The Last Lectures of My Life

You see it during every end of semester. People bringing their cameras and snapping pictures with anyone and everyone they can lay their hands on. I promised myself that I would not succumb to the cheesy activity of taking last minute pictures, immortalizing that part of your life that you paid so much for.

I broke my promise, almost- it was my classmate's camera. It finally occured to me that it's the last week of uni and also the last lectures of my life. I have passed yet another milestone of my life, and decided that it'll involve too much trouble relating it verbally in the future.

But I should take some pictures, for nothing will bring back those memories as vividly as pictures do.

So, whether you are the snap-happy or the photo-shy, this will be my unbashful sharing.

Deena, my newfound neighbour living just above me. We didn't know of each other existence till one rainy morning in the tram.

Me, Deena and Kate. Together, we represent the Southeast Asia countries of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. 

Purpose of this picture is to illustrate the concept of "scale". Or rather, Omar's a great guy, doesn't mince his words. He's mellowed over the semesters tho, no more quick-witted sacarsms.

Chinese Steam Egg Recipe

This is dedicated to my friends in Melbourne, where every meal doesn't come that easy.

I've tried this a couple of times, and it's quite fool-proof. Just dump all the ingredients inside, steam it till it solidifies, and viola!

You'll need:
4 Eggs
Lean Pork 100 g
Dry Black Mushrooms 3 pcs
Chopped Spring Onion 1 stalk
Chicken Stock-same volume to egg

For the Sauce:
Salt 1/2 tbsp
Light Soy Sauce 1 tbsp
Pepper to taste
Yellow Wine 1 tbsp

Directions:
1) Wash lean pork, mince into small fine dices
2) Soak dry black mushroom, cut into small dices
3) Heat wok with 2 tbsp of oil, stir fry pork and black mushroom
4) Add sauce when pork is cooked, stir fry well then pour in a large bowl
5) Whisk well the egg with same volume of chicken stock and 2 tbsp of water
6) Pour the egg into bowl gently, and stir mix well gently
7) Put inside a steam case, steam the egg in medium heat when water is boiled
8) Steam for approx. 15-25 minutes until egg is steamed solid
9) Sprinkle chopped spring onion, serve

Steaming time varies, but just make sure that the egg has solidify before taking it off the stove.

Bon Appetit!

Steam Egg

Check this Out!

This is a posting from the online forum of my Strategic Management class. Check out this posting and tell me if the lecturer reading this will flip.

"In the literature review assignment,my interest is innovation one.My questions are from the question you asked us"can innovation be effectively framed as the firm's capability?" (1)you expect us to find the different prevailing innovation theories(value innovation,technology innovation,management innovation) or your focus is how they could be framed as the capability or you want us to show that we know that capability is not necessarily the competitive advantage to firm(4 attributes)? (2)As the reading given under this topic is the value innovation(focusing on customer needs, irrelevant to competition),the writer says this should be the strategy(not the traditional competition-based),I am confused about the above points relative to your question.Ir does not mention capability stuff,should I define the "capability"in the question to be narrower,that is ,the capability which could provide company with competitive advantage. Thanks very much."

Lecturer's Reply:
The questions you have asked is a little confusing, but let me try to answer the issues you have raised.

What The??! (Series 1)

It's one of those things that never fails to catch your attention. In Communications Marketing, we call it Novel Stimuli (using of humour to attract attention). BAD ENGLISH!

Talking to Cindy and Clara, we've compiled some bad english that occured right in the heart of Melbourne, land of the English descendents, but possibly peppered with ambassadors of other nationalities (of which I will not try to name).

Here's the list from the restaurants:
1) Prok Vemicelli, Dump Dumplings and Fred Red Bean Cake
2) BBQ Chiken with special rice

And these came from formal correspondence/presentations of the post-graduate students of Australia's best university:
1) Alternative Adz
2) It's a Pitty
3) Swizzland

We're quite brain-dead now... so we'll add on as we get more of such input.

"Everyday Everyone"

I've been spending recent nights obscillating between thoughts of correcting a badly written essay and sending a politically correct email to the authors to get a better grip of their writing. I'll let you be the judge.

A sample of it goes like this:

"Furthermore, within the budget airline industry, high number players who are severely competing on price gives a little room for customer to differentiate products provided by different firms... Additionally, the weaknesses of not well established brand and lacks a safety track record also prevent the company from ... ..."

