About Leeches...

Camp is now getting much more boring than before. Well, consider this, a bunk which can house 11 people only has 3 occupants? Tsk, that’s a bit like OCS right? Or should I say even better since one person can afford to have a King size bed and sleep in nice comfort. Well, imagine last week when only Douglas was around. Ha, he could have a mega-sized bed all to himself! That’s how bad things are now in camp for me…I mean I can practically hear Akon’s hit ‘Lonely’ ringing in my ears…

I’m also living with a pool of leeches who just suck more and more from you. Well, it is not like last time where at least everyone shares each other goodies and ensures that all benefit (or trading). Now, there is only a limited supply facing an unlimited demand (ok, I admit that I am exaggerating, but it is still an infinitely large demand!), so it is natural that things get more and more expensive, and the worse part is, the suppliers gain nothing back from it! At least in a normal market economy the suppliers gain in terms of revenue, but now, it is a total loss to the suppliers.

Which reminds me, this is reminiscent of the current oil market. Yes, it is only natural for oil prices to rise because of the extremely large and ever-growing demand for oil. To be exact, I will say that I will be stumped if oil prices were to remain constant! I mean, if that ever happens that will be against the Law of Demand, as well as totally be illogical – that means people can get more and more and more of everything without paying more, i.e. greed is satisfied. Yes, and I must say that I am extremely against the idea of increasing oil barrels produced a day, since that means that we are just accommodating the demand and propel the world to doomsday faster.

Ok, why am I saying this? If we were to increase oil supply now, that means we are just taking future oil to be used now. That reduces the amount of oil for our future generations, which in turn means that they will be the ones who will have to face astronomical increases in oil prices and not like us now, where we merely just face a steep, gradual increase in oil prices. In fact, the high oil prices are necessary to remind us that we should cut down on our consumption of oil and turn to alternative energy sources as well as a more efficient way of using energy. Yes, people are screaming that all this high increase in the price of oil will slow down growth but that is exactly what is needed especially since we are hitting burning point. It is better to cool down than to let it explode.

Actually, I will just say that oil has taken over the role of money in controlling the global economy. In this period of easy money, money has basically stopped its role of being a tool for controlling the economy’s growth rates. So here comes oil and I think it has filled up this role pretty well since it is much tougher for people out there to flood the whole world with oil. So yes, I believe that the key to solving the current oil crisis is to turn to other energy sources, as well as cut down on our reliance on oil.

Good 3 Days OutSide

A good weekend passed (buoyed by a good result). Ok, got the Malaysia trip all settled, except for some minor details. Well, now I’m just waiting for the cash from the others to flow in (yes, I am broke…horribly broke now…). Ok, after that met up with Chunsz and YX, and 2 other of Chunsz’s friends (or is it counted as one other?), sang KTV and had a good mini chi-chat session with them.

Ok, that was Friday. Saturday I stayed at home for the first part of the day watching movies and catching plenty of winks (to make up for my super busy and hectic Friday), then I went down to Orchard to meet WJ and gang for dinner and after which we hopped over to Holland V to catch the EPL. Well, I thought the West Ham Vs. Arsenal match was boring, and in fact the score updates were much more exciting, especially with Man U. losing. Oh, 3 cheers for Owen. Ha, I can just see the NEWcastle of now getting back in shape and in form. Yes, the past week has been a brilliant one for the club and I am hoping that this form can continue.

I had a good chat session over supper with the gang yesterday. I mean it has been quite some time since I saw them so yup, the feeling was good. Hmm, we basically caught up with each other’s happenings and I was extremely amused with the GAY without R. Haha, well I shall be on my toes too since he is like within my striking proximity and you never know when things take a nasty twist.

Oh, I’m meeting up with Abel and gang (basically the CCIS of the previous generation, the semi-previous generation and the semi-current generation) later at Glass House. I’m really looking forward to it because the last time we all met up was like 3 months plus back at Sentosa? On top of that, it’s like a farewell dinner for YH who’s flying off on the 30th… Hmmm, don’t know whether we will be sending him off at the airport, so I guess it is better to wish him Bon Voyage first than later.

