Really no time to update so I’ll summarize everything so I can look back when I’m in NZ.
6th Nov – Arrived Singapore
7th Nov – Met Jo at Vivo
8th Nov – Met WeiQi at Suntec, traveled to Malaysia in the evening
9th Nov – Malaysia – KLCC, Sungei Wang
10th Nov – Malaysia – Sunway, traveled back to Singapore in the evening
11th Nov – Met Xiulu at HK café, Heartland Mall, Jo at Suntec, The Rock, Shawn, Spencer, Hendric at AMK
12th Nov – Spencer and Hendric at Chinatown to get air tickets, Suntec Lions for lambs movie
13th Nov – GuiXian and Benice at Wheelock place, Big O for lunch
14th Nov – Arrived Hong Kong
15th Nov – Cosmopro Exhibition at Hong Kong Exhibition and Conventional Centre, Nu Ren Jie, Hong Kong Island
16th Nov – Tsim Sha Chui, Hong Kong History Museum, Star Arena, Nu Ren Jie
17th Nov – Disney Land
18th Nov – Disney Land, Returned to Singapore
19th Nov – New Zealand High Comm, Takashimaya, met Jo at NUS, parents at Novena
20th Nov – Started work – Sub court in the morning, lunch with clients, meeting with clients, met Laine, Sam, Juan, Joseph, Hendric at Hougang Mall, Café Cartel
21st Nov – Work – research on market rigging case, met Grace at NYDC Wheelock, Starbucks
22nd Nov – Work – research on en bloc case, coincidentally met Chin Hao, parents at Novena
23rd Nov – Work – research on PR and EP, went HSBC to run an errand, met Shiling and ChinHao for dinner at Junction 8, Braddell Macs, parents at Novena
24th Nov – Applied for new passport at ICA, Bugis, Plaza Singapura
25th Nov – Met Jo for brunch at the usual place, Jo’s house
26th Nov – Work – Sub court with Mr Fong and Adrian, morning session and afternoon session, 9am-12pm, break, 2:30pm-4:30pm, office, met Grace at Citylink, Thai Express, Gloria Jeans, Raffles City, met her friend at Cathay Cine, met Esther, Esther’s house, reached home at 1plus am
27th Nov – Reached office early to go to sub court with Adrian to negotiate dates of trials, office, met Shing, Shiqi, Hendric, Edmund at City Hall MRT
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Whats the matter with you?
Its 550am now and I just settled down in my room. I was too darn tired when I came back just now and dozed off on the sofa downstairs. When I woke up it was already 5am and I was still in my office wear with all the make-up on and it felt utterly disgusting and dirty! Anyway obviously I went to take a bath and whilst doing that I recalled a series of events which happened recently – and that really pissed me off.
NZ High Comm
The other day I was at the NZ high comm. settling some of my passport-PR issues. As I was waiting for my turn, this middle aged guy was asking the receptionist (Singaporean) about which form he should get if he was to go for some medical check-up. His English wasn’t that fluent and he wasn’t that clear in what he was trying to ask. But that’s totally not his fault right? Unless you want to argue with me that it is because he didn’t study hard when he was young – and I would roll my eyes at you.
Ok anyway, I reckon he was a lil intimidated in that office because its some foreign country’s high comm.. The dumbass receptionist, being more fluent in her English, snapped at him whenever she had a chance to do so. I was so bloody pissed by her I so wanted to tell her off. The guy was like, ‘ Er…I want to get that form… to apply…’ And she would shoot a question at him with her impatient tone and that don’t-waste-my-time-I’m-more-superior-to-you kinda attitude. That poor guy just stammered because he didn’t really know what he should do and in face with that arrogant receptionist. I mean, its totally not his fault to not know what he should do because if he did, he wouldn’t be there or rather, he would be working for them. And that conceited receptionist is paid to work there to help these kinda people. I don’t get her – why the hell is she showing this kinda attitude as if she is some big-shot VIP when she is just a darn receptionist. Ok, I get it – your job is important, your job is highly regarded. But your freaking job is to help these kinda people you snobbish brat! That guy was just totally thrown into quite an embarrassing spot because she was talking quite loudly so everyone waiting in the office could hear. She made him sound as if he is stupid but I reckon she is the stupid one to think that she is more superior to him just because…she is a receptionist of the high comm.? Or maybe because her English is better? What crap! He may be some freaking millionaire whose 100times fluent in mandarin than she is in English.
I really wanted to tell her off so I sat there thinking what I was going to say when it was my turn. But the receptionist changed soon after. Argh! She got away with it too easily! She made me so disgusted by her. And I still don’t get it. What is that which can make her so arrogant about? Because she is working in a foreign western country’s high comm.? Roll my eyes!
