Steph's Blog

The Chicken Rice Encounter

2008-05-09T10:14:00.001+08:00

A few days ago, I went to a particular food court. I can't remember if it's Kopitiam or Koufu or some other name. It's located in Orchard area. I was hungry so I went around looking at the different stalls.

Then I saw this chicken rice stall. I stood at the counter there and the man behind seemed busy with some documents. So I waited. When he lifted his head and saw me guess what he said?

.
..
...
....
.....

He didn't say anything.

Me: "Uncle one plate of chicken rice".

Then the man went to prepare a plate for me. At this point of time, a foreigner (I won't say from which country) came and stood beside me. When the chicken rice man lifted his head and saw him guess what he said?

Uncle: Good Morning Sir! What can I do for you?
Foreigner: One chicken rice please.
Uncle: Sure coming right up!

I was like "Er...er...er...I was totally ignored just now and this guy gets greeted"?

Anyway, at this point of time, I was very interested who he would serve first. Technically, I ordered first so...I should get my food first right? That's why I was interested to see who the uncle would serve first. I waited. Ah...there's a plate ready.

The uncle took the plate, lifted it and placed it on the foreigner's tray! Then he lifted the other plate and placed it on my tray. Apparently, he prepared two plates and served them at the same time. Interesting...I can't help but smile at all these.

Was it due to bias or was it done to save time (since cut one chicken might as well cut another one to save time)?

Anyway, I took my tray and walked towards an empty table. The rice was surprisingly nice and he gave me the chicken parts with minimal bones.

Lesson learnt: Don't wear berms, sandals and a T-shirt else you'll be treated as a kid.

Presenting the Clustarack!

2008-04-30T21:08:00.003+08:00

This is what engineers do in their free time.

Cool huh? Anyway, it takes the whole team a lot of hard work. Just to get the video you just saw, they had to tape 90+ tries! It's like going through your final exams for 90+ times! Imagine the horror! Furthermore, such contraptions are insanely hardly to predict. A truck that whooshed past may trigger some unnecessary parts to trigger. Here's another video that documents the process. You gotta admire these people at Clustarack.

What would happen if my friends and I decided to try...hm...

Me: Friend_A, is the printer cartridge ready?
Friend_A: Yeah. But you must aim properly and throw it such that it hits that stack of 2B pencils.
Me: Friend_B you heard that? Our experiment lies in your hands.
Friend_B: Ya lah...I know.
Me: Okay I have the camera ready. At the count of three yeah?
Friend_A: One...Two...Three!

Yes...yes...everything's going on fine. Cartridge hits stack of pencils and the stack of pencils fall onto the floor! Success!

Everyone: Yay!
Me: You think we should put this on YouTube?
Friend_A: Yeah! I think we should.
Friend_B: If we did that, it will be pretty retarded.
Me: Somehow...I agree with Friend_B.

Would you like to try?

Exams Are Over!!

2008-04-29T21:06:00.000+08:00

Finally...exams are over! I can't believe I have not been blogging for almost a month! Wow...that's a record! Anyway, exams are over and now I can relax for awhile.

A few thoughts came to my mind during the exam period...

1. Exam preparation
How much preparation is enough? I think that's a question many will ask and, more importantly, want to know the answer. I have a friend whom I feel really studied very hard. He had exams almost everyday and there was once he did not sleep! He literally studied through the night! It was my first time hearing such a thing! If you ask me to do that, I may not be able to concentrate the next day. I think studying through one night is really an extreme case. Hopefully my friend will get a good grade, else it will be disappointing.

2. The new canteen
There's a new canteen near Canteen A. I don't know what's the name of that place but we call it "The Canteen besides Canteen A". If you noticed, the Subway stall seems to have more business than MacD. Whoever's behind that franchise must really be earning a lot of money.

3. A touching scene
I was walking back home when I saw a grandfather and his grandchild playing badminton at the playground near my place. The game was simple. The shuttle went through at most 3 exchanges before dropping. They weren't professional players but that did not bother them. They played for another motive. The grandfather was smiling as he was playing while the grandchild was trying hard to win. What goes through their mind? I can only imagine...

Grandfather: Ah...how nice it is to play with my grandchild.
Grandson: Shucks! How come I cannot serve properly one?
Grandfather: He's so cute trying to give a proper serve.
Grandson: Must be my racket...it's lousy.

Both people have different mindsets in a simple activity. But it's really heartwarming to see them play.

To end my post, I wish everyone the best when their results come out. By the way, anyone knows when the results will be out?

Do You Need Help?

2008-04-01T09:20:00.000+08:00

This just happened. And when I say just, I meant 5 minutes ago. So what happened?

I was at Lee Wee Name. (It's funny how most of my stories happened at LWN). I went to the 2nd level to print my notes. After clicking the "Print" button, I went to the printing kiosk below. I placed my EZ-Link card and selected Printer A. The student beside me used his EZ-Link card also. He doesn't look local, he is an ang moh. My guess is that he's from America. I went to Printer A and waited for the notes. The notes came out and I went to this corner for stapling your stuff. Now this is where the story starts...

As I was stapling my notes, the ang moh (let's call him John as ang moh doesn't sound nice) stood beside me and stapled his notes. From the corner of my eyes (yes, my eyes have corners) I could see that he had difficulty stapling. I took the stapler in front of me and saw that there wasn't any "bullets" (sheesh, can you imagine that as a University student I am still using Primary school English like "bullets"...lol). So I went to place a whole new line of staples in the stapler. I stapled my notes and went off. As I walked away, I could see that John was still having difficulty. I wanted to help him, but wasn't sure of how he would react. Would he like dao me or something? So I walked out of the shop.

As I left the shop, I felt that I had to help him, so I walked back to the kiosk and pretend to staple some imaginary notes. Hey! I need to do that, else John may suspect something...lol. Then the conversation started.

Me: Do you need help?

There was no reply. Aiyo...how paiseh it was, it seemed that I was talking to myself. I waited...

John: Yeah, this thing doesn't seem to work.
Me: Do you want to use this stapler? (I pointed to the one I used.)

He was still busy looking at his stapler. Maybe I should help him with his stapler.

John: I can't seem to insert this here. (He was trying to refill the stapler).
Me: Ah...let me show you.

I pulled the spring-thing backwards.

Me: First you have to pull this backwards and then you insert the staples here and let it slide to the front.
John: Ah...yes yes. Thank you.
Me: Welcome. Why don't you try again? It should work now.

I looked at him as he stapled his notes. It was a success.

Me: Yeah.
John: Thanks.

And so I walked out of the kiosk, went to the 2nd level and blogged about it. It feels nice helping another person.

I Can't Live (If Living Is Without You)

2008-03-24T18:26:00.003+08:00

It pays to speak good English.

In case you are lost, let me explain what just happened. The lady was trying to sing the song by Mariah Carey I Can't Live (If Living Is Without You). However, it sounded like a whole new song with the same tune.

Below is the same lady with the same song BUT with better English.

