that's the price of addiction. -.- just to update.. my maple main is now at level 78, audition still level 11.
and it doesn't help when my com can only be fixed after CNY.
28 jan
another day wasted at home.
slacking, slacking and more slacking.
just wasn't in the mood to revise things.
skipped swimming class in late afternoon cos i felt the weather wouldn't be able to hold up.
the opposite was true, though.
nighttime, my relatives drove my family to sembawang shopping centre for dinner.
the food from the foodcourt simply sucks. no question about it.
then we went to sun plaza.
shopped for another half hour before going back home.
i will be involved in service-learning (SL) project tis afternoon.
from 5-6pm.
and for the next ten weeks or so.
the programme is peer tutoring of children aged seven to 14.
location: near queenstown MRT station.
that's hell of a long journey from school.
yio chu kang >> city hall >> queenstown, abt 20 stations.
but i guess i should stop whining and just compromise.
after all, giving back to the community benefits everybody.
that is, both parties on the giving and receiving ends.
certainly, sacrificing one hour of time won't hurt.
there's math test tmr.
but who cares.
it's not even included in the final grade for the year.
tonite just study a little bit can liao.
okie.
got to make my way to queensway now.
it's already 3.45 and i have to reach by 5.
check back tmr for updates on this first service-learning trip.
till then~
those memories. 15:50
Friday, January 26, 2007
rained again on the way to school, but only a light drizzle.
thus, i didn't see the need to use the umbrella.
in fact, walking in light rain makes one feel rejuvenated for the day ahead.
today's lessons were all tutorials, which are supposed to be not as dry compared to lectures.
but i didn't really pay attention for math and geog.
maybe it's becos of the cold weather.
gp and physics required more active discussion, so i was forcefully dragged out of dreamland.
you can call this weekend blues ba.
will be quite busy tmr.
have to make a trip to the ICA to renew passport.
following that, you should know where i'm headed to.
yup. "that place".
gonna maple till late evening.
there isn't much homework for the weekend, anyway.
adding on to yesterday's post, the gp lecture in mid-afternoon was so heavy-going, i doubt anyone from the lecture group had managed to pick up new skills.
the first hour wasn't too bad, though.
cos' the lecturer was able to keep majority of the audience awake.
but the next hour, disaster.
playing a video on globalisation at two in the afternoon and expecting students to answer the questions on the worksheet given?
that is too much to ask of the students.
the timing is just not right: if students are already going to fall asleep, this would have been the perfect catalyst to that.
how can this be resolved?
put in more activities that stimulate students' thinking.
or engage students in discussions.
these should help prevent them from falling asleep too easily.
those memories. 17:09
Thursday, January 25, 2007
It's a rainy morning.
And our Econs tutor got unhappy with the class for not being prepared enough.
But something brightened up an otherwise dull day.
When I switched on one of the school computers, the wallpaper of Fahrenheit (or Fei Lun Hai in mandarin) came into full view.
Not that I'm crazy over them.
In fact, I couldn't help but feel jealous over how these four guys have the looks, charisma...
Basically, everything guys aspire to have.
They will be the special guests of their seniors S.H.E, who will be featuring in a sold-out concert this Sunday.
Which makes me wonder if there are fans who attend the concert just to have a glimpse of Fahrenheit.
But it's not likely, since Fahrenheit will be meeting up separately with their fans anyway in autograph sessions etc.
And it's because of Fahrenheit's rise that I decided to keep on with the times.
Spotted anything different on this blog?
It's for you to find out.
*hint* the recent entries from the tagboard should give you an idea of what has changed...
those memories. 15:08
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I was given a rude shock last night by my Maple sis.
She told me the 9 million mesos I initially have were gone.
Not totally, but you can't do much with 700 mesos remaining.
But I didn't blame her.
Firstly, my items and other assets remained intact, only the money flew.
Secondly, I was the willing party in letting her have access to my account.
And finally, my interest towards the game is dwindling day after day.
For now, whenever I feel the urge to Maple, I will visit "that place".
The long distance from home didn't really matter; the enjoyment did.
Like I had said before, a great platform to socialise without having to meet up face-to-face is something I always relish.
Today was another day in the office.
But a bombshell was dropped after lessons ended.
Everyone has to prepare a two-minute speech for this "Speak-EZ" thingy.
My turn is on next Wed.*edit* The presentation is on next Fri.
This can make people overcome stage fright, yes...
But it doesn't work on a minority, like myself.
I never liked presentations/speeches.
They don't suit me.
At all.
Last year's Project Work was so draining, it was a complete nightmare.
But for the sake of doing it, I shall just get this done and over with.
those memories. 17:37
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Today was another average Tuesday.
Math lecture on vectors was rather dry.
For most of the fundamentals have been covered in sec 4.
Then came along PE.
Had to run 11 laps round the track.
[ie. 2 laps warm-up, 5 laps as a group, 4 laps on your own]
By the time I got to the tenth lap, my mental strength was depleted. Totally.
But I still pushed on to complete the entire course.
