The worth of a book

It hasn't been long since I started enjoy reading. After a few books I found my interest in the historical fiction genre. Stories adapted from real historical events but novelised for the extra oomph.

Three series have fascinated me to the extent that I would reserve their newest book from the library, pretty amazing for someone who hardly read anything other than textbooks just a few years ago.

1. Simon Scarrow's Eagle series: One of the first novel series I picked up. Story on Rome and its conquest fascinated me even more after I started playing Rome: Total War.

2. Simon Scarrow's Revolution series: While I was waiting for the next book in the Eagle series, I took a read on the Revolution series that got me hooked. Very interesting to find out more on Napoleon and Wellington's march against each other.

3. Conn Iggulden's Conqueror series: I first saw this book in a San bookstore in PS. It was the cover of the Lords of the Bow that etched in my mind. I then started reading right from the start. Story tells of the history of Genghis Khan. Book 3 ended with Genghis death and I recently realised they are publishing a book 4. Can't wait to read that.

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce

The Selfless miser

A book I am currently reading talks about how selfless a miser is. This may sound strange but do continue to read on to find out.

A miser is classified as selfless simply because of the miserly way of life. The miser choose to lead a spartan life even if he could afford otherwise. However his spartan life has unexpectedly benefit the rest of the world. Yes, you and me and everyone else out there. The miser's insistence to consume the resources at the bare minimal has in turn allocated the rest of us more resources at our disposal. By choosing to eat less, buy less and take less, we are able to eat more, buy more and take more. Its effectively a supply and demand theory, the miser lowers the demand and resources which in turn increased the supply we can have.

In fact the miser is so selfless that a philanthropist pales in comparison. A philanthropist's charitable act would benefit few at the most, the orphans at the orphanage receiving the donation or the needy in need of some subsidies to get by. The miser on the other hand benefits every single one of us out there, including the orphans and needy. By simply consuming less, demand decreases and so does the price that goes along with it.

The moral of the story: The true philanthropist is the miser!

Autistic Teen Finds Inner Voice

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

The waiting game

There's so many things I am waiting for right now.

1. My transcript from Germany which I have been waiting since September, finally on its way now (hopefully)...

2. My 1/4 car which I bought for the purpose of my FYP. 3 weeks and counting...

3. Meeting with the therapists at SGH regarding the FYP as well, supposedly having a meeting last week but still waiting for the date...

4. My parcel from HK that contains some gadgets for my own purpose. Turned out that the postman came over on Sat but I was not in, so I can only collect it from the post office on Monday.



The waiting continues....

Breaking out

If you can choose one superpower, what would it be?

I desire the ability to fly, much like how Nathan Petrelli from Heroes, or even Superman does it.

I would be able to get to any place in the world, from US, Europe, Russia or just plain wilderness out of nowhere, I could reach it in no time. Best of all its all free!

When I am down and out and just want to spend time alone thinking over things, I could just fly myself up to the clouds.

I could bid traffic jams and crowded public transport goodbye and take a scenic route to where I desire.


Maybe I just desire freedom in its purest form.

Being too optimistic

Everyone knows its good to be optimistic, but sometimes you should not be too optimistic as can be seen below.

The scenario is based on the pre-enlistment conversation of 3 Singapore Poly students (2 guys and 1 girl) who were sitting beside me on the train.

Guy A: How many camps are there in Singapore?
Guy B: Don't know
Guy A: But no matter what, we will have to be in Tekong for the first 3 months right?
Guy B: Yeah... hopefully we can all be in the same unit after that.
Guy A: Hope so... I wonder how the training is like?
Guy B: I heard you only train for 4 hours a day.
Guy A: Really?
Guy B: Ya la... who can train the whole day? No man will be able to take it.
Guy A: Ya hor... now very slack, since last year got quite a few people died
Girl: Die??
Guy B: Ya, last year got some died while running
Girl: Oh...
Guy A: So if you just cough a bit, they will probably ask you to fall out... They all scared liao.
Guy B: Should be quite slack one la, how tough can it get?


