Saturday, March 24, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me
"Happy birthday, ohhh, happy birthday... Happy birthday to... Damn, I look old."
Seventeen years has gone and passed.
Funny how the mind works.
I can remember what happened a decade ago,
yet not be able to recall the contents of my last meal.
Now then, what have I learnt?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One year Old
Shiny bottle in the sun.
I like shiny things.
The glass was green, just like grass.
I like grass.
Mummy was in the kitchen,
and Daddy in the study room.
I think this is Mummy's thing;
She always presses a button
and then she smells like flowers.
I like flowers.
I like Mummy.
I held up the bottle,
Mummy's smell is inside!
But, where's the button?
It must be a puzzle!
I turn this thing, and
POP!
Oh, this smells good!
Like those flowers Daddy
always gave Mummy.
The flowers smelt great,
and it tasted sweet too.
So, this water must be...
Flower juice!
I press this button, then
PZZT!
PZZT!
Now my hand smells like flowers, too!
I wonder if flower juice tastes like...
YUCK!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Three Years Old
DisneyLand Japan was so fun!
I even took a picture with Mickey Mouse!
But why was Mickey so big?
Mummy said that I would only know
When I grow up.
She always tell me that.
But I want to know, now!
She told me it was a person inside Mickey.
It's because of magic, she says.
I don't believe in magic.
Mummy must be bluffing me again.
Like that time she wanted me to eat spinach.
I never got to eat that ice-cream she promised.
The hotel people talk funny.
Mummy was having a hard time talking to them.
Ah Ma tried to help,
but nothing worked.
Hey, a lift!
Wow, it even has golden buttons!
I wonder what would happen if I press this...
1...
5...
12...
Hm, I can go higher!
Yay, 52!
Maybe higher!
61!
Maybe-
Hey, where's Mummy?
Ah Ma?
Why is everything downstairs so small?
Why am I so high up?
... Mummy?!
WAAAAAA!!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Six Years Old
The shiny metal looked intriguing.
Daddy and Mummy never liked me going near it,
Always snatching it away from me.
Why?
It must be fun to play with,
Because Ah Ma uses it to cut fabrics.
She would then make a clean cut
between those two pieces of cloth.
Very neat.
Very pretty.
Cloth is soft,
And can be easily cut.
How sharp could the "penknife" be,
Right?
And they call it a "knife".
It doesn't even look like one!
This "knife" couldn't be sharp.
It couldn't.
Right?
So I ran my finger across it.
Fast.
OW!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nope, didn't learn anything from these incidents.
Absolutely nothing.
Happy birthday to me.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Photo-moronic
"I look so unflattering."
Someone reckoned that I should photoshop this picture.
Good idea.
LianheZaoBao- On Bloggers.
Youth. Sg got on the news- They looked for some buggers to appear on it, and alas, I actually do.
Tmd, suay ka buay si.
I'm the guy in the bottom left corner. Oh yes, the one with his eyes closed.
It's the flash, la.
Of course, this picture was courtesy of Rachel, and Alvin- Thanks for the pizza, Alvin. Sure liked that.
Everyone there was alitttttle too quiet.
Oh, and Mervin aka Guttercat made an appearance! Sure was fun makin' fun of him and playin' with little Siobhan.
Bah, this is the news for you.
Pfft.
P.S. Yes, that's Kumaran by the right side. Gasp.
Over and out.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
It's Vanilla Pie Day!
"It's White Pi Day! I feel like a geeky caucasian."
Pi(e), anyone?
Pi Day is an unofficial holiday held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (Pi). This holiday is usually celebrated by people who think that there are not enough holidays.
Usually celebrated with a large serving of pie, this holiday is usually observed
on March 14, due to pi being equal to roughly 3.14. Sometimes it is celebrated on March 14 at 1:59 p.m. (commonly known as "Pi Minute").
If pi is rounded out to seven decimal places, it becomes 3.1415926, making March 14 at 1:59:26 p.m., "Pi Second".
March 14 also happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday.Contrary to popular belief, 22/7 is not that close to
π.Secondary school's a sham.
22/7 is a widely used Diophantine approximation of π. It is greater than π, as can be readily seen in the decimal expansions of these values:22/7 ~ 3.142857π~ 3.141592The approximation has been known since antiquity. Archimedes wrote the first known proof that 22/7 is an overestimate in the 3rd century BCE, although he did not necessarily invent the approximation.
