Calm

My supposed best module was really my best module, and my expected worst module was really my worst module.

I thought I'd be "killed all kinds of dead" by maths, so much so that my heart actually leapt when I saw that grade. Not a very high grade, mind you.

That my best module wasn't my core made me think of a few things, but then again, that Japanese Studies module is clearly different from the rest. It'll take me another semester to sort things out, like whether to minor in J-studies.

Meanwhile, I'm just going to visit the Science Library much more next Sem.

I know what I'll do next summer

This December has been too short and too busy for me to do anything unrelated to school or CCA. Or video games.

But I know what I'll do come summer '09. I'll draw.

It's an old hobby of mine, which nearly reared its head for a comeback during that short period of time in Army when I got fascinated with the world of Anime and related illustration.

I said nearly.

This time, it all started with my little stay at Bedok Library when I was supposed to study Statistics for that fateful Maths Paper.

I had to seat myself near the Illustrations section.

Along came this guy with a book filled with short indie graphic novels, and naturally (for me yes) when I wanted to take a breather, I started to do this sketch of the shelves before me.

One aspect of drawing I avoided like a plague in my textbook-doodling days came right back at me -- the perspective aspect.

I admire people who can draw landscapes. Natural or urban, but definitely 3-dimensional.

A bit of talent, yes, but it's bound to take lots of practice. And that's what I'll start doing next summer.

I was reminded of this Chinese artist called Qi Baishi. Though the sources were of questionable credibility (how else would I classify Secondary School Comprehension passages?), Qi was definitely one of the "practised" artists. He basically mustered the resolve to keep drawing prawns when he was young, and he eventually established himself as an artist famous for his drawings of, erm...

prawns.

Yeah.

As if in silent tribute, and partly because of the fresh impression from the seafood Hor Fun I had the previous day, I made a sketch too.

prWned

If I go far enough I might just start entertaining that doujin dream I stuffed in the closet long ago.

Always - Atomic on 3rd Street

When we watched Always Sunset on 3rd Street 1 for our post-war Japanese film module, I couldn't really appreciate the "nostalgia" theme (I know what it's there for, though) as it's considered to be a "misplaced nostalgia", i.e. a "longing" (?) for a past that one had never experienced.

Yeah by the way, I wasn't born in the 1950s.

Me and my big mouth. Now in the sequel I got served an uber atomic blast of nostalgia in my face.

I was particularly amused when Suzuki Auto shouted "TEMEE" at the lizard!

Why does it work on me this time? 'Cause I've just watched the original 1954 Godzilla film, so I can even recognise the original theme music they used in this dreamy spin-off!

Ah, in case you're wondering, the above scene was merely the speculations of the novelist character in the story, probably on the day right after a dose of the monster at the cinema.

Transient

"Chancellor's Shield? What Chancellor's Shield?"

Peace'd off

Do you know that...

Nostalgia, when the term was first coined, was used to describe a pathological longing of home, experienced by travelers.

An ancient vending machine in PGP residences awakened my "pathological" longing for the old Heaven & Earth tea series.

More than anything else, I miss the Imperial Orchid tea the most. And they still haven't brought it back.

Soldier?

"Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them."

-- 2 Timothy 2 : 3 - 4

华川: "...the analogy of soldiers. Isn't the aim of soldiers to 'please the one who enlisted him' - "

在下: "I thought it's to wait for ORD?"

"Itadakimasu!"

My pride still threatens to eat me up for breakfast sometimes.

I don't get people telling me I'm wrong. But I hate it when people do or say things that merely give me the idea that they're saying I'm wrong.

"Gochisousama!"

Studio Khowbli (read cow-blee)

During one of the J-Studies lectures our Prof was talking about Studio Ghibli, and there's this logo of the studio in her slide, with a profile view of our friendly neighbourhood Totoro.

Greatly inspired by Totoro-sama and the movie of the week (I'll just very loosely translate it as the Racoon Dog Wars), I doodled the following.

