new single

i'm a fan of Taylor Swift.. so i'm obliged to post her new single here.

no rest for the wicked

yes, this is an update of my life.

so lecture weeks are coming to an end before the full timetable take charge from next week onwards. on top of lectures, there will be lab and tutorial and recitation sessions. so busy. in fact, i realised even now i find myself too busy.. so much so i am not experiencing much quality rest. by rest, i don't mean sleep.. i do mean doing nothing or just chilling and enjoying some me time.

weekdays are filled with classes, hall events, CCA trials. weekends are filled with giving tuition classes and even some CCA trials. man.. no break. non-stop running about. hardly have time to really sit down and revise much though catching up is still somewhat possible.

just hoping all the trials will be over soon and that i can get the CCAs i love, fitting their trainings and meetings into my timetable and what not. too many irregularities these days are kind of annoying.

not just looking up

my parents might not be the smartest ones in terms of educational transcripts or the riches but they are rich in love, morals, life skills. i'm going to talk about the life skills part. this is the part where your parents teach you to overcome challenges and obstacles. they include, break-ups, failures, rejection and what not.

when i was young and naive i always get jealous of friends having better GameBoys and toys than me and what not. i wasn't aware that my parents cannot afford all of them and that they have been providing me with whatever they can afford. it was then when they tell me that i shouldn't always compare myself with those people happier or those having better lives than me. at times, i should pause and look at those who are less fortunate. as a kid, i felt this was a stupid excuse to write me off and through the years of schooling i realised the sense in the advice they gave more than a decade ago. therefore, i'm here to share in hope of helping some of you when you feel small.

before that let's talk a little about the human nature of looking to those doing better than you. in school, we tend to look up to those smart people who get consistent good grades. in work, we tend to admire those who are rich and need not worry much about daily expenses. well, doing these aren't bad for look to them at least you have an aim and target.. something to get yourself working hard to strive for higher grounds.

that aside, why should we look the other direction as well? think about those who doesn't have internet to read this post. think about those who struggle to get food on the table daily. think about those who isn't experiencing the security you are experiencing now. then you will realise how rich you actually are. wealth is not measured by money. that is why i am now really thankful for the advice my parents told be years ago.

let's be a little cliche and end off this post with a thought provoking quote pertaining to this issue. the quote is from a legendary French football player..

"i once cried because i had no shoes to play football with my friends, but one day i saw a man who had no feet, and i realised how rich i am"
~ Zinedane Zidane

trials

yes, this is an update of my life.

what is school with just mere lectures, tutorials, labs, recitations.. and yet without CCAs? so yeah, the CCA selection has kind of start to begin for me. guess i will be joining mainly hall CCAs rather than faculty ones. one, because of convenience. two, because i want points to keep my hall placing for as long as possible. three, i would enjoy more with CCA mates staying all around me.. the familiarity and all. 

last week was the CCA fair.. sort of those CCA open houses you get in secondary schools and i just remembered writing my names into 8 CCAs to express interest. of course, i might not be joining all 8 at the end of the day. throughout the next year, i would want to do something i like anyway.. so yeah, no harm placing our name in more than the required number of CCAs. can't exactly tell you off-hand what i applied for. just want to talk about the trials i am expected to go through anyway.

last night was the first ever CCA trial for me. it was floorball. i know the trainings will be late at night passing midnight but i am interested in this sport.. so much so i tried to apply DSA into VJC with it years ago. of course, without any professional experience, i was rejected immediately. now is another good chance for me to try. anyway, the trail went pretty good i guess. not that i'm good, it is that i enjoyed it. let's just hope for the best.

this week will have another 4 trials as well. two for frisbee, one for acapella, one for rock band. for acapella they give us a piece to practise in like half a week. on top of that, a choice of our own song as well. for rock band, i auditioning for bass and the pieces they give for us to practise are pretty challenging. after consideration, i am doing the piece by Muse titled "Panic Station". never heard or learn that song before but now i have to. here is the good example i found on YouTube.

so yeah, bass and also ukulele for the rock band. if i can auction for a third "instrument" it would be vocals.. haha. ohh well, just trying my best and hoping for the best as well.

virgin lectures

yes, this is an update on my life.

