First Transcript

Here are my results for my first semester in NUS:

LAJ2101 JAPANESE 1 ----------------------------------------A

PL1101E INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY --------------A
JS1101E INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE STUDIES -------A-
SC1101E MAKING SENSE OF SOCIETY ---------------------B+
SW1101E INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK -------------B+

CAP: 4.5

Only two of the exams are in essay format and I got B+ for both of them. I guess I'll be getting Bs when the future exams mostly require me to write essays. Meanwhile, I shall be proud of my CAP score while I still can, before it gets pulled down by next semester.

Birthday Blues

The December babies sure waited long to turn 21. Attended two birthday celebrations recently, Verlyn's one on the 8th and Kian Seng's one yesterday. I guess it can be quite touching to see all the friends you have made in the past 21 years in one single night. Friends who have stayed on throughout the years and are making an effort to spend an evening for your special day.

Verlyn sure had loads of friends, especially those from St John. You can always trust people who used to wear the same uniform as you to enliven your party. For guys, nothing beats the army pals..

I wonder when has it become customary to take group pictures before cutting the cake. The birthday boy or girl stands behind the cake and goes back in time to fetch favourite friends from various eras to take a snapshot for memory. It is like as if you are living your whole 21 years once again.

I wonder if I were to hold such a party, who would I invite and will they turn up? Perhaps I shall just take a ride back in time and see who I really miss..

My Guest List

Bedok Town

Xuehui. Well, guess it's reasonable to invite a best friend?

Joanette. I know her since kindergarten! Then to the same primary school, secondary and JC. 16 years already and still counting! But haven't talked to her for ages..

Clara. I remember we used to have happy times together.

Zhiwen. I just remember our longest telephone conversation was 6 hours.

Zhongxian. We used to play pranks on people..

Tianyou. My rival who topped the school with me? Oh.. those were the days. So sorry I didn't turn up for your 21st birthday party!

Felicia. I think it's nice to invite a celebrity... 美人鱼！

Dunman High

Jamie. My 最佳拍档。 How could you just leave me like that... who else can I sing a duet with?

Marianna Peixin. My favourite ah lian. Haha.. always call me meepok..

Junyang. Even though you always call me 变态. You are still quite nice..

Zhimin. Oh, Seetoh the smart girl who is so easy to talk to..

Agnes. You were the one who screamed to invite me to NUS. So touched.

Sterling. Do you still like Buffy?

Shuhui. My Guai Gia Gang buddy..

Edward. Another Guai Gia Gang buddy..

VJ

Verlyn. One of the rare few I can talk to.

Brendan. You're the rogue while I'm frivolous ya?

Elizabeth. So producer, when is our next film?

Xiongwei. nice guy.. just go easy with the insults ya? haha..

Zhengru. Well, you were present for everyone's birthday..

Hong Yui. We love Japan! かわいにほんがすきです！

Army

Peck. I love listening to your ramblings. You are welcomed anytime.

Ivan. My best pal during BMT I would say.

Junjie. I'll play jazz during my party, ok?

Zuwei. Michael Buble was good!

Chung Hei. It would be great if I had known you earlier during JC days ya?

Luke. Oh.. luke.. we are closer these days ya? heehee.. ;)

Alpha guys! you are all invited! especially,

my mahjong kakis: Neo, Joseph and Charlie

those who so took care of me: Raymond, Daniel and Ruifang

my NE partner! Venkat!

my favourite commanders: Eugene, Jianlong

those so lovable and easy to talk to: David, Kian Seng, Jiewen, Tholmas, Melvin, Khoo

driving partner during terrible Ops Bascinet: Hock Yam

Wallaby pal: Weitang

Teri-jie.. we almost got killed together during Wallaby!

Shem-jie.. for understanding me..

Encik.. for taking care of me..

Everyone.. except for that Ba Geh!

NUS

JS project mates! fellow Minamata victims: Michelle, Xping, Matthew, Ivan

Japanese がくせい: Ying Ting-san, Joy-san, May Lian-san.

WenJuan: Must go sing again next time!

Mark and Vincent: Thanks for accompanying me.

Jitsy: fellow Psych major

Miscellaneous:

Margaret. My fellow talent scout colleague. Surprised we are quite alike and can communicate well with each other.

Aaron. Well, you were nice to me before.

David. Thanks for keeping me company with your messages.

Junxian. You are like my didi... haha.

Tianyang. Another one who is easy to talk to.

And many others...

Seriously speaking, I do not have a lot of close friends but I sometimes delude myself into thinking I have a lot. Wenjuan sent me this message recently:

突然发现想在晚上打电话找人聊天时电话簿里的电话好像不够多。

Not enough numbers in her phonebook to call and have a chat at night? I replied to her that there is no need to have a lot of numbers, just a few will do..

How I would love to have a few numbers I can call every night...

New Detox Method

It has been a long time since I am struck down ill and dying. Apparently I ate something wrong yesterday that totally screwed up my digestive system.

