Auf Wiedersehen, 2006

One last post before the year ends..

Mini-Soccer TournamentChristmas Eve Dinner at Howitt Hall

My cousin's Graduation at Monash

-W.a.r-i.s-I.m.m.i.n.e.n.t-

The Debate Rages On

Just to reiterate my disdain for the attitude of Caucasians here in Melbourne towards Asians..

Walking along the streets of Melbourne.. Where are the Asians here? What are they working as? I'm talking about the Asian community at large, not just the Chinese. From what I've observed, you can easily locate Asians seated at the front-most seat in Trams and Public buses, and in case you are still wondering, it's the Driver's seat. Walking in the shopping centres.. a large number of them would be situated behind the counters in the food court. It's sad to see people of our community being in such 'low-level jobs'..

I've been nudged intentionally on the streets 3 times already during my time here in Melbourne. I don't know what's the problem with them. It's not like the street is crowded like those in Causeway Bay, HK. I'm quite certain that it was intentional given the force of the nudge and no apologies there after. In school, one of the local caucasian student's unfriendliness towards Asian students is noticed not just by me but by several of my friends as well. I'm not saying all the caucasians here are like that but more often than not, I do get the feeling from their attitude that we are not very welcome here.

This is the kind of treatment we get from them. Why the hell should we, in Asia, treat them better than how we treat people of the same colour.

The Singaporeans
Representatives from Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore (+HK)

West is Best 2

Being a Chinese here in Melbourne, I guess I can probably relate to this topic more so than anyone. I can't agree more with BingDe that we really need to stand up for our language and culture. It doesn't matter to the caucasians whether or not you speak great English with THAT accent. The fact is, you are still a Chinese. I hate it when English-speaking Singaporeans think they are superior to the Chinese-speaking people. Chinese is old.. a thing of the past.. English is the language of business.. You don't need Chinese unless you are thinking of tapping into the burgeoning Chinese market. To these people, I only have one thing to say to you: You are Pathetic. I guess this problem is not just restricted to Singapore but Asia at large. Caucasians are treated like Kings and Queens 'cos they are viewed to be of a 'higher class' than the Asians. My Singaporean friend and I were discussing the issue of service quality in Singapore with my Marketing tutor and he said, "I think Singapore has the undeserved reputation of having poor service standards. In fact, I think it has been excellent during my 10 years there." One thing sprung to my mind but I choose to keep this to myself. Mr Brown (Yes, Mr. Richard Brown. Not THAT Mr. Brown), the only reason why you found the service standards good was because of your skin colour. I can't prove it. But I doubt I'm wrong.

Having been to all the major Chinese cities, I would say my trip to Yunan was the most memorable. Yes, The Great Wall was Great. The Forbidden City and the Portray of Chairman Mao was Magnificent. The Bund in Shanghai was Legendary. But somehow I felt these cities have become so modern that they have lost their soul. Any city can build skyscrapers or weird looking arts centres. As long as the government and the developers are willing to pump in the money, even Ethiopia can have a skyline which rivals that of HK and Singapore. I just couldn't feel the rich chinese culture and history in these cities. However, this wasn't the case in Yunan. The local culture of the minority groups are still very much evident and it is then that I could really get a feel of the rich and diverse culture that China has.

I'm a Chinese and I'm proud to be one. But I'm ashamed that my command of Chinese and understanding of the culture is not as good as it should be. I really admire Yi-Chiu ge. He exhibits such strong Chinese cultural values.. and even up to today, my dad agrees that his handwriting is one of the best he has ever seen (Save for the professional ones, of course).

I don't disapprove the usage of Singlish. I agree that it represents the culture of Singapore and I don't see any problems in the wide use of Singlish. BUT. It does become a problem if Singlish is so embedded in your language that you can't 'switch' back to normal English when needed. Many people think they can 'sieve' out the 'lehs' and 'lahs' when they need to use Formal English. Some people can. But not all. Trust me. I've seen it happen and it does impede foreigners' understanding of our English. A Chinese friend of mine didn't know I was a Singaporean 'cos "Your English and Mandarin sounded very different from the 2 Singaporeans in my class and sometimes I don't really understand what they are saying" I could see where the problem was coming from. Imagine phrases like, "Wah. This topic sibeh sian leh.". She could probably only understand 'Wah, This topic...........'. So I guess Singlish is not really a problem as long as you know when to remove the 'lehs' and the 'lahs'.