Hopefully they do not get the shock of their life on enlistment day.

Blind 5 Year Old Korean Girl Pianist - Child Genius

I happened to chanced upon this video clip when one of my friends posted it on Facebook. I have to say that this girl is very talented but it could also because being blind hones her hearing to such extent.

However, the reason for this post is regarding a comment I saw which says that poster felt that the girl is very pitiful to be thrown into the harsh entertainment industry as such young age. I have to disagree, children with talent should be allowed to developed them and even to flaunt them. What is the use if you have such talents but have no means to show it. Look at American Idol or Britain's got Talent, without such platforms, talents would remain hidden among us, only to regret when you get older, lamenting for the lack of opportunities or lack of guts to try it. If you think you are good, show it!

Getting together

This has got to be one of the best time I've spent in my house in Munich. A dinner get-together of the occupants (most) in the house. As we residents are made up of a myriad of different nationalities, the house-master decided that everyone should make something iconic to our home country.Preparing the dishes by Zhao Feng (2nd from left, China) and his friend

More preparation by Aboudi (left, from Lebanon) and his wife (right, from Greece)
Setting up the table
As time passes, more food arrives...
And more...
And even more...
Until it was ready to eat
From left (back to front): Singapore (myself), China, Turkey, India, Lebanon, Greece, Pakistan, Latvia and USA
In the courtyard are the Bulgarians working on the grill
And then we finally started eating
Taking photos
Displaying the dishes they made
I made BBQ Sambal Fish because they do not eat Stingray in Germany

Mastering the Master Grade

This is the first time a Gundam model kit is able to sit in my room for 2 weeks and yet to be fully assembled. So far, I have only assembled the upper body, i.e. the torso, arms and head, and some of its weaponry. Its partly due to a lack of time due to other commitments as well the level of difficulty and parts for this one since its a Master Grade this time. Nevertheless I am sure it will be completed before Christmas.

Anyway I am quite surprised to find the price of model kits these days to be rather affordable, much so compared to when I first started back in Secondary school days. A Master Grade now is comparable to a High Grade (lower grade than Master Grade) back in those days. But I wonder when will the day come that I would be willing to buy a Perfect Grade (costs at least $200).

Moving forward | Stepping back

It surprises me how people tend to forget about their goals in the face of obstacles. Some give up without giving a try while others are ready to settle for mediocre solutions even though they know it will not be enough to fulfill what they set out to do.

Few people sought to re-tackle the problem at hand in search of better solutions which we ought to do in order to accomplish our goals.

Why are people settling for mediocrity?

Maybe its human nature to be lazy and choose the easy way out.

Next stop.... Kent Ridge

Its really not because I want to compare but it is really much much more convenient to have an MRT station right beside campus. In Munich, I have a station outside where I live which could conveniently bring me to either campuses I studied in. Having such a long heritage, I would say that having a MRT station to NUS or even NTU is long overdue.

The NUH station on the Circle Line would probably be the best we got.

Don't speak English

The Best of Europe

Having travelled to many of the Western and Central European countries, there are bound to be some places that I particularly like. Here I would like to share the top 5 places in my stay in Europe. (In no particular order)

1) Koenigssee and Berchtesgaden
The small town of Koenigssee (aka King's Lake) is one of the most scenic places I have been to. The Alpen mountains beside a clear lake present picturesque views that is truly spectecular. The experience was enhanced through a freezing outdoor camping by the river and a early morning jog through the misty town.


2) Haarlem and Zandvoort am Zee
Haarlem and Zandvoort are nearby towns to Amsterdam. Haarlem mesmerised me with its integration of river coursing through the town square and its residents' efforts in creating a green environment in their surroundings. Zandvoort am Zee was a very comfortable resort town by the North Sea where hundreds and thousands of Netherlanders come to relax by the beach. Though the water is not clear and blue as many would like it to be but its was truly comfortable and relaxing to be lying by the sandy (and clean) beach, doing nothing. Did I mentioned that this is a nude beach as well?


