September
I sit in my chair here in my room and stare at my calendar. I am, again, like so many times before, swamped.
Sometimes I wish there was more of me to go around: someone to do read up on my intensive Statistics lessons, someone to read up on Calculus, someone to do my stuff for the English group project, someone to go to CFA (for a good two hours) and photocopy hundreds of pages of scores for the Choir, someone to be Bass SL for KR Choir and fix the pitching and timing of the rest of the bassos.
And it's supposed to be mid-term break.
Anyway, it's supposed to be a happy September because, well, it's unofficially Christmas season already in the Philippines, and the going-home part will be soon! But yeah, before the going-home comes the crazy-mugging and taking-tests-and-exams part, so it's... well, like that lor. Sigh.
In other news, I got Dad his stylus already! He lost the stylus for his PDA, so finally I found a replacement. Our Managerial Econs homework is spankin' good! Great teammates I have. There's considerable progress in my Linguistics group project, and yep it's looking very nice. Ivy's Mom and a few relatives are here, and since they'll mostly be eating out, she gave me her other matric card for hall meals! Coolness.. double the food, double the fun (or fat)!
There's this thought hovering in my head actually. Something's got to give. I know I have to give up something soon.. by next sem or next year maybe? My plans of taking two minors (in Business and English Studies) is rather ambitious to the point of well, suicide, but I know it can be done. Then again, I hadn't anticipated ST2132 to be too much of a killer too.. what more the higher-level modules?
Anyway, I'm glad I'm still alive and awake and up and running. I am a happy guy, I like to think, and as long as I have good friends and a lurrrving family, I can't ask for much else. And oh yeah, thanks to Ferron and Nestor for the nice shirt they bought me from Thailand! Nice! Now to corner Karen and ask what treats she brought me from Indonesia haha..
OK, back to dork mode. Maybe I should follow Nirorn who has made a home out of the Hon Sui Sen Library, or Korinna to Nerdsville.
Studying is fun. Studying is fun. Studying is fun. Hopefully if we say it long enough, it will be true. But really, studying is fun.
Don't Look Back in Anger
Don't Look Back in Anger
Ahh it's a nice Sunday in Singapore, and especially because the NUS VPN connection is finally up! That means I can surf the internet again. Yesterday afternoon and last night it was down, and all i had access to was the IVLE (the Student Workspace essentially), and NUS sites (email excluded), and surprisingly Yahoo Messenger. And nothing else! I was almost tempted to clean my room (again) and study. Hehe.
* * *
I must comment on my eventful Thursday night, as it was a confrontation session I've never had (with a Singaporean at least). The first time I was fuming mad, and in front of people I respect and work with (thank God it was just the few members of the EXCO.. although I think a few choir members who were slow to leave Function Room 5 caught my preliminary mini-outburst). I don't know how many from the Choir read this space (maybe I should remove the link to this blog in the choir forum), but in the end, although I still feel I had every reason to justify my outburst ("paroxysm" as my new fellow basso Joel tells me.. thanks btw), I eventually think I ended up being the "sorer" one. I think I just blew away what dignity I had, by appearing like a whiney and reactive and insecure and unprofessional troublemaker. At least that's what I think, although my friends tell me it's okay, it happens, and people still love me just the way I am, and all. Thanks, you all. But yeah, it's a blow to the ego. Self-propelled ego-buster.
I am still disturbed. Because, as far as I was concerned, it was an isolated incident that launched me into this. But no, for this person tells me I have always been working counter to her. What?! Now where did that come from? No justification to support the claim too. I can hardly feel my own self getting a real say in the EXCO stuff, and now this? As far as I'm concerned, I can be substituted for a photocopier, and perhaps a messenger with an IQ of 80.
Last thing: mean what you say. Don't apologize if you don't mean it. An apology that comes only because it seems like the natural and expected thing to do is worthless. And if you aren't open to being at least a notch higher than civil the next occasion we meet, forget it.
* * *
Thanks for all the concern everybody. My dad says anger clouds judgment, and yeah that's true. I'll also try to be less reactive next time. But just don't send me inflammatory SMSes that hit below the belt. SMS miscommunication may have been a factor, yes, partly, but since you brought up that bit about me "always being" against you, now I can see this goes much deeper than it seems.
Okay, I'm letting this issue drop. Don't look back in anger, goes the Oasis song. It's just people, and this happens when work has to be done and there are too many supposedly "in-charge".
Be who you are and say what you feel; those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Thanks, Dr Seuss.
Ahh it's a nice Sunday in Singapore, and especially because the NUS VPN connection is finally up! That means I can surf the internet again. Yesterday afternoon and last night it was down, and all i had access to was the IVLE (the Student Workspace essentially), and NUS sites (email excluded), and surprisingly Yahoo Messenger. And nothing else! I was almost tempted to clean my room (again) and study. Hehe.
* * *
I must comment on my eventful Thursday night, as it was a confrontation session I've never had (with a Singaporean at least). The first time I was fuming mad, and in front of people I respect and work with (thank God it was just the few members of the EXCO.. although I think a few choir members who were slow to leave Function Room 5 caught my preliminary mini-outburst). I don't know how many from the Choir read this space (maybe I should remove the link to this blog in the choir forum), but in the end, although I still feel I had every reason to justify my outburst ("paroxysm" as my new fellow basso Joel tells me.. thanks btw), I eventually think I ended up being the "sorer" one. I think I just blew away what dignity I had, by appearing like a whiney and reactive and insecure and unprofessional troublemaker. At least that's what I think, although my friends tell me it's okay, it happens, and people still love me just the way I am, and all. Thanks, you all. But yeah, it's a blow to the ego. Self-propelled ego-buster.
I am still disturbed. Because, as far as I was concerned, it was an isolated incident that launched me into this. But no, for this person tells me I have always been working counter to her. What?! Now where did that come from? No justification to support the claim too. I can hardly feel my own self getting a real say in the EXCO stuff, and now this? As far as I'm concerned, I can be substituted for a photocopier, and perhaps a messenger with an IQ of 80.
Last thing: mean what you say. Don't apologize if you don't mean it. An apology that comes only because it seems like the natural and expected thing to do is worthless. And if you aren't open to being at least a notch higher than civil the next occasion we meet, forget it.
* * *
Thanks for all the concern everybody. My dad says anger clouds judgment, and yeah that's true. I'll also try to be less reactive next time. But just don't send me inflammatory SMSes that hit below the belt. SMS miscommunication may have been a factor, yes, partly, but since you brought up that bit about me "always being" against you, now I can see this goes much deeper than it seems.
Okay, I'm letting this issue drop. Don't look back in anger, goes the Oasis song. It's just people, and this happens when work has to be done and there are too many supposedly "in-charge".
Be who you are and say what you feel; those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Thanks, Dr Seuss.
@#$%#$%*!
@#$%#$%*!
It's not ffffing fun anymore. You, you should get your act together and not make me feel fucking useless. I know my job scope, you know, so stop blurring the edges because here I take control. And don't give me this don't-tell-me-what-i-should-or-shouldn't-do-because-my-own-father-doesn't-do-that crap. That's a low blow, and I'll make sure I speak my mind to you tonight, since you're not open to discussing whatever SMS miscommunication problems nor answering any of my well-intentioned questions.
Now to print my notes, skip a learning strategies seminar and get mugging for my linguistics test tomorrow. I am royally pissed.
Breathe in Jose. Now breathe the fuck out. And no I shall not apologize for any vulgarity in this post.
It's not ffffing fun anymore. You, you should get your act together and not make me feel fucking useless. I know my job scope, you know, so stop blurring the edges because here I take control. And don't give me this don't-tell-me-what-i-should-or-shouldn't-do-because-my-own-father-doesn't-do-that crap. That's a low blow, and I'll make sure I speak my mind to you tonight, since you're not open to discussing whatever SMS miscommunication problems nor answering any of my well-intentioned questions.
Now to print my notes, skip a learning strategies seminar and get mugging for my linguistics test tomorrow. I am royally pissed.
Breathe in Jose. Now breathe the fuck out. And no I shall not apologize for any vulgarity in this post.
Peace of mind
Peace of mind
It's amazing what a good afternoon nap can do. And a good supper too after a good sectional session with the basses of KR Choir. And that after a productive time at my EL1101E tutorial and BSP1005 case discussion tutorial (yeah Team Vernon Smith rocks!).
Lots coming up next week, and I'm really swamped, but I think I've managed to condition myself to well, delay worrying about them, and relax once in a while.
I've got up-to-date information about the grisly chop-chop murder of a Filipina maid by a Filipina maid here in Singapore, and still I cringe whenever I read about it, but yeah, happy thoughts happy thoughts.
Speaking of happy thoughts, sometimes I just think of Czech Republic.
And yep, that's my current wallpaper too.
I wanna go to Europe again! And this time, definitely with a Schengen Visa. Hahaha. Those who know me would remember my brush with the Italian Embassy, but yeah that's over, and that doesn't make me like Europe less.
Oh yeah, belated happy birthday to one of my closest friends, Jacques. This guy's terrific, really, and he's the closest thing I have to a little bro. Happy 16th birthday again, Jacko, and I hope you settle all the issues you're currently dealing with. All my good vibes too you.
Coolness.. Emoticons in my blog! Now on to my ST2137 programming assignment and my Calculus tutorial! Midterm break soon!
Music of the moment: Jack Johnson's Better Together
Currently feeling calm.
It's amazing what a good afternoon nap can do. And a good supper too after a good sectional session with the basses of KR Choir. And that after a productive time at my EL1101E tutorial and BSP1005 case discussion tutorial (yeah Team Vernon Smith rocks!).
Lots coming up next week, and I'm really swamped, but I think I've managed to condition myself to well, delay worrying about them, and relax once in a while.
I've got up-to-date information about the grisly chop-chop murder of a Filipina maid by a Filipina maid here in Singapore, and still I cringe whenever I read about it, but yeah, happy thoughts happy thoughts.
Speaking of happy thoughts, sometimes I just think of Czech Republic.
And yep, that's my current wallpaper too.
I wanna go to Europe again! And this time, definitely with a Schengen Visa. Hahaha. Those who know me would remember my brush with the Italian Embassy, but yeah that's over, and that doesn't make me like Europe less.
Oh yeah, belated happy birthday to one of my closest friends, Jacques. This guy's terrific, really, and he's the closest thing I have to a little bro. Happy 16th birthday again, Jacko, and I hope you settle all the issues you're currently dealing with. All my good vibes too you.
Coolness.. Emoticons in my blog! Now on to my ST2137 programming assignment and my Calculus tutorial! Midterm break soon!
Music of the moment: Jack Johnson's Better Together
Currently feeling calm.
Keep it together
A lot of things are threatening to break me apart: dissolve my sanity, try my patience and resolve, test my mental and emotional limits, and push my stamina and strength to the edge.
Thank God for my family, friends, my blog, MSN, the internet, church (happy silver jubilee to the Church of the Holy Cross) and music.
Thanks to Swiss Miss too, this yummy cocoa milk chocolate drink. I hope it has caffeine, as Karen says it does. I've recently (and unknowingly) been a coffee-holic, and I think I'm hooked.
Ahh life is good and I am loved by the people who matter to me. Thanks, you all.
* * *
I don't know why I'm feeling this stressed. Sure I have a test at 8am later, and waking up in time is gonna be a challenge, but hmm.. something tells me my worry-meter is working overtime. Prolly another case of "much ado about nothing".
But then again, I really should feel stressed. I have LOTS up ahead, and I'm barely prepared. Being in the university is a tough job, man.
Alrighty, time to hit the sack. Goodnight world.
A lot of things are threatening to break me apart: dissolve my sanity, try my patience and resolve, test my mental and emotional limits, and push my stamina and strength to the edge.
Thank God for my family, friends, my blog, MSN, the internet, church (happy silver jubilee to the Church of the Holy Cross) and music.
Thanks to Swiss Miss too, this yummy cocoa milk chocolate drink. I hope it has caffeine, as Karen says it does. I've recently (and unknowingly) been a coffee-holic, and I think I'm hooked.
Ahh life is good and I am loved by the people who matter to me. Thanks, you all.
* * *
I don't know why I'm feeling this stressed. Sure I have a test at 8am later, and waking up in time is gonna be a challenge, but hmm.. something tells me my worry-meter is working overtime. Prolly another case of "much ado about nothing".
But then again, I really should feel stressed. I have LOTS up ahead, and I'm barely prepared. Being in the university is a tough job, man.
Alrighty, time to hit the sack. Goodnight world.
All right
All right
Aww.. to get an encouraging email from my mom is one thing, but to get TWO encouraging emails (the second asking me to seek medical help), a message from Dad who even tried to call me (not enough credits right now to answer it sorry) to ask how I am, and some nice comments from sister Kai in a span of two days is a bit strange. Oh no. Is it what I fear it is?
Hehe thanks a lot, you family. :D Big hug! BUT really, I'm okay. Hehe, I'm beginning to think the previous post led you to think I was severely ill or mentally distressed (but actually..haha).
Anyway, I thought I'd clear the whole thing before my family shows up at my doorstep to see how I am. But that wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it? XD
Ahh.. turns out this post is also the perfect excuse to use Blogger's image service. Aha! It actually works quite nicely. Hmm.. is this gonna give my usual provider Photobucket a run for its money? Then again, what usual provider? Hehe yep the posts have been devoid of photos for the longest time, but still, the design and all the nice-looking stuff are still powered by Photobucket. :)
This photo of the four of us was taken (using the now-spoilt webcam) more than two years ago, before I ever set foot on Singapore soil (or pavement, for that matter). Nice! Next time I'll upload more photos (oh yeah including those from Czech!) to make this a more visually-friendly blog.
Thanks again Ma, Dad and Kai. Miss you all.
Aww.. to get an encouraging email from my mom is one thing, but to get TWO encouraging emails (the second asking me to seek medical help), a message from Dad who even tried to call me (not enough credits right now to answer it sorry) to ask how I am, and some nice comments from sister Kai in a span of two days is a bit strange. Oh no. Is it what I fear it is?
Hehe thanks a lot, you family. :D Big hug! BUT really, I'm okay. Hehe, I'm beginning to think the previous post led you to think I was severely ill or mentally distressed (but actually..haha).
Anyway, I thought I'd clear the whole thing before my family shows up at my doorstep to see how I am. But that wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it? XDAhh.. turns out this post is also the perfect excuse to use Blogger's image service. Aha! It actually works quite nicely. Hmm.. is this gonna give my usual provider Photobucket a run for its money? Then again, what usual provider? Hehe yep the posts have been devoid of photos for the longest time, but still, the design and all the nice-looking stuff are still powered by Photobucket. :)
This photo of the four of us was taken (using the now-spoilt webcam) more than two years ago, before I ever set foot on Singapore soil (or pavement, for that matter). Nice! Next time I'll upload more photos (oh yeah including those from Czech!) to make this a more visually-friendly blog.
Thanks again Ma, Dad and Kai. Miss you all.
Chest Pains
Chest Pains
Don't worry, Ma, I'm okay.:D Physically at least.
Lately my chest pains have been more and more frequent. They usually occur during lectures and tutorials.
Dr Lim of my Mathematical Statistics class, for example, goes on and on with his lecture, and, as I scribble down his complex and rather abstract derivations of statistical distributions, I feel a tightening in my chest. He later hands out a take-home assignment due on Wednesday, and as I stare at the paper, I realize I am stumped.. and there go the chest pains again. Dr Wu of my Advanced Calculus class and his French teaching assistant Jelena give me a similar sensation, especially when they say, in both the lecture and tutorial, very easy.. very basic elementary stuff. Dr Biman of my Computer Aided Data Analysis class requires us to learn two statistical softwares, SAS and R, and once remarked to the class (who mistakenly thought we were to do the tutorial in class and not beforehand), How can you do the difficult stuff if you can't do the simple questions? Again, that funny feeling.
I am so behind already. Lord please give me the strength and patience and perseverance to plow through the notes and readings I am supposed to clear.
God helps those who help themselves.
Don't worry, Ma, I'm okay.:D Physically at least.
Lately my chest pains have been more and more frequent. They usually occur during lectures and tutorials.
Dr Lim of my Mathematical Statistics class, for example, goes on and on with his lecture, and, as I scribble down his complex and rather abstract derivations of statistical distributions, I feel a tightening in my chest. He later hands out a take-home assignment due on Wednesday, and as I stare at the paper, I realize I am stumped.. and there go the chest pains again. Dr Wu of my Advanced Calculus class and his French teaching assistant Jelena give me a similar sensation, especially when they say, in both the lecture and tutorial, very easy.. very basic elementary stuff. Dr Biman of my Computer Aided Data Analysis class requires us to learn two statistical softwares, SAS and R, and once remarked to the class (who mistakenly thought we were to do the tutorial in class and not beforehand), How can you do the difficult stuff if you can't do the simple questions? Again, that funny feeling.
I am so behind already. Lord please give me the strength and patience and perseverance to plow through the notes and readings I am supposed to clear.
God helps those who help themselves.
Stressful times.
But come on, you kick ass, Joseph. So stop whining and continue mugging.
Yeah.
Now hopefully my handphone wakes me up on time tomorrow.. so I can catch my Managerial Econs groupmates at Far East Plaza at 10AM for case discussion..
:S
But come on, you kick ass, Joseph. So stop whining and continue mugging.
Yeah.
Now hopefully my handphone wakes me up on time tomorrow.. so I can catch my Managerial Econs groupmates at Far East Plaza at 10AM for case discussion..
:S
Lalala
Lalala
I wanted to post this entry, however blah it is, sooner, if only to get rid of that blah-er post from being the banner post of sorts. Then again, this is another of those blah posts, so yeah, nothing too groundbreaking has happened lately.
Ooh.. but actually there is something blogworthy. And that is the prospect of having my first job ever! Nestor had kindly referred me to this professor teaching Professional Communication from the English Language department, Dr. Sadorra, and I met up with her yesterday afternoon. Tada! An offer to become a student assistant. Basically we'll just have to go for her classes and observe her students while they examine cases related to the workplace, and how they come up with some written response to their boss or colleague or whoever, before the studes actually proceed to the writing activity. It's not an amazing super job, but it sounds good to me actually. Plus, the classes might be in the global classroom, a place I've never been into before, but it promises to be cool, since it's going to have sound recorders and video cameras all over the place. Dr. Sadorra apparently believes in pushing her subject to the next level, as she really wants a detailed documentation of how the students do their tasks, even their facial expressions and the flow of their discussion, as she seeks to deviate from the usual imagine-you-were-a-boss kind of individual tasks. And oh yeah, Dr. Sadorra is a Filipino as well. Let's see how my job (if it pushes through at all) goes in a few weeks.
In other news, two of my very dear friends aren't feeling too good lately. Hope you both are better now, Jack and Dea. I wish I could do something.
