Half-burnt out

I suddenly feel really tired.

Come to think of it, I seem to be always rushing, at least for the past month or so. When you're so busy, you don't tend to feel the fatigue but when you finally manage to settle down, the tiredness kicks in and you start to feel the after-effects.

I've lessons 4-5 times a week, and my weekends are always spent catching up with the other aspects of my life - Meeting up with friends, football, supper, family days.
Even sleep is a scarcity on weekends.

I try to get as much sleep as possible, but I always end up waking up while I'm still so tired. And then everything just repeats in a cycle...

Yearning for a overseas holiday, or at least, a welcome getaway...

My reply

But for every billionaire who does not have a degree, I am sure there is another who has one.

I’m getting a degree not just for the paper though; it is more for self actualization and enrichment.

And since I’m still young, I have nothing much to lose. So, I will complete my degree.

Talking about that, do you regret getting your degree then? :)


I don’t think you need 6mln to be happy; the process of how you go about living your life out is probably worth much more than that.

Even though I’m not rich now and likely wouldn’t be that rich in the future, happiness really depends on every individual’s definition and experience.

---------

The many comments left by you guys sure left me with lots to chuckle about. Haha.
Well, my reply would be phrased in another manner if I have had no reservations about tomorrow.

Still, it was encouraging and interesting to read all your feedback.
I'm glad I have such creative readers!

路... 一直都在 - 陈奕迅

路... 一直都在 - 陈奕迅

穿过人潮双眼灯火栏栅
没有想过回头
一段又一段走不完的旅程
什么时候能走完
噢　我的　梦代表什么
又是什么让我们不安

That’s just life
寻找梦里的未来
That’s just life
少点现实的无奈
不论风吹的时候
不再傍徨的时候
永远向前　路一直都在

穿过一块里面一片黑暗
没有想过回头　
一段又一段走不完的旅程
什么时候能习惯
噢　我的　梦代表什么
又是什么让我们期盼

That’s just life
寻找梦里的未来
That’s just life
少点现实的无奈
不论风吹的时候
不在傍徨的时候
永远向前　路一直都在

看不清的路又算什么
看不清的梦又算什么
就算走到尽头又能算什么
能算 什么

That’s just life
寻找梦里的未来
That’s just life
少点现实的无奈
不论风吹的时候
不再傍徨的时候
永远向前　路一直都在

That’s just life
徘徊到不再徘徊
That’s just life
从来都不怕重来
没有选择的时候
无论选择的时候
永远向前　路一直都在

What you can buy with USD 6million

Email from my boss:

Folks,

These homes cost between USD 3mln – 6mlm.

Amazingly big for this sum. In Singapore, even if you have USD 6mln, the house ain’t going to be even half this big....

Luxury Home 1
Luxury Home 2

Alright, get your ass back to work now.. :)

-----

To which I replied:
Thanks for the reality check!

-----

His reply next:

Swee,

Most of the billionaires do not have a basic degree.
Bill Gates, Dell, Richard Branson, Felix Dennis (owner of Maxim, etc) none of them has a degree.

I bet the owners of the 2 homes I sent you, didn’t even complete school.

I suggest you quit school and forget about it. Having a diploma is already considered respectable enough.
Based on the above statistics, having a degree will greatly reduce the odds of you getting rich...

If you don’t believe the stats, well, go on and complete your degree...we’ll see in 20 years if you have amassed USD 6mln.

Last weekend, I bought Felix Dennis book How To Get Rich.
In it, he says being rich can’t make you happy. Most of the times, it can even make you more unhappy.
But from all the rich friends he has seen, and from his personal experience, being rich can almost certainly improve your sex life...he says when you become rich, somehow there’s a lot of people who will want to sleep with you and that’s regardless how you look, that’s just how human being works.....

======================

This was what my boss sent to me yesterday morning..
What would be your reply?

I'll show you mine, in a while...

Home is where the heart is..

My mum just called and said she would leave some food for me when I come back from my night classes. Lately, I've been eating instant noodles at night and she must have caught sight of the instant noodle packets in the garbage bag.

And, she also prepared chicken essence from me. Not the black Brand's bottle you see everywhere, it's real chicken essence boiled out from a chicken! Or at least I think that's what she has in store for me. Haha.

Nothing beats care from your own family...

Alright, time to knock off and leave for classes... again!

To my dear poly mates...

I know I promised to check out the availability of chalets and to book a chalet stay for all of us.

I did! There are still available chalets for Downtown East in the 3rd week of July, as I had duly checked.

