Monthly Archives: August 2009

08.19.09
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What I want out of this semester?

Every semester during the first few weeks, I’ll normally set myself some goals to attain for the coming semester. In the first semester of study in NUS, I wanted to aim for First Class Honours, so I went to aim for a 4.5. In subsequent months, I tried to push myself harder. In the 3rd semester I wanted to pull myself into First Class Honours category, and after I managed to do it, I got more motivated to push harder in the 4th semester.

In my 4th semester I tried to aim for a 5.0. It was the best time for me to try such a nearly impossible feat, in a way to prove to myself that I can do it. I had 5 modules and one of it I was intending to S/U. Although I didn’t need to in the end, I didn’t manage to get a 5.0. Even though I was nearly there, I felt really horrible because I didn’t get what I worked so very hard for.

I once told myself last semester that I won’t do it again. I won’t aim for a 5.0. A somewhat impossibility and there’s plenty of effort to put in. But come to think of it, once you attain a high standard, it makes no sense to aim for lesser. So this semester I’ll once again put in effort and try to get a 5.0, although I wouldn’t be too upset if I couldn’t get it. This time, it is just not so vital or important anymore.

I want to be able to balance my work and play. I want to be able to enjoy my university life. I want to be able to coach my friends to achieve the success they desire, to let them see that nothing is impossible. To let them feel hopes and dreams and that life is great because dreams can come true. To guide them and myself on the correct path as I search for my meaning of life.

I guess I want a whole lot more than result this semester. And I want to get it done.

08.16.09
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Year 3

Haven’t been actively blogging, and I guess I should really get used to spending some time detailing my thoughts down as the days progresses. I’m finally in my 3rd year of study at NUS and there’s only 2 more academic years to go before my commencement (graduation), and I’ll then be part of the working force, earning money and contributing to the economy. And I’ll be one step closer to all my dreams, which will come true.

I’m taking 6 modules again this time, the workload should be much heavier, but I’m sure I’ll be able to cope. I just need to find the balance and then make sure everything can fit into the plan. There’s just so much more to consider.

I’ve also been enjoying myself whilst studying. Just yesterday a few of the freshies and councillors went to watch GI Joe in the cinemas. Followed by more people joining and then dinner, games of pool and tau hway for supper. It was a fun and enjoyable outing and I think it’s the start of a great semester.

Don’t really have much time to continue. I want to sleep already. :)

あなたのこと　が　好きなんです。

08.10.09
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Outing with EE people at Ion Orchard

So we decided that the Uniqlo website seems so nice that we wanted to go see for ourselves and maybe buy some stuff. I once saw the sandals that looked fabulous on the website. Or the blazer. Or the casual polo tee shirt.

In the end Uniqlo is just a lot of hype. It’s like an average casual clothing store. Some of the clothes are quite nice, but generally nothing to be so excited about. I didn’t buy anything, especially when the store is so crowded. I like to have lesser people crowding about and do my shopping. Haha.

After uniqlo we walked around in Ion.. Trying to find a hat for the ENGIN Bash in September, but I don’t know what type of hats are suitable. Plus it would be a waste really to not wear it after the Bash. But anyway I got a pair of sunglasses for fun. It’s a cheap one so it’s like a treat for working 2 weeks at NUH.

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How do I look? Anyway I updated my facebook display photo. That photo looks a lot better in my opinion.

And we went for ice cream at the Level 1 ice cream place in Ion. In my opinion I prefer other ice cream outlets, although it may be considered “cheap” le for 3 flavours at $5.60. Venezia’s comes to mind when I think of other ice cream outlets.

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Looks nice though. And don’t know why they give me 2 spoons. There’s no one to share it with. So sad! Hint hint. Haha.

Tomorrow’s the start of the school semester le. All the best to everyone and may we have a fun and mugging-field semester. Let’s all work together! :)

08.09.09
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Happy 44th Birthday Singapore + Great O Week Delta OG

Today is the 44th Birthday of the country I was born in, the land where I toiled for 2 years trying to protect it, the place where I met new people and built friendships, the place which taught me my life’s greatest skills and experiences, the place where I got into and got out of relationships, growing along the way, becoming the person that I am now, Singapore.

Happy Birthday Singapore.

I think Singapore has been great for me. All the bad experiences became a learning point where I grew up and changed myself (hopefully for the better), which led me to greater experiences of my life. The turning point of my life was probably from Bukit Panjang Government High School, which I once felt a great dislike for it. However, it was the place which actually turned me around, so it has been a great place for me.

Life became great at NJC. I made my best friends in NJ and till this day, we never fail to have a mass conversation everyday if we’re online. I had my first academic success in NJ and I felt I belonged very closely in a CCA for the first time in my life. I was in Angklung where we spent countless hours practising for the numerous occasions, and spent time planning as a Treasurer in Exco. I also had my first long relationship. I had the best teachers and had a great time there.

