FA Cup Semi Cardiff Millenium Stadium 170405

Instead of revising for my exams, I found myself in Cardiff yesterday for the Cup semi. But well worth the money and time spent, even though the weather was utter crap. Just osme pictures, might talk more about the whole day if I have time (or maybe I am just humji that someone will say that I waste tax payers' money on football matches :S)

The weather started off well enough as shown by this picture. London St Pancras train station, just outside where I live.



What do you get when you have a square outside a stdium before a match? English football fans drinking beer, and singing and kicking footballs into the air! (The point could have been better substantiated if I had told you all about Milan, but will do it after exams :P)



Proof of my revision: The picture belows demonstrates the principle of minimum differentiation in Hoteling's linear city model.



Oh and the Welsh actually have their own language. Not too sure why though...



This year is supposed to be Cardiff's centenary year. Hmm does that mean when Singapore was founded by Raffles Cardiff had not appeared yet?



I think I do not need to explain why Newcastle has the nickname the Barcodes : They're here...



They're there...



They're everywhere!



River Taff and the Millenium Stadium. My third pilgrimage now...



Helicopter in the air



Welcome to the Millenium Stadium...



and the match today is between Newcastle United and Manchester United.



Here we see the lads from Manchester warming up...



and the Newcastle fans trying their best to imitate Anfield.



The Millenium Stadium really is quite an impressive arena, even if the acoustics is not too good. Oh dear my stadium fetish is kicking in again...



Kickoff!



And Scholes scores the crucial second goal just before halftime:



Celebrating Ruud's second goal. Really glad to see him score again. Players who just want to play for United are just that bit more special...



United players applauding their fans after the game.

Warning: Blog is imperfect substitute for diary

Jia lat lah, so scary! Imagine walking down Orchard Road and then suddenly got a random guy point to you and say "eh are you the racist scholar?" :S And by the way I know who this guy is.

And those of you reading my blog maybe can tell me next time if I wrote anything which may cause an uproar. Can't afford to be sent to jail or something :S Or maybe I should just stop this blog.

From The Straits Times:

April 17, 2005
Scholar under fire for racist blog entries

PSC scholarship holder studying in US removes offending remarks and says sorry; his shocked family here also apologises. PSC investigating issue

By Jeremy Au Yong

THE Public Service Commission (PSC) is investigating one of its scholarship holders for putting racist remarks on his Internet site.

Maths major Chua Cheng Zhan, 21, has since taken the material off his website and replaced it with a profuse apology. His shocked family has also apologised on his behalf.

Mr Chua, a third-year student at Northwestern University in Illinois, made disparaging remarks about other races on his personal online journal or weblog.

Since then, at least two forums have been discussing his comments and one angry Net user even e-mailed the PSC to complain.

When contacted, the commission would only say that it was investigating the issue.

Much of the flak Mr Chua is receiving seems to stem from three errant posts among the hundreds on his weblog.

He used words like 'repulsive' to describe some races, and talked about their 'irksome features'.

This issue has come just a few weeks after a Nanyang Technological University student sparked debates when he remarked at a public forum that watching a man hold the hand of a woman with a different skin colour 'made his skin crawl'.

Those who know Mr Chua, who has a younger brother and sister, said it was out of character of him. By all accounts, he is an accomplished scholar.

The former Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong Junior College student has a spotless academic record. He scored full distinctions for his A levels and is now maintaining a 3.8 grade-point average at university.

He is also heavily involved in student leadership positions at Northwestern University and has been very active in volunteer work.

So what got into him?

He said: 'I guess I was not myself when I wrote those things. I don't use my own persona when I write on my blog. I realise they were in very poor taste and I deeply regret my actions. I am not like that.'

The weblog, he added, was never meant to be read by anyone but his closest friends. He had locked the site with a password but now admits it may have been too easy to crack.

He added: 'I don't know who cracked it, or who would even want to.'

Somebody did, and spread the word about it on Net forums.

Many Internet users have posted angry messages calling him names. Some have even asked that his scholarship be revoked. One, calling himself thesaint888, said: 'The thought that a racist is using public money frivolously while casting his racial slurs around absolutely makes my blood boil.'

Another, Juliet Chan, actually compiled a dossier of the posts and e-mailed them to the PSC and the media. In her e-mail, she wrote: 'His utter disdain for minority races here in Singapore is worrying and completely unacceptable for a potential civil servant.'

The Sunday Times tried to contact Juliet several times but she did not reply to the e-mail.

Not all Net users, though, are calling for his head.

One, called jane, wrote: 'They (racist comments) certainly weren't meant to perpetuate racial hatred, neither were they a real reflection on what the writer really feels.

'In fact, any sane person reading it would know they were just made in jest, and were meant to be read by people who would know and put his comments in their proper context.'

Mr Chua's friends and family say the comments were completely unlike him.

His father, 51-year-old Larry Chua, managing director of an investment company, said: 'He's a racist? He volunteered for three months, teaching English in Nepal at his own expense. He volunteered to teach English to Vietnamese and Hispanic immigrants in the United States. You can draw your own conclusions.'

Mr Daniel Quek, 22, who attended Hwa Chong with Mr Chua and who is now studying in the University of Illinois, said: 'I never once thought of him as racist. He's always been a nice, cheerful guy.'

Now, Mr Chua and his family just want to put the matter behind them. He said: 'I really regret posting what I did. I admit I did something wrong and I am very, very sorry.'

Game book

Do you all still remember those game books last time? You flipped the first page, read the scenario and chose from one of the 2 options. Then according to your option you flipped to the relevant page and repeated the process until you won or were killed. Some options get you to the same place in the end, but other options lead you to a different outcome.

