wham bam! - bumped into a meticulous, well-thought out fan site for One Piece! Fans or would-be fans interested in a short story or two about the famous One Piece manga/anime can find out alot of information here. Personally I love the character descriptions for their funny insides, and cant help but feel sentimental about the characters themselves.
well, i'll leave the link here for myself - in future. www.thegrandline.com
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
IG markets 1st Oct (Education)
Japan- Labour cash earnings (YoY) (August)
Released by: Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (monthly report)
Time: 10:30 (JST)
What is it?
It is the level of earnings per employee before tax deductions, and includes bonuses and overtime pay.
Why is it important?
Though the report does not take into consideration accumulated wealth and capital gains from assets, the figure is an accurate reflection of consumers' spending capacity. Elevated levels of spending tend to propel economic growth, and high earnings tends to lead to high levels of inflation.
What are market expectations?
Economists polled by Bloomberg predicted 0.0% from last month's figure of 0.3%.
UK and Eurozone PMI Manufacturing (September)
Released by: UK-Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, Eurozone -NTC Economics (monthly)
Time: UK 9:30 (BST), Eurozone 10:00 (CET)
What is it?
It is a monthly survey of manufacturing sector activity.
Why is it important?
The survey gives an idea of the economic outlook as figures tend to match the overall state of the economy. A high PMI indicates an increase in materials purchased, and a figure above 50 is positive for the pound.
What are market expectations?
A Bloomberg survey yielded a median estimate of 45.0 for the UK, and 45.3 for the eurozone.
UK- Index of services (July)
Released by: National Statistics (monthly)
Time: 9.30 (BST)
What is it?
It is a measure of the change in gross value added (GVA) for the service industries (GVA is the difference between the value of the service provided and the value of the goods and services used up in providing that service).
Why is it important?
It is a good indication of the state of the economy as service industries account for around 74% of UK GDP.
What can we expect?
A Bloomberg survey of analysts predicts a change of +0.1% compared with the previous change of +0.2%.
Eurozone- ECB Trichet's Speech 11:00 (CET)
Eurozone - Unemployment Rate (August)
Released by: Eurostat (monthly report)
Time: 11.00 (CET)
What is it?
The cumulative percentage of unemployed individuals across the euro area.
The figure is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed in the labor force by the total labor force, yielding a percentage measure.
Individuals are defined as unemployed if they are 15 years or older and without a job, having actively sought employment in the past 4 weeks and are willing and able to work in the next 2 weeks.
Why is it important?
A dropping unemployment rate means more people have jobs than before, which generally means they have more money to spend. Higher levels of spending helps instigate economic growth. Low levels of unemployment can also lead to wage inflation, however, which brings overall inflationary concerns.
As this figure is released earlier than GDP figures, it can be useful for gauging the overall economic health of the eurozone, although its impact is somewhat reduced by individual member states releasing unemployment data in advance of this combined rate.
What can we expect?
Economists polled by Bloomberg gave a median forecast of 7.3%, which would be unchanged from last month's figure.
U.S.- MBA Mortgage Applications (September 26)
Released by: The Mortgage Bankers’ Association (weekly report)
Time: 07.00 (EST)
What is it?
The MBA conducts a weekly survey of mortgage lenders from which it compiles a number of indices.
The headline figure is the weekly percentage change in the MBA Mortgage Applications figure.
Why is it important?
The number of mortgage applications acts as a leading indicator for home sales. Consequently the report can be used as a guide of housing demand and thereby economic momentum. A high reading is seen as positive for the economy as a whole, as it implies increased household income and spending.
U.S. - ADP Employment Change (September)
Released by: Automatic Data Processing, Inc (monthly report)
Time: 08.15 (EST)
What is it?
This report estimates the change in numbers of people employed in the US(the figure is seasonally adjusted).
Why is it important?
If there is a rise in employment, it means that, generally speaking, overall there should be more wages being earned, which can fuel consumer spending. Generally this is good for the well-being of the economy, although higher spending can also spur inflation, which may be force the Fed to make an attempt to counteract via rate increases.
What are market expectations?
