Accurate Post is Accurate

1. Am I excited for the new semester?

2. Am I thrilled that the summer holidays are (nearly) over?

3. Am I happy to go back to the University?

NDP 2012

Happy 47th Birthday, Singapore!

You know that something is done right when you still get that warm and fuzzy feeling after watching the parade. Or maybe, I'm just emotional.

Another Bronze

Singapore has won another bronze medal, this time in the women's Table Tennis team event!

This was the goal and the team has achieved it! Congratulations!

This is the first time I heard Singapore supporters at the venue being so vocal. This is also the first time that such a large group is present. The resulting feeling is quite heartwarming and of course, there's pride.

I love the way the crowds react and cheer, quite loudly, for their home teams. I love the way some of them go the extra mile to wear crazy hats, paint their faces and drape the nation flags around their shoulders. It is this sense of national pride that binds the people together. The cheers and groans are part of the charm in sporting events.

Perhaps, with time, more Singaporeans will be willing to go out there and support Singapore's athletes in that loud and boisterous way. Asians are so reserved, aren't they?

The Olympic Spirit

Only 1 week to go before the new semester starts. Like I said before, basically, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In other news, Singapore has won a bronze medal in the Olympics! It may not seemed that significant as compared to the feats achieved by other nations' athletes but it's still an occasion to cheer because this is only the second time a Singapore athlete won a medal in a singles event. Furthermore, it's after a 52 years drought.

Thank you, Feng Tianwei, for achieving this for Singapore! 

I'm not even going to comment on how some petty Singaporeans are questioning her "nationality" and other rot. I reckon this is what people call armchair cynicism. The question is not what the country has done for you but what have YOU done for the country.

When was the last time you did something to make the country proud of you? When was the last time you bring hundreds/thousands of people to their feet and inspire them? It's pathetic how this "jealousy" is so prevalent in today's society.

I'm not sporty. But, I can appreciate an athlete's hard work and dedication. I admire them in the way they achieve their goals and more.

If there's to be something relevant to take away from the Olympics, it is that it is a good time for self-reflection.

Many of these athletes are in their teens to the late 20s. Where was you when you were 18 years old, when some have walked the Olympic Stadium and won their first gold? Where do you think you will be when you reach 25 years, when some are already retiring from their long yet successful career?

For some of these athletes, they are considered legends by their countries, mere humans like us can only hope to get a taste of it.

Lovely July

Today is the last day of July, a bittersweet ending.

August will herald in the new semester where I'll be a Year 2 undergraduate. Am I ready? Not in a million years.

So, in this entry, I shall bid adieu to July, a very lovely month, where the Olympics is taking place and I am fortunate enough to catch lots of events on television.

Olympics on Holidays

I love the Olympics. I love holidays.
Therefore, to be able to catch so much action of the Games for the first time ever is like a dream come true. I'm free to do what I like whenever I want. It's really fortunate that I get to stop working during this period too.

Alas, dark clouds are looming on the horizon, for the day the Olympic Games end in London is the last day of my summer holidays. It's so apt, isn't it?

But for now, I intent to cherish whatever little time I've left to make merry and be happy.

London Olympics Opening Ceremony

Breath-taking. Magnificent. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Spectacular.

All those adjectives above describes what the London Olympics Opening Ceremony is like. It's truly a wonderful tribute to all things British - from the sprawling countrysides to the Industrial Revolution to the swinging sixties to beloved British fictional characters. It is a gigantic party!

This is a ceremony that showcases and celebrates the beauties of London, its rich history and culture, at the same time, incorporating the British sense of humour. The country has contributed so much to the various industries.

Film director Danny Boyle deserves a salute for orchestrating the whole event -Isle of Wonder. This ceremony is really incomparable because it was just a league of its own. Who else has a parachuting "Queen"?

I especially love the segment that features Queen Elizabeth 2 with James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. "Good evening, Mr Bond". She is truly a great sport! I enjoyed Rowan Atkinson's cameo as Mr Bean as well.

The formation of the Olympic Rings with "red, hot iron" is exceptionally memorable as with the lighting of the cauldron. It was a break from tradition with 7 young athletes lighting the flame at the same time.

I'm not a British subject but I did get that warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the success of the opening.

I love reading the tweets from Britons themselves because they are true testimonies of how proud they are.Yes, there may be complaints, grouses and unhappiness, but I think, when the Games are truly underway, it is the time to stand together as a nation and celebrate this glorious moment. Be proud of how far the nation has come and what it has achieve.

Happy Olympics Day

Happy Olympics Day!

Only 4 more hours to go before the London Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012 opens with a bang!

