I'm in the study room of Sembawang CC (a few stops away from my home) now. It been only 1 hour since I started studying here and I'm already bored! Well I made the effort to come here because I wanted to concentrate, but obviously I have distracted myself to blogging.
Ah. I have an idea. This is actually a good break for me! One needs a study break of 10minutes for every 50minutes of study according to Dr. Kabita and many smart people like Adam Khoo? Haha. I think so.
Well, actually I was supposed to come here at 10am. But as usual (its actually a very unusual thing for me before I started at NUS - but in uni it is sort of a need so I've adopted this habit), I checked my email after my morning bath. And while printing my CM notes for tomorrow's lecture, poof! An email appeared from my director saying we have to bring along our respective Admin Plans for tomorrow's meeting. Although we already have the Admin Plans from last year, relevant changes had to be made so I spent quite some time on that. Plus I had to email my Ibu for my Bahasa tutorial to ask if I could attend another tutorial class as the 2nd event of S@S - CEO Unplugged clashes with my Bahasa tutorial on that Thursday (18 Oct) evening. Sigh... I really didn't know or expect that after joining the Events team of S@S, I have to miss so many lessons... Yarrr, I already have to miss my 12-6pm lessons - CM lecture, FST lecture and SP1202 tutorial on Monday 15 Oct for the Officical Launch of S@S held at Singtel's ComCentre at Somerset 4-6pm because we have to be there from maybe morning onwards.
Despite telling everyone whom I tell about my two CCA commitments in addition to my 6 modules (norm is 5) that "I hope I can cope", I'm feeling extremely bothered now by the sudden new urgent tasks and having to miss lessons... Sudden new urgent tasks like the above mentioned Admin Plan (especially stressing because today's only my 2nd proper day commited to studying for my 5 tests this week) and the sourcing of TOA. Initially the bosses wanted the TOA incharge, ie. me, to source just for plants with the given budget. Then after I when all the way to Thomson Road to source for it, I was told to check out the prices of specific plants like Bonsai and Orchid..
Yarrrrr about my testssss this coming week. Monday 630pm-730pm: EC1301 - 30% Tuesday 12-1pm: FST - 0%, Tuesday 4-6pm: LAB1201 (Bahasa) - 20% Thursday 4-6pm: SP1202 (Communicating with the Academy) - 10% Saturday 6-7pm: CM - 5%
And all these are in between my packed timetable of other lessons to prepare for...
Even though FST n CM are like worth nothing much, I still really need to study for them since it will definitely affect how well prepared I am for the finals. There's only one week break after the last lesson and before the first final exam - FST.
And I have a CM lab report and a FST lab report both of which are graded that I haven't even started on!!! Both due this coming Friday!!! Aren't I so dead...
Well anyway, I shall just complain here.... I don't like complaining to friends. Because it brings NO benefit at all. NO utility. HIGH costs. (Haha thinking economically - I'm supposed to be studying econs now!). Yay I'm actually applying what I studied. lol... bye - already spent half an hour "slacking" here blogging.
6th day that I went to school in this 9-day recess week! But its because it makes me more productive than staying at home
Haha, I'm blogging on my laptop notepad again. Its 1130pm now and I'm still on my way home~! Only at Choa Chu Kang now. I was doing my 3000-word SUJA draft till 845pm - finally finished it! Estimated total time spent on SUJA is 30hours just during this recess week alone! Just sitting at my laptop alone took me about 5.5h on Tuesday, 10h on Wednesday and 9h on Friday (today) = 24.5h (inclusive of numerous toilet breaks and further online research to type those 2919words I got in the end. That's excluding my footnotes and references though, just the main text.)
Anyway, so Bryan (Yuanru was supposed to be with us today but she didn't come 'cos she had cramps) brought me to a hawker centre at Holland Village to have dinner at about 10pm. Wow, first time each of us stayed in the library till almost closing!