Back in Kent Ridge Hall in Singapore, it's Kevin My Neighbor's birthday today! Happy happy birthday! Seriously, he's one of the nicest guys around, very pleasant and cool. And he does rock climbing! The new head of the NUS Climbing team for this schoolyear in fact. And aww.. Grace threw him a good party at midnight awhile ago. Such a cute couple! Thanks for the yummy chocolate cake (tasted like chocolate ice cream cake!) and the pizza! And cool, for the first time in all my take-out pizza history in Singapore, it wasn't Canadian pizza! But Pizza Hut! Hehe. Well, not that Canadian pizza is bad (I love it in fact), but yeah, here's something new! (Well, only because Canadian pizza wasn't available too, I learned.. haha) It was a small party with close friends and neighbors (first-floor guys), and it was one big laughtrip.
Oh yeah, Kent Ridge Road Race yesterday! I joined last year, and seriously, it was the most exhausting time of my entire life. :D Physically, at least. The route is from the SRC carpark, down the slope of Clementi road, back towards SDE, up the slope passing the Central Library and Yusof Ishak House, and back to the carpark. A good 2.2K too. Last year, I stupidly exhausted all my energy in the downward part, and when it came to the steep upward slope, I thought I was gonna pass out and die. But yeah, I managed to keep a, well, fairly decent (in terms of my physical fitness status) rank. Anyway, this year I didn't run as I had a long day and I came from Clementi to buy a Statistics book. I decided to drop by the race at 6:30PM to cheer them on and help out the Sports Management Unit. Coolness, D block won BOTH guys and girls category! Woohooo go D-block! That, considering many of last year's fastest runners were not present. This new guy ZR (I can't make out his Chinese name), set a new record for KR ever, finishing the course in about 7 minutes. To finish it in 9 minutes is already amazlingly fast already, and this guy was supposedly sick yesterday! Many of the Top 11 slots were from D-block too, including 2nd and 3rd places grabbed by Nepalese brothers Nara and Block Head Basu. Cool cool.
Back to my favorite subject (me of course), I'm tired already from schoolwork, and I'm getting lost in lectures and tutorials already. Time to switch on Dork mode!
Really, this time I mean it. :)
Music of the moment: Texas' When We Are Together
Currently feeling high on coffee.
I wanted to post this entry, however blah it is, sooner, if only to get rid of that blah-er post from being the banner post of sorts. Then again, this is another of those blah posts, so yeah, nothing too groundbreaking has happened lately.
Ooh.. but actually there is something blogworthy. And that is the prospect of having my first job ever! Nestor had kindly referred me to this professor teaching Professional Communication from the English Language department, Dr. Sadorra, and I met up with her yesterday afternoon. Tada! An offer to become a student assistant. Basically we'll just have to go for her classes and observe her students while they examine cases related to the workplace, and how they come up with some written response to their boss or colleague or whoever, before the studes actually proceed to the writing activity. It's not an amazing super job, but it sounds good to me actually. Plus, the classes might be in the global classroom, a place I've never been into before, but it promises to be cool, since it's going to have sound recorders and video cameras all over the place. Dr. Sadorra apparently believes in pushing her subject to the next level, as she really wants a detailed documentation of how the students do their tasks, even their facial expressions and the flow of their discussion, as she seeks to deviate from the usual imagine-you-were-a-boss kind of individual tasks. And oh yeah, Dr. Sadorra is a Filipino as well. Let's see how my job (if it pushes through at all) goes in a few weeks.
In other news, two of my very dear friends aren't feeling too good lately. Hope you both are better now, Jack and Dea. I wish I could do something.
Back in Kent Ridge Hall in Singapore, it's Kevin My Neighbor's birthday today! Happy happy birthday! Seriously, he's one of the nicest guys around, very pleasant and cool. And he does rock climbing! The new head of the NUS Climbing team for this schoolyear in fact. And aww.. Grace threw him a good party at midnight awhile ago. Such a cute couple! Thanks for the yummy chocolate cake (tasted like chocolate ice cream cake!) and the pizza! And cool, for the first time in all my take-out pizza history in Singapore, it wasn't Canadian pizza! But Pizza Hut! Hehe. Well, not that Canadian pizza is bad (I love it in fact), but yeah, here's something new! (Well, only because Canadian pizza wasn't available too, I learned.. haha) It was a small party with close friends and neighbors (first-floor guys), and it was one big laughtrip.
Oh yeah, Kent Ridge Road Race yesterday! I joined last year, and seriously, it was the most exhausting time of my entire life. :D Physically, at least. The route is from the SRC carpark, down the slope of Clementi road, back towards SDE, up the slope passing the Central Library and Yusof Ishak House, and back to the carpark. A good 2.2K too. Last year, I stupidly exhausted all my energy in the downward part, and when it came to the steep upward slope, I thought I was gonna pass out and die. But yeah, I managed to keep a, well, fairly decent (in terms of my physical fitness status) rank. Anyway, this year I didn't run as I had a long day and I came from Clementi to buy a Statistics book. I decided to drop by the race at 6:30PM to cheer them on and help out the Sports Management Unit. Coolness, D block won BOTH guys and girls category! Woohooo go D-block! That, considering many of last year's fastest runners were not present. This new guy ZR (I can't make out his Chinese name), set a new record for KR ever, finishing the course in about 7 minutes. To finish it in 9 minutes is already amazlingly fast already, and this guy was supposedly sick yesterday! Many of the Top 11 slots were from D-block too, including 2nd and 3rd places grabbed by Nepalese brothers Nara and Block Head Basu. Cool cool.
Back to my favorite subject (me of course), I'm tired already from schoolwork, and I'm getting lost in lectures and tutorials already. Time to switch on Dork mode!
Really, this time I mean it. :)
Music of the moment: Texas' When We Are Together
Currently feeling high on coffee.
Hmm.
HMM.
Today was a strange day. I thought it was strange in a good way, since it was a surprisingly good day to accidentally meet up with random friends. Really, I was like, hey!, hello!, how are ya!, hey you!, and on the receiving end of the same as I was walking to and from class, in the corridors, in the bus, at the bus stop, at the canteen. It's great to meet old and new friends around, really, and unexpectedly too, so that's always a nice treat. For a while there I began to wonder if this was a divine sign that indicated something. Something good to perk up my spirits for the strangeness of the day apparently.
It became stranger as the day progressed, me being stressed and sleep-deprived, getting lost in lectures, skipping dinner and consequently getting irritable in choir, and suddenly realizing I have killer tutorials the next day and a take-home calculus exam that I couldn't solve.
But yeah it was okay. I guess.
At around 11PM, after my Indonesian friend Johni (formerly from KR and now with NUS Choir) gave me a calculus crash course, I went back to hall from PGP, ready to plop onto the bed to take a small nap before I finish my calculus take-home exam. I decided to surf the net a bit first, and then it hit me.
Yeah, sometimes life sucks, and I can't blame anyone else but me. Don't ask.
Music of the moment: Green Day's Wake Me Up When September Ends
Currently feeling the need to relax and destress.
Today was a strange day. I thought it was strange in a good way, since it was a surprisingly good day to accidentally meet up with random friends. Really, I was like, hey!, hello!, how are ya!, hey you!, and on the receiving end of the same as I was walking to and from class, in the corridors, in the bus, at the bus stop, at the canteen. It's great to meet old and new friends around, really, and unexpectedly too, so that's always a nice treat. For a while there I began to wonder if this was a divine sign that indicated something. Something good to perk up my spirits for the strangeness of the day apparently.
It became stranger as the day progressed, me being stressed and sleep-deprived, getting lost in lectures, skipping dinner and consequently getting irritable in choir, and suddenly realizing I have killer tutorials the next day and a take-home calculus exam that I couldn't solve.
But yeah it was okay. I guess.
At around 11PM, after my Indonesian friend Johni (formerly from KR and now with NUS Choir) gave me a calculus crash course, I went back to hall from PGP, ready to plop onto the bed to take a small nap before I finish my calculus take-home exam. I decided to surf the net a bit first, and then it hit me.
Yeah, sometimes life sucks, and I can't blame anyone else but me. Don't ask.
Music of the moment: Green Day's Wake Me Up When September Ends
Currently feeling the need to relax and destress.
Too much, too soon
Too much, too soon
OK, so this is quite a happening semester. This early, I'm already busy and loaded! And still I wanna do a bit more! Let's just make sure I don't fall into that spread-self-too-thin trap again ya?
This weekend is blogworthy actually, but I'm just too tired to blog it. And I have 8AM class later too! But yeah, I have to mark them here so that this blog may chronicle (although incompletely, I must stress) the days and months and years of my life.
So it was the Timeless Classics performance. We at NUS Choir performed with GENUS (NUS Guitar Ensemble), NUS Piano Ensemble, NUS Wind Symphony, and NUS Symphony Orchestra. - Details to HOPEFULLY follow -
Afterwards was a small after-party with terrific food including tasty tasty salmon, tarts with cheese and tarts with strawberries and grapes and kiwi, and chocolate eclairs. The most interesting of the free food was the wine! There was yummy red wine and yummier white wine! I downed one red, then one white, and thought, "Cool these are good." I was feeling some sting in the head already, but I found myself drinking yet another glass of red wine, and another of the irresistable yummy white wine afterwards.
For a while I thought wine was okay, since, well, it wasn't beer! If I get tipsy, see, it's almost always on beer. It's not often anyway, because it's only during my few clubbing sessions (really, what's clubbing without some beer). Kurien (or Yi Yong, I can't recall) reminded me of the alcohol percentage in wine, and then I realized that, oh yeah.. this is the faster way to "drunkenhood".
I was feeling good actually, and it's always nice to have wine to celebrate an occasion. We pulled off the Timeless Classics pretty well despite the overwhelming obstacles, and yeah, we were relieved it was finally over. And yeah, happy people just wanna celebrate and have fun. Huai Zhi asked if I was okay, and I told him I needed it anyway. I was feeling some burnout from school and other stuff already, and I needed to relax and destress.
Then I suddenly got a bit tipsy, and suddenly everyone thought I was drunk. I went to great lengths to prove I wasn't, but yeah, I think they didn't believe me. I'm naturally a bit weird sometimes, and I think my weirdness was rather sharpened that night. Hehe. Plus the fact that I was too defensive and out to prove I wasn't drunk probably didn't help.
Some of us went home already, but a good nine of us, the last to leave the yummy foodfest, suddenly decided to go for KTV. Haha karaoke baby! I've NEVER been in any KTV before, although I know for a fact that quite a number of choir people go to KTV places for fun. Walau, and so we dumped our stuff in Iris' room in Raffles Hall, then headed to Marina Square. It was 11:30PM when we arrived at K-Box, and we were singing all the way till closing time at 4AM! Cool, I can now manage to sing in KTV. It's a little known fact that singing alone with the mic scares me. Terrifies me even. :D But yeah, I was singing like I've been doing it all my life. Maybe I'm getting chummy chummy with my choir friends too much! Which is great, really. :D And oh yeah, I realized there are so many nice Chinese songs! I wish I could make sense of it all really, and learn the language. My occasional karaoke partner and fellow basso Yi Yong nearly totally lost his voice afterwards. And oh yeah, it's a bit sad he'll be "taking time off" of choir this year. He doesn't seem to be keen on talking about it, but good luck to him just the same with the Raffles Hall stuff (JCRC I heard).
At 4am, we decided to walk through the Esplanade area and the Merlion and the bayside area towards this big hawker center Lau Pa Sat. There we ate early breakfasts and joked around, while waiting for the morning bus. I reached hall at 7:30AM, took a shower, and plopped on the bed. After two hours I had to wake up to catch the bus for the 10:30 mass. Lunch at KFC, then I went ahead of the Pinoys since I desperately needed sleep.
Exciting Sepak Takraw match in the evening, and the first KR Choir meeting tonight at 9PM. Good stuff, although now it's past 1:30AM, and I have an 8AM class tomorrow!
It would be nice to drink more white wine though. Darn, come to think of it, it's embarrassing to be tipsy and *appear* drunk after only 4 wineglasses! Haha, I guess Kurien's not a good benchmark for drunkenness since I'll always pale in comparison. Hehe.
Hope I'm not late for class later! And dammit, I thought this shouldn't be a long entry!
OK, so this is quite a happening semester. This early, I'm already busy and loaded! And still I wanna do a bit more! Let's just make sure I don't fall into that spread-self-too-thin trap again ya?
This weekend is blogworthy actually, but I'm just too tired to blog it. And I have 8AM class later too! But yeah, I have to mark them here so that this blog may chronicle (although incompletely, I must stress) the days and months and years of my life.
So it was the Timeless Classics performance. We at NUS Choir performed with GENUS (NUS Guitar Ensemble), NUS Piano Ensemble, NUS Wind Symphony, and NUS Symphony Orchestra. - Details to HOPEFULLY follow -
Afterwards was a small after-party with terrific food including tasty tasty salmon, tarts with cheese and tarts with strawberries and grapes and kiwi, and chocolate eclairs. The most interesting of the free food was the wine! There was yummy red wine and yummier white wine! I downed one red, then one white, and thought, "Cool these are good." I was feeling some sting in the head already, but I found myself drinking yet another glass of red wine, and another of the irresistable yummy white wine afterwards.
For a while I thought wine was okay, since, well, it wasn't beer! If I get tipsy, see, it's almost always on beer. It's not often anyway, because it's only during my few clubbing sessions (really, what's clubbing without some beer). Kurien (or Yi Yong, I can't recall) reminded me of the alcohol percentage in wine, and then I realized that, oh yeah.. this is the faster way to "drunkenhood".
I was feeling good actually, and it's always nice to have wine to celebrate an occasion. We pulled off the Timeless Classics pretty well despite the overwhelming obstacles, and yeah, we were relieved it was finally over. And yeah, happy people just wanna celebrate and have fun. Huai Zhi asked if I was okay, and I told him I needed it anyway. I was feeling some burnout from school and other stuff already, and I needed to relax and destress.
Then I suddenly got a bit tipsy, and suddenly everyone thought I was drunk. I went to great lengths to prove I wasn't, but yeah, I think they didn't believe me. I'm naturally a bit weird sometimes, and I think my weirdness was rather sharpened that night. Hehe. Plus the fact that I was too defensive and out to prove I wasn't drunk probably didn't help.
Some of us went home already, but a good nine of us, the last to leave the yummy foodfest, suddenly decided to go for KTV. Haha karaoke baby! I've NEVER been in any KTV before, although I know for a fact that quite a number of choir people go to KTV places for fun. Walau, and so we dumped our stuff in Iris' room in Raffles Hall, then headed to Marina Square. It was 11:30PM when we arrived at K-Box, and we were singing all the way till closing time at 4AM! Cool, I can now manage to sing in KTV. It's a little known fact that singing alone with the mic scares me. Terrifies me even. :D But yeah, I was singing like I've been doing it all my life. Maybe I'm getting chummy chummy with my choir friends too much! Which is great, really. :D And oh yeah, I realized there are so many nice Chinese songs! I wish I could make sense of it all really, and learn the language. My occasional karaoke partner and fellow basso Yi Yong nearly totally lost his voice afterwards. And oh yeah, it's a bit sad he'll be "taking time off" of choir this year. He doesn't seem to be keen on talking about it, but good luck to him just the same with the Raffles Hall stuff (JCRC I heard).
At 4am, we decided to walk through the Esplanade area and the Merlion and the bayside area towards this big hawker center Lau Pa Sat. There we ate early breakfasts and joked around, while waiting for the morning bus. I reached hall at 7:30AM, took a shower, and plopped on the bed. After two hours I had to wake up to catch the bus for the 10:30 mass. Lunch at KFC, then I went ahead of the Pinoys since I desperately needed sleep.
Exciting Sepak Takraw match in the evening, and the first KR Choir meeting tonight at 9PM. Good stuff, although now it's past 1:30AM, and I have an 8AM class tomorrow!
It would be nice to drink more white wine though. Darn, come to think of it, it's embarrassing to be tipsy and *appear* drunk after only 4 wineglasses! Haha, I guess Kurien's not a good benchmark for drunkenness since I'll always pale in comparison. Hehe.
Hope I'm not late for class later! And dammit, I thought this shouldn't be a long entry!
Little Things
Little Things
I've posted this poem here a long time ago, but since it's one of my favorites I'll post it again. And perhaps yet again if I feel like it. :)
Never fails to make me smile. Like little things, really. It does not take much to make me happy. (It does not take much to sadden me too, but that's beside the point. :D )
Special thanks to my NUS Choirmates. Haha, FRIENDS I mean. I'll expound on that later. Luv ya people.
Oh, it's just the little, homey things,
The unobtrusive, friendly things,
The won't-you-let-me-help-you things
That make our pathway light.
And it's just the jolly, joking things,
The laugh-with-me-it's-funny things,
The never-mind-the-trouble things
That make our world seem bright.
For all the countless, famous things,
The wondrous, record-breaking things,
Those never-can-be-equalled things
That all the papers cite,
Can't match the little human things,
The just-because-I-like-you things,
Those oh-it's-simply-nothing things,
That make us happy quite.
So here's to all the little things,
The everyday-encountered things,
The smile-and-face-your-trouble things,
"Trust God to put it right."
The done-and-then-forgotten things,
The can't-you-see-I-love-you! things,
The hearty I-am-with-you! things
That make life worth the fight.
- Grace Haines
The unobtrusive, friendly things,
The won't-you-let-me-help-you things
That make our pathway light.
And it's just the jolly, joking things,
The laugh-with-me-it's-funny things,
The never-mind-the-trouble things
That make our world seem bright.
For all the countless, famous things,
The wondrous, record-breaking things,
Those never-can-be-equalled things
That all the papers cite,
Can't match the little human things,
The just-because-I-like-you things,
Those oh-it's-simply-nothing things,
That make us happy quite.
So here's to all the little things,
The everyday-encountered things,
The smile-and-face-your-trouble things,
"Trust God to put it right."
The done-and-then-forgotten things,
The can't-you-see-I-love-you! things,
The hearty I-am-with-you! things
That make life worth the fight.
- Grace Haines
I've posted this poem here a long time ago, but since it's one of my favorites I'll post it again. And perhaps yet again if I feel like it. :)
Never fails to make me smile. Like little things, really. It does not take much to make me happy. (It does not take much to sadden me too, but that's beside the point. :D )
Special thanks to my NUS Choirmates. Haha, FRIENDS I mean. I'll expound on that later. Luv ya people.
Found
Found
Lost handphone found! Thanks to my Calculus 2 lecturer who dropped it at the Maths Department for me to claim. Thanks to the two mystery girls who gave it to the lecturer as well. And Grace my D-blockmate, who relayed the message to me as I borrowed her phone to call mine. Thank you Lord, of course.