Additionally, the flexible culture the company where cost saving is regarded as a core task of everyone everyday accommodates favorable conditions for cost leadership strategy......"

I'm a fan of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves (the ultimate guide to punctuation), but I don't demand her pristine standard of english on anyone. However, to put things into perspective, this context is set on a post-grad level course which requires a convincing command of the language in order to be effective.

Therefore, I am hardly surprised when the following article was published in The Age:

Unis Depend On Foreign Students to Stay Afloat
Australia's universities have become so financially dependent on foreign students that their viability as major learning and research institutions now hinges entirely on that market.
But the pressure of maintaining the 220,000 international students needed each year to keep the campuses afloat has led to a drop in academic standards.
Academics report that in some courses entry requirements have been lowered, courses have been made easier and marking has been softened to help overseas students cope with their problems with the English language.

Back to another night of editing. Cheers!

I'm Back!

Hi, I've finally returned to the blog scene. It's been a crazy 2 weeks with tonnes of assignments and presentations. My dear friend cindy will attest to that, and even Clara, since we've not have a decent meal together for sooo long!

'Buggered' was a good word to use after Marketing Plans and Strategy presentation. When it was done, you get the feeling of wanting to just slob over a chair and call it a day. The good news was that our Swiss Choc lecturer didn't go on an attack, but the bad news was that the French was a tough loaf.

But that is all over!

Thanks to my babe Sharon, i had been entertaining myself (read: wasting time) with Toshimitsu Takagi's Viridian Room and Crimson Room. They are great mind-perking games to play when you are bored with your Strategic Management assignment.

Back to case study on Swatch. Food for thought: it costs only A/S$10 to manufacture one swatch. Irony indeed...

Do you like my revamped blog page?

Blog Undergoing Major Overhaul

Dear Readers of this Blog,

This blog is going through an identity crisis. And the blogger has to picked up from where she left off, from the days where HTML was the only script available for websites. Taking a leaf from TV 12 who stole yours truly's idea of a cartoon website, I have decided to make Yahoo my template. But need to sort out a few garbage on this one, and at 12.48am and the crazy wind howling outside, is not the most favourable of moods for an overhaul.

Soooo... it's Easter break! Haven't done much except for an internal analysis on AirAsia. Went to a church camp at Howqua, 2.5 hours from Melbourne. Met some interesting people, got myself inspired, played some games and was soon propelled to reality.

Was just thinking, if you have no money right now, what would make you happy? Mine will have to be:
1)Talking to my cat
2)Sitting in a vehicle with misty windows
3)Watching another one of those Jamie Oliver's shows (current one: Jamie's School Dinners) and feeling all wanting to make the world a better place
4)Looking at pictures of Montreal and L'ile Des Soeurs, my favourite places to reminisce

Ok, better stop dreaming. Send me some of your ideas of penniless-joys alright?!

Someone is in the Details

Do you think it's possible to bump into someone whom you have not met for 6 months and before you know it, the two of you are rushing to a Christian rally?

I did, met her on the tram. Have been trying to catch up with her, but never had the chance to. And that was after walking aimlessly for 30 mins in the supermarket, wondering what to cook for dinner.

The Franklin Graham rally at the Telstra Dome was pretty great, about 3000 came forth to receive Christ. I was enjoying the performances by The Katinas and Hillsongs. Feeling pretty "unmoved" by the message(expecting more, since he is Billy Graham's son), but apparently it did touched many throughout the 3 days. I knew being a non-Christian herself, she was touched too.

That for me is enough.

Not to mention that the latest discovery is that my new project mate is the flatmate of a good friend here. It's freaky, since another mate of mine took over the room of that similar good friend. Melbourne is just soooo small isn't it?

It has to be that someone is in the details...

Easter is coming soon! Someone died for me.

Cindy's Surprise Birthday Party

When was your last time?

Seriously, when was the last time you went hiking?

I don't think I've really had a last time. The ONLY time I went hiking was doing a couple of 1hr walks in Tassie, and that's all there is. Climb a couple of steps, pant a little, look and your watch and wonder if the destination is anywhere near, and then marvel at some lookout.. and reverse the whole sequence again.

