28 Dec - Count down to 2008

My second last semester results are out. The results are pretty good and still slightly below my expectation. Anyway it's over and nothing much I can do with it. My last semester will be starting in a week's time. 4 subjects and 1 FYP. Now I really pray that I could complete my FYP in time. Little time left and again another festive season, Chinese New Year is in 5 week's time.

Another year ends soon. The first half of this year, I spent it in ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd as a Procurement intern. The daily jobs I need to do, still appears vividly on my mind. The images of my colleagues like Eunice, Fook Loon, Eilene are so clear as if we just talked to each other yesterday.

After internship, with the generous allowance from ExxonMobil, I was able to award myself with a trip to China, with my Dear. It was a 8 days trip and we travelled to 5 cities including ShangHai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing. It was a worthwhile trip with super nice scenery, food and crazy shopping. It was also my first time travelling by plane.

Pei Pei @ ShangHai

Next after the trip, it was convocation. My Dear's convocation and he graduated, moved out and no longer stayed in NTU. His whole family was in Singapore for few days and I accompanying them throughout the stay. It was also my brother's convocation this year. I admire him as he is so determined to get his degree. He entered polytechnic after STPM, then worked for 1 year and finally got into university at age 24.

Dear's supporters @ Convocation

My final year first semester started in early August. I am back to school as a student. The final year is accompanied with the stresses of projects, FYP, attending career talks, job application...... With a blink of eyes, I was having exam and then the December holidays started.
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This December I had no holidays because I am doing FYP. Fortunately my eldest sister's wedding became something I could look forward. It was held on Christmas Eve at Singapore Polytechnic Guild House. A simple warm gathering for their families and friends.
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"Wishing you A house full of sunshine, Hearts full of cheer, Love that grows deeper each day of the year. " It is definitely a blessed marriage.

My sister's ROM in May

Today is Dec 28. I am going back to Muar soon. Going to spend the last day of 2007 and first day of 2008 with aunty and ah ma. ; )

Grandmother and I

Shame to say but this is the first proper picture I have taken together with my grandmother.

specially delicated to Ah Ma

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You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

My sister's wedding on Christmas Eve - Edited

Yesterday it was really a hectic day, from morning to night. Haha it was a cross country wedding, from Malaysia to Singapore.
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That morning, my brother-in-law and his brothers arrived at around 8.15am. Then they were only able to get in to the house at 9.30am. All of them said that was the longest "open door" session they have ever encountered. I also wanted to open the door but the angpao that we (the sisters) received were far too below expectation. How could we open the door with RM30??? Really had no motivation to play with them when all angpaos received were at RM10 each, after so much negotiation. The fourth and also the last angpao, costed RM168 and we eventually let them coming in. (Actually the auspicious hour would end at 10am and we had no choice and no energy to continue with them anymore)
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"Please open the door...please..."

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"No money no talk!"

"Finally, darling I am here..."

The bride (my eldest sister, Ee Chiew) and I

冬至

今天是冬至,突然很想吃汤圆。

Count Down

Hohoho...

3 days to Christmas, 2 days to sister's wedding!!

Christmas Gathering

I had a christmas gathering @ Suntec City 'surf n turf' with my hometown friends just now. The food is really so so. The carimara (sounds nice right? is a pasta only) was even not the same with the display picture. The mushroom soup tasted sour and the salad even more. The fried steak is salty, according to my friend. And the baked rice was like fried rice. Not sure what the boss or chef would think if they saw that there are so much leftover (the boss is actually serving the customer personally). The food is definitely not worth as compared to its price.

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Fortunately we were able to stay there to chat till closing hours. That was the only thing worthwhile. I enjoyed talking to them, with the most original Muar's Mandarin. All of us, are buddies since secondary school. I even knew Ker Peng and Yun Ying since primary school. Haha friends of 9-16 years. That was a big portion of my life. I am only 23 this year. All of these friends are the gifts to me. So thankful to meet them. HURRAY to our friendship!

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Also not forget to thank Khim Kee for organising the gathering. But I prefer next time we should have more proper survey on the restaurant to go. ;P So who is organising next gathering? I believe the next gathering will be during new year when more people can join. We never fail to have the home visit and mahjonging every year.

Dissapointment deleted

Just had a chat with my aunty. The dissapointment I faced yesterday, is over. No point make myself upset or I shall say I see the incident from the other view point today. I believe everyone has good intention but just they don't act as you expect. They act differently does not mean they are wrong and everyone just has his/her own style of solving problem. What I have done is correct. I must tell the hidden story so that you will not only see single side. So I hope you will do the same to me also and help me to overcome the limitation of what I can see from eyes. The best communication, is communication by heart.

我被点名了！

谁点我？最无聊的那个铉期lor。

(A.)被點到名字的要在自己的博客裏寫下自己的答案，然後去掉一個你最不喜歡的問題再补上一個你的問題，仍然組成20個問題，傳給其他8個人，列出其他8個需要回答問題的人的名字，還要到這8個人的博客裏留言通知對方----你被點名了，被點名者不得拒絕回答問題，完成遊戲的人將會永遠得到大家的祝福。

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(B.)這8個人要在自己的博客裏註明是從哪裏接到的，並且再傳給其他8個人，讓遊戲繼續下去，不得囘傳。被點到名字的人將會得到大家的祝福，並且所有美好的願望都會在不久的將來實現。

