My Thoughts, My Feelings, My Blog

2012-01-24T14:18:00.002+11:00

I found a job, and I'm loving it! At least for now :P

2011-10-26T01:55:00.001+11:00

1.5 more weeks to the end of university life.

2011-09-17T20:19:00.001+10:00

University takes laziness to a whole 'nother level.

Next step in life...

2011-08-25T23:40:00.002+10:00

Just took my IELTS today. Basically it's an English test which any non-citizen has to take if he or she wants to apply for PR. Of course, if I do pass this test (which I will know in 13 days) it doesn't mean I'll get PR instantly. Will need to see what score I get, and other criterias as well such as my age, type of degree, etc. Some points system.

If I do pass this English test, I'll see it as God giving me a sign that He wants me to get some working experience here in Australia first.

Once I go back to Singapore, it will be quite troublesome to come back here to work.

2011-08-20T08:38:00.004+10:00

I'm really starting to miss my dog. Really wonder how many years she has left. Her heart is weak and everything. She'd be one of the main reasons why I wanna go back to Singapore coming end of the year. There's a possibility I may try to find work here in Sydney so I may not go back until the end of the first quarter next year. Probably only during new year or chinese new year.

Honestly, does anyone still read my blog? Lol. It's been dead for quite a while now. Wondering if anyone still comes here. If you do, please voice out! At least I know I'm not blogging for nothing :P

2011-08-19T03:35:00.001+10:00

I... NEED... MORE... STRESSSSSS.

2011-07-23T23:57:00.000+10:00

Honestly, I still prefer Aussie's weather over Singapore's sweat-even-before-leaving-home weather. So I ain't gonna complain!

2011-07-18T09:25:00.000+10:00

I have been studying perilously for the past 17 years, a tad too many. Now, to complete the last 4 months of studies and proceed on to the next phase in life - work.

:)

2011-06-30T01:58:00.003+10:00

Woo hooooo. My mom and sis will be coming to Sydney from 1 to 12 July. Besides exploring Sydney we'll be driving up to Newcastle and Blue Mountains as well. This is gonna be GOOD.

Home is coming to me :)

Beats by Dr. Dre headphones

2011-06-27T21:43:00.004+10:00

Together with 3 other friends we bought this headphones from an online shop. Beats by Dr.Dre, model Solo HD. I got the white one. A friend of ours already owned it and we were trying it out for days. The sound is GOOD. Clarity wise may not be THAT good for professional audiophiles. But I love heavy bass and this is what it has and clarity is good enough for me.

Furthermore it comes with a 3.5mm audio cord with ControlTalk function. This brand is sort of a partner with Apple. The control talk function allows iPhone users to control their songs from the remote control you see along the wire. There's a mic to make calls. It has super pillow-like ear pads that are just so comfortable to put on the ear. Lastly, isn't this one of the most stylish headphones you've ever seen?! Been wanting to get a good and stylish pair for years. I think this is a good investment :)

Check out my unboxing video here!

2011-06-14T00:54:00.002+10:00

Apologize to the few number of viewers who have been coming here but realizing there are no updates!!!!

I'll be done with my exam in a week's time on the 21st!

Right now, I'm going to the library like seriously every single day. From morning till 12 midnight :S

Library madness

2011-06-09T06:34:00.003+10:00

Thanks to my friends, I forced myself to sleep at 3am (WHICH IS SUPER EARLY) and wake up at 6am to get ready to go to the library which opens at 7am to study. HELL YEAH.

If it were not for their persuading, I would have just slept at 6am and wake up around 1 or 2pm? Half a day just wasted like that! Further more going to the library at around 9am is a bad timing cos peak hour starts then. Super early right? So we're going early at opening time to get the good seats.

My church friends

2011-06-04T20:04:00.002+10:00

My church friends, or rather, just some of them.

And here is a gif animation that we made. LOL.

:D

2011-06-02T02:59:00.004+10:00

YEAH!

DONE WITH THE HARDEST MODULE I HAVE TAKEN (DESIGN PROFICIENCY).

ALSO DONE WITH MY THESIS.

Just finished writing my thesis report. Gonna upload it to the school website soon. 140 pages total. 48 pages are actual pages written by me, and the rest are all datasheets. Total number of words are about 8.8k. Phew!

Now, I can finally concentrate on my coming exam. Have only one final exam this semester. Counted that I have 18 more days to the paper. Normally I'd have around 18 days to 3 to 4 exams. Lol. Now? Only 1 exam! Gonna need to plan properly and maximize my time as much as possible. Hope I'm able to concentrate and not be distracted easily. NOW IS NOT a time to be procrastinating. Please pray for me!!

