Quiet Hours between 10 pm to 6 pm.  No kitchen use, no shower, or w/d use during these hours 

Room comes with light use of the kitchen and w/d.  Kitchen use is very light--you will have storage space in the frig and shelf and can use the utensils/ cookware in the kitchen.  But pretty much just light meals, cooking and complete cleanup.  Good practice to label your soaps and food.  

You supply all your own food and perishables, which include all soaps (dish, laundry) and paper goods (paper towels, napkins, toilet paper). 

Everything seems fine. Ok, we understand we have to supply our perishables - we can't be "living off" her dishwashing soap for 2 months. Ok, quiet hours are as such, we will not cook or shower after 10pm. And yep, light use of kitchen... we won't do like deep frying or cook stuff that will cause lots of fumes.

So for the first week, we cooked very basic Chinese food like stir-fried chicken and chinese cabbage with plain rice. We cooked both breakfast and dinner. Our landlady would finish her breakfast at around 7am and we'll cook from 7am - 7.30am and have breakfast before leaving for work. Nothing too fancy (anyway there isn't much "chinese" ingredients here, and initially Shutao seemed to have some 'restrictions' in food - he only liked some types of vegetables / meat and hence I was trying to accommodate. (Don't get me wrong, I'm alright with it, I'm just trying to see what he likes - and we do have some foods that we like in common - and also get to know him better. But this is out of scope of this article). 

And suddenly, we got this email (only the relevant text is shown):

Secondly, I am very discouraged about your kitchen use.  As I have explained several times you are to have only very light use of the kitchen.  Typically this means that you are in/out quickly--mostly using the kitchen for storage (refrigerator or shelf) and then quick meals.  I have explained this several times but still it seems that you have not respected this limitation.  Please, it is very important that you limit your use to my kitchen.  You have access to the kitchen but not heavy use.  

As I explained in the April 26 email, (threaded below) your room comes with" light use of the kitchen and w/d.  Kitchen use is very light--you will have storage space in the frig and shelf and can use the utensils/ cookware in the kitchen.  But pretty much just light meals, cooking and complete cleanup.  Good practice to label your soaps and food. "  I also explained this the day you moved in and several times in the past week.   Still, it is not evident that you understand what this means.  

It is considered a privilege to use the kitchen.  It is called kitchen privileges.  Full, unrestricted, unlimited use of a kitchen does not come with your room.  I know you would really want it to,and you are really working hard to have full and unrestricted access,  but it clearly does not.  Should you need full use, please feel free to seek accommodations elsewhere that better suit your needs.  I have absolutely no problem with this should you decide that you really need to have full kitchen use.  I would never want you to be unhappy here because my place does not suit your needs so please feel free to find other accommodations where you can use a kitchen fully and without restrictions.

But in the meantime, please respect the kitchen limitations that come with the house. 

We were like... wuttt? What did we do? We had been only using the kitchen when it was free - no one was currently using the kitchen. And since our landlady would usually cook and have dinner with her son every night (unless they evidently went out), we would wait until they are done before we used the kitchen. And even when we are at the kitchen, there were one or two occasions where we cooked side-by-side our housemates, and we constantly ensured that they weren't feeling obstructed. The key point was to ensure she was done and she has washed up and LEFT the kitchen before we would step inside. She would sometimes walk back in, but we already knew she had her meal.

And then 2 weeks later, this bombshell came:

Unfortunately it has not appeared that you have heeded the limited kitchen rule of the house, despite the multiple communications we have exchanged regarding kitchen privileges.   You have disregarded my notice and continue avail yourself to full, unrestricted, unlimited use of the kitchen--despite my clearly tell you that this was not part of your accommodations.   You still have the practice of waiting until no one is in the kitchen then immediately  and fully occupying it for extended lengths of time.  You have not changed your use of the kitchen at all unfortunately and as a result will have further restrictions on your privilege

Starting today, you are not to have access to  the kitchen at any time except between the hours of 8pm and 10pm.  Outside those hours and your access is only to enter/exit to retrieve or bring in food that you have stored there.  As far as you are concerned, the kitchen is primarily for storage of your food.  You can take the hours between 8pm and 10pm for food preparation.  Additionally, during the hours of 8pm-10pm others may or may not be using the kitchen so please be prepared to not not have full use of the kitchen as you may have to share it with others during that time.  Restrict your space and plan for others to be able to use it along side you at this time.

If your needs exceed this kitchen use, I am more than supportive of you finding other accommodations.  Please keep me posted about this.  In the meantime, I will ask once again that you respect the kitchen privilege I have stated above  and not disregard it.  

If you continue to disregard the limited use of the kitchen, the next step will be total kitchen privleges being taken away and you will not be allowed in at all.  All food and meals will have to be taken off the premises altogether.  

Please let me know if you have any questions or need clarification. 

And I totally couldn't take it. But I thought, there might be some misunderstanding or miscommunication. So I clarified:

I have some clarifications to make. Can you further explain on how we "fully occupy it" and "for extended lengths of time"?

 Yes, after our previous conversation, we decided to wait till the kitchen is unoccupied before we use it. We are usually the last one to use, and hence we felt that we would not be obstructing the usage of anyone else. In the morning we are the last to have breakfast / leave the house and at night we are the last one to have dinner. We thought we would not

 It is unfortunate that you have the impression we are "fully occupying" the kitchen. The only reason I could think of is while we are preparing food we do have a couple of bowls and plates of pre-cut ingredients, and that might take up some of the table space. And we have the habit of only washing up after we are done with eating our meal. So this could probably give the impression that we are obstructing the use of the kitchen to others. In fact that is far from the truth - anyone can use the kitchen while we are still in there. We will accommodate his/her needs accordingly i.e. clearing up some table space or stove space.

In fact, there were some instances where we shared the use of the kitchen with Nick, and he doesn't mind.