Ah, here comes the main reason of this post: I was really surprised and excited when we walked down this road in Holland Village that had restaurants/bars/food outlets etc. on both sides of the road bustling with life! Bryan adequately describe it as "you won't feel like its night time". There were so many people enjoying their Friday night there. It was a "Friday night" thing though, as in usual nights the place is not so vibrant. Bryan told me that the road was closed after the September 11 attacks, because many foreigners frequent the area. And I think it was really a good thing. As in its such a nice little place to hang out at night. Omg. It just hit me again. haha. Blessing in disguise! heez.
Okie, on to our dinner. Most of the stalls at the hawker centre were already closed expect for two selling western food, one selling
Hey a side point. The train is pleasantly empty :) not really empty but its like 2 or 3 persons per stretch of seats. Nice. haha.
Oops. back. one selling bak chor mee etc and the fourth selling fried kway teow and fried oyster egg. Well, not much choice so I decided on the fried kway teow which I usually don't eat and is super unhealthy! Well at least it turned out to be really delicious so still alright :)
And hanging out with a nice well-to-do friend is really good! Bryan took taxi home so on the way he dropped me at Buona Vista Station. By then it was already almost 11pm. Well, it was quite a "comprehensive" day. haha. Did work, had someone to talk to (ie. not so bored like the other day last week), had a 2 "first time"s - 1: staying at lib till so late n 2: seeing a side of Holland Village that I've never seen before + eat at a hawker centre there so late.
Wow. It was really cool. Haha. My limited vocab doesn't give me other words to describe it. ERmss. Exciting? Fun? Cool? Heez. Yups.
I stayed in the Science Library till 9pm today because I wanted to finish more of my SUJA than what I had done by the time I had planned to leave, ie. 630pm. Actually I was supposed to have already finished my SUJA and switched over to do research for my FST lab report at 4pm according to my plan, but apparently I didn't as I had eaten about 50minutes from my morning SUJA time to print Past Year Papers (PYPs) and another 30minutes to blog. Still, I only managed to complete two-thirds of my SUJA, ie. typed 2000 words. Yesterday I only managed 500+, from 11am to 530pm. So the total is after I committed 1150am to 9pm today. (Of course inclusive of lunch break and several toilet breaks). And all this is excluding the previous hoursss of research I had done on the internet and photocopying a few hundred pages from a few books in the Central Library!
Anyway, so while Bryan and I were leaving the library, I found out that he actually rushed to get an auto car license to drive to camp during NS then he subsequently got a manual license just two months ago after failing once due to having been used to driving auto. After learning that I got my license too but haven't driven eversince, he suggested I buy a second-hand car. But I was telling him actually taking train to school is pretty good too because I get to read notes on the train or rest if I'm tired. He said if when he gets his car he can let me drive! So cool. haha.
Bryan had driven to school today because his mom did not go to work today so her car was available. He offered to drive me to Buona Vista Station~! But now he doesn't have his own car so he cycles or his dad sends him or he takes taxi to school. Wah, comfortable life.
Oh ya, he also mentioned that he saw Sarah driving a convertible home a few times! Omg my classmates are so well-to-do. The convertible is probably driven over by her mom since the last time she told me she's still waiting for her car.
-- typed (into notepad) on my way home on the train.
I think its really great to have my laptop with me! Because my thoughts for blogging usually develop on my way home, having my laptop allows me to record my thoughts in full immediately :)
Eversince I entered NUS, I really think I have been having alot of blessings in disguise! Its like just this week, I have three in 2days! On Monday, I went to school intending to do work alone. I had wanted to ask someone to accompany me but there was no good person I could think of who was willing to go to school on a recess week.
When I reached the Science Library, I was surprised to see Bryan at the Loans Desk, and even more pleasantly surprised to learn from him that Angeline is also in the Science Library! I gladly sat with them. Actually most of the time I wasn't sitting with them. haha. Because I actually planned to do research for my FST project on Jam, I was photocopying the books I found at the Lib most of the time. Since I am a perfectionist (like my photocopies nicely done), a slow worker, and a greedy girl (see a lot of good info so I photocopied a lot), All my time there at the Lib from about 1045am to just before 4pm with a one-hour lunch break at Megabites Cafe.
