Oct 2008

Wah... Never realised how long it has been since I last updated my blog...

Just a very brief summary then...

Oct 26 - Zombie Day

Despite the rain and wind, a number of zombies turned up today at Marble Arch. It was hilarious how seriously some of the participants were. Their make-up and attire were top-notch! Pretty scary when they get into their roles and act zombie-like. Otherwise, it was just a big party. Lotsa laughing and of course, handphone-pic snapping away.

Oct 28 - Study Time

I haven't been wasting my time running around London and enjoying myself. I do take the time out to study and do my assignments. As most of my lessons are online discussions, I don't have to go to school very often (once a week?!). However, knowing myself, I study best when I'm out in the open and in a public space. Strange, but that's me! *grin*


Oct 29 - Omu-noodles

I'm really glad of my culinary skills and willingness to experiment with my food. I much prefer noodles to rice, and so I tried my hand at making omu-noodles today. It's a modified version of the japanesse omu-rice, fried rice in omelette. Not too bad. I was able to envelope the noodles neatly in the fried omelette.


Oct 30 - GBK & Mousetrap

Yeh! Met up with an old fren and had a good meal of burger (MEAT!) and fries. Followed by the Agatha Christie play "The Mousetrap".


I have watched a number of West End musicals but this would be my first West End play. Very nice. The storyline was good and I didn't expect the ending at all. Maybe I should go borrow more of her books to read. In general, I find that I prefer the original text versions of these dramas and converted-shows.


Oct 31 - Jazz at National Theatre

What a great way to end the month. Introduced a new friend to the free daily live performances at the National Theatre. I wonder if and when Esplanade will be able to have such regular FREE performances. I do know that they do have them occasionally, usually together with some special art and music festivals.

On chocolate high

I need to keep this up... Work hard on Monday through Thursday. Catch up on my blog and Facebook on Friday. Do my volunteer work on Saturday. Then reward myself with a good and leisurely Sunday.

Had a great time out just now. Enjoyed 2 evenings of outdoors movie screenings at Leicester Square. Didn't finish last night's one before of the rain and my KCL Film Society movie screening, and was late for tonight's one. But well, better late than never! So, highlight 1 was updating my Facebook today, and managed to talk with a number of my friends and students online too.

Managed to put together my 'picnic bag' of food but it wasn't up to standard. Spent too much time earlier this afternoon updating my Facebook photos and forgot about the time. Sorry I was so late! But well, highlight 2: catching the series of old silent movies which slowly progressed to ones with colour and sound. Watching the movies at Leicester Square. And the experience is totally different when one is alone vs with company. Highlight 3: having someone serve as a guinea pig for my cooking. I've always enjoyed cooking, esp for other people. Hope his stomach is made of steel... *grin*

Had cold food in what was already a chilly evening. But moved on to a Chinese restaurant for some hot soup. Highlight 4: Ordering food using Cantonese. Yes, Cantonese are proud people. And I've never been more proud of being able to speak Cantonese. More than I am of being able to speak Chinese, actually.

Highlight 5: Having someone listen. I thought I had learnt to shut up in Singapore. Or maybe because I was talking all the time when I teach, so I grew to shut up after I started teaching. But now that I'm a student again, and was being encouraged to think more and speak up in class, I think I'm starting to be my talkative self again. Of course, one needs a nice person who listens... Thank you for listening! Do shut me up more often and talk about yourself next time, k?

Highlight 6: Being told that I'm a 'young and attractive' gal, I was (and still am, in fact) pretty stunned to hear that. So I kinda missed which noun you said after the 3 words... I think I have never heard that ever... So, thank you!

Highlight 7: See picture below. Look at my face. Enough said...

Sex education for young needs a revamp

Seriously, aren't parents supposed to educate their young? Why do they insist on teachers 'teaching' everything?

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The article was first published in The Straits Times on 22 Oct, 2008.

The article is reproduced from AsiaOne.

