Right now...i'm utterly BORED!!! 5-hours break is a killer...and to think I get them on a weekly basis. It would be so nice if lectures could be webcasted on Tuesdays. I'll get to go home early...or to a certain extent, I get to sleep late at home! Now in Shaun and Chek Meng's hall...Shaun's snoring away, Chek Meng's mugging...and me...i'm 'supposed' to do some reading...but...who cares??? Boredom is killing me....it's ripping my life away in large chunks...save me!!!
Je aime la biologie mais je n'aime pas conférence!
Pourquoi le professeur de biologie est ne belle pas femme? bah....bored
Oh man...sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've practically been "busy" in a sense...busily slacking away and refusing to do anything that requires the brain to be squished even a little. But...just let me whine about this thing called "Melvados" first. Ok, I got to see the introductions on tv and an outing there to sample the food is underway. Next Saturday dinner people, don't forget our date! Anyway, just to tantalise your taste buds a little...it got my gastric juices churning and stomach roaring away....the descriptions are horribly...effective...
Just look at this:
Baked dory fish with cream cheese $12.50 Dory fish baked with cream cheese layer on top, served with a choice of tartar sauce or teriyaki chicken sauce.
Tangy Roast Chicken $12.90 Oven roasted succulent chicken thigh marinated with our original fragrant sauce for that mildly spiced flavour, topped with our unique tangy sauce and served with a generous portion of corn and potato salad.
Beef Stew in Bread Bowl $8.90 Thick and juicy pieces of beef cubes, stewed to perfection with onions and tomatoes for that nice aroma.
Can't you just taste or even smell them???!!! Arghz...food....I need good food...
These few days have been pouring mad with continuous rain. There were even reports of 3 landslides in Bukit Batok with 1 at the MRT line from Bukit Batok to Gombak!! Thank goodness my laziness saved me in a sense...lol...was supposed to go get some assessment books for my tutee, Jerel. The spot's just beside the bus stop outside the BB bus interchange. Phew...dangerous places are all over recently. I'll have to try to avoid walking on roads beside a slope etc at least until the weather heats up and the rain ceases.
Anyway, the rain sort of paused for a short moment. And at that short instant, a beautiful scenery was formed on top of Bukit Timah Hill. The view's really breath-taking I should say. The sort of view you might get if you climb all the way up some tall mountain called Mount Everest, Kinabalu or the gamblers' heaven, Genting Highlands. Stop wondering...i'm no rich kid staying at some high-end condo with a fabulous view. Just a poor fellow whose room faces the hill and thankfully the tallest building in line is the low lying church.
But I should say this rain is really destructive...just look at the 2nd picture. Look at the newly exposed mud surface at the bottom left corner. Haven't seen such a sight in my 10+ years of staying here at all...nothing of this manner and magnitude. Apparently one large chunk of mud got washed off and a landslide occured at hilltop? Now i'm wary of buildings that are constructed on hilltops, maybe I should avoid staying at such places...the thought of the whole house sliding down with people screaming in it is...urghz...Thank goodness i'm staying high up but on firm concrete ground...till then...
Ok people, first take a look at the below picture first before I reveal what some people have named it:
Suihar calls it a "giraffe" with spots. Siya says at first look it looks like a "dog". Anonymous says it looks like a "bear".
So what's your guess before you read further below?
The answer : Kangaroo
I pity my dear Weifeng who bought me this 2 years back from his Ex. Wallaby in Australia man...he bought a kangaroo soft toy souvenir for me, only to be called other unsightly names..tsk tsk...
The other day met Ah Choi for lunch before heading for another short 3.30pm lecture at our favourite Bak Chor Mee stall again. It's always Bak Chor Mee with Kopi-O for me and Bak Chor Mee with Teh for Choi. Lol...by the way, I wonder why it always rain when me and Choi are eating Bak Chor Mee...either the noodle's cursed or we are.
So after lunch, brought Choi up to my house to check on my 2 'lovely' girls...but...seems like they don't welcome Choi!! Keep screeching non-stop till it even got on my nerves. For no reason, they just screech mad...running round and screeching. Haha...must have been the unfamiliar smell of Choi or he must have been a real hamster torturer for my little hamsters to hate him so much.
Anyway, here's the clip...a short "Screeching Symphony" by 1 hamster:
By the way, the background sound's not any interference ok? That's the screeching sound by my hamster...no idea why the recorded version becomes so "Un-screechy". Till later...
