The bo liao after the exams

Have you ever wondered how many exams you took since you were borned? Here is a rough estimation:

 

Primary School

4 subjects * 6 years + PSLE (4 papers) = 28 exams

 

Secondary School

8 subjects * 4 years + O levels (8 papers) = 40 exams

 

Junior College

5 subjects * 2 years + A levels (5 papers) = 15 exams

 

University

6 modules * 7 semesters = 42 exams

 

Total: Around 125 exams!!!

 

 

The '125th' exam of my life is named Pattern Recognition, which I shall remember forever, cos...

 

...it is damn chui! Ganna screwed left right upside down. Down... T_T

 

Hopefully I won't have a 126th exam named Pattern Recognition also.

 

Anwz, I almost died during this sem's exam period. FOUR papers in 7 days!!! 4 Red Bulls, 2 Starbucks Mocha Frappe, 5 Chicken Essences were what kept me going in the past week. Now I finally can recover from exhaustion, and taurine, caffeine and chicken overdose. 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Things to do during this holidays:

 

 

1. Prepare for FYP presentation next Monday

 

2. Grad trip in Taiwan for 11 days, starting from 12th May

 

3. Make an MS Excel program to help simplify dad's accounts

 

4. Find jobs

 

5. Visit natural reserves in Singapore, eg hiking/cycling in MacRitchie Reservoir or Ubin etc - to find peace in nature after such an hectic sem

 

6. Visit places of interest in Singapore which I seldom or never visit, eg, zoo, bird park, discovery center, museum, art museum etc etc

 

7. (Re)learn Tarot cards - to unlock the mysteries of the universe

 

8. Learn Tai Ji Quan (Maybe? Haha!) - to be One with Tao

 

9. Play games - actually no need to say, cos games and me are One

 

 

Anyone interested in going to any place or doing anything listed above with me, feel free to find me! 

 

Today

Today after my 3rd exam paper, while I was queuing at an ATM, I met a year 2 junior from hall. Though, we don't know each other very well, we still made some small talk while queuing.

 

She told me that she respects me!

 

Haha!

 

I asked her why, and she said cos I rec games very zai. Although I inside feel shiok but actually I also feel a bit guilty. True, I played all recreational games (c chess, weiqi, bridge, darts, i chess, othello etc) except scrabble and boggle in Inter-Block Games, BUT, I am actually NOT zai in any of them. Juniors nowadays very easily get cheated by seniors’ false ‘reputation’.

 

But well, really damn shiok! LOL!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

On my way back home, on the MRT, I was playing my PSP when a secondary school student came on the train and sat beside me. He was facing the other side talking very loudly, nonsense like

 

"Ah, the door is going to close... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

 

I thought he was talking to his friends, so I didn't bother about him. Throughout the journey, he just kept talking. And I just kept playing my PSP. Until the next stop, he said the same thing loudly again:

 

"Ah, the door is going to close... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

 

Then, I began to sense something was wrong. I looked up and around. There was no one for him to talk to!!!

 

At that point of time, I knew there were only 2 possibilities. Either he was talking to himself, OR…

 

*creepy music in*

 

…he was talking to someone I couldn't see.

 

. . . . . .

 

Both possibilities also didn't sound very good. =(

 

I tried to act as if nothing is happening and I continued to play my PSP (looking like very happy liddat). But inside I felt like running away.

 

Only until when I reached Woodlands and got out of the train, then I let out my breath. Phew!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Retrospectively (assuming it was not a supernatural incident), I don't think I should felt uneasy around people like him. He was only talking/thinking to himself out loud. I also talked to myself, albeit silently.

 

Actually, I am not that different from him.

 

(Maybe it was because I myself couldn't stand myself talking to myself so much, that was why I started writing to myself instead, and hence, this blog! Haha!)