Cool, I must've just missed finding the phone the day I lost it. Mike, Diana and I were just some 10 steps outside the LT, headed for the canteen, when I doubled back to search my seat and the table for the phone. Nothing. I saw the Dr Wu fixing up his transparencies and paraphernalia, but I didn't think it was with him, as I also entertained the possibility of me stupidly leaving the phone in my own room.
Ah.. life is good. Hui Yin, the choir sec and a Singaporean, told me I was very lucky my phone was returned. Then again, I thought that had this been the Philippines, the probability of my phone being returned would be, well, close to nil. Then again, I just may be biased. But my wallet was once returned by a Singaporean taxi driver who asked for totally nothing in return for the hassle of driving over to NUS, and Jeunesse's handphone was recently returned after a week. Then again, Nestor lost his phone too and never got it back, so did Ivy and Dustin, and oh yes, how could I forget losing my other wallet the other year?
Well, maybe these are isolated cases. Or well, sample size is not large enough to yield statistically significant conclusions about lost-and-found cases here and back home in the Philippines. Just the same, I'm glad good guys still exist, and a good number of people still do the right thing.
Now the right thing to do is to do my killer Statistics tutorial and clean up my room and sleep early! And I intend to do just that.
Lost handphone found! Thanks to my Calculus 2 lecturer who dropped it at the Maths Department for me to claim. Thanks to the two mystery girls who gave it to the lecturer as well. And Grace my D-blockmate, who relayed the message to me as I borrowed her phone to call mine. Thank you Lord, of course.
Cool, I must've just missed finding the phone the day I lost it. Mike, Diana and I were just some 10 steps outside the LT, headed for the canteen, when I doubled back to search my seat and the table for the phone. Nothing. I saw the Dr Wu fixing up his transparencies and paraphernalia, but I didn't think it was with him, as I also entertained the possibility of me stupidly leaving the phone in my own room.
Ah.. life is good. Hui Yin, the choir sec and a Singaporean, told me I was very lucky my phone was returned. Then again, I thought that had this been the Philippines, the probability of my phone being returned would be, well, close to nil. Then again, I just may be biased. But my wallet was once returned by a Singaporean taxi driver who asked for totally nothing in return for the hassle of driving over to NUS, and Jeunesse's handphone was recently returned after a week. Then again, Nestor lost his phone too and never got it back, so did Ivy and Dustin, and oh yes, how could I forget losing my other wallet the other year?
Well, maybe these are isolated cases. Or well, sample size is not large enough to yield statistically significant conclusions about lost-and-found cases here and back home in the Philippines. Just the same, I'm glad good guys still exist, and a good number of people still do the right thing.
Now the right thing to do is to do my killer Statistics tutorial and clean up my room and sleep early! And I intend to do just that.
Closer
Closer
It's always that way, really. There are things we cannot get, things we cannot get into, things we just lose. Whether one loses his phone with two SIM cards (one of which has five years' worth of contacts), or he screws up his second a cappella audition in two years, or he just feels a bit sad about his overall personal affairs (mental health included), the same thing happens. We hang on to what we do have, this time a little bit tighter, and hold it just a bit closer.
It's always that way, really. There are things we cannot get, things we cannot get into, things we just lose. Whether one loses his phone with two SIM cards (one of which has five years' worth of contacts), or he screws up his second a cappella audition in two years, or he just feels a bit sad about his overall personal affairs (mental health included), the same thing happens. We hang on to what we do have, this time a little bit tighter, and hold it just a bit closer.
Random Thoughts
Random Thoughts
* I just came from NUS Choir Camp at the Pasir Ris Holiday Flats. We're very sorry to all freshmen because the weather was a bit unfriendly (sunny enough to let us set up the stations and materials for the beach games and telematch, then it rains heavily 20 seconds into the game, it continues until we decided to cancel, then after a few hours it stops for us to reset-up everything and push through but cancel one game everyone prepared long and hard for), BUT I'm absolutely thrilled to have this new batch. You guys and girls rock! And the seniors.. I love you all! Hehe. It was great to play lots of party games, joke around, watch movies, intellectual games ala Bridge and Dai Di and Hearts (finally I can play the game on the computer!), and, you know, just talking and laughing (and impromptu singing too!). I lost a lot of sleep and energy (barely slept both nights), but I'm not complaining. Not at all. :) NUS Choir rocks.
* The camp's timing was perfect, as I had a totally sucky Friday. Having gone for Block Supper (very fun though I must say.. Go D-block!), I woke up at 8AM, missing precious minutes of the module I had sworn never to be late for EL1101E. LT11 was packed, and the unlucky ones had to make do with sitting on the floor. Strange, I thought NUS has a lot of money. The least the school could do is to at least cap the number of students who can take the module, so that nobody will have to sit anywhere else aside from the comfy chairs.
After MA2108 Mathematical Analysis with Diana and Mike and as we were heding off to Engin for lunch, I learned from Arthur that I had just missed the online Add/Drop/Swap of tutorials, since it was done 2300-0900 just hours ago (CORS people cut the sked and made it available at that ungodly period). OK, so it may have been my fault too, but since CORS screwed up and extended tutorial registration Round 1A and 1B, shouldn't the they also extend and not cut by 7 hours the add/drop/swap period? (original sked was 18/8 1600 - 19/8 0800) Anyway, out of 5 modules, I had a grand total of ONE tutorial allocated to me via CORS. And thus, the horror of manual registration I had to face.
Well, it wasn't exactly horrible, but it just upset me to just suddenly be faced with the task of going through three faculties (Arts, Bizad and Science) and go to four departments (Maths, Stats & Applied Probability, English Language & Lit, Business Policy) and figure out my schedule such that I finally get ANY tutorial slot. I was disappointed too that I had to back out of my intended plan of going to the holiday flats for choir camp earlier at around 4PM, to help Welfare Sec Janice with the preparation. Anyway, after two nice lecturers, one annoyed lady at Bizad Dean's Office, one lecturer who was so engrossed with chatting away with his Indian friend in his room that I couldn't dare to interrupt them by knocking and at least 4 back-and-forth trips around Science area, 2 emails, I finally settled my tutorials. Stressful times, really. But thank God the choir camp was great. Just what I needed, as Karen says. :)
* I've long realized it, but now I am absolutely convinced and determined to *drumroll please* fix my life. It's been a mess for the most part, loosely held together by rough patchwork. You know, one of those things that may seem modestly okay on the outside, but give it a good jab and it falls apart. Maybe I should start with the mess that is my room. Then schoolwork. Then (the most important part) everything else.
And oh yeah, maybe I should post some photos in my blog too! It's getting too full of text.. during the occasional times I get to blog at least. I'll try to blog more often and with less blah and more oomph. Whatever that means. Hehe. Nah, I've done too much self-censoring already to further limit myself. Hehe. On a totally unrelated note, I love you world.
OK this has been too heavy a rambling. Good morning!
* I just came from NUS Choir Camp at the Pasir Ris Holiday Flats. We're very sorry to all freshmen because the weather was a bit unfriendly (sunny enough to let us set up the stations and materials for the beach games and telematch, then it rains heavily 20 seconds into the game, it continues until we decided to cancel, then after a few hours it stops for us to reset-up everything and push through but cancel one game everyone prepared long and hard for), BUT I'm absolutely thrilled to have this new batch. You guys and girls rock! And the seniors.. I love you all! Hehe. It was great to play lots of party games, joke around, watch movies, intellectual games ala Bridge and Dai Di and Hearts (finally I can play the game on the computer!), and, you know, just talking and laughing (and impromptu singing too!). I lost a lot of sleep and energy (barely slept both nights), but I'm not complaining. Not at all. :) NUS Choir rocks.
* The camp's timing was perfect, as I had a totally sucky Friday. Having gone for Block Supper (very fun though I must say.. Go D-block!), I woke up at 8AM, missing precious minutes of the module I had sworn never to be late for EL1101E. LT11 was packed, and the unlucky ones had to make do with sitting on the floor. Strange, I thought NUS has a lot of money. The least the school could do is to at least cap the number of students who can take the module, so that nobody will have to sit anywhere else aside from the comfy chairs.
After MA2108 Mathematical Analysis with Diana and Mike and as we were heding off to Engin for lunch, I learned from Arthur that I had just missed the online Add/Drop/Swap of tutorials, since it was done 2300-0900 just hours ago (CORS people cut the sked and made it available at that ungodly period). OK, so it may have been my fault too, but since CORS screwed up and extended tutorial registration Round 1A and 1B, shouldn't the they also extend and not cut by 7 hours the add/drop/swap period? (original sked was 18/8 1600 - 19/8 0800) Anyway, out of 5 modules, I had a grand total of ONE tutorial allocated to me via CORS. And thus, the horror of manual registration I had to face.
Well, it wasn't exactly horrible, but it just upset me to just suddenly be faced with the task of going through three faculties (Arts, Bizad and Science) and go to four departments (Maths, Stats & Applied Probability, English Language & Lit, Business Policy) and figure out my schedule such that I finally get ANY tutorial slot. I was disappointed too that I had to back out of my intended plan of going to the holiday flats for choir camp earlier at around 4PM, to help Welfare Sec Janice with the preparation. Anyway, after two nice lecturers, one annoyed lady at Bizad Dean's Office, one lecturer who was so engrossed with chatting away with his Indian friend in his room that I couldn't dare to interrupt them by knocking and at least 4 back-and-forth trips around Science area, 2 emails, I finally settled my tutorials. Stressful times, really. But thank God the choir camp was great. Just what I needed, as Karen says. :)
* I've long realized it, but now I am absolutely convinced and determined to *drumroll please* fix my life. It's been a mess for the most part, loosely held together by rough patchwork. You know, one of those things that may seem modestly okay on the outside, but give it a good jab and it falls apart. Maybe I should start with the mess that is my room. Then schoolwork. Then (the most important part) everything else.
And oh yeah, maybe I should post some photos in my blog too! It's getting too full of text.. during the occasional times I get to blog at least. I'll try to blog more often and with less blah and more oomph. Whatever that means. Hehe. Nah, I've done too much self-censoring already to further limit myself. Hehe. On a totally unrelated note, I love you world.
OK this has been too heavy a rambling. Good morning!
Feels Good
Feels Good
Mondays aren't supposed to be this nice to me. But today was terrific. That considering Monday is my busiest day, too. Nothing exceptional or amazing or groundbreaking, really...perhaps just the right dose of companionship and laughter and the always elusive peace of mind .
Thanks to all with whom I made contact --not necessarily physical-- today. I'm buoyed by all your presence, seriously. And thank you to the Master of the Cosmos, who seemed to have set everything in place for me to have a goooood day. (One request from Him, though. Help me with my modules! Thanks!)
Mondays aren't supposed to be this nice to me. But today was terrific. That considering Monday is my busiest day, too. Nothing exceptional or amazing or groundbreaking, really...perhaps just the right dose of companionship and laughter and the always elusive peace of mind .
Thanks to all with whom I made contact --not necessarily physical-- today. I'm buoyed by all your presence, seriously. And thank you to the Master of the Cosmos, who seemed to have set everything in place for me to have a goooood day. (One request from Him, though. Help me with my modules! Thanks!)
The Weekend
The Weekend
Thank God for weekends. Last week was a bumpy kick-off to the semester ahead, and I'm just mighty glad it's over.
Let me see. So I've been through all my new lectures and met my new lecturers, been outbidded over and over for FNA1002, went for Dinner Date with Carina (long story skipped), skipped my third Jam & Hop, unfortunately missed a submission of an article for the Ridge due to time constraints (can't write in 4 busy days), and my choir involvement, both in hall and in NUS, reached new heights. There are more, of course, including the bruises my ego has had to endure, the increased threshold of stress I'm pushing for, and of course, those just very happy and fulfilling moments that make everything else worth it. Yeah, all in a week.
It was after the NUS Choir's practice at grand and empty UCC Hall last night, past 9PM, that I realized something. Yan Ting our Student Conductor was telling the few people involved for the Timeless Classics performance about our upcoming events and practices, when I unknowingly decided to space out. She stopped and asked me, "Are you okay?" Yeah, I was.Just thinking and planning.
I was about to go to Jam & Hop after that, but Mey Ling the new KR Choir Vice-Chair SMSed to say that the seniors were to go for some sort of re-audition tonight with new Chair James. Not a re-audition exactly, but just some sort of voice check. I was glad I came down to the Music Room, and was glad that James, also the ex-KR A cappella Chair, and who auditioned me last year for KR Choir and KR Aca, seemed to noticed the year's improvement. "I see your time with NUS Choir has done your voice good." Or something like that. Thanks.
He said I was fit for Bass 1, but he might probably put me with the Tenors because of lack of manpower. After some piano-playing check, he asked if I'd want to be Tenor SL again. I hesitated, but said it was okay. And then came the question: Are you too busy? Hmm. I know that the bulk of my ECA time is spent with NUS Choir, and he was apparently referring to that. I try to make time for hall and school and NUS ECA's, but I have to admit I'm stretching myself a bit.
I went back to D block, to find Felicia headed for the laundry room. She asked my help on some secret project X, and I was up in her room till 1:30AM, helping her out. Good luck on your project Felicia!
As for me, my project for this weekend is to finally, finally, finally clean up my room.
And oh yeah, happy birthday to one of my favorite people, Kerwin, who's 21 today. Stay profoundly happy, you bastard. :)
Thank God for weekends. Last week was a bumpy kick-off to the semester ahead, and I'm just mighty glad it's over.
Let me see. So I've been through all my new lectures and met my new lecturers, been outbidded over and over for FNA1002, went for Dinner Date with Carina (long story skipped), skipped my third Jam & Hop, unfortunately missed a submission of an article for the Ridge due to time constraints (can't write in 4 busy days), and my choir involvement, both in hall and in NUS, reached new heights. There are more, of course, including the bruises my ego has had to endure, the increased threshold of stress I'm pushing for, and of course, those just very happy and fulfilling moments that make everything else worth it. Yeah, all in a week.
It was after the NUS Choir's practice at grand and empty UCC Hall last night, past 9PM, that I realized something. Yan Ting our Student Conductor was telling the few people involved for the Timeless Classics performance about our upcoming events and practices, when I unknowingly decided to space out. She stopped and asked me, "Are you okay?" Yeah, I was.Just thinking and planning.
I was about to go to Jam & Hop after that, but Mey Ling the new KR Choir Vice-Chair SMSed to say that the seniors were to go for some sort of re-audition tonight with new Chair James. Not a re-audition exactly, but just some sort of voice check. I was glad I came down to the Music Room, and was glad that James, also the ex-KR A cappella Chair, and who auditioned me last year for KR Choir and KR Aca, seemed to noticed the year's improvement. "I see your time with NUS Choir has done your voice good." Or something like that. Thanks.
He said I was fit for Bass 1, but he might probably put me with the Tenors because of lack of manpower. After some piano-playing check, he asked if I'd want to be Tenor SL again. I hesitated, but said it was okay. And then came the question: Are you too busy? Hmm. I know that the bulk of my ECA time is spent with NUS Choir, and he was apparently referring to that. I try to make time for hall and school and NUS ECA's, but I have to admit I'm stretching myself a bit.
I went back to D block, to find Felicia headed for the laundry room. She asked my help on some secret project X, and I was up in her room till 1:30AM, helping her out. Good luck on your project Felicia!
As for me, my project for this weekend is to finally, finally, finally clean up my room.
And oh yeah, happy birthday to one of my favorite people, Kerwin, who's 21 today. Stay profoundly happy, you bastard. :)
Sandwich
Sandwich
That's how I feel right now, really. Sandwiched. Lots of things to do, what with school, hall, choir stuff pulling me in every possible direction, and there's not enough of me to go around. Actually, it's more like being stuck in a tiny elevator with originally deflated balloons, and then bam! Choir Balloon first swells to huge beachball size, and then the Hall Balloon gets inflated, and then, slowly at first and now gathering momentum, the School Balloon gathers in air as if it were given sudden puffs.
It gets claustrophobic, and (as Maroon 5 says, Is there anyone out there 'cause) it's getting harder and harder to breathe.
And I'm sick too. Colds and cough and sore throat. Theoretically this should be myexcuse reason for skipping a few choir practices, but nope, Timeless Classics is coming up, and well, I'm not exactly ready.
Sometimes I just wanna take a pin, and burst all these balloons--Choir, Hall, School--so I can just rest and relax and sleep all day. Then again, I know I'll live to regret it if I do so, for these are three things that I've learned to love and be passionate about in my undergrad life.
Music of the Moment: Jason Mraz's Bella Luna
Currently feeling sick.
That's how I feel right now, really. Sandwiched. Lots of things to do, what with school, hall, choir stuff pulling me in every possible direction, and there's not enough of me to go around. Actually, it's more like being stuck in a tiny elevator with originally deflated balloons, and then bam! Choir Balloon first swells to huge beachball size, and then the Hall Balloon gets inflated, and then, slowly at first and now gathering momentum, the School Balloon gathers in air as if it were given sudden puffs.
It gets claustrophobic, and (as Maroon 5 says, Is there anyone out there 'cause) it's getting harder and harder to breathe.
And I'm sick too. Colds and cough and sore throat. Theoretically this should be my
Sometimes I just wanna take a pin, and burst all these balloons--Choir, Hall, School--so I can just rest and relax and sleep all day. Then again, I know I'll live to regret it if I do so, for these are three things that I've learned to love and be passionate about in my undergrad life.
Music of the Moment: Jason Mraz's Bella Luna
Currently feeling sick.
First Day Funk
First Day Funk
Ahh yes, there is another gap in the flow of events of this blog since Rag Day (pre- and post- too) drained the life out of me and I'm too lazy to blog it anyway, I shall skip the details. Then again, let me just say that the NUS Student Union guys, in-charge of the event, need to seriously consider thinking about the welfare of the students and the performers (including the choir that seemed to stupidly just mouth the words because of the absence of the promised mike), and not just parade around as if they're demigods. KR won most environment-friendly float, a gold award for crossing the $50K mark for Flag Day collections, and some Shield (?) for highest collection among halls. I'd have to say I was blown away by the Sheares Float, and they deserved to win. Science won a lot too with their cute float! But too bad Bizad's funky float, which I liked a lot, didn't get the recognition it deserved.
* * *
First day of class today! First of my second year as an undergrad here at NUS. Well it wasn't as funky as this post's title claims (it's the just the title of a cool back-to-school danceable song made by the Philippines' wackiest band, Parokya ni Edgar), and my in fact started baaad.
Having slept at 2am because I had to print out my notes after a long Sunday (mass, grocery with Karen at IMM, small impromptu "picnic" party at Jeunesse's place with the Pinoys at night, NWC file-making for me too), it required maximal effort to drag me out of bed for my 8am class.