West is Best? I'm afraid Not.

Sunset at St. Kilda Beach. It's colder than it seems...
Yup, That's a Penguin, at St. Kilda Beach.
Guess I'm not that far from Home after all.
And even Fiona Xie gets in the act.

Pictorial Update

Time flies.. It's been over a month since i left Singapore... Not exactly in the mood to Blog though.. So i'll just let the pictures do the talking....

My first meal in campus.. A$8.20. 'Nuff said. And Don't be fooled. That bottle of Coke is only 390ml, not the usual 500ml in Singapore.
First Haircut in Melbourne. A$25. Where's Vybes?!
Summer Xmas
Myer Xmas Parade
That's Jennifer Hawkins in the middle. Miss Universe 2004. Wooosh. And the lucky 'bloke' is the MAYOR of Melbourne, John So. A HK-born chinese governing Melbourne. Hmm.

That's all folks.... and once again i would like to extend my warmest appreciation to my SonyEricsson k800i for making this Pictorial such a Phenomenal success.

No Life

'I guess, that's what happens when one starts to study - you can't do anything outside of your academic life not feeling guilty 'wasting' time that could have been used for studying.I hate it when this place is left stagnant, for I've a lot of things to say, either about current affairs, about my life, or giving some reflections based on what I've studied in my modules.However, as I've mentioned, it's hard to do anything outside of academics without having the feeling of guilt.' Chua, T.H. and Sng, B.D. (2006).

Outside Sir Louis Matheson Library @ Monash University

G'Day Mate!

So here I am, writing my first entry from Australia. First of all, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who took time out to send me off at the airport.. It certainly served as a reminder of what i’ll miss during these 3 years abroad.. All the things that we’ve gone through together.. it has become very much a way of life and it is definitely something I’ll always treasure..

4Dees..Well, what more can be said. Thank you for all the memories…from the good days of Pat Wong to the ‘4-star’ Beach resort of Berjaya Tioman.. We’ve been through it all..

S27s.. Our group may have hit a blip of some sort some time ago but I’m really glad that we can finally hit full-strength for our outings recently.. I think it says a lot about friendships.. It is almost impossible for friendships to be always smooth sailing.. Mis-understandings and disagreements will definitely arise at some point of time but these are also opportunities for the friendship to grow stronger.. I certainly hope the episode is well and truly over and the few of us live up to our very own motto, ‘Riding Waves of Adversity to Victory..’

It is unfortunate that amongst the many people who came to send me off that I failed to pay enough attention to someone who stands tall in significance among the crowd.. It certainly was not the send off that we had thought it would be and I certainly would have done it differently if I could turn back the time.. Sorry...

The check-in process took far longer than I had anticipated due to my overweight luggage but the staff was kind enough to let the baggage through without additional charges after consultation with her superior.. and there was to be more good news to come.. I was upgraded to Business Class (or Raffles Class in SQ lingo) as the flight was full.. Wow. I was very much looking forward to trying out the much-talked about lie-flat SpaceBed.. Much to my utter disappointment, the Business Class seats in this particular B777-300 turned out to be the older seats which do not have the lie-flat feature.. Considering this was an overnight long-haul flight, it’s hard to imagine why SQ did not deploy an aircraft equipped with the SpaceBed.. Having experienced CX Business Class as well (also through complimentary upgrade due to flight being full), I would say that the service standards of both airlines are more or less on par though I had expected SQ to be superior in this aspect. But I can’t believe there’s no AVOD on this aircraft…. Ok.. I guess should just shut up and thank my lucky stars that I even got an upgrade in the first place. =) Click, The LakeHouse, and Devil wears Prada were showing on KrisWorld and it further evoked thoughts of zY, whom I’ve watched these movies with…

I’m sure I would settle in to life in Australia pretty quickly but it’s probably the emotional aspects which would take longer.. Everything that I’m leaving behind in the little red dot.. It helps that I’ve travelled to several western countries before, so I more or less have an idea beforehand what to expect.. But then again.. being in a city for tour and staying there for 3 years is a different proposition all together.. Wish me luck…

Delay

Apologies for not updating this Blog for a long long time... Had intended to write an entry before leaving for Melbourne but I just couldn't find the time.. Will give an Update on Life here Down Under hopefully by Next Week!!