A Bloomberg survey of analysts forecasts a change of -50,000, compared with last month's figure of -33,000.
U.S. - Construction Spending (September)
Released by: U.S. Census Bureau (monthly report)
Time: 10.00 (EST)
What is it?
A report that measures the total amount of spending on US residential and non-residential construction activity.
Why is it important?
The construction industry bears a significant impact on US GDP and the state of the economy. Builders are more likely to spend more when they feel that the economy is healthy and that demand is likely to be strong.
As it is affected by interest rates, it bears an influence on commodities, bonds and stocks.
What are market expectations?
Economists polled by Bloomberg predicted a change of -0.5%, compared to a previous figure of -0.6%.
U.S. - ISM Manufacturing (September)
Released by: Institute for Supply Management (monthly report)
Time: 10.00 (EST)
What is it?
It is a survey that gauges the condition of US manufacturing activity.
Why is it important?
It is considered to be the most important of all manufacturing indices.
The ISM Manufacturing Index is liable to move markets, especially when periods of rapid economic growth are approaching the end of their cycle.
Its reputation as one of the chief market-moving economic releases is related to how quickly the data is released: the information contained in the report presages other key data, such as Non-farm Payrolls and CPI.
Moreover, variations in manufacturing tend to wield the greatest influence on changes in GDP, despite manufacturing constituting only a comparatively small proportion of GDP.
Trends in the direction of the economy are accordingly often foreshadowed by developments in manufacturing: an upturn in manufacturing activity after a period of recession is a strong indication of a reversal upward in the economy.
On the other hand, waning levels of manufacturing orders and production in a phase of expansion may well suggest a slowing economy - or even herald the beginning of a recession.
What are market expectations?
A survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg showed a predicted figure of 49.5. This is slightly lower than last month's figure of 49.9.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
tues fx
learnt -- must trade immediately if see perfect order starting!
Don't wait for a few mins then go in.. else will regret
Don't wait for a few mins then go in.. else will regret
Sunday, 28 September 2008
my first driving lesson
my first driving lesson turned out to be quite ok.. it wasn't super exciting.. just drive along e road, familiarise myself with the clutch, brakes and accelerator control.. and also the gear shaft.. mostly easy stuffs..
Learned right turn, left turn, U-turn..
Some things to remember
Hump @ zebra crossing -- 2nd gear
U-turn -- 1st gear
Turning -- turn 2 rounds of the handlebar then turn back when fully into the lane
taking my 5.02 (bike circuit evaluation) tmr night.. hope i pass!
Learned right turn, left turn, U-turn..
Some things to remember
Hump @ zebra crossing -- 2nd gear
U-turn -- 1st gear
Turning -- turn 2 rounds of the handlebar then turn back when fully into the lane
taking my 5.02 (bike circuit evaluation) tmr night.. hope i pass!
IG markets updates
Japan - Large Retailers' Sales (August)
Released by: Industrial Statistics Office, Japanese Ministry of Economics (monthly report)
Time: 08.50 (JST)
What is it?
The total value of goods sold in large retail stores, such as supermarkets, department stores and chain convenience stores.
As retail sales can vary considerably according to seasonal factors, the headline figure is a seasonally-adjusted percentage change in sales.
Why is it important?
This is a firsthand measure of retail consumption, which is clearly directly tied to consumer spending, which is one of the most important leading indicators for the Japanese economy.
If sales are high in large retail stores, it follows that consumer spending is high, which suggests high levels of confidence amongst consumers and augers well for the health of the economy. If consumption is very high it can create inflationary pressures, however.
What are market expectations?
A poll conducted by Bloomberg forecasts -1.7%, compared with last month's reported figure of -0.7%.
Japan - Retail Trade (August)
Released by: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (monthly report)
Time: 08.50 (JST)
What is it?
A measure of the combined value of all goods and services sold in the month at retail venues throughout Japan.
The headline figure is a percentage change (figures are given for both month-on-month and year-on-year).
Why is it important?
The figure paints a picture of both consumer confidence and consumer spending. If sales are high, it follows that spending must also be high, and that consumer confidence is likely to be high as well.