The spring chicken I had yesterday reminded me of my Army days when Joseph and I always share one for some of our supper treats. This version from near my home was different as it was practically drenched in oil, all oozing out as you peel and bite into it. I had two drumsticks and assorted pieces and even stuffed the bag of fries down my throat, though it was soggy and oily.

I felt an unusual bloatedness as I went to bed and could hardly catch a wink. So many things are nagging inside my head, the symptom when something is wrong. At last, I decided I should just get rid of it by going to the toilet.

I managed to release a little tension but the nauseous feeling did not go away. I just know that I have to let it go from where it has entered. I was pretty skilled at this from past experiences anyway. I started vomiting out bits and pieces of yellow, the second purge came a pool of dark brownish minced meat in pasta sauce, and the final one came in a reddish hue of tomato.

I went to bed with a stomach still half bloated but half relieved. The chanting was more obvious now. It was not some other person chanting but it was my own thoughts continuously floating and repeating in my mind. I was not allowed to clear my head even though I tried so hard.

Maybe I am suffering from bulimic nervosa. Or perhaps my stomach has punctured or my intestinal walls have been ripped, causing me to spew blood covered half-digested chicken.

I hardly slept for the later half of the night and when it was 8 in the morning, I made another trip to the toilet. I then realised my stomach was law-abiding and righteous and had no intents of letting the other half of illegal immigrants pass through the customs. I was shocked to find myself puking black liquid and remnants of past meals in another three purges.

My appetite is recovering and I'm glad that I have not become aversed to food. I was not sure what caused the upset and I never saw a doctor for my morbid fear of them. I did run down with a slight fever that I kept in check with two pills.

Speaking of two pills, I remembered my mother giving me two pieces of candy I was not sure exactly when. But when I saw the packaging I noticed a possible blunder I could have made. The candy was actually gum and had to be disposed off! I honestly do not remember spitting it out, though I might have forgotten. The candy was small and quite easily swallowed though. Perhaps I had really swallowed chewing gum!

I would never find out if I really did but I guess it was not too bad to clear your stomach once in a while. It is something like detox isn't it?

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

I was drifting aimlessly on the net this afternoon when David greeted me on msn. Like so many other humans our age, he was troubled with feelings of the heart recently as well. He was being so negative it was unusual considering his gregarious and jolly nature.

Come to think of it, I felt the same way as well. Some people are just so perfect. They have good looks, nice bod, an angelic personality to match, coupled with intelligence and charisma, not to mention the extra cash stuffed in their pockets. You start treating these people with a love and hate attitude. While you become jealous of their possessions, they are also great friends to be with and some inadvertently become objects of desire.

I know no one is perfect but I am like SO not perfect and it troubles me from time to time. It makes you feel limited in what you can offer to your partner, to the extent that you become scared of being an embarassment. It is never easy finding someone who likes you for who you are.

For my friends having relationship problems, and so many of you are, I shall deliver a psychology lesson on attractiveness. What exactly determines attractiveness?

A reason why ugly people do not remain single forever is due to the Matching Hypothesis. It is the prediction that people will seek partners who are similar to themselves in physical attractiveness (Nevid, 2003).

To put it simply, beautiful people get beautiful partners while ugly people will seek ugly people for companion. That is why Hagrid, the giant in Harry Potter, still finds romance in a gigantic school mistress.

Sometimes, I wonder if the beautiful people make more beautiful babies and ugly people make uglier babies and in time to come, it will widen the gap between beautiful people and ugly people? Perhaps the government could pair the ugly with the beautiful to reduce this disparity? (It's amazing what nonsense people can churn when they are bored ya?)

So does that mean that if you are ugly, you have to make do with an obese girlfriend? Not neccessarily so, because in the case of mismatches that refutes the matching hypothesis, the less attractive partner usually compensates by having greater wealth or social position than the more attractive partner (Berscheid & Reis, 1998).

To put it simply, if you are ugly, you had better be rich.

One key to attractiveness is symmety. Faces having symmetrical and regular features are universally perceived as more attractive (Buss & Kenrick, 1998).

Well, does that mean that if I have a mole near the left side of my nose, I should fake another one on the other side? Perhaps guys should start piercing their right ear too...

People like women to have faces with more feminine features. Surprisingly, both men and women generally found male faces with more feminine features to be more attractive (Angier, 1998b).

That explains the F4 phenomenon. Ugly men need not go for cosmetic surgery, a cheaper alternative would be to leave your hair long. (To hide the face that is.)

Another factor is that of proximity. Proximity increases the chances of interacting with others and getting to know them better, thus providing a basis for developing feelings of attraction toward them (Nevid, 2003).

So if you really like someone, stick to him/her like a parasite and engage in their activities. Birds of a feather DO flock together. And don't forget to leave your hair long as well.

PS. Regarding my previous post which has caused so much trauma to many people, I shall clarify: I DID NOT HAVE SEX. Not unprotected at least. Just kidding!