Friday, September 29, 2006
Singapore Teachers are playing too many RPGs...
This was the thought that came to mind when I was reading an article online (or was it the papers, I forget) about how the removal of the EM3 band (which has been around since my time, in fact my time was the pioneer batch) will help the weaker students to "level up" since they will be around students who are academically stronger who can help them. The phrase is something that RPG gamers will know and it's probably not even grammatically correct.. Can imagine hearing the "level up" theme from the Final Fantasy games going off at the back of my mind. Haha.. "Student is 2 tests away from going to next level."
This was the thought that came to mind when I was reading an article online (or was it the papers, I forget) about how the removal of the EM3 band (which has been around since my time, in fact my time was the pioneer batch) will help the weaker students to "level up" since they will be around students who are academically stronger who can help them. The phrase is something that RPG gamers will know and it's probably not even grammatically correct.. Can imagine hearing the "level up" theme from the Final Fantasy games going off at the back of my mind. Haha.. "Student is 2 tests away from going to next level."
Monday, September 25, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
The Ultimate Mood Changer song!
And I declare this song to be " Semi Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind. Seriously.. imagine any scenario in any movie.. happy, sad, serious etc etc.. and just change the background music to this.. it'll automatically make the scene happy or more upbeat.. It seriously gives the listener some sort of high.. imagine a scene.. maybe a bank robbery.. everyone is on the floor, hands behind their heads.. guys wearing ski masks and holding guns.. then suddenly have the song .. everyone will just start moving to the music.. haha..
And I declare this song to be " Semi Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind. Seriously.. imagine any scenario in any movie.. happy, sad, serious etc etc.. and just change the background music to this.. it'll automatically make the scene happy or more upbeat.. It seriously gives the listener some sort of high.. imagine a scene.. maybe a bank robbery.. everyone is on the floor, hands behind their heads.. guys wearing ski masks and holding guns.. then suddenly have the song .. everyone will just start moving to the music.. haha..
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Asking for favors is a real chore...
I hate asking for favors especially when it's something that I don't even want to begin with. But that's exactly what I have to do now at work. Have to conduct a tour of a particular equipment so I need to get help from another department. And the people in the department are reluctant for a large variety of reasons, and I don't really blame them. Firstly, this isn't part of their job description or even part of the company's objective. It's just a requirement of my course. So I've been trying for weeks to get assistance.. getting small bits here and there , now and then cause the person I've been talking to has been disappearing in and out (think he's clearing his annual leave) And today he said he can't help me next week cause he's on leave for almost the whole of next week.. yay.. then he recommends me his colleague, whom I approach later on and voila.. she says she's new too and not qualified to help out.. anyway this is a totally F.U.B.A.R situation..
I hate asking for favors especially when it's something that I don't even want to begin with. But that's exactly what I have to do now at work. Have to conduct a tour of a particular equipment so I need to get help from another department. And the people in the department are reluctant for a large variety of reasons, and I don't really blame them. Firstly, this isn't part of their job description or even part of the company's objective. It's just a requirement of my course. So I've been trying for weeks to get assistance.. getting small bits here and there , now and then cause the person I've been talking to has been disappearing in and out (think he's clearing his annual leave) And today he said he can't help me next week cause he's on leave for almost the whole of next week.. yay.. then he recommends me his colleague, whom I approach later on and voila.. she says she's new too and not qualified to help out.. anyway this is a totally F.U.B.A.R situation..
Friday, September 15, 2006
What's in a career?
The week was busy and all, been learning stuff here and there at work. And because I had the use of the car this week, I was able to leave later and not always have to rush to catch the shuttle bus home. Failing to do so means that either I wait till 830pm for the next shuttle, take a cab or take the bus to a train station and spend like 1 hr + to get home. Anyway that's not the point of this post. The point is actually more of outsourcing. One of my trainers suddenly went into a rant of how we should become the best in our department and all.. well it's a noble sentiment, however given that there are some of us in the same department, I don't think that's logically possible. How can everyone be the best? Anyway having this attitude that you're the best is also quite dangerous. Then he continued on about how people in China and Korea work like 100 hours a week for much less etc etc.. well that's just crazy. 100 hours a week, 6 and a half days a week.. why not they just marry their job and stay there? What utter nutters.. anyway my mentor was talking to me about this same topic today also.. dunno why everyone getting so pessimistic. I mean it's true that our jobs will probably be outsourced to some other country and all, but to go crazy and work 100 hrs a week to maintain the job? I say they can keep the job..