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All-time Fave Songs 3

Right! I've finally introduced a Chinese song in my list of fave songs. Here's another Chinese song, and a duet too!

I loved these songs before I know who sang the songs.

Hm... I wonder if there's a theme to these songs?

All-time Fave Songs 2

Since we are on the topic of my all-time fave songs, I can't miss out on my all-time fave singer - 張國榮!

And here are 2 of my fave of his songs from the movie 金枝玉葉.

I could especially relate to this movie (1996) because this was the year I entered JC and started on my 'female-isation'. *laugh*

For those who don't know me pre-JC, I was a super tom-boy back then. Super short hair and often mistaken for a boy. My father even started introducing me as his 'eldest son'... And *lol* I actually had a junior (yes, gal) who had a crush on me!

So just when I was in JC for some time and started liking boys, this movie came on, what a coincidence!

Not to mention it had 2 of my fave artistes - 張國榮 and 袁詠儀.

And that brings me to the 4th song on my All-time Fave Songs list. It's the song that my KTV-pals are probably sick of hearing me sing it. It was the only song I would sing before I took singing lessons and it was a song I finally mastered after I took singing lessons. Anybody can guess the song yet? *grin*

All-time Fave Songs 1

Sigh... Fate had it that I came across another of my fave songs while searching for the Chinese version of my fave Korean song.

Loved this song when I saw the movie - who wouldn't love a movie with 梁朝偉 in it (although I still don't really understand 色戒). Never knew what the song name was until my friend sang it at KTV.

And someone actually said I wasn't a romantic... *laugh*

Anyone heard of the chinese version of this song?

Sigh. 真是情深缘浅...

I heard and fell in love with this song when I first watched 파리의 연인 (Lovers in Paris) some 4 years back. Actually went as far to buy the original VCDs and soundtrack. For people who know I'm very stingy when it comes to dramas and music which I can get freely online, it means I must really LOVE the show and the soundtrack...

Anyway, I heard the Chinese version of this song some 2 days before I left Singapore at Aegean Sea. There, it was sung as a duet but the original Korean version was sung by a male singer. So, I'm not sure if the Chinese version has been changed to a duet version or the singers at Aegean Sea decided to sing it as a duet version. I actually took the time and effort while listening to the song to write down some of the lyrics so I can google the song, but in the rush to pack my stuff for the trip to London, I lost the piece of paper... *sob sob*

Well, if anyone has heard of the Chinese version of this song, can drop me a note? I would be so grateful!

Mixed feelings about the merger

I have such mixed feelings about the merger. On one hand, I know it makes "operative sense" - RI and RJ are already at the same campus. It'd be easier (and probably cheaper too) for management to do things as one unit.

On the other hand, they have built in their alumnus such a strong sense of identity and loyalty it's hard to adjust to the thought that there's not going to be an RJC anymore. RI(JC) just feels so awkward, and such a mouthful.

Yes, yes, there are those who are saying that RJC was a sprout-off from RI just 20-over years back anyway. It's just going back to where it started.

But that's the thing. In these 20-over years, the 3 schools have built their own student cultures and the re-naming of RJC to RI(JC) just makes the RGS students feel like they are joining RI instead of moving forwards to a new place. And what about the RI(S) boys who move onto RI(JC)? Would they feel any different when they move from Year 4 to Year 5? And of course, we cannot leave out the students coming in from other schools to Year 3 and Year 5. There are students coming in from other schools to Year 3 and Year 5 right?

Looking at the blogs of a number of present students at RI, RGS and RJC, they sure don't like the idea of the re-naming of the 2 schools either...

Hm... More links regarding the Raffles merger...

• Press Information: A New Era for the Raffles Schools


• Raffles JC and Institution merge: Combined school to becalled Raffles Institution. By Lin Yanqin.
  Article first published in Today on Oct 14 2008.


• Raffles Girls' Alumnus to helm new Raffles Institution next year.
  Article first published in 938Live on Oct 13 2008.


