Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Back in Singapore~

To Where The Wind Blows...

Being back in Singapore is a wonderful thing, and also a sticky thing. Changing from a dry to humid climate isn't the greatest thing to shoat about especially when ur used to the dry weather.

Singapore has changed quite abit compared to the times when i was living here. lots of minor changes but when they add up, it turns to be a huge change. i see little kids running around in Parkway Parade. tts cool. but wads not cool is the fact that they have handphones, 5 year olds having expensive first-hand hps! what happened playing "catching", "police and thief", "ice and water" and other games i used to play when i was young. i remember getting my handphone when i was 16, and my first first-hand handphone (the current one i'm using) thus at 18. Parents, teachers and public are complaining about issues like over-weight, excessive use of computers but its really down to the parents and the public's fault. parents buy the computer, the public advertises it (e.g. Singt*l promoting some cheap/free hp for some cheapass plan). the children don run around anymore (i used to jump across the drains when i was young as an everyday thing, run around everywhere), this "modern day generation" of children sit on the butts on the coms and possibly reading this blog. then when they start turning obese, the parents blame everyone except themselves, public tries to push the burden to the school and the school starts the some club that forces the kids to run miles in order to lose weight.

sigh, but there are some things that didn't change within this short time period. namely one of my good friends victor (expected actually). well my family still pretty much the same, neighbourhood is pretty much quiet.

anyways, i have made up afew plans to do in Singapore so i won't be slacking allll the time. sounds unbelievable for a slacker like me but yah.

Friday, 9 November 2007

Busy Busy

Man, am i swarmed with studies man...

Anyways, i'm back to hot sunny good old humid Singapore on the 23rd of November...
Gotta lots of stuff to do there, made afew goals to accomplish when i'm back there. though i'll be going on a trip to Israel on the 1st-12st of December (family trip).

Can u imagine?
exam dates: Bio - 6th (finished)
Food Science - 7th (finished)
Chem - 13th (next, i'm screwed for it)
Vine Yard - 21st (wtf...)

anyways, here i am in th
e Com lab slacking (as usual, no stress no stress). my account in Lms shut me out for the ChemCal (some learning stuff in the chem website). so i'm here typing out my woes to whoever is reading this...

Bio was really fucked. well not tt fucked fucked but really bad. like i forgot my calculator thus could do some problems (i noe many of u are going: wad u talking about? bio don need maths). u bet they do, got like freaking 3-4 questions tt require it (big questions). then i shaded my answers to Section B on Section C answer sheet and did the vice versa . i freaked out last minute (like last 15 mins, had to reshade every thing again). well i think i might actually fail Bio this time. well i guess it was really difficult

Ah, but Food Science is a different case. It was relatively great, afew questions actually appeared (same as last year paper) cool huh? 2-3 more similar to it. man, my lecturer is really trying to help us out (Said - pronouced as sa- id), i feel bad now after all that joking around with Tanny, Nicholas.... wait a minute, everyone in Food Science does it. anyways, he has bad spelling ( Fermentation >as> fermintation, Poison >as> Poisin) and a bad pronunciation of words. but seriously, i doubt anyone really has a grudge against this guy, or anything. his cool for a lecturer, one who would joke and try (i used the word "try" here) and understand us. to be true seriously, his one person i wouldn't mind hanging out with. his young at heart actually (old body though d-uh).

anyways, Chem is up next week tuesday and i'm not yet prepared for it. Pray for me, i need it seriously.

oh yes, since i'm coming back on the 23rd of November. If anyone wants anything from here just drop me a line. cool_shiji_darkrider@hotmail.com (for msn / e-mail)










(found the Balliue Library male toilet) proof of racism in Melbourne

Wednesday, 24 October 2007

Looking back...

Just sitting down in the computer lab, finished my pre-lab for Chemistry A.

Have you ever sat down and thought about time passed? like if u could change some thing in ur life, u would?

Filled with regret, choices that bring u down?
Reminds u of past times that u would rather avoid?

In everyone's life, every event and every moment creates the person. His character, his charisma and
his style. (if ur girl just switch the his for a her). I have had happy times and sad times, but isn't it amazing how sad things affect u for that period of time (depending how bad it is, may last a life time) whereas happy times will always be thing in the back of ur head.