We feel that we have not disregarded the limited use of the kitchen. We would like to know what exactly about our actions and behavior that made you think this way about us, and we can change that.

(Glenn and Nick are the other tenants)

And then the learning moment arrived:

Hi Kevin and Shutao and thanks for your quick response.

By way of explanation, "Waiting to use the kitchen" is not considered to be light use of the kitchen while in there.  And while I appreciate that you "wait", this is not the issue.  You were doing the 'wait strategy' prior to our last conversation. This did not change your use of the kitchen at all.  

The issue is rather --You still continued to expect to use it fully and for as long as you wanted while in there.   Apparently figuring that if you were in there you had a right to do what you wanted for as long as you wanted just as long as you waited to do so.  This did not change. The point being is that you did not change the use of the kitchen.  Nothing has changed.  And while you think you do not take up a great deal of space and time, you do and you need to recognize this message.   Waiting to use it the moment someone steps out is not the issue.  It is what you do once you are in there that is in question.  And as such, further restrictions are to be made.  

The truth is that if you were indeed using the kitchen for light use- as you should be---you would not have to wait    You would have access pretty much anytime,  like every other houseguest who understands and respects the light use, including the current two houseguests Glenn and Nick.   Glenn and Nick come in/out anytime, knowing how to cooperatively use the privilege.  You have not demonstrated that you do this so thus the restricted hours have been set.  And they will continue to do this regardless of who is in the kitchen at the time as that is how light use of kitchen works.  

But for you we have to set a different course because of your insistence of continuing full and complete access.   The fact is you did not change your habits at all despite my email from May, which was an reiteration of prior communications spanning back to pre move in.   And the issue is that you perceive your use and within the limitation and it is not.  So the best way for you to cooperatively continue is to have further restrictions and that is 8pm-10pm only and with the caveat that this is shared use during this time, such as you have in the past with other houseguests.   And you may access the kitchen outside those two hours if you need to retrieve food from storage or eat an already prepared meal.   

To further clarify, this does not mean come into the kitchen for those two hours and stake it out and use it fully.  It means that it is still a quick meal preparation time when you are in/out quickly.  Please organize yourself accordingly.   My suggestion to you is to use this time in the kitchen to prepare a larger quantity of food so that you can store in refrigerator and  access  the prepared food outside the 8pm-10pm window  for subsequent meals and/or to get take out meals from local restaurants supermarkets that are already prepared .   This falls under best practices and is what most houseguests do who use the kitchen for food preparation.    I think if you find a way to cut back on your food preparation time (and space) you should be just fine.  You just gotta figure out how to reorganize yourselves so that you need to spend less time and space in the kitchen.  Logically,  if you could do this then  , you would not have a problem with this restriction.  Indeed the 2 hour window  would be considered above and beyond your privilege. 

Please email me with any further clarification you may need.  I appreciate this dialog, truly and I do want to reiterate that I think very highly of both of you.  You are really great guys but I have to restrict your use even further as I cannot nor can be expected to accommodate your current demands on the kitchen.  The restrictions stands.  8-10pm only.  Outside that time  is for quick access to the room. 

Then something clicked. There was a grave misunderstanding. Why would we want to "disregard" her? There're better things to do, and this Andover place is so rural, I wouldn't want to get kicked out of the house (well, this would probably lead to another discussion about the legality of the Airbnb contract). So I tried to communicate with her:

I think I understand the situation now.

There's some cultural ​dissonance which led to this.

 First, it seems that you define "light cooking" as a meal that's prepared and consumed in probably 30 minutes or less, with only 2 or 3 ingredients. For us, our meals consist of a little more ingredients, and we do some light frying and cooking of rice - which itself takes 20 minutes. We prepare our meals in around 20-30 minutes, and then spend about 15 minutes to consume them and another 10-15 minutes to wash/clean everything up. There's some disconnect between what we define as "meals" and how to prepare them. To us, 20-30 minutes of food preparation is pretty fast and "light", but of course we are in your home so we should change expectations accordingly.

 Second, we do not feel that we are imposing on anyone with our presence. Even with all our "pots and pans and bowls" laid out on the table, we would gladly shift them away if anyone needs the table. We are happy to accommodate anyone to cook with the stove/prepare their meals right beside us while we are also cooking.

I think you do not share a similar opinion. We wouldn't want to disregard you - we understand it's ultimately your house, but it's because we have two different perspectives on the same thing that has led to this. From what I gather, you feel uncomfortable when we are in the kitchen and you see so many bowls/plates laid out or that half the stove is being used.

 Hence, can I clarify. Let's say we want to have porridge for breakfast. Is it then possible if we prepare the porridge the night before, then in the morning we would just take it out and microwave it and consume it?

 I am not trying to put you in a bad light, I think it's just simply two different cultures. We, as foreigners, should be more forthcoming in trying to understand how you view things. I appreciate you are willing to engage in this dialogue.

And that email was sent since Jun 12, and it wasn't mentioned or brought up again. She probably didn't know how to answer, or just forgot to answer, but whatever. 

I think I pretty much explained myself in the email excerpts. Just think as a Chinese perspective; when you cook, you will first prepare all the ingredients, such as cutting vegetables, marinating the meat, beating the eggs, and also cooking the rice separately. So if you look at the kitchen, we pretty much occupy the entire table top on the stove side. I would say that's "normal". But that's only when we think we are alone. The moment someone else needs to use some of the table top - we would always ask if the person wants to cook - we will shift our stuff. Hence we never thought we were a burden.
But I think that's where we thought wrong. Firstly, the definition of light cooking is already different. I anticipated that, and I didn't want to clarify with the landlady as I didn't want to restrict myself too much. I will be shooting myself in the foot if I suggested explicit "rules" on what defines "light cooking". But I didn't expect it to be this serious.
To give you an idea on what Nick and Glenn cooked for dinner: they either cooked pasta, or made sandwiches. And they regularly cooked extra and ate pre-cooked food for dinner (so they cooked one big batch and then heat up for subsequent dinners). So that's what she meant by "light kitchen use". To me, that's simply sad. If that's the definition of normal American meals, I pity them. 

