I just got out of the tightest squeeze of a schedule.

Finally I can announce the end of March! *Sign* Well these two days was just madness. I finished the College Road Run on Tuesday. It was an energizing run although that severely run into the other two events today, namely the HW presentation and Virology test.

Finishing the presentation is just a relief because that sort of ended the HW111’s grip of my time as all of the assessments are over. I was all smiles, (hope Winder will remember that) despite the fact that I went relatively unrehearsed, glitched, and ran over-time, I think I made it up for the Q&A section.

Virology was another neglected event, sadly. Went in to the test not exactly sure of my stuff, most definitely losing marks here and there for incomplete memory. I got to say this prompted me a direction for the revision, so I would not exactly conclude that this test was a total disaster. (Although it really will be on paper, I think) I am praying hard that the marker will be more forgiving.

I have got a lot more things to settle. Urgh.
 
Handing over 03/27/2010
 
   Alright. I finally ended the tour of duty down at SPH, and it wasn't really a good day. Honestly, I was dragging my feet there, because the certain wave of lethargy just hit me like a tsunami. I was unceremoniously late, opening the doors to a room full of bubbly young kids taking over and with everyone fresh and bright staring at me. 

   Other than announcing my presence, I had nothing to contribute there, seriously, other than to defend myself for the sloppiness for the last few months. So for the rest of the meeting, I wasn't exactly following, just nodding to their sensible remarks and aspirations of how the future will be.
   I do not have stuff to hand over even. I have full confidence those taking over would already have known whatever I would want to teach, and have had whatever documents they needed even before. 

   Me seeing my kids happily organising work for their duty was rather heartening. I was heartening to see that they bonded quite well, even better than where we had been in the past. At least I smell less gun-powder, and I see proactivity and amicability.

    Other than that, I do have an urge to just fade back into the background like I used to. Time to move on, perhaps to the exit.

    I did not go to the concert thereafter, but judging from the 'preview' I had from the recorded tracks I knew it was going to be good. I would expect a lot of people are going to drop by, and that will be that lot I am going to miss. 

    Not that I did not want to attend. Not especially after preaching about the event for so long. Its just that there is another appointment by another group of friends that insisted that I meet-up. 

   And it's also that I found the atmosphere quite suffocating.
 
Aching bones 03/16/2010
 
It is good to exercise, especially when the description becomes once in a while. Challenged the badminton racket after many years, I guess I can still play it decently well.

It is because there is an E-learning session for Shanghai Modern today, so there was time to enjoy some quality university time with my friends over a game.

I found out that my reflexes were quite slow. I, who have not played the game with a competitive intent before, did not execute the smack as appropriately, and seeing my partner lunging back and forth in the court makes me feel for him. He really did got the work-out he wanted.

That's for the game. Another thing happened along the way. The 179 we were on broke down in the middle of Jalan Bahar flyover, so we got complementary tickets, and we eventually decided to walk rather than wait. While my friends were complaining in the LT later in the day about the soreness, I am glad to say it did not kick in until the evening.
 
 
Thanks to Cecilia for the complementary tickets to the event. Saw stars and amongst them legendary singers (Tanya Chua, Ah Du, JJ Lin, Shinee, and Eason Chan OMG), had a crash course on Singapore's Chinese music industry (although I do not think I am much more knowledgeable after that) and had a great time with great friends cheering, shouting, crapping and basically enjoying ourselves.

Its my first time in the floating platform that I am actually sitting down for a show, I guess it was a spectacular view second row from the back (other than the irritating tentage that blocked most of the right side of the stage) With the IR is slowly being built and the Singapore skyline in sight and a bird's eye-view of the stage.

The crowds were --- typical screaming, rabid young, teenaged fans rooting for that Korean boyband, that when they were performing, the crowd turned into a sea of cameras. Not to mention that the mass of people that stood up inevitably blocked everyone else that eventually everyone has to stand to even watch the performance. 

Other things to note, Singaporeans have very bad concert etiquete, I refer to those who uprooted themselves halfway in the show, especially those that left after Shinee and they really do migrate out like hordes of gnus. (although I can not blame those with the last train to catch especially when the show over-ran to an astonishing 11 plus) 

However, I would proudly maintain that I caught the last east-bound MRT at 12.10am. Go figure. 
  
 
Writers Block 03/02/2010
 
I never anticipated this. Well, all I did was to prepare to write a research paper, and I have all the materials I need, so what's with the slow progress? I think it has to do with the rusty articulation. Everything paragraph has no link to the other. 
 
Bike Rally 2010 02/22/2010
 
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Finally finished hanging over from the bike rally. It was 128km of pure madness, come to think of it and there are just so many things to describe.