With the mindset "If my peers can do it, why can't I do the same?"
And just as I'd expected, the Geog test afterwards was a disaster.
I did make use of two to three case studies for the essay, but not in detail.
So probably i won't score well this time round...
But still, I won't focus on forgettable stuffs.
One failure doesn't constitute failure for everything else.
Following that, was a sexuality education talk by Mr Larry Lee.
He brought in lots of personal experiences, for instance, how he has felt happy over the entire course of his 15-year marriage and also how he perceives himself as having a more feminine character.
That helped in lightening the mood among the guys in the lecture theatre.
(The guys and girls were separated into two different venues, for your info)
Finally, the day capped off with GP.
Little I can comment here, except the fact that I couldn't submit my news commentary on time again.
I'm fully aware that this habit of not handing in work on time will only serve to screw myself up in the future.
But somehow I seemed too reluctant to change.
Well, there are still loads of assignments for this week alone.
I'm off to get them all done right now.
Tata~
those memories. 16:41
Monday, January 22, 2007
when i took a quick glimpse at my notebook just now, i couldn't help but shudder.
there are assignments for almost every subject except physics.
and tomorrow, there's the geog test which i think i will fail badly.
not that i have low self-esteem or haven't been studying lately.
but nothing i study seems to get into my head.
went to that same old place yesterday.
to resume training of my inactive maplestory character.
for four long hours.
to be honest, i'm still in struggle now to sort my priorities right.
and playing for four hours in one stretch doesn't help matters.
my mind isn't focused, my soul isn't focused.
nothing about me is.
the quest to get out of this rut and move on continues.
but time is running out......
those memories. 15:05
Friday, January 19, 2007
another weekend looms on the horizon.
but as usual, it will probably be boring.
this week hasn't been the best of weeks.
and it all culminated in the "great GP disaster" yesterday.
there seriously isn't much to look forward to in the weeks ahead.
except study, study^2, study^3...
this chinese new year, my family is going on a trip to cameron highlands.
it might have been quite awhile since i last travelled.
but that doesn't excite me much.
for a simple reason that there'll definitely be assignments for this 3-day period.
i wouldn't want to end up having to bring my homework to complete overseas.
cuz that defeats the purpose of enjoying the rare times that you get outside your homeland...
those memories. 14:27
Thursday, January 18, 2007
i've read up so intensively on the topic of globalisation.
yet i failed to apply much of my own knowledge in the GP essay test today.
most of the content came from the lecture notes. and i didn't even have time to complete my essay plan.
damnit.
feel like killing myself.
this really shouldn't be happening.
well, it really doesn't matter if i did badly this time round.
simply have to improve in the future.
after all, peaking so early in the year isn't a good thing, is it?
somehow, i still don't feel motivated enough to study now.
there's this voice within myself that tells me there's still 10 long months to go.
so i refuse to force myself to work beyond the norm (minimum).
maybe that should change from now.
those memories. 15:21
Friday, January 12, 2007
Given the cool weather over the past few days, I'd have liked to take one or two days off to sleep at home.
But for those who know my character, you know that's never going to happen.
Currently in the middle of a 3-hour long break.
Assignments-wise, there's quite abit of stuff to be done.
Have to make the final edits to my GP group's research project.
There's also the summary on Keynesian theory for econs.
Not to exclude preparation for Maclaurin's Series tutorial for maths.
And last but not least, reading up more on globalisation issues.
Cause next thursday will be the timed-practice on that topic.
A chance to prove my potential perhaps?
The workload's just starting to increase.
And it can only get worse.
Praying hard that I can survive through the entire year.
those memories. 12:25
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Been raining non-stop from morning.
My friends also told me that I'm kinda moody today.
Whatever.
Perhaps I can get more focused when not in a good mood.
Weird logic?
Moving on to the day's happenings...
Maths lecture was okay. The lecturer injected abit of life into an otherwise uninteresting topic on probability.
The 2-hr GP lecture didn't disappoint either. The impacts of globalisation were discussed in great depth. All the arguments for and against concluding statements on the political, social impact etc. bear a great deal of relevance to what I've been reading up on for the past fortnight. Great stuff.
The letdown will have to be from none other than Physics. As in previous lectures, too many video demonstrations were used throughout, like at least four of five of such stuff. I'm aware that videos help to enhance the presentation and enable students to understand better, yes. But too much of them may have the opposite effects. For the time spent in waiting for the video to load, at least one or two more slides could have been covered.
PE lesson coming right after this, in 5 mins.
More cardiovascular (not sure of spelling) activities ahead, plus some running as well.
those memories. 16:10
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Another gloomy Tuesday.
Another normal day in school.
Revision has gone into full swing. For me, at least.
For the first time I've actually started studying past year's notes.
But that's just short of making own notes.
Plain laziness.
The hangover from losing touch with my computer has sort of evaporated ever since school resumed.
Realised the importance of staying focused.
Full-time Mapler? Not anymore.
Had quarrelled with my parents last night over phone bill debts. Again.