The other day I started my tuition with my tutee, Jerel for this coming 2007. Haven't blogged about him before, so I shall give a short commentary about this guy. Primary 5, unmotivated to study, better than average brains but complete laziness equates poor grades. I can still remember last year when I taught him for the first time. He don't even know where his textbooks are the day before exams. Amazing isn't he? I'm surprised he even passed his exams...and thankfully still managed a 69 for his maths. Science was horrible though...my blood pressure was at a consistent high for 11 months.
This is the infamous Jerel during kindergarten days...found this photo lying around....so on my blog it comes...
Anyway, he's now in primary 5 and I was flipping through his science textbook the other day. I really got the shock of my life...look at the below photo to know why... For bioscience students, it should be fine because we just did a revision of it last semester during Alex Law's module. But look at those names and their discoveries...I dare to say people outside, even graduates who doesn't take any biology modules know nuts about these people and their discoveries. How to even expect those science teachers teaching these poor kids science to even know? I believe when some of those stuff wasn't even in the teachers' syllabus when they studied university. Madness...life science shouldn't be brought in at such a young age. Genes?? They don't even realise they are made of cells yet...
When I was younger, I always hear the older generation say that studies nowadays are so simple, graduates are literally "littered" all over the place unlike the old days when graduates are worshipped like idols on an altar. But as I reach higher education and learning, I realised that their views were really greatly biased in the sense that they thought they had a hard time. This, I truly beg to differ.
Comparing textbooks for chemistry in secondary school, my aunt passed me some organic textbooks they used in the past for my reference...that book was everything...let's just compare it with ours nowadays:
I think it's quite obvious from view the difference in thickness and size, the font size is exactly the same as per our current books. Just as technology advances, the information, knowledge and content follows. And all these ended up as the new-age syllabus, every review makes the books thicker. So I really don't agree with the saying that graduates nowadays are getting life much easier. WE GOT MUCH MORE CONTENT TO STUDY AND APPRECIATE!! The olden days of memorising are fading away as it's really just madness to memorise the vast information available. For me, I try to do concept studying as I call it as far as possible. Nevertheless, some content still has to be memorised or the concept studying fails too. So in short, I believe that graduates back then had a "tougher" time in the aspect that people back then:
Do not see education as an important part of life?
Many do not have the financial ability to further their studies after college and lack of substantial assistance or scholarships etc?
And how can we forget the scarcity of resources and university vacancies...unlike nowadays, where govt allocates much more resources to allow more people a chance at university, slots were rather limited and courses then were few.
I found this interesting stuff in the old textbooks...dissection of frogs...we didn't get to do it though during my time...what cruelty to animals etc...I would love to open them up and check them in detail!
However, we must give credit to the pioneers who went on to do research and discovered what we now know as modern science. Technological advancements cannot happen if these pioneer researchers did not venture into the unknown zones. And ya, I do curse them at times for discovering new stuff that I have to study now! I'm guilty of it too...to me, anything that is examinable is no fun...Till then..
Ok, finally school begins with me grudgingly dragging myself to NTU...1 month of break equates to me clearing leave and preparing for ORD ok! Holidays are disruptive for studies, once they begin, they never end...at least for me. Reached the canteen, and there they were, 1 bunch of 4 guys sitting there and sipping coffee. Fish was there too and soon enough, I mentioned to Fish about my previous blog on him looking like the singer, Eason Chan.(http://satisfyyourcuriosityaboutme.blogspot.com/2006/12/looks-similar.html) Fish was there complaining about his plight about being compared to Eason since secondary school when our dear KT decides to chip in and share his fate with us. Guess what?? KT said that:"People say I look like Takeshi (aka 金城武)...". This comment really send shivers down the spine man...personally if he does look like Takeshi, then there must be a part of Takeshi that none of us have seen before!!
Picture comparison below, please feel free to comment on the similarity!! lol...
Remember to tell me which part of KT resembles Takeshi...i'm no analyst of guys...but to me it's perfectly obvious there isn't any on visible spots! Keep the comments rolling....
Just as most '85ers had fond memories of their recent 21st birthday celebrations, 2 unusually old person from this same batch turned 22! Time really seems to have zoomed past real fast, I still remember for their 21st birthday, the clique went all the way to Thailand for a holiday cum birthday celebration for them. Now, we are at it again...Xiuwen's birthday is on the 5th and Hanjie's on the 6th. But I guess for this birthday, everyone's in a much joyous mood than previous!
The initial plan by Yihan was to do a steamboat ourselves at Xiuwen's house and play mahjong all night long. However, me and Junting counter proposed with a simple dinner at the Riverside Indonesian Restaurant(www.riverside.com.sg) and with a chocolate banana cake from awfully chocolate (www.awfullychocolate.com). So off I went to make all the necessary reservations for the cake and dinner.
