So, I’ve been pretty busy during the holidays! This post’s a bit early, since there are still two weeks of sleeping in and lazing around left, but I wanted to share all the awesome stuff I’ve been doing lately. ^^

Besides the staples of sleeping and waking up late (a full 9-10 hours of sleep a day! You’ll never experience this during term time unless you’re sick lol), cooking and eating whatever and whenever I want (cheesecake for dinner? Why not?!), nonstop manga-reading, game-playing, book-reading, etc etc… I’ve also been quite productive.

After all, one of the must-dos during the holidays is of course, holiday jobs. I’ve had several jobs during the holidays, the most interesting one of all being a promoter for Singtel’s new phone, the INQ Mini 3G

It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve had a newfound appreciation for all the retail staff of the world. Singaporeans aren’t the easiest customers to deal with, but there are a precious few that I honestly enjoyed helping out.

Holiday jobs are important, whether as extra pocket money, or if you want to buy something expensive, or, if you’re like me, you need to provide for yourself financially in the upcoming school semester. After all, isn’t it better to slog away and make lots and lots of $$$ during the holidays, so that during the semester, one can focus on studies (and going out with friends)?

If there’s a philosophy in this, it’s work hard, play hard. The holidays are there for you to do whatever you want in it ^^

But I’ve just been talking about work hehe… So what about play?

This is a fairly old game, having come out a while back, but I just finished playing Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift!!! After hours and hours (70 hours, according to the game) of smashing away at buttons and trawling the internet for FAQs (I cheat, yeah, so what? :p), I finally beat the final boss hehehehe~~~

…I’m actually also really getting hooked on WoW and StarCraft Online T_T. I dread the day school starts and I’ll be unable to level up my characters on a daily basis. It’s hopelessly addictive!

All this aside, I’ve been striking a good balance between work and play too. Since coming to Ngee Ann, I’ve been focused on completing project after project, so much so that I’ve neglected some of my more time-consuming hobbies, like painting:

Sad to say, I feel like I’ve lost my touch, but I have time to practice now! Hopefully I’ll be painting like Monet and Rembrandt by next week LMAO. But seriously, holidays are good times to pursue things one usually wouldn’t have time to deal with. I’ve even gone so far as to pick up a new medium, and am experimenting more with mixed media

Besides painting, I’ve also been writing a looooot. I know, it sounds a bit contradictory, but it’s not related to schoolwork at all. I’ve decided to participate in NaNoWriMo 2009, and I’ve started planning for my 50,000-word novel. It’s exciting and time-consuming, but it’s also fun and a good learning experience. It’s like daydreaming with a purpose, which is somewhat oxymoronic (there’s no such word, btw), but it’s fun enough.

So, all the sleeping in aside, my holidays have been pretty busy! I’ve been trying and learning lots of new stuff, keeping myself on my toes and moving around. I think it’s the best way to spend the holidays. Too much lazing around and I’m gonna get soft. D:

P.S.

Sad to say, my NAPFA is next semester and I have done absolutely nothing to prepare for it. It’s the holidays anyway. Who wants to run 2.4 in the rain? (I’m going to regret this…)

With school reopening in less than 3 weeks (gulp), you’ll think I should be busy worrying about upcoming modules and exams, but my major worry is…CLOTHES!!!

Yes, call me shallow but one can’t be wearing the same old things all the time, right? Unfortunately, due to some of my terrible spending habits, I’m completely broke. Worst time to be looking at clothes! But with all the recent fashion week shows, I simply can’t stay away.

The Spring/Summer 2010 collections are so perfect for our weather and some are just so pretty! One of my favourite designers at the moment is New York-based Alexander Wang, because everything he does is really wearable and comfortable! I was so tempted to buy a simple T by Alexander Wang tank dress, but for that price, I could buy like… 3 dresses from any nameless boutique and still have money leftover for a good dinner.

T by Alexander Wang via WWD

Looks plain, but the material is simply amazing. You know how they say you should splurge on basics and skip on trends… With basics you can’t really go wrong. Ah, but the price, the price!! One simple t-shirt could go for maybe $300-odd - more than I’d ever spend for a normal shirt, to be honest!

