Grades for Semester 2.1

This may be a little late but I figured there's no better time to write an entry like the present. 

My results have improved a little since last semester which makes me really happy. At least there's no Cs and what's more, I've a A-! 

I can hardly believe that for that accursed module, American Power, I actually received an A-. I must have either done very well for the final examination or the cohort standard has decreased. 

For my other 3 Geography modules, I received B+, B and B-, bringing my overall CAP to 3.58. It's a slight improvement from the previous 3.50. 

For semester 2.1, I sought to work harder, put in more effort in my studies by cutting down time spent on Tumblr and fanfiction. I'm glad it works out. 

Thus, as a New Year resolution, in this upcoming semester 2.2, I shall put in greater effort as well. I want to maintain my grades, at least achieving Bs for all modules. I want to start reading the readings and do revision early. Is it too much to ask for? 

Anyway, in the last remaining days of my holiday, I shall relax and enjoy as much as I can. Then, when the term starts, it's time to get serious. 

Reading Week

Finally, it's reading week! The break where mostly everyone will be mugging/studying for the final exams.

No matter my grades, I'm glad to say that for the first time since I went into the University, I've not felt lonely. This semester has been so much better than the last two. I'm glad to have friends for the "first time".

This year is about to end and I've fallen so much behind in terms of blogging. Oh well, I'll buck up for December when I will go to Europe. Only 18 more days now!

Less Than a Month

Thank goodness it's April. It means that in less than a month time, I will be enjoying my first "summer holiday". I can almost taste the freedom. I gave myself a week of hiatus to have fun online before the tough job of preparing for the finals. Sigh, examinations. I abhorred exams.

In a month time, I will be celebrating my 21st birthday which is not exactly a big deal in Singapore.

Well, technically, you are an adult and sure, you will be eligible to vote. But mentally, I am not and don't relish being one. There's nothing great about being an adult other than the fact that you can book a hotel and tours. I can officially go on holiday trips on my own but as if I could do so.

I do know what I want as my present though. I am going to buy more charms for my Pandora bracelet after waiting for a year.

I won't be holding the 'obligatory' birthday party because it is not my kind of thing. I will probably regret it when I am older but hey, why do something you don't feel comfortable with? It's not as if I have lots of friends I can invite anyway. It's sad but true.

For now, I just want to get the finals over and done with and get ready to welcome May (and the holidays) with open arms. I have so many plans for the holidays. It's just too bad that I won't be able to go overseas. Please, let there be a miracle.

Brain Mush

My brains is becoming mush after the sudden switch in activities. For a couple of weeks, I was preparing exams like crazy, using lots of mind power and then, when the exams ended, it was like the button inside my head was in a switch-off mode.

Of course, I took fully advantage in "wasting" my time because when else will I get the chance?

I realised I have been neglecting my blog this year and I am not exactly satisfied with myself and the way everything is going. Sigh, maybe I am just not in the mood for anything. Maybe, I am jaded about Life in general. Seriously, even Christmas seems "off" this year. I can't really feel any excitement or the spirit I have been looking forward to. Maybe, I am getting old.

Another year is about to come to a close and like every past year, I will lament the ending and am not looking forward to another new year. Why must all the good holidays happen within a couple of months? It makes the rest of the year so drab and dull.

Trip to Macau/China 2011 Part 3

20th June:

It's the most relaxing day in the entire tour as it was supposed to be free and easy shopping. Morning call was later than usual and we went down for the dim sum breakfast again.

After that, it's time to head over to One Link Centre where shops sell their stuff in bulk. You can find almost everything here, ranging from deco for homes to knick-knacks. I assumed this is the place where vendors would frequent to buy whatever they want in bulk and then go back to their own country to sell.

My uncle and aunties were there to bring in the stocks for their year-end gifts, whilst the rest of us were just shopping for leisure sake. I managed to buy a photo frame and a jewellery box.

Lunch was settled at the extremely crowded KFC. Eating fast-food in China is really worth it, I must say. That box of 5 nuggets costs only S$1+ after conversion. My family of 5 only paid S$10+ to settle lunch. Tell me that is not cheap. It would have cost three times the cost to eat the same in Singapore.