Seriously, I think the lady is brave. She didn't shy away because of her weakness but faced the world with it. With that, let us all face the exams with our ...... hm ...... please-insert-some-word-here.

(Caution: Do take note that entering the examination hall by singing this version of the song may result in the student being barred from the exams. With that students are advised to be responsible for the songs they sing)

Stephanie Wrote A Humorous Love Story!

2008-03-12T19:49:00.001+08:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I last blogged! Actually I didn't plan to blog about anything today until something happened...

I was busy preparing for tomorrow's Quiz for Maths and CA2 for Electricity For Modern Society when I saw that familiar pop-up at the bottom right corner of the desktop. Yes, I received an email from someone. So I went and checked. I checked the email and I was very pleasantly surprised. Why? One of my stories was selected and featured in the National Library Board's ASK! (Actively Seeking Knowledge) website. Cool! So I decided to take a look. I clicked the link provided and this was what I saw...

Wah...nice. Then I saw the little section where my blog was featured.

I was speechless...I can't help but smile. She featured this story from my Stephanie's blog.

Anyway, something else happened in the past few weeks. There was this NTU-NIE Speech Competition. I took part and got through the prelims. Yay!

Then when the day came for the finals, I was starting to get nervous. It was a late Wednesday night. I entered the LT early and waited.

(Paiseh but no time to elaborate because need to prepare for quiz and CA2 tomorrow).

There was supposed to be 8 finalists. However, one withdrew due to some other commitments. 8 - 1 = 7. Seven of us took our turns to speak to the audience, including me. The finalists were good. I never knew NTU-ians and NIE-ians could speak so well! The competition was tough.

Then the time came for the results. The winner of the competition was...a Master student studying in the school of communication. He got first. He's older than me and he's studying communication so I guess it's pretty natural he got first.

Next was the first runner-up...this time, it went to a teacher from NIE! She's a teacher majoring in English Literature! To win or not to win...that's a rhetoric question. She's older than me and she's studying English Literature so again it's no surprise she got second.

Then the next prize was the second runner-up. The winner this time was ME! Let me repeat...it was ME! Hahahahaha...I so totoally (aiya so excited until spell "totally" wrongly) didn't expect that! Why? Because I was the only year one finalist! Furthermore, I am studying Material Engineering and not some Powderful Engrick course! The competition was tough and didn't really expect a prize. I would like to thank the Lord for helping me and my parents for their assistance and encouragement.

Hm...maybe I should contact Stephanie on her story as it seems very familiar to one of mine.

NTU A Level Admission Talks 2008

2008-02-24T08:15:00.001+08:00

It happened yesterday. I wanted to find out more on the new programs offered by the school to applicants this year. I knew a bit already as I heard of it in NTU but I wanted to find out out more. For example, there was this double honours degree in engineering and economics. There's also another double honours degree in accountancy and business. Whoa...it seems that this year's applicants are really fortunate.

Anyway, I took a bus from Jurong Polyclinic (bus 502) and since there wasn't any seats, I stood at the empty space located at the side of the bus. Beside me was this man talking over his hand phone. I didn't really notice him as he didn't seem important. So the bus went along its way picking up people. Then it reached this particular stop where there was this lady dressed in black and high heels (the high heels part is important) who tapped her card and walked in my direction. I didn't pay any attention to her at first as she's just like your average passenger. She stood between me and the man. Then she started to talk to the man beside me. I think they are a couple. Then it happened...

The bus after picking up people started to move. After some distance, the bus suddenly braked. What happened? People standing inside the bus had trouble balancing themselves. Remember the lady? Well apparently, she almost fell and stepped on my left feet. And what was she wearing? High heels! Also understand that I wasn't wearing any shoes but instead sandals. Can you imagine the pressure on my feet? Let's calculate.

Let's say her heels has a surface area of 0.02 m x 0.02 m = 0.0004 m2. Now let's assume she has a weight of 48 kg (thankfully she doesn't weigh a lot). So what's the pressure? Well pressure is just force divide by area. So that gives...1.2 MN/m2 or 1200000 N/m2. Is that a lot? You decide.

Anyway, she lost her balanced and stepped on my leg! Then she grabbed my left hand at the same time as she lost her balance. Then after realizing that she had stepped on my feet, she was like saying "Sorry" continuously. I smiled at her and told her that it was okay and I was fine. Then she was like talking to her boyfriend, explaining why she had to say sorry as I guess the guy didn't know that his girlfriend stepped on me. Seriously...what a way to start the day. From time to time, the lady would look at my feet to see how it was.

As the journey continued, some people alighted and I took an empty seat. From my seat, I could see that she was still looking at me (or maybe my feet). Haiya...I took out my FE1008 book and read.

So was it painful? Surprisingly, it wasn't! Make a guess why. No it's not a made-up story. The above actually happened.

Anyway, the bus reached Suntec and I alighted. I took the escalator to the second floor and I saw my school! Ah...it reminded me of those days where I was still a A Level student. How nostalgic...

The first talk I went to was the Materials Engineering one. Hey, must support right? Haha...as the speaker talked through the slides, I felt proud that I made a decision that I have no regrets in. After the talk, I looked around the booths.

The next talk I went to was the one by EEE (Electrical and Electronic Engineering). The lecturer presenting was the famous YouTube NTU lecturer. Haha...at last I get to see the real person! Anyway, he talked about the school and its programs. Later on, he talked about the two new programs. The first is the Bachelor of Engineering (Information Engineering and Media) which is a blend of engineering and art. Pretty interesting. Next is the NTU-Georgia Tech Integrated Bachelor and Master program which has IDA's National Infocomm Scholarship to assist students taking this course! Awesome! He made a comment that the students applying for EEE has been declining which is a sad thing as (according to him) the economy of a developed country is dependent on the electronics industry. So if you have few EEE graduate students, the electronics industry may not have enough manpower to help them. Pretty logical.

Next talk I went to was the one by ADM (Art, Design and Media). I wanted to see what the school was like. The talk was quite interesting as the presenter showed some videos of what some of their students did. There was one video which was like...erm...gory and another one had some *ahem*. I guess you must have an open mind in the school. Anyway, they do interesting stuff like product design, visual communication...etc.

The next talk I went to was the one by (NBS) Nanyang Business School. Guess what? The room I went to was sooo packed that you could find people standing behind and along the aisle as the presenter talked! They have two rooms for this and I am not sure if the other room was equally packed. The lecturer made a few points that impressed me. NBS is the only business school in Singapore that has 2 accreditations. The ranking of NBS was also pretty impressive. If I remember correctly, it was 1st in Singapore, 3rd in Asia, and 4th in Asia Pacific. Cool huh? Then they have this double degree program in Accounting and Business. It's like buy one get one free. The normal course lasts for 3 years. For the double degree, it's 4 years. Pretty decent if you asked me as normal engineering degrees take 4 years. The school ranking is good, the pay of graduates from NBS is good and they have a very attractive double degree program too! So I guess it's a pretty good choice to take NBS if you are interested in business and the like. He also mentioned something like accounting isn't like maths. As long as you can do plus, minus, times and divide you should be able to do accounting.

