I sort of remember Siew Han telling me the title of their project some time last year, and I totally didn't understand what it meant. Now I still don't. Haha. Whatever it is, they won! Congratulations =D
I am very interested to find out how they did it. Wow.
Last Friday, I went to the Science Centre to support my sec1 cousin, Ruilin, in the FIRST Robotics Singapore competition. It was a 3-day competition and Friday was the last day. Her team, Phoenix, played 2 matches that day. In both, they weren't the top performer. But it was already an achievement to build a robot that could move. At the end of the day, Phoenix won 2 prizes, beating more senior teams, even some from JCs.
They were the youngest team of the whole competition. I overheard some members of the audience laughing at the younger participants, saying that their schools are so rich to let them take part. Jealousy at work. haha. Well, I am envious. I never took part in any Science competitions (expect one last June, which was a flop due to lack of commitment). Despite always trying to live a life with no regrets to anything I have chosen to do, this is one thing that I regret having not done - to take up an opportunity to form a team to participate in and have full commitment to a Science competition.
The Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) is a national competition organised by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Singapore Science Centre (SSC), which encourages Singapore students to engage in research. Outstanding entries will represent Singapore in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held in America .
SSEF is open to all secondary and pre-university students between 15 and 21 years of age. Participants are required to submit research projects from the Science Research Programme (SRP), Technology & Engineering Research Programme (TERP), Science Mentorship Programme (SMP) or projects done at school or cluster level. Projects cover all areas of science and engineering.
This year’s competition saw a total of 33 entries from NJC shortlisted by the organiser to enter the final judging held on 10 Mar 2006 . Congratulations to the students! [see ‘NJC Shortlist’ for namelist]
After the final judging on 10 Mar, which involves exhibiting projects and quizzing by the adjudicators from the local universities, polytechnics as well as research institutes, the students have done the College proud with their excellent performance, one of the best in the past four years.
The College obtains 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze and 6 Merit awards. [please see ‘Winning Entries for SSEF’.]
In addition, the team comprising Wong Siew Han and Wong Kuan Yee is amongst the 3 projects selected to represent Singapore in this year’s International Science & Engineering Fair, to be held in Indianapolis , Indiana , from 7-13 May 2006.
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world's largest pre-college celebration of science. Held annually in May, the Intel ISEF brings together over 1,400 students from more than 40 nations to compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and the grand prize: a $50,000 college scholarship. Science Service founded the ISEF in 1950 and is very proud to have Intel as the title sponsor of this prestigious, international competition.
This year's GCE 'A' Levels Results 47.0% of our students scored 3 or 4 'A' Level distinctions the highest since 2001.
A total of 196 students scored 4 'A' Level distinctions while 168 scored 3 'A' Level distinctions. 96.5 % of our students obtained at least 2 'A' and 2 'AO' Level Passes including General Paper while 100% of them at least 2 'A' and 2 'AO' Level Passes excluding General Paper.
10 out of 14 subjects achieved 100% passes with many showing marked improvements in the percentage of quality grades.
Our heartiest congratulations go to this year's top student - Tay Zhi En Amos. He scored 9 distinctions for all his papers attempted. In addition, Amos has also been awarded the Institute of Physics Gold Medalgiven to top A Levels Physics students annually.
We will also like to congratulate other NJC students who have done exceedingly well.
Students have scored 7 Distinctions for 'AO', 'A' and 'S' Level Subjects.
1. Chng Chui Ling Serene
2. Xie Leiyu
3. Xu Cheng Yang
4. Arthur Nicholas Wongsosaputro
5. Soh Han Jie
Twenty other students have scored 6 Distinctions for 'AO', 'A' and 'S' Level Subjects.
1. Ong Yuh Shin
2. Teo Chye Liang Vincent
3. Siti Nur 'Aisyah Bte Md Johari
4. Chiew Woon Lyn Esther
5. Nathalie Grace Sy Chua
6. Yap Mei Ting
7. Seah Seok Hwee Eleanor
8. Leow Le Hia
9. Anup Jawaharlal Tapase
10. Phung Thi Thanh Thu
11. Ling Tong Hai
12. Pah Man Li Tammy
13. Huang Xiaoniu
14. Lim Wei Jian
15. Yang Yupei Alicia
16. Huang Sile
17. Chen Sixun
18. Kuah Si Jia Jessica
19. Yeo Kee Wah
20. Low Ke Feng
The College will like to congratulate the achievements of the 2004/05 cohort. They have done the College proud with their academic excellence as well as the overwhelming success in the Singapore Youth Festivals (4 Gold with Honours, 7 Gold and 2 Silvers - winning in all competitions) and the National Schools!
Alamaks I took more than 2 months to finish reading this book even though I was supposedly not as busy as when I was in school. Anyway, I have finally reached the last page yesterday, after bringing myself to the Quiet Reading Room of Jurong Regional Library. Well, environment is really important for me to get things done. I had already extended my loan for another 3 weeks (its original due date was 27 Jan - according to the receipt I've used as page markers for the parts that I really like). If I didn't calculate wrongly, today is the 29th day that the book is overdue... Really terrible of me, I know, and indeed what's wrong is that I know yet I still did it... Shall return the book once I finish typing this post and return it. And guess what, I am going to buy the book! "Tuesdays with Morrie" is the first book I read that I bought after reading the book borrowed from the library because I liked it so much. "Life of Pi" is the second such book.
Ok, now for the 2nd half of the excerpts I liked/enjoyed. (See Feb 7 for the 1st half)
(By the way, I think most people won't enjoy the book simply by reading the following parts that I like, the best way is still to borrow the book - from a library or from me =) and read it! =D The reason I have included them here is for personal reference. haha.)