Sometimes life is like a gamebook. At each juncture you are presented with options, and you chose the one that you thought was the best and moved on. At the end of the day, when you look back and flipped back a few steps, you realise that maybe if you had chose the alternative option 3 steps back, you would have won. But you chose the wrong one, and you are left to regret it. And almost inevitably, the wrong option you chose was to NOT DO something.

But alas, life isn't like a gamebook, you can't cheat and flip back the pages. What can you do when the more steps you take, the futher away you get from winning the game, just because of that wrong turn you took 2 steps ago? Is there anyway to get back?

Sometimes you can second guess yourself too much.

------------------------------------------------------

Ok so Elvin pointed out to me the LMTBs are for next season. Damn so I do have a decision to make. Damn damn damn. Why am I not rich?

I want to run and cycle

What I miss right now:



I miss the 4 km East Coast run from VJ to Bedok jetty. How I need to run along the jetty, feeling the sea breeze in my hair and watching people having fun fishing or just camping. I must admit I hated it when cross country training was in full swing, but once the Nationals ended, it became a great stress reliever for me. There were no timings to meet, and I could just sit down at the jetty for as long as I like, until I felt sufficiently refreshed. Sometimes I ran with Tong Leng, sometimes I ran with Sylvester. And I also remember the shorter runs with Elvin. This I guess is one of the demerits of being in a concrete jungle like London.

You never know what you have until you have lost them.

And while looking for pictures of East Coast Park. I found this website:

Singapore Cycling

I wanted to cycle to Kranji last summer but never got down to doing it. To think there were actually proper routes! I want to do the Reservoir and Kranji routes!

When will they ever learn?

Something tells me I should feel very lucky to come back from San Siro in one piece....



Read the report here

But looking back, if I had the chance, I would still go again.

You never regret what you had done, you only regret what you did not do.

I hate uncertainty!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I am god damn fucking sure I qualify! Can somebody tell me I will do Masters next year so that I can apply for it now?!?!? 456 pounds is too big a sum to just apply first and see how!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Another headache!!!

From Manutd.com :

NEW LEAGUE MATCH TICKET BOOKS - SEASON 2005/2006

Further to research undertaken about One united membership this season in which members stated that they wanted their loyalty to be recognised and in advance of the proposed stadium development due to be completed by August 2006, we are pleased to announce that we are offering 2,500 new League Match Ticket Books to One United Members who meet a qualifying criteria. This will guarantee you a ticket for every Premier League Home game from the start of season 2005/6 but will not carry any ticket rights to Manchester United away games, including semi and/or final ties.

Members who have applied for at least 25 of the last 50 home games (Premier League, Domestic and European) from the last 2 seasons, (from Bolton wanderers on Saturday 16th August 2003 through to Fulham on Saturday 19th March 2005) are invited to register an application by telephoning the Ticket Order Line on 0870 442 1999 from 9am on Wednesday 20th April through to 9am on Monday 25th April. This is a 24 hour service and new books will not be allocated on a first come first served basis. In the event of being oversubscribed an automated ballot would take place with successful applicants being notified in writing and forwarded an application form and terms & conditions for completion.

All registrations must include a debit/credit card (no administration fee added to booking), however you will have the opportunity to select an alternative method of card type if you are successful.

All books will be situated in North Stand Tier 3 priced £456.00 (with a half price concession available to over 65s) these books may not be suitable for persons who have difficulty climbing or suffering from vertigo.

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Edit: Ok got all riled up for nothing. No decision to make actually. Even if I do Masters I will only be here until Sep 2006. Still what a bummer....

Song and Gif

Found the above interesting gif somewhere on livejournal. It can be found here. Hope the owner doesn't sue me.

And nice song eh? One of my favourites now...

I just want to rest...

I really don't need the exams to be just around the corner. I really need some time when I can just lie in bed and do NOTHING. I need a breather....

From Manutd.com :

I'll End My Career At United - Ruud

Ruud Wants To Finish Career At United

Reds striker Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to end his playing career at Manchester United.

The 28-year-old Dutchman began full training this week after a two-and-a-half month injury lay-off, and hopes to remain at Old Trafford for the rest of his playing days.

In January 2004, van Nistelrooy extended his current contract until June 2008, a deal that expires a day before his 32nd birthday. In an in-depth interview with Soccer Digest: Best 50 Strikers Magazine, Ruud highlighted his devotion to United.

"I feel at home in a place with such strong traditions," he said. "I don’t see why I shouldn’t spend the rest of my playing days here.

"The moment I had signed my five-year contract at Manchester United," Ruud recalls of the day he signed, "the chairman at the time, Martin Edwards, took me to the boardroom where a directors' meeting was in progress."'Gentlemen', he said when he opened the door, 'may I present to you our new centre-forward, Ruud van Nistelrooy'. They all stood and congratulated me. I shook hands with all of them, Sir Bobby Charlton last of all. When he said: 'Glad you're finally here, son', I got goose bumps all over my body."

The loyalty of United's supporters and the rich history of former players and past trophy successes makes the club feel like home for van Nistelrooy.

"I drive down the A56 straight to Old Trafford," he says. "Between two church towers in the distance, I can already see the two biggest stands. When I close my eyes, I can recall that mental picture no matter where I am.

"I turn into Sir Matt Busby Way and cross the square full of fans. Whenever a player's car passes, the square bubbles with excitement. Through a crowd of thousands of people I make it to the players' car park. Every match the people are there again. And they were already there when George Best and Bobby Charlton were playing for the club."

Van Nistelrooy, who is 29 this summer, is approaching the peak of his playing career. Although he has failed to top the phenomenal 44 goals he scored during his second season – the title-winning campaign of 2002/03 – he is yet to fall below the 30-goal barrier.

