Well school had re-opened and I am my 5th Semester having cleared my Internship the last 2 months and graduating in about less than a year’s time. Things are starting to get up on pace, namely new thick sets of lecture notes and considerably more visits to the library for books again.

This is technically my last academic semester and possibly one of rated low key semesters I would ever be taking (8 modules compared to last semester’s 9 and they say year 3 will be easy!), with Final Year Projects taking up the remaining bulk of this year. The best thing is there are no General Elective Modules (GEMS duh!) this semester too, so my Wednesdays (Alternate week) and Fridays are FREE! It had been sometime since I have a nice and clear timetable for runs, friends and recreation not to mention more family time and managing my business.

My modules for this semester

But though given that, the daunting fact is that HALF of my modules this semester are heavy grade point 4 modules and only ONE grade pt 2 module (in comparison, there are three 2 Grade pts, three 3 Grade pts & 1 Grade pt 5 modules last semester). Not that I’ve never taken so many Credit Units modules in one semester but I guess I should not let my guard down and be complacent this last semester either. Its home run time!

On projects, my product design lecturer surprisingly called me last week asking (and presumably hinting haha) whether my final year project team had been formed and whether we had found a supervisor. He expressed great interest in taking my team as project supervisor & I would gladly look forward to that too, having taken us for almost a year over. On a sidenote, I know one of the directors in my school is also pursuing to be my team’s supervisor too… So it’s a battle between the lecturers… Choices… yet feels funny too, never been in this situation before, may the best wins.

Last but not least on the walk of the department’s noticeboard, there you have it again (on a semester annual affair hehe) – my name on the list of the honour roll for 4 semesters straight so far… and counting! The top person in the cohort scored 7 distinctions for the previous semester and that is still the record given to only 1 or 2 students on the pinned result list. Competition is still very hot and I am definately not letting my guard down this semester too.

Target for this semester:
Academic: At least 7 Distinctions (To 30)
CCA: Bump up to 300 CCA Points (~70pts to go)

I guess I had been traveling and checking out alot of new eating places lately, with Miss Clarity’s Cafe aside, for today it’s the popular Botak Jones western food store situated at Ang Mo Kio Ave 5. (They also have a new branch in Toa Payoh now).

The Kopitiam from outside	The store & queue lines	The Dinner crowds

Located in the HDB heartland at the 1st floor coffeeshop of Blk 608. The place is not exactly convenient to travel to unless you have a car, otherwise you will require some bus transfers using the townlink bus services if you intend to commune there.

You will be greeted by a rather unconventional dinner crowd with most of the poeple there eating western food out of black plates and the distinctive queue which snakes out of the kopitiam into the main passageway. You also can’t mistake the staff there too – decked with white or navy blue caps bearing the Botak Jones Logo and T-shirts with the trademark “Damn Good” wordings on their backs.

The store is about 3 times your standard coffeshop store, with the cashier and order booth sticking out of the store by a good few meters. In the kitchen you get to see almost 15 cooks and helpers rushing food inside, each with their own specialisation and task to do (e.g. one doing only fries, salads, grills, etc).

We got our food before the hour, with the average waiting time for a table being recommended at about 1 hr- 1hr15mins on average. Servings are what they truly shine in – Typical American style you would expect from an American “botak” boss. Background wise, the store is founded and managed by an American fellow who married a Muslim wife here, having settled here to start this booming business. I’ve seen other western food stores like Mad Jack, etc but the crowds here are amazing, it’s even worst than your typical famous Ba-cho-mee, chicken rice or lor-mee store, the wait time is too long for comfort (thats provided you can find a table there) with that of course, expectations of the standard food will rise.

How’s Salad ($4)	Chicken Chop (L $12)	Fish & Chips (Std $7)

Cooking is largely done by staff who sticks to the recipe, but personally speaking there is other actual selling factor in the food besides the trademark spicy fries and the classic mozzarella cheese and dough laced on top of the chicken chop you order (which is actually their 2nd most favorite dish there) the chicken is reasonable but very dry even going with my lemon tea drink. The $4 salads are very good, the greens are all fresh and firm, no signs of faded or old/yellow lettuces at all.