 
Alexander Wang S/S RTW 2010 via STYLE.COM

And doesn’t that sweater just look so comfy? So big and loose, and I do like the red, even if you risk looking like Wally! I think most of the stuff Alexander Wang does is really awesome for school and casual days, and the thin, airy material is amazing for the hot weather here.

Another one I love is the Luella collection. Luella (she bagged the British Fashion Council’s ‘Designer of the Year’ in Nov ‘08) always makes the cutest things. Maybe it’s not for everyone but it definitely appeals to me! I can totally see NP students wearing this to school:

Luella S/S RTW 2010 via STYLE.COM 

And I can so see Topshop or F21 coming up with similar designs in the near future! If Luella’s style is too cutesy for you, another brand that’s gotten lots of people talking is the Erin Wasson x RVCA collaboration. I personally really like this:

Erin Wasson x RVCA S/S RTW 2010 via STYLE.COM 

Some may disagree but I kind of like that messy, slightly scruffy look that many seem to do (especially on lookbook!). Hard to pull off though, unless you’ve got that thin, boyish figure (which I unfortunately don’t). So I really do like clothes with that loose, slightly uncut and rough look, but ah - it’s so hard to find cheap alternatives! Maybe I’ll resort to DIY or parents *cough*? One can dream, right?

What fashion label have YOU been eyeing?

So I was being weird (as usual) that day, having my random food craving.

As my friends will tell you, I am perfectly capable of craving for anything from curry chicken to cotton candy while surfing Facebook or checking my emails. Anyway, I was happily playing games online when I had an intense urge to have ice cream (it may have a little to do with the insane weather). And I didn’t want the typical mama shop ice cream, I wanted my ice cream scooped in a cup. Yes I am weird that way.

So my mystery friend R and I headed down to Island Creamery at Serene Centre.

I’m quite a fan of Island Creamery and I’m always dragging my friends there after school since it’s just a bus ride away from Ngee Ann. The flavours there are really unique! My personal favourites are Milo and Nutella (I know, I’m such a chocoholic!).

Apart from ice-cream, this cosy ice-cream shoppee also serve apple pies, mud pies and waffles so even if you don’t want ice-cream, you’ll still have lots of other great choices. Oh oh oh, and I almost forgot to say this super important bit — the prices are really affordable so it’s good ice-cream with a good price tag, my favourite combo!

Another thing I love about Island Creamery is its photo printer. (: Here’s a fun idea- drag your whole gang of friends there, get a sweet kick out of holding  a mini ice-cream party between class, snap a photo for memories’ sake, then print your gorgeous pix on the spot (using their photo printer) before planting it on the shop’s wall. You can also write a message on the photo to personalise it further. I like this idea because it really adds character and personality to the shop.

So the next time you guys crave  ice-cream, take my advice, give Island Creamery a try!

Were you there at NP’s Math Carnival 2009? Organised by Ngee Ann Poly’s School of Engineering, this annual 4-day event (22-25 Sep) held at NP’s Convention Centre proved to be good fun!

To start off with, I’m a Math Carnival virgin, so everything was new to me, from the cool exhibits to even the yummy food (more on this later!). I also got the chance to mingle with the SOE peeps  (a rarity for me ‘cos I’m from a different school) and my, were they warm and down-to-earth folks. And oh, another very important  thing…I’M hosting this event! Yet another perk of the event, haha. (:

It was a crazy, fun carnival with secondary school students joining us from all over the island to play games, view interesting exhibits, enjoy free refreshments, and of course, win prizes! If you were one of these very same students, a big HELLO to you and just wanna say what great sports you guys were! I was pretty surprised by how ON everyone was, gamely trying out all the different booths and rah-rahing their schoolmates. Spot yourself in any of these photos?  

Ok, the food! My sound system was right beside the CHOCOLATE FONDUE booth where marshmallows were being served, dipped in fresh, warm fondue. I tell you, it took all the self-control in the world NOT to fling my microphone away to gobble up all the chocolate treats i could get my hands on! To agonize your taste buds further, i shall provide some visual stimulants (=

Watching the students enjoying themselves (not to mention the brown heaven above -no lah, I’m not talking about myself) really made me think I should make an effort to attend more events even if it’s just for the heck of it, ‘cos sometimes you’ll be surprised! I mean really, I don’t think you’ll need to be mad about numbers to have had a great time here. In addition to having fun with the games, the students also had the opportunity to find out more about the different engineering courses, meet students from other sec schools and enjoy free lunch. Not bad eh?

