Sometimes, when your kindness and good will are not being appreciated or acknowledged, it is very normal to feel sian diao and start doubting why continue help others?

However, when you receive unexpected kindness and good will from others, or even strangers, you will know that whatever you are doing is meaningful, you will be motivated to continue helping others without asking for any repay.

Even though we keep hearing about the ugly side of people nowadays, be it from people or via the news, there is still the good side of people correct? :)

Everything is looking good, yea yea yea! Haha, enjoying the process like completely! Everyone take care & jiayou!!! ^-^

Have faced this issue during quite a few instances, do not deny that I may sometimes be guilty of doing it myself. When faced with the pressure of doing something well to produce results, we will tend to forget about the process which is equally important.

This leads us to the balance between the tangible and intangible aspects of life. Both are important to living happily and healthily in this world. Yes, the tangible aspects are the hard true evidences of something being done, whether successfully or unsuccessfully. But we cannot deny that the intangible aspects are the ones that people normally remember by, they are the things that are there and yet not there which makes people want to continue doing something.

Other than the micro-picture vs the macro-picture, it is also very important to look at the short-term vs the long-term perspectives. Sometimes, it is very easy to look at other people and comment rather than upon ownself. Thus, it is crucial to have friends around you who will point out your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Such friends are hard to come by, it also depends on your personality whether you are able to befriend such people.

Many a times, I feel very disheartened, but just very grateful that I am not yet discouraged. There are many things in life that may seem small and insignificant, which are actually keeping me going more than often. Search within yourself. Be truthful, not hypocritical; because people can feel it.

Different types of people will have different ways of thinking, different methods of doing things, different handling of emotions thus resulting in different dynamics. Sometimes, some matters can never be forced, some things can never be imitated and some memories can only happen once in a lifetime.

You can never ever control whatever that is going to happen to you and to the people around you as life is just too full of uncertainty. However, you can decide on how you want to think, to behave, and to adapt to the happenings around.

I think I really have to be harder on myself to change all the bad habits, to treat myself better by becoming a better person after all that I have experienced thus far. Easier said than done. But just because things are going to be hard then we stop trying? No way. Confused? I think I am feeling that also. Just some random thoughts at random timings.

I am getting too fat for my own good, can so feel my health not being as good as it used to be, my nose starting to give me problem again, my body odour acting up also... Argh... This is bad, very very very bad!

From today on, must control! Must exercise self-discipline! No more late night dinners, suppers, sweets, snacks, indulgence what-so-ever. More exercise, regular lifestyle, consistent diet. I need to lose 15kg for my weight to be acceptable! Jiayou le!

This year FOP is proving to be another challenging task for me. Haha, I so can feel it already. All the different types of responsibilities, roles, expectations, duties and what-nots which I have to balance in order to do the best I can ever be, especially doing so for the 2nd time in my NUS life.


However, this time round is proving to be a different experience for me. I am going to step out of my comfort zone, to venture into another area where I have never experienced for myself before. I do not have any idea what future has in place for me during this coming FOP. I also have no expectations what-so-ever this time round.

Am I stepping into a whirlpool? Or am I threading in a serene lake? I do not really want to be bothered with it. Just want to give my best shot at the last FOP that I am going to experience in my NUS life. Let us just hope that everything will work out somehow or rather.

Went home for the week and got to see the news. Saw the extent of damages done by the 2 natural disasters in Myanmar and China respectively. 1 is a cyclone and the other is an earthquake, regardless of their nature, the damage done was shockingly great. Did not really felt the impact earlier on as I was coped up in school and did not really see the news myself. Only heard from people around me about these 2 earth-shaking events. But after seeing the news, looking at the footages taken of the places where destruction struck, it is really saddening.

It is even more upsetting that Myanmar is not allowing foreign aides to go into their country to help the victims. As the government is afraid of the negative consequences that may shake the foundation of their rule, their own people will then have to suffer. I am not trying to say that the country is not capable of helping their own countrymen out for this crisis. But it will definitely help to have more people around to help right?