When I first received that last email, I was ranting:
1. She says she has been hosting for over a decade. I bet she has only hosted Americans, especially Americans who eat pre-cooked dinner or sandwiches as dinner - well this town is so far flung why would anyone else come here anyway.
2. Isn't she even interested in why we do things this way? Why would she immediately think of us wanting to "disregard her?" She's a professor teaching psychological science and she can't think? Like seriously. 
3. Hell, I wanted to share some of our food with her, but I think she's someone who's probably scared of Ebola or something. She likes "healthy", she's always cooking "healthy". I think she's allergic to all other oil other than olive oil. I was really impressed with her son, her son was exposed to other religions in school - one day he was talking about Buddhism and Judaism and I told him abit about Buddhism and he was so open about it. But now her son would only be "stuck" eating her food - that's so pitiful.
4. I have always been cleaning up the kitchen after my use. And I swear I always leave it cleaner than I "get" it. She doesn't seem to clean her kitchen that much too; like I could see obvious oil spots or random food pieces that dropped onto the stove. She probably doesn't notice such stuff.
5. She probably doesn't know what it's like to "share the kitchen". Well it's her kitchen anyway so she's the boss right? At least tell us explicitly when you want to use it and how long it is. Prior to that bombshell, we dare not ask her when she would be done with the kitchen - and she probably knows that we were waiting for her. There were 2 occasions where we waited till 9pm and then gave up waiting and went to nearby McDonald's to eat.
6. Sorry Ma'am, I'm not as rich as you. A regular dinner in this rich man area (someone told us Andover is a rich man place) would easily set us back by more than $10 per person - how to afford?????
7. And why haven't you replied me? Got stumped by me right? 

Obviously none of those reached her ears. These were just knee-jerk reactions and were mainly emotional. She has her reasons too, and I felt it boiled down to cultural differences - how do you define meals.

We did try to find for other areas, but as expected, this location is still the best. So we just decide to make do with it. Snacking before 8pm if we were hungry. And we sometimes cooked extra so that we could simply reheat the leftover portion for the next day's breakfast. If not, we would have buns (we went to Chinese grocer - sometimes our boss brings us to a Chinese grocer, I can't describe how great he is) or oats with milk. 

The adaptation has been going well. 8pm to 10pm for us to cook, wash up and subsequently shower (remember 10pm is silent hours) We would just cook like normal, since she has "given us" the "timeslot". Lunch on weekends is either snacks, or we would head to a nearby restaurant for a self-treat. Well, all seems well and I'm fine with this arrangement - at least for the time being.

This only makes me want to go back home sooner - so that I can start cooking whatever I want again. 

Well, this incident might only be an isolated incident. Obviously she does not represent all or most Americans, neither do my house mates. Nonetheless, it's a reminder that, not everyone might be as "open-minded" as me. They have their own pre-conceived notion that they will stick to. I have to also constantly remind myself to stay open-minded, and think of people positively. Most people won't have ill intentions, and if you are able to dig out the root cause, sometimes it's all a matter of perspective. If you just apply your own way of thinking, it may portray people in a negative light, unfairly.

Yup. Definitely one of my longest post, but thanks to the long emails. Thanks for the read!

Updates + Appreciation

Seems that my blogging mood kicks in when I'm alone, and listening to music, and again contemplating. Add in that nagging "pressure" to blog - if I expect to have readers I surely have to be expected to provide some reading materials right?

My time in the US has been nothing short of an interesting (this is probably the mildest word ever), roller coaster ride. Well, my ride probably didn't take me on 360 loop, but there definitely have been highs and downs.

Semester 1 was like a "plan for a trip one week and then go on the trip in the next, and then rinse and repeat".

Semester 2 is now "I'm gonna stay here and mug. But then so many new stuff are happening every week, but it's still primarily in Berkeley"

Maybe I'm simply old xD

I think I have talked about this before. The USD 300 dent. Just got a letter saying they (Citi) have received the claim and will be processing it. #efficiency

The International house regularly holds a "Coffee Hour" every week where residents can mingle over coffee and some snacks. It has also become a tradition where groups of residents from the same country (or region like Scandinavia) will rise to the occasion and organise a themed Coffee Hour to showcase their countries. 

And hence we had our own. It was no mean feat, and I must say I am very happy that I joined in. Was in charge of the drinks and I decided on bandung (you can see Clara adding the red colouring) and iced tea (奶茶冰), and green bean soup (haha I really love green bean soup). Yuan Ming was in charge of food and he prepared laksa and indomee (instant noodle). 

It was real great fun preparing the drinks, as we had to get utensils + borrow cambros (drink dispensers) from the dining hall + decide how to fully utilise our limited crockery and space in the kitchen.

Oh, and those cambros provided great memories of the army. And yes these also have the infamous ability to retain the smell of their previous contents even after soaping and washing.

Preparation started as early as around 3pm and the event commenced at 9pm. 

You can see that Clara is adding red colouring to make the bandung and Yuan Ming is looking for something

Sadly I couldn't find the photograph with the graduates. But this is nonetheless a nice picture of us (or rather those who came down)

This event is quite a significant milestone in many ways. Apart from the praises that we got (one of, if not the, best coffee hours ever), this event made me feel really touched by all the help rendered by my friends. Ask and you will be given. Furthermore, I am blessed to be given a responsibility, and also be able to work with fantastic people. Matthew (the smiley guy on my left) and I "lamented" that a few days up to this Singapore Coffee Hour, all in our minds were just how to execute the Coffee Hour, and once the Coffee Hour ended it really felt as if heavy weight just got lifted off our shoulders. It's not that we feel it's a burden, but it's like ... our project.
I have to thank friends for making this happen. From setting up the beautiful and elaborate decorations, to emceeing and preparing the 4D lucky draws (yes we had 4D, and we made a lottery out of it), running the various booths, providing entertainment and hospitality to all the guests and simply being there to add to the 气氛.
But 我要特别谢的是 Clara (the girl in blue in the previous photo). She was like my right-hand man. Without her I really wouldn't have been able to prepare so much drinks and so good as well. She probably doesn't know it, but she helped me take my mind off some parts of the drinks preparation.  
It was a good night.