Seriously, who notes these stuff?
His proof proceeds by showing that 22/7 is greater than the ratio of the perimeter of a circumscribed regular polygon with 96 sides to the diameter of the circle.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Digression:-
It's possible to prove that '0.999...' is actually 1!
Let '0.999...' be 'c'.
c= 0.999...
10c= 9.99...
10c-c= 9.99... - 0.99...
9c=9
Therefore, c=1.
Wait, what just happened?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
March 14th is also a day that is celebrated by White Day.
White Day is a growing tradition that was created through a concentrated marketing effort in Japan. It is celebrated in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and some other East Asian countries one month after Valentine's Day.
On Valentine's Day, women give gifts to men; on White Day, men who received chocolate on Valentine's Day return the favor and give gifts to women.
Yes- What goes around, comes around.
This holiday is starting to gain popularity in Hong Kong, where Japanese influence is strong. The observance of Valentine's Day in Japan, particularly among students, is somewhat different than in the West.
Valentine's day is mainly for the girls to present chocolates (either store-bought or handmade) to the boy of their choice. The concept of "Giri-Choco", which translates as "Obligatory Chocolate", has also developed, where a girl will give chocolate to those close to her (co-workers, for example) but in whom she has no romantic interest.
When White Day rolls around, it is the boy's turn to return the gift in what is called "sanbai-gaeshi" or "triple return", since the gift the boy gives is supposed to be three times the value of the gift received initially.Hence, it is advisable to invest heavily into Valentine's day. Girls, mortgage everything you have and buy everything for everyone you know. Get your boyfriend a sports car; he'll have to get you a jewellery store for White Day.
Heck, let it loose and buy a chocolate factory.
There are many theories about the origins of White Day. According to one, the holiday began in 1965 when a marshmallow maker started marketing to men that they should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts with marshmallows. Originally it was called Marshmallow Day, which was later changed to White Day.Soon thereafter, confectionary companies began to realize that they could capitalize on such a tradition as well, and began marketing white chocolate. Now, Japanese men give both white and non-white chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry or objects of sentimental value, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All these being said, this is the perfect gift for the holidays-
A triple chocolate-fudge pie to your maths teacher.
Mdm Wong would be proud.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Junior College Musical- Part Two
"Potassium Iodide and Di-Hydrogen Dioxide makes great fizz!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
BIG-ASS NOTE:-
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ
PART ONE OF THIS PIECE,
READ IT...
NOW!
(well, before you read this post anyway)
(it is the post right before this one)
THIS PIECE MAKES NO COHERENCE
WITHOUT PART I,
OR ANYTHING ELSE,
FOR THAT MATTER.
I WILL ENDS THIS CAPS LOCK NOW.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And we're soaring, flying
Into a brick wall that we could never see.
I know what most of you guys must be thinking right now.
"Are you mad, WeiWen? Why got Nanyang JC, and you don't want to go?!"
Yes, I kno-
"Know, know, know! Know your head, la!"
- - - - -
So I was sitting at the back of the hall, as always, and the principal just finished her speech.
There was now this announcement before the CTGs were sent on their way to their orientations.
"Those with the following names called for the particular CCA, please meet the teacher-in-charge outside now."
Funny enough, my name was called. Under Basketball.
Ha, BASKETBALL.
Now, I don't know why they didn't call me out for Wushu, but heck, I'm not complaining.
So I pack my stuff and got the hell out of the stuffy, stuffy hall, and made my way out with the rest of those called under basketball. And man, were those guys tall.
Apparently, there were only eight to ten of us chosen directly for the CCA. No audition for us, nuthin'. The only instruction?
"Come for the next training. As for your CCA application form, put Basketball as your first choice. We'll do the rest."
Sweet.
So I ask the nice, nice teacher for confirmation.
"Aren't you Wei Wen?"
Yep, I sure am.
"Yeah. Just put your first choice in basketball. You'll be in."
Turns out that YJC Basketball's a core CCA- Whatever student they want, they get.
So I'm in, right?
"Yes, you are. Come for the next training."
Awesome.
.
.
.
Hey, the story's not over yet.