HSBC staff
I was running some errands today so I had to make a trip down to HSBC. I was at the commercial banking level and security was quite tight. You need an access card to get into the office so if you ain’t a staff, you need to use the intercom to contact the person in the office you’re looking for. That’s quite usual but the extension numbers of the staffs printed on the paper were exceptionally small. Even I found it a lil difficult to read. So as I was waiting for the documents outside, this man probably in his late 50s came along and wanted to pass some documents to the staff inside. Obviously he can’t see the extension numbers printed on the paper. I reckon he wasn’t very sure whom he was supposed to find too. So he asked the staff who was walking into the office at that time. That young girl gave that indifferent attitude and said, ‘ go and look at the paper.’ The guy replied, ‘so small la, I cannot see.’ AND GUESS WHAT THAT YOUNG STUCK-UP GIRL SAID!!!!!
‘Then I cannot help you.’
……………………………………………………………………………
WHAT YOU MEAN YOU CANNOT HELP HIM!
Like that also need to teach?!?! She can help him by:
1) Just freaking tell him who he was supposed to find
2) Just call out to the person he was supposed to find
3) Just look at the printed paper and tell him the extension number to dial
4) Or just refer him to someone else who can help if she really is rushing for time, which doesn’t seem apparent at all
Was she really that dumb that she don’t know how to help him or she just didn’t want to? Obviously she didn’t want to. The thing is, the paper was just less than 1metre from her – she was standing next to it.
The guy was totally pissed but walked into the office without the access card since it wasn’t fully closed yet after that girl went in. I reckon he would get his stuff done once he get inside but WRONG! We took the same lift down and he was complaining to another person and I gathered that when he was inside, he asked another guy to help him and that guy asked him to go out and look at the extension numbers. Damnit, are you all that busy that you can’t even spend a couple of minutes for that old man. I’m sure you ain’t when all that I can see is people idling around. I mean there are some nice souls around because when I went up and kinda got lost, a staff directed me where to go and what to do and even went into the office and notify the person I was finding. But there were just a few stupid asses who that unfortunate man met. At last he didn’t get his stuff done and went back. Bloody shit I should just have just helped him find the person he was looking for. I kinda feel that people in that area are superficial. I mean, duh everyone is superficial. Haha ok, I don’t really make sense but yeah, basically working society is like that and I shouldn’t be too worked up bout it. But I reckon I really didn’t do my part in telling them off.
Its no doubt common that you meet up with such scenarios everyday but it doesn’t mean that it is right if it is common. Precisely it is rude and unbearable and worse still, normal, we should kinda do something bout it. But I reckon I don’t really have the guts and I must admit I don’t know how to handle such situations. And that pisses me off even more because sometimes, certain people just deserve to be told off and I didn’t do it because I’m just too slow in acting or don’t know how should I go bout doing it, which makes me feel like I’m one of those unhelpful people. I haven’t really met anyone being directly rude to me since I’ve started working. But I realized maybe there a lil factors to it. I was dressed in black and white formal wear when I was running some random errands – because I was supposed to be in that attire just in case I’ve to go to court. It makes me look as if I’m on some serious business or as if I’m some high-flyer which is obviously not the case – I’m just an unpaid intern. That old man was dressed in a less formal attire and was all sweaty from running errands but he is probably way experienced than me, earning obviously more than me, doing something more important than me. But just because I look as if I am some professional they gave me a lil more weight to me because they can only judge by appearance. Yeah, I think its inevitable that people do judge by appearance – I do too. You try not, but its kinda difficult in my opinion. But to render such attitude to anyone is just intolerable.
There are more occasions which pissed me off but I reckon this post is getting way too long so I’ll just end here by saying, I love my lifestyle now! Haha that’s random but I feel that I’ve been learning so much these few days from the internship although it may get very boring and tiring at times, I’m still enjoying it. Only if there are interns around my age in my dept, it would be great, cause currently my colleagues are way older than me and what do we talk about? Cooking, maids, work etc. I feel as if I’m getting a lil old as well. But its all good for now – work, learn, meet up with friends after work, home, a lil work, get real exhausted and sleep all the way through till the next day and everything repeats again. Although it sounds like a routine, it doesn’t feel like it because there are different cases everyday, learn different things, meet different friends… totally enjoying it such that I don’t wanna study anymore haha.
NZ High Comm
The other day I was at the NZ high comm. settling some of my passport-PR issues. As I was waiting for my turn, this middle aged guy was asking the receptionist (Singaporean) about which form he should get if he was to go for some medical check-up. His English wasn’t that fluent and he wasn’t that clear in what he was trying to ask. But that’s totally not his fault right? Unless you want to argue with me that it is because he didn’t study hard when he was young – and I would roll my eyes at you.
Ok anyway, I reckon he was a lil intimidated in that office because its some foreign country’s high comm.. The dumbass receptionist, being more fluent in her English, snapped at him whenever she had a chance to do so. I was so bloody pissed by her I so wanted to tell her off. The guy was like, ‘ Er…I want to get that form… to apply…’ And she would shoot a question at him with her impatient tone and that don’t-waste-my-time-I’m-more-superior-to-you kinda attitude. That poor guy just stammered because he didn’t really know what he should do and in face with that arrogant receptionist. I mean, its totally not his fault to not know what he should do because if he did, he wouldn’t be there or rather, he would be working for them. And that conceited receptionist is paid to work there to help these kinda people. I don’t get her – why the hell is she showing this kinda attitude as if she is some big-shot VIP when she is just a darn receptionist. Ok, I get it – your job is important, your job is highly regarded. But your freaking job is to help these kinda people you snobbish brat! That guy was just totally thrown into quite an embarrassing spot because she was talking quite loudly so everyone waiting in the office could hear. She made him sound as if he is stupid but I reckon she is the stupid one to think that she is more superior to him just because…she is a receptionist of the high comm.? Or maybe because her English is better? What crap! He may be some freaking millionaire whose 100times fluent in mandarin than she is in English.