It's a long weekend here in Melbourne, and the highlight of it is bushwalking at the Werribee Gorge State Park, an hour and a half's drive away from the city. The circuit we took was a 4hours, 10km route. Just in case you are wondering, I did secretly chart up the possible 'exits' I can take, for good measure. Good thing I didn't have to use it, and was among better hikers. The gorge was pretty, and there was a couple of nice lookouts. We travelled along the river, and it's amazing how I climbed those huge rocks and ambled through the narrow edges of the gorge. Quite frightening sometimes! That again, is one of my greater 'achievements', a going out of your comfort zone mental challenge accomplished.

Clara and I had a great time trying to get a surprise birthday party going for Cindy. Operation Cindy's Bday went in such a clockwork fashion- wenli buys present, shuan gets the cake, clara brings the deco, clara tricks cindy out, mike brings cake over, wenli, mike and shuan decorates the house, clara brings cindy back home, suprise!

When was the last time you had a surprise birthday party??

Werribee Gorge State Park

Closer to...

Closer to Autumm, Winter, Easter, bad weather,
Closer to established friendships, better coffees, busier calendars
Closer to assignments, deadlines, reviews
Closer to Home.

I miss my cat. But I know I'll miss my life here when it's time to say goodbye. I've learnt how little money I have, but also how little money can buy. I marvel the times when you feel broke to the bone, and yet able to miraculously smile, laugh, have fun and sleep well.

Although Autumn has descended and all activities ebbing, things do get a little cosier. Watched Closer after a panting swim. Had a nice vietnamese dinner with the rest and caught Run Lola Run at Arthur and Chet's place till late. The gale came on full force on Saturday but nothing stopped me going for a shopping trip to Chapel Street. Went to Ricky and Caro house to chill out on Sat and Sun.

Listening to the 11909th time- The Blower's Daughter, proving the effect of what an appropriate scored movie can do... or simply put, what a great song can do for a movie.

Damien Rice's "O": featuring the hauntingly surreal song "The Blower's Daughter" in the movie 'Closer'

Last of the Summer Flings

No, I've haven't got any flings with anybody, but good enough to say that I had good flings with Melbourne. Summer is ending and I got those last precious drops by going to Bendigo, Trentham Falls and Daylesford over the weekend with the church young adults. It was also Wilson's last weekend here, and it was good time spent before he reunites with the Cha Kuey Teows and the Mee Gorengs in Singapore.

Sun afternoon was spent at lovely Williamstown for some really yummy fish and chips. The warm weather was perfect and there was some festival going on at the pier side. Went to the last of the Twillight in the Gardens at Fitzroy Gardens and did a good bit of dancing at the end. It was quite sad to know that I probably won't be here next summer to enjoy the programs and weather again.

So I've better enjoy this while it lasts...

Wilson the chief organizer

Trees at Trentham Falls 

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo 

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo

Nocturnal Instincts

Seriously, I have no idea why I'm still awake right now. It's 3 am and I must be suffering from a topsy turvy sleep pattern, reading some other blogs... half-wondering what kind of life others are having.

Realised that it's quite a dark world out there, most blogs transcend pure complaints, and move into the realms of self-questioning and doubt. As if they were in some semi-consciousness.

Told myself to spend this post-exam time thinking about life in the next 12 months. Will I still be here? The foray here hasn't been exactly that bad, and I like the idea of not taking things for granted- the friends you have, the strangers you meet, the cooked dinner on your table... or even the roti prata I just had in Bismi. Singapore and Melbourne, whacha think????

Jocelyn sent me a hand-made Valentine's Day card. Just received it and was moved to near tears. All these years she has been giving me presents, cards and even flowers for V'day... and I haven't really done much for her. Missed her lots, and our weekly jaunts at Siglap.

Time to sleep.

Check out Pat Metheny's One Quiet Night- Ferry Cross the Mersey. Great bedtime music.

Photography Weekend

It's time to whip out those nifty gadgets again! Wilson gave a lesson on basic photography, after which we headed out to the Docklands for some night photography. Since the Docks was pretty quiet, I fooled around with the camera at a grill-like structure while Mark and John gamely posed for some 'scary' shots for me. The lights was shining from the bottom, giving it a ghastly effect. (Disclaimer: They are however, not as scary as they look, but rather, nice and friendly blokes).


Photography at Docklands