Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mambo Night... @ D407 that is :)

Its that time of the week again. The night where we're all to dress up and chug down to Zouk for that weekly dose of music from the 80's and 90's... Well let me tell you... those days are gone... gone I tell yar...

I got back my French term paper tomorrow and I must say I am pretty disappointed with the marks... I did have a little chat with my tutor and she gave me some pretty good advice... that I shouldn't write too ambitiously and that I should have more realistic expectations in my linguistic abilities. Sigh... I think I have been slacking a bit too much...

The haze descended like a choking blanket upon NUS sometime early in the afternoon... and didn't go away.... My nose's been dripping/ running and its getting a teeny bit hard to breathe easy. I haven't been really focused this few days and I believe (as I have mentioned before...) if you write it... you'll do it.... hahaha alrighty... time for dinner and its mug mug mug mug mug...

Swimming was pretty darn fun too...

PS: I think they should consider voting the MCs for Singapore Idol out too... He's supposed to be an MC and not a comedian... the other an MC and not a STATUE...

Friday, September 25, 2009

Mooncakes and their wrappings

I am going to be brief. Cause I am so busy doing nothing. Nothing being the pile, the humongous pile, of work which I just realized I have waiting for me at the corner of my table. I am going to blog about this incident because I think it makes me appear human. That a perfectionist like me... can have his down times... sometimes.

4.38 p.m. - Doorbell rings. Dog barks like the house is being robbed. Mum pours away my coffee.

4.39 p.m. - I finally get my boxer-covered fat arse to the door. I see postman at door.

4.41 p.m. - I take delivery of mooncakes from bank. Mum and I jump for joy upon receiving a gift.

4.42 p.m. - Mum and I cease jumping for joy over mooncakes. 1st "mooncake gift" of the year. Its ok to jump.

4.45 p.m. - Mum cuts both mooncakes up. I chid her for not keeping one intact so that it remains fresh.

4.47 p.m. - I consume mooncakes. Funny texture. Very Chewy. I had my doubts but I don't question the quality of mooncakes from Goodwood. I finish mooncake (3/4)

4.51 p.m. - Mum comes out of room. Mum asks me to take note cause she had cut the mooncake wrapper and left it under the mooncake slices. I take a second glance at my now empty plate.

Till the next entry.



Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Gleefully Happy (If that makes any sense...)


I love GLEE!! Typical All-American Chick-Flick-Musical-TV-Series :) Perfect-o :) Thanks Mr Ma for the introduction!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Preoccupied

Now with regards to that entry on falling off the grid... I am kinda entering this new phase in my life and I need just a bit more personal space which I once allocated to myself. There are a lot of things on my mind now and sometimes... being alone helps with the thought processes. If and only if everything goes well... and by everything I mean stuff from my academic performance... my sporting endeavors to my little entrepreneurial ventures... I might just be the happiest <25>

Just a little note to myself here: I don't think I was as fruitful as I'd hoped I'd be. I did get some of the more important stuff out of the way but... there's still quite a bit to be done before Wednesday :(

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Saturday Updates

I was supposed to be up and about by 8 a.m. in the morning and at ECP for a short run before hitching a ride with Josh (he isn't aware about this plan... cause... I didn't tell him... cause... I knew some plans just don't realize...) to Sentosa for a swim/ run with the Aquathlon team before taking the day off. That was the plan initially. However... Mum (Mine that is...) decided to take my sis and I out for lunch and as they always say... the rest is history :)

Mum treated my Sis and I to lunch at King's Copthorne. The food wasn't too bad but the company was excellent. Ever since school started, it's been a while since Mum, Sis and I had sat down together for a good meal. We caught up on the latest "headlines" from all over and talked about the upcoming plans for the new home and the year ahead. Nothing beats having a great meal with loved ones on a lazy Saturday Morning/ Afternoon :)

After our first plate of food (Peranakan Buffet...), Mum got up and headed to the buffet table to get another bowl of belachan (Chilli Paste...) and Soup. My Sis and I remained and the table and continued with our meals. As I was chomping down on the food, I caught a glimpse of someone rather familiar out of the corner of my eye and lo and behold... it was none other than PM Lee and his family. I guess the food ain't too bad if the PM's dining there with his guests huh? Now for the best part...