2011-05-30T19:08:00.002+10:00

Mom and sis have booked their tickets to Sydney. Now, to plan a holiday trip!

2011-05-27T23:23:00.000+10:00

I kinda miss playing the piano.

2011-05-27T00:58:00.002+10:00

The fear of failing and repeating a super tough module just because of 0.5 marks. It's making me very very worried.

2011-05-19T23:03:00.002+10:00

2 more weeks of school and I can finally start concentrating on my final exam!

3 modules this semester. I've just finished one module which consisted ONLY of 4 whole labs, each of 25% each. The last one ended just yesterday. My second module is my thesis, together with 2 friends. Our thesis open day is next week and we have more or less completed our project. What's left is just our poster which we must showcase next week during the open day, followed by a 100-page report (MAD) the week after.

The 3rd module is 'power electronics' and it's quite a standard module, made up of lectures, tutorials, and labs. I have only one exam in June and it's this module. Once I'm done with my thesis, I'll be able to concentrate fully on my exam.'

Below is my timetable for next semester. Just 2 modules. I have a 6 day weekend LOL!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-14T22:53:00.001+10:00

Any medicine for procrastination?

2011-05-12T17:56:00.000+10:00

Only 4 more weeks to end of semester. And then exam period starts! Fortunately this time, I have only one exam. It's gonna be quite tough though. Better buck up!

2011-05-10T11:25:00.001+10:00

In the past, when you were angry with someone you fought them. Now you just delete them off Facebook.

2011-05-09T19:44:00.001+10:00

Guys fall in love with what they see. Girls fall in love with what they hear. That's why girls wear make up and guys lie.

2011-05-09T19:43:00.001+10:00

I feel like an Israelite. They eat manna for 40 years. I eat pasta for 2.5 years. :S

2011-05-07T08:21:00.001+10:00

I'm in a relationship? Yup! I'm in a relationship with freedom ^^

2011-05-05T20:19:00.001+10:00

JUST BOUGHT $250 WORTH OF GROCERIES FROM THE SUPERMARKET. THIS IS GONNA LAST ME AT LEAST THE NEXT 2 MONTHS!!!!

A Very Long Engagement

2011-05-05T00:44:00.004+10:00

Been studying for the past 5 hours. TIME FOR A MOVIE BREAK!!!!!!

A Very Long Engagement

Trailer: http://youtu.be/B-He8XWlRL8

Free chair

2011-05-03T00:50:00.004+10:00

On the way to school today (to engineering block) I passed by this big metal dump (that trucks load and unload) with a lot of rubbish inside. I always see small tables and chairs, and even monitor screens thrown away into the dumpster. But this time, this particular chair below caught my attention. It still looks super usable! Why throw away such a good condition chair? So I climbed up the dumpster and carried this chair down. Then I carried it all the way home, only 5 mins away? Haha.

I saw 2 other same chairs. By the time I got back to school, they were gone LOL. Did not know garbage can be so high in demand.

Why do I want such a chair in my bedroom when the room is already running out of space? Because I can :P

2011-05-02T03:22:00.001+10:00

Wow. Only 5 more weeks to exam period! STOP FOOLING AROUND FRANK!

2011-05-01T16:59:00.002+10:00

Upcoming must-watch movies!
19 May: Pirates of the Caribbean 4
26 May: The Hangover Part II
2 June: X-men: First Class
30 June: Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
14 July: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-05-01T02:29:00.001+10:00

May has arrived.

2011-04-30T08:14:00.001+10:00

A friend of mine just ended a 7-year relationship. MAN! Really saddening...

2011-04-29T02:13:00.002+10:00

Work done = Force x Distance. But for me, Work done = Amount of Pressure x Amount of work. i.e. zero pressure = zero work done, even when Amount of work = infinity.

2011-04-27T23:28:00.003+10:00

Just came back from holiday in Newcastle. IT WAS GOOOOOD. For those of you who have my facebook, do check out the photos :)

It is still "holiday" until this coming Sunday. I have only studied a bit. CRAP. Was supposed to do thesis at the lab today, but since it's the term break, it's closed. The lab guy told me to tell him when we need to use the lab but he hasn't replied my email. So I spent the day today lazing a bit and also studying power electronics. Need to catch up on lectures and tutorials. Really lagging behind. I hope I'll have the motivation to fully make use of the next few days I have.