• Balderdash Post on sgBlogs


• I was/am/will be from RI and/or RJC, not RI(S) and/or RI(JC)! Facebook group

Super upset at DHL

I am super upset at DHL right now. Thank god for the technology of Skype and I got a decent operator. Feeling a little bad for him now... *smile* Not only did he have to pull off the late night/early morning shift, he got this crazy lady here talking to him sternly about how angry she is at being double-charged and given a bill for VAT for sending over personal effects, and on the double-charged freight costs.

But it was a lesson in assertiveness. I doubt I have ever stood up for myself so valiantly. I'm usually someone who doesn't really want to make waves in the water and would rather let things be than disturb the peace. I don't mind being on the losing end if I feel that the loss is worth keeping the peace among all the parties concerned.

But hey! No way am I lettings things be when I'm being double-billed to the tune of 500-over dollars and to add further insult, pay another 300 bucks on VAT!

So people, stick to SingPost for deliveries. They do a pretty good job. And they do have door-to-door service like DHL. Only slightly more expensive, I think. But no problems with admin, VAT, etc.

Market research

Yeh! I mentioned before how the London Business School pay people here to take surveys right?

Got another today - on decision making in auctions and negotiations. How interesting. This one only took me about 15-20 minutes to finish it. But not as simple as the last survey. Had to write more about feelings and emotions in this one. But nonetheless, good money! Hope there will continue to be more of such surveys in the near future!

Then walked down to Leicester Square to check out the restaurants available for dinner. This Jap girl I got to know in my hostel recommended this Misato restaurant - budget and huge servings. Definitely a place to bring the guys to makan when they come at the end of the year. But then again, quite stupid to pay so much when you can get cheaper and better Jap food in Singapore.

Walked up to this other Thai restaurant that had good reviews. But I'm craving for Jap. So can keep that for another time.

Then proceeded to Leicester Square Park to do my reading. Found a nice bench and did my reading. Until this stupid guy sat on the next bench and started smoking some foul smelling cigarette. Urgh!


Too timid to tell him to move away - easier that I find somewhere else to sit. Besides, I was kinda getting bored and cold...


Iggy messaged about watching a play over at Barbican but we'd still meet at Leicester Square for dinner, so I found myself another bench and continued with my reading.

Started getting distracted and bored after a while and I took out my camera to take photos... Sian of taking photos, continued with my reading...


Finally, Iggy arrived and we went for dinner. Interesting that he mentioned I chose the noisiest park to study in. The most quiet place is the noisiest place and the noisiest is the most quiet. Guess that's me - bipolar.


Anyway, proceeded to Misato for dinner. Slight queue but not that long. Ordered tempura udon when I saw their huge servings of rice. Wanted to have Jap curry actually, but NO WAY was I going to be able to finish the HUGE mountain rice that they serve. Maybe the next time. After I starve myself for 24 hours... Iggy had a bento set with a variety of sushi and other small items.


After dinner, the play at the Barbican was really strange. Indescribable...

Yes! Finally!

I finally went for my first 5-km run in London. What a glorious feeling after!

It was quite difficult to pick up my determination to go running using plenty of ready excuses like the cold, I'd be by myself, water supply, attire, etc. But I finally made myself take advantage of this recent sunny weather to go running in the morning.

Boy! I do feel so energized and happier after the bout of exercise. It's quite a different feeling of accomplishment compared to all the walking I have been doing. Somehow, I know that walking is a valid form of exercise, but it just doesn't get the heart pumping.

In fact, the feeling of euphoria was further fed upon with the realisation that I had shaved 8 minutes off my best timing back home! Of course, I reasoned that's because I simply refused to stop in the entire duration of the run. I mean, you seriously feel the cold once you slow down. If you continue moving your limbs and just keep running, you hardly feel the cold! I did sweat a little, but I didn't feel as tired out by a run as in Singapore. I think the humidity alone back home saps half of your energy even before you start running.

