Sunday, October 31, 2010 @ 11:17 PM Author: clarinda
Awesome!!
@ 5:32 PM Author: clarinda
Homecoming week is fun! I went with friends to watch fireworks (see http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=449710417238) and mass campiniling (see http://www.iastate.edu/Inside/07/0427/campaniling.shtml) at midnight. The fireworks was not too bad and the couple next too me was too..erm..involved I would say. On Saturday, I went to have breakfast with Lixin at a Brazillian Cafe. The Spanish burger and Brazillian fries were awesome! I would definitely love to go back there! We then went guitar shopping with one of her friends before heading for the football game [Cyclones(Iowa State) vs. Jayhawks(Kansas)]. As it was homecoming, we have the alumni band as well. I finally brought along my camera to the football game. For photos, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=237817&id=650672238&l=dd412cb1df and for videos, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/funinstates/CyclonesVsJayhawks?authkey=Gv1sRgCK-40M7swIfthAE. Please do take the time to watch the videos as they are fabulous! It includes the cheers, touchdown scene, Cyclone marching band, Cyclone alumni marching band, amongst others. Totally love it!At night, we went to Chris's room before heading out to Sarah's SIE(Student International Exchange) partner's house party. It was not the havoc kind of party and I was thus thankful about that. I love the cat, Charlie (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5371658&l=ca85ac953d&id=650672238). It is so cute and adorable, just that it bites(not that it bite my though).
My title of my new blog song is Sweet Caroline (Glee Cast version).It is always being sung at the homecoming football matches (see http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vmNQRd0x4RYuSErokrlKNLI_3MC-eFn1qFAvSi75AVQ?feat=directlink). I really prefer our version..so check it out!! XD
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:18 AM Author: clarinda
I am feeling so tired!! :( I will be leaving for Boston in about 13.5hrs time for SingSem 2010. I do not really like the fact that I will be arriving there past midnight. It is just that I do not want and do not wish to miss anymore lessons as it will probably be another arduous week for me. I will have to go and pack my bag for Boston later on, definitely before class. My class begins at 10am and ends at 4pm. I have to rush back to swap bags and then rush for my bus at 5pm. TIRED!!! Time check: 5.30am.
P.S. Spent 7 hours straight in the library because of group work..so proud and amazed at myself ^^
I wanna watch Daemul(a Korean drama)!! It is garnering high viewships ;)
P.S. Spent 7 hours straight in the library because of group work..so proud and amazed at myself ^^
I wanna watch Daemul(a Korean drama)!! It is garnering high viewships ;)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 @ 11:51 PM Author: clarinda
An email from one of the organizers of SingSem 2010 (note that I have chosen the topic ‘Tomorrow’s Singaporeans’:Dear Scholars and Friends,
Hope your week has been going well. Prof Kong would like ask all of you to think about the following questions before your panel this Saturday:
First, economically, do you think Singapore is going to enjoy high and stable growth in the future, or to decline and have negative growth, or at best, face great volatility? Or do you think that the likely scenario is one of maintenance of a low, though stable state of growth?
Second, do you think there will be greater or lesser disparities between the haves and have-nots in tomorrow’s Singapore?
Third, do you think that the elderly in Singapore have enough to live on their savings? Do you think the government’s strong preference on self-reliance and family support are well-placed, or will the model have to change?
Fourth, do you think the inter-racial, inter-religious and secular-religious relations in Singapore will remain stable?
Fifth, do you think that the local-foreigner divide is going to widen or shrink?
Sixth, do you think more able Singaporeans will want to emigrate?
She would like to have an initial dialogue on these topics, so it will be great if you could think about it.
Hope to see you soon!
Cheers,
David Chan
This email just highlights how out-of-touch I am about what’s happening in Singapore. I feel so guilty about it..
Monday, October 18, 2010 @ 11:06 PM Author: clarinda
I went to the Mall of America on Saturday (10/16). It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is the largest mall in US. We spent about 4 hours shopping, and that is obviously not enough. In the end, I bought stuff that were actually not on my shopping list. I got myself a pair of Swarovski bracelets and a pair of Aldo boots (Waterproof boots with rubber soles and fur lining on the inside). These items cost me a bomb. I am so broke now :( Anyway, I suddenly recalled a news article I came across a week ago and I decided to put it here:Singapore second richest in Asia
It took fourth position in global standings, behind Switzerland, Norway and Australia. -AsiaOne
Fri, Oct 08, 2010
AsiaOne
Singapore has emerged as the fourth richest nation in the world, according to statistics provided in the latest Credit Suisse wealth report.