Oops. I realise I digressed. Ok, so this first blessings in disguise gave me a study mate for tues and wed (today)! Because Bryan lives right behind NUS, at South Buona Vista, he is willing to go to school :)
2nd blessing in disguise Yesterday, I intended to get the people at the Computer Centre Help Desk to set up my laptop for me. But the guy there said to use Internet, just login will do. For connecting to the domain, it requires Professional or Business editions of Operating Systems. Thinking that mine is the Home edition (I later found out it is actually the Professional edition), I had to leave without getting the domain setup done.
Later on in the Science Library, I asked Bryan about it and he said laptops bought through the school will already be connected to the domain, and his is. He recommended that I do not get connected to the domain as it seriously slowed down the startup of his laptop in his opinion. Anyway the domain is quite useless so there's no loss if I don't have it. So yups, my "blurness" of thinking my laptop OS is Home edition is a blessing in disguise that my laptop doesn't not get slower startup :)
3rd blessing in disguise Last night, I decided that I need a study mate for this Saturday and Sunday to accompany me to Woodlands Library to study for my tests next week. Otherwise I will be extremely unproductive at home. So after consulting Herman for suggestion on a good and willing person from our FST class, I asked Weibin if he wanted to go. He didn't like Woodlands Library so the arrangement was not possible. I then decided to ask Ruiqi, who agreed on Sunday and suggested studying FST and CM as these are the only 2 modules we have in common. My original plan was to do self-study, but since she said she would likely have a lot of questions to ask me, I think its pretty good too as I can learn in the process as well.
Then for Saturday, I decided to ask Sherman so that we could study EC together. He felt that Woodlands is too far for him (he stays in Tiong Bahru) so I suggested AMK, which turned out to be a place that he likes. So yay! I've got more than what I intended to have when I at first decided to find a FST classmate to be my study mate - I now have study mates for both FST core modules and my EC module. Sherman knows a bit of Bahasa Indonesia too so if I could finish studying enough of my EC module, I can study a bit of my BI too! So Weibin not liking Woodlands library actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as well.
And the tests for EC and BI weigh quite a significant percentage! EC test on next Monday is worth 30% and BI test on next Tuesday is worth 20%! Compared to no weightage for FST test on next Tuesday too, SP1202 test on next Thursday worth 10% and CM1101 test on next Saturday worth 5%, EC and BI tests are really consequential in terms of affecting my CAP.
Although there's no LSM test next week, I still need to devote time to studying my LSM general biology module as my final results for it will determine if I can stay in FST. I need an A- at least!
Okay enough time that I stole from doing my SUJA to blog. About 30 minutes or more! Poof now!
Oh ya, extra note. I actually started blogging this on my laptop (in notepad text file) on Bus 95 on my way to school just now! I think that's another first from me! haha... ok! really gone!
Since I was telling Herman about it, I decided I might as well copy and paste it here
fenella says: on fri after my cm lab i had to rush to engin for a workshop (cca stuff) and by the time i reached there it alr ended. so we proceeded to pgpr for team bonding event. which was cooking competition. we were given ingreds n everythin, just needed to cook. then we ate
sat, i had cca meeting in the morn, followed by lunch, then i went central lib to photocopy research materials for sp1202 my 3000word academic paper, then i went to town to meet my pri sch frens for karaoke session till 11pm followed by supper
sunday i got up early but after bf, fell asleep till lunch time. then did my sem planner then time to attend a talk by nutrition cum beauty consultant on food allergy at nearby CC with my mom. then went to look for relatives across the road to do my jam survey then in the night i basically just did non academic stuff
today i went to sch to photocopy research material for fst proj, n met a few sp1202 classmates, so coincidental then i went to fareastflora to buy tokens of appreciation for cca event, n went amk hub to shop for clothes
Yay thanks to Ting Weilin, we had our 3rd Cedar karaoke mini-gathering yesterday at Dynasty at Peace Centre (Weilin kept referring to the place as Paradiz I think I wrongly mentioned that it was at Paradiz in my post about our 2nd karaoke mini-gathering, ie. the first at Dynasty).