Oh wait wait, I have to include the author's acknowledgement which is at the beginning of the book. I have a few people to thank. I am most obviously indebted to Mr. Patel; my gratitude to him is as boundless as the Pacific Ocean. I hope that my telling of his tale does not disappoint him. For getting me started on the story, I have Adirubasamy to thank. For helping me complete it, I am grateful to three officials of exemplary professionalism: Mr. Kazuhiko Oda, lately of the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa; Mr. Hiroshi Watanabe, of Oika Shipping Company; and, especially, Mr. Tomohiro Okamoto, of the Japanese Ministry of Transport, now retired. As for the spark of life, I owe it to Mr. Moacyr Scliar. Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to that great institution, the Canada Council for the Arts, without whose grant I could not have brought together this story that has nothing to with Portugal in 1939. If we, citizens, de not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.
Chapter 68 My sleep pattern changed. Though I rested all the time, I rarely slept longer than an hour or so at a stretch, even at night. It was not the ceaseless motion of the sea that disturbed me, not the wind; you get used to those the way you get used to lumps in a mattress. It was apprehension and anxiety that roused me. It was remarkable how little sleep I got by on.
Unlike Richard Parker. He became a champion napper. Most of the time he rested beneath the tarpaulin. But on calm days when the sun was not too harsh and on calm nights, he came out. One of his favourite positions in the open was lying on the stern bench on his side, stomach overhanging the edge of it, front and back legs extending down the side benches. It was a lot of tiger to squeeze onto a fairly narrow ledge, but he managed it by making his back very round. When he was truly sleeping, he laid his head on his front legs, but when his mood was slightly more active, when he might choose to open his eyes and look about, he turned his head and lay his chin on the gunnel.
Another favourite position of his was sitting with his back to me, his rear resting on the floor of the boat and his front half on the beach, his face buried into the stern, paws right next to his head, looking as if we were playing hide-and-seek and he were the one counting. In this position he tended to lie very still, with only the occasional twitching of his ears to indicate that he was not necessarily sleeping.
Chapter 69 On many nights I was convinced I saw a light in the distance. Each time I set off a flare. When I had used up the rocket flares, I expended the hand flares. Were they ships that failed to see me? The light of rising or setting stars bouncing off the ocean? Breaking waves that moonlight and forlorn hope fashioned into illusion? Whatever the case, every time it was for nothing. Never a result. Always the bitter emotion of hope raised and dashed. In time I gave up entirely on being save by a ship. If the horizon was two and a half miles away at an altitude of five feet, how far away was it when I was sitting against the mast of my raft, my eyes not even three feet above the water? What chance was there that a ship crossing the whole great big Pacific would cut into such a tiny circle? Not only that: that it would cut into such a tiny circle and see me -- what chance was there of that? No, humanity and its unreliable ways could not be counted upon. It was land I had to reach, hard, firm, certain land.
I remember the smell of the spent hand-flare shells. By some freak of chemistry they smelled exactly like cumin. It was intoxicating. I sniffed the plastic shells and immediately Pondicherry came to life in my mind, a marvellous relief from the disappointment of calling for help and not being heard. The experience was very strong, nearly a hallucination. From a single smell a whole town arose. (Now, when I smell cumin, I see the Pacific Ocean.)
Chapter 78 There were many skies. The sky was invaded by great white clouds, flat on the bottom but round and billowy on top. The sky was completely cloudless, of a blue quite shattering to the senses. The sky was a heavy, suffocating blanket of grey cloud, but without promise of rain. The sky was streaked with high, thin clouds that looked like a cotton ball stretched apart. The sky was dappled with small, white, fleecy clouds. The sky was streaked with high, thin clouds that looked like a cotton ball stretched apart. The sky was a featureless milky haze. The sky was a density of dark and blustery rain clouds that passed by without delivering rain. The sky was painted with a small number of flat clouds that looked like sandbars. The sky was a mere block to allow a visual effect on the horizon: sunlight flooding the ocean, the vertical edges between light and shadow perfectly distinct. The sky was a distant black curtain of falling rain. The sky was many clouds at many levels, some thick and opaque, others looking like smoke. The sky was black and spitting rain on my smiling face. The sky was nothing but falling water, a ceaseless deluge that wrinkled and bloated my skin and froze me stiff.
There were many seas. The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting. The sea was dead silent.
And in between the two, in between the sky and the sea, were all the winds.
And there were all the nights and all the moons.
To be a castaway is to be a point perpetually at the centre of a circle. However much things may appear to change -- the sea may shift from whisper to rage, the sky might go from fresh blue to blinding white to darkest black -- the geometry never changes. Your gaze is always a radius. The circumference is ever great. In fact, the circles multiply. To be a castaway is to be caught in a harrowing ballet of circles. You are at the centre of one circle, while aboving you two opposing circles spin about. The sun distresses you like a crowd, a noisy, invasive crowd that makes you cup your ears, that makes you close your eyes, that makes you want to hide. The moon distresses you by silently reminding you of your solitude; you sometimes wonder if at the centre of a solar storm, if in the middle of the Sea of Tranquillity, there isn't another one like you also looking up, also trapped by geometry, also struggling with fear, rage, madness, hopelessness, apathy.
______________________________________
Oh no, I can't finish what I want to type now... Shucks
NY alumni at 1pm and its already 1140 and I am still not ready and it takes 1hour or more to get there...
Ok I shall list what I want to type and come back to it when I have bought the book.
Finish up Chapter 78 (1.5 pages left)
Chapter 92 I have read that there are two fears that cannot be trained out of us: the startle reaction upon hearing an unexpected noise, and vertigo. I would like to add a third, to wit, the rapid and direct approach of a known killer.
.......
Thirty-two teeth. A complete human set. Not one tooth missing.
Understanding dawned upon me.
I did not scream. I think only in movies is horror vocal. I simply shuddered and left the tree.
I spent the day in turmoil, weighing my options. They were all bad.
That night, in bed in my usual tree, I tested my conclusion. I took hold of a meerkat and dropped it from the branch.
It squeaked as it fell through the air. When it touched the ground, it instantly made for the tree.
With typical innocence it returned to the spot right next to me. There it began to lick its paws vigorously. It seemed much discomforted. It panted heavily.