After the talks are over, I went over to the Material Science Engineering (MSE) booth and saw my secondary school friend Shu Fen who is also in her third year in MSE. I also saw Prof Hng who teaches Chemistry for year 1. She recognized me! Haha...I guess it's because I have been going for all these events through the past few years. We talked for awhile before I went back home.

Thankfully as I took 502 back home, there wasn't any lady dressed in black and high heels that took the bus. As a safety measure, I sat down on one of the seats.

To all prospective students: You have a lot of interesting and cool programs for your batch. So in a way, you are more fortunate than me. Think carefully of what you are interested in before you make the correct choice. Here's the link for new double degree programs offered and guess what...you are the first batch eligible for it.

Geeky Windows Music

2008-02-20T22:24:00.001+08:00

Did you know that you can use those sounds you hear while using Windows XP and create a song? It's pretty cool actually and surprisingly, they sound nice. Here are two videos from YouTube that made use of Windows XP sounds and mix them all into a song.

Music using ONLY sounds from Windows XP and 98!

Windows XP Rhapsody

Cool huh? Personally, I like the second one.

It's V-Day

2008-02-11T21:44:00.000+08:00

Friend A: Any plans for V-day?
Me: Yeah...
Friend B: Cool! What are your plans? Share leh.
Me: Huh? I thought it's the same for all of us?
Friend A and B: Huh?
Me: Yeah...as the day approaches, we all stay at home or go to library and mug. That's normal right? I mean everyone does that.
Friend B: I don't know about you but NORMAL people don't go to library and mug on Valentine's Day.
Me: Orh...V-day. Haiya...I heard D-day.
Friend A and B: -_-'''

(D-day means exam day)

Ronald McDonald In DDR

2008-01-30T21:41:00.001+08:00

I never knew our well-known mascot for burgers could dance DDR.

While watching the video, I thought what would happen if some smart alec would go to tomorrow's NTU Career Fair dressed like that and perform a dance on 3 (mind you it's 3 and not 1) DDR pads...hm...

Actually it's kinda healthy. Imagine after eating all those carbs from an Extra Value Meal you exercise by following this video. Sounds like some show with the title "5mins of Exercise Fun with Ronald!".

What's next? Senior executives performing a rap video? I think I may have seen that somewhere before...

A Letter To A Friend

2008-01-28T21:28:00.000+08:00

Dear Ana,

So how's your problem with him? Has he said it? No? Well he maybe shy or just simply not interested.

It won't be fair to him if I advise you to avoid him. However, it will not be a wise thing either to go with him without knowing his intentions. It's tough to make a decision as I don't really know him yet. The only person who knows his personality and character is you. So I guess you have to think hard and really decide if you want to take that step.

Emotions are hard to avoid. I won't say things like, "Forget about him" or "Try not to think about it" as it's easy to say but seeing how you are affected by it, I guess it's not an easy thing.

You said that girls tend to be more emotional while boys tend to be more logical. From what I see, that's generally the case. True...girls tend to be more emotional that's why you should be extra careful before deciding. I must also warn you of the type of boys that enter a relationship without any sincerity but with ulterior motives. Beware of such people and stay far from them. They may be skilled in the use of language and words. However, those honeyed words hide a frightening motive. Be careful.

Well, I may have told you this before, but I will tell you again. Remember that your heart is precious. It is something that money cannot buy. So don't give it easily to anyone who sways your heart with nice-sounding words. If your love is given to the right person, you will be very happy as you know that your heart will be taken care of. At the same time, I am sure the right man will be honoured that you have given your heart (something that you have closely guarded) to him. However, if you give it to the wrong person...there maybe sad occurences that could have been avoided.

You see, when you love someone, that person somehow...some way...is able to affect your day by the little things he do. For example, by not SMS-ing you, he's able to make you wait patiently for him for the whole day. This may affect your mood and when your mood is affected, it may affect the way you talk or behave. So you see...giving your heart to someone is as good as giving him a hold on your emotions. Why let someone who is insensitive to your heart take hold of your emotions? It would be better if it was given to the man who really understands you.

Understand that you only have one heart. Give it to someone who you know will be there for you. Someone who really cares for you. Someone who you know you can depend on. If he hasn't shown up in your life, then wait. It is much better than giving your heart to the wrong person. Treasure your heart and you won't regret it.

Enjoy your holiday in your hometown and I wish you all the best. I hope that this letter will be of some help.

Regards,
Steph

Medan Trip 2007

2008-01-20T22:34:00.001+08:00

Photo Time!

I don't know how many of you realised this but I have not posted any photos from my Medan trip! Lol..I think I better post them now lest I forget again...haha.

First of all, before the family went to Medan, we had to look for a suitable luggage. We found one and guess what? There was some weird nest on it!

According to my Dad, it was a wasp's nest. Apparently, the empty holes mean that the young ones are gone (thankfully they are gone).

We went to the airport and saw some nice pictures. So I decided to take some photos.

In the picture below, you can see my flight. It's the one going to "Medan" on the very first row.

While waiting for the flight, we heard some music. I looked over to where the music was and lo and behold...this was what I saw.

At first, I thought that they were guys in pink uniforms dancing ballet! I know the idea sounds weird but seriously, their faces somehow look manly. No offence yeah...it's just my opinion.

Okay...the flight came and I took it. Here's a pic of what it's like from the plane. In case you are wondering, the lights belong to Singapore...yeah. And if you look carefully, the bright neon light actually spells "Stephen".

Nah...just joking.

I sat at the back row. So I had the opportunity to take a photo from the back. Some people are busy reading newspapers while others are sleeping. Well, the guy in front of me doesn't seem to have any dandruff.

Now here's an interesting picture.

It even has instructions on what NOT to throw inside. I can't believe that people actually throw bottles inside...sheesh.

Here's the instruction on how to open the toilet door.

"Please open door slowly". Somehow, the red and green man reminds me of the two stickmen at the top of my blog.

In case you are wondering, there's a toad/frog inside this shoe. Can you see it?

We had trouble trying to take a photo of it inside the shoe. So in the end we flipped the shoe and gave a strong pat. As expected, the toad/frog jumped out. Here's how it looks like.

Ahh...Christmas...this scene was taken when they were singing "Malam Kudus" (Silent Night). It's a pretty nice scene and atmosphere. I miss Christmas...

After Christmas was over, one of my Dad's friends invited us to dinner. Here's the picture of us and the food.

Right side = my family. Left side = My Dad's friends. The meal was nice and sumptuous.

Ooo...we had coconuts, sop asem (sour soup), sambal kangkong, cumi-cumi goreng (fried squid: this one was actually crispy...interesting), ayam goreng, gado-gado, some other dishes which I can't remember and finally RICE!! Yes, we had rice. No meal is complete without rice.

It's pretty easy to guess where I am. Clue: I am not the one on the table that looks like fried chicken.