Some of the game booths showcased really fun inventions such as electronic tic tac toe! Now we’ve all played the game on paper, and also those giant plastic rolling ‘cubes-on-poles’ versions you see at playgrounds (I STILL play with those). But here, we have the cool version complete with circuits and light bulbs.

Another very popular game (with the female of the species especially) was this remote-controlled panda bear that could dance and sing in tune, provided you control the current well enough! We were privately referring to it as the super panda toilet usher. Why? Throughout the carnival, the panda (being next to the toilets) did all the ushering of students to the washrooms!  It really cracked me up!

And oh, how can I not mention this? The awesome lucky draw prizes that I’ve been happily giving away to the super responsive crowd at the carnival.  Ta da! Adorable (loyal) teddies wearing Ngee Ann tees!

Well, but don’t be too upset if you missed this. Ngee Ann has countless events of all sorts for anyone who wants to find out more about anything remotely NP! Our eight schools hold various outreach activities and workshops throughout the year, not to mention the poly’s huge events like the upcoming Red Camp (you read my fab post 2 weeks ago, didn’t you? http://www.np.sg/np_friendblog/?p=401) and Open House. If I were you, i would certainly bug (whoops, I meant check with) my teachers to bring us to such events! Or at the very least, I would keep reading this blog, just so I’ll be the first to know all the exciting stuff coming up at NP.

Before I sign off, check out this cool, remote-controlled robot (created by our very own NP students) that made a splash at the Math Carnival!

This funny guy picks up trash, shakes hands, and even dances! What’s even harder to believe is that our students created roboboy from scratch!

If you were here at Math Carnival, tell us about your experience!

Two weeks ago, it was cram time with a million and one project deadlines. My group members and I were practically rolling on the floor writhing with stress (haha okay, i was just kidding but you get it!) and we faced two problems.

1. We all lived quite a distance from each other so we couldn’t agree on a common meeting ground.
2. We could meet in school, but we had so much to do and school would close at around 10pm..

…then suddenly, one of us remembered that not too long ago, Ngee Ann launched a facility we could use! Solved all our problems in the blink of an eye!

Yeap! It’s TheLoft@94. You’ve got to see it to believe it. Think cool, comfy, air-conditioned student apartments that serve as accomodation during student camps. For NP students like us, TheLoft is also a great place to gather when project deadlines are looming. All we gotta do is book the apartment, get a lecturer to endorse our booking and VOILAA!

Anyway when I stepped into TheLoft, I was so close to calling my mom up to tell her I wanna stay there permanently because the place was really super super awesome!! I was in so much awe I didn’t take photos so I had to grab the photos from the Ngee Ann website.. TheLoft actually looked nicer than my own house (sorry mummy!), even the toilet was a joy to be in.. hahaha.

from Ngee Ann Polytechnic website

from Ngee Ann Polytechnic website

Throughout the two days I stayed at TheLoft, I couldn’t bear to leave because I was just all comfy and happy. I was expecting it to look like the stereotypical hostel in my head- dark and dingy with leaking toilet pipes leaking and all…but nope, TheLoft completely wowed me. Plus it’s pretty convenient for foodies like me BECAUSE:

1. I can still pig out on my mom’s home-cooked food! Yes, don’t laugh. I brought curry from home and heated it up in the microwave here :p
2. I can just walk over to any of our four Ngee Ann canteens for whatever I feel like eating (Japanese, Western, Local, you name it) and when I’m feeling adventurous…
3. I can just head out of NP to Bukit Timah Food Center for snacks and meals!

It certainly does make studying less of a chore. Well, just a little!

Wanna be super prepared for overseas job opportunities or study trips?  Then take up language courses right now! Luckily for us Ngee Ann Poly students, we get to take our pick from the wide range available at our School of Interdisciplinary Studies (IS).

When I first started studying in Ngee Ann, I was spoilt for choice and had to have a good, long think about what I really wanted to learn. The Enhancement Programmes in Foreign Language offers lessons in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and Bahasa Melayu. Complete the course in three years and you’ll bag  a diploma with certification in the language.

