21st

Thanks for all the birthday wishes (:

Interviews.

After ploughing through five of these little fifteen minute (median length) terrors in the last nine days, I must say that they aren't quite the traumatising experience they used to be, for me. But that is not to say that they have become less of a challenge, because:

1) only fifteen minutes of yourself are presented to the interviewers, and will decide the eventual outcome
2) this outcome has a tendency to affect the rest of your life.

They are therefore terrifying not least because the stakes are high, and when stakes are high one tends to become self-conscious, and self-consciousness can only lead to a hijacking of processes that could otherwise have been handled with greater efficiency by the subconscious. Thus jeopardising the outcome. It's rather brutal when you think about it. The other reason is that you go to interviews to be judged. We are beings evolutionarily hardwired to fear being judged, because in those hunter-gatherer communities a judgment passed on you quickly spreads within the tribe. Today the consequences are no longer quite so grave, but well blame it on evolution.

There are so many aspects to juggle - dressing, body language, vocal tones, content etc. And it's one against [number between 2 to 12] so the likelihood that all these aspects are being scrutinised is rather..high. Which is why girls probably fare better in interviews because 1) they can multitask better 2) their awareness of social psychology/human behaviour is superior.

That said, here's what happened at each interview:

A*STAR 1st round - Was telling lame jokes and throwing people into laughing fits in the waiting room, probably derailing their trains of thought. Psychological warfare. Went into the room trying not to laugh. Interviewers were merciful and asked rather simple questions, so it was more or less a recital.

PUB final round - I think I overprepared. Heard that chances are you'll get through this round so long as you don't act like a complete lunatic, but I went in and threw all the glory and achievements of PUB in their face.

USP - By far the toughest interview I'd ever had. Lasted 30 min. Interviewers were an American and a Scot (I think) and they were razor sharp, firing back at me for everything I said. So it was about me dodging their rapid-fire questions until I finally gave way.
Me: "I think you got me there"
Them: "That's the whole point."
Sadists.

A*STAR 2nd round - more or less like the first, only with more gesticulating from me as I attempted to explain filtering using a syringe and a clamp.

NUS Law - Spent the whole time discussing JK Rowling and Steven Vander Ark. They concluded that I must be a huge Harry Potter fan. (I haven't read a single book in the series, nor do I intend to)

I liked the seniors at the Law interview a lot. Very fun people. Hope I get to attend the Law camp in June!

preserved vegetables and tap water

I'm in a right pickle now. PUB offered me the scholarship, which in effect dangles before me the prospect of a "free" overseas education. BUT AT WHAT PRICE? doubts remain about the career prospects there, and I do not want to jeopardise my career for the sake of an Imperial cert.

they were right, every single one of them. A scholarship is free money given to exceptional individuals. Anything else is a contract.

indigestion

I appear to have bitten off more than I can chew. Just when I'd come to terms with the fact that I was facing (an already daunting) 4 interviews in 8 days, I came home today to have mum point towards a letter sitting on the piano. It was from NUS, and my eyes immediately picked up three pieces of crucial information: 1) that the NUS Law interview is on the day before my birthday 2) the written test is the day after my birthday 3) I have to produce an essay on why I want to read Law at NUS during the interview. This means 5 interviews in 9 days.

If I were to count my blessings however, I'm also grateful that 1) none of these have directly coincided with my birthday 2) none of my interviews are clashing 3) if nothing else, I can always pursue my lifelong dream of selling Tu Tu Kueh at a roadside stall near Bedok MRT.

The PUB interview today went quite well, though the interviewers' body language didn't exactly coincide with what they said. I hate incongruenies like this they leave me confused. the A*STAR 1st round interview was good as well. The interviews so far have possibly been the most light-hearted I've experienced.

And so the action-packed week ahead goes like so:
Tue: USP interview
Thu: A*STAR interview final round
Fri: NUS Law interview
Sat: 21st birthday
Sun: NUS Law written test

gotta go prepare now!