So this is the shop at Cluny Court just directly beside Serene Centre...a pure white and black ambience. Simple yet classy decor for the interior...at first look, Ziping and Me thought we entered the wrong place because it just doesn't look like a bakery!
Shots taken in the shop while the nice shop assistant helps us to write the words "Happy 22nd Birthday" on our Chocolate Banana cake. Not a bad deal considering the size of the cake and that it's made of dark chocolate...a cool S$23 for ours. Surprisingly, the full chocolate cake only costs S$21?? I didn't know bananas are more expensive than chocolate!! I really like this high-back armchair...I shall get one in my house next time, really comfortable sitting on them while we wait for the cake to be ready. Finally we arrived at Riverside Indonesian Restaurant 1 hour later than our reservation time. Really off timing man, but thanks to the kind in-charge who allow us our seats despite us being late for the allocated timing. Below is the group picture just before dinner commences. By the way, the meals here are reasonably priced. S$10 per pax for a minimum of 4 persons. We've got 6, total cost inclusive of GST and towels etc adds up to a cool S$73. Free flow of rice too for people who can't live without rice!
The dishes from left: Tahur Gelur, Chicken drumsticks, Satay, Belacan Kang Kong, Sambal Stingray and Sotong! When Weixin says the food is nice, the food is nice ok!! I've got a golden tongue for food...special recommendation for the chicken drumsticks, stingray and sotong. 2 thumbs up!! :) Another group picture right after dinner...1 new member, Isabelle joined in...now we've got 7. Another group photo with the Riverside point as background... Top left: Junting,Isabelle and Xiuwen Bottom Left: Ziping, Me, Hanjie and Yihan Group photo with Singapore river and Clarke Quay as background... The love-birds, Xiuwen and Yihan...something interesting that we realise about Xiuwen during the last trip to Thailand: When taking photo for her, by the count of 2, the button must be pressed because she will lose her smile by the count of 3!! No more space in our tummies for the cake at Riverside, so off we walked to "Pit Stop Cafe" over at Boat Quay. However, overcrowded due to weekend, so off we moved to "Settlers Cafe" on another stretch of road. Along the way, Junting was commenting she got the biggest buttock and the fattest legs!! lol...so we decide to do a comparison of her and Isabelle. Junting's on the right with white pants. Anyone wants to comment? Settler's Cafe finally...cake cutting ceremony!! The branded cake from Awfully chocolate...not awful cake as what Yihan says ok!! Presenting the birthday boy and girl!! Of course, we cannot forget the cake... I wonder whose birthday is it?? Somehow it became Junting's!!! The many faces after tasting the cake in order of liking....it's obvious to guess the pattern! Game time...how can we play no games when at Settler's Cafe? I forgot the name of the game though...but it's fun...we've got 9 picture cardboards on the table, and supposed to pick a card when your turn comes and find the picture/related items as stated on the card. See the cake over at the corner?? That has its due role in the game.... The many faces of Junting!! lol... By the end of the game, a group photo!! Only Yihan and Isabelle went unscathed....Junting ended up as the sore loser with the most flowery face!!
After the whole thing, there was mahjong planned at Yihan's hall but sorry guys, i've got tuition early in the morning on Sunday. And guess what? I almost didn't get to wake up today in time for tuition man...i snoozed my alarm 2 times before I got up reluctantly...So looking forward to another fun gathering....the next person turning old will be none other than : Miss YAP JUNTING!!! Till then...
The zoo trip can be considered a rather good success, I believed everyone had their share of fun just like the good old days back in BP. It's real hard and rare to gather these people on outings nowadays with everyone busy with their stuff, relationships etc. And the zoo trip did not just end at the zoo. Next stop was to fill our tummies...2 buses available: 926 heads to Woodlands whereas 927 heads to CCK. Once again, we reach cross-roads, how do we decide? We shall board the bus that arrives first. So 927 came and back to Lot 1 we go for dinner at "Let's Eat" as recommended by Harris. Had a lot of chatterings, catching up, gossips of everyone...talked about life these years...and guess what? Lian Chiu just came back from exchange in Japan!! And what's more surprising is that she told me the trip's less than 10k?? That's a rather good deal considering Japan's high standard of living right? Now i'm even more determined to go for exchange programme...sounds real fun...
We arrived at a point when we realise we're taking up too much space in the foodcourt just doing plain chit-chat and decided to move...1st stop to Macdonalds...here we continued our chit-chatting and discussion on which movie to watch...so off we move again...2nd stop, cinema at 5th floor...so let's remember properly this time, cinema's on 5th floor, not the 6th!
Group Picture at Mac...