Anyway, I cannot help but say that I am really impressed with the way the China government is dealing with this crisis. Even though there were critics saying why were there no warning at all beforehand, I still salute their contingency planning and execution. The strong motivation in everyone to rescue as much survivors as possible is touching. I most clearly remember this one footage when the rescuers brought 1 girl out from all the debris. Upon knowing that it is actually the girl's birthday, the whole bunch of them actually sang a birthday song for her there and then!

Feeling very thankful to be in Singapore, sheltered from all the disasters happening around. Made me treasure life and every moment spent with my families and friends even more.

Haha, went with Joan to donate blood today at the HSA HQ. Xiao Yan came along with us to collect her donation card. :P In the end, Joan cannot donate blood due to her earlier dental appointments. Thus, I went ahead with everything on my own.

There was the answering of questionaires, the questioning by a medical officer, the examination of your blood iron/haemoglobin level and finally the actual donation. Was fascinated throughout the whole process. Because doing it for the 1st time, there were times when bouts of anxiety hit me.

Even though it was painful, I feel that it was worthwhile and satisfying. For those who have not tried it before, you can go try do it at least once. Haha, cannot wait for next time when I can donate again. :)))

哈哈哈哈，我的第一个干孩子出世了！！！我做干妈了！哈哈，我有干女儿了！恨不得现在就能立刻飞去上海抱一抱她！哈哈，没关系，多几个月后我就可以去找她了！不知为何，获知一个小生命的诞生，就能让我豁然开朗起来。我想是他们所能带来的希望吧。:)))

越想寻找一个属于自己的地方，就越难让自己属于。

很多时候，只愿自己不用想那么多。简简单单的生活，应该是童话里才存在的吧？

For the past 3 weeks mugging in school, I can only remember it raining once or twice. This just shows how bad global warming is nowadays. Thus it is really important for every single one of us to do our part to conserve energy. If everyone of us save a bit, it definitely will add up to quite a significant amount. Instead of waiting for others to do it, why not start with yourself?

Some energy-saving tips (with courtesy of National Climate Change Committee):

Air-conditioning

• The air-conditioning unit achieves cooling by removing heat from the room, consuming electricity in the process. Thus, reducing the amount of heat gained by the room will reduce the amount of electricity consumed for air-conditioning. Consider using sun-shading devices, blinds or solar control film to keep out heat gained by the room through windows.
  
• The size, or cooling capacity, of air-conditioning units is usually specified in terms of Btu/hr or kW. (1 kW = 3410 Btu/hr) Ensure that the air-conditioning unit is properly sized to meet the amount of cooling required, as oversized or undersized air-conditioning units can cause reduced comfort and operate inefficiently.
  
• Multi-split units are generally more energy efficient than separate single-split/ window units in air-conditioning multiple rooms simultaneously. Consider a multi-split units if you usually require air-conditioning in more than one room.
  
• The thermostat senses room temperature to regulate the operations of the air-conditioning unit. Avoid placing lamps, TV sets, or other heat generating appliances near the air-conditioning thermostat, which may cause the air-conditioning unit to operate longer/harder than necessary.
  
• The energy consumption by the air-conditioning unit increases with the difference between the room and outdoor temperatures. Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible. You may wish to consider thermostat setting of 25°C.
  
• Dirty air filters impede airflow, leading to increased energy consumption. Check the air filters once a month and clean or replace them as necessary.
  
• Besides the air filters, the condition of other components of an air-conditioning unit (such as the refrigerant, pipes and motors) also affects its efficiency. You may also wish to consider regularly servicing your air-conditioning units.
  
• Direct sunshine on the air-conditioning unit's outdoor heat exchanger decreases its efficiency. Consider shading the air conditioner where necessary, but do not block the airflow.

Refrigerators

• Generally, larger models use more energy to operate, so buy the smallest model that meets your needs.
  
• Consider operating one large refrigerator/ freezer instead of two smaller refrigerators/ freezers.
  