Yup, I should say that wraps up my weekend, with me meeting so many various groups of friends over the days. It can be tough at times to commit, but now that my Sundays are now free, that does mean that I got a lot of time to totally enjoy myself now. I hope next weekend will be as good, if not even more fun!

Driving

This week has been a very busy week for me, not in camp, but because I was busy preparing for my driving test on driver and yes, I passed my driving!! Yea, I got 14 demerit points and I’ve not got my license to roam about Singapore in a car, provided I have one… Hmm, looking back at my driving test, I think I am extremely lucky for I got a really easy route (route 4), and I got a really nice tester who is quiet most of the time and he does not irritate me at all, thus allowing me to concentrate real well during the circuit phase. Also, while driving, I never faced any errant drivers along the way too. So I really thank my lucky stars.

Hmmm, it seems that Ubi is a really tough place to pass driving since the number of people who watched the video with me (and including me) was just a pathetic 5? Wah, that really speaks volumes of how tough it is to pass in Ubi. So I’m indeed thankful that I passed, especially since it was my first attempt only.

Now I guess I shall think of how to get a vehicle to drive about. It seems to me the most possible way of getting one is to hope that my brother earns enough money to get one…

Change?

I think that I have become much more extroverted and friendly compared to the past. Well, I remembered during my secondary school days, I was rather shy, i.e. when I see new people, I will find it difficult to talk to them. However, it seems that nowadays when I see my friends’ friends, I can just click along with them and join in their conversations. It seems that the so-called barrier has diminished for me.

For example, I watched Snow Wolf Lake with CX, JH, and 2 of CX’s friends. Ok, I know one of them because last time I’ve caught a movie with him and I also had talked rubbish with him too, but the other is a total stranger to me. But last night, during the show and after it, we could go had a quick munch and chat about the performers as well as other things in life as if we’ve known each other for quite some time. Amazing right?

Yea, I realized that my circle of friends had gradually grown bigger, and I think that is good cause at least it means that I’m not an introverted person who just keeps to himself. Well, hopefully my new found socializing skills will come in handy next year when I will get to meet my fellow school mates. I’m truly looking forward to meeting new people but at the same time, I cherish all those that I have now and before. Yupz, whoever is reading this, please tag or message me about any future outings. I will love to catch up with you all!

Oh yea, talking about meeting up with people, I find it amusing that almost all my friends seemed to have condemned Dunman’s mid-autumn celebration yesterday. Well, it is the first time in ages that I know that they are actually inviting the alumni back, but almost all my friends just couldn’t be bothered about it. Isn’t it interesting? I mean I know a lot of people in other schools who will go back whenever their alma mater has a major function, but apparently that is not the case for Dunmanians. Could this be due to the fact that the school culture/environment left such a negative impact on us that people just don’t like the school? Or is it that Dunmanians are just so heartless? Well, it can’t be the latter because on the streets, I know that a lot of the Dunman people do have class gatherings, CCAs gatherings or their own special groups gatherings. But sad to say, nobody cares about the school. I think this speaks a lot about how much the school has actually taught us last time. Hmm, I truly think that there’s a need for them to review their entire education system, I mean there are plenty of instances where results are not everything and instead the process is more important…

雪狼湖 - 不老的传说

Snow Wolf Lake, the musical, was totally ultra-fantastic. I was there last night and I never regretted paying so much for it. To be exact, I think it’s a pity that I didn’t get front row seats, because only by sitting there then would I be able to fully capture all the expressions on the stars face, as well as appreciate the musical to its fullest.

Ok, actually I think everyone knows the entire plot. In essence it is a tragic love story, and Jacky himself said he wanted it to be a love story simply because of the fact that he wants to showcase to the world about love (well, as this is thus far, the only Chinese musical, the best theme is of course love right?).