It was off to more shopping at wholesale markets. If I ever open a shop of my own, Guangzhou will be a sure place to go for buying wholesale products. They have entire shopping malls dedicated to selling leather bags and clothes.

We had dinner in one of the live seafood restaurants where you choose whatever seafood you want and bring it up to the restaurant for cooking.

The place is stinky and fishy with lots of loud, boisterous Chinese men who smoked till no end and ordered tons of seafood. We were like the odd ones in there. Seriously. Most of the tables are occupied by people described above.

There wasn't a lot of dishes and the whole atmosphere was just too smoky and disgusting to stay for long. I thought this meal will not cost us that much because my uncle said his colleagues recommended this place and said it was cheap.

Imagine my horror when my father told me we had to pay S$200+ to my uncle who paid first. I think the the overall bill was S$500 ++. Holy crap! The meal was OK at best and we can eat better here in Singapore with that amount of money. It wasn't worth it, no sir, not in that kind of environment and mediocre dishes. Perhaps it was due to those abalones...

21st June:

Woke up early and checked out without having breakfast. We have a flight to catch. We went to the airport first before finding out a place to eat.

The airport is big but there aren't many shops and there is no directory. Furthermore, our schedule was tight. Tiger Airways is cramped and small like JetStar, except the width of the seats are bigger, but there is absolutely no extra space for legroom. Taller guys like my brother and cousin must have it tough.

We were delayed for nearly an hour. The flight home was alright, however, not as smooth as the flight there. We touched down at Budget Terminal and there was no jetway (loading bridge) for us! We had to walk directly down the steps of the plane, and it was fun pretending to be important people getting off their private jets.

Budget Terminal as its name suggests is 100% budget. Amenities aren't as good as Changi Airport and even the service isn't up to par. The terminal itself isn't the cleanest with dirty tracks on the floor. We have to wait a long time for our luggage to load onto the belt for collection.

When all the luggage are finally collected, we went out to eat our late lunch at McDonalds. Ahh, Singapore McDonalds, how I miss thee! Nothing can quite compare to Singapore McDonalds.

Trip to Macau/China 2011 Part 1

16th June:

We arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 1 around 11am plus. Once my uncle's family and grandparents reached, we checked in at Jetstar counter and went for our lunch. My auntie's family joined us later.

This holiday is deemed "family vacation of the year", what with the whole family embarking on a journey back to Hakka hometown in China, at the same time, we are also there to visit the great-grandfather's grave.

It was a 3.5 hours flight to Macau. Since we were taking a budget aircraft, there is not much to expect. I was pleased that the flight was overall smooth and I even saw lots of rainbows (or maybe it was the same one).

The airport is a short distance away from The Venetian Macau.

Wow, the hotel is really one of the grandest and nicely-themed hotel I saw! It is grand, opulent and lavish. Unfortunately, this positive image is marred by tons of other tourists who are there for one, single purpose: casino. Furthermore, the allowance of smoking indoors really spoilt the whole experience. You have no idea what smoking indoors does to the whole place, it stinks real bad as the smoke is stuck in the circulation system.

18 years is the minimum age to enter the casino and it is located in plain sight. I walked through a casino for the first time in my life and boy was the area large and smoky.

Our suites are so lovely and golden with a curtained king-bed and a sitting area. The en-suite is the most beautiful of them all. It is completed with double sinks, a bathtub and a shower area. Too bad there is only one bed and there are 5 of us in each room. In the end, I slept on the bed with my mother and the others had to bunk on the floor and sofa.

We had our dinner at the foodcourt and went "hotel hopping" afterwards. We visited hotels like MGM and Wynn which are more pomp while others like Hotel Lisboa leans to the flashy and ostentatious side.

At night, I went to check out the casino with my father even though we didn't play. I guess what made it such a big deal is the fact that you have to be 21 years to get into one in Singapore and pay a hefty fee of S$100.

17th June:

I finally had the chance to get some souvenirs at the gift shops. They were nice, little venetian masks keychains. Other than that, there was nothing worth buying.

