how did the rest of the cohort do? i bet u r one of the highest! Mr Blow

It's been a few days since I last posted. I started to re-organise and re-structure myself. But yesterday, I got my first set-back. Just got back my first assignment, and I score very very low. Low as in if I keep getting this score, I'll fail in my exam. This made me re-think the way I see on this course that I'm taking. I then realised I've taken the course for granted, just because it's been seen by my co-sup that it's worth only one-star. And yet I still get such a low score. Mr BLOG.

I have survived the 12 hour walk; and I have decided what to do next. Since I know what to do, I'd better go back to catch up with my own work. I could not do anything the whole of last week. I need to meet my bosses next wednesday after the last meeting that is 3 weeks ago. So I need to produce something substantial. *LATEST NEWS* Just got an email from my sup, ask me if I want to give another talk either this week or next week. I can only suggest next friday. I can't present much thing meaningful this Friday, *SIGH* Mr BLOG

Just came back from hiking. It was the longest hiking i ever had. Distance on paper is 42km, span over 12 hours. I went from mountain to moutain, passwd through reservior. I walk until I wanted to quite. Half way through the walk. my legs already felt the pain. And I still have to endure until the end. My legs strained a few time and now they are aching like mad. In every checkpoint, you can refill your water bottle and bananas were provided. I think I ate a dozen of banana and I went to the toilet twice after the walk. I still have to go to campus tomorrow. Mr BLOG

Here is my old weblog: Mr BLOG

I do not know why, but I can't log in and post with my usual usual. So I had to use this a/c for the time being. I tried to use the password request form. I filled in the email address in order to get the user name. Then I found that I registered 2 sites or 2 blog in here. I always thought that site has been cleared because I didn't update it. But because of then then I remember the login name, and they still keep the site for me. Of course, the site is not pregaruda. After I've rearranged it I'll post it over here. I need editing because some of them is either too pessimistic or some of them do not apply anymore. Mr BLOG

Just came back from the KTV contest. That was organised by the department, quite a small scale one. The most cheapo thing is, they just plug the projector and linein to the laptop and people just sing along with the music in MP3, playin winamp. And since music is from winamp, some of the songs are soft. As usual, there was a quite cock-ups, like CD cannot play, system crashed... etc. After the whole thing, I suspect some of the music is record 'live' in KTV, cos some of them are quite new. Mr BLOG

These 2 days, I didn't have the mood to read anything, no mood to listen to the lecture. And now I need to find out WHAT to do next (although I really considered my mission has been accomplished, how do I go from here?). To Be Cont. (10:48am) Initially, I thought this is already the end. However I realise that it's jus the begining. I only planned for ending gracefully, seriously. For now it's been affecting our normal work. I really wonder when I can get this settled. To to cont.

Snapped this from my lab window at noon time. It looks like a floating island in the shy. But actually it's a mountain but the bottom is covered by clouds. It could really bluff people. Today is a special day for me. Firstly, those guys in the lab had a 'surprised' celebration in the afternoon, but I didn't have the mood to celebrate. Now I know what discussion they had yesterday at the white board. They were drawing many math symbols, trying to plan for today celebration. However I still do not understand all of their symbols, like "for all ... there exists... imples...". And I learn a new word: "TEACH" stands for "TEA" and "lunCH". Secondly, I had dinner at the infamous "Lan Kwai Fong'. I have rarely spoken that much over a dinner session. I think for the past month, I did not speak as much as today. Bottom line: we know what each other is doing, what each other is thinking. I got counselled and I know what I should do to make myself happy. I feel happy, or at least I feel contented, at heart. I've accomplished my mission. Is this the end or just the beginning? Mr BLOG

Friend taught me how to take photo at night behind the window. SO I tried to take one in my lab. I turn out to be quite nice. Mr BLOG

I have much progress in my assignment. Although I learned that the assignment is due on thursday, one day earlier than what I thought, I have finished 4 out of 5. I think I can finish the last one today, with some serious brain working. I'll have to force myself, hide myself from other to think seriously, bcos I'm both worried and excited, on the last day of my year.

