ok this is quite bizarre.. i dream of mt. merapi -_-. tat if anyone doesn’t know, it’s a stratovolcano in indonesia that currently the region is waiting for its full blast eruption. MUST HAVE BEEN DOING TOO MUCH EHM!! @_@. 13 may was the day officials declared code red status and 15 may, the day of eruption. but the eruption was gentle, only spewing heat clouds, volcanic ash and gases. merapi being labelled the 2nd most dangerous in indonesia, is expected by most locals and experts that a full blast with more volcanic hazards is on its way..

lots of events happened lately, some of which are rather depressing and upset.

wednesday. finally got a letter from nus! i’m offered a place in architecture! haha hurray!! i was quite surprised cos i didn’t think i actually did well for the exam lol. so anyway, i wasn’t really exactly excited or anything as i still have concerns about taking a degree in architecture. ya noe.. all the prospects, further studies, coping with cirriculum etc. then again i’m happy because i got into a course that is, as what most ppl ard me said, tough to enter; especially if i’m a diploma grad, chances are slim. when i got hold of the letter, read it thru’.. it made me realise how much it meant to me… firstly… i must admit that i do not know exactly what i would expect in architecture such as module contents etc, and that could mean that i may or may not like architecture. but tat’s not the pt cos i can learn to cultivate a better form of interest. the pt is if i gave nus architecture up for smu info sys mgt, tat’ll be a pity, esp after going thru’ 3 rounds of filtering! secondly… i can at least lift my head up and say hey mum and dad, this is what i’m doing. to be a professional architect in future who once hailed from a prestigious school. more imptly, at least my family can tell others, esp. my relatives who have always laid belittling eyes on us that hey, i can be as equally gd as you, or even better. sigh.. i have cousins who are lawyers, businesswomen, directors, senior mgrs in banks etc and somewhat i feel a tremendous pressure to perform..

thursday. congrats were everywhere lol. i broke the news to timmy first when i came to office and honestly, i felt damn happy when he gave me a congratulatory handshake. well.. tat meant something. it came right from his heart and i must say that timmy kinda noes me quite well now.. to me, he’s not just my superior, but my friend too.

friday. outbreak investigation at one of the camps. so my colleagues and i were mobilised. major events happened i wish not to detail. the investigation was completed but i was annoyed, irritated and pissed off by some of the things that happened. REALLY PISSED OFF i tell you.. fuckin pissed. who made me pissed?! X!! even timmy was very very upset with him..

mum came down with a flu. lien came down with a sore throat and fever. came home from camp and had to help out with a lot of household chores.

saturday. at uncle ronnie’s house to celebrate cousin michelle for successfully getting a license to be a certified lawyer. she’s currently practising at hmm..drew & nipier (if that’s how it’s spelt!).. CONGRATS couz!!! thanks for the food too lol. i had in total, of 4 helpings. the buffet was splendid - B+ and wow heard the whole arrangement cost 500 bucks for 30 pax. took dad’s car to fetch my another couz’s gf from jurong pt and along the way to and fro, roads weren’t cooperative.. so again I WAS DAMN FUCKING PISSED. some knn banglah dashed out of the road on his bicycle and like i had to brake immediately from 90 kmph to 40 kmph in mere seconds!! FUCKWITTAGE!! and some bastard left shattered glass and broken window panes in the middle of 2 lanes at jurong pt?! WTF?!! another taxi driver.. FUCKING HELL. left signal but turned to right lane. WTF are you tryin’ to do?!! DAMN FUCKING PISSED!! PISSED!! PISSED!!

friday. met up with daniel, pam, kin and shuying for afternoon tea at gelare, city link mall. daniel’s leaving for thailand on sunday for a 6-week educational trip, so we kinda arranged for a farewell gathering it was a public holiday (vesak day) and not surprising the mall was packed and crowds came on incessantly. a comment to make about gelare: service aside, i have never yet evaluated the food fantastic from the many experiences (including last week’s); given the immensely delightful facial leers on the customers, i had decided to give them, and myself a second chance but damn i was so wrong. the food still sux as ever. bad choice guys..