The Executive Chef of the restaurant/ hotel was walking the PM through the dishes at the buffet table and was just about to cross to the next table when my Mum, with a wide grin on her face, sashayed across the little gap between the two tables, stopping the entourage briefly in their tracks. My Sis and I just watched wide eyed as she walked right on, oblivious to her surroundings, across the front of the entourage, back towards the table with a grin across her face. As she placed the bowls on the table, she said: "Did you see that? They just topped up the belachan and the spare parts soup... its really good go and try ok?" PM 0 Belachan and Spare Parts Soup 1. :)

After lunch, the three of headed down to Parkway for a bit of grocery shopping before making our way home. A new cardigan, Triple Chocolate Crunch Cereal and a new stock of food for school were just some of my spoils for the day. And what a day it was. I should probably try to get some work done and a run slotted in before midnight tonight:) Till the next entry!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Writing Styles

I seriously need to work on the way I write. Before I do that, I am going to quote a song. A really fluffy, pop-ish song... that I think pretty much sums up my aspirations. Call me superficial or whatever you think suits me but sentiments are sentiments and this is what I am feeling right this very instant, as I attempt to draw the discipline I need to start some serious work...

When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies

When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have groupies

BUT I think a twist in the lyrics would be a more accurate description what I really want...

When I'm 25
I wanna be famous
Be a sensation
Appear in Documentaries

When I'm 27
I wanna rule the world
Fly nice planes
I wanna own countries

.... LOL

Time to "snap back to reality..." and get some SS1201 outta the way :(

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Thoughts

There are better things to do in life...

Saturday, September 12, 2009

On a lighter note...

After reading that serious entry below, I thought that this Air New Zealand Safety Vid would be a good way to lighten the mood :) Enjoy...

Food for thought :)

From: Office of the Dean
Date: Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 9:40 PM
Subject: Re: Visiting Global Law Professor Li-Ann Thio

TO: NYU School of Law Community

FROM: Richard Revesz

RE: Visiting Global Law Professor Li-Ann Thio

DATE: July 22, 2009

I am writing to let you know that Professor Li-ann Thio informed me today that she is canceling her Fall visit to NYU School of Law as a Global Visiting Professor, explaining that she was disappointed by the hostility of some members of our community to her views regarding homosexuality and gay rights, and by the low enrollments in her classes. The Law School will therefore cancel the course on Human Rights in Asia and the seminar on Constitutionalism in Asia, which she had been scheduled to teach.

As I observed on July 9 in an earlier statement, this issue brings two of our core values--academic freedom and a commitment to non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation--in tension with each other. On the one hand, NYU is fully committed to the principle of academic freedom and intellectual diversity. The Hauser Global Law School Program--under the auspices of which Professor Thio was invited as a visitor for one semester--grew out of our early recognition that the practice of law has escaped the bounds of any particular jurisdiction, and that legal education must take account of the intertwined nature of legal systems. The program seeks to expose our community to legal scholars who come from and have been shaped by their experiences in different countries, regions, and cultures. Needless to say, the value of the program would be seriously diminished if the visiting scholars all thought of difficult legal issues in the same way. We can learn from these visitors, and--we hope--they can learn from us.

NYU is equally committed to non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. NYU and the School of Law extended partner benefits to gay couples long before New York law mandated such benefits. In 1978, NYU Law School became the first law school in the United States to deny access to its career services to employers who discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, a practice that the Association of American Law Schools would later require all accredited law schools to follow. We also were leaders in the suit brought by the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights ("FAIR") to challenge the Solomon Amendment.

Reasonable individuals can disagree about the relative importance of these values, as evidenced by the many thoughtful messages I have received over the last month regarding Dr. Thio's appointment. I would like to take this opportunity to respond to some recurring questions I have received.

At the time that the faculty members voted on Professor Thio's appointment, were they aware of the speech she made to the Singapore Parliament on October 23, 2007, forcefully arguing against the decriminalization of consensual sexual acts between men?

When the Global Appointments Committee met in December 2007 to recommend that the faculty vote a visiting appointment to Professor Thio based on her teaching and scholarship, none of its members was aware of the speech. The tenured and tenure-track faculty considered this recommendation during its meeting on January 30, 2008. I was not aware of her speech at that time, and I do not believe my colleagues were aware of it either.

