Love From SG

Night out without me. I'm sad. But as crazy as they always are, they took pictures to send me. Missing people in Singapore right now.

And that includes you as well.

The Truth Is

Well the truth is, I'd never have got to know what you're thinking, yet you're a whirlpool of thoughts in my mind.

The truth is, you'd never have felt a single touch, but your every word is a catalyst to the emotions of my vitreous heart.

The truth is, there aren't many steps left, before you finally walk away.

The truth is, the stars may have aligned, but they collide, crash and burn all the same.

And the truth is, I'd have loved you so much more, if our song hadn't gone off tune.

Hiatus

As I'm on vacation, so is my blog.

Will be back soon.

What's Left To Do Part II

Writing Journalism

• News Feature (900 words) - due 7th June
• Final Report (1200) - 7th June

Net Communication

• Blog (3 more posts: 1 informal, 2 formal) + redesigning of blog layout - 6th June

Sexual Politics

• Essay (2000) - 6th June

Critical Analytical Skills

• Essay (2000) - 14th June

The last hurdle.

Exchange

The thought of going for an exchange in my Year 3 final semester has sparked my interest lately. Come to think of it, it's quite an experience and not much further costs will be incurred, which is the main concern. As such, I guess I'll be planning my course structure for the next 3 semesters to suit this path, just in case I decide to go for it in the end.

Essentially, I'll keep all 4 of my Year 3 Sociology modules for the final semester because there are more options to do Sociology as compared to Media elsewhere. I'm looking at the University of Manchester in the UK, and Scandinavian countries, in particular Lund University in Sweden where Marc went. Not too keen on Finland, Denmark and Norway though but it's worth a thought.

Considerations:

1) Cost. Tuition fees will be the same. How it works is that I'll go for exchange but I'll pay the same fees here at UniMelb. Accommodation-wise I pay for accommodation in country of exchange and obviously I would not be renting a place here in Melbourne when I'm away. So it works out to be about the same in the end. I might even save because school only starts in September in the UK. So from June to August I'll head back to Singapore.

2) On the topic of accommodation, Clarence is planning to go for an exchange in our final semester as well. He's moving out next semester, while I'm staying put to see out my lease. Then I'll probably move in with him again the semester after next. Long story. Anyway the point is, it might be yet another issue if he goes for exchange and I don't, then we'll have to look for someone to take over his part of the rent again.

3) Grades. On exchange, you'll only need to pass your subjects. So far, I guess I can qualify for Scandinavia, UK is probably a tad more difficult to qualify. But by 2 semesters later, I should be able to do it. Working towards that. And by just passing my subjects while on exchange, my 'good' grades can be preserved.

4) Experience. Well, it's always good to experience a different education system and life in another country. To look at it more superficially though, I want to go to Manchester for obvious reasons. And Scandinavia to see the Northern Lights.

Much to think about and the good thing is I still have quite a lot of time to consider in greater detail. Probably there are factors I haven't considered yet as well but tentatively this is it.

What's Left To Do

Writing Journalism

• News Feature (900 words) - due 7th June
• Final Report (1200) - 7th June

Net Communication

• Blog (3 more posts: 1 informal, 2 formal) + redesigning of blog layout - 6th June

Sexual Politics

• Essay (2000) - 6th June

Critical Analytical Skills

• Essay (2000) - 14th June

Get started.

All Smiles

A few of the players after securing the all-important record 19th league title. Photo taken from Rio Ferdinand's Twitter account.

From left: Darron Gibson, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Michael Owen, Chris Smalling.

Trophy presentation next week at home ground Old Trafford. :)

And then bring it on Barcelona, for the Champions League final.

Totally Random

Just the other night I was watching soccer with Alvin, online that is, and usually his live stream will lag mine by a couple of minutes so I'm always the one telling him whenever a goal is scored. That night he texted me first with a "GOOAALLL!!" and I was quite surprised that this time I was lagging him. Turned out to be that he was just kidding.

So, I decided to let him have a taste of his own medicine. A while later I did the exact same thing to him, but before he could reply and probably less than a minute after I texted him, ManUtd really scored! I was just dumbstruck. And when he asked me who scored I replied so excitedly, "EH ACTUALLY I WAS ONLY KIDDING BUT THEY REALLY SCORED!!"

