Weekend - currently my most forward looking days of the week.

Yet, i have allocated the weekend to be my study time. Yes, Monday to Friday of the week has hardly anytime to breathe - attending lectures and tutorials in the day and doing tutorials for the next day in the night..

3 weeks of uni life has past and it always feels like the exams are near. It's stressful to see people completing their tutorials effortlessly while i struggle to understand what is going on..

So far, i havent never been early for my day's first lecture. This is bad because i'm always at least 5 minutes late. Sometimes, at late as 20 minutes. But, i have 3 days where my first lectures are at 8am. Waiting for my bus is the main cause of my lateness. Ok, i need to change.

Getting so tired everyday..

During Nation Day Rally, Prime Minister mentioned how Singapore's service standards lag behind that of Hong Kong and other developed countries and issued a challenge to companies, service staff and customers alike, to improve Singapore's service culture. Despite that, today, i'd witnessed a lousy service quality which left me thinking there is not much hope for Singapore.

I was at Royal Sporting House in Suntec City. I wanted to buy sandals there. After choosing the one i want, i looked around for staff. Surprisingly no staffs actually approached me until i waved at one of them. So i asked for the size i wanted and he took quite some time to get it. What appalled me was, he actually put the shoe box onto the chair, opened up, took out one of the sandals for me and went away.

I thought, arent staffs supposed to stay there and wait for customers to try it on and see if it fits? But no. He left the sandals and went away some 10metres away to join other staffs to chat. Never mind, I thought. I tried on the sandals and it was just nice. Actually i wanted 1 size bigger, but seeing that he had gone and no staff was around, i abandoned that thought. Deliberately, i put the sandals back into the box slowly, put the box lid back, stood up, carried my bag and looked around, thinking that staff would come back. But no. Oh well, forget it then. I took the box of sandals to the counter myself and paid.

Then i thought, what a lousy service this place has. Whatever. That staff chose not to get his commission (if there is any) by not serving me. Or he must have thought i would not buy that sandals and it was a waste of his time serving me. This is bad.

When will Singapore have a world-class service standards?

I've been to Seoul and i must say, their service standards are way superior to Singapore's and that was 3 years ago. Honestly, their services are so good, it become a bit annoying. Imagine getting greeted at every corner in a supermarket, yes, just a supermarket like NTUC, and asked if they could help, albeit i dont understand korean. But still, it was a form of services they provided. I dont see that in Singapore.

You are left on your own.

Ha.. so glad i've gotten the tutorial slots i wanted from balloting. In the end, CORS bidding/balloting seems so exhilarating and fun, though sometimes can be nerve-wrecking when thousands rushed to login and cause a server breakdown..

Yes, tutorials will start next week onwards and together with lectures and lab sessions, my timetable is gonna be even packed. Hardly time to breathe...

Before all serious stuffs start, I need to relax and enjoy myself. So, I went to the Arts Bash at Club Momo on tuesday! Ha.. It was such a last minute decision to go. Anyway, crowd there was cool. Arts pageant was nice, though Miss Arts wasnt my first choice. Drinks were okay. Music was the usual mix. Met some friends there and someone blamed me for not introducing. Had partial deafness after that... haha.

Well, i skipped Sport bash tonight. No one is going. Sorry Elvin, couldnt support u there. Ha. Science bash this saturday and gy is asking us to go and support his fren. Well, dont think i will go.... But next wednesday is Biz's Bash, Mambo night at Zouk.. Hmmm.... Anyone?

University life is somewhat busy but boring, yet stressful..

Have been falling asleep during lectures and this is real bad. Perhaps i should not attend lectures at all and use the time for self-studying instead...

Still, to improve my time in NUS, perhaps i should join some activities. But, that's when the dilemma comes.... Wanted to join bowling in NUS and so went for the welcome tea last sunday. We bowled 4 games and i had developed a 'love-hate' relation with bowling...

When i bowled well, I felt so motivated and love bowling - I got 202 for my first game. The highest record... When i bowled badly, i felt so demoralised and hate bowling - I dropped horribly and stunningly to 96 for my second game.. Third game was better, i got 187. Fourth game dropped to 126...

I know my problem for bowling which was the too-high point of release of the bowling ball. Not quite the standard way for a spinner. Well, one of the seniors there told me also and that the coach will nag at me for the same thing next time if i dont improve. Oh well... but who cares as long as i got the strikes.

So now, i do not know if i want to join bowling.. The training is every monday 8 to 10pm. So late. And tomorrow is the start of training and i wasnt informed or reminded about it. Dilemma. This forced me to make a decision. Guess there is a high probability i wont be joining bowling. I better spend more time on my studies cuz they are my priority. Besides, i have Funkamania....

Well, think on the other side, bowling is a costly sport. Maybe i should spend time on activities that are cheaper...

School has started since monday. It was quite bad of me to be looking forward to the National Day on the very first day of school, cuz that implied no lectures!