Full DOUBLE Rainbow! Thanks to the open landscape. When you are in the countryside, this would be pretty commonplace, but nonetheless still breathtaking. Taken in Peru.

And a week ago, I was off to Peru on an Engineers Without Borders University of California - Berkeley monitoring and evaluation trip. I like how whenever people ask me for my Spring break holiday destination, and I reply "Peru", and they think I'm going hiking or Machu Pichu. But I'm actually there for "work" and of course some sightseeing - along the way to our "work place". I'm there as a technical side to collect samples and data about the water in the Peruvian communities we are working with.

Makeshift lab. Chemistry 101!

This trip meant a lot to me. It represents this affirmation by the Peru Project committee of my work that I have put into the project over the previous semester. Ok it's not like I was very outstanding or something, or maybe there were simply lack of applicants. Nonetheless, I did attend like 90% of the meetings and tried to learn and contribute as much as I could. One key tenets in my life now is appreciation and affirmation, and this is like the best way to do it. 

The infamous alpacas. Quite rare to see wild, unrestrained ones. And they are cute. But I ate alpaca steak on the 2nd day, not that fantastic though :/ (maybe expectations were too high)

This EWB has taken quite a lot of my time and energy. I put in a minimum of 2 hours a week (because I attend 2x 1 hour meetings each week), and I have to say I'm learning a lot. I've never participated in a student organisation so actively before (sorry REP Club, my hands were tied then), and it was eye-opening learning and experiencing all the behind-the-scenes and concerns that student clubs/chapters face. Then there's also the common mistakes that student clubs make and of course the benefits and joy from successfully organising events or recruiting new people. Stuff like institutional knowledge, member retention, fundraising, so many skills. But one key phrase sticks: 

"Don't be afraid to make use of people's enthusiasm, for once it dies, it is really hard to rekindle the flame". 

It's not about abusing your friends, but more of utilising this enthusiasm to get things done. It's so much more efficient and effective when people are enthusiastic. Just remember to attribute and credit the work appropriately.

Till then~

This is the Closest to Drunk, that I've ever been

And I don't wanna do anything now..

And all I could do was to sleep in
And all I could feel was to vomit
When sooner or later I woke up
I just realised it's 5 freaking pm

Hope you got the song reference (:
But yea, this is such a fantastic experience I shall blog about it while waiting for dinner (or whatever food that my stomach can take) in 30 minutes.

No worries, I have tons of biofuel in my body in terms of alcohols, this should provide me with lots of energy hehe.

So shame the culprits I shall:
Yuan Ming, Thanh, Jia Rong, Yanling, Theodore, Sey Chee, Leon

But yep, it was a whole hell of fun. Like pure fun. And Sey Chee gets special honourable mention for being so funny and cute (and she just drinks when told to do so without much resistant lol-worthy)
And knowing that you are in a bunch of friends you feel ok to just drink. And I have nothing on in the morning, so hell yea!

But I wasn't entirely drunk though, just having that disoriented feeling. I could walk back to my room unassisted, but Yuan Ming was kindly around in case anything happens. (And of course that random 5am message on the REP whatsapp group, idk but I just saw the first group that I knew Yuan Ming was in and hence I just posted in there)

But it was the aftermath that hit. I think because I wasn't that drunk I did not vomit last night (or this early morning - We stayed till around 4.30am and I slept at 5am) So after lunch (yep I had lunch), my stomach suddenly felt damn weird, and like vomiting. So while trying to have conversations with friends my stomach was feeling like shit. And I don't want to vomit because vomiting is such a terrible and horrendous experience (link to Bangkok trip when I got food poisoning). End up, enough was enough, I just went back to sleep.

So now I am going for dinner.. shall choose my food wisely. No dairy, and no food that's harsh on the stomach. There must be still alcohol in there, waiting to vomit.

But still, I had fun. And this is a good experience.

Random thoughts

Yes! Finally completed an assignment in one day of sitting (ok, I completed the easiest question 1, but managed to tackle the last 3 questions in the afternoon + night).
Frustrating, but nonetheless that sense of achievement is still awesome. There's like the 4 stages of guilt finding an error in your workings:
1. Horror (OMG!)
2. Self-denigration (wts, why am I so toopid?)
3. Denial (am I really wrong? sure or not?)
4. Relent (haiz, just redo ..) OR IDGAF (screw this shit)

So I had the glorious opportunity to experience that roller coaster of emotions multiple times today. Let's say those rides taught me to become more careful and know which are the areas that carelessness breeds.