But the truth is, the show was marvelous. Even though I heard the soundtrack a zillion times before watching the musical, but still, the actual live performance was just that amazing – it totally touched my heart and I felt myself totally immersed into the world of Jacky. Yes, when the curtains first lifted up, I was totally impressed with Jacky’s voice. His rich baritone rendition of 不老的传说 (indeed, aptly titled, the legend starting a legendary show) was indeed a curtain lifter that got the crowd into the musical. His rich voice totally shocked me I must say, caused it literally powered the whole audience into an entirely different world.

Yes, throughout the entire show, Jacky showed why he was aptly titled the God of Songs. His never-ending, powerful voice was literally the engine that brought the show alive, and it was the force that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Indeed, you sorely missed his voice especially when the supporting characters start singing, but I must say he totally outperformed all my expectations of him because his acting was brilliant. Ok, I couldn’t exactly see his face and expressions from my view, but the papers reported that he really cried and teared in some scenes, and I admit that just by hearing him you can truly tell that he was has indeed cried. But even though he cried, it never affected his singing and performance, in fact it added in the much needed X factor that tells you that your money is well spent. I was also duly impressed with his dancing – I never expect Jacky to dance with the energy of a twenty year old! All these from a father of forty! Boy, he is indeed a legendary performer that will be tough to emulate.

Evonne and Nnadia were both excellent too. Even though I had some trouble attempting to differentiate between the two of them (since I sat so far from the stage), but Evonne did an excellent portrayal of Snow. In fact, she brought out an excellent feeling of the little innocent girl who is so madly in love. Her singing was excellent too, really clear and powerful at the right times and her duets with Jacky were just nice, although at times I thought it sounded more like background vocals due to Jacky’s overpowering voice. But still, it was a good blend. Her dancing was also wonderful, and it has that real nice rhythm and flow that makes you feel that you are inside the show too. Nnadia was equally good. Even though starting I found her falsetto a bit too uncomfortable to listen to, but after the interlude she showed her power and the reason why she was the lead the previous time. Indeed, she displayed the feelings of Phoenix real well, but I think Singaporeans would have preferred Kit, but still, Nnadia was good too.

The other performers were good too. The mother and the bad guy both displayed that they could act, sing as well as bring out their characters really well.

In addition to the performers, the props and the backdrop were brilliant. Seriously speaking, within minutes they were able to change from one scene to another and it was just beautiful. I must say that I had never expected such a seamless change from one scene to another. Indeed, it was just perfect.

The music, composed mainly by Dick Lee was excellent and wonderful. I think the few songs that deserved to be really singled out are 不老的传说, 爱钱万岁. 爱是永恒, 抱雪 and 雪爱狼. I was particularly mesmerized by the Jacky’s and Evonne’s rendition of爱是永恒. You can truly feel that love is in the air.

Of course, critics will argue that some of the dialogue at times was just plain corny and cheesy, typical of those Chinese pop dramas. But we all know that this is due to the fact that this musical is for a mainstream audience, and to make it more receptive to all, the dialogue could not be over artistic or else the younger people will not take to it. So yes, this musical does have commercial interests in mind.

Well, but after calculating, Jacky still makes a loss by bringing this musical to Singapore. I mean it is commercially not viable, so I am inclined to truly think that Jacky brought it over to Singapore because it is a dream of his to let Chinese audiences around the world to have a chance to catch such a mega production, as well as perhaps the only Chinese musical thus far. Indeed, his dream is so big and so great, that you must admit that there is nothing that we can add to his current accolades.

At the end of the show, I was just disappointed that it had to end, and that this could possibly be my first and only chance to experience it. I doubt that he will do it ever again, considering his age as well as the high production costs. And I must admit, Snow Wolf Lake without Jacky will feel totally different. He is after all, the one and only God of Songs, somebody who does command respect from all Chinese far and near. But if there ever will be another chance for me to catch it, I will most certainly do. Indeed, Snow Wolf Lake is a magical music journey.