Happiness is like a can,
Even though its out of shape,
It will not be destroyed

anyways, i've just been thinking. looking back at my goals last year for this year:

1)
i am going to move outta College square
2)
Gaming/computer game hub
3)
soup compartments.
4)
booze corner
5)
visitor room
6) Kendo collection
7)
Chill out environment/relax environment

of allllllllll this only numbe
r 1 happened! From college square 1 to college square 2.

well kendo its impossible now, booze wise too expensive to keep stocking up.
pretty much i suddenly have
the motivation for building up my com hub again. not tt important now, since exams are just around the corner.

anyways, its 2.35am here, i better go sleep. i don mind failing this prac cause i'll still score a 90+% average for pracs but why break the record?

My 18th birthday dinner pic!
(featuring tanny, mikha and me)
nah, the rest are all equally important to me. all food science cept mikha (in this pic)







Mikha and me in Feb (pre-orientation day) eating Hot Pot with my rice cooker.
i really missed those days...







Mikha helping me move stuff in Feb (great help)











My friend Sergio (on his b.d) saluting someone respectfully











Vineyard days. i was actually worried about being the lonely there, expecting all ang mohs or something. people would who only hang out with their own people. but it was really fun and made new friends including one who = a good friend of mine now





The TNJ (my place)
Tanny
Nicholas
Jeremy (me)
my food science buddies, great friends!

Tuesday, 23 October 2007

Busy week

Such a busy week. Essays, Pracs, Work, Studies etc...

well, I've been rushing this essay for Vineyard (studying on grapes, wines etc)
you know, it sounds cool and stuff, tasting wine, learning about wine, grapes and stuff. But don be deceived, its really really difficult and not a fun subject since its all self-study with no lectures/tuts. We have a file (a thick one) to study from, not much information in it as well. simply amazing.
anyways, i was talking to Joel on Msn and he said to blog the essay (its too long so i'm cutting it to the shortest answer of the essay).

Here it goes:

Question: 3

Cabernet Sauvignon and sparkling wine have extended maturation periods for different reasons. Cabernet Sauvignon, known to be the premier red wine grape in the world produces distinctive wines (Cellarnotes.net, 2007) that has high proportions of tannins and acid, form the basis for its structure (Cabernet Sauvignon Advice, 2007) and giving the wine remarkable longevity (Fleshandbones, 2007). Cabernet Sauvignon have some of the darkest and relatively thick skins thus causing the wine to be highly tannic as grapes skins contain masses of tannin (The Everything Development Company, 2007). This high proportions of tannins causes the Cabernet Sauvignon to be virtually undrinkable (Fleshandbones, 2007) thus by allowing the wine to age, it allows their flavours to mellow (About.com, 2007) as prolonged storage allows various complex chemical reactions to take place and the harsh tannins are broken down into softer substances with a wide range of exceptional flavours and great length (Fleshandbones, 2007). What really allows Cabernet Sauvignon to age well is the structure and balance (The Everything Development Company, 2007). The structure refers to the abundance of flavour characteristics in wine (e.g. tannin and acid). Over time, oxygen would react with the structure/flavour characteristics of the wine and soften these elements over time, the structure that was in balance as a young wine would balance only after aging years later thus giving “a great bottle of wine” (The Everything Development Company, 2007). Méthode Champenoise is the secondary fermentation in bottle (Wikipedia, 2007) where the process of winemaking diverts from the normal one after fermenting for 2-3 weeks and sitting for up to five months (Wine intro, 2007). This is when wine is bottled with extra sugar and yeast then capped with a soda-cap; this process may go on for a few years or more (Wine intro, 2007). Méthode Champenoise is said to have a requirement of minimum 1.5 years of maturation period (Wikipedia, 2007). The importance of this long aging is to develop roundness in body, general flavour and complexity (Bruce Zoecklein, 2002). Also there would be a toasty, yeasty characteristic as the yeast cells spilt open imparting its complex, yeasty flavours (The alchemist’s wine perspective, 2007) to the champagne. Another importance of for aging is making of a good “sparkler” (Bruce Zoecklein, 2002). It is said that if maturation is not carried out during the aging in contact with the yeast, it will not be attained later (Bruce Zoecklein, 2002).

