Tough Life! 大変ですね

Rain! The pseudo-Japanese Mr Genki finally found his Korean counterpart to be the weather today. However, together with rain, comes gloom. Yes, a gloomy day for me as I mugged for Microeconomics through the day learning the bare minimum. Sigh...

As the hardworking Mr Genki sits down seriously to do his Economics Readings on "Latin America's Economy; Drowning in Cheap Coffee", he discovered that he had been ripped off real time by cafes like "The Coffee Connoisseur", "Starbucks" and etc. The article had repeatedly mentioned about a slump in coffee price, but Mr Genki had never felt that in the cafes mentioned. Maybe we're paying that kind of money to feel like a connoisseur (and drink like one too?). Since we're paying that much, we should take small sips like a connoisseur to make our sips worth it right?

I think I should drop those academic subjects for the moment. Mainly because they are deemed to be "no life" subjects (and my blog is All About Life). Or maybe when I become more "pro" in it, then I'll talk about it in greater depth. Can I pay money to feel like a "pro"? Maybe I'm already doing it...

Pay to get your Degree

As Mr Genki kicks start week 3 of school, he's beginning to get very whiny about things. At the same, Mr Genki misses dearly the lecturers and tutors in Jurong Junior College and the kind of concise but yet useful notes he used to get when he was studying in Junior College. Those were the good old days......

Before I begin on this part, I should say my opinions are solely based on what I think the system has been so far. 3rd week in school and Mr Genki's still struggling to settle down with academic works. Largely because

1) Academic stuff are totally new to me and naturally I should find it hard to adapt in the beginning right? Read On...

2) In lieu of being concise, the lecture notes given were far too concise till the point that it becomes vague. As a "Freshman" or a "Student", I attend school because I want to learn something. And if lecture notes get so vague, students are going to shrug their shoulders or even worse adds on: "I don't know what I don't know!"

3) Again, this part is included due to some kind of learning experience that I had for the day. I was 25 minutes late for a tutorial class today and surprisingly I did not miss a thing. The tutor had barely introduced himself as I scrambled myself into the room looking for a seat. Well, guess puntuality is no longer a virtue already? What's worse? The tutor lacked clarity when speaking and had even claimed that some questions in the Statistics tutorial assignment are rather contentious and had no standard answer to it when he's challenged by the class (I may buy that if I was in a GP class, but Statistics?). I should say at least I've been lucky being deterred by the $2 peak hours cab surcharge, otherwise cab fare would be unjustified.

Generally, some of the lecturers lacked clarity when conducting lessons. Unfortunately for Mr Genki, these lessons are those that he seemed to be more alien to. Now that I can't rely on the notes and a tutor, I would only have my textbooks and peers to turn to (quite fair as most MCQs have 4 choices).

Of course Mr Genki is a fair person (though he had always preferred to be tanned). I should say what's written were mostly based on the more unpleasant experience I had in school so far (and it's only the beginning) which does not apply across the whole of the university. And yes, it's all about independent and self-study in order to get through the program (which there are quite a number of successful examples). Well, if you're paying like more than 6 grands per year to study like that, you can't help but to be disciplined in self-studying right? Hopefully, learning experience will get better and better in time. And also, Gunners, please win your next game!

Blogs also have make-up entries one...

Well, well, well... Finally I am so "determined" to get my lazybones on the move to bring you guys this 'make-up' entry.

For the past 2 days, Mr Genki became rather 病気 or Byou-ki in Japanese (which means sick). Couple of days back, I attended the NUS Biz-Ball and seriously, the resourcefulness of organising committee again proved to be very impressive. Just $29, I got to enjoy 10 course Chinese dinner (and it was very good food that I'm talking about!), watch all the babes and dudes in the Bizad pageant and a live band performance at Raffles Town Club. More importantly, Mr Genki was given special privilege to interact and take pictures with the pageant contestants.

And of course, we'll have to party till day breaks! As the fortunate Mr Genki gets further privileges of staying back in a room booked by the committee with the other pageant contestants (nothing suggestive huh), the real party - or maybe disaster - begins. Well, I should say even though it's the 七月(the 7th month in Chinese calender, which is also the 'ghost month'), we were more excited than scared to see the amount of spirits we had for the night. Chivas, Vodka, Wine and Beer. But, wait... No Mixers!? Cheers, and 乾乾乾, Bo Tar Bo LP(censored)... Yes, no mixers and so we mixed them altogether. Rounds and rounds of drinking game left Mr Genki without much choices but to drink.