Fish and Chips is their most popular dish, topped with large servings of colesaw by the side. The fish is on the crispy side, with is good by otherwise the fish servings are rather flat and wide – giving it a large appearance but with very little depth or “thickness” within the slice for fish meat to cut through and favour. Maybe it’s a personal preference, but the portions of the main servings of meat are not exactly satisfactory being mostly the chips and colesaw making the bulk of your fullness.

And don’t let their “western coffeeshop food store” tag fool you. Though situated in a kopitiam, you can’t exactly compare Botak Jones to a conventional hawker western food store, but more like to a mini restaurant or cafe which found itself smacked in the wrong kitchen. I mean how many coffeeshops out there needs 3 stores for a kitchen, have a cashier in front of the store, employs 5 over dedicated waiters, have their own staff attire? That will justify the $7-$12 price in comparison and the food standards are whee one bit higher than what you get from traditional western food stores as well. One of their main selling food is the friendliness of the staff and waiters as well, which you definitely have a fun time talk to them with regards to Botak as well!

There you have it, Botak Jones AMK Ave 5, recommended but prepared to keep your entertained for the long wait!

And there we have it, 9 weeks of internship gone in a flash and school’s reopening next week. Time do flies and it’s not exactly “tiring” or “difficult”, but strangely neither as the saying goes: “Time passes when you are having fun”. Lets face the facts, work is not always enjoyable, that’s why people get paid to work! But I guess having to do what you like to do as work and get paid for it is the best of both worlds.

Not exactly conducive, but I have a dedicated work desk during my term there and my own space to dump just about anything I want for personalisation, like SPAWN figures to decorate the table, toy cushion arm and palm rests, whiteboards, blow up neck support cushions and even our own private stash of finger foods. There’s balcony where we can see the whole of the CBD and rocher area, which is also home of the company’s Pok Pok Department.

My work place office	My Desk!	The Pok Pok Department Inc.

I am thankful to have to have my job round the city area specifically at SimLim Tower (contrary to some of my other classmates working in remote areas at either ends of Singapore), which not only give good views from the window but also a breeze when to get items, after work shopping and a breeze to meet up with friends in town. Daily lunches are interesting too, with me learning where are the best and the most affordable chicken rice, char siew rice, minced meat noodle (ba-cho mee) and yun tun mee (just to name afew). Daily journeys see me through the Singapore Art district too, which is rather pleasant sight in my way to daily work.

Journey to work	Daily sights through the arts district	Daily sights & sounds

My Liason officer came for 2 visits during my 9 weeks (the 3rd and 2nd last weeks). Noteable events includes my role there as a senior programmer and coaching/teaching current fulltime programmers (duh I am an intern?) to better prepare them for future and more advanced programming jobs. Overall I am glad to be of help, being a teamplayer and appreciated of my contributions, it’s just the driving force. Monday Lunch on my last week was on my boss in Miss Clarity’s Cafe, ending with a the late night Shaun’s farewell CS session last night with drinks and Canadian pizza on the house! Totally!

Last but not least, I’ve got A for my internship!

And there it goes again: can you believe it? hardly 2 days and I am back at Miss Clarity’s Cafe again for a meal! (along Purvis street, just opposite The National library). This time being lunch. On a hindside, lunch is a comparatively different experience to dinner, mostly in terms of the environmental ambiance, but no difference in terms of the same friendly service offered (which mainly why makes my visits exceptionally enjoyable).

Crowds on a Monday afternoon period are relatively healthy for the new cafe, presumably also because of the prices for lunch set meals – $8.80 for a lunch meal set with salad/soup, drinks and dessert, it’s also the same for few menu favorites (white and red meats) like chicken, fish, lambchops, etc – value for money contrary to that offered by Hans restaurant just next door in the national library.

As mentioned in my previous post few days ago Dinner dining would be in a dim candle lit area. Lunch would see the place mostly lit up and the table candles removed till then.

