We both know what this means =)Wednesday, August 29
It's remarkable how quickly times passes. A few more weeks till the mid term holidays and exams. But what is time to you? How do you allocate time to do what is necessary? And the add ons? The fringes? How do you even prioritize matters? The unstructuredly structured timetable feels alien to me. In previous education systems I most certainly wouldn't be blogging at this time of the day. But here the activities are random; each week is unlikely to be similar to the last. I'm not sure if I welcome the irregularity, but at least I'm coping, though I've backlogged a bit.
Also, I am suspicious of my intuition. It has been failing me for the past few months. I'm not saying that I want all my intuitions to be proven correct, because that would be horrendous. Take the predictions for my A level results as an example. Perhaps it's just my confidence and optimism that create a feel good feeling that translates into a semi mirage in the brain. I didn't make the choir team although I was almost sure I would get in. It was a tad disappointing but the AIESEC membership was a delightful surprise. Ah, the joy at getting something unexpected.
Speaking about unexpectedness, Grace and I went to the zoo on Sunday. It was totally unplanned. We were up at 2 am deciding, or it was only me contemplating, whether to choose a relaxing movie in the cinema or a full length animal documentary where we have to brave the rain, sun and the smells. In the end, the journey all the way to Mandai Lake Road was well worth it. So currently the stats stand at 4 trips to the zoo in 3 years; try beating that!
*
I'm unsatisfied. Shouldn't it be better? We just stopped trying.
Also, I am suspicious of my intuition. It has been failing me for the past few months. I'm not saying that I want all my intuitions to be proven correct, because that would be horrendous. Take the predictions for my A level results as an example. Perhaps it's just my confidence and optimism that create a feel good feeling that translates into a semi mirage in the brain. I didn't make the choir team although I was almost sure I would get in. It was a tad disappointing but the AIESEC membership was a delightful surprise. Ah, the joy at getting something unexpected.
Speaking about unexpectedness, Grace and I went to the zoo on Sunday. It was totally unplanned. We were up at 2 am deciding, or it was only me contemplating, whether to choose a relaxing movie in the cinema or a full length animal documentary where we have to brave the rain, sun and the smells. In the end, the journey all the way to Mandai Lake Road was well worth it. So currently the stats stand at 4 trips to the zoo in 3 years; try beating that!
*
I'm unsatisfied. Shouldn't it be better? We just stopped trying.
Wednesday, August 22
It's the second week of the first sem and things are starting to pick up and settle in. I for one still dread the early morning lecture on Monday, but I've gotten used to prowling the streets of NUS at 9 pm after lecture or jogging as one of the last A1 buses ply past.
Uni isn't very different from JC. I expected a revolutionalized education system. Suffice to say that the only differences are the non enforcement of rules and the option to crash lectures, and eat while listening to the prof... Well, maybe it's a liberated education system after all. What is it? Be the best you can be?
So, heeding NUS's advice I went for an industrial visit to PCS, a choir audition and an interview this week. I really wanted to like Jurong Island. I wanted to fall in love with the steel pipes and people in orange overalls and spherical containers. But the place was almost a no man's land. And they have only one eatery. How can Singaporeans thrive on a location that doesn't have a shopping mall, I wonder.
The choir audition was a little more interesting. Apparently 60% of choir is made up of Malaysians! It's a high commitment CCA. Again I wonder if I am ready for that, assuming I receive good news tommorow morning. =D I sang "If We Hold On Together" and the panel looked mildly satisfied. Then it was the horrible scales section where I was supposed to sing after a few piano notes were played. I suspect I'm tone deaf. Everything out of my mouth seemed to have the same pitch. Nevertheless *fingers crossed*.
Not something I'm optimistic about -the AIESEC interview. The questions asked were simply mind numbing. "Tell us an instance when you gave up a long term goal for a short term goal". Argh. I racked my refrigerated memory for an answer and came up with a lame one about givng up UK for NUS. I think the idea was relevant, it was the way I presented my reply that was less than satisfactory. Then there were more questions about team work, like "Have you ever been in a situation where teammate A and teammate B aren't on talking terms? And what did you do to rectify the situation?" Hm, I have always been lucky to have co-operative teammates and I wasn't quick enough on my toes to create a scenario. And then there was the funny part where I was required to sell a pen to them in a minute. Haha. I stoned for a while and said "This pen has been proven to be able to write as long as 10000 km... is comfortable... bla bla. I personally have used 10 of them." Geez. On hindsight, if the pen can write 10,000km worth of words, why would I even need to use 10?
Not smart, Joleen. Not smart. =( For what it's worth, at least I have another interview experience.
Now, to happier news. Hehe Fatty and I ransacked NTUC for salad ingredients, and on Sunday we made...
Super Salad!
The chefs =)
Uni isn't very different from JC. I expected a revolutionalized education system. Suffice to say that the only differences are the non enforcement of rules and the option to crash lectures, and eat while listening to the prof... Well, maybe it's a liberated education system after all. What is it? Be the best you can be?
