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Snippets of My Last Semester (2)

Felt a bit weird to finally see my own blog after almost 2 months away in China, where blogs and Facebook are blocked. Might seem unthinkable for some to live without Facebook for such prolonged periods, but well, it wasn't all that difficult after all. It seemed eons ago since I concluded my last semester but I shall finish off what I had started in the previous post before I move on to life in China.

A surprise visit from someone for 4th April...Off to the Capital, Canberra for the Easter Break. The Casino felt more like some underground gambling den. -_-

And, the Final Accountants shot outside the Exam Venue. That's it. ..... . .

And finally some Post-Exam fun..

Snippets of my Last Semester (1)

Welcome BBQ for S.A.M. Whopping success.

Go-Karting. I only came in 3rd for the Men's race. -_-"

Strawberry Farm. From an initial target of 24 to the eventual convoy of 10 cars. One of the biggest Roadtrip for S.A.M yet.

Commerce Ball 2009, Just had to go to a Ball before I graduate.

The Black Hole

Almost 3 years ago, I stepped into Melbourne with only one thing in mind, "One Goal, One Dream". I had a point to prove, that I am better than what I had been, that the wasted years spent in mediocrity is no more than a blip in my life. The anticipation of a fresh start overwhelms any possible anxiety of what is to come in the years ahead.

And so, in the next 3 years, I was focused on the 'simple' task of achieving academic excellence, reminding myself constantly on how my mediocre past has resulted in my parents having to fork out A$22,000 for tuition fees annually instead of the S$5,000+ had I managed to squeeze into the Big 3 like most of my peers. I am the anomaly, and I made sure I remembered how painful that is. It never was easy to be stepping into any of the Big 3 to visit friends, seeing others having orientation camps, making new friends, knowing that I'm not part of the 'club' and it took time for me to get used to it.

Nonetheless, I stuck to my task and there are times when I mugged like there was no day and night. Once I had built up that sort of momentum, I felt like it could go on forever. And when and if I did fail to get HD for any unit, at least I know I can still hold my head high and say that I've given my best shot at it. To a large extent, I believe I have achieved that but I'll always be scarred by my 'P' in my testamur. And I'm not even talking about a strong P, 52 to be precise. I barely passed. To say that I was shocked when i saw the mark was an understatement, and after viewing my exam script, I had every reason to feel disgrunted and unjust about the result. I could have brought it up to the chief examiner that I should have at least gotten a Credit but weighing up the Cost-Benefit Analysis, I decided against that, in risk of straining relations with the lecturers. But this, I'll never forget.

And of course, there's S.A.M. Almost like my baby. The journey from the bottom of the hierarchy as a Gen. Comm. to the top of the ladder was indeed something to remember. The challenges were immense, to reverse declining interest and membership base, to resurrect the hopelessly hopeless SSAV and now VSSA (actually, it still is hopeless despite the 'revamp') just to name 2. But with the challenges also come with the unexpected perks of being involved in the Singapore Day in Melbourne and meeting celebrities at such close proximity during the Gala Dinner. As I step down from my position unofficially, whether or not I've done a good job is for others to judge, but I can't help but think that there's so much more that I could and should have done. That I remain disappointed that certain things did not turn out as I had hoped they would have.

So, you would think, with my decent grades, decent extra curricular activities and decent internships that things are pretty much on the right track. Well, if you had told me 3 years ago that I would come through with these 'achievements', I would have grabbed them with both hands (and legs). And then comes the now-infamous GFS which pretty much derailed everything and flushed everything down the toilet bowl. It's like the black hole, where I only see total darkness ahead of me. I sit here, in the comfort of my home in Singapore, wondering why am I sitting here, literally sitting and doing nothing and having nothing to do for the next 6 months. It's not just about finding an internship to fill the gap, it's about the purpose. Suddenly, after sprinting at break-neck speed for the past 3 years, you thought you had turned a corner, but like some of us would have heard this, I probably turned so many corners that all I've done is just turning in circles. I'm lost, literally. And after being out of this 'system' for 3 years, all I hope is for that one break, to show what I can do, to prove that I'm up to it. Just that one break.

