Just thought that I might update. Work's going fine, financial closing is up and coming, so no labour's day holiday for my colleagues. Talk about the irony, lol. I've too many "rude people" anecdotes that I find it cumbersome to recall them and post about it. Something about Singapore makes people this way I'm sure. Oh, and I found out another reason to favour intelligence over persistence. Apparently, having some woman pushing her trolley and hitting another individual's legs repeatedly is a great way of getting the her to know that you want her to move and let you pass. Doesn't matter that the width of the aisle barely allows two trolleys to pass by at any one time. Doesn't matter that there is another trolley parked directly adjacent to me. Doesn't matter that any closer to the edge I move, I'm going to fall into the refrigeration compartment. You absolutely must get that special offer deal before anyone else does.

Although these are just mini stuff that seem to gnaw at the edge of your sanity everyday, what I cannot stand is the fact that this week, a grand total of 4 buses have zoomed past me when I wave them down at the bus stop. This prompts me to ask a very critical question: Are my arms too short? No, nevermind that. But the fact that 4 different bus drivers have done the same thing, there can only be two options: One, my arms are really too bloody short in which the case, I'm sure I'm fat enough for the drivers to see my body standing at the usual bus flagging spot from afar. Two, they just plain suck and can't give a damn about the poor passenger to-be. Oh, and they are all from SB*. Great week for me, enjoy your long weekend people and Syl, don't be too cheap with the protection. Tata.

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
8:52 PM

Just a quick entry since Syl was complaining that I am not blogging. Its 10pm already and I really should be sleeping if I wanna wake up at 5 am and catch the bus to Tuas. Despite the distance, I kinda like my job. Its challenging, in the sense that I am taking on a new discipline that many of my poly friends are interested in - accountancy. Even as an assistant, my seniors have given me some basic insight into this field which will prove to be an invaluable asset in future. Imagine the amount of mail that have accumulated over the long weekend break. I have to sort half of them tomorrow because I was on a training course today provided by the company and thus did not have sufficient time to complete all my assigned work. I hate backdating work! It just piles higher and higher. *sulks*

Speaking of the course, it was quite refreshing to do something which I wasn't as blur in - Environmental, Health and Safety. Its a necessary component for all new staff, temp or permanent. As an engineering company that repairs and manufactures aircraft components, safety ranks very high on the list of priorities naturally. Was quite nostalgic actually. I had wanted to get a degree in chemical engineering so that I could be a safety officer or engineer in future. Oh well. Fires, dust explosions, LOTO, permit to work, Workplace Safety and Health Act etc. Really miss the days when Edison was teaching this subject. I guess I can say that Safety and Loss Prevention is my favourite module during my poly days.

I finally got to test out the sound quality of the iPod nano ever since my terrible incident with rude service staff at SLS. You can test it at Funan Challenger. It was disappointing, to say the least. Proves that just because it is branded, doesn't mean its good. In fact, I would say that the iPod mini has a much better sound quality than the nano. I personally found the iPod nano very un user-friendly, although the buttons were damn cool la. However, for that price, I would rather get something else, like my iriver, which ROCKS. First, the sound quality is not even comparable to my iriver. Second, the screen can be scratched very very easily. The other time when I was browsing the forums to check out the nano, there were many complaints about this. Some say that even putting it into your pocket could scratch it. Thirdly, the extra components are exorbitant. A bloody sock used to protect your iPod nano cost $49. Despite its cool factor, I just don't think its a good buy. No wonder it is the cheapest out of all the mp3 players in the iPod family. You really pay more for the brand than for anything else really. Creative is no better really.

I still love my iriver T10! Its superb, value for money, aesthetically pleasing and extremely easy to use. The only downside is that it uses 1 AA battery as the power source. Still, the battery life is very long. I'm only on my 2nd duracell battery since I bought it and I use my mp3 player everyday: On the bus to work, on the bus home, at night before I sleep, in the morning when I walk to the mrt to catch the bus. If you wanna buy it, go to Song Brothers at SLS. They sell the 1GB one at $250. Challenger Funan sells it at $299.

Okay, time to get to bed.

Tip of the day:

Borrow and Lend may have a similar meaning, however, they are used in different ways. Many people often confuse the usage of these two words, which irks me terribly.

Example:

Correct - Can you lend me 50 dollars?

Wrong - Can you borrow me 50 dollars?

From http://www.eslcafe.com/webhints/hints.cgi?20021120.txt

Lend shows that something is (temporarily) given to another person. Borrow shows that something is (temporarily) taken from another person.
(I) lend ----> someone
someone ----> borrow (from me)

wrong: I borrowed $10 to Jeff.
right: I lent $10 to Jeff.


wrong: I lent $10 from Jeff.
right: I borrowed $10 from Jeff.

