Exams over...

So the exams are finally over... Should be rejoicing but now that my holidays have been messed up a bit, dunno how i'm going to endure the next 3 months. But I can worry about that later...

So anyway, had maths 2 and maths 4 on wednesday. Maths 2 was so much more difficult that expected, everyone I talked to was shocked (well, except Anbu, who actually thought it was easy...). I'm going to lose about 30 marks for this paper i think. So sad... I could do the hard questions that most couldn't, but I didn't manage to do the simpler ones. So there goes my advantage. Hoping for an A-.

Maths 4 on the other hand... easier than Maths 2, even though it's a Year 2 subject. Easier in the sense that it was more 'standard', i.e. of normal difficulty.

Finally had my last paper today, Computing. Was quite worried about it... I was scared it would be my 1st sem's econ's equivalent, which pulled down my GPA. So I studied until 2am loh... but then I couldn't sleep until 4am... haiz... But the paper was OK, much more do-able than I thought... haha...

Going back to Batu Pahat tomorrow. Be back by next week. Tataz!

die Prüfung (the Examination)

Well, just had my German test this morning... It's still quite difficult and I reckon to get around 60~70 marks. But Chen Hoay says that's OK, since he expected around those marks and he got A+. But of course, Chen Hoay already knew some German before he even took German level 1.

Anyway, the test was interesting as always (wie immer!). Haha... I think any test is interesting lah. But there was something in today's German paper that I would not find in any of my other papers-- The Musicians of Bremen! It was like I was reading the story as I progressed... how interesting is that? Reading a story and doing an exam at the same time! Haha... And I was quite happy coz I've read it before (in English). So at least I know what's going on and what verb should be placed where.

Here's a link to the story if you are interested:
The Musicians of Bremen

Better to Focus on Exams

So I've finally gotten over my lost job... Anyway, the reason that I'm not allowed is because they deal with certain military stuff that obviously should not be disclosed to foreigners. OK, I'm fine with that.

So anyway, I'm starting to past year papers now and mostly staying in my room all day long. To take a break/ destress, I still play Spider Solitaire or Minesweeper once in a while, watch some movie/series on my comp, or read. I turned on "Turn Left, Turn Right" on impulse today and I felt like searching for the famous poem that is the central theme of the movie. It was a poem by Wisława Szymborska who won the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature:~

*****************************
Love at First Sight

Both are convinced
that a sudden surge of emotion bound them together.
Beautiful is such a certainty,
but uncertainty is more beautiful.

Because they didn't know each other earlier, they suppose that
nothing was happening between them.
What of the streets, stairways and corridors
where they could have passed each other long ago?

I'd like to ask them
whether they remember-- perhaps in a revolving door
ever being face to face?
an "excuse me" in a crowd
or a voice "wrong number" in the receiver.
But I know their answer:
no, they don't remember.

They'd be greatly astonished
to learn that for a long time
chance had been playing with them.
Not yet wholly ready
to transform into fate for them
it approached them, then backed off,
stood in their way
and, suppressing a giggle,
jumped to the side.

There were signs, signals:
but what of it if they were illegible.
Perhaps three years ago,
or last Tuesday
did a certain leaflet fly
from shoulder to shoulder?
There was something lost and picked up.
Who knows but what it was a ball
in the bushes of childhood.

There were doorknobs and bells
on which earlier
touch piled on touch.
Bags beside each other in the luggage room.
Perhaps they had the same dream on a certain night,
suddenly erased after waking.

Every beginning
is but a continuation,
and the book of events
is never more than half open.
(translated by Walter Whipple)
******************************

...Isn't it beautiful?

一波未平，一波又起

It's official.

I've lost my holiday job at ST Aerospace.

Because I'm not a Singaporea Citizen nor a PR.

Great. Just Great.

All my plans are kaputt now. I can't tell you how frustrated I am.

And I have no choice, I have to stay in Singapore throughout May anyway because I have choir practices. Now what the bloody hell am I supposed to do during my free time?

*#&@*@^@*&^@!*@(!

Sorry dad and mom... gotta live off some of your money some more... :(

Vielen Dank Dr. Rogner!

Had my German Oral test less than 2 hours ago. I was nervous, which was usual of me for these type of tests. I remember I could not elaborate on my points much for the Chinese oral test during JC (but strangely got an 'A'). It was similar this time, except that it was a language I was far less confident with, and which I had only seriously taken up 3 months ago. And just a few days ago, I was contemplating whether or not to "S-U" my German (which means to put it into a satisfactory/unsatisfactory rating, whereby the marks are not counted towards CGPA but the academic units (AU) are).

I decided to "S-U" my choir module instead, because I believe my singing technique, pitch control etc. are more volatile and unstable, and therefore lead to a higher probability to fail the subject. I believe I have now made the right choice.

Dr. Rogner is my German tutor. She is a native German, which helps because she knows more about colloquail and common ways to say something rather than someone who learnt it as a foreign language.

