Past and Future - Shit and More Shit

Have been thinking about my past and my future. I found out one common trend which is very obvious.

During my secondary school years, I was a quartermaster for the band. This post means that i need to clear whatever shit the band leaves behind including repair instrument, do stocktake with teacher-in-charge etc etc. Anything that goes wrong means going into the firing squad and being F***ed big time by instructor (which is very common. Frequency like say 1 every 2 lessons?). Clearing shit..

I managed to escape such treatment of shitty business in my poly because I just refuse to join CCA. Even band. Just too slack la. hahaa

Army. Got into combat engineers(notice my life revolves round engineer?). This time is a big time shit vocation. Building bridge for others and help them clear mines. BAH... and being a specialist for this vocation means MORE MORE SHIT. Preparing for stores and stuff. Anytime you will receive unexpected 'arrows' asking you to do this and that. Clear shit again.

Now that I have reached university, I am doing Environmental Engineering. Guess what? I am doing calculations to clear other people's SHIT from the wastewater. Things like BOD removal, organics blah blah. And I think(if i am lucky enough) I will be in that line after I graduate.
Clear shit again, again.

Now notice that my life not only revolves around engineering but also SHIT. I think next time when I leave this world, people will start saying 'he leads a shitty life'. HaHa. Very funny. But I love this job.

I really liked this song for its music. Haha I thought I can share haha.. Michael Buble's sway. Pussycat Dolls also sang this with a cha cha feel and many dancers use it as their song for the ballroom dancing. Behold..

Round up of Week #2 of examination.

Mon - EN4556 Membrane Technology
Wed - CV4202 Human Resource Management and Entreprenuership
Thurs - EN4559 Biotechnology In Environmental Engineering

Like last sem I was EXTREMELY (I repeat EXTREMELY!!!) careless during my preparation and during my examination. What can I say about myself other than a failure. Sigh... I missed a very good chance to get a good result for the monday paper. What our prof set for our paper was sooooo easy. Sigh. I will never forgive myself for that hai. I spent so much time prepare for membrane and i even can memorise what he said about the whole course sigh. However, the first part of the course wasn't that easy though but it's still 'doable' WTF. I missed a good chance to get good results for my final 2nd sem DUH!!! I'm praying hard that the prof is lenient with his marking.

As I said in the previous post, HRM is also a killer. Basically, we have to memorise each and every topic from the front to the back. As usual, I didn't manage to finish and what I can remember about it is minimal. It's my usual practice to look at the past year paper (PYP) a day before the paper itself to let my mind run through what's going on. The PYP succeeded in making my morale go rock bottom. What they asked in the paper was specifically what is in the notes (i.e word for word from the notes) ARRGHH!! UNPREPARED! Lucky for me, the paper was totally different from the PYP. Even if i managed to devour all the notes i see, it's impossible to do the paper at all. It's more on application of what we have learnt and we have to understand what he has said during the course and write everything in YOUR OWN WORDS. This is where the SMOKING comes in.. but i think i will do badly for this one as there are a few WHOLE questions that require things that we really memorise.. I simply hate memorising word for word..

Biotechnology, the subject I learnt to love in this sem. The prof really went all out to claim our head. OWNING!! The paper really took us by surprise. I spent almost a 2 weeks preparing this subject and what happened in the end? I dont know how to do the paper.. I dont even know what some of the questions they were asking.. *faint* but some questions were really interesting though - Problem solving questions whereby we have to use what we have learnt as our weapons to solve they problem that are given to us. For example, there is a leak in gasoline tank into the soil, given the properties of the chemicals, they ask you to tell them how are we going to get rid of the chemicals using bacteria. This type of question has no right or wrong ans to it is how you use what you have learnt during the course and apply it and how you going to support the answer, you can try smoke through with how you understand about the method.

The biotechnology course of this sem can be easily compared to microbiology in yr 2, the course in yr is just the lecturer rattle on from the slide (more of memorising from what he had prepared in the notes without making us understand) blah blah blah. Eventually, i started to dread the course of microbiology because of the hardcore memorising part. When I took this course I was a little half hearted as the bad memory from yr 2 really puts me off. But something really made me stay but dont know what was it. Maybe it's my friend who's teaching one small part of it and to peng chang that's why i took.