 

 

Random Gundams

I have been watching Gundam Wing series recently. This morning feeling a little bo liao, went to do some googling on Gundams. Then I chanced upon different countries' Gundam from old Gundam G series on the Gundam Official Website. Let me show ya a few random ones from around the world, they are quite interesting:

 

Neo China - Dragon Gundam 

 

Neo Egypt - Mummy Gundam IV

 

Neo Spain - Toro Gundam   

 

 

Neo Kenya - Zebra Gundam

 

Neo Greece - Zeus Gundam 

 

 

Neo Holland - Hurricane Gundam

 

 

After looking at so many cool Gundams from around the world , do you believe Singapore also have a Gundam in the series???

 

Behold...

 

*Drumroll*

 

 

THE...

 

SINGAPORE...

 

GUNDAM!!!

 

 

 

Neo Singapore - Ashura Gundam

 

 

WTF! Since when did our national symbol became a freaking... SPIDER?!?

 

Down... =(

 

Studying... and Crapping

During the interview at DSTA last last Friday, I tried a little stun. It went like this:

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The first question the panel of interviewers asked was, as usual,

 

"Hi Jiefeng, lets tell us more about yourself, eg, what is your strengths and weaknesses?"

 

To which I replied,

 

"I have been a Professional Student all my life. My strength is that I am damn good at studying.

 

No matter what type of exam, be it Memorize type, Application type, Tigam type, Mix Mix type, Study-Also-No-Use type etc etc, I simply JUST won't fail!"

 

The interviewers were all flabbergasted.

 

"Haha! Just kidding la... My strength is my sense of humor. Hahahaha!"

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The above is purely crap, including the "simply JUST won't fail" part. But sometimes I really do feel that my one and only 'strength' is just studying.

 

Wonder if I should really try this stun during an interview someday... haha!

 

Anw, it has been a long time since I have studied for enjoyment. The last module I truly enjoyed was Chinese Cinema in English, which I took in Year 2. Well, studying to me is not really torturous either. I am just too used to it, studying my entire life. It is just like breathing. (Though I do get block nose and asthma attacks sometimes. =P)

 

It has also been a long time since I studied for grades.

 

I realized something after Year 1. 'B' grade is something you get naturally when you studied enough. 'A' grade is something you get naturally when you studied enough to become One with the subject. It is a by-product you don’t need to aim for purposely, I feel, just like you breath out carbon dioxide.

 

I usually study just enough.

 

I guess grades are not such a big thing under the old system ba, where nobody knows shit about what honors they are going to get. Anw, at this stage, it doesn’t matter for me.

 

In one week's time, I am going to reach Enlightenment by transcending the Bell Curve to the Great Beyond.

 

*Holy music in*

 

 

Good luck for your future exams, juniors (mortals) !

 

4 hours to my first paper, still have some time for me to try to become One with Software Engineering. 

 

Ohmmmmm....

 

(Oh no, I am beginning to see things in source codes again!)

 

Random stuff from the net

Split Personality 

A: - Hi 

B: - Hi

A: - I have a split personality!

B:  - Hmmm...

A: - I have one too! 

B:  (wtf!)

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

I Am Legend (Will Smith)- Alternate Ending

 

   

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

Loveless - From Final Fantasy Crisis Core

 

Prologue

When the war of the beasts brings about the world’s end

The goddess descends from the sky

Wings of light and dark spread afar

She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting

 

Act I

Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess

We seek it thus, and take it to the sky

Ripples form on the water’s surface

The wandering soul knows no rest.

 

Act II

There is no hate, only joy

For you are beloved by the goddess

Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds

 

Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul

Pride is lost

Wings stripped away, the end is nigh

 

Act III

My friend, do you fly away now?

To a world that abhors you and I?