Higher consumption should spur economic expansion, but may also fuel price rises. An overheating economy runs the risk of high inflation.
What are market expectations?
Retail Trade is expected to increase by 0.2% (YoY). The month-on-month figure is expected to fall by -0.2%.(figures from Bloomberg).
UK- M4 Money Supply (August)
Released by: Bank of England (monthly report)
Time: 9.30 (BST)
What is it?
It is a measure of all currency in circulation including notes and coins and money held in bank accounts. It is also referred to as 'Broad Money.'
Why is it important?
It is an important inflationary indicator, as the exchange rate is affected by monetary expansion.
UK- M4 Sterling lending (August)
Released by: Bank of England
Time: 9.30 (BST)
What is it?
It is sterling lending released by the Bank of England to the M4 private sector which consists of UK residents other than monetary financial institutions.
Why is it important?
A high figure may fuel economic growth as it generally means that UK industries can afford large expenses. However, a high figure may be an indication of an overheated economy although generally a high reading is positive for the pound.
UK - Mortgage Approvals (August)
Released by: The Bank of England (monthly report)
Time: 9.30 (BST)
What is it?
A record of the number of loans approved for home purchases over the previous month.
Why is it important?
The number of mortgage approvals is generally considered to be a leading indicator of the housing market. Strong increases in mortgage approvals suggests a burgeoning housing market, which can have a trickle-on effect to the wider economy.
What can we expect?
A Bloomberg survey of analysts predicted 30k from a previous figure of 33k.
UK- Net Consumer Credit (August)
Released by: Bank of England (monthly)
Time: 09.30 (BST)
What is it?
It is a figure released by the Bank of England which shows the amount of outstanding debt held by consumers.
Why is it important?
The level tends to follow the direction of the economy, rising during periods of economic expansion due to more consumer spending power and falling during a recession. However, in the long term, too much consumer debt can result in a slowdown in economic growth. Consumption decreases, and bankruptcy may result if consumers become overburdened and are unable to meet repayments. The headline figure is the outstanding debt held by consumers.
What are market expectations?
A Bloomberg survey of analysts predicted 1.0B from a previous figure of 1.1B.
Eurozone - Consumer Confidence (October)
Released by: European Commission, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (monthly report)
Time: 11.00 (CET)
What is it?
A survey that measures the sentiment of consumers across the EMU.
The survey contains queries regarding personal finance, employment, savings and general expectations about the economy.
The figure is derived from the difference between positive and answers. A positive figure therefore indicates positive consumer confidence and vice versa.
Why is it important?
If consumer confidence is high it should generally be good for the economy going forward: if consumers are confident about their finances, they are more predisposed to spend. If confidence is low, spending is likely to fall. Low consumer spending hampers the economy, whereas high spending tends to spur economic growth, although it can lead to rising consumer prices.
What are market expectations?
Economists polled by Bloomberg gave a median forecast of -19, which is the same as last month's figure.
Eurozone - Economic Confidence (September)
Released by: European Commission, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (monthly report)
Time: 11.00 (CET)
What is it?
This is a survey of consumer sentiment towards the eurozone economy.
Why is it important?
The index derives from the surveys carried out by the European Commission based on certain sector indicators such as; Industrial Confidence (40%), Service Confidence (30%), Consumer Confidence (20%), Construction Confidence (5%), and Retail Trade Confidence Indicator (5%).
A high figure shows a positive outlook to the economy and that levels of investment, business spending and purchasing are healthy.
What are market expectations?
Economists polled by Bloomberg gave a median forecast of 87.3, which is slightly lower than last month's figure of 88.8.
Eurozone - Industrial Confidence (September)
Released by: European Commission, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (monthly report)
Time: 11.00 (CET)
What is it?
It is a measure of Euro zone industry sentiment based on a survey of production expectations from industrial executives.
Why is it important?
The European Commission keeps track of recent order levels and the build-up of inventories. The higher the level of industrial confidence, the brighter the outlook for future business spending and capital investment.
Although manufacturing accounts for approximately merely a quarter of business in the eurozone, GDP volatility is mainly attributable to industry and therefore has an impact on overall European growth.