We took a ride to the national monument of Macau: Ruins of St Paul's. As usual, there were lots of like-minded tourists taking photos. We bought bags of Macau's goodies.

Lunch was settled at The Venetian foodcourt again and then it was time to check out.

The border between Macau and China were filled with people, mainly the Chinese, who are leaving/entering Macau.

We bought tickets for a bus ride to Guangzhou.

Checked in at Hotel Landmark Canton. On one hand, it's 2 people per room, on the other, it is such a "downgrade" from the lovely Venetian suite. But, at least, the basic amenities are met and then some.

We went to Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street where we shopped and had dinner. There is nothing much that could tempt me there. The goods sold are not exactly my tastes.

The Bad & the Worst of China

Home is where the heart is. My heart is firmly set in Singapore, my beloved country.

Only when you are away from Singapore will you truly appreciate how wonderful Singapore is.

The few days in China is enough to turn me off. I hate to say this but with all the technology advancements, majority of the people, unfortunately, is way behind in becoming "first-world".

Uncouth and inconsiderate are some choice words to describe those people I had the misfortune to brush past. They have no idea what queuing means and have apparently, too much sense of preservation.

Let's recap what we saw: naked man walking along the highway, inconsiderate driving antics, smoking like nobody business, etc.

Guangzhou is drab. The buildings are not maintained and the streets are even worse. The thing I really can't stand is them smoking indoors, in air-con places no less. I get it, they want to end their lives early, and their children's too, but please, leave our poor lungs alone.

What's the deal with smoking and eating at the same time? They must have a lot of money on their hands to keep on smoking and smoking. I have a feeling that China is going to lose a lot of its citizens due to smoking-link illnesses.

I think I have inhaled enough second-hand smoke to last me for a long, long time. I have to clear my lungs out with all those junk and impurities.

I admit that Singapore has its fair share of inconsiderate smokers, but at least, I can breathe easier in air-con places.

Motion Sickness

"Motion sickness, ugh. Suddenly, it feels like time to go home". I like this sentence, because it sums up what I am feeling every time I am going to take an airplane.

I suffer from motion sickness all the time, be it on buses, ships and worst of all, airplanes. It is like the bane of my existence, made worse when I love travelling out of the country. I hate the process of getting to a destination but I can never give up my dreams.

I think what I am most afraid of is that slow build-up of a churning stomach. The strange thing is I don't puke during airsickness. I don't mind that if it makes me feel better. But, no, I am stuck with a queasy sensation long after I have get off the plane. The next part of the journey, usually by coach, makes that worse.

I don't even want to discuss the smells coming from the packed food. It just adds on to my suffering. Therefore, it is rare that I eat on a flight or the last meal before the flight. I usually go with plain crackers, said to remedy the queasiness. I don't know how I'll survive that long trip to USA, but hey, I'll make do.

Perhaps I overthink too much. Perhaps I'm too harsh on my body. I mean, people enjoy themselves on flights, watching movies, playing games or just plain relaxing. Why is it I can't? I spend most of the journey moaning and feeling sorry for myself. Part of this is due to taking those too harsh medication which plays havoc to my body system.

Pre-vacation

I can't believe June is almost over! Seriously, this is not good.

Tomorrow, I will flying off to Macau and China with the family, all 13 of them. This is the "family trip of the year", I reckon. Particularly because we're going to visit the old Hakka hometown of our ancestor, or should I say great-grandfather.

I can only hope it will be fun, in the way fun is for me. My ideal vacation is slow-paced and relaxing, therefore this kind of trip is not exactly my cup of tea. There will plenty of shopping though. I hope to come back to Singapore with some 'catches'.

Originally, I was planning to follow up this vacation with another one, to USA. But, circumstance changes and I lament the loss of a perfect time for a perfect holiday. I try hard not to think too much about the should-bes and could-bes, as the sands of time run out.

Oh well, there's still the end of the year. But then, University would have started.

Messed Up

Oh dear, June already?! Time is moving too fast for its own good.

I'm getting that anxiety attack when I saw the calendar, my short-live freedom is going to be over soon. I keep asking myself where have the weeks gone?

The thought of the deadline in August is enough to make me shudder. For the remaining weeks, I want to get back what I have lost. I ought to spend my time better, get it for what it's worth.