2011-04-23T04:33:00.001+10:00

YEAH! I will be in Newcastle with friends for the next few days until Tuesday. Till then! :)

2011-04-22T19:40:00.003+10:00

My Sydney friends whom I've been spending quite a lot of time with this semester including previous ones :)

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

2011-04-21T14:59:00.001+10:00

2011-04-21T11:43:00.002+10:00

Next week is our 1 week term break! Tomorrow is Good Friday and I have no school today. In other words my "holiday" has officially started today! Gonna be in playmood for at least the rest of the next few days. However after that I'll really have to buck up as holiday = time for catching up on school work and thesis.

I'm going with 8 other friends to Newcastle & Port Stephens this coming weekend for a few days. We wanted to meet up for dinner tonight to discuss. But we kept calling other friends along and it has now turned into a group of 25 ppl. Lmao.

I will be bringing them to the pizza restaurant which I went with my friend Eileen a few posts earlier. Already booked for 25 ppl!

2011-04-17T14:24:00.002+10:00

Should I go cycling? I'm so frigging lazy. But I know that over the next week I'll be too busy with school. So how?!

Edit: Annoying! I started riding and then it started to rain. The WHOLE past week I waited for the weekend to have time to cycle and of all days it had to rain on a Sunday -.- Oh well. At least I can work on my project now.

Outing with the air stewardess

2011-04-13T01:48:00.006+10:00

My secondary school classmate, Eileen, messaged me that she was flying to Sydney (as she's an air stewardess for SIA) for just one day! She came this evening and will be going back to Singapore tomorrow afternoon. She knew I'm in Sydney so she asked me to bring her around haha.

So we met up at her hotel and I brought her to this pizza restaurant in Sydney city which was really gooooood. It's called GPO Pizza by Wood. We both enjoyed it. It was really authentic. My first time there as well. Will definitely bring my other friends who are here to that place, including my mom and sis who are coming here in July!

After dinner we walked to the Sydney Opera House. She has been to Sydney a number of times already while working, but hasn't actually been to the Opera House before. So I definitely had to bring her there. After that we sat by the bay at some water-side cafe to have some drinks. We both agreed that the next time she flies to Sydney we shall meet up again. :)

2011-04-12T01:25:00.001+10:00

Less and less motivation to blog.

2011-04-08T17:04:00.002+10:00

Our lecturer is so lazy. First he cancels the mid-semester test, and then he has started to use lecture notes that belong to the previous lecturer, and now he tells us that out of 5 labs, we can choose any of those labs to do one single report on.

I have never seen this sorta pattern ever since I entered UNSW engineering. :S

Road trip

2011-04-08T03:32:00.004+10:00

I will be going to Port Stephens (near Newcastle) during our 1 week semester break in 2 weeks time with at least 6 friends!! Lately I've been very busy researching on the accommodation, finding an 8-seater vehicle to rent, places to go, estimated budget, etc.

Newcastle is a 170km drive North from Sydney. It'll take at least 2 to 3 hours to drive there. Recently there have been at least 2 shark incidents along the coast of Sydney and Newcastle so we're definitely not gonna do any water sports lol. We're just gonna stick to activities on land.

Totally can't wait. Just 2 more weeks of school and then we can have our much needed break!

:)

2011-04-07T22:14:00.003+10:00

CRAP

2011-04-07T02:44:00.007+10:00

What the crap I just weighed myself I lost at least 2.5kg the past month.

Not sure whether this is good or bad because I don't know whether it's because I have been exercising or whether it's because I have been skipping some meals :S

2011-04-06T23:42:00.005+10:00

Something weird/funny just occured. I was studying halfway and because I just finished my dinner (about 15 mins earlier) I started to doze off (as usual). So I started eating some fish strips to try to wake myself up. But the sleepy feeling was overpowering me I actually dozed off while still munching on those fish strips. Never this overpowering before. And when I woke up a few seconds later I had a mini-shock that something was in my mouth and a fraction of a second later I realized it was the strips :X

2011-04-06T20:50:00.002+10:00

I am becoming so addicted to munching on fish strips while studying. The last time I did this was when I was driving up to Malaysia with family and friends and while driving I was munching on this large packet of fish strips. CAN'T STOP!!!!

2011-04-06T11:32:00.002+10:00

Short hair FTW. Went for a $15 hair cut at town. Woo hooo

2011-04-06T03:43:00.003+10:00

My life is so plain right now. I stayed in the computer lab just now until around 11pm or so doing some project with friends. :S

2011-04-05T01:51:00.002+10:00

I am desperate.