Even if I took the Supplementary bus to Science Fac, the fastest bus from KR, I was still a few minutes for my first class, ST2137 Computer Aided Data Analysis. The lecturer was nice, I saw fellow choir fellas Iris and Tang Qing, but the problem was that I was too exhausted to keep myself up. The Indian lecturer finally announced a break, and I dashed to get myself my exam friend: coffee. And then this bastard with a backpack bumped me as he was paying at the counter, and tada, coffee stains on my new shirt! And worst part is, he didn't even apologise! Sigh.
I grudgingly went back to the lecture theatre for the rest of the lecture. Afterwards at 10AM, I began thinking about what exactly to do in my 2-hour breaks. Because really, if there's a day in the week that's totally screwed schedule-wise, it's Monday. So classes are 8-10AM, break, 12-2PM, break, 4-6PM, short break to rush to hall and grab dinner, then choir practice 6:30-9:30PM. So essentially, Mondays want me to wake up before 8AM, figure out what to do in my two-hour breaks (they're long enough to bore me, and too short to go back to hall and get some sleep), take an either early lunch before 12 or a late lunch after 2, and go for choir practice at night after an already long day.
ANYWAY, I managed to keep my breaks nice and productive today, so that's great. I checked my email and tada, finally after some 12+ weeks of waiting, I now get to borrow The Da Vinci Code for a week (not two weeks since it's still there's a long queue of borrowers still). Finally I get to read the book in print, and not the electronic version. I bid for CORS, but nah, the rest of the school apparently has gazillion points to spare, and I really should delay FNA1002 Financial Accounting next sem.
After an unplanned lunch with fellow D-blocker Allen, I went to Bizad at 12 to take my first Bizad module, BSP1005 Managerial Econs. I'm taking it with Gail and Oliver, a new guy from Ateneo HS, and quite a number of KR people I didn't expect to find. Boon Sern, and my fellow D-blocker Dominic and some other guy. The Korean lecturer had an American accent, and he emphasized that he will teach a different econs from the usual econs, since this is from a business manager's perspective. He was okay, although, well, he could do better by picking up the pace a teeny bit.
Oliver and I sat down for 20 minutes in The Module I Can't Get FNA1002, and walau, the LT was overflowing. I didn't realize it was such a hot module, and even non-Bizad people were bidding for it. I saw D-Block Head Basu, who's from Engin, and he told me he bid 2000 points for the module. Good for him. The lecturer was in coat and tie, apparently because he seemed to look like an undergrad in any other usual clothing. He's got a PhD now, see, so I guess he had to look the part. In fairness to him, he appeared to work a lot on his Powerpoint presentation, and he appeared to be witty and funny and smart. Janice from Choir, my fellow Biz minor stude, is very glad she's in his class.
I went back to Hall to rest a bit, and to kill the 1 hour+ break, I decided to continue reading Da Vinci. I caught the slowest bus in NUS (that's A2 in the afternoon for you), and thus I was late for 15 minutes for my class in Science. But when I reached the LT, surprise surprise Diana and my classmates were moving out already. Apparently the lecturer is quite a man of few words. In fact, the IVLE page, which supposedly contains the syllabus and lecture notes and links and course info was empty as of last night. Well, so much for the rush. Diana was chatting with this guy Kevin, who I had met last sem in my tutorial class. Kevin forgot my name, but I didn't forget his because he saved me from this tutorial question I solved wrongly on the whiteboard, and everybody else was either unwilling or clueless (the former more likely) to help me find what was wrong.
Met Justin in the Science Co-op. Always nice to see old friends. And oh yeah, Zhou Yang too on Sunday night, and Nirorn and Tuk too. Hehe always nice.
Iris and I went to PGP Music Room for the NUS Choir auditions, which were helping to facilitate. Cool, a number of good applicants. And I met Tram an old friend too! Although there was this angmoh (Caucasian) guy who smelled of alcohol, who was accompanying his Indian friend audition. This red-all-over angmoh was talking crap all throughout, telling us he was from Azerbaijan (which we seriously doubt since his first answer was that he was from the moon), asking why PGP has a pond with fish and a water fountain but no swimming pool (Li Yi told him there was one at the SRC, but then no he asked for a sauna), complaining that Singapore is a lousy country which Singaporeans don't really appreciate (to which Li Yi said she doesn't find Singapore lousy at all), and when pressed as to which aspects Singapore was lousy in, he said in fashion of all things. He said that Singapore finds thick-rimmed glasses nice, which to him was very weird. Um, do Singaporeans really? I don't think the think-rimmed glasses fashion is a national phenomenon. He was horsing around the whole time, and when his Indian girl friend was finally finished, we all were relieved it was time for him to leave.
This nice Singaporean guy who was there to accompany his own friend audition had been in the conversation with the angmoh, and commented that the guy was wearing a bad combo of boots and pants, and that the angmoh was in a fashion disaster and thus unfit to comment. Good riddance, Li Yi said.
I went back to hall to take-away my dinner, and was back at PGP for the choir practice for Timeless Classics. It was a good happy one, and when I went back to hall at 10PM, I caught the freshmen practising for their Star to Burst presentation. I joined in and helped them a bit with what little I know, and then proceeded to the lobby to watch another set of freshmen doing a dance number. This year's batch of freshmen are really pretty nice and friendly. I like them a lot. I think I'm feeling more and more comfy in KR now, contrary to what I expected since a lot of my batchmates left KR this year.
Now I blog, tomorrow is National Day, the perfect time to sleep and rest. Finally. Good night and Majulah Singapura!
Ahh yes, there is another gap in the flow of events of this blog since Rag Day (pre- and post- too) drained the life out of me and I'm too lazy to blog it anyway, I shall skip the details. Then again, let me just say that the NUS Student Union guys, in-charge of the event, need to seriously consider thinking about the welfare of the students and the performers (including the choir that seemed to stupidly just mouth the words because of the absence of the promised mike), and not just parade around as if they're demigods. KR won most environment-friendly float, a gold award for crossing the $50K mark for Flag Day collections, and some Shield (?) for highest collection among halls. I'd have to say I was blown away by the Sheares Float, and they deserved to win. Science won a lot too with their cute float! But too bad Bizad's funky float, which I liked a lot, didn't get the recognition it deserved.
* * *
First day of class today! First of my second year as an undergrad here at NUS. Well it wasn't as funky as this post's title claims (it's the just the title of a cool back-to-school danceable song made by the Philippines' wackiest band, Parokya ni Edgar), and my in fact started baaad.
Having slept at 2am because I had to print out my notes after a long Sunday (mass, grocery with Karen at IMM, small impromptu "picnic" party at Jeunesse's place with the Pinoys at night, NWC file-making for me too), it required maximal effort to drag me out of bed for my 8am class.
Even if I took the Supplementary bus to Science Fac, the fastest bus from KR, I was still a few minutes for my first class, ST2137 Computer Aided Data Analysis. The lecturer was nice, I saw fellow choir fellas Iris and Tang Qing, but the problem was that I was too exhausted to keep myself up. The Indian lecturer finally announced a break, and I dashed to get myself my exam friend: coffee. And then this bastard with a backpack bumped me as he was paying at the counter, and tada, coffee stains on my new shirt! And worst part is, he didn't even apologise! Sigh.
I grudgingly went back to the lecture theatre for the rest of the lecture. Afterwards at 10AM, I began thinking about what exactly to do in my 2-hour breaks. Because really, if there's a day in the week that's totally screwed schedule-wise, it's Monday. So classes are 8-10AM, break, 12-2PM, break, 4-6PM, short break to rush to hall and grab dinner, then choir practice 6:30-9:30PM. So essentially, Mondays want me to wake up before 8AM, figure out what to do in my two-hour breaks (they're long enough to bore me, and too short to go back to hall and get some sleep), take an either early lunch before 12 or a late lunch after 2, and go for choir practice at night after an already long day.
ANYWAY, I managed to keep my breaks nice and productive today, so that's great. I checked my email and tada, finally after some 12+ weeks of waiting, I now get to borrow The Da Vinci Code for a week (not two weeks since it's still there's a long queue of borrowers still). Finally I get to read the book in print, and not the electronic version. I bid for CORS, but nah, the rest of the school apparently has gazillion points to spare, and I really should delay FNA1002 Financial Accounting next sem.
After an unplanned lunch with fellow D-blocker Allen, I went to Bizad at 12 to take my first Bizad module, BSP1005 Managerial Econs. I'm taking it with Gail and Oliver, a new guy from Ateneo HS, and quite a number of KR people I didn't expect to find. Boon Sern, and my fellow D-blocker Dominic and some other guy. The Korean lecturer had an American accent, and he emphasized that he will teach a different econs from the usual econs, since this is from a business manager's perspective. He was okay, although, well, he could do better by picking up the pace a teeny bit.
Oliver and I sat down for 20 minutes in The Module I Can't Get FNA1002, and walau, the LT was overflowing. I didn't realize it was such a hot module, and even non-Bizad people were bidding for it. I saw D-Block Head Basu, who's from Engin, and he told me he bid 2000 points for the module. Good for him. The lecturer was in coat and tie, apparently because he seemed to look like an undergrad in any other usual clothing. He's got a PhD now, see, so I guess he had to look the part. In fairness to him, he appeared to work a lot on his Powerpoint presentation, and he appeared to be witty and funny and smart. Janice from Choir, my fellow Biz minor stude, is very glad she's in his class.
I went back to Hall to rest a bit, and to kill the 1 hour+ break, I decided to continue reading Da Vinci. I caught the slowest bus in NUS (that's A2 in the afternoon for you), and thus I was late for 15 minutes for my class in Science. But when I reached the LT, surprise surprise Diana and my classmates were moving out already. Apparently the lecturer is quite a man of few words. In fact, the IVLE page, which supposedly contains the syllabus and lecture notes and links and course info was empty as of last night. Well, so much for the rush. Diana was chatting with this guy Kevin, who I had met last sem in my tutorial class. Kevin forgot my name, but I didn't forget his because he saved me from this tutorial question I solved wrongly on the whiteboard, and everybody else was either unwilling or clueless (the former more likely) to help me find what was wrong.
Met Justin in the Science Co-op. Always nice to see old friends. And oh yeah, Zhou Yang too on Sunday night, and Nirorn and Tuk too. Hehe always nice.
Iris and I went to PGP Music Room for the NUS Choir auditions, which were helping to facilitate. Cool, a number of good applicants. And I met Tram an old friend too! Although there was this angmoh (Caucasian) guy who smelled of alcohol, who was accompanying his Indian friend audition. This red-all-over angmoh was talking crap all throughout, telling us he was from Azerbaijan (which we seriously doubt since his first answer was that he was from the moon), asking why PGP has a pond with fish and a water fountain but no swimming pool (Li Yi told him there was one at the SRC, but then no he asked for a sauna), complaining that Singapore is a lousy country which Singaporeans don't really appreciate (to which Li Yi said she doesn't find Singapore lousy at all), and when pressed as to which aspects Singapore was lousy in, he said in fashion of all things. He said that Singapore finds thick-rimmed glasses nice, which to him was very weird. Um, do Singaporeans really? I don't think the think-rimmed glasses fashion is a national phenomenon. He was horsing around the whole time, and when his Indian girl friend was finally finished, we all were relieved it was time for him to leave.
This nice Singaporean guy who was there to accompany his own friend audition had been in the conversation with the angmoh, and commented that the guy was wearing a bad combo of boots and pants, and that the angmoh was in a fashion disaster and thus unfit to comment. Good riddance, Li Yi said.
I went back to hall to take-away my dinner, and was back at PGP for the choir practice for Timeless Classics. It was a good happy one, and when I went back to hall at 10PM, I caught the freshmen practising for their Star to Burst presentation. I joined in and helped them a bit with what little I know, and then proceeded to the lobby to watch another set of freshmen doing a dance number. This year's batch of freshmen are really pretty nice and friendly. I like them a lot. I think I'm feeling more and more comfy in KR now, contrary to what I expected since a lot of my batchmates left KR this year.
Now I blog, tomorrow is National Day, the perfect time to sleep and rest. Finally. Good night and Majulah Singapura!
Impulse
Impulse
I'd like to believe I'm still an optimistic youth hopeful about many things, but sometimes, I come across people that are truly impossible.
You Impossible People, just don't seem to "get it", and I sure don't "get" you too.
Next time, spare me the lousy explanations, or the excuses, or any of your miscellaneous crap.
In your eyes I may be "impossible" too, and I thus conclude we shouldn't cross our paths too often, lest we spark an "impossibility" explosion that'll leave us both severely incapacitated.
Or we can do a major fix and have everything settled the Mr. Nice Guy way. Your call.
I'd like to believe I'm still an optimistic youth hopeful about many things, but sometimes, I come across people that are truly impossible.
You Impossible People, just don't seem to "get it", and I sure don't "get" you too.
Next time, spare me the lousy explanations, or the excuses, or any of your miscellaneous crap.
In your eyes I may be "impossible" too, and I thus conclude we shouldn't cross our paths too often, lest we spark an "impossibility" explosion that'll leave us both severely incapacitated.
Or we can do a major fix and have everything settled the Mr. Nice Guy way. Your call.
Quickie
Quickie
I barely have time to blog since it's been a long day practising with choir and ragging and rushing to finish KR's big colorful float for tomorrow's Rag Day, but the thought of my blog getting stale with such depressing recent posts makes me feel very uncomfortable.
Because really, I'm okay now. I'm giddy and happy and hyper although a bit exhausted and still one module short of my planned 6 for the sem. I don't know, it's just a good day today. Maybe it's the company of friends and new friends, both among the Pinoy group and among the KR fellas, or maybe I've just decided I'm through with shitty days and I deserve to enjoy myself as much as I can. Or maybe it's just me winning this round of my everyday battle with the monsters in my head.
Or it could be that after enslaving myself to Rag, cutting and pasting and being exposed to the fumes (?) of rugby all afternoon, I may have gotten a bit loose in the head.
And oh yeah, I met Miss Happy Goh my English teacher in my bridging year at Arts Canteen. Always nice to see old friends. ;)
Time to go to bed! Gonna sing NUS Song and ahem, Singapore's National Anthem tomorrow for Rag Day. Hope KR's float wins!
I barely have time to blog since it's been a long day practising with choir and ragging and rushing to finish KR's big colorful float for tomorrow's Rag Day, but the thought of my blog getting stale with such depressing recent posts makes me feel very uncomfortable.
Because really, I'm okay now. I'm giddy and happy and hyper although a bit exhausted and still one module short of my planned 6 for the sem. I don't know, it's just a good day today. Maybe it's the company of friends and new friends, both among the Pinoy group and among the KR fellas, or maybe I've just decided I'm through with shitty days and I deserve to enjoy myself as much as I can. Or maybe it's just me winning this round of my everyday battle with the monsters in my head.
Or it could be that after enslaving myself to Rag, cutting and pasting and being exposed to the fumes (?) of rugby all afternoon, I may have gotten a bit loose in the head.
And oh yeah, I met Miss Happy Goh my English teacher in my bridging year at Arts Canteen. Always nice to see old friends. ;)
Time to go to bed! Gonna sing NUS Song and ahem, Singapore's National Anthem tomorrow for Rag Day. Hope KR's float wins!
Block
Block
Today I had the strongest urge to use the "Block" option on MSN Messenger. And that's a big thing, since I never quite believed in hiding from my MSN contacts, who, by virtue of their mere presence on my MSN contact list, are supposed to be my "friends" to at least some reasonable degree. Some people on the list I don't chat with often, some very rarely, and one not at all, but at some point our paths crossed and due to work-related or friendship-related reasons, we're on each other's list.
Today Person X was talking and going about verbal communication with me, when I decided to space out a bit while X rambled on. Bam, it hit me. Time to block you off my list.
But nah, being the more rational person that I am, I am not gonna block X.. yet. If at all. I'm gonna message X tonight, and give X a piece of my mind.
Nothing serious, really, just a matter of tact and professionalism and sensitivity that I just wanna settle. And of course, it's a matter of whether we want to still see each other online on MSN.
Today I had the strongest urge to use the "Block" option on MSN Messenger. And that's a big thing, since I never quite believed in hiding from my MSN contacts, who, by virtue of their mere presence on my MSN contact list, are supposed to be my "friends" to at least some reasonable degree. Some people on the list I don't chat with often, some very rarely, and one not at all, but at some point our paths crossed and due to work-related or friendship-related reasons, we're on each other's list.
Today Person X was talking and going about verbal communication with me, when I decided to space out a bit while X rambled on. Bam, it hit me. Time to block you off my list.
But nah, being the more rational person that I am, I am not gonna block X.. yet. If at all. I'm gonna message X tonight, and give X a piece of my mind.
Nothing serious, really, just a matter of tact and professionalism and sensitivity that I just wanna settle. And of course, it's a matter of whether we want to still see each other online on MSN.
If Nurul's recent similar post is any indication, the Monday and Tuesday that just passed were indeed fated to be totally SUCKY days.
Flag day today, so Keith, some freshie girls and I went to Novena to beg for donations. I stayed till noon only, went back to school for NUS Choir practice for Thursday's Welcome Tea for freshmen, then rushed to photocopy scores, went to Central Library, checked CORS, went to CFA office to check the whereabouts of the big choir box, ate at PGP with Pinoys, went to a PGP TV room with Nestor, Ferron & Wayne, fetched another big box of stuff from Arthur's room at KE7 and brought it to KR, went back to the TV Room, went back to hall and helped out the Star to Burst freshmen choir for a good two and a half hours.
There, somewhere among those events were sucky moments. Not just in one or two events, but in most of them. I felt disappointed, awkward, and ultimately sad.
Better days are sure to come.
Flag day today, so Keith, some freshie girls and I went to Novena to beg for donations. I stayed till noon only, went back to school for NUS Choir practice for Thursday's Welcome Tea for freshmen, then rushed to photocopy scores, went to Central Library, checked CORS, went to CFA office to check the whereabouts of the big choir box, ate at PGP with Pinoys, went to a PGP TV room with Nestor, Ferron & Wayne, fetched another big box of stuff from Arthur's room at KE7 and brought it to KR, went back to the TV Room, went back to hall and helped out the Star to Burst freshmen choir for a good two and a half hours.
There, somewhere among those events were sucky moments. Not just in one or two events, but in most of them. I felt disappointed, awkward, and ultimately sad.
Better days are sure to come.
Jesus please help me because I am freakin' exhausted already.
It's been a good day for the most part (I was even on university TV because of NUScast of the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony), but now I'm just tired and demoralized (a bit..about other things though) and I have to wake up at 5am later for a round of all-day begging sessions for Flag Day.
And I got outbidded for my Financial Accounting module. And this round, the minimum bid I cannot top. CORS can be so annoying sometimes.
Sigh. Someone --anyone-- make me happy tomorrow. Goodnight.
It's been a good day for the most part (I was even on university TV because of NUScast of the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony), but now I'm just tired and demoralized (a bit..about other things though) and I have to wake up at 5am later for a round of all-day begging sessions for Flag Day.