So I skip off (Joy, I'm in Basketball!) to the next orientation thinger they have planned for us, and it is rumoured that all the boys would have to go for a choir audition.
Yes, you heard me.
Choir Audition.
Okay, so it's not so much as rumoured. It was actually true.
Damn, it was just like Anderson.
Oh, how I miss Anderson...
... But back to reality.
We enter Brahms Room after an extremely boring bonding session, and by gawd, were there alot of boys. We were split up into groups, and went up to the piano to sing.
"Okay, just try your best."
Gulp.
So I made a sound.
It sounded like a slaughtered chicken. On drugs.
"Okay, you, you, and you, boy. Step out to the front. The rest, take one step back," Miss Yap pointed at me and two others.
Oh crap. We were supposed to sing that particular note(s) again, this time without the accompanyment of anyone else.
"Shit."
It's amusing to see three tall, underdeveloped pube-voiced guys sing a high C.
"Use falsetto!"
Cannot, lah.
"Nonsense. You can do it."
And it sounded like a slaughtered duck on drugs.
...
I was placed as a tenor in YJC school choir.
.
.
.
Wait a minute, what?!
"Okay, before we start, do you have any objection to joining choir?"
Mmhm... Wait, what?
"Choir. You are chosen to be a tenor in our upcoming SYF choir and concert."
... Cool. Err, no objecti-
"Okay, great. Just write your name and class here..."
But-
"But?"
What do I put as my first CCA choice?
"Oh, just put choir. We'll do the rest."
Now, that sounded familiar.
Oh SHIT.
Um, Miss Yap? I have a slight problem...
... I am kinda in Basketball already. Supposed to go for their next training-
"It's okay! Just put your first choice as choir. We'll work out something with basketball for you!"
Wow, really?
"... Yes."
Now in choir for SYF, with a safe spot in Basketball.
The National Youth Achievement Award is going to be a cinch.
- - - - -
I know fairy tales don't USUALLY come true.
But this is Junior College Musical... (NOW do you realise the relevance of the above picture?)
... I'm going to be a dribbling singer!
Now I just gotta get my head in the game.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Junior College Musical- Part One
"It's just like High School Musical! Only happening in real life!"
And we're soaring, flying
Into a brick wall that we could never see.
I'll cut this short.
Alright, everything's been great so far.
Not in much of a mood these days - It must have been the after-effects of the cold I had closing the end of the holidays.
That mood was almost like that of the undead.
All gnarling for the next meal, indifferent to anything or everything that happens, and slothy.
It almost got so bad that I left an impression on dear CTG 127 that I was "the guy who didn't bother going for orientation-treasure-hunt just to catch an early breakfast".
Hey, the school was huge. And! The food was good. Most generous servings of chicken chops.
EVER.
Oh yeah.
Back to the story.
Orientation wasn't the most interesting thing that happened, so I'll just skip that whole part.
- - - - -
Okay then, so I got informed that my appeal to NYJC was actually a damn SUCCESS!
They gave me a call, told me to go down for an audition on Thursday.
Clarence and I made a pact back in MI that we would strive for NYJC, 'by hook or by crook'. Obviously, I took the 'crook'. Direct Admission via CCA Achievements. Hooks are too sharp and pointy, if you know what I mean.
I got the call around Thursday morning, so that was no big deal, since it was only an audition, and nothing else. I was supposed to magically appear in NYJC the following afternoon.
Heck, what could I even show for the audition?
My solid 'ma bu'?!
Or MAYBE (just maybe) all of my ten strokes of 'si duan jian shu'.
Those ten strokes had better break boulders because it's only ONE-TENTH of the whole swordplay.
Even then, my rusty sword (and my rusty skills) would not have made the cut.
I didn't even bothered turning up in the end.
Funny thing though, the jokers gave me another call the next day, saying that after 'reviewing past records and achievements', they've decided to give me a place in NYJC.
That, of course, is IF I join their pugilistic society.
Yeah, I know. Wushu and stuff. I was pretty surprised, and flattered too, to say the least, because I doubt I did a good job in CCS back in Anderson. Still, a place is a place.
Friday morning came the call, was supposed to pick up some 'confirmation slip' or something from the school the following day (oei, I can't TELEPORT, okay?!) and/or Monday. Common sense would tell you to get the damn thing ASAP, no?
