Update

Sunday! Finally get the chance to really sit down and type something. The trip up north to Sunshine Coast was fun. Lots of scenic stuffs. Visited the ginger factory, and bought lots of tidbits. ;-). Wanted to visit the Australian Zoo, but due to time constraints, and money concerns ($36), The group decided that it would be wise to come back another day, and tour the zoo the whole day, and make the money worthwhile. Just like a Singaporean.

Toured the Brisbane River, 14 stops, 2 hours, $2. Worthwhile. Most important was that there are 2 very hot Japanese girls. Thats the highlight of the whole ride.

Went to chinatown and got some really homely stuff. Bought a carton of "Indo-mie", durian cake and a packet of "Hup Seng" cream crackers. Hmmmmm.... More homely food will be stocked up once i got my new place. I promise!

Packed

Its good when there's something for me to do. Keep my hands and legs moving. Woke up at 9+ 10, went to buy groceries, then headed to the city. Friends looking for a job. I'm kinda lazy to work ;-p
As an international student, you are required to apply for a work permit, which costs A$60, in order to work. Looking for a job over here is something quite amusing. A resume will be asked for regardless of what the job scope is. Which means, even if you're working as a dishwasher, kitchen helper, or even an office boy, a resume is needed. Wow... formality or what!?

I'm really falling in love with Brisbane City. The girls are a great bunch! Especially the Asians!!! WooHoooooo!!! GREAT!!!! But i don't have the courage to chat them up. Tsk Tsk Tsk... :-|


Tomorrow will be another fun packed day! going to sunshine coast, around 2hrs car ride up north. Got lots of things to do there. Stay tuned folks!

"Lead or Be Led" (Ei Hua)

Something New

Well well well... I'm at my friends' place now. Shifted to my "new" home. Just for a temporary period of time. Got to start looking for a new place to live in. A place where i call home. But for now, WHO CARES!!!! I don't give a damn. ;-)

Everyone seems to be going back to their home country. Don't know why. I don't really miss a lot about Singapore. Its a new experience. Away from home. Be the frog that jumps out of the well, and have a look at the real sky. Be outside of the comfort zone, and try to feel comfortable in it. Life's a challenge. Feel It! Adapt to the surrounding, not the other way round.

"Be a chameleon, change to the surrounding" (Ei Hua)

Me

Stone. Thats how i describe my muscles now. Played basketball yesterday, was panting like a dog, and my nose hurts from breathing in the thin air here. oh man... think i need to exercise more.

Today. City. Friend's birthday. spend money. Spend a lot of money. Sianzzz.

Went to "Sizzler" for dinner. Had "Sizzling Steak and Garlic Button Mushroom" with red wine sauce and a huge baked potatoe. $22.95. It was nice though. Love the salad bar. Especially the coffee cake and the chocolate mousse. Not sure if i will return there again. Maybe during my graduating year?

Casino. spent $3 on jackpot. treat it like an arcade. Place was packed! There's a live band inside, playing 'hits' like maroon 5's 'This love'. On the outer side of the casino is a pub, playing retro hits. This place (Brisbane) is retro inspired.

"Halt! Halt! or I'll shoot!" (Rules of Engagement)

Its the End

End of exams. End of semester. End of day. End of ........ ?

Packed 1st day. Went to UQ Ipswich Campus in the morning... Was actually a small campus with less than 20 buildings, covering 25 hectares, with mountains as its backdrop. The place was very windy though... and the day itself was already quite chilly.

It took roughly 45 minutes to walk around the campus, taking photos. Went to the nearby Ipswich town to have a look. It's a town. Very much a town. Had lunch over there. Met a very friendly hongkong lady who took our orders over at the counter. Asked us where we're from, had a nice little chat. Felt very homely though. As we turned around to find sits, a caucasian asked, "Did you say you were from Singapore?" At that moment of time, I was thinking "Oh no... is he racist? is he going to scold us?"
"Yea", my friend and I replied. "I lived there for 4 years! Where are you guys from? My wife's from Ang Mo Kio, I stayed in Chua Chu Kang"
"Cool!" I told the man.
The man continued, "I'm still picking up some Chinese. But I know some Singlish"
"That's kinda nice!" I thought as we say our farewells.