All that awaits you is a somber morrow

No matter where the winds may blow

 

My friend, your desire

Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess

 

Even if the morrow is barren of promises

Nothing shall forestall my return

 

Act IV

My friend, the fates are cruel

There are no dreams, no honor remains

The arrow has left the bow of the goddess

 

My soul, corrupted by vengeance

Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey

In my own salvation

And your eternal slumber

 

Legend shall speak

Of sacrifice at world’s end

The wind sails over the water’s surface

Quietly, but surely

 

Act V

Even if the morrow is barren of promises

Nothing shall forestall my return

To become the dew that quenches the land

To spare the sands, the seas, the skies

I offer thee this silent sacrifice

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Empty Your Cup

 

(This is the story where the scene from Forbidden Kingdom originate from.)

 

A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. "It's overfull! No more will go in!" the professor blurted.

 

"You are like this cup," the master replied, "How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

 

Different Stages in a Complete Hall Life

Year 1 - Freshies

 

- FOC & Ignitiation - Going through the ritual before becoming part of Hall 11 'family'

- Blur, getting use to new culture

- Sudden exposure to a lot of new faces

- Making new friends

- Not that attached to hall, relatively

- Want to prove themselves

- Worry about next year's accommodation

 

Year 2 - Seniors

 

- Happy to be recognized by seniors as 'seniors' too

- Guide freshies to get used to hall and uni life

- Know everyone

- More attached to hall

- Start to take up leadership positions and/or join a LOT of stuff

- Disillusions (why did I join this?!) may occur due to over-commitment

 

Year 3 - (Grand) Seniors

 

- Semi-retiring, less active (becoming smarter from disillusions)

- Some will still take up high positions (for own interest and/or portfolio sake)

- Miss the seniors who are graduating...

- Have an empty feeling that a lot of familiar faces in hall had disappeared

 

Year 4 - Lao rens

 

- Graduating

- Mostly fully retired

- 不 active 的 与世隔绝 (云深不知处，只在麻将中。)

- Slightly more active 的 喜欢倚老卖老，but 不喜欢做事

- Tendency to rant non-stop (You know who, haha!)

- Frequent periods of emoing

 

- Realization that no matter friends or acquaintances, they have lived in the same place for more than 1 year. They are actually, really, family.

 

- Miss all the friends they have made in hall, esp those seniors (non-year 1s) whom they have lived, worked, played together for more than two years.

 

- Feel a faint sadness (淡淡的忧伤) about the inevitable leaving of the place they have called home for four years.

 

 

Only 3 more weeks...

 

因空见色, 由色生情, 传情入色, 自色悟...？

 

*淡淡的微笑*

 

 

Flying Penguins

For those who haven't seen this footage or heard this news on 1st April, BBC reporters have found and videoed a flock of penguins that can fly! Amazing!

 

BBC - THE FLYING PENGUINS

  

 

 

BBC - MAKING OF 'THE FLYING PENGUINS'

  

 

 

 

Btw, one of the most interesting products I found on the net, from thinkgeek.com. But of course, it also debuts on 1st April. 

 

 

I might buy it though.

The Last Day of School

Today is the last day of school. Not any other last days of school. It is THE last day of school.

 

Which I pon as usual.

 

Not that I don't want to go to school. By right I have assignments to hand in. But I have a job interview at 1130. Symbolic isn't it?

 

Ending the last day of School with a Job interview.

 

Guess what is the next thing I did after the job interview on the last day of school?

 

I applied for a THREE years Popular student membership card. LOL!

 

Little ironies in my life on the last day of school. Ha! Nothing remarkable happened after that, but I shall write it down for completeness sake. I went to watch a random movie on my own to celebrate the last day of school. It is called Untraceable, which was really quite thrilling as a thriller should be.

 

Then I came back home and chanced upon Minghui's blog entry from a few days ago, which is called Edited version of John Cage's 4'33. It reminded me that it was actually Minghui's mentioning of 'Zen' that started my recent rantings about Nothingness, Buddhism and stuff! (Minghui, it was all your fault!!! Haha!) Anwz here is a performance of John Cage's 4'33 on Youtube. Enjoy!