Back to do my second assignment again. It looks more managable than the one before, although it's rated "3-star". I have the feeling that I will think of an answer eventually. Anyway, I'm worried about this week. I'm worried what I'll become later this week. I'm worried that I'll lose my mind. Mr BLOG

Oh no! how could you take that? If it happened to me I would have jumped off from that building. Anyway I was trying to do the second assignment, which is due the coming friday. But I didn't have much progress as I have't recovered from the shock from 1st assignment. The first one is rated "one star" by my co-sup, and second one "three star". Given that an "one star" assignment can make me suffer so much, I can't imagine what a "3 star" assignment will do. And moreover, I wanted to finsosh the assignment ASAP, cos by the second half of the week, I know i can't do anything by that time. Mr BLOG

Are these guys much younger than you? No worries! I felt that in Hon yr. Nowadays I'm beginning to experience the can't-remember-names thingie again. Mr Blow

I finally handed in the assignment. But out of 4 questions, i'm doing something even I am not sure myself. I'm not giving this assignment too much hope. Hopefully, I can still pass with this module. Yesterday, I was having lecture. It happened that I sat between 2 guys who are well-known that he are the 'best' guys in computer science. In the begining, I didn;t pay much attention to it. But for yesterday, I eventually felt that they are better than me. They pressed presure on me. I couldn't as far as they are, if only I can think of it eventually. I'm starting to feel I'm not thinking as fast as before. Mr BLOG

I'm sure you have experience it before. Before the assignment is due, and you are still rushing for it, you discover that there's lot of things you dun understand. You know for sure that what you are going to submit is going to get a big big cross, but you just can't help it. Today I didn't really do much, except adding on points from others onto my assignment. And I'm worrying about next week. But I knew I will have to face it. Mr BLOG

Today is already thrusday. My first assignment is due tomorrow and I've only completed ONE question. For the rest, either I do not know how to do or I got an answer that is in correct. I'll try to see what I can do with it in 2 days. While I was trying to complete the assignment, I try to get a CD from boxup, initially I can't download with wget. So I gave up and used xuxule instead, but yesterday I tried to use curl instead of wget and it works! back to assignment. Mr BLOG

I promise I would go up to the peak yesterday, and I could manage to wake up this morning at 5:30 am. The walk is about 40 min with a ``fast'' pace walk, (fast as for me). I took a few photos to show that I really managed to reach the peak. Next round, I'll try to go to the peak of the peak (where desmond always liked to bring people to). These are the photos, pay attention to the time stamps and the last picture, I really went to peak from HKU!

Among all the pictures, I like the 2nd one the most. It shows people the quiet and undeveloped side. Now I'm back to the lab. I start to panic. Friday is the deadline of assignment, probably today I won't have time to do it, as I'm meeting that 2 sups in the afternoon. I think it's wise to prepare in advance what I going to say to prevent bombardment from them. I'm nervous. Mr BLOG

I'm beginning to feel that one of the courses that I'm taking is useless. It's now almost left way and what the course finished is just to check whether 2 nodes are connected in a graph, i.e. called s-t connectivity. Instead of saving time, the course talks about saving space, e.g. iterating all the n nodes just takes log n number of bits... this method takes only n / log (log n) bits... etc. Or I can say, it's not my cup of tea. I'm been switching off in the last 3 lectures. I start not to follow the course material. Assignment is getting more difficult, or the assignment is getting more unrealistically 'tricky' that (to me) not a normal person would handle it. In the lab, more and more people starts to panic for the assignment. They started discussing it. But the more they discuss it, the more I don't want to finsih it. I only finished 1 1/2 question, 2 1/2 to go. People in the lab don't sound interested in walking to the peak again. So I decided to go up by myself tomorrow early in the morning. Mr BLOG

The partitioned lab looks like this:


To me there's no difference... however to others the view is not as good as before. Mr BLOG

Today... someone is here to put in the partition in the lab. I don't really have any preference of having a partition, since I'm at the corner and I'm facing the wall. The only difference is that on my left, there is a 4 foot high board, that's all. A good thing is that now it makes me more difficult to reach the telephone, which means I don't have to answer phone call that often. Today, I successfully, eventually and finally, made an appointment with my primary sup. As making an apoointment is through his secrectery this is the first time that I meet him formally. And it's the first time he replies to me confirmation mail on appointment. Mr BLOG

The entire row of lights above my seat are all not working. Yesterday nite, i tried to survive with my lamp yesterday nite. I couldn't take it and I just returned to my room and sleep. Mr BLOG

Trying to gain some good karma here by posting... goodkarma++ PM

It's not that I post less nowadays. It's just that I have nothing to post. My day is coming nearer and nearer. It's only about a week from now. to be cont'ed.

Again.. Again...... Teletubbies say Uh-Oh....-

Lim Chee Kiong is reading this too! :-P

Tomorrow is yet another public holiday. The 9th day of the 9th month on lunar calendar. I'm staying at home tonite and I only go back to U tomorrow morning. I didn't have something urgent to settle, but I need to finish my first assignment that's due on this coming friday. Mr BLOG

Mr SecretService is reading this blog :P

Yeh! Once again, you've trashed them all. Now u see, a genius like u graduates with masters in 1/2 a year. Has broken world record. Mr Blow

Just curiouos.