But, I went to check my timetable next and found out that I have lessons on every Saturday in July and my exams commence in August. Basically, my schedule is fully maxxed out.

I would have loved to organise a chalet for all of us but it seems like my timetable does not allow for that. Well, you guys can go ahead if you want to, but you prolly know that chalets are just not as fun without me around. (applies especially to Qy who didn't manage to raze me the other time!)

So, maybe another date? I'm thinking August but everyone would likely be too busy by then.
Suggestions? Keep them coming...

A welcome distraction...

Our Fine City

Porcupines

Here we go!

Everyone loves trekking

Hi five!

The classic swinging chair

Have you seen a bigger beast dog?

Now you see it...

Now you don't

Now you know where PCK went

What did they call this in Geography? Anyone remembers?

Oops! | Act Blur | Angry Mum

Look what I've got

I swear I didnt place my hand there on purpose

Okay I know its hard to believe...

Phewwww~

Creative Dumping

Ch & Ky's birthday treat at Waraku

Busy in action

The full spread

Vintage

I tried, I really did.

TGIF!

Went for a relatively short jog with Ch yesterday evening after work. Just about the only day in the week that I could squeeze out for that.

I've got classes today and tomorrow so it's gonna be a real rush again, at least until Sat evening.

Well, but it's Friday!!

=))

Time, or the lack of it.

Schedule's pretty hectic nowadays with lessons on 4-5 days a week. I don't even have time to enjoy my dinner, let alone blogging..

Anyway, I met up with the poly group yesterday for dinner at Shokodu, or the Japanese version of Marche, if you like.

It was an enjoyable night; something refreshing, and a good time for me to unwind and just chill out with good company.

Pictures are with MQ, so probably update when I get it from her. MQ, if you are reading this, do send the photos to me!

I'm beat, so till the next time!

周杰倫 - 青花瓷

I have listened to this song for quite a couple of times but never really sat down and absorbed what the lyrics really meant.

On a lazy sunday afternoon while talking to the most rabid and ardent Jay Chou fan, I sat down, read, and listened to the song in its whole entirety.

To the average person who does not have a basic understanding of the Chinese language, I do not recommend that you try deciphering the song because you could easily go crazy;
Akin to those martial arts experts that you see in chinese movies who go crazy while trying to grasp the meaning of those absurd engravings on manuals and caves. (走火入魔)

Well, I nearly did, but considering that my chinese has deteriorated so drastically, it probably doesn't say much.

My interpretation of the song is at best, elementary, so I guess it's better to spare you my version and leave my understanding of it to just like how the song is written - Dreamy.

青花瓷

It brought back memories of the many abstract chinese proses and poems I used to study in Chinese Literature and I thought this belongs there as well, albeit with a tinge and twist of novelty.

I know you will need the lyrics so here it goes:
周杰倫 - 青花瓷

And if you need the English translation, which I too know is highly likely, you can click on the 'Translation' tab on that page. But like all things written in its native language, a translation would never do the original masterpiece justice.

Expect a few laughs as you read through the directly translated english verses though. Haha.

Meanwhile, enjoy the song... =)

When fame gets into the head...

...and humility goes out of the equation.

I have a cousin who is really smart, and just maybe, too smart for his own good, and of course everyone concerned.

Since a tender age, you could see that he was much more intelligent than the average child. Topping his class became something like an annual affair and he displayed maturity beyond his years. (Sounds exactly like a young me!)

I used to play with him like how I do with my young cousins (the 2 cute girls you always see in my photos) now. Well, that was when he was still innocent and adorable. Then, it all happened very quickly as he grew up, matured, and became a "tween". The same time my paedophilic inclination ceased. Haha.

Tween (Urban Dictionary) :
An age set overlapping preteens, 'tween 8 and 14. A tween desperately wants to be a teen, but isn't about to stop being a kid.

He aced his PSLE, got into the best sec school and is currently in his first year there. Then, I figured things started to turn a bit awry.

You know, as a tween, we all get big-headed over the slightest achievement and slowly but surely, it eats into the humility part of us. If you are not careful, chances are you will look down on everyone inferior and ultimately, end up being ostracized. (Think: the showoff back in primary school)

You start to think you are the smartest around and respect literally goes out of the window. You start to talk to your elders like they are your peers, and you request for favours with all the due courtesy excluded.

That was what happened to my cousin, and how he treated people around him.
Just imagine a 23 year old talking politics to a 13 year old.
Got the picture?

My aunt was so exasperated by him that she's regretting sending him to the top school already.
Me? I think I had seen it coming for some time.
It's difficult to maintain a balance between EQ and IQ, especially in the tweening years.