In the evening, was supposed to go try out for the audition of Beauty World by the KCLMSS. But decided I should better use any "free time" that I have towards my studies! I have done more than my fair share of undergrad activities (FOC all 4 years!, Camp Itac, contract bridge, Red Cross, inter-hall games, Engine comm, Amitie de Projet). Been there, done that. Well, that's the reasoning I convince with anyway...

Second online session

Had whole day lessons again today.

First, rushed to Strand campus for "What Makes a Good Essay" workshop by the English Language Centre.

Then, had to rush over within 15 minutes for the Foundation Module lesson over at the Waterloo campus.

Last but not least, had to rush again to make it back to my hostel for the second online session. Or rather, the first online session for the second module.

Sigh... I'm getting more exercise in these 4 weeks I've been in London than the last 4 years of my life. I wonder if I did more walking here as a student than I did when I walked all over Bukit View as a teacher? Hm...

First online session

Attended the Part-Time Work Fair today at the Strand Campus.

These fairs are great - to collect freebies! Sweets, snacks, pens, post-its... Time to be an ugly Singaporean! *laugh* No lah. Only took a chocolate to munch on, was given the rest of the stuff by the staff at the various stalls.

Signed up for a part-time waitress job at some event company. This one hosts events at a fixed venue, and it's convenient from Borough. Feel that it's better than those event companies that hosts events at different locations...

Then it was time to rush back for the first online session!

Not bad! It took a while for brain synapses to work quickly so that I can type explicitly and to the point in the synchronous chat rooms. There are only a maximum of 4 students in each chat room, so we all have to share during the hour.

Mainly sharing of thoughts, don't really have to back up with evidence from our readings, so I'd say it was pretty good. Takes a while to get used to the format of the lesson. But do-able!

There's another session tomorrow. I can't wait! This is fun!

Lessons whole day

Lessons whole day today. Separate lessons at both campus some more...

First, 2 in-sessional workshops by the English Language Centre. First one "Write Better Essays", followed by "Kickstart Your Research". Very good instructor and he provides very good resources and lesson materials. So glad I signed up for the workshops.

Was supposed to have my first Japanese lesson in the evening but there is another workshop by my School on "Choosing a Topic". The workshop is a one-time affair and pretty important. So, informed the Japanese instructor that I have to miss the first lesson and made my way over to the Waterloo campus after my workshops at the Strand campus.

How far should discussions of religious faith go?

Could really relate to the first article in the series. In the recent years, I realised that I have been trying to find out more about the different faiths around me. Sometimes, I do wonder if there is something missing in me because of my lack of a strong faith. However, I am happy with the person that I am and I believe I have my own (and right) set of values and principles. Perhaps knowing this will reduce the irritation faced by many of my frens whom I have been bugging with questions about their faiths.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 6, 2008.

This article is reproduced from AsiaOne.

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Rainy Sunday

Was supposed to go on a sight-seeing trip with the KCLSU on some museum-hopping session. But since it was raining, decided to join Iggy for a movie at the BFI. We watched this 1946 film 'A Matter of Life and Death'.

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Returning to England from a bombing run in May 1945, flyer Peter Carter's plane is damaged and his parachute ripped to shreds. He has his crew bail out safely, but figures it is curtains for himself. He gets on the radio, and talks to June, a young American woman working for the RAF, and they are quite moved by each other's voices. Then he jumps, preferring this to burning up with his plane. He wakes up in the surf. It was his time to die, but there was a mixup in heaven. They couldn't find him in all that fog. By the time his "Conductor" catches up with him 20 hours later, Peter and June have met and fallen in love. This changes everything, and since it happened through no fault of his own, Peter figures that heaven owes him a second chance. Heaven agrees to a trial to decide his fate.

Written by John Oswalt {jao@jao.com}

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I loved the show. Even though it was filmed some 62 years ago (my goodness!), I can imagine the same movie being remade and still engaging people. A love story that transcends death, the idea that man is able to dictate his life and death, it's just amazing!