1. 现在最想得到是什么？>>做完fyp

2. 这辈子最快乐的是什么事？>>得到奖学金

3. 最喜欢的颜色？ >>没有特别喜欢一个颜色，要看整体。

4. 希望自己成为怎样的人？ >>可独当一面，可以信赖，有深度

5. 你最想去哪个地方？ 为什么？ >>欧洲，很喜欢古建筑。

6. 最受不了自己哪个缺点？ >>对亲近的人缺少耐心。

7. 如果有不开心的事情，你会怎么办? >>找人倾诉。

8. 最害怕失去的东西？ >>家人。

9. 五年内比较现实的目标是什么？ >>在知识与钱财方面，为自己增值。

10. 遇到喜欢的人，你是勇敢表白还是默默关注？ >>都有，先默默关注，再找机会接近他，忍无可忍时就表白。

11. 最喜欢的歌手是谁？>>没有，但是最近常听张韶涵的歌。

12. 你希望你的另一半具备的条件是？ >>有头脑。

13. 至今最令你后悔的事是什么？ >>曾经许下一个难以达到的承诺。

14. 你最讨厌怎样的人？ >>虚假，尤其是那种为了利益特地奉承他人的家伙。

15. 觉得自己会几岁结婚、生孩子？ >>27-30

16. 去过最美的地方是哪里？>>上海滩

17. 你认为遇到什么样的事情才会令你觉得人性很黑暗？>>被信任的人背叛。

18. 你此刻的心情？>>期待

19. 重要的日子你想跟谁庆祝？>>男朋友，在外地生活，家人离我太远。

20. 觉得人生最重要的事情是什么？>>好好报答家人。

决定要违反游戏规则，因为实在找不到八个人来继续。

Dissapointment

Things do not turn out as I expect. I thought I could trust her. But now the situation seems like the secret is not kept and more complications are created. I should have kept myself out of the matter at the beginning. Now I feel that I am so naive. Dear said that what I have done is correct and I could not control how other people take action. But I really care how they think about me. I am not busybody and I do not simply say anything without proof. I am just trying to help and I thought I could. But now I become the one being questioned and sorry, I could not give you the answer even if I have it. I could only take the blame as I don't want to make the situation worse. I will not care anymore as what I have done is enough. This is a good lesson.

Virus attack

Ahh... my laptop is being attacked by virus!!!

The consequences
1. internet explore shuts down by itself
2. pop up advertisements
3. lagged system
4. cannot online MSN or window messenger
5. unstable start up menu

I am really frustrated with all of these!!!! What the hell of this people eat full too free, create such stupid virus!

Get to know yourself better

Your view on yourself:

Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?
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Your views on education:

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.
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The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.
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How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

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Try the Test: http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

Sacrifice

Quoted from "Mitch Albom - The five people you meet in heaven":

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Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to... ... Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you are not really losing it. You are just passing it on to someone else.

失眠了

今天失眠了。一整个夜晚，一直到早上，都没有进入深睡眠状态，真的超不喜欢这样的感觉。我居然在这样好的睡觉天失眠了。其实也没有什么烦心事啦，现在除了FYP，我也没有其他好担忧的了。所以呢，一定是昨晚那两杯咖啡惹得祸。晚餐的时候，喝了一杯热咖啡，后来又喝了一倍kopi冰，尤其是后来那一杯，味道更是够。结果，为了一时的享受，换来了一整晚的辗转难撤。现在才发现，自己是那么喜欢喝咖啡的。可是，奇怪的是，我在家，从不动home made的kopi 0，在宿舍，也不泡3合一咖啡。也许，用钱换来的咖啡，总是特别香吧。

在冷冷的天喝一杯热咖啡，心都会变暖。; )

Raining Season

I just checked the weather forecast. For the next 3 days, it will be "showers with thunder in the afternoon". I like raining, but not everyday. It just makes me sleepy. It also causes a lot of inconvenience. Today I walked in the rain (of course with umbrella) at Pioneer North Industrial Park to search for my FYP materials. It was definitely not a pleasing experience as my feet was wet and I had to be careful with all the cars passing by. Those cars might splash water on me!

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Whenever it's raining, especially in the morning, I will think of my aunty. During secondary school times, I could not cycle to the place where I waited for school bus on rainy days. She would then accompany me, walking to the waiting place. Most of the time, I was unhappy throughout the 10 min journey as I hated the car splashing water on my feet and made my shoes wet. I envied those children who could sit comfortably in cars. I remembered well one time I threw tantrum on her but what she cared was whether my body was wet. That is the snapshot. I believe for the rest of my life, whenever I think of my aunty, I will see that moment. That's the way she loves me. That's how we get through the 23 years together.

SingTel Plant Tour

I have visited the Singtel Satellite Center at Bukit Timah today. The center is situated at the middle of the hill, deserted and isolated. I will never want to work there.

There are a lot of big and small satellites at the roof top and the largest satellite, is of diameter 42m.

December = FYP

The end of exam also marks the start of the Final Year Project. This December holiday is a crucial period for FYP. I must really produce something significant or else I will be miserable in next semester. Ahh, stress is never ending. Working alone with a project really requires a lot of self discipline and motivation.

Christmas is coming

HO HO HO!!! Christmas is coming... ...That also means my sister's wedding is around the corner. Her big day is on Christmas Eve. Looking forward to that day tremendously as she is the first one to get married among our generation.

Phototaking @ Coffee Bean
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Click on the link for a nice Xmas Flash:

http://dq.chinaswitch.com/Christmas/Christmas.htm

Annalakshmi

It was a special experience to have dinner in the original Indian restaurant. The ambience is good with Indian Deity and dim yellow light as decorations. But I am not too used to the smell.

They serve both Sounthern and Northern India food. It was a buffet dinner but not many varieties. But at least I managed to try a few different types of curry. In a nutshell, it is a worth trying restaurant and the service is really good.

Exam is OVER!!!

Today is the last day of exam. Yes I manage to survive through this tough week. So now I am going out soon to celebrate the survival haha. I will be going to Annalakshmi, the Indian vegetarian restaurant. This is a pay-as-you-eat restaurant, means you can eat what you want and pay as you feel.