Counting Down

As the clock tick away, I'm edging ever closer to the Inevitable.. 4 more days to be precise.. Much has happened in the weeks since I last updated this Blog.. Most recently, the Gang came over to my house for some 'Chilling Out' after my Farewell Dinner at East Coast Kenny Rogers.. Indeed, as Thiam said, It's gonna the last time coming to my house for a long long time. It hasn't been easy to meet up with them given their packed schedule since School started.. Thanks Guys...

Thanks TianHao.. For this Great Shot..

As you all can probably see from the photo.. I've traded in my Nokia 7260 for the Sony Ericsson k800i.. It took some getting used to with regards to the interface.. But nonetheless I must say it's been excellent so far.. The 3.2 Megapixel Cyber-Shot performing admirably in the absence of my Ixus..

It's still a Great Way to Fly, No doubt about it.

Shopping for Mooncakes @ Chinatown

The Sun, Sand, Sea of Siloso..

And by the way, HP edged out Toshiba in the Laptop Battle.. Managed to get a good deal and Toshia's Battery woes recently didn't help either..

Laptop Battle

With Acer now eliminated, it's now down to Hewlett Packard and Toshiba in the battle for my Notebook purchase. HP dv2000 series wins hands down for aestatics while Toshiba has built a reptutation for its built quality and stability. The latter, however, is slightly more expensive if equipped with similar Specs as the HP option. Watch this space...LG has been brought up on a couple of occasions by the sales executives as an excellent product which rivals Toshiba and HP.. One of the first points mentioned was that it is Made in Korea. Be it Toshiba, HP, Compaq or Acer.. They are all Made in China. I was thinking, why would a China-made product be that much more inferior to one made in Korea? China probably still have some way to go in manufacturing products with cutting-edge technology but notebooks are hardly state-of-the-art. So I wouldn't really take that as an advantage. The Toyota Camry, Fortuner, Altis are all made in Thailand. But still, Camry and Altis are the best-selling cars in their class. You think your Mercedes is German made? I've heard from several sources that Mercedes produces some models in India. Outsourcing the manufacturing of these products doesn't necessarily result in poorer built quality if adequate measures are in place to ensure quality control. Anyway, that's besides the point. No matter how much praise the sales people lavish on the LG notebook, i'm hesitant to commit to one as LG is relatively new in this notebook business as compared to HP and Toshiba and thus, no track record to speak of. Moreover, one possible reason for the sales people to actively promote LG notebooks could be due to the high commission... Who knows...

Busy (Part 2)

Finally submitted the deposit for my Monash offer.. Quite a few things coming up.. Application for Student Visa.. Heading back HK for a short visit before flying off in the 1st week of October.. Not much time left in Singapore, around 4 weeks plus to be exact.. Life will never be the same again.. What will i miss in Singapore? Food? Hardly... There isn't really an particular dish that i'm deep in love with.. 4D gang.. Gone will be the days when we catch EPL on Saturday nights in my house.. SR peeps.. and i'll miss her..

The past couple of months have not been easy for me. I was quite disturbed by the politics that was involved in some incidents and I found it difficult to accept the behavious shown by some people. It is beyond me why they can't put aside personal grudges and interests for a common cause. But as i later realized, life is never going to be a bed of roses. And certainly, people aren't going to give in to you all the time. Maybe once or twice, but more often than not, things will probably not go your way. That's the way it's going to be. You just got to accept it and there's bound to be much more politics to come.. be it in family, school or work.. It's a game that i'll have to play, whether i like it or not.. It's just how i play the game that's going to make the difference.. Bring it on.

Of course, there are several other problems during this period which required my attention as well.. Haix.