Other random things:
1. Akin to another post, sometimes I still feel I am on vacation. In the sense, I am still a tourist, just living here for a year.
2. My flatulence smells really different from that in Singapore (idk, I have no clue what caused the change)
3. We are spending hours on assignments that contribute to a measly sum (as low as 0.4%/homework) to our final grades - but they definitely provide more value such as revision and practice
4. I am growing long hair. Like I am now breaking personal records for hair length every day I wake up. Matthew suggests I put on a mullet. It's pretty cool too, I like rockers with rockingly long hair. It just puts an extra cool factor to these people. But idk whether I can pull this off =/
5. We are beginning to fall into a routine
6. Have to resist adding more load into the already packed schedules. Might seem unpacked at times, but that's because "let's do this another time"
7. Still focusing on EWB, and getting inspired to add a continuity back home
8. And focusing on some key friends - not enough time and spare effort to get to know everyone else in a deeper level. This will take time, but I think it will bear fruit.
9. And not forgetting those abroad (home included). Appreciate, communicate and reciprocate.
10. Money outflow >>>>> money inflow
11. Planning trips is both fun, yet mentally exhausting.
12. Still on mousehunt (lol)
13. Stupid US$15 TP-Link wireless adapter is causing more inconvenience than convenience
14. Have to stop getting jealous of others who are more capable (or seemingly). Sometimes it just sucks when you see others who seem to "beat" you in every aspect of your life, it's like shoving the phrase "what have you been doing" down your throat
15. What do I want to be known as?
16. It's getting more and more random the more I type. Probably cause the clock says 12.22AM
17. DOUBLE RAINBOWS! Lazy to post, but it's on insta :D
18. And omg, can you imagine a university which rear cows for dairy as well as butchering? The cows are literally there for you to touch. And I touched cows. Moo~
19. I really like driving. I appreciate whoever who lets me drive. Vroom vroom.
20. H.a.v.e...t.o...s.p.e.a.k...s.l.o.w.e.r... or rather, enunciate my words better.
21. Stay in shape! Can't stress this importance enough. Have to maintain my regime.
22. Supposed to be planning for my 2 trips, which seemed so far away the last time I thought about it, but to think about it they will be made in less than a month's time
23. MY CAREER ): ):
24. Why am I concerning myself with so much stuff?
25. It's awkward in dance clubs when you don't know 90% of the songs =/
26. I think it's time to sleep. My eyes are going to call it a day.

And of course, thanks for reading (:
More smileys (: (: (:
(somehow I have this funny notion that smileys are trademarked by me, and others who use this (: smiley (the bracket first) are infringing my copyright)

The road ahead.

To improve my resume try out something new that Singapore does not seem to have (keyword "seem": I recently learnt of a club in NUS that also offers "consulting" services to companies in Singapore. In addition, there are marketing clubs in Singapore that have also established links with private companies. Just that probably these clubs are reserved for the super-elite or I just didn't bother/couldn't find them), I decided to apply for Imagical (a marketing group) and Berkeley Consulting (a consulting group) as they are both interesting and I am willing to invest 24/7 onto them.
However, my practical side sounded some alarms - a particularly strong one in fact: we (me and REP people) are only here for one year, and they (the clubs) will probably want members who can stay with them for as long as possible. Nonetheless, the defensive pessimist (or is it optimist/perseverant?) decided to try and apply for it, what's there to lose?

Lo and behold, all I got was some computer generated email from both sides:

Thank you for applying to Berkeley Consulting. Unfortunately, due to the competitive nature of the selection process, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for a first round interview with Berkeley Consulting. 

I want to assure you that we considered your candidacy carefully and that it was a very difficult deliberation process given the number of extremely qualified applicants we received this semester.

Kind of expected, but this certainly was a direct stab in a heart. I mean, why don't you just provide me with an interview? Ok, maybe they have prevented me from wasting my time, but isn't this a good chance for you to use the interview to get to know other willing people? Ugh, oh well. My stubborn self made me waste 2 nights of my life (which could have been used for squash and homework).

Also, I have decided not to join the Squash team. Nope, I am not going to stop playing Squash, but I won't fork out the $300 required to be in the team. The $300 covers transport and some team outfits, but I feel that it will only be worth it if I get to play in competition. I know I am not up to par, but can't I wish for it sometimes? Well, squash to me is my "best relative" game, the one with the highest "comparative advantage". For the befuddled, there are significantly many more pros in badminton and basketball, the other sports that I can (defined as being able to engage in some level of game without having to spend much time picking balls) play, as compared to squash. 15 people will be recruited into the team, and I think I can make it to the team. But only the top 10 will be given the opportunity to play in competitions with other schools, and from my observations I definitely will not be able to make it - even if I mugged squash every night. C'mon an opportunity to travel around US and play with other people? That's like once in a lifetime experience + there's so many perks to it.. all for $300? (+ some possible extra fees) That's a real steal!

So what's my plan now. I am definitely not someone who is fine with doing nothing - I have come all the way here, and I have decided not to pick up the 150B course that the 10 other chemical engineer classmates have picked up = more free time more me!

But again, that quote still stays: You can do anything, but not everything.
After some rumination, here's a condensed list:

• Make some good international friends. Everyone can be a friend - it's pretty easy to make friends. But 99% (I'm exaggerating the numbers) of these people will be relegated to hi-bye friends. While we should maintain contact with people back home, now is a good chance to develop strong friendships with other people from around the world.
• Travel (and drive hehe) around California to appease my nature loving self
• Better my squash (I got a new racquet :D) - I will try to make it better so I can at least play properly back in NTU. Shoutout to Yu Rong and Leon who would probably be my squash buddies this year.
• Work extra hard in the Engineers Without Borders chapter in Berkeley. 

I think I should stop being a "jack of all trades", and try to master something, or at least be decently better than what I am now. Realised I have to play catch-up to simply too many things. 

Side note:

~$180. Vans for $30 (:

Went shopping at Livermore Outlet and here's my loot. Honestly I should have brought clothes so I don't need to buy. But that Gap T shirt was like USD$4, so why not? XD
and I think the pair of Vans was a splurge, but I probably need the other shoes. In fact I'm wearing the Columbia shoes now to break into them. And I realised I am a US 7.5 feet.
But I have to get more stuff - for the more "official" and "officy" look. Omg, I saw my watch for sale, but it wasn't on discount ): I actually thought it was out of season, as I last checked the online catalog it was absent - and it still is ):
And leather shoes. And a cardigan. (omg, shopaholic me)


And below is a random anvil I saw at a car workshop. Can you believe that there's an "F1" team in United States, where students actually build cars (some even built their own engines) and race? Like.. How cool is that? Joan would certainly love this ;)
 

Always see them in virtual games.