Can people reading this blog identify yourselves?

Mr BLOG

Today, after the normal regular friday seminar... while going back to lab, someone mentioned that I got a new algorithm over the one that I presented. They automatically wanted to hear from me. After I came back from toilet, they already gethered round the table. They even bet to see if mine is wrong. But the end result is, they can't find a counter example, yet they didn't want to say mine is correct. They just find that mine is strange. I guess I can only do it with my supervisor. Mr BLOG

Almost one year ago, i could have swore that i'd seen Cecilia Cheung at zoukout. Too bad she was whisked on stage before i mustered enough courage to ask and verify her identity. Yesterday i met another celebrity lookalike, this time its a fellow "The Weakest Link" gameshow contestant who looks uncannily like Vicky Zhao. Seriously, no joke. Don't believe, just watch This time though, i was basking in "celebrity" sunlight for almost 6 hours, and i got the name and number :P Wonder who i'll "meet" next year... Mr SecretService Pseudo-Stargazing

Tonite, went to take a walk from HKU up to the peak. The walk about less than an hour. The view is quite nice. Just like the view from the tourist centre. We went up to the point where the cable car stops. There's now a few western restaurant there. But serving expensive food We had a drink and walk bacj to HKU and had dinner. If we started an hours early I would have taken the sunset of the harbour. Next time I'll remember to a camera along. Mr BLOG

Errr... in the student hierarchy, you're the highest lifeform cos you receive stipend while the rest pay for school fees. In research hierarchy, the Honours or 4th yr students are the lowest lifeforms. How can you be when u hv received Best Honours Thesis award from NUS? BTW, tomoro 2 gods will be visiting NUS. One prof is from Stanford while the other's from MIT. They are my idols. Tomoro will be another great moment in my life. Wow!!! No need to pay admission fee and can witness their Ru2 Shan1 Zheng1 Mian4 Mu4. Wow wow wow!!! Mr Blow

Oh... no... which means I'm the lowest life form in research. *SIGH* Mr BLOG

During my time as a research student, these things are left to the research assistants or lab assistants to take care of (which is wat I'm doing now.. argh...). Mr Blow

I was tasked to updated the list of consultation hours for all the postgraduates, I mailed out to ask for all thri consultation hours. Within an hours I got 24 reply. It wasn't what I expected. I expected that 80% will ignore the mail, and I would have to find out who are these guys and mail them seperately. But 20 ood within an hours is totally surprising. I'll have to create a spreadsheet to store all their submitted information. But one problem, the course code and time format are not standard, I had to change it manually for them. But I thought it's worth it. I did it over lunch time. While I was doiing the spreadsheet, the guy who thinks that "we should not concentrate on coursework, since we are research students" saw what I was doing and he commented:
Why are you doing this? this kinda thing should be left to other people to do it.
Then I said, "If I do not do it, who will do it? In the end someone will have to do it."
And he said, "Some people will get it done, but not neccessarily you." I thought to myself, "Is he too naive or idealistic? Or is he so commited to research that he thinks that any other thing is rubbish?" Mr BLOG

Went for a meeting on postgraduate. They said it is a tradition to organise a BBQ and a gathering at the end of year. We had hard time fixing a date, as they want a normal school day, so that more people will turn up. But can't choose a date with lesson. As all the postgrad courses are at night, they were discussing for an hour. And I have to be late for the lecture. Finally one thing I consider that to be good comparedd to NUS. As the population here is much smaller, admin and technical staff knows most postgrads. As such, they tend to be friendly and give us more freedom, as long as we do not mess things up. E.g. seminar room, mini-library and pantry are lock. But they can have a way to issue everyone a key. We can borrow things like screw drivers, trolley, and even making oversea fax (as long as you record it, by yourself). I once help someone to move a washing machine from a rented place to another place nearby. We borrowed the trolley from the department. Sometime small population size and unorganised, manual system is good in a sense. Mr BLOG

For the whole day, I've been stressing on the 2 assignment. I sort of got some idea for some of the questions. But so far no question with full answer. While I' stressing and came back after dinner. I talked to a guy, and he said he's not intending to finish fast. H'll only only spend 2 days on it! And he said that we are research students, we can't afford to waste time on course work =( After that I didn't tell him that I spent 2 days on finish one part of the question. Mr BLOG