I need to organize my time properly from now onwards. If I don't, I will certainly not have enough time to study. There are just so many things to do. In 2.5 weeks time it's gonna be our mid-semester break (1 week holiday) and about 7 to 8 of us are going to Newcastle for a 4 day 3 night trip. A friend and I are the "main organisers", in charged logistics, itinerary planning and stuff so lately we've been spending quite a bit of time researching and everything.

Definitely need more time for studies!

The need for time management!

^^

2011-04-04T02:44:00.004+10:00

Wow I managed to have a record low expenditure of about $450 last month in March lol. Meaning this is the least I've ever spent in a month here in Aus ever since I came here for studies. I usually average at quite a bit more. This excludes rental, hence includes everything else like groceries, meals, public transport fares, leisure, phone bill, and miscellaneous costs.

Trying to save money you know? Who isn't!

:D

Sleep sleep sleep

2011-04-01T10:04:00.003+11:00

Been sleeping quite late every day. Been getting more and more tired. Feel just so lazy waking up every morning. My bed is one good human magnet.

I need this energy to last in school. Won't be able to concentrate. NEED to sleep earlier!!

2011-03-29T20:56:00.001+11:00

Oh myyyyy today both my Indian house mates Ricky and Kavina cooked some delicious fish curry and ikan bilis in chilli sauce. Not that hot. SOOO DELICIOUS. I will take the receipe from them. Lol

>:(

2011-03-28T02:11:00.001+11:00

WAVE 1 FRANK 0

I Will Offer Up My Life

2011-03-28T00:59:00.004+11:00

I was asked to give special music with a few others in church next month. Please pray for me that I won't screw up :S Lyrics here.

I Will Offer Up My Life.

:)

2011-03-27T01:38:00.008+11:00

I've been watching almost all seasons of American Idol. Now watching season 10. I watch the first few eps cos it's fun to see people making a fool out of themselves. But in the later stages, you're more familiar with the contestants and some of their stories are just so touching, like the one below.

Please take time to watch this. Chris Medina, one of the contestants this year, proposed to his finance but shortly after she was involved in a car crash, and had brain damage, just TWO months before they were gonna be married. But still, he stays with her through out.

His audition.

Chris singing 'What Are Words'. Very touching. My eyes became watery halfway. Do pay attention to the lyrics. He really sings them with deep true emotions. Lyrics here.

"What are words if you really don't mean them when you say them."

"What are words if they're only for good times then that's all."

"What kind of guy would I be if I was to leave when you need me most."

Powerful.

Where are my charcoal pills when I need them?

2011-03-26T19:15:00.021+11:00

My goodness. My stomach has had a very very very bad day. I just threw up like 4 consecutive times into the sink within 1 minute.

I suspect it's because of the food at church potluck today. When I reached home around 4pm+ my stomach was already feeling weird. I thought I was tired so I took an hour-long nap. But when I woke up my stomach was feeling worse. Decided to bathe, took my towel and clothes, and when I reached the bathroom door all the "things" inside my stomach started coming out. Luckily the sink was within reach!!!! It felt much better though.

I actually saw what I ate for lunch. Yuck.

MANNNNN. Vomitting is a very very very bad sensation. SUPER BAD sensation. I'm sure you know how it feels. I don't even dare eat anything right now. Just drinking loads of water. Still can feel something funny going on in my stomach. I wanna study but I still feel giddy no idea why :S Have a plastic bag on standby now. Feels like there are still things left in my stomach that want to come out. The sooner the better.

I feel weak + sleepy + dizzy + stomach pain + puking + lethargic + warm + can't study. My stomach feels as if there's someone inside inflating and deflating a balloon like every 5 seconds.

Makes me wonder. Even though I'm doing a considerable amount of exercise every week, even a bit of spoilt food can make me throw up and feel so sick like this. Grrrrr.... Either I'm weak, or the food must have been REALLLL bad, despite how well it appeared to be. Cheat my feelings :S

^^

2011-03-25T20:50:00.006+11:00

Hohoho. I have reached 1000km of cycling, jogging and a bit of hiking since October last year. 6 months ago. In other words, that's about 170km per month, equivalent to 43km per week, or 6.1km a day.

GOGOGO. MANY MORE KM'S TO CLOCK.

Which way would you head?

2011-03-25T20:23:00.001+11:00

Took a photo of this sign post while cycling near Sydney city.

:D

2011-03-25T01:37:00.000+11:00

Studied for 4 solid hours today. I feel satisfied!