ORA walkajogathon

Went back to RI on Saturday for the ORA carnival with Junrong and Khaiphang. Met Edward Ng and Jacq Sim who actually remembered me! I am seriously touched and in awe of her memory. "you used to be so thin and tall!" haha aren't I still?


she's married now with a very bored-looking kid! oh did I mention she's now known as Mrs Chua and now she's no longer Jacq Sim but...Jacq Chua! (now where have I heard that name before)

brothers' farewell@zouk

last day at IBN for si zheng and tianji - hence we carried on the tradition of chionging zouk whenever any of us leave. Forgot it was a friday though, and the whole time they were playing useless trance music with people doing their retarded trance dance. It's easy to pick up though, and if you can't beat em, join em. We bailed out pretty early at 2am and went for prata. Walking on the streets in the middle of the night makes you feel very..serene.

last moment with wisma atria aquarium

when I was little I used to get really thrilled watching the baby sharks in that aquarium

and they're tearing it down tomorrow

War against emos in Mexico City

This is funny and sad disturbing all at the same time. Excerpts from various articles:

"According to La Crónica de Hoy, several hundred Mexican heavy metal, "skate punk" and alternative rock fans joined forces last Friday (March 7) in the in the center of Querétaro, Mexico to confront a group of "emos" (followers of the "emo" subculture, which is short for "emotional") who regularly use the city center as a gathering place. Four people were injured and 28 persons were arrested (22 of them minors) when more than a thousand youths clashed in the area of Jardín Guerrero, Plaza de Armas (front of the Government Palace).
Authorities in Mexico are reportedly concerned that similar incidents could happen in other cities, especially Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
An Internet campaign is reportedly being waged to launch attacks against "emos" in other parts of the country, with various web postings portraying emos as "homosexuals" who give a "bad image" to tourists who visit their towns."

“We’ve never seen all the urban tribes unite against one single tribe before… Emos, their way of thinking is for crap, if you are so depressed please do us all a favour and kill yourselves!”"

"The Austin American-Statesman reports that punks and goths are up in arms because they believe that emo has co-opted and corrupted their styles. Anger has also sprouted among homophobes that see young emo boys as too effeminate..
The affected youths have begun to strike back, organizing marches in Guadalajara and Mexico City to protest the growing intolerance in their society - under police protection. "

"The situation down in Mexico doesn't appear to be cooling down. After anti-emo violence in Queretaro and Mexico City earlier this month there are reports that young people are still mobilizing on the Internet, and preparing to launch an attack on emos at the Plaza Rio in Tijuana this Saturday.

Meanwhile, in Mexico City, El Universal reports that emos are planning to march on Saturday alongside other "urban tribes" including "Los Darkys" (goths) from their unofficial base of the Glorieta de Insurgentes to El Chopo, the revered youth alternative street market where the various tribes of Mexico City usually coexist without trouble. It's an effort to display unity and tolerance as the prospects of more assaults linger online and in the streets. The Mexican government has also taken notice and called for peace and unity, though haven't acted in any decisive manner."

Can I say this was just waiting to happen? When you have subcultures, or tribes, the age old tribal instinct will surface. And what do tribes do? They fight.

In other news, the Wisma Atria fish tank is about to be removed to make way for "more retail space". The fish are about to be relocated to the Underwater World so WHOEVER HAS ANY SENTIMENTAL ATTACHMENT TO THE FISH TANK PLEASE JOIN ME THIS WEEKEND TO TAKE OUR LAST PHOTOS WITH IT. Thank you.

a movie about romance

..of the three kingdoms. Just watched Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragons. It's an awesome movie that everyone who likes war epics ought to watch. The soundtrack was the best I've heard in a war movie, the cinematography was pretty and many scenes were awe-inspiring.

Just a few glitches
- it was too short
- I swear Cao Cao never had a granddaughter, much less one named Cao Ying who plays the pipa and commands an army
- The casting! Guan Yu had but a few strands of beard, Zhang Fei had pretty eyes (?!), Guan Yu's son was played by Vanness Wu (of F4 fame, go figure), Cao Cao had a sissy voice.
- Andy On's character sports dreadlocks (maybe he has jamaican blood)

and..

- Cao Cao was played by a guy named DAMIEN. That's just WRONG.

but seriously, this movie is hard to beat when it comes to san guo movies. I don't think even John Woo could beat this. Liu Dehua is prolific!