It's during such times that you hope there is someone whom I can share some of my problems with or maybe just spend some time with the gang watching EPL or some Street Soccer on Sunday mornings.. any form of distraction from those problems would be welcome but unfortunately this period has coincided with the commencement of University for the guys.. I believe it's been pretty hectic for them as well. I do miss the good old days but i guess even if i had stayed in Singapore, we probably wouldn't be able to meet up often as well.. Everybody would have been busy with school.. hall activities.. CCAs.. new friends.. Time to look forward..

"My heart just sank..." I'm sure that's been said and heard many times. But how exactly can a heart sink? How do you actually explain that sinking feeling? Dumb question.

-It's Beyond Me-

Busy (Part 1)

July came and went in a blink of an eye, and before I know it, we are already past the Mid-way point of August. I probably would have never have imagined myself to be as busy as i have for the past month or so.. Part 1, Work.

Just as my Birthday was over, i concluded my Nippon Roadshow assignment at Tiong Bahru. Being only equipped with superficial knowledge about the paint industry, I had to constantly refer to the 'Paint Specialists' for further information. Of course, being the person that I am, I was rather passive when it came to approaching customers. As time went by, it became increasingly clear that speaking to customers was something that i should embrace instead of being fearful of. The primary objective of interacting with them is of course to promote and raise awareness of Nippon Paint products and services. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, especially when customers start asking questions. Since i'm still new to this industry, I often don't know what I don't know. Thus it is through these questions that will make me realize what else I need to find out about paint products and services. Slowly but surely, I was accumulating 'experience' and knowledge that will improve my 'presentation' to customers when i speak to them. That is when you garner information on what are the main concerns of customers when it comes to paints and painting jobs. Bottom line is, whether the product suits their needs and preferences. Seriously, they don't really care how wonderful your product is.. "Odour-less? Anti-bacterial for up to 5 years? Washable? $60?"... when at the end of the day, all they want is a decent paint that isn't going blow a huge hole in their pockets and able to last for 6 years... Instead of going on non-stop on the Odour-less, it'll be better off for me to introduce the $35 Vinilex..

Bringing You a Brand New Paint Shopping Experience

It's the first time that I had to come up with a resume and to sign a contract. Signatures are no longer the simple affair of signing in/out in the Book in/out Book.. By signing on the dotted line, i hereby agree to be legally bound by the terms and conditions as listed... It's up to me to scrutinize the text and make sure there aren't any loopholes that will potentially leave me at a disadvantage. Basically, i will have to cover my own a** if s**t happens.

Shortly after the Nippon roadshow came the Fragrance assignment: To promote Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani Fragrance at counters. It was another opportunity to learn about an industry which I had little prior knowledge of. Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum were all that i can remember from the Promoter at Chanel when i bought the Perfume for Mum back in June. While it was certainly great that i could pick up something new, i was far less enthusiastic on the nature of the job. Standing behind the counter in Departmental stores... Staring at the 'Dior', 'Chanel', 'Davidoff' counters all day.. Looking at my watch every few minutes.. Everyday, only a handful of customers would have a look at the fragrance. It certainly didn't help that i was stationed at locations where the human traffic flow wasn't high. Things became monotonous very quickly and it became a case of just waiting for time to pass....... Certainly a far less fulfilling job as compared to the Nippon assignment. But I could well be having a peek into what's to come in a few years' time after I graduate. How many graduates actually managed to find fulfilling jobs in the industry of their choice? There are bound to be some who will end up working in jobs which they have totally no interest in, for whatever reasons there may be. For those who didn't have a choice, the only choice that they have now, is to make the most out of their 'boring' job. Try as much as possible to learn something out of nothing. Haha. Well. I did try to ask questions about perfumes.. but to be honest, I had expected better answers. Anyway, it's an experience nonetheless. =)

-sunk-

Turning 21

This entry is probably way overdue.. So much have happened since I last updated this Blog on July 20.. Not to mention that Singapore has already celebrated her 41st Birthday.. Well, the mini gathering at McDonald's turned out to be the first leg of a 'Mega' 4-part Celebration for my 21st. (5-part, if the family dinner is included.) Next up on the list is the Chocolate Buffet at the almighty Fullerton Hotel. Such fond memories of this place. Graduation Ball 2004.. It was only like yesterday that i walked down that flight of stairs to the Ballroom... Got a surprise Birthday 'cake' (Chocolate, of course.) from the Staff at Fullerton.. and the dreaded Birthday song too.. So Embarassing, But kudos to the staff for this thoughtful gesture. =)

Great food, Great setting, Fabulous Night.