Cook Cook Cook

2011-03-24T20:47:00.004+11:00

I am now eating one of my remaining frozen food rations which I cooked 24 days ago. Still tastes as good! Somehow. Maybe my tongue is spoilt eh? LOL.

Ingredients:
- Rice cooked in black bean sauce (yumm)
- Hash brown
- Dace fish with black bean sauce
- Long beans
- Brocolli
- Fried egg
- Bak choy vegetables

DROOLSSSSSSSSSSS

2011-03-24T02:21:00.000+11:00

2011-03-23T22:16:00.003+11:00

A 4-hour lab test today which did not go well at all as planned. It's tough. Engineering is tough. Everyone says it's the toughest course in UNSW and it's true.

OUCHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-23T11:43:00.000+11:00

I dropped my phone :S

Sushiiiiii

2011-03-22T18:02:00.004+11:00

Dinner for today.

Edit at 11.57pm:

Supper for today. Steaming-hot oats with honey and cornflakes! Yummmmmm

:S

2011-03-21T21:37:00.000+11:00

This is me every morning.

2011-03-21T03:45:00.001+11:00

Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it.

Abraham's faith

2011-03-20T22:12:00.003+11:00

On Saturday I led out a teen worship. I talked about Abraham and his great faith. Please head to the blog of Chuan Hoe Church to see what I shared. It's nothing much. Just a short passage :)

http://chuanhoesda.blogspot.com/2011/03/abrahams-faith.html

:S

2011-03-20T15:13:00.009+11:00

Typical Sunday... having my breakfast (ovened-till-crispy croissant with cold soyamilk) while studying. Wanted to go cycling later but the rain just stopped and the ground is wet :S Don't wanna dirty my bike!

Edit (30 minutes later): arghhhh my breakfast is making me doze off right now. Can't study!! Sometimes I just rather not eat so that I can study properly.

Edit (few hours later): went for a 58km cycle to Sydney Olympic Park! Weather couldn't have been better.

TIME

2011-03-19T23:15:00.004+11:00

TIME IS NEVER ENOUGH.

There are just sooooooo many things to be done! Studying (already takes up most of my life). MSN. Facebook. Surf internet. Catch up with friends online. Watch tv shows on my com. Surf internet. *Try* to remind myself to do my devotion (still have difficulty). Go cycling. Surf internet. Think about random stuff. Eating out with friends. Laze on my bed (ya right). Jogging with friends. Napping. Cooking meals. Eating snacks. Plan for a trip with friends during the coming sem break. Do some reading. Surf internet. Rush for projects. Then again, this is only part of what I do. Grrrrrrr....

Andy McKee - Drifting

2011-03-19T21:38:00.000+11:00

37.5 million views on Youtube and counting...

Not what I seem...

2011-03-17T19:31:00.008+11:00

Quite a no. of people have ask me before as to why I am so happy-go-lucky and cheerful all the time, or at least most of it. I just smile along with them. It isn't true. I too have my own difficulties like any other human. And since I'm a student right now, most of my difficulties and discouragements are from school. It's probably just that I hate to bother people with my problems. So I keep it to myself (or my blog) most of the time. So it's up to them whether they want to know it or not.

Just yesterday I had this crazy ass 4-hour long lab (unrelated to my thesis). In normal labs, they give us detailed explanation on what to do, how to do it, in at least a 4 to 5 page long instruction sheet. But in this module, the question is made up of literally just a few sentences and the rest is up to us to decide! That's not the only problem though. If you wanna take a look at the question, click the image below.

Even if you're an engineer, the moment you look at this question you'll be like "What????" And if you're not one, I seriously want to know what you're thinking. Lol.

1. It's really like a mini-thesis project (normal thesis projects take a year). This one? We have to complete it in like a week (self research). Result? Camping at the lab the whole of today, tomorrow, and almost everyday we can next week until the lab starts. In that lab, we will have to bring our components and built our circuit THERE and THEN, and only God knows whether our circuit would work. And yet even before we reach the lab, we have to get our report done. Madness right?

2. There are 4 experiments over the whole sem. We're doing the first one now. Each one is a frigging 25% of the whole module. If your circuit does not work, you will not have high chances of passing. Can forget about scoring.

