CHIP 2009

Back at home. Finally. After 21 days. But I'm not really used to it. Feel disoriented. When I went to the bathroom to shower just now, the room just feels so..big. Cos the toilets in the hotels that I'd stayed in were very small. And the weather's kind of warm, and it's night time now. I'm still coughing. Sigh, coughing all the time since I'd arrived in China. Hopefully the humid air will moisturise my shrivelled lungs.

Took so many pictures. Not all were nice though. All the group pictures with either Huifen or Pingsen.

Feel so tired now. Wonder how long it will take for me to get back to normal. Tired. Lazy to upload pictures.

And the horrible bidding starts SOON!

While dialogue in the films and the leaflet inside the special edition 2-Disc DVD state that any captain of the Flying Dutchman is eternally bound to the ship, and may only step on land once every ten years, the film's writers explain in the DVD's commentary that Will could be released from his duties after the ten-year period if Elizabeth remained faithful to him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Turner

=D

At World's End

Just watched "At World's End". The ending is sad. Why did Will have to die? It was mentioned earlier that he had to choose between Elizabeth and his father, because to save Bootstrap, he'd have to stab Jone's heart and become the captain of the Flying Dutchman, and that would take him away from Elizabeth. :( But he did stab the heart in the end, because Jack helped him, to save his live, after Davy Jones stabbed him.

The parting scene on the beach was so sad... It's so cruel that the lovers have to be separated like this...Ten years on the sea, and one day to be with the woman he loved... But do watch the ending, it's after all the credits.

I like the background story between Davy Jones and Calypso, and how Jones turned human once more upon Calypso's touch, and how he was finally united with her. And how the "fish people" lost their "fishy" appearance when Will became the new captain of the Flying Dutchman (lol at Bootstrap taking the starfish off his face).

Looking forward to Fountain of Youth... 2 years later... Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley won't be returning, though.

2 papers down.

forensics this Thursday.

by the way I dreamed of Kim Dong Wan this morning!!! Even though I only slept for 5 hours... I dreamed that he was in the same Econs lecture as me... He looked so hot even in my dream. ^_^

've been watching a lot of Shinhwa videos on youtube.

They're such a funny band.

Love Dong Wan <3

went to see the doctor yesterday. apparently my flu wasn't that bad after all and i could take the flu vaccine already...!!! I wasn't prepared for this, but it wasn't so bad... The pain was bearable. Had muscle ache in my arms after that.

yesterday was the last day of school, and I'm sooo dreading the reading week. Instrumental Analysis is like this huge mountain that stretches all the way up into the sky and you can't even see the peak. No hope of reaching the summit. So many readings I'm lagging in...I'm still at mass spec, still have sample preparation, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, flow injection analysis... And I haven't done my IVLE assessment due tomorrow! 10%!

Sianzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

1542 also damn tough. The teacher went through the CA yesterday, and she was like, this question is in your lecture notes, this question is in Dr X's lecture notes, and I was like, hello, are you on Mars on something, it was NOT in the notes, the lecturer flashed it on the screen and we were only given like 10 seconds to copy. Identifying fingerprints, it's also in your lecture notes, HELLO? There were NO notes on fingerprints, we were scrambling to copy what were on the screen as the lecturer fired off, AND I totally didn't know fingerprints were going to be tested! zzz It's so annoying. Of course we know those stuff are in the notes, but there are so many things I just couldn't remember. And I realised I'd forgotten all those illicit drugs that I'd spent ages to memorise. T_T

西遊記之仙履奇緣

Know I should be studying...but oh well...







It's been so many years but this never fails to make me cry.

一棵开花的树

如何让你遇见我
在我最美丽的时刻

为这
我已在佛前求了五百年
求祂让我们结一段尘缘
佛於是把我化做一棵树
长在你必经的路旁

阳光下
慎重地开满了花
朵朵都是我前世的盼望

当你走近
请你细听
那颤抖的叶
是我等待的热情

而当你终於无视地走过
在你身後落了一地的
朋友啊
那不是花瓣
是我凋零的心

If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

busy, busy, busy.

but will still find time for tv.

or i'll die.

finally submitted my forensics practical yesterday. glad to get rid of it. though i don't think i'll do very well, considering how some people (like my friend) have A+ reports as reference... but i've done my best. i've given every ounce of my effort, wasted three whole days of my reading week.

which is why i die die must finish reading my instrumental analysis this weekend. test on monday. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
don't really know how to study. don't really see the point of studying, he's probably going to ask some weird questions...those theory-based ones... hope there'll be at least one calculation.

e-learning week next week. have to go to sch on monday for the test, wed for lab and CHIP briefing, thur and fri going for the forensics conference. i wonder where is my excitement...

we had dr Henry Lee as the guest lecturer yesterday. he's pretty entertaining...made us laugh so hard. you get badges for answering his questions, which were not tough. you just need to have the courage. yes, courage, which is what i lack the most. so my dear friend sitting beside me who has the courage to fight for what she wants raised her hand without any hesitation, answered a dead simple question and got a badge, as well as a chance to take a group photo with Dr Lee.

i'll never be able to do that. unless something's wrong with me. unless i have a major shock or sth. unless i'm not me.

The flowers smiled, but she was gone

I was just clicking around and found this story that made me cry T_T

They worked the garden together. They defined the elegant curves of the flowerbeds. They added trees here, bushes there, flowers everywhere. They framed their yard and cut their lawn. They watered the grass until it was an emerald green. The magnolias and dogwoods bloomed in April. The flowers bloomed in May.

They worked the garden together. In the spring they bought plastic flats full of flowers. She dug a small hole, put in some potting soil, pulled out the little flowers with two fingers, knocked off the soil at the end, gently placed it in the hole, and packed it firmly so that the roots would take. She was slow and gentle, working patiently but methodically. He watered the flowers after she had set them. They mulched around the little flowers to keep the weeds down.

They worked the garden together, but he never enjoyed it much. It was hard work. The flowerbeds had to be weeded and re-edged. The azaleas needed fertilizer. The trees had to be cut back yearly. Every fall the piles of leaves got bigger.