The road was long under the glorious sun and I saw many sides of Singapore i never seen (or smelt). I finally know where Labrador Park is. I never pigged out on banannas, but the grand total of 5 kept me high in potassium. To think I still felt hungry along the way.The slopes in down-town Singapore were horrendous, it is so different from sitting in a car than to actually attempt to cycle up-slope. Not that I am complaining, but in retrospect, I think I would need a lot more training to be able to improve at this. 

Got to say I learnt alot more about cycling, the things to look out on the road (a lot of bad road karma accumulated along the way), how to shift gears (I am used to my gearless BMX), and about my bicycle needing a lot more love. I guess it is next year then, for the brazen reason to 'own' the roads again.
 
 
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I call it an outing because we managed to spend a little more than 24 hours in that country. My description will definitely start from the Singapore customs. Well I have nothing against that (i do not know what is wrong with him and I do not want to fix him with a diagnosis) officer that we happened to ecounter. He was changing shifts with another officer when our car reached the counter. So he placed his silver box on the desk, muttered, answered the phone and rearranged his desk. I handed over our passports to him, and there he was rearranging his stuff again, one hand on the mouse to see if the system again, and pepping himslf up (well I think so he is doing that). He answered the phone again, and muttered when he finally got down to pur passports.

Now let's see... 1,2,3,4,5..,6..,7..,8. Then he placed it in a stack, separated the pile and flipped them through one by one. Alright. All done. He gets up his seat and goes out of the door with our passports to the car window.

'Now can I see who is ...? Ah... hello.' that's what he asked one by one. This would have been 15 minutes into the encounter. The festive mood in the car was decaying exponentially. The traffic was not helping either as we see cars inch in front of us across the causeway. So he finally did go through the documents, muttering to himself again, we are so scared that he did something silly to our passports. I have nothing against hiring these people but he is seriously bad for business. Also, I saw that other counters have at two officers, and no officers in their right mind would walk out of their counter to the car unless something is gravely wrong. So I guess it is not surprising that he became the butt of our jokes for the evening.  

Nothing much happened in the night. I slept for a little, watched a little of the television specials, managed to finish a tutorial, surprisingly.

The next day was great as we went to a more centralised house where most of my relatives appeared. I stand in awe in the multitude of kid cousins nieces and nephews swarming all over the place, managed to cuddle a few of them. Then it escalated to a FB adding session. Some stray dog snagged my shoe, so I got dog drool all over it. 

I went back listening to malay radio on the bas, managed to mouth along a Gaga. Stopped over at City Square, bought a T-shirt for 30 RM. Got a luggage mix up, well the guy put his bag in the middle of my stuff it was inevitable (given it was 10 pm at night and I am feeling a little woozy). I was halfway to the bus stop when my sister discovered there was a bottle and that was when I decided to run back to the luggage area. Thankfully he did not leave with my luggage, because I found nothing that I can contact him with (just his clothes and his Zen touch).

That is sort of sums up the highlights to that mundane yearly trip.
 
 
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I am in awe 02/12/2010
 
 Part 1
Has to do with lab today, well its just that sort of day that I am hyped up to complete it fast, but other people are just faster. Just so it translates to an additional trip down Pulau NTU next friday for a short 20 minutes. I do not mind it but its hurt pride at stake.

Part 2
Went to SPH to look at the entries for the new round of membership. Well no one particularly outstanding. but there is a comparatively larger proportion of secondary 2 students that applied. Interview is coming next.

Part 3
Went to the bike rally briefing. Found out that I cannot escape cycling on the road. Although it is a little unsettling, this is nothing compared to the announcement of the additional secret stations on top of those that are already set up so as to get te elusive 168km finisher tee. Pressure.
Did I mention that the singlet is bright yellow?

Part 4
Stopped by Cash Converters for CDs. Managed to find classics like Jay Chou's 叶惠美, chinese dance anthems from Show Luo, Aska Yang's first album and Angela Zhang's Aurora. Money well spent.  
 
Grumpy 02/11/2010
 
List of stuff that happened today
1. Mum woke me up at 8, not 7
2. going to school missing the day's first  lecture as a result
3. realised that the lecture was missed when people I know start streaming out, including the lecturer. It was damn surreal come to think of it
4. did not join my frens for lunch at hall 14
5. handed out all my valentine cards
6. Bad call at canteen B, decided to go to hall 8
7. waited damn long for bus A
8. lunch was great nonetheless =)
9. got really frustrated in lab, stayed late to complete
10. got to the bus-stop full of people going home
11. even more people on the MRT
12. do not remind me of Raffles place, the inward flux was so great, I got grumpier
13. realised I lost my planner. gosh.