I really wanted to tell her off so I sat there thinking what I was going to say when it was my turn. But the receptionist changed soon after. Argh! She got away with it too easily! She made me so disgusted by her. And I still don’t get it. What is that which can make her so arrogant about? Because she is working in a foreign western country’s high comm.? Roll my eyes!
HSBC staff
I was running some errands today so I had to make a trip down to HSBC. I was at the commercial banking level and security was quite tight. You need an access card to get into the office so if you ain’t a staff, you need to use the intercom to contact the person in the office you’re looking for. That’s quite usual but the extension numbers of the staffs printed on the paper were exceptionally small. Even I found it a lil difficult to read. So as I was waiting for the documents outside, this man probably in his late 50s came along and wanted to pass some documents to the staff inside. Obviously he can’t see the extension numbers printed on the paper. I reckon he wasn’t very sure whom he was supposed to find too. So he asked the staff who was walking into the office at that time. That young girl gave that indifferent attitude and said, ‘ go and look at the paper.’ The guy replied, ‘so small la, I cannot see.’ AND GUESS WHAT THAT YOUNG STUCK-UP GIRL SAID!!!!!
‘Then I cannot help you.’
……………………………………………………………………………
WHAT YOU MEAN YOU CANNOT HELP HIM!
Like that also need to teach?!?! She can help him by:
1) Just freaking tell him who he was supposed to find
2) Just call out to the person he was supposed to find
3) Just look at the printed paper and tell him the extension number to dial
4) Or just refer him to someone else who can help if she really is rushing for time, which doesn’t seem apparent at all
Was she really that dumb that she don’t know how to help him or she just didn’t want to? Obviously she didn’t want to. The thing is, the paper was just less than 1metre from her – she was standing next to it.
The guy was totally pissed but walked into the office without the access card since it wasn’t fully closed yet after that girl went in. I reckon he would get his stuff done once he get inside but WRONG! We took the same lift down and he was complaining to another person and I gathered that when he was inside, he asked another guy to help him and that guy asked him to go out and look at the extension numbers. Damnit, are you all that busy that you can’t even spend a couple of minutes for that old man. I’m sure you ain’t when all that I can see is people idling around. I mean there are some nice souls around because when I went up and kinda got lost, a staff directed me where to go and what to do and even went into the office and notify the person I was finding. But there were just a few stupid asses who that unfortunate man met. At last he didn’t get his stuff done and went back. Bloody shit I should just have just helped him find the person he was looking for. I kinda feel that people in that area are superficial. I mean, duh everyone is superficial. Haha ok, I don’t really make sense but yeah, basically working society is like that and I shouldn’t be too worked up bout it. But I reckon I really didn’t do my part in telling them off.
Its no doubt common that you meet up with such scenarios everyday but it doesn’t mean that it is right if it is common. Precisely it is rude and unbearable and worse still, normal, we should kinda do something bout it. But I reckon I don’t really have the guts and I must admit I don’t know how to handle such situations. And that pisses me off even more because sometimes, certain people just deserve to be told off and I didn’t do it because I’m just too slow in acting or don’t know how should I go bout doing it, which makes me feel like I’m one of those unhelpful people. I haven’t really met anyone being directly rude to me since I’ve started working. But I realized maybe there a lil factors to it. I was dressed in black and white formal wear when I was running some random errands – because I was supposed to be in that attire just in case I’ve to go to court. It makes me look as if I’m on some serious business or as if I’m some high-flyer which is obviously not the case – I’m just an unpaid intern. That old man was dressed in a less formal attire and was all sweaty from running errands but he is probably way experienced than me, earning obviously more than me, doing something more important than me. But just because I look as if I am some professional they gave me a lil more weight to me because they can only judge by appearance. Yeah, I think its inevitable that people do judge by appearance – I do too. You try not, but its kinda difficult in my opinion. But to render such attitude to anyone is just intolerable.
There are more occasions which pissed me off but I reckon this post is getting way too long so I’ll just end here by saying, I love my lifestyle now! Haha that’s random but I feel that I’ve been learning so much these few days from the internship although it may get very boring and tiring at times, I’m still enjoying it. Only if there are interns around my age in my dept, it would be great, cause currently my colleagues are way older than me and what do we talk about? Cooking, maids, work etc. I feel as if I’m getting a lil old as well. But its all good for now – work, learn, meet up with friends after work, home, a lil work, get real exhausted and sleep all the way through till the next day and everything repeats again. Although it sounds like a routine, it doesn’t feel like it because there are different cases everyday, learn different things, meet different friends… totally enjoying it such that I don’t wanna study anymore haha.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Singaporean's identity?