Had a little walk around the town. Visited the arts gallery. A small small one. And back off to the campus, cos the inter-campus bus departs at 2.05pm. Went home after that for a little rest before I set off again for dinner.

Dinner was Nasi Lemak ($9.90) and 鸳鸯 ($3.50) over at Sunnybank, which is about 20 minutes car ride from home. It is the most asian meal I ever had since the 8th of July.

Next stop is Mt Coot-tha. A place where you can view the night scenary of Brisbane City. Well, there's only a few skyscrapers in the city, and the surroundings are just street lamps and urmm... more street lamps. :-) From my personal point of view, I think the view from Benjamin Sheares Bridge? was better.

End of Blog.

Do you know?

Doctors may soon be "zapping" wounds to heal them. Researchers in Austria and the UK have shown that electric fields trigger cells that repair damaged areas and speed up the healing process. Skin functions like a battery and pumps cells in a polarised fashion to create an electrical field, says Dr Josef Penninger of the Austrian Institute of Molecular Biotechnology. "When there is a wound, this battery is short-circuited," he says. "A new electric current can develop telling surrounding cells, within 1-2mm of the wound, to move into the wound to heal it again." By using electrodes or drugs, the team was able to manipulate electric fields and accelerate or slow the healing process in damaged cells.

"I am who I am" (Ei Hua?)

Praying in Session

"May all the deities, holy spirits, please grant me your powers and help me with that 1% of inspiration. 1% will be enough....welll..... though more the merrier, but i'm easily satisfied. INSPIRE ME!"

Do you know?
Take an armchair tour of some of the crazy collections found in the world's wackiest museums:
The bata Show Museum in Toronto showcases 10,000 shoes and shoe-related products from around the world. You'll find everything from ancient Egyptian footwear to Queen Victoria's ballroom slippers, Marilyn Monroe's red pumps and Elton John's platforms
The International Banana Museum in Hesperia, California, houses bananas made of everything from brass to soap, as well as lollies from the past 25 years, T-shirts, slippers and a 2.5m yellow banana sofa.
The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in India will keep all potty-minded folks happy. Take a peek at the replica of King Louis XIII's throne within a throne and a US navy design, the Incinolet. It incinerates everything to odourless ash.
The Museum of Bad Art in Boston touts itself as the only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms and in all its glory.
The British Lawnmower Museum in the seaside towon od Southport houses over 200 restored old mowers, including those of the rich and famous, such as Prince Charles.

"Kids. They're not easy. But there has to be some penalty for sex" (Bill Maher)

Daze

It has occured to me many times that today is a weekday. To me, everyday is the same, mainly due to the fact that i've not step outside my house since last sunday. The next time i'll be stepping out of the house will be on monday, where i'll be having my first exam paper @ 8am. After that, will be my 2nd paper at 5.45pm. Soon after, I will be brain-dead. So many brain-cells have sacrificed! I shall not let them down.

Do you know?
It may seem like an odd place to be a hive of activity, but a remote island above the artic circle is bursting with life. Plant life to be exact. The world's largest seed bank is currently undr construction on the frozen island of Spitsbergen in Norway.
More than 100 nations have endorsed the construction of the bank, dubbed the "Doomsday Vault". When finished, it will be the ultimate biodiversity backup for the planet. In the face of a global catastrophe, the contents will be priceless - millions and millions of crop seeds, the result of 10,000 years of selective breeding. Virtually every variety of food on the planet, ranging from tiny poppy seeds to large coconuts, will be sealed in the concrete facility.
Fingers crossed there will be someone left to open the vault.

"Look at things from different angles. It helps" (Ei Hua?)

