Ahh so it was, by the Singapore River on a Chinese New Year eve, enjoying the Fireworks by the sea. The seabreeze blowing, a night to behold, a sight to enjoy. The year of the rooster was a rather interesting year with its own ups, downs & challenges. Ahead of us will be a lineup of more challenges to meet, beat & achieve. Whether its in school, work, health, you name it.

May the lunar year of the Dog brings all great prosperity & success.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Whew, it’s finally another time to relax after a long week of studying for term tests, presentations, lab & practicals. I guess I shouldn’t push myself so hard either, considering it being a nice long weekend next week. Whats more it’s Chinese New Year too. Should take a short rest from work over the weekend before keeping up the tempo next week for the Semester exams in late Feb. Anyway, due to the recent spade of holidays back-to-back, our lecturers are frantically pulling their hair out trying to squeeze as much make up lessons in compensation to time lost to the holidays, particularly Dr Boyle, our engineering lecturer. The exam schedule is already up on the student adminitraion site. On the line up, I guess I won’t be able to make the Singapore Dualthon late Feb considering it being smacked right between 2 semester exam papers. Next Sem will start in April with shorter summer holidays for us. Crazy crazy…

Updates for the week
Week’s running mileage (burning of DS-Trainers) - 33km

Class test grade update
C++ Programming : 100/100
Electrical Technology : 96/100

Looks good, now lets see those marks for the semester exams too!

Talking about going crazy, try checking this site out!

Completed the 10000m event today in 47mins, way off my target of 40mins, maybe because its a rather mental event having to run 25 rounds round the standard 400m track. The last runner finished in +7mins & man did the whole grandstand cheered on for him Though this is a 10th position timing, its a good exposure for me as a 1st time on the competitive IVP field (so as coach wanted it to be). Furthermore, I get the “bragging/picking rights” after beating Pohfong, my track & field senior’s timing of 54mins in last year’s 10000m IVP. Bwwrhahaha evil me! On top of the 2 events today (other being the 3000m womens), SP also bagged a gold medal from our pole vaulters. I guess today’s competition is a true reflection of sportsmanship, not only by competitors but from the individual runners themselves. Living by the olympic creed, let me take sometime to admire it again:

“The most important thing in the Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

– the Olympic creed, Baron Pierre de Coubertin

Would be burning in my new Asics DS-Trainer XI tomorrow with a 5km run around SP, in turn retiring my old DS-Trainer 7 as a competition & training shoe with a mileage of 800km.
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The Singapore River Raft Race 06 held at the Singapore River this morning is an annual SP event organised by Singapore Tourism Board & SP. It’s a fun event where participants get to compete with each other in rafts built solely by used or recycled materials with a budget. Other side events includes “walking on water” where competitors pit each other with their feet in giant styrofoam floats & attempt to walk 40m to the finish. With participants from the open & international catorgories, it’s not a small event either with more than 50 boats.

Walking on water	Our “rep” raft	1st Prize!

Photos from the event today. Our team, the track & field team members came in not only second & 1st, but broke last year’s 86s record for the race with a timing of 61s. Crowning the grand trophy for our club, our president’s school & team. Though I didn’t take part in the event this year (though I was quite interested but didn’t find the time & resources to get started on it). Its definately an eye opener for us to watch our seniors race. Besides taking the time keeper appointment for this year’s event. We will be taking their places next year (when our seniors graduate) with 2 teams of our own from track & field, to maintain the title & record for next year as well.

Miss the feeling of striking items off my wishlist. It had been sometime since I pampered myself with little luxuries too. Finally, finally brought my long awaited Asics DS-Trainer XI this morning wheee! Brought it from Running World at Genting Lane. With that, I should take sometime to marvel over the remarkable-ness of the street directory. I got there by BMW (Bus, MRT, Walk) I have to say the directions provided by the online street directory is HELL STRAIGHT spot on.

Excerpt from street directory directions given
- From Redhill MRT EW18 to Aljunied, take the EastWestLine towards PasirRis
- Fares $1.50, Adult $1,26 Child $0.65 Senior Citizens $0.64, Senior Peak $1.26
- Alight at EW09 (10th station)
- Proceed to Aljunied Rd opp MRT Station, Busstop no 81081
- Board bus 125/125 (Traveltime 4mins, 1.15km)
- Alight at Kallang Way, opp (Solectron) Bus stop no 70319 (4th bus stop from boarding bus stop)
- Your destination is 0.20km away (woot!)