It will prove a tall order to continue that record this term. Twelve goals in 14 games this season is as exemplary as you would expect from the prolific forward. But, having missed the first month of the season and another 12 weeks recently, breaking the 20-goal mark is an achievable, yet still incredible, target.The Dutchman believes his ruthlessness in front of goal stems partly from a lesson early on in his career from Ruud Gullit.

"When I was younger, I tended to want to score beautiful goals, you know. The esthetics seemed more important than the result."A funny thing happened once. Ruud Gullit did his coaching apprenticeship at one of my former clubs, Heerenveen, when I was playing there. I remember lobbing a shot that hit the crossbar and proudly looked at Gullit: 'Nice one, eh?' "

All he said was: 'It certainly was nice, but it should have gone in.' Although it was simple, he was right - he was absolutely right." Van Nistelrooy took Gullit's advice - "If you want to be a striker who performs at the highest level, every chance that can go in, should go in." – and remembers it to this day.

The striker's belief in his own ability could not be described as an arrogance, especially at the modesty he displays in showing why is considered among the world's top strikers.

"I never for a minute think things will happen naturally. Nothing comes naturally to me," he says. "I do not belong in that exceptional class of player that can operate occasionally at less than 100 per cent. I know I would not get away with that.

"I have that same drive every time. Giving less then 100 per cent is not really an option for me. As the years have gone by, I have started to take football more and more seriously. "I try to do the maximum for every match. I work hard, I train hard and I prepare myself in detail for every game. I do everything to create the perfect circumstances to perform as well as possible."

The sooner the intimidating shouts of "Ruud, Ruud, Ruud" can be heard reverberating around Old Trafford the better, and with a last 16 Champions League tie with AC Milan looming, his return is a necessity.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was speaking in an interview with Soccer Digest: Best 50 Strikers Magazine which is on sale from 3 March.Report by Ben Hibbs.

Give up? Or stay the course?

And so it's all over. Aristotle Toh wins yet again! And the Russian club from West London are going to be champions for the first time in 50 years.

FUCK.

Perhaps it really is true, they have given up giving their best now since they can't motivate themselves to fight for second place. Of course as supporters, one would feel pissed off if any player comes out with that line, but isn't that what always happens in real life?

When you have no realistic chance at the big prize (though still mathematically possible), would you still go all out JUST to see if you could make a difference? To see if the winds of luck suddenly change and you will get the big prize at the end of the day?

Would you expend all your energy to find out?

Perhaps its the economist in me, but I don't think I will. Once the marginal costs exceed the marginal benefits, I stop, even if there is still positive marginal benefit.

Do you give up before the end?

As for Man United, what can I say? I am still going to Cardiff next Sunday full of hope. I am still to the (originally supposed to be last but the Chelsea game is now after that) league game against West Brom on 7th May, 2 days before I have 2 papers on 9th May. I don't fucking give a damn about glory, loving something is forever. United are still third, much luckier than some other teams...

We'll keep the Red flag flying high, cos Man United will never die...

Fly kite

A wise man said this to me 2 days ago:

kite flying theory is when jioing a ber....it is like flying a kite.....cannot alwiz pull hard hard...the kite will fall.....sometimes muz let go then the kite can fly high high...but then muz noe when to pull back again....or else will lose sight of the kite

*nods in agreement while stroking my chin*

And it certainly doesn't apply just to kaoing girls. It also applies to all other relationships I guess. Everybody needs their own space and if you are overly enthu, some people might just freak out. But if you let go too much, then you enter the vicious cycle of drifting further and further and feeling it harder and harder to maintain contact.

I must admit, after 22 years on Planet earth, I am no closer to finding the optimum effort to put into maintaining a relationship. It's always either too enthu, or too bo chup.

And sometimes things aren't as clear cut. Have you ever spared a thought for the kite? Does the kite really want to be connected to you by a string? Would it be happier if it was just drifting high up in the sky with no constraints? If it was happier that way, then perhaps you should just cut off the string and let it go? Even if it hurts like mad when you do so?

What would you do?

Rules

You know what they are, they are everywhere. And as Singaporeans, we certainly know a thing or two about rules. Cannot spit, cannot litter, cannot paste notices on bus stops etc.

There's nothing wrong with rules, generally they make for a better place to live in if everybody follows them. I certainly don't like to break rules. In fact, I can't break rules, for I seem to have a CCTV right above my head. Whenever I break rules, *poof* suddenly all the punishments start to be meted out. A lot of people had done the same thing last week and gotten away with it. Just when TosH tries it, the punishments start to be given out. And then after TosH gets punished, and he stays on the straight and narrow, other people start to get away with it again.

Don't believe me? Just ask Elvin and Tong Leng. Everybody copies or don't do homework in VS and get away with it. Just when TosH doesn't hand in ONE freaking piece of homework, the teacher suddenly checks who did not hand in and scolds him. Everybody pon tang school to study for exams, and just the day when TosH pon tangs, the form teacher decided to get pissed off with the situationand marks attendance and scolds those who skipped school. When kenna turn out in NS, everybody has no time to tie the boot laces and just tuck it underneath the gutter. But guess who will be the only one caught? TosH again. Everybody tries 101 ways to not pay the full bus fare, but when TosH does it, you can bet your iPod (again) that he will be the first to be caught and fined.

And so poor TosH has no choice but to follow whatever rules there are. He can't break them, for he will be punished, and no good will come out of it. But yet, he has to watch others flout every single rule there is and go unpunished. Not only do they go unpunished, the one up there seems to like them too and confers upon them a GOD DAMN FUCKING UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. The honest hard working fella tries to do the correct thing all the time, but who fucking cares? Others are able to break the rules and shit on his head and run off with the prize, leaving TosH to eat dust.

Should I return to the days of breaking rules? Has the CCTV above me disappeared?

It might all be too late...

My favourite song...

Was suddenly reminded of my favourite song just now. Haven't heard it in ages, at least not since my laptop broke down. So which is the song that has the honour of being TosH's favourite?

