Am back

Well well.

Almost half a year since i last touched my msn and blog, all in the sacred name of doing well for fyp, which sadly, has turned into a tragedy. Thou shalt not delve into finer details.

Went down to NATAS Fair 2009, and bumped into no less than ten friends who are planning for their grad trip. What recession, you may ask, is SG going through, when even students, some of which who have not worked/found a full-time job, could afford to go for a grad trip.

Anyway, my family has decided on a week-long Hokkaido trip departing on my bday this year. We got so much freebies from the lucky draws and free dips for-every$XXXX-u-spend-on-a-VxxA/MasterCxxd. All in all, we won a electric plate, a electric frying pan, countless travel pillows and cushions. To top it off, sis also won an iPod Touch (8GB)! Well, considering the numerous luck draw tickets which we qualified for, we're secretly hoping for a BIG one, in the form of another tour package.

The other trip which I'll be making in May will be to Taiwan. It's back-to-back with the Hokkaido trip and is tentatively planned for a week, but details have to be finalised. So, I'm probably going to be cash-strapped for that short while before I get my first paycheck in July.

One thing perturbed me when I was at the fair today. Why is it that credit card companies are able to give away so many freebies/discounts when we use their cards to make payment. They collect a ~1% charge from the tour agencies, but they are giving consumers so much goodies in return. I guess some cardholders may default on payments and thus make it worthwhile for these companies.

I cross-my-fingers and hope my sis wouldn't be one of them. Ha.

Obama

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - - Americans elected Democrat Barack Obama as their first black president, in a transformational election which will reshape US politics and reposition the United States on the world stage.

Obama, 47, will be inaugurated the 44th US president on January 20, 2009, and inherit an economy mired in the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and a nuclear showdown with Iran.

Television networks projected his victory over Republican John McCain after Senator Obama solidified traditional Democratic states and cut deep into the Republican territory which his rival needed to control to win the White House.

Obama's historic inauguration will complete a stunning ascent to the pinnacle of US and global politics from national obscurity just four years ago and close an eight year era of turbulence under President George W. Bush.

He will take office with Democrats holding a monopoly in power in Washington, after an epochal election which sparked a rare generational and political realignment and finally snuffed out an era of Republican control.

Obama is promising to renew bruised ties with US allies, and to engage some of the most fierce US foes like Iran and North Korea. He has vowed to pass tackle climate change and provide health care to all Americans.

His presidency also marks a stunning cultural shift, with Obama, the son of Kenyan father and white mother from Kansas, the first African American president of a nation still riven by racial divides.

When he launched his campaign on a chilly day in Illinois in February 2007, Obama forged a mantra of change which powered him throughout the longest, most costly US presidential campaign in history.

With a stunning grassroots political movement, powered by massive multi-million dollar fundraising, Obama first beat Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic Party's then preeminent political machine.

Obama strode towards victory on Tuesday by capturing the states of Pennsylvania, the key battleground which McCain needed to win to keep his long-shot hopes of victory alive.

In a sweet moment for Democrats, he also seized the midwestern battleground of Ohio and captured New Mexico and Iowa, two states won by Bush in 2004 to close out McCain's possible route towards the White House.

Obama had led national and battleground polls and had capitalized on the fear of Americans pitched into the deep financial crisis, especially as he appeared to be presidential in a string of debates.

McCain had argued that Obama was too inexperienced to be US commander in chief and would pursue "socialist" redistribution policies that would leave the economy mired in recession.

McCain, 72, an Arizona senator, would have been the oldest man ever inaugurated for a first term in the White House. -- AFP
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So, Obama won convincingly in the end. Though I never really had the time to fully understand the plans which these 2 candidates had for USA, there are some issues which I think will put him to the litmus test.

First of all, the promises/pledges made during his campaigns will be under the scrutiny of the opponents, who will probably grab every opportunity to attack him (judging from history). He is expected to come in as THE "commander-in-chief", who can take charge of the country from the very first day. There will be no room for failure given the sheer magnitude of victory.

Secondly, his pledge to revitalise the current failing economy. The people have given him a clear mandate to rule and an opportunity for him to fulfill his promises of rebuilding the economy. It'll definitely take some time before we see results.