A figure higher than zero is positive, while a level below zero shows negative industrial confidence.
What are market expectations?
A survey of analysts by Bloomberg predicted a figure of -12 compared to -10 previously.
U.S. - Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (August)
Released by: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce (monthly)
Time: 08.30 (EST)
What is it?
This is a measure of how much consumers are spending each quarter.
The report takes into account expenditure on durable goods, consumer products and services and excludes components such as food and energy. These are not included as they are particularly volatile, and may be skewed by seasonal factors. Such short-term fluctuations may distort the data, so that the core figure may present a more stable depiction of expenditure.
The headline Core PCE figure is reported as a percentage change for the quarter.
Why is it important?
Robust levels of personal spending shows that consumers are ploughing money into the economy, which should fuel growth. Personal expenditure can therefore provide an indication of economic trends. It also has a direct affect on inflation: high levels of consumption may push up prices.
Significantly, one of the Fed's primary measures of inflation is derived from PCE.
What can we expect?
Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg forecast 0.2%, from the last release of 0.3% month on month. The year on year figure remained unchanged at 2.4%.
U.S. - Personal Income (August)
Released by: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce (monthly)
Time: 08.30 (EST)
What is it?
A broad measure of how much US employees are earning, this report looks at the pre-tax income that households receive from employment, investments and transfer payments (a payment of money from the government to an individual for which no goods or services are received in return, e.g. welfare or social security payments).
Why is it important?
Because Personal Income mainly consists of wages from employment, this report can be used to gauge the employment situation.
The report's effectiveness is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it is released after the headline employment figure and earnings figures.
What can we expect?
Analysts polled by Bloomberg gave a median estimate of 0.2%, from last month's figure of -0.7%.
U.S. - Personal spending (August)
Released by: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce
Time: 08.30 (EST)
What is it?
It is a measure of total expenditure by individuals including durable and nondurable goods.
Why is it important?
From this figure, investors are able to get a good idea of market sentiment and economic direction as two-thirds of the economy is reliant on consumer spending. Investors are able to gauge where most expenditure is directed and consequently determine the companies in which they want to invest.
What are market expectations?
Economists polled by Bloomberg predicted 0.2% compared with a previous figure of 0.2%.
Friday, 26 September 2008
Dead Body/Corpse
First time sharing lift with a Dead Body.. The 2 people pushing it were wearing masks on their faces and gave me weird glances. It took me awhile to register that I was sharing lift with a dead body. Cos the container was a large rectangular metal container and the atmosphere was very serious. Only then I realised it might be a dead body. AHH
I was scared maybe another 5 seconds before we reached the level. I watched as the red light above the 'Last Office' room flashed. And they pushed the container outside of the room, at the same time giving me weird glances as I looked on from 1 metre away. hmm
I was scared maybe another 5 seconds before we reached the level. I watched as the red light above the 'Last Office' room flashed. And they pushed the container outside of the room, at the same time giving me weird glances as I looked on from 1 metre away. hmm
IG Markets 26 Sept Updates
Japan - National CPI (August)
Released by: Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (monthly report)
Time: 08.30 (JST)
What is it?
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the most important measure of inflation in Japan.
The CPI reports changes in the price of a basket of goods and services intended to represent purchases of a typical Japanese household.
An increase in the index indicates that the basket of goods costs more (or in other words, that inflation has increased and each yen buys less).
The headline figure for CPI is the percentage change in the index on a month-on-month or year-on-year basis.
A figure is also released excluding fresh food, the prices of which are volatile and may distort the index.
Why is it important?
The CPI is carefully monitored by the Bank of Japan and has a strong influence on any monetary policy decisions that they make. If the CPI figure indicates rising inflation, the Bank of Japan may be compelled to hike interest rates in an effort to combat rising prices. Such action is likely to economic growth, while at the same time making yen a more attractive investment. Hence, a high CPI figure is bullish for yen.
What are market expectations?