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
10:01 PM

I'm being a mean person and I am doing it on purpose. Why? Because it doesn't pay to be nice. I've been nice all my life and lets see, what did I get? Which is why I am making it my aim to fuck up the lives of all the kids I see in Maple. All the better if they cry. Their stupidity and inability to type a coherent sentence makes them unworthy to even talk to me. In fact, they should be honoured that I am wasting my precious time educating them. The education system can't do a good job anyway. Their parents can't do a good job anyway. Let their kids suffer for all they care. Its their doing. If anyone, blame your mama or papa.

If they had an adequate level of language proficiency, they would be able to defend themselves. Children nowadays are full of themselves and have absolutely no sense of humility. Thats on top of being incapable of basic manners and common sense. Children doesn't mean aged 1-12 nowadays, and thats the sad thing. It even extends to pple aged 18 and above. I'm legally an adult now, so I have the right to say that. If you have the intelligence, you can choose to contest my opinions with facts or with logical opinions. if you have the humility, you can choose to back away from a hostile situation and choose to learn from me instead. However, it takes a really stupid and incredibly moronic kid to contest someone better than you, just for the sake of doing so. Isn't that akin to committing suicide? Your death, your way.

Honestly, I hope all of you just die playing Maple. Save the world some space for those who really need it. You stupid kids are a total waste of Oxygen and Nitrogen. The food used to make you bloody kids so fat could be used on people who truly want to survive in a third world country. The money spent on your education, which imo, is a waste of resources since you are still such a flaming imbecile, could be spent on environmental efforts or humanitarian projects. Don't make me laugh so hard at your feeble comebacks, which soon degenerates into a name calling fest. Just die. Bleed and die. Suffer the pain. Maybe that will knock some sense into you. If not, just die. I encourage you to kill yourself over a game. I encourage you to kill yourself over a broken up relationship. You don't need the pity, because you don't deserve it.

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
12:30 AM

I've calmed down considerably since last night. However, when I woke up this morning, I could still feel the anger bubbling deep within my very being. After staying in this place for 21 years, I am still wondering if it is all worthwhile. I don't like to be handed the shorter end of the stick all the time. I am a firm believer of meritocracy - I should be rewarded according to how hard I've worked. It makes no sense to me that I've worked so much harder than others, yet I have to stand aside and watch while others who are perhaps luckier than I am, pluck away the fruits of my labour. I guess this whole polytechnic - JC fiasco mirrors the way of life for blue collar and white collar workers. There will always be this form of discrimination. It is part and parcel of life.

I believe I am not wrong to say that in an organization, the workers at the bottom of the hierachy suffer the most as compared to those in a managerial position. They have lower wages, more work, more targets to meet as set by their supervisors, less off days and staff benefits. If the company treats them unfairly, they can't complain to anyone. As what my mum's boss says, "The door is always open for you." Then what? They have no qualifications and at their age, getting rehired is a not a real possibility. Whom can they blame for this? The rich gets richer and the poor? Well you know.

I've studied my ass off in a polytechnic because I prefer the pace. But no matter what, I can never win people who go through the Junior College route. One particular JC student actually referred to Poly students as "2nd rated students". People who echo his sentiments may very well be a minority, but the fact remains, that it is easier to enter University via the JC route than the poly route. I do not think that my polytechnic counterparts are less intelligent. The only conclusion I can think of is that we are getting shortchanged by society. You may be a single pointer who chooses to enter a polytechnic. But in the end, as you see your single pointer peers go through JC and into their desired courses in the University, you will feel the bitterness and resentment as I have.

Leaving Singapore has never been a thought that I've entertained seriously before, but after this, I can't help but feel undervalued by the society here. Enough is enough. I may experience other forms of discrimination overseas, but at least there is an equal opportunity when education is concerned. Because the average Singaporean is narrow minded. JC = roaring success, Poly = failure, ITE = its the end. You can proclaim that this is not how you think, but deep down inside, that is already the impression that you have. If you have the chance, go take a look at those brochures or newsletters about scholarship winners and tell me how many winners are there from a Junior College as compared to the Polytechnics. Education institute discrimination. LOL.

What is my self worth? I will not tell lies. I think I am a fucking intelligent being who possesses an unearthly amount of common sense. I made it through O levels without going to school for 2 years, depending only on my foundation in primary school + lower secondary. I could have gone to a JC but I chose not to. Yet, life keeps choosing to screw me over in my education route. Why should I help this place when it chooses not to help me? I am not a conformist. As much as I think life is not fair, I will not succumb to this injustice. The grass is greener on the other side, and if this country doesn't value students such as me, than I can always seek more fertile pastures somewhere else.

