Can you believe it?

Disbelief i guessed. Yup... Both me and my brother got pretty decent grades for the final, scoring 4.2 and 4.13 respectively, which is simply wonderful... This is my 7 consecutive semester scoring 4 and above, a record i must say, i am pretty happy with. Scoring 4 is never easy, and maintaining it, requires great consistency, especially, i am just your average guy next door, with no super brains.... But for my brother, he stood out, he really stood out. 8 hours spent per module per week, can anyone believe it? That's really pure hardwork. You gonna be respecting the sacrifices he had to go through to achieve this. Really happy for him, as his nick finally changed to "Finally see the light" from a despondent "Gloom and Doom"

Happy new year though, and do remember those who cant live to see the new year...
Of course, we will one day be like them... :p

As usual...

Why the heading?
If one has been following this blog, it's quite inevitable to find out that i do pay a lot of attention to the kind of results i've been getting in NUS... And as with our rich NUS heritage and tradition of giving our results back to us during the festive season, i've decided to keep up with my tradition of blogging before the results are out. Not only it goes towards soothing me before i actually see my results, it also seeks to serve as a reflection of what i've done during the semester. Need this though... To reflect my time in NUS. After all this is going to be the 2nd last time i am going to blog about NUS modules again. Anyway, this is going to be the do or break semester... If i get past this semester, basically, i will be the most relaxed, carefree NUS Student next semester... Hahah
Here we go...

(Results were actually leaked to some of the students 2 weeks ago...)

Money & Banking...
Shandre wasn't a really very good lecturer, but of course what he lectures on is still very clear, partly because he's a singaporean... Probably the module i paid the least attention to untill the finals. Wasn't a difficult module in the end... but maybe that's what all students fear finally... The DREADED bell curve MAH! Hahhaha

International Economics....
Graphs, graphs and more graphs... That'sn what emily cremers taught us, together with all those useless tutorials... Wasn't exactly helpful for the finals... Paid attention for like 40% of the course... It was simply too difficult to follow for the rest of the course... But of course i dare say that this is the most well prepared module in the end... (Spend like 1 week in TP just to mug for this module...) And I really really thank the Power Above for blessing me again. If not for the MIRACULOUS intervention through Jack and the taxes example, i would had been screwed HORRIBLY.

Behavioral Economics
This is the Economics module that is the most important... Because it really did a good job in debunking the standard theories that we learnt as an EC major in NUS. It was difficult this module... And WWK wasn't especially an interesting Instructor. But as i say... this one of the most important EC module i've taken.... Nothing is absolute.. Nothing stays.... It was difficult... Wasn't really expecting a good grade for this...

Organisational Behavior...
B+? Perhaps and hopefully seriously.. The most fun and engaging module in NUS... With one of the best instructor, Jay in town, it was no wonder, the students enjoyed every single lesson, as well as remember all the concepts learn easily... Engaging Teaching... This is what it really works... really...

Contract theory...
Leaving my Biggest Cheers for Feng Ge... Without doubt he's the best instructor that i've come across in NUS...Simply the best... I was so confident in his teaching ability, that so much so that i've just enrolled into this module because he's the instructor, not even knowing what the module is about actually... That's how much i trust him, and he certainly didn't disappoint on this count... He really didn't and i am extremely grateful for all the effort into teaching this bunch of lousy economics students. He NEVER EVER gave up on us... That's of course is the most important attribute, i would think, for a teacher...Keeping my finger crossed for this module...

That's all folks... For my summary... In less than 8 hours time... In a different, but pleasant location, i will know what fate has in store for me... I await with abated breath...

I m lousy

I m lousy...
I know that.
The more i think, the more i realise....
Yah right, i am lousy...
I can't get past a job interview...
I can't write a piece of decent resume...
I can't speak as well as others...
I know that...
I know that, And i don't really mind...
Everyone has his/her flaws right?
I suppose everyone can criticise me... Cos i know i am really not as good as i seems...
But of course, i need some encouragement as well... I suppose the everybody on this earth can don't give a damn about me... I don't really mind... But you should be the last person to gimme that.... I know you don't mean it... I know... But wouldn't it be better if you just gimme some encouragement???
Really lost now...

Alan's theory...

Why do people work??? For various reasons???
"I need a new handphone"
"I want to achieve financial freedom"
"I want to provide a better life for my loved ones"
"I need a bigger flat/condo/bungalow"
"I don't want to eat rice everyday"

Of course, people work for various reasons, so as to provide specialised services in return for an income. SOme people don't like to grow rice, and some loves to grow rice. Some need a handphone while others don't. It's all thanks to Economics that we sometimes neglect the 2 most important reasons of working...

First is of course, the need to work, because you need to survive...On foood...
Second, perhaps is you have already fall in love with your work, which isn't really the theory in the standard model, which states that working provides disutility.