-家-

昆达士，

带我回家。

The End is Nigh

1 Number, 3 Alphabets and 1 Grade Average.

-4-

-HDs-

-84%-

For this is what will separate Greatness and the not-so-great.
For this is what will define my 3 years of undergraduate studies.
For the fact that, after days and nights of toiling,
this is it
the time is now.

Dire state of Formula 1

The recent turn of events at Formula 1 has certainly got the entire motorsport fraternity talking.

Background Story: In light of more teams finding it difficult to compete with marque names like Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes which have substantial financial backing, over the past year or so, FIA (Motorsport's governing body) had drawn up plans to reduce the spiralling costs of running a Formula 1 racing team including possible budget caps and more technical restrictions to limit spending. This process was sped up following the global financial crisis and the consequent withdrawal of the Honda Racing Team. Shortly, the FIA proposed a budget cap of $40million to be implemented next season. The F1 teams, in a rare sign of solidarity, had greed in principle and signalled their joint commitment to reduce costs but noting the difficulty of the task, more consultation with FIA was sought. The main difficulties being, major manufacturers like Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes and Renault, spend upwards of $300million annually in the development of the car, to reduce that figure by almost 80% within a year was simply unrealistic.

To make matters worse, the FIA then unilaterally implemented a 2-tier system to be in place for the 2010-11 season, which comprises of one with the budget cap of $40million but enjoy greater technical freedom and another, without the budget cap but severely limited by technical restrictions. This unilateral action from the FIA instantly drew widespread criticism from the major F1 teams, led by Ferrari, Toyota, Renault and Red Bull Racing. Their main concern was not of the budget cap, but the manner in which the FIA implemented this ruling without due consultation with the teams involved and that the 2-tier system will create greater confusion and an unlevel playing field where different teams on the grid are subject to different rules. The above-mentioned 4 teams have signalled their intent to withdraw from F1 should the FIA continue with their current plans with the 2-tier system with the deadline for registration for next season being May 29.

Alright, in a nutshell, that's been the story so far, as far as I understand of it.

While Ferrari had hardly been the most popular team amongst the purists for their "off-track antics", many of them have expressed their support of Ferrari on this issue. The rational followers of the sport would realise that the quit-threat of the teams, led by Ferrari, is not an act which placed personal interests above that of the sport. Of course, their financial muscle would have come to naught under the paltry $40million budget cap but that was not their case in point. As brought up by them, the 2-tier system is akin to saying: Manchester United is rich, hence you can only field 9 players. While Hull City is struggling financially and hence will be entitled to 12 players. (They used the Italian Serie A as example). How does that sound?

Formula 1 has always been regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport, where man and machine are pushed to the limits. Such is the speeds of Formula 1 cars that I remember a commentator once said, at almost 300km/h on the straights, these cars would have taken off if fitted with wings. It is not a sport for the faint-hearted, where 0.001s can decide a race. The push for technical innovation does not come cheap and there isn't a magic formula here. With greater financial backing, more money is available for more research, building more state-of-the-art wind tunnels, more track testing, and the list goes on. Never in mankind has research and development been cost-effective, if it was, we would still be taking steam ships across the pacific, much less race around state-of-the-art circuits at speeds of 300km/h. And it is because of such investment of resources that as well as that continual research and development that have culminated in the glitz and glamour of Formula 1 being the pinnacle of motorsports. With the imminent unilateral introduction of those sweeping plans, Formula 1 will never be the same again.

Ferrari, for one, since its birth, is synonymous with racing, and as they put it, "racing is in our DNA". And they are the only team which has been continuously involved in Formula 1 since its inception 60 years ago. Formula 1 is Ferrari. Ferrari is Formula 1. Exaggeration it may be, but it's no coincidence that the commercial rights holder of Formula 1 said, "Ferrari and Formula 1 is like a marriage made in heaven". No less. And it's easy to see why. The sea of red in the grandstands during the Grand Prix is testament to the worldwide adulation for the Scarlet Red cars from Maranello. With all due respect to the 'lesser' teams, it is a rarity to see Formula 1 fans donned in Red Bull Racing Polo Tees and caps, or even Force India for that matter. In fact, you hardly even see fans wearing Toyota or Renault's replica teamwear. Such is the support for Ferrari. On the other hand, several new teams have welcomed FIA's initiatives and have signalled their intent to enter Formula 1 next year and these teams being: Wirth Research, Lola, USF1 amongst others. LOLA? USF1? WIRTH RESEARCH? In my own analogy, it's like telling the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool that they can't spend and invest on good players, managers and training facilities, so that the Premier League can be more affordable and expanded to accomodate more Hull Citys, Burleys and Readings. Hardly inspiring as far as the Premier League's standards are concerned. And not to mention United and Liverpool are 'supposed' to play with only 9 players as compared to the Hull City's 12 on the pitch in a bid to 'level' the playing field between the rich and the poor.