Then National Service came. When you learnt that it was actually fun to get tekanned. BMT was just alright, going through the motion, and then getting sent to SISPEC. Going into BSLC was probably a blessing. Going into ASLC when I didn’t want to was also a blessing. Getting into Guards when I absolutely felt sian of going for another course (Guards Conversion Course) also became a huge blessing. It seems that when life pushes me into things that I didn’t want to, life became better. Becoming a section commander and a Guardsmen and then being selected as Assistant Platoon Sergeant was probably the best thing that happened in my life. The first time we all realized we were mad was that we actually smiled and enjoyed it when the CSMs keep doing this:

Too slow. Go up and change into Long 4 and come back.

Too slow. Go up and change into admin and come back.

And the cycle continues. It was in GCC and we were laughing when we went up the stairs. A mad burst of energy when we all actually felt happy to be together being whacked. Then going into Alpha and taking Platoon 1. Becoming a real section commander with 6 men. Becoming Rawdy company. Becoming Rawdy Brotherhood. When you can say the CB word in front of your fellow sgts and actually meant it as a name, and we all will reply smiling.

And it continues even when you ORD. You go back meeting your NS buddies and feeling great.

Then I got into NUS. Continue to pursue academic success for the sake of not wanting to regret not studying properly. And then my life changed again when my NS brother got me into Great Eastern Entrepreneurship Program. I changed my perspective and became a mini motivational coach (subconsiously) to some friends around me. I set my goals in life and pictured my life in the future. I changed a lot during this time, becoming more extroverted and possibly more matured.

And here I am now, happy where I am. Life has been a great long journey for me. A journey of experiences which make me appreciate life even more.

Thank you Singapore for being the place which made all these possible. Thank you for family and friends.

And I’ve come back from 6 days of ENGIN O Week 2009. I belonged in Geek House and Delta OG. The best house in ENGIN O Week 2009. I’m currently in the midst of uploading all the photos. Gmail is pretty active with many notifications on being tagged and photos being commented upon. It was a great 6 days of my life, and this time the freshies were more enthusiastic and they are mixing amongst themselves right from the start.

We went through a boring FIC (the councillors cannot go so stuck at McDonalds eating ice cream), then boring sponsorship talks, then flag day which was a little boring also, and then we came back on Wednesday and had fun till Saturday morning! We played games on Wed morning, War Games in the afternoon, night games at night where I couldn’t join since I’m one of the station masters. Then thursday where we had external hunt followed by Engin Got Talent at night. Then Friday was Sentosa and then Finale Night at PGP’s MPSH. Then we went to Mc Donalds at West Coast as an OG and talked and played and then we went back to ENGIN and didn’t sleep thru the night. And then it was Rag in the morning.

And I actually felt sad when I saw them leave one by one. Ivan, Cheng Ying left at the grandstand. Dion at the bus stop. Grace hopping into a cab she suddenly hailed. Dwayne, Benjamin and Cheng Liang going seperate ways as Nelson, Qin Qin, Hui Ying and I went to Xian Xue’s car to Clementi. I think it was a fun O week and I’m looking forward to meeting them for lunch in school!

08.02.09
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Attention Please

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I’ve recently watched Attention Please, a drama about cabin attendants, or air stewardess as most of us would be familiar with. I watched this drama after I set my goal to get into SIA, and it has further given me an insight into the airline industry, although it may only be a slight insight.

This story is about this boyish girl called Misaki Youko, who decides to be a cabin attendant because the guy she likes commented that he would like to see her in the uniform. However he didn’t really mean it, but Misaki took it very seriously and went to join Japan Airlines. She was initially very unsuited to be a cabin attendant, and she meets a very capable and responsible instructor Mikami who would rather fail her than allow her to fly without proper training.

Mikami always asks an important question, “What does it mean to you to be a cabin attendant”. Everytime she asked that in the drama, I would ask myself “What does it mean to me to be an engineer in the SIA”, and I would have more and more answers telling me why it would mean much to me to be an engineer there.

Back to the drama, Misaki has totally no idea why she wants to be a cabin attendant, and has no idea what being a cabin attendant truly means. When she finds out that the guy she likes is cohabiting with another lady, she feels miserable. Mikami told her to take a look at her own failure. Misaki didn’t want to lose, so she continued with the program.

Along the way, Misaki matured a great deal, learning about the airline industry along the way. She recognizes that the engineers put in much effort, and that it is a very serious job. She ended up learning from it and becoming serious about her job. She realizes that cabin attendants are not only waitresses in the sky.

Even when she progressed to the On Job Training, she still manages to be not good enough in her senpai’s eyes. However when Mikami opened her eyes to the reasons she isn’t doing great, she realizes that she has much to learn, and eventually managed to graduate properly and become a full fledged cabin attendant.

I think life is a journey of experiences, and you never know where it brings you. However, if you really want to accomplish something, put in effort and you can get what you want. I look forward to my beautiful journey working in SIA in the future, learning and growing and contributing to making it the best airline in the world.