A Bloomberg poll shows a median analyst expectation of 2.1% (year-on-year). The figure excluding food and energy came in at 0.2% and the figure excluding fresh food came in at 2.4%. The Tokyo CPI for September stood at 1.2%, excluding food and energy the prediction was 0.2% and 1.4% excluding fresh food.
U.S. - Personal Consumption Expenditure (QoQ) (2Q)
Released by: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce (monthly)
Time: 08.30 (EST)
What is it?
This is a measure of how much consumers are spending each month.
The report takes into account expenditures on durable goods, consumer products and services.
The headline figure is a percentage change from the previous month.
There is also a 'core' figure that is released, which excludes components such as food and energy. These are not included as they are particularly volatile, and may be skewed by seasonal factors. Such short-term fluctuations may distort the data, so that the core figure may present a more stable depiction of expenditure.
The headline Core PCE figure is reported as a percentage change for the quarter.
Why is it important?
Robust levels of personal spending shows that consumers are ploughing money into the economy, which should fuel growth. Personal expenditure can therefore provide an indication of economic trends. It also has a direct affect on inflation: high levels of consumption may push up prices.
Significantly, one of the Fed's primary measures of inflation is derived from PCE.
What can we expect?
Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg forecast a change in PCE of +1.7%, which is the same change as the previous month. The core PCE figure came in at 2.1% which remains unchanged from the previous figure.
U.S. - University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (September)
Released by:University of Michigan (monthly report)
Time: 10.00 (EST)
What is it?
A report that assesses consumers' thoughts on the economy and their personal finances, determined via a survey of consumers from 500 households.
Why is it important?
Although the survey polls fewer consumers than the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, and is not as well established, the University of Michigan Survey is acknowledged as being one of the primary indicators of US consumer sentiment and often moves the financial markets on release.
The headline figure is determined by subtracting the percentage of unfavourable responses from the percentage of favourable responses and a low or falling number is taken to be an early sign of a downturn in the economy. Consequently, investors follow this indicator closely in order to gauge the strength of the economy.
What are market expectations?
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg yielded a median forecast of 71.0, compared with the previous release of 73.1.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
tried playing again today at 4pm.. It went well for the 1st half hour.. won around 40 SGD.
I took a break and continued.. but lost all the money i earned.. and now my net profit is only 52SGD, up from 4 bucks yesterday.
Now I know I can only withstand a few rounds.. So i shall stick by that tmr and improve on my trading skills!! YOSHEE
I took a break and continued.. but lost all the money i earned.. and now my net profit is only 52SGD, up from 4 bucks yesterday.
Now I know I can only withstand a few rounds.. So i shall stick by that tmr and improve on my trading skills!! YOSHEE
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
my trading account has just been opened! profit so far (2 days, around 8 positions) is 46 SGD (loss already calculated) ..
heh heh
even though it's not alot of money, but its a good start. FX really can be super volatile and the minute trends totally different from hourly trend. However, it is to be expected cos of the changes minute by minute.. When it goes up, surely it will come down. (that's wad the buyers are thinking too)
Also, my fears/feeling of heart pounding that was experienced last night has stopped. i had gastric last night too haha! Today only left nervous hands.. not bad for a 2nd day .. just that profit wasn't too high cos the perfect order was breaking up when i entered.. haix Wrong timing!!
To make good money, I need to find a timing properly! do not go in to gamble!!
i shall continue to practice (with real money, of course!)
heh heh
even though it's not alot of money, but its a good start. FX really can be super volatile and the minute trends totally different from hourly trend. However, it is to be expected cos of the changes minute by minute.. When it goes up, surely it will come down. (that's wad the buyers are thinking too)
Also, my fears/feeling of heart pounding that was experienced last night has stopped. i had gastric last night too haha! Today only left nervous hands.. not bad for a 2nd day .. just that profit wasn't too high cos the perfect order was breaking up when i entered.. haix Wrong timing!!
To make good money, I need to find a timing properly! do not go in to gamble!!
i shall continue to practice (with real money, of course!)
