Manic Monday

Just suddenly thought of the song Manic Monday by the Bangles. No apparent reason, but I guess it’s better sounding than “Rainy days and Mondays” … “always get me down.” song by the Carpenters.

Anyhow, stayed at home to do work today, because the Lab which I am teaching had been cancelled. It was cancelled last week due to the Muslim Festival and it was cancelled this week due to the pace of the lecture being too slow and the Lab going too fast. Hmm … it’s strange, but the lab sessions are already awfully slow, considering that it’s almost the end of the semester. Oh well … the lecturer knows best.

1st draft of HYP Report is about complete. Missing my diagrams and pictures and appendices and 1 more experiment, but I shall approach my Prof for some comments.

Compiler project got hiccups, so solving it right now. It’s DEADline is on thursday for the 2nd phase. Hmm …

Have not started HW/SW assignment yet. Can’t seem to get the x11 window to run properly over the network. Either the tembusu cluster is not working properly, or the network is just damn lousy. I guess it’s the network since I’m really trying to tunnel a GUI program from a remote client to my computer. Any better way?!

Peaceful anxiety. I’m in a state of peaceful anxiety. =)

Long Sunday

This Sunday (which is today) seemed so extremely long. It was a terribly long day in my opinion, as if time crawled by rather than the usual fly by. In fact, I felt that time was inching forward so slowly, yet I know there are so much to be done still.

Did quite a bit of work today, maybe it was due to the perceived length of time that I had. I completed most of my experiments on the known datasets. One more experiment to conduct, but I need to get REAL data from THE COMPANY. That might take a bit of time. So, I did alot of tabulating and writing today and I feel beat.

Yup, after doing so much work and accomplishing quite a bit of the project, I am tired. Unfortunately, I do not have anything damn interesting to entertain myself with. Quite a bit of VCDs and DVDs my brother left behind, but not really interested to sit through any full length movie. I also kind of ran out of blogs to read, considering that other ‘bloggers’ don’t quite blog as much as they should, or rather I do.

There is also a limit to the number of news articles you can read. Afterall, at each site, they all give the LATEST breaking news which are most probably the same LATEST breaking news covered by different journalist, in a different writing style.

Oh, I’m just being cynical.

My mum’s typing out her appraisal form and I’m suppose to help her with some formatting when she is done. She’s taking an awfully long time to type her appraisal. Either she’s done too much for her company, or she’s really a computer idiot (which I doubt even though she might make protest at this, because she did took typing courses before and used to be a speed typist).

OK, … SHE … calls!!! Ciao …

It’s odd that people ‘like’ being ‘miserable’.

I find it strange that people like to be miserable.

They do so, possibly, for a variety of reasons and I list just a few.

1. They like the attention they get when they ‘brag’ about how miserable they are.

2. They like to play victim to circumstances to avoid taking responsibility for their plight.

3. Following on point 2, they are afraid or too proud to admit they are in the wrong and need to change.

4. They fear that by being happy, other people will be resentful and hateful towards them and so ‘join’ in the rest of the ‘miserable’ crowd.

5. They think that life is all about suffering and that any sign on happiness is sinful.

6. They yearn for sympathy and think being miserable is the only way they are going to get it.

That’s all I can think of at this moment in time.

Quite slow in my testing and experiment, cos’ still got a small bump in the road.

How do I go over it!? hmm …

I go sleep! (and dream of the answer)

AGM for a MCST

I attended an AGM this afternoon to be part of a “share holder” of the building because of my mum’s property in a bulding – a rather dilapidated building, which everyone wishes to sell of through a collective sale, but have yet to be followed through. Let’s hope it goes through and I do not have to hear the problems from that building over and over again in the future.

The AGM was extremely boring, in my opinion. Quite boring and mundane matters that was voted for. Yet, I found the whole experience insightful, into how a Strata Title building is managed by the MCST and the SPs. I was there because, my mum wanted to use me as an additional person in te council if the “other gang” also sent their people into the council. Lucky for me, I eventually did not have to be dragged into the whole messy affair of management in that building.

The AGM was held at The Plaza Park Royal at Beach Road. Rather old looking building, but the interior was given a face lift and it looks beautiful. On the 4th floor there was also a outdoor pool area and a sky garden, which was very pretty and surreal. Nice place to just sit down, laze around and let the world turn round without a care.

I changed the theme for the website again. Now it’s a little reddish. Still going for the simple look and no time or chance to do a whole CSS layout from scratch myself, so just took a theme of the web. I was thinking about the itle of the site. I had ‘9.22′ for sometime now and wanted to change it. I was walking to church and I thought about it and decided to change it to “walking without plans”. It’s definitely tough for me. All my life, I planned everything out. Everything must have a place, everything should be spelled out. Only now, I am letting myself become less restricted by a plan (or more precisely a long term plan). Maybe the hands of fate will take me some place new, I believe that God will take me to another level, when I leave the planning to Him. Let it be.

Haha! Someone said I resembled Dick Lee. I asked her if that was a compliment? She said that she did not really like Dick Lee. Erm?! Someone else said that I resembled Dick Lee, again. I asked him if that was a compliment? He said that it was more a compliment compared to that previous times when people said I resembled Chen Xiaodong, because Dick Lee was a talented dude and not just some pretty face. Haha! So, I conclude that I am just your ‘average’ “talented pretty faced” guy! Haha!

Have a good weekend!!!