Hai.
This month's bill will almost certainly hit $80++.
Once again, that's due to my lack of self-discipline.
But I will make sure that from this month onwards, my bill will never overshoot again.
Not even by ONE cent.
My parents won't believe this, though.
I've been making this promise month after month.
Yet the bill explosions are still occurring today.
Which makes my promise kinda hollow -_-
Therefore, I'm determined to start saving up from now.
Implications - Some things can wait.
No more LAN gaming, buying of luxuries and other stuff I deem unnecessary.
Expenditure for canteen food will decrease gradually from $4 to $3 a day.
More money-saving measures will be self-implemented within the next few weeks.
those memories. 14:54
Friday, January 05, 2007
Realised that it was high time to give my blog a more organised look.
So there you go.
But there are still areas of imperfection.
Apologies to those readers who had experienced problems like the browser being forced to close.
That's due to the background music, and I'm still trying hard to rectify the problem.
Meanwhile, hope everyone can continue following up on my life stories.
Got to go for class, so that's all for now.
those memories. 14:39
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Over the past week, I've been following up on issues which could be linked to globalisation, and also read a book about the very same topic.
The book's titled "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century" by Thomas L. Friedman. In my opinion, it was truly an in-depth journey into the rapid pace at which globalisation is spreading its reach, particularly within developing countries. And mentioned just as aptly were the implications this process may have on different groups of people and organisations, such as transnational companies, governments and NGOs, apart from the effects felt by individuals.
Therefore, there was a feeling of anticipation within myself before today's GP lecture, which also covered globalisation.
Well, it wasn't to be. The first hour was just the lecturer going on and on (like there's no end) about the ground rules, expectations and tips to score well in GP. The next hour was just as dry. The content involved was more or less similar to what has been covered in the Geography syllabus last year, like the WTO, IMF and WB, except that more details were provided in terms of background information this time round.
Still, at the end of the day, the perspectives offered for and against globalisation by two different subjects has to be appreciated and considered. The scope covers not just the socio-economic aspect, it also involves many other elements such as the political front (policies to open up to free trade), environmental front (the cost of health hazards posed by excessive pollutants from factories and car exhaust to society) and social front (income disparity, contrast in the degree of improvement in standards of living between skilled and unskilled labour).
Some students my age or younger would argue that all the talk about globalisation bears little or no significance to themselves. But remember - students of the present will be the ones contributing to the society in a decade. And by then, the rat race will only have become more intense and cut-throat.
Which is why I can't over-emphasise the importance of being aware of the fact that the space-time shrinkage will not only bring the world closer and more connected, it will also bring about increased competition as transnational companies continue to expand their reach across the world.
Everyone must start upgrading himself/herself now to face the challenges these foreign-owned organisations may pose in the future, to match up to their talents and not fall behind in the rat race. And the first step towards that is to read widely and know what's happening around you. Certainly, being an apathetic and ignorant citizen doesn't help in the long run, does it?
those memories. 15:19
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
26 Dec 2006 - Taiwan earthquake disrupts Internet services around the world.
30 Dec 2006 - Execution of Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq.
31 Dec 2006 - Bomb attacks over 9 areas in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 3.
These events have something in common: they are all relevant to globalisation. It may seem abstract to you, but let me explain why.
Firstly, the Taiwan quake had exposed a vulnerability in the form of increasing reliance on technology. Undersea cables, which are the carriers of "packets" transmitted from one place to another, are like highways connecting one major road to another. The quake damaged many of these cables at one time, resulting in congestion in Internet traffic which might need two to three weeks to be completely resolved. Unfortunately, there isn't any alternative to these cables (for now) in connecting one country with the rest of the world. The quake might be a once-in-100 year event, but the aftereffects brought about by it to the community cannot be underestimated.
Secondly, the manner in which the execution of Saddam Hussein was carried out had once again placed the spotlight on the issue of capital punishment. The prosecutors' case which led to Saddam's hanging remained debatable, especially among human rights groups. One point to note is that even allies of the United States, like Australia and Britain, came out to speak against and denounce the execution. Though some countries still enforce the death penalty (eg. Singapore), the rest of the world will almost certainly bear less tolerance towards applying this form of punishment as the pace of globalisation swiftens and societies develop towards moderation.
Finally, the bomb attacks in Thailand was yet another show of terrorism, which came about as soon as globalisation began. Preventive measures like increased security have apparently not worked to a large extent, as globalisation allows terrorist cells from various countries to co-ordinate more easily and quickly. They have also become more sophisticated, no thanks to technology, that it has become increasingly difficult to monitor and destroy these cells. You'd ask whether if there is any real solution in combating terrorism. Sadly, the measures taken in combating terrorism have been unsuccessful to a large extent. Governments should therefore no longer keep to themselves. They must work together and devise an even more comprehensive web of intelligence-sharing than present in order to prevent might-be terrorists from continuing to take advantage of the increased globalisation to co-ordinate and execute further attacks.
those memories. 13:31
