Spencer Thinks

Tree Hugger

2008-09-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

The flower said, "I wish I was a tree,"
The tree said, "I wish I could be
A different kind of tree,
The cat wished that it was a bee,
The turtle wished that it could fly
Really high into the sky,
Over rooftops and then dive
Deep into the sea.

And in the sea there is a fish,
A fish that has a secret wish,
A wish to be a big cactus
With a pink flower on it.
And in the sea there is a fish,
A fish that has a secret wish,
A wish to be a big cactus
With a pink flower on it.

And the flower
Would be its offering
Of love to the desert.
And the desert,
So dry and lonely,
That the creatures all
Appreciate the effort.

And the rattlesnake said,
"I wish I had hands so I could hug you like a man."
And then the cactus said,
"Don't you understand,
My skin is covered with sharp spikes
That'll stab you like a thousand knives.
A hug would be nice,
But hug my flower with your eyes."

The flower said, "I wish I was a tree,"
The tree said, "I wish I could be
A different kind of tree,
The cat wished that it was a bee,
The turtle wished that it could fly
Really high into the sky,
Over rooftops and then dive
Deep into the sea.
And in the sea there is a fish,
A fish that has a secret wish,
A wish to be a big cactus
With a pink flower on it.

And in the sea there is a fish,
A fish that has a secret wish,
A wish to be a big cactus
With a pink flower on it.
And the flower
Would be its offering
Of love to the desert.
And the desert,
So dry and lonely,
That the creatures all
Appreciate the effort.

- Antsy Pants

I am Shades of Life

2008-09-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am black, I am white
I am all skins in between
I am young, I am old
I am each age that has been
I am scrawny, I am well fed
I am starving for attention
I am famous, I am cryptic
I am hardly worth the mention
I am short, I am height
I am any frame or stature
I am smart, I am challenged
I am striving for a future

[Chorus:]
The color of sky
Is blues and grays
The color of earth
Is greens and browns
The color of hope
Is rainbows and purple
And the color of peace
Is people together
Shades of life
I am

I am able, I am weak
I am some strength, I am none
I am being, I am thought
I am all things, said and done
I am born, I am died
I am dust of humble roots
I am grace, I am pain
I am labor of wined fruits
I am slave, I am free
I am bonded to my life
I am rich, I am poor
I am wealth amid strife

[Repeat Chorus]

I am shadow, I am glory
I am hiding from my shame
I am hero, I am loser
I am yearning for a name
I am empty, I am proud
I am seeking my tomorrow
I am growing, I am fading
I am hope amid the sorrow
I am certain, I am doubtful
I am desperate for solutions
I am leader, I am student
I am fate and evolutions

I am spirit, I am voice
I am memory, not recalled
I am chance, I am cause
I am effort blocked and walled
I am hymn, I am heard
I am reasoned without rhymes
I am past, I am nearing
I am present in all times
I am many, I am no one
I am seasoned by each being
I am me, I am you
I am all-souls now decreeing

- Billy Gilman

New Pet Hamster

2008-09-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

My friends got me a new pet hamster as a belated birthday gift, but so far I haven't thought of a name for it yet. Well, it's a female, and I don't really know any good female names.

Winter White Russian

http://www.hamsterific.com/DwarfHamsters.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_White_Russian_Dwarf_Hamster

Meal Time

Possible names:

Hamlet
Hammy
Hamtaro
Chiku
Ichibi

Hamster House

I was surprised that it bites (quite painful) so I have stopped poking my fingers into the cage. However, I found out that it doesn't bite if I carry it on the palm of my hand.

Information about hamsters:
They live about 2 to 3 years, and mine is about 6 weeks old.
They squeak loudly when they feel threatened.
They are very lazy and sleep most of the time.

Hard at Work

EyE Investment Club Camp

2008-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Organising Committee

Helping out as Station Master

Ice-cold Drinks for Sale!

Group photo

Buffet Dinner

Chinese Chess Puzzle

2008-08-29T20:08:00.001-07:00

This puzzle was given to me on my 21st birthday, and it took me really long to solve it. It is red's turn and red is supposed to win.

Damn Braces

2008-08-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

After a grueling GA op in which I had 8 teeth removed (yes, I meant 8 teeth), my diet for the next week was porridge. My op was on the 6th of August, and I was removing 4 wisdom teeth and 4 extra teeth so that I could fit on braces.

On the 14th of August, I went to get my stitches removed, and (oh the horror!) I got my braces fitted on the very same day. Which meant that my diet was back to porridge. Sigh...

And the braces, damn braces, hurts and cuts everything, and the metal bar below my palate blocks and chafes my tongue, rubbing it till it's red and sore. Not to mention that it hinders my eating too. Ouwtch!!%*&$##!!!

When I asked about the bar, my orthodontist said to bear with it. After all, in about only 6 months they'll be able to take the bar away. But my braces are here to stay for 2 years at least.
Which is 730 days.

Sigh... I look forward to the 14th of August 2010.

Reading List

2008-08-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Fundamental Analysis

Stocks for the long run

Winning the losing game

The warren buffet portfolio

A random walk down wall street

Richest man in Babylon

Margin of safety

Soros on Soros

Valuation by Mckinsey

More than you know

The warren buffet way

The little book that beats the market!

The little book of value investing - Christopher H.Browse

Value investing – Bruce Greenwald

Security Analysis - Benjamin Graham

Techincal Analysis

A Random walk down wall street – Burton G. Malkiel

The disciplined trader – Mark Douglas

Sales

The greatest salesman in the world

Selling yourself!