• Consider the need for additional features such as automatic icemakers and through-the-door dispensers, which increase energy use.
  
• Avoid placing the refrigerator near heat sources such as sunlight, or other heat generating appliances, as it will make the refrigerator's compressor work harder.
  
• Ensure that there is sufficient space for proper airflow near the compressor and condenser coils.
  
• Ensure that the door seals (gasket) are air tight by closing the door on a thin piece of paper. Consider replacing the seal if the paper does not stay in place.
  
• Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Cover all food and liquids and allow hot food to cool before placing it in the refrigerator.
  
• Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator as too many items obstruct air circulation and reduce cooling capabilities.
  
• Decide what you want before opening the refrigerator door.

Lighting

• Switch lights off in unoccupied rooms.
  
• Consider installing dimmers, timers, and sensors, to control the amount of time and level of lightings required.
  
• Use fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent lamps, as they are energy-efficient and long-lasting.
  
• Clean the lights and fixtures regularly.
  
• Consider the use of task lighting to focus more light where required, allowing lower lighting levels for general areas.

Computer

• Ensure that the monitor power management feature is enabled to realise the energy savings. Monitors in sleep mode consume significantly lower amount of electricity, and the reduction in heat generated also lowers air-conditioning requirements.
  
• The energy consumption of LCD monitors can be half to two-thirds of that for a CRT monitor.
  
• Switch off the computer completely when not in use for long periods (e.g. more than 30 minutes).

Washing Machine

• Wash a full load of laundry at a time. Alternatively, you could set the water level to match the amount of laundry.
  
• A significant amount of energy used is for heating of water. You may wish to consider the need to wash with the hot water cycle. Alternatively, use cold water during the rinse cycle to cut a load's energy use in half.
  
• Use the right amount of detergent to avoid having to wash or rinse the load again.
  
• Pre-soak or use a soak cycle when washing heavily soiled garments to avoid two washings and save energy.

家家有本难念的经。但是，未免也越来越难念了吧？


随着岁月的流逝，要面对的事情也就越来越多，不能再和问题玩躲猫猫了。


突然间，回忆起以前读LEP时学的一首词，《醉翁亭记》。

“至于负者歌于滁，行者休于树，前者呼，后者应，伛偻提携，往来而不绝者，滁人游也。临溪而渔，溪深而鱼肥；酿泉为酒，泉香而酒冽；山肴野蔌，杂然而前陈者，太守宴也。宴酣之乐，非丝非竹，射者中，弈者胜，觥筹交错，坐起而喧哗者，众宾欢也。苍然白发，颓乎其中者，太守醉也。

已而夕阳在山，人影散乱，太守归而宾客从也。树林阴翳，鸣声上下，游人去而禽鸟乐也。然而禽鸟知山林之乐，而不知人之乐；人知从太守游而乐，而不知太守之乐其乐也。醉能同其乐，醒能述其文者，太守也。太守谓谁？庐陵欧阳修也。”

Have you heard of anyone who feels more stress after exams are over? Now you have, because I am feeling it.

Today's paper was the worst out of the four that I have for this semester. For one, it was the last paper; for two, it was on one of the last few days of exams; for three, it was a paper that I really very much wanted to get an A, not even A-. There was a point of time while doing the paper when I had a super strong urge to just throw the pen on the table and walk out of the exam venue, forgoing whatever percentage left of that paper for my module. I was rational enough to stay on, just glad it is over.

Exams are officially over, goodbye to year 2 sem 2, so not going to say hi to year 3 sem 1 until I really have to. Bleah. Feel so old! Remember laughing at Jing Jun when she was going year 3 last year and now it is my turn!!! Do not feel particularly estatic, just glad I made it through. Got a very strong temptation to not check results just like what I did during year 1 sem 2. Be an ostrich!!! :P

How do you know when it is coming to the end of the examinations for students in NUS?