She drew him into her garden, gently, lovingly. It'll be fun, she said. He could not say no to her. Where she was, was where he wanted to be. She smelled as fragrant as any lilac bush. She was as beautiful as any flower.

They watched the leaves turn color, then fall off. They raked the leaves together, she in his flannel shirt, her golden hair glowing in the evening twilight. In the evening he rubbed her aching back. In bed they made plans for next year's gardens, holding hands underneath the covers. She'd ask for a glass of water; he'd get it. She fell asleep watching the news. He turned off the television, and made sure he kissed her good night before he turned off the lights.

She was all he'd ever wanted. She was his only love. She had taken root in him, rooted so deeply that he could not distinguish his life from hers, and would not wish to. She was the music of his life, his Bible, his treasure chest. She was his hopes and dreams. She was his rocking chair partner, somewhere in the aging future, when they would sit on the front porch and look to the western skies and watch the orange clouds and talk of grandchildren and gardenias.

Her first stroke came as she worked in the fall garden. She couldn't finish the sentence she started. He, raking, saw her face as she looked up at him with fear in her eyes. She was trembling and cold. He took her inside and undressed her, gave her a warm shower and put on her flannel pajamas, and lay in bed with her as she shook. I don't know what's happening, I don't know what's happening. That's all right, we'll go take care of it tomorrow. He put his arms around her and smelled her hair.

A scan showed a small dark patch on the bottom of her brain. A small stroke caused some memory loss and an inability to retrieve words. She continued gardening. As time went on she'd forget where she'd placed her shovel. She'd buy plants on sale, forgetting that she'd bought the same flat the week before. She'd apologize to him, but he would just say, that's all right, dear, I'm sure there's a place in our garden for these flowers. We'll look tomorrow.

The end came years later. The garden grew wild as he spent evenings holding her hands. The grass grew long and the weeds replaced the flowers. Branches bared, and leaves fell and stayed where they fell, until winds blew them away. Their fingernails were clean, now, always clean. He didn't bring her cut roses; she had no use for dying plants, no matter how beautiful. Instead, he brought pots of flowers she used to plant. She smelled the potting soil as much as the flowers, smiled in wordless joy, her thoughts transporting her back to her garden. Her pale hands with her clean fingernails lay on the fresh white linens of a hospital bed, and one evening she slipped away, his fingers in hers, his tears watering her hands.

He wanted to die with her, for a season. There was no point in going on without her, for she was all he'd had, all he'd ever wanted. Mother and father and sister and brother were gone, but he had loved her since they were young, and she gave him her youth and vitality, her joy and her beauty, her interests and hobbies, her love, her life.

For two years he kept her gardening gloves where she left them. He kept her dirty gardening clogs right by the door, imagining how she'd just slipped them off to go inside for a cool drink of water. If he would go inside, he could imagine her by the sink, brushing her hair back from her forehead, drinking the water, and looking out the window at her garden, watching the flowers grow, and planning for next year. He kept her glass there by the sink. No one was to move it. It was her glass. She had touched it last, raising it to her forehead to cool herself off. He kept the closet as it was. Her clothes were on one side. He could still smell her fragrance, but it was getting fainter, fainter.

One fall, one silent fall evening, as the sun was setting and the orange skies blazed, he turned off the television and went outside and mowed the lawn. He began edging the flowerbeds again. He began planning for the spring. He cleaned the hoses, edged the shears, and trimmed the bushes.

In the spring he planted annuals. He dug a small hole, put in some potting soil, took out the little flowers with two fingers, knocked off the soil at the end, placed it gently in the hole, and packed it firmly so that the roots would take. He watered her flowers. Color returned to the flowerbeds: yellows, pinks, oranges, greens. Beauty returned. He would weed, and edge the flowerbeds. When it was hot, he'd go in, and slip off his clogs, right next to hers, and go in for a cool glass of water. He'd stand by the sink and look out at the flowers. He'd imagine her in the garden, the twilight burnishing her golden hair. He smelled the soil on his hands. He inhaled greedily, to bring her back. Outside, the flowers smiled, but she was gone.

Credits to IWhoSawTheFace

Love is more complicated than Quantum Mechanics

I loved a boy once who loved science. He'd greet me at the end of the school day like a happy puppy, full of ideas and affection and energy. Bounding to my side he'd babble about what he'd learned that day, bringing me lectures and theorems like chewed sticks or spittled rubber balls. As if I understood half of what he brought home. I wanted to, though. Really.

One day he carried home the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and this is where the real trouble begins. You can discuss an electron with a four-part description: position, momentum, energy, and time. These qualities not only describe the electron, they also describe each other. For example you can't discuss the position of an electron without addressing its momentum; nor can you discuss an electron's energy without factoring in time. Canonical conjugates, they call 'em: two properties that have a special relationship. When he told me about these couples, I thought of us, a pair with a special relationship. I liked this Heisenberg. "Tell me more, dearest."

"The more you know about one half of the pair, the less you can be certain about the other. You have to acknowledge that, no matter how precise your tools, there's always an element of inaccuracy in your measurement. And the more you try to increase the accuracy of that measure, the more uncertainty you introduce. The more precisely you measure an electron's position, the more difficult it is to nail down the measurement of its momentum. The same with time and energy."

"So... basically what you're telling me is, "Physics is a bitch."

"Not at all! Heisenberg had made a terrific discovery!" He was using the voice he normally reserved for concerts and poker games. His hands were gesturing wildly. I couldn't help but smile.

"Well how can uncertainty be a terrific discovery? Isn't that bad news?

"Heisenberg discovered that the amount of uncertainty produced by any given conjugate pair couldn't go below a specified constant. He measured inaccuracy! He reasoned that, regardless of the scientist or the precision of their tools, there would always be at least some small amount of uncertainty. It's brilliant."

"So if we know how much uncertainty there is, we can tell how much certainty we have?"

"Precisely," he said. Or would have said, if he hadn't leaned in quickly to kiss me hard. That was the end of Heisenberg, for a while.

My love came home another day with an idea called the Amsterdam, or Copenhagen--something Interpretation. He thought, since I'd been so interested in electrons and their measurement, that I might like to know about superposition. He told me how, when no one's looking, electrons exist in all possible states at the same time. They're more like waves of probability, and they'll take every possible path from point A to point B.