 

Reflections 2 weeks late

*Cue nice music*

Yes Sean, yes Joan ... This is certainly due. And I shall dive straight into it - and this time with little or no organisation. Anything that comes into my mind will be placed without significant rearrangements.

Here are some things that I picked up:

1. The word "big" just grew bigger when you travel from Singapore to US
2. There's just so much land everywhere you go
3. And animals too. Mooo. Mehhhh... *insert deer sound*
4. Air is significantly drier, and weather is cooler - but still bearable and in fact it's like permanent air-conditioning -> this means my feet is constantly wet (I have "sweaty palms and feet" in cold weather)
5. Everyone here is good in something, and when they are good, they are really good. Puts me into shame -> what am I doing with my life?
6. There's really so many cultures and other people in the world. The world is like FKING huge?
7. It's one thing to know, understand and read about; and another to experience it in full blast in your face
8. There are many Koreans in International House as well, we can probably fight with the Korean contingent
9. The system here supports alot of recycling, but somehow, paradoxically, some people do not bear the "recycling" or "save the earth" mentality. It's like you have recycle bins, we do drop in the food into compost bins and plastic bottles into the recycling bin for plastics, but we do not cut down on the initial consumption... It's like we have NEWater but we still waste water nonetheless
10. I like this campus because it makes people walk, and walk alot. It's like walking from Hall 11 to Can A everytime -> not too far, but not that near.
11. There is an epic fitness culture here, almost everyone is doing something related to health/fitness I think one can easily catch the fitness bug. It's all about making the decision to get out of the room, through the cool/cold air, into the sports facilities, and sweating it out and getting into shape. The sports facilities are almost always crowded with people. They might not be 80-90% occupied, but at least 40-50% full at ALL times - including off peak periods like mornings and mid day.
12. Making friends is 'easy', but actually creating a bonded relationship - that requires some effort. I think one can be easily "overwhelmed" with the number of "friends" you can have.
13. A term is coined: socialising saturation point / friendship saturation point
14. There are 2 ways to spend this time in CA, US:
• Do different things with the same people to deepen the relationship
• Do different things with different people to expand your circle
15. There's really so much thing to do and so little time.. which leads to
16. This quote: You can do anything, but you can't do everything.
17. Now I have to find things that lie in the "I want" & "I can" quadrant. Joining the established clubs just mean one thing: selection. And that's tough.
18. Now distance is calculated in hours, rather than just minutes.
19. Relatively laggy internet -> boo ):
20. More 花草树木 ;)
21. Simply more experiences lie ahead. Make a choice, and work with it. Grass is always greener on the other side, but be thankful that you have the opportunity to be where you are at the moment.
22. I like wearing caps + hoodies -> Gonna have a new style yo~ wassup~
23. And finally, more self actualisation. Who am I?

Yosemite

That's pretty much about it. Time to go for lunch then class ~

Thanks Clara for this wonderful photo.
I pretty much look like this everyday.

Chapter (x + 1)

Tomorrow marks my first day at work as a university undergraduate in an internship.
Excited to see what I can pick up, and also to experience how mundane work can be.
Grateful for the support and help that I have been provided with. Help is given to those who ask.
I have been blessed with this opportunity, better make full, good use of it. However, that being said, if you ask me now, I have no idea what my internship would be. Neither do I know my remuneration, my job scope yada yada. All I know is to turn up at that place, at that time.... and the rest will be history for the next 3 months.

So my chapter at hall 11 is likely to be closed, amid speculations about us shifting into new halls when we return. Even if I do get back to hall 11, the population there of people whom I would be familiar with would probably dwindle to a handful.

It is so interesting and intriguing how we take so long to build a relationship (i.e. with the hall), but a simple, single effort (i.e. simply depositing the key into the letter box) can end it so ever swiftly. Well, to be more specific, the physical relationship and physical closeness.
I would also not meet some of my friends in a year?

Learnt quite a bit in school.

I think after 2 years, I must admit that the "cliques phenomenon" is indisputably inevitable. And it is for the better good as well. Although it might create some drift between members of different clans, it also provides the members some form of support to turn to. Initially I was quite apprehensive about this "clique" thing, and steadfastly proclaim myself as "clique-less"; but then I realised I am into this "clique" thing as well.
But there's nothing to be ashamed of, it is alright to have a clique. But be more aware about others who are so-called-not-in-your-clique. It doesn't mean they are not in your "clique" you treat them as second-class friends. People in your clique might be the first whom you turn to, but these other friends living on the fringes are equally important as well - because you always need a plan B in case your clique collapses.

I have made more friends. And I intend to keep most of them. This time, I have more friends to stay in touch, but still the same 24 hours a day. Looks like I am in need of some time management.


Time to get a new phone. There are indeed so much wisdom in my friends, I cannot fathom how they know such stuff. Looking for the small rice, and had some "fun" scrambling around everywhere getting price quotes. 

And my tablet seems to be screwing up. Some China stuff seem to be working, and others seem to be relishing in bad reputation.

And I probably need to do another thought rumination process. Have to settle my priorities, and what to focus on.

After M&E Balance (totally unbalanced lor)

What a good night sleep. Actually, I woke up much earlier, but I decided to give my body the break it so greatly needs desires. It's when you let your body take over the mind, and utilise all sorts of cognitive dissonance to pacify your mind that you have the right to chill.

But do I have the right to chill? I still have another exam, and many more assignments to complete.
Work will never be complete, but this lack of "drive".. should I be unnerved by it?

Nonetheless, yesterday was a good day of enjoyment after a horrendous paper. I do hope I'll be able to attain my desired grade. I don't think it's really a far cry, although one can never be too sure - based on my 2 CAs in this semester.

It is quite refreshing to be (for lack of a better word) "partying" with a different group of friends. It's like there was some random sorting in class and we got grouped together; ok, maybe not so random since all of us were in the same course. 