3. 1st stage of yesterday's lab: discuss with our other partner (who luckily is my friend). 2nd stage of lab: discuss with other groups. And in this stage we're supposed to present our proposed plan on how we were going to start designing the circuit. When other students (mostly caucasians) started presenting, you can really see the difference between them and us, in terms of the knowledge on whatever was happening. They totally knew what they were talking about. They were so pro that they even corrected the mistakes in the circuit that my group mate and I thought of during our own planning. I don't wanna be too long winded here, but it got to the point where I was sighing and thinking to myself, "Those are true true engineers indeed. What the hell am I doing in this course? Will I be able to get marks for this lab? Will I even be able to pass this course? There is no way I'm gonna stay here for another semester." I got so discouraged that I went home that day feeling so down, for the rest of the night. Not so happy-go-lucky after all ya?

Failure, rejection, effort, money and time gone to waste, the fear of those things happening, are all things I seriously dread in life........

Spot the difference

2011-03-17T03:26:00.002+11:00

During the 3 months I was in Singapore I left my more expensive bike at a friend's place, but due to space constraint, I left this cheapo one locked outside somewhere.

Spot the difference between the first and second photo. First one is when I just got it, second one is when I came back from the 3 months holiday. The difference is quite obvious. Yeah, it got stolen when it was locked for those 3 months lol. But oh well. It's only a small part of the bicycle. Could have been much worse.

:(

2011-03-15T22:38:00.002+11:00

I was watching these videos... and halfway I teared. This isn't the first earthquake nor will it be the last. Maybe it's just that it's been well documented, esp all over youtube. I was imagining how scary it would be if I were to ever be in an earthquake. How scary it would be to be talking to someone, and the next moment they're gone. How helpless you'll find yourself, if you see a roof or a wall of debris come crashing down onto you. How heartbreaking it would be to lose your love ones, even your pet dog. It's frightening...

Raw Video: Tsunami Slams Northeast Japan
japan earthquake 2011
2011-03-11 Tsunami 津波, Earthquake 地震, Japan, Iwate, Floating Cars
japan earthquake - Video of mad tsunami waves battering ships
2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami ATACK
Roof Collapse on Tokyo Graduation during earthquake 03-11-2011
Japan Tsunami 11-03-2011 : Dog tries to escape.
In fact Japan Earthquake Tsunami for Dog 【This camera staff couldnt helpless】
Japan Earthquake Tsunami Tokyo 8.9 Tidal Waves
Japan 8.9 earthquake and powerful tsunami footage - 11 Mar 2011
Giant Whirlpool From Massive Earthquake In Japan
Satellite images before & after Japan tsunami; aerial, ground video of aftermath
Video of Japan town wiped out by monster quake-tsunami
Potential Nuclear Meltdown. Nightmare in Japan: Earthquake, Tsunami 3/11/2011
New hydrogen blast at Fukushima nuclear reactor after Japan quake-tsunami

:S

2011-03-15T03:25:00.002+11:00

No matter how much I study I'm always not satisfied because I always feel it's never ever enough.

Bondi Rescue

2011-03-13T22:54:00.002+11:00

We ought to treasure and thank God for every single moment that we're healthy, for it can be taken away anytime, anywhere.

To eat, or to skip

2011-03-13T21:10:00.003+11:00

If I don't eat, I'll feel very hungry. But if I do eat, 20 minutes later I'll feel very sleepy and I can't study properly. Grrrr :S

Mad

2011-03-13T20:47:00.001+11:00

This is what happens when you have your mail delivered to pigeon holes - sorting through SO many peoples' mails with surnames starting with the same letter as yours! And unfortunately surnames with L has the biggest pile :S

What a day...

2011-03-11T19:23:00.021+11:00

There was a poster sale at uni today. The universities here usually have random poster sales for some reason.

And I bought this. Just for the fun of it.

In the evening I went cycling at Centennial park. The weather these few days has been gooood. Summer is ending. Getting very cool.

In the afternoon, as usual, we did our thesis. Unlike yesterday, today we achieved a very big goal. We were like hi-fiving each other! We managed to get a relatively large part of our circuit to work. It's the part which drives the voltage and the current to the 4 LEDs. The next step is to implement the circuit which actually makes that voltage and current.

For 2 whole weeks we were struggling as to whether a certain component could take current of a certain level. And because of that our progress slowed down tremendously. But today we went to ask a lab guy and he told us that that component could take in much more current than the level we actually had been fiddling with. Man! So when in doubt, ask!

A video we took. We used a potentiometer (a variable resistor with a knob) to adjust the brightness of the LEDs. Bright aye?? The multimeter is reading the voltage across the 4 LEDs.

^^

2011-03-11T01:19:00.007+11:00

Feel quite accomplished today. Managed to do 2 solid hours of studying for the first 2 lectures of Power Electronics. I read the lecture notes and wrote down my own set of notes. I always do this because doing the working my own way always helps me to understand the material much more. And when exam comes, I can quickly and easily relate to what I've written over the semester.