"When we shine a light on them, they choose a path. But by shining the light, we've tampered with them. If we look away again, the electron returns to its superposition." This I didn't grasp so easily at the time, but I think I understand now.

More frequently we avoided discussions about what I knew or what he'd learned. Our conversations began to center around our relationship. Foolishly, I wanted to define "us." I needed the security of a label, I needed to pinpoint where we were. I should've taken a cue from Heisenberg, and focused on where we weren't.

Months went by and the conversations turned bitter. What had once been a relationship with endless possibility had turned into a cramped exercise in dueling. If I loved him, why didn't we make love more often? If he wanted to be with me, why weren't we engaged? I wanted us to last forever, but the tighter we gripped our love the more it slipped between our fingers until eventually it had disappeared. What can I say? Love is a bitch.

Which brings us back to Physics. Without his guidance, I can't be sure I've got this right but every piece of me that misses him says it's so. You see the real trouble with love is that it's the most complex thing out there--more complex than any Superstring Theory or Strong Law of Small Numbers. I can think back to our superposition, the very moment we clicked, that instant rush of "this could be the one." All things are possible in that instant. There were an infinite number of paths that our relationship could take and this... well, this just kills me. I should've observed less and been more. I'm no physicist, no great philosopher or scientist, but I know what possibility is.

You'll never know for sure if your love will last forever, or if your husband will be faithful, or if your girlfriend feels the same way you do. And the more you try to define your relationship by exactly measuring its components, the more you change the relationship.

But here's the catch: just the way the Uncertainty Principle applies even when no one's altering anything, your relationship is changed whether you set out to define it more accurately or not. Because when you don't bring up things like commitment and trust and passion and where-are-we-going, your partner is in some way affected by your lack of question. I had to know what he thought about us together, and when he didn't share that, I took it to mean that he wasn't thinking about us together.

I should've been thinking. I should've done what the scientists do. If we know how much uncertainty there is, we can tell how much certainty we have. Neither of us knew where things were going exactly but that should have been okay. That was a marginal amount of uncertainty in exchange for so much love. I should have seen that the present was certain; that although the future was in the air, I knew he wanted to be with me right then. The certainty is what matters. They couldn't give a Nobel prize for love--it's much too complicated.

Credits to LaggedyAnne

haha, no post on my birthday. cos i was busy preparing for viva the next day by the time i got home. :P my mom, sis and i went to pizza hut for lunch. there was supposed to be a birthday song, but they ran out of the chocolate cake. inwardly relieved, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing... then bought a cake and ate it after dinner.

had dinner with my chem clique the day before...arigatou!

actually the happiest thing i got from my birthday is not the presents, but the full family photo that we haven't taken for ages. =)

Corpse Bride

With this hand I will lift your sorrows.
Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.
With this candle, I will light your way in darkness.
With this ring, I ask you to be mine.
~Victor Van Dort

The Time Travaler's Wife

cried so much after watching "Blood Diamond". Feels so heavy...

Don't feel like doing my organic tutorial...

Definitely one of my favourite movies.

Love Leonardo =)

Michael Jackson's 51st Birthday

Just watched the HIStory World Tour-Munich on Channel 5. Actually I've only heard 4 of his songs. The Thriller part was good, especially the part where he disappeared.

Love how the crowd loved him.

It got pretty touching towards the end, especially "Earth Song". I almost cried at the part where he lowered the gun of the soldier. The soldier/dancer was pretty emotional too. You can see tear stains on his face.



It's sad the way his life had later turned out to be.

创纪录者，从小在欢呼与掌声中长大，所到之处被人人围绕，大家为他哭为他笑为他昏为他疯，一举手一投足牵动万人心，缔造无数经典潮流，站在最前锋，代价是成为最寂寞的天才异类。

后期总被媒体嘲笑他的疯狂，讥讽他的怪异。

死后所有有关他的商品大卖，各种版本的流言继续纷飞。但无论这世界如何纷扰，月球上漫步的男子此刻终可享受此生不得的宁静。
~i-weekly

damn sian...lab tomorrow...continue working on the crap that i synthesised last week...super low yield because my compound was sucked by the vacuum after rotovap. zzz. and it looks yellow while it's supposed to be white. and i can't find the damn melting point in any books. and i haven't started on the lab report. and all my tutorials start next week and i have so many things to do, so much so i dunno which to do first and i may just end up not doing anything.

and i watched the last episode of 《爱也好恨也好》last night online, cos i'm gg to miss it because of forensics lecture. oh yeah did i mention the ivle participation thing is driving me nuts? this time round's way worse than js1101e. people are either just soooo into the module or they just have nothing better to do than to sit at the computer all day and post threads after threads on the forum. makes me feel so scared and compelled to post something too. anyway anyway, the ending is nice (tv i mean)...ahhhh started out complaining and grumbling about the show but kinda miss it after it's over. shanzai took such a horrible plunge, blow after blow, it was almost unbearable to watch. and i actually cried today when he told xiuya he wanted a divorce. and when xiuya was pleading with her dad not to fire shanzai. so sad when the father was crying and saying 'my heart breaks when i see xiuya cry. but seeing all the tears she has shed because of him(shanzai), how can i forgive him?' shanzai witnessed the scene and ran out of the house. after listening to all the voice messages that xiuya had left him (there were flashbacks of their past) he cried and said 'what do you see in a guy like me?' Awwww soooo sad!
he's not such a bad guy after all.

Finally made it through the first week of school, though there were only three lectures. I was super duper freaked out on Friday after my friend told me the details about lab. Handing in the report in the day of the experiment itself! Impossible or what! I mean, I'm not even sure I can complete the experiment. So I've been worried and depressed ever since then, trying to prepare the report beforehand but kept procrastinating as usual, and I've forgotten all my inorganic chemistry...

But I've just checked the IVLE course page, and it says:

Report and lab performance (40%)

• Format of report: title, data and results, calculations, discussion, conclusion and references. Page limit: 6 pages, excluding graphs and tables.
• Synthetic experiments will be evaluated on not only report writing, but also more importantly, product
• Deadline of report submission: One week after the experiment. For the last experiment, report should be submitted within four days after completing the experiment.