And I got outbidded for my Financial Accounting module. And this round, the minimum bid I cannot top. CORS can be so annoying sometimes.
Sigh. Someone --anyone-- make me happy tomorrow. Goodnight.
Long Days
Long Days
Classes begin on the 8th still, but I'm finding myself very busy already. There's CORS, of course, NUS kids' online bidding of modules. But major stuff keeping me hustling involve the choir and the hall.
Final day of Hall Orientation yesterday, and after a grand set of messy muddy wet games at the soccer field in the morning (which was abruptly cut by a sudden downpour btw) came the graduation of freshmen. I was wet and with mud all over and flour in my face, and rushed to attend the graduation ceremony of the freshmen. After shaking hands with the last of the scores and scores of freshmen, I rushed to Yusof Ishak House for the NUS Choir comm's meeting.
Walau.. little did I know that the meeting would drag on for about 6 hours! We started late, and we had an incredibly thorough discussion about well, choir stuff. It was okay with me actually, since the discussion involved essential material, so it's good to have tackled the issues soonest. There was a part though, where I felt that I was too.. I don't know.. kind? Kind and soft-hearted? I don't know, I guess sometimes that makes you look a bit of a wuss and a loser. I don't know how to put it, but yeah, something like that I guess. I should learn to be more detached and professional and unapologetic if need be. :D Hehe no big deal really.. it's just perhaps a matter of being more professional in matters where things have to be done and understanding that it really is different strokes for different folks.
After the meeting most of the comm went to Munchie Monkey for dinner. Words of wisdom: don't try Munchie's Lasagna Bolognese. I'm sorry, but it's one of the worst ever. It looks and tastes good on the outside, but inside the cheese isn't too melted, and it appears to be cheese powder or partially-melted cheese.. but it looks like egg and tastes bleh. BUT, to its credit, Munchie serves terrific Calamari and oh-so-heavenly Chocolate Brownie!
The Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream on top Li Yi, Weiwei and I were feasting on. Li Yi was way too excited for it to arrive, and when it did, she seemed to be in a trancelike state after the first bite. "Orgasmic" I offered, using Karen's word. And from then on WW, Li Yi and I went on to converse about greener stuff. Haha it was terribly good fun! Yeah it was wholesome still. I think. Iris was a bit too quiet about it though. Hehe. I went back to hall right after to catch what was left of the Freshmen and Alumni barbecue. :)
Today, from 9:30am to about 4pm the choir was at University Cultural Centre to rehearse for tomorrow's Freshmen Inaugaration Ceremony. Tiring yes, but quite fun. We'll be singing four songs, both morning and afternoon sessions tomorrow. One Chinese song too! Hehe cool. And oh, I'm rehearsing and memorizing the Singaporean National Anthem! Haha I think I have it stuck in my head now.
Then I went to church at Holy Cross with Nestor and Ferron, then window-shopping in Clementi The Place to Be with Nez. Got some stuff from Karen too afterwards, and borrowed Nez's Marks & Spencer black polo shirt for tomorrow. Must be careful with it! Thanks again Nestor!
Now it's time to sleep. I hope it's gonna be restful, as I'm still thinking about something that's been bothering me all day. Something that I'm not gonna mention here. I'll handle it of course, so no worries.
Good night.
Classes begin on the 8th still, but I'm finding myself very busy already. There's CORS, of course, NUS kids' online bidding of modules. But major stuff keeping me hustling involve the choir and the hall.
Final day of Hall Orientation yesterday, and after a grand set of messy muddy wet games at the soccer field in the morning (which was abruptly cut by a sudden downpour btw) came the graduation of freshmen. I was wet and with mud all over and flour in my face, and rushed to attend the graduation ceremony of the freshmen. After shaking hands with the last of the scores and scores of freshmen, I rushed to Yusof Ishak House for the NUS Choir comm's meeting.
Walau.. little did I know that the meeting would drag on for about 6 hours! We started late, and we had an incredibly thorough discussion about well, choir stuff. It was okay with me actually, since the discussion involved essential material, so it's good to have tackled the issues soonest. There was a part though, where I felt that I was too.. I don't know.. kind? Kind and soft-hearted? I don't know, I guess sometimes that makes you look a bit of a wuss and a loser. I don't know how to put it, but yeah, something like that I guess. I should learn to be more detached and professional and unapologetic if need be. :D Hehe no big deal really.. it's just perhaps a matter of being more professional in matters where things have to be done and understanding that it really is different strokes for different folks.
After the meeting most of the comm went to Munchie Monkey for dinner. Words of wisdom: don't try Munchie's Lasagna Bolognese. I'm sorry, but it's one of the worst ever. It looks and tastes good on the outside, but inside the cheese isn't too melted, and it appears to be cheese powder or partially-melted cheese.. but it looks like egg and tastes bleh. BUT, to its credit, Munchie serves terrific Calamari and oh-so-heavenly Chocolate Brownie!
The Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream on top Li Yi, Weiwei and I were feasting on. Li Yi was way too excited for it to arrive, and when it did, she seemed to be in a trancelike state after the first bite. "Orgasmic" I offered, using Karen's word. And from then on WW, Li Yi and I went on to converse about greener stuff. Haha it was terribly good fun! Yeah it was wholesome still. I think. Iris was a bit too quiet about it though. Hehe. I went back to hall right after to catch what was left of the Freshmen and Alumni barbecue. :)
Today, from 9:30am to about 4pm the choir was at University Cultural Centre to rehearse for tomorrow's Freshmen Inaugaration Ceremony. Tiring yes, but quite fun. We'll be singing four songs, both morning and afternoon sessions tomorrow. One Chinese song too! Hehe cool. And oh, I'm rehearsing and memorizing the Singaporean National Anthem! Haha I think I have it stuck in my head now.
Then I went to church at Holy Cross with Nestor and Ferron, then window-shopping in Clementi The Place to Be with Nez. Got some stuff from Karen too afterwards, and borrowed Nez's Marks & Spencer black polo shirt for tomorrow. Must be careful with it! Thanks again Nestor!
Now it's time to sleep. I hope it's gonna be restful, as I'm still thinking about something that's been bothering me all day. Something that I'm not gonna mention here. I'll handle it of course, so no worries.
Good night.
I'm lovin' Kent Ridge Hall
I got my Kent Ridge senior badge, complete with my name on it, today. Haha it's funny how I'm suddenly having an upsurge of hall spirit when earlier this month I had strongly considered leaving the hall by next year. But nope, being a D-block senior and thus helping out with freshmen orientation for several days now made me realize once again that Kent Ridge is just a terrific family hall with fantastically talented and friendly people.
K6, the culture powerhouse of KR, performed last night. The six culture groups include the Rockers, the KR Choir, the KR A cappella, Inspire, KRX, and KR Dancers performed. Whoa, it was mindblowing. Every single on of them kicked ass! Of course I'm biased towards KR Choir since I sang in it and we had a rush-rush practice before the performance, but walau, the Rockers Aca Inspire KRX Dancers delivered smokin' hot acts!
Afterwards we had Choir and Aca auditions. So I was there, entertaining the freshmen who were queuing up for their turn, and later on, the Choir and Aca guys allowed me to go listen to the auditions! Hehe, first time I actually got to hear other people audition. And woohoo, some people are amazing when they unleash their voices.
And pool games yesterday morning were great! Roca, the attached orientation group to D block, won the pool Captain's ball! Haha and I played in one of the rounds. Roca is a really nice OG, I like. I'm glad I've come to meet a lot of freshmen this year, who all seem like terribly good fun, and I'm happy that we seniors are getting more bonded with all these activities as well.
I was asking Yishu my neighbor about his sudden change of plan. He's now intending to stay all four (or three) years as an undergrad in KR, and not only two years. I asked him why, and he told me with a grin that the new KR girls are worth staying for! And ahhh yes, I absolutely agree that's a perfectly reasonable statement. :D Did I mention we just had pool games yesterday?
All right, morning's here. Time to get my laundry and prepare for one last round of intensive orientation games and the freshmen's graduation. Then it's NUS Choir meeting in the afternoon, and a big freshmen & alumni barbecue tonight! Yey.
I got my Kent Ridge senior badge, complete with my name on it, today. Haha it's funny how I'm suddenly having an upsurge of hall spirit when earlier this month I had strongly considered leaving the hall by next year. But nope, being a D-block senior and thus helping out with freshmen orientation for several days now made me realize once again that Kent Ridge is just a terrific family hall with fantastically talented and friendly people.
K6, the culture powerhouse of KR, performed last night. The six culture groups include the Rockers, the KR Choir, the KR A cappella, Inspire, KRX, and KR Dancers performed. Whoa, it was mindblowing. Every single on of them kicked ass! Of course I'm biased towards KR Choir since I sang in it and we had a rush-rush practice before the performance, but walau, the Rockers Aca Inspire KRX Dancers delivered smokin' hot acts!
Afterwards we had Choir and Aca auditions. So I was there, entertaining the freshmen who were queuing up for their turn, and later on, the Choir and Aca guys allowed me to go listen to the auditions! Hehe, first time I actually got to hear other people audition. And woohoo, some people are amazing when they unleash their voices.
And pool games yesterday morning were great! Roca, the attached orientation group to D block, won the pool Captain's ball! Haha and I played in one of the rounds. Roca is a really nice OG, I like. I'm glad I've come to meet a lot of freshmen this year, who all seem like terribly good fun, and I'm happy that we seniors are getting more bonded with all these activities as well.
I was asking Yishu my neighbor about his sudden change of plan. He's now intending to stay all four (or three) years as an undergrad in KR, and not only two years. I asked him why, and he told me with a grin that the new KR girls are worth staying for! And ahhh yes, I absolutely agree that's a perfectly reasonable statement. :D Did I mention we just had pool games yesterday?
All right, morning's here. Time to get my laundry and prepare for one last round of intensive orientation games and the freshmen's graduation. Then it's NUS Choir meeting in the afternoon, and a big freshmen & alumni barbecue tonight! Yey.
Joseph Was Here
Joseph Was Here
Yep I'm here for a while and this won't take long. Theoretically.
Let me just please say that I am truly bloody exhausted. But surprisingly, I'm not complaining.
So I've been acting like a counselor to the KR freshmen for the past days, playing their games and eating meals with them and chitchatting with them so they'd get into the KR spirit, been through an exciting afternoon promoting the Ridge to hundreds from Bizad and School of Design in the Matric fair (fun fellow Ridgemates too), went back to hall to resume orientation stuff again, carried by my lonesome my huge boxes of personal possessions from Jeunesse's place (thanks again Jeunesse and Gelo!), went back to hall for supper with freshmen and then had a formal meeting with fellow seniors (as part of orientation again), and now I realize I have to have yet to iron out my modules and bid for them carefully.
Coming up: A whole-day shift tomorrow at the Matric fair promoting our NUS Choir this time (=P), followed by choir practice where I have to figure out a Chinese song among others, and more orientation! Then it's KR Choir performance on the 29th, NUS Choir intermission at the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony on August 1st (morning and afternoon), then Flag Day (Beg-In-The-Streets-For-Money Day) on August 2nd, then Rag Day on the 6th, where I might sing with the Choir and cheer with the Hall. And NUS Choir welcome tea on the 4th, then auditions 8-13, which I both may attend.
Yep, I'm not really complaining. It's quite fun really, the tiring kind. But it's fun and I'm making a lot of new friends and testing my stamina and endurance and persistence and resolve. And yeah, my PR skills too.
And aha! This new marketing head from the Ridge told me that I looked like some Singaporean celebrity. Haha, will Google his name first before I declare the statement a compliment, if at all.
Long days ahead! Yowza!
P.S.
Oh yeah, I forgot to thank everyone who commented about the new layout. I'm so thoroughly pleased and thankful you liked it. :D As you can see, it's still not done and I haven't changed the contents of the clickables here and there but then I'm busy so there. :D
Important message here too: please feel free to comment on the layout. I know there are problems with browsers (Firefox shows the fonts of the posts progressively smaller, while Internet Explorer/Avant Browser shows the latest post bigger than the rest [I didn't mean it, but it could ba artsy that way!]). Please tell me if you have any suggestions as to the color scheme, speed of loading the page, contents etc. This blog layout is gonna be a work in progress for a long while. :)
Yep I'm here for a while and this won't take long. Theoretically.
Let me just please say that I am truly bloody exhausted. But surprisingly, I'm not complaining.
So I've been acting like a counselor to the KR freshmen for the past days, playing their games and eating meals with them and chitchatting with them so they'd get into the KR spirit, been through an exciting afternoon promoting the Ridge to hundreds from Bizad and School of Design in the Matric fair (fun fellow Ridgemates too), went back to hall to resume orientation stuff again, carried by my lonesome my huge boxes of personal possessions from Jeunesse's place (thanks again Jeunesse and Gelo!), went back to hall for supper with freshmen and then had a formal meeting with fellow seniors (as part of orientation again), and now I realize I have to have yet to iron out my modules and bid for them carefully.
Coming up: A whole-day shift tomorrow at the Matric fair promoting our NUS Choir this time (=P), followed by choir practice where I have to figure out a Chinese song among others, and more orientation! Then it's KR Choir performance on the 29th, NUS Choir intermission at the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony on August 1st (morning and afternoon), then Flag Day (Beg-In-The-Streets-For-Money Day) on August 2nd, then Rag Day on the 6th, where I might sing with the Choir and cheer with the Hall. And NUS Choir welcome tea on the 4th, then auditions 8-13, which I both may attend.
Yep, I'm not really complaining. It's quite fun really, the tiring kind. But it's fun and I'm making a lot of new friends and testing my stamina and endurance and persistence and resolve. And yeah, my PR skills too.
And aha! This new marketing head from the Ridge told me that I looked like some Singaporean celebrity. Haha, will Google his name first before I declare the statement a compliment, if at all.
Long days ahead! Yowza!
P.S.
Oh yeah, I forgot to thank everyone who commented about the new layout. I'm so thoroughly pleased and thankful you liked it. :D As you can see, it's still not done and I haven't changed the contents of the clickables here and there but then I'm busy so there. :D
Important message here too: please feel free to comment on the layout. I know there are problems with browsers (Firefox shows the fonts of the posts progressively smaller, while Internet Explorer/Avant Browser shows the latest post bigger than the rest [I didn't mean it, but it could ba artsy that way!]). Please tell me if you have any suggestions as to the color scheme, speed of loading the page, contents etc. This blog layout is gonna be a work in progress for a long while. :)
Uniquely Singapore
Uniquely Singapore
Ever saw those lovely lovely Singapore tourism ads on CNN? They're terrific. Weiwei my roommate for the Czech trip commented, as one of the ads showed on CNN (no other channel was in English at that time in the morning) that they're too plastic and fake. But the ads were lovely, really. You'd think that Singapore's a magical place what with the pretty ladies and the night sky and stars and magic dust-like stuff or something. Too lovely to be true apparently?
But yeah, the ads were a bit of a stretch, starting with the ladies that didn't even look too Singaporean to be true, but then so are all other tourism ads.
What I can say, though, is that Singapore is a nice place. The fresh air, the lush trees in the metropolis, the feeling of security as you walk the streets even with your bling blings and techno gear ready for the taking, and yes, truly functional traffic-stopping pedestrian lanes where one could cross unharmed even if he were blind and vehicles were originally traveling at 200 kph. You can jaywalk, too, but just note that on the pedestrian lane the pedestrian is supreme, while the vehicles lord it over on highways.
Yep I'm back in Singapore, and I think I'm okay with it.
I still maintain that I'm back so soon, though. One month only in the Philippines: a week spent visiting friends and relatives in Manila, Los Baños, Bulacan, and three weeks at home in Davao and in Kidapawan.
I'm too old for this, as I've been here in SG for two years already, but no, could I possibly be a teeny bit homesick? Hehe. Will call home soon.
I arrived at 4pm with Korinna, unpacked the few stuff I brought, then went for choir practice 630-930pm. Then I brought my big bag and one hamper from Arthur's place. Tomorrow more stuff from Arthur then Karen.
KR is different with a new set of freshmen. Stranger because most of my buddy-buddy friends have already gone to PGP or elsewhere. But I'm glad I still have a good number of good buddies here in the block and in the hall. Ivy's still gonna be here (arriving next week), and surprise, some new bridging kids are here in KR as well. Must hunt them down. :D What am I talking about? Haha the Pinoy group is just around.. mostly in PGP now, others in a few other halls or their own house. And haha yeah, I have a good chunk of international and Singaporean friends too. And choirmates of course! But.. yeah.
Hehe somebody should seriously tell me to stop when my rambling gets a bit too much.
Good night!
Ever saw those lovely lovely Singapore tourism ads on CNN? They're terrific. Weiwei my roommate for the Czech trip commented, as one of the ads showed on CNN (no other channel was in English at that time in the morning) that they're too plastic and fake. But the ads were lovely, really. You'd think that Singapore's a magical place what with the pretty ladies and the night sky and stars and magic dust-like stuff or something. Too lovely to be true apparently?
But yeah, the ads were a bit of a stretch, starting with the ladies that didn't even look too Singaporean to be true, but then so are all other tourism ads.
What I can say, though, is that Singapore is a nice place. The fresh air, the lush trees in the metropolis, the feeling of security as you walk the streets even with your bling blings and techno gear ready for the taking, and yes, truly functional traffic-stopping pedestrian lanes where one could cross unharmed even if he were blind and vehicles were originally traveling at 200 kph. You can jaywalk, too, but just note that on the pedestrian lane the pedestrian is supreme, while the vehicles lord it over on highways.
Yep I'm back in Singapore, and I think I'm okay with it.
I still maintain that I'm back so soon, though. One month only in the Philippines: a week spent visiting friends and relatives in Manila, Los Baños, Bulacan, and three weeks at home in Davao and in Kidapawan.
I'm too old for this, as I've been here in SG for two years already, but no, could I possibly be a teeny bit homesick? Hehe. Will call home soon.
I arrived at 4pm with Korinna, unpacked the few stuff I brought, then went for choir practice 630-930pm. Then I brought my big bag and one hamper from Arthur's place. Tomorrow more stuff from Arthur then Karen.
KR is different with a new set of freshmen. Stranger because most of my buddy-buddy friends have already gone to PGP or elsewhere. But I'm glad I still have a good number of good buddies here in the block and in the hall. Ivy's still gonna be here (arriving next week), and surprise, some new bridging kids are here in KR as well. Must hunt them down. :D What am I talking about? Haha the Pinoy group is just around.. mostly in PGP now, others in a few other halls or their own house. And haha yeah, I have a good chunk of international and Singaporean friends too. And choirmates of course! But.. yeah.
Hehe somebody should seriously tell me to stop when my rambling gets a bit too much.
Good night!
Whew!
Whew.
Woohoooo. There it is. The new moonstruck86 layout. Finally. God I am tired. Eyebags here and a few zits there, but tada! The new layout is (roughly) done.