I could have left it at that. But I wanted to know for myself. I climbed down and took hold of the rope. I had made knots in it to make my climbing easier. When I was at the bottom of the tree, I brought my feet to within an inch of the ground. I hestitated.
I let go.
At first I felt nothing. Suddenly a searing pain shot up through my feet. I shrieked. I thought I would fall over. I managed to take hold of the rope and pull myself off the ground.
----- alamaks finish up typing chapter 92, 93 and some of 94 (about 3+ to 4 pages) ----------
The last section of the book, Part Three, was a fabulous ending. One just has got to read the book to enjoy the whole of it.
Chapter 99 "Not a trace of it has been found. That's a bit hard to believe, isn't it? There are no tigers in the Americas. If there were a wild tiger out there, don't you think the police would have heard about it by now?"
-------till about 2pages later---------
Mr. Okamoto:"Like he hasn't already stole our whole lunch. Soon he'll be demanding tempura."
.......
Mr. Okamoto: "But for the purposes of our investigation, we would like to know what really happened." "What really happened?" "Yes." "So you want another story?"
---------till 1+ page later---------
"We want a story without animals that will explain the sinking of the Tsimtsum." "Give me a minute, please." "Of course. I think we're finally getting somewhere. Let's hope he speaks some sense." [Long silence] "Here's another story."
-----and he tells another short story----------
By the way, the different font is what the author has translated from Japanese to English. Its a recording of an actual conversation.
**Hope there aren't any typo errors in the excerpts.**
You're yellow, the color of joy and energy — two things you definitely bring to everyone around you. It's hard for anyone to be sad or lonely in your presence; your sunny disposition and cheery outlook just won't allow it. The warmth of your personality shines through in the kindness you show friends and family (and strangers, too). Always ready with a lighthearted joke or heartfelt compliment, you know how to make people feel good about themselves, so they can't get enough of you. Yellow is a warm and inviting color for a warm and inviting person — you!
Observations of a mother and two very young daughters
Well, I was out alone for breakfast this morning (this rarely, if ever, happens). After eating, I went to Fairprice to buy milk. Just as I entered the supermarket, I saw this young girl (perhaps 4 or 5 years of age), carrying a fanciful tote bag. The first thought that came to my mind was a negative one - wow, what is the mother doing, having bought such a bag (that looks more suitable for an adult) for her daughter who is so young.
Before I could think further, the young girl ran towards the green baskets and tried, facing slight difficulty, to get one of the baskets from the lowest stack (the other stacks of baskets are so high only teenagers or adults can reach). Passing over the tote bag to her mom, who has just left the younger daughter back onto her own feet (the mother was carrying the younger daughter before that), the elder girl successfully obtained a green basket from the stack.
Now, my next thought was a more positive one - wow, such a mature young girl, doing the right things at the right time. Jurena came to my mind because she is one such mature older daughter who also has a younger sister. I thought, ah, this should be another mom who knows how to bring up a good daughter, just like Jurena's mom (though I heard she's a very strict mom too).
After getting my groceries, I didn't expect to see the three of them again, but just as coincidental as things may be, I looked for the shortest queue and somehow ended up in the same queue as the mother. Initially when I joined the queue, I hadn't noticed them. I just saw this small girl (whom I later realised is the younger daughter) looking at the magazines on the rack. At that moment, she was touching the Young Generation (ah, that's what I read a few years back!) - a kids' magazine, and I noted that right next to it was an adults' magazine! Oh no, I thought, I hope she doesn't somehow wander over and look at that!
Fortunately, she backed off the rack, and it was then that I noticed her elder sister and realised that I've met the family once again. Now, I saw the elder sister looking at a boy about her height. The boy was with an adult, whom I suppose is his grandmother. He was behaving rather badly, demanding for something that the grandmother didn't want to buy for him. I observed the elder sister's facial expression. From my deduction, she seemed to find the boy's behaviour disagreeable. Walking a metre or two away to distant herself from the boy, she continued showing her disapproval of him on her face.
I don't really remember if the elder sister did try to get her younger sister away from the boy too - I think she did.
Anyway, the mother was before me in the queue, so as they left, I wished I could observe more. My last observation at that moment was of the elder daughter leading the way out of the supermarket, as the mother was waiting for the younger daughter who lagging behind because something had caught her attention.
After I had made my payment, I tried to walk faster to see if I could catch them again. Haha, I did. The relative position of the three was still the same - elder daughter in front, mother in the middle and younger daughter lagging behind, looking at more things. Actually it wasn't that nothing caught the interest of the elder daughter. After all, she's still a child, a child very much interested in finding out more about this big world as all children do. However, different from her younger sister, she rushed ahead to look at things in front of her, while her younger sister slowed down to look at things that are already behind her mother and elder sister. (This reminded me of Jurena again as I saw some similarities between her and the elder sister.)
They reached a flight of stairs going down from within Sun Plaza to ground level outside. Independently, the elder sister made her way down the stairs, using the handrail to help herself. Of course with her height just only at an adult's waist, the handrail which was made for adults and the elderly wasn't at the right height for her usage but she made use of it as best as she could. Right behind her, the mother lent her hand to the younger daughter, who was taking slower steps down the stairs due to her younger age and thus lower capability of making it down the stairs alone.
As can be expected, the elder sister reached the bottom of the stairs first. The younger sister had also just made it to the final step right above ground level. And with her mom's aid, she delightfully hopped onto the ground level. If I didn't remember wrongly, I did that too! And as my legs grew longer, I hopped from the second last step above, and then the third or even the fourth last step (ie a higher and further jump) when my confidence of landing safely grew. Till of course, one day, when I grew out of it when it no longer excited me.
Ok back to what happened. Seeing that, the elder sister made a little hop of delight at her own success (of course this is my interpretation of her actions, it could be also because she saw her sister's hop that caused her to hop too).
