game changers

they changed the game.

three close friends made important remarks over the last 12 months which opened my eyes (and heart) to a lot of things, chief of it all being you.

X said, "your kind of girl isnt that unconventional or diverse actually, contrary to what you often say. A had it, B had it, and now the more i study H the more i see it. they all have a certain air to them. look, when A changed, your heart changed too."

doesn matter whether i agree with X or not. fact is, that reinforced 'you'.

Y said, "to be honest i had a lot of reservations about you and B. i remember the spark in your eyes during the times with A, when she said yes... but that spark wasnt there with B."

i have, admittedly, found that spark again, with you.

and Z said, "you know you always tell me about the girls in your life and after so many years, what you think is the perfect girl for you. well, you might not admit it now, but this one, sounds to me closest to your idea of perfection."

whoever said NTU's boring ought to [insert disgusting activity no one wants to perform]

or you could read this.

to mark my departure from this place after four long/short years, and as a companion piece to the craziest and most random things ive done here, ive compiled a to-do list for current and future students.

not just when you're bored.

i never thought i could be exhaustive. but now that im graduated, i reckon i should be comprehensive enough. from four years of college, four years of living on campus.

ADM's iconic greens

trudge up, you wont regret it. have a picnic or a laugh, or something. dont worry if you're not from ADM, the authentic ones are in the basement too busy with projects.

get muddy at SRC

play (whatever) in the rain and mud at SRC. because it's fun, nostalgic, and simply cos SRC is infamous for mud.

attend a concert
celebrity campus concerts are a big part of university life, and you wont get another chance because, well, for the word "campus". even if you're not too familiar or interested in the music, go for the atmosphere. if not, try one of the many dance concerts, or those ExxonMobil-NTU lunchtime concerts.

come on, dont you get it, just get immersed in something!

run 378 
if this university naturally has something nowhere else has, it's the tough terrain. make the most of it, stay fit at the same time. everyone runs in NTU anyway.

furthermore, run routes here are christened after bus routes. do the 378, a full loop of NTU.

 
ah fang, ah lian, extension
for some, these terms are alien; for others, they're habits. they're the three most popular supper places for NTU students, especially hallers (however, i should apologise to friends in the northern halls, i always suspected you guys cook cup noodles or drink water cooler when you get the pangs at night). why they have such quirky names? well, go find out yourself.

furthermore, NTU isnt that bad with the huge JP so near, now furnished with a 24-hour FairPrice Xtra. Safra Jurong surprisingly has K Box, Sakura buffet, Jack's Place and Ishi Mura Express. if you've a car, there's the Sheng Siong food centre along Jalan Bahar and Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay Place.

take a shuttle bus for fun
Bus C would be wiser, since it travels the longest route. take in the sights, read something, or observe the people onboard.

Yunnan Garden

not the most glamorous of gardens, this place makes up for its reputation by being the icon of NTU. take a walk, preferably when the sun's not blazing. surely the aesthetic landscape deserves some attention.

visit the Nantah Arch

this legendary landmark is a nostalgic reminder of not just NTU's beginnings, but Nantah's pride as the quintessential Chinese anti-hero. there are two gates, by the way - the replica in Yunnan Garden and the original standing at Street 93.

run for your life from ghosts

now, whether there are really hantus in this world isnt for me to call. but then there's Fright Night. college seniors routinely plot to enhance your college experience by scaring your wits out, set in the most bland of school architecture. so when you graduate, you remember not just mugging and dragging, but screaming and fleeing.

three letters: FOC
ive been to nine (to date) myself, and i say you haven't been to university if you've never experienced it. i'll spare you the details, but let's just say, after the power-packed few days, campers usually find day-to-day college life wanting.

Chinese Heritage Centre

dont let its looks fool you. the oldest building in NTU (and probably most off-putting) holds a museum and an exhibition on NTU's history. 

watch a film at ADM library

you can do it elsewhere, but here you got the university's coolest library, a wide selection of films, a big tv, and even a mini theatre for screenings. 

throw people or be thrown into Nanyang Lake

or if you're looking for something milder, try fishing (the lake is used by Anglers' Club for freshwater catch like catfish and rohu) or feed the creatures in the lake.

perform at Nanyang Playhouse 

take theatre modules. perform. release yourself.

date at Sakae

cos (1) it's the relatively most decent "restaurant" in NTU and (2) you need to get hitched in college or die.

