Waiting for the End of 2010

(Climbing up a grown tree to see the sky...)

My last post was made more than eight months ago...

While it's already 2011 in some parts of the world (Happy New Year!), I am still struggling to write the seventh (and last post) of the year 2010...

Apparently I didn't get to keep my new year's resolution... sigh...

Many things had happened during these eight months. I went on a Bible-distributing mission trip to Macau in June, volunteered in the first ever Youth Olympic Games in August...

The start of another academic year saw about half of my CBC mates almost disappeared from school because of internship, me starting a small Final Year Project (with a big one coming up next sem, following the failed interview at GSK), plus four modules including HMJ5 (and JLPT)... And most of all, sharing a room with two of my Crusade buddies comes with fun and challenges, as well as my application for PhD admission next year...

And last...

Taken at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, 27 December 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!!1!
(just in case dunno when my next post will be)

It's April... you fool!

OK, I am not that stupid till that I just realized that it's April.

It's time of the semester again, when libraries and benches are full. The season of notes, books, coffee and mug...

For some time, I thought that I still have a lot of time, which in reality I don't. Keep putting things off over and over again... In addition, new things tend to crop up while old things are still in sluggish progress.

Tonight is another sleepless night, with everything going on in my head. Exams, mission trip, FYP, girls...

Looking ahead

It's Week 11, and it's the e-learning week. Usually, lecturers like to use e-learning week for tests (ugh), in addition with an e-lecture which may or may not be tested. This time, the e-learning week is lecture-free (saved for CBC923, which the lecturer shifted the e-lectures to the previous week) and test-free. Although two tests are on the following week, it's a welcomed break from the routines anyway, and more time to think about other stuffs.

This doesn't mean that the week is free from assignments, however. A group project for CBC923 (due Friday), and an individual project for CBC921 (due next Friday). Even though I had applied S/U for both subjects, I still spend time scratching my head, banging on my table, jumping around the place...

Another thing is about my final year option. I can choose to do Industrial Internship or Final Year Project (unlike engineering, which they have to do both). I didn't apply to do internship for either semester next year (due to underwhelming response for internship in Sem 1, they ask us to "reserve" for Sem 2 as well, which practically means "apply", which robbed me the time to think), that means I gonna do FYP next year. I feel that I am still not prepared for working in the industry, yet. However, I want to get a glimpse of the industry as well. Then I found out that I could do FYP in a company. It's a good opportunity, although it sounds like a graded internship (normal internship is pass/fail, while FYP is graded). Anyway, I think I gonna give it a try.

Time to edit my resumé and send it on its way. So help me God.

Recess news

Although it's only two weeks after CNY break, after Week 7, it's time to be at home again!

One thing I enjoy doing here is to read the newspaper. My fellow Malaysian friends complain that "Singapore newspapers nothing to read one", which I kinda agree. After all, it's a party in the Malay States. Once someone get done with one, they can just hop onto another and say that the previous one was not fun enough. What about the lives of those ordinary, non-party going, hardworking people...? Well, who cares?

Jokes aside, as STPM results were out (and with SPM results coming out next Thursday), the newspaper also contains advice for those who are furthering their studies, such as how to choose course, university, etc. I couldn't stop myself from thinking of the decision I made three years ago. I based my decision on one location (Singapore) and my interest in school subjects (Chemistry yes, Biology and Maths are OK, Physics... well, everyone in my course hates Physics). Long story. I shall put this into another post.

OK, bed time. I still have some homework (due Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, plus another long-term group assignment) to do and tests (Monday and Friday) to study. Why I can't study at home?

Overdue

Aiks... my last post was written more than three weeks ago...

Every week, Sunday and Monday nights are dedicated to one of the modules, not one but two assignments (duh... one due on Monday, the other Tuesday). Every two weeks or so, Wednesday nights are for lab reports. Thursday nights, along with alternating Tuesday and Wednesday nights are for Crusade activities. Fortnightly, Friday nights are for cell group in church. Saturday nights? Church service.

And those are just "regular" assignments and activities. Every now and then, I am required to write articles for Tribune. Some modules have project works as well. Although I am not a fan of S/U, I think I would be making full use of it this semester (I have 2 left).

What do all these tell me? That my working method is not sustainable. Procrastination. Working the night before the due date makes me rushing it, which resulted in poor quality works. And it's taxing to sleep only for a few hours per day; I pity my roommie having to put up with a roommate that goes to bed early... in the morning. And then, what if something unexpected happened, e.g. power trips, NTU LAN screws up, laptop goes mad?