Viva (overall 5%)

• Viva will be conducted in Week 8-11. Further information can be obtained from the lecturer in-charge of your group.
• Viva questions will be based on the experiments, related theories or even on fundamental chemistry knowledge that you are expected to know from level 1 to level 3.

Quiz (15%)

• Quiz will be a closed book written test to be conducted on November 11 (Wednesday of Week 13) from 9:00 am to 9:30 am.

Practical Examination (40%)

• There will be no written exam for CM3291. In place of this, there will be a practical examination to be conducted on November 11 (Wednesday of Week 13) starting at 10:00 am. The practical exam can be an organic or an inorganic experiment.

I'm soooo not going to make it. ARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The "Geum Jan Di moon that can never escape from Gu Jun Pyo Star" necklace

Baoyun went to Korea a few weeks ago. Dunno if I'd mentioned it here, but the thing is, she GOT ME THE NECKLACE FROM "BOYS OVER FLOWERS"! OMG OMG OMG! Super duper surprised and happy! Although it doesn't have "J<3J" written on the back I'm already very happy. Thanks a lot, Baobao! I'm really touched!!!


Close up:

Went to Ye Wee's birthday party today (10Aug). At Tanah Merah! Super duper far! But the chalet is really nice, with air-conditioning, nice toilets and nice bathrooms. Heard it's not cheap, though. Anyway there were a lot of his NTU friends and I didn't mingle with them at all. :P Not good at interacting with strangers. But they were the majority, so we sneaked out most of the time, now that I think about it. We went bowling. My first time neh! My first 4 attempts went into the drain(?), so paiseh, but eventually I managed to get forty something points. Not too bad I guess.

Anyway we had to leave early because Xiao Wei's having her graduate school exam tomorrow morning. So sad we didn't get to eat the BBQ food and...the cake! The big and beautiful cake that I was most looking forward to!

Can't believe tomorrow is the start of school. Oh man, even though tomorrow is my free day but I can't believe I'm this close to school!!!!!!

《神话》

Just watched 《神话》. Hmm the movie is not bad, I guess, though the asteroid and anti-gravity part is a bit confusing. But I definitely love the plot. A general (Meng Yi) torn between his forbidden love for the concubine (Ok-Soo) and his loyalty to the emperor = destined to be tragedy

How can an emperor send a heroic general to escort a princess? I mean, between an old guy and a man who has saved your life and whom you spend months with in the wild fighting for your life, obviously you will choose the general, right?

The part where the two had neared China was quite sad. Upon seeing the Great Wall Ok-Soo said she didn't want to go to China and asked Meng Yi to take her away, no matter where they would have to go. Being the super-loyal general that he was (sigh) of course he said nothing. Ok-Soo collapsed and cried, lamenting about how they had fought so hard to live on, only to submit themselves to the hands of fate. When could they truly be free, must they wait till death? She then tried to take Meng Yi's sword, but failed. He asked her to remember her purpose for coming to China and to live on for her people. She took a long look at him and finally asked him if the miserable life ahead was what he wanted for her, and promised that she would live on for him.

After that there's some weird stuff about the immortality elixir, which Meng Yi must get to the dying Qin emperor. Before his departure, Ok-Soo promised to wait for his return, and he also declared his undying love for her (I think). Ah, but alas, good people always get harmed by traitors, and Meng Yi was killed by rebels trying to usurp the throne (but he put up a brave fight right till his last breath). His assistant, Nangong Yan, managed to bring the elixir to the palace, but the traitors forced him and the princess to test the elixir. And so both remained in the mausoleum, condemned to eternal life while the emperor died.

Ok-Soo waited faithfully for Meng Yi's return, and was convinced that Jack (who was really Meng Yi's reincarnation) was Meng Yi. My sister was asking me why did Ok-Soo think Meng Yi could still be alive after so many years, and I have no answer to that. But I was so saddened by the story I wasn't really thinking about the logical flaws. There were flashbacks of their time spent together, with 《美丽的神话》 playing in the background. Ah the song is too damn sad...

Jack's friend William again removed part of the asteroid for his research and caused the whole mausoleum to collapse.

As he heads for the exit of the main chamber, Jack asks Ok-Soo to come with him. Ok-Soo refuses his offer since, having heard William call his true name, she now knows that Jack is not Meng Yi. She then flies back to the crumbling castle, where she holds her promise to await the return of the real Meng Yi. She does not know that Jack is actually the reincarnation of Meng Yi.

(taken from wikipedia)

Beautiful and sad. Tired from crying. Sigh.

Kim Hee-sun is really beautiful!!!

好怀念以前的电视。。。《千年虫》 James Lye!!!

Quoted from http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=331451025

片尾曲《如果智慧能迁移》
词：吴庆康
郑惠玉和陈汉玮唱

一个世纪去了哪里
世界怎么还孤寂
面对爱情还是没勇气
还令人怀疑

如果智慧能迁移
会不会更开心
如果我们变得更聪明
谁值得信

匆匆千年晃眼逝去
虚实越来越难定
心情连虫儿都看得清
它比你我精灵

如果智慧能迁移
会不会不伤心
如果我们变得更聪明
可否交心

Dear friends:
To realize the value of ONE YEAR
ask the student who has failed a class
To realize the value of ONE MONTH
ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby
To realize the value of ONE WEEK
ask the editor of a weekly newspaper
To realize the value of ONE HOUR
ask the lovers who are waiting to meet
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE
ask a person who missed the train
To realize the value of ONE SECOND
ask a person who just avoided accident
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND
ask the person who won a silver medel in the Olympics

Treasure every moment that you have!
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it is called present.

Long Long Ago
Tell me the tales
That to me were so dear,
Long, long ago,
Long, long ago;
Sing me the songs
I delighted to hear,
Long, long ago,
Long ago.
Now you are come,
All my grief is removed,
Let me forget
That so long you have roved,
Let me believe
That you love as you loved,
Long, long ago,
Long ago.