Then the mother continued holding the hand of the younger sister and walked towards their block. The elder sister ran a few steps to hold her mom's other hand but it was already holding on to a bag of groceries. The last scene I remember is of the elder sister running ahead again as some crows caught her attention. Well, thereafter I didn't see them anymore as my block was in another direction.
Oh and about the tote bag - I realised it was actually the mother's bag, and that at the beginning the elder daughter was carrying it for her mom because the mother was carrying the younger daughter. Oh, how matured for someone of 4 or 5 years. I really admired the mother for her good upbringing - hope I can do that too.
Oh. Something to note. What I found out on the Sunday that just passed during our Clarinet j3s dinner get-together. Mrs Lim has all our 'A' level results and she has passed them to Mr Ho. In fact, Edo said that this happens every year. Whoa. How very surprised I was to hear that.
Anyway I am going to NIE for band practice later. This girl who's ... at playing clarinet has to go help because there are not enough clarinet players. Anyway it would be good to see Mr Ho again, he's a great man. And I love listening to music =) which was why I put band as my third choice in Sec1. My first choice was violin ensemble, and second was badminton, both of which didn't want me. Looking back at the happy times, from Secondary till JC, (of course there were extremely stressful times such that I wanted to quit band, at the end of Sec 2 I think) I guess it was good fate that brought me to band and made me stay on. This I am very thankful for.
Back to NIE practice, Edo had actually asked me to go for the previous Friday practice but I had already arranged for dinner with Eewei, Lisa and Karen. Wow that was such an enjoyable night.
Although the four of us were never one clique and eversince secondary school we hadn't met up (except for Karen and me - which was due to NTI), during our dinner, we laughed like crazy most of the time and talked like close friends. (We were in Cafe Cartel, Raffles City, from past 7pm till almost 10pm.) I think I haven't laughed so hard over such a long period since quite long ago. Actually if our conversation was exactly the same except for the 4 persons having the conversation, I think they (or even 3 of us with someone else) won't be laughing so much. Lol, why am I analysing a happy time so much... Happy moments are for us to enjoy, just at those very moments. Anyway Eewei actually wanted to meet up again this week, but I said that's too soon. You know if we keep having such sessions, soon it will get boring. That's a problem with me, and talking to Karen about it two days ago, I found out she had this same view too. Ah. Though its a supposedly bad thing, to think positively, its quite nice to find someone who feels about certain things the same way as you do - you perfectly understand how your friend feels about that.
Last night's long chat with Kai Yun over the phone ended with much happiness too because she said she benefitted a lot from our conversation, although I replied that on my side it was just a fun talk with a friend. However, because she told me that, it has actually transformed my view of the supposedly simple casual chat to a meaningful heart-to-heart talk with a friend of 6 years. Because thinking through what we said, I realised I actually learnt more about the Kai Yun as a self and not as who I saw her as. I had always found her as a smart hardworking girl but after this chat I found out that she wasn't always the type to grasp new concepts easily and she was actually someone who needed others to motivate her on. Fortunately there are such people around her. We hadn't been close at all in Sec 1 and 2, then in Sec 3 and 4 when we ended up in the same class again we were on more friendly terms. Fate once again led us to the same JC and we said hi and stuff but nothing really much. Now, out of school and into the complicated working world, we realise the importance and value of friendships, especially those we share with people whom we can have heart-to-heart talks with.
This is really quite a big change for me, a girl who has never held on to close friendships. This I had told Adeline in a letter. I had always kept my close friendships to people whom I meet regularly due to the lessons or activities I was involved. Once these reached their end, for example when I moved on to another phase of my life, I didn't call up my once-close friends to maintain our friendship at that level, neither did we meet up. Of course I always tried my best to go for or even organise class or band gatherings, but to think of it now it was actually rather superficial. I didn't arrange small gatherings (2 to 5 people) that are actually more meaningful.
I think I should thank NTI for this realisation. We were supposed to bring one or two friends to the company, so I was "forced" to arrange small gatherings. The third person who agreed to come was Leonard. We met up although it would be awkward as we almost never really talked though we knew each other since Primary 5 and had both been to several class gatherings. He agreed as he's an extremely friendly guy. Haha the reason he gave was that he is a hao ren, and got me to call him that just before he agreed to come. Wow I got to know a hundred times more about him through this one meeting than I ever had from the past few class gatherings. Ah he's kind of similar to Pam, both love music and dislike academics, both are "friends" persons whom people enjoy to be out with. And both don't plan for their future sia.
Now that I had this realisation, of course I have to do something instead of simply letting things be. I caught up with Adeline yesterday afternoon, and with Pam yesterday evening. Ah Pam helped me spot a pair of sandals that looked good! haha I found it too "shiny" when she first pointed it out, but she told me to try and after trying I actually liked it! Lol I'm such a lousy shopper who can't even identify what she likes. Anyway I bought it though it didn't seem brand new, because the price was fine and its not easy to find something I like. Furthermore, I've been wearing the exact same pair of sandals to office and to outings for the past 2 months..
Anyway, during dinner I noted and she agreed that both of us are very different character wise, and I wondered how we became close friends. Pam's parents forced tuition on her; I told my mom I wanted to go for tuition - okay I'm weird (but that was just a few months in primary school and a few months for 'O' level English. My mom actually suggested tuition for my Econs and GP when I kept telling her those are my two lousy subjects but I didn't want to because it was crazily and pointlessly expensive and I didn't want to commit time to tuition as I felt that for such subjects tuition won't really work, I myself had to work hard. Furthermore my Econs and GP teachers - Mr Wong and Ms Chua - are such willing teachers who were always there to help and guide me). Pam finds her mom irritating and refuses to tell her mom who her friends are but I try to make my mom remember my friends cos I want to tell her about them. (but of course there are times when I get irritated by my mom too). Pam doesn't want to bother about 'other things' but I like to know as much as possible. Pam wants to take things day by day but I like talking to my friends about our future. "Opposites attract" was her reason for our friendship. Well we do have some similarities - music! Of course, she has the talent while I just have a liking for music.