*Drum rolls*

It's the Hokkien classic ....... Ai Piah Jia Eh Yia!!!

*Applause*

I can still remember humming the song in the back seat of my dad's Mitsubishi Gallant, with the PIE wind blowing through my hair (got Beach Boys feeling or not? :P) Every weekend we were brought to Tampines to visit my grandparents and we had to take the PIE from Toa Payoh. And along the way I always listened to such golden oldies. So much so that I could hum along despite not knowing the exact words.

One particular paragraph of the song goes like this:

Life is,
like the waves on the sea.
Sometimes go up,
sometimes go down.
Good luck,
bad luck,
still must carry on and go to work.
30% is fated,
70% is hard work.
Ai Piah....Jia Eh Yia....

Such simple lyrics, but so not simple meaning. Perfect advice that I should give to myself everyday during this exam period...

Happy mugging everyone!

Warning: Controversial post in second half

Further proof that proactive kbkb works...

MOE initially gave us 330 pounds for a one way ticket back to Singapore in the summer, and it was even supposed to cover excess baggage allowance. WTF? 330 pounds is not enough for even the air ticket itself unless you take ulu ulu airlines like Qatar Airways lor....

And so Miss Guo wrote a formal complaint letter and a few of us signed it and off it was sent to MOE and PSC and wahey! this was the reply we got today:

Dear all,

Thanks for your feedback with regard to the high airfare rates for travelin June/July 05.

We have reviewed the 1-way travel allowance, and is pleased to inform you that the travel allowance from London-Singapore will be increased from 330pounds to 400 pounds. The raise is proposed based on the research onairfares for travel during the June/July period, as well as research onairfare charges provided by MOE/PSC scholars. We hope this helps you in making your ticketing arrangements.

As we have already credited the 330 pounds into your overseas bank account,we will credit the additional 70 pounds into your account in the next 2-3weeks. For your info, please :)Do let me know if you have any other questions!

Hmm...maybe it really is important to give feedback so that changes can be made. I am certainly glad that I wasn't like the typical apathetic Singaporean this time, just whining away without doing anything constructive and pouring cold water all over the effort. Thanks Miss Guo!

Anyway before you guys in Singapore think that I am a greedy blood sucker for tax payers' money, I am not ok. Because 330 pounds is really not enough. I complained when my allowance was cut by 2 months because our courses had ended by then but I never did anything because I fully understood the rationale and felt that the reasons were reasonable. However, this time the amount is really not enough and certainly can't expect everyone to be able to stretch out their hands to their parents to ask for money to top up right?

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Religious people you can stop reading this now, because what I am going to write below is not going to be pleasant. Anyway there is this radio station in London called Capital FM and there is this late night show called Capital confessions where callers call in to tell the DJ (and the world) their secrets and ask the DJ for advice or just a listening ear. Yesterday I heard this caller which seemed to have a link to various events that happened in my life recently. This female caller had to leave her family at 18 to live with the guy she loved because her family would not accept the guy due to religious reasons. And now the woman has a kid and still is happily married but the family still would not accept her back. Despite the husband (on seeing his wife suffering from postnatal depression(correct term?)) bringing the newborn to her family's doorstep, the family still would not accept her back. I couldn't help but agree with the DJ when he said that he felt it was a bit sad that the parents could not for once let go of their beliefs and welcome the daughter back. The newborn don't have grandparents as a result, the grandparents can't have their grand son as a result, the wife don't have her parents and the parents don't have their child. How sad is that? Isn't your child one of your most important thing in this world? What can possibly be so powerful to stop you from wanting your own flesh and blood back? I find it really sad that religion (which is supposed to help people find direction, which is supposed to encourage people to do good, well at least all good religions do anyway..) can make some people suffer like this.

Another case in point, my friend had liked this girl for 3 years before now when he finally had the chance to tell her and the girl also liked him. How sweet is that? But guess what the friends of the girl (who is of same religion as her) said?

"Oh, you can't be with him, He is not a . You will sin!"

WHAT THE FUCK???

My friend is true to the girl, he will treat her well, and what's more the girl actually likes him. Why do these people have to play the religion card and attempt to destroy something that is so sweet and innocent? I don't understand it at all. When is loving someone ever a sin? Love makes the world go round!

If people can be fined for making racist comments, perhaps these people should be fined too for being religion-ist.

I am a Buddhist (though not a very good one) and I firmly believe in the principle that you reap what you sow. But if ever one day I had to choose between love for a living human being and religion, you can bet your iPod (with complimentary white ear phones) that I will choose the former anytime. I just do not believe that when I die, the one up there who is going to judge me (whoever he is) is going to say that I will go to Hell, get whipped, get my tongue cut, whatever, just because I LOVED someone.

And this doesn't apply just to religious beliefs, it applies to all sorts of other beliefs as well. If you care more about your own beliefs and make your loved ones suffer in the process, then it is truly a very sad day...

Love makes the world go round, love your fellow human beings, not some obscure being or belief which at the end of the day might turn out to be irrelevant....

P.S. I am not looking to argue with anyone, this is my own bloody blog so I will say what I will. I did not shaft this down your throat and I included a warning in front. So if you want to argue, get lost.

Why do I keep losing?

Tuan and me were walking along the street after we ate at KFC.

Tuan: Hey where's your bike?

Me: It's right in front.

Tuan: Oh ok, have you ever lost your entire bike before?

Me: Oh yeah, I lost my first one before....(glances at the "parking slot") Hey! Where's my bike?

WHO THE FUCKING HELL DID I OFFEND? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL DID I DO? WHAT SHIT DID I STEP ON?

Yes, my bike is lost. No trace of even the lock left behind. Maybe I did not lock it properly in my hurry to catch up with my friends. But sigh the bad luck continues.