Doesn't anyone realize where this cycle of events will conclude? Sigh...
The week was busy and all, been learning stuff here and there at work. And because I had the use of the car this week, I was able to leave later and not always have to rush to catch the shuttle bus home. Failing to do so means that either I wait till 830pm for the next shuttle, take a cab or take the bus to a train station and spend like 1 hr + to get home. Anyway that's not the point of this post. The point is actually more of outsourcing. One of my trainers suddenly went into a rant of how we should become the best in our department and all.. well it's a noble sentiment, however given that there are some of us in the same department, I don't think that's logically possible. How can everyone be the best? Anyway having this attitude that you're the best is also quite dangerous. Then he continued on about how people in China and Korea work like 100 hours a week for much less etc etc.. well that's just crazy. 100 hours a week, 6 and a half days a week.. why not they just marry their job and stay there? What utter nutters.. anyway my mentor was talking to me about this same topic today also.. dunno why everyone getting so pessimistic. I mean it's true that our jobs will probably be outsourced to some other country and all, but to go crazy and work 100 hrs a week to maintain the job? I say they can keep the job..
Doesn't anyone realize where this cycle of events will conclude? Sigh...
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The secret life of Nemo
Saw this on a documentary before I went to work today. Did you know that clown fishes change their sexes at adult hood? When they are juveniles, they are all males, and the largest in the chain of hierachy is the female. When the female dies, the next biggest fish (usually a male) becomes a female and becomes 20% larger. Every other fish automatically ascends the ranks and grows by 20%. So if I remember the cartoon correctly, Nemo's dad should have become his 'mum'.
Saw this on a documentary before I went to work today. Did you know that clown fishes change their sexes at adult hood? When they are juveniles, they are all males, and the largest in the chain of hierachy is the female. When the female dies, the next biggest fish (usually a male) becomes a female and becomes 20% larger. Every other fish automatically ascends the ranks and grows by 20%. So if I remember the cartoon correctly, Nemo's dad should have become his 'mum'.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
The Dentist
Had my dental visit yesterday. Dentist visits are always a bitter-sweet experience.. the chair is comfy and all.. but it's the poking and bleeding that I mind.. Anyway I think I've done posts on dentist before, can't remember if it's on the same thing. But I find it weird that you clean ur teeth before you go to the dentist. That's just weird. I mean if I'm paying the dentist so much to clean my teeth and all, why clean it before seeing the dentist?
Another thing is eating after seeing the dentist. I dunno. After my teeth are all nice and clean, the stuff between the teeth gone.. then going to eat a meal which basically undos what was just done. It's the equiv of sending the car to the car wash and then driving it thru mud..
Had my dental visit yesterday. Dentist visits are always a bitter-sweet experience.. the chair is comfy and all.. but it's the poking and bleeding that I mind.. Anyway I think I've done posts on dentist before, can't remember if it's on the same thing. But I find it weird that you clean ur teeth before you go to the dentist. That's just weird. I mean if I'm paying the dentist so much to clean my teeth and all, why clean it before seeing the dentist?
Another thing is eating after seeing the dentist. I dunno. After my teeth are all nice and clean, the stuff between the teeth gone.. then going to eat a meal which basically undos what was just done. It's the equiv of sending the car to the car wash and then driving it thru mud..
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Singapore Idol.. what? It's still on?
The farce that is Singapore Idol still pollutes the airwaves. I'm quite surprised by the reaction of people who didn't know that this would turn out to be a popularity contest. It's obvious. For several reasons: Firstly, singaporeans are generally tightwads. Most of them see this contest as a big waste of money (to call in) and just watch and let other people vote. Then when the talented people get voted out.. complain. Secondly, there's obviously a large market of teenage girls with too much money. This is purely inference based on past events. Teenage girls are usually the ones who flock to see actors/actresses/singers etc etc. The screaming masses are usually said group. Another clue is that there's only 1 female contestant left. Thirdly, the way the show is marketed is as a popularity contest. It's always "support your favourite idol", not the "support the best idol". Look at the way TCS is pimping the show. Singapore Idol magazine, some Idol-on-demand crap with Daphne Khoo (someone who was from the previous competition who has somehow landed some form of fame, similar to Olinda Cho (which I will not get into)). "Idol on demand"? Who's demanding this?