2 years ago, I was known to be a late-comer.
Late for school, late for meetings, late for classes - and thats no big deal.
I mean, everyone's late as well, so basically we don't really wait for one another but meet around the same time, just that its probably half to an hour after the actual meeting time we set.
Only a couple who would 'rigidly' stick to the actual timing set. Those are usually the ones who 'still don't get our culture'. Don't you get it? After staying here for so long?
'Meet at 3pm' means 'I'll see you around 3.30pm'
'I'm coming' means 'I'm just got up from bed'
'I'm on my way' means 'I'm walking to the bus stop'
'10 minutes more' means '10 minutes after you read the text'
'Reaching soon!' means I just go on the bus'
and when everything fails...
'The bus just don't seem to come' means 'Don't blame me. Not my fault.'
If you are early, you are deemed to be a cukoo. Not praised but laughed at. So whats the point of reaching so early when you know everyone is going to be late and you would probably be laughed at your ineptness in understanding the unwritten rule. Or rather, our culture.
Being brought up with such a 'exclusive' culture, I felt that it was pretty difficult to stomach that sense of punctuality when I was in NZ. Not that they are always punctual but they are not as late as we are. Gradually I trained (yes, it was a chore, probably to others its natural) to reach 5 minutes before the meeting time.
And coming back made me feel that Singaporeans should REALLY correct that bad habit of theirs. I've met up with a couple of friends and I was waiting most of the time. Waiting for a couple of minutes wouldn't be a problem but waiting for more than 15minutes in this insanely hot and humid place can be a pain. I realized that I'm in Singapore and its usual to wait so I waited and tried not to hurry the other person who is 'on my way there'. But this should not be our culture. This should not be our identity.
I reckon you are telling me that your time is more important than mine thats why you are late? There can be all kinds of reasons or rather excuses why people can be late:
Miss the bus.
Woke up late.
Rushing for work.
MRT too packed.
And the list goes on.
But do you know what is the root cause? I mean of course there are certain genuine reasons but I don't think there are that many to justify your late coming every single meeting.
I reckon the root cause is that you value your time more than others and that means we are just selfish.
If you genuinely want to be punctual, you can. You will sleep earlier to wake up earlier. You will wake up earlier to catch the earlier bus. You will do everything to make sure that you will be punctual. If you are dating a dashing guy or a glamour girl for the first time at 5pm. You probably get yourself prepared the night before, be at the meeting place at least 5 minutes before, prim and proper not sweaty from running. Its really up to you and how much more you value your time over others.
Alright, but lets say if you really are still late, apologize to the person who is waiting. Thats the least bit of courtesy and respect you can show to that person. Don't just say 'hey', 'lets go' kinda thing as if she/he is expected to wait for you.
I reckon thats not a culture we want to perpetuate. I'm still a Singaporean. That bad habit is still within me I must admit, but at least, try to change a lil.
Late for school, late for meetings, late for classes - and thats no big deal.
I mean, everyone's late as well, so basically we don't really wait for one another but meet around the same time, just that its probably half to an hour after the actual meeting time we set.
Only a couple who would 'rigidly' stick to the actual timing set. Those are usually the ones who 'still don't get our culture'. Don't you get it? After staying here for so long?
'Meet at 3pm' means 'I'll see you around 3.30pm'
'I'm coming' means 'I'm just got up from bed'
'I'm on my way' means 'I'm walking to the bus stop'
'10 minutes more' means '10 minutes after you read the text'
'Reaching soon!' means I just go on the bus'
and when everything fails...
'The bus just don't seem to come' means 'Don't blame me. Not my fault.'
If you are early, you are deemed to be a cukoo. Not praised but laughed at. So whats the point of reaching so early when you know everyone is going to be late and you would probably be laughed at your ineptness in understanding the unwritten rule. Or rather, our culture.
Being brought up with such a 'exclusive' culture, I felt that it was pretty difficult to stomach that sense of punctuality when I was in NZ. Not that they are always punctual but they are not as late as we are. Gradually I trained (yes, it was a chore, probably to others its natural) to reach 5 minutes before the meeting time.
And coming back made me feel that Singaporeans should REALLY correct that bad habit of theirs. I've met up with a couple of friends and I was waiting most of the time. Waiting for a couple of minutes wouldn't be a problem but waiting for more than 15minutes in this insanely hot and humid place can be a pain. I realized that I'm in Singapore and its usual to wait so I waited and tried not to hurry the other person who is 'on my way there'. But this should not be our culture. This should not be our identity.
I reckon you are telling me that your time is more important than mine thats why you are late? There can be all kinds of reasons or rather excuses why people can be late:
Miss the bus.
Woke up late.
Rushing for work.
MRT too packed.
And the list goes on.
But do you know what is the root cause? I mean of course there are certain genuine reasons but I don't think there are that many to justify your late coming every single meeting.
I reckon the root cause is that you value your time more than others and that means we are just selfish.