With an average personal wealth per adult of USD255,488 (S$333,462), Singapore took fourth position in global standings, behind Switzerland, Norway and Australia - making it the second wealthiest nation in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the report, figures for Australia and Singapore have both doubled in the last decade, with the average personal wealth of a Singaporean being US$105,000 a year ago.
The report also found that almost 60 per cent or 587 million individuals in the middle segment of the wealth pyramid are located in Asia Pacific.
China is the third-largest wealth generator in the world, behind only the US and Japan. The report also found a surge in wealth for emerging markets in Asia Pacific, especially India and Indonesia.
Why does this not apply to me??!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 5:29 PM Author: clarinda
Yesterday was a really tiring but fun day for me. I walked to uni for like 4 times, and each time was from home. The first time was to Town Engineering Building for my Stats class, it took me 20-25 min each way. The second time was to Seasons to have my lunch, it took me 25-30 min each way. The third time was to Marston Hall for the Minneapolis trip meeting, it took me 20-25 min each way. The last time was to Lied Recreation Atheletic Center, it took me 25-30min. Thus, I spent about 200 minutes (or 3hr 20min) walking yesterday. The reason I went to Lied Recreation Atheletic Center was to have my first dance class. To be more specific, it is a zumba dance class. It was arduous but interesting! I am still really bad at dancing, but I am treating the dance classes as more of like a workout. This makes sense given that I do not exercise regularly even though I know I should.The rest of my day was spent with me trying to decipher what's wrong with the Matlab script files. The sample script file from an example that the lecturer gave was wrong as Matlab does not even run it since it has errors. Actually just one glance at it, I knew it was wrong as well as some stuff just do not tally. I did extensively reading about my script file's problem, but I was still unable to fathom why does Matlab not run my file. Everthing seems fine. I am just gonna print my script file out and ask my lecturer about it. I think I spent like 4-5 hours with no progress. This is irritating as I had planned to complete that latest by yesterday. I guess that I have no choice but to aim to complete it by today. :)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 @ 4:55 PM Author: clarinda
Today is such a dramatic day. I woke up at 8.50am today despite having a class at 8am. To put it simply, I overslept. It is not that I did not set my alarm clock, it is that I turned it off and hence ended up missing my class. Thank goodness that it is a Statistics class. In any case, that was when I decided to head to the gym to jog. It has been over a week since I last jogged. That is when the "drama" begins.I stopped after about half an hour cos I felt really lightheaded and faint. Consequently, I lied on the ground. Feeling nauseuous simultanesously, I asked one of the CAs in the gym for a plastic bag and he gave me a bin. No much of a choice since that was the only thing available in the gym at that point of time. Seeing that I was in a bad shape, he got the personnel to render me some help. One of the cleaners handed me a damped towel and the next moment, I heard them on the phone asking for assistance.
Moments later, there was a police officer standing in front of me (note that I was still lying on the ground cos I felt too faint to even sit up right). After asking if I was alright, he begun asking for my name, address, phone number, date of birth, etc. Following up with that, people from the fire department came. They asked the same questions, checked my blood pressure and pulse. In addition, they asked when did I last ate and if I have eaten this morning. That was when they told me that the paramedics will be in shortly.
When the paramedics came in, they throw the same questions to me as well. This time, they took my blood for a glucose level check. In all cases, my blood pressure, pulse and glucose level remain consistently low. That was when they wanted to send me to the emergency room (ER). They said that I will get some kind of fluids and will feel much better instantly. There is no way I am going there because I did not purchase the student health insurance from Iowa State University. Even if I purchase, each trip to the ER will cost me a few hundred bucks just for the consultation itself. This is excluding treatment.
Naturally, I rejected that and they made me stand up to stand my blood pressure and pulse again. They then made me walk up and down in a straight line to ensure that I am stable enough to walk properly and not faint half way through. After which, they got me to sit down and checked my heart beat rate again. As I refused any further treatment (since it is costly and thus not worthwhile), I had to fill in and sign a form (Release From Medical Resposibility). They too told me that if I do not feel well after that, just call 911 and they will come down and get me.
I gathered that I probably spend more time with people from the police department, fire department and the paramedics than I spend on the threadmill. Such a dramatic day!
If I Had You - Adam Lambert (chorus is nice)