And now, July 21st. Z-Pop Concert @ Singapore Indoor Stadium! I had wanted to watch this concert since I first saw the promotional advertisements but never really thought I would be able to watch it due to the lack of company. But surprise, surprise... (They never stop coming).. There i was... First-Class seats in the Indoor Stadium.. watching 梁静茹，张信哲，庾澄庆 and 亚洲第一舞娘，Jolin 蔡依林 churn out their classics and newly released hits on my Birthday, and i Didn't pay a single cent. Thank You... =) To have a concert coinciding with your Birthday.. Such an opportunity certainly don't come by often. 梁静茹 and 张信哲 were especially captivating with their impeccable vocals. Jolin... Well, pales in comparison when it comes to 现场的演唱实力.. Perhaps the spotlight was more on her being the 'G-奶' 舞娘.

Finally, the finale of my Birthday celebrations.. July 28 @ NewYork NewYork. The seemingly endless celebrations prompted my aunt to ask if I've finally finished celebrating my Birthday?! It's been quite a while since our Gang met up. K-Box? Remember?

One common thing that I always forgot was making a wish before blowing off the candles.. I just didn't believe in it anymore. 21st Birthday... I'm glad my celebrations were kept simple. =) I must say I've had a pretty good 2006 so far. I probably couldn't have asked for more. The long-awaited ORD.. Travelling to Vancouver.. Tioman with 4D.. Flying to HKG on CX with Des and GH.. and now, the Audi A4!! I still can't believe it. Audi. I've been dreaming about it since i first came to Singapore. A6 next? Hopefully HKU can put the icing on the cake by springing up some surprise.. (Dream on....)

The magical 21.. beyond the cake cuttings and the celebrations.. hopefully, i'll grow as a person, not just numerically.. Maybe i shall spend less time in my cave.. You ain't going to learn anything hiding in seclusion.. Happy 21st Birthday to me~

-Aug 11: The Wait is Over-

Fresh from the Oven

A Big Thank You to TH, Des, BD and Andy for that little surprise Birthday celebration at East Coast McDonald's! Makes me wonder, why didn't I hold a birthday celebration at McDonald's?! That would be so cool. It would have been totally Unconventional and not too costly either. Exactly what I wanted, something special. LoLx! Imagine wearing that Ronald McDonald 'hat' and happy meals for all my guests! =Þ

What's a Birthday celebration without a Birthday Cake? Yes, It's palm sized, but, it's delicious, has a cute bear and a 'bush'. What more can i ask for?!

Monday Blues

First Day of work for Nippon Paint at the Tiong Bahru Roadshow.. Not exactly a bad day but certainly not a day to remember. Just when I thought 6 hours of standing for Quakers was bad, I ain't seen nothing yet. From 9:40am to 9:35pm.. That's almost 12 hours of "Maybe you would like to take advantage of our Special Roadshow Paint packages and engage our professionals to do the job for you........" Fortunately zY was there to accompany me for my 30-min lunch break. Oh Well. 钱难赚啊。。

Home, with legs aching... as I await the loading of hku.hk, something struck me that I will finally NOT see 'Still being considered'. The word 'Rejected' just flashed through my mind. For some unknown reason, I had a pretty strong feeling about it this time. Alas, call it my instinct, or pure coincidence if you prefer, I was rejected for my 1st and 3rd choices. My 2nd choice still hanging on for dear life. Down Under here i Come..

With the iminent end to the HKU wait, perhaps I can now be given the all-clear to head to Old Trafford and Musée du Louvre?

Football

Football, arguably the World's most popular sport.

In Singapore, thousands of fans catch the Indra Sahdans and Alam Shahs in action for their respective S-League Clubs every week. (And maybe holding a pink colour slip in their hands as well)

In Europe, tens of thousands of people flock to the Old Traffords and the Nou Camps to catch a glimpse of Cristiano showboating or to see how Ronaldinho and Messi combine to devastating effect in La Liga.