Definitely I wasn't that close to most of them there, looking at who I spend time with. But there are little/random moments in class (and outside) where I did interact with them. But definitely not to party together.
It was great fun, and you get to learn a bit more about the nuances and eccentricities of each other. It is also probably a "confirmation" or refresher on who they really are.

One thing we are usually worried about is the worry of sending "negative signals" when we only invite a certain person, when you know that person is part of a clique. I think we ought to learn how to prepare ourselves against that. I believe we are mature enough to not to be too fussy when someone only invites your friend but not you? Maybe it's a sign that he/she is not that close to you enough, and if you wish to be closer... then make the move!

This semester is coming to a close soon. And the thought of taking that plane in August is .... indescribable. Trepidation, anxiety, anticipation, excitement.. it's really an amalgamation of feelings into one. 


And yes, I have to find a story about myself. End of the day, in the shower, who am I? What do I actually want? I find myself losing some interest in the many things I do, but some still do stand out... I have to explore them further?

So much for false impressions, looks like there's some wake up call on the way?

Now I know why you decide to join HOCC/Hall Dance for 2 years

"Now I know why you decide to join HOCC/Hall Dance for 2 years" - Guo Wen

Immense pride, with that feeling "I feel you bro" convulsing throughout me. And this gladness to have another person be on the same page as I (and the rest) am.

From the spectated to the spectating, it is a different experience.

If you haven't been spectated before, spectating would only mean a certain thing. There's only so much you can comprehend and understand to the statement: "They have worked so hard for this performance". But once you have gone through the experience and then sit in the audience seat would you be fully aware of what goes behind the scene. The long arduous training for that 5-10 minutes of showtime.

The blood (hopefully no literal blood) and sweat spent in the times culminating to the performance itself is a challenge by itself. But nonetheless victory is sweet, when you reached the realisation that you have conquered all those seemingly endless trainings leading to late nights unwillingly burnt and homework dreadfully left undone.

But this is not only limited to dance.

Many at times, such huge events are like stories and movies. You spend a significant amount of time and effort building up to the climax, which only spans a fraction of the total amount of time/effort spent in the entire storyline. We can read like 10 chapters of build-up before the protagonist finally faces the antagonist and engage in an epic duel that last 1-2 chapters before your page says "The End".

But this is what makes life interesting. We need not always have interesting things everyday, but we should have interesting things to work towards to. Isn't that what we look forward to in life?

Anyway good job to those who danced their hearts out today. May you taste that bittersweet liberation from dance. (Ji Inn, Guo Wen, Nisha, Daniel, Agnes, Mong, Jerald, Jun Jie, Jia Hui, Wei Ming) Probably only 1 or 2 would read this, but that's fine (: support need not be broadcasted

Succinct rants

Communication is still key in whatever we do. Misunderstandings lead to presumptions lead to unnecessary conflict and chaos.
Have been experiencing this several times these few days, or maybe I am now more aware of this problem.


Self motivation: the resilience to push on despite external pressure or lack of support/recognition. I can't find any scenario in which my resilience was pushed beyond its limits - have I been living in a comfort zone?
Why should we bother in things that people don't? Self-worth? Self-improvement? Sometimes the person you have to impress is yourself.


Inspiration. We seek inspiration from each other as extrinsic motivation: "If he/she can do it, so can I" or "I want prove to XXX that I can do YYY". When there is lack of inspiration in the relationship, that's when it can go downhill as there is nothing to keep the relationship alive. Without inspiration, there's only the mundane rambling of life, no spark of yearning or drive to get better.


I remember reading a post (I think by Sean or Jia jun) that making oneself busy actually helps improve our time management skills because time is now a scarce resource, hence we are forced to utilise time well (this comes with a price that you sometimes cannot afford to be "spontaneous"). Now that I am "free", am I spending time as I should be? Maybe I should start making some plans for the examinations. Have to attain that score that I so desire, which sadly isn't translating into action.


I have been blessed to be given this semester to "chill out". I definitely have much more advantage in terms of "pre-knowledge", but I think I am getting too arrogant. Should exploit this advantage to explore more than I could in past semesters.

Communication

1. Don't expect mind readers
2. Don't expect to mind read
3. Clarify when in doubt, but maintain respect for each other - hence no flaming
4. Repeat step 3 until you are absolutely sure

So relieved today, at the cost of realizing how misunderstanding I was.
But what you do does not necessarily show what you think.


End of the day, communication and being adaptable. You need not change who you are, but you can adapt to the situation.

Note to self

New Year Resolutions

Note to self: 

1. 30 Cheap And Amazing Date Ideas For Couples

2. Trampoline Park

3. Use less "swear" words

4. Watch my tone: speak in a less condescending tone, sometimes good intentions may be masked by bad publicity

5. End my URECA with a bang!

Shall sticky this post for constant reminder (:

Quick glance for 2013 in review

Going off for a game of basketball soon, but while I am waiting why not relieve this blogging hiatus of mine?

An eventful year, it really is; with new experiences and new friends.

Let's try to start off chronologically... as much as I can.

I met her. Someone whom I personally pledge I would love, not neglect and treasure, not spoil. I thought it would be really hard for me to get another, since I was "unwanted", and I was probably not the funny, fun-loving yet sensitive person like many others. I was the overly serious, can't-take-jokes and constantly put on a face of being owed a million dollars. I am still learning how to develop the relationship, balancing my priorities, but also maintaining my own identity - in the past I was so overly engrossed with my relationship I neglected my personal life (other than studies), it was terrible.


There was HOCC, the ultimate dance competition in NTU between all the halls. The competition was only half the story, the jubilation of finishing the routine, the satisfaction of actually remembering all the moves, and the pride of showcasing our 1 month+ long worth of effort. The other half was the commencement of a stronger relationship with the dancers. Looking back, we have understood each other better, felt more comfortable with each other and that's where the true colours appear. Some have commented how I have changed from last year, becoming more troll this year =/ It makes me wonder, how long does it take for people to truly open up.
My dancers are truly one bunch. They may not be the most compatible, they may have their own faults and their own worries. But we share and love good company. The feeling of completing something together is sometimes so immense it bonds us. However, not everyone will be bonded, but at least we feel more open to each other.