President's Lodge

one of NTU's highest points is hidden away by design, unless you live in the blocks next to it. home to the university president, the retro houses are quite an attraction in themselves. stroll or run up at night for a view of Jurong's industrial machinery. do note though, this place is out-of-bounds to all, and campus security make regular checks. listen for the scooter!

go to North Spine

for some "up close and personal", live, uninhibited access to the university's proud assets, called "Engineers". so proud, a 'T' in the university's acronym is in homage to them.

the-place-previously-known-as-The-Sun

stroll there late at night for ben&jerry's, alcohol or whatever the surprisingly teeming store can offer.

walk the bridge at Research Techno Plaza

walk this bridge alone at night.

visit the TCM clinic

according to my sources, in terms of their dispensary, they have some of the highest-quality medicinal herbs in Singapore. available for normal consultation are also some of the best physicians in the land (think it this way, you have professor-level practitioners assessing you at a bargain price; it's like having Bertil help you plant something). what's more, how interesting to see a doc with five TCM students making you feel like a guinea pig.

anyhow whack an address (like N4-b3c-14 or TR165A) and proceed to locate it
yay half a day burnt!

sunbathe
weird, but the angmohs do it. try SRC, that's a common one. japs have been spotted there too okay.

party on WKWSCI's iconic rooftop

pardon me for the bias, i just had to insert this in.

photos: Tan Thiam Peng, CIC, Internet

the Europe gamble paid off

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

Château de Vidy, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland

Dear Thiam Peng,

The first IOC Young Reporters Program in Singapore was acclaimed by many to be an overwhelming success. It was you, the Young Reporters, who made it so.

Following discussion within the IOC on how to approach the 2nd IOC Young Reporters Program, which will be held in Innsbruck, Austria, from 13-22 January 2012, we have decided that we will invest back into a select few of the Singapore Young Reporters. By doing so we will use the opportunity of Innsbruck YOG to further expand your reporting skills in a real, competitive, event environment.

It is my pleasure to advise you that you are one of the select few who has been chosen to join the 2nd IOC Young Reporters Program for 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games, Innsbruck 2012.

Depending on your chosen specialisation, you will be placed under the responsibility of a mentor, working closely with and reporting to that mentor.

With the smaller team there will be the ability for you to spend one-on-one time with your mentor.

Yours sincerely,

Anthony Edgar

Head of Media Operations

IOC Young Reporters Program

What would Jesus do?

Life isn't always easy
It isn't always fun
When you lose direction
Your world can come undone
When you're in need of guidiance
And help is overdue
You might ask yourself this question
What Would Jesus Do?

If you were at a party
And the host ran out of wine
He'd make some more with magic
And bring on back good times
But in this situation
You couldn't see it through
He's the son of God
And he shits all over you

You can't do what Jesus can do
You're the King of Nothing, and he's the King of Jews
He knows every magic trick, you only know a few
Don't even bother asking
What Would Jesus Do?

Can you heal a leper?
Or feed the crowd with fish and bread?
Can you walk on water?
Did you rise from the dead?
And did you give your life up
To save humans from bad luck?
Were you born on virgin birth,
Or did your parents... have sex?

You can't do what Jesus can do
He had twelve apostles and no one follows you
When facing a dilemma
Let logic guide you through
What kind of dickhead wonders
What Would Jesus Do?