On a different note, initially about 3 to 4 of my friends and I decided to have dinner together today nearby uni, but little did we know that 12 would turn up lol. We went to some Chinese restaurant. Had a plate of fried rice for A$6.80, which in SGD is about $8.70. But the portion is really big! Like for 2 people. My stomach is happy today.

MAD lab

2011-03-09T18:19:00.005+11:00

We had a retarded 4-hour long lab today. We were supposed to input all sorts of codes into a software on the computer called Matlab. It would then send the information to the computer sound card, which would produce waveforms which we monitor using an oscilloscope.

For 4 whole hours my partner and I were inputting and troubleshooting the codes that we're supposed to input into the software.

Feel like I've had a mental break down. My brain cells are FRIED.

Shall do a bit of studying now.

:S

2011-03-08T21:30:00.003+11:00

I'm sorry my bicycle. I have forsaken you :(

I know you're feeling lonely and helping me to collect dust in that corner of my room. I promise I will spend more time with you next week!

Thesis

2011-03-08T18:40:00.001+11:00

Spent about 5 hours in the lab today doing my thesis. We're doing a LED (light) project.

The high-powered LED.

Very bright yeah?

Some waveforms from the circuit that we observed on the oscilloscope.

Argh

2011-03-08T02:42:00.004+11:00

Man.... Even when I've noted down all my motivations, they're still not enough! I seriously NEED to start studying for real. Somehow...

My motivations to study...

2011-03-06T12:43:00.000+11:00

- There is no way I'm gonna fail my modules, which will require me to come back again next year. I'd go crazy.
- This is my last 2 semesters, a chance to UP my overall weightage.
- I do not like to regret anything. In other words I better do my best starting from now this moment.
- Sooner or later I'll have to study my materials, so I might as well do it early.
- The more prepared I am right now, the more confident I'll feel, and the less anxious I'll be.
- So much money has been spent to send me here. I must not waste it.
- The more disciplined I am, the more satisfied I feel!

~

2011-03-05T19:46:00.000+11:00

Taking a break from my break by studying...

Thesis

2011-03-03T20:49:00.004+11:00

Started on my thesis today together with my 2 other thesis mates. We're doing a LED light project. It will be made up of a few sets of circuits and then we'll join all the circuits together at the end. The main blocks are the power supply circuit, the LED driver circuit (to supply the LEDs with power), the LED lights, and the heatsink since the LED lights are quite hot.

There is gonna be a hell lot of troubleshooting, unlimited blowing of electrical components (we just blew one today due to too high a current - burnt smell), countless hours in the lab - it will be our second home, and infinite question marks in our heads.

~

2011-03-01T21:26:00.003+11:00

Managed to do some cycling today on my ex-beloved.

My room...

2011-03-01T17:03:00.000+11:00

Some photos of my bedroom.

View from my room. Pathetic right? Lol. That's why I leave my blinds close almost all the time. Anyone can look in as well. But oh well this is how it's like living at the ground floor.

Week 1

2011-03-01T03:24:00.002+11:00

Week 1 (of 13) of the semester has commenced. Lectures will start this week and tutorials and labs will start next week.

I need to start motivating myself. I need to start reading up on my courses. I need to start taking my modules seriously. I don't wanna be left behind. I don't wanna be super out of place during lectures. And I don't wanna get crappy grades.

Haven't even had time to spend with my beloved bicycle :S

Fridge

2011-03-01T01:02:00.005+11:00

Today together with my apt mates, we cleaned the fridge. Found a lot of food which expired last year, belonging to the previous residents. If we didn't clear the fridge today, I have a feeling that it wouldn't be cleared for the next couple of years. :S

Even though my apartment is situated at the ground floor with not much security or privacy, when I have a clean toilet and kitchen, I'm satisfied :)

Before...

Middle.

After. Better yeah? Haha. It may look roughly the same. But I can tell you that we threw away A LOT of expired food and wiped the whole interior of the fridge clean as well as scrubbed all the plastic containers and boards.

First day of school

2011-02-28T11:37:00.002+11:00

The new semester officially starts today. Gonna meet up with my thesis mates to start discussing and carrying out the project.

At the same time, today is the first day of Alvina's attachment to hospital. Have a great time working and don't over-work yourself! :)

SPF30

2011-02-27T22:41:00.000+11:00

Yes. I bought a SPF30 sunblock lotion for my skin lol. Alv I think you'll like this :P

2011-02-27T02:46:00.000+11:00

True love is knowing a person's faults, and loving them even more for them.