Zig ziglar on selling, over the top - Zig Ziglar

Og Mandino

Motivation

Andrew Carnegie

The choice

Master your destiny

The last lecture

Science

The blind watchmaker – Richard Dawkins

The origin of species – Charles Darwin

The descent of man – Charles Darwin

Appearance and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Physics – Peter Kosso

The God delusion – Richard Dawkins

Business

Bradley J.Sugars

Literature

Politics and the English language – george orwell

Book of 5 rings

Mushashi

The Prince

The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Economics

Wealth of nations – Adam smith

The communist manifesto

National Day Parade

2008-08-09T23:48:00.000-07:00

The last time I actually watched the NDP was in P5, and I was 11 years old. This year, I am 22. I guess I'm fated to watch the parade once every 11 years.

Working Experience

2008-08-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

7^th Jan 2005 – 6^th Nov 2006

National Service

Armour (Mortar)

Admin Specialist (3SG)

Dec 2006 – Mar 2008

AdvancEdge Magazine

Print Lodge Pte Ltd

Marketing Assistant

Jan-Feb 2007

PictureWorks

Photographer

Mar-Oct 2007

Tuition teacher

English and Mathematics

Mar-Apr 2007

Swee Keng & Co.

Lawyer’s Personal Assistant

10^th Jul 2007 – 11^th Apr 2008

Prudential Assurance Company

Financial Consultant

28^th Apr – 6^th Jul 2008

Xanterra South Rim, LLC

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Retail Clerk

P6 Class Gathering

2008-07-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

After a hiatus of 10 years, my primary 6 class (6B), finally had its first class gathering. And this was all thanks to Facebook.

I just returned from HK that night of the gathering, and due to a flight delay, I only managed to rush there at 10pm. Thankfully, they were all waiting for me, and in the meantime they took some pictures.

Most people don't seem to have changed much; while some others I almost didn't manage to identify. However, there was one thing is common. Everyone was flying high. Which is great.

Hopefully, we will have our next class gathering soon, for I won't want to wait another 10 years.

More photos from the Photo Albums:
6B class gathering 27/07/08
6B'98 Gathering 2008

The Art of Mugging

2008-07-25T03:18:00.000-07:00

Settle all previous sleep debts first
Make you sure you have at least 8 hours of sleep. This is essential.

Have a plan and a goal in mind
Mug what by when and what results I expect
Have a rough schedule, and make it flexible enough to accommodate new changes

Examine the nature of the material to determine the type of mugging method to use and to gauge the efficiency.

Allocate roughly 60-90 minutes of time as 1 timeslot.
1 such timeslot is 1 lot of time and will allow you to study 1 lot of material.

Scan the material. Flip through it roughly. Check out:

main concepts (what you need to know by the end of the session)
nature/extent of how you are tested and the method of testing
Mug and go through with a highlighter
Make notes, and refresh once again
Be able to explain the main concepts in your own words

Retail Clerk

2008-07-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

28^th Apr – 6^th Jul 2008

Xanterra South Rim, LLC

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Retail Clerk

Work/Travel USA Programme
Grand Canyon South Rim
Retailed at Maswik Gift Shop and the Hopi House

Cashier, Stock-taking, Customer service, Folding & arranging clothes, washing and cleaning,
Culture and knowledge
Jewelery and Gemstones
Arts and Crafts - carvings, paintings, weaving welding

American culture and work ethics/habits

USA, Arizona, Grand Canyon

2008-05-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and I'm working at the retail gift shop.
I'm staying at a nice little stone cottage with a fireplace, a fridge, a kitchen (oven and stoves), 2 bedrooms and a living room.
The weather here is cold and extremely windy - it's the wind that kills, for it penetrates all the layers you're wearing and drains the warmth and lifeforce from us.
The food is amazingly sweet and Jumbo-sized. 3 girls can share a meal, and 3 guys can share 2 meals. The sweets and deserts are varied and super yummy and some too sweet, and all the fast food is sinfully delicious. Something I noticed though, they don't have any chilli sauce, only tomato, mustard and barbeque sauce.
The canyon is beautiful, and every different spot you view it from and the time at which you view it gives a quite different experience. The sunrise and sunset is awesome, and gazing into the canyon is a real humbling experience.
The people here are very nice and friendly, for example they will just engage you in random conversation or say hi when they see you, and they will always hold open the door for you when they are ahead of you. Also, cars will stop for you to cross.
The static here seems to be very strong, be it jackets, hoodies, blankets or TVs, they can deliver a painful shock if you're not careful.

For more photos click here.

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

2008-04-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

"A remarkable phone call from a 12-yr old boy to Houston radio station KSBJ FM 89.3. So profound, the station has it posted on their website."

The Singapore Freeze

2008-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is coming to Singapore! Check it out here.

Places to Visit

2008-04-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

USA

Yellowstone

Red smokey mountains

Africa

Victoria Falls

Nepal

Mt. Everest

Mexico

Paricutin volcano

Europe

Caves of the Pyrenees

France

Brazil

Rio De Janerio Harbour

Christ the redeemer

England

Stonehedge

Egypt

Great Pyramids of Giza

Cambodia

Angkor Wat

Chile, Easter Island

Statues of Easter Island

North Pole

Aurora Borealis

Christmas Island

Maldives

Bahamas

End of Year 1

2008-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

The exams are finally over! (except BGS)
There was nothing much to do around town,
so right after the exams we strolled around Vivocity.

Chilling out at Vivo.

Taking a nap. zzz.

Contemplating a new pet at Pet Safari.

Checking out the shades.

Poser.

We got bored, so we headed down to Sentosa.
Some people plotted to throw me into the sea,
hence we all got very wet.

This is the life!

We left after watching the sunset.

A new term awaits after the hols,
but for now it's the SUMMER HOLIDAYS!

Professional Pickpocket

2008-04-14T20:33:00.001-07:00

Financial Consultant

2008-04-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

10^th Jul 2007 – 11^th Apr 2008

Prudential Assurance Company

Financial Consultant

Completed M5, M9, HI, BCP, CGI & PGI over the period from February 2007 to May 2007. Started my informal training. Completed Prudential Company training by June and was formally employed on 10^th July 2007, on my 21^st Birthday.

