Pointing to the road home...Monday 30 July 2007
Stuart Highway
Was looking through the photos taken during my central Australia holiday trip and I came across this photograph of me under a road sign that points to Alice Springs and Singapore. Thought it is quite interesting isn't it?
Pointing to the road home...
Pointing to the road home...
Sunday 29 July 2007
Movies watched recently
Have been pretty free recently, and so watched a number of movies.
Letters from Iwo Jima - This is a movie about the war fought on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII depicted from the point of view of the Japanese. It's a very good movie I must say, and Ken Watanabe acted very well in the show. Although there were a couple of bloody scenes which you would usually expect from a war movie. But some of the grotesque ones like the Japanese commiting hara kiri with a grenade were not shown. The remains of their bodies were however shown in Flags of our Fathers.
Flags of our Fathers - This was the same war on Iwo Jima but told from the point of the Americans. However in this movie, the focus was not so much on the war as it was on the flag, that's why the title. It narrated much more on the famous scene where the Americans raise their flag on the soil of Iwo Jima, who these "heroes" were, and what happened to them. This was more of a political show. Maybe not as good as Letters, but deserve a review definitely.
Road to Guantanamo Bay - This movie is a docu-drama of an account of 4 British-Pakistanis who went to Afghanistan (apparently to travel and eat the enormous naan they have there) and became trapped in the country during the US bombing of Afghanistan. 3 of them were subsequently captured and treated as fighters of the Taliban forces, and sent to the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and tortured and interrogated as terror suspects. The last guy is still missing. It's a real eye-opener this movie, although some question whether it was real. But you feel very deeply for these people after watching it. I would say it's quite good.
Premonition - Sandra Bullock in this movie is the wife and she wakes up and learns that her husband is dead. The next day her husband is alive. The next day her husband is dead again. Then alive again. Sighz... In explanation, she wakes up (on alternate days) after her husband is dead, and before her husband is dead. so she learns how her husband dies, and also her husband is cheating on her. And in the ending, she wakes up on the day her husband is going to die, and rushes off to save him. Not really a good movie is an understatement.
Zodiac - This movie takes it's story from a real police case that dates back to the 1960s about a killer called Zodiac and how this young cartoonist working for the newspaper is obsessed with breaking this case and looking for the killer. The ending was rather draggy as the case dragged on for a number of decades. This show is worth the watch though as it is an interesting detective story and is taken from an actual bestseller written by the cartoonist himself.
Paris Je T'aime - A number of interesting stories strung together, some touching, some filled with love, some funny and some totally incomprehensible. I've always liked short stories type of movies so it appealed to me. Makes me want to visit Paris too!
Letters from Iwo Jima - This is a movie about the war fought on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII depicted from the point of view of the Japanese. It's a very good movie I must say, and Ken Watanabe acted very well in the show. Although there were a couple of bloody scenes which you would usually expect from a war movie. But some of the grotesque ones like the Japanese commiting hara kiri with a grenade were not shown. The remains of their bodies were however shown in Flags of our Fathers.
Flags of our Fathers - This was the same war on Iwo Jima but told from the point of the Americans. However in this movie, the focus was not so much on the war as it was on the flag, that's why the title. It narrated much more on the famous scene where the Americans raise their flag on the soil of Iwo Jima, who these "heroes" were, and what happened to them. This was more of a political show. Maybe not as good as Letters, but deserve a review definitely.
Road to Guantanamo Bay - This movie is a docu-drama of an account of 4 British-Pakistanis who went to Afghanistan (apparently to travel and eat the enormous naan they have there) and became trapped in the country during the US bombing of Afghanistan. 3 of them were subsequently captured and treated as fighters of the Taliban forces, and sent to the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and tortured and interrogated as terror suspects. The last guy is still missing. It's a real eye-opener this movie, although some question whether it was real. But you feel very deeply for these people after watching it. I would say it's quite good.
Premonition - Sandra Bullock in this movie is the wife and she wakes up and learns that her husband is dead. The next day her husband is alive. The next day her husband is dead again. Then alive again. Sighz... In explanation, she wakes up (on alternate days) after her husband is dead, and before her husband is dead. so she learns how her husband dies, and also her husband is cheating on her. And in the ending, she wakes up on the day her husband is going to die, and rushes off to save him. Not really a good movie is an understatement.
Zodiac - This movie takes it's story from a real police case that dates back to the 1960s about a killer called Zodiac and how this young cartoonist working for the newspaper is obsessed with breaking this case and looking for the killer. The ending was rather draggy as the case dragged on for a number of decades. This show is worth the watch though as it is an interesting detective story and is taken from an actual bestseller written by the cartoonist himself.