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
5:38 PM

I'm so pissed. Why the heck did I get into Chemistry when I wanna go to Chemical Engineering? Even with my kind of results, I can't even choose the course I want, then what the heck is the point of studying so hard these 3 damn years? Shit you. If I had the cash I'll go overseas. What the hell. If they like JC students so much for engineering and forfeit the polytechnics students instead then fuck them. Grr. All the JC students need to do is to bloody perfect 3 subjects in 1.5 years. I have to take 39 bloody fucking modules for 3 years. How hard is that? Argue all you want. Your life isn't that miserable, save for the fact that you have to wear uniforms. I don't know what else can I do to get into the course that I want. I studied hard enough to get a GPA of 3.87/4.00. I have a Distinction grade CCA record, which makes up 5% of the component. My O levels are okay, not too good but not too bad either. (R5 15, R4 12, 3A2, 3B3) I have a shining testimonial from my CCA in charge. I got the freaking Model Student Award. What else should I have done to get into my first choice?

If it isn't blatant discrimination than why do I have to work so god damn much harder than an average JC student and I'm still not spared from this system? I feel so angry I can scream. WHY? PLEASE TELL ME WHY. In terms of linguistics, I am definitely fluent in both written and spoken English and Mother Tongue. In terms of engineering principles, I am even better than them, having had some sort of background in poly. In terms of theory, I may lose out a little to them, but I am confident that I can do it. So why. I'm bloody pissed off. Why should I continue serving a country that doesn't give me a fair opportunity to compete on the same platform as others from a different education system. Why don't I just bloody fly off to Australia or America and help their economy instead after I become a successful engineer with one of their instituitions?

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
1:27 AM

I just had to rant, or else I would spontaneously combust due to the build up of flammable gases within my system.

What is wrong with you fuckers who feel the need to boast about every single god damn thing? Does it feel really good to let people know that you are better than them? Do you get high doing so? What the heck. When I ask an innocent question such as, "I bought XX armour for 99k, is that cheap?" I don't expect an answer such as, "Oh I have it already." Like I bloody care if you have it already, unless you are offering what you have to me. If not, STFU. When I talk to my friend about competitive CS, I don't expect you to butt into the conversation going, "Oh I was also in competitive CS. I got 2nd." Big deal. Like what Kristy said, do you know who you are talking to? Jesus Christ.

Its sad that you have to spend every single waking moment at the computer just so that you have something to boast about. Unfortunately, I'm neither impressed by your fascination with pixels nor your ability to just open your golden mouth and piss off every single person in a 20 metre radius from you. There are millions of people in this world who play the same game as you, do the same shit as you, and still do not feel the overpowering urge to boast about their achievements to every single human being that so happened to talk to them. Unless your self esteem and IQ is way below the standards of an average canine, I suggest you keep your mouth in the same position as the door to an air conditioned room - shut at all times.

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
9:41 PM

The university applications results are just around the corner and I can't help feeling super duperly worried. I am 60% confident that I am able to get in, yet nightmares still plague me every night. Once I close my eyes, I'll dream of the university letter going, "We're sorry, you have not been accepted.." Mike has pointed out that it was technically impossible for me to not be able to get in since he has already gotten in with his so-called less than ideal results. Yet, I'm still not convinced. I've been waking up unusually early, even when I've taken prior medication. My illness isn't getting better as a result and I can't do anything to stop it.

So yeah, will the letter of doom please be delivered earlier? I hate this uncertainty. Wherein does my future lie? Is there an open path in front of me to take? I don't know how people can just.. live life by counting the days, forever waiting aimlessly. (for what?) There is always something to look forward to. It is whether you want to take it to a higher level or just be content with what you have now. Its a decision which takes determination and only when you dare to take that step out, then you will have something to look forward to. Things don't just happen for a reason. You can't expect to see results immediately after the very first step you take into the wilderness, waiting a while to catch a glimpse of the kind of monsters that will attack you and retreat immediately back into the safety of the town. I'm talking about casting yourself deep into the recesses of the jungle and surviving all the way until you discover a land filled with the richness of your dreams and desires. Every step that you take, is taken in the hopes of becoming a better person.

If everyone was to sit on their hands, thinking that one person is unable to accomplish anything, then who is going to farm the crops, build the bridges, construct the highway, drive the school bus and cook the meals? Take away that defeatist attitude before it takes you away from this earth.

End of rant, back to the sick bay. Blasted cold germs, shoo!

;I CREATED A SHEEP!
6:31 AM