Monday, 1 September 2008
a short story
终于可以写中文了！
前个月上班时无聊，空闲时写了这个短篇.想不到吧？我这个从来不阅读华文书的华人也会写中文故事？告诉同事朋友家人时，个个都用奇异的眼光看着我。这篇短文是我读了古龙的武侠小说后的到的灵感，可说是各人奇迹！
故事就是这样开始的。。。
柳树安静优雅好像挂在蓝天的一个礼物，迎接着他的到来。那片绿色如丝如绵的草和小花以进如眼帘，他感到如此平静如此美妙至如诗如画一般。这种心情的转变还没有到最高境界。只不过美酒始终会饮完，美景有一天也会消失。就在那一顺间，世界上只有他一个人淘醉在这如天下星地下宝的风景中，他也感到无比自如。可是他渴望遇见情同道合的人，和他一样热爱大自然的知己。眼前所有的一切是他的生命的原因，生存的力量。唯有在那宽阔的绿洋中他感到自在自如，就如鱼得水一般，这种感觉多数人都能了解，但少数人能身灵其境。 所以他从来没有遇见过会想抛开世界所有荣华富贵，就为了住在一个完全自由得世界里。
我当时就写到此。。。 你们说如何？ 我现在就给它继续。
他心里孤独，脑子里却翻滚着如何更加淘醉在这美妙的特境中。他不故内心的忧愁，也不故那翻复的情感在他内心造成的不自在。他这时候只想到高兴满足的，想看着这个美景，让美景于他二合为一。这是他灵魂和宇宙之间的友情。这也是宇宙跟任何人最好的友谊。他身上的优愁，孤单，寂寞也随着慢慢消失。他呼吸放松，思想自如，四恣柔软起来。身上的疲劳也就一起消失。
当他在次打开双眸时，天色以变得浅蓝色－-他最喜欢的颜色。他高兴的跳起舞来。可以一个人在这无人的荒山野林，和鸟儿一起共同欢乐使他更加开心。他过了一会儿便走下去。今天他正要到山上走一趟。他想在那里做画写诗。。。
I know there're so many wrong words in this short prose but i'll try to correct them soon haha
I wrote it after I was inspired by my fantasies of Mt Rinjani. This place is really awesome, and the scenery so beautiful and heavenly, that it stirs my soul and reawakens my love for nature! One cannot imagine how it feels like if one hasn't been there. That's wad I wanted to bring out in the short prose. Anws, it was written few months back when I was slacking during work, hahaha.. i still remember I was in one of the classrooms almost falling asleep.
前个月上班时无聊，空闲时写了这个短篇.想不到吧？我这个从来不阅读华文书的华人也会写中文故事？告诉同事朋友家人时，个个都用奇异的眼光看着我。这篇短文是我读了古龙的武侠小说后的到的灵感，可说是各人奇迹！
故事就是这样开始的。。。
柳树安静优雅好像挂在蓝天的一个礼物，迎接着他的到来。那片绿色如丝如绵的草和小花以进如眼帘，他感到如此平静如此美妙至如诗如画一般。这种心情的转变还没有到最高境界。只不过美酒始终会饮完，美景有一天也会消失。就在那一顺间，世界上只有他一个人淘醉在这如天下星地下宝的风景中，他也感到无比自如。可是他渴望遇见情同道合的人，和他一样热爱大自然的知己。眼前所有的一切是他的生命的原因，生存的力量。唯有在那宽阔的绿洋中他感到自在自如，就如鱼得水一般，这种感觉多数人都能了解，但少数人能身灵其境。 所以他从来没有遇见过会想抛开世界所有荣华富贵，就为了住在一个完全自由得世界里。
我当时就写到此。。。 你们说如何？ 我现在就给它继续。
他心里孤独，脑子里却翻滚着如何更加淘醉在这美妙的特境中。他不故内心的忧愁，也不故那翻复的情感在他内心造成的不自在。他这时候只想到高兴满足的，想看着这个美景，让美景于他二合为一。这是他灵魂和宇宙之间的友情。这也是宇宙跟任何人最好的友谊。他身上的优愁，孤单，寂寞也随着慢慢消失。他呼吸放松，思想自如，四恣柔软起来。身上的疲劳也就一起消失。
当他在次打开双眸时，天色以变得浅蓝色－-他最喜欢的颜色。他高兴的跳起舞来。可以一个人在这无人的荒山野林，和鸟儿一起共同欢乐使他更加开心。他过了一会儿便走下去。今天他正要到山上走一趟。他想在那里做画写诗。。。
I know there're so many wrong words in this short prose but i'll try to correct them soon haha
I wrote it after I was inspired by my fantasies of Mt Rinjani. This place is really awesome, and the scenery so beautiful and heavenly, that it stirs my soul and reawakens my love for nature! One cannot imagine how it feels like if one hasn't been there. That's wad I wanted to bring out in the short prose. Anws, it was written few months back when I was slacking during work, hahaha.. i still remember I was in one of the classrooms almost falling asleep.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
sick!! & random ramblings
finally get some rest .. been super sick e past week after getting infected with the same virus as zijia and ginny haha.. i drank their water during ktv (wrong move) but oh well!