Friday afternoon, and Clarence and I played basketball, a weekly ritual. I didn't tell him about my placing in NYJC, until he told me that he landed an audition for NYJC's band. Him being part of the always-been-strong Bowen Band, needless to say, he eventually landed himself a placing in NYJC.
Monday morning he comes to school to say he has already been accepted by NYJC, and we decided to go to NYJC to pick up our confirmation slips.
Well, after my basketball match, alright?
So he said that he would go first. We would meet in NYJC later. It was around 2pm then.
He calls me around 5pm to ask for my location.
Still in YJC, I say.
And that was definitely a double-meaning right there and then.
Wushu just wasn't my thing.
- - - - -
Anyway, I was posted to CTG 127. It's a great class, everyone all friendly and all. I wasn't the friendliest around though. Too 'bochup'. Or 'dao'.
Meh.
Kinda clicked off with CKY immediately, funny how small Singapore is. It turned out that the fella was the CT classmate of Jerico in NYJC.
And the rest? One of the nicest people one could ever meet. Oh, except Aaron.
He supports Liverpool! Bleh!
But I jest.
Adrian and Yee Kiat, Man U fans through and through.
127's startin' to grow on me, and it has only been two days.
Give it two more years, I bet I'll be sproutin' mushrooms too.
- - - - -
Oh lookie me, I digressed.
Part Two, comin' right up.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Education Synthesis
"This subject combination will affect me for life. Have I made the right choice, again?"
Yishun JC offers flexi-combination. So as long as you fulfil the requirements to study the subject, you will surely be posted to that combination.
It's a Rojak of academic proportions.
Don's choice combination would had been H2 Maths, H2 Physics, H2 Econs, H2 Knowledge and Inquiry.
But since Mr Spencer cancelled all KI classes for 2007, Don had H1 Geography replacing H2 KI.
H1 Geography? How would that be helpful?
Assistance was desperately required.
So, who else do you look for for a switch in combinations, but the head honcho herself?
Mrs Kwang. (She's actually an extremely nice person.)
Of course, the dean would help you in choosing your subjects should you approach her for help.
That Mrs Kwang is one hell of a marketer. She would persuade you over and over, till you choose a combination that would most probably work for you.
Her logic: If your subjects in O' Levels aren't distinctions, don't try attempting the subjects for A's.
Don's logic: Pick subjects that will assure you distinctions in A levels, and open up a route in universities.
Her logic, again: If you don't score well for the subjects that "open the largest possible path", there's no point in takin' them.
And a consensus was formed.
H2 Literature, H2 Mathematics, H2 Economics, H1 Physics.
.
.
.
"You should not take 4 H2s. H2 Mathematics would already be too much for you to handle, judging from your A Maths results from O's," Mrs Kwang glanced at Don momentarily before going back to her files.
"So I should-" Don was hesistant.
"You should take only 3 H2s. It's better that way."
"If you insist," the sigh was subtle.
"No, I'm not saying that you cannot take 4H2s. Instead, you should try for 3H2s. It's still your choice, you know."
"Then I'll-"
"But you must be careful. A' Levels is not easy. So don't come back crying if you're retained."
Don took the combination immediately.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
.
.
.
Don later found out that the distinction percentage of English Literature in YJC the previous year was...
1.4%
(out of a possible 150-odd students taking H2 Literature)
Oh, and just to rub salt into wounds...
H1 Physics opens up only ONE particular course.
General Engineering (which is so new that Don doubts any company would have even heard of such a degree).
.
.
.
The pineapple in my Rojak is sour.
Yuck.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
There is no Spoon
"God exists. Ergo. Therefore, God exists. =3 "
- - - - -
Update:-
No one got to take KI. Mr Spencer "found it unsuitable to hold a KI class this year".
Translation- Us students must be friggin' stupid, or he's just plain asinine. Ah well, more time to focus on the other subs.
On the other hand, 4/5 of the questions were "explained succinctly". Ha! Failed one was the inadequate proof pertaining to existence of God. But, but, "main point was grasped".
Distinction in test paper! Woot!
- - - - -
So school has started.
Again.
And woop-tee-doo, Don was insane enough to try for KI.
For the uninitiated, KI is the abbreviation for Knowledge and Inquiry.
Yeah, it's the study of knowledge and yada yada.
Take it to be General Paper. General Paper X 20. That's how "fun" KI is.