What a Small World!!!

Hmm, I think the world is indeed very small. I just knew somebody who’s going to the same college as me! Ha, he’s CX friend, and he’s also in the same unit as me and I must say that we’ve both been eager to know each other just that we never really got down to doing it until last night when I added him on my MSN. Well, I got a good chat with him and I think life next year does start to me to look much more interesting and fun. Ha, I really can’t wait for school to start.

Oh yes, and CX apparently is applying Christ’s too! Hmm, throw in ZX who applied this year as well and another one I know, and assuming (I’m praying too) that all the applicants get in, there will be a minimum of 5 Singaporeans whom I know already going to the same college as me. Now, that is a little too good for comfort, cause that means I will already have known vaguely most of the Singaporeans there? I mean its good caused at least I will find myself with familiar faces, but that just means that there will be less surprises and less new people that I will actually meet. But then again, it doesn’t really matter to me cause I think I will really enjoy my life over there.

Oh speaking of which, I find it so amusing that previously, all my close friends applied to Oxford but this year, suddenly I know a lot of people who are going to Cambridge or intend to go there. Ha, seems to me that I will know a healthy number of both Oxford and Cambridge students.

Hmmm, that day I was thinking about it, the world is indeed that small. I mean for some interesting reasons, I happen to know a lot of scholars (be it my juniors or from my circle of friends), and the best part is that we in turn, using something like an extended friendster network, know more scholars as well as realize how much in common (among friends) we have. Ha, it can be quite terrifying especially since scholars are actually quite rare (I think its like less than top 5%?), but every other person I know seems to be one. Well, it seems to me that my social circle is like quite limited, and a little bit elitist too.

Well, thankfully NS and my primary school days really showed me more about life. This 2 periods let me have a chance to interact and mix with people from all walks of life, which I’m indeed grateful for or else I would have most probably end up being an elitist snob who does not understand the problems of the masses or the problems of others. I think it is invaluable and I will really be calling on all these experiences when I start working to make sure that I will make the right decisions.

Well, for those whom I haven't met yet but you actually read this blog, I wouldn't be surprised if we were to meet each other in the near future. After all, the world is indeed that small!

Time...

How time flies. We have come to that time of the year which everybody are starting to guess this year’s Nobel Prize winners. Yes, approximately one more month to go and we will hear the Nobel Foundation announcing this year’s award winners.

Ha well, that’s a sidetrack but seriously I think time flies because I have spent like 1 year and 4 months in my unit and its like less than 6 more months to go before I ORD. Yes, ever since Sunday’s AHM, I must admit that the army years are like repeating itself and there is sense of déjà vu.

Talking about AHM, I met Zichun and Liheng there, and I caught a glimpse of Chunsz also. But there were simply too many people flooding the whole padang, so I couldn’t really spot some of those really long lost pals whom I haven’t met in ages.

Well, this week I will be involved in IKC2 for the whole week. Saw Edwin today, and think I will find Alvin one of these days when I’m over there. But I am quite impressed with some of the exhibits on display cause their capabilities are indeed truly fascinating and amazing but apparently it won’t be in used so soon. But when the army starts to use them, wa, I must say that I will be totally impressed.

Dream Strikeforce

Tonight will be the night on which we will finally see, after such a long break (4 years?), a dream England pairing – Owen and Shearer.

Yes, Owen will be making his debut for Newcastle tonight, along with Albert Luque. Yes, Luque is also a player to watch for the future, but I think everyone will be more interested to see how 2 of England greatest strikers, one from the 90s and the other in this era will combine and score. Personally, as a Newcastle fan, I think that tonight’s match is do or die for Souness. If the team fails to win, his head will almost certainly roll. Well, he better hopes that his 2 new signings will fit into the team and give it a much needed boost.