There are various aging factors that affect wine aging. Namely: oxidation/oxygen (Midwest grape and Wine industry Institute, 2007), light (Midwest grape and Wine industry Institute, 2007), temperature (DiWineTaste, 2007), humidity (DiWineTaste, 2007) and stable, vibration-free environment (Vino-Cellars.com, 2006).

Yes. Cabernet Sauvignon goes by the normal wine making procedures with the exceptional long maturation period. Méthode Champenoise on the other hand goes through second fermentation then after the resting periods are over, the yeast and sediments are removed from the bottle by putting it on a riddling rack (Wine intro, 2007). It also has disgorgement, a removal process where the neck of the bottle is stuck in a machine and freezes it. Then the cap is removed and a frozen plus of sludge is kicked out and dosage is champagne is added in to fill the space in the bottle and finally corked with the standard large champagne cork (Wine intro, 2007).

Learnt something new today?
*ignore the blue words, i somehow can't change it* (they are references)

last week Friday was my last Bio prac woohoo! there may be some people out there going: what are u talking about? pracs are fun! and its easy to score!

seriously, its not fun nor is it easy to score (with exception of chem). physics i'm not really sure but based on secondary school experience, its really dry.
I remember the time when i was young, i used to think experiments (practicals) were the coolest things ever. you know... pour some chemicals and it gives off a small explosion and stuff like that (i don even get to do it). Cutting up/dissecting animals for bio (non-bloody, not smelly, evil/bad creatures tt deserved to die) as well as playing with little creatures since ur learning biology...
*definition of bad creatures is basically not cute animals like hamsters,rats,cats, my sister (nah... just joking).

anyways,
Its ALL BULLSHIT!
i have to dissect earthworms (yuck the smell), cute little rats (white coloured ones), cockroaches, handle dead starfishes (actually tts cool, u can break them into half) etc...


earth worm split into half (it was soaked in some liquid but either way it stinks)








dead cockroaches...









don u just love bio~?

well, busy busy busy, exams coming and stuff.
thank God i don have bio next year (i have to deal with bacteria and stuff actually whic is even worse).

well, gtg and study and stuff.

btw, i'm coming back to Singapore on the 23rd of November.
(singapore is a small dot on the world map in case any of u didn't noe)

Sunday, 14 October 2007

Amos and Yu Fan's visit from Singapore

Ever noticed how time passes so fast when you are busy or having fun?

Anyways, my 2 friends from Singapore Amos and Yu Fan visited me in Melbourne ^^ it started with me picking them up in the air port... However, due to the lack of sleep, i overslept and made them wait a wee bit. Yu Fan's blog exaggerates the amount spent waiting, simply amazing... Besides, patience is a virtue. mmm...

(total of 8 missed calls and 5 smses) lol

so basically they came over in a taxi with my minimal guidance and noticed
what everyone else who are new to Melbourne notices. The taxi's price goes up by 10 cents every 3-4 seconds. Man, thats so sad its not even funny. Yu fan however seemed ecstatic over it, simply amusing to see.

Here are some pictures...


Amos first night/morning. Yu fan and me took forever to wake him up...









Yu Fan's first formal dinner. This is his emo pose








I brought them to the Melbourne famous chocolate place (Max Brennars which is > Koko Black). Anyways, Amos and Yu fan were pretty much independent, roaming the streets while i'm in lectures etc. They sat in my Bio lecture on the first day but perhaps (it may not be true) memories of old school days flooded their minds and they decided to relieve it by not joining me anymore. We went to classic places like Vic Market, Smith Street (this one they brought me, how embarrassing) etc... I'll end this with afew more pictures.


Me and Yu Fan in Vic Market eating some Italian pancakes. It was really good actually, was my first time taking it.








Yu Fan and i watching "My Boss My Hero". A japanese drama that both Amos and Yu fan were almost addicted to. They were even humming the theme song on the way to the air port.







Amos taking a picture
in my balcony. Not trying to sound gay or anything but he looks nice wearing sun glasses. Amos has been a great help to me over many years and Yu Fan is usually my comic relief.






Finally...

Yu Fan trying to re-act the scene in Titanic. Unfortunately he lacks not only the woman but the same charisma and boat.







Well, all good things do come to an end somehow but it never really ends. Like energy, it will may change in form but it nevertheless always exist. This may sound abit emo/gay/dumb/etc (u get the picture), but thanks Amos and Yu Fan for coming over. U guys really make a difference within a dull person's life.