It's not done yet, as I haven't really changed the content of the clickables and all, just the external stuff. And yes the color combination and the fonts and some browser issues need a bit of fine-tuning. I wanted a major revamp of the layout but what do you know, the format resembles the previous one very closely! Talk about the limits of one's.. HTML knowledge! And okay, creativity too. XD
But it looks good! Of course I'm biased, but it's a decent piece of eye candy right? Yeah I remember thinking as I looked at the Snoopy layout.. what was I thinking?! It was too childish? Hehe and now I'm on to Calvin and Hobbes! Haha. The edgier, funkier stuff will come in a few years. What can I do? I'm a good kid. 0=) (Or so I like to think.)
I hope Bill Patterson of C&H doesn't sue me or anything though. =P
Okay, time to do the important stuff now that the template is done. CORS is back again! Ahh.. every undergraduate's favorite nightmare.=) I'm rushing to pack up my stuff around now, as I'll be off to Manila to meet my sister and my cousin on Saturday, then we'll be visiting relatives in Bulacan and Olongapo, before I fly to Singapore on the 25th.
Ciao!
Woohoooo. There it is. The new moonstruck86 layout. Finally. God I am tired. Eyebags here and a few zits there, but tada! The new layout is (roughly) done.
It's not done yet, as I haven't really changed the content of the clickables and all, just the external stuff. And yes the color combination and the fonts and some browser issues need a bit of fine-tuning. I wanted a major revamp of the layout but what do you know, the format resembles the previous one very closely! Talk about the limits of one's.. HTML knowledge! And okay, creativity too. XD
But it looks good! Of course I'm biased, but it's a decent piece of eye candy right? Yeah I remember thinking as I looked at the Snoopy layout.. what was I thinking?! It was too childish? Hehe and now I'm on to Calvin and Hobbes! Haha. The edgier, funkier stuff will come in a few years. What can I do? I'm a good kid. 0=) (Or so I like to think.)
I hope Bill Patterson of C&H doesn't sue me or anything though. =P
Okay, time to do the important stuff now that the template is done. CORS is back again! Ahh.. every undergraduate's favorite nightmare.=) I'm rushing to pack up my stuff around now, as I'll be off to Manila to meet my sister and my cousin on Saturday, then we'll be visiting relatives in Bulacan and Olongapo, before I fly to Singapore on the 25th.
Ciao!
Picture perfect
Picture perfect
"Photogenic" is one of the terms that fascinate me. If you are photogenic, does that make you handsome or pretty, one whose face is just so appealing it's picture-perfect?
Or does it mean that precisely because you look good in photos, you only look good in photos, and that you're not as "picture-perfect" in person?
There are also some photos that you know you shouldn't screw up. They're the photos at your graduation, with your significant other at the climax of your wedding, the one that has your favorite movie/rock star's arm on your shoulder, the one that captures you making your star pose in your only scene in your theatrical production. That kind of stuff.
I wanted to post some cool choir photos of our Czech trip here. Yeah I have some using the camera I borrowed, but the ones I just saw posted in the forum are different. They're group photos taken by the CFA officer while we were performing, after the announcement of results, that kind of thing. We took the photos using only President KK's camera, since he told us he'll just share them with the rest of us.
Things I learned:
1. Some people look ugly when they sing. I remember reading somewhere that John Mayer looks awful when he sings in concert. Some people look good and popstar-like when they sing, and some people look hideous. I belong to the last group.
2. The don't-ever-screw-up-you-only-get-one-shot photos I was telling you about? Ugh. I screwed them up for the most part. It gets annoying too, when in this really souvenir-type group photo, everyone else's face was visible, and ONLY ONE person's face gets partially covered by some guy in front. It's not the entire face, of course, but we weren't singing, so it promised to be a fairly decent shot, until half of my face was covered.
3. I get amused to find that in the group shot after the announcement of winners, the lone Filipino in the bunch got to hold the Singapore flag. Hehe. But I wasn't photogenic there haha. Heck, the choir won gold, and was Category winner and that's what matters.
OK, lots of events have happened again the past few days, and somehow I don't think I'll rush back and blog everything. Haha good to keep stuff to myself too.
For the curious, I'll ba back in Singapore on the 25th. Time to start shopping for good stuff as they're always cheaper here. :)
"Photogenic" is one of the terms that fascinate me. If you are photogenic, does that make you handsome or pretty, one whose face is just so appealing it's picture-perfect?
Or does it mean that precisely because you look good in photos, you only look good in photos, and that you're not as "picture-perfect" in person?
There are also some photos that you know you shouldn't screw up. They're the photos at your graduation, with your significant other at the climax of your wedding, the one that has your favorite movie/rock star's arm on your shoulder, the one that captures you making your star pose in your only scene in your theatrical production. That kind of stuff.
I wanted to post some cool choir photos of our Czech trip here. Yeah I have some using the camera I borrowed, but the ones I just saw posted in the forum are different. They're group photos taken by the CFA officer while we were performing, after the announcement of results, that kind of thing. We took the photos using only President KK's camera, since he told us he'll just share them with the rest of us.
Things I learned:
1. Some people look ugly when they sing. I remember reading somewhere that John Mayer looks awful when he sings in concert. Some people look good and popstar-like when they sing, and some people look hideous. I belong to the last group.
2. The don't-ever-screw-up-you-only-get-one-shot photos I was telling you about? Ugh. I screwed them up for the most part. It gets annoying too, when in this really souvenir-type group photo, everyone else's face was visible, and ONLY ONE person's face gets partially covered by some guy in front. It's not the entire face, of course, but we weren't singing, so it promised to be a fairly decent shot, until half of my face was covered.
3. I get amused to find that in the group shot after the announcement of winners, the lone Filipino in the bunch got to hold the Singapore flag. Hehe. But I wasn't photogenic there haha. Heck, the choir won gold, and was Category winner and that's what matters.
OK, lots of events have happened again the past few days, and somehow I don't think I'll rush back and blog everything. Haha good to keep stuff to myself too.
For the curious, I'll ba back in Singapore on the 25th. Time to start shopping for good stuff as they're always cheaper here. :)
The July 10 Entry
The July 10 Post
I was here. Haha and I'm still enjoying Davao. Hmm. It's strange being in the house without my sister though. Hmm.. how can I go on shopping now without my fashion consultant?! Hehe. Not really. But mallhopping and window-shopping?! Or maybe it's just strange that the fridge in our house is nearly empty, and the oven and the washing machine unused. Haha and I get to watch all the shows I want on TV! No competition for the most part. Hehe now you can tell by the appliances I mentioned what my sister likes to do when she's in the house. :D
Now I wasn't supposed to say those things. I really just wanted to say that I passed by my blog for a few minutes. Hmmm.. could it be? Haha no it can't possibly be happening. Oh alright, the whole family misses you Kai! (at dinamay pa buong pamilya) Haha.
Okay, I better get out of this net cafe now and plan my stuff. Ugh oh yeah, I have to reply to some KR Choir stuff. Busy busy. (Right.)
Lotsa stuff happened past few days. Meet-up with friends and high school teachers and Pisay Foundation Day and all. Will tell you about it.. maybe when I'm not chasing Internet cafe time.
Oh yeah, there MAY BE a new blog template up in the not-so-near future. Let's see if I can put it together. Hopefully I don't get lazy.
I was here. Haha and I'm still enjoying Davao. Hmm. It's strange being in the house without my sister though. Hmm.. how can I go on shopping now without my fashion consultant?! Hehe. Not really. But mallhopping and window-shopping?! Or maybe it's just strange that the fridge in our house is nearly empty, and the oven and the washing machine unused. Haha and I get to watch all the shows I want on TV! No competition for the most part. Hehe now you can tell by the appliances I mentioned what my sister likes to do when she's in the house. :D
Now I wasn't supposed to say those things. I really just wanted to say that I passed by my blog for a few minutes. Hmmm.. could it be? Haha no it can't possibly be happening. Oh alright, the whole family misses you Kai! (at dinamay pa buong pamilya) Haha.
Okay, I better get out of this net cafe now and plan my stuff. Ugh oh yeah, I have to reply to some KR Choir stuff. Busy busy. (Right.)
Lotsa stuff happened past few days. Meet-up with friends and high school teachers and Pisay Foundation Day and all. Will tell you about it.. maybe when I'm not chasing Internet cafe time.
Oh yeah, there MAY BE a new blog template up in the not-so-near future. Let's see if I can put it together. Hopefully I don't get lazy.
Happiness
Happiness
You know the thing about happiness. It's different for everyone, and it comes in various shapes and sizes. I shall not go deal with philosophical questions as (Kris Aquino-style) "Happy ka na ba?" or (Michelle Branch-style) "Are you happy now?" because well, I don't really know. Kerwin seems profoundly happy (and it's unfair a bit), but that's beside the point. What I really learned this summer is that a good deal of happiness can be derived from one loooong vacation. :D
I remember Karen saying, in response to my (then) plans of travelling around Manila and Los Banos, that I've been on one long vacation this summer, what with the Czech trip and all. And come to think of it, it's been one long and happy ride indeed.
What was not a long and happy ride (it was only long) was the trip from Singapore to Manila on June 26th. Still refusing to spend my remaining money (my DBS savings account had an alarming double-digit figure then, which had earlier even sunk to single-digit when I arrived from Czech) on a taxi early in the morning to catch the 7am Tiger Airways flight, I decided to travel by bus and MRT to Changi Airport at 9:30ish and spend the night at the airport. (Again, thanks loads to Arthur for letting me bunk for free at his place for more than a week.) I didn't regret doing it, but I so wish I was able to sleep for at least 3 hours and didn't have an annoying stiff neck from sleeping on the hard plastic chairs.
Tiger Airways is very good if you have budget constraints. If you're a tourist, however, DON'T GO FOR IT. There's no in-flight entertainment, no food (unless you want to buy cup noodles for $3 or a small burger for $5), no monitors on the plane, the flight attendants aren't too friendly, and you land in Clark in Pampanga. Landing in Clark in Pampanga isn't necessarily a bad thing since one saves by skipping NAIA's terminal fee, and if you're headed to Megamall or Pasay and you don't want to take a cab from NAIA, then Clark is it for you, since Philtranco buses will lead you there. There and nowhere else, though. So if you live in Bulacan, which is along the way to Metro Manila, you have to take a cab from Clark or go to Megamall and take another bus (or cab) to Bulacan.
Megamall was perfect, since Jay told me that I can get an easy bus across the mall's main entrance to Los Banos, where he and my sister study. Another bus ride, then I found what Ferron was describing. Haha my apprehensions about not seeing the big sign were unwarranted, as only a blind person will miss the building marked Olivares Plaza.
I waited at Jollibee for Jay, and was pleasantly surprised by the security guard's hospitality. He didn't need to open my big bags for security purposes, and just used the garret, and correctly guessed that I was bringing clothes. Friendly security guards. Haha one indicator that I was really back in Philippines already. (They don't even have security guards in SG, so there.)
Jay arrived and then we took a jeep to enter UPLB. Moments later I'd see my sister, and a whole lotta high school friends in LB.
Long story, and I've just been yakking about stuff before the actual meet-ups. Haha, I've run out of money to continue typing this here, so I'll blog again in the near, or not-so-near future.
It's good to be home. :D
You know the thing about happiness. It's different for everyone, and it comes in various shapes and sizes. I shall not go deal with philosophical questions as (Kris Aquino-style) "Happy ka na ba?" or (Michelle Branch-style) "Are you happy now?" because well, I don't really know. Kerwin seems profoundly happy (and it's unfair a bit), but that's beside the point. What I really learned this summer is that a good deal of happiness can be derived from one loooong vacation. :D
I remember Karen saying, in response to my (then) plans of travelling around Manila and Los Banos, that I've been on one long vacation this summer, what with the Czech trip and all. And come to think of it, it's been one long and happy ride indeed.
What was not a long and happy ride (it was only long) was the trip from Singapore to Manila on June 26th. Still refusing to spend my remaining money (my DBS savings account had an alarming double-digit figure then, which had earlier even sunk to single-digit when I arrived from Czech) on a taxi early in the morning to catch the 7am Tiger Airways flight, I decided to travel by bus and MRT to Changi Airport at 9:30ish and spend the night at the airport. (Again, thanks loads to Arthur for letting me bunk for free at his place for more than a week.) I didn't regret doing it, but I so wish I was able to sleep for at least 3 hours and didn't have an annoying stiff neck from sleeping on the hard plastic chairs.
Tiger Airways is very good if you have budget constraints. If you're a tourist, however, DON'T GO FOR IT. There's no in-flight entertainment, no food (unless you want to buy cup noodles for $3 or a small burger for $5), no monitors on the plane, the flight attendants aren't too friendly, and you land in Clark in Pampanga. Landing in Clark in Pampanga isn't necessarily a bad thing since one saves by skipping NAIA's terminal fee, and if you're headed to Megamall or Pasay and you don't want to take a cab from NAIA, then Clark is it for you, since Philtranco buses will lead you there. There and nowhere else, though. So if you live in Bulacan, which is along the way to Metro Manila, you have to take a cab from Clark or go to Megamall and take another bus (or cab) to Bulacan.
Megamall was perfect, since Jay told me that I can get an easy bus across the mall's main entrance to Los Banos, where he and my sister study. Another bus ride, then I found what Ferron was describing. Haha my apprehensions about not seeing the big sign were unwarranted, as only a blind person will miss the building marked Olivares Plaza.
I waited at Jollibee for Jay, and was pleasantly surprised by the security guard's hospitality. He didn't need to open my big bags for security purposes, and just used the garret, and correctly guessed that I was bringing clothes. Friendly security guards. Haha one indicator that I was really back in Philippines already. (They don't even have security guards in SG, so there.)
Jay arrived and then we took a jeep to enter UPLB. Moments later I'd see my sister, and a whole lotta high school friends in LB.
Long story, and I've just been yakking about stuff before the actual meet-ups. Haha, I've run out of money to continue typing this here, so I'll blog again in the near, or not-so-near future.
It's good to be home. :D
Homebound
Homebound
This morning NUS kickstarted (more like ushered in) the year-long Centennial celebrations with a bang. It was not a BANG (you know what I mean), but it was pleasant, nonetheless. The spanking new University building is the coolest thing, though. I wished they worked out the programme better, though. My fellas and I from the NUS Choir were there to sing, with the oldies' NUSS choir, the NUS Centennial song entitled NUS Forever.
Sigh. I could comment a whole lot on the thing, but let's just say that the oldies' were very late, and for a while, since there were only three NUSS folks around (others yet to arrive) when we left the holding room, we thought that only the NUS Choir would sing. The rest of the NUSSers finally arrived in the nick of time, but the conductor was yet to arrive. Wei wei, our student conductor, agreed to fill in, and all seemed okay. And then Ms Chan, the conductor surprised us all by popping out of nowhere while we were already onstage. Wei Wei had thought better than to pop onstage when we were already lined up. It made sense, for the choir as a whole, and it showed his gentlemanly self, but unfortunately for us, he wasn't able to sing.
Anyway, it was the most exciting performance ever. Let's leave it at that. NUS Choir will sing at the Freshman Inauguration Ceremony, and we'll do good. :D
The food was terrific. Ah, glorious even. I shook the hand of Dr William Tan, the paraplegic who ran amazing marathons in ten countries in seven continents or something. Haha, but he's a really nice guy, and he's on the Guinness Book of World Records. He signed my Centennial hardbound book freebie too. He recognized me from the choir maybe from my white shirt and black coat, and he smilingly said the singing was "tremendous!" I could tell he liked the performance by the sincerity of his greeting, but hmm.. I'm glad he did. I told the story to our funky tenor Huai Zhi, and he burst out laughing. He later pointed out that "tremendous" can mean, tremendously good or tremendously bad. Hah. And oh yeah, I was about to tell Dr Tan that he strongly reminded me of Christopher Reeve: wheelchair, specs, pleasant Clark Kent face and for a Guiness title holder marathon man, he ought to be made of Superman steel. I thought against it, as well, we know what happened to Christopher Reeve.
Anyway, long story now.
My point really, based on the title. I'll be home soon. Mama says I'll have to travel light, and you know I never ever did that. It takes me weeks to pack my stuff (overpack more like it), but I feel that travelling light will be an even bigger burden. Anyway, I'm off to the airport after dinner tonight, sleep over to catch the 7AM Tiger Airways flight to Clark, in Pampanga. Then I'll be off to Manila, then I'll take the bus to Los Banos, Laguna to check with my sister and bunk with Jay.
Haha I'm excited, but I'm feeling more of lethargy right now. I loathe packing. I'll see you again in a month's time, Singapore. Hello Philippines. Haha hello Garci too. Finally I'll figure out the presidential scandal. Ciao!
This morning NUS kickstarted (more like ushered in) the year-long Centennial celebrations with a bang. It was not a BANG (you know what I mean), but it was pleasant, nonetheless. The spanking new University building is the coolest thing, though. I wished they worked out the programme better, though. My fellas and I from the NUS Choir were there to sing, with the oldies' NUSS choir, the NUS Centennial song entitled NUS Forever.
Sigh. I could comment a whole lot on the thing, but let's just say that the oldies' were very late, and for a while, since there were only three NUSS folks around (others yet to arrive) when we left the holding room, we thought that only the NUS Choir would sing. The rest of the NUSSers finally arrived in the nick of time, but the conductor was yet to arrive. Wei wei, our student conductor, agreed to fill in, and all seemed okay. And then Ms Chan, the conductor surprised us all by popping out of nowhere while we were already onstage. Wei Wei had thought better than to pop onstage when we were already lined up. It made sense, for the choir as a whole, and it showed his gentlemanly self, but unfortunately for us, he wasn't able to sing.
Anyway, it was the most exciting performance ever. Let's leave it at that. NUS Choir will sing at the Freshman Inauguration Ceremony, and we'll do good. :D
The food was terrific. Ah, glorious even. I shook the hand of Dr William Tan, the paraplegic who ran amazing marathons in ten countries in seven continents or something. Haha, but he's a really nice guy, and he's on the Guinness Book of World Records. He signed my Centennial hardbound book freebie too. He recognized me from the choir maybe from my white shirt and black coat, and he smilingly said the singing was "tremendous!" I could tell he liked the performance by the sincerity of his greeting, but hmm.. I'm glad he did. I told the story to our funky tenor Huai Zhi, and he burst out laughing. He later pointed out that "tremendous" can mean, tremendously good or tremendously bad. Hah. And oh yeah, I was about to tell Dr Tan that he strongly reminded me of Christopher Reeve: wheelchair, specs, pleasant Clark Kent face and for a Guiness title holder marathon man, he ought to be made of Superman steel. I thought against it, as well, we know what happened to Christopher Reeve.
Anyway, long story now.