Do you remember
The path where we met,
Long, long ago,
Long, long ago?
That’s when you told me
You would not forget,
Long, long ago,
Long ago.
Then, to all others
My smile you preferred,
Love, when you spoke,
Gave a charm to each word,
Still my heart treasures
The praises I heard,
Long, long ago,
Long ago.

Though by your kindness
My fond hopes were raised,
Long, long ago,
Long, long ago;
You by more eloquent
Lips have been praised,
Long, long ago,
Long ago.
But by long absence
Your truth has been tried,
Still to your accents
I listen with pride,
Blessed as I was
When I sat by your side,
Long, long ago,
Long ago.

Modules for AY09/10 Semester I

Bidding's finally over for me. Luckily I'd secured all five modules by the end of round 2A. I'd hate to go on to round 2B, in which usually not-so-popular modules' bid points suddenly skyrocket.

This is the final result:
------------------------------------------
Allocated Modules
------------------------------------------

Module Code: GEK1542
Module Title: Forensic Science
Bid ID: B00003012395
Your Bid: 1228
Winning Bid: 803

Module Code: CM3221
Module Title: Organic Synthesis and Spectroscopy
Bid ID: B00002906084
Your Bid: 100
Winning Bid: 1

Module Code: CM3291
Module Title: Advanced Experiments In Organic & Inorganic Chemistry
Bid ID: B00002943464
Your Bid: 200
Winning Bid: 1

Module Code: CM3242
Module Title: Instrumental Analysis II
Bid ID: B00002945626
Your Bid: 500
Winning Bid: 1

Module Code: EC2102
Module Title: Macroeconomic Analysis I
Bid ID: B00002950027
Your Bid: 1000
Winning Bid: 906

I was so scared I won't be able to get the forensic science module. I kept refreshing the bidding page. I can't understand why the next min. bid kept increasing even when the number of bidders was dropping. I don't know why DBS decided to offer the module only in sem 1;it's driving the demand even higher!

I'm going to be in school from 10AM to 10PM on Friday :(

Piano songs from HYD

I thought this was really good. It's the nearest to the original song I've heard.



This was the song played when Tsukushi found that Umi had taken the credit for the cookies that she'd baked. Sad... this person played it really well, it's totally alike the drama version!

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

Why Xiaowei likes Arashi

The long-awaited post...Tadah! After watching some episodes of VS Arashi and Odoroki no Arashi, I guess you can say they are quite likeable. All of them have quite interesting personalities, they're funny and entertaining. And the fan-subs make the viewing experience all the more funny. Hahahaha...

Don't think XW will be satisfied with this post though :P

edit 30July: XW I even joined livejournal and vox to watch their videos, okay?! I'm going to quote another fan's description of Arashi:

Aiba, the funny Baka
Jun, the cool DoS
Nino, the braty member
Ohno, the cute Leader
Sho, the dorky newscaster

Guess that about sums them up. It was a poll actually, about which is your favourite member. I chose... Nino :P

recently blogger looks weird. I dunno if it's just my computer, but on the posting page the toolbar with the add pictures, font size, font colour, bold etc buttons is missing. So I can't format my writing. Sucks. I don't know what's wrong. I'm having the same problem with both firefox and ie.

Anyway, the tormenting round 1A of bidding is over. I sat in front of the computer at 3PM and spent the next 2 hours staring at the screen, wondering what I should do, playing various scenarios in my mind... Bidding is such a torture. It's like psychological warfare, you know. Trying to figure out what other people are thinking so that you can secure a place for yourself. It sucks.

Anyway (again), if I'm going to take forensic science, that's going to leave me with very few points to bid for my fifth module. I had intended to take CL2280 Basic translation, but I'm not confident about securing that. And then I found out that I can bid for EC2102 Macroeconomics in round 1A. That's the start of my dilemma. Should I bid for EC now, then drop it if CL proves to be unpopular? I'd only be refunded half the points, though. If I were to choose between econs and sociology, which will I do? Given my hatred of GP, surely I will choose econs? But then EC2102 is an econs core module and won't it be suicidal of me to take it when I don't have A-level econs?!?! So I struggled really long and at 4.40PM, 20 minutes before the end of the closed round, I decided to put 800 points down for econs. Which is kind of ridiculous, considering the amount I used for my core modules.

The bidding results are as follows:
------------------------------------------
Allocated Modules
------------------------------------------

Module Code: CM3221
Module Title: Organic Synthesis and Spectroscopy
Bid ID: B00002906084
Your Bid: 100
Winning Bid: 1

Module Code: CM3291
Module Title: Advanced Experiments In Organic & Inorganic Chemistry
Bid ID: B00002943464
Your Bid: 200
Winning Bid: 1

Module Code: CM3242
Module Title: Instrumental Analysis II
Bid ID: B00002945626
Your Bid: 500
Winning Bid: 1

Module Code: EC2102
Module Title: Macroeconomic Analysis I
Bid ID: B00002950027
Your Bid: 1000
Winning Bid: 906

906 points! My gawd! I was inwardly thinking how lucky it was I'd thought to add another 200 points on second thought, but I don't really know if it's a good thing or not that I got it. If I drop it I'll lose 453 points from my programme account. sianzzz

(edited @29Jul 3.27PM: found a soln on the blogger help forum. For firefox users hold down ctrl and press f5. It worked for me =) )

Fragile

You know, I don’t think I’ll ever be happy. Wherever I am, I’ll wish I’m somewhere else. Whatever I have, I’ll want something different.

Smile and make you think I’m happy
I talk and make you think I love me
I laugh, so you don’t see me cry
I look at you and hide the pain inside
I feel myself dying but you see me survive

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down, probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back...

If you don't understand my silence... You'll never understand my words
The pain is there to remind me that I'm still alive

Behind this smile is everything you'll never understand

I know it seems like I'm this strong person who can get through anything, but inside I'm fragile. I've had so many things thrown at me, and each one has only made a crack. What I'm afraid of is shattering

I thought somebody would notice, I thought somebody would say something…

As we grow older, it gets harder to believe. It’s not that we don’t want to but too much has happened and we can’t.