There were also Jiayi, Ivy, Leonard and Jeremy (in order of time of arrival) and Chiew Siong was super late. I really enjoyed myself again yesterday, just like our 1st time at Dynasty :) so wonderful!
Only Weilin and I were punctual at 6pm, everyone else was late. haha. But it was alright since the earlier we arrived, the more we got to sing! and we sang from 630 till 11! Actually it wasn't even more than enough since we took turns.
It was the first time I sang out loud (the previous time I was really soft). Of course, at the beginning of yesterday's singing session, I was soft too, but further into the night, I became more "high". I was telling Jeremy it was because I felt that if I kept quiet while the others sing, it would be quite boring for me, so I became "high"! And maybe also because there was jiayi singing away very confidently and she being a confident friendly girl with a good voice helped boost my confidence so I dared to sing, heez. And also because none of those present made me feel inhibited, haha. They all gave me a comfortable feeling.
Jeremy got "high" too and started disturbing Jiayi but singing not properly. Then I got influenced and sang with weird voices sometimes too. I started playing with the mic doing mischievous stuff like playing with song titles. It was fun :)
Oh ya, Jiayi's so experienced in visiting karaoke outlets she strategically chose the spot where the two perpendicular sections of the L-shaped sofa met so that she could rest her legs on the sofa. This I realised awhile later when my legs felt tired and I wanted to place on legs on something but couldn't. haha.
I got to sing duet with Jeremy and he says we have mo qi ('chemistry'), but most of the time I didn't sing the lyrics correctly or stopped suddenly due to lack of breathe, heez, I need to familiarise with the lyrics! Duets are fun! The others (Jiayi with Weilin or Jeremy) sang duets so well!
We went Macs for supper and I got them to do survey for my FST project on jam. Initially most were reluctant, but all helped in the end. heez.
Ivy and Chiew Siong were going to Boon Lay but by the time (about 1145pm) we got to Dohby Ghaut station, the last train towards Marina Bay had already left so they couldn't take down to City Hall to change to the Green Line! Fortunately we managed to catch the Last Train bound to Jurong East via Woodlands, just before the door closed.
Bryan accidentally kept my SUJA outline by mistake last Thursday (ie 20Sep07). So he arranged to meet me on Friday to return it to me. And guess what else he gave me on Friday? Some research materials he obtained on my SUJA topic of "Why do people dream?"~! Omg. He said he was researching for his own materials on his SUJA then he also did some search on mine and since he found useful information, he printed them out for me! He also recommended me to use LINC (Library INtegrated Catalogue) - the NUS Library Database - to be used for research as it was where he got the information for me.
I was totally pleasantly surprised by this very helpful act of his. Especially considering that over the first few weeks (till about week 4 I think) of this semester, whenever I saw him outside of SP1202 class, he never said hi or anything. Although it could be that we didn't really come face-to-face. I don't know why. Haha, there was a couple of times I think about a couple of weeks ago when I wanted to ask him why in class, but I didn't. It was only in week 5 (last week) that we talked to each other personally. He asked me that I am taking EC1301 right? and wondered if we have to miss SP1202 lesson due to the EC1301 mid-term test starting at 6pm on Week 7 Monday and SP1202 tutorials only end at 6pm. So I told him actually the lecturer already said its changed to 630pm so we have to be there by 615pm thus its alright.
Last Thursday's lesson was also the SP1202 lesson that I enjoyed most, because due to the main agenda of that lesson being for Ms Tow to go through each of our SUJA outline individually, we got to do our own things for most of the lesson and the whole group got chatty in the second hour of the lesson after Yuanru started asking everyone their birth dates. Before that, I was telling Sarah about the calculation of number of modules to take each semester so that we can complete our Honours Degree in 4 years and then looking at my own SUJA. Then the conversation amongst the whole group of us got so enjoyable that before I realised, it was already 6pm! (I always left earlier at 5.50pm to rush over to my LAB1201 lesson at FASS ADM block which requires me to half-run to the bus-stop and wait for shuttlebus to get there and half-run to the classroom, and still end up late.)