Jobscope:

Prospecting through cold-canvassing, cold-calling, warm-calling,networking

Making appointments (Intense telephone skills required)

Financial planning for clients

Products include life insurance, health insurance, unit trusts

Referrals and follow-ups

Resignation handed in on 26^th March 2008, after 9 months of work; due to overwhelming time commitments to academic pursuits and other school-related activities. Will continue helping the agency by introducing new clients recruits.

Lessons learnt:

The importance of planning

Phone & Communication skills

The Art of Selling

Songs of the Wind

2008-04-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Listen to the wind
If you listen carefully
You will hear soft notes
Listen with your mind
Listen with your heart
You will hear a Heartsong
A soft relaxing song
That reminds... you of

CHORUS
Peace and Harmony
Harmony and love
Peace and harmony and love

If you hear this song
Always remember it
For if you do
You can teach it
To other people too
And they will forever
Forever they'll remember
Their Heartsongs...

CHORUS
Peace and Harmony
Harmony and love
Peace and harmony and love

Listen to the wind
If you listen carefully
You will hear soft notes
Listen with your mind
Listen with your heart
You will hear a Heartsong
A soft relaxing song of the wind

- Billy Gilman

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

2008-04-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

This is really inspiring.
If you had to give a last lecture, what would it be about?

What are your childhood dreams?
Did you achieve them?
Do you still have them?

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

When people are hard on you, it's because they care about you.

"The brick walls in our life are there for a reason:
they let us prove how badly we want something."

People vs. Things - Things are just things.

Never underestimate the importance of having fun.

Work and Play well with others:

Tell the truth
Apologize (Sorry, it's my fault, what can i do to make it right?)
Wait, and people will show their good side
Show gratitude

Don't complain, just work harder.

General Packing List

2008-04-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

T-shirts/Long-sleeved/Singlets
Berms/Shorts
Belt
Jeans
Underwear
Trackpants
Hoodie/Sweater/Windbreaker
Sleeping wear
Socks/Shoes
Slippers/Sandals
Swim wear/Goggles
Jacket/Long johns/Gloves/Mask (Winter)
Pants/Shirts/Long-sleeved shirts/Suit/Tie/Belt (Formal)

Towel (small/big)
Toiletries (soap/shampoo/toothbrush/toothpaste/ floss/mouthwash/cottonbuds/comb/shaver)
Nail-clipper
Insect repellent/relief

First Aid Kit (charcoal pills/antacid pills/panadol/
plasters/antiseptic/vitamins/sterile gauze/lighter/
tweezers/eyewash/thermometer)

Handphone (charger)
Laptop (mouse/charger/headset)
External hard disk (cable)
MP3 (earphones/charger)
Camera (tripod/battery/card/cable/charger)
Adapter/3-to-2 pin

Passport
Visa/Documents
Money (currency)
Wallet (IC/driving license)
Watch
Keys

Water bottle
Writing materials/Notepad
Jackknife/Scissors
Binoculars
Sunglasses
Rubberbands/Wire
Luggage bag (spare)
Multiple locks

Books (bible)
Games (cards)
Movies

Survived BGS

2008-04-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

Just completed and survived a whole module of Business, Government & Society (BGS) under Professor Sheen S. Levine, except for the final report and final exam. We have come a long way, from 30% class participation to frequent quizzes with insane amount of readings from textbooks, articles, case studies and other books. Despite this, I felt that it was an excellent experience.

Trained at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sheen S. Levine has held appointments at The University of Pennsylvania and Singapore Management University, in addition to visiting positions at Emory University, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, and the University of Torino, Italy. Holding academic degrees in Management Science and Applied Economics, Sociology and Anthropology, his primary interest is interdisciplinary in nature, and lies at the interaction of business, society, and technology.
Sheen's research has been presented in numerous forums, both academic and professional, in the United States and Europe. He serves as a reviewer for the Academy of Management, Organization Science, American Sociological Review, and The European Physical Journal. He has been the recipient of an Organization Science VIP Award, US Dept. of Education CIBER Fellowship, and The Bentley College/HEC Paper Award.
Sheen has taught extensively at the United States and Singapore, as well as in other academic institutions in Europe and Asia. His classes have won student acclaim for the hands-on, interactive learning approach. He stresses not only real life applications, but also life-long thinking skills, such as critical thinking and theory testing. "Students cannot give enough praise to Levine" wrote The Wharton Journal in a profile article.
He is passionate about contributing beyond his professional duties: he has been the chairman of the Wharton Doctoral Council for three years in a row and currently oversees the AIESEC alumni worldwide.

Calming nerves before the presentation

After a grueling presentation where we were the only extras who had to wear suits due to the presence of distinguished guests - Ambassador of Czech Republic, etc, we still had to stay back to churn out our final report due right smack in the middle of our other final papers.

We decided to make our way down to KFC for a quick dinner before heading back to school to complete the damned report. While queueing up at KFC in our suits, I remarked softly to my friend that perhaps we should do a research to see if we get better service when we are well-dressed.

It was at this moment the cashier interrupted, saying that she was giving us 2 extra chicken drumsticks as the existing 2 she had given us were too small. This took me by surprise, seeing how it was perfectly normal-sized. Which just goes to prove my hypothesis.

Taking Notes

2008-04-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

What is the primary purpose of taking notes?
If you can do some self-reasoning and correctly answer this question, you would have grasped the idea of note-taking, and your notes will be of real use to you.

Let me give you a hint: Notes are meant to HELP to remember by triggering your memory. It is not substitute for remembering things. Therefore, when you are taking notes, there is no point making them fanciful or lovely just for the sake of admiring them. It is crucial that they serve their primary purpose first.

Therefore, notes should be succinct and clear, and preferably not in prose form. Short points or single words should be sufficient to trigger your memory. Do not afraid of "messy" or "colourful" notes. Personally, I like to use a blank A4-sized sheet of paper. Just remember: Whatever works, works.