come on, the blossom dream strawberry cake was absolutely terrible, wasn’t it?!! you guys tried it too and instantly displayed the :s look. i mean.. gawd.. the cake was not fresh; the pink mini curls on top weren’t appealing at all; the fudge wasn’t rich enough, and i have to pay 5 bucks for it!?! and i am sooOO ”grateful” to the counter guy for suggesting a weird combination of ice cream float that tasted like fuck! you tell me how nice can it get with a blend of thick *FUDGEY* chocolate overload with 7-up HUR?! the good side however is how it looks splendid on the outside when you see the two mixing together.. like pastel colours lol. but not all’s bad.. cos gelare’s waffles are by far, the best i’ve ever eaten. though expensive (8.50 for a large waffle of abt 7 inches in diameter with a single scoop of ice cream of customer’s choice), it’s worth the money and experience to bite the crisp on the outside and taste the tenderness on the inside.. yummy!! and i also ordered a chicken mayo on focaccia, not too ex abt 6.90 i think, and not fantastic - something is lacking..

final evaluation:
overall experience: 2.5 stars / 5,
cake: 2
ice cream float: 1.5
waffles: 4
sandwich: 2.5

next time better order something cheaper and safe: nantucket nectars.

saturday - m’s day celebration. had a simple buffet at river view with each person amounting to abt 32+. and i specially ordered a cake from goodwood park hotel.. now that’s what i call a REAL CAKE. bro and i shared the $80 cake and it tasted really HEAVENLY!! the cake is divided into 2 parts. the top part of it is basically the cake itself covered with thick glooey chocolate with mango fillings and the bottom part of the cake is just freakin’ gd!!!.. it’s all made up of kit kats!!. i tell you.. imagine you have a whole load of kit-kats in your mouth.. GAWD.. HIGH LIAO..

so joined him and several of the prev med people for a nice simple meal at fish and co outside parkmall yesterday. the new york fish and chips tasted damn superb! well, maybe cos i haven’t enjoyed great food for quite a while haha. that was my 3rd visit to this outlet and of the 3, 2 times - the place went into power failure.. at first i thought they switched off the lights cos’ some demanding birthday boy/gal requested for the entire place to shut down so he/she could create the atmosphere to blow out the candles -__- lol.

and am glad honey likes the gift jeff, jiahao and i gave him.

ard 9, we left the place and went to PS arcade for a while and yea… LOL.

thereafter we went on separate ways. anthony and stanley joined the other bunch of guys to go clubbing. ain’t a fan of clubbing, so the rest of us decided to head home. we were abt to leave the arcade when guojie suggested ktv.. woah! tat’s quite a big statement from him there lol. i was fine with anything, liwei didn’t seem keen at first but changed his mind later at dhoby ghaut mrt lol, while jeff went home. we chilled at starbucks for a while and then to dynasty for yet another 2 hrs of leisure karaoke. my voice really sucked that night.. basically off-pitch in most songs. gawd.

left arcade: 11 pm,
at starbucks: 11.45 pm
at dynasty: 12.30 am
left dynasty: 2.45 am
reached bus stop: 3.10 am
bus came: 4 am (fuck man.. waited for almost an hr!)
reached home: 4.45 am
slept: 5 am.

thanks jiahao and jeff for the great input collaboration for stan’s gift, though some ideas were damn lame lol.
thanks anthony for your erm.. ‘labels’. go to hell la..

1. Go to youtube and search for your desired video.

2. Copy the URL.
(e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWqfzF4OXkc&search=josh%20groban%20remember)
for the song: “remember” by josh groban.

3. Go to this address: http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php and paste the URL that you copied, into the field under the heading ‘Download direct from most video sites:”

4. Hit the “Download” button.

5. Results will display. Before you hit the “Download Link” button, make sure you have FLV Player. You’ll need the program to run the video that you are downloading. It’s approx. 1.2 mb. Select US preferably for source of download.

6. Install the program.

7. Right click on “Download Link” button in the results section and “Save Target As“.

8. Save the file to your comp and if need be, rename the file as “abc.flv” (ensure that the file is in .flv format).

9. Run your video with FLV Player.

“NOT YET!”

oKAy.. yes i know.. -_-||

“Glad you know..”

okae, never mind, let’s do a countdown of days left to ORD lol.
as of may 1st,

31 (may) + 30 (jun) + 31 (jul) + 31 (aug) + 30 (sept) + 31 (oct) + 30 (nov) + 31 (dec) + 21 (jan)
= 267 days

subtracting weekends,
- 68 (left in ‘05) - 6 (in jan)
= 184

subtracting leave days & occasional offs and MCs lol,
- 14 - 5 - 5
= 164

in concl, i have 164 working days left!!
ya-ba-da-ba-doo!! :D

remember,
i will still be here,
as long as you hold me,
in your memory.

remember,
when your dreams have ended,
time can be transcended,
just remember me.

i am the one star that keeps burning, so brightly,
it is the last light to fade into the rising sun.
i’m with you whenever you tell me my story,
for i… am all i’ve done.