I guess to some extent, you get used to being alone. You get used to not expecting phone calls & having nothing to do at night. You don’t expect to turn around to open arms any longer. The small sounds of him have been replaced by silence. Your thoughts echo through your head, with no one to share them with. All in all, being alone isn’t terrible, it just hurts like hell…

When you finally realize that you didn't matter at all to someone, you begin to wonder if you ever mattered to anyone

The only guy that deserves you.. is the one that thinks he doesn't. the one that'll stick by your side.. no matter how much you mess up. and the one who will forgive you.. mistake after mistake..
To put it simply, I want to be someone's everything…
I am so scared ... scared that I wont ever love anyone like this, that I wont ever find someone who can make me feel so complete yet at the same time be the one who's leaving me feeling lifeless... And you'll never know how it feels to have the one person who means everything to you -make you feel like nothing

Do you know why I hate myself? I’m selfish, lonely, insecure, annoying,and bitchy, but the main reason I hate myself is because I am me.

Even though I loved you so much, I just couldn't deal with the pain. And, the times we spent together, holding each other, were the best times of my life. But no matter how much I wanted to keep you in my arms, I couldn't. I couldn't hold on to you, knowing that all you were going to do was hurt me. But right now, even though I still love you, I don't need you anymore. I don't need you to complete me. I just need you to comfort me when I'm sad, support me, and listen to me when I talk. So, I guess what I'm saying is, I'm glad we're over. I'm glad I've let go I can cry a million tears, but you'll never see my frown. I'll whisper your name one thousand times, but you'll never hear a sound.

I miss you. not enough to want you back, just enough for it to hurt

Maybe I was just a stepping stone for you to get to that point in your life where you'd figure out what you wanted, or didn't want... So to prove to you that I love you and all I want is for you to be happy, I'll walk away..
Promise me that's all I want. Just a promise that you will never forget me.

Tell me I changed you somehow. Let me know that I had an impact on your life. Promise me that you will always remember me. Losing you was hard enough, but I don't want to live knowing I meant absolutely nothing to you

I feel like one of those people who is so miserable that they can't be around normal people, like I'll infect the happy people

Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we're wired that way. Because without it, I don't know; maybe we just wouldn't feel real. What's that saying? Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop

Love is a behavior, not a feeling. It's the way somebody treats you everyday, all day ... not just when their life is going well

I know we're good together. You're the only person I can be myself with, even if I don't know who the hell that is.

You're scared because you don't understand... I'm scared because I do.

She's a pretty typical teenager. Angry, insecure, confused. I wish I could tell her that's all going to pass, but I don't want to lie to her.

Quote: http://postsimple.com/az696

I know I rant about this at the start of every semester, but I really need to say this again:

I HATE BIDDING!

I hate having to make choices. I hate having to choose what to take.

As if choosing the electives wasn't enough, now I have to choose my core modules too.

CM3221 Organic Synthesis & Spectroscopy - Am I going to plunge myself into the darkness of organic chem once more? Am I going to be stuck with Clayden again (or worse?)?

CM3232 Physical Chemistry of the Solid State & Interfaces - I don't know about this. I don't like it, but I don't hate it either.

CM3242 Instrumental Analysis - Definitely have to do this. Analytical skills for future labwork.

And then the electives. I'm really interested in GEK1542 Forensic sciences and GEK2501 Understanding your medications. I've wanted the former since year 1 and now I think I've finally accumulated enough points to bid for it. The thing is, GEK2501 is also very popular, in the range of 400-600+ points. So I can't afford to bid for both. I am sooo stuck. So I have to choose. The thing is, GEK2501 is only offered in Sem I, and they stopped offering GEK1542 in Sem II last year, which means I'll have to wait till I'm in year 4 (if I ever get there) if I miss it this time round. Grr! *pulling my hair* AND if I taking the med course, the lecture is wed 3-5pm, and it's impossible to find any other modules that fit in on wednesday, which means I can kiss my free day goodbye! I'll be going to school on 2 days each week just for ONE lecture, and that sucks! GRR!

I'm hungry...

2501 seems quite difficult. A lot of stuff to memorise. MCQ, negative marking. Ewww...horrible experience from SSS1207. I just thought it would be useful if I'm going to do pharmaceuticals in the future. Sigh. Maybe I'll shelve it till year 4. If there's no year 4 then... oh well.

S.P.D.

SPEED IS BACK!

Cool song. It's very very different from their old songs, but hey, I love their spirit!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This is going to be a very long post. If you think it's tiring to read, imagine typing it.

I went to watch HBP with Xiao Wei just now (yesterday? since it's past midnight?). My sister has already seen it on Sunday (that's her birthday), and she said it sucked. So I went and read the movie reviews. Those who hate it were generally the hardcore fans, who were disappointed because of the numerous deviations from the book. Those who like it said the cinematography was great, the acting was superb, and I agree with them. The opening in which the Death Eaters swooped around burning buildings was nauseating. As for acting, I think Helena Bonham Carter succeeded in portraying the deranged Bellatrix Lestrange (she really looks mad and dangerous!); Emma Watson was pretty good esp in that scene where Hermione cried on Harry's shoulder after Ron snogged Lavender (I cried a bit...Ron is always making Hermione upset! Actually the snogging was okay;it sounded really bad in those reviews); Tom Felton did a great job as the lonely and tormented Draco Malfoy. He really does look worn and haggard.The character has grown from a mean bully to, ironically, the Chosen One. My heart went out to him in scenes where he wasn't paying attention to Dumbledore in the Opening Feast, when he's walking alone while other students were happily playing around, his hidden fear when Harry asked Katie about the necklace, him breaking down in the bathroom, his look of reluctance and revulsion as he finally repaired the Vanishing Cabinets and opened it to the Death Eaters, when he trembled as he pointed his wand at Dumbledore, when he looked at the remains of Hogwarts as he escaped... you just know he didn't want any of this.

Alan Rickman was great as always as the Severus Snape that you love and hate (I love his voice!!!).

But Michael Gambon was the biggest surprise.