Yesterday I visited NJ with Adeline also because I wanted to thank Ms Chua for all the commitment she had put into helping me achieve a GP grade I never believed I would get. But it just happened that she was on a course. Well. There's still a next time.
Ah I've got to get a job real soon! Otherwise I'm being very unproductive at home... Although blogging is good since its reflective and keeps my memories for me, its not productive! haha. seriously.
Thanks Joseph, Lee Wai, Fiona, Ms Chan, Mr Chan, Shawn, Yue Shi, Mrs Low, Jimmy and Jamie
I have just left a new comfort zone that was developed over the past two months, to step into the business world again. To be more exact, 27.5 + 1.5 days at the company itself, and 9.5 + 0.5 days at CTC where I was sent to.
First day of my first temporary office job: 9th Jan 2006 Last day: 8th Mar 2006 (edited due to previous typo error)
How I made the decision to quit: It was the previous Monday - 27th Feb (I think or was it 23th or 24th, anyway it was definitely before results day). I was at CTC working all alone, and I thought a lot. I had already started reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, so its contents also came to my mind. Then I realised - since I want to start a business in the future, I shouldn't be doing an office job now as it doesn't directly give me the kind of experience I need to handle the business world.
Of course at CTC I noted that packaging, promotion, making cost as low as possible, getting sponsorers and corporate partners to give seemingly attractive prizes/goodies/add-ons are some of the things to do. (what all of us learnt in Economics. haha) But I haven't really developed my PR skills (my aim since more than a year ago yet I haven't been doing what is really helpful to it). I've to go do sales! That's what my mom told me when I told her I wanted to quit my office job because I want to gain more relevant experience. And yesterday, Ms Chan gave the same suggestion too. So this contradictory girl, who wants to do business yet refused to go into sales 2/3 months ago when she was job searching, has now quit her such good office job (relatively quite high pay, understanding boss, friendly colleagues, convenient location, primary school friend's companionship), and thinks of going into sales.
Oh, actually this post was supposed to be to thank the above people. Haha, I digressed once again.
Yes, thanks to Joseph that I got the job in the first place and being a nice same-aged companion.
Thanks to Lee Wai for being such a willing "teacher", patiently telling me how to do the basic accounting/bookkeeping, and bringing joy to a supposedly mundane office job during my 1st few weeks in the same office as her.
Thanks to Fiona for being such a kind, easy-to-talk colleague, who good-humouredly accepts Lee Wai calling her auntie. Haha, I still remember one of the first few days when she told me to called her "Fiona" instead of "auntie" because Lee Wai was only joking, and I felt quite uneasy and disrespectful to do that as she's quite several years my senior.
Thanks to Ms Chan for being such an amiable, understanding boss who let me quit on the very day I told her I wanted to quit. (That was yesterday, as I was at CTC before that and the assignment I was handling was an urgent one so I had to hold back my quitting.) She even gave me very beneficial advices like to choose a university that gives me a chance to go overseas as the world now is about "global", not "local". And that accountancy is a good course for me, especially since its a professional degree. Career Moms do understand.
Thanks to Mr Chan (Ms Chan's brother) for being so understanding as well. Haha I still recall that on the first day of work, after Ms Chan's lunch treat, he told Joseph and me to go shopping instead of returning to office so soon. When he noticed that I was getting overwhelmed by having to read bao zhang bao dao continously for so long to check for errors, he offered to help, purely out of goodwill.
Thanks to Shawn for strengthening my will to be a hao ren and stick to my own beliefs. Told me he believes in yin guo, which I also think is true. Taught me that in the working world I must really fulfil the basic courtesy, and not think that's being fake. Just smile at people at the workplace. Actually my mom told me this too, and that time I rebutted that it would be very fu yan. Now I realised it isn't, because to be a hao ren, that would be something natural to do. Haha, I know some people will find that I'm crazy or weird or silly. With him around I was kept awake too, because at times when I was alone (he needed to do his work back in our office as there were no computers for our usage at CTC and both of us had to share one desk), I get really sleepy and sian. Anyway during the first few days we were at CTC, I shared quite a bit about how I feel a primary school student (his son is in P6 now) should be brought up, and about how I studied and how I was brought me up.
Thanks to Yue Shi, Mrs Low, Jimmy and Jamie, never making things difficult for me just to get at me, which I heard was a problem some people faced.
It seems like the current batch of j2s, especially the councillors, are trying very hard to make NJ a fun and lively place. Yes, do play. BUT please NEVER neglect your studies k. In the end what determines your 'A' levels results is your effort. So what if others say NJ is boring? So what if others say NJCians "mug" a lot? Are we so silly as to study less and play more to try to change such silly comments? Sacrificing our most wanted good results?
Of course we are not! If we do, NJCians will only continue to drop further away from the top JC in terms of 'A' level results as what has happened since a few years ago. What is more serious a problem, from what I see (anyone can disagree of course), is that NJCians ourselves are telling our peers to get bad results! Of course not directly like "hello please do badly". I am referring to the way our peers treat those who score well - "Wah that guy's crazy! He got straight As!" Hellllooooooo NJCians, don't YOU want to get straight As too? Or maybe even if you don't aim that high, don't YOU want to get as good results as you possibly can?
And do you want to be called crazy and thus indirectly being discouraged from working hard to do well? NO!