Talk about being psychic.

p.s. This post is really totally random.

Sexual Preferences

Sexual Politics lecture was rather intense today. Especially when you have a radical feminist lesbian professor who insists that sexual orientation is totally socially constructed, while the whole lecture theatre feels that there are biological factors contributing to it to a certain extent. In the end you get two extreme views and the argument between lecturer and students got pretty heated up.

Personally, I subscribe to the norm, that both biological factors (testosterone & estrogen) and social construction play a part in our sexual orientation. Both are equally important when it comes to how one becomes heterosexual or homosexual.

My professor may be right when she says that we have a choice in deciding our sexual orientation. For instance we can open our minds and accept the fact that we can like people of the same gender. But we're right too, because we have scientific backing. Who's to say who's wrong?

Election Time!

This is why I always feel that army regulars should just stay in the army, for life.

#nobrains

Edit:

Should watch the clips on YouTube where he spoke dialect in political speeches - acting very unclassy. Then again, it is said that he speaks like that so that he can identify with people better. In other words, it's fake. And for someone who studied in RJC, Cambridge, MIT - and a very good speaker at that, I'm not sure if that reason is justified, if it's true, because it just gives him a very fake persona in that sense.

A Whole Lot Of Nonsense With Alvin

"ngiam keng kua sex book" translates to "say prayer while reading sex book, or porn mag for that matter (because I don't know what the hell is a "sex book", haha)".

Because in life, there is always much irony in a lot of things.

"When you embark on a journey together, you walk on together till the end. That's brotherhood."

Knowing me and my phobia for dragonflies,

Someday, someone will be able to make me "catch a dragonfly for ya.."

Yes, for me it's as bad as catching a grenade.

Such a glamorous name don't you think?

I'd prefer to call it the "douchebagfly".

Nauseated by the thought of dragonflies already.

Back to NetComms essay.

Random Thoughts

A night of random thoughts. Yea, as if my essay hasn't kill my brain cells enough.

Blogging from my phone now. And I was just thinking about how I freaking hate it when people say to me "You guess?", regardless of the situation.

"You guess how much this costs?"
"You guess what I had for lunch?"
"You guess how many pieces of shit I pooped out this morning?"

Yadda yadda. Thankfully nobody has asked me the third case yet.

And usually I would just say, "I don't wanna guess. You tell me."

I mean like, why go one big round and tell me the answer. Waste time.
And if you didn't intend to tell me the answer in the first place, why ask me to guess? Waste time.

Alvin and I share this similar issue with uncertainty. He would hand in his essay and immediately hope that he can know how well he did for it. That's just his thing. I'm pretty chill when it comes to academics though. I go by the theory "I did my best, so I'll just wait and see."

But when it comes to other issues, I absolutely hate uncertainty and suspense. Some people can live with it though, ignorance is bliss to them. But definitely not for me.

Let's just all be straightforward people with no reservations, unless of course it concerns a grave matter and by saying things out means that it will cause a detrimental effect or have dire consequences to..whatever. You get my drift. Now that's a different thing altogether. But simple things like, when you feel the need to compliment someone, do it. Or when you wanna diss someone off, do it. It may hurt their feelings, but it's truly how you feel anyway. The bottomline is, tell people how you feel. It's more genuine that way.

Don't don a mask unless you have to literally, like at a masquerade, or if you're a clown or something. Okay, clowns paint their faces but that's not the point.

The world will be a different place, when nothing's too hard to say, be it good or bad.

At least, we're honest with ourselves.

Of Wishes And Reality

You know, I swore off making birthday wishes or any wishes of any sorts. Because I don't believe in them. Tested and proven.

Wishing wells too, from the one in Japan, to the one in Taiwan and finally to the one in Italy. They all didn't come true. In fact, reality turned out worse than what I wished for. It has an amazing tendency to take my wish, turn it 180 degrees round, and accelerate it with the fastest of all speeds.

That's why I gave up making any more wishes.

But that day I still made one over my birthday cake. Because my friends told me to, and I was kinda 'pressured' at that point in time. And so I did, without thinking. Now that I think about it, I should have wished for something that I didn't want, so that maybe, just maybe, I would get something that I actually want or hope for, for that matter.

As they say, "Be careful what you wish for."