The new menu	The Interior	Rarrr I am the angry CEO!

Besides the lunch sets, you also have access to the regular al-la carte menu items which the Ol’ Macdonalds dish (which would be chatting my name), but too filling for lunch though – Fish & Chips was the perfect dish then, which rocks.

We recognized afew similar faces there – the same guy who is always around managing and serving customers despite the mix of new unfamiliar presumably part-time staff on the lunch shift. When approached he just laughingly replied: “nah I am no boss here, just a volunteer who works for nothing!”- A family business? Yes things looks good for them.

After going through about half of the GDI campaign, C&C 3 is nice to play with a very low learning curve in reference to the old C&C Tiberium related wars series. The SAGE engine is really kinda cool with lots of new eye candies. SAGE is not new to those especially when it first appeared in Emperor of Dune and C&C renegade almost 5 over years ago. Otherwise one can recognize it as a souped up C&C Generals. The thing which disappoints is largely the difficulty of the game play, it’s too easy now – ever since Tiberian Sun, the game at normal difficulty is simply just too darned easy, nothing like the ol’ days involving sneaking your MCV past a rampaging NOD base or making every hitpoint on that very large turret protecting your base count. It’s just too newbie friendly now. I guess the focus is now on graphics and online PVP battle, where it can feed the desire for challenge from any one of us. For me, I am just only obsessed into completing and covering this sequel campaign story. Look I’ve even Nod-dified my phone with a cool new silicon case and Nod doc-tag from my Kane edition pack – now thats a mean rw6828!

Gameplay is rather slow for my on 1920×1200 on high resolution, guess my old Ti4600 is coughing hard on the renders. Currently on 1280×900, medium for bareable play. Would love to see 1920×1200 on ultra high visual settings though. On upgrade plans, would be looking forward into upgrading my current Pentium 4 B workstation to an intel Quadcore Kensfield Q6600/6700 + 2GB DRR800 RAM + Geforce 8800 GTS + additional 500GB SATA Harddisk with Vista Ultimate. Won’t be seeing myself getting another replacement motherboard if this one fails again. I guess it’s time I stepped out of AGP8x and DDR333 era into something more breather-able and sustainable in the near future.

And now onto running, here is the basic route I’ve been running for the last month. If you can follow the faint yellow lines on the resized image it starts from the bridge where the old RP/crescent girls/Tanglin Regency Condo is all the way to Rivervalley, down to Tiong Barhu park, Redhill MRT, Delta Sports Complex, then along the canal route back up again for one full loop:

One round is 5.67km, usually I do 3×5km rounds or 2x(6km-7km) modified/extended rounds depending on time, as it’s usually nightfall and late by the time I am back from my work place.

Would be doing up a new section on the site called “running spots in central/southern Singapore, it will cover all my favorite running spots including Sunset way and Labrador park as well. Now if I can find time to get that up soon…

Millege for week the week (7 day period)
Tuesday – Redhill/Tanglin Canal Route 2 Extended Rounds (15.3km)
Friday – Redhill/Tanglin Canal Route 2 Extended Rounds (16.68km)
Total Running Millage the week: 31.98km
Total Accumulative Millage for 2007: 293.0km

There is this nice eating place I’ve visited last Friday for dinner going by the name of Miss Clarity Cafe. Popular among youngsters and the general youth crowd, it’s located along Purvis street, just opposite The National library and Bugis Junction. It may be a cafe for it’s size by it’s menu is one not to recon with – with full assortment of meats, salads, desserts and side dishes both for lunch and dinner.

On my own visit, surprisingly, I was still served for a table of 4 without a reservation within 2 mins of waiting even when they are fully booked for the night. Service is good with friendly and cheerful staff who always can’t seem to get enough of helping you out with your requests – My group had an unusual request for unconventional warm water (where most tables would normally be served self-help ice water jugs on free flow), for us we were specially served warm water in mugs and refills are done by the cup willingly as well). I guess the good service could also been made effective mainly due to the small size of the cafe which makes it easier to manage as well, not to mention a about a healthy number of staff around for the night per table.