OK, firstly, I screwed up on the presentation part. We were told to prepare for 4 scenarios and would be told of which one to present mere minutes before the test. So I was supposed to present what I do during the weekends (Was machen Sie am Wochenende?). I guess my preparation was too last minute, but I managed with some help from Dr. Rogner. The second part was passage reading (my strongest ability). She only corrected 2 words for pronounciation. Woohoo! Then the last part was simple simple Q&A, like how old am I etc.

At the end of the test, she praised me. She said I had very good pronunciation. I'm not trying to boast here, but that really really made my day, and it totally perked me up. Since we had time left, we talked a bit... She asked me why past year papers were allowed to be printed and given out; I said that was the norm here in Singapore, with all the ten-year series (TYS) etc. Apparently in Germany, this is forbidden. I asked her stuff about whether education in Germany was cheap etc. and I said I had tried to get a scholarship to study in Germany (JPA lah, what else), but didn't get it. She said I should try some more, because she really thinks I have the capability to study in Germany. Maybe someday I will?

People seem to have faith in my capabilities... but I don't feel exactly the same way. Can't let them down... what must I do?

Anyway, this encouragement from my German tutor was really timely as I was rather demoralised yesterday when my group got 5th out of the 6 groups participating for the Aerospace Engineering Discovery Course Glider Design Competition. This was the final part of our Discovery Course II module (1 AU course... yet we "piah" so much for it...). Basically there are 2 parts to the competition: distance and accuracy. For the first part we had to "launch" our glider from a "launcher" and the further it goes the better. However, there were certain "obstacles"... if the glider climbed too much during flight it would hit the wall at the end instead of passing through between the columns beneath it. If it curved to much it would hit the column or pass through another opening and the distance beyond the columns would thus not be counted.

Our group was named "Go Yongki Go!" after our mentor Assoc. Prof. Yongki Go. Sorry to disappoint you prof, but we really tried hard... at the time of the competition, we had reached model Yongki Go 7 (which means we had built 7 planes in total). But all in all, it was a good experience. Hopefully we have gained more knowledge about flight through this competition that would be useful in the years to come.

Team "Go Yongki Go!". Back row (l-r):Ge Yao, Yinxiang,
Assoc. Prof. Yongki Go, me, Hannah. Front: How Run.

NTU motor fest and other stuff

NTU motor fest was held last weekend at the Quad in NTU... Super-expensive you would only buy if you were a millionaire type of cars were on display, with brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and others. Some looked quite ugly actually in my opinion, and many were just impractical to drive around in Singapore. But some were really nice...

Of course, there were other stuff going on... arcade-style car racing, remote-controlled toy car racing on tracks, antique cars, car deals, stunt driving displays (when I was watching, there was one stunt car that banged into a barrier...), thrill rides and also Harley-Davidson motorbikes. I've put some of these under Photos! already.

But one major thing was missing, and that disappointed me.

Where were the hot car model babes? Haha~~

Ate at McDonalds in campus recently and I realised something... they have added 3 new stuff into their menu, namely apple dippers, corn in a cup and fresh salad. I tried their fresh salad ($1 with every purchase of a set meal, if not $2.50...). Looked nice and tasted quite nice too.

Fresh Salad with Thousand Island Dressing beside. Fork included(not in picture).

Exams coming soon and I'm so glad that I am finally motivated to do revision. This is so crucial now because I have some rather tough subjects for this semester, including a year-2 subject "Maths 4" which I brought forward to study. Aiming for average A- (4.5/5.0), but expecting average B~B+ (3.5~4.0/5.0) because I haven't been stuyding consistently this semester with other stuff going on...

My accommodation for next semester should not be a problem as I have managed to get 121.5 points, which means actually I can try to get a single room. But I've decided to stick with my roommate lah. We might be shifting to another room in the same block next year because I just want a change in environment. Hopefully in year 3 or something I get to move over to somewhere near Hall 13 (nearer to my school and library and look less run-down).

It's about a month before the holidays start but I had started planning it since early March. I had to, since I have obligations to attend choir practice throughout the holidays, I want to go home, I want to work and I want to go travelling somewhere. Now since I've gotten the leadership post of VP PD (Vice president of People Development department) in AIESEC, I've gotta make myself available for their "transition" activities.

My workplace during the month of May have more or less been confirmed (ST Aerospace, engines department). That should be a good experience and exposure to the real engineering world. I heard that it can probably be counted towards my IA requirements, probably 2AUs out of the 10AUs. Sihan was of great help as she managed to get me the job from her industrial mentor. Thank you so much Sihan!

As for travel plans... Apart from going to Xiamen late July to participate in the World Choir Games, I'm also going with a group of friends to trek Gunung Tahan in Taman Negara in June. Gotta train up for that as well... so as you can see, my holidays are quite packed already...

Time to plan for next semester?