But because of the evolution of economics, we are now able to specialise, and not only work to produce food, so as to consume food. As the saying goes, the economics professor, work for food, by giving economics lectures.

My takeaway here is... No matter how specialised we are, we are still dependent on food and energy. And no matter what you are doing, we cant run away from the fact that we do need food to survive. Perhaps one day, Economics will fail, and we might return to the days of one working for the need of survival. Will we? We might be... Considering the meagre incomes of food producers world wide, and the obsession for education to beat the poverty trap, we might just be about to experience a form of revolution or uprisng from the food producers, if things continue to be this bad for the next few centuries. A pity, i wont be able to observe this phenomenon.
This fails on certain conditions...

1. The Government is benevolent to recognise this...
2. Technological improvements such that producing food is mass automated and taken out of humans hands. But that is not going to work. We are going to work for a dictator instead.
3. Finally, There is finally increasing marginal utility from producing food. The only way we should be exploring in the future, in my opinion...

Student Mentoring Program

In short, the student mentoring program has always been known as SMP.
I am glad that i am a part of this wonderful program for the past 3 years. In addition to the different leadership skills learned from army, SmP has further introduce and hone that human touch in me. Though still not a great leader or some extremely compassionate guy, SmP has brought me to a stage that i never thought i would be in ever in my whole life. It has definitely made me a better person and a more confident chap than before. Even me myself marvel at the changes that i thought will never occur to me. :)

1. Friends galore. (Shuqi and Karen and Soon Tien joins the list, hahah) Better than most of the Economics mates i've known in NUS. Without these bunch of friends, i might just be another nerd residing in NUS. Or worse, become one of the many uncompassionate or fake persona in the EC department. At least these friends are really those who will stand by me. At least i know now.

2. For Piggy Jia and Paper Bottle, Thanks man... The 2 of you really CAP the list of best frens i have in SMP. The 2 of you must be the best things that happen to me in SMP. Throughout these days, we had still manage to keep in contact and treat other well. (Or not so well, considering after how you all treat me after the camp ;P)

3. Anyway, SCS and SMP had really changed me in how i look at things and how i deal with youths. It's so different from what i've imagined. Really different. Not all youths behave the same way as i do, and yet, what are the challenges facing them? And why is it so different from what i had faced in the past. It's a question that will never ever be answered. Only understanding helps.

Tiger Balm Kid is Back...

Well Well Well... Any idea why that nick???

SmP camp has finally ended after 3 months of preparations. There will be no more passing of the baton in the sense that this is going to be the final Smp camp ever going to be held. It's a bit sad that the program has come to its end, and yet, i feel that maybe this is the time that i can actually take a short break from volunteering... Clearly, getting to know new people is not as easy as it once seems. The same old methods, the same old lines, and yet the hardest is actually getting to sustain the relationships. Saw quite few people back at camp but some how sustaining the relationship is not easy.

The activity that i was actually in charge of was Walls & Taps. It's a nice game, in my opinion.

And the following are the people i've worked with for the past few days.

1. Daniel: The CO of the whole camp. Need i say anything more? However, do find him a bit overconfident sometimes. Otherwise, really an SAF officer with the right leadership qualities.

2. WeiSiong: Boy man, this guy's a 1st class hons. Anyway, the Log IC and the tech man. Was the lieutenant behind the CO. Oh! and Philson also. Just wanna say thank you to you.

Sounds like an army camp huh? NO la...

3. Wenyi: Ended up planting chopsticks with her in West Coast... Hahah... Funny right? No... It's damn hot. Really feels like a farmer at that moment.

4. Soon Tien: This guy's a natural entertainer... The kids simply love him...

5. PeiJia & Shuqi: Thanks gals for accompanying me. Shuqi on the 2nd night before 3 am and peijia after 3am, but i was really sleepy then. Hahahah...

6. The night act crew: Jiaqing, Karen & Jiejun.
Hahaha... Jiaqing and Karen: The 2 of you are really the killer combo for laughters. HAHAHAH with a bit of lameness though by Jiaqing....

7. The Small Group Crew...
Yah right Dar: Wearing the same shirt again...
Christ: I wish i have mouths on my nose n ears as well!
TP: yay Yay Yay: Paiseh for suaning u la, but i guess u were really great company for the camp!

8. Maurice was really good with the kids as well, maybe that's something that the new birds gonna picked up. Did i miss anyone out other than melodee?? Didn't really talk to her, except knowing that she's in charge of the nice food for us from the 2nd day onwards... ;p


Well, all good things have to come to an end.. And these are the things that i really got to do now.. Have to do and Have to complete...

1. My Resume & Cover Letter by this week
2. My Thesis from next week together with surveys
3. Email Dr Wong, by next week
4. Trying to book chalet...