So tired from coughing e whole night and not getting enough rest.. and the cough is making my head explode and my ribs too .. this is good exercise for abdominal muscles man!!
anws, duno wat to do now that i've the whole day to rest, and also tmr.. work wasn't fulfilling cos there's always nothing much to do at work, and even though there's nothing much to do, its quite stressful .. haha
anw, i met up with diz online friend in the hope of matchmaking him with my girl friend.. but he failed to meet up to my expectations (And my gal friends') ... but he's in overall a nice guy.. just that probably not same frequency as us lor..
only yesterday did work take on a serious side.. when we were rushing to finalise something and we had to work nonstop for the whole day! that was a nice twist!! unluckily, i was coughing the whole day so dint enjoy it that much ..
So tired from coughing e whole night and not getting enough rest.. and the cough is making my head explode and my ribs too .. this is good exercise for abdominal muscles man!!
anws, duno wat to do now that i've the whole day to rest, and also tmr.. work wasn't fulfilling cos there's always nothing much to do at work, and even though there's nothing much to do, its quite stressful .. haha
anw, i met up with diz online friend in the hope of matchmaking him with my girl friend.. but he failed to meet up to my expectations (And my gal friends') ... but he's in overall a nice guy.. just that probably not same frequency as us lor..
only yesterday did work take on a serious side.. when we were rushing to finalise something and we had to work nonstop for the whole day! that was a nice twist!! unluckily, i was coughing the whole day so dint enjoy it that much ..
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Volunteer + travel !!!
check out this website http://matador.org/10-volunteer-opportunities-for-free-travel/
Saturday, 23 August 2008
olympics
relaxing weekend..
this weekend was quite relaxing, as I didn't have tuition on Saturday and went to meet my bf.. I watched the Olympic Diving semifinals.. that was SO cool!!
haha
this weekend was quite relaxing, as I didn't have tuition on Saturday and went to meet my bf.. I watched the Olympic Diving semifinals.. that was SO cool!!
haha
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Outing!!
Wow today we had a very fun outing!!
The buffet lunch was quite good.. then we went for Kbox, which was the best I ever had!! We were all dancing and very high!! So so good and memorable! it really was the best ktv ever!! EVER!!
hahahahahaha
so high!~~
The buffet lunch was quite good.. then we went for Kbox, which was the best I ever had!! We were all dancing and very high!! So so good and memorable! it really was the best ktv ever!! EVER!!
hahahahahaha
so high!~~
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Recent Updates
For the past 2 months, I have been busy working in MOE, PARB. For those who don't know, PARB stands for Psychological Assessment and Research Branch. Sounds impressive right? Actually its all just nothing much.. I want to get vulgar at this point in time but I don't know if I'd get caught if I actually do so. Let's just keep this non-vulgar then (Sheesh!). Well, I suppose being a Research Assistant sounds really cool but actually it may be really tiring, boring, and not exactly research you wanted to do. I mean, everyone has his own research interests and educational psychology was never part of my interest. But this job made me interested! However, I want to try new types of psychology, so that I may realise which types I am MOST interested in. Well, that's what I think I should do. I will give myself one and a half years to decide which field I am really interested in.