Thirdly, his plan to pull out the US military in Afgan and Iraq could be difficult to implement despite the fact that the locals seem to support his move. I do not know what could happen without them, but I also understand that it shld be a combined effort against terror rather than making USA the global police. As can be seen over the past few years, the number of countries involved in this multi-nation peacekeeping mission has been declining and this has placed a greater pressure for US to send in more troops despite protests from the locals. After all, no parent like the idea of sending their child to die or be tortured in a foreign land. However, pulling back large number of troops could potentially reduce the grip on terror-riden countries and lead to a larger national/global security problem.

Being the President of the most powerful nation on earth is a job filled with numerous challenges, both political and personal, and I believe it will take some time for his promises to come "through" (pun on the word true). Hopefully, this man will herald a new beginning to a safer world, esp on terrorism and environmental issues. Wishing him the best of luck in his new role.

MPS, mid sem break

MPS really makes me appreciate how fortunate I am.

Being able to study in a University, having the $$ to buy the things we want and not having to go hungry may seem trival to most friends around me, but there are some ppl out there who may never have the chance to have these experiences.

I think there were quite a number of sad cases tonight. One auntie teared unexpectedly while talking to me, and I also saw some familar faces with disadvantaged backgrounds. I sometimes wonder how I would cope if I were them, and this explains the eagerness in listening to their stories and trying my best to help.

Basically, MPS is one of the events that I really look forward to, simply because it keeps me grounded when I start to think dream that everyone in SG is contended with their lives, just as I am with mine.
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Anyway I realise that Mid-sem Break isn't really going to be a nice vacation. Loads of work to do:
1. Environmental Chem Project + Slides
2. Analytical Chem Project + Slides
3. Analytical Readings (eight of them)
4. Chemistry Honours BBQ
5. TSL Gang Outing
6. Tuition
7. LAB (but of course)

Where got time?

1st Mobilisation

Well, I've come to the age when I see that little green man flickering on the TV screen with my code, I know I have to put away everything and then be contended with idling in-camp for a few hours.

I sort of resent the mobilisation, but at the same time, I know the importance of having a force ready for action in a few hours. As much as we might not like the idea of having our weekends disrupted, it is a duty, which we all able-bodied male Singaporeans must serve.

At the very least, we got to meet up with each other since our last ICT (2months ago) and got to know how each other is faring. Like Tiko's baby is going to be born soon; Daryl planning to study 2 more degrees; someone asking me to be his match-maker (i'm not going to name who he is, so don't ask) and many more interesting news about each other.

The silver lining for the day was that our company was the 1st Company to book out in the entire Brigade. That's an accomplishment by itself and we're glad to have achieved that.

We shall meet again next June!

well, another random post before i go collect my clothes (20mins) and sleep. haha.

just came back from a run with kok soon 2 hours ago, and i can feeeeeel the potential aches that will be sure to pop up in the morning. but it was v enjoyable running with him, as we chatted and while running in the west coast area (a place as foreign to me as Iceland is; i probably have never been to this part of SG b4).

anyway, I was talking to one of my Ph.D students in my lab yest and I asked her what made her decide to do a Ph.D in Chemistry immediately after finishing her undergrad studies. I thought most ppl would be glad to move away from books/research and 4 years is a long period of time. She explained that she didn't do as well as others who got a grad scholarship but getting a PhD has been her goal all along. While 4 years seems long, she will eventually get her PhD one day. Moreover, it would serve in good stead when she graduates and embark a career in teaching at Uni level.

Wah. Zhi li ming yan. The more i think of it, the more sense it made to me. Education, in a vague way, is but a stepping stone for a greater and brighter future (Mr. Kenny Yap and Mr Sim W. H. are kindly excluded from this classification). While it doesn;t mean that a first class honours student will definitely find a higher paying job than a basic degree holder, the odds favour the former more than the latter.

Wah. But life isn;t so much about getting your first class and then expecting to have opportunities rolling your way without us wanting to look for it. Hardships are an inevitable part of a successful journey. As long as we are willing to bear through it, we'll prob will make it through. I remember this quote from a famous personality (which i have since forgotten whom), he said: "If you think you are going through Hell, keep going!"