If you genuinely want to be punctual, you can. You will sleep earlier to wake up earlier. You will wake up earlier to catch the earlier bus. You will do everything to make sure that you will be punctual. If you are dating a dashing guy or a glamour girl for the first time at 5pm. You probably get yourself prepared the night before, be at the meeting place at least 5 minutes before, prim and proper not sweaty from running. Its really up to you and how much more you value your time over others.
Alright, but lets say if you really are still late, apologize to the person who is waiting. Thats the least bit of courtesy and respect you can show to that person. Don't just say 'hey', 'lets go' kinda thing as if she/he is expected to wait for you.
I reckon thats not a culture we want to perpetuate. I'm still a Singaporean. That bad habit is still within me I must admit, but at least, try to change a lil.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Back!... Not so soon actually.
I am or rather, was finally back in Singapore. But just after a full day loitering round town...I left Singapore to Malaysia. -.- And I've to go to Hong Kong next week. By the time I get back, I've to start work. After work, I will (hopefully) get to go Japan/Korea. Then back to NZ. When my dad called and told me he booked the bus tickets to Msia... I was like...#@$%^&*() I DON'T WANT! I was in Singapore for less than 24hours and you tell me I need to go Msia the next day?! Damnit. I was so pissed. And thats not all. I've to go Hong Kong this coming week. ARGH! ROLL MY EYES! I haven't ate what I'm supposed to eat, I haven't met people who I'm supposed to meet, I haven't unpacked my luggage, I haven't rotted, I haven't watched local TV. So freaking frustrated - everything is so controlled once I landed in Singapore. Do this, do that. Or maybe I was really in control of my time in NZ - I do whatever I want at any time I like. I feel as though I haven't been online for ages cause there ain't internet at home. I'm in Msia now rotting away. Its so hot...do you know that? When I came out of the plane, I thought the air-conditional was spoilt but apparently not. I reckon its not the heat which frustrates me but the humidity. Sticky, sweaty and dirty. But nevermind, I'll get used to it very soon - since I've spent 18 years of my life here.
Anyway, coming back feels a lil weird and I'm practically going on a food binge everyday. Ate noodles in the morning, bought heaps of finger food in the afternoon, went for dinner and realized the serving was so small, bought some more finger food, still couldn't satisfy my hunger, reached home, decided to go for supper, ate a lot again. I met wq for lunch at Fish and Co and I ordered peri peri fish with extra rice (which was quite a lot). Finished it and even helped wq to finish hers. But the food monster came alive in me and I didn't even feel full. But I reckon I should stop eating because I still wanted to eat sushi. Wq said I should stop eating, but not because I wanna eat sushi but because I've been eating too much. Haha! My a 100% Asian just with a Westerner's appetite. So I bought sushi and I saw Bangawan Solo.. and I saw egg tart...and I saw gluteneous rice...and some sweet stuff so I bought all. I told myself its alright since that is my dinner but..wrong. The bus provided dinner so I ate. We reached Msia round 9 plus and my Grandmom cooked dinner. Who can resist her cooking? No one. If no one can resist it, obviously I can't. And obviously I'll eat more than my own good, and I did. Damnit. I will exercise my ass off once I reached home.
Oh anyway, 5th Nov was Guy Fawks Night. I think it was really an awesome night which was a good end to the semester and a nice 'farewell' to NZ. Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th of November 1605 in which a number of Roman Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament.In New Zealand, the retail sale of personal use fireworks is permitted to those 18 and older, and may now only be sold on the 4 days leading to Guy Fawkes Night. So we went down to Domain and put off fireworks. It was real cool cause there were so many people there putting theirs off too. It feels as though it was National Day in Singapore - just that that went on for a several hours.
We bought a huge box of fireworks and had this finale - everyone lighted one at the same time and it was a real spectacular scene - just that it was kinda dangerous. Some fireworks went crazy and shot sidewards instead of upwards and nearly shot my friend. But it was good fun. Well.. yay! No more exams, no more housework, no more dishes but more naggings.
Anyway, coming back feels a lil weird and I'm practically going on a food binge everyday. Ate noodles in the morning, bought heaps of finger food in the afternoon, went for dinner and realized the serving was so small, bought some more finger food, still couldn't satisfy my hunger, reached home, decided to go for supper, ate a lot again. I met wq for lunch at Fish and Co and I ordered peri peri fish with extra rice (which was quite a lot). Finished it and even helped wq to finish hers. But the food monster came alive in me and I didn't even feel full. But I reckon I should stop eating because I still wanted to eat sushi. Wq said I should stop eating, but not because I wanna eat sushi but because I've been eating too much. Haha! My a 100% Asian just with a Westerner's appetite. So I bought sushi and I saw Bangawan Solo.. and I saw egg tart...and I saw gluteneous rice...and some sweet stuff so I bought all. I told myself its alright since that is my dinner but..wrong. The bus provided dinner so I ate. We reached Msia round 9 plus and my Grandmom cooked dinner. Who can resist her cooking? No one. If no one can resist it, obviously I can't. And obviously I'll eat more than my own good, and I did. Damnit. I will exercise my ass off once I reached home.