Anyway, was out celebrating XL's birthday with my OG on national day and I missed out the telecast of NDP and fireworks. But well, nice day spent...

Lectures are mostly introductory for the first week and i have 4 lectures tomorrow! Meeting new and 'old' people everyday. Life has been interesting. But busy as usual with uncompleted tasks..

Funkamania XII!

A busy week it had been...

The Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony commenced in the early morning with performance by CAC Voices, followed by a grand entrance of the Deans and Heads of NUS, speech and pledge taking..

I left shortly after lunch with my orientation group, to go Downtown East for a 3 days 2 nights chalet with fellow Namjians. Had our barbecue as early as 5pm+ as AM gotta leave soon. But still, food was insufficient to fill our stomachs. Haha..

Late at night, we had 4 seniors joining us for 2 games of bowling and later, played Indian Poker and the losers gotta drink Vodka mixed with Diet coke. Honestly, i only drank 3 cups, dunno why others thought i drank a lot and was drunk. Ha.. ok, im good at acting. It was 2am+ already and went to eat some noodles at a 24-hr coffee shop 20minutes walk away. Back at chalet, everyone was bored and decided to go to the beach. In the end, we were relishing moments of childhood at the Pasir Ris Park. It was fun but tiring. Din catch the sunrise and went back chalet to sleep. Almost 7am already. And it was only the first night.

Second day was a raining day. AM joined us again after NUS Flag day. And we played AM's Bored Game... Ok, a lot of lame questions, but funny nonetheless. Played some arcade games and pool before we started on our BBQ again. This time, we only left 6 people. Food was little also. But small group BBQ is not that bad after all. Haha.

Slept early that night at around 2am++ cuz the remaining people couldnt endure anymore after a 2hr 'Guess the pattern' game which YT wouldnt give up.

After checking out of chalet on Wednesday morning, i got home and started with my bidding for a GEM modules. It was so frustrating that the server was so overloaded, it was no way i could get in. Gave up at 2pm and the bidding closed at 3pm. So went to NUS to join the orientation...

When i reached there, G msged me that the closing time for bidding had extended to 5pm. Shortly after she informed me, J also called me about it and told me i could go Computer center to use the computers there. Wah... so touched that people already showed their concerns despite i merely told them at 2pm that i gave up that round of bidding already.. Great frens.

Joined my OG at 4pm++ and they were already at the second last station of the Amazing race. Din play any games then.

On thursday it was a day at Sentosa, but the rain spoilted it.Many people but we only started our games at 2pm+. The first game, squeezing water from a sponge into a bottle and this was similar to CAC one cuz we used body parts to move the sponge..Then we got dirty by muah cheeing ourselves and arranged the word 'CAP 5.0' which is the name for our group..Played Turtle-Turtle-Jump and we all got cream on our faces for losing..Almost got strangled by that Vietnamese who choked me a few times with her arm.. Haha..Ok, the water bags were used to throw into a pail after we spun around a stick 10 times...We only had time for 4-5 games... And after dinner, it was Engine Initation. We were officially welcomed into the Faculty of Engineering and the atmosphere was cool...They digged trenches in sand and put candles to make out the word 'ENGIN'. It was quite nice. We got an Engin T-shirt and a pin...

The next day, pool games were cancelled because they couldnt book the swimming pool. Instead, we had some land games...Played games like Three-legged soccer, Scissors, Paper, Stone, Transferring-Water-using-body-parts and Climbing-up-a-soapy-slope. That's all. Not enough time again.

Later, after some prize-giving, all the councillors lined up and the freshies shook hand with everyone...The line was very long.. Ha.

At night, we had Fright Night. Similar to CAC Camp's Fright night but much less frightening. We went to each place in group of 5 and even 8 people for our last station. Not much mission. Only had time for 3 stations and these 3 stations were at the same place as CAC's. Kinda expected. Ended at 2am+. Then had some pratas at a nearby shop, before resting at Ivan's hostel in Raffles Hall. It was 5am++ then. Din sleep much and woke up at 7am+ to assemble for the Rag Day..

Saturday was NUS Rag and Flag Day. Engin was the first faculty to present our float..Ok, Engin, wearing white was one of the largest group there. Faculty of Science and Business were two other large groups. Our float and performance...were so-so only... Business' float and performance were much better than us, but somehow, School of Design and Environment won the best float..Quite simple but they won. Dunno why.. Haha..And Simon was part of his faculty Rag team. He was dancing and if u look carefully, he was in the picture. Quite surprise he could dance hip-hop with style.. Impressed.Medicine had 'healthy-living' float. How apt. Haha.

Anyway, left with my group for lunch when it was Arts's turn and that was only the ninth float. Halfway through only. Bad thing about Engin being the first group - we were losing patience to stay through till the end.. Haha

With that, brought an end to our Orientation. It was exciting, fun and interesting though i skipped Flag Day but honestly, not as fun as most orientation camps before the orientation week.