Anyways, this job is really short - term and temporary. Also, the nature of the job is such that when there's something to do, its really exhausting and tiring. But when there's nothing to do, there's really nothing to do. So, we were all stuck between the extremities of the job scope.
Also, we were not given the pay we were initially promised. The person-in-charge (who is a mysterious person who has not surfaced to show responsibility) seemed to have miscommunicated our pay between MOE's side and the job agency's side.. So we were the biggest losers. Our pay got to an all-time low! OH well, we are just worthless RAs who were dispensible anyways .. The worst was yet to come. On our official 2nd last day of work, we were told early in the morning that TODAY IS Your last DAY! Wow. What a bombshell. Nobody treats their workers more than shit .. Nobody can be compared to this organisation. What integrity as core values? What nonsense.
Anyways, this job is really short - term and temporary. Also, the nature of the job is such that when there's something to do, its really exhausting and tiring. But when there's nothing to do, there's really nothing to do. So, we were all stuck between the extremities of the job scope.
Also, we were not given the pay we were initially promised. The person-in-charge (who is a mysterious person who has not surfaced to show responsibility) seemed to have miscommunicated our pay between MOE's side and the job agency's side.. So we were the biggest losers. Our pay got to an all-time low! OH well, we are just worthless RAs who were dispensible anyways .. The worst was yet to come. On our official 2nd last day of work, we were told early in the morning that TODAY IS Your last DAY! Wow. What a bombshell. Nobody treats their workers more than shit .. Nobody can be compared to this organisation. What integrity as core values? What nonsense.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Aron Lee Ralston
Aron Lee Ralston (born October 27, 1975) is an American mountain climber who became famous in May 2003 when he was forced to amputate his lower right arm with a dull knife in order to free himself after his arm became trapped by a boulder. Ralston documented his experience in a book titled Between a Rock and a Hard Place (ISBN 0-7434-9281-1), published by Atria Books on September 7, 2004.
Ralston, mechanical engineering and French at Carnegie Mellon University, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. At Carnegie Mellon, he served as a Resident Assistant, studied abroad, and was an active intramural sports participant. He left his job as a mechanical engineer with Intel in 2002 to climb all of Colorado's "fourteeners", or peaks over 14,000 feet high. While he was on a canyoneering trip in Blue John Canyon (near Moab, Utah), a boulder fell and pinned his right forearm, crushing it. After five days of trying to lift and break the boulder, a dehydrated and delirious Ralston bowed his arm against a chockstone and snapped the radius and ulna bones. Using the dull blade on his multiuse tool, he cut the soft tissue around the break. He then used the tool's pliers to tear at the tougher tendons. After Ralston was rescued, his arm was retrieved by park authorities and removed from under the boulder. It was cremated and given to Ralston. He returned to the boulder and left the ashes there.
Ralston, mechanical engineering and French at Carnegie Mellon University, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. At Carnegie Mellon, he served as a Resident Assistant, studied abroad, and was an active intramural sports participant. He left his job as a mechanical engineer with Intel in 2002 to climb all of Colorado's "fourteeners", or peaks over 14,000 feet high. While he was on a canyoneering trip in Blue John Canyon (near Moab, Utah), a boulder fell and pinned his right forearm, crushing it. After five days of trying to lift and break the boulder, a dehydrated and delirious Ralston bowed his arm against a chockstone and snapped the radius and ulna bones. Using the dull blade on his multiuse tool, he cut the soft tissue around the break. He then used the tool's pliers to tear at the tougher tendons. After Ralston was rescued, his arm was retrieved by park authorities and removed from under the boulder. It was cremated and given to Ralston. He returned to the boulder and left the ashes there.
The incident has given Ralston something of a folk-hero status and has even inspired spinoffs such as Stanford University's Aron Ralston MAN Game.
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Monday, 28 July 2008
Santa Maria Cruise
Maritime musuem
Universal Studios
Big ferries wheel
another cruise ship
Mast of our Santa Maria
a lovely and relaxing bay cruise around Osaka bay area.. many sights and sounds, and as usual, I LOVE CRUISES!!!
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
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