On the menu, you get a full choice of main courses on chicken, fish, red meats, pasta, assorted seafood and baked rice just to name a few, each going for a reasonable $8.80 to about $16, much cheaper than what you get in Jack’s place or Fish and Co. Add $3 for a set with soup of the day/salad and tea/coffee/cold drinks and sorbet ice cream dessert after your meal, top up an additional $3 for a Ben and Jerrys ice cream dessert.

Exceptional nice dishes are the cheese laid chicken and fish cordon bleu which rocks for it’s price. My personal favorite have to be the Ol’ Mac donald which is a mega of meats ranging from bacon, T-bone, chicken fillet, steak, sausages, lamb chop and sunny side-up egg – the perfect double serving meal for a calorie freak like me, not to mention value for money as well a comparable dish for this much serving can easily cost $30 in other establishments.

The only objection I have could be the table setting theres no serviettes and table setting till you are served your main course, so thats nothing to clean or wipe your mouths with after your soup or thousand island filled appetizer unless you request for some or get it yourself. Being a candle lit place, the area is tad too dark to read menus in the beginning – not a problem myself, but do have friends and people I know who might have difficulty doing so in the dark. Prices had also gone up by average $1 since last month $8- $8.80 for most main courses and $15-$16 for the Ol’mac donalds.

You can give this place a try, I guess the pitfalls are just minor and this is one fine establishment for a dinner with friends and such, it would be a matter of time when you can see this place outgrow it’s premises into something new and bigger. The boss is also very friendly who provided us his namecard at the end of our meals. There is also alot of parking places along purvis street or the nearby pay per-entry ones around the surrounding commercial buildings round north bridge road. Expect a full house on holidays and I would personally recommend you to make a reservation (63394803) if you intend to dine there on weekends.

It’s time again to marvel at the old command and conquer series which got me up in the good old days since C&C win 95, Tiberian Dawn, Tiberian Sun, Firestorm and now, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars. Come to think about it, I’ve never missed a single episode of the C&C line, even including the Redalert and Generals series. Moreover, even after Westwood Studio’s acquisition by Electronic Arts it’s good to hear that part of the old team is back together including the C&C founder and Joe Kucan as the old classic Nod leader, Kane. However Steve Jablonsky would be taking on the music instead of Frank Klepacki which brought us classic tunes like “Crush” and “Hell March” back in 1997. But nevertheless the crowds still did not give this new C&C sequel any look down either with over 90% ratings from major game sites like Gamespot and Softpedia. Tiberium wars do please not only with it’s graphics and return of the good old units and classic C&C style gameplay but together too, with a new upgraded Generals Game Engine bringing the C&C experience as what the gods intended it to be contrary to the pixel sprites we all grew up playing with.

Came back today with a nice little looking package, with the only tell-tale clues being the EA logo and C&C3 text on it. I always wanted to know what’s exactly in the package. For those who are thinking on purchasing the C&C 3 Kane Edition or standard edition in Singapore, here is what you will get exactly in the package:

• Free-size NOD (Red with NOD front logo) or GDI (Kahi with GDI front logo) T-shirt with EA brand tag.
• Transparent Red NOD Doc-Tag or GDI Transparent Gold Doc-Tag (Side dependent, you can only get the shirt and Doc-tag of one side)
• Razer Mantis Precision Speed Mousing Pad (Retails $39.90 in stores)
• Limited edition numbered Kane Edition game disc with 5 bonus multi-player maps
• Bonus second DVD packed together with the game disc in an exclusive Steel book jewel case.
• Everything is packed in an exclusive translucent nylon EA, C&C3 drawstring bag.