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Woo...I am going back to Muar tomorrow. Then next week I will start doing FYP. No semester break in December.

1 more

Finally this is the last week of exam. I have just completed the third paper of this week. I feel my brain is so overloaded and saturated. I have squeezed so much things into it. Oh never eat well and sleep well for past few days. I still have to endure, for another 2 days. Haha can't wait to take the last paper. I must celebrate the end of exam on Friday!

我感恩

要时时刻刻庆幸自己拥有的一切，才会知足常乐。就好像现在，我该庆幸一个星期只考四科，而不是五科 ;) 加油，下个星期就可以回家了。

4 more...

Just completed the first paper this morning. Haha so relaxed and contented now. I am quite happy that I could completed the whole paper, every question, every section in 2 hours. Not necessary all are correct but at least I have tried to solve all.

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The second paper is on 26th Nov, 12 days from now. First time I have 4 papers in a week. It's going to be a crazy and damn stressful week... ...

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I just discover that Jacky Cheong will not be holding concert anymore. That's mean his Singapore Concert in January will be his last concert in Singapore. Not sure if this is true because they always say this just to boost the sales lor. But I am very tempted to go to this concert because I am already regret for not going to his 雪狼湖. Even though I am not his fan but I think he is a great singer. The cheapest ticket left for double seat is $128. Oh Shall I? Tight budget!!! I almost spend all the money earned during attachment. And I am still thinking of going graduation trip...... My main source is only from the scholarship and earnings from attachment. I don't have parents whom I could depend on. What to do?

So near, yet so far...

Looking at her blog, I feel like reading stories of a total stranger. Seem like I never exist in their lives before. Biologically connected with the same blood, does not bring the hearts together. When the physical distance is no longer a problem, what hinder us to take a step forward? Nobody ever takes a step forward. We are used to the world without each other and leave it undisturbed, perhaps is the better way out. I ever asked, why is me? Five of us but why is me? When the times slowly pass by, the only answer possible, is destiny. Maybe I am deemed to be different. Maybe.

Cool Personality Test

Read my VisualDNA™     Get your own VisualDNA™

EXAMINATION

I will write less for coming 6 weeks as the exam is approaching.

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Let's have a preview on what I am going to face soon:

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14 Nov 2007: Mechanical System Design and Analysis

26 Nov 2007: Human Factors in Design

27 Nov 2007: Human Resource Management

28 Nov 2007: Materials Engineering

30 Nov 2007: Quality Assurance and Management

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First time, I have three papers consecutively. Much have to do to achieve my target for this exam. Starting at this moment, I switch myself to exam mode. Good Luck!

Contributed to the making of MAE Video

Today I have 2 achievements:

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Firstly, I learnt how to operate the milling machine. I started to fabricate the prototype of my FYP, on my own. Even though the piece is not completed yet, but I really have a bit of sense of achievement. Anyway, everytime when I work in shop, I need to tell myself continuously to keep sober and safe. It's dangerous and never play play with all the machines. Our human body is too fragile as compared to the machines.

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Then I became the MODEL for the school. Well, it's out of volunteerism basis for the school promotional video. It was fun for the first part when the director of the video asked me to act. Haha actually I just need to carry out routine tasks in my room. They took a few scenes like I walking back to room, open the room and writing emails etc. The real stressful part came when I had to talk about my experience living in hall. I was given the script few days ago and I was supposed to say:

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"Living independetly has taught me a lot about self discipline - that's has played a big part in making my uni experience more enriching and fruitful. There is also a sense of bonding that I enjoyed with fellow hostelites, whether in joining hall activities or going out for supper together. It's definitely one of the hightlights of my time here in NTU."

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I NG for many many times, because I just could not get everything correct at the same time. For a perfect shoot, it needs to include smooth talking, correct pronunciation, nice smile, correct posture, steady camera......Sien lor, initially i thought it's easy. I also felt bad to make the crews restart again and again. Haha so scared that the director would scream at me. But luckily they were all very friendly, maybe because they knew I am not professional model. So I got excuse to make mistakes. ;P

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At the end, they allowed me to split what I was supposed to say into 2 parts and they would take it using 2 shoots. I somehow felt relieved of this changes and things went on smoothly after that.

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The whole shooting took 1 hour. Haha not bad right, even though I had NG so many times. That was really an interesting experience to me. I must thank Megan for this lobang. ; )

Professional Communication Presentation

So happy, I have just completed one more assignment today!!!
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Yes it's over for Professional Communication in this semester. 1 resume writing, 1 presentation and class participation make up of 100 marks for this subject. Indeed I enjoy every class and the tutor, Miss Khoo has really done a good job. Although I feel she is a bit exagerated in teaching, but she is always able to capture our attention.
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Overall I am satisfied with my performance and the feedbacks from tutor are positive. ; ) I feel quite good when my effort is being paid off.

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I would like to share with you what I have presented today. Personally I think this is a very useful topic and some of the tips may help you.

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Managing Difficult Co-Workers in Project

The focus of my presentation will be on how to manage different types of difficult co-workers. Co-workers, they have complementary skills and hold mutual accountability to work for the common purpose of the project. Most of the times, there will be one leader to keep the project heading right direction. But there is also possibility that team members have shared leadership and everyone is on the same level of responsibility.

We shall look at three types of difficult co-workers, namely the credit grabbers, the Know-It-Alls and the complainers.

Firstly, the credit grabbers. The primary goal of the credit grabbers, is to appear no less than perfect in the eyes of the bosses. Typically, they will interact well in a group setting, but will be quick to answer all questions and display ultimate knowledge. So basically they do not acknowledge the contributions from other co-workers and accept all the praise for a project without mentioning that they didn't do it alone. Eventually they take the final credit in front of the boss.