This culture in NJC really has to stop. Why has NJC been producing such poor GP results? Its all because of the perception of NJCians ourselves! We believe that NJCians are bound to get poor GP results, thus we do get poor GP results. It's all in our BELIEF. And it's really silly cos we are harming ourselves, we are causing ourselves to do badly for GP, and we are pulling those who are supposed to do well in GP down. Just look at the 'A' level results of a few current j3s who had always performed very well for GP in common tests, promos and prelims. Why didn't they get the A1s that should easily belong to them? Its at least partly us NJCians' fault. Ask ourselves what we did. Ask ourselves what we called them when they wrote those best essays and those impressive answers for AQ. We said they were mad, they were bound to do well for 'A' levels. We took it for granted that they were just born to score an A. We did not care for the consequences of our words and actions. By doing that, we were actually being very mean, we sabotaged them and caused them not to achieve what was "supposed" to be easily within their reach. Of course we did not know this would happen. But it did. Because of what we said, they too thought they would easily get their A, and they didn't put in as much effort as they should for GP. (This putting in less effort is just a guess though, I do not know what they actually did.) We made them divert the time they should have still spent on GP to their other subjects because we made them think the A is already within their reach. We twisted their future. I must admit that what I've related above are not 100% true. I have overgeneralised - not all NJCians have done this indirect sabotage. but I sincerely believe that for a greater percentage of NJCians to get As for GP, we must stop thinking that it is natural for NJCians to do badly for GP. Stop putting the blame on our GP teachers. I am sure all of us know there are at least a few very good GP teachers in NJ. The reason for past bad performance is not them, the teachers - its us, the students. We have already been arranged into GP classes according to our language abilities, to go through the same lessons and get the same help from our GP teachers as our peers who have been getting similar results to what we have been getting. In the same GP class, we have not been treated unfairly in terms of what we are taught and the help we can get. What is left for us to do to get our desired grade is tohelp one another, not harm one another by the remarks we make and the tone we use in making those remarks when someone does better than we do. Don't compete with those who do better than us, compete with ourselves and help one another to do better.
If I am not able to handle both fun and studies, ie. I cannot play a lot and study a lot too, then play less! I am not saying that I don't play at all, but I must definitely play less. Personally, I believe going for CCA is important, it is a great way to get away from studies and do something we enjoy together with our friends. Do spend time with our friends, to bond and to share, but not to waste time, and definitely not at the expense of our studies. If doing well academically is not important, quit school! But if we don't dare to quit school, why not just do our very best to perform well?
I've failed to tell all these to my peers because I didn't have any proof. Now there is, and those who are left for these to be told are the current j2s. There are two choices - one, believe me and help one another now, then finally hopefully get good GP grades for 'A' levels (other subjects as well of course); two, don't believe me and continue to do what you have been doing, then see how NJCians perform for this year's 'A' levels. Of course I could be wrong in what I've said, but there's no harm helping one another right? If you think there is, so be it. It's your future, not mine. Why did I spend time blogging all this? I just wish to help. If we don't know exactly what to do, ask our teachers - they are always here to help us, what affects our future is whether we are willing to help ourselves and the people around us. Take action now.
Just for your info, these are what my teachers told me to do (I think yours will probably tell you too)
read books that you enjoy
speak English (this is especially important for those who tend to speak Mandarin. We know there's no oral exam but trust our teachers - it helps)
read the newspapers diligently (actually I think this is more possible to be done after we leave our CCA, especially for those who have CCA(s) 3 to 6 times a week and only reach home at 9/10pm)
watch useful English programmes like those on Channel News Asia (out of all the points I've listed, this is the only one I didn't really do)
closer to Prelims and 'A' levels, listen to 93.8 Live and BBC 88.9 (of course if you can, it would be good to start now)
write more. I personally believe blogging is a good way to improve the "flow of the language". Of course we have to blog in good English. (Again, there are times when we use Singlish but good English is always important.) Furthermore, blogging helps us keep track of our life and our thoughts, so I think its good to blog =) This is more for the first half of j2, I think, because during the 3 months or so before 'A' levels, blogging becomes a waste of time for me as I couldn't handle it together with the full force preparation for 'A' levels. Still, if you can manage your time well (I must admit I didn't), you can still continue to blog like some current j3s did that time and have performed well
Ah I must emphasise once more - help and encourage one another =)
P.S. I didn't expect myself to do well for GP, but I believed in my teachers, worked hard, did what I've just listed. I was even worried about passing because anything can happen on the day itself (that we sit for the papers), and my GP results had always been C.
I am not supposed to be blogging now, have work to do la... but I have ling gan to blog... so im here.
Alamaks I skipped over to blog my "open downside" (see the few paragraphs below) first, now I can't remember what I wanted to blog about for my hidden downside.... nvm no time le.
Open downside:
I am too straight - whether its thinking or speaking. I criticise too much. Darn. And I actually set a self-motivation target to be more encouraging. Darn. I criticised Boyang yesterday, that he was lousy cos he didn't know things I feel he should know like Jiayun's combi or where I stay. Sux man, I lost control of myself once again... I wish there was someone to tell me to SHUT UP when I criticise anyone. SHUT UP FENELLA. YOU ARE BEING TOO MEAN. YOU HAVEN'T IMPROVED. kaoz its been 6 years since Sec 1 (which is when I still sort of know what kind of person I was cos my sec1/2 classmates remember how I was like and they tell me). In Sec 1 I was already too straight. I had already been hurting people, especially my close friends due to this character. SIX YEARS. Yet I still do it. Such a disappointment to myself, to my close friends. Know why I remember, that's what Siew Hui and Zheng Lan (my two close friends who knows the real Fenella best) advised me in my autograph book at the end of sec 2 when we were about to be parted to different sec 3 classes. Let me quote a part of what they wrote.
Zheng Lan: "Anyway you shi hou ni hen bad, hen bu considerate bu guan bie ren de feeling (insensitive!) leh! xing hao ni gen wo zuo, bu ran, bie ren zao jiu bian ni ji quan le!"
Siew Hui: "ni anz... xing ge you dian jue jiang... sumtimez ur stubborness iz very tao yan... sho muz gai guo... Mary used 2 b stubborn oso... but i changed... & u r not carin' enough... sheng wei peng you... zui zhong yao shi ji yu encouragement... ur insensitivity will cause trouble..."
Anyway they used chinese characters and I've used han yu pin yin with italics here so its kind of unclear.. Btw Mary = Siew Hui herself.
Ya, I guess I did improve abit, as in not everyone knows I criticise too much. But I still do it quite a lot to some friends...