The Kane edition retails for $79.90 ($79 at Tecdrome) and the Standard Edition for $54.90. With only a Standard DVD case and one DVD. I still prefer the Limited edition figurines that came with the previous C&C Tiberian Sun Platinum edition, if we get action figures in C&C 3, that would rock. The gifts now are just so, “commercialised”, but otherwise more practical with a mousepad, otherwise a must-have for any old die-hard C&C fan – welcome back commander…

Contents of the C&C Kane Edition: (photos shot with HP rw6828)

Package Contents	Razer Mat, shirt and DVD case	DVD Steelcase contents

In a flash 7 weeks of internship had passed with hardly 2 weeks remaining, where the next school semester will be starting immediately thereafter (on the 16th this month to be precise). Things going on presently in school are regular in-campus training, the freshman CCA signups and the following orientation week, which I would not be able to make or cover duties due to work. Interestingly, the new Semester Timetables for all classes are released and I am officially into my senior year, with more freshman to take and mock. Come to think about it, I actually miss school, esp the free gym haha I just like the free campus lifestyle, unlike my current desk job. Maybe it’s just me that I just can’t sit still in one place for a long time.

I’ve been working as a web programmer and designer during the last weeks in SimLim Tower, it’s a nice place considering it’s central location and being besides some of my few favorite shopping areas as well. Before internship I’ve thought like hey! since work is around the Bugis area, I would definitely see myself hanging around the “distractions” out at Bugis street or SimLim square often or completing “House of the Dead 4″ arcade game at the near by Parco arcade every other day. Later do I know that I didn’t even have the time to do so or think about it.

The view up from my office is but not exactly the definition of spectacular, otherwise beats facing another concrete body or air-conditioning system. It’s otherwise a good place up on the balcony for a short chill-out and breather from work. Being up with the relatively “taller” buildings overlooking the city skyline is a nice sight to behold, also allowing me to monitor the construction of the Singapore Flyer Wheel in the distant background, with the exception of occasional DHL balloon messing up the skyline .

Things to look forward to everyday is definitely lunch where I get to try out many different eating places round the area (which I couldn’t get enough) ranging from Rochor Center, Little Inda to Bugis Village and Sunshine plaza just to name a few – The popular, the most economical, the most posh eating places within the area, now I know. I am even surprised you can get a descent plate of chicken rice for only $2 in the CBD area and a really filling vege-rice for $3. My school liason officer had visited the office 2 times to date (which I see mostly a regimental motion and keeping in compliance of visiting requirements). Performance grades and attendance has been good too and I can see it being maintained.

Internship pay is not exactly high and is actually peanuts in the industry I am in. However the amount I earn is yet the envy of any of my campus peers who easily earns less than half of what I do – with companies paying them minimum wage as they should already feel obligated of having to hire them. But I still feel that I am underpaid, maybe it’s redefining the definition of relativity in relation to my colleagues.

I won’t be seeing myself driving to work now since my dad recently scrapped the family car, but that too exposed me more of commuting life. I even helped a disabled wheelchair commuter up the wheelchair friendly bus service 147 yesterday on my way back from work! Ahh the good Karma… Now at least I know that pressing the “blue disabled button” at the side of the bus actually holds the exit door open for the disabled to enter, though the wheelchair ramp has still to be manually operated by the bus driver who have to dismount to set it up. Everyday work starts at 10am for me which is rather flexible, contrary to some of my other peers starting 8 am in remote Tuas. So my mornings usually start with a bus trip to Selegie followed by a nice walk from the Tekka area towards SimLim Tower.

Work goes all the way to 6pm or later if needed but with no overtime pay. So my typical days end with a sleepy bus trip right from the bus stop in front of the Tower back home. From there it’s either catching up on chores I’ve left (and aim to complete before the end of the holidays) or out for my bi-weekly long runs. Did I mention that I am trying out a new route along Tanglin canal area? That place rocks for running at night.

Over and out.

Millege for the last week (7 day period)
Tuesday – Tanglin Canal Route 2 Extended Rounds (14.6km)
Friday – Tanglin Canal Route 2×6km Rounds (14.6km)
Saturday – Tanglin Canal Route 2×6km Rounds (14.6km)
Saturday Noon – 1 Hour Continuous Birthday swim 50m laps for 60mins
Total Running Millage the week: 45.64km
Total Accumulative Millage for 2007: 261.02km