To be honest I've been kind of biased against him ever since he replaced Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore in "Prisoner of Azkaban". I found him a bit too wild and frivolous, a little over dramatic at times. But in this movie he's truly Albus Dumbledore. He's the wise old wizard with flowing white hair and beard. He speaks to Harry with care and concern, he carries himself as a headmaster would, he even manages to be witty in the most Dumbledore-lish way (see hospital scene where Lavender storms off after Ron murmurs Hermione's name in his sleep.)

The cave scene wasn't like what I had imagined when I read the book. The ground was covered with what looked like crystals (it looks difficult to walk on, what with so many jagged edges), which reminds me of the planet Superman was from, you know, in "Superman Returns"? I was filling with dread and getting all worked up, and Michael Gambon did a splendid job portraying a weakened Dumbledore, crying, murmuring "It's all my fault" and pleading Harry to stop. It broke my heart to see the tear-stained face of an old and weak Dumbledore. (I started crying here.) The only flaw was that he suddenly wasn't quite that weak when he asked Harry for water. Thought he's supposed to feel like he's dying from thirst? So as you know, Harry went to get water from the lake, and I know that's when the Inferi would appear. I knew it and I'd braced myself for it, but still I was damn frightened when an Inferi arm suddenly shot out and grabbed Harry. I was completely thrown back into my seat and I grabbed Xiao Wei. Phew. Harry was dragged into the lake where several colonies of Inferi were waiting. Oh man, there really were a lot of them. This is different from the book, but I supposed it was for a more dramatic effect? Then Dumbledore conjured a fire to dispel the Inferi and saved Harry. The scene in which Dumbledore stood, looking a little wild, with fire blazing around him hit me really hard, for some reason. Perhaps it's because I was suddenly reminded that he's an old man. Or maybe it's because it reminds me of a similar scene from one of the Lord of the Rings movies, where Gandalf the Grey was battling with some fiery dragon.

They then Apparated back to the tower. Dumbledore asked Harry to hide downstairs and not do anything. Strangely Harry did not have the Invisibility Cloak with him, nor was he immobilised by Dumbledore, so I wonder why he didn't do anything to save Dumbledore? I knew Dumbledore had told Harry to trust him, and Snape warned him to remain silent before ascending the tower himself, but isn't it just not in his nature to do nothing? It's just weird. And I think it'd have been more impactful if Dumbledore had cast the Body-Binding charm as in the book, because I remember how my heart had ached terribly when I read "the split second it had taken Dumbledore to cast the spell had cost him the chance to defend himself".

Tom Felton's acting was convincing as Draco broke down and said, "If I don't kill you, he'll kill me." The Death Eaters arrived, then Snape arrived with that unreadable expression of his, and I was almost going crazy and wringing my hands and hoping against what I knew would come. Dumbledore pleaded with Severus (it hurt to watch this; crying initiated), it was all very fast when Snape cast the Killing Curse. There was a brief shot of Dumbledore as he fell down the tower. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks (they really felt hot, I wonder why. Maybe the theatre was too cold...).

After Snape escaped, Harry returned to the foot of the tower, where the students were gathered around Dumbledore's body. He looked like he might have been sleeping. T_T. Ginny held Harry as he cried. Now I really cannot control myself when I see people cry. I just broke down when I saw that the students were crying too (had to bite my lips to keep quiet). Led by McGonagall, the staff and students raised their wands, casting lights that erased the Dark Mark cast by Bellatrix, all the while crying silently. Dumbledore was going to be missed by all... The movie then ends with Harry talking to Hermione and Ron about the road ahead, and a final scene of them watching Fawkes fly away, leaving Hogwarts forever, just as Dumbledore had... T_T

I'd cried a lot, which is why I felt so tired after watching the movie. Tears were dripping down the front of my shirt and when I finally got to the toilet I noticed my eyes were red and swollen. I wonder why my sis said she didn't feel anything when Dumbledore died. I thought they did a pretty good job. Or perhaps I was just allowing my emotions to run wild.

I've enjoyed the movie, definitely. Would have enjoyed it more if not for the bursting bladder I had to endure from the green tea I had drunk previously. I don't know it's because I'd read those poor reviews and lowered my expectations. But I have known it differs from the book, and I stopped comparing the movie with the book, and it's great. Among the reviews that I've read, the most missed scenes were Dumbledore picking Harry up at the Durseley's and giving them a dressing down (it was changed to a train station, and I thought the part about Harry trying to pick up a waitress was quite dumb), the Hogwarts Battle (I must admit it's really odd that no one stopped the Death Eaters as they marched away after killing Dumbledore, blowing up things here and there. And read, they marched. They didn't even run. Sidetrack a bit, Draco looked pained as he glanced at the smothering remains of the Great Hall, work of Bellatrix. Whatever he might have said on the Hogwarts Express about hating the school, I'm sure he felt for it. After all, he had spent six years in thw school with his friends.) and Dumbledore's funeral. But I suppose the tower scene was acceptable. It did convey the loss of Albus Dumbledore and how he was missed, albeit on a less grand scale. In the book his funeral was attended by merpeople and centaurs, which shows how a great a wizard he truly was. Some people thought it was ridiculous to do without the scene, because how else is Voldemort going to get the Elder Wand in the next movie? But actually the movie shows the Wand to be in the Headmaster's Office; Harry was looking at it when Professor McGonagall entered.

There was a brief scare when Xiao Wei lost her wallet, but luckily we found it when we went back to the Cathay (after we had already got to the MRT station!). Kudos to the helpful Cathay staff!

Gotta sleep early to watch the live broadcast of solar eclipse tomorrow at 8AM!