Fit For The Times (1)

by Rev. Margaret Tay

The pastor question us on what times do we live in? There is terrorism, nuclear threats, globalization, natural disasters, and even closer to home, there are rising numbers of teens who have casual sex, suicides (in fact, it is the top 3 causes of death among youths) and divorces. She explains that we need to understand the times to be able to be prepared for the times.

Men of Issachar (son of Jacob) understood the times and knew what God wants to do in Isreal. – 1 Chronicles 12:32

We must understand the times, that these are times of spiritual war and that we must be prepared for the deliberate attacks by the devil who will come in stealth and with intent to bring us down.
To be prepared and fit for the times, she highlights 3 main points:

1. Know our enemy
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:10-12

We fight against the devil, who is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), and who will kill, steal and destroy the precious things that God has given to us such as our family, our loves ones and our salvation (John 10:10).

It is with this in mind that we must let God take captive of our thoughts and make it obedient to God, for the Devil makes us live below our potential and makes us religious people, who are only concerned with the process and the steps of being Christian, but miss the true meaning which is to provide everlasting life through our free acknowledgment and worship of God. We must not focus on our problems but on the potential that God has given us and in so doing, fulfil our God given destiny.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8

We must be awaken to the works of the enemy to be fit for the times!

2. Know who we are in Christ
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10
We are people of God, a community and through this community there is great power in. We are a chosen people, we are good enough, we do not need affirmation from people through our deeds or acts. It is only by the grace of God that we are forgiven and can achieve great things. We are royal priesthoods, we are a holy nation, made for a greater God given destiny.

3. Know what we are warring for
We are warring for the fulfilment of God’s promises, plans and purposes.

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” – John 10:18

We must be do-ers and not just hear-ers. If everyone merely passively hears and absorb God’s message but fails to act them out, nothing will ever be achieved. To see those promises of God fulfilled, we need to wage a spiritual war against the devil.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. – Matthew 24:12-13

In this spiritual warfare, we need to be united and stand firm with knowledge of who we are in God. It is by his grace and his power that we shall overcome all odds. (I added this in myself, heh!)

“I will have no other God before you,
With all my heart,
With all my soul,
With all my life … “

p.s. I made it to church in spite of the rush from the afternoon’s AGM for mcst 835. In fact, I reached church just about the same time I do every weekend. Great, yar!

So far so good

Still going on and on and strong and stronger.

Today, quite happy, cos’ I completed 1 task for the Compiler Design project, at least, next week’s 2nd phase submission for that assignment is done. It was a simple task which I took like forever to do, cos’ I was just getting it all wrong. Got the thinking process straightened out with my friend and it worked so much faster. phew!
Shall focus on my HYP testing and report over this weekend, so that early next week, I can get my Prof to review my report. Still got some major testing and coding to do, but like I tell everyone, “Some how it will all work out. (Like what my compiler lecturer likes to use, which I don’t, ‘with magic” it works.)

I am attending an AGM for some council meeting tmr cos’ I am doing a favour for my mum. She wants me to be voted into the council, in case, her ‘rival’ gang brings along their people to get into the council too. So, I’m there to make up numbers. erm … erm … Well, it will be an experience.

I leave this post with a quote:

“Who are you? If you want to be someone, be yourself.” — Unknown

Jialatz!

I realize that all my assignments are due in the same week.

HYP Report due on 13 Nov 2006.

Compiler due on 16 Nov 2006.

Hardware/Software assignment due on 17 Nov 2006.

HYP Presentation on 20 and 21 Nov 2006.

So exciting, right? One shot it all comes and will absolutely try me!

I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!

… the recent blog post are becoming silly, childish and akin to post coming from a spoilt brat.

I indulge myself …

Full Steam Ahead

Now that all holidays are gone till Xmas, there is naught to do but keep working till the project presentations are over and the exams are over.

Shall not be complacent.

Shall not be unfocused.

Shall not be unfazed.

I shall overcome.

and, through it all, I shall look forward to a good December and the brand new year!

(too early?! time flies quickly, leh!)

词不达意

歌手：林忆连

有些人用一辈子去学习
化解沟通的难题
为你我也可以
我的快乐与恐惧猜疑
很想都翻译成言语
带你进我心底

我们就像隔着一层玻璃
看得见却触不及
虽然我离你几毫米
你不会知道我有多着急
无心的坐视不理
我尴尬的沉默里
泪水在滴

我无法传达我自己
从何说起
要如何翻译我爱你
寂寞不已
我也想能与你搭起桥梁
建立默契
却词不达意

在你的盲点里寸步不移
不论天晴或下雨
陪着你悲伤欢喜
你难道从来不觉得好奇
你身旁冷清拥挤
我一直在这里
不说一句

我无法传达我自己
从何说起
却无法翻译我爱你
遗憾不已
我也想能与你搭起桥梁
建立默契
我必须得先看明白我自己

翻译成一句我爱你
我也想能与你搭起桥梁
建立默契
却词不达意
词不达意

p.s. Thanks for the CD!

Long weekend

It was a super long weekend for everyone in Singapore and possibly around the region because of the 2 religious festivals in close proximity of each other.

I seem to be laxing into a state of inactivity. My mind tires quickly. Each night as I process my thoughts for the report writing, I get stucked with incoherent words that makes no sense in context.

I think that problem is evident in many people’s essays, resumes, etc, at least for the people around me. It’s simply a mistake that I (and perhaps many others) constantly fall into. Using big words that seems to sound nice, but makes no sense when we really think about it.

Hence, for my report, I shall not be sesquipedalian (oops!!!) and remember to keep it short and simple.