Well, well, results are out, and they're better than my expectations. Which is not unexpected, given my low expectations in the first place. However, particularly shocking is one module which I got an A+ for (my first, in fact). Considering that I failed one of the term tests, I have no high hopes for this module. Sure, that term test had lots of failures, but there was also someone who scored prefect for it. I was so stunned that I almost wanted to submit a review to see if the lecturer made a mistake, but the $10 fee stopped me.
That's for good news. Bad news: my student exchange module mapping is spiralling out of control. Okay, that's exaggerating, but I fear things are heading that way. First, one module which I thought could be mapped for PC3274 Mathematical Methods in Physics 2 (which I dearly want to take) turns out to be offered in the semester I am not going on exchange. It was an oversight on my part when I did the initial mapping, but still, it's quite a bummer. And then, when I thought Philosophy of Science couldn't be a more ideal module to be mapped as a breadth... surprise surprise! It's not offered in 2007!
Now for local (bad) news: module clashes in the coming semester is driving me mad. Okay, firstly, I didn't know that CORS bidding has already started until this morning! Fortunately, I already planned the modules to take. Unfortunately, many of them clash like the most impressive NDP fireworks. PC3232 Nuclear and Particle Physics is a module I must take (so that I won't screw up my module plan). PH2213 Metaphysics is one brilliant module I've marked down for my breadth. Clash. I thought of moving my minor module MA3215 3-Dimensional Differential Geometry down next semester to fill up that gap. Clash. And I got one Singapore Studies module to clear. I thought SSA1201 Singapore Society will be a nice guy to tackle. Exam clash with PC3130 Quantum Mechanics 2. Try as I might, I can only find, so far, five modules (including some undecided Singapore Studies module) to take next semester. I'm feeling desperate by the minute...
As the Chinese saying goes, 福无双至，祸不单行.
27 December 2006
25 December 2006
22 December 2006
Switching from UROPS to ISM
Turns out that I won't be doing UROPS the coming semester. The primary reason is because my supervisor, Dr Yeo Ye, does not have a good project for me to work on. I found this out just minutes ago, and it's too late to find another supervisor now, considering that the deadline is today.
So it seems I'll be going for ISM instead. He has made a proposal, which I can consider. Fortunately, I still have about two weeks to the ISM registration deadline.
So it seems I'll be going for ISM instead. He has made a proposal, which I can consider. Fortunately, I still have about two weeks to the ISM registration deadline.
Title of Final Harry Potter Book Revealed
To somewhat a surprise to the Harry Potter fan community, J. K. Rowling has revealed the title of the seventh and last book of the Harry Potter series.
As usual, it is released after solving a puzzle, which can be accessed on her website by clicking on the pink eraser (which will lead to a room fans call the Room of Requirement).
For those who don't want to navigate through, highlight the text below to find out the title:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
As usual, it is released after solving a puzzle, which can be accessed on her website by clicking on the pink eraser (which will lead to a room fans call the Room of Requirement).
For those who don't want to navigate through, highlight the text below to find out the title:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
21 December 2006
Singapore's Stand on Antipersonnel Landmines
Whoa! Finally, nearly after one month of silence, Boson has a new post!
20 December 2006
Hiatus
Hmm... I really have nothing interesting happening around me to blog about, and right now my mind is a bit messy to pen down proper thoughts, so I thought I might as well leave you all with some video clips.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
17 December 2006
A Rare Encounter
Yesterday I had one of the most enlightening encounters during my duty as a Nobel Exhibition guide. About an hour past noon, Robert Shull walked into the University Hall and I gave him a tour.
He's a very nice fella, smart but careful, and, armed with a physics degree, knowledgeable. I guess his age is about 50. He is most willing to share his knowledge and experience, though he is always patient, and willing to let me explain certain facts about the Nobel Prizes even though I had a feeling he already knew them. He said that he was here for a conference (first time in Singapore), and he learned about this exhibition while in the airport, so he thought he might as well drop by to explore a little bit about the Nobel Exhibition since his father Clifford Shull has won the 1994 Physics Prize for neutron diffraction.
...
Okay, that means "crap mode off". And I had to be extra careful about what I say since, knowing myself, I have the tendency to invent facts that can lead to potentially embarrassing situations.
It turns out that he knew quite a lot about the Nobel Prizes, especially the Nobel Festival, having been there himself. Listening to him describing the Nobel Festival... something that you cannot find easily on the Web. C'mon, seriously, where can you find information on what that booklet on the Nobel banquet table says? Or how the waiters served the dinner with absolute professionism, in astounding unison? And now finally, I understand what that wave guide displayed in that artefacts section is used for.
My tour around the exhibits with him dragged past my duty time (by no fault of his or mine; it's a long story I prefer not to go into), but I don't care, since I probably gained more than he did.
Admittedly, I prefer guiding people like him than the normal visitors... not that the visitors are terrible, but somehow, with people who knew something I don't, I get to learn something new. And such people also tend to listen and sometimes even question what I say, leading to interesting discussions about some facts and controversies revolving around the Nobel Prizes.
(And perhaps this is the reason why I don't like to guide children: it is terribly challenging to explain to them what's so great about Alfred Nobel's will, or the importance of a particular discovery.)
All in all, I had a wonderful experience yesterday. And I hope the others doing duty also get a chance as I did to interact with such people.