So to deal with them, the first time this happens, consider it a mistake. Start by simply asking for appropriate behavior. Mention it to the credit grabbers and ask them to let others know about your participation. The trick here is not to put the other person on the defensive by asking angrily “I hate it when you take credit for things that I’ve done”. Instead, stay calm and non accusatory. When you approach them, you focus on the action, not the person. If this happens again, make sure you let others know about the role you played in getting a project done.

The second type of difficult co-worker, is the know-it-all. The know-it-alls are valuable employees because they have considerable knowledge, but they are also one of the most difficult to get along with. They tend to override others’ opinions and can have a superior attitude. They decrease your confidence and make it difficult to get task done. The real problem with this employee occurs when they are wrong. The know-it-all feels personally insulted when they are overruled.

To deal with this colleague, do your work correctly. If you do not, they will label you as incompetent. Do not challenge them; ask for explanations, ideas, and plans. If the problem continues, it's best to go right to your boss with this. Let the boss have a gentle discussion with the know-it-all as this type is particularly sensitive and feels that they are complete in job performance.

Lastly, we shall look at complainers. The complainers complain about everything from working conditions to the amount of work. They tend to make people around them unhappy at work. Negative people are highly contagious and one chronic complainer can cause low morale in the team. The only good thing about complainers is, they may help by pointing out problems that could be overlooked, though this co-worker probably never suggests a solution.

What do complainers seek for? When your co-worker complain again, what’s the best to say?

“You know, that sounds terrible. I don’t know how you deal with all of these problems.”

So you’re not saying “Yes, I agree that’s a huge problem”. And you’re certainly not saying “Oh, poor thing” in a sarcastic voice. You’re just acknowledging the fact that this is a huge problem for that person.

This approach works because it gives the complainers what they really after: Empathy. He just needs your understanding. Bear in mind that be sincere when you say this to them. This approach also keeps you from being part of a vicious cycle of responses that just makes the complainers complain more and more and more. The cycle is cut at the point you take their distress seriously.

All the tips I have mentioned are helpful when dealing with difficult co-workers. Anyway if the friendly and polite one-on-one does not bring positive changes, the last option is to bring up the issue with your boss.

Prefect Storm

Yesterday I watched the movie "Perfect Storm", one of the case studies in Human Resource Management. One very imporant part of this movie is, the captain of the ship, chose not to escape and capsize with the ship. Why did he choose to die when he had a chance to survive? (Even though at the end, all crews died including the one who escaped.)We are supposed to link his action to the Freud's Death Instinct.

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"DEATH DRIVE: The bodily instinct to return to the state of quiescence that preceded our birth. The death drive, according to Freud's later writings (Beyond the Pleasure Principle, "The Uncanny"), explains why humans are drawn to repeat painful or traumatic events. Through such a compulsion to repeat, the human subject attempts to "bind" the trauma, thus allowing the subject to return to a state of quiescence. In other words, whereas one part of the human psyche is seeking gratification, another part is geared to seek a return to the quiet of non-existence: the "death-instinct." This concept of the "death-instinct" or "death-drive" allowed Freud to make sense of the human tendency towards destruction, including sometimes self-destruction."

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So chim......I have read the theory for a few times, totally confused. We had a discussion session on last Friday and my peers were arguing whether he did that because of guilt or hopeless. If you were him, what would you do?

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More information on the movie can be found at: http://perfectstorm.warnerbros.com/

Selamat Hari Raya

Such a pity Hari Raya falls on Saturday. No Public Holiday. In Malaysia, the school is having 10 days holidays for Raya and 1 week for the working people. Here, not even Friday is announced as Public Holiday. Why are the people here so hardworking? Very few public holidays with very long working hours. Retirement age is increased to 62. Do you live to work? How are they going to push up the birth rates with such stressful working environment? You have no time.

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I want to work for my life.

1st interview with Citibank

I have been so busy for the past few weeks. Project, project and project. Also I have attended the first interview with Citibank this morning. Basically I have prepared for this interview for one week. Even though my first priority is not banking, but I still want to perform well for the interview. Not to think with how far I would go first, but I will definitely not to give up any chances.

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Indeed this morning the interview was quite casual. I had a nice chat with my interviewer. I think he is a good listener and able to give me response in order to encourage me to speak up more. I give myself 80 marks and I am satisfied with my performance.

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Answer the day:

Can you describe the key attributes that make you suitable for this job?

"I always think “things could have been done better”. Not only by thinking, but I plan for the strategy and make it happened. For example, when I was just an ordinary student in MAE school, I heard people complaining about lecture notes, welfare and so on. In fact, I noticed that some areas could be improved and I have a lot of ideas on how to do it. So I took the courage to run for the Academic and Welfare Secretary in the MAE Club. I said courage because in order to get elected, I need to go through the rally where many people shooting you questions on how you could manage the position, and I need to go in one lecture hall, speak in front of 500 students and persuade them to vote for me. Eventually, they trust me and I got the post. Then I started to implement the improvements to the current activities and bring in new programmes. So throughout my term of service, I had successfully organised 12 events for the students. Indeed till today, some of the activities intiated by me are still being carried out. So I believe that I could apply the same thing and add value to my job."

Click Click Click!!!

What am I doing now?

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Dunno, dont feel like studying. Quite tired after doing project in the morning and spending the whole afternoon at Bugis.

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Finally I got my extra RAM added. So yes!! My laptop becomes much much faster than before. I am clicking here and there, open Ms Word, open Powerpoint, open Solidwork then close it, then click on a few websites... ... Everything is running so SMOOTHLY. I should have done it much earlier and could save all the troubles I had with my dear laptop for the past one year.

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What to do next? Dunno. Brain is not functioning well now. (Giving myself all sort of excuses not to study ;P)

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I shall continue to CLICK.