I don't know what I can do to grab onto the things that I love and treasure.

I feel I am losing everybody and everything...

Wang Jie's song: Shi Fou Wo, Zhen De Yi Wu Suo You

Sometimes my longwinded-ness amazes me

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am proud to announce that TosH had just broken the Guinness Book of Records for the world's longest complaint letter. *applause* And now all of you lucky ones out there have the chance to review this history making feat! Enjoy.

Dear Ms Smith,

My name is Shihua Toh and I am the owner of the IBM Thinkpad T23 in the call reference B19FCRZ. The reference for the previous repair job is B19F4RV. Since time is very tight for me, with Easter being next week, I believe it is important to let you know the whole chain of events so that you may assist me in whatever way you can.

My laptop broke down on Sun 13th Feb and I called technical support the next day on Mon 14th Feb. I was told that I would have to bring my laptop down to the DHL Depot at Stratford, London in order for my laptop to be delivered to the service centre. When I queried how long the repiar would take, the person who answered said it would usually be within 4 working days. Since Tuesday is a busy day for me, I brought my laptop to the depot on morning of 15th Feb. I then waited patiently for 4 working days and by late afternoon on Mon 21st Feb, I had not heard anything from IBM yet. I then decided to call up technical support again and was directed to your department. I was told that the machine only reached the service centre in Brentford that morning (21st Feb, which I later learnt was a lie or a mistake), which would have meant that DHL took 4 working days to deliver my laptop. It was never told to me by technical support that it would take this long for DHL to do the delivery. Believing this was the truth, I requested for the repair job to be completed quickly since I had already waited for 6 days in total.

On 22nd Feb, I checked back and was told that I would have to wait another 4 working days (starting from 21st Feb) and I should check back on Thur 24th Feb. I patiently waited but yet again there was no information from the service centre by late afternoon on 24th Feb. I called your department once again and requested for the person who answered the phone to email the service centre and ask why the repair is taking so long and to request the engineers to call me back immediately.

However, by Fri 25th Feb, I still had not received any call and thus called your department once again. I was told no such email had been sent as reflected on the system. As such I am left to wonder did your subordinate lie to me? Later that day, I phoned back and was told that the motherboard needed replacing and the repair was billable. Needless to say I was shocked. I knew my machine was under warranty but had not been able to provide the serial number because the sticker underneath the machine had faded. I was told that the engineers would be able to get the serial number from the machine and thus I thought I did not need to worry on that front.

Thus, I called up your department late night on 25th Feb to give my serial number. I had previously been told that it was missing 2 numbers by another department but I had no choice at this juncture. However, it turned out to be sufficient and I was told to await a call on Monday by the warranty department.

As you can expect by now, I received no such call. At this moment I have several complaints to make. First of all, why did it take the engineers a total of FIVE working days just to inspect the machine and determine the problem? Why wasn't there an effort to contact me after the 4th working day to tell me about anythign which might cause a delay to set my mind at ease? Am I supposed to wait 1 week, 1 month or 1 year for a reply? As far as I am concerned at that point in time, my laptop had not been touched and it might have been forgotten totally. And why wasn't there any effort to contact me after the inspection especially when it was billable at that moment? Why am I expected to phone up your department to find out what is wrong? Why wasn't there any effort to contact me to tell me that the engineers can't get my serial number because the motherboard was spoilt? (I only found this out through a friend) Why didn't the warranty department make the mentioned call to me?

Thus, I called your department on Mon 28th Feb and was told that the warranty had been verified and REPAIR CAN GO AHEAD and the 4 working days time period would start from this date. Fair enough. And so I waited but yet again, I did not receive any information whatsoever by Thu 3rd Mar. Yet again, the service centre was not forthcoming with information and the serial number was brought up to try to explain away the delay. However, this was an unacceptable excuse as it was clearly told to me that by 28th Feb, the warranty had been verified and repairs can go ahead.

I phoned again on 4th Mar (5th working day from 28th Feb) and again there was no news and I requested Jim, who answered my call to send an email. I was away from London from 7th Mar to 9th Mar and thus passed my phone to my friend to take down any messages from your company. My friend answered a call on Tue 8th Mar and was told by Gillian from your department that the part for my laptop would arrive on Wed 9th Mar or latest Thu 10th Mar. I was told to expect a call on Sat 12 Mar to tell me the delivery date. Upon hearing this piece of relative good news, I phoned your department on Thu 10th Mar and was told that the part had arrived which was great. However, the problem was that the next day Fri 11 Mar when I checked back to see if the repair had been completed, I was told the part is estimated to arrive on that day (11 Mar). Was I told a lie the previous day? Or was that another part? Why did the service centre take one day to order each part? Especially when 10 Mar was the 9th working day from 28th Feb? Unable to accept this information, I asked Mr Joost Heijgelaar to contact the service centre. He was very helpful in forwarding the relevant email to you as well as me. However, upon reading the email, I soon discovered that my machine had actually reached the service centre on 17th Feb (1 day after I brought it to the DHL depot) and not 21st Feb as I was told. My patience in waiting for 4 working days before phoning up your department was rewarded with a lie to extend the period to the engineers. The engineers had actually took SEVEN working days just to inspect my machine. Needless to say, I lost all trust in your subordinates and the engineers after that.

On Mon 14 Mar, I finally received a call from the engineers saying the machine had been repaired and it passed ALL tests and it would be delivered to me the next day. I was glad to hear that and my machine duly arrived the next day Tue 15th Mar.