(Actual Map I used) Just don’t ask me to bring a tape measure to verify the accuracy of the distances provided. But I am seriously marvelled by the power of the computerised street directory. This means I can literally find directions to any registered building in SG from anywhere so easily, man is this cool or what?

On way back the bus. Thought of a neat idea to write a fortnightly comic titled “Ratz it’s Life”, focusing very much to the bits & humor of campus life from the aspect from a student myself! It will start when I purchase my Tablet PC, allowing me to doodle anywhere away from home. Moreover, it will be like serious-cartoony, the main character (me) being an anthropomorphic Rat (I am a Rat on the zodiac calender anyway). I already got several ideas in mind already for launch strips & it will be incorporated into the site with it’s own section. I speak my mind, so take note that it will be a very natural “It’s student life” comic so partenal advisory is advised.

Mmm its friday the 13th, a day worth dreading about ahha, especially if you detest walking under ladders, (or dustbins) or just across a black cat’s path.

Just came back from my Engineering Maths test. & It’s held in an LT, yea!! very conducive environment. Ahha miss the nostalgic LT test ambience, let be in JC or my camps in NUS. Confident to score 100 in this test, finished it within 20mins (outta 60mins given). Yupyup very unlike me right?

On a not too high note, scored 82 for my C++ programming written test.. bummer, considering that C++ is supposed to be computer language, its definately best tested on the computer, not hand written! brraggar! Nevertheless I was the second highest in class, the top being 95! Nuts! Must aim, must aim to score straight As this semester again.. brgghahaha! “all your As are belong to ME!”

With this, comes the ever so question I always ask myself - Is the polytechnic a better place for me than JC? I am definately doing much better in poly than JC not only in terms of grades, but CCA too (35 comfirmed CCA points after 3 terms). Considering me literally failing most of my papers in year 1 in SAJC, having to drop my 4th A level subject by year 2 & graduating with a full A level cert to nowhere! Bummer! But with that comes the all so notorious “culture shock” from Poly to Uni, will I be prepared for Uni pace after graduation? Personally I hate the rush-rush in JC - never got enough of life, but I guess it will be evident in Uni either, not to mention exciting dorm life! hehehe!

Yesterday saw myself mugging in the clubhouse followed by a small neat club gathering before training. I even got my white IVP jacket & T-Shirt! whee! But felt so gulity after chomping on one plate of fish & chips & 2 servings of claypot rice thereafter during dinner “outs” with my family yesterday, guess the 500+ calories burnt in the gym before that won’t be able to counter the influx of additonal calories… Dang.

Last but not least, for once today! There was sun! wow!

Damn if I didn’t get time to actually compile this, I would never know how busy I am for the week!

Personal Event/Campus Schedule for the week:

Thursday (Tomorrow) - Electrical Tech Test (Studied, Doing Rev)
Friday - Engineering Maths Test (Studied, Doing Rev)
Saturday - Deadline for Flash Design mock up (Company)
Sunday - Singapore River Raft Race Timings/Judging
Monday - Workshop machining Deadline
Tuesday - Social Issue Inter-Debates
Wednesday - Representing School in IVP @ Nanyang Poly (10km event)
Thursday - Electrical Tech Practical Lab Test
Friday - Visual Basic Programming Test (Postponed from wed because of IVP)

I guess I can only breathe end of next week… I think I will be away from blogging for the week. Mug mode on….

Needed some time out after the last lecture for the day in the gym. Considering most people’s resolution being to “lose weight” the gym was exceptionally crowded today after school. But rather managable otherwise. Did my usual bench presses, abs & 6km on the threadmill before turning in the tower for the evening. & man it was 6.30pm when I reached home then.

Got 94 for my engineering materials class test. Initially I feared not even being able good grades or even get maybe even 80 or so in the test. Considering how dry the subject can be. Neither would I know of the leaked news from my classmates of me aceing the paper (with the exception of someone from another class getting a perfect 100) . As usual its a tradition where the highest scores of the class get to be “moshed” in the lift, (in a rather friendly way of course) but called back due to previous injuries sustained by others on past “moshes”. As least the campus block lifts are spared from torture.. for now.