That's all I want to say and i think i took 30mins instead!
Time to hit the bed! *yawns*

Back in TH and some random feelings

In Mandarin, there's this phrase that says: "feng hui lu zhuan" - meaning that we return back to the point where we started our journey.

This is also how I would describe my stay back in TH. It used to be home; now it is home again (and just a few doors away from where I used to stay). I like the idea of stayin in Hall cos of the long travelling time btw home and school. On a bad day (today), it can take 2 hours to reach school, and I don't think I can waste so much time in my final year.
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Know what. I look forward to all MPS and I feel that I want to do a little more for them. This is esp so after each session. You see, the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I interact with the ppl there makes me feel so welcome. I like to think of what I can do to help the area but at the same time, I worry if I can cope with too much commitments (tuition, studies..etc). Hmmm.

Trust

SINGAPORE: Former head of Ren Ci Hospital, the Venerable Shi Ming Yi has been charged with alleged forgery, conspiracy and misuse of funds.

Venerable Ming Yi, who was also the former Ren Ci chairman, was slapped with 10 charges on Tuesday morning. The monk faces four charges under the Penal Code involving two counts of alleged criminal breach of trust. He also faces one count of alleged forgery for the purpose of cheating and one count of abetment for allegedly falsifying accounts.

He also faces six charges under the Charities Act for allegedly providing false information. Two of his associates, Raymond Yeung and Phua Seow Hua, were also alleged to have gone into conspiracy with the Venerable and were also charged in court on Tuesday. Separately, a volunteer from Ren Ci was charged with allegedly possessing some 70 copies of obscene film.

Venerable Ming Yi, also known as Goh Kah Heng, is out on a S$200,000 bail. His case will be heard in court on August 4. Venerable Ming Yi has been on leave for five months before his arrest on Monday night. He had been under probe by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD).

The CAD was called in after auditors engaged by the Ministry of Health (MOH) highlighted possible irregularities in some of the charity’s financial transactions. The MOH had said that several transactions, which involved several million dollars, could not be satisfactorily explained.

Ren Ci and 11 other large Institutions of a Public Character were subject to the Health Ministry’s general review in July 2006. Ren Ci is believed to be the third largest health charity in Singapore after the National Kidney Foundation and the SingHealth Endowment Fund.

The Commissioner of Charities has suspended Venerable Ming Yi from his office as Chief Executive Officer of Ren Ci Hospital & Medicare Centre with immediate effect.

He will also be suspended from his executive positions in five other charities: Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery, Foo Hai Ch’an Buddhist Cultural and Welfare Association, Singapore Buddhist Free Clinic, The Singapore Regional Centre of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, and the Katho Temple. However, he remains the religious leader of the Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery.

(from channelnewsasia.com)

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Seems like it will take some time before Singaporeans can trust our charitable foundations again, esp when a seemingly compassionate (i'm no longer sure if this term is suitable for him) figure like Venerable Ming Yi has been charged in court.

It hasn't been long since the NKF saga and yet, we are witnessing yet another case of criminal breach of trust now. This case has probably shaken the confidence of many in our local charities and lead us to wonder which foundations can we trust from now on. It should thus not come to a surprise if the amount of donations were to decline from now on, but I do hope that those who need help will not be disprivileged by this unfortunate incident.

Dear and I were discussing parenting techniques over lunch today and we both agreed that we were on almost opposite camps regarding this. I agreed to the theoretical part of how kids should be brought up, but not so much of how we as parents-then should do for our children. Dear is basically just too xin-luan la~

Nevertheless, I'm sure when the time comes, we will most probably be standing on the same side of the fence.

But Dear did bring up an interesting topic: Do you think our parents should have a hand in beating teaching or disciplining our children?

I personally think that it really depends on what the issue is. Some of us might have developed a set of rules and guidelines for our offspring and want them to adhere to these. Grandparents, on the other hand might have some habits which we do not think is benefical for the kids to learn.

So how? A 3 generation family staying under the same roof seems destined for some trouble with either end of the family line. Probably the 2nd generation (like me) will be the ones who get blamed easily for upsetting either ends. Moreover, grandparents are often more lenient and usually side with the little ones, which means it'll be a hard time teaching the little ones if the elders are too nice to them!

Whatever. As for now, my plan is to stay with my parents when I get married. We see how it goes in th future.