To be honest, tonight’s match will be quite tough for Newcastle. Yes, even though their backline is more or less back, and they got a truly world class strike force, their midfield is seriously lacking. Dyer and Emre are both out because of injury while Solano is suspended. Hopefully Bowyer and Parker will rise to the occasion and control the midfield. It is truly a pity that Souness let Jenas go or else Newcastle will still have a very strong midfield.

The Fulham team for tonight is indeed strong. Fulham doesn’t exactly have much injury problems. Boa Morte will be a threat in my opinion, so the defense better pay plenty of attention to him. Hopefully Given will continue his form.

Well, I’m predicting NUFC to win 2-0. They better, especially after all the big news at the club over the past week, it is time for the results to come and prove that this is a team that will be challenging for honors at the end of the season.

This BloG

People are complaining that my blog posts are too serious, too content heavy. Ok, ya, I agree with that especially when it comes to my posts on Economic issues, but seriously those are more for me to get the ideas off my chest, especially since this blog was really started more for me to write on economic issues.

So I must apologize to those who find those posts being dry. He, maybe I should write on more interesting Economic stuff, something which Krugman and Levitt do. Ha, hopefully I can be as good as them (wishful thinking on my part…)

Anyway, I should not be so serious in writing my posts. Expect more humor (be it dry or cold) in the near future. Hopefully people will not think that this is a just for laughs page.

Oh ya, talking about it, I was pissed off with my sister who complained that I’m taking up so much space on this computer that she cannot ripped her DVD. That got on my nerves since she ripping something that we ALREADY have on VCD, and that almost all the things she wants she leaves it to me to get for her. Totally idiotic!

Oh sianz, I’m thinking of varying what I write on this blog. I don’t want it to be just a simple recap of my life, or it be a complain page for me, I mean those are relatively pointless to me. But then, I can’t discuss something super serious since readers don’t get it. Ha, I’m thinking of writing a short story (like what I wrote before), but it is super damn difficult for me to write something like that. Maybe when I actually do have the free time then I will embark on such an ambitious project.

Ha, guess this page will continue being a mix of my complaints and diary entries. Please don’t get bored.

Superstar

The competition has finally ended, and a fitting fairy tale ending was there for Singapore’s most successful Chinese Singing competition to date.

Yes, the visually impaired Kelvin won, despite all the hardships and difficulties encountered. He has finally become Singapore’s very first “Superstar”, defeating hot favorite Kelly by a huge margin.

There has indeed been a lot of criticism about him, especially the previous round when he edged out the more handsome and talented Junyang. Reports of him winning because of sympathy were splashed all over the papers, and indeed; I am not surprise if more of such articles are to be seen over the next few days.

Personally, I do think Kelly should have become the winner. After all, if we are talking purely about the ability and skills of a Superstar, Kelly totally outshone Kelvin. Her looks and image as well has her ability to command the stage was undeniably better. Yes, you can claim that it is unfair to judge Kelvin on those criteria due to his handicapped, but ultimately, a superstar must be someone who has that high level of stage appeal. Vocals wise, Kelly displayed her versatility throughout the entire competition, while Kelvin stuck to his own style throughout, with little variation. Even when he did venture out of his comfort zone, his singing still leaves much to be desired. So yes, in all the aspects of a superstar, I think Kelly is a clear winner.

Of course, many will rebuke me by saying that Kelvin is much more expressive than Kelly, that his voice displays such a high level of emotions that none of the other competitors came closed to. I agree. I was indeed impressed when he sang Panda’s 火柴天堂. There were also other songs that I thought he sang real well but after some time, I found him overly repetitive, which means that he has stagnated. It was real disappointing, since I expected more from him.

But, I must say that Kelvin did display the mental toughness that a superstar should have – persevering throughout in spite all the difficulties. His mental strength is certainly one to be applauded, and I do think that he garnered so many votes because of this characteristic, as well as the fact that deep down, every Singaporean hopes that a common man like Kelvin can succeed in life. He was that hope that spark which everyone has. And indeed, I think Singapore can be proud that its people are sympathetic, that they are able to empathize with many, as well as lend their support to those who need them more (I do think the judges decisions did lent help to Kelvin).