Caught the ol’ show Gone in 60 seconds starring Nicholas Cage & Angelina Jolie (she looked very very different in the show) a moment before on TV, & man it had been sometime since I’ve actually found time to sit in front of the TV at the living for a show with my family, so as Mum so “jokingly remarked” having “migrated” from my room’s PC for a change… I mean I really can’t help it! especially when you have a TV tuner installed in your computer right?

As the techno giz I thought to be, I am still not very efficient in scanning for channels on digital cable. Though converting to digital for about half a year plus since it was offered by starhub, its actually the second time in my life handling the digital cable remote, still preferring analog cable… Contrary to my sister’s super uber l33t pwner skills of being able to efficiently whip digital channels, info & games all out at the flick of her wrist. Man I am owned… I mean MTV is not even channel 11 now, let be 5 Discovery channels! argh!! whats the channel number for HBO now? I think I should go suck my thumb, grab my wooden club, put on my leopard skin robe & crawl back into my cave…

& niff! check out the Gender Genie. Its a online script which determine the sex of it’s author from any form of written literature you throw at it. I personally tried it on my blog entries & they were 100% all accurate. Wow!

It had been raining since I woke up this morning. Haiz cannot go for my usual sunday swim laps, nor even go for my contingency exercise plan to run in the evening. Looks like there’s no sign of it stopping either.

On a side note, heard from an “undisclosed source” that COE for cars will be abolished sometime this year! yea!!! But in turn will be a hike in fuel prices, road tax, ERP, etc. Thus leading to the fact of pay as you drive. Which is more fairer on the whole I guess, with the evident fact of the COE being kinda flawed & “loopy” (as the government soooo finally come to realise). I always envied brand new cars costing like $20k overseas, looks like it may become a reality here in SG soon, provided that the sources are actually true…

/* Following Mindless splutter: */
Wheewhoahaha! (read as we-wo-ha-ha) a car for college? here I come! Dear government, from the voice of a typical young Singapore adult… please don’t hike the car import taxes ok? Go earn your money from like… other forms of taxation, fiscal, monetary policies or even the integrated resorts lah hol? Be cool with the rides & the laws governing them… Nevermind the possible increase in youth-related road accidents or the slimming of the population pyramid base, minor social problems only… but all can be solved with baby bonus right? - Singaporeans also so love free maternity leave, (besides queuing for meepok-ta or hello kitty toys too)… Life is short, Enjoy! Rock! Party! Peace!
/* End Mindless splutter */

Mmm, on an observation, seeing more & more people using laptops in campus now, maybe it will start to become a norm. But I guess I won’t be getting a new laptop till intel releases their dual core pentium-M processors early-mid this year, namely the intel Yonah or its successor, the Menron processor. So far only Toshiba, Fujitsu & Dell had announced dual core laptops at the CES 2006, held in Vegas over this weekend. No word on upcoming Fujitsu tablets except the Toshiba M400. Me really hoping for a succesor of the Fujitsu T4020 by mid this year (the T4030? ahhhh), where I most probably be making a purchase of my new tablet pc end semester 2 to replace my rather disfunct 333Mhz Compaq Persario notebook I’ve got since secondary 2.

& hey Backstreet’s back for a concert in Singapore, man! a backstreet’s comeback!

Site Updates: New Video up on the video page. Featuring a short 5min video on the volunteer community service program my class did last year at the sharity christmas giftbox, boys’ brigade HQ.

Woke up half an hour late at 9.30am today. Met up with Andy at Raffles City MRT headed to Dhoby Ghaut to sign the deal together with Citibank, but their “big boss” wasn’t around, pushing the signing to next week. This project is a side $2k -quoted job so for far the month. I guess I won’t be able to take any more projects this month, considering all the term tests coming up in the weeks, not to mention other commitments like competing in the Inter-Varsity Poly Games at the end of the month.

I guess the thing about life now is about prioritising & managing time. Money is not that hard find, in fact it WILL FIND you (contray to popular believe, which I am not complaining!), its whether you have the time to actually take on the projects & earn it. Time which I don’t have. Haiz…. me still having second thoughts of rejecting the $10k-quoted project for a company in Science park, but I guess for now it’s studies first I guess. Haiz must get into NUS… study, study, study, money can earn later.