I decided to pursue the Japanese language because of my love for anime<3 I had zero experience but  I took up the Basic Japanese 101 course in my second year. Now, I can read basic Japanese characters, introduce myself, and talk about my poly in Japanese!

What’s more, because I took  ’O’ Level French, I was also applicable to take a placement test to join an advanced class in preparation for the DELF, an official Certification in French Language Proficiency awarded by the French Ministry of Education. There is also a similar pthree-year program for Japanese Language students: the JLPT.

So, take my word for it, acqure language skills so you can take on the world when you graduate! Here’s to hoping I pass my exams ^^~

Hello everybody

i hope your week has been going great! This week my friend Candice and I decided to stop talking and start doing the walking. So to speak.

We saw this link not too long ago while casually browsing the internet, and it got us thinking.

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=attractions&id=64&Itemid=73

We’ve been going on forever about how Singapore is boring, that we have nothing to look forward to and no new places to explore, so naturally we were really enthusiastic to try hiking through MacRitchie Reservoir including this TreeTop Walk. After days of planning, sandwich-packing and map-reading, we settled for the longest and supposedly most arduous route possible in the trail (there were up to seven routes, all varying in difficulty). The terrain ranged from regular tar roads to forest tracks to wooden stairs and even mudpaths.

Well for one thing, let me say this, SINGAPORE HAS LOTS OF INTERESTING PLACES WAITING TO BE FOUND! :P

Starting the trail at 10am in the morning, we hiked for two and a half hours till 12.30pm before stopping at a ranger station to have our packed lunch. Once we had our tummies filled, we continued trekking until we reached the highlight of the walk at 1pm, the tree top trail!

And truth be told, the pictures on the internet do not do the trail any justice. The sights were really amazing and we could see miles and miles of greenery and not a single hint of civilization.

Well, continuing our walk, we were really taken aback by this trail that was left virtually untouched by man. The forest was simply alive with colours, from green to red!

Not to mention the really interesting shapes of the tree branches …

Throughout the walk, there were monkeys appearing everywhere. We were really surprised (and pleased) that they did not run away when we approached. They just kinda stood there watching us, as if to say ”this is my land”. It was truly a sight to behold, as i do not even get to stand this close the animals in the zoo! Also, there were many many squirrels along the way. At one point, we even thought we saw a komodo dragon in the lake! It’s a pity that she was too afraid to whip out her camera every time we saw a living thing for fear of it (the camera) being eaten ):

So she settled for taking pictures once the animals were gone -_-

Anyway, we took an alternative route that brought us to a different exit from the one we entered, and we ended the walk at 4pm. That was a grand total of 15 KM in 6 hours. We decided to go slow and i have to admit, it was a great time to bond amidst mother nature with its tranquility.

MacRitchie Reservoir is surprisingly close to Ngee Ann Poly, and Bus 52 goes there directly! Well it stops at Venus Drive after which you can walk in. So if you’re feeling bored, or up for some fun workout with your friends then i highly recommend you give this place a try. After all, it beats going to town and the usual shopping malls. Random walks like this really take you away from (the sometimes boring) everyday life (:

So last week, my boredom came to an end because I finally got myself a job… just when school’s starting in a few weeks time! But I love my new job so much that I’m gonna continue even when school starts.

So anyway, that day I was just missing school a little (yea I was bored), and what I missed most was being a Radioheatwave.com deejay. http://www.radioheatwave.com/  In case you guys don’t know, Radioheatwave.com’s actually Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s campus radio station! It’s pretty cool because we function like an actual radio station, with the same system and all.

I have my very own 3-hour show every morning with my co-host Cedric. Basically, we would play songs and have talksets in between where we would go on air and talk about all kinds of topics topics like weird news around the world, great eating places around Ngee Ann and celebrity gossip!

I used to think it was going to be easy peasy! I mean, what’s so difficult about talking right? I can talk for hours on end, surely going on air would be fine! But noooo, I was so wrong. The first time I went on air, I fumbled and stumbled and mumbled over my words because I was just so nervous. Luckily for me, I got used to it after a few days and stopped being fumbly!

