Movie Review: Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Name: Confession of a Teenage Drama Queen
Tagline: So much DRAMA, so little time.
Time: 30th May 2008 Lunch time
Venue: Somewhere in AMK
Starring: Definitely NOT Lindsay Lohan
Synopsis: Based on a true story, the plot is about some messy love relationships which most could only find in Korean dramas. Who is to deny that facts are often stranger than fiction?
Review: Virtuoso performance from the lead.
Rating: ***** out of *****. (Oscar-worthy performance)

Lost in Translation

Every Tuesday at 4pm, my company will have a meeting to discuss about the company's future direction.

Today, the boss was talking about installing an additional button on a tag. Tag is something like your EZ-Link card; when you put the tag against a reader, information will be transmitted.

Then he turned around to ask the Chinese engineer whether he understood the whole thing. The engineer smiled back weakly and shaked his head.

It happened that I sat beside him and was arrowed to translate for him.

So I said " 要在tag (dunno how to translate) 上面打一个洞，然后装上一个钮扣 (button that is sewn on shirts)。”

The engineer gave me the "huh" look and said " 是不是按钮 (button that is used as a control)？”

Wah.. Sibei paiseh sia... I told him that he was right.

My Mandarin is getting worse.

Maybe Ken's is better than mine now.

Funny

While we were changing after our football session today, something very funny happened.

Remember the blogger who got arrested for posting racist remark?

It is none other than my friend who made the police report which led to the arrest.

I was telling the rest about it and they started to ask me questions. Then FJ made some remarks which he shouldn't be making.

The conversation went something like this.

FJ: [censored for his safety]

Us (Me, Shahid or JJ): Ohhhh.... We call police liaoz.

FJ: No, listen.. I haven't said finish. You all misunderstood. [Censored again]

JJ: No, no. There are 3 witnesses here.

Me: Later FJ kena deported to Middle Rocks.

[Laughters]

FJ: Huh? What's Middle Rocks??

Us: What? You don't know?

Shahid: You are stupid leh. Don't even know what's Middle Rocks.

FJ: Don't know means stupid meh? Then you are clever lah.

Shahid: At least it means I am not stupid. FJ, how many states are there in Malaysia?

FJ: 13 lah.. You think I don't know.

JJ: FJ, actually 14 now. Plus Middle Rocks.

[Laughters again]

OK.. We are so lame

The Burden of Reputation

Today I went to have dinner with the mountaineers and Sheng Chao at the new Popeye's outlet at Singapore Flyer.

My fellow intern Serene had asked this question before: Why a cabin does not turn outside down as it goes up the Singapore Flyer?

Makes me wonder whether she is serious or joking.

Anyway Sheng Chao was telling me 101 reasons why he will not go for SMU despite getting the exchange place there.

He heard from his friend about a SMU intern at the IT department of a bank who managed to upset the permanent staff at his department.

The person was quite screwed up from the description and the makcik at the office had a bad impression of SMU students as a result. Sheng Chao made a remark that SMU graduates are often good at interviews but the quality of work are often not up to standard.

The chairman of FTB 2007 had made a comment about the negative reputation that SMU students have received. I had to admit that it was quite evident among certain segment of the school population.

However I think that it's kind of unfair to generalize all SMU students even if there is some truth in it. Very often, the line between confidence and arrogance is a very fine one.

SMU's reputation often precedes the students' true abilities. To put it politely, a typical SMU student is supposedly to be confident, articulate and driven. However it can also be intepreted as cocky, snobbish and lack of real substance.

It's hard to build a good reputation; spoiling one is much easier with just a few bad apples. The only thing that I can do on my part is to try to do my best and produce quality work.

At least people won't judge me as just another SMU intern who can talk only.

Two Years Anniversary

The blog is started in May 2006.

Now is already May 2008.

Two years old already... Hehe...

Nargis

It was kind of sickening to read about how the Burmese junta is reacting to the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

Despite offers of aid and assistance from many other countries, they are refusing entries to foreign rescue workers. A conservative estimate of 100,000 fatalities was given and the number definitely will rise in the coming rainy season when the problems of disease and food shortage are exuberated.

According to some reports, the deeply superstitious junta leaders are waiting for their soothsayers to guide them. This is simply blatant disregard for human lives; thousands of people who can be saved with the foreign aid are left to die because of the decision.

Aid packages are lying inside airplanes which are not allowed to enter Myanmar. The referendum for the new constitution will still be carried out. Is this cyclone the beginning of the end of the junta? Hopefully but what is the alternative for the Burmese?

Will Aung San Suu Kyi able to govern the country effectively? Can a democratic government resist the temptations of the country's wealth? These are new questions facing Myanmar in the event that the junta is no longer in power.

However, the most critical problem facing those in the Irrawady delta region is that of survival. I haven't managed to get in contact with Pastor Patrick regarding the condition of the orphanages which we visited last December. Hopefully everyone is safe but life is definitely going to get tougher for them due to soaring fuel and food prices.

I am reminded once again how lucky we are in Singapore.

MPW @ Work

MPW or Management of People at Work is a module which is not unfamiliar to SMU students.

Today my boss decided to gather the staff to discuss about the company's mission and values.

He was the facilitator; something similar to what I did during FTB last semester.

He got some of the staff to share incidents which they wish to higlight and get the other staff (like me) to give our opinions.

I always think that most SMEs do not pay particular attention on things like company culture and such; this time I was proven wrong.

This thing is still kinda new to the company; the employees started slowly but got used to it as it progressed. The boss promises to have this internal 'review' every Tuesday afternoon.

Hopefully the next session will end on time and not at 7.30pm like today.

My 1st Flash

Friday was a slow day because it was after Labour Day. Office was slow as one-third of the people were on leave.

The person who gave me work also left after lunch and I had the afternoon free.

Hence I decided to explore Adobe Flash.

At the end of day, I managed to produce my first Flash video.

Free advertisement for my company at the top of the page.