Too late for regrets.

I think my counter-wish is acting real fast, and coming true.

Thoughtful Conversations

Was talking to a friend online tonight. Let's just call her Girl A, so that her identity is protected.

PM 11:05:02 Girl A: Andy. U r a really cool person. As a friend and maybe even a boyfriend. Be upset but the whole good guy don't deserve this crap thing is false

PM 11:18:39 Girl A: I wish u could see urself through my eyes

PM 11:18:46 Girl A: Then u would appreciate urself more

PM 11:39:22 Girl A: In all honesty, I just told XX just now, Andy is a very sweet guy n I would like to date him if I was ready

PM 11:39:38 Girl A: See? Very straightforward right

PM 11:41:04 Girl A: So I hope that boost ur ego Abit n make u feel better about urself being a great guy.

PM 11:41:26 Girl A: If not I won't bear my thoughts out so openly to u if I feel that it wouldn't help u

Not that I need a morale booster or anything, that's not the point. Nor am I experiencing a period of low self-esteem and wallowing in self-pity, that would never happen, because I've always believed that one should always love oneself no matter what. The point is, I'm grateful for people like that to put me back on track when the bros are so far away. So thank you, Girl A.

p.s. This is not bragging, either.

Lookalikes

Top: Andy Penders. Ex-colleague of mine at ESPN.

Bottom: Javier Hernandez. Man Utd's new & rising Mexican striker. Nicknamed "Chicharito" meaning "Little Pea".

Okay well, they actually look more alike on tv, the photos don't do justice.

I remember the time when we were at MBS watching Manutd vs Liverpool. Chicharito was playing in that game but he was subbed out before the match ended. And guess who was the presenter of the match show? Haha. And I made a joke saying, "Eh look, Chicharito! No wonder he was subbed out, 'cause he needed to go shower and rush to the studio on time."

It got everybody laughing. Fun times.

WLIIA

Excerpts of news from a game called Weird Newscasters from the show Whose Line Is It Anyway? This show is genius, cracks me up all the time.

"According to a recent scientific report men think about sex every 6 seconds, and because.. *pauses and smiles*"

"This just in.. Beverly Hills 90210, Cleveland Browns 3."

"After a disappointing summer, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall."

"Psychic convention cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances."

"NASA sends probe to Uranus, people everywhere giggle."

"Veteran British rockers Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend and John Entwistle broke into an animal hospital today and set free all of the doberman pinschers. The police said that they have now proved that The Who let the dogs out."

"A man who was swallowed whole by a whale escaped today by running all the way down to the end until he was pooped out."

"A fight was started downtown by a man wearing a suit made completely of mirrors. The police said the man apologised once he had time to sit down and reflect."

"The great Zambonee, eccentric human cannonball, known for taking his lucky donkey to all his performances, escaped near tragedy today when the donkey climbed into the cannon muzzle just as Zambonee was taking off. It took the surgeons 3 hours to remove Zambonee's head from his ass."

and my favourite...

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer dead at 53. I know it is sad. Over Barcelona today the famed reindeer was hit by a flock of seagulls and a 747. Eyewitnesses report, that the reindeer in Spain was hit mainly by the plane."

"would it be out of line to say that i love you, a little more than i should. and at the end of the day, when all hope is gone, i still hope to be the one that you'll turn to when you feel like the whole world has turned its back on you; never will i forsake someone like you. because you're beautiful like that. that's how i am. and that's how i'll always be."

Have You Ever

You know, if I were to like a song, the lyrics must be able to relate to how I'm feeling at that moment. That's the first thing I look out for. They don't have to be really poetic, sometimes simplicity is beautiful too. Lyrics over music anytime, it has always been for me.

On the contrary, some people like a song because of its melody. For instance, Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat's "Lucky" is a very nice song, but it's also a very happy song. Don't you feel that you'll like it more when you're feeling happy, yet it doesn't have any impact on you when you're feeling sad? Well, it's like that for me.

I listen to songs almost every night on my bed before I sleep, it's been a habit. I remember listening to Uncle Kracker's "Smile" at one point in time last semester for almost a week, because it literally made me smile just listening to it. And sometimes, you just seek solace in certain songs.

Pretty interesting how my song choices are selective according to my mood, and how they complement it for the night.