This set of photos were taken a few days before we went back to Singapore. It's actually a roadside stall that sells kueh bamboo (bamboo cake) and putu mayang (some edible food that looks like white bihun). While the owner of the stall was making our order, I asked if I could take some photos. He just kept quiet and smiled. I took that as a "yes".

I guess that's all for photos. Looking forward to another trip :D

The Keychain (Part 1)

2008-01-18T20:41:00.000+08:00

She saw him at Lee Wee Nam and a few days later, she saw him at the Cherry Boom Concert. Now she's on her way for something...

Kat: So what are you buying?
???: Well, it's something for him.
Kat: What? That guy?
???: You know which guy?
Kat: Yeah...that guy. The one you talked about where you saw him at the concert.
???: Yeah...that's the guy.
Kat: Well...you are the one buying. So I will just keep quiet.
???: Haha...thanks.

She, accompanied by her friend Kat, went to one shop to get a gift for him. She looked around and finally saw an item. It was a keychain.

???: Would this be appropriate?
Kat: A keychain?
???: I'm afraid he may not understand it.
Kat: You see, if he's meant for you, I am sure he'll be able to understand it.
???: I guess you are right.

She went over the counter and made the purchased.

???: Erm, excuse me, do you have a small box for this?
Salesgirl: Why sure...wait a while.
???: Thanks.
Kat: Does he know that you have something for him?
???: I'm not very sure.
Kat: En, sometimes guys can be clueless at such things. Unless you hold a banner in front of him that screams "I Love You", I'm afraid he may not get it.
En: Haha...he's not like that.
Salesgirl: Here you go.
En: Ah...that's just nice...thanks.

She bought the item and went back.

Back at home, she carefully took out the keychain and looked at it, unsure whether the message will be received by him. Nevertheless, she got some wrapping paper and wrapped the box.

En: I just hope that he understands what I'm trying to say.

Before she closed the box...she remembered something.

En: Maybe I'll write a note. Something that will reveal what I've been keeping.

She wrote the message and kept the keychain and message into the box.

En: I hope that someday, I will be able to pass this to him...

~~~

He was there beside her. She had just obtained the gift back from Kat whom she entrusted the gift to for safekeeping. Both of them had returned from a long walk only to find that the Lee Wee Nam library was closed.

He: I guess there's not much we can do huh?
En: I guess so.

Should she pass to him the box? After all she had walked quite a distance to get the box.

En: As a way of thanks. I have something for you.
He: Huh?
En: Here's something for you...

She took the gift from her bag and gave it to him. As he reached his hands out to receive the gift, she prayed that he would not hear how fast her heart was beating.

He: Thanks. This is quite unexpected.
En: You are welcome.

She wanted to stay on and see his reaction as he opened the box. Would he be happy? Would he be sad? More importantly, would he understand the message behind her gift? She wanted to stay and see.

As he untied the knots and unwrapped the wrapping paper, her heart beat faster and faster. What if he wasn't happy? What if he rejected the gift? It would hurt her a lot. Then she decided that as much as she wanted to see his reaction, her fear of rejection made her leave.

En: I need to go now. Sorry...but I hope you like it.

With that she took her bag and walked off. She dared not turn behind to see. She walked as fast as she could towards the bus stop. Then suddenly, he could hear him call her.

He: En!

Should she stop? No, she should just act as if she didn't hear. After all, if she walked back and he returned the present to her, it would be a sad event. And so, she left and went back home.

At home, she couldn't sleep. Was he happy with the gift? Did he understand the full meaning of it? Would he contact her since her number was in the gift? A lot of questions flowed through her mind...

~~~

It was Thursday night. En was in the bus on the way back home. Why didn't he call the number on the back of the paper? En was afraid that he didn't want to call her. What should she do? She can't do anything but wait. As usual, she ate her dinner and took a bath. After her bath her mother asked her:

En's mum: Why didn't you pick the phone? It was ringing for quite sometime just now.

Could it be him?

En: I didn't know as I was bathing.

En's mum: I see...well in case it rings, just answer it...you never know...it maybe some important...

Then suddenly, the phone rang! En jumped and ran to the phone. She picked it up...

???: Hello?

It was him! She recognized that voice.

???: Hello?
En: Hello?

Finally contact was made and he finally called! En was so happy and wanted to continue talking. However, her mother wanted to test this new guy. After all, she had to protect her daughter from bad guys. And so the "interrogation" began. While her mother talked to him, En sat beside her mum praying that he will say the right things and not offend her.

After a few minutes or so, her mother hung the phone and said:

En's mum: He's a nice boy.

En smiled immediately, knowing that that sentence meant that her mother approved.

En: So what do you think of him?
En's mum: He's polite and nice.
En: Oh yah, why did you say I was busy?
En's mum: Well, it's not that nice to talk so much in the first phone call.
En: Huh?
En's mum: I have a feeling that he will ask you out.
En: Wait...how do you know?
En's mum: Let's just call it "Mum's Instincts". And if he does call you out, remember to take your specs off.
En: But...
En's mum: Yes I know...in the past I always told you to wear your specs as I didn't want boys to come knocking on our door. You look much better without your specs.
En: But what if he laughs at me?
En's mum: Laugh? Well, don't think so much. Just go to sleep.
En: Like I can sleep like that...
En's mum: Haha...I guess this is what you call growing up.

With that mum and daughter talk, En went to her room. She looked at herself in the mirror. She put on her specs and looked...then she took off her specs and looked again. She wasn't sure if he'll like her look without the specs. Then she lay on her bed and thought if he really understood her gift. More importantly, will he ask her out like what her mother said....time will tell...

(To be continued...)

Never Ever Buy This Game

2008-01-15T08:37:00.000+08:00

1. Read the title of this post.
2. Watch the video.
3. Be glad that we don't sell such games.

Sentuh Hatiku (With English Translation)

2008-01-06T08:33:00.000+08:00

In Medan, I got to hear this song when I went to my auntie's house. My brother and I were over at her house with her husband and her. We were talking over how things are when her husband switched to a channel and it showed a sinetron (sinetron is an Indonesian drama) titled "Sentuh Hatiku". The channel was RCTI. It was then that her husband said that it was a Christian show with the theme song "Sentuh Hatiku". I listened to it and it really touched me. It's a nice song.

Below is the lyrics of the song with the unofficial English translation.

Sentuh Hatiku

Betapa kumencintai
How I love
Segala yang t'lah terjadi
All that has happened
Tak pernah sendiri jalani hidup ini
I have never been alone in this walk of life
Selalu menyertai
But always protected

Betapa kumenyadari
How I realised
Di dalam hidupku ini
In my life
Kau slalu memberi rancangan terbaik
You have a wonderful plan
Oleh karena kasih
Because of love

REFF (CHORUS):

Bapa, sentuh hatiku, ubah hidupku
Father, touch my heart, change my life
Menjadi yang baru
To be anew
Bagai emas yang murni
Just like pure gold
Kau membentuk bejana hatiku
You have shaped my heart

Bapa, ajarku mengerti sebuah kasih
Father, teach me to understand a kind of love
Yang selalu memberi
That always gives
Bagai air mengalir
Let it be like a flowing stream of water
Yang tiada pernah berhenti
That never ends

I have found two opening videos for the show "Sentuh Hatiku" from YouTube.