so it is the first weekend of a new school term. actually, the whole week just consist of mainly lectures. the tutorials, labs sessions, recitations will all start only on Week 3. nonetheless, i am still in the midst of adjusting to uni life. the lectures are pretty different from JC. life in hall is pretty happening as well.

despite the stress that is slowly seeping into me, i have those good friends around. really glad they gave me surprises and attend lectures together and eat together and many more. let's all stay strong and survive NUS together.

lol.. wow, i speak as though i have been in NUS for a long time. sorry people, i'm just not used to the life yet. too much to take in in a week.. haha. studying on weekdays and working on weekends can be tiring. plus social life and family time.. man all my me-time is gone.

so yeah.. that's about it. treasuring whatever sleep time i have.

young no more

yes, there i have admitted it.. i am no longer young anymore. it isn't a sad thing to be an adult now. an adult on paper that is. so as of yesterday, i am now officially 21 years old.

well let's get on with my gratitude. first and foremost, i would like to thank the various groups of people for making my 21 birthday feel so special and different from all the birthdays i have over the years. to my secondary school clique, thank you all so much for the first surprise last week at Katong Teo Heng. thanks for the treat and cupcakes. to my Raffles Hall OG(Assgardians), thank you for barging into my room at midnight yesterday to surprise me with a nice chocolate cake though i was about to brush my teeth already. to my SOW OG (Jacob), thank you for surprising me at Star Vista with another chocolate too during lunch time and for the time spent playing pool and bowling. damn.. am i that easy to read? how come everyone knows i love chocolate? i hope it is just sheer coincidence.. nonetheless, from the bottom of the heart of a guy who don't host parties on his birthdays, thank you all very much.. i really appreciate all of what you all have done.

now, moving on, i'm thankful for the family i'm in. one cannot ask much more when he has the two very supportive and encouraging parents that stand by him through the years of ups and downs. on top of that, a blood bro who can tolerate at times and fool around on other times with him as well. i'm thankful to all my bro and sis for wishing me and standing by me no matter what i go through. i know i can be a pain at times but thank you for your patience and understanding. thank you those all those who have wished me.. be it through Facebook, text or what not.. i really appreciate all of those heartfelt words.

anyway, turning 21 also raise numerous questions and checks and reflections. shan't bore you with all but would like to just share a couple.

where do i see myself in the near future? well technically, i'm an adult but still an undergraduate and not exactly a working adult yet. nonetheless, this question is a good check i would say. so.. how? i am aiming to be able to graduate from NUS with honours and decent results. i am aiming to make my life in NUS an enriching one with hall stays and internships and what not. thereafter, i aim to get a job which makes me happy and satisfied. doing what i love is the most important.. not money. yeah some might beg to differ but that's me for now so accept it. guess that is all for the check at this moment.

through the past 21 years, the ride has been crazy.. the ride has been full of ups and downs.. the ride has been memorable.. the ride has been enriching. i'm glad for everything that i have gone through, be it good or bad. i'm even more glad to those who stood by me no matter what as well. so cheers to the ride in the many years to go.. cheers!!

21

just a really quick update. i will update more tomorrow i guess.

so, i have turned 21 and man that's pretty cool and scary at the same time. anyway, had two surprises from two different OGs today. hall OG surprised me at midnight. SOW OG surprised me during lunch. in short, i'm really touch and thankful to have met such awesome friends at the start of my uni life. i'm also thankful for those who wished me as well, no matter through whatever means and what not.

i'll promise to post more tomorrow.

in hope of

yes, this is update of my life.

so first day of college done. just one 2-hours lecture to sum up the day. i guess with the start of yet another few years of studying, it is mandatory to list down or at least give myself a couple of goals to aim for. so while being an undergraduate in NUS, i will be hoping to graduate with honours at the end of 4 years. also, i hope to keep my hall placing as long as i need to save travel time and what not. i hope to be able to make countless friends and life-long friends while i learn new things and explore new grounds.

that is all for now i guess.. let's strive to achieve those then.

undergraduate

yes, this is an update of my life.

it is past midnight and i am tired. somehow, i feel the need to post something here before turning in in preparation for the first day of school. yes, sounds so silly but it is the first day of school. too bad, NUS does not give us NDP off-in-lieu but that's not the main point. the main point is i am going to be a student again after a long 2.5 years of "break". i cannot believe it.