Around the globe, billions caught 'live' World Cup action in front of the TVs, LCDs and Plasma Screens. In front of billions of viewers worldwide, Germany captivated us with their new brand of attacking football under the stewardship of Juergen Klinsmann. Argentina wowed us with that 6-0 rout of Serbia & Montenegro. The Azzuris proved their critics wrong and won the battle of the Pasta vs Croissant in Berlin amidst scandals back home.

WAIT. Something's wrong here.

Is that how World Cup 2006 will be remembered? Forget about the lack of entertaining football, and how heavyweights like Brazil, Argentina and England failed to live up to the hype. Grabbing headlines of late is that headbutt from Zidane on Materazzi for an apparent insult on Zizou's family from the Italian. The Rooney stamp on Carvalho and the resulting row with Cristiano. And lastly, the Portugal-Holland match which descended into a farce with 16 yellow cards given out and 4 players sent off.

This is the World Cup. The stage is set. 'This is where legends are born' (Supposedly, anyway). Yet that is how most will remember World Cup 2006. Yes, i agree the stakes are high. But it's beyond my comprehension how players can verbally insult one's family members in the heat of competition, no matter how high the stakes are. Zidane has been heavily criticized that as a role model for millions of kids watching worldwide, he should never have reacted in such a way no matter how serious the provocation was. Not to mention the fact that it's the World Cup Final, with 10 minutes remaining in his glittering career. However, has anyone thought of the fact that Materazzi himself is guilty of lacking the professionalism to control his own feelings. Win the aerial battles with Zidane, intercept his passes and mark him so tightly to neutralize the French attack. That's the way to gain the upper hand over the twice-winner of the World Footballer of the Year. By taunting Zidane in whichever way he did, Materazzi is no less at fault than Zidane is for that retaliation. It also seems that players have mistaken for the fact that the stage is set for them to vie for the biggest prize in football, not acting. Portugal, in particular, must have thought they were competing for the Academy Awards.

Football, a simple game of 22 players chasing a ball, now with added flavours of colourful language and theatrics. Oh Well.

As kids, we saw on TV how Eric Cantona always had that aura around him whenever he is in possession of the ball.. And we also saw Becks announcing his arrival onto the footballing scene with that goal from Halfway line.. Courtesy of ESPN's 'Live' & 'Exclusive' coverage of English football, we witnessed the greatest goal in FA Cup's history: Giggs' 70-yard dribble before firing ManUtd to the FA Cup Final.. Hopefully, in years to come, we won't have to hear someone saying how he emulated Cristiano in the art of diving through StarHub CableTV to earn his JC a match-winning penalty in the Nationals.

-Vorsprung durch Technik-

Tired

Exhausted - After a 5km run and a dip in the pool under the scorching sun..

Tired - World Cup Fever. So much was expected of World Cup 2006. The Rs of the reigning World Champions to showcase the true meaning of 'Joga Bonito'. Lionel Messi and Riquelme to inspire the Argentinians. Rooney to shine for England after his amazing recovery from his now-famous Metatarsal injury. Yet, none rose to the occasion.

Ruud looks a forlorn figure after the Dutch crashed out. (Well, at least he can proudly say he played no part in the match which descended into a farce with 16 Yellow and 4 red cards dished out.)

Hmm. What is Ballack doing in the middle?

4 strikers. One down. Let's see who's left.

Erm. That face just says it all.

Whether or not it was intentional, THAT HURTS. Ouch.

And so, we are left with one striker. The name is Theo Walcott. A 17 year old school boy who has yet to play a single minute in the English Premiership.

Surely you could have seen it coming?

Drained - Still waiting for the day that i'll see something other than 'Still being considered.' Others have already embarked on a new chapter of their lives in NUS, NTU and SMU. Matriculations, hall applications, Orientation camps.. and here I am, Still waiting to see if I'll be boarding CX to HK or Qantas to Melbourne. Wait and wait... otherwise known as 'Letting nature take its course'.

-七月的到来标志着童话的结束-