I worked till 1:30, then only I went back to my room. While walking back, I notice something quite different from NUS. There're still students sitting at the table, doing homework. Or maybe I know too little about life living in hostel. Anyway, the feeling is just like normal day where you pass by the lobby, except that it now night. After I got back to my room. I just wanted to check email. I switch on my PC, open mozilla mail. An assignment has been put up for my other module. I looked at the deadline, and it's 18th Oct, that's next Tuesday! Deadline is even closer! I'm dead, now I have to fight against 2 assignment which take me 2 days to think of a solution for ONE question. I'M DOOMED! I wanted to sleep, but I guess I re-consider. Mr Blog

I came back to my lab on a Sun nite. I wanted to do my assignment. After 2 days of thinking, screwing my brain, I'm able to finsish ONE question. Yes... only ONE question and only some idea to another question. I've been feeling that my thoughts do not follow me anymore. But I got this email from Mr BLOW. damn. I take another close look at them and try to re-construct the scenerio:

1. 01.jpg: Wah, so many people went for the ROM! No more seat and people have to stand outside of the room! And XN is standing by the wall! But I guess he was looking at other people ;) Mr Blow and his man-hunt hair-style!
2. 08.jpg: This looks like some old chinese fighting scene. People just hold thie hands still and yet they can control the swards.
3. 22.jpg: Miracle does happen This picture gives me the motivation. "There will be mircale, when you believe". DC, wanglili are taking photo with Mr Blow!
4. 23.jpg: Center of attraction: Ms HOWHOW!
5. 26.jpg, 28.jpg : These pictures reminds me of Growing Up ... growing up music starts playing...
6. 34.jpg : KK finally combs his hair.
7. 37.jpg : A typical shoot of 4 persons.
8. 43.jpg ,44.jpg : Uh? No "Tai4 Sha3" or "Ai4 Na4 Mo Zong4" please...
9. 64.jpg: This picture is better than the CEO shoot. A totally different feeling on him. Should really post this on Yahoo! Personals

Mr BLOG

News says that tempreture will drop in the coming week. The bad thing is I do not have a jacket , or something to keep myself warm. I'll have to get more clothing coming week.

Looked at the pictures at http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~chuatc/bryancocoa/. Seriously I would feel the joy and happiness, although the one organising it was always complaining. And who's that unidentified guy in blue? That I'll leave it to my own imagination. Sometimes it's always good to escape from reality and take wherever you cam imagine to be true.

Got the first assignment this week. It's only 1 page, 5 qustions. These 2 days, I've been thinking on the 5 simple problems whenever I'm taking trains or trying to sleep... but so far I could only complete 1. It's due on 24th Oct. I'm trying to complete by this week, because I know that after this week, I can't do anything serious. I was trying to wake up my dad this monring. My mum looks out of the window and she saw the swimming pool at the podium. She asked me if I want to go for swimming. This reminded me of the last I swan. It was the first and last time I swan in that swimming pool, first and last time I swan with this friend. Mr BLOG

Why settle for world-class when you can become the master of the universe!!! MUAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Mr SecretService making no sense here :P

These 2 days, there're lot of news on the merging of the 2 major hk universities, CUHK and HKUST. The aim is to become a world-class university. Isn't familiar? Would it become like NUS, with lots of foreign student? Mr BLOG

Speaking about the charity walk. I was forced to go for a 12hr, 42km charity walk. I'm not sure if I can make it since I've never cover such a long walk of that distance. But everyone say since I've been through army, I'll have no problem. And I didn't want to give a reason. Anyway, that charity walk is for 26800 children in china who can't go to school because of financial problem (NOTE: not Mr Blow's kind of financial problem). They would have to walk 42km to go to school everyday, thus the distance of this walk. But I'll need to pay $100 dollar and raise another $800, in order for me to participate. That's abit too much for me, these $800 have been paid for my my sup ($600) and some other 2 lecturers. But the timing is bad, Sun 27 Oct, and I have to hand in an assignment during that week Mr BLOG

Yesterday, just before I went for lecture at 6:30pm, i received an email from my co-sup, asking for my progress. It think it's because I've never reported anything to him since last friday. I made a short reply and rush for the lecture. Then I saw BOTH of my sup and co-sup, sitting together, discussing about the charity walk. I wanted to take to them but lecture was starting. I waited until the half time break. I want to talk to them, but they are still talking about that charity walk. AND that chinaman stop me from going, as he said it's not that nice to disturb them. But I think that since they are just having a casual chat, it doesn't matter rite? But in the end, I didn't do it. Just before the lecture ended, they walked off themselve. So the result is, I didn't talk to them and he hasn't replied my email. While writing this, I got reminded that 3 weeks ago, I want to have a meeting with my co-sup. I sent him an email, and that email actually didn't get delivered to him. I waited for 3 days before he initiated an email asking "aren't we supposed to have a meeting?". I wanted to send him another 'reminder' email or even go up and talk to him personally, but I was stopped by the same person. I'm begining to think that there's some problem with this person's interpersonal skill? Or do I myself have the problem? Mr BLOG