remember,
i will still be here,
as long as you hold me,
in your memory.
remember me.

i am the one voice in the cold wind, that whispers,
and if you listen, you’ll hear me call across the sky.
as long as i still can reach out and touch you,
that i… will never die.

remember,
i’ll never leave you
if you were lonely,
remember me.

remember,
i will still be here,
as long as you hold me,
in your memory.

remember,
when your dreams have ended,
time can be transcended,
i live forever.

the letter wrote this:
interviews for local candidates will be held on tuesday, 2 may 06 from 9 am onwards. local candidates who have been shortlisted for the interviews will have their names and interview timings posted on this website on sunday, 30 apr 06 from 11.59 pm onwards. some candidates would be required to attent the interview on sunday 30 apr 06 in two sessions: 9.30 am and at 2.30 pm. these candidates would be notified separately via email on 25 apr 06.

guess what? i panicked. something was not right.. i thought all along my interview’s scheduled on the 2nd but i could have misinterpreted. then i recalled back the past few days i checked my mail everyday but still no email from nus - that could have

meant that my interview shouldn’t be on sunday and should still be  on tuesday. but i was still worried..

outside the room still waiting, i called home to ask brother to get my application letter and guess what.. the email add i submitted to nus was of another account!! NO WONDER I DIDN’T GET ANY MAIL. fuck!! and of all times, the webmail server has to come down!.. just my luck.. i couldn’t even be sure if i might have missed my interview or if i was right in assuming my interview’s scheduled on the 2nd.. damn it. and THAT thought has to come only at this time a few mins before the test.. fuck.. so never mind, interview aside, already saddened but still forced myself to get back to where i was - take the test!

aptitude test.
ok, so i went in, received the paper, and read the questions..
THERE..right at that moment..i felt so uneasy. i felt like giving up. i couldn’t do questions like these for nuts sake! the questions
weren’t tough but still i couldn’t manage them. i understood every word but.. sigh.. it was a torturous 2 hrs. i looked up, looked left (my right was a wall :s), looked down back onto my paper, stared hard at the questions, mind blank, held my pencil, making air scribbles but nothing came out.. that moment has got to suck seriously.

qn 1 was designed to test my abilities to be creative and build a model. it went like.. ok, blahblah, crap about thinking out of the box, and re-thinking again to challenge creativity blahblah, then design a 3-dimensional model, making use of the white, orange and black A4 construction sheets given, that best explores the two ideas of “rhythm” and “contrast”. WTF u say? i say WTF too.. but ultimately, i tried to construct something that looks like a blossoming flower, with black and white petals of different heights (hopefully it illustrated rhythm) and a huge orange petal in the middle, glued to the other petals (this probably i hope, demonstrated contrast). i found my work pretty ok.

last night i didn’t sleep well either. i’m anxious and worried, not for the test or the interview, but for the whole idea of reading architecture. yes if i manage to study architecture, that’s something i’d be proud of and so would my parents, but my concerns lie also, in areas of managing the cirriculum and stress (which i’ll comment on later) and more importantly future prospects and drawing which i fucking suck at.

cirriculum & stress. i know i can take stress well, just like many other students in singapore. and i know how hectic jc life was for some of us who took the As. yet how ironic it has to become for students who were once from ex-SAP and top jc’s face difficulties in their term of study and dropped out as a result? and i find this a pity. i’m sure they chionged all the way and did not give up during the jc years, and if they could then, why not now in archi? it must be sth (i believe it’s the workload and pressure from tutors) that had taken the toll on and triggered these students to quit, without thinking twice. they just gave up! i’ve wasted 2 years in ns, 2 extra years in poly compared to my jc frens, and i have no more time to waste! i CANNOT afford think about restarting a new course..

drawing. ’nuff said. my tree looks like a fucking retarded genie green cloud with a brown trunk that never will look like a trunk. -_-.

singapore’s architecture imo. tee guan’s sis’s bf commented that archis are one of the lowest paid jobs in the industry. (btw he’s in 4th year!!) even if no one tells me, i’d have longed knew - singapore’s architecture scene lacks support from the majority like honestly, how many of us actually appreciate the architecture of a building? an icon? say.. merlion? or even the esplanade? read the HORRIBLE critics people gave on it. secondly, there’s no ‘character’ in the buildings that singapore architects design, imo. ’if it looks classy, sleek, urban, ok the building is ready to go”. take the new cathay for instance. not to be offensive, but i think the outlook of it is fucked up. as i’ve said.. no ‘character’. and architects should wander off to places like scotland, egypt and europe where architecture is truly rich! and what i mean by character is.. the buildings in these exotic places have their own unique designs, like of missionary styles, colonial styles, geogorian building structures.. they have columns, platforms that deserve admiration and awe; they have so many things there that an architect can make his time worth. if you’ve been to see the colours and beauty of the town structures in other countries, you go Oh wow.. back home i can only look at the esplanade and go.. “eeee cheh!” ok i do give a bit credit, but come on you know what i’m trying to say..