So after all the complaining, I offer the perfect solution (besides cancelling the show and never airing it again, anyone heard from taufik or sly lately?). Have one round with the final 12. Then have the guy with the top votes win. Don't even bother with who's the bottom blah blah blah.. Or even better.. the idea that was suggested on Saturday: Have each of the 12 launch a solo cd with 1 song of their choice. Whoever sells the most cds, wins. I mean that's the ultimate goal of the show anyway right? At least, even if it's terrible, the farce ends much earlier..
The farce that is Singapore Idol still pollutes the airwaves. I'm quite surprised by the reaction of people who didn't know that this would turn out to be a popularity contest. It's obvious. For several reasons: Firstly, singaporeans are generally tightwads. Most of them see this contest as a big waste of money (to call in) and just watch and let other people vote. Then when the talented people get voted out.. complain. Secondly, there's obviously a large market of teenage girls with too much money. This is purely inference based on past events. Teenage girls are usually the ones who flock to see actors/actresses/singers etc etc. The screaming masses are usually said group. Another clue is that there's only 1 female contestant left. Thirdly, the way the show is marketed is as a popularity contest. It's always "support your favourite idol", not the "support the best idol". Look at the way TCS is pimping the show. Singapore Idol magazine, some Idol-on-demand crap with Daphne Khoo (someone who was from the previous competition who has somehow landed some form of fame, similar to Olinda Cho (which I will not get into)). "Idol on demand"? Who's demanding this?
So after all the complaining, I offer the perfect solution (besides cancelling the show and never airing it again, anyone heard from taufik or sly lately?). Have one round with the final 12. Then have the guy with the top votes win. Don't even bother with who's the bottom blah blah blah.. Or even better.. the idea that was suggested on Saturday: Have each of the 12 launch a solo cd with 1 song of their choice. Whoever sells the most cds, wins. I mean that's the ultimate goal of the show anyway right? At least, even if it's terrible, the farce ends much earlier..
1 month of work has just gone by
Things seem to be starting to pick up.. this will be quite a busy month. Have 2 presentations. Both require quite a lot of effort. The first one is before the entire management of my company, including the general manager whom according to my friend is not human. Some kind of monster who has taken a bite out of every staff member before.. like it's an initiation ritual.. haha.. The way my friend describes it is quite hilarious. He was like "you'll wish you were dead".
Had a change of cubicle this week too. Now have my own corner of a cubicle with my own space and drawer to keep stuff. My mentor is also sitting right behind me, which makes it easier to ask questions etc etc..
I finally put my finger on why work seems so weird .. or rather why working in this company seems so work. Cause it's not really work, or rather what I had imagined of work. It's some hybrid of work and studying. We discuss theoretical questions and all like how students would, but then we have to apply the stuff in a practical way. Like in the actual manufacturing where if we screw up, it's some guy's annual wage. No joking matter there. Heavy responsibilities. Anyway for me now, it seems to feel more like an Industrial Attachment than work work.. So far just been studying and answering questions and preparing for presentations.
I hope I don't get too used to this..
Things seem to be starting to pick up.. this will be quite a busy month. Have 2 presentations. Both require quite a lot of effort. The first one is before the entire management of my company, including the general manager whom according to my friend is not human. Some kind of monster who has taken a bite out of every staff member before.. like it's an initiation ritual.. haha.. The way my friend describes it is quite hilarious. He was like "you'll wish you were dead".
Had a change of cubicle this week too. Now have my own corner of a cubicle with my own space and drawer to keep stuff. My mentor is also sitting right behind me, which makes it easier to ask questions etc etc..
I finally put my finger on why work seems so weird .. or rather why working in this company seems so work. Cause it's not really work, or rather what I had imagined of work. It's some hybrid of work and studying. We discuss theoretical questions and all like how students would, but then we have to apply the stuff in a practical way. Like in the actual manufacturing where if we screw up, it's some guy's annual wage. No joking matter there. Heavy responsibilities. Anyway for me now, it seems to feel more like an Industrial Attachment than work work.. So far just been studying and answering questions and preparing for presentations.
I hope I don't get too used to this..