You might want to try:

Single words (selective)
Graphs / Diagrams
Pictures / Drawings
Mindmaps / flowcharts

Oklahoma - Billy Gilman

2008-04-05T22:15:00.001-07:00

Focus & Concentration

2008-04-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Many of us experience what is called the "wandering mind syndrome". We just cannot concentrate our thoughts and focus our attention on the task at hand. While we're trying to do something, eg. study, pay attention in class, listen to someone talking, our mind inevitable wanders; creating terrible inefficiency and a great waste of time.

So, how then do we go about tacking this problem?
Here are some simple steps we can take to increase our focus, and I have categorised them into 4 parts to so that we can FOCUS on each part:

The Environment
Sometimes, the environment is not within our control, and we just have to make do. However, if you're studying, you should choose a place where you are comfortable with. Personally, if i'm doing pure studying, i prefer to study alone in a quiet place.
Physical Aspect
This means having sufficient sleep and rest, and is also closely linked to the mental aspect, as concentration and willpower dwindles when one is tired. Sit up straight and refrain from lying down, for it has been shown that physiology affects psychology.
Mental Aspect
Do not let drifting thoughts break your concentration of a particular task. Have the willpower to turn them away. Meditation, or mind training exercises will greatly help to improve your concentration. I also suggest putting a notepad beside you when you are studying, so that if any "urgent" thoughts come to mind, simply write them down so that you can attend to them after you are done with your current activity.
Time management
Plan ahead a rough flowchart of your day's activities, perhaps you might also want to use a planner for that. Do not try to cram too much in a day, try to be realistic. Most importantly, allocate timeslots for each activity, eg. if you're allocated 8pm to 9pm to study Biz law, then do not be tempted to do something else during that timeslot. Trust me, there is no such thing as multi-tasking.

The Power of Sleep

2008-04-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

The importance of sleep is often overlooked. When there are so many things to do and so little time to do them; often the first thing we do, whether intentionally or not, is to cut our sleep. It seems to be the solution to everything.

However, this is foolish. Every sleep debt you incur eventually has to be paid back. And the lack of sleep has many serious consequences. For one, you won’t be at your peak performance. You won’t be able to function at maximum efficiency.

Let me give you an example. You slept at 3am the night before and woke up at 8am for morning class. That’s 5 hrs of sleep. Since you’re sleepy when you reach class, naturally you won’t pay attention; therefore you have to spend the night reading to catch up. Which explains why you sleep at 3am.

This is quite ironic, for it means that you’ll end up taking more time to complete tasks, leaving you with less time for other tasks. This is an obvious vicious circle.

So how does one break out of it?

The answer is simple. Have sufficient sleep.

So, how much is sufficient? There is no fixed answer, but there is an easy way to find out. Your body will tell you. When you have sufficient sleep, you will not feel like sleeping. So, go to sleep early (I recommend 12) and do not set the alarm clock. If you wake up late, try it again for a few days until your sleep debt is paid. You have broken out of the cycle.

Once you have repaid the debt, I recommend 8hrs of sleep a day and sleeping no later than 12am. The key is in having the willpower to break out of the cycle by sleeping at 12am for the first few nights.

Benefits of sufficient sleep:

Use more of your mind potential
Increase your efficiency
Feel healthier and happier
Increase your willpower
Think clearly and accurately
Improved concentration
Live longer

Mad TV Barack Obama

2008-04-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Leaves that are Green

2008-04-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I’m twenty-two now but I won’t be for long
Time hurries on.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown,
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl.
I held her close, but she faded in the night
Like a poem I meant to write.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown,
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

I threw a pebble in a brook
And watched the ripples run away
And they never made a sound.
And the leaves that are green turned to brown,
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

Hello, hello, hello, good-bye,
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye,
That’s all there is.
And the leaves that are green turned to brown,
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

- Simon & Garfunkel

Pay it Forward

2008-04-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Muay Thai Explosion 1

2008-03-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

31^st Mar 2007, Muay Thai Explosion 1

This was held at Jurong East Sports Hall and it featured Muay Thai matches between Singaporean pro fighters and international counterparts. Since my gym was helping out in the organising, I chipped in with a bit of help in the ticketing. A couple of my friends were fighting, and there were excellent fights. Ended a bit late tho.

Preparation before the fight...

Fight in progress...

Winning in glory...

Bird's-eye view

Some of my friends won their fights, while other did not. Still, it was a great experience, and I leanr a lot just through watching.

Marketing Assistant

2008-03-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Dec 2006 – Mar 2008

AdvancEdge Magazine

Print Lodge Pte Ltd

Marketing Assistant

Joint venture to publish "AdvacEdge" Magazine.

Marketing Assistant, IC for this project

Write and edit articles

Strategic and financial planning for the project

Market research

Source for advertisers - met up with Cathay, AMD, HIGH, WCG, BenQ, Epicentre...

Flowers never bend with the Rainfall

2008-03-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Through the corridors of sleep
Past the shadows dark and deep
My mind dances and leaps in confusion.
I dont know what is real,
I cant touch what I feel
And I hide behind the shield of my illusion.

So Ill continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.

The mirror on my wall
Casts an image dark and small
But Im not sure at all its my reflection.
I am blinded by the light
Of God and truth and right
And I wander in the night without direction.

So Ill continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.

Its no matter if youre born
To play the king or pawn
For the line is thinly drawn tween joy and sorrow,
So my fantasy
Becomes reality,
And I must be what I must be and face tomorrow.

So Ill continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.