• When you go to the central library at 10am and can manage to find yourself a space to mug at level 6.
• When you walk around and realised that the people occupying benches along AS1/AS6 walkway is lesser.
• When you go to The Deck for dinner and the crowd there is cannot even be considered a crowd.
• When you start having longer lunch breaks and longer breaktimes between readings/lecture notes/tutorials.
• When you start thinking about what you are going to do after exams like every 10-15 minutes while staring at your revision materials.

I enjoyed mugging, but just not recently. But it is ok as everything is coming to an end pretty soon! Those who have late papers, jiayou! Those who finish liao, have fun! :)))

Always feel super high and happy whenever I get to catch up with friends whom I never talk to in a long time. Never fails to bring up my mood to its peak and then making it stay there for the rest of the day! ;)

Yesterday had quite a bad sleep.. Do not have any idea if it's due to the lack of air-con in clubroom or was it due to the earlier freaking out incident. Really totally hate it when such moments hit me out of nowhere. Maybe this time it was due to the exam stress subconciously acting on my mind? I have no idea at all. Despise myself whenever I feel scared about my surroundings, like afraid of supernatural beings or what-so-ever. My heart beat will increase and I will start hearing small noises, ear happily amplifying them and then my imagination will just run wild by itself. Argh. If only the scare during J1 did not happen, I will feel so much better at myself. If only I can turn back time...

Forgot to mention, thanks Zhimin and Hwee Guang for coming to my rescue last night! :)))

Today's D-Day! 1st paper over and done with, made a pact with myself not to talk about a paper once I changed out of the attire I wore to the exam venue for the paper, thus would not talk about it. Just feel so much better now that I can join the gang with papers done. No more the oddball that has yet to start exams. Feel a bit more motivation and drive for the revision of my other papers too, a good thing maybe? Thankew Kai Wai for the Cheena good luck sms just before my papers! :)))

Next week, basically after Monday, I will be more or less left alone at the 3rd floor of BLK ADM to study for the rest of the week until my last paper on Thursday. I think it will definitely feel very weird to have to sit there alone on the bench by yourself for the whole day to mug. Hopefully no random people encounters which I doubt so if there is only me there occupying 1 bench. I will miss all the random scribblings as and when we are stressed studying, all the nice music, and also the stress ball squash which I just tried today. 一个人的温书日子，我不孤单。

Bleah, tomorrow's the day man. Somehow or rather, even though this is by far my most ever prepared module, finishing my notes making and even doing exercises with Serene today, I still feel very insecure. Worried that I cannot sleep well tonight and woke up late for my paper tomorrow, worried that I will just forgot all that I have revised for the past 2 days, worried that I will not be able to finish on time, worried that I will just answer the questions wrongly... I think I should go do a little more revision then go sleep already. Does not help to think too much. Thankew my BFB Evelyn for the good luck sms! :)))

Today was studying with Serene for CL2102!! Haha, my fellow Chinese Language major man! Wheee!!! I must say it was a fun and fruitful time studying all the stupid and random phonetics stuff together. :P It really helps to have 2 brains rather than 1 to think about the possible questions that will come out for the exams. Feel so much more confident about that module after today, think I will be able to do ok if I managed to cram all the info in my brain and not lost it before I reach the exam venue to write them down on paper. ;)

It was a great time studying as I finally found interesting and funny things about this module as we revised through like how to pronounce names in an AT manner with rollling of tongue. Haha, it was a super hilarious time as Serene, Michelle, Kai Wei and I thought through the Chinese names of people that we know. Laugh like mad, really funny and gross at the same time. Try it sometime and you will know what I mean. :)))

The day after tomorrow will be my 1st paper, seems like I have been studying forever. But at the same time it feels like I have not gained much knowledge from all the revision also. Hmmm.. maybe there is something wrong with me? No idea, not going to think so much but just study and make the best out of whatever time I have left. Just hope that things will be just fine... Really hope to do well despite everything, I will be super duper happy if I can do as well as Year 1 Sem 1, will work hard towards it. Everyone jiayou oh! It'll be over pretty soon!!! ^-^