Have Read
'04 year-end holidays (highest number of books read in a long time)
-The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (gd read)
-Princess Diaries: Third Time Lucky by Meg Cabot (fun read)
-Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (must read - inspirational)
-Slab Rat by Ted Heller (full of office politics and R21 stuff - not for kids)
-The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (makes u want to finish it)
-A walk to remember by Nicholas Sparks (simple but meaningful)
-The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (can identify with)
-The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (romantic love story with too much R21 stuff)
-Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (even more R21. ugh)
-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
-Unstrung Heroes by Franz Lidz (autobiography about his four uncles and father)
-The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (very unique POV of an autistic boy)
-The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (love the breadth of the plot, one of my favourites)
-Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux (alternating between two first persons' view - unique, but don't like e plot)
-Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (philosophy tb in a story; gets abit dry though plot saved)
-forgot what i read...-
-Working Wonders by Jenny Colgan (story of an urban planner)
-Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (impressive intelligence with bits of great humour)
-Just between Us by Cathy Kelly (thickest bk i've ever read-600+pg, too long for me but not bad)
ha, started a few bks but didn't enjoy them enough to read more.
'06
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel (novel based on true story; a lot to learn from the book - animals, religions,
survival, appreciation of simplicity; marvelous descriptions of both the tangible and the intangible,
such that I could feel their realness; bits of very enjoyable humour; a must read)
-The Complete Analects of Confucius, Volume 1 - Asiapac Comic Series (some good teachings.
didn't read everything though)
-The Parable of the Pipeline by Burke Hedges (lent to me by Shujun; like she said, its a short version
of Rich Dad Poor Dad - good financial tips)
-The Alchemist by Paul Coelho (simple story with deep meaning)
-Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
(hai, doesn't seem to be working for me - cos im not applying..)
-haven't been updating from Jun'06 to Jul'07-
'07
-Take a Chance by Sarah Webb (very interesting twist towards the end)
'08
-A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer (very saddening. made me realise how significant family is in how a child behaves)
-Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden (refreshing book with many pics)
-The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Rui Zafon (amazing how people can think of so much plot to pack into one book, wld b a gd tv series)
-The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (the story is interesting but i think the ending cld hv been better written)
-This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes (a bit thought-provoking on relationships but i didnt like e abrupt ending)
-Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (gd knowledge but partly qte repetitive)
-For One More Day by Mitch Albom
-The C Words by Mark Mason (made me keep wanting to read on. light & funny)
'09
-Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (another good read from Deveraux)
-The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (gosh such vivid descriptions! very well written book. i liked d theme of friendship and the realness of the story)
'10
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (a must-read!! i love the expressed thoughts of the protagonist, esp those about friendships, and the writing style - it seems like she's telling me her story specifically to me)
How to Save Your Own Life by Michael Gates Gill (an inspiring read, for emotional liberation and greater joy in life)
Reading
on hold
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Waiting for chance to get hold of
The Little White Car by Danuta de Rhodes
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Left Foot by Christy Brown
Gotai Fumanzoku or An Unsatisfactory Body (Translated into English as No One's Perfect) by Hirotada Otatake
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Other Recommended Readings by Marc
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
Self-note: Tip for my future business =D
give employees reasonably high pay to keep them- otherwise they are unlikely to stay loyal.
treat employees not according to how well they treat me but how conscientious they are at work
(of course, musn't expect them to only do work throughout the entire working hours -
give some breathing space too, we are humans, not machines) Movies watched(listing started on 6jan08)
in cinema from VCD/DVD
1Sep07: "Hairspray" w TK, GH & SH
14Sep07: "Ratatouille" w mom & extended family
28Dec07: "The Pianist" w Jus & Pam (heartbreaking but good lessons; i recommend!)
2Jan08: "I Am Legend" w Sherm (scary! but good acting; thought provoking; i recommend!)
5-6Jan08: "A Good Year" alone (excellent show! i like the acting; funny; good lessons; touches my heart; i recommend!)
11Jan08: "Le Grand Chef" w WLing, JT & Irene (good! funny, very touching, :) nice; watch if like humour+meaning+food)
7Feb08 (CNY 初一): "Ah Long Pte Ltd" w parents (pretty hilarious - but u gotta understand dialects, some teary parts. wells typical of jack neo movies but with diff content)
11Mar08: "The Leap Year" w Sherm (so sweet! :) and apart from couple relationship it touches the theme of mother-daughter and best friends too)
6Jun08: "P.S. I Love You" w Sherm (don't know if its coz we watched it on laptop, coz it didn't impress me as much as it did for him in cinema)
8Jun08: "The Forbidden Kingdom" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (ums..guess i'm really not into kungfu)
8Jun08: "What Happens in Vegas" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (simple,relaxing show)
7Jul08: "我和狗狗的10个约定" w Sherm, his ma & sisters (very simple,touching but actually not my type of show)
10Jul08: "Before Sunrise" w Sherm (hmm maybe watchg on laptop really affects appreciatn of movies..)
30Sep08: "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" w Sherm (i didn't like it as much as i thought i wld when i saw the ads)
31Dec08: "Yes Man" w Mom (inspiring and funny)
11Feb08: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" w Mom (not as impressive as i thought it wld be)
1Jul09: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" w Yumei, YY & Matt (the best thing was the soundtrack. heh.)