However, my perception of biotechnology changed after i took this course as the lecturer made every effort to explain the uses and why certain process require certain methods instead of others. He even took time to understand our problems and find out where our weaknesses was. (*whispers* our biggest problem is that our foundation is not there at all from the start). He even entertained me for asking some very very very basic questions like 'WHAT IS BOD?' ( BOD is actually biological oxygen demand, it is our rice bowl in the future) and some questions like how to use bacteria to biodegrade uranium radiation (*NOTE: uranium is already an ELEMENT, no bacteria on earth can degrade that as it cannot be degraded further). He also spent 1/2 - 1 hr after lect to explain to us any queries. I think I have learnt quite a lot for this subject even though I predict I wont score good for it. Happy with a B or a C. and no regrets taking this up.

Next week, EN4554 Air pollution control and CV4000 Engineer and Society.

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Sometimes I hope to tell this person how much I like her.. sigh seems that this hope is almost impossible already..

Now i know my biggest nemesis is not DNAs and stuff..

It's HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT!!!! It's driving me nuts. I was partly to be blamed also la, leaving it to the very last minute to study.. Sigh been concentrating on biotech too much... I also experienced the phenomenon of 'back diffusion' which means the more i study, the more i forget sigh... Don't know will pass or not this time. Just read the PYP and DAMN! it's a lot of memory work.. DIE LA!!!!

It's going to be a sleepless night......

Just a quick update on the final week of school.

The final week ended with 2 quizzes in 2 days. Were a couple of easy quizzes to me as the lecturer didn't do any stunt and posted questions similar to the tutorial questions. We did put in effort in preparing for those quizzes though. Now that exams are coming, the second half of these modules should not be a problem.

Met up with an old friend of mine,Jervis, at Wala Wala on friday also. He just came back from the US and will be going back soon. That's why I think I should meet and catch up with him even though it's examination period.

The meeting was good as we chatted about the recent happenings. Apparently, he's going ROM at the end of the year, which means of the 4 who went birmingham, 2 are married, 1 attached and one single and that's yours truly. haha. Anyway, I don't know why for some reason, Jervis seems to know what I my plans will be and why without me telling him. Is it that I am too predictable these days? Moreover, I've been pressed by him on why I am still single? duh.. The usual sort of questions I encounter day in and day out.

That ends the final week of school. With a good meeting with an old old friend...

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Here comes the first paper, Professional Communications, we're the last batch taking this paper for exam (Argh!), like Technical Communications which I was the final batch taking as exam also. Why do I always get this type of 'Kang Tao' one? Duh.. If i were to take the Prof Comm next sem, i wont have to take the exam!!! But I thinkthe course work will be much heavier compared to this sem but in a way it's good (I hope).

Enough of complaining, the paper was rather easy as it's open book and applications. However, I think i did differently from the majority for the last few questions so I think I'd be happy with a B.

As for the rest of the papers, I am working on it hahah.. Just hope that I manage really escape D this time round.

*P.S. The Yr 4s have officially had their last day in school, they did it with a little celebration and tribute haha.. but well really nice to have classes with them though. Totally enjoyed yr 4 now. I know people may think I am insane haha..

Ok.. This is a very very very VERY old song but it's very nice.. So much better than some of the songs now.. It's tune is simple but catchy and it's lyrics is good too. Too bad Karen Carpenter(the singer) passed away before I was born hai..

Was read about a story from a newspaper(or is it a newspaper?) last week. I nearly died laughing at the article, not because of the content but the way they put it. The person who asked me to read it was fuming mad about the article. The article was ok and what made it so 'special' is they way they put the 'negative side' of the situation. One thing is that the 'negative side' came out of the blue AND it's totally redundant. Have to ask the authors what message are they trying to send to the public, conflict within an organization? It's an article to celebrate the success of an event la... Another point is that it's making a comparison with no solid evidence and the comparison really has no depth in it. So why put it in? And the the 2 things they compared are 2 totally independent things. I think if the other party knows what the authors did they'll blow. haha..

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Exams starting soon lo.... After this semester, I got 1 more sem before I can officially say that I am in graduating mood hahah.. 2 more sems to graduation. Anyway, next sem I will only have 3 subjects to clear and if I am lucky only 1 examination WOHOO!!! However, I will be busy with my project after the exams sigh... Hopefully can fight for an A and learn as much from my supervisor and the PhD student...

Think the first 5-10 years of my graduation will be working and gaining experience. From there, I think I will see what I am going to do next. I had plans for setting up my own company but I need to build my network and survey the market before committing first. As I always say, future is unknown but we have to work and see what's next.

I may end up teaching also haha.. but looking at my presentation skills I think i will have difficulty presenting my lectures or class. haha.. I will most probably fumble in front of my students.

week 10 and 11 passed like the speed of light. When I was busying with my biotech quiz and took to the quiz on friday ZOOM, it's the eve of week 12 already.