Unexpected

Excerpt from conversation with VOICES seniors about upcoming production.

~

Andy: "Emo rock."

Roger: "死了都要爱!"

在下: "Yeah. We'll let the guy scream his lungs out up till the end of the pre-chorus, then...

.

.

A girl takes over in the same key. How's that for unexpected?"

Nice try.

I can understand the campaigns against the cruel luxury of, say, sharks' fin and animal furs, but calling this

"Upsetting of nature's balance"

while simply accepting this

as "Ecology"

makes no sense to me. Are we not part of the ecosystem as well?

Immobilised

It's a bit harsh to say that, but I seriously think this,

might be good news to some.

Fuku'in no Jikan

I was at St. Andrew's Cathedral for a meeting with my fellowship for the coming camp, and alas, at the welcome centre here's what I saw.

あっ、そうですね...

Tomatography

I can't tell you how much I love tomatoes.

Tough love, that's what they call it.

"我已不能多爱你一些~"

LOL Report

Whoever's marking my lab report is so gonna LOL when he sees it.

Lesson learnt. However time consuming and reeking of double work it will be, I'm gonna do a simulation run through the experiments and calculations so that no minor detail will escape my grasp ever again.

I tried my best at titration, but still...

Wrong Answer

This happened during one of the evangelism discussions with my fellowship.

~

Imagine meeting Jesus (yes the Saviour himself!!!) at the gates of heaven. He speaks.

"Question 1: Give me a reason why you would qualify to enter."

The first thing that actually came to my mind, well actually the first few things:

• I've been having a burden of prayer over the unsaved...
• I've been serving in your house... OK maybe not very well on the social interaction side... me being introverted and all, but... still can lah, huh?
• I...

Then it struck me.

Wrong Answer.

I've never been this surprised since, well, since a certain Sunday night last year, but that's not the point.

5 years into the faith and the first thing that came to my mind when asked about the condition of salvation is still, self-effort.

I felt like kicking myself.

Nothing delivers us from spiritual death except for Jesus' blood shed on the cross. I want you to know as well.

Tada'ima

Dear God,

I'm finally back in business. 我回来了。

After this semester

After this bloody semester ends, I will play my part in

• CVCF Bible Study Camp
• NUS VOICES Emerge 2009
• Somebody's birthday bash. LOL
• Dunking Liwei at Sentosa beach.
• Hopefully go for K (finally) with my OG mates.

That, will be after this bloody semester ends.

OK, back to statistics!

Three Sighs

Sigh.

(On Lab sessions)

Eugene: "(on computing) ... it's hard to beat the scholars anyway"

在下: "For me in Chemistry... it's hard to beat those who copy their seniors' lab reports -__-"

~

Sigh.

It's my turn to lead people again. Not that I'm not happy - I'm actually pretty excited.

But I won't be going too far by saying that I'm afraid to lead.

~

Sigh.

Suddenly I'm not used to free Sunday afternoons :(

*Bump

I really shouldn't leave that lousy-mood post up here at the top for too long.

Especially now that I actually have the capacity to ruminate on my Chem stuff again and to actually think of going Vivo after my short VOICES meeting for an equally short (hopefully) shopping spurt.

For someone like me, it's a good sign that I'm starting to need a belt again :)

I'm finally out of that bloodshot-eyed (well my eyes felt bloodshot; they didn't actually look that way), blocked-nose state of existence, and we've closed the chapter of our J-studies group work. Sorry Rin for the time issues =( , and sorry myself by that stupid pronunciation mistake I made during presentation.

You will get my new mobile number soon.

After the mini-concert on Friday I can finally have a nice Saturday morning. Bright sun, clear sky, just my chemistry notes, some data on ionisation energies, and I.

I'm actually very much looking forward to that.

I have drunk the green potion

So now, in the very words of Dumbledore himself,

KILL ME!