Unfortunately, the repair job was a sloppy one. My laptop kept shutting down by itself. This was the last thing that I need. After waiting for one month (16th Feb to 15th Mar) for my laptop to get back to me, I certainly did not expect the repair job to be a shoddy one. I phoned your department on the night of 15th Mar and was given the reference number B19FCRZ. A technical support personnel phoned me the next morning (Wed 16 Mar) and he admitted that he did not understand why the engineers did not replace the CMOS (after I described my problem and the displayed error messages to him) when it had been clearly stated that my machine had passed ALL tests. I was told to bring my laptop to the depot again and I did so immediately yesterday (16th Mar). The only information I have up till now is that my machine had reached the service centre. Obviously it is not acceptable for me to have to wait the stipulated 4 working days as I have already suffered so much delays (from 16th Feb) and I requested Mr Gavin Munro to email the service centre to put this call as an urgent call and to forward a copy of the mail to you.

After relating the chain of events to you, I hope you can understand my frustration at the lack of forthcoming information from the relevant departments and the length of time it is taking to repair my machine. Easter is next week and my university term ends on next Wed and I might be away from London. I really do not wish to have to call back to your department everyday during my holidays or worse still, cancel my appointments and plans just to wait for my laptop to be delivered back to me. My laptop is really important to me. I have to complete the personal essay for the application form for my Masters studies sponsorship which I hope you understand is very valuable and vital to me. I also have to revise my work for my exams, some of which are on my laptop. Though I have backed them up with my friend, there is no way I can access it until I get my laptop back and transfer the files back into it.

I believe I have been very patient in waiting out the stipulated 4 working days time and again but the latest incident is clearly unacceptable and I cannot afford to wait for 4 working days as next week is Easter and I terribly need my laptop back before next Wed. As such, besides asking Mr Munro to email, I have also taken the liberty to email you directly to request you to help me speed up this repair job in whatever way you can. As the manager, I believe you would have a way to contact the service centre directly rather than through email (or perhaps your superior would). Please assist in whatever way you can to make sure the repair this time (I believe it is a very simple job this time) is completed immediately and also fully to make sure there are no more problems thereafter. I thank you in advance for whatever assistance you may be able to lend me and I hope you would understand that I am truly frustrated and desperate to have to contact you directly.

Thank you very much for your time and attention.

Best regards,
Shihua

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And this is not the end. Ms Ann Smith helped me to log a complaint with the customer relations department the following day. And they promptly assigned a guy to follow my case and he promised me my laptop will be back by Wednesday. I should have followed Yang'en's advice 100 years ago and asked for the manager right away. Would have saved me so much time. Maybe I really am too nice a person, always hoping they can sort out their own incompetency. But obviously this does not happen in UK. The contrast is striking....

On Monday I received my laptop back, TWO days earlier than expected. But when I switched it on, I saw.....

Loading Windows 2000.....

FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!!! I even took the trouble to write Windows XP Pro on the box and it was also on a sticket underneath the laptop, how can they screw it up again? And so I called the guy and he helped me to order a Windows XP recovery CD and luckily it arrived on Wednesday and for now my little TosH is working fine... Long may it continue *prays*

The juggernaut known as time goes on and on...

23 Mar 2005

Yet another landmark in my life so far. The day when term officially ends. The day when I have my last lecture as an undergraduate. (Ok at least that is if I do not fail..although given my luck now I will not totally rule that out! :S) The day when I have to officially tell myself that I am saying goodbye...for good.

It seems like nearly everyone's mood is affected by this watershed too. Its a shame really, that throughout the last 6 weeks I have not had the chance to properly savour every last moment of my undergraduate life. I was always willing time to pass quickly so that I can get my laptop back and without me realising it, term had ended. (Who would have expected this saga to extend for so long anyway...?)

And so yeah, by 1 pm tomorrow, I have to wave goodbye to Anatomy LT, Darwin LT, Chemistry Auditorium, AV Hill LT, Harrie Massey LT, Cruciform, Drayton House, the Main Quad etc etc. And also goodbye to most of the people I met over here by 9pm. Most of them have been good to me, some exceptionally nice, some I wished I had the time to know more, and a couple who should frankly just get out of my sight. But nevertheless they all contribute to my memories, pages in the book called life...

And I also have to tell myself that the days of taking 3am buses to Stansted airport to catch cheap budget flights to Europe are over (replaced by SAF roll calls to get on flights to Brunei :S). Each trip was filled with different memories...

Scotland - the nice mountains, the long trek in the rain along a haunted path at night to the hostel, nice Edinburgh

Portsmouth - nice seaside scenery in Isle of Wight

Leeds - talking cock until 4 am?

Paris - Disneyland!

Cardiff - shivering in the cold and my first brush with touts

Italy - nice gelato, seafood spaghetti, taking silly photos at the Leaning Tower, sitting on top of the hill in Florence taking photos of couples, admiring the sunset in Venice and wishing that I can take the gondola....

Japan - Hakkone, Disneyland!, Shopping in the various districts...

Brussels - Good food (mussels!), drinking cherry beer in the hostel and gossiping about miss "shou"

Berlin - Finally seeing the Berlin wall with my very own eyes

Prague - The nice and cheap seafood restaurant at old town square, the nice river and castle, the peaceful yet disturbing Terezin

Cardiff - Yet again, but experienced a true Cup Final atmosphere and this time with a winning feeling...

Spain - Finally got to visit Nou Camp and Bernabeu, eat excellent paella, walking along the beach in Barcelona, looking down from the fort in Barcelona, uncomfortable feeling during bull fighting (yucks..)

Portugal - eating seafood and drinking Port wine by the river in Porto, watching English fans take over open squares with their bare bodies and beer in Lisbon, singing In-ger-lund in the England vs France match, but most of all taking part in an excellent football festival...

Liverpool - Walking along the Mersey River, experiencing the spine tingling "You'll Never Walk Alone"at Anfield

Glasgow - Best Indian curry I have eaten in possibly my whole life yet...