when i was serving NS, i somehow looked forward to ORD and back to being a student. now, i might have second thoughts haha.. can i just go hunt for a good job and happy life now? ohh wells, guess not yet.. shall seize the next couple of years to learn and better myself i guess.. gain knowledge and experiences throughout the 3 or 4 years of college.

so yeah, still having mixed feelings about starting college nonetheless, time to pack and charge up.

i bleed red and white

9th August again. been quite fast since i last recalled myself doing standby in the heart of Singapore. now i have ORD and am about to start college in two days. wow.. time flies.

anyway, HAPPY 49th BIRTHDAY to Singapore, my homeland.

i think very few people know this side of me.. but i'm going to say it now anyway. i am a partial patriot. i love my country. i love my home. i love the people of Singapore. i love Singapore. take note, the love for country and the love for the government is two entirely different things... so do not get me wrong or jump to conclusions on things i didn't say.

so yeah.. really glad to see another NDP celebrated once again though i was busy giving tuition most of the time today. well the atmosphere around was cool. big live screens and sea of red and flags around the neighbourhood. another small thing is that it signals the coming of my birthday lol.. kidding that's too superficial.

my wish for Singapore would be that it remains one of the safest country in the world and that all citizens will be poor and not be divided by wealth, education, race or religion. may peace be something permanent here.

the surprise

yesterday was only the 6th of August and only the start of the month. my birthday wasn't very close to yesterday but i was pleasantly surprised by an awesome group of friends. we, the secondary school clique, were supposed to just hang out for a normal dinner and Teo Heng session in Katong Shopping Mall. i did not really see anything out of the ordinary.

in the end, i did not notice anyone bring in those delicious cupcakes and apparently someone left the group for a while just to get a lighter. throughout the whole time i did not know such tasks were carried out until i went to the toilet. haha.. upon returning back to the karaoke room, i saw Jia Xin guarding the door and got puzzled. almost immediately, they sang the birthday song and i saw the candle on the cupcakes on the table in the middle of the room.

to my dear secondary school clique, i am really really thankful to know you all and thanks so much for the great surprise. thank you for your time and effort. it was a great start to mark my 21st though the actual day is later in the month. anyway, cheers to our everlasting friendship. :)

europa

i know i have introduced this song before. it is kind of those movie trailer piece. i shared the one with lyrics before but not the instrumental one i guess. so here it is anyway.. time for ear seduction.

floorball

yes, this is an update of my life.

so. i just got back to my room in Raffles Hall from a late night floorball chill playing session. yes this late. actually we started at around 11:30pm and played all the way to now. guess i wasn't the last to leave anyway. ohh well.. have to start getting used to this kind of lifestyle now and then since i intend to try to be part of two sports CCAs.

anyway, earlier today was the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony (FIC) as well. went to see the ceremony twice and got two goodie bags of course. however, i went twice not because of the freebies but the people whom i go with. the morning session was with the SOW OG and the afternoon session was with the RHOC OG. great time spent with great people.

final week of holidays filled with events before real school starts. i hope i am ready for this..

i need proper sleep

yes, this is an update of my life.

so last night at around midnight concluded my second and my last NUS orientation camp. this time it was 5 days and 4 nights.. Science Orientation Week (SOW). had only just one night rest before heading into this camp. so my energy level was not exactly full to begin with. nonetheless, thanks to the awesome company, we all stayed up late on most days talking about anything and everything over supper and what not.

throughout the five days, friendships were forged and good pals met. got to say the games planned were pretty interesting too.. some of them were pretty original and what not. beach day at Sentosa was fun.. as all beach days have been. well, SOW, however, have sponsorship talks which were the least interesting thing in the entire camp. bidding for courses with friends somehow seemed and felt better, knowing we all share similar worries and what not together. the finale of the camp was awesome and long as well. in the end, it was a pretty good ending to a good event.

friends met over this camp are friends that i will see often since all of us are in the same faculty and few are in the same department and courses. so i am really glad to have met all these people. the camp is just our beginning in life in NUS. lets go through this together then. :)

SOW aside, my sleep debt is probably at its all time high. two weeks two camps almost back to back.. i really need proper sleep in the next few nights or my body might as well break down. shall post Sow pictures when i get hold of them.