Paris Je T'aime - A number of interesting stories strung together, some touching, some filled with love, some funny and some totally incomprehensible. I've always liked short stories type of movies so it appealed to me. Makes me want to visit Paris too!
Thursday 26 July 2007
Naked people running around campus
Before I get to the exciting topic above, which might have drawn you to read this in the first place, I'll be talking about the recent flu bug that has hit me.
I think I caught the flu, and have a slight runny nose, chesty coughs, sore throat, muscle pains, slight fatigue and slight fever. Oh man, I hate getting sick, and it makes me very irritable. So, if I have appeared quite irritated or frustrated to anyone, I apologise now, it's the flu bug that is influencing me.
Structure of a flu virus
Well then, on to the story. Was walking back after classes today at 1pm and realised that there were many people at the centre of union court watching some live! entertainment. As I had to go to the atm machines at union court, I had to stop by and watch the entertainment. First, I saw a few people at a competition trying to guzzle down like a 1.5 litres bottle of milk. That was crazy man. And after that, they called for people to be naked. Initially I thought they were probably just topless and would still have their underpants on. No! There were these 2 guys who totally stripped naked and had to run around union court, not that it was embarassing enough in broad daylight with hundreds of people watching, but also it was winter and bloody cold.
So this one guy ran with his hand covering his you-know-what and ran but came back like within a short while and put on his pants. The other, the brave soul, gave it all. He did not attempt to shield anything and ran really fast and took some time before coming back. I think there was some prize to be won for the guy who could last the longest. What a sight man, it was hilarious. As I left the place, I saw a couple of policemen approaching the ground. Didn't know what happened after.
For a schedule of bush week, checkout: http://sa.anu.edu.au/?newsID=172
For pictures of naked men, do your own research. cheers
Wednesday 25 July 2007
Recent happenings
Recently, much has happened. First, school has already begun for more than a week now and I'm taking 1 level 4000 stats course, 2 lvl 3000 stats courses and 1 lvl 2000 accounting course. The last one as an elective. Initially took 3 lvl 3000 courses but then too much workload. I already have 2 assignments from my actuarial control cycle 2 (hons) course! Geez...
Something else happened in college last week. There was the sudden death of an ex-ressie, whom many said to be a resident from last year with the nick-name "Death". So do not give such nick-names like "Disabled" or "Death" etc. to yourself or anyone else. Anyway, the point is that the planned car scav-hunt was cancelled and the bus bar-crawl which I had signed up for has been postponed to much dismay. There is a nice glow-in-the-dark t-shirt to go with it as well!
Also, I've got a new neighbour by the name of Eunice, who is currently occupying Yunjin's old room. Eunice is a nice Singaporean girl and studying some science subjects. She offered me some coke zero today, so I have to say that she's a nice person. lol. No lah, she's really a nice and cute character on the floor. Just beside Eunice is Tracy, also a new resident who just moved in to replace Jeremy. Tracy is from Taipei, Taiwan, and so 3T's? She speaks good english though, wonder where she learnt that from. Haven't talked to her much yet as she doesn't talk much and haven't seen much of her around.
Tried to cook some porridge a few days ago, and it didn't turn out as nice as I expected. However, some of the people who tried it kinda liked it, so at least it made me a tad joyful. Shall improve on it the next round.
Been looking through the NUS website a couple of days ago about the modules I have to study when I go back, as well as the lecturers. Will be taking Microecons 3, macroecons 3, 1 honours thesis and most probably behaviourial economics. Good thing is, I can avoid the lecturer Basant whom Chermaine once mentioned that tutorial participation in his class takes a large proportion of the assessment marks. Then there is this lecturer teaching Micro 3 who hails from the cold cold region of Siberia. What a remarkable thing, a lecturer from cold Siberia teaching in hot Singapore. Have to see what his class is like. Then there is this visiting professor who once taught in ANU for 2.5 years. Well, have to look him up and have a small chat with him. I also realised that there are many many Korean lecturers in the econs department! Is it just a coincidence or is there some economic incentive to teach in NUS? I counted at least 7 or maybe more. Hmm maybe I could based my honours thesis on that. Well, gotta start thinking about my thesis title already.
Damn, that idiot OSV8 or whatever that department is have not replied my email. I'm trying to enquire about staying in this hostel in NUS. Apparently I heard that most of the hostels are quite full now, so I'm not sure whether I can get a room in the 2nd semester. Maybe my "I don't have an house" plea might ensure that I can get a room. For some information about this hostel, checkout: http://www.nus.edu.sg/osa/housing/acc/rvr.html. There are some pictures there as well.