My point really, based on the title. I'll be home soon. Mama says I'll have to travel light, and you know I never ever did that. It takes me weeks to pack my stuff (overpack more like it), but I feel that travelling light will be an even bigger burden. Anyway, I'm off to the airport after dinner tonight, sleep over to catch the 7AM Tiger Airways flight to Clark, in Pampanga. Then I'll be off to Manila, then I'll take the bus to Los Banos, Laguna to check with my sister and bunk with Jay.
Haha I'm excited, but I'm feeling more of lethargy right now. I loathe packing. I'll see you again in a month's time, Singapore. Hello Philippines. Haha hello Garci too. Finally I'll figure out the presidential scandal. Ciao!
Still here
Still here
Just because I haven't updated for a long while (at least in my terms) doesn't mean that I've been incapacitated, fallen sick or dead, or forgotten this blog. Hehe, I'm perfectly okay.
I haven't been doing as much work as Mike who's an Econs research assistant working on a hardcore math-intensive proof that has caused him major headaches, or Arthur who does programming at I2R during the day and works on KE Orientation Publicity at night, or Ferron who's fully-booked with his work at a posh restaurant in Suntec, or Karen who's doing labwork on weekdays and Kingfisher (I think) on weekends on top of her tuition/camp guide rackets, or Nestor, the King of Rackets (hehe) who, aside from his duh, rackets, has just wrapped up work on the KE yearbook. Reginald is busy with some internship at some business firm in Tanjong Pagar, and Steph is working for a bank, but apparently she doesn't like it there anymore. Hehe.
And here I am, jobless little me, who just came from vacation in Czech, and now that the choir competition's done (Gold baby!), I'm left to well, be free!
Jobless people will always be broke (unless they had money to begin with), and I think broke-ness is my only enemy right now. Idleness? Nah, I'm not idle. I'm not bored yet, even. Ahh.. somehow I always find myself something to do. Something to read. Or watch. Or listen to. Or learn. Or surf about.
And we began practice for the Centennial song already (ugh long story.. bottom line: I can't quite say here in this blog lest the NUSS people read this haha), and I've wrapped up my Ridge article, and I've helped Arthur with his Photoshop work already.
I've done everything but update this blog substantially. Haha, the most logical and sensible thing to do I haven't even done yet.. and that is to post photos and describe the details of the Czech trip. And how I've been persuaded to like Korean movies (a lot), how Nestor and I enjoy Arthur's anime called Chobits, how I found the coolest funkiest book Design Basics Index, how I found Da Vinci Code to be indeed an entertaining work of fiction, yet one that boldly asks for trouble, that kind of stuff.
Ahh.. so little time, so much to do. And I'm supposed to be jobless! I'll be home very soon, and I'll be jobless once again. But I'll be home very soon!
How's that for gibberish at 5:48AM. Good morning!
Just because I haven't updated for a long while (at least in my terms) doesn't mean that I've been incapacitated, fallen sick or dead, or forgotten this blog. Hehe, I'm perfectly okay.
I haven't been doing as much work as Mike who's an Econs research assistant working on a hardcore math-intensive proof that has caused him major headaches, or Arthur who does programming at I2R during the day and works on KE Orientation Publicity at night, or Ferron who's fully-booked with his work at a posh restaurant in Suntec, or Karen who's doing labwork on weekdays and Kingfisher (I think) on weekends on top of her tuition/camp guide rackets, or Nestor, the King of Rackets (hehe) who, aside from his duh, rackets, has just wrapped up work on the KE yearbook. Reginald is busy with some internship at some business firm in Tanjong Pagar, and Steph is working for a bank, but apparently she doesn't like it there anymore. Hehe.
And here I am, jobless little me, who just came from vacation in Czech, and now that the choir competition's done (Gold baby!), I'm left to well, be free!
Jobless people will always be broke (unless they had money to begin with), and I think broke-ness is my only enemy right now. Idleness? Nah, I'm not idle. I'm not bored yet, even. Ahh.. somehow I always find myself something to do. Something to read. Or watch. Or listen to. Or learn. Or surf about.
And we began practice for the Centennial song already (ugh long story.. bottom line: I can't quite say here in this blog lest the NUSS people read this haha), and I've wrapped up my Ridge article, and I've helped Arthur with his Photoshop work already.
I've done everything but update this blog substantially. Haha, the most logical and sensible thing to do I haven't even done yet.. and that is to post photos and describe the details of the Czech trip. And how I've been persuaded to like Korean movies (a lot), how Nestor and I enjoy Arthur's anime called Chobits, how I found the coolest funkiest book Design Basics Index, how I found Da Vinci Code to be indeed an entertaining work of fiction, yet one that boldly asks for trouble, that kind of stuff.
Ahh.. so little time, so much to do. And I'm supposed to be jobless! I'll be home very soon, and I'll be jobless once again. But I'll be home very soon!
How's that for gibberish at 5:48AM. Good morning!
Back
Back
In Singapore, that is. I never figured out why my plane from Amsterdam landed Singapore 2:45PM, 4 hours ahead of my predicted arrival, but never mind. Ugh blame those time zones. :D
So here I am, bunking in Arthur's room at KE7, H204. God bless the good guy, really, for letting about 8 or so people store boxes and bags and suitcases in his single room, and now admitting a homeless kid i.e. me. And for free too! Hehe don't worry Arthur I'll help you *with what little I know* with your Photoshop work.
Ahh.. I'm still high over the entire Czech-Europe-Category Winner thing, but I'm glad to be back. The long flight back, and on my own too, gave me a good stiff neck and screwed up my sleeping pattern, and watching Million Dollar Baby on the plane made me suddenly intensely fearful of death, but being back in a place where most everything's familiar and where people speak English is always a good thing.
I could blabber on about the details of the trip, but that would be the longest blog entry in moonstruck86 history. So maybe I'll just post photos.. if lethargy doesn't get to me.
And then comes the perpetual question after something eventful occurs: Now what? Well, I've been thinking hard the past few days and I haven't sorted it out yet. I could go sing with the choir for the NUS Centennial celebrations on the 25th, go home to the Philippines the day after, and may just pop by Manila and Quezon City to visit friends, and check out UPLB in Laguna to visit little sister and Jasper. Then again, staying here for an extra week or so could cost quite a bit, excluding the expensive stay within Manila and Laguna, AND I don't think I'll make it for Mama's birthday on the 29th. Then again, my folks recommend I go visit my fresh-in-college sister also, and Mama says she doesn't mind if I don't make it in time for her birthday. Hmm. And my single-digit bank account balance doesn't help too. Yes, it's single digit now. Hehe. I still have some cash though, and there's always the VISA.
I'm jobless and free now, but not exactly. I've been thinking about my article for the Ridge's July issue, and I'd have to email Asraf the new editor very soon. Think Jose think!
And oh yeah, thanks again to those who congratulated us choristers. :D I told you I'm still high.
And on a final note, let me greet someone very special a happy happy birthday! He's the namesake of that little Peanuts kid who's on my "Fave Links" button. He's my big brother Schroeder, and he would've been 21 today if he hadn't gone on to the Great Beyond when he was three. :) Needless to say, I miss that old chap. Haha could've made my growing up years a wee bit simpler! See you sometime.
All right, off to shower! It's a hot day in Singapore (as usual), but for once, after a week of freezing cold in Czech, I actually like it!
Music of the Moment: Toploader's Dancing in the Moonlight
Currently feeling like working.
In Singapore, that is. I never figured out why my plane from Amsterdam landed Singapore 2:45PM, 4 hours ahead of my predicted arrival, but never mind. Ugh blame those time zones. :D
So here I am, bunking in Arthur's room at KE7, H204. God bless the good guy, really, for letting about 8 or so people store boxes and bags and suitcases in his single room, and now admitting a homeless kid i.e. me. And for free too! Hehe don't worry Arthur I'll help you *with what little I know* with your Photoshop work.
Ahh.. I'm still high over the entire Czech-Europe-Category Winner thing, but I'm glad to be back. The long flight back, and on my own too, gave me a good stiff neck and screwed up my sleeping pattern, and watching Million Dollar Baby on the plane made me suddenly intensely fearful of death, but being back in a place where most everything's familiar and where people speak English is always a good thing.
I could blabber on about the details of the trip, but that would be the longest blog entry in moonstruck86 history. So maybe I'll just post photos.. if lethargy doesn't get to me.
And then comes the perpetual question after something eventful occurs: Now what? Well, I've been thinking hard the past few days and I haven't sorted it out yet. I could go sing with the choir for the NUS Centennial celebrations on the 25th, go home to the Philippines the day after, and may just pop by Manila and Quezon City to visit friends, and check out UPLB in Laguna to visit little sister and Jasper. Then again, staying here for an extra week or so could cost quite a bit, excluding the expensive stay within Manila and Laguna, AND I don't think I'll make it for Mama's birthday on the 29th. Then again, my folks recommend I go visit my fresh-in-college sister also, and Mama says she doesn't mind if I don't make it in time for her birthday. Hmm. And my single-digit bank account balance doesn't help too. Yes, it's single digit now. Hehe. I still have some cash though, and there's always the VISA.
I'm jobless and free now, but not exactly. I've been thinking about my article for the Ridge's July issue, and I'd have to email Asraf the new editor very soon. Think Jose think!
And oh yeah, thanks again to those who congratulated us choristers. :D I told you I'm still high.
And on a final note, let me greet someone very special a happy happy birthday! He's the namesake of that little Peanuts kid who's on my "Fave Links" button. He's my big brother Schroeder, and he would've been 21 today if he hadn't gone on to the Great Beyond when he was three. :) Needless to say, I miss that old chap. Haha could've made my growing up years a wee bit simpler! See you sometime.
All right, off to shower! It's a hot day in Singapore (as usual), but for once, after a week of freezing cold in Czech, I actually like it!
Music of the Moment: Toploader's Dancing in the Moonlight
Currently feeling like working.
Gold
The unthinkable has happened.
99 points. Gold medal. Category winner. F Category, methinks.
It wasn´t our best performance, seriously. Credo was sharp, Ashita´s starting note B-flat was not in unison, and although Kucinta was very good according to Nelson, there was one off entry by one of my felloow basses in the first part that got me quite distracted a bit.
But apparently we wowed them enough to get 99 points and earn gold. Must be the ingenious peculiarity of Kucinta, the ´miao´ song.
Coolness. The other Singaporean choirs, Anderson Junior College änd Anglo-Chinese Junior College also scored gold medals, and were category winners as well. They competed in the Grand Finals tonight with 4 competitors from Europe. Haha we were wondering for a while why NUS Choir wasn´t in for the Final Finals since we were also category winner anyway, but apparently they only invited 6 choirs for the final show, and AJC and ACJC´s categories were the hotter categories.
We cheered for AJC anyway, since we had the same conductor, Nelson Kwei, and they were more friendly to us. Frankly, too, I thought AJC´s performance was more of a showy crowd-pleaser and ACJC lacked AJ´s vivid expression. Anyway, the similarly impressive less-than-a-year-old choir from Czech was crowned Absolute winner, with AJC the next closest competitor. Well, in fairness to ACJC, they scored full marks (100 points) in the category they competed with AJC, and top choir in the other category, so this shouln´t dent their spirits. But right now, NUS Choir is still for our fellow Nelson baby, AJC. Hehe.
I better wrap this up since I´m feeling a bit tipsy from the beer they served in the after-party. Haha 2 big glasses of Czexh beer and I´m already, well, groggy. Tipsy maybe, since I can still write a decent entry right?
God I am so thankful for the gold. It means an incredible lot to me, really. First year I joined choir, first time I get to travel to Europe, first time I get to compete in a choral contest. The risks were great, for the choir as a whole, which drained the choir fund, but now it´s all bloody worth it. Thank you Lord.
I love NUS Choir. Time to hit the bed before I pass out here.. Back to Prague tomorrow!
P.S. Thanks a lot to those who SMSed and wished us well! Yep I receive them messages all, but sorry no credits to reply. Thanks thanks!
99 points. Gold medal. Category winner. F Category, methinks.
It wasn´t our best performance, seriously. Credo was sharp, Ashita´s starting note B-flat was not in unison, and although Kucinta was very good according to Nelson, there was one off entry by one of my felloow basses in the first part that got me quite distracted a bit.
But apparently we wowed them enough to get 99 points and earn gold. Must be the ingenious peculiarity of Kucinta, the ´miao´ song.
Coolness. The other Singaporean choirs, Anderson Junior College änd Anglo-Chinese Junior College also scored gold medals, and were category winners as well. They competed in the Grand Finals tonight with 4 competitors from Europe. Haha we were wondering for a while why NUS Choir wasn´t in for the Final Finals since we were also category winner anyway, but apparently they only invited 6 choirs for the final show, and AJC and ACJC´s categories were the hotter categories.
We cheered for AJC anyway, since we had the same conductor, Nelson Kwei, and they were more friendly to us. Frankly, too, I thought AJC´s performance was more of a showy crowd-pleaser and ACJC lacked AJ´s vivid expression. Anyway, the similarly impressive less-than-a-year-old choir from Czech was crowned Absolute winner, with AJC the next closest competitor. Well, in fairness to ACJC, they scored full marks (100 points) in the category they competed with AJC, and top choir in the other category, so this shouln´t dent their spirits. But right now, NUS Choir is still for our fellow Nelson baby, AJC. Hehe.
I better wrap this up since I´m feeling a bit tipsy from the beer they served in the after-party. Haha 2 big glasses of Czexh beer and I´m already, well, groggy. Tipsy maybe, since I can still write a decent entry right?
God I am so thankful for the gold. It means an incredible lot to me, really. First year I joined choir, first time I get to travel to Europe, first time I get to compete in a choral contest. The risks were great, for the choir as a whole, which drained the choir fund, but now it´s all bloody worth it. Thank you Lord.
I love NUS Choir. Time to hit the bed before I pass out here.. Back to Prague tomorrow!
P.S. Thanks a lot to those who SMSed and wished us well! Yep I receive them messages all, but sorry no credits to reply. Thanks thanks!
Fascinating
Fascinating.
Seriously that´s all i can say about Europe. But of course that won´t stop me from making long blog entries right? Haha. Actuallz, mazbe this kezboard will. It´s got all these crazy characters, and for starters, the y button is the normal z button. strangeness. But in a verz good waz of course. Hehe.
I´m at Hotel Flora in Olomouc, Czech Republic right now. It´s 546am here, Weiwei my roommate and choir student conductor is still asleep, but I had to drag myself down to take a hot shower because it´s so frrrrriggin´ COLD! And it´s supposed to be late late apring/early summer here.. what more in winter?!
Czech Rep is 6 hours slower than both Singapore and Philippines, so I bet my friends and family are preparing for lunch there. Ma, Dad I´ll call.. after I figure out how to. But hereś the good news. BOTH my M1 and Globe handphones have international roaming! So any important message, please SMS me in either of those numbers. That´s a peso for globe, and hopefully a few cents for M1. :P
We left Changi at 2255pm Tuesday, and we arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol past 5am. 7 hour difference, and ¨I´m too layz to do the math. But it was a long ride, trust me on that, but the food was goood.
Coolest thing was watching the sunrise on the plane! As we were above Vienna or Berlin the orange sun rose gradually on the horizon, and then, after a while, it seemed to have totallz set again! It rose again soon afterwards,¨and of course me at the window seat took the opportunity to take another round of photos!
And oh yeah, haha ignore that last post. A billion billion thanks to Rötana for lending me his camera last minute. And it was with no hesitation at all when he answered ´Sure!´ Thanks loads man.
But haha photo-loving me soon ran out of battery! We took too many photos at the plane and the airport! Amsterdam Airport was cool. They had a lovely mini-museum where I discovered that one of my recent favorite artists was Dutch! Piet Mondrian. I´ve been eyeing his work for a while, even using his work as MSN display pic, thinking of his cubism thing as the theme for my new blog template.. which never quite got around! Hehe.
We flew to Prague and arrived at the airport around noon. The coolness of the experience I felt when we stepped out of the airport into the sun, and I began to remove my jacket. Walau, the sun was up, yet the air was freezing! Fascinating.
We took a half-day tour of Prague and it was quaint and lovely and just breathtaking. Really. It´s terrific to find centuries of important cultural history preserved in the majestic St Vitus Cathedral, the Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge, the entire Prague Castle really. I was checking the Prague travel guide I bought from Borders, and whoa, the places came to life! I don´t think I can blog to every bit of detail since haha I don´t really know much of the Romanesque Gothic Baroque stuff the tour guide was saying to us, but Prague was just picturesque, to say the least. And artsy too. Seriously very artsy.
OK, I think the ladies at the counter are giving me strange glances now. Whoops must´ve used the PC too much. Past six now, maybe I´ll just rest in bed and wait for breakfast. Our concert marathon is this afternoon, and we´ĺl be rehearsing in the morning, before we go to an excursion at noon (I think it´s the brewery baby! Beer!), then finally we´ll be performing in the afternoon. Competition isn´t till the 11th though. Wish I could post pics.
Lovely. I didn´t realize Europe would be so refreshing. Hopefully it doesn´t freeze me to death though.
Happiness.
Seriously that´s all i can say about Europe. But of course that won´t stop me from making long blog entries right? Haha. Actuallz, mazbe this kezboard will. It´s got all these crazy characters, and for starters, the y button is the normal z button. strangeness. But in a verz good waz of course. Hehe.
I´m at Hotel Flora in Olomouc, Czech Republic right now. It´s 546am here, Weiwei my roommate and choir student conductor is still asleep, but I had to drag myself down to take a hot shower because it´s so frrrrriggin´ COLD! And it´s supposed to be late late apring/early summer here.. what more in winter?!
Czech Rep is 6 hours slower than both Singapore and Philippines, so I bet my friends and family are preparing for lunch there. Ma, Dad I´ll call.. after I figure out how to. But hereś the good news. BOTH my M1 and Globe handphones have international roaming! So any important message, please SMS me in either of those numbers. That´s a peso for globe, and hopefully a few cents for M1. :P
We left Changi at 2255pm Tuesday, and we arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol past 5am. 7 hour difference, and ¨I´m too layz to do the math. But it was a long ride, trust me on that, but the food was goood.
Coolest thing was watching the sunrise on the plane! As we were above Vienna or Berlin the orange sun rose gradually on the horizon, and then, after a while, it seemed to have totallz set again! It rose again soon afterwards,¨and of course me at the window seat took the opportunity to take another round of photos!
And oh yeah, haha ignore that last post. A billion billion thanks to Rötana for lending me his camera last minute. And it was with no hesitation at all when he answered ´Sure!´ Thanks loads man.
But haha photo-loving me soon ran out of battery! We took too many photos at the plane and the airport! Amsterdam Airport was cool. They had a lovely mini-museum where I discovered that one of my recent favorite artists was Dutch! Piet Mondrian. I´ve been eyeing his work for a while, even using his work as MSN display pic, thinking of his cubism thing as the theme for my new blog template.. which never quite got around! Hehe.