Only a week before the May 29 deadline. Watch this space, or we wouldn't be watching Ferrari round Marina Bay next year.

-r.a.n.d.o.m-

Extremely drained from my Advanced Financial Accounting test, but quietly confident that the late nights and consistency will reap its rewards despite some less-than-ideal revision for the test.

-M.S.N-

On this day, on MSN:

Singapore Friends' Nicks:
-Friend A: Burning!!!!!!
-Friend B: Hothothot

Aussie Friends' Nicks:
-Friend C: hates the cold
-Friend D: Brrrrrr....
--z.h.i.w.e.n-: -f.r.e.e.z.e-m.e-

End-of-Holiday Report 5

Italia continued. As we head into Florence from Rome, the difference between the 2 cities couldn't have been more striking. Gone are the historical ruins, and in comes the natural beauty and elegance of the "cradle of Renaissance". It is certainly not an overstatement to say that the city is so rich in art that it exudes that air of elegance almost effortlessly.

Taiwan's consulate at The Vatican. I shall repeat this. Taiwan is NOT a country. Period.
What's Italy without Ferrari Store?
Florence, ever so elegant.No Italian city is complete without The Duomo. I refuse to conform to what everyone loves to do, to pretend supporting the Leaning Tower. If anything, I would have have posed to push it further down. =X

End-of-Holiday Report 4

With the increasing backlog of outstanding posts, I have decided to continue with my End of Holiday Reports before it gets forgotten. First stop, Rome. It turned out to be my favourite city, even ahead of the more 'romanticised' Venice. The sheer number of ruins and monuments in this city has left me in awe of the tremendous history of this once-great civilisation. It was difficult to find words to describe the feeling of standing within the Colossuem, for example, at the very spot that gladiators fought it out almost 2,000 years ago. You could almost hear the roar of the 50,000 strong crowd despite there being just skeletal remains of the structure now. It is almost unimaginable how the human race could conjure up such an architectural marvel at that age. My 2-day stop in Rome, despite sufficient to cover all the major attractions, left me with an somewhat unsatisfying 'after-taste'. I certainly look forward to visiting this great city again in the future, spending more time to soak in and appreciate the history behind this historic city.

12 hours aboard the SQ aging Boeing 777-200ERs, equipped with the older generation KrisWorld Inflight Entertainment System. Loved every minute onboard nonetheless, Still a Great Way to Fly..

This picture just doesn't seem to do the Colosseum enough justice.

Vatican MuseumSt. Peters Basilica

Black Sunday

One by one, as they take their foot off the pedal, as they leave this world, the underlying message is clear. That, for their whole life, they have done their bit for this society, for themselves, for future generations. And now, the baton has been passed to us, to continue carrying this torch, not just to make a difference to all around us, but more importantly to be outstanding human beings.

That, I say surpasses everything else. As you close your eyes for the final time, what will people remember you as? As the CEO of a successful company? An immensely successful banker with Lamborghinis in your backyard? As a PPS Solitaire member of SIA? At the end of the day, it's the endearing qualities of oneself which will live on in people's hearts and minds.

Thank you for the memories, and have a good rest.

2009 Deloitte Commerce Ball

To kick things off, I would have liked it better if it was "2009 KPMG Commerce Ball" instead. =P In what may well turn out to be my first and last Ball that I attend at Monash University, maybe I can consider this to be my Graduation Ball all the same. I've always wanted to attend a Ball over here, just to experience how Univeristy Balls are like, and how different are the Balls here as compared to the ones in Singapore.

