Annoyed

School term just started a week ago and we are well into our second week right now.. Things are starting to get busy and I'm seriously hoping this sem would be better than the last. Took a political science module this semster, believe the exposure would be good for me; helps me understand better the surroundings in which we live in and possibly the mindset of our previous leaders that eventually contribute to the kind of policies and outlook that we see around us today.
Sounds like not a bad option right? So I took it.

Then OMG... So much work, and they are going so fast (actually i don't think it was deliberate but they can't possibly go chronologically into what happen.. It would have turned into a history course. So they just gave you the main skeleton and right into the analysis.)!! The lectures have been interesting so far and not too difficult, what i found cumbersome was the speed at which i was going through my lecture readings. ARGH!!!! SO SLOW!!! Not to mention, in order to understand it adequately, you would have to stop, think before moving on (the information digestive process). Just great, extra work on top of the history readings.

As if to top it off, my coursemate SMSed me to say, "You're so going to enjoy the HY3214 stack.. The word 'huge' itself is an understatement." Just wonderful...
Speaking of which, thanks Toryuan for picking up the stack for me. I'll run by tomorrow to grab it and try to rush through the lectures that have passed. Thanks once again.

Come on Brain, you can do it! Eat! Eat and please don't throw up else i'll have to start all over again.

Then there's the CORS system... Tutorial allocation for round 1A starts from 9am to 5pm. I wonder why none of the administrators saw the potential of that blowing in their faces. If your system is unable to handle a few thousand entries it would have been logical to extend the 1st round of tutorial allocation to 2 days instead of that few miserable hours; especially since you are aware that the entire school is going to try and log in at the same time.
People could sit in front of the computer and try to access for 5 or 6 hours to no avail. No wonder the system screwed up.
Bottom line: Common sense ain't that common anymore.

Dreams

This dream recurred a second time in these few months and I'm still wondering where this place could be... The setting is different this time round and I deliberately forced myself to stay in bed in order to "finish" the dream. So here goes..

I found myself in the middle of a castle (not much different from the usual ones you would expect from fantasy stories about druids and medieval Europe. And no I had not been reading any fantasy stories or watching anything around this theme for sometime already.) I didn't feel threatened but like the other time I was here, I knew I am in danger.. Either from something or someone; which I was about to find out soon enough. I had a group of followers around me and it seemed that they have been deployed to get me out of the castle safely. It wasn't the typical knights in armor thing, rather this was a gang of hodge-podge workers from the castle; ordinary folk who have not seen battle and were eager to escape.

We were chased around the castle by an unknown force (probably black magic of some sort) and were forced to retreat into a small room where one of the apprentice magician was able to keep us safe for the moment. A spell was cast and much of the castle was frozen in ice in a desperate attempt to stop the gargoyles' progress (these were made alive by the enemy forces) thus delaying the attack.

Cornered we could only take our chances by risking another confrontation with the gargoyles in order to get to the underground chambers which led out into the streets. We kept our hands to ourselves for fear that our body heat would melt the thin ice prison that kept the monsters at bay. Armed with only a shot gun, i ventured out with the group into the icy frost that shrouded the atmosphere, typical during this time of the year.
The escape had been successful.

We retreated into a deserted warehouse with the enemy in hot pursuit. Their mages have discovered our getaway and infantry forces were sent in both to occupy the castle and another to annihilate us. We were trapped. The only hope was that our main forces could arrive in time to save our skins by a surprise attack from the rear.

We held the fort for as long as we could before reinforcements arrived. By the time they did, less than half of the original group was left alive. Bodies were strewn over the place, some with their entrails hanging out of their stomaches, a sign of brutal disembowelment by the enemy footsoldiers who had managed to sneak in at the last minute just as our defences were breaking down.

Their sudden retreat came as a surprise and it took a while before i realize that our own reinforcements had arrived...

What happened after that was a blur.. I guess i was gaining consciousness once again. The castle looked awfully familiar and the last time i saw it in my dream i remembered the presence of a torture chamber.. Wondering when's the next time i'm gonna be there and if there's actually such a place in this world that we live in today.
P.S: On a trip to Switzerland I saw something familiar about one of the structures on the river... A little like a scene from a dream of mine which i had before i visited the place...

Empty rounds were fired from the machine guns and also the cannons of the mobile column 

How often do u get tanks rolling ard in ur neighbourhood during peacetimes?  

Mid-level fireworks of up to 50m were released. Sand was also brought in to for the event (notice the amt of sand that we were standing on..) 

Fireworks in Tampines 

So bored... Hoping i could zap someone over to my room right now and stone. School starts in a few days and the stuff is already pouring over from the IVLE already... So many things to zap, so much to read.. assigment datelines and all. Only slightly looking forward to the start of the school term when i could see my friends again in school and make those occasional trips down to Holland Village.

Come to think of it... Holland Village seems pretty out place in the location its set in.. At the heart of the HDB builtup with all the exotic food stuff. It feels like someone cut out a chunk from the city or some heartlands and placed in right smack in the center of inactivity.... Weird place.. but rather glad that its so near campus. Can always travel there to chill if i wanted to. (That is if the Buona Vista mrt doesn't prove a stronger attraction...)

Longing

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth;
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say: My love! why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

~ Matthew Arnold

Stop fanning! Its getting too strong. 

Reading the latest fashion mag from Japan!  

Chalet fun

Booked a chalet recently at downtown east and had loads of fun hanging out with friends and family. Thanks everyone for making it possible and taking time out of your busy schedules to join in.

Honestly, I've never been a very patient person when it comes to organizing things. Mainly because i like to finish fast on whatever I have started upon before i move on to another project or thing. When planning parties you can never expect to do that, firstly, people don't reply fast enough (either because they wanna adopt a wait-and-see mentality to they know who would be appearing and who won't; or its simply too early to gauge). Thus, it ends up dragging. Doesn't really irritate the hell out of me, but simply makes me lose interest in the entire matter.

The impatience also adds to another problem; the ease of losing the passion towards the event once you need to get the things in order for the party. The hassle of transportation, arranging the food, preparation of these things can certainly discourage you from doing anything like it.

BUT, all in all, it was worth it! Especially when things turn out fine and everybody appreciated the effort and had fun hanging out together. Thanks people for every little tinny thing that you've done to make it memorable. You have certainly made my day.