After the movie, we went to Westminster Cathedral for the last part of the Sunday evening service. Some time back, Iggy tried to give me a summarized history of Christianity and Catholicism... but sorry, afraid it was way over my head.

Then, we went to this delightful pizza place at Dean Street for dinner. I was practically starving by then... Only had a donut the whole day and wasn't sure if I was allowed to eat in the theatre, so didn't eat during the movie... But well, the wait was worth it! We ordered this traditional style pizza which comes in lengths of half metre (2 pizzas) and metre (4 pizzas). Pity Noel doesn't like pizza. Would love to bring him and the guys here to share a metre long version.


The pizza was fantastic! Company was great! Yummy on both counts! *laugh*


Iggy had a straight bus back after dinner, I deliberated whether to walk back... Took some time to soak in the feeling of being in London all by myself. At night. At Trafalgar Square. For just more than a month now! I'm really here!

First formal lesson

Went to school freaking early this morning for my first formal face-to-face lesson of the 2 modules I'm taking for my course this semester. As you can see from the photo above, it was 9 deg C!

Wasn't sure of the expectations of the supervisors of the course but it turned out alright. Including some part-timers and a couple of other MA (Education) students, there were about 6-7 people taking each module.

Anyway, the session was pretty long. But turned out quite ok. There was sharing of reflections from our readings, our own experiences, and our opinions.

I never realised that Singapore was actually really very far ahead in terms of technology and equity in education. Although, yes, there are issues on selection, meritocracy and our school league tables, but in general, it is a pretty fair system and doesn't bar anyone from a good education based on family background or the ability to pay.

Trepidation

Had an appointment to meet with my module supervisor this afternoon.

Wanted to speak with him about choosing a topic for my dissertation. Prepared a list of topics actually. But didn't get a chance to show it to him. It was quite a learning experience for me nonetheless. He gave me some ideas on what to do. All in the course of our conversation and I think I have a topic in mind at the end of the session. It was nice and easy talking to him. But it does take a lot of getting used to - talking to your supervisor like colleagues, rather than a teacher-and-student relationship. I guess it's rather like how I tried to be with my own students. Talk to them like equals and hopefully, gain their respect by giving insightful and useful advice when they need it.

In the evening, was supposed to meet up with quite a number of new friends I made in this first month here in London. But in the end, most of them dropped out for various reasons and I ended up going to the Globe with one of my hostel-mates. And when we reached the Globe, we were told that the 700 standing tickets were sold out! Amazing! In fact, ALL the 700 standing tickets for each of the shows that weekend were also sold out! Guess we just have to wait a couple of months till they re-open next April!

So, Akiko and myself took a walk along the river to Tower Bridge and back. It was another good stroll. We talked about our lessons, I talked about my love for Jap food and she recommended me a cheap and good Jap restaurant near Leicester Square. On the way back to our hostel, we passed by the Krispy Kreme outlet and I decided to splurge on some donuts. Yes, splurge! On 12 donuts! Hearing that Akiko liked donuts, I gave her some. She only took 2. I was never going to be able to finish all 12 donuts by myself anyway. So I was more than glad to have the chance to share the indulgence with her. Yum yum!!!

It's amazing how, despite the donut craze some time back home, Krispy Kreme still doesn't have an outlet in Singapore. If I remember correctly, it's some warped decision by the Asian franchise owner. But then again, the craze didn't last very long. With our limited market size and the competition from the many copy-cats that sprouted up overnight, I guess he did make a sensible decision.

Akiko said that it was her 2nd time having Krispy Kreme. Apparently, there's also a donut craze in Japan and there's a perpetual looooooong queue at Krispy Kreme. So, she only managed to try one when she saw a friend in the queue and asked him to help her get a piece. I then related my story of how it was also my 2nd time having a Krispy Kreme. The first time I had it, my friend actually stopped a stranger in the streets of Hong Kong to ask her where she bought her box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Then, we had to make our way up many flights of stairs (the escalator only brought you up halfway up the hill) to the top of Soho where the outlet was. Guess it helped the customers feel justified at buying the donuts because they had used up a decent amount of calories climbing up to get to the outlet. *grin*

Mugging and Movie

Very happy - had a ultra productive day today.