NTU Networking Session

Don't care about what the networking session for first. Haha look, the highlight of this event was all the final year guys and ladies dressing up in smart and nice formal wear. Everyone is well prepared to explore the exciting world out there.

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***Michelle and me***

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***A MSA gathering in the Audi***

Lucky Friday

I think today is my lucky day. In the morning, I accidentally found 2 books at school library, written by Mitch Albom and Spencer Johnson respectively. These are the books I wanted to buy and now I can save the money for other things. Actually all along I thought that there are only reference books available in the library. This is really a great discovery, not too late, at least before graduation.

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Guess what happen next? I went to have lunch at Canteen 2 and eventually I got a free meal treated by a stranger! He was an uncle whom I met on the way to Canteen 2. He lost his way and I showed him to his destination (which was Canteen 2 also). Then it was another coincidence that we both queueing up for the chicken rice. We chit chated while waiting for the food. When it was his turn, he insisted to pay for my prawn mee. Then he left and I did not even ask for his name. So I am very lucky right? Lucky to meet this kind uncle. I am really grateful to him and today's prawn mee tastes the best.

Happy Belated Mid Autumn Festival!

Remember to see the fullest moon of this month tomorrow ; )

Happy Belated Mid Autumn Festival to All!

新式浪漫史

刚才，陪dear回去他家拿东西后，我们一起回来NTU。从他的家，并没有巴士直接通往学校，所以我们得走一段大概十分钟的路程到179有经过的巴士站。上了巴士后，我们只能在宿舍附近的站下车，然后再走十分钟才能抵达目的地。原来，整段路程是这么累的。

*

以前，我老是很不体谅的埋怨dear用那么长的时间才抵达我的房间，甚至有时候还故意拖延时间不让他回去，现在真的知道错了。Dear为了见到我，天天都走同一段路，而我只是逍遥自在的在等他，等得不耐烦时，嘴巴还会suan他。经过了今晚的体验，我真的为dear所做的感到非常感动，也许这就是他能给我的浪漫。

*

“谢谢你，这么贴心，这么浪漫。这首歌是献给你的。”

*

两颗心同步爱 你和我分不开

什么都还没说 但我想的你都说中了

当你感到寂寞 你第一个想到我

有太多快乐慢动作回放 每天默契更多

我爱你难得你也选择我 同样爱那么多

*

我爱你一天一天更确定一步一步靠近 一点一滴一比一爱

Oh 像罗马一天一天建立 一点一滴一比一爱

不经意就像呼吸 想你就是必需 你的明天我不缺席

Yeah yeah yeah 爱是一步一步在累积 同步爱

*

谢谢你懂得我 可能比我了解得更多

若亲爱的你感到难过 oh 答应陪你到最后

*

Oh yeah yeah yeah 爱是一步一步在累积

爱你就是必需 你的明天我不缺席

Oh yeah yeah yeah 爱是一点一滴清晰

oh 甜蜜一点一滴慢慢 满溢 爱是跟你一步一步累积 同步爱

R.E.C.E.S.S

The recess started on 22 Sept and it will last for one week till 30 Sept. However I shall say my recess ending today.

*

I went back to Muar for last few days. This is the first time in university when I only spent 3 days of recess in hometown. I was so relunctant to come back this afternoon. I am missing the sofa where I could lie down there whole day to watch tv without thinking of my studies; not forgeting my aunty's great cooking; the smell of my bed; the naughty gold fish... ... So sad ; ( I know once the study life ends, I will even go back less frequent than now. The pathetic 14 days of annual leaves will not allow me to do so.

*

I love my home. Sometimes I really feel very guilty to leave my grandmother and aunty there. They are sure missing me very much while I am away. They pamper me with everything which my parents could not give me. Everytime I go back, my favourite food is on the table waiting for me. All my belongings are being kept nicely and clean. How I wish I could be with them everyday. Yet the reality is cruel. I could only go back to see them as frequent as I could, no matter how tiring the journey is.

*

I miss my HOME.

Fresh Air In Need

I feel so lazy recently. I have so many tasks to do and I don't even know how to start. Endless. Does everyone have a same stressful final year? Or the 'kiasu' education system tries to feed us everything and pushes us to much?

MP4011 Mechanical System Design And Analysis
-1 60% project
-many tutorials

MP4002 Human Factors in Design
- 1st project 40% done, due 1st Oct
- 2nd assignment, not yet started, due end of oct

MP4008 Human Resource Management
- I am totally lost!!

MP4F01 Materials Engineering
-1 assignment due 10 oct

MP4001 Quality Assurance and Management
- 1 project, not yet started

HW310 Professional Communication
- 1 presentation on 17 Oct, not yet started

Final Year Project
- supposed to produce 1st prototype before exam in Nov

6 subjects, 7 projects in 7 weeks= NTU Mechanical Engineering final year undergraduate's life

***I AM SUFFOCATED!***

爱之深，责之切

真的不明白，为什么有人可以做出这么离谱的事？在没有得到允许的情况下，公然闯入学生宿舍，强行“没收”学生的私人物件。被没收的物件，都是贵重的科技产品，包括笔记型电脑和手机等等。干案者，居然是应该保护学生安全的大学保安! 请不要觉得惊讶，有一些人，就是喜欢不按牌理出牌，份内该做的不去做，不该理的，却又善做主张。

*

这件事的短片已经流传到Youtube，在世人的眼里，我们，马来西亚人，是不是一群住在树上的野蛮人? 我绝对不是对肤色有偏见，但是，为什么每次都是他们做出这么出格的事？国会议员在国会上出言不逊，羞辱女议员后还死不悔改，有这样的人当政，难怪属下也是一般xx（请以你自己的理解，填上适当的词）。

*

我国的人权醒觉水准，与世界水平相比，慢了三十年。要到什么时候，我们才不会在全世界人面前闹笑话？

Fish Story

I mentioned in the previous post, I had a few trouble making fishes who keep bullying others. Eventually these fishes were emigrated to Dear's fish tank, where more fierce fishes are staying. Hehe, do you feel my evil grin?