I love this song :)

Last Post Of 2007

2007-12-31T23:47:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a year...this post will be the last post for the year 2007.

I just came back from Medan last Friday. When I reached home it was already quite late. Medan was quite interesting. There, I met some friends and chatted.

One of them (Let's call him Ron) said something interesting. I met him in Church the Sunday before Christmas. I sat next to him in Church while there were some youths in front practicing for some Christmas dance. This was what he said (I will translate all to English).

Ron: Did you see that?
Me: What?
Ron: The sparkle in her eyes. (Sinar mata).
Me: Who?

He nudged his head in the direction of a particular lady.

Me: Her? I didn't realize it. Let me see.

I looked in her direction and she was busy practicing some dance moves.

Ron: So do you see it?

I tried to change the subject.

Me: How about you? Do you see anyone whose eyes sparkle when she looks at you?

I suspect there is one. But he refused to admit it.

Ron: Hey...the lights above are kinda bright ain't it?

Never mind.

Me: How do you know that she has that sparkle?
Ron: Well, I can observe.
Me: What if you are wrong?
Ron: Well, I am hardly wrong.
Me: What if I walk up to her and ask "Hey, according to Ron, he says that you like me." and she says that it isn't so? Won't it be pretty embarrassing?
Ron: Hm...well maybe not 100% right...it's about 80% right.
Me: 80%?
Ron: Well, if you talk to her, I am sure she will like you.

Wha...he's so confident about it.

Me: So why do you say that?
Ron: She's similar to you...quiet...able to mix with people despite their social status.

In case you don't know this girl is considered "high profile" because of her accomplishments. This girl (from what I can see) is pretty quiet. Anyway, we chatted about other things after that.

A few days before I went back to Singapore, there was another Church service. There, my mother said something.

Mum: Why don't you talk to her?

She's referring to the same girl Ron was talking about.

Me: But what should I say?
Mum: Well, just try. Maybe talk about school or something. She's looking over at your direction you know.
Me: Really?

Yup, she's looking at my direction. I guess my friend Ron maybe right. Why maybe? Well, until it's confirm, everything's just speculation.

Anyway, that's about it.

I checked my results for my first semester of my first year over at Medan on the 28th and surprise surprise...I didn't know what to say when I saw my results. Overall, I am quite satisfied with my results.

It's the last day of the year and I wish everyone a happy year ahead :)

Going To Medan

2007-12-21T14:59:00.000+08:00

I am going to Medan today. Be back somewhere end of December.

Happy Holidays.

Merry Christmas :)

Helpline

2007-12-16T21:45:00.000+08:00

Someone suggested this to me and I decided to give a try. What is it? Simple.

All you need to do is write your problem to me. I can't guarantee a good answer but I can try. If you want to remain anonymous that's fine with me. To remain anonymous, just write your problem in the "comment section" without putting your name. If you want to be brave, just email me your problem (my email is at the right bar).

For starters, let's come up with an imaginary letter from someone that reads something like this:

Dear Steph,

I have a problem. My problem is this. I have a cat and dog at home that doesn't seem to get along very well. I have read books on cat/dog training but still they will fight whenever they see each other. Furthermore, I stay in a small HDB flat. So the chance of one meeting the other is actually quite high.

Once I came back from NTU and saw poor Brownie (the name of the cat) injured. Toodles (name of dog) was injured too! I asked my mom and she said that Brownie and Toodles had fought while I was in NTU. I can't help but cry when I see both my darlings hurt.

What should I do?

Guardian of Brownie and Toodles.

Okay the above is just an example okay. I may not know much about cats and dogs. All I know is that they fight. But sometimes there are some pairs that just seem to get along well.

What would my reply to this letter be? Hm...let me see...a rough (I emphasize ROUGH) reply would be this:

Dear Guardian of Brownie and Toodles,

First of all, I must say that it's a commendable feat to have a pet cat and dog at the same time. It's not easy but hey, if you love both animals I guess it will be fine.

Maybe you can try this. Allow both animals to spend more time together. Like bringing both animals out to the park at the same time (I know that people walk the dog...but walk the cat? That would be something new). You see if Brownie sees Toodles and vice versa, they will be familiar to each other and not treat the other as an enemy.

Another way would be to place their sleeping place in an area. Then decrease the area slowly until they are just next to each other. Let's say you place Brownie at one corner of the room and Toodles at the other end. After one week, decrease the distance between both sleeping places by a certain distance (this distance will be the maximum distance between Brownie and Toodles without them fighting). Repeat this until they are just beside each other...aww...ain't that cute.

Well, I am not animal expert but the above are two points that you can try out.

By the way...Toodles just sounds...weird. However, that's just my opinion :)

Regards,
Steph

The above is just a rough reply.

So I hope you get the idea. I don't know why my friend suggested this idea of me being "Aunt Agony" but hey...why don't give it a try?

Remember, you can tell your problem via the comments or to my email.

Oh yah, if your problem is fictitious, it's fine with me too.

I wonder who will be the first...and what will the problem be...hm...(that is IF anyone wants to write to me that is...lol.)

Christmas & STARS & Other Misc Stuff

2007-12-14T23:24:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since my last post. Let's see what I have to say...

1. Christmas gifts.

Yup it's that time of the year again where I need to shop for gifts for my friends in Medan. Sadly, I won't be going there as I am busy with my Uni stuff...like choosing which modules to take. Yes...yes...STARS Planner can take up a lot of your time. Actually, I have other stuff to do other than planning for my timetable for my next semester.

However, I still get to taste Medan food! For example, I got to eat Mee Tiong Sim! In case you don't know. Mee Tiong Sim is kinda like wantan mee. However, the noodle used is very different. The best part of it is the wantan. It's nice man! Too bad I didn't take a picture of it.

2. Choosing a UE and GE for next semester.

Yes. This took quite sometime. I have been wondering. Would you take an elective that is easy so that it will pull-up your GPA (eg. BASIC1001: How To Kill A Mosquito)? Or would you take an elective that you like even though it is challenging (eg. SCIENCE1001: Nanosystems In Modern Humanistic Societal Platforms)? Please feel free to input your views on my tagboard over on the left.

After talking to a few people and listening to what they have to say. I have grouped all of their suggestions into 2 groups.

The first group says that you should take an elective that is easy. The reason given was simple. If it's easy, then it would be able to help increase your GPA. However, if it's easy, scoring would be difficult as more people would get an A.

The second group says that you should take an elective that you are interested in. Why? If you are interested in the subject, you would put in the effort to study it. Sounds logical doesn't it? But what if you take an elective that you like let's say..."ART1001: Sewing and Knitting for the Modern Man"?