Woke up early for a volunteer study at the Psychiatry Department at Guy's Hospital. Well, ok, it wasn't exactly a volunteer study. I get paid £10 for filling out some surveys. The study was supposed to be about eating disorders but the surveys were mainly about how one feel towards events and situations. I was quite curious how the 2 connect. After filling out the surveys, the i/c of the study informed me that they feel people with eating disorders have some personal characteristics in common. So, they are studying to see if their hypothesis was true and how they can make use of the results to better treat patients with eating disorders. In fact, the tester analysed my results for me and I wasn't surprised to see that I do share some of these common personal characteristics.

Finished up the survey and walked over to the library at Guy's campus to do my reading. Got hungry after a couple of hours and went to Mac's for lunch. Need to feed my brain! Besides, I was getting restless already also.

After Mac's, decided to walk over to the Maughan Library over at Strand. Have only seen the facade of the impressive-looking library last week during the KCLMSS walk-about, but didn't go in.


Photos of St. Paul's - enroute from Guy's to Maughan

Wow! The place is impressive both inside and outside! It's terrible old, with these tiny and narrow walkways. It was deadly quiet like a tomb, filled with all these immense law books. The engineering books are supposed to be in some remote room in a far away tower - will hunt for those another time...

Got myself a cubicle at discreet corner to do my reading. Oh my, it was such a perfect environment to fall asleep in. Definitely not a place conducive for me to do my reading. The library at Guy's suit me just fine. Some bustle and life to the place. I can take a breather during my reading and look out into the courtyard, instead of staring at rows and rows of 'silent (and extremely scary) teachers'.

After a while, it was time to move off again! Like I mentioned, I was falling asleep in the tomb-like place... But it was time to meet Iggy for dinner before we went for the Film Soc movie showing. I made my way slowly to the Strand campus. Enroute, I fell victim to a sale and bought a small Forever Friends bear. My mum removed the 2 soft toys I had packed in my care-boxes when she had to repack them to fit in the smaller DHL boxes. Anyway, it was a nice reward for myself - I had survived London almost for a month now and I have been on task for my studies and reading!


Bought some drinks for dinner - ginger beer for me and lemony soft drink for Iggy. I had no idea what a lemony soft drink was. Have been very long since I had ginger beer, so decided to get one since everything else seems exorbitantly expensive by comparison. Iggy bought Japanese takeaway for dinner - yum yum. My first Jap stuff in London. Pity I forgot to take photo. There was lovely unagi sushi and california roll.

Then we went to the Film Society film screening in one of the basement lecture theatres. We were just in time. It was an interesting French film tonight - City of Lost Children. Very nice cinematography - it feels strange yet familiar, old yet futuristic, all at the same time... And the last part was so sweet, the girl's willingness to sacrifice herself for a little boy she didn't know.

After the movie screening finished, took the tube back instead of walking like last week. Gosh, I was totally freaked out last week walking along the dark and deserted way back to my accommodations. No way am I going to take that route after sunset anytime!

Nothing to blog

I seriously need to put aside some time each night before I sleep to blog like my good friend Kloosterpoort.

Let's see. No photos taken today. Expenses at supermarket. No special event in organizer.

I can only assume that I went to school, attended my afternoon lesson, and shopped at supermarket after the lesson. I remember that I was craving fish, so I bought some haddock. Haven't had fruits for a while but was sick of grapes, and wasn't sure if I could finish a punnet of strawberries, so got a packet of apples.

Second lesson of the foundation module. Spoke up a bit more. Didn't raise my hands to wait to be called to talk but just said my piece when I wanted to. But have to learn to speak when I have important points or when I really want to share some information, and not rubbish. No more talking just to hear my own voice. *laugh*