*

Today Dear has bought a packet of fish to fill my "quite empty" tank. A packet of fish, contains a lot (it's a lot, more than 50 i think) of small little peacock fishes. I nearly fainted when I saw it.

*

He bought the packet which costs only $2, but making my room into a mess. When he put the fishes into the tank, those fishes were so excited till some of them jumping out of my tank. It landed on my table, file, fridge, floor and sprayed water all over the place. At that moment, I felt like throwing the whole tank away.

*

Dear ended up catching the fish 1 by 1 from the tank. I forced him to take away most of the fish, leaving only the more beautiful one in the tank. We spent almost one hour to clear the mess.

*

The moral of the story: Do not buy a packet of cheap fish. Only buy the quantity that you need. The time spent on cleaning is much much more than $2.

Sunday

I woke up quite late in the morning. Oh I did some crazy things in the midnight. I had KTV session for 2 days, from Saturday night to Sunday 3am. I would say this is the first time I stayed till so late (early ; P) out of campus. Haha I am a good girl ok? So the price to pay is, a hole in the pocket. ; (
*

Then the whole afternoon, or rather the whole day, I was searching through the internet to look for suitable job advertisement for my assignment. Finally I got the assignment done in the midnight. So sad to spend my precious Sunday in such a way.

******

Out of boredom, I took some pictures of my babies.


From left: Charity dog, 2 bears from Dear (Brown & Pink), birthday gift, Pooh Pooh (I bought it in China)
*
*

I hug Tigger to sleep every night.

The new comer: A gift from Sim Yee and Wei Fong for my 23rd Birthday

*

My big Pooh Pooh and Dear's graduation gifts (tumpang at my place)

I have fish in my room!

Yes, it's real alive fish in my room!

On Saturday, I went to Qian Hu Fish Farm. While we are on the way to the farm, I took a bet with Tyng Tze. Don't care about what we bet first, the important point is: I have won ;P As a result, I got a fish tank and a few fishes for free.

My fishes are very active. It always catch my attention whenever I sit beside the table. It's interesting to observe their behaviours and see how it protect its territory.

But unfortunately, 1 fish died. I think it was being attacked by other fishes. Some of the fishes are quite fierce and keep disturbing others. Anyway I shall observe a few more days and then only decide what to do with the fierce fishes.

Nice story to share

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but due to being polite, she promised.

*

They sat at a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please; let me go home.... suddenly he asked the waiter. "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

*

She asked him curiously; why he had this hobby? He replied: "when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, and I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much I miss my parents who are still living there". While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched.

*

That was his true feelings, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can express his homesickness must be a man who loves his home, cares about home, and has responsibility for his home. Then she too started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, a beautiful beginning of their story.

*

They continued to date. She found out that he actually was the man who met all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they lived a happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that?s the way he liked it.

*

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest please forgives me, forgive the lie of my life. This was the only lie I ever said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that time, I actually wanted some sugar, but I said salt instead. It was too embarrasing for me to take back so I just went ahead I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times but I was too afraid to do so as I had promised never to lie to you about anything...Now I'm dying, I'm afraid of nothing so I am telling you the truth: I don't like salty coffee, what a strange bad taste.. I have had to take the salty coffee for my whole life with you and never had to feel sorry for it because I did it for you.

*

Having you with me is the biggest happiness in my entire life. If I could live a second time, I'd still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even if I if had to drink salty coffee again". Her tears made the letter totally wet.

*

One day someone asked her: what's the taste of salty coffee? It's sweet. She replied. Love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but to understand, not to hear but to listen, not to let go but to HOLD ON. Don't ever leave the one you love for the one you like, because the one you like will leave you for the one they love.

Being forgotten ;(

I feel quite disappointed when not being invited to attend a friend's birthday celebration. This is a friend whom I always attend lectures with. I consider him as my good friend in NTU. But why am I always the one being forgotten? Even a friend staying out campus is invited.

I really keen to attend any of this kind of gathering (provided I am being informed). But many times, people just do not inform me. So sad to be left out. I just do not know what's wrong with me? Not blaming anyone. It's just a disappointment of myself. I just do not want to leave university without a good friend.

Career in finance sector?

I have attended 2 recruitment talks recently. Both talks are on banking, Citibank and Barclay Capitals. Now there is a trend of engineering graduates going into the finance and banking sector. So as expected, the talks managed to attract students from different schools (including Biological Sciences), resulting a full house in LT19A and MLT. (MLT is the biggest LT in NTU) So can you imagine how many students attending the talks?

*

People say engineering is boring, so they go for banking and management. Such a good reason. Why can't they just admit that they go for the PAY? Come on, this is a real world, so you need money to make the globe moving. That will be the only reason for me to give up my 4 years' engineering hardwork and jump into a totally new world. (Provided the pay must be at least 30% higher than the pay for engineering jobs)

*

Anyway, I am not really interested with the banks. I went to the talks for the purpose of gaining more knowledge on the sector. Frankly I am quite conservative. I feel scared to enter a new field without strong foundation. (Even though I have Minor in Business, I still do not know how to apply the knowledge). I always think the techinal knowledge is my competitive advantage, then why should I give it up?

*

So I want to be Engineer.

Selamat Hari Jadi, Malaysia

Hari ini, 31 Aug 2007, Malaysia menyambut hari jadi yang ke-50.

Saya berasa amat bertuah kerana dilahirkan di negara ini.

Keranamu Malaysia, saya dapat belajar tiga bahasa dan menulis blog ini dalam Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Cina.

Keranamu Malaysia, saya berkenal kawan-kawan dari negeri lain yang masing-masing mempunyai kebudayaan yang unik.

