Finally, after almost one week, I finished viewing the whole 42 episode series.
This China version is great!!! The scenery is gorgeous. I've enjoyed it a lot. Although there are some unsightly stuff; like the lousy Quan Zhen sword effect... the whole series was simply entertaining
Favourite scenes were the wonderful Mongolian Plains with horses running.I think Guo Jing is too dumb. Zhou Xun played Rong-er nicely done. All the female actress are stunning but Mu Nian Ci is the most beautiful!!! (as it should be from the book) =P
My uncle invited a friend from China to his wedding dinner. The friend brought along with him 20 famous Shanghai Hairy crabs!!! Yes, he had to "smuggle" them from Shanghai to Singapore =PAnd I misunderstood the "大闸蟹 da4 zha2 xie4" to be very BIG, haha.
We prepared a feast to share the crabs with him. We have never seen such crabs, not to mention tasted them. We were also very fortunate to have the guest teach us how to prepare them. Recipe: "1) With the crabs still bound... Steam them alive!!!" Eat them with the best sauces of vinegar with ginger. Wow, I was stunned by his quick hands in handling the crabs. Especially when he had to re-tie a crab which came free!!! These creatures are very fast! and they can hurt you with the pincers or spikes real bad. Apparently he had been "toying" these creatures since his childhood days.
The crabs are not easy to eat. They are not only hairy, they have many spikes!!! Yikes, the spikes make eating very tedious. The taste??? I should say there isn't much meat but there is a lot of roe =)
Today's SC444 - Cryptography and Network Security Quiz was a great mess.
- The Lecture Hall could bearly hold all the students
- There were not enough question scripts for everyone!!!
- There was only 1 lecturer. 1:350 -> hell.
- It was a nightmare for the lecturer who lost control and had to use the 'magic words' - Shut the ____-up!!!
Most surprised was the so called 12 different sets of questions =) There were actually only 4 unique questions with different permutations. And yes, everyone was to answer all the 4 questions, haha. The questions were ok; not extremely tough...Cheers to the lecturer - great effort... but Murphy simply ruled the day... heehee
It was a spontaneous decision that 3 of us decided to eat at NIE Canteen today. Since Realtime Lecture was cancelled due to Lecturer on MC, we had our lunch early.
After lunch it was already 1.30pm, we began our slow walk back to Library. When we came out of the canteen, walking in the open space of NIE, we noticed something fishy. Many people stood rooted to the ground looking in the direction of the Administration Building. My friend suggested that maybe the "teachers" were feeling patriotic (something to do with National Anthem during lunch hour; yes... it is lame, but I can't blame the Singaporean Guy)
As we walked happily down the open area, along the way discussing about our crytography problems, we noticed a huge area cordoned off around the Admin Building. As we drew nearer, we noticed someone seated on the window ledge with both legs outside the building!!! WTF!!! SUICIDE!!!
My first reaction was, "Damn, another lost soul..." I personnally feel suicide is never a solution. It is a selfish, irresponsible act on the person 'itself'. Here your life ends in the split second, there are so many people affected by it. The criminal's loved ones, the officers that have to clear up the mess, and the people at the scene who will never forget (just to name a few). And besides, how can you die from 3rd floor!!! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!! (Apparently not at all...)As we were instructed to make a detour, we saw Civil Defence Officers busy trying to save his poor cheap soul.
If you are wondering what happened to him; I couldn't care less... To him, if he survived: "Please die somewhere no one will find you, cause you don't care for anybody else" and "please at least find a more scenic view in campus..."
Do As Infinity Official Web Site
OMG!!! Do As Infinity will disband!!!
Don't get me wrong... I do not know how to read Japanese, but a quick check on the forum www.daiforum.com suggests that DAI has announced they will go their separate ways =( This is not a surprise though, they have been working on their separate projects for some time already.