Actually there was still more I had to say to the others, because it was only on that day that they found out I'm taking Food Science. On the first lesson I introduced my "major" as Chemistry because that was what the Admin wanted me to be since I'm only conditionally admitted to FST. Unlike most of the time, I didn't further explain this situation of mine. So all of them (except Sarah who of course knows since we are FST1101 classmates) had always thought that I am a normal Chemistry major. Then that Thursday, I think because Sarah and I were talking like we knew each other outside of SP1202, Yuanru asked if we knew each other before. So it was only then that I told her (and of course the others as well since we were all seated facing one another at tables placed to form a large rectangle) that I'm in FST. But, at this time, "time" suddenly hit me so I asked what time it was and oh no! it was already slightly past 6pm! So I didn't get the time to further explain and had to leave in a rush, which explains why I left without my SUJA outline which I lent to Bryan to look at.
Oh ya, back to last Friday when we met for him to pass to me my SUJA outline. I was actually queuing for my lunch at the claypot stall when he came, and when I got my food, I had the stuff that he gave me in one hand, so he offered to help me carry my food to a table! Indeed nice (pardon my limited vocabulary). Just then Herman (whom I arranged to meet for lunch) came and then Bryan's lunch mate also came.
I am in the Science Library Computer Room now... Free till 4pm which is when my SP1202 lesson starts. Its the first time I'm blogging in NUS. And why? Because I feel so bored. and alone. Well I am an independent person, often comfortable with being on my own, but things are changing. I mean. I think I am changing. Despite having many things to do now, (in particular three that I had previously planned to be done during these 2hours from the end of CM lecture at 1+pm till the time I go to my SP1202 venue: one, revise my Bahasa Indonesia and do the worksheets online; two, review the SUJA outlines of my SP1202 partners - Mario and Angeline; three read the lab notes for tomorrow's CM lab), I feel more like interacting with people.
Actually, its not like I really lack interaction... I just had lunch with my Conversation Buddies and Peer before the CM lecture. But somehow, I simply have this negative feeling of solitude...
1st time (eversince I started going to NUS about a month ago) that I was falling asleep on the train~!
That happened on my way home just now. And its after sleeping only 4-5 hours (and the occasional 6hours) each night for the past 10 days or so. Today is my long day: 8am lecture and last lesson ending at 7pm, though I've no fixed lessons from 12 to 4.
Well there has been (and still MORE to come) so many things to do. Academic work including preparing for lectures (eg printing notes and reading them), doing tutorials, reading textbooks (which is the most time consuming part) and making my own notes; CCA activities and submission of ideas; and socialising~! Although I really enjoy the last one, I am really spending too much time on it - on MSN and hanging out with friends. Shall try to cut down on MSN-ing, but sometimes I just feel like chatting with friends... And this is in spite of having NOT gone on MSN at all (such that all my contacts got deleted) for more than a year just a couple of months ago!
Actually I'm NOT supposed to be blogging at all... I have a presentation to make tomorrow for my SP1202 Communicating with the Academy module and I haven't even start preparing! (apart from spending over 1 hour in Central Library this afternoon photocopying research materials from books on sleep and dreams. My topic for my SUJA (3000-word academic paper on a science topic) is "Why do people dream?" And an outline for it is due tomorrow! Omg I so need to sleep early today (I'm really tired) yet there's such a big thing due tomorrow! In addition to my Chemistry mass tutorial and my Bahasa Indonesia worksheet...
Oh ya. I think I haven't talk about my CCAs. NOTE the "s"! Yes I finally decided to join both CSS and NES S@S Events Team even though before the interviews I told myself and others I would only join one because I would not be able to cope with two...
Ah enough for now.. Though I have more to say. Tata...
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