Keranamu Malaysia, saya dapat menikmati pelbagai jenis makanan yang sedap>>Sate, Otak-otak, Penang Laksa, kuih muih, nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik, neslo ais, Ramli Burger... ...

Keranamu Malaysia, saya berpeluang melawat ke tempat-tempat ini>> Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Pangkor, Bandar Bersejarah Melaka, padi sawah di Kedah, Batik di Kelantan... ...

Keranamu Malaysia.

"Jalur Gemilang"

Merahmu bara semangat waja

Putihmu bersih budi pekerti

Kuning berdaulat payung negara

Biru perpaduan kami semua

Puncak dunia telah kau tawan

Lautan luas telah kau redah

Membawa semangat jiwa merdeka

Semarak jaya kami warganya

Empat belas melintang jalurnya

Semua negeri dalam Malaysia

Satu suara satu semangat

Itu sumpah warga berdaulat

Jalur gemilang... di bawah naunganmu

Jalur gemilang... kami semua bersatu

Perpaduan ketaatan

Amalan murni rakyat Malaysia

Jalur gemilang... megah kami terasa

Jalur gemilang... kibarkanlah wawasan

Merah putih biru kuning

Jalur semangat kami semua

Berkibarlah Berkibarlah Berkibarlah

Jalur gemilang

The night is still young

第一次用华语写部落格。现在的心情，只有母语能完整的表达。

*

今天下了一天的雨，凉风习习的夜晚，让人特别有感受。 也许午睡得太久，虽然现在已是凌晨，我却一点睡意也没有。电脑轻轻的播放着经典情歌，动听的音乐仿佛有安抚人心的作用，好久没有这样放松过。我喜欢现在，这一刻。心，是平静的，脑中有一种空白的感觉，是时候暂时把一切抛开，让紧绷的神经休息。

*

明天，我还要走更远的路。

Bon Voyage

"Specially delicated to Fifi and Chun Fan"

*

To Fifi: You are really a cute friend whom I enjoy being with. Sometimes I really admire that you could do so well in every areas. You will definitely continue to achieve more!!

To Chun Fan: Thank you for your help everytime I face problems with the studies. Despite of all the medals you have, yet you are so humble. You are the role model of all Malaysian students in NTU!!

"Bon Voyage, my friends, see you guys next year. I will miss you tremendously. Have much much fun in US!!"

I am sorry, Dear

I am sorry, Dear. I should not throw tantrum over the phone just now. Some of my words must have hurted you. I am so bad ; ( I sincerely apologise to you.

*

I was just being too stressful. The projects are driving me crazy. Now I realise it's definitely not worth to hurt the people who love you just because of the stupid projects. Stress, it's part and parcel of life. I must learn how to overcome it and not to let it taking control over my life.

*

Dear, thanks for your understanding. So lucky to have you supporting me.

Updates

Some updates for past events:

18 Aug 2007, Saturday

I met Lee Woon and Doreen for lunch. They are my dear friends cum secondary school classmates from Muar. We had Thai food. I ordered a Thai curry noodles which caused me a terrible stomach ache and diarrheas at night.

The MSA Alumni Appreciation Dinner was successfully held at Clarke Quay. I think that was the biggest out of campus gathering we ever had. There were 60-70 participants. Thanks for Kam Ling's great effort.

*

19 Aug 2007, Sunday

I had the farewell lunch with Chun Fan and Fifi at Boon Lay market. They will be leaving on this coming Saturday but I am going back to Muar on Friday. I once thought of giving up the plan to go back so that I could send them off at airport. Yet I do not think I have any other time to go back in coming weeks. There is nothing more important than family. So I could only bid them farewell earlier.

*

21 Aug 2007, Tuesday

I attended the first lesson of Belly Dance. Oh the instructor was late for half an hour. Nothing much I learnt on the first day because the class was too short (due to her late arriving).

Good morning, 22 Aug 2007.

Yeah I have a very good mood today. Haha all sort of good things happen in the morning.

*******

In the Professional Communiction lecture, I was socialising ;O I finally took up the courage to sms my ex colleague in the company where I did my internship. Oh, please do not misunderstand, this colleague, is a lady. What are you thinking? ;P I wanted to do it long time ago but I just could not find any reasons to sms her. Actually now I realise a simple greeting does not require a reason. Even for myself, regards from "long time no see" friends is a bonus for that day. So I think I shall contact them more frequently, including my very shy mentor (is a guy). They are definitely a group of people who make my industrial attachment meaningful.

*******

After the lecture, Min Chunn, Ti Liang and me went to grab free goodies immediately. Then we discovered somebody who was supposed to go to a briefing, was collecting the goodies. It's Ka Hong!! This fellow, ran out so quickly from the lecture hall and we really thought he was late for briefing lor. Not too bad, without long queue, I managed to get a free t shirt (the most valuable out of all).

*******

The next thing, I went to see Professor for his academic advice. I felt quite relieved when he confirmed that I have the chance if I could maintain. (Not to reveal too much what's that. I will announce it when I get it.) I know that is not easy at all to do so. There are some inherent factors or some stupid subjects with default grades. I will work hard.

*******

(All of those described above happened within 2 hours of this morning.)

My Love, For You

"If I had to live my life without you near me
The days would all be empty
The nights would seem so long
With you I see forever oh, so clearly
I might have been in love before
But it never felt this strong

Our dreams are young and we both know
They’ll take us where we want to go
Hold me now, touch me now
I don’t want to live without you.

Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I’ll never ask for more than your love.

Nothing’s gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
The world may change my whole life through but nothing’s gonna change my love for you.

If the road ahead is not so easy
Our love will lead the way for us like a guiding star
I’ll be there for you if you should need me
You don’t have to change a thing
I love you just the way you are.