Oh anyway, 5th Nov was Guy Fawks Night. I think it was really an awesome night which was a good end to the semester and a nice 'farewell' to NZ. Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th of November 1605 in which a number of Roman Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament.In New Zealand, the retail sale of personal use fireworks is permitted to those 18 and older, and may now only be sold on the 4 days leading to Guy Fawkes Night. So we went down to Domain and put off fireworks. It was real cool cause there were so many people there putting theirs off too. It feels as though it was National Day in Singapore - just that that went on for a several hours.
We bought a huge box of fireworks and had this finale - everyone lighted one at the same time and it was a real spectacular scene - just that it was kinda dangerous. Some fireworks went crazy and shot sidewards instead of upwards and nearly shot my friend. But it was good fun. Well.. yay! No more exams, no more housework, no more dishes but more naggings.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Parents
I was running some errands just now when I suddenly remembered this incident when I was really young..probably when I was in lower primary.
I was real pissed with my parents for some reasons which I can't remember and decided that that I don't need them to survive. (At the age of 7? Yeah right.) I thought that by paying them everything they've spent on me, I'll be free. So, I started calculating how much I must pay them back to gain my freedom (haha). I remembered trying to estimate the costs of the furnitures in my room, trying to remember what they've bought for me, how much money I've used from them. Up till one point, I decided that its impossible to calculate how much was spent on me and the amount was becoming too large for a young 7 year old to calculate - so I gave up and decided that I should just continue living under their shelter.
Haha its funny how we think when we were young but I never understood that point for the following years of my life. Till recently, I understood that..yeah, its really impossible for us - kids to pay back. So much have been invested on us, not just money but time, effort etc etc - you get what I mean. But I reckon they never really expect much from us in return - just to be a happy kid, a useful person, a filial child. Whether we earn big bucks in the future is just secondary.
My mom always remind me to buy her a LV bag and give her heaps of allowance for shopping when I start working. I hear the joy in my dad's voice when he talks to me about my future - he thinks I can earn a comfortable sum for both of them to splurge. It seems as though they are expecting lotsa monetary returns from me. But during the exams period, my mom would start asking me to drop law and not make life so difficult for myself. My dad would tell me that I don't need to do that well - a pass is enough. Both advices are those which will threaten their monetary returns from me. So I reckon that is really secondary and all they want is to see their kids leading a comfortable and happy life. Maybe we shouldn't be too obsessed with the notion of paying back to our parents (in terms of money). After all, that is not their priority when they decided to have us.
I was real pissed with my parents for some reasons which I can't remember and decided that that I don't need them to survive. (At the age of 7? Yeah right.) I thought that by paying them everything they've spent on me, I'll be free. So, I started calculating how much I must pay them back to gain my freedom (haha). I remembered trying to estimate the costs of the furnitures in my room, trying to remember what they've bought for me, how much money I've used from them. Up till one point, I decided that its impossible to calculate how much was spent on me and the amount was becoming too large for a young 7 year old to calculate - so I gave up and decided that I should just continue living under their shelter.
Haha its funny how we think when we were young but I never understood that point for the following years of my life. Till recently, I understood that..yeah, its really impossible for us - kids to pay back. So much have been invested on us, not just money but time, effort etc etc - you get what I mean. But I reckon they never really expect much from us in return - just to be a happy kid, a useful person, a filial child. Whether we earn big bucks in the future is just secondary.
My mom always remind me to buy her a LV bag and give her heaps of allowance for shopping when I start working. I hear the joy in my dad's voice when he talks to me about my future - he thinks I can earn a comfortable sum for both of them to splurge. It seems as though they are expecting lotsa monetary returns from me. But during the exams period, my mom would start asking me to drop law and not make life so difficult for myself. My dad would tell me that I don't need to do that well - a pass is enough. Both advices are those which will threaten their monetary returns from me. So I reckon that is really secondary and all they want is to see their kids leading a comfortable and happy life. Maybe we shouldn't be too obsessed with the notion of paying back to our parents (in terms of money). After all, that is not their priority when they decided to have us.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
I was so determined today to run to mission bay. I rushed out of the examination hall, walked briskly home, threw my bag aside, got changed and started running from foodtown. Weather was good and I was feeling good as well - My exams have ended!
So I ran....view was fantastic:
I was really very determined to reach mission bay...but....my phone vibrated when I was half way there: Meet us at the green container restaurant at 630 ok?
I reckon dinner sounds more tempting.
So
I
decided
to...
head back to city.
Attempt failed again.
I'm really a tuiji.
But! I met a new Japanese friend called Kyoko during dinner. But! What a waste she won't be going back to Japan at the end of the year...or else...I can meet her there.
They came over to my place for awhile after dinner and played truth or dare. I got a dare. And its utterly stupid. We're heading down to Dressmart on Monday and I am supposed to talk to the bus driver throughout the whole trip (Thats freaking close to an hour). I refused and at last they lowered their standards to 10 minutes. But 10 minutes is still considered long! I think I may just forgo the trip. How and what am I gonna talk to the bus driver? He would think I'm mad - stupid asian keeps talking to me.
So I ran....view was fantastic:
I was really very determined to reach mission bay...but....my phone vibrated when I was half way there: Meet us at the green container restaurant at 630 ok?