- Simon & Garfunkel

Literature

2008-03-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

My Favourites:

The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Animal Farm - George Orwell
1984 – George Orwell
The Cider House Rules
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
East of Eden - John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Lolita
Goodnight Mister Tom
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Sophie’s World

Others I have Read:

Call of the Wild – Jack London
Twelfth Night
Sing to the Dawn – Minfong Ho
The Clay Marble – Minfong Ho
Lord of the Rings
A Clockwork Orange
A Child Called It

Want to Read:

Call of the Wild – Jack London
Hamlet
King Lear
Romeo and Juliet
Othello
On Beauty – Zadie Smith
Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Never let me go – Kazuo Ishiguro

List of Countries Travelled

2008-03-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

America - 2008
Australia - 1994, 1999, 2002
China - 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007
India - 2006
Indonesia - 1994, 1998, 2002
Malaysia - 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007
New Zealand - 2003
South Korea -
Taiwan - 2006
Thailand - 1995, 2000
Vietnam - 2005
Hong Kong - 2008

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Visit TripAdvisor.com

[1994] Australia, Brisbane(Goldcoast) / Bali
My first major trip out at Primary 2, just 8 years old.
7 days Australia, 3 days Bali

[1995, ~5th - 11th Dec] Thailand, Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai / Bangkok

[1996] Malaysia, Cherating
Club Med. Went with Dad's company. With Shawn for company.

[1997, 16th Dec] China, Beijing / Shanghai
Primary 5. Great Wall of China.

[1998, 17th-19th Jun] Malaysia, Pulau Tioman

[1998, 17th Nov] Indonesia

[1999, 14th-19th Jun] Australia, Perth

[1999, 7th Dec] China

[2000, 14th-17th Jun] Thailand, Phuket

[2000, 11th-14th] Dec Malaysia, Johor Bahru

[2001, 14th-16th Jun] Malaysia, Johor Bahru

[2002, 21st-25th Dec] Australia, Sydney

[2002, 15th-17th Jun] Indonesia

[2002, 9th-11th Dec] Malaysia, TG.Pengelih

[2003, 28th Dec - 2004, ?Jan] New Zealand

[2004, 9th-17th Dec] China, Yunnan

[2005, 24th-28th Dec] Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh

[2006, 17th Feb India] New Delhi / Agra
In my 2nd year in the SAF, serving my NS.
Went to BABINA desert for my training.
Visited the Taj Mahal.

[2006, 17th-22nd Jun] Taiwan, Taipei

[2006, 30th-31st Dec] Malaysia
Just finished army.
Chuen Kang's house for RJC S03B class outing.

[2007, ?Dec China, Shanghai]
Overseas Community Project - Shanghai ISP 2007

[2008, 27th Apr - 21st Jul] USA, Arizona/Nevada/California
Working in the Grand Canyon. Work/Travel USA program.

[2008, 22nd July - 27th July] Hong Kong

Creative Thinking Project

2008-02-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

In the hidden corner of SMU...

The Funnel of Feeling

Before you enter this tunnel,
Throw away all your pre-conceived notions,
Throw away your masks that hide your emotion.
From your feelings do not fight,
Walk away from this alive you might.

Level 1 - Elation
Life is party. Prepare the drinks and the movies. Blow the balloons and be prepared to be mesmerized by the horrors that await your future. Happiness is but a fleeting moment.

A video clip of "Happy Tree Friends" was projected on the wall. It was twisted humour which involved grinding eyeballs into lemonade, and was complemented by us serving red lemonade.

Level 2 - Disgust
Blood soaked shreds of skin simmer in soup of souls. Impaled hearts clenched within fists of hate. Whispering songs of torture and oppression. Children. Bleed, now.

Welcome to the Dollhouse...

Level 3 - Anxiety
Danger pokes out at every corner. One wrong step, it's a trip to the coroner. Dark figures everywhere, one looks at you and stare.

Watch out for the booby traps and hidden creatures that jump out.

Level 4 - Fear
Darkness fall upon th land, the midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood, to terrorize your neighborhood. And whosoever shall be found without the soul for getting down, must stand and face the hounds of hell and rot inside a corpse shell.

.
Having to cross waist-deep in dry leaves that cackle with the rustling of hundreds of crickets. Crickets alive. That jump.

Level 5 - Lust
Sirens wail from the walls. Powerless to their call you respond. They draw you in with their faint glow of anticipation and opportunity. Only to leave you, wanton wanting.

We plastered the walls with excellent pictures and used about a hundred red lightsticks to illuminate the area, effectively turning it into a "red light district".

The ultimate fluff subject, and in the end I got an A-

China, Shanghai

2007-12-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

?Dec 2007, China, Shanghai
Overseas Community Project - Shanghai ISP 2007

LTB project: Community Service

2007-12-05T03:40:00.000-08:00

Year 1 Term 1 2007

Leadership and Team-buiding (LTB) was the module which gave us one of our first major projects in SMU, where we had a taste of teamwork and leadership.
Our chosen project was to create the SMUGuide to help Freshmen adapt to school better and not miss out any opportunities, thus allowing everyone to reach their full potential.

We made a video for our first presentation.

On our next presentation, we decorated a GSR by completely plastering every wall with magazine articles. It was a bid to showcase the potential of our Guide in benefiting the SMU community.

Originally, we planned to publish 3000 copies, but due to a lack of funding/ sponsorship, we ended publishing it on our very own blog, http://smuguide.blogspot.com/

We had a skit and video for our final presentation and we designed a treasure chest complete with parched and burnt scrolls to present our portfolio.
After the whole project was over, we had a barbeque to celebrate.

We were also contacted by the SMU student's association (SMUSA) and were offered the opportunity to be part of the sub-comm to undertake this project officially as a SMUSA project. They would provide additional manpower and whatever funding we needed, and these booklets would be distributed to the Freshmen of 2008.

We hope this project would be sustainable in the future, and we are glad we have created something that is potentially self-sustainable; and we are proud for having contributed to the school.