Well, but as someone who went through half of what he's going through now, I will attempt to lead him back on the right track.


Anyone else who finds this familiar?

Confessions of a Ramen critic

It's funny how things seem to group together.

Yesterday evening, while I was really engrossed in a mahjong game with my relatives, my bro called and asked where the Best Ramen in Singapore is. I must have sounded very distracted because I think he asked for directions a couple of times before he hung up.

After much toil, I figured he made out the location as he texted me:

Him: What's nice there?

Me: The gyoza is not bad, I think. Try the ramen and let me know if its nice.

9 mins later...

Him: Its closed today. Haha

-----

Today and just a while ago, CS asked me the exact same question.

Dude, where is the nice ramen that you recommended?

To think I just blogged about coincidences a couple of days back.



But, but, I have a confession to make...

I don't think that place sells the best Ramen in Singapore, though it still tastes good.

That was what Ms-I-Know-All-the-Best-Food-in-SG told me and I took it hook, line, sinker, and whatever else that came with it!

Maybe I should start a foodie blog. I didn't know people view me as such a food connoisseur.
And I can call it, IeatIbegtodifferIpost.blogspot.com. Haha.

Dreams..

I had a short night's sleep yesterday,
but I had a really long dream.

A dream of someone who's been around since Day 1.
Someone who was never really there, but had never left all the while.

It was a nice feeling, but that's all it was -
A dream.

They say what you think of in the day,
it manifests into dreams at night.
I'd agree on that,
but it didn't really apply in this case.

When I woke up and thought about it,
I realised it's really just a stupid and irrational thought.

How did it all start, I have no idea...
One thing I know though,

It did come right from the heart...

and it felt sweet yet surreal.

First day of school

Does the title of this entry ring a bell?
It sure sounds like the many compositions that you and I have written way back in primary school. Haha.

I thought school was not as interesting as what I had expected. Not that I have an idea of what I am expecting, but somehow it fell short in one way or another.

When I first entered the classroom, a familiar sight greeted me almost immediately. A logistics officer I knew back in 144 SQN is in the same class as me! Do you call that a coincidence or not? (Yes, that's the reason for my previous blog post)

Anyway, it was definitely a pleasant surprise as it meant someone to talk to on the first day of class and most importantly, a ride home when class ended. Haha.

That day's lesson was on Marketing and I think that subject should be fine. I'm looking forward to the lesson on Econs though; that should be an interesting topic. I have classes again today and tomorrow, and I think that is the reason why I felt school was not as wonderful as what I had imagine. Haha. Damn, that means Friday night is sacrificed and Sat morning soccer is shortened!

Now, if only I had that remote Adam Sandler owned in the movie, Click!

Liberation is far too long away!

Of Probability and Coincidence

Do you believe in Coincidence and its very existence?
Or are you an advocate of the notion that there is an external force at work, and everything that happened had been orchestrated and planned out way beforehand?

If you went overseas and bumped into a friend over there, is that Coincidence, or is it just a game of probability and math?

I once read a book detailing about whether coincidences exist.
I dont think I managed to finish that book but as of what I've read, this is the message that the book tried to convey:

What could happen, WILL happen.

In a nutshell, every possible outcome or event that could happen, will eventually happen, and it’s only a matter of time before it does.
If something takes place a sufficient number of times, every possible outcome would have been covered. (keep betting on Derby to win the title, and one day they really will)

It’s somewhat similar to probability, if you like to think in another way. And for the betting optimist out there, it means that you WILL strike the lottery, if you live long enough that is.

Back to School

Remember that I asked in my previous entry about the privileges that students enjoy? I think I just answered my own question with this too-good-to-be-true-deal.

Basically, get a Macbook, and get an iPod Touch free! (Or rather $28 to be exact)

Source: Apple Back to School

And I have ample reason to believe that its truly meant for me. (Apple probably wants everyone to have a reason for getting one too)

Well, the promotion only started today; exactly the same day that my classes start as well!
And with the promotional campaign being termed "Back to School", what could be a more apt description?

Looks like being a student really does have its fair share of perks. ;)

I realised I havent gone to Bata yet!

Why?

Because..

First to Bata, then to school!


Haha..
So, my classes officially start tomorrow. Which also means that I am a student, so what are the incentives that come along with it?

Do students still get concession passes or cheaper bus rides? Pardon my ignorance but I really haven't the slightest clue. Haha..

---

Time flies, as I prepare to enter another phase of my life.
I think, I just might like it pretty much.

=)