I reckon dinner sounds more tempting.
So
I
decided
to...
head back to city.
Attempt failed again.
I'm really a tuiji.
But! I met a new Japanese friend called Kyoko during dinner. But! What a waste she won't be going back to Japan at the end of the year...or else...I can meet her there.
They came over to my place for awhile after dinner and played truth or dare. I got a dare. And its utterly stupid. We're heading down to Dressmart on Monday and I am supposed to talk to the bus driver throughout the whole trip (Thats freaking close to an hour). I refused and at last they lowered their standards to 10 minutes. But 10 minutes is still considered long! I think I may just forgo the trip. How and what am I gonna talk to the bus driver? He would think I'm mad - stupid asian keeps talking to me.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Harry Elias Partnership
Yayyyyy I got an internship! http://www.harryelias.com.sg/
Haha! freakin lucky!
Haha! freakin lucky!
Bye Public, Bye Crim.
Public Law is finally over. And...it was atrocious. I was confounded by the questions.
Especially this - 'Ms Austen has heard that if Oceanic is successful in a further appeal to the Court of Appeal and the takeover is approved, then Island Air intends to lobby Parliament to pass legislation prohibiting foreign ownership of domestic airlines. What constitutional law concerns might this give rise to?'
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
This is really a test of...my creative writing. I bullshitted my way through.
And the most dissatisfactory question answered...was this question which seems as though its trying to test us on our math:
Assume that the 2008 general election results in the following distribution of seats in the House of Representatives:
ACT 7
Green 10
Labour 44
National 46
NZ First 6
Maori 7
Total 120
yawns.
And so the Green Party retaliated after 3 months blah blah blah and the PM approaches the Governor General with advice that another general election should be held as soon as possible. Advise the GG as to how he should respond.
Double yawns - I only could crap out 2 pages of advice for a 25mark question. Damnit.
Snorts - I'm an ignorant brat. I don't know what to advise the GG.
The 3hour paper felt as if it was a 6hour paper..the last hour was painful. Although I didn't have enough time to complete the paper, I was hoping to hear the examiner saying 'Stop writing' because, I was just sick of writing and I was so darn distracted by what happened last night.
Yeah, I could have done better in this paper but I reckon my prep work wasn't that fantastic and I was way too distracted by too many things recently. Hah. My friend even dropped by my place in the evening. Hah. I'm on my way to getting mediocre or rather, inferior grades.
Its kinda my self-declared holiday now because I'm over all my law papers and accounting. So I'm left with History which is a gened so its not particularly important. Skipped a substantial number of lectures and tutorials, with extensive materials to read from the period of 1400s to 2007, involving most countries - I'm pretty screwed. Hah. I've only a day to cover all of that crap. But I've lost all motivation and drive to study or even get started. I stayed out the whole day walking round aimlessly. Man... I need something to spur me on.
Oh, I came across my crim test paper while filing some of my stuff just now. I think this is the most ridiculous test I've ever took! (I remembered everyone laughing when they were reading the case)
Horace Rumpole, a barrister sole of Meadowbank, was becoming increasingly bored of a parade of poorly-paying criminal cases, most of which ended with the conviction and imprisonment of his clients. His wife, Rosemary, was disappointed as her husband's prospects of becoming a judge disappeared. Naturally, as a married couple, they misunderstood each other completely. Rosemary believed that Horace was drinking too much, and deeded to find a judicial position to prevent his descent to alcoholism. Horace thought that Rosemary was overdosing on hormone replacement therapy, and was showing signs of becoming suicidal. When Rosemary announced that Horace was required to get himself a judicial position 'and this time she really meant it', Horace decided that desperate measures were needed. -.-
Believing that it was the only way to protect Rosemary from self-harming, Horace decided that he needed to create a number of simultaneous openings on the District Court bench so as to improve his chances of getting a judicial post. When he was next in his local pharmacy, having distracted the pharmacist, he stole 20 doses of a medication he knew would cause psychotic symptoms if ingested by a healthy adult. He then engineered to attend a function at the Law School where he knew that a number of District Judges would be in attendance. Whilst the audience was listening to the Dean tell his small collection of anecdotes before the food and drink was served, Horace emptied his stolen medication into the wine glasses which were on the table.
The doctored wine was indeed drunk by several judges, as well as by other attendees. including a visiting French academic, Richard Grand-Bois. Various of the judges began to exhibit psychotic symptoms and several had epileptic fits: one, Judge Ballard, immediately began to run around the room feeling the breasts of every man or woman present. Grand-Bois looked across to Horace and saw him as a dragon; believing that this monster was about to attack the Dean, whom he held in great esteem, Grand Bois broke a bottle and charged towards Horace with the jagged edge, shouting 'For God, France and Aotearoa.'
Rosemary, arriving late at the function, saw a maniac Frenchman charging towards her husband with a broken bottle. Almost on reflex, her days as the prop forward for the Takapuna Ladies Rugby Team (-.-) came back to her and she rushed forward to protect her Horace. Grand-Bois was met with a more than equal force and hurled back towards the window and onto the balcony outside, Rosemary landing on top of them: the net effect was that Grand-Bois and the 3 bystanders each suffered broken ribs and deep wounds from broken glass.