But to me, the competition is all but just a show. The true measure of who is the true Superstar will be known when they released their records. According to the papers, they will be styling Kelvin after Ocean and Kelly after Coco. Ha, personally I think Kelvin’s first album will do well in sales but subsequent ones will most likely be disappointing. On the other hand, I think Kelly might really make it big in the Asian market, along with JY. Ha, well, all this can only be verified in the new future.

I shall end off by wishing both finalists all the best. The competition is all but just a contest, not a true measure of a superstar. Only the future (such as their album sales and concerts) will be the test of who the real star is. But indeed, it certainly has been good to discover and know that there are so many talented singers amongst us, and that every single one of us, under the right opportunities, has the chance to become the next Big Hit.

The BIG pICture

The past week was totally sucky, totally screwed up man. Time literally CRAWLED… Yes, the camp tempo was so slow that you can tell from all our faces that it was a torture. Yes, the exercise was screwed up in my opinion. Ha, the 6-hour shift system used is bad, especially when you hear the old birds talking about the old 4 hours shift, rest 8 hours. I have absolutely no idea how the commanders planned this exercise, but it was totally lousy planning at its maximum. You see, there were plenty of moments during which we all ended up doing nothing and just talking rubbish, but still, we can’t go and rest because the commanders say so. So wonderful and stupid (since there are less than 10 users and we have more than 10 Sas at a time – is there a need? DUH!)

Ok, we started cross-training since we have finally merged (or split in the sense that my platoon mates got separated from me), but to me, I really think that it was easy for me to pick up their skills but tough for them to know what we exactly do we do. Yes, I admit that many of the newbies are so hardworking and so busy taking down notes that I do think that they are ready for any exercise. But ultimately, at the end of the day it is really more of experience that counts during exercises than just pure knowledge (although YES, my platoon is one which knowledge are almost = experience).

What really set me thinking was how the commanders’ do things. I find it extremely amusing that they think that everything can be done so easily. Yes some things are quite independent but many IT equipment are all linked to each other. I mean when a network has problems, it is not just the server, which is at fault but possibly the client as well. There is so much room for errors and the problem need not be just one party only. So, if people just care about 1 aspect and not know about others, they will not see the full picture and things will eventually fail.

Another issue that I find it so rubbish is that the commanders seriously have not thought over how the workload is going to be shared, and neither has they worked out how things are going to look like in future. 2 platoons sharing the workload? Yes, that sounds extremely wonderful, simply because it means that you are not over working resources. But, what about issues of responsibility? Who are exactly in charge of which phase, and what is the nature of everybody’s own tasking?

Oh well, those are issues that need time to work out, and I think the answers will only be known after at least half a year’s time? Anyway, I’m more concerned with how the upper management makes decisions.

To me, it is certainly a good idea to the people at the top, especially when things viewed from their point really looks so simplistic. But then, how many people at the top actually understands and knows exactly what is happening at the ground? I mean, even scholars only spend such a short time on the ground, and even then, they are exposed to only some aspects of it and not all of it.

So, I’m actually quite worried. I mean now I’m lambasting at some of the decisions that are occurring around me, but even I myself is not the best judge. I still remember how negatively inclined I was to the idea of the Integrated Program, but now even I think that the IP is good for student developments, except on the aspect of HR skills since the students are stuck more or less with the same elite group. Yes that’s right, maybe after some time I can appreciate the big picture better. But then, in future, I will be playing a part in some of these ‘major’ decisions, but will I stick to my current principles of doing things, ie. really considering things and gathering feedback from all instead of just relying on models and ideas?

Hmmm, I really don’t know, but in future, for those who are still in touch with me, please voice out to me if you think that I have made some unwise decisions. Ha, its always good to have someone to check on me especially since when you are in the heat of things, you tend to become over-engrossed and hence neglect other issues.