When one has been idle for too long, what one fears most is to take on real tasks again. I am not quite ready to give up on my sedentary lifestyle, where I am guilty of spending too much of my time online and doing "useless" stuff.

I don't know if I can get back on track and mug for another 3 years. University isn't child's play and I don't want to disappoint. Sometimes, I wonder if only the situation is different and I can really take a long break, aka a gap year. But I don't feel like working full-time as well.

What I need is a well-deserved, long vacation in some lovely, preferably cold country for a couple of weeks. Alas, my goal for this holiday cannot be achieved and the only thing I can do is to postpone it to the end of the year.

Gods, I feel messed up. I ought to be happy but somehow, I just can't enjoy myself.

Days Leading up to May

April is coming to an end. Wow, I know I have said it many times but time sure does fly when you are on holiday.  

Today, a new semester starts in Temasek Polytechnic but of course, it is over for me. Do I miss school? I guess. A little.

May is a month fill with importanr dates. Labour Day is on 1st of May, a Sunday, which means the next day will be holiday in-lieu. Polling Day is on 7th May, a public holiday. Mothers' Day is on 8th May after which comes my birthday on 10th May. Gasp* I am hitting 2-0. I am not ready to be a "real" adult.

Vesak Day falls on the following Tuesday, 17th May and Graduation is on 24th May, another Tuesday.

So you can see, May is not a good month for work, but it's a good month to relax. As with so many holidays, there will be a need to do catch-up.

Travel the World

One of my dreams is to travel the world. Sort of.

Hopefully, I can do it once I am older and perhaps wiser. Afterall, I have plenty of years ahead to fulfil this goal. The world can't end yet!

Europe is definitely a must. It will be my goal for University graduation, in about 3 years time, if everything goes right. I don't think backpacking is my idea of fun. A tour group sounds better and maybe I can do an extension. Of course, tour groups don't cover my favourite countries in one package and it can be too demanding for my tastes.

I like the slow-pace life. So the best way to travel Europe is free and easy. However, this means that I have to travel with a couple of friends and make sure we know our way around.

Scotland is another hot favourite of mine and I have pay tribute to it in previous posts. Maldives is a great place too. Perfect for a getaway.

Like my brothers said, why go on a vacation if you are planning of saving every bit of money? To me, the point of going overseas means you are financially well-managed and can afford small comforts like flying with a better air company and staying in comfortable accommodations. I am not even talking of 5-stars luxury hotels and flying first-class.

To go on a holidays means I have to save and I will gladly do so.

Blend

There isn't much to write about these days. Life is pretty mundane and I have yet to receive an acceptance. Oh crap. I tried not to think too much into it.

Hopefully.

It's horrible how fast the time is passing. Once again, another week has past. The days are beginning to blur together. I want to get back on track but it's hard since I wake up wanting to do nothing. The joys of holidays. I've forgotten what stress taste like.

Bummer

It's the third week of the holidays and what have I been doing? Surprisingly, I did not suffer from withdrawal symptoms which arise from the transaction of "very busy" to nothing to do.

Most of the time, I just laze around, doing nothing except going online. But since the start of this week, I have to go to work 4 times a week which is a serious bummer. It's not like I like it in the first place. 2 times a week is alright. But 4 times, oh gods, I can't stand it!

I suppose I should be thankful. It's not like I have things to do at home and I get money, yay. I need to save up for a rainy day, even after I go for my vacation. Now, I need to beef up the bank account as much as possible. At least, I will have a substantial amount of savings to last through.

I have been watching a lot of satirical videos from Downfall parodies in which Hitler rants about everything under the sun to Monty Python and Not The Nine O'clock News. Now, I think I know the meaning behind the term "British humour". I adore it. It's delicious sarcasm.

Every morning after I woke up, I feel so lethargic and basically don't feel like using my brains. In time, my thinking powers will deplete. This means that I have to boost up the brain cells when University starts.