Let's say Tom like to sew and decides to take ART1001 because he's very interested in sewing. When he enters the tutorial group he realized that there are other students who are much more professional in the subject then him. They sew better and some can even sew with their eyes closed! This automatically places him at a disadvantage, even though he is interested in the subject.

Another example. Let's say Jane, a Humans student is interested in "ENG3.142: Engineering Sciences For The Modern Citizen". She takes the module and realizes that there are a lot of Engineering students in that module! What a shocker that is to her! Without knowing it, she is already disadvantaged because Engineering students definitely have an upper hand in an engineering elective.

Looking at Tom and Jane, it's quite disheartening to see two students who choose an elective because of interest only to find themselves disadvantaged. Sad right?

That's why they implemented the SU option! If you like an elective and after a few weeks, you realized that it's difficult you can just SU it. Of course you still need to pass lest an ugly "U" appear in your degree.

I heard from somewhere that the other university allows students to SU a subject after knowing their result. However, the university I am in does not allow students to SU a subject after their results are known. NTU students have to decided whether to SU their subjects before the final examination. Good? Bad? Well you decide.

So what did I do? I choose an elective that I am interested in. At first I choose one elective (I am not going to say which one it is. Let's call it A). It was easy. Exams are only in MCQ! Oh how we all love MCQ. We have been doing MCQ questions from pre-school and all the y way to (can you believe it?) University!

The field the elective touches on was a familiar field to me. So I took it. However, after some advice from the people around I decided to choose another elective. Why? Because elective A was kinda simple with no real applications to my course. So despite the fact that it's simple (and easier to score), I switched it with another one that sounds difficult but has a practical aspect to it. I pray that I made the right decision. By the way, elective A is pretty famous in the STARS Planner. It has over 1200+ people on the wait list.

3. Another story.

I remember at this point of time last year, I wrote a pretty lengthy story. The title was "The Value Of Honesty In A Relationship". Should I write another one? Maybe with the theme of Christmas?

So why not write another story? Hm...I am a bit hesitant as all stories have the same plot. Boy and Girl meet. Some problem surfaces. Boy and Girl get back together. So it's pretty boring. I tried an experiment in the story "She Likes Me?" by placing myself in the story itself. Haha...that drew quite a response. Hm...maybe I should try something new...

Or maybe I should just read my textbook...lol.

4. Comments on the tagboard.

At times, I receive comments from anonymous readers. Interesting.

Sometimes. I wonder who they are behind those words. Is he/she someone I know? Is he/she from NTU? Does he/she talk crap like me?

Of course the fact that they name themselves as "Anonymous" with the big "A" means that they don't want me to know who they are. Fair enough. But sometimes I just wonder...do I know them...hm...

5. Blog renovation.

Should I renovate my blog? Those two stick men at the top have been standing there for ages with the same pose. I myself won't be able to do that. Maybe I should renovate...but the thing is that it takes time.

I remember how much time I spent just to come up with the current skin and MAKING SURE that it's browser compatible. You know Firefox and IE have some compatibility issues that you need to look out for when coming out with a blogskin. The html and css coding...wah...it really took a lot of time.

That's quite a lot of stuff. I guess I should stop now.
Enjoy your Christmas holidays :)

The Perfect Partner (In My Opinion That Is)

2007-12-04T16:54:00.000+08:00

I was tagged by Denise on this tag. After looking through it several times and making changes here and there...I finally finished it. Here it is.

8 Points In My Perfect Partner

1. She must be a true Christian.

Christianity is a very important part in my life. I was born into a Christian family and I plan to have a Christian family of my own.

If she's of a different religion, then there will be awkward times. For example, when I say grace and she just looks at me…it's weird right?

On Sundays, I would go to Church and my partner should go with me also. She should follow me not because she wants to please me but because she believes in Jesus Christ herself.

What do I mean by "true". Simple. She must have the life of Christ in her.

2. She must come from a good family.

How do you define "good"?

"Good" means that she's from a family that has values. Values like respect for elders, discipline, responsible...etc.

I believe this is important as a person is shaped by his/her environment. One such environment is the family. The individual grows up in a family that has certain values. When the individual becomes an adult, some of the family habits and values (be it good or bad) will definitely rub-on to him/her.

If she has bad habits and values then it will be pretty hard getting along with her. For example, maybe she thinks that drinking and clubbing is fine. However, I don't like those activities. Of course to her those activities may not be "bad" but to me it is. With such conflicts it's pretty hard to maintain the relationship.

If she has good habits and values then it's easier for me to get along with her. For example, she feels that no matter how tired one maybe, if you see someone in need you should offer your seat to him/her. To me this is a good value. So it will be easy to get along with her.

3. Both our families must consent to our relationship.

They say that you don't just marry the man/lady but his/his family also. I feel that this is very true. When you marry someone, your in-laws and parents must be able to get along, else there may be some friction in the future.

For example, during Chinese New Year when we visit our extended families, you won't want a situation where there's this uneasiness between you and your in-laws or your spouse and his/her in-laws. It will be good if everyone can just sit around the table and eat happily.

4. She must love me and accept me for who I am.

This I feel is important. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone who doesn't love me. It's kinda sad. If there is no love, then there is no point in the relationship.

She must be able to accept me for who I am - both my strengths and weaknesses.

I am not perfect. I am not able to run the full Standard Chartered Marathon nor am I able to write with both my left and right hands simultaneously.

However, I have some strengths that I shall boast off. I am able to multi-task. Let me give an example.

I am able to chat simultaneously with 2 or more people on MSN, do my tutorial, listen to online lectures, compile a simple C++ program, watch Channel News Asia, have my dinner and finally...sit on a chair. Impressive huh?

5. She must be able to communicate with me.

Communication is very important. That's what I learn in HW110 Effective Communication. Actually I knew that before attending HW110.

Anyway, communication is important. If she says something and I don't understand. She’s just talking to herself. How sad that is. If I say something and she doesn't understand then I am talking to myself.

If we don’t understand each other, then we won’t be able to get to know the other person better. If this is the case, how is it possible to commit to the other person?

That’s why communication is important.

6. She must be able to complement me.

Complement according to Dictionary.com is "something that completes or makes perfect".

They say that behind every successful man is a woman. I agree.

She must be able to complement me such that there’s this synergy in the things we do. Sounds kinda abstract. Let me give an example.

Let’s say we need to come up with a video presentation on needy children. Let’s say I am in-charge of the video presentation. If I do it by myself I can only come up with...let’s say a B-standard presentation. However if I do it with her, we are able to come up with an A-standard presentation. In this example, there’s a form of synergy and teamwork between us.

This is important as if we end up getting married, having a family requires a lot of teamwork (between me and her that is) and synergy. One goes to work while the other takes care of the children. If I were to do it by myself alone, I doubt it will be manageable. If she does it herself, I doubt she can manage. However, because we have each other, no matter how hard the situation maybe, I can always look to her for support and vice-versa.