Tomiko Van will go Solo
Owatari Ryo Owatari got his own band - Missle Innovation
Dai Nagao will be artist and producer for Amasia Landscape
It was their 'Yesterday & Today' soundtrack from Love2000 that got me hooked to the group in 2000. This is a new chapter for the Group since their debut on 29 Sep 1999. They worked for 6 years together. Good luck to them on their future endeavor. This is actually a good thing - instead of one group producing great work, we now have 3 individuals with great talent. We should expect 3 times the great stuff. :DArticle @ Japan Zone
AppleInsider iPod nano sales off to slow startThe nano seems to be a shuffle with display... however, the price is a bit costly if compared with the Shuffle... I am still thinking weather to get one or not. hmmm...Plus:Cool Design (what else can you expect from Apple)Minus:Cost (for the small storage, it is quite expensive$$$)NAND medium (last for 1million read/writes?)
(Goto Link to read more)hmmm, this is quite subjective. Anyway nothing is free. You gotta pay for the design. Apple products were never cheap to begin with. The price we pay is for the "design"; Apple has been known to invest a lot in design.
This is the second last recess I would be having. Like any other Term Recess, it is as busy as it can get. With assignments and quizes to prepare for once the second half of the term begins. Actually, I vaguely remember a recess without any work done. Each term is 'fast and furious' and this term is not an exception.
Recess To-Do list:
SC401 - Realtime Systems: ADA Assignment and Quiz
SC403 - Computer Architecture: System Benchmark Report
SC441 - Adv. Computer Networks: Readings, and a lot of it
SC444 - Crypto & Network Security: Quiz
SC134 - Prin. of Economics: Project and QuizNot forgetting my FYP work......
Well, it's the final year now... last chance to do something for myself in school.
Enough of easy going since day 1 of Final Year... Time to get serious!!!
Hope this will last... =P see for how long.Recess week is next week. Half way till exams - yummy, need to treasure exams while it lasts.Soon, life won't be the same anymore.
On the TV News tonight: Medical Science made great progress with possible vaccine for peanut allergy. The condition is common in North/South America. Asians are less prone to peanut allergy. Researchers think that dietary difference may be the cause. The vaccine might need 5 years for testing. However, don't know why I just can't find the article on Channel News Asia website... (maybe there is an obvious hidden reason) This site is the best match after a quick Google.My immediate response was simply too spontaneous =)
At the mention of the word "peanut", the recent NKF saga shot into view. All thanks to Mrs Goh Chok Tong and her association of Peanuts with S$600,000 =P (Oh well, this will go into unofficial history books of Singapore.)
Who knows... maybe the 'monkey' we all paid actually was suffering from this medical condition?!?! Please be sensitive, try to put yourself in his shoes ('',)
Dropped over at my IA Company, Vanco Asia, this afternoon to pick up a DVD which I lent to my colleague. Sigh, she too busy to play the DVD. Sorry, I need to take it back.
Nice to see them again =) All looking great and hard at work.
Surprise was I to find Wensan taking my seat =P. During the interim, waiting for the Poly interns to arrive in October, Wensan will be covering my duties. Sigh, seems there wouldn't be any plans to hire perm staff for my position any time soon.
GUYS!!! Hang in there and take care =P
Another new semester... time for the 'great' give-away!!!
As usual, the divine gods go join the rush. This is what we got:
1) Giant Apple, some father's Cream Puff
3) FHM - Dec 2004 (outdated)
4) Scratch Pad (Singtel)
5) Mentos Chewys
6) Nestle Ice Coffe Syrup (*ptui*)
And other insignificant stuff...
This round of give-away is lousy. Gone were the A4 pad and Plastic Folder. Gone also were the free meal.
However, the Gods never fail to amuse ^^
There was a Lucky Dip... but it turned out to be a Free-for-all. (We grabbed all the 5 or 6 items for the dip for each of us... wohoo)
There was also a girl dishing out the Free Popcorn... her face was so black like the whole world owes her money @_@
This is a milestone for the nation!!! The celebrations are simply overwhelming. And I may get to cast my first Vote for elections =) wow... and not only for the general elections but maybe the presidential elections too. Since I turn 21 on 2002, this is the first chance of a poll. Well... elections are not that dramatic here, i guess. The political climate is very controlled and stable - good or bad? can't really say.