ALIVE

絶え間なく 打ち寄せる波よ
この切なさは 何処からくるの
心の岸辺を 濡らしてゆく
まぶしかった日々

緑が 枯れてくように
未来が色褪せてみえても
涙の数だけ きっといつか
花は咲く日が来る

遠く離れても 明日が見えなくても
愛を止めないで
この海の果てはやがて青い空へ続いてる
ひとりじゃない
この胸に愛は生きている

心へと 吹きすさぶ風よ
自分に 負けない強さ下さい
雨が降り続いても 闇が深くても
朝は来るように…

時の流れに身をゆだね
地図のない海へ 舟を出そう
信じていれば いつか たどり着けるね
約束の地へ

永遠に汚れない 思いがあるなら
愛を止めないで
この世に生まれてきた命のきらめきを
知っているなら
終わりなき旅路へ 歩き出そう

果てしなく続く航海のどこかで
また必ずめぐり逢えるよね

「愛は生きている
ずっとこの想いは胸にいきつづけている…ALIVE」

遠く離れても 明日が見えなくても
愛を止めないで
この海の果てはやがて青い空へ続いてる
ひとりじゃない この胸にずっと愛は生きている
生きていこう
愛は生きてる

Love is Alive…

Oh, endlessly breaking waves
Where does this pain come from?
The banks of my heart are wet
From those bright days

Like the withering greenery
The future may seem to fade away
But for every tear I shed
There will surely be days of blooming flowers

Even if we’re far apart and can’t see tomorrow
Don’t stop loving
The end of this ocean soon continues into the blue sky
I’m not alone
Love is alive in this heart

Oh, wind blowing fiercely into my heart
Please grant me the strength to not give in
Even if rain keeps falling or the darkness is deep
May morning come…

I entrust myself to the flow of time
And will sail into this uncharted sea
If I believe, I’ll make it there someday
To the promised land

If memories won’t be tarnished by eternity
Don’t stop loving
If you know the light of a life born into this world
Then let’s set off on an endless journey

I know that somewhere on this boundless sea voyage
We’ll meet again

“Love is alive
These feelings will forever be in my heart…alive”

Even if we’re far apart and can’t see tomorrow
Don’t stop loving
The end of this ocean soon continues into the blue sky
I’m not alone
Love will always be alive in this heart
Let’s live on
Love is alive

Love is alive…

Taken from http://www.quartet4.net/?p=276

《雨啊，请你到非洲》

《生还与灭顶》

有些现实，是连电影也拍不出的一出惨剧。

找一个长周末，去爬山，去看海，去接近花花草草。有一千零一个留下来的借口，也有一千零一个出走的理由。只要拿得起行囊。

A study just published in the journal Psychological Science says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are. ... common-sense proposition: when people hear something they don't believe, they are not only often skeptical but adhere even more strongly to their original position.

Adapted from TIME "Yes, I Suck: Self-Help Through Negative Thinking"

I don't want to grow up. I don't.

Furthermore, regular visits from doctors and access to modern medical care raised the birth rate and decreased the death rate, causing an enormous natural increase . Before long, the Inuit population was beyond what hunting and fishing could support, i.e. the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. By the mid-1960s, encouraged first by missionaries, then by the prospect of paid jobs and government services, and finally forced by hunger and required by police, all Canadian Inuit lived year-round in permanent settlements. The nomadic migrations that were the central feature of Arctic life had for the most part disappeared. The Inuit, a once self-sufficient people in an extremely harsh environment, were in the span of perhaps two generations transformed into a small, impoverished minority lacking skills or resources to sell to the larger economy, but increasingly dependent on it for survival.

~Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit

Why do people like to change others to become like themselves? It's the same with the Spanish missionaries who brainwashed the Mayan people. Why can't they just leave the natives alone? Do they think they are better, do they think everyone should convert to Christianity?

It disgusts me.

Nodame Cantabile SP

Time to update on nodame... The SP starts with Chiaki and Nodame flying to Paris, where they befriend two dorm-mates, Tanya and Frank. This shot was taken in Frank's room. I thought I was seeing things... isn't that Puririn hanging from the Eiffel Towel?!?!
And that shirt! Puririn and Kazuo!
Nodame looks up Frank to learn French from him (cos Chiaki is too busy) but is instead distracted by the TV... I was like, LOL they have Puri Gorota in France too?!?!


Haha I hope they really sell these.



Smart Nodame's learning French by watching anime...


She brought Gorota to Paris with her :)
Good luck charm for Chiaki-senpai's competition. Seriously, they made so many Puri Gorota merchandise I wonder if they sell them... I would want to buy! :D


It so happens that the anime festival is held there and Nodame takes a picture with the creator of Puri Gorota! Damn real huh?
Kazuo on the baton :)
This is episode 2 of SP, which focuses on Nodame. Her room is extremely messy and she struggles to locate the key to Chiaki-senpai's room. Ah, I spot Gorota!

Kazuo makes a cameo :P
Gorota!
Gorota again! This part was quite sad; Nodame was crying and wondering if she should just return to Japan cos all these training for competition stuff didn't really suit her, she just loved to play piano for the fun of it. And what's more, Chiaki was away on tour with Stresemann, who dragged him along to those nightclubs, causing Nodame to think that Chiaki was cheating on her. It was sad, but I was sort of distracted by Gorota...

Kazuo!
Reunion of Gorota & Kazuo!

They're on their way to Nodame's first recital. She really likes playing with puppets huh?



They kiss after the successful recital!
Isn't it romantic?
A final hug after Chiaki's conducting debut... She was expecting him to kiss her, but he drew on her face...LOL. Looks cute anyway :D
Chiaki OS: My Europe debut...and at the same time, into Weirdo's Forest. :) :) :)

Wonderful show... The movie will be out next year!

MJ

It will force Michael Jackson's fans and foes to ask: Why must our stars fall so spectacularly and fail us so egregiously? Perhaps it's because we want them to. Indeed, it may be the primary function of celebrities like Jackson to show us, in their early radiance, what we could dream of being — and in the murk of their decline, what we fear we could become.

Adapted from http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1907344-2,00.html

Puri Gorota

I think I'm obsessed with the whole Gorota thingy... But I can't help it; it's too damn funny! In this final episode (ep11), Nodame has returned home to Osaka after not winning the piano competition. Chiaki rummages through his drawers, trying to find Nodame's home number, and tadah! Kazuo is still in his house! And Chiaki put him in a claypot! Muahahaha...
Chiaki decideds to go look up Nodame. He brings along "Purigota Strap Series". :D
He finally finds her, and hugs her from behind! Wootz.
It was very romantic...until they get spotted by Nodame's father.
It turned from romance to comedy in one split second. lol. Look at Chiaki's comical expression.