Blog goes into retreat

Sadly due to heavy work load (imagine cramming 1 yr worth of lect, tut, exams, assignments into 3 months), this blog will not be updated anytime soon. Or at least until i complete my physiology and AOS papers first. Perhaps in Jan?

Life: Work, go for class, search for reference, cram for exams, sleep.

I dun really call that life either.
live to play
live to learn
but not study.

This is not me.

Another lost weekend & Ike* name generator

More rubbish from the study side.
Seriously screwed up system. But I wun complain too much here since it will be empty noise anyway.
Will be writing to the provider when this term is over.
And hopefully I will be more used to the system next sem and free up more time to work out and PLAY!..erm i mean other activities...

Let's see what am I missing out this weekend because of full day 9-5 classes......
Sat:
1) Unable to help Junxiang shoot a commercial at one of the shopping centres here.
2) Mostly unable to photoarchive NTPS properly.
Sun:
3) Unable to join Hang Chong for morning Treetop walk.
4) Unable to join him for afternoon patrol of Upper Pierce to prevent ppl from feeding Monkeys.

And I seriously hope NS side will not activate Mobilisation....IF want also pls activate on Sunday pls....if not really totally cannot go back NTPS and meet Guanghao.
Imagine have to piah down to Changi Selarang camp after class in FBO attire and all the sh*t...definitely far from an ideal weekend scenario.

Ok sideline pics:

Remember a few post back, there was a picture of an Ike* product that had a ridiculous name?
Well I found this website that can help you generate your own Ike* name! Here's mine(John):



And if I type in my full name:

This makes me wonder if those product names at Ike* really have a real swedish meaning? Or do they have their own eccentric name generators? Will we asians even care?
I know Joshua will definitely like to have a go at this!! Hahah...


A test shot using my newly acquired D300 .... love the wider perspective of the Tokina 116. But why use such a hi-tech imaging toy just to take a pic that can camouflage a zebra? Well for one, the D300 might be getting rave reviews everywhere, but it still looses out to my previous lao po, the D200, in term of skin tones. Gotta find a way to work around that b4 my next "ppl" photoshoot assignment. Which wun be long! I'm taking pics of various body parts for the Human Anatomy module assignment.

sneak-peak-last-pic:
Soon to be revealed project!!!!!

S or M?: Study or Movie?

Yesterday halfway through work, got an sms by none other than Junxiang. Out of the blue jio me for a movie at night.
Hmmm.. was supposed to go through my notes or even (try to)find references for my paper. What will I choose?
What do you think?
Hah.

1) I kinda like going to see random movies which I dunno what's it about.
2) It's at a place which I never been to before. Kinda rare nowdays.
3) It's a sneak. Meaning that the movie wun come out until a few weeks later.
4) It's free! Supposedly need invites to see... but well I did mention it's a sneak....Hehehhe....

Was late in meeting him cos played too much with my new D300 toy. Had a rushed dinner at Mac where the flat panel screen was showing the trailer for the show. The title is Sex Drive. From the trailer it gave the impression that it's another one of those totally kill-ur-brain type of raunchy teen comedy. Oh well I dun mind, end of the day I just wanna relax.

Well raunchy it was, showing some skin, but it was not totally brainless. I was actually very entertained by the jokes esp by the sacarstic yet creepily sedated lines by Seth Green's character. The beginning was abit dumb but gets better as it progresses. Just leave ur expectations and wits at home and you'll have a roaring good time. It is actually one of the comedies that I really LOL this year. Maybe it's due to my low expectation of the show and appropriate company. Watch this type of show must really watch with Junxiang! Hahahah....

The "cinema" we went to was actually a preview cinema for S*aw Org to review incoming shows before distributing them. It was quite small perhaps seating for around 50 people but it has some feel of exclusivity. All the seats are damn cushy where you can melt into it. Nope din have a pic of it...they off the lights before I can snap it with hp. Junxiang mentioned that all cinema should have them. Yeah rite..... imagine the maintenance cost just to clean or repair the wear and tear in a full scale public cinema.

We sat at the most back row where I suppose it's usually for VIP or press people with the table and remote controllers(for controlling the film and vol?) The table's abit irritating but makes for good leg rest. At first due to the small crowd, everyone in front was too paiseh to laugh out loudly but we kinda influence and lifted the self restriction for them(esp junxiang who was laughin his teeth off) by the time the show was half through. As I said... the company matters.....