Alright, enough reminiscing for one night! Gonna go sleep (:

I’m back in SG and can I just declare how horrible the weather is right now?!! I complained about the Australian heat, but at least it was dry and not humid like it is here. Ugh. Thus, I’ve been staying away from the nasty weather by hiding in my air-conditioned room all day. Global warming? What’s that? (OK I’M JUST KIDDING, it’s a huge problem, I know. But, shush, let me enjoy my aircon in peace)

Anyway, today I’m going to continue talking about the other universities I checked out in Australia. I’m sure this one’s going to sound pretty familiar to many. Tons of Singaporeans go there - the University of New South Wales (UNSW)!

One interesting thing about UNSW is that it seems to be a predominantly Asian school, so walking through the campus felt kind of familiar, almost like walking through NUS or NTU. In fact when I visited, there was a bunch of students filming a Korean drama! I don’t know what course they were from but they looked REALLY professional. Kind of made me miss doing LocVid! So, hey, for those of you keen on film, sound & video, UNSW has stuff like that!

Tiny COFA campus! Doesn't look like a school at all.

I was told that the College of Fine Arts (COFA) in UNSW is better than the one in The University of Sydney (USYD), but that’s just a few people’s opinion. All I can say is that COFA’s campus is tiny! It took me less than 5 minutes to circle the entire place. I was really quite surprised.

The actual UNSW campus was way bigger. It’s located about 15 minutes from COFA’s campus on Oxford Street/Paddington, near some awesome boutiques, cafes and vintage stores. A perfect location for an arts school! Just about any bus from Oxford Street brings you to UNSW. This is a bit like a chicken-and-egg kind of situation, but there are lots of Asian food stores/cafes/etc around UNSW, so maybe that’s why so many Asians attend that school. Or vice-versa? Like I said, chicken-and-egg! Either way, it’s cool.

The campus isn’t too bad. Not gorgeous like USYD’s but pretty enough. Kind of standard “university” feel though:

At UNSW, I looked at degree programmes from the Arts and Social Sciences, Law and COFA faculties (you can view the rest here). On top of your actual degree, I think it’s also possible to take short courses to gain extra credits or just to widen your learning experience.

The degree programmes I’m most interested in are Art Theory/Arts, pure Art Theory (my parents would murder me though), Media (Comms and Journalism), Media/Laws, Social Science (Criminology) - THIS WOULD BE SO COOL, Design (sigh, if only), Fine Arts/Arts, Commerce/Law and, of course, Psychology. There’s just so much I want to do, and so many things I have to consider! Like taking the SATs. That means more studying! Man…

Out of all the schools I visited, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) had to be the most dreary! That’s what i think anyway. UNSW and USYD both had a little (in USYD’s case, a lot of) greenery and they felt like real school campuses (even tiny COFA managed a small green field in the middle of campus! Plus it’s located near residences so at least there’s the quaint factor). UTS on the other hand, just seemed like one big, tall, brown office building. Seriously, it looked like something out of Singapore’s Shenton Way. The interior was much better, modern decorating and all, but you kind of feel pressured to be very quiet. It’s just the whole… aura of the place.

UTS seems like a polytechnic, but… not. Apparently it’s a technical school where you learn practical skills (like poly!) but graduate with a degree. I really only checked out their design/art/film/media courses (the info was packed very compactly into just 2 pages of a very thin brochure). I probably wouldn’t go to UTS unless I decide to take up design.

The design courses are pretty interesting because there’s a lot of attention on photography. There are also courses on architecture and industrial design, amongst others. All the information you need is here! If you do apply, remember to compile a portfolio. You’ll need that on top of your diploma if you’re a poly student.

As you can see, there  is a LOT to consider when choosing schools, whether it’s university or poly (for the secondary school students out there). To each his own, but for me, the most important thing is my parent’s approval.

I really, really want to study design or fine arts, but my parents think it isn’t practical. The main reason for their hesitance is the cost of overseas education. Why not make it worth the money and do something that, I quote, “uses your brain?”  Apparently, they feel that one doesn’t require a degree to succeed in design. What can I say…whatever happened to following your dreams?

I guess I just need to mull over everything. At least I still have half a year before I complete my diploma at Ngee Ann Poly. Goodness, time does fly. Nerve-wracking!!