Success! Copies distributed to the Freshmen 0f 2008

SMUX Camp

2007-08-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Paperwork

Camp Briefing

Setting off for the Hike

Aftermath

Hiking through the Jungle

Dangerous Bridge

SMU Jump!

At the Reservoir

Ice-skating

Getting out our Kayaks

Briefing

Equipment Check

Soaking around

Fun and Games

End of Camp

Group Cheer!

Reach for the Skies!

Insurance Planning

2007-08-15T04:07:00.000-07:00

Why the need for Insurance?

Protection
$200,000 for Death, TPD (Total permanent disability), CI (Critical illness)

Savings
Don't waste money buying fluff
Long-term and Short-term goals
Banks only give about 0.125% (POSB) returns

Investments
Risk-appetitie
Business / Property / Stock market
Investment-linked mutual funds
Fixed deposit 2-3%
Funds give generally 5-9%
Time value of money and compounding
Call or email me for recommendations.

ASOC Camp

2007-07-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the camp to start

The last day was spent wholly at Sentosa

Sports Camp

2007-07-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

This camp was no doubt the best camp of those I attended in SMU, for the spirit and enthusiasm of the participants was unmatched.

Grand Finale

Freshman Team-Building Camp

2007-07-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

OBS @ East Coast

Teamwork

What's that?

The Guys...

And the Gals..

Girls gone wild

Legendary SMU Jump

Group flag: Mambo!

2007 [21 years old] 21st Birthday!

2007-07-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

The morning was pretty boring, and in the afternoon I had to attend a conference for the WCG launch, hence my formal attire. We had a great night planned - having dinner. Well anyway, 3 of my other friends had birthdays rather close to mine, so it was tradition to have a combo celebration. Theirs were on 4th July (twins) and 9th July. Yup. So we decided to splurge a bit and have dinner at Carnivore at VivoCity.

The food was fabulous, and was buffet-style, except that it was served right to you. The intimidating thing was how the food never stopped coming. Even when we were to the brim.

But I must say we tried our best. Whew!

After a hearty meal we posed for some photos while we tried to digest some food.

After that, we took a stroll along VivoCity and emerged at the open area along the waterfront we reminisced over the good ol' days.

By sheer coincidence, we bumped into some "second-tier" friends (friend's friends) and our group swelled. Well, the more the merrier. Plus we now had some gals as well. It's always great to make more friends.

Self-induced high :) After this, we sat down in some corner and played cards and reminisced and pondered the future. It brought great joy, great hope, and great nostalgia. We carried on till my birthday was nearly over.

Looking ahead...

All good things have to come to an end... And on a more reflective note, I am now officially 21, an ADULT. Sadly, this marks the end of my happy-go-lucky childhood days; yet it also points the way ahead to maturity and my life ahead.

“The things which the child loves remain in the domain of the heart until old age. The most beautiful thing in life is that our souls remaining over the places where we once enjoyed ourselves.”

Sanshou Competition

2007-06-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the fight

My teammates

My Teammate's Fight

My coach on the RHS

My Fight

End of the Fight

This Sanshou (chinese martial arts) competition was held at Takashimaya, and I came in 3rd for my weight category. But there were only 4 competitors though. Was a fun and painful experience.

Lawyer's Personal Assistant

2007-04-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mar-Apr 2007

Swee Keng & Co.
Lawyer’s Personal Assistant

Worked as a personal assistant to Mrs. Chua Swee Keng, lawyer and sole proprietor of Swee Keng & Co. It was an eye-opener to the professional world of lawyers and connections, which really amazed me. This company specialised in matrimonial law, so I came upon quite a few interesting cases. My jobscope was wide and varied, including:

- Typing letters and documents
- Filing letters and documents
- Doing memos and bills
- Basic accounts
- Washing and cleaning
- Running errands (delivery)
- Reading through cases
- Research at the Law library
- Attending court
- Basics accounts & cash disbursements

Picked up quite a few useful skills, such as being more proficient in Excel, and this experience also piqued my interest in law. I also picked up quite some formalities and learnt quite a bit of law jargon. On the other hand, it was exhausting. Whew!

Photographer

2007-02-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

Jan-Feb 2007

PictureWorks Pte Ltd

Photographer

2 month contract

Go to different primary schools to take professional pictures for EZ link card

Equipment and skills training, such as how to setup the lights, screens, cameras, tripods, flashes and computers.

Independent groups of 2 dispatched

Hard to control kids. lol.

Went back to my primary school, Ai Tong, to take photos and took the chance to meet up with some of my old school teachers.

National Service

2006-11-06T02:23:00.000-08:00

7^th Jan 2005 – 6^th Nov 2006

National Service

Armour (Mortar)

Admin Specialist (3SG)

Made lots of friends and acquaintances

Biz partners

Basic Military Training (BMT)

Excel through Basics

Bravo quite slack

Drill squad, route march, POP, SIT test, range, Field camp

School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC)

Delta. more slack

SOC torture, canteen breaks, cf with Echo/Foxtrot

Exercise Wanderer, Nutcracker

Mortar Commander Course (MCC)

Very packed, but more happening

Nights out - Dota

20+ to a room

AHM, IPPT Gold - fitness

40SAR

admin, spare spec

Very slack and fun

Played lots of table-tennis

Plan Duty Sergeant (DS) duties and plan training schedule

Training in India

ATEC. Good Platoon Commander (PC)

Nights out. Movies, Dota

Managing men. Education gap.

2005 [19 years old] Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh

2005-12-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

24th-28th Dec 2005, Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh

Quite an interesting mix of cultures.It was fun to scramble in the tunnels of the Viet Cong and check out the primitive weapons and traps used by them.

A lot of war monuments and weapons, relics of the Vietnam war.

Lots of nice scenery and fresh air too. There were quite a few beaches, and it was always very windy.

The marketplaces, on the other hand, are crowded and very happening, which hustling and bustling going on all around.