So come with me and share this view
I’ll help you see forever too
Hold me now, touch me now
I don’t want to live without you."


Yesterday we celebrated our 3rd Anniversary. We had a simple dinner at Jurong Point, followed by movie. It was a simple celebration. But I feel contented. My heart is full, of his LOVE.

Happy 3rd Anniversary!!

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to?

Below is an interesting test.

You are driving along your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be one passenger in your car?

Think before you continue reading.

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.* You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first;* or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect hence to pay him back. * However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer............His answer:"I would give the car keys to my Old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams."

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations... and begin to "Think Outside of the Box"!

A bad experience at Harvey Norman Photocentre

I had a terrible photo printing experience at the Harvey Norman Photocentre yesterday.

*

As usual, I went to the self service machine to choose and customise the photos. Everything went on smoothly until the collection part. The photo I have printed, was being cut at the top and bottom. It was printed nicely but just the paper size was incorrect.

*

Initially the staff insisted that I have cropped the photo wrongly. He tried to reprint again and found that there was no way to crop the photo up or down. Then only he started to seek help from his colleagues. Those people were not really concerned with what had happened. They continued to chit chat as if I was not there.

*

No one was able to solve the problem in such a big outlet. After that, he tried to called for another colleague and so called printer expert for help. No one answered his call. At the end, he told me that the techinical staff was on leave today. I gave him the suggestion to open up the printer and checked whether the papers were loaded correctly.

*

"I do not know how to open the printer. Everything is preset and the printer operates automatically."

*

This kind of answer seems too ridiculous to me. That was not a very complicated photo printer. A little bit bigger than normal photocopy machine. If they do not know how to load paper, then what will happen if the paper run out? There is no infinite supply of paper from the printer itself! Very obviously, there must be someone who knows how to do that in the center but choose to ignore it. Yet, how could be a big company like that only hires 1 techincal staff? So all Harvey Norman outlets in Singapore will only wait for 1 people to solve the printer problem? What I felt frustrated was, they did not offer solutions to the problem and not even to admit their fault. The staff just wanted to push the problem to other people. He did not even open to check the papers. No sincerity is shown at all. He asked me to come back on another day, with no guarantee I will get the perfect photo. The service level in Singapore is far behind.

*

At the end, I asked for refund and decided not to waste my time there. I guess they are very happy of the refund because this means they do not need to solve the printer problem. Or maybe next time when other staffs face the same problem, then only let them solve it. Yeah, this is the art of "Taiji".

Sunday is gone!!

Oh that's the end of my 1st weekend after new semester starts.

I am a bit stressed now because I felt like wasting away the day. In the morning, I went to IMM and then I spent the whole afternoon to discuss the script for Merdeka Night. I am supposed to complete the scheduled Research 1 for my FYP by today. Oh I really feel very guilty. I know I have put too much focus on my studies until I could not stop thinking about my notes even if I am out for fun. But this is the last year, I want to do well to compensate what I have missed before. Not sure this is really good for me or not... I am vexed.

*****************************************

After a few seconds the blog being published, I decided to have some encouragement for myself

*****************************************

Hey girl, don't worry. After eight long months away from school, you are now just not used to study life. Hence it is reasonable to slack a bit. You are not wasting the day because you went to IMM with a special purpose. The discussion for Merdeka Night is little contribution you can do for MSA. And don't forget that yesterday you were so obedient and stayed in hall for the whole day. You revised 2 subjects right? Relax, relax, relax...... Things will not turn better when you are frustrating. Face everything with a smiling face. The most important is, whatever you are doing, you must put in all effort and enjoy whole heartedly. It's only 10pm now, you still have time. Hang on...

Draw A House

I tried this personality test just now. It took me half an hour to draw the house. No as simple as I thought.

See the result:
"Based on your drawing and the 10 answers you gave this is a summary of your personality:

You are sensitive and indecisive at times. You are a freedom lover and a strong person. You are shy and reserved. If you've drawn a cross on each of windows, you always want to live alone. Once you have a problem, you need a friend with you. Your life is always full of changes. When it comes to love, you shut yourself off. It's difficult to win your heart because you have decided to keep your feelings deep inside. You have a strong personality and you like to command, influence and control people. You added a flower into your drawing. The flower signifies that you long for love. It also safe to say that others don't see you as a flirt. You don't think much about yourself."

Try the test: http://www.drawahouse.com/takethetest/

Haha not really true... But I realise that I can add a lot more things. For example, it could be many houses and mine is one of it. I can add my neighbours. It does not necessary to be an isolated house. This is definitely the influence caused by my primary school teacher. This is the typical house the primary school students would draw in Malaysia.

Public Holiday

Yeah Singapore National Day. No special meaning for me. I am happy because today is public holiday and I don't need to attend classes. But now I feel like attending classes is better option. I am so boring now.

Living in Singapore is not really exciting. I always headache thinking of places to go during free day. Shopping malls is everywhere and that's the only place I could think of. There is not cheap mamak stalls like in Malaysia where you could spend a night there with only Rm0.80 ice milo. Here, going out = spending, yet you will not get very fanstatic food.

So tomorrow, Friday, I have only one hour of class. Then weekend again. Need to think of what to do. Headache.

Happy Birthday to Sim Yee!

"Sim Yee, Happy Birthday to you!!" Seriously I just managed to recall that today is her big day just now. So sorry about that. That's is the first year I forget about that. Fortunately it's not too late yet.

"Sim Yee, I hope you could get the job you like in marine science. Also Congratulations on your graduation!! All the very best to you ;P I miss you everyday, MUAKS!"

P/S: Sim Yee is my best friend since secondary school. Even though she is small in size, but she has a big heart that I admire. She has great courage to follow her interest to study Marine Science despite of the family's strong objection.