Taking about University, Monash sent in a rather “late” christmas & new year greeting today, considering it originating direct from Australia, therefore the delay. The thing is that I am not even studying or a student in Monash University. Given the past fact of me personally rejecting their offer for a place in the college due to high expense costs, I just could not afford $50,000-$90,000 a year at such short notice, esp towards the double degree course I was aiming for. But I guess my name is in their records anyway, hopefully not the blacklist :X

Found some last minute free time & chilled out at hereen, HMV & starbucks. & man did I come to find out that orchard in the morning is an excellent place to relax & chill in the cafe… quiet… nice… mrrr! maybe I should frequent mornings there more often. Did some window shopping & checked out the new LG phone, the L7200 which I may be getting by mid year. Its $650 now, it should reach like $400 by then. LG phone prices are known drop rather speedily….. So I learnt the hard way on not spending more than $800 on a phone, which I dumbly did for my Siemens SX1 for $888 2 years ago. Haiz the phone is not worth even $200 now.

I guess the dumbest thing I done today is donating $10 bucks direct to a stranger at Somerset MRT. Who I get to know from his rather interesting 3min intro - is a helpful civil servant (police officer with valid ID), has a charity permit & is doing a drive for some disabled children home or so. Haiz, me so penny-wise-pound-foolish- So stingy on personal wants, but give too easily for charity donations. Ate economical vege-rice instead of luxurous japanese udon for lunch to “cover the costs”… Mmm, care to donate to the save Shaun fund too?

Class started at 1pm. Strolled into ETECH class on time with my bag, a “today paper” in one hand & a cup of hot beverage in the other (typical “hi, good morning!” look) only to be skully greeted by teacher - no drinks allowed, get out! But that didn’t stop me from blatantly smuggling it in & slurping it dry by the end of class. Haiz perceived liberalism… I mean whats wrong with a cup of coffee by your table side to keep you warm through the lecture? Thats perfectly ok with other lectures in campus, let be even my lecturers in SAJC or in Uni. Dumb-asses.

Class ended early, like 1 hour. Also as I guess theres no reason for us to stay too, partly as our lecturer also wanted out early too. Spent some time pumping out at the gym & did 5km on the threadmill before calling it a day.

Shaun’s New year Resolutions for 2006

» Obtain a Study Grant or Scholarship
» Be Fitter & Leaner
» Maintain my BMI (20.8 now)
» Maintain my cumulative GPA at 4.0
» Do better in my $$ Business $$
» Better Time Management

Ahh my first post for 2006, a New Year, New Opportunities, New Challenges!

With everycoming year, it all comes the all so ritual mood to be grovey & hyper, as the new year is here! Yeaaa 2006. Had a nice quiet dinner with my family before spending the night (not to mention last moments of 2005) at the SGrunner’s Chalet at Aloha seaside Bungalows in Pasir ris. Had BBQ food & played Bingo hosted by Sotong. I even won a SGrunner’s Avatar A3 poster at the last elimation round, well… after some friendly battles of scissor, paper, stones, ahah considering fd snapping up all the posters in the 1st few rounds… oh we couldn’t blame her luck either. We even got some niffy pocket 2006 calenders with our group photos on them, neat!

0:00 saw the time for get together in the chalet living area & the wishing of many happy returns, not to mention smiles & the continous blasts of ship horns by the seaside. The fireworks at habourfront (as telecasted on TV) was impressive lasting for a solid 15mins, I guess even the national day’s one wasn’t even so long. Even with so many bomastic events around Singapore this year, I choose to spend the start of 2006 with my friends, especially my family. Personally as I find it the right thing to do, instead of partying & drinking myself crazy in some club

Changi Village was amazingly packed at like 2am plus, where we had new year’s Nasi Lemak at the popular Sri Sujaua store, yummy!

Comes 2006 see a new line of events, the start of year 2 in school for me. A more aggresive creative campaign by my company, with more jobs & clients. New lineup of local sporting events such as Realrun 06, AHM/Sheares Run 06, Vertical Marathon 06, Standard Chartered Marathon 06, woot!

As I say, new challenges, new opportunities, will 2006 be a busy yet enjoyable year!

Now all all got to do is to stop writing 05 in place of 06 on my dates now.