The timings doesn't fit....so down to "Ya Kun Toast" we went...and they are at it again....the finger game... Coffee ran out and bread was finished...but there's still no winner and again we find ourselves a nuisance hindering their business and so again we moved to Macdonalds to continue the strive for a winner...
Finally the time comes for us to depart...during the session today, discussed many outing suggestions such as going to Zouk, going to overnight at airport etc...it's still the crazy old people we have over here...mad, yet fun loving people...looking forward to next gathering! Let's get all the missing people this time man, all those that we love and hate...lol...until next time....
Ok, finally the date is set and everyone is ready. From the initial trio of me, Xiuqin and Joanna, we now have a relatively huge strength of 12 old 'kids' willing to embark on the journey to relive childhood. Supposedly lunch's at 11.30am at Lot 1, but guess what? We only gathered at the food court at past 12noon. And eventually left the place at 12.45pm when we were supposed to be at the zoo by this time. We are lucky though, we go 4 more hunks to join us for simply lunch. Thanks to Jesper, Kiat, Weifeng and Zhongyi for joining! You guys add spice to lunch gathering.
Lesson learnt: Ling Ling, Joanna and Shujun are potential late-comers.
The 4 girls acting cute during lunch time at Lot 1. There're some other pictures but with Leo's cam, so stay tuned for the update for lunch!
After lunch, Yongjin tried to smoke out by not going but in the end, the lure of $5 tickets finally roped him back once more. Thanks to Harris for the corporate cards that admits 8 person. That leaves us with a bill of $60 shared by 12 person. Great deal!! By the way, the admission tickets for adults = $15. So 12 kids boarded 927 and off we head to Mandai Zoo to see animals!
The entrance tickets nowadays are real nice!! I like the zebra design though...kids nowadays are so lucky their world is so colorful. I remember in the past it was just same plain paper! First picture just after the entrance, left is Harris, right is me on the coconut trawler... At the tiger's lair....Kianyong and me plucking the tiger's teeth... The 3 white tigers swimming around...awesome creatures... Zebras...I still remember the last time we went Saiyok training, Warrant Teo called giraffes "zebra"....lol... At the Australian outback exhibits...me with a fake kangaroo... Group photo on a ranger's rover Clockwise from left: Yong Jin, Zhonglie, Xiuqin,Qiujuan Middle: Me!! Anti-clockwise from right: Kian Yong, Harris, Ling Ling and Shujun Baboon Galore! Almost the whole family's out during feeding time. Me and Qiujuan were busy seeking the "dominant male" in this clan of baboons. At least something useful from Alex Law's lectures...lol Hippos!! Aren't they just chubby lovable creatures? I didn't know they eat watermelons though. Are melons in season? The larger gang...Joanna, Bingli and Leo sidetracked ahead of us. The 4 girls with the wooden idols...Ling Ling just love those breasts on her statue! Envious perhaps? lol... Ok, Guys' turn to hug the statues... Penguins...they're so small and cute...And the first time I see Yong Jin's enthusiasm since he entered the zoo...maybe he likes penguins! Close up of 1 penguin, it dived in to perform for us... The penguin swimming and diving round... Mother Manatee with Baby Manatee swimming...the girls exclaiming in background... The fat Manatees doing a body flip in water...big but still graceful flip Kian Yong and me in the bird aviary...Xiuqin told us there was the "金鸡" from 大长今 just in the bush behind us...every bird is just another bird to me..no difference We were in luck, the zookeepers were just about to bring the ponies back to their stables after providing rides to numerous kids. And I requested for a picture to be taken with them....and was agreed readily by the zookeeper! But no touching of the pony's back he says fiercely! This is an interesting horse. It is a miniature horse...and guess what, it poses when it realises someone is taking photos of it!!! I'm not lying...it raised its head and looked at the camera! Giraffes...the baby giraffe has grown up to such great heights... This is a candid shot...you don't get giraffes without heads everyday... And talking about heights, I don't know why Joanna took a picture with the ruler!! Lian Chiu joined us later...her first group picture I suppose? btw, I think Ling Ling's mouth crammed or something... :x The main star at the zoo right now. On left is Sheba the mother bear, right is Inuka the baby bear. Sigh...the zoo's going to close down the polar bear enclosure...last shots of the polar bears... A very scenic garden in the background...good for dates Adorable otters lazying around... Joanna took this picture grudgingly...lol...she only wants the otters Last stop for zoo...the whole gang at the zoo's souvenir shop...taking pictures with all the lovely soft toys...and our sweat stuck on them...took pictures until the point when the in-charge comes and tell us no photos... Final Group Photos at entrance Finally we depart...to fill our groaning tummies
Another group photo with the Riverside point as background...