So, heeding NUS's advice I went for an industrial visit to PCS, a choir audition and an interview this week. I really wanted to like Jurong Island. I wanted to fall in love with the steel pipes and people in orange overalls and spherical containers. But the place was almost a no man's land. And they have only one eatery. How can Singaporeans thrive on a location that doesn't have a shopping mall, I wonder.
The choir audition was a little more interesting. Apparently 60% of choir is made up of Malaysians! It's a high commitment CCA. Again I wonder if I am ready for that, assuming I receive good news tommorow morning. =D I sang "If We Hold On Together" and the panel looked mildly satisfied. Then it was the horrible scales section where I was supposed to sing after a few piano notes were played. I suspect I'm tone deaf. Everything out of my mouth seemed to have the same pitch. Nevertheless *fingers crossed*.
Not something I'm optimistic about -the AIESEC interview. The questions asked were simply mind numbing. "Tell us an instance when you gave up a long term goal for a short term goal". Argh. I racked my refrigerated memory for an answer and came up with a lame one about givng up UK for NUS. I think the idea was relevant, it was the way I presented my reply that was less than satisfactory. Then there were more questions about team work, like "Have you ever been in a situation where teammate A and teammate B aren't on talking terms? And what did you do to rectify the situation?" Hm, I have always been lucky to have co-operative teammates and I wasn't quick enough on my toes to create a scenario. And then there was the funny part where I was required to sell a pen to them in a minute. Haha. I stoned for a while and said "This pen has been proven to be able to write as long as 10000 km... is comfortable... bla bla. I personally have used 10 of them." Geez. On hindsight, if the pen can write 10,000km worth of words, why would I even need to use 10?
Not smart, Joleen. Not smart. =( For what it's worth, at least I have another interview experience.
Now, to happier news. Hehe Fatty and I ransacked NTUC for salad ingredients, and on Sunday we made...
Super Salad!
The chefs =)It was superb. And it did a great deal warming our hearts. Fatty's a rock. He suddenly appeared at the CFA where I was having the audition and went with me all the way to SR19 for the interview. Sweet.
Plus, Grace is here again! I bought a Little Miss t-shirt for her. I'm Little Miss Contrary and she's Little Miss Chatterbox. Too bad they didn't have Little Miss Stubborn in vintage.
Additional plus, my financial worries are over. There's no need to fork out $1200 for accommodation, many thanks to ASEAN.
I could get use to these.
Plus, Grace is here again! I bought a Little Miss t-shirt for her. I'm Little Miss Contrary and she's Little Miss Chatterbox. Too bad they didn't have Little Miss Stubborn in vintage.
Additional plus, my financial worries are over. There's no need to fork out $1200 for accommodation, many thanks to ASEAN.
I could get use to these.
Friday, August 17
Thursday, August 9
Hello!
This is me, in my funny shaped room, typing my first post as a uni student. I'm old!
Things have been pretty good, especially since Grace came over for a few nights. She's super creative. I now have another Patrick, courtesy of her.
Meet... Patrick on steroids. Hehe... Hence his larger fore limbs. But he's adorable all the same, and retains the flexibility that is the trait of ALL Patricks.
I wanted to write a post to summarize my holidays. It dawned upon me, and many other friends, that the longest holiday of perhaps our entire life is over. Was it well spent? What have I gained? My life didn't change notably, but it was certainly enhanced by a few events. Meeting up with friends, teaching, a few trips, and most importantly, finding a rusty friendship that could use a little polish to shine like the brightest jewel.
But on Tuesday I had the biggest scare of my life. Fatty initiated something out of the blue. I always thought that I had the baton, I control the race, I have the prerogative. But he was tired. And the dam of emotions was released. I traversed the entire uni, looking for him, feeling more anxious as each call to him met a dead end. Yet all along I had the confidence that it was not the end. It could not be the end. I would not let it end.
I'm just glad.
*toast* to a great uni life. I need to believe that nothing is impossible.
This is me, in my funny shaped room, typing my first post as a uni student. I'm old!
Things have been pretty good, especially since Grace came over for a few nights. She's super creative. I now have another Patrick, courtesy of her.
Meet... Patrick on steroids. Hehe... Hence his larger fore limbs. But he's adorable all the same, and retains the flexibility that is the trait of ALL Patricks.
I wanted to write a post to summarize my holidays. It dawned upon me, and many other friends, that the longest holiday of perhaps our entire life is over. Was it well spent? What have I gained? My life didn't change notably, but it was certainly enhanced by a few events. Meeting up with friends, teaching, a few trips, and most importantly, finding a rusty friendship that could use a little polish to shine like the brightest jewel.
But on Tuesday I had the biggest scare of my life. Fatty initiated something out of the blue. I always thought that I had the baton, I control the race, I have the prerogative. But he was tired. And the dam of emotions was released. I traversed the entire uni, looking for him, feeling more anxious as each call to him met a dead end. Yet all along I had the confidence that it was not the end. It could not be the end. I would not let it end.
I'm just glad.
*toast* to a great uni life. I need to believe that nothing is impossible.
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