Addiction

I've got a serious problem here. An addiction. I'm hooked on water. Plain tap water. I just can't seem to stop drinking. Whenever i'm bored, i'll start drinking. Drink and drink. Seems to get thirsty all the time. Throat very dry. This has been going on for a couple of months. I need help.

2 more days where i'll get to the frontline and fight my a** out. Mixed feelings.

Do you know?
10 worst job-interview gaffes

Interview Gaffe #10
"Desperation"

Dolly Lau, a finance director at a Singapore-based multinational corporation, had a trying experience with a candidate who sent weekly emails enquiring about his application. What started as politely-worded messages turned abusive when he found out he'd been passed over for the job. "Luckily, I didn't hire him," Lau said. "He was obviously wrong for the job."
Gerlinde Herrmann, founder of Toronto human resources consulting company The Herrmann Group, recalls one unsuccessful job applicant who contacted the hiring manager directly. "I really need this job," he pleaded. "Let me come in again." Such actions exude a whiff of desperation that doesn't bode well

Why is it a red flag: First of all, whether you need the job isn't the issue: Ask not what the company can do for you, ask what you can do for the company. Secondly, if you appear desperate for the job, the employer may conclude that you're not a top quality candidate and that you possibly will take any old job. He wants to believe you're specifically interested in the job he has to offer.

Ache

Got headache and backache. Sitting down revising, writing, referring. Sibei sian ah. How i wish i can have a "universal remote control" (click). Finally solved a mysterious question... Now i can add that into my "cheat-sheet".

"cheat-sheet" is a A4 size paper where you can write notes onto it and bring it into the exam hall. I'm gonna cheat. I'm not an elite. I'm just an ordinary human being.

Think the whole world's preparing for an examination. 13 more days. About 300 hours.


Do you know?
10 worst job-interview gaffes

Interview Gaffe #9
"Rambling on and on..."

In an attempt to impress or show how prepared they are, applicants sometimes answer questions at length and stray from the topic. "While it's important to speak at depth and show that you are qualified for the job, too much information usually becomes irrelevant to what's being asked," says Heng.

Why is it a red flag: Tan says that candidates who ramble shows that they are not good at listening. While the interview does serve as a platform for you to sell yourself, you can appear self-centred if you talk too much.

"How's it going?" (UQ catch-phrase)

Interesting

Was surfing the net this afternoon, and i decided to get myself updated, and I mean REALLY updated. Its about Ms Wee Shu Min aka the 'elite'? Haha... hmm... will I get into trouble talking about this????

Singaporeans. Sigh~. Sometimes I really am ashamed being a Singaporean. I don't know why. Don't ask me why. What can we do to improve life in Singapore? Get a better education -> better job -> earn more money -> better life? I think thats what the govenment has been drilling into its people. This mould. Creating what Singapore is today? A rather materialistic society? Or is it that the whole bloody world is also facing this same issue?

What makes me proud of being a Singaporean? Security. The government has done well on this. Clean. Yes! The government has done well again! Urm..... urm..... urm..... can't really think of anymore. Can anyone help fill me in?

Every single person in Singapore helps shape what Singapore is today. From cleaners to the engineers to the 'elite'. In the army, there're officers, specialists and men. Everyone plays a part! You can't fight a war without any of them.

Please pardon me for my poor command of English. Don't laugh at me.

*Hope nobody reads this blog entry.


Do you know?
10 worst job-interview gaffes

Interview Gaffe #8
"I don't really have any weaknesses."

When Schdamore asked an interviewee the classic question - "What are your weaknesses?" - the person thought for a moment.
"Hmmm," the interviewee had replied. "I don't know. I'm pretty good at most things."
Scudamore probed: "Nobody's perfect. I could give you a list of my weaknesses and I'm CEO of the company. What are you worst at?" The candidate can't answer.

Why is it a red flag: "Although he actually interviewed very well in all other areas, that was a real breaker," says Scudamore. "He was either not able to be honest, or he was not able to reflect on what issues are problems for him. So he can't make it better."

"2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 mouth = see more, listen more, talk less" (Ei Hua?)