Drumming lessons and the beginning of other spin off hobbies. I probably went through another round of self actualisation and discovery. I do love music, although I am certainly not good with music. I can't sing, nor can I compose or even play music. But I have my own pattern, and my own tune, and I play my own band in my head. I pride in being able to recognise most songs that I have with me after hearing just around 5 seconds? Of course I'd reckon many others are able to do so, but I shall treat it as my own little achievement.
Nonetheless, the drumming lessons provided two .. benefits (I don't know how to call it):
1. Provided some roomie time out of the room - Discovered although we don't know anything in the world, we kind of catch things quickly and we just simply love having fun even if we don't foresee ourselves using that in the future
2. Discovered my love for music - Nope, I won't make music as my career, but I realised how fun it is to split a song into its components and listen to the various layers. Although I won't especially go out/drop my current commitments to practice music, fiddling with music is at least part of my "to-do-when-I-am-bored" list. Yep, guitar / drums let's go! 
Another hobby: Learning French. Yep, it is fun to learn a language, and more fun when you are really learning it at your own sweet pace. Of course it may not be the most efficient way or effective way to learn, and I might be probably wasting more time, but hey it's still learning no? I never know when I can use it, but learning new things is always better isn't it?


Becoming a senior. This is probably the 3rd time I had the feeling of being a senior. Firstly in my secondary school CCA, then in JC and now in uni. Becoming a senior is like this "coming of age" thing. Now that you know the system, you are used to the way things work here. And it's interesting to watch the starry-eyed juniors coming in with their fresh slate of mind. The trepidation, hesitation, nervousness, excitement and passion that usually come packaged with them is so refreshing. I have always liked to teach and share my opinions (sometimes too much haha). Furthermore, being a senior and knowing the system means things are probably done more efficiently and time is saved on having to figure out cumbersome administrative work and effort is spared on assignments that are not numerically significant - if not graded, it's ok to slack. And of course, we all learnt that nothing in university is "compulsory", unless when it comes to prerequisites for courses and grades to graduate.


Becoming more aware of my friendships - and concretizing some. I am really glad for the people around me. Not everyone might be a good friend, but I can always be a person to open to. I wish to reinforce some of the closer friendships I have, whilst opening and developing new ones. It will be tough, and it will be time consuming. This is a shoutout to the 4 other musketeers who frequent the class table with me. They have suffered from my incessant chatter, ludicrous comments and unrefined behaviour, but they are still surviving at the table and (probably) happily staying there and entertaining me nonetheless. They have a good balance of fun and study, something which I appreciate. I do take my studies a bit more seriously and I place higher importance in attending and participating in classes. There is always room for improvement, and I hope to inspire and improve all those around me. And I do hope to carry such relationships beyond university life, and integrating them with my own personal life.


Participating in new activities I wouldn't have reasonably foreseen in the past.
1. F1 pit walkabout
2. Driving into Malaysia all the way to Taman Negara
3. Building a submarine (which kinda failed but it was fun nonetheless)
4. Going Bangkok with my parents and my dancers - and learning how to be more "loose" with my wallet
5. Attending my first ever church service (and seeing someone in action)
6. Removing my metal plate from my arm (I'm no longer wolverine D: )


I am hoping to be someone more sensitive, yet still being down-to-earth and pragmatic. I still staunchly believe in pragmatism, but I see that pragmatism is not the way to go in some occasions. In fact, adaptability is a far greater and superior trait than pragmatism. We should acquire and learn as many skills as possible, so as to increase our adaptability to situations; such that when faced with a situation, we are able to increase our options. Never should we pick a decision simply because it is "impossible", but rather "I can do it but I rather do something else". For instance, we can be thrifty, but we should also learn to be able to get clothes that fit us and know which clothes are of good quality. I was the former, but never the latter. I knew how to save, but at the expense of my inadequate knowledge in fashion and dressing myself up to look good. Of course we shouldn't be spending too much on clothes, but I was unable to even make myself look good in the first place. Now I would say I know a thing or two in dressing up, but at the same time I know when to save and when not to be so stingy with the cash.
Furthermore, I want to change the way I speak. Many at times my voice do not match my intentions, and my tone might intimidate people instead of encouraging them. I have to be practical, yet not be too harsh demoralizing. I have to also not judge people on the fly, and always try to understand the root causes of certain decisions. Remember, assume the goodness in others. Even if people ask questions which I think are silly or have a rhetorical question, either I am so obvious I am trolling or I answer the question without adding any form of judgement in my reply. Don't assume that people know what you know, and don't always be trolling people, sometimes it pisses people off.

There are many things that are, and will be, new to me. Especially with the other sex. As I used to commonly quip, "Girls are mysterious creatures that men constantly try to, but fail, to understand" (hey this is my own personal quote in the past haha), I am learning how girls tick. At the same time I must decide when I should give in, and when I should affirm my stand. 

Again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those at my table: Joan, Ji Inn, Clarice and Sean for tanking my eccentricities during class.
Thank you Sean for all your insights you shared with me.
Thank you Ji Inn and Clarice for not making me feel lonely during Creative Writing class.
Thank you my readers for ... reading; it touches me to know that you read my blog, as I see it as an effort taken to understand me beyond the classroom. 
I know this seems to be so REP-ish, and so here are more kudos:
Thanks to my primary school gang for still being with me, especially my basketball gang (although they probably won't read this), for providing me with sports and tanning opportunities on Sundays
Thanks Hong Rui for just accompanying me (:

And thanks to my parents for providing me with my allowance! Haha joking, and much much much more than that.