 

 

John Cage's 4'33

 

   

 

 

There is another video I wanted to show. This video was first put up by Singying on her blog and it WAS what made me bought PSP in the first place! (Singying, it was all your fault!!! Haha! Eh, btw, I complete it le. =P) Enjoy it too!

 

 

Final Fantasy Crisis Core - Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth (English)

 

   

 

(What a contrast between the first video and the second video. =P)

  

A beautiful last day of school. Pray hard for me that I wont ganna recall manning this weekend. (I don't have fieldpack T_T)

 

A nightmare

I had a horrible nightmare from a few days ago, which I typed out but haven't got a chance to post. Here it is... it was really horrible...

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

It was a bright sunny day. I was in a strange foreign place which was somewhat similar to Harry Potter's Diagon Alley in London. I was walking leisurely along a street when I saw some green apples growing from some vines on the ground. (I don't know why.) I felt a bit hungry, so I tried to kapo some apples. However, the apples suddenly came to life and shouted angrily (Ya, the apples had eyes and mouths) :

 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

 

"Eh... I want to kop some apples. Can?"

 

"WHAT?!?"

 

Then, the apple spitted out 3 seeds on to the ground... and they transformed into 3 white canvass shoes! Not ordinary canvass shoe, but moving ones!!! The shoes jumped and jumped and jumped towards me, menancely. Sensing something was wrong, I quickly ran back along the street, and as I looked back, the shoes were still jumping towards me! They were chasing me!!!

 

I was thinking to myself, 'siao liao la', when I saw at the far end of the street was a clobber (those kind sit on the roadside one). Then I knew I had hope. I had been chased by shoes before and he had saved me the last time by whipping out his magic wand and turned them back into seeds.

 

I ran with renewed energy.

 

The shoes were jumping closer and closer and I was getting more and more frightened. As I neared the end of the street, I shouted desparately, "HELP ME! HELP ME!"

 

However, as I ran passed him, I heard him yayaly said:

 

"Don't want leh."

 

I was shocked. And just as one of those horrible shoes about to hit my backside...

 

I woke up.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Hmmmm... what is my subconcious trying to tell me?

 

 

空

Did some googling on JM's comment 

 

"因空见色, 由色生情, 传情入色, 自色悟空" - 曹雪芹，《红楼梦》

 

To understand the meaning behind, we must first understand the following line where the above idea came from:

 

"色不异空，空不异色，色即是空，空即是色"- 《般若心经》 

 

"色" refers to the appearance of all objects. All objects came into existence from nothingness/non-existence, "空", and eventually they will go back to nothingness. After you fully understand this (enlightenment), you will find that appearance is just appearance, which is just as empty as nothingness. Actually they are all one and the same thing.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Next time your girlfriend caught you looking at chiobus and pull your ear, you can tell her

 

"Wah lao eh! Why you pull my ear?? I am actually practicing Buddhism you know. In actual fact, I am looking at 'nothingness'! Did you heard of this: '色不异空，空不异色，色即是空，空即是色。' Pretty gals are actually nothing in my heart!!! "

 

See, learning philosophy is useful! Haha!

 

(I am sure your girlfriend will pull your ear even harder.)

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

 

Back to "因空见色, 由色生情, 传情入色, 自色悟空". This is merely a description of the process of how the protagonist in the story understand the above Buddhism concept.

 

From nothingness you see something / someone.

After you see something / someone, you feel attachment / love.

From attachment / love, you look deeper into that something / someone.

And eventually, you realise that something / someone is nothing.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 

JM, bothered by attachment or love?

 

 

虚于实2

An ancient philosophy question:

 

One day, you came to my room and talked to me, you knew right then that I existed. After you left and close the door, how do you know I still exist? How to you PROVE that, I, or in fact, everything in the room, is still there (when the door is closed)?

 

You can't, can you?