Of course, an electronic search of her public statements would have produced the text of the speech. We did not conduct such a search in considering this appointment, and we have not conducted such searches in considering other appointments. Consistent with the norms of the legal academy, we generally limit our inquiry to the review of academic publications and works in progress, teaching evaluations, and reputation for collegiality.

Should the speech have played a role in the decision as to whether to invite Professor Thio to visit, had the faculty been aware of its existence?

The position taken in the speech should have been irrelevant to our evaluation of Professor Thio, although the argumentation supporting the position might properly have played a role in that evaluation.

Professor Thio's position in that speech is inimical to the Law School's position against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Nonetheless, I do not believe that Professor Thio's opposition to our institutional position should have played any role in our evaluation of her. Leading academic institutions benefit greatly from a diversity of perspectives, not from hiring only people who share the same views.

At the same time, our evaluation of Professor Thio's strength as a scholar might have been usefully informed by an assessment of the analytic cogency and methodological integrity of the arguments and evidence she marshaled for her position. It would be up to the individual faculty member to determine what, if any, weight to give to the speech to Parliament in judging her as a scholar.

After becoming aware of the speech to Parliament, did NYU Law School ask Professor Thio to withdraw?

It did not.

Should the Law School have revoked the offer once it became aware of Professor Thio's speech before Parliament?

Once the faculty extends an offer (whether visiting, tenure-track, or tenured) to a professor, it does not revisit that particular offer by continuing to evaluate the strength of the individual's work. To engage in such continuous evaluation would place an unsustainable burden on the faculty. Such a practice would also undermine the legitimate reliance interest recipients have in their offers. Of course, subsequent work or subsequently discovered work can and does play a role in determining whether future offers are made to that individual.

Should the Law School have revoked the offer once it became aware of Professor Thio's recent comments to our students?

In the last few weeks, a number of members of our community wrote to Professor Thio to convey their objections to her appointment as a visiting professor. She has indicated that she considers some of these messages to be offensive. In turn, she replied in at least one case in a manner that many members of our community--myself included--consider insulting and hurtful. These exchanges have been posted on various blogs. Members of our community have questioned whether Professor Thio's statements create an unwelcoming atmosphere that would have prevented students in her classes from having an effective educational experience.

Determining when the academic freedom of a professor is superseded by the need to preserve a viable learning environment for his or her students requires a difficult, case-by-case judgment based upon context, the history of the relationship, and many other factors. But it would be an extraordinary measure, almost never taken by universities in the United States, to cancel a course on the basis of e-mail exchanges between a faculty member and a member of the student body. To do so would eviscerate the concept of academic freedom and chill student-faculty debate. Professor Thio's withdrawal makes it unnecessary for us to engage in that inquiry.

Should an academic opposed to the recognition of certain important human rights be allowed to teach a human rights course?

An academic's views on a substantive issue should be irrelevant to his or her suitability to teach a course in a particular area as long as the opposing views are treated fairly in the classroom: A proponent or opponent of the death penalty can be equally qualified to lead a seminar on capital punishment, for example. Any other stance by a university would be a serious affront to academic freedom, would lead to endless political litmus tests, and would greatly impoverish academic institutions, which gain so much from the robust discussion of controversial legal issues. Moreover, we need to recognize that values that might be widely shared in U.S. academic institutions can be highly contested in other countries, and that any serious global educational program, particularly one dealing with international human rights, must pay attention to these differences.

Undoubtedly, the issues raised by Professor Thio's appointment are among the most difficult faced by academic communities. What are the limits of academic freedom? How should an institution with a proud tradition--as is the case of NYU Law School's support of the LGBT community--interact with those who disagree strongly with such a tradition? My answers to the questions raised by our community will not be persuasive to everyone. I also stress that they are my personal views, not the consensus view of any decisionmaking body at the Law School. But situations such as these, despite the serious pain that they inflict, also serve as learning experiences. I appreciate the thoughtful messages I have received from students, alumni, and others as the debate unfolded and I am sorry about the considerable pain many members of our community have felt during these discussions.


Another Epiphany

I was reading the papers when I got this one. Oooo... I tremble with excitement just at the very thought of planning out my next course of action...