future prospects. eventually even architect graduates are one of the lowest paid jobs in the industry according to sg wage stats or straits times. the fact that i’m paying so much, getting cranky everyday in design studios for dunnoe how many years, drawing for the sake of drawing -_- and increasingly becoming so T-off and such a whiny bitch cos i’m jealous my friends can spend their weekends outside shopping and me dunking in art in the studios in weekends, is not AT ALL acceptable by most architects because they’re compensated with peanut dollars! it’s not the ‘right treatment’ i’d say, but what to do, arki scene is dying in singapore or has died for that matter. unless u’re a crazy god in architecture, by all means, smile when people approach you for million-dollar projects. and i’ve read from somewhere that.. a degree in architecture is not really enough; at most u can only be a assistant architect, junior architect or drafter at a firm. excel to master’s, get at least 2 years of experience and head for the BOA test, only then can you be a qualified professional architect to start a firm or watever you like to do ahead. and by then, i’m a old whiny 30-32 yo.

but i guess it isn’t that bad after all. if there’s software i can work on or IT design that i can develop in, it’s something which i like and will do my best in! and if there are things like interior designing or urban planing where geography comes into use, then this is where i’d most likely be whining lesser lol. sometimes i just have to accept the fact that yes though these are things that i like, and in order to accomplish something in architecture, i just have to learn the technicalities and the drawing part.. that’s my fear.. i have only designing flare. i draw shit.

special thanks to stanley and his friend and tee guan’s sis’s bf for giving me a bit more insight into architecture. i guess you’re right hon i shd take the test and the interview and see how things get along later…

and leicester, i’ll miss your bubbly presence and loudly-engineered guffawing. take care buddy and all the best to you in thailand! and wth.. thai airways has no postcards?! chey! lousy.. LOL.

abt timmy and his personal email he wrote to me, i’ve given him an answer. straightforward.

ok.. think i’ shall stop here, i need to go get some stationery for my test. wish me luck!! yeah… my portfolio is almost completed..

i know i can’t totally believe what people say in online forums. yea you may say they could be the worst lot of students in arki or procrastinators and they whine for even the slightest simplest task they’re asked to do. but no.. these people that are reading arki are high flyers from their JCs, with 3As 1B, etc and these people have got what it takes to enter into nus and read arki, one of the top 3 or 4 hardest courses to enter, so have many people claimed. they gave comments like.. there are no more mugging and memorising and there are only a few exams to take; arki students are always the first to complete their exams; some sems go without exams blahblah.. (it’s a good thing though LOL).. on the downside.. they said arki equals to a ridiculous amount of work. classmates stay overnight in the studio almost every weekend, including sundays and when submission deadlines loom, staying over for 3 consec. nights is not uncommon! oh GAWD.. materials for models and projects are at my own expense.. cost? some hitting way beyond the hundreds, some crossing the thousand mark. -______-. wth…

one of the forum writers wrote that the course is tough but fun.. like making models, getting your designs slammed or praised by tutors, staying overnights together in the hot and stuffy studios on sundays near submissions.. and macdonalds for every meal!!

and if forum writers exaggerate..

i came across some blogs this afternoon in office and have seen comments like..
“i haven’t seen my parents for a month.. i haven’t seen my significant one for a year.. i haven’t had a non-macdonald’s meal for a week.. i haven’t bathe in 20 hours..”
“i can’t go home for the next 2 weeks.. i miss the soup my mum cooks.. i used to be a happy eating macdonald’s.. i loved happy meals.. i have too many toys now..”