7. She need not come from a rich family.

In some places, there are some guys who marry rich girls. However, I wonder how many of them marry because of love. Sometimes they do it because of the money. Maybe the man comes from a poor family and marries the girl so he could support his parents. I don’t know. It’s just a guess.

Personally, I feel that if she’s rich or poor it doesn’t matter. What’s important is whether she loves me and whether I love her. It’s pointless to have a lot of money but you end up in a cold relationship. It’s pretty sad.

If she comes from a poor family, then it’s fine with me. I can work and support her.

If she comes from a rich family, then I will see if there’s love in the equation or just money. If money is a big factor in the relationship, then it’s pretty hard to continue.

8. Looks.

They say that pretty girls have a higher chance of getting married than not-so-pretty girls. That’s what they say.

I know of a married couple. The wife belongs to the latter in the above sentence. However, she has a heart of gold. She’s very supportive of her husband and makes a very good housewife. Is her husband happy? Definitely!

We marry someone not to show him/her to the world but to enjoy our lives with him/her.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So my perception of beauty may be different than yours. She just needs to be “beautiful” in my sight and I will be happy.

Looking at the list above, I must say that it’s pretty lengthy.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but I used a lot of “must” in the list. Why “must”? Because I believe that marriage is for life so I can’t afford to make a mistake in it. If a girl is not suitable, I rather stay single than suffer. However, if she’s suitable, then when I marry her, I can be assured that I have made the right choice and look forward to a life with her.

Of course one important thing that I must mention is this: I believe that in the right time and in the right place, the Lord will show me who this lady is. On that day, I will be content and happy to meet the person who is able to complete my life.

Best Speed Bump Ever

2007-11-28T08:30:00.000+08:00

Found this video early in the morning (is 8.30am early?) and I thought it was quite interesting. Watch what happens to cars that encounter such speed bumps.

After watching the video, I came to a few conclusions.

1. The guy in the video makes a good show host.

2. The trajectory of the car in the video seems to be made up. The amount of time spent by the car in the air seems too long.

3. Speeding kills.

Exams Are Over!!!

2007-11-26T23:39:00.000+08:00

Finally...my exams for this semester is over. Anyway, I have two tags to do. One from Andreana and the other from Denise. I will do Andreana's first since she tagged me before Denise did. Another reason is that Denise's tag requires more thinking...so can't do it within a short time :)

Okay...here goes...

7 Truths About Me

1. I have a blog.

Yes...the truth is out there and guess what...it's here. I write a blog. Done.

2. I have a blog called Steph's Blog.

Yes. The answer to this second part is True and not False. Pretty simple True or False question. Sadly it didn't come out in my CA.

3. I am a guy.

Strange it may be, some people think that I am a girl! How sad that is. Do you know what this means? It means that some girls may think that I am a girl too! Lol...that's why I wrote in the "About Me" section that I am a guy. Some people don't read that part I guess.

4. I may look serious, but seriously I do talk crap sometimes.

I have friends who can testify to this.

5. I am single.

As sad as it is, I am single.

6. I am a student.

Yes, I am studying.

7. I study in NTU.

Yes, I study in the MIT of the East.

Looking back at my list, I feel that somehow, it's kinda crappy...lol. Well, I guess that's what happens when you try to rush a tag. Need to sleep liao. Bye.

Girls And Their Personalities

2007-11-04T23:08:00.000+08:00

Recently I read Theresia's blog and found a very interesting point of view from her. In her post, she states that there are a few guys that girls would like. They are:

01. The gentleman
02. The cool guy
03. The bad guy
04. The romantic guy
05. The muscular guy
06. The so-called know-everything guy
07. The arrogant guy
08. The musical guy
09. The good-looking guy
10. The X-factor guy

Personally, all these guys don't suit me (duh!).

Anyway from my experience of 21 years on Earth, I have seen and observed certain patterns displayed in girls. They are:

(Note: Conversations used in each type are purely fictional. They didn't actually happen.)

1. The hyper-active girl

She's the type who will laugh and squeal over the tiniest event.

Me: Hey, is that your friend over there?
Girl: Whooo!!! You are right man!

She goes over to her friend (who also happens to be type 1) and they both scream and squeal over the momentous occasion which was nothing more than bumping into each other while walking to lectures. Life will never be boring (or quiet) with them around.

2. The super silent girl

These girls are very silent. It's hard to get to know them because of their silent-ness.

Me: Hi. My name is Stephen and I am in this tutorial class.
Girl: ...
Me: ...
Girl: ...
Me: ...
Girl: ...
Me: ...
Girl: ...
Me: I think I am in the wrong class sorry.

However, I guess if you get to know them, they won't be that quiet anymore.

3. The tomboy girl

From one look, you'll think that she's a he. But hey! You are wrong! She's a she after all.

I don't know why certain girls like to dress up in a tomboyish way. Some even go to the extent of cutting short hair and if you look at them from the back, you won't suspect that she's a girl!

Once, I had a student from a girl's school. Apparently, there are girls who liked my student (my student's a girl too). My student looks kinda boy-ish but her actions and behavior were that of a girl. I asked her a question...

Me: Why do you dress so boy-ishly?
Student: So that guys won't find me attractive.
Me: Huh? Why?
Student: I am still studying now and I want to concentrate in my studies.
Me: Oh okay...then how about those girls who like you in your school.
Student: Well, I just tell them I am not interested.

Interesting...but I wonder how many tomboy-ish girls have the same reason.

4. The conservative girl

I've seen a lot of this while growing up. However, now I seldom see them anymore. Maybe it's because as they grow up they become influenced by society and hence become "open-minded"? I don't know.

Normally, they wear simple clothes that doesn't attract much attention.

However, sometimes you will meet up with the super-conservative girl. It's interesting to see what happens.

Me: Hey! This place is nice. Want to take a photo with me?
Girl: Er...sorry but I can't.
Me: Huh?
Girl: Well, you are just a friend and so I can't take a photo with you. I can only take a photo with the guy who will...
Me: By the way...do you know the numerical value of root 2?

Okay...I guess it's nothing wrong with that. I mean if my girlfriend tells me that I am the first guy to take a photo with her I won't like -_- or do something similar. Actually I will feel honored. However, that's just me. Moderate amounts of conservatism is healthy :)

5. The girl who does not wear enough

If you walk around Orchard Road or sometimes in NTU, you can meet some girls who wear clothes that seem to have parabolic curves cut out from it. Hole here and hole there.

Surprisingly, these girls can withstand the fierce snowstorm in lecture theaters. I myself need a windbreaker to keep myself warm and there in front of me was a girl who stood fearlessly with pieces of cloth and still unscathed by the icy cold atmosphere.

Seriously...I don't know why they want to wear such an outfit. Once I heard an advice from someone (actually it's me lah). Let's say a girl wears revealing clothes for the purpose of getting a guy to like her. Then one fine day true enough, she got a boyfriend. But...if they boyfriend approached her just because she wears revealing clothes...then it's sad isn't it? I mean, the guy is just only interested in her because of what she wears and not because of who she is.