Wah! You want me to have white hair soon isit? It's coming already. No worries. Thanks anyway. It somehow reminded me of the writing on the wall of your Singapore house. The "LEARN SEA NO CLIFF" thingie. You also muz work hard for double happiness too, ok? Mr Blow Blow BLOW

Today went for a lecture, critical thing for postgraduates. After 2 hours of lecture, I still do not understand what the course is about. But the good thing is, there's no assignment, no test, no quiz and no exam. There's only a take-home exam after the course. Later, I still need to go for a meeting for the postgraduate matters. I can't remember what it is for actually, but it about some internal postal for postgraduate, what a useless meeting, wasting everyone's time. Mr BLOG

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Mr SecretService

Finally received the you-know-what email by Mr Blow. I now had no reason not to congratulate him and give him the blessing. I should also have to use some chim chim words, but due to my poor england, I can only say the usual ones:

"Bai2 Tou2 Xie2 Lao3, Yong3 Jie2 Tong2 Xin" .

Please remember to to work hard, so that when I see you again, I'll get a double-happiness, okay?

I also imagine what would others think when they see these guys on Sat. I'm worried, since the most 'normal' one among these guys would be absent. Mr BLOG

hey! Are the beverages in HK very different from those in Singapore? Like for e.g., can i order a kopi gao3 siu2 dai3. Or do they only cater to the British colony? My fren said that the bubble tea puts real fruit juice. Can't remember the name of the franchise. Mr Blow

This morning, when I reach my lab at about 8:30am I didn't feel that tired, probably because I just had a bath. I spent 1/2 hour drawing a biohazard symbol. I think it suits me quite well, and it looks cool. I could have the mood the read the last post. Just that I would say, it is only a tool for me to do things FAST, you can regard it as a by-product, not end-product. I think I'll go for a morning coffee today. Mr BLOG.

Yo! Be careful about taking pictures when no one's around. Later they may have mistaken you for being a terrorist trying to identify places to bomb. Hahahaa... Well, your story sounds like mathematicians complaining the same thingie about how the world feels, that they're a useless bunch of fools writing proofs that no one can use, appreciate or understand. On the other hand, if they're not there to theoretically proof that certain facts are true, how would we dare to use those knowledge for application? Only fools would regard fools as fools. Nevertheless, you can also learn his methodology of doing things; he may be right for certain instances or cases you know? Anyway, ppl at his level would normally not understand the real-life difficulties that arise during programming (e.g. mr teo and pm). Last but not the least, ask your own conscience. Would you regard IS research as a complete waste of time? Mr Blow

Today chatted with CCL to know that he's sick bother mentally and physically. So do I. I hope that he can recover quickly. Of course I always want to gossip with more people to know both sides of the story. Surprisingly, he has the same opinion as me and others. Anyway, both sides see programmers as low level. But both sides treat them differently. I was just doing a simple excel sheet with VBA to do some what-if analysis. The chinaman saw it and asked me why am I doing that, why do I waste time doing that. I started to have different opinion on this matter. He thinks that programming task should be left to other people, and we just concentrate on the few formulae. What I think is, I wasn't wasting my time, just that I'm doing something help me arrive at the end results. Mr BLOG

you are too kind if i were locked out of my own toilet, i will bash on the other person's door to wake him up to open the toilet else just shit outside his room :P Mr SecretService

Today is a public holiday. When I pass by the Haking building and I found nobody is there doing morning exercise, I quickly went back to my lab at CYC to get the camera.

I also saw that no one is in the .NET lab, so I took a few.

My lab is in the lower ground, I got a go up one floor then go down again to get to the podium.

After going up one stoery, it's the main lobby, which is connected to the student union buiding.

The pics are better than the actual ones. Behind the glass door is the staircase down to the Haking podium.

After going down the staircase, this is what it looks like from the opposite side.

The Haking podium houses the famus statue that commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square. I translated the name literally to English as "Pillar of Nation Sadness". The seats around the plants are just comfortable; I once saw people laying themselve on the slope.
Mr BLOG.

I'm now in a deep shit. Now it's 12:00am and I went back to my room. I discovered that the one who shares toilet with me, locked side of toilet door, and forgot to unlock it. I can't even go into my own toilet now. And the worst thing is all the toiletries are inside. I slept without going to toilet, no bath. I waoke up today to find that the door is still locked. I went over and knock on his door, he opened it for me, it was about 8:00am Mr BLOG