At the end of the show we are still laughing and decided to go in again to see the first 15mins that we missed cos we were late(there were 2 sessions of the show back to back with 5 mins in between!). This is the first time I saw the back first followed by the front portion of the show in a cinema. But such things happen when you put these 2 siao people together...hah!

Glad I din mug at home!
Hey! What am I saying?

ok study time....
*yawnz*
*yyyawwnzzz*

ok study enuf liao. time to sleeeepz.

$$$ down !

Blew $1900 away today....whew.........haven have this type of strong mixed feeling in quite awhile.
Traded in my aging D200 for a D300 and purchased the long drooled over Tokina wide angle lens.

No point waiting for the latter's price to drop further since the former's 2nd hand market value will follow suit, which means the relative net gain for waiting is equal to zilch, nada, zero....might as well get it now, learn the controls fast and just shoot. Esp the NTPS event is this Sat and I desperately need this grade of equipment.
Price of Nikon D300(body): $1950
Price of Tokina ATX-116: $850........
Last chance to record primary sch childhood in relatively noiseless, high ISO and wide perspective: priceless.
OK quit trying to make excuses to justify your new toy. Paid already, enjoy and just move along please.

Let's see....what other expenses this and next month: Need to get a laptop for sch work, that's another K. Ang baos for Guanghao and Yongfa's Wedding: That's another 200++ ..........
Hope my bonus dun shrink this year!
Now where did I place my "How 2 eat grass" cookbook?..

Siggies!, 3 Aims and Pri 4 recollection

So how's my new header banner? Will be changing it from time to time. If have time......to play with photo editing softwares that is!

A big 10-Q to Joshua for not 1 but 2 siggies that he did for me:



Obviously he is very talented in photoshop manipulation of pics. Perhaps if I have time one day, I will request a MORE customised siggie (esp the taglines) to reflect my true self! Hahah.. Mah Fan ni le Josh....
Both are great job but I prefer and used the 2nd one for the NP Njd Forums. Maybe cos I feel the character is still more me..with black hair and longish chin.. heheh...

Wun be posting too often now that the assignments for my course are out. The papers are almost too much to handle and I heard from some sources that more(!!!) are coming. =O ......... But as the first siggies says...whatever it takes.
I will still try to update once a week and try to keep things interesting by not complaining too much about my loss of freedom.

3 aims for this term (or perhaps till i finish my degree)

1) DUN fail any modules. --Can be a challenge.....

2) Maintain my fitness and flexibility (maybe even aim to improve in certain aspects) --supposedly the easiest if i put my mind to it.........

3) Try to break into the Sports industry (which might mean taking up more courses outside the degree and getting to know more people on that side.) --supposedly the most challenging but must be done.......

I understand it is no small task to carry them all out.
But one has to try.
If I was to fail, I only fail myself and owe no one any explanation.
Perhaps that is why I could not go for the course when You were still with me.
I will always remember that You would believe in me when the world would not.




Couple of weeks back Jimmy sent me one of his primary sch class photos. Was surprised to see that I know who the teacher in the pic was. Knowing is one thing... I just cannot remember his name...at the tip of my tongue.. but just cannot spit it out. Even Jimmy forgot! Kaoz.


Today his name just shot into my mind from out of the blue. Sometimes you just had to stop looking for the thing and it will just pop up. He's Mr Tan Jeck Kai. Affectionately called "Jeck" in short by the rest of the teachers as I had observed.
He's my primary 4 form teacher when I was in NTPS. It was the year when I jumped from the worst class of 3E to the Elite class of 4N1, EM1 stream. (and back to the commoners next yr in 5N2, EM2 stream-with Mrs P.M. Anderson, one of my fav teachers till now.) Dunno why I got into the class. It's not that I worked hard or anything. In fact I never really studied anything till now. Which explains my difficulty in my current course!