When Jesus was betrayed
And wrapped up all his trust
He used His laser vision
And turned Judas into dust
When Lois Lane was dying
Jesus held her in His arms
He flew backwards round the world
To keep her save from harm
When Jesus tours the country
In His Rock 'n' Roll band Kiss
A thousands cheer his music
Even tough it's hit the miss

You can't do what Jesus can do
(Jesus shits all over you)
There are three of Him, and there's only one of you
(And Jesus can fly)
He can cure a blind man, you can't cure the flu
He's a zombie wizard who also knows kung-fu

So next time you're in trouble
Thinking What Would Jesus do
Try not to forget
He's a million, billion, trillion times
Better than you

God gave Rock 'n' Roll to you,
Gave Rock 'n' Roll to you,
Gave Rock 'n' Roll to everyone,
God gave Rock 'n' Roll to you,
Gave Rock 'n' Roll to you,
Put it in the soul of everyone.

能够爱你就已经没什么委屈了

如有何委屈 也是我的爱带给你的

the law and subjectivity

does a murder become acceptable when the perpetrator has been abused physically and psychologically by the victim?

say, a stepson who has suffered for years.

even if it's premeditated, even if it's violent, even if psychiatrists conclude he's mentally sound.

i had a dream of an exact such scenario and it finally dawned on me that emotions are a very powerful driving force. rage and violence may not be considered human values, but they're nevertheless very natural and instinctive to humans. i got to be in those shoes, albeit in a dream, and the general public would cry "irrational". but it wasnt irrational from my perspective. and why should it be rational in the first place? society may be passing judgment on me from a neutral, rational standpoint, but they arent in my shoes and haven't been abused for years.

what are the parameters?

Tiny Mistakes That Led To Huge Catastrophes - The Fatal Four Microns in the Hubble Telescope

Source: Cracked.com

A lot of you are probably reading this at work and despite that, a lot of you are probably also drunk. That's because most of us have jobs where, if you maybe screw up here and there, it's not the end of the world.

Or at least that's what we'd like to think. It turns out some of the biggest, costliest disasters have resulted from some random employee making a single tiny mistake. Such as...

The Hubble Telescope was initially conceived and budgeted for in the '70s and planned for launch in 1983. Various mishaps, not the least of which being the Challenger disaster, delayed the project for years. When it launched in 1990, scientists expected the Hubble to take its place among NASA's "great observatories," placing it in the company of, among others, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.

The Hubble was expected to deliver some pretty kick-ass images thanks to its ability to capture those images with little to no back light (as you'd get with an earthbound telescope). Sounds like a huge task, but the Hubble was equipped with one of the most powerful mirrors ever built.

A team of the best engineers in the world gathered to build that mirror, working 12-hour days for five straight years, grinding the mirror with equipment that would make sure it was perfect to within a millionth of an inch.

Whoops...
A guy named Lou Montagnino was in charge of testing the thing, using equipment so sensitive they had to do it in the middle of the night--(the vibration of a car driving three miles away would throw it off).

Unknown to Lou, a microscopic chip of paint flecked off a measuring rod that was supposed to make sure the mirror was the right shape. It started giving back false readings as a result, and the mirror wound up being off by four microns.

That was their mistake. Four microns. Twenty-five times smaller than the width of a human fucking hair. Smaller than a mosquito's flaccid penis.

Really, What's the Worst That Could Happen?
When the first images were returned from the Hubble, the quality was drastically less than what NASA expected, and nowhere close to powerful enough for what NASA needed it to do.

Of course the real problem was that by the time they discovered the flaw, the damned thing was already out in space. So say goodbye to a few billion more dollars, which is what it cost for a series of Space Shuttle missions to fix the thing's mirror (the repairs got so costly that there was debate as to whether it wouldn't be better to just build a new one). We're surprised they didn't just strap Lou Montagnino to a rocket and send him up there with some really fine grit sandpaper in his hand.

Praised by the Wise

"I found in Buddhist philosophy a way of thought that enthralled me by its calm and radical analysis of desire, its rejection of all the self-dramatising intensities by which I lived, and its promise of a possible strong and unsentimental sincerity."