2011-02-26T23:47:00.003+11:00

You can never know whether a person is really dirty, until you see their toilet.

Kitchen is cleaned.

2011-02-26T23:03:00.008+11:00

Today I spent almost 2 to 3 hours cleaning the kitchen with my apt mates. It turned out to be time well spent with them!

LOADS of their stuff were already in the cupboard. There were also many other items which belonged to the previous owner who left them behind. Basically what we needed to do is to throw away all useless stuff, clean the cabinets which had stains everywhere, remove all the expired food, and assign which cabinets the 5 of us would use.

All these items below are what the previous owner had left behind. About 30% of the items have expired last year lol.

THIS SWEET EXPIRED IN 2007!!! 4 years ago?! Our hostel is only about 1 year old. I am really curious as to how a sweet with such an expiry date landed up in our cabinet. =\

We emptied all the cabits of their items and sorted out everything. We took all the items/food that we wanted and threw away the rest. When we saw 2 bottles of Olive oil we were like "take take take!" (as Olive oil is expensive).

Look at how much TEA the ex-resident owned.

WOALAH!!!!! That's a clean kitchen. Smelling sanitised :)

Before....

After...

Now for a few photos of my apartment. I shall not post any photos of my room yet since it is still so untidy lol. I just have too many things to unpack.

One more thing that my apt mates and I have to sort out would be our fridge. Those 3 bottles of soymilk at the bottom right are mine :P

The toilet which I just cleaned.

In our apartment, we celebrate Christmas 365 days a year :)

Nothing better than a super clean toilet...

2011-02-25T18:46:00.009+11:00

I'm so proud of myself.

I was so stressed and panicky at first when I first arrived and saw that the toilet was sooooooo dirty!!!! Muck on the floor, black stuff around the sink, and urine stains all over the toilet bowl. All these stains must have collected from last year's occupants.

YUCKS MAN!!!! So disgusting I did not even dare to go near to the toilet bowl to pee.

How are you supposed to have a peaceful and refreshing brushing of teeth in the morning when you've got muck all over your sink? Right??

So I did what I always do best... CLEAN TOILETS!!!!!!! Took the JIF and without mercy poured it all over the floor, sink, bowl, etc. Then I got the broom and scrub and took all the visible stains OFF the face of the Earth!!!

Is that sink clean, or clean?! Still not good enough I know. You won't wanna see how it looked like before man. I won't post the picture of the toilet bowl since it's not "pleasing to the eye" lol but I can tell you it's clean enough for me to be comfortable enough to sit on it and not feel uneasy at all :P Now even the guys' toilet is cleaner than the girls' wahahaha. 2 of the girls share one toilet and the 3 of us guys take the other.

My next objective? The KITCHEN.

!

2011-02-25T14:27:00.006+11:00

I just met a friend whom I saw about 10 days ago back in Singapore. He was like "why you suddenly become so black??!!!"

Then beside him was another friend whom I last saw 3 months ago. He was like "you go back singapore a chinese then come back an indian ah???!!!" (forgot to say, he's an indian himself)

I realized now that the change in my skin colour is really obvious lol.

Arrived in Sydney

2011-02-25T12:04:00.010+11:00

Firstly I want to say thanks to Alvina, Bayu, Lerie, Jerome, Terrence and of course my mom for sending me off at the airport. I was convinced that no one else was coming but still you all came ALLLLL the way to the airport just to send me off. I feel so guilty, but very very appreciative :)

I have moved in to my accommodation. Still have LOADS of things to unpack. I left a lot of my things here. Already got some of my things from a friend. Still have 2 more homes to collect my things from.

Overall, apartment is fine. Just a matter of getting use to I guess. I can go into details but you wouldn't wanna know :P

Goodbye...

2011-02-24T19:10:00.006+11:00

What a surreal feeling. It's only 1 hour more before I leave for the airport. I can't explain what is going through my mind now. A whole mix of emotions. Both positive and negative. Whatever it is I am trying not to think so much about it. This has to be the consequence of getting too used to a 3-month long holiday.

Ahhhhh and I really appreciate all the smses and wishes!!! Thanks a lot. Appreciate every single one of them :D

It is time for me to pack my laptop. Goodbye family, goodbye friends, goodbye bleugh, goodbye security, goodbye to my dog and cats, goodbye to unlimited broadband.

I will miss all of you.

^^

2011-02-24T16:06:00.001+11:00

Short hair FTW