True enough, it turned out to be very different from what I had come to expect. The Glam Factor certainly wasn't lacking, with the guys looking pretty much the same for everyone, while the ladies dressed to impress. Gone are the performances and host for the evening... and in comes the dancefloor and free-flow alcohol. It didn't take too long after the main was served that the music was blasted through the dinner hall and the people starting to flock to the dancefloor, partying away. From then on, the ball was effectively a massive club with 1,200 pax. The drinks counters at both ends of the hall busy dishing out tequilas..vodka limes.. and EXPIRED beer. I'm lucky I'm still alive here typing this. LoL. In any case, the combination of alcohol and dancefloor proved irresistable for many, with many presumable-couples already locked in cuddles and kissing like there's no tomorrow. 0_o I can safely say my table was arguably the most boring of the 100-or-so tables, merely cam-whoring away without the partying bit.

A "ferocious" pose by Saerom. Absolute Classic. Accountant 3 + Chris Ng.See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?On the Red Carpet, literally.

A Fool on April's Fool

It's only a matter of time before my body broke down, and today, that time has come. Ironically, the feverish headache, which I've long been accustomed to, is the least of my concern. It has been a lousy couple of days for me. Mornings have been a nightmare.

A few days ago...at 08:15am, Flinders Street train station,

"The 8:24am Pakenham train is delayed for approximately 2-3 mins"
.
.
"Pakenham train delayed for approximately 4-5 mins"
I was like, what?! wasn't it 2-3mins, 2-3mins ago? Never mind. I shall wait.
.
"Pakenham train delayed for approximately 6-7mins"
Great. Now you're annoying me, especially with rush-hour crowds building up on the platform.
.
Hmmm. No more announcements?
.
.
The train finally came, at 08:45am. A cool 21minutes late, on top of the 10-minute intervals in the morning rush-hour

Oh, did I mention that the train stopped for a few minutes on the track for-god-knows-what-reason before it even reached the first station? I would really like to express my sincere gratitude to Connex and the dilapidated train infrastructure of Melbourne for allowing me to 'skip' my 9am tutorial.

And today, Ooops! Connex did it again! But much better this time, only 8 minutes late. Well done, keep it up. But it's also thanks to Connex that I'll be receiving 2 free daily tickets due to their performance shortfall in March according to government regulations.

Facebook. A place supposedly for relaxation and fun. You stalk on people's lives, You Poke your friends, You play mindless/meaningless games. Yet, recent developments on Facebook, which were started by friends all in the name of harmless fun, peace and laughter, suddenly turned into utter embarrasment for me and eventually being subject to manipulative public statements.
For those of you who know, you would have known what's been on my Facebook recently. For those who don't, ignorance is a bliss.

And no, this is no April Fool's joke.

Food for Thought

$500,000 pay for New Creation Church employee

THE New Creation Church, which made headlines for raising $19 million on one Sunday last month for its upcoming multi-million dollar building, pays good money to its staff too.

The independent church paid one employee between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year, checks by The Straits Times showed.

The church did not confirm if the amount went to its leader, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince, but told The Straits Times that its policy is to 'recognise and reward key contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church's growth and revenue'.

-Source: asiaone.com

Hmmm. I leave it to all of you to make your judgement call.

End-of-Holiday Report 3

And now, my internship at HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA. The reason I entered the full name is that I'm still 'fascinated' and curious at why the Singapore office is 'merely' a Branch of the main holding company of HSBC Private Bank at Geneva, the branch is not even incorporated in Singapore. My attempts to find out the underlying reasons have been futile, and come the opportunity, I would love to find out about the kind of benefits this sort of structure brings to the group.

I am hugely blessed to have very kind and understanding colleagues at the department who have taught me a great deal and at times were very much like mentors to me, offering me insightful advice on wide-ranging issues. Undeniably, it was an honour to be the sole intern at HSBC from the CPA Australia Internship Program, but at the end of the day, it is what I can take away from my internship which will hopefully propel me that one step closer to getting into the profession and industry which has been severely battered in the past year. From Bankers to 'Banksters' (from the word Gangster), that just says it all.

On a lighter note, the internship was also an opportunity for me to catch up with my mates during the lunch break!

'New' logo, new Screensavers, part of the $10million rebranding exercise. Spot the difference....Stunning views, everyday.
Lunch Getaways
Farewell Lunch 1
Farewell lunch (again), and look where's that, -e.q.u.i.n.o.x-
So long, RSP FIN...