Something else happened in college last week. There was the sudden death of an ex-ressie, whom many said to be a resident from last year with the nick-name "Death". So do not give such nick-names like "Disabled" or "Death" etc. to yourself or anyone else. Anyway, the point is that the planned car scav-hunt was cancelled and the bus bar-crawl which I had signed up for has been postponed to much dismay. There is a nice glow-in-the-dark t-shirt to go with it as well!
Also, I've got a new neighbour by the name of Eunice, who is currently occupying Yunjin's old room. Eunice is a nice Singaporean girl and studying some science subjects. She offered me some coke zero today, so I have to say that she's a nice person. lol. No lah, she's really a nice and cute character on the floor. Just beside Eunice is Tracy, also a new resident who just moved in to replace Jeremy. Tracy is from Taipei, Taiwan, and so 3T's? She speaks good english though, wonder where she learnt that from. Haven't talked to her much yet as she doesn't talk much and haven't seen much of her around.
Tried to cook some porridge a few days ago, and it didn't turn out as nice as I expected. However, some of the people who tried it kinda liked it, so at least it made me a tad joyful. Shall improve on it the next round.
Been looking through the NUS website a couple of days ago about the modules I have to study when I go back, as well as the lecturers. Will be taking Microecons 3, macroecons 3, 1 honours thesis and most probably behaviourial economics. Good thing is, I can avoid the lecturer Basant whom Chermaine once mentioned that tutorial participation in his class takes a large proportion of the assessment marks. Then there is this lecturer teaching Micro 3 who hails from the cold cold region of Siberia. What a remarkable thing, a lecturer from cold Siberia teaching in hot Singapore. Have to see what his class is like. Then there is this visiting professor who once taught in ANU for 2.5 years. Well, have to look him up and have a small chat with him. I also realised that there are many many Korean lecturers in the econs department! Is it just a coincidence or is there some economic incentive to teach in NUS? I counted at least 7 or maybe more. Hmm maybe I could based my honours thesis on that. Well, gotta start thinking about my thesis title already.
Damn, that idiot OSV8 or whatever that department is have not replied my email. I'm trying to enquire about staying in this hostel in NUS. Apparently I heard that most of the hostels are quite full now, so I'm not sure whether I can get a room in the 2nd semester. Maybe my "I don't have an house" plea might ensure that I can get a room. For some information about this hostel, checkout: http://www.nus.edu.sg/osa/housing/acc/rvr.html. There are some pictures there as well.
Tuesday 17 July 2007
Christmas in July!
Today is the celebration of Christmas in July in Ursula Hall. Yeahssssss!!!! Another occasion to have some better food and to take some pictures and make merry! Hope it'll be tons of fun!
Me, Daryl and Jared decorated my door with Christmas decorations
Me, Daryl and Jared decorated my door with Christmas decorations
The end product!
Hope to win the best door decoration contest!
Sunday 15 July 2007
There and back again, A human's tale, by Doni
Today's Sunday the 15th of July, the last day of the winter holidays. Today is also Yunjin's birthday, my ex-neighbour. Happy Birthday Yunjin! Hope you have fun wherever you are.
Been back from Central Australia on the 6th, and it was an awesome journey. Anyone should do it. If not for the spectacular view of Ayers Rock (Uluru), then for the vast Australian outback. I certainly know how big Australia is now. However, take note that this is during winter, so weather in that region is pretty pretty cold, especially at night, and rather hot during the day, as it is for a desert. I seriously wonder how the aboriginese live there in the past.
Well other than surviving the dryness and harsh cold/hot weather, and of course some pesky flies, there was also the steepness of Uluru which will send some faint-hearted turning right back. It was a really steep climb to the top, and we were amazed during the climb to see some parents bringing their young kids with them on the climb. At some point, the slopes could be like 70 degrees steep. And getting up is just the beginning, you have to get down via the same route too. Think about it. Another challenge on the trip which was generally dry, was the sudden strong rains and winds at Peterborough, one of the few pit-stops we made on the way back. Throughout the whole night, rain was splattering our tents, howling winds were attempting to rip the tents from the pegs, and the cold weather was adding to the misery of the situation. We, well mostly Zhong, the poor guy had to hold on to the only pole which was supporting the whole tent so that the wind did not topple our only shelter throughout the night. Kudos to him!
Well so much for misery, there were definitely great moments throughout the trip, hilarious moments which included a guy named Joseph, and new friendships forged. There were photo opportunities galore, that resulted in more than 4 gigs of photos in my laptop which I had to drastically reduce. Anyway, here are some of the better photos of the trip...
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