 

Everything you know of the reality is through your five senses, and you should know that five senses can be easily fooled. (Ah, how I love optical illusions.) Since the five senses can be easily fooled, how do you know that the reality you know is the REALLY REAL, CONCRETE reality?

 

You can't, can you?

 

However, you might be relieved that at the very very least you can prove that YOU yourself exist. "Cogito, ergo sum - I think, therefore I am" - Descartes.

 

But, that is ALL you can prove - YOU exist, and nothing else. 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

This is called 太极图 (commonly mistaken for 八卦, but no, it is NOT 八卦, and that will be for another entry). The black and white in it usually symbolize Yin Yang. In this case I choose to interpret it as Imagination and Reality.

 

Here, everything is in a flux of change. Who knows where Imagination begins and Reality ends? When Imagination is going to become Reality, Reality is going to become Imagination? Is reality really Reality? Or is it just part of Imagination?

 

Nobody knows.

 

I believe that reality is not concrete and fixed. I believe that reality is fluid and malleable. I believe that reality can be changed and bent at will. I believe that we can create our own reality from our own imagination. I believe. DO you?

No? You don't?

 

Then how the hell did the boy bend the spoon in Matrix???

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(Hmmmm that doesn't seems very logical... Oh no... I ki siao liao... exam stress... heehee)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.

 

Neo: What truth?

 

Boy: There is no spoon.

 

Neo: There is no spoon?

 

Boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.

 

虚于实

I have a friend.

 

She went Arts stream in JC.

 

I went Science stream in JC.

 

She studied Mass Comm in University.

 

I studied Engineering in University.

 

She does news.

 

I have no interest in news.

 

She said in her recent blog entry that she hates literature.

 

I like stories.

 

She is firmly rooted in reality.

 

I don't exist.

 

无厘头

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe far far away, long long time ago, just after Earth was created, there were 3 formless, spirit-like entities. What exactly they were then, we do not know. We only know that they were some entities and they were brothers and they each have a different personality. That is all.

One day, God summoned them before Him and said in a deep, almighty voice,

"YOU THREE HAVE NOW REACH THE AGE WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE WORLD. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?"

The cheerful and outgoing eldest brother answered enthusiastically, "Father, I want to bring light and warmth to the entire world!"

 

To this, God replied, "VERY GOOD! THAT IS A WORTHY AMBITION! YOU WILL BECOME... THE SUN."

The quiet and humble second brother said, "Father, I want to watch over the world when it is sleeping."

 

To this, God replied, "HMMMM NOT BAD... YOU WILL BECOME... THE MOON."

The slightly slow and retarded youngest brother thought about the question for a very long while before answering:

"Errr... Father, I want to eat bananas."

God was stunned, and then furious! "YOU IDIOT!!! YOU WILL BECOME... ONE OF THE UGLIEST CREATURES THE WORLD HAVE EVER SEEN!" After saying that, God left angrily.

 

(After the omniscient God's temper finally died down, he mumbled to himself, "Hmmm... did I make a mistake somewhere? I don't think it was supposed to happen this way..." Then He shrugged it off as one of those mysteries in life that could never be solved.)

And so, the eldest brother became the Sun, the second brother became the Moon, and the youngest brother became One Of The Ugliest Creatures The World Have Ever Seen. However, although he was ugly, he just lazed around happily each day, doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. (And most of the time, he just wanted to eat bananas.) Life could not be happier.

Meanwhile, his brothers were toiling day and night non-stop doing the same old boring thing again and again and again everyday...

Although life could not be happier for One Of The Ugliest Creatures The World Have Ever Seen, he just couldn't help but had this little doubt in his slightly slow and retarded mind:

'Why did God call me an idiot? Why ah??? You know?'

 

THE END

 

Actually it is not quite the end. Later, in this particular parallel universe, human beings learnt about this story about the 3 brothers. They then adapted it into a chinese movie, named,

《猩猩，月亮，太阳》