But it's about philosophy, no? I'll like it!
Adrian was nice enough to get Don the test paper, so Don sat for it.
Note: Don has already completed the paper, but can't be bothered to write the entire paper/ explanation here. Just add the pieces up. You'll get the picture.
Try attempting the questions, first.
- - -
1. In the course of the slave trade which took captive Africans under terrible conditions in slave-ships from the Guinea coast across the Atlantic to the Americas, a higher proportion of the crews (free men) of these ships died than the slaves in their holds. Explain.
Ooh, test of logic.
2. A lamp is set to switch on and off for 24 hours, in the following sequence. It's on for the first 12 hours, then off for 6, then on for 3, then off for 90 minutes, on for 45 minutes and so on. At the end of the 24 hours will it be on or off?
Limiting factor towards infinity, arh. Siao.
3. What comment would you make on the following arguments (both of which contain flaws) for the existence of God? You are not to make use of religion or faith or belief in your answer but just evaluate the argument as it stands on its own premises.
(a) Every event in the world, or feature in the world, is seen to have a cause. If we look for all possible causes for all possible events, eventually we will arrive back at a first or original cause and that cause is God.Holy... Shit.
(b) If we came across an abandoned Rolex watch we would never assume that such an intricate mechanism did not have an intelligent designer or creator. Similarly, since the universe and life are inifinitely more complex than a Rolex watch, we should assume that they also have an intelligent designer, namely God.
Errrrrrr...We have to analyse arguments to prove existence of God?
Siao, lah.
- - -
Don's Answers (or at least attempts):-
Gistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgistgist...
1. Proportion and conditional treatment. More slaves than crews. Takes 10 out of 100 slaves to perish to match the death percentage of 1 outta 10 crew deaths.
2. Off. Lightbulb would burst.
3(a). And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
(Matthew 21:21-22 NAS)
IMMEDIATE FAIL. CANNOT USE RELIGION.
Just joking.
Assumptions that God is the first premise. Cause and effect. Flaw lies in assumption.
3(b). Funny enough, an invention would not have an equally intelligent/complex inventor. Or not, a watch can create another one. Still, how can one explain cloning? But I digress. Flaw STILL lies in assumption.
It's pre-existentialism!
GOD EXISTS. THEREFORE, GOD EXISTS."For more information, visit
EvilBible.com. It's a good laugh."
This test sure fail, liao.Pui.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Hooked Again
"But I'm almost Level 93! Almost... Yes! No, I can't stop now! Level 94 is only ninety percent away!"
So, I start my day trying to get all my characters to Lvl 99.
Then, I send them into transcendence, which would turn back back into Lvl 1.
Then I train them back to Lvl 99.
.
I know what you're thinking.
"Are you MAD? That's all you do?!"
.
.
.
No, silly. I get buffs before I train. (It) makes it faster, see?I can't help it.
Don likes to do the...
RAGNAROK IMPOSSIBLES
So, I go killin' monsters.
It's fun, watching the experience points reel in while I increase my exp. percentage by 0.01 per monster...
... 1) And then along your journey, you meet a Lvl 99 poring.
A Lvl 99 Poring! With 9752 HP. Low-levels, beware.
Why do I even bother playing, really?
Oh, right.
To get Lvl 99.
And more buffs! Hurrah!
2) Don has max-leveled one of the toughest jobs in Ragnarok Online- The Super Novice.
A melee Super Novice.
It's like trying to drink soup with a fork.
Improbable, not impossible.
Ha!
.
Then later, you attempt to kill tougher and tougher monsters.
Yes, that's a Level 125 monster. With a 1,000,000++ HP.Fucker's impossible to kill.
3) Yet, Don killed a Lvl 100+ MVP with a High Priest.
After two hours.
I'm still getting crap from these crazy-hard monsters.
Bored, I enter the player-vs-player arena.
AKA. "I can kill other people here" place.
4) Participate in a massive free-for-all and still survive...
... for all of six seconds.These are all freakin' achievements, no?
Still,
Deliverance Online had to close for a while due to its SVN upgrade.
(Which would make the server faster, stronger, and have more custom quests/items!)
The addiction is stopped for now...
... Only to be served by an 'upgrade'.
Aw crap.
Maybe I should stop spending so much time in Ragnarok.