2005 [19 years old] Botanical Gardens

2005-02-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

Huge Tree with long branch

Looking up

Dwarfed by a tall tree

Framed by tall grass

Looks soft

Cone-shaped

Sinking in

Awaiting...

Reach for the Skies

Huge leaves

Photos of my friend, Jeremy

Jumping out

I see the light...

Christmas Tree

Astronomy

2004-12-31T20:14:00.000-08:00

Astronomy Club
Duration: 2003 - 2004
Rank: Member

Astro Week
Astro Fiesta organised by NTU
Gave a lecture on "Particle Mechanics"

Chinese Chess

2004-12-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

I learnt how to play Chinese Chess when I was a kid, but I only started playing it more frequently in Sec 1 when I joined the RI Chess Club. However, I only started playing and training seriously in Secondary 3, as I wanted to take part in competitions and to represent my school. That was when my skills improved greatly.

Close good friends, from other schools as well
Not just a game
Sportsmanship
Tactics, teamwork
Strategy, thinking in advance, visualisation
Numerous competitions

RJC Chess Club Exco

National U18 7th for 2 years
"Raffles Cup"
Blitz. Transfer. Tag-team.
Leadership. Vice chairman and vice-captain.

Raffles Junior College

2004-12-31T09:20:00.000-08:00

Chess, Recreation badminton, Astronomy,
Grateful to have smart tutors/friends to help me
After school, we either played chess, table-tennis, badminton, basketball or studied.
Studying was the last resort, mind you.
Tunnel exploration
Class outings
Class fundraiser - CIP
Astro night - girls
Mahjong nights
Christmas parties - baked a cake and cookies
Common birthdays
ABDO B3 to AAAA A2
Merit/Service Award

2004 [18 years old] China, Yunnan

2004-12-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

[2004, 9th-17th Dec] China, Yunnan

Stone Forest

Horse

Lamb

Snow Mountains

Delicacies

Temples

3 Pagoda

2004 [18 years old] RJC Prom Night

2004-12-01T03:14:00.000-08:00

Me, Eddie, Nikhil

Xinyi and me

My Close Friends

My Classmates from 2S03B

Some Joker

Jerold and me

Silvanus and me

Linus and me

Grace and me

2004 [18 years old] Indonesia, Club Med Bintan

2004-06-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Monkeys on the tree

Flying Trapeze

Nice cool beach

The Swimming Pool

What's this game called?

My sister reading

02 Raffles Scouts

2002-12-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

link to 02 main site
Facebook group
Scout camp - tekan
Tenderfoot, Scout standard, Advanced Scout Standard, Venture Standard.
PT, Patrol meetings
Scout craft, NPc - headed team of 3 for flagpole competition
Kayaking, Jobweek
Campfires
"As one" Baden Powell group yell
Scout law. Scout promise.
NYAA (National Youth Achievement Award) silver
Mental strength. Integrity.

Some videos about 02 Scouts.

Not my batch, but some things never change.

02 Scouts Investutire Ceremony

Raffles Institution

2002-12-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

Duration: 1999 - 2002
Facebook group:

Sec 1 orientation camp - pride
Different culture from primary school - mug hard, play hard
High standards but very fun
Joined Chess(L) and Scouts (L)
Addicted to computer games - LOD, D2
Not a good student

Sec 3 orientation camp was in Sentosa
Sec 3 was a crazy year, played like mad
Bullied the teachers and even played board games during class

Outward Bound Singapore (2001)

Sec 4 I was on probation
We used to hang out in the library to mug for our final year and also to catch the weekly "Movie Night" screenings.
Studied everything from scratch - 1 week 1 subject
34 to 13 to 7
Track n' Field Moor house, Cross-country, Swimming meet
Rugby matches
Merit / Service Award

After the Graduation Ceremony

Class Photos:

Secondary 1D

Secondary 2D

Secondary 3G

Secondary 4G

My Batch Video:

A walk down memory lane...

My School Building:

This was our beautiful school building before they began tearing everything down.

My Batch Song:

I fell in love with this song when I first heard it in Sec. 1. But ours is a modified version of it.

1998 [12 years old] Random Stuff

1998-12-31T20:20:00.000-08:00

'Concern' Childcare Centre
Celebrating a birthday

Ai Tong Primary School

1998-12-31T00:06:00.000-08:00

SAP school with high standards. Ballot to get in, quite lucky I got in.
Very competitive. Too much competition. Unhealthy.
Did quite well, made a lot of friends.
Quiet and shy, excelled in Math and English
Lots of ranking, best rank I got was 5th in class for P3 and P4
Streaming got me into EM1, where it was stressful, with plenty of daily homework and assignments.
Made some really close friends, still keep in contact.
FIFA 96, Mechwarrior, Red Alert
PSLE 269 with HCL distinction

My Class Photos of 2G:

A class photo taken on 15 sept 1994.

There is a Facebook group called Ai Tong Primary School 4G (1996).

My Class Photos of 6B:

These are the guys...

And these are the gals...

And this is everybody celebrating after the exams!

PSLE certificate after 6 years 'work'

There is a Facebook group called Ai Tong School 6B'98.

1997 [ 11 years old] Random Stuff

1997-12-31T20:12:00.000-08:00

'Concern' Childcare Centre
Celebrating Winfred's birthday

1997 [11 years old] China, Beijing / Shanghai

1997-12-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

[1997, ~16th Dec] China, Beijing / Shanghai

I was Primary 5, and 11 years old. Enjoyed running along the great walls although it was freezing and super windy. This was the first man-made "wonder of the world" that I was seeing.

Me and my sis resting under a tree. She's 8 and in primary 2.
My family in front of some random temple. Lots of those in China.

Back at the Hotel after a tiring day.