However, many eligible people do not even get to participate in polling for the whole of their lifes!!! Problem: 1) No constituency competition, 2) No Presidential competition, 3) Never heard of referandums.
Maybe this year I get to cast my vote for both General Elections and Presidential Elections (w/fingers Xrossed) (",)
After a fabulous show last year, this year went for the show again!!! The theme this year is "Singapore's Most Wanted". Maybe next year I would go again... but no more student concession =PLast year went with my JC pals, this year could not join them due to schedule clashes... sigh... getting more difficult to meet up with them. This time went with 2 of the Divine Gods. Well, today the 4 Arty Gods are missing one...
Synopsis from Sistic website:
"Dim Sum Dollies – Singapore’s Most Wanted!
“I have never laughed so hard at the Esplanade before!” – David Chew, Today
Think you can’t laugh any harder than you did at last year’s box office smash The Revenge of the Dim Sum Dollies? Well, our irrepressible threesome is back with a SURPRISING, ALL-NEW musical cabaret show that will prove once and for all that they are SINGAPORE’S MOST WANTED!
Watch Out! They’re leading a Velvet Cabaret Revolution!
Director Ivan Heng masterminds the Dollies to greater crimes of passion. Selena Tan, Pam Oei and Emma Yong conspire with Hossan Leong to bring you the Dim Sum Dollies as you’ve never seen them before! Catch them red-handed as they sing and dance themselves out of trouble! They’ll bust your gut with laughs you never knew existed! They’ll expose the guilty pleasures of being Singaporean.
Simply Wicked! Shiokadoo! "
Wow... just read this on Channel News Asia - "S'pore inventor launches new device to replace QWERTY keyboard". //Singapore entrepreneur and inventor Bob Teo hopes his new format keyboard will be the way of the future.//
I have heard about a more efficient layout many years back... but seems nobody is bold enough to invest. Hope this Singaporean will make big bucks out of this and make Singapore famous!!!
HAPPY 40th BDAY SINGAPORE!!!
Yes!!! Long awaited new single from Do As Infinity!!!
Can't wait to get the PV, CD, Mp3...... etc
It sure feels like Day 1 in NTU again. It has been almost 8 months since I last met fellow SCEians in the Exam hall. Its been too long... feels like a freshie again =P
Definitely my dream car. Too bad it is not for sale...
(Well, dreams should remain as dreams anyway =D)
Met up with friends and colleagues from Vanco for dinner. The event was my farewell dinner =P. My last day was on 15th July, but due to the busy schedules, the farewell dinner was arranged today.
The dining place was at Blk 232, Ang Mo Kio Ave 3. This was the much talked about crab restaurant. (Edmund has "VIP" card here!) The crowd was scary. I was late and arrived at 7:40pm but the ladies who arrived at 7pm were still standing outside waiting!!!
The highlight was the 4 crab dishes... YUMMIE!!! 1) Black Pepper Crab 2) Chilli Crab 3) Butter Crab and 4) Crab Noodles. My favorite was the Butter and Noodles dish. Chilli was good but usual, so was the common Black Pepper dish.
Special guests and friends who joined us were: Adeline (Sharon's predecessor), Annie (Gavin's fiance) and Elysia. Elysia missed her old pals at Vanco so much that she excused herself from her new office drinks session. Wow... so touching =) Absent were: Kimhuat (in India), Raymond and Gordon, both have courses.
Lesson Learnt:
The strategy for crab dinners should always have one member who doesn't take crabs; so that she can answer the handphones for the rest who are getting their hands dirty =P.
We also learnt that the restaurant just across the carpark (Blk 233), with much lesser crowd, also serves crab delicacies. They have chefs from the same master. Next time we shall try the stall across the carpark and see if the standard is the same. Maybe there is a reason why the crowd only visits this side of the carpark ;)
Finally, after almost one week, I finished viewing the whole 42 episode series.