One Day to London 2012

Only 1 day left to the London Olympics 2012! I've waited 4 years for this and I've been anticipating it since April.
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It may be weird for someone who live such a sedentary lifestyle to have such enthusiam for the greatest sporting event, but hey, that's that. I've always been interested in high-profile events since I was young; entertainment events, sporting events, you name it. Perhaps, I know that it is nigh to impossible for me to go to these events that makes me longed them even more. One day, I tell myself, I will go to Comic-Con and the Olympics, amongst other things.
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I'm always excited for the Games but this time more so than ever, because it's held in London, UK. I can be considered an Anglophile. I love the British culture and (some) traditions. I love its long line of talented authors and actors. I like its long history and monarchy. I especially love the accent! Besides, London is one of my favourite cities in the world, and I look forward to the day I get to take a vacation there.
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The opening ceremony takes place at 4.00am (Singapore Time) on Saturday. As much as I'd like to watch this direct telecast, I love my sleep more than anything and I've to go work. I can only contend myself with watching the encore at 6.00pm.
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I can't wait to see what surprises Danny Boyle has in store for viewers. Despite leaks from the ceremony, nothing beats watching it in entirety to fully experience the grandeur and magnificence.

Master in Procrastination

This is the last week of July and I'll miss the summer holidays. I've approximately 2 weeks of holidays left and I intend, must, make the most out of it.

 I still have tasks left undone after putting them off for so long. What can I say, except that I'm a master procrastinator. To be honest, this word does not exist in my dictionary because I think everyone procrastinate from time to time. After all, tomorrow is such a beautiful word.

My lovely, carefree summer days will soon be replaced by stormy seas and chilly Autumn winds. Sometimes, I asked myself whether going to the University is such a chore and I often found it to be true. But, I wouldn't trade it for anything else, well, maybe for happy times.

I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, that's all.

It's Rather Fine

The year 2012 is shaping out to be a rather nice year, isn't it? Studies aside, 2012 is a year filled with promises and exciting events.

Of course, Sherlock series 2 premiered in the UK in January, and I managed to watch them all. The London Olympics is just around the corner and while I'm always interested in the Games, this time round it is a larger dosage of anticipation. This is probably due to it being held in London, one of my favourite cities, with the additional love for it from British TV influence.

Near to the end of the year, there'll be two hugely anticipated movies - Breaking Dawn Part 2 and The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey.

I'm more drummed up over The Hobbit, naturally. The leading character (Bilbo Baggins) is played by Martin Freeman, an exceptional actor and the John Watson to BBC's Sherlock. My love for The Hobbit has increased and became more "personal", because the actors from Sherlock co-starred in the production as well. How can I be expected to just look on with detached interest?

A note to myself, I've to go to the annual Comic-con one of these years. The temptation is just too great and I feel that I'm losing out so much of the awesome stuff that is happening in the entertainment industry. This year's convention is obviously marvellous since I've so much interest in the movie offerings. Gods, I've missed out...

Pay Rise

I'm getting a pay rise starting from August. It's actually not a lot, but any increment is better than none at all.

I'm currently getting $5.50/hour and it shall be increased to $5.80/hour. I was thinking along the lines of $6.00, to be honest. Oh well. It just means that I'll have slightly more cash to save and maybe, spend.

Anyway, by August, what with the new semester starting, I'll be back to working for 2 days in a week.

Time in a Bottle

Why?!

If only Time can slow down.

The arrival of July means it's nearly time for August and then I'll be back in classes, again. The problem is I've grown too use to all carefree and decadent days.

Everything is Sherlock

and everything hurts...

Pardon me for all the Sherlock "feels". It's extremely intense today seeing as I was completely caught by surprise when I realised that Sherlock series 1 premieres in Singapore tonight.

This is the moment I've been waiting for since I got hooked on the TV show. Finally, this glorious moment arrives in Singapore, after nearly 2 years since it debuted in the UK and nearly 1 year since I first watched it. I must say, I'm terribly pleased I discovered it way before it became so cool.

Sherlock is a testemony of how beautiful TV can be if effort is put in. It is a high quality show celebrating the brilliant minds of the crew and the fine acting of the best calibre of British actors. This is a TV series that showcases British style and identity and contains an element of charm missing in mainstream TV nowadays. It pays tribute to one of the finest authors (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) and yet manages to weave in enough originality to make this show an absolute treat.

And so it shall be, tonight, at 11pm, I will rewatch this lovely series again, even though I've rewatched A Study in Pink over and over again.

End of June

Le sigh. It's now the end of June and I'm dreading going back to the University. It is as in these time of fun and decadence, I've forgotten what it is like being an undergraduate.

This June, I've been clocking more hours than it is healthy (for me) in the workplace. Well, I need and want the extra cash where possible. I have to seize the oppotunity to earn more money so that I can have an easier time when it is needed.