Week 10 is one of the busiest week in my academic life with 2 presentations and a quiz. The best part of the week is that on the days that I don't have presentations or quiz, I have to stay in my lab till wee hrs in the morning. DAMN! I dont even have time to prepare my presentation on thursday and needless to say my friday's quiz on Human Resource. The Monday's presentation was not bad at least I improved a bit but I don't know why, I just got more and more nervouse as I go on talking about my topic.

The presentation on Thursday was a total disaster as there wasn't much information on the topic which we were talking about - Banning of Sand Import from Indonesia. I wasn't totally prepared for the presentation so most of the things i just did it on an impromtu basis and I fumbled la.

Quiz on Friday. Hmm The quiz ended up with a mass copying session as there were so many people at the LT that it was impossible not to look at each other's answer but it was a rather easy paper actually kind of common sense in a way la so not much of a problem for me.

The break came on Saturday as i managed to fork out some time to meet up with Mich and RS for KTV session and dinner and gossiping was unavoidable with my 2 'sisters' (Just Shitting about school, about the good old days where we used to fight and quarrel over projects in my poly days).

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The week of 11 was just spent on reading my biotech notes and trying to analyse what the prof was talking about all these 11 weeks. I am now kind of interested in biotechnology (something that the interest died in yr 2 when I was taught by the other guy). Basically, caijie and I was bombarding questions to the lecturer about the biotechnology that is currently being practised in environmental engineering. Well, I did embarrass myself by asking some of the most fundamental questions and stupid questions that I was supposed to know. From there, i realised how shallow my foundation for biotechnology knowledge was...Sigh. But at least i've learnt something valuable that might help in the future and clarified all my doubts. The lecturer is nice too.

Just came back from The Phantom of The Opera show at the Esplanade. The whole thing was like WOAH!! The props was elaborate, the singers were damn good especially the Phantom.

The Phantom here was soooooo much better than the one in the movie, the movie version's voice just dont sink into people's mind sigh.. In all the movie was the disappointment. However, the theatre one was really good and it's worth every cent that we paid for. I suddenly realised that one of the toughest job in terms of acting/singing etc. scene is being in a musical - you have to be good in singing, dancing and acting to be in there basically an all rounder I suppose.

Met some new friends at the Esplanade who're the friends of my long time friend. They stunned me in a way haha. They told me that this was their first time to a musical. It was their reply to my question that stuns me.

Me: ' So what makes you come and watch this?'
Them: 'Oh, I never tried watching a musical before, so i decided to tag along and try. You dont try you dont know. Once you try then you'll know whether you like or not.'

I was thinking to myself woah, haha but the ticket a bit expensive lei. However, I kind of admire this type of attitude from people. Really..

Another thing that i was impressed was the customer service of The Line at Shangri-La. Was having dinner with my family at The Line as my sis for some reason got a 100 bucks voucher haha.

While I was there i noticed the service crew was really helpful in a sense a lady had her hands filled as she has to carry her child on one hand and hold a plate on another and this waiter came and offered to help and carry her plate to her seat. Ok. This is a simple gesture which anybody can do and what's more they should help as they are paid to do so. Furthermore, Shangri-La is a world class hotel and service must be there. HOWEVER, these are some gestures that need to be appreciated. At least to me la! It always makes me feel good in a way to see those haha.

Today, I had a high influx of SMSes asking me about subjects in yr 4. Some classic ones are 'What are the subjects that are easy to get A?' I nearly fainted on the street when i saw that one there. I am not against anybody here.. but I think I have a reputation of taking tough subjects lei. For example, German language where people would avoid like a plague unless they are really interested in it. Biotechnology, which is giving headache to almost everybody in class. And next in line would be using computer to sort out DNA sequences and some biotechnology shit.

Ok! to be fair, the subjects i just mentioned, I either got a pathetic C+ or I failed the quiz. But what i meant is that difficulty of subjects is subjective la and i get my joy not from getting As but what i have learnt at the end of the day la (Noble hor?! but aiya I remembered i said i came to get As when i started off in uni but i kind of give that up during my second sem). And to think there is one Major Elective that most of my batch of students dropped because it was too tough and i ended up alone with all the yr 4s. But I scored a B for that sub and i gained a lot from there also thanks to its tough project.

I dont even know what to say about which subjects to take.

Became subject counsellor and information hub for the day.

For more information about Yr 4 PEs please dial 9*******

BA!!!

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Can't help but to think about this girl la..

In Trouble liao lo...