3) Segovia
The small town beside Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a far cry from the populous city. 30 minutes away by train, It gives you the impression that the town is in the midst of wilderness with a mountain blocking the view of Madrid from Segovia. Its largest attraction is no doubt one of the few Aquaducts that have survived through the years and still as magnificent.


4) Venice
Dubbed the one of the most romantic city in the World, the entire city is built on waters for protection against the barbaric Bavarian tribes. This is where boats instead of cars are a common sight while buses run on waters. The Doge Palacce, residence of the democratically elected leader of the Venetians is the best Palacce I have seen in Europe, even more luxurious than the great Versailles. Another reason I like Venice is because of a particular pizza shop that serves the best pizza I have ever eaten. (Pizza Al Volo @ Campo Santa Margherita)


5) Vienna
The Austrian capital entices you with its architecture and arts. Opera from 3 euros (S$6), complete with monitors for english/german subtitles. The Schoenbrunn Palacce also boast one of the most beautiful garden. And I got to enjoy all of it with my girlfriend and a friend who happened to be there.

Final Year

My final year project involves building a driving simulator for stroke rehabilitation patients. It might also involve cutting up a real Toyota car, dismantle it and used some of its parts for the simulator.

Sound fun huh? Its not fun when

1. I have no idea how to programme the software for the simulator.
2. No idea where I can start looking for information regarding this aspect since I might well be the first person ever to do something of this nature.
3. I am the pioneer in this project unlike some FYPs where we carry on what our seniors have done.

Right now I think I shall indulge myself in Daytona USA as a form of 'field research'... haha

Best investment ever

This bike is my best investment in Europe.

1. It cost 40 Euros originally but I managed to bargain for a 5 euros discount at the fleamart.
2. Then I asked for the basket at the back so it would be easier for getting groceries and the owner wanted to charge me 5 euros for the basket which I managed to get it waived.
3. When the spoke gave me some problems, I brought the bike back to the fleamart which the owner managed to fix it for me FOC.
4. The last and most important point is that I managed to sell the bike for 40 euros when I only paid 35 euros for it.
   

Friedrich-Deckel Haus

This is where I called home for the last 4 months.

The Freidrich-Deckel Haus, aka Haus 2A of Studentenstadt, aka Grasmeierstrasse 19

The Front door

The inner courtyard

In room 133

On days when I am on garbage duty

The common room (it was being cleaned, that's why the table was on the sofa)

The common kitchen

Making an entrance

A cultural difference?

Its supposed to be exam period 1 (Exam period 2 comes after the 1month break), but why do I still see people outside partying, having fun or BBQing everyday? By the way, I live in a student dormitory zone (Studentenstadt).

On a side note, I am moving out on 31 July and I still do not have anything in my suitcase.... yet.

CAP it out!

I always ask myself if CAP really matters to an undergraduate.

I admit that it is a useful form of measure of a person's academic level but I also believe that the CAP system itself has its flaws. For one thing, it has taken away the joy of learning. Students no longer purely take electives that are of interest to them, which should have been the case, because they rather take something easier to prevent a fall in their CAP (a rise is always preferred). Sure the S/Us are there for this purpose but if you have a choice of raising your CAP further with a module you dislike but is easy to score, why not?

The CAP system is the main method in classifying undergraduates (when they graduate) of their Honours class. Those with higher CAP naturally have a easier time looking for jobs and securing a higher starting salary. But is that really an accurate way to determine the worth of a graduate?

I am sure most people have seen those totally unworthy of their position in society. Be it a straight A's student from an elite school only to f*** it up in NS or that manager of yours totally having no idea what is going on. An excellent student do not always equate to being an excellent worker or even an excellent leader. That said, CAP should only be a guide to a person's ability to learn and apply his knowledge but sadly many people treat it as a prediction to their future success.

Maybe the laidback lifestyle here has influenced me too much.

The reality of life...