LA & North Carolina

My father was back from the States and he brought with him Ralph Lauren goodies! Oh, how wonderful! If only I was there too.
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He bought me a bag, one which I have coveted for a long time. Too bad it's the only piece left, I had another one in my mind, oh well, nevermind, I can save that for my Christmas present next time. In fact, as soon as I have the time, I will do a post on things I want to get.
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The bag was going for a huge discount, there's why he bought it. Thank god for end-season sales. -
He bought some polos from the outlet at Beverly Hills. I guess it's pretty certain that the store at Beverly Hills targets high-end customers. The clothes are not cheap at all, and all the bags are made of leather.
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It's just so lucky my father got that last piece in North Carolina.

He also got pins from Hard Rock cafe at Los Angeles and Hollywood. Sighs, now I really want to go there on top of going to Orlando.

I guess within the first few years of my career, I will take vacations as long as I can afford them. This goal means that I've to work extra hard and save. But, I think it's worth it, to do something that I like, for a change.

Perils of Holidays & Universal Studios Singapore

Alright, I am totally procrastinating. There. I finally used that word. I used to think that the word don’t apply to me and doesn’t exist in my dictionary. But, this time, I shall admit it.
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Gosh, where have the last 2 weeks gone?!
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Why must time pass so fast that I can’t catch up with it? Day after day after day, I just couldn’t bring myself to complete my tasks. Why?! Argh, the perils of holidays! Oh, the pain! Of seeing my time slipping away.
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Trust me, I am having the time of my life. But, I can’t help but to get guilty over not studying for the exams, yet. This time, though, I WILL learn my lesson and revise early. Really, I will.
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On Monday, 16th August 2010, I went on to Universal Studios Singapore located at Resort World Sentosa with my cousin’s family. It was fun indeed and has been the place I want to go since it first open. They have an extra ticket so I went with them.
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It’s too bad that it rained earlier that morning, but the weather cleared after we reached there. Wow, the place is really filled with tourists all around the world, even for a Monday. Although, I must say, the whole area looks so small compared to the bigger scaled cousins like the famous one in Orlando, Florida.
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Still, it was pretty enjoyable even though I don’t play a lot of rides. The whole atmosphere is quite fun, especially Hollywood and New York section.
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I love the shops the most. I bought quite many pins and a shirt. I could spend all day there.
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In the evening, after watching a couple of performances, we ate dinner and walked around the other parts of the resort. We saw the beautiful hotels and Festive Walk. I really want to thoroughly explore the whole place and I am in luck since my parents will be going to Universal soon. I won’t be going inside with them because the price is atrocious. I rather spend the money on something more substantial like clothes or bag.
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I can’t wait to go to Universal Studios Orlando because I know I will spend till I drop.
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On another note, I hope that we can stay for a night at one of the hotels within the resort, but I doubt so. Sigh, why must the price be so darn high? Seriously, why? Because they cater to the rich and tourists, that’s why.
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Slaving for Glory

"We slaved all this while, just for recognition and a moment of glory"

But, it is worth it.

Today, we got back our Events Management group project, and the lecturer wrote lots of remarks. What got our attention was the "good". Woah, I never thought I'll see this day. I guess it is worth the gruelling hours we put in and more.

I don't know if he write all that for the other groups, however, I felt great and alive at that moment. Finally, isn't this what we aim for? I still don't know the grade and never will. I can't only hope for an A.

His praise and attention is so hard to get and this makes everything tougher. He wrote that we should edit the report and keep a copy each as a personal proposal, to help us should we ever need it.

And here, we ended the term, more or less. Tomorrow's the last day and we shall cheer and grab the chances we have left, because the end is nigh. What we leave behind, shall never be found again.

It's too depressing for my poor mind to take. I can't think about the holiday-less future. Can you imagine it? I literally live for holidays, with them gone, what else is there to sustain me? Books? Sure, if there are good ones.

A Peek into an Incoherent Mind

Questions, questions.

Have I been thinking too much so much so that I can't even form a coherent thought in my mind now?

What prompt me to think that going back to school on holidays is a good idea in the first place?For goodness sake, I don't even feel like leaving the bed.

There could only be one bad thing about holidays and that is this: holidays with responsibilities!

Holidays in mid-term is a very bad idea. The idea of having a holiday but having to work on your projects is a torture with the capital letter T. It's a tantalising thought complete with torture devices.