I'm not saying I hate the job. Oh, how the mighty has fallen. I just dislike spending my precious holidays on work when I can do better things.

Fun

Yesterday was fun. It has been ages since we went out together and just have fun. Even though I can't change my phone yet (have to wait till September!), it was still a good day.

I got another Angry Birds plush toy - an orange bird! We had ice-cream at Cold Stone and my brothers got to upgrade their phones to an iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy W. Oh well, it's only another 3 more months for me and I am thinking of getting the S3 or S2. We shall see when the time comes.

I finally stepped inside H&M for the first time since its opening, although I didn't get anything from there.

Time is a-wasting

I'm a little guilty and ashamed to be wasting my time during this holiday but hey, this is probably the only chance I'm getting.

June is almost coming to an end and it's really a pity I didn't put in enough effort to maintain this blog or do anything remotely constructive. At the very least, I've a part-time job.

I kind of dread July because it means that my happy time will be ending soon. I really dread going back to the lather, rinse, repeat procedure of University life.

Volunteering

On Saturday, I volunteered my service to an old folks' home in a joint effort to beautify the place. The project is conducted by the volunteering committee from the University.

A few months ago, I made a decision to do some volunteer work and I did. Once I made up my mind, I don't expect to retract it. It doesn't matter much if I went alone, of course, I did wish that I've friends whom I can chat with. But, you can't always be together with your friends and you can't hold back what you want to do because you don't have friends around. I believed that one cannot expect to work around the schedules of others all the time.

It was a one-off project so there is less of a commitment for me.

By the middle of the day, I was all worn out from the stencilling and painting. In words, it seemed so easy since it was only painting. Well, let me tell you, it is not just painting. It is squatting down and painting around the designs stencilled on the bottom half of the walls. There's also the lining the tiles and windows with masking tape and newspapers and white-washing the walls. My legs had gone all wobbly at the end and I can hardly walk up or down the stairs without experiencing sharp bursts of pain. My back hurts too.

Yes, I could have sat down and paint and I did, occasionally. It's just that the floor is lined with newspapers with splotches of paint on them. Besides, one always have to haunch the back to fill in the paint nicely.

Overall, it was a good enough experience even though it was tougher than I thought. There is a good chance that I will do it again next year so that it could be more consistent.

I've my own motives for wanting to do volunteer work and it's not all that innocent about merely wanting to help the less fortunate. I need something to boost myself with.

Good Omens book review

Once every while, one will have the good fortune to find hidden gems amidst the mountains of books published and available in the market each year. When you do, sit back, relax with a cuppa and while your time away with the good read.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is one such gem. It has been published for more than a decade and in terms of picking it up, I'm late in every sense. However, I can take heart that an adaptation for a television series is coming up in 2013.

I caught wind of it when I was reading Sherlock fanfiction and chanced upon Sherlock/Good Omens crossovers. These fanfictions are truly lovely featuring the Sherlock characters as angels/devils on Earth. Hence, I now have to track down this "elusive" novel. I placed a reservation in the library and voila!

The novel is an absolute treat and deliciously witty. It is exactly my cup of tea when it comes to books - a hint of sarcasm and wit with lots of brilliant ideas. I find myself bursting into laughter at the 'ridiculous' stuff made up by the very human-boy Antichrist - tunnelling Tibetans, Atlantians with diving gear and raining fish creatures.

Good Omens is described as a quasi-parody and touched on topics such as the Apocalypse, angels, demons, Good, Evil, Heaven, Hell and witchcraft. I'm not particularly religious so it's perfectly fine for me to read such things written in such a light-hearted manner. But, I can imagine some (overzealous) people being touchy over it.

I highly recommend it to those who appreciate witty dialogue and comical characters.

Grades for Semester 1.2

I don't have Cs. I've just got one (for now). And it is enough to last a lifetime. That's a bad example of using Sherlock's quotes, isn't it?

The results for Semester 2 came in today and while I've always been rather calm since the end of the examinations, I must admit that I'm disappointed at getting a C for Methods in Geography. Does that mean that my final exam is really that bad? Maybe I was pulled down by the B- I got for the project.

Regardless of what, I don't want to speculate too much or get too affected by it. Cest la vie. Sometimes, you can't always get what you wanted.

For Water and the Environment, I received a B. The 60% of projects really helped a lot. For Lifespan Development, it was a B-, slightly shocking because I thought I will do better. For Southeast Asia studies, I received a B+, quite expected, seeing as I was the most confident for that exam.

That concludes one year of studies in University. Seeing the results bought a relevation for me, I realise my standards are at the level-1000 modules. Perhaps as this is my first time ever taking level-2000 modules, I did not know what to expect or overestimated my limits. I will buck up when the year 2 comes along. There shall be no more slacking off unnecessarily.