He's a very nice fella, smart but careful, and, armed with a physics degree, knowledgeable. I guess his age is about 50. He is most willing to share his knowledge and experience, though he is always patient, and willing to let me explain certain facts about the Nobel Prizes even though I had a feeling he already knew them. He said that he was here for a conference (first time in Singapore), and he learned about this exhibition while in the airport, so he thought he might as well drop by to explore a little bit about the Nobel Exhibition since his father Clifford Shull has won the 1994 Physics Prize for neutron diffraction.
...
Okay, that means "crap mode off". And I had to be extra careful about what I say since, knowing myself, I have the tendency to invent facts that can lead to potentially embarrassing situations.
It turns out that he knew quite a lot about the Nobel Prizes, especially the Nobel Festival, having been there himself. Listening to him describing the Nobel Festival... something that you cannot find easily on the Web. C'mon, seriously, where can you find information on what that booklet on the Nobel banquet table says? Or how the waiters served the dinner with absolute professionism, in astounding unison? And now finally, I understand what that wave guide displayed in that artefacts section is used for.
My tour around the exhibits with him dragged past my duty time (by no fault of his or mine; it's a long story I prefer not to go into), but I don't care, since I probably gained more than he did.
Admittedly, I prefer guiding people like him than the normal visitors... not that the visitors are terrible, but somehow, with people who knew something I don't, I get to learn something new. And such people also tend to listen and sometimes even question what I say, leading to interesting discussions about some facts and controversies revolving around the Nobel Prizes.
(And perhaps this is the reason why I don't like to guide children: it is terribly challenging to explain to them what's so great about Alfred Nobel's will, or the importance of a particular discovery.)
All in all, I had a wonderful experience yesterday. And I hope the others doing duty also get a chance as I did to interact with such people.
Updates
Hmm... initially when Perry, guide coordinator of the Nobel Exhibition, assigned me one entire week of duty last week, I thought I'm gonna be tied down for much of the vacation period (because the I-am-free-these-days list I sent to him indicated that I was free all the way to the first week of January).
However, that doesn't seem to be the case, for I have no duties next week. It seems that the first week of deployment has given me the illusion that they're in dire need of guides, which in fact happens to be the opposite. The bottom line is, I won't be as occupied with this Nobel Exhibition as I thought I'd be.
So that leaves me to pursue what I've planned to do during this vacation.
However, that doesn't seem to be the case, for I have no duties next week. It seems that the first week of deployment has given me the illusion that they're in dire need of guides, which in fact happens to be the opposite. The bottom line is, I won't be as occupied with this Nobel Exhibition as I thought I'd be.
So that leaves me to pursue what I've planned to do during this vacation.
11 December 2006
A Blue Weekend
Feeling pretty melancholic for the past few days. Can't get any work done, and computer games were rather tasteless. There was a desire to lie down and do nothing, yet the guilt of wasting time kept haunting me.
I suppose I have too many things on my mind... my UROPS assignment, my job at the Nobel Exhibition. And on top of that, Yao will be away for a month to Cambodia. I kinda regretted now of committing so many hours to the Nobel Exhibition; I felt like taking a nice break away from everything I'm doing... you know, like heading to some quiet place for a couple of days (like Pulau Ubin).
Sigh... I just hope the dark skies will clear soon.
I suppose I have too many things on my mind... my UROPS assignment, my job at the Nobel Exhibition. And on top of that, Yao will be away for a month to Cambodia. I kinda regretted now of committing so many hours to the Nobel Exhibition; I felt like taking a nice break away from everything I'm doing... you know, like heading to some quiet place for a couple of days (like Pulau Ubin).
Sigh... I just hope the dark skies will clear soon.
06 December 2006
After the End
The exams are finally over. And there is an uneasy feeling associated with the non-busyness state I'm currently in. It's probably because I'm not used to this sudden onset of abundant free time, but I believe I'll get familiar with it in no time.
In any case, I won't be that free this vacation... quite a number of obligations to fulfill, and I have a few things in mind to do. So vacation duties include: being a Nobel Exhibition guide, plan and apply for my ISM/UROPS for next semester and draft out a better module list for my ANU exchange.
I also have to refine my SPS report, though I doubt that'll take up much time. An overhaul of my website is also due... gotta get down to work on that. And I've promised myself to find out more about operations in Linux/Ubuntu.
That's quite a lot for four weeks... four weeks of "rest".
In any case, I won't be that free this vacation... quite a number of obligations to fulfill, and I have a few things in mind to do. So vacation duties include: being a Nobel Exhibition guide, plan and apply for my ISM/UROPS for next semester and draft out a better module list for my ANU exchange.
I also have to refine my SPS report, though I doubt that'll take up much time. An overhaul of my website is also due... gotta get down to work on that. And I've promised myself to find out more about operations in Linux/Ubuntu.
That's quite a lot for four weeks... four weeks of "rest".
04 December 2006
Final Showdown
PC2131. Electricity and Magnetism 1. Tomorrow. 4th December 2006. Monday. 1700. Final showdown. Last call. Ultimate judgement.
The end is near...
The end is near...
01 December 2006
The Penultimate Fight
PC2130. Quantum Mechanics. 2nd December 2006. Saturday. 1300. The dangerous one. The consistently difficult module.
Schrӧdinger's cat beckons...
Schrӧdinger's cat beckons...
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