O
M
G…

remember the tsunami crisis that shocked the world?
yep.. one of the architecture projects was to design a tsunami memorial which can house an activity space of yours and a memorial space etc.. 4 to 6 weeks to think and design and present study models and give a presentation every week to your tutor.. tutor gets mean though constructive, nevertheless you cry.. and at the end of 6 weeks, you need to finalise your design and come up with the required drawings and model..

for GOODNESS sake, i can’t even draw a chair, let alone a bridge.. a MEMORIAL.. /piangz.

the aptitude test and interview are round the corner.. and thankfully i have enough time to prepare.. i’ll prob be heading down to the library this sat to read up on arki and get blank papers to draw.. my parents were quite worried about my decision, but sometimes it just gives me this.. inner boost of courage.. to take architecture.. One, for my parents can at least tell their friends and our relatives i’ve not disappointed my parents and my decision. Two, for i can be happy i’m studying a professional course in a prestigious school..

i’m telling myself to try my best and ace the test and interview cos there is only 1 opportunity.. and for now.. this is all that matters..

turned right into da silva lane and all i could see was construction going on and brickhouses that were as old as 30 years. then this pine tree caught my attention so i walked towards it and ta da! it was ben’s house. the pine tree was rooted in his garden-turned-jungle. as to how you guys would have thought i could manage to find ben’s house, it’s simply because of the superb mapping abilities and acute sense of direction that i possess. no question ’bout it lol. and no, i didn’t call cindy -_-.

ben’s lucky to experience spacious living, though 75% of his house/room was untidy; too many things around kinda crammed the living space. his room’s an utter mess. now that recalled an incident a couple of weeks ago (he was vacationing in australia) how we were all disgusted when he left his underwear hanging lopsidedly over at my cubicle divider. (i held it with my pinky and dropped it on his floor and covered it with a piece of paper eww!!!.) what a fella!!

so anyway back to where we were.. i brought a few PS1 and Ps2 games over but unfortunately some of them couldn’t work on his PS2 set.. wonder if his was mod. we played for a while until more guests arrived and we started barbecuing. there were yummy chicken wings, salad, soft drinks & vodka, beef, pork, franks and sting rays! and i liked his charboil flame griller set, where you can just ditch the charcoal and flame starters to avoid unnecessary mess and hassle. and jeff exclaimed at the end of the bbq session, how it was the healthiest bbq he has ever had. of cos!!

present: ben, stanley, jeff, jiahao, desmond, leicester, kok wei, anthony and me.
there shd have been more highlights like satay, otah, prawns, marshmellows, black-peppered chicken, nasi lemak blah blah. LOL. just kddin.. what really mattered was the company right?..

wonderful and not so wonderful moments of the week:
- WKK slapped me on my thigh during Life! -_-.
- me and timmy punched the same car coupon numbers -_-.
- i ate and ate at my cousin’s birthday last weekend like nobody’s business (sadly i’d forgotten my cam fone that day).
- banged my toe against my bed frame yesterday (it still hurts now).
- cindy qia me to bah ku teh at this famous stall in thomson area. (we joined the other superiors and i casually commented how the upper generations really love such traditional delicacies and they replied that this was a luxury product during their time. and we the younger ones could only appreciate the ‘higher class’ international cuisines and cafes). personally i think it’s true to certain extent.
- i’m shortlisted for nus architecture!

things to do!
- prepare a portfolio (i’m thinking of adding ehms to best capture my interest in design specifically)
- do my minutes -___________________-. sianzz.
- read up on architecture books to get an idea of what i’m expected to know in case i’m asked at the interview.
- shall officially commence my “after ORD dinner i will start” resolution as stanley has “conveniently” reminded me of.

so i called nus to check if my application outcome is out. the operator was polite and she said that everyone’s calling her to ask her ’bout it; not that she felt irritated by it, but she just wants us, the applicants, to wait a lil’ while longer while the department processes the documents. i’ll only know if i’m shortlisted for the arch. interview by this week, if not latest, next.

have been sleeping rather early these days (sacked out at 9 yesterday). this is probably good so cos i can concentrate better at work the next day (yes, i am soO not risking getting extras from big boss and i do not wish to.. ~_~). and for sleeping too early, my stomach growls even louder in the morning. even the weighty consumption of junkness in the morning at work doesn’t give tummy satisfaction. i need more!! uh oh.. there goes jeff again.. reminding me of the bet @_@. where’s the rah-rah motivation of losing pounds i once had gone to? hmmm.

anyways, preparing for my june’s ehm’s topic of the haze phenomenon, i inadvertently came across “a song” that takes the familiar melody of elton’s ever popular hit, candle in the wind but this fella twisted the lyrics. it’s quite funnie

“haze in the wind”
goodbye clear blue sky,
though we never see you anymore,
we hope you’ve not forgotten,
to come back to ___ (your country).
the fires won’t stop burning,
and no matter how hard we try,
it seems we’re edging closer,
towards one thousand PSI.

and it seems to me you lived your life,
like a candle in the wind.
never staying a moment longer,
when the haze set in.
and your memory will always haunt us,
when the CD sirens wail.
your candles burned out long before,
our lungs completely fail…

oh great.. new arrows.. back to work!!