Andrew Harvey, British author and Fellow of Oxford's All Souls College

crazy/random college times

im quite safe. other than maybe montfort days and some of whitley days, i dont do inappropriate things. then college came and the doctrine "live now or never" stuck.

for the record, the following weren't acts of bravado. they're merely spontaneous fun that fell into place.

dress down day
my four-year tradition of dressing really down for exams. it started as harmless fun, when i wore slippers, specs, fbt shorts and army singlet to my first core exam. everyone split their sides hahaha. that's a big deal if you're a Wee Kim Wee student, where every day is a fashion contest. dressing down stuck and it became my modus operandi.

phantom haunts

a leftover mask from drama class, and exam stress. what do you get? the birth of the hall 4 phantom, haunting all in sight. HAHA.
study room!
johnson-jianli's room!

license to crash
kenyee had a scooter in hall which he didnt use. so why not? so i took a special express riding course. under him LOL. there were big plans - the scooter could be my mode of transport around NTU. but first night i took it out i crashed. far away at sze's hall 11 some more. that fateful night kenyee, yaolong and deryck came to my rescue and we went all around jurong in the wee hours looking for a private doctor (the fact that im unlicensed was tricky). as i skidded my foot was caught under the bike. bloodied nails and all.

nanyang lake

a notorious hall ritual, most prevalent in hall 4 due to proximity. although EVERYONE in my hall has been ponded, how many of you others can say you've been in the waters of that murky lake where soaked clothes are advised to be disposed?

exam calls
it was final year and i thought if i should do anything, this was it. so i whipped out my phone, switched it on, and called yixuan. and yixuan was in the same exam hall as me. i enjoyed her panic mode.

the ADM afternoon

spending one whole afternoon on the greens of ADM, without a care in the world. except her. everyone has gone up ADM at night, that's not cool - this is cool. 

come on, let your colours burst

setting off homemade rocket fireworks on the hall rooftop because boring sparklers are Singaporeans' only form of pyrotechnic entertainment.

President's Lodge

going up to the President's Lodge at night. it's one of the highest points in the sprawling campus. cool 80s-looking bungalows, spooky, and romantic. not to mention the excitement of campus security coming up to chase you away on their routine patrols.

music to my ears

attending free lunchtime concerts alone. despite the droves of ah tiongs, the stuff belted out at these events are really quite good. things like these always remind me deep down inside im arts at heart.

rendezpool
we once climbed into NIE's swimming pool for a dip when it's closed. yes we also got caught for it. didnt notice the cctv pointing at us hahaha. the security guards made a hooha, made us write some confession reports, and i had a quarrel with one of them.

shuttle's cocks
my campus squabbles do not end there. i once quarreled with one of them tiong shuttle bus drivers whom we all know have lousy attitudes and lousy driving. dont get me started on the peeves.

hockey footie
trespassing of NIE also doesn end there haha. NIE's hockey pitch is best not for hockey, but soccer. it's awesome, and illegal.

bold moves
ive chatted up a Japanese girl and a Korean girl in hall, and a Thai-Chinese girl in wkwsci. HAHA.

please, you all. college is not college if you did nothing. studies and grades are just part of the experience. a really small part.

what love stories are made of

against all odds, or at least my preconceived value system, we are a love story. :)

in the Japanese film Be With You, one of my favourites, Takumi chanced upon his late wife Mio's diary that changed everything. earlier, he narrates his version of their story, from high school to her death, a one-sided love which to his bewilderment eventually won her. that diary reveals her vantage point, that she's loved him from the beginning too, in a poignant and moving moment.

it's difficult when you realise all you've assumed is actually a myth. but it's different when that reveals a wondrous connection called love. it's comforting.

on our last night together in hall, the end of a fantasy, before we face the realities of our relationship, she told me. after so long, she told me before all this between us, before i actually entered her life, she had once dreamed of me. just once, long ago, when we both had our own partners.

we kissed.

no one knew what it meant. definitely not her. and it stayed a secret.

i feel extremely guilty and sorry, probably like Takumi, as i had always insisted she never could remember nor notice me before this. i truly thought i meant nothing to her. but because of our circumstances, she couldn't say.

even more amazing to me, we had watched Be With You together just a few days before. :)

like i said, "maybe you always knew, it's gonna be us."

folks, we have a love story. and love stories have happy endings.

to be continued...