Mr Tan was an extremely fierce teacher when the class got to know him. With his voice echoing down the corridor whenever the class was slightly misbehaving. Without a doubt everyone feared his presence. Think my bro told me he had some sort of heart problem. Well not surprising with those type of outbursts.
It was not until the later half of the year that he began showing his more caring side because our class learnt to discipline ourselves. Actually I did not mind his strictness and to date his lessons are one of the more enjoyable ones be it English, Math or Science.
I still can picture the times in his classes. Being scolded by him during the "test if air can be compressed in a syringe" lesson, tripping over the projector wire and injuring my right arm, etc. The poor fella beside me, Junxiong, if I remember correctly, had to write for me that day! Hahah...

Why are we in PE attire when taking Annual Class photo?? So nan kan!

During this stage of late childhood/Pre-adolescence, most of the smart ones are still the girls, which explains the 1.5 ratio deficit in amt of guys in the "best class". 17 yrs on, it's surprisingly I still remember their faces and more than half the names in the photo. I remember it was a total change from class 3E where most of us were rascals....4N1 was filled with more intellectual kids and some to the point of arrogance. But at that time I guess kids are just like that. Albeit in such a not-so-frenly env, it's also ironic that I got my first puppy crush.... hah.... no it does not mean i ran over a dog mind you!


Here's another photo with Mr Tan. Yep, that tall but crooked guy is me. Was still abit plump then compared to the scrawny me later on. Think Jiajian(back roll, 1st from left) and I was the tallest in the class at that time. Forgot which event this was and why a photo was taken with the guys in the class. This was taken at the assembly hall in "Blk A" judging from the background field and ugly gates that was installed sometime in lower pri. And cos back in Primary 4, Permaisura Pri was still functioning it's last yrs and "Blk B" of NTPS was not born yet.

NTPS "Farewell Sch event" will be next sat where it will be opened up to the community for the last time before moving to a new location and annexing yet another (the 3rd alreadi! Permaisura, Farrer, now Ghim Moh) primary sch. Unfortunately I will be stuck in class till 5+pm on that day. Of cos I will rush down for the final chance to photo archive what was to be a yet another disappearing childhood locale. But I doubt I will be able to do it satisfactory & completely before the sun sets. Probably will have to personally request the current principal (who "politely" hew lan me on email) for another date.
Coincidentally Benjamin(one of pri best frens) will be flying off to China just 1 day before the Sat and Jimmy got work that afternoon. While Yongfa (yet another pri sch bro) will probably be too busy preparing for his wedding the following Sat.

While we are still on the topic........Attending Yongfa and Jiaying's(sec 1 & 2 classmate yet I dun know very well! :p) wedding this month and had to skip Rachael and Alan's one cos they fall on the same day. Lucky bastard... happen to fall on the only weekend I am free in Nov.
Yesterday got yet another Red bomb warning.... This one's from my"sis" Shona (Former Njd and Chem Eng junior). Suddenly pop up in MSN and invited me to her Wedding in May 09. Probably she will fly back to UK with her lao gong after that bah. Hope she dun slang me to death using Queen's English on that day!

I will/must prevail these 2 yrs

Wow.
That's pretty much I can say about my new degree course. And it is not a good or excited 'wow'. It is a pretty rushed and compacted degree course... Practically compacted what would have been a full time course materials into part time learning schedules. After last weekend's first 3 day lecture....the first thing that went through my mind was: What the hell did I get myself into this time?
Just met up with the textbk supplier and blew $150 away on 3 txtbks. The Human anatomy and Physiology book looks like you can kill a cow just by flinging the book at it. By flipping through, looks like as though I am getting a MBBS instead of Sports Science. Even comes with 2 CDs. Probably no time to go through them much anyway. I hope those books will be of use in my line of work after I finish my course. IF I finish my course. Provided it does not finish me.
But I am not a defeatist and for those who's been with me knows that even though I can damn weak at certain time but I can also be more resilent than a cockroach. Ok not a very nice analogy...well whatever works.
At least this course can help me focus on something productive for the future and away from the past.
On a lighter note, Magadascar 2 is coming out in a couple of weeks! Really enjoyed part one....think I might find some time to rewatch part 1 first to get into the characters again! Anyone wanna join me? Hah!

Night Safari Halloween outing!

Cramped so much info from Sat's lecture (the ECU's lecturer got to stuff us wif all the info for the sem within 2.5 days cos she's got to fly back after that) that brain's getting the cramp.
After class got a missed call from Shipei around 7pm+ asking about the night Safari outing which was supposedly unsuccessful at jioing interested people on Thurs. Oh why not. Even though it is very last min, it's a break from the oncoming stress.