Newcastle - my first away game plus non stop singing and a great victory to boot, looking at the magnificant Tyne Bridge

Austria - nice snow capped mountains and sunset in Salzburg, nice and romantic buildings in Vienna...

Amsterdam - food! glorious Indonesian, Portuguese food, apple tarts...Dutch pancakes... nice canals

Milan - My first European away, experiencing the "English fans singing and drinking beer in open square" atmosphere again, surrounded by Milan fans, BEST EVER seafood spaghetti in my whole life (I wish I can tell you all more but my laptop still not ready yet :( )

Will there be more?

And of course who can forget the trips to watch Man United... I still can't quite believe I might never go back there again... the 6-0 demolition of West Ham in my first match, Forlan's brilliant volley against Rangers, winning against City with 10 men, singing United Road at the last home game of the season, winning the FA Cup, winning at St James Park, getting Sir Alex's autograph...

And of course those were just the major stuff, also got lots of minor minor stuff that make the normal days passable...

like eating at Chop Chop and steamboats....

the after dinner gossip sessions in Brunswick, cooking in Brunswick with Shaoxing wine! Even gossiping on MSN even in Brunswick....muahahahahaha....

Bah this post is having less and less structure....anyway thanks for enriching my life!

P.S. I should have started a blog since I first came to London....

Overheard in the cluster room...

Given the amount of time I spent in the last month and a week in the computer lab in my hall, it was unsurprising that I should overhear a few interesting conversations.

A very plain looking Chinaman (A) was using the same computer as ang moh woman (B). Upon spotting another ang moh woman (C) who is his friend on the other side of the lab...

A: Hey C, meet B, our new neighbour! She stays in the room opposite me.

B and C exchange pleasantries.

A to C (oblivious that I and another person were also in the lab): Somehow I ended up having a shower in her room last night.

- then added the following sentence hastily-

A: But we didn't have sex though

My reaction : -_-'''

After a few more sentences of pleasantries, A started talking to B again.

A (after seemingly in deep thought for a few seconds): Did we have sex last night? I was so drunk...

B (a bit shyly): No, we did not!

Then there were further conversations about how B had another friend in the room and A asked B whether he had sex with her friend blah blah...

-_-

----------------------------------------------------------------

Two BIs (British Indians), henceforth named BI1 and BI2, were doing their management essays in the com lab.

BI1 was typing on the computer when BI2 came over to talk to him.

BI1: Man I certainly hope MBA isn't as full of crap as this

BI2: Yeah man, what's that? I'm going to take it next time.

My reaction: -_-"

Honestly, my respect for BIs had just fallen to a whole new level.

Email Stories 9 - Mudpools and dandelions

Author - Unknown

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a person who probably wants money and I look away. My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen. My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given children to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!!

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

Attack of the sun and fats

For the third consecutive day, London was blessed with lots of sunshine and fine weather.

Its amazing how in just under 4 weeks, the weather can change from bitter cold snowy weather to 18 degrees Celsius only-1-layer-of-clothing- required weather.

And this marks the end of the last winter in my life. I most probably won't see another flake of snow in my life again. It was just too bad that this year the snow didn't stay long enough for me to build snow balls with. Oh well...

The onset of warm weather is also a cue for warm weather gear to start appearing. Sunglasses, shades, spaghetti tops, bra straps, mini skirts, T shirts all start making their grand appearance. Normally TosH would be very happy. But today, he was more grossed out than happy. Because he saw a lot more fat ang moh girls who think they are Britney and start revealing their flesh all over. Flesh is revealed no doubt, but they also spill over the waistlines of their jeans.

Revealing your bra strap when you are so damn fat is totally disgusting.

Tree trunk sized legs are best hidden under pants or jeans, not revealed with mini skirts (if you can call extra large mini in the first place).

I shall not bother you all with further disgusting thoughts.

I must admit though, it was a lovely sight to see people sitting in sidewalk cafes or lazying around on the grass in parks and gardens. Sometimes life isn't too bad after all.

Anyway as I was walking, I was wondering, do people talk to themselves?

Do you talk to yourself? I don't mean aloud, but inside your head, do you have a conversation with yourself?

I am getting paranoid. These conversations with myself are getting more frequent, from my bedroom, to the computer lab and onto the streets when I am window shopping.

TosH is turning psycho.

In other related news, TosH is now officially classifed as overweight.

His BMI is 23, over the newly revised mark of 22.9. Don't believe? His height is 1.7m and his weight is 66 kg. :S

So now other than ugly and nerdy, TosH is overweight as well. *shakes head*

The following article made me wonder why I signed with MOE...

From The Straits Times:

March 18, 2005

Fast wheels for cops

Observers say WRX is hottest contender as police check out new patrol cars

By Christopher Tan
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

THE next time you see a Subaru Impreza WRX roaring down the Central Expressway at breakneck speed, it may not be another illegal street race that you're witnessing. In fact, there could be a policeman behind the wheel.

The traffic police called for a public tender to replace some of their highway patrol cars in January and are close to deciding which car they prefer.

The police did not want to comment, beyond saying they were 'changing a few expressway patrol cars due for replacement'.

The Straits Times understands the tender - for four cars to be delivered and an option for eight more - drew bids from Volvo, BMW and Skoda. Subaru, with its rally-winning WRX, was the only Japanese contender.

Observers reckon the WRX has a fighting chance because its bid is believed to be the lowest, at around $52,000 apiece. The passenger car version, including taxes, duties and COE, is retailing for just below $100,000.

'The WRX is relatively cheap and reliable,' noted Lee Nian Tjoe, associate editor of Torque car magazine. 'It's obviously quite quick on its feet too... and it's the only one with all-wheel-drive.'
Mr Lee, however, noted that it had 'a bad-boy image', even though it is used by police forces in places like the United States and Australia.