Finally, it's Chinese New Year! This will be first time in 4 years I will be spending it back home in KL. Although it is not assignment-free, I only have one assignment due next week (the two-assignments-per-week module... the other assignment due date is pushed forward to the week after). Anyway, that's a yay!

Wish you all a Happy Chinese New Year!

恭喜发财！
万事如意！
新年快乐！
虎虎生威！

Panic!

Recalling my "new year's resolution": updating every two weeks. Here I am, overdue by a few days...

It's just been one week, yet I feel that it has been a long time since the first day of school, because of the various things that happened last week. UE overload, hall moving (finally got a room! Hall 2 --> Hall 15)...

I really panicked and stressed out when everything popped out at the same time. Fortunately, everything had been settled. I still need to improve on my stress management. Panicking and worrying too much doesn't help.

I haven't finished studying for tomorrow's amino acid "surprise" quiz yet.

Should old acquaintance be forgot?

First of all, Happy New Year 2010! Turning 21 this year..

This is the first time I spend New Year's Day away from family. Not that I spent my entire time after exams in Singapore. I was home for two weeks, then came back for a fantastic and wonderful camp. I'll be going home again for another week before school starts, possibly helping out in the kindergarten.

I am not in the habit of drafting new year's resolutions, knowing that most likely than not they would not be carry out (thinking of my last year's, to exercise at least once per week, oops..). Maybe I'll just start with this blog?

Firstly, I changed the emo-ish blog title. Woohoo!

I didn't write a single blog post for the month December, although I had some ideas in mind, and I actually saved them as drafts. Should I keep them or just discard them?

I should start regulating my blog writing. Alright, here's a promise: I promise I will be updating at least once every 2 weeks. Someone remind me in case I forgot..

Lastly, not really related, but some words of encouragement:

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
(1 Timothy 4:12)

P/S: I spent four days to write a simple post like this.. oops.. I have the tendency to write about my writing.. again..

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Slacking...

November. Two weeks to exams. It's the mugging season in NTU again.

"Mugging"? Doesn't it mean "an assault or threat of violence upon a person, especially with intent to rob"? Well, it seems that the creativity of the people here gave it a new meaning: to study intensely before exam. Some googling showed that a more correct term should be "mugging up". Oh well.

Anyway, I haven't gone into exam study mode yet. Still slacking around, disturbing those who are studying... until I myself can't stand my slackness. Compared to previous years, it seems that time flies faster this semester. Too many things going on at the same time. I have been slow in warming up for this semester.

I found myself making fun of people that study in their free time, i.e. muggers, "Get a life, man!" Ironically, perhaps, when it comes to stress, I am one of the most stressed out persons around, mostly because of putting things off to the last minute. Is it because I can't work without some stress?

I think my style of studying hasn't changed much from my secondary school days. Miss out doing homeworks; do nothing related to my study most of the time; only start studying two days, or even on the night before any test.

Prioritizing and time management is one of my biggest weakness. Not only in study, but in other things as well, like being late for lunch, for class, for church... while being punctual for trivial things like gatherings, when most of the people arriving late instead...

Oops, I am late for lunch with Fuda... again....

Fingers and keyboard

Basically, this post is related to my last post, that is, about writing. However, this post will be focusing more on blogging.

Blog about blogging. Yeah, I find it strange. In fact, I had written a number of times before about my blogging. I hope this will be the last time I am repeating this.

After 2 years of blogging, I am still struggling to update this blog more often. It's actually out of laziness rather than having nothing to write about. I should have made use of the amazing save draft function on blogger. I have so many topics and ideas to write about. Now thinking if I should go and clear this backlog of topics, and in what order I should write about them.

Some people commented that they don't see a reason behind blog writing. Yeah, why would people write personal stuffs online for the whole world to read? For me, I think that it's a channel to express myself when I can't in this people-are-ever-busying world. It's also a way to solicit views and responses that I might not come around in real life.

I don't know how many of my friends regularly check out what I'd written here. I really want to know who has read what I had written.

Some of the reasons people don't read my blog (this are just my speculations):

• Lack of updates. People are tired of waiting for my updates.
• Not interesting. Boring topics that only Joshua enjoys writing about.
• Long and long-windedness. Some people find it tiresome to read my blog.
• English. Yep, some people may find it apprehensive to read my blog since I write mainly in English. I enjoy writing in English, and I have the confidence to express myself in English.

...

So... for those who have anything to say after reading my posts, please don't hesistate to leave a comment, OK? C'mon, shoot whatever you want... Just a few minutes of your time...