We flew to Prague and arrived at the airport around noon. The coolness of the experience I felt when we stepped out of the airport into the sun, and I began to remove my jacket. Walau, the sun was up, yet the air was freezing! Fascinating.
We took a half-day tour of Prague and it was quaint and lovely and just breathtaking. Really. It´s terrific to find centuries of important cultural history preserved in the majestic St Vitus Cathedral, the Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge, the entire Prague Castle really. I was checking the Prague travel guide I bought from Borders, and whoa, the places came to life! I don´t think I can blog to every bit of detail since haha I don´t really know much of the Romanesque Gothic Baroque stuff the tour guide was saying to us, but Prague was just picturesque, to say the least. And artsy too. Seriously very artsy.
OK, I think the ladies at the counter are giving me strange glances now. Whoops must´ve used the PC too much. Past six now, maybe I´ll just rest in bed and wait for breakfast. Our concert marathon is this afternoon, and we´ĺl be rehearsing in the morning, before we go to an excursion at noon (I think it´s the brewery baby! Beer!), then finally we´ll be performing in the afternoon. Competition isn´t till the 11th though. Wish I could post pics.
Lovely. I didn´t realize Europe would be so refreshing. Hopefully it doesn´t freeze me to death though.
Happiness.
Crap
Crap
What a time for my camera to get all fffing spoilt.
Seems like my "series of unfortunate events" is still in progress after all. :'(
What a time for my camera to get all fffing spoilt.
Seems like my "series of unfortunate events" is still in progress after all. :'(
Here I come
Here I come
All right, after months of intensive preparation (the past few days especially draining the life out of me), the NUS Choir is finally taking off for the 33rd Festa Musicale in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
I'm exhausted beyond words right now, really, due to the crazy packing up and moving out. Yesterday we sang with our conductor Nelson Kwei's other choir that's off for the same competition but in a different category (or categories, since they're singing in two), Anderson Junior College. They were good I have to admit, and the strength of the competition bunch of their choir is almost twice ours. Well, Junior Colleges tend to be richer (I think, or at least they spend more for these cultural stuff), and they still have classes now, unlike in Uni where most everyone has gone home for the holidays. They were good really, and they gave very animated, fun-filled performances demonstrating their youth and vibrance (ours was a more serious and classy[?] performance). But most of all, I was (and still am) fascinated by our common conductor Nelson. His hand and arm gestures and facial expressions vividly contain exactly what he wants from the choir, and he gets it.
I'm packing the third and last chunk of my room into a box I'll give to Arthur for storage over the break (the previous two I gave to Karen and Ferron). Thanks to you all, really. :D
Hmm.. I'm not sure if I should post this, but I hope NUS Choir student conductor Weiwei, and who posted this in his Computing account, doesn't mind. (Hehe I seriously hope so, since I'm gonna share a double room with him in Hotel Flora in Olomouc. =P) OK, I'll risk it and post this up. Hopefully for my friends and family to know what exactly we're doing in the 10 minutes or so we're up on stage over there. Right-click and save these recordings of yesterday's practice:
Credo
Ashita wa Hare kana, Kumori kana
Kucinta
It was bad day for singing, really, yesterday, so our sound wasn't as perfect as we wanted it to be, nor as good as last week's practice. Or maybe because it was early morning. But it's quite good, honestly, and strangely it sounds better on record than when we were performing.
So there, the flight's at 10:55 tonight, and we have to be at the airport at 7:30pm.
To those who wish to contact me while I'm in Czech, you can SMS me at +6590745231. Hehe I can't reply though, since M1 says I can only accept and not receive messages. I don't know about my Globe SIM though, if I automatically get roaming, since I remember applying only for Singapore roaming when I applied. It's +639173341682 just the same. Email me for anything, since hopefully there'll be internet access there.
Please pray for the Choir! This is a very big investment, and we surely hope it wouldn't be a waste. Our competition is not until the 11th though.
Okay, time to go off now and pack up my remaining stuff, including this laptop. I'm actually gonna step on European soil soon! Grrreat. :D Ciao!
All right, after months of intensive preparation (the past few days especially draining the life out of me), the NUS Choir is finally taking off for the 33rd Festa Musicale in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
I'm exhausted beyond words right now, really, due to the crazy packing up and moving out. Yesterday we sang with our conductor Nelson Kwei's other choir that's off for the same competition but in a different category (or categories, since they're singing in two), Anderson Junior College. They were good I have to admit, and the strength of the competition bunch of their choir is almost twice ours. Well, Junior Colleges tend to be richer (I think, or at least they spend more for these cultural stuff), and they still have classes now, unlike in Uni where most everyone has gone home for the holidays. They were good really, and they gave very animated, fun-filled performances demonstrating their youth and vibrance (ours was a more serious and classy[?] performance). But most of all, I was (and still am) fascinated by our common conductor Nelson. His hand and arm gestures and facial expressions vividly contain exactly what he wants from the choir, and he gets it.
I'm packing the third and last chunk of my room into a box I'll give to Arthur for storage over the break (the previous two I gave to Karen and Ferron). Thanks to you all, really. :D
Hmm.. I'm not sure if I should post this, but I hope NUS Choir student conductor Weiwei, and who posted this in his Computing account, doesn't mind. (Hehe I seriously hope so, since I'm gonna share a double room with him in Hotel Flora in Olomouc. =P) OK, I'll risk it and post this up. Hopefully for my friends and family to know what exactly we're doing in the 10 minutes or so we're up on stage over there. Right-click and save these recordings of yesterday's practice:
Credo
Ashita wa Hare kana, Kumori kana
Kucinta
It was bad day for singing, really, yesterday, so our sound wasn't as perfect as we wanted it to be, nor as good as last week's practice. Or maybe because it was early morning. But it's quite good, honestly, and strangely it sounds better on record than when we were performing.
So there, the flight's at 10:55 tonight, and we have to be at the airport at 7:30pm.
To those who wish to contact me while I'm in Czech, you can SMS me at +6590745231. Hehe I can't reply though, since M1 says I can only accept and not receive messages. I don't know about my Globe SIM though, if I automatically get roaming, since I remember applying only for Singapore roaming when I applied. It's +639173341682 just the same. Email me for anything, since hopefully there'll be internet access there.
Please pray for the Choir! This is a very big investment, and we surely hope it wouldn't be a waste. Our competition is not until the 11th though.
Okay, time to go off now and pack up my remaining stuff, including this laptop. I'm actually gonna step on European soil soon! Grrreat. :D Ciao!
Blogworthy
Blogworthy
The concept of "blogworthy", however clear to me months back, is becoming increasingly strange to me now. I used to be a crazier blogger than I am now, and I almost always blog everything, vividly too, even the mundanest things nobody probably cares about. But I dunno, maybe I'm becoming a lazy blogger or I'm just so busy with other stuff, that even when there's something seriously blogworthy, nah, I take my time to blog it, if I even blog it at all.
The examination results came out the other day, and it was supposed to be a, well, momentous event for every single student of NUS. The examination results are the final grades for the modules we've taken for the entire b.l.o.o.d.y semester, and the announcement of which is met with bated breath, sleeplessness, and, for weirder ones like me, chest pains. As to why it took me two days before I blogged it, err.. I'm busy. Seriously, my flight's on Tuesday and I haven't packed yet. And mind you, this is super packing, since I not only have to pack for the trip, but also pack my entire room and distribute it, in the form of boxes and suitcase and hampers, to my kind Pinoy seniors. And of course there are the intensive choir practices, and my perennial problem of insufficient funds!
Anyway, back to grades. I was at the printing room near the Central Library right after lunch with Karen and sister Pau, and as much as I didn't want to check it with Karen around (I feared I would go hysterical as much as she did the previous day when she checked her grades with me), I did it anyway since I had an experiment to participate in at 1:30PM and prolonging the agony wouldn't do me any good.
Mustering enough courage to turn on the PC and log in the intranet, the grades finally flashed before me. I had a quick quick (two seconds tops) glimpse of the grades as I read them top to bottom, and was, for half a split second pleased with my grades. Quite happily pleased, really. AND THEN I came to the last figure (or alphabetical character) at the end of the short list.
WALAU. I closed the window, logged off and was off to flee the area as quick as possible. Karen had this "Well?" look as we made our way out of the printing room, and I could only tell her the grades were disastrous.
I'm not sure if I'm comfy posting my grades up here, because seriously, people have vastly different ideas of "disastrous" or in Tagalog, masagwa grades, and I'm not in the best of moods to indulge in another bout of inferiority complex. Sigh. I really have to step up the mugging next semester, so that B+ becomes less acceptable than I presently think, and I'll begin to think it's already masagwa. Let's go for A's baby!
But for now, I'll be content with what I have, since well, there isn't anything else much to do anyway.
Then again, on a cheerful note, my grades were quite okay. In my quick glimpse of my grades, I saw a grade I'd always wanted. Hehe, finally my first A! That much I can say, really. :D (Next aim: A+!) I thought I'd hit two of them actually, but the other was an A-, but come on, that's not bad at all! I was too freaked out by that one other grade that I didn't even see which module I got an A for. I just knew, though, that my A and A- came from my Arts modules, which I enjoyed. Which of my two Arts modules, the Intro to Literary Studies or the Evaluating Academic Arguments module got me which I didn't know for sure.
I was willing to bet my A came from the Arguments module, since I thought I did better there than my Literature module. Besides, sometimes in Lit, you either hit what the professors want or miss it, and with the unpredictability of it all, it's quite a matter of chance. Besides, even if I got an A for the second big essay, I only got a B for the first, so bagging an A was unlikely.
But lo and behold, my A actually came from the Literature module! Haha thank you thank you Dr Susan Ang and Dr Yeo Wei Wei! Although I was mildly surprised and disappointed I only got an A- for my Arguments module, this was eclipsed by the ridiculously good news. I mean, remember that time when I barely studied for my first Lit test (fell asleep studying halfway) and woke up late and had to literally run to the LT for the 8:40AM test, when I had to struggle with my very slow reading rate, when I had to switch from one essay question to the other, two days before essay submission and was still typing the essay an hour before the 5PM deadline. And I was in a class of Arts majors too! Happiness.
As for Calculus, not bad at all! It was highly decent in my standards, considering that Calculus and I aren't exactly the best of friends. But thankfully my intensive number scribbling preparations paid off. And cool, even my supposedly big mistake module, Molecular Genetics, turned out better than I expected. I thought I'd drown in the sea of labwork and readingwork amongst the battalion of Life Science majors, but I think I didn't quite stick out as the odd one in there. Thankfully I managed to score somehow. It's not stellar, but it's acceptable to me.
As for that last module, remember when I said failure was highly probable in a post sometime ago? Well, I didn't fail, but I feel as if I did just that. Again, proof that with exams making 50%-70% of the grade, when you know you just screwed them up, you might as well light a candle and make preparations for the mourning rites.
My CAP (Cumulative Average Point) dropped by 0.1, but sigh, just accept lah and must mug harder next sem! :D Cheer up Jose!
* * *
It took me awfully long to complete the experiment I took part in at the School of Computing. It was a project by a graduating/graduate student aimed at studying online searching (googling) behavior, and if what documents a search engine produces are actually understood by the user. 12 bucks earned per volunteer.
Sixty documents we had to read and evaluate, and halfway through, my eyes were already sore, and I was developing a headache. Haha I sometimes think I should have let go of this reading style I employ when I read literary texts, which is something like an excruciatingly slow and thorough close reading (no wonder I got an A for my Lit module! :P). There was a test afterwards, and I scored 80%, and that qualified me for the raffle!
I suddenly realized that I was the last to finish the experiment among the group of 20, and I was the reason a group of 4 or so Vietnamese (I could tell from their accent and language) guys were waiting. They were in for the raffle too, and we each picked a number from a bag, highest number wins. I couldn't figure out if the number I had was 18 or 81, depending on which way you look at it, but it didn't matter since the rest had single-digit numbers. And tada! Instant 50 bucks! Woohooo. $62 for an experiment.. not bad at all.
I'm still broke though, and as much as I need the cash from Dad's Visa, I couldn't quite get as much money as I need for the Czech trip since apparently I've used the card too much already. Whoops. But anyway, money is coming up end of June/early July, thanks to the kind folks at the SG Ministry of Foreign Affairs! But for now I'll have to think of creative ways to earn money since KLM Dutch Airlines require that I pay an additional $108 on top of the original $133 travel surcharge for my flight rebooking. Oh yeah, it's confirmed. I'll be coming back to Singapore on the 15th. I hope the trip turns out to be as fruitful as we all hope it to be.
Thank God for long blog entries.
Music of the Moment: Michelle Branch's Breathe
Currently feeling poor.
The concept of "blogworthy", however clear to me months back, is becoming increasingly strange to me now. I used to be a crazier blogger than I am now, and I almost always blog everything, vividly too, even the mundanest things nobody probably cares about. But I dunno, maybe I'm becoming a lazy blogger or I'm just so busy with other stuff, that even when there's something seriously blogworthy, nah, I take my time to blog it, if I even blog it at all.
The examination results came out the other day, and it was supposed to be a, well, momentous event for every single student of NUS. The examination results are the final grades for the modules we've taken for the entire b.l.o.o.d.y semester, and the announcement of which is met with bated breath, sleeplessness, and, for weirder ones like me, chest pains. As to why it took me two days before I blogged it, err.. I'm busy. Seriously, my flight's on Tuesday and I haven't packed yet. And mind you, this is super packing, since I not only have to pack for the trip, but also pack my entire room and distribute it, in the form of boxes and suitcase and hampers, to my kind Pinoy seniors. And of course there are the intensive choir practices, and my perennial problem of insufficient funds!
Anyway, back to grades. I was at the printing room near the Central Library right after lunch with Karen and sister Pau, and as much as I didn't want to check it with Karen around (I feared I would go hysterical as much as she did the previous day when she checked her grades with me), I did it anyway since I had an experiment to participate in at 1:30PM and prolonging the agony wouldn't do me any good.
Mustering enough courage to turn on the PC and log in the intranet, the grades finally flashed before me. I had a quick quick (two seconds tops) glimpse of the grades as I read them top to bottom, and was, for half a split second pleased with my grades. Quite happily pleased, really. AND THEN I came to the last figure (or alphabetical character) at the end of the short list.
WALAU. I closed the window, logged off and was off to flee the area as quick as possible. Karen had this "Well?" look as we made our way out of the printing room, and I could only tell her the grades were disastrous.
I'm not sure if I'm comfy posting my grades up here, because seriously, people have vastly different ideas of "disastrous" or in Tagalog, masagwa grades, and I'm not in the best of moods to indulge in another bout of inferiority complex. Sigh. I really have to step up the mugging next semester, so that B+ becomes less acceptable than I presently think, and I'll begin to think it's already masagwa. Let's go for A's baby!
But for now, I'll be content with what I have, since well, there isn't anything else much to do anyway.
Then again, on a cheerful note, my grades were quite okay. In my quick glimpse of my grades, I saw a grade I'd always wanted. Hehe, finally my first A! That much I can say, really. :D (Next aim: A+!) I thought I'd hit two of them actually, but the other was an A-, but come on, that's not bad at all! I was too freaked out by that one other grade that I didn't even see which module I got an A for. I just knew, though, that my A and A- came from my Arts modules, which I enjoyed. Which of my two Arts modules, the Intro to Literary Studies or the Evaluating Academic Arguments module got me which I didn't know for sure.
I was willing to bet my A came from the Arguments module, since I thought I did better there than my Literature module. Besides, sometimes in Lit, you either hit what the professors want or miss it, and with the unpredictability of it all, it's quite a matter of chance. Besides, even if I got an A for the second big essay, I only got a B for the first, so bagging an A was unlikely.
But lo and behold, my A actually came from the Literature module! Haha thank you thank you Dr Susan Ang and Dr Yeo Wei Wei! Although I was mildly surprised and disappointed I only got an A- for my Arguments module, this was eclipsed by the ridiculously good news. I mean, remember that time when I barely studied for my first Lit test (fell asleep studying halfway) and woke up late and had to literally run to the LT for the 8:40AM test, when I had to struggle with my very slow reading rate, when I had to switch from one essay question to the other, two days before essay submission and was still typing the essay an hour before the 5PM deadline. And I was in a class of Arts majors too! Happiness.
As for Calculus, not bad at all! It was highly decent in my standards, considering that Calculus and I aren't exactly the best of friends. But thankfully my intensive number scribbling preparations paid off. And cool, even my supposedly big mistake module, Molecular Genetics, turned out better than I expected. I thought I'd drown in the sea of labwork and readingwork amongst the battalion of Life Science majors, but I think I didn't quite stick out as the odd one in there. Thankfully I managed to score somehow. It's not stellar, but it's acceptable to me.
As for that last module, remember when I said failure was highly probable in a post sometime ago? Well, I didn't fail, but I feel as if I did just that. Again, proof that with exams making 50%-70% of the grade, when you know you just screwed them up, you might as well light a candle and make preparations for the mourning rites.
My CAP (Cumulative Average Point) dropped by 0.1, but sigh, just accept lah and must mug harder next sem! :D Cheer up Jose!
* * *
It took me awfully long to complete the experiment I took part in at the School of Computing. It was a project by a graduating/graduate student aimed at studying online searching (googling) behavior, and if what documents a search engine produces are actually understood by the user. 12 bucks earned per volunteer.
Sixty documents we had to read and evaluate, and halfway through, my eyes were already sore, and I was developing a headache. Haha I sometimes think I should have let go of this reading style I employ when I read literary texts, which is something like an excruciatingly slow and thorough close reading (no wonder I got an A for my Lit module! :P). There was a test afterwards, and I scored 80%, and that qualified me for the raffle!
I suddenly realized that I was the last to finish the experiment among the group of 20, and I was the reason a group of 4 or so Vietnamese (I could tell from their accent and language) guys were waiting. They were in for the raffle too, and we each picked a number from a bag, highest number wins. I couldn't figure out if the number I had was 18 or 81, depending on which way you look at it, but it didn't matter since the rest had single-digit numbers. And tada! Instant 50 bucks! Woohooo. $62 for an experiment.. not bad at all.
I'm still broke though, and as much as I need the cash from Dad's Visa, I couldn't quite get as much money as I need for the Czech trip since apparently I've used the card too much already. Whoops. But anyway, money is coming up end of June/early July, thanks to the kind folks at the SG Ministry of Foreign Affairs! But for now I'll have to think of creative ways to earn money since KLM Dutch Airlines require that I pay an additional $108 on top of the original $133 travel surcharge for my flight rebooking. Oh yeah, it's confirmed. I'll be coming back to Singapore on the 15th. I hope the trip turns out to be as fruitful as we all hope it to be.
Thank God for long blog entries.
Music of the Moment: Michelle Branch's Breathe
Currently feeling poor.