Passion or practicality? I can’t decide! What do you think?

HELLO FROM DOWN UNDER!!

Yep, that’s right, I’m currently blogging from Australia where, amongst many many other things, I checked out the various unis (well okaaay, just a couple in Sydney, but this is essentially a HOLIDAY… School-browsing is just a side thing). The weather here is lovely most days, except when the sun gets exceptionally glaring and burns my poor fair skin. There are cafes and convenience stores every three steps (not lying, I swear - they’re EVERYWHERE and they really suck in your money) and everything is way overpriced (or at least, I’m used to the cheapo things in Singapore). But overall I don’t really want to leave just yet! Thank goodness I’ve got a couple more days left.

So I was staying with a friend for a while (I don’t know why, but a lot of ex-schoolmates are studying overseas especially in Aus!), before moving to this really cute hotel along Oxford Street (pictures and more below!). She attends the University of Sydney (or you can call it the much catchier USYD) so I snuck a look when I tagged along. Also checked out the following ‘big’ schools in Sydney: University of New South Wales (UNSW), especially its College of Fine Arts (COFA), University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and various design/art schools like Julian Ashton Art School.

I decided to check everything out because I’m still not sure what’s best for me. My heart says ART, but my head - and my parents - say NO! So I’m going to keep my options open. If I had a choice, I’ll just be visiting art schools all day! A quick note to all aspiring artists (and this is just what I think), if you wanna study art in Australia,  Melbourne may be a better choice. Of course if you can afford the crazy tuition fees, you could go to my dream school - PARSONS in NYC. Or London. Ohmygod, one can only dream.

The moment I saw USYD’s campus, I just about died. I was on my way there on a bus (there are tons of buses you can take from the city to USYD. PLUS POINT!) and my jaw dropped when I looked out the window. Made me feel kind of sad… if you want to talk about scenery, SG JUST CAN’T COMPETE. Look at this:

Do excuse the lousy pictures, I couldn’t carry my DSLR around so you have to be content with awful camera phone pics. BUT anyway… the greens! The buildings! The beautiful blue, blue sky… OH and the pond with ducks and pigeons. So pretty! Imagine just sitting/lying on that endless green, FREE from yucky insects like ants and worms and all those gross little things… I could sit there all day, book in one hand, coffee in another.

That’s another thing, I’ve been drinking coffee like there’s no tomorrow. Not good! But I can’t help it. There are cafes EVERYWHERE. Way too tempting.

Oh, and something interesting: all around the huge campus, there are hardly any signs declaring that it’s the University of Sydney, unlike the other unis which have signs EVERYWHERE. It’s like USYD just expects people to know.

Anyway, the courses at USYD! They offer quite a range, but I only looked at the stuff I’m keen on. Apparently, this is a great place for Arts and Humanities courses, so pay attention if you’re into that kind of thing.

For poly grads like me, the undergraduate (Bachelor) courses are what we should be looking at. And the few that I’m more interested in are the Bachelor of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communication), the combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Psychology and the Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences. More course info for international students right here.

Sigh. All the courses have something going for them! I’m still unsure. I just know I don’t want to do pure Science or Math, which are completely NOT my favourite subjects at all (ironically, Chemistry and A/E Math were my best subjects in secondary school). If my parents absolutely don’t allow me to take a design and/or visual arts program, psychology would probably be my choice. I did hear that Psychology at UNSW’s really tough and there’s tons of work to do, but it’s university so I guess it’s to be expected!

One thing I really envy about the Australian locals (my friend included) is that they pay a mere fraction of what we do as overseas students! I suppose it can’t be helped, but, hey, I have the right to complain. That, on top of living costs (estimated to be ~A$350 a week - not cheap!), is a pretty heavy sum. The only consolation is that the minimum wage there is way higher… Work in Starbucks here and get $3.50, work there and get A$12! Or something like that.

Ah well. This has been very long. More about the other unis later! I do think I’m a little biased toward USYD right now because of it’s absolutely lovely campus. But like they say, don’t judge a book by it’s cover! And when it concerns your future education and like the rest of your life, don’t choose something just because it sounds cool or looks pretty. I just need to remind myself of that now…