Friday, September 11, 2009

Last minute sentiments


I think that Singapore Idol should get themselves some new hosts. Gurmit Singh, in my humble opinion, cheapens the whole presentation of the show. The stuff which made him popular a couple of years ago, isn't working for him now. Hardy Mirza... I sometimes wonder is he the second host OR the secondary host OR the backup host... Absolutely no constructive input from him whatsoever. I just feel that the show deserves better and the hosts are crucial in setting the tone and direction the show takes. The way Gurmit conducted himself during the Michael learns to Rock showcase was just awful. Does anyone honestly care about the fact that they were on your show when they were here the last time they visited Singapore? The band didn't look too excited and he made us, Singaporeans, look so hard-up for once-upon-a-time-boybands... Geez...

More Photos from Zurich

duck dive

Group shot outside Sprungli's

The drinks we got at Sprungli's

Group shot at Zurich HBF

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Thursday Tremors

I woke up this morning to some pretty screwed up weather. There was thunder... and lightning... and a full morning sun. I am done with 3/4 of my readings for this afternoon's mid-term paper and I am going to start on my last Mearsheimer reading in just a bit. The plan for today is to finish up with the readings... go through the notes and definitions once more and prepare the summaries for the various readings to be tested later in the afternoon. The fridge is doing a marvelous job of supplying me with cold beverages and chocolates and it is a pity it can't seem to prepare a subway-oven-roasted-chicken-breast-honey-oat-no-cheese-all-the-vegetables-pepper-sweet-onion or a bowl of beef hor fun for me. On another note, two more runny nose tetra's have kicked the bucket and I am left with a grand total of... 5 fishes in my little tank. The water level seems to drop pretty darn fast and I think that has much to do with my fan being left on @ full blast most of the time. Anyway, I am pretty excited about the talk @ the Raffles Museum that I am going to attend in the evening. Its basically a presentation on the different ship-wrecks found in South-East Asia and how they help researchers paint a clearer picture on the extent of trade in this region in the not too distant past. I am hoping that they'll touch on the foreign wrecks that have been recovered in the region as that is where my interests lie. Its about 10.20 a.m. now and I'd best be heading back to my readings. Looking forward to my 12.20 lunch break in just a bit :) Till the next entry!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Pain

I don't usually whine about my aching body parts, but today's going to be the exception. I can't seem to be able to stretch the muscles on my sides anymore... what a painful week its going to be. I did kinda slack off in today's training so I am going to try and make up for it this weekend. This post is in line with my... "If I write it, I'll most probably do it" believe system. Since we're at it... I am going to ace tomorrow's mid-term; I am going to mug like a dog as soon as I upload this post; I'll reduce the amount of time I spend watching XQ and Nic kill Zombies with Potted Plants... I'll... start mugging now :)


Random Factoid!


An ambitious composition representing the coronation, which took place on 2 December, 1804, in Notre-Dame cathedral, this canvas took three years of detailed work to complete. David, who had in 1804 received the title of «Premier Peintre de l'Empereur», created a monumental group portrait in which everything conspires to push the viewer's attention towards the central scene. It is in fact the coronation of Josephine, not that of Napoleon, which is the subject of the painting. The harmony of the composition is remarkable, with the figures set either side of the large central gold cross. The huge size of the work (six metres tall by ten metres wide) made it possible to indulge in the remarkable luxury of painting identifying features for each character – even for Madame Mère, who though absent from the ceremony nevertheless dominates the foreground of tribune! In expressing his satisfaction for the painting, Napoleon is said to have remarked: "This is not painting; you walk in this work".


I was watching Shrek 3 5 minutes ago... (The scene where Rapunzel betrays the other princesses in the castle...) and I realized that the exact same painting was hung right at the end of the corridor haha... how cool is that... Its interesting how apt the painting is for that particular scene... :)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tragedy @ D407

Death in a bowl

Even the best of us make mistakes at times and I was no exception.

The day was the 4th of September 2009. The night was young and the corridors of Blk D were silent. I had IFG swimming the next day (which on hindsight now I didn't have... but that is a tale for another day...) and I needed to retire early for the night. The 5 runny nose tetras, 2 Harlequins, 2 bumble bee gobies, 2 Yamato shrimps and 3 Cherry shrimps needed to be fed before the day was out. As these young things had just moved in, they weren't too comfortable with feeding in fast moving, disturbed water just yet. I switched off the ventilator and fed them their food before hitting the sack. That would be the last time I'd see some of them ever again.