The next highest bid - around $65,000 - was submitted by Skoda, whose 180-horsepower turbo Octavia RS is the roomiest of the lot. But like the Subaru, it is a newcomer. Since the 1980s, the highway patrol squad has relied on BMWs, only breaking with tradition in 1999 when it took delivery of eight Volvo S40 turbos.

This time round, Volvo is fielding another turbo - the S60, which is bigger than the S40. Its bid of $88,000 to $89,000 is similar to BMW's.

The German luxury car maker is joining the fray with its newly-launched 320i, the only non-turbocharged model in the tender.

All the cars have a top speed well in excess of 200kmh, but the WRX is the quickest off the mark, sprinting from zero to 100kmh in 5.8 seconds. While that is fast enough for Singapore's finest to catch most speedsters on the road, there are much faster machines.

The fastest car on the road here is the 7.3-litre Pagani Zonda, which reaches 330kmh and can go from zero to 100kmh in 3.7 seconds.

Whizzing down the expressway in a police car was one of my childhood dreams...

Why I will never ever want Singapore to be a welfare state

From The Straits Times:

March 17, 2005

SCHROEDER'S CHALLENGE

Breaking Germany's 'entitlement culture'

By Derek Scally

Straits Times Europe Bureau

BERLIN - CHANCELLOR Gerhard Schroeder will sit down with his political opponents in Berlin today to hammer out a cross-party 'Pact for Germany' designed to end years of economic gloom.

The meeting, following a much-anticipated speech in Parliament, is seen as his last-ditch effort to turn around the country before next year's general election.

The challenge is immense: Economic reforms introduced in January have yet to have a noticeable effect; unemployment is now at a 70-year high of 5.216 million, or 12.6 per cent; domestic consumer demand is still worryingly low; and leading economists have cut their growth forecasts to as low as 0.6 per cent for the current year.

But Mr Schroeder's problems are not just economic. He is trying to break what observers call the 'entitlement culture' that runs through German society.

A judge at the constitutional court told this week of a social welfare recipient who launched a constitutional challenge because the state refused to pay for new bicycles for his children.

Other cases arose from allegedly poor hospital food or because the state would not cover the cost of shampoo during a hospital stay.

Mr Schroeder has criticised this 'culture of welfare freeloading' where even the well-off take from the state what they are entitled to, rather than what they need.

'No welfare state can afford this long term without going to ruin,' he said last autumn.

The intervening months have seen a collective belt-tightening among Germany's unemployed.

Welfare payments are now means-tested and for shorter periods. But even with tighter rules, Germany's unemployed are still entitled to a rent-free apartment as well as a television, a fridge and a washing machine - all paid for by the state on top of their social welfare payments.

The handouts go beyond social welfare recipients. Young German couples can get a 'homebuilders allowance', meaning a couple with two children who build a new home are entitled to a total of 32,720 euros (S$70,850).

The government has argued for years that the allowance, introduced to address the postwar housing shortage, has no place in a well-off country, particularly considering the depopulated areas in the east with swathes of empty housing.

Opposition conservatives have always staunchly defended the allowance, but reports suggest Mr Schroeder will today propose abolishing it, using the money saved to cut unemployment insurance contributions by 1.5 per cent.

President Horst Koehler rang the alarm bell on Tuesday, saying that Germany could no longer continue living beyond its means.

He said that the 'entitlement culture' and resistance to reform was a 'betrayal' of the postwar spirit that built Germany into an industrial giant.

'Long before anyone spoke of globalisation, Volkswagen Beetles were running everywhere in the world, and ran and ran,' he said, urging a new era of 'energy, creativity and solidarity'.

'Our total debt...is currently at 7.1 billion euros, that's 330 per cent of our gross domestic product,' he said. 'Do we finally see what a burden this is for our children and grandchildren?'

Perhaps it is easy for me to say because I have been very blessed so far and have not experienced hardship, but a welfare state is one thing I which I never ever want Singapore to become.

Some people always criticise the government for being stingy. Don't want to use surplus lah blah blah. But they fail to understand that it might be the start of a long slippery road to fiscal problems if the government starts running a deficit for any problems. A deficit is a deficit. It has to be paid back eventually. This would require either higher taxes or lower expenditure in future. "What about the huge reserves?" Well reserves are named reserves for a reason! The reserves have been accumulated through the hard work of several generations. Who are we to use it at our whim unless it is an absolute emergency? Our forefathers worked hard to accumulate the reserves. If we just anyhow use it, who is going to replace it? Our children you dick heads! There will eventually be times when we would need the reserves, but I certainly do not feel that now is the time to run deficit after deficit after deficit.

And most certainly not for spending on a welfare state like those in Continental Europe. After reading tonnes of readings on European unemployment, there is no doubt in my mind that high welfare benefits (at least those that are unconditionally given) are a key determinant of unemployment. Who the fuck is going to work hard if you can just injure yourself slightly and live off the state? In addition, it also places a huge burden on the working population. There are already fewer people working coz got more people slacking. Somemore the remaining working ppl need to pay higher taxes to support the slackers. Classic LPPL situation.

Somemore Singapore's demographic is growing older and older. This also means got lesser and lesser young people to support the elderly. If we start having a benefit system, the future generation is going to be screwed. The only sustainable way is for each generation to support itself ala CPF.

The only kind of benefit system I support is help for the unemployed. I know retraining and whatever sounds really airy fairy but I do think this is the only way out. Other countries are also undergoing restructuring. Singapore should not just complain but get down to changing things. The good old days are really over, even though that sounds damn top down lecturing. But it is the same with Europe and US, not as though Singapore leaders really useless and just anyhow crap out of their mouth.

Hmm ok, don't think I have written as well as I should have for a topic such as this. But I am feeling hot and vexed in the computer lab. Sigh...