Yes, like you've guessed, I drank like a fish, and puked like the Merlion. #$^&%... What's worse was that Mr Genki saw the Gunners being defeated at the City of Manchester Stadium with his very eyes. With all the alcohol in my blood and the emotional blow due to Arsenals defeat, no doubt I didn't manage to function well the following days. But fear not, the Gunners will come back. Just as I will...

Worries and more worries

Melancholy is the word of the day. As I stared at my Economics textbook, I am starting to get anxious as I was so overwhelmed by the contents of the book. Can I make it through the program? Still early to tell.

Nevertheless, the Premiership's always full of surprises. Chelsea is definitely blue with melancholy for their early defeat in the Premiership (Maybe Boro just happened to be their nemesis). Will the blues stay blue for long? Beats me...

As Mr Genki brings you this entry, he realised it's already 0000hrs (and he has a class at 0800hrs the tomorrow). Well, people in blue shouldn't be talking or typing too much, but should be in bed being drowned in all thoughts. Till next time... Good Night Jose...

A boring day leading to an astonishing night...

If every Friday is Friesday, then every Wednesday is MyFreeDay(at least for this semester). Well, no link. While Mr Genki takes his time off his free schedule to bring you this entry of his boring day, he's slightly astonished about certain things.

Sunny is the weather for the day. Thus, I decided to hit the pool and take a short dip. Pouring oil all over the body, lying on the sun-beds to enjoy the sun, oogling at bikini clad chicks(none that I've seen today :P) are the routine things people do under good sun at the pool. Well, Mr Genki promised that he'll talk about Anything Under The Sun. However, as you read on, you'll notice that this part was included only to make up the length of this entry.

As Mr Genki had only been schooling for the past 10 days or so, he had already felt the pressure of being academically overwhelmed and not forgetting financially troubled. Buying textbooks and printing academic materials probably made up the core of my financial burden. And as such, Mr Genki decided to look into financial aid or scholarship the Residential Constituency or RC can provide and hence attended an interview at night.

Wow! I was rather surprised by the fact that how much attention I've been putting on the bigger picture while neglecting the smaller one. I must admit that I've been very passive in participating in the activities organise by the RC (To be fair, how many of you guys have been active?). However, that should not be an excuse of my ignorance of the humanitarian efforts put up by the RC. Apart from my knowledge of the existence of a hospice under the flat where I live, there's actually another humanitarian organisation called "The Loving Hearts Foundation" (if I had not mistaken). I was told that this organisation was set up to help needy people who have problems to even cope with daily basic needs and provide many other services to the RC.

While I thought I was totally embarassed by my ignorance, I think again and again and again. Something's not right. Here's a couple of observations that I've made earlier this month:

1. 8th Aug, NUS flag day. In lieu of me asking for donation, an old man came to me, dumped all his pride, and begged for $2 from me so that he can get on with his dinner. What an irony.

2. 12th Aug, NUS rag day. While I was at the bus shelter near my place waiting for bus 198, I saw another old man, bare top and limping inch by inch, picking up whatever "valuable" he can find in the rubbish bin or on his way.

It simply upsets me when I see all people, I mean old people, struggling to get on with life, where they've already spent their prime years doing so. If humanitarian efforts had been substantial, then why are the hands not reached out to these people? Things like that reminds us that we should put some of our attention at the happenings of the grassroots level and not be too concerned about how Chelsea and Man Utd both owned their opponents in their opening matches of the Premiership. Well, Mr Genki promised he'll talk about anything right eh?

お元気ですかo-genki-desu-ka?

みんなさんお元気ですか。Finally, after months and months of hesitation, it's decided that I should start this before someone else takes this name. Yes, and Mr Genki is the name where Genki or 元気 in Japanese means healthy. Well, and my purpose of joining the fellowship of bloggers is that I think it'll be very beneficial in improving my use of the English language. But sometimes, indolence just kicked in and then the blog is abandoned. Yes! Discipline, I need more discipline, not only in maintaining the blog but also in many other aspects of my life. And yes, this blog is all about life, talk about anything under the sun, from astro-physics(as if I can) to... Erm... maybe bak chor mee? Cheers people!