Fast forward to the 6th of September. The night was late and my sister needed to head back to school before the clock struck 12. It was supposed to be a drop and go... (drop the groceries in the fridge and go to the car...) I never imagined that the night was going to take a turn for the worse and D407 be turned into a crime scene. I crossed the room and I could sense that something just wasn't right. The water level of the tank had dropped drastically and the erie silence only meant one thing... I dropped the groceries and shoved my sister aside as I rushed to the tankside... I was too late... 38 hours too late... The shrimps lay on their sides... their shells a bright red hue. Astaxanthin, a hidden pigment within the shells of prawns, becomes visibly pink after the protein "hiding" them breaks down after death. One of the Yamato shrimps was still grey indicating that... it had died not too long before. 2 red nose tetras lay floating at the surface as the remainder showed signs of a sever fungus infection which had set in during the incident... My hands shook as I reached into the tank and removed their lifeless bodies from the comforts of the tank. Nothing could prepare me for the trauma I had that night. The death... the stench... the agony of watching S$9.00 worth of Aquarium life go up in smokes... or should I say down the toilet bowl just like that. I had no one to blame but myself. My carelessness... I made a vow never to let such an event ever happen again under my watchful eyes. To my dead comrades of the deep (or 20 cm deep aquarium...)... this I promise you.

The ride to NTU was solemn and silent as I mourned the lost of what I'd like to call... my loyal "desk-mates". Rest in Peace my cheery friends...

Sunday, September 6, 2009

"Know thy enemy, know thyself. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."
I play nice most of the time. I would like to think of myself as almost amicable 95 percent of the time and a merry, happy-go-lucky chump who's only worry in the world is whether the Yamato Shrimp in his tank is going to go bonkers and jump into the filter when he goes to bed. That's me till I get pissed off. Now... one might wonder just what it takes to piss me off. My hall administration office waltzed into my friend's room and threw away S$1,600 worth of my items whilst I was holidaying away in Europe and I barely raised my voice. Well, the fact that the personal manning that particular office were working adults who have served the hall for the better part of their lives might have affected the way I reacted but still... a commendable amount of self restraint on my part one must say.

What really pisses me off is the total disregard certain individuals have for their team members. A sports director who is biased, full of hot air and pretends he doesn't know you exist or help with a favour despite always being the first on the list to pass on the good news; A sports secretariat who's incompetance in running and organizing an event resulted not only in the lost what could have been a potientially good race experience but the respect his team-mates had for him; A sports captain who not only doesn't perform his responsibilites at an acceptable level but shys away like a coward when his team mates most need his help...

Whatever I said this morning, I meant it. To you and to anyone who bothered to listen in on what I said. I absolutely hate it when I get taken for a ride and have my carefully laid out plans ruined. I hate it even more that when I asked for help, NO one bothered to come forward and no one bothered to help me explain to the organizers my predicament.
These are the little lessons in life that I'd gladly learn. Lessons that I'd gladly learn so I can better handle individuals like you in the near future.


Thursday, September 3, 2009

Room Mates! Part 2



3 Yamato Shrimps, 4 Cherry Shrimps, 3 Runny Nose Tetras.

Epiphany

I was lying in bed when it suddenly struck me. I was about to sleep so it kinda pissed me off that I had to come back online to jot that little random thought down. The epiphany that'll change my life... or somewhere to that extent I guess. Now to head back to bed... :)

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

On hindsight

I was cleaning up my room last weekend when I chanced upon some JC and Primary school pictures from ages ago. On hindsight it didn't seem that long ago when I was rushing for food in JC or queueing for bus 69 outside RSS. I missed the old days and given a chance I wouldn't have changed how everything turned out though I might have done some things differently.

I had a temper. A really bad one to boot during my schooling days. On hindsight, most of the conflicts which occurred could have been averted by me. The one incident that I regret the most is perhaps the conflict I had with my sailing team mates 4 years ago. There was little doubt in my mind then that I was wronged and so on and so forth but I guess I was rather rash and immature then. I was complacent and I should have accepted the results graciously. There isn't much one can do now except to learn from that episode and move on. I ruined many potentially good friendships and have only myself to blame. :(

My youthful impulsive behaviour... sigh...

Sleep Cycle

Voila, I am now sleeping at 11 pm and waking up at 7.30 am :) Kudos to moi determination for that :)