1996 [ 10 years old] Malaysia, Club Med Cherating

1996-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

[1996] Malaysia, Club Med Cherating

Slacking by the pool

Rockwall

In the log cabins

Trying out some acrobatics

The lone kayaker

Requires utmost concentration

First time at archery

Getting ready to leave

Farewell gift

1995 [9 years old] Random Stuff

1995-12-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

At the zoo with my sis

Reading in bed

1995 [9 years old] Thailand, Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai / Bangkok

1995-12-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

[1997, ~5th - 11th Dec ] Thailand

Chiang Mai village

Riding an elephant

Playing with Tigers

Beach-combing

Ferry ride

The thrill of para-sailing

Replicas of World Wonders

Sea Games in Chiang Mai

Bumper boats

Ferry ride

Giant's house

Tuk-tuk

Some temples

Hot springs

1994 [8 years old] Random Stuff

1994-12-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

My first Childcare centre - Cheerio House

Catch of the Day!

At the Chinese Gardens

At the Flintstones Park with my sister

Roller-blading in the void deck

1994 [8 years old] Indonesia, Bali

1994-12-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Me and my Sis

Riding a Jetboat on land

Banana boat

1994 [8 years old] Australia, Gold Coast / Brisbane

1994-04-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

[1994 ~30th Nov - 4th December] Australia, Brisbane / Goldcoast

One of the 7 natural wonders - The Great Barrier Reef

Movie World

Dream World

Sea World

1993 [7 years old] Random Stuff

1993-12-31T07:11:00.000-08:00

Get the hint?

Why so serious?

Shots taken at my Grandparent's house

It's a long way down...

Ascension Kindergarten [1991 - 1992]

1992-12-31T08:22:00.000-08:00

My kindergarten was a christain-based one, and it was very popular, hence it wasn't easy to get in. We usually started the day off with a singing session of mostly christian songs, then we had fun activities like writing or artwork or play.
Click here to visit their website.

Fun with Water-play

Before every meal, we would sing the "Meal Song", which was somewhat like a prayer to give thanks for our food.

Every year (or maybe more frequently), we would have a concert which involved everyone, where we would invite the parents to watch as well. This was quite a big event and I remember having to put on weird costumes as well.

Preparing for the Annual Concert

I was terrible at schoolwork, for I refused to do my homework, and when it came to spelling, I always got a big fat 0/10. Even when they reduced it to 5 words for me, and added in the pictures for the words, I still got 0/5 because I refused to even look at it.

K1 Class Photo

In class during K2 - some of my classmates

To top things off, I was sort of a loner, for I liked to stone and watch the teachers mark our books, or just sit around in a corner. This must have worried my parents a bit. Thankfully, I did have friends.

Representing my kindergarten for the "Traffic Police Puzzle Challenge"

I recall that my best friend was a girl, and we hung around together most of the time. Now, I can still recall her name, but barely her face. Unfortunately, we did not keep contact after kindergarten.

Graduation Certificate

1992 [6 years old] Random Stuff

1992-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

The Dark Knight

Riding my bike in the park

Having a go at rock-climbing

My 6th Birthday!

Drummer boy

Haircuts suck!

Short trip to Batam

Camping out at home

1991 [5 years old] Randon Stuff

1991-12-31T23:48:00.000-08:00

Dinner at home - doesn't look too yummy

My first dental appointment - many more to come

Training for marksman

I can paint, so can you!

That's my sister

Inflatable balloons in Bishan Park

Love, Love, Love....

Piano lessons at Yamaha

Fishing with my dad at Bishan Park

\
King of Puzzles

More yummy food

Rock and Roll!!!

Stuff toys galore!

Riding a rickshaw

My pet stuffed elephant

Pre-school

1990-12-31T08:17:00.000-08:00

Kinderland

This was the equivalent of nursery, where one could just literally play and sleep the whole day. However, I was somewhat hyper and I hated to sleep. I also disliked the darkness, hence I usually avoided nap times.

It used to be at Thomson Plaza, but has since changed location numerous times.

I can't remember much else about my time there, except that the uniform was green and there was a lot of other kids.

PAP pre-school

This was horrible and regimental, and I barely lasted a week. This place was the epitome of rote-learning and boredom.

To make things worse, it was chinese-based, with lots of writing and routinely copying words into a workbook. It was brainless and torturous.

1990 [4 years old] Random Stuff

1990-12-31T07:09:00.000-08:00

Rocking around the Christmas tree

That's my baby sister

First time at the Zoo

Child abuse... Just kidding.
Helping out with the household chores.

My 4th Birthday!

Monkey bars at Bishan Park

Feeling emo...

Having fun at cooking class

1989 [3 years old] Random Stuff

1989-12-31T06:39:00.000-08:00

You're not getting my roses...

My 3rd Birthday!

Riding my bike in the balcony - my birthday gift

At my Grandparents' house

Martial Arts Warrior

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!!

Ahhhh.... That's the life... :)

1988 [2 years old] Randon Stuff

1988-12-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

Taking a bath

DIY haircuts

Looks delicious

Yeah! That's right!

Don't look so stunned...

I'm not gonna listen...

Old tire swing

1988 [2 years old] Chalet Vacation

1988-12-26T02:18:00.000-08:00

Catch of the Day!

Panning for gold

I'm swimming on my own!

Wah so high...

Hah! I learnt how to fly a kite when i was 2!

1987 [ 1 year old] Random Stuff

1987-12-31T21:41:00.000-08:00

Swimming again

What's with the evil grin?

My first birthday - 1 year old at last!

Look at the mess!

Music prodigy

Jack-in-the-box

Oops! I forgot to check blind spot.

Yummy fruit

1986 [0 years old] Random stuff

1986-12-31T21:33:00.000-08:00

Baby on a beanbag

Gifts from the baby shower

Getting a headstart on swimming

Silver for Baby Contest

Which is me?

Looks yummy...

1986 [0 years old] A baby is Born

1986-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

My parents Wedding - Church bells are ringing

That's me and my mom

Don't disturb me

Poke... poke... poke...