Shipei made a fast call to whoever was still interested while I biah to office to collect lorry and then to Eunos to pick the frolickers up. While Ilyana(at first cannot make it) and Shipei will meet us straight at the Safari. Wat a rush!
The atmosphere at NS was very good and packed with tons of people. Looks like everyone wants to have a taste of the Halloween theme NS on the last day. Heng still got lots of (expensive)parking space.....Lots of the visitors looking more like dressed to chiong that evening.

Tickets at NS is see beh ex but heng at least the Passion Card took 20% off the price. Much kuddos to the aunty who asked me about the card at the counter.
First thing we went for is the Glow in the dark store. There's this halloween themed staff of NS standing stationary at the entrance scaring all the char bo every once in a while.....It's interesting to see the female visitors around the entrance knowing that he is standing there to scare people and yet scream their(and my) heads off when he jumps at them!

Inside the store, Clarice found her devil horns:

To enhanced the effect, the store was bathed in UV light so that everything florescent, GITD and white coloured is glowing. I got a dracula teeth (which I lost later on...sianz)to suit the mood that evening while Shipei and Ilyana got some sort of finger extension. Amin also got one of those horns, but through what means ...heheh.... for you to find out!

Before we left the store, we found Clarice's long lost sis! Just as red, sadist, and very surprisingly, a wee bit shorter!!


The tram ride's queue is longer than our patience so we decided to walk abit first. The trail was nicely decorated with alot of Halloween gore.... With human parts here and there.

A nice lady decided to take the shot for us at the bridge when we tried to self cam whore.... My mouth was full with the fake dracula dentures until I had problem(but lots of fun) communicating with her! ahhahah....Notice the body parts hanging above us......

More monsters along the trail..... This Chiang Shi have somewhat of a resemblance to me..... scrawny, tall, dark eye rings....but I got the sharp teeth instead of him!! Anyway this jumper was looking at Clarice instead when we were taking this pic!! Chiang Shi are generaly stiff.. but I guess he must have been more stiff somewhere else that night!! Horny bastard.......Heheheheh.........

And of cos...what Halloween would it be without that preserved man from Egypt?

Saw lots of animals but sadly they not the stars that night! We almost forgot the pt of going to the NS was to see animals in their nocturnal surroundings! Most of the other char bo visitors are screaming here and there. Some are damn high pitch... Wah cannot tahan ... luckily I know our girls are much more harder to scare than that!..... But later Clarice still wun let my ears off when she spotted the bat-ear fox. So cuteee...(imagine that in the highest pitch possible)....kaoz!

Took a rest at a cafe named the Z-bar........nice furnitures they have....
Ilyana found her coke flowing out all over her.......:


Clarice found her ride from hell, complete with matching horns....


Did not take any pics on the tram as flash photography was not allowed and I wanted enjoy the ride anyway. The host was dressed up as Princess Fiona from Shrek and she kek a voice like she eaten 3 cans of milo powder without drinking water, so as to sound sinister. Gotta applause..she maintained that voice throughout the entire trip.

After all the animal "exhibits" came the part we were waiting for, the torture chambers, or a stretch of dark road they decorated to the halloween theme... Sorta like a haw par villa ride bringing you the 18th levels of hell. Well done on the props and decors and 'life' dioramas of torture. Once in a while, some 'monsters' and 'ghouls' would come scare you by the side.
The people behind us was screaming all the way except for the 5 of us are laughing our hearts out.... There's also this joker behind us who shouted out "bu yao...bu yaoo" in a very SM sort of way when one of the female ghost grabbed him... nice way to humour the ghost back....

One of the decors.......

Photo after the ride taken by the host "fiona"!

More self cam whore and Ice cream time at Ben and Jerry's!!! Fortunately we were given discount cos Ilyana works there(and Shipei's fren too). Thanks alot Illy!


Before heading home.........Not enuf coffin for all of us... So I got to share one with Amin.

Ilyana posing with a skull and coconut as bo*ps.

It was a good and fun night. It's too bad the rest cannot make it or it could have been the best outing for quite a while now. Had to take my mind off things so decided to make this trip even though it's so last minute, not to mention next day I got a full day of lecture starting at 9am!
It was worth it. Now back to the real world...haiz....