I welcome holidays with open arms but this is a little bit sadistic. You get holidays but have to use the time to work on so many different projects. Is it little wonder that my brain is mush?
Update: My Muse is back, it seems. I just hope it doesn't go away too soon this time.

Alright, there are lots of thoughts swirling around now. I'm not exactly the most eloquent person around. I think a lot, and when I don't put them on paper there and then, I lost them. It gets really frustrating.

It's a good thing I'm not an aspiring author because this is a bad habit to have.

You know what? I want a beta reader to proof-read my projects. Not necessary to correct but to see whether it works and flows properly and put in their 2 cents. Hmmm, if only I dwell within the fanfiction world, since the authors are always looking for a good beta. Too bad, it's just a thought.

Movie Outing & Musings

Went for a movie with my friend who is back from the States on Friday.
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Too bad I had work or else we could have gone further places. But as it was, we just went to Causeway Point to catch Shrek Forever After in 3D at 11.50am.

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It is a fun film though I didn't catch the prequels in the theaters. The 3D effects are great!

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After the movie, we went for lunch at Crystal Jade before parting our ways because I had to go back.

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"Begin each day by telling yourself: Today, I shall be meeting with interference, ingraditude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will and self-fishness - all of them due to the offenders' ignorance of what is good or evil"

It's almost too easy to forget that I still have a daunting task in front of me whenever the holidays roll in. It is too easy to put the thought of school aside when you don't have to be physically there. Like the the old adage; out of sight, out of mind.

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I don't have to pretend and put on a false front everyday. I don't have to grit my teeth to go with the flow. Most importantly, is what I don't want to put here. If you think I am happy in school, you have another one coming.

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No, I'm not. Not for once. Perhaps only on a few occasions. Say, when the projects end and when I get back my good results.

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In the holidays, I can actually be happy for once. More so now.

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I'm thinking of starting another more personal blog post in another place. Somewhere where I can actually write what I want to say.

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That's that.

Blast of a Year

Holy Crow! I'm literally flirting with deadlines here.

It's only the second day and I'm feeling the pressure and stress that is in association with Year 3. "You are no longer in Year 2", to quote the lecturers. Well, obviously. But they expect greater things from us this time round.

If I thought Sem 2.2 was tough, honestly speaking, it seems like child play. Really. Looking back, I realised those were so much easier than what we are doing now.

2010 will pass soon enough. The tentative timetable is like this.

By July, we'll finish all projects. August will see us a one month study break/holiday due to the Youth Olympics Games. Thank goodness! First 2 weeks of September will be exams, then comes the Internship/attachment for 3 months. Around December, which will be well into Semester 3.2, the internship will end. Back to school for a couple of more subjects, then it's time to graduate.

This means that by February 2011(if I'm not wrong), everything will come to a close. Around April/May 2011, there will be a graduation ceremony, as it's happening now. Wow, to think that next year will be us. I'm going, of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

So, it's either I leave for my trip before or after the graduation ceremony.

Oh my god! This is insane! What a tight schedule to operate on! I don't think I can get myself into the mood of enjoying even my brithday.

The months and days will blend together so much so that I'll work myself up in a frenzy. As seen from the tentative dates above, technically, I'll have no holidays. So, it's just my luck that YOG is here this year and we get to have a break!

Fortunately, among this mess, there will still be simple pleasures in life. There are movie events, books release coming up that I can treat myself myself.

As for work, we'll see how that goes. I'm toeing a fine line by working and studying at the same time in such a crucial year. Where my priorities lie, of that I'm certain. Still, it'll be good if I can have cash by my side. God knows I need money for my coveted trip.

Tuesdays are going to be a bomb. I'll be leaving home early in the morning (7am) and only be back at (10pm plus). What a joke! Stupid arrangements.

I can still take it this couple of weeks, once the semester really starts, I'll have to decline any other work on other days.

This year is going to be blast. This year is the year where limits will be pushed and tested, where emotions will run high. All in all, I must get ready for an emotional rollar-coaster ride of a lifetime.

If I lose my sanity behind... prayers will be needed...