This is just my point of view on the 5th type. Maybe there's a higher-order reason why girls wear revealing clothes that my mind could not comprehend. The truth is out there...(or is it even there in the first place?).

Okay done...I guess 5 is enough for now. I can't think of anymore. Maybe after the exams I will expand the list.

Disclaimer: This post only contains my point of view. The contents of this post should not come out for your Final Exam.

However, in the event that a question like "Based on Theresia's Theories On Guys what is the 7th type?" or "What does Stephen wear when he feels cold" comes out for your exam, please don't find me. I didn't set the exam paper.

With that I wish everyone all the best for their exams :D

How Come I Always See Him When I See You?

2007-11-02T07:51:00.000+08:00

It happened yesterday. I had Life Science lecture. So I went to school early to print the lecture notes. I walked over to Lee Wee Nam and saw that there were some unused computers below. So I went down.

I walked to one computer second from the edge. I placed my bag down and log-in. Waited for awhile...

Done. Next I opened Internet Explorer and went to edventure. I clicked on the Life Science subject.

Then I heard a familiar voice...I didn't turn my head to see who it was as I was busy looking at my notes. They talked in Chinese but I'll just translate them to English. Apparently, the girl (whom I recognize) was talking to the guy beside me!

Girl: Hello!
Guy: Hi!
Girl: Printing notes is it?
Guy: Yah...by the way...
Girl: ???
Guy: How come I always see him when I see you?

Lol...I didn't know what to say. What he said was true. Last Thursday, when I went to school early, I bumped into her while walking to LWN. After printing my notes, as I walked out, I bumped into her again. Today, I bumped into her again. So I guess, it wasn't surprising that the guy would ask the girl this question.

Girl: Where got?

Lol...what an answer. I tried to print my notes, but ALAS! There wasn't any printer connected to this computer. So I log-off and went to another computer. I was afraid that by doing so, the girl and guy may think that I was offended by that question and walked away. Aiya...the reason I walked away was because there wasn't any printer connected to the computer.

I went to another computer and printed the lecture notes. I went to the photocopying shop and ALAMAK! It was one slide per page! Shucks! I wasted $$$. Normally, I would have printed 2 slides per page and double-sided. I guess I was distracted by that comment. Never mind.

After printing, I walked out. I saw her again! Lol...I don't know what to say. I went to lecture.

After the lecture, I went to Lib 2 with my friend. We looked through some books. After that, we decided to go to Canteen B and have our lunch before Maths lecture. So we went there as I walked down the stairs, I saw her. She walked up the stairs. I didn't know whether she did look at me as I didn't look at her (I was busy trying to watch my footing so that I won't fall down the staircase). So she walked past me. It was super drama loh!

I don't know what all these means. What makes the whole thing more interesting is that this girl was the one who I suspect may have some interests in *ahem*.

Okay let me stray away from this topic now...

After maths lecture, I went to LWN with one Indonesian friend to study. While we studied, he mentioned something very meaningful. He mentioned that he's in some CCA that does Voluntary Work. In his CCA, he helps the blind people by giving them tuition. He told me that he was impressed by their determination to study despite their handicap. It wasn't easy for the blind to study, but still they studied. Inspiring isn't it?

It's a sad world, but if you are an employer, would you employ a healthy or a handicap person? The truth sometimes can be unkind, but despite that, these blind people still choose to study.

I was touched by this short piece of testimony from my friend. After knowing this, I will feel guilty if I don't study when I can see.

Exams are coming and I hope that this story will help all of us to be inspired to study hard. If the blind can study, what excuse do we, who can see, have?

All the best for your exams :D

Mau Kenalan Gak?

2007-10-31T17:05:00.000+08:00

** Updated on 01 November 07 **

Something happened yesterday but I didn't blogged about it as I was busy preparing for today's Physics CA 2. The test is over and now I can write what happened yesterday.

I was with my friend (Let's call him Van) from Effective Communication eating at the canteen below LWN. He's from Jakarta, Indonesia. We were eating half-way when suddenly he waved to someone behind me. I didn't bother to turn around and look as after all, it's his friends. So after waving, he said something.

Van: Hey. Did you know that they are from Medan like you?

When I heard this, I turned around as I wanted to see who his friends were. It's nice to meet people from the place where I grew up in.

Me: Where?
Van: There! Those three girls over there.

Girls?!?! Did he just say girls? Is he trying to hint something?

Van: One of them is attached already.

I was thinking why would he tell me that.

Me: So how did you meet them?

And so we talked about the 3 girls. I looked at them but couldn't see their face as their backs were facing me. They were over at the Malay stall buying something.

Van: So do you want to get to know them?

Lol...what is this? Matchmaking?

Me: Haha...why would you say that?Van: Don't worry...they are very nice people.

Lol...

Then I saw that they finally bought their food and walked over to my side. My back faced them so they couldn't see me. Van, who was sitting in front of me saw them and waved at them! Oh no! He's really going to intro me...better do something fast.

Van: Makan di mana? (Where are you guys eating?)
One Girl: Di situ. (There.)
Van: Oh oke. (Okay)

Phew! He was just asking a simple question. The 3 girls walked past me. I didn't get to see them and I don't think they saw me. Even if they did, they would only see my back at most. Then suddenly...

Van: Oei! Mau kenalan gak? (Oei! Do you want to get to know someone?)

I almost choked on my food. What on earth was he thinking? I don't know how many of the girls heard him shout. Sheesh...it made me sound so despo.

Van: Dia besarnya di Medan juga. Habis itu datang ke Singapore untuk study. (He grew up in Medan too. After that he came over to Singapore to study.)
Girl: Oh gitu yah. (Oh I see.)

Shucks. Now I have to say something...I hope there wasn't any rice or sauce over at my mouth else, it will be a very bad first impression. I just wrote a 7-part story on some girl from Medan and now something similar happened. Sheesh.

I turned around and I saw her...

Yup...she does look like someone from Medan. Anyway, I better say something.

Me: Dari mana?
Girl: Medan.
Me: Oh...which part?
Girl: Er...yah Medan.
Me: As in...Medan mana?
Girl: Medan...yah Medan kan?

Lol...this is going nowhere. I rephrased my question.

Me: Jalan mana?
Girl: Oh...Jalan ABC.

She told me the name but I can't remember. She was standing behind holding her plate of rice and it's not very nice if I dragged the conversation any further. Then I smiled and she left. After she left, I continued to eat.

This incident made me think about the story I wrote (the posts before this). It's really a coincidence. Then suddenly I realized something...could her name be...

Me: Hey...do you know her name?
Van: Oh you mean the girl you talked to just now?
Me: Yah...
Van: Well...her name is...

I was listening...could her name be exactly the same as the lady in the story?

Van: Vindy.

I see...so that's how it was.

(Note to Vindy: It was nice meeting another person from Medan :) )
(Note to Van: Lol...you almost made me choke on my rice!!!)