You are asked to advise the prosecution on the defences which are likely to be raised by each of the defendants and their prospects of success.
Oh man... this case scenario is just so... dramatic and ridiculous.
Anyways, I just wanna end of saying - I'm so glad everything is over for Crim and Public. I will never see the above questions again. Never ever. As much as I've enjoyed certain lectures, I'm not gonna do anything related to these 2 papers again.
Especially this - 'Ms Austen has heard that if Oceanic is successful in a further appeal to the Court of Appeal and the takeover is approved, then Island Air intends to lobby Parliament to pass legislation prohibiting foreign ownership of domestic airlines. What constitutional law concerns might this give rise to?'
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
This is really a test of...my creative writing. I bullshitted my way through.
And the most dissatisfactory question answered...was this question which seems as though its trying to test us on our math:
Assume that the 2008 general election results in the following distribution of seats in the House of Representatives:
ACT 7
Green 10
Labour 44
National 46
NZ First 6
Maori 7
Total 120
yawns.
And so the Green Party retaliated after 3 months blah blah blah and the PM approaches the Governor General with advice that another general election should be held as soon as possible. Advise the GG as to how he should respond.
Double yawns - I only could crap out 2 pages of advice for a 25mark question. Damnit.
Snorts - I'm an ignorant brat. I don't know what to advise the GG.
The 3hour paper felt as if it was a 6hour paper..the last hour was painful. Although I didn't have enough time to complete the paper, I was hoping to hear the examiner saying 'Stop writing' because, I was just sick of writing and I was so darn distracted by what happened last night.
Yeah, I could have done better in this paper but I reckon my prep work wasn't that fantastic and I was way too distracted by too many things recently. Hah. My friend even dropped by my place in the evening. Hah. I'm on my way to getting mediocre or rather, inferior grades.
Its kinda my self-declared holiday now because I'm over all my law papers and accounting. So I'm left with History which is a gened so its not particularly important. Skipped a substantial number of lectures and tutorials, with extensive materials to read from the period of 1400s to 2007, involving most countries - I'm pretty screwed. Hah. I've only a day to cover all of that crap. But I've lost all motivation and drive to study or even get started. I stayed out the whole day walking round aimlessly. Man... I need something to spur me on.
Oh, I came across my crim test paper while filing some of my stuff just now. I think this is the most ridiculous test I've ever took! (I remembered everyone laughing when they were reading the case)
Horace Rumpole, a barrister sole of Meadowbank, was becoming increasingly bored of a parade of poorly-paying criminal cases, most of which ended with the conviction and imprisonment of his clients. His wife, Rosemary, was disappointed as her husband's prospects of becoming a judge disappeared. Naturally, as a married couple, they misunderstood each other completely. Rosemary believed that Horace was drinking too much, and deeded to find a judicial position to prevent his descent to alcoholism. Horace thought that Rosemary was overdosing on hormone replacement therapy, and was showing signs of becoming suicidal. When Rosemary announced that Horace was required to get himself a judicial position 'and this time she really meant it', Horace decided that desperate measures were needed. -.-
Believing that it was the only way to protect Rosemary from self-harming, Horace decided that he needed to create a number of simultaneous openings on the District Court bench so as to improve his chances of getting a judicial post. When he was next in his local pharmacy, having distracted the pharmacist, he stole 20 doses of a medication he knew would cause psychotic symptoms if ingested by a healthy adult. He then engineered to attend a function at the Law School where he knew that a number of District Judges would be in attendance. Whilst the audience was listening to the Dean tell his small collection of anecdotes before the food and drink was served, Horace emptied his stolen medication into the wine glasses which were on the table.
The doctored wine was indeed drunk by several judges, as well as by other attendees. including a visiting French academic, Richard Grand-Bois. Various of the judges began to exhibit psychotic symptoms and several had epileptic fits: one, Judge Ballard, immediately began to run around the room feeling the breasts of every man or woman present. Grand-Bois looked across to Horace and saw him as a dragon; believing that this monster was about to attack the Dean, whom he held in great esteem, Grand Bois broke a bottle and charged towards Horace with the jagged edge, shouting 'For God, France and Aotearoa.'
Rosemary, arriving late at the function, saw a maniac Frenchman charging towards her husband with a broken bottle. Almost on reflex, her days as the prop forward for the Takapuna Ladies Rugby Team (-.-) came back to her and she rushed forward to protect her Horace. Grand-Bois was met with a more than equal force and hurled back towards the window and onto the balcony outside, Rosemary landing on top of them: the net effect was that Grand-Bois and the 3 bystanders each suffered broken ribs and deep wounds from broken glass.
You are asked to advise the prosecution on the defences which are likely to be raised by each of the defendants and their prospects of success.
Oh man... this case scenario is just so... dramatic and ridiculous.
Anyways, I just wanna end of saying - I'm so glad everything is over for Crim and Public. I will never see the above questions again. Never ever. As much as I've enjoyed certain lectures, I'm not gonna do anything related to these 2 papers again.
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