14Aug09: "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra" w Joyce (it was awesome! best action movie i've ever watched)
17Aug09: "Food, Inc." w SYL & RuiQ (learnt some stuff abt the American food industry but it was a bit boring and not worth the $10)
22Sep09: "The Time Traveller's Wife" w WB, VanD, WLing, CHL, Irene, VanQ, Mf, Pg (i liked it. having read the book really helps w udsg)
21Nov09: "Gokusen" w Mf, Eva, Tony, Sarah (funny inspirational movie)
24Dec09: "十月围城" w Tony, WLing, VanQ (action action and a bit funny? tony criticised the plot. my fav scene was the running n jumping through the crowd along the five-foot ways w/o cuts)
30Dec09: "Sherlock Holmes" w Irene, Tony, Sweetee (my favourite genre of books made into a movie - what else can be more cool? acting effects humour excitement suspense all in)
12Jan10: "Avatar 3D" w Mom (didn't appreciate the digital effects which everyone wowed about. content etc was so-so. cathay's 3D glasses were too heavy for me)
8Feb10: "The Truman Show" w Ky n sis n Yuhshin (a must-watch. very thought-provoking, funny. reminder to be spontaneous and create your life the way you want, instead of falling into a typical routine
14Feb10: "New York, I Love You" w Mom (I loved it! a good couple movie with meaningful pointers to keep it going. but i think some stories could be more developed)
16Feb10: rewatched "The Pianist" (still find it good, tho i still feel first viewings are the best)
17Feb10: "Valentine's Day" w CHL n WB (laughed throughout - a feel-good movie; liked the fact that the various stories binded tog so well with the little surprises here and there, vs NY ILU in which each story was separate)
20Feb10: "赤壁二" w Addy, Karen, Sharon, SJ (should have watched the first one first cos i ended up not knowing who's who and what's happening and had to keep asking :/ and couldn't pay attn.. if not i think it should be a pretty good movie..)
4Mar10: "Alice in Wonderland 3D" w Mf (i found the 3D effects of this @ CCK Shaw SO much better than Avatar @ The Cathay =/ and the movie was much more enjoyable too! - cheered a sad me up :)) favourite quote - the Mad Hatter: “You used to be much muchier before. ... You have lost your muchness.”)
18Mar10: "Nodame Cantabile" w Irene, Mf (i thoroughly enjoyed some of the orchestra pieces - SO impressive! the expressions of the actors were really amusing :D)
23Apr10: "Ice Kacang Puppy Love" w Mom (funny, touching and meaningful - about love between friends and family. i cried 3 tissues! cos some touching parts i could really understand the feelings of the characters involved)
Inception
Letters to God (very simple Christian movie)
22Nov10: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" w Ame, Irene (they loved it. pretty good, i guess the main problem i had was that im not familiar with HP :X)
13Dec10: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" w Sj (not bad, could follow the story unlike HP. like the meaningful teachings, too long - in a post)
2Mar11: "The King's Speech" w Ame (hilarious, inspirational, tho it doesn't impress me that much to understand why it's the Oscar winner)
Mar11: "10 Things I Hate About You" very funny. silly sweet high school romance. just right for having breaks in between doing homework
23May11: "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides" w Wb Yl Ame Pg (pretty good - scenery, freakish parts, fighting scenes, dressing, humour, bits of Christianity like when the Spanish said "only God gives life")
6Jun11: "Xmen First Class" w Wb Ame Pg (i was very keen on watching it and it was really good! intellectual, makes sense, cool action, some humour)
9Jun11: "Legally Blonde 2" w Irene (seems like some dumb blonde movie but kind of meaningful too - speaking up for yourself and what you stand for)
17Jun11: "Something Borrowed" w Sandy Lisa (quite funny, somewhat meaningful wrt friendships. they didn't like the lack of sense for one part tho)
16Jul11: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" w Irene, Sweetee, Kw (not bad. i didn't understand some parts again but the humour and effects were pretty good)
Aug11 "Horrible Bosses" w Ma (she fell asleep! gosh. the movie was very crude i must say but there was the humour)
25Oct11: "The Three Musketeers" w H (i would rate it 3.5 for humour/intellectual language and 4 for action. it's by the same producer or director as Sherlock! but a bit less awesome albeit a good chill out movie)
5Nov11: "Real Steel" w Hl (action packed but not too hardcore for me. i liked that there was the father and son element and how the father eventually softened his heart and especially the part when charlie was having trouble telling max sth and max was so understanding saying "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." touching and demonstrates true fighting spirit)
12Dec11: "50/50" w L (adopting her words - a heavy topic put across in a lighthearted way, but not taking away d meaning. most of it was rather hollywood-ish trashiness but there were a couple of punch lines "u can't change ur parents, but u can change d way u respond to them.")
25Dec11: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" w KY (ultimate action packed! super tense almost throughout the movie, and interesting Tom Cruise made it such that not everything happened smoothly - he would jump and misland and get all sorts of injuries..it's really the courage to jump without hesitation even though you are not sure you'll be alive after that. KY loved d movie and said she would watch it again!)
3Jan12: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" w KY (i love mystery (: and the witty sarcastic dialogues. good level of excitement with the action. didn't understand some parts as usual. i like Holmes and Watson they depict such a true pair of buddies ;D)
23Jan12: "You are the Apple of My Eye" w mom (now i understand why guys like this movie so much - the anxiety of chasing after a girl and the acts schoolboys do to get the girl's attention and hopefully affection. the initial fluttering and the subsequent quarrelling)
22Mar12: "The Iron Lady" w KY (really love Thatcher's sharp words. inspiring and thought-provoking, tho i was still left uncertain of what to do with my life, the movie is definitely an encouraging one)
29Mar12: "Barney's Version" w SJ (a funny movie of a screwed up life of a man who had 3 wives, smoked and drank but very heartwarming at the same time, the relationships with the dad and the 3th wife - quotable quotes!)
27Apr12: "The Hunger Games" w Mom
4May12" "Avengers" w MF n PS (funny, action-packed)
7Jul12: "The Amazing Spiderman"
21Jul12: "The Dark Knight Rises" (fantastic depth, loved the twists)
20Aug12: "ParaNorman" w Mom (simple funny animated movie, heartwarming support)
Performances watched (listing started on 25Apr10)
20Jan10: Patrick Marber's Closer by outoftheBLUE, NUS Science w Pam (
13Mar10: The Rain Came Down Like Pearls the Night I Died... The New Musical - Sing & Tell by Mark Chan w Addy & Jy
21Mar10: Quintessence by NUSCO w CHL