Live for life.

Quoted and summarised from an article i read somewhere:

We always give nicknames to other peers during our childhood days don't we? And many labels are always based on the characteristics we view of others, like 4-eyed chicken or fat boy or blur sotong. As much as they disagree, time and time again it became an acceptance, something they grew up accepting it as what they are.

And that's how it became; We view ourselves as not what we think we are, and not what people hope we are; Rather, we are, other's perception of us, in our view.


....and it's different from what people really think we are. Back to that children's example, labels/nicknames could be given on the instance. Not something from the heart; yet to the person in limelight it possibly had went into his heart. That's how such "small" things stick with that person for a long time.

Pretty negative? At times i do agree. More sad is how some people had carried the label on and gave up on his/her life. That shouldnt be the way; we only live for the people that cares for us right?

Easier said to be done, that's why at times i do really admire those who can persist to think who they are in their own idea, unaffected by everyone's view around them.

...Especially when all individuals are part of a society, learning and getting "ideas of living" from all members of the group. That's how we know how a man should behave, vice versa for girl, for instance.


So, how did they do that?


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The power issue

The power of our body.

Frankly, i'm really amazed If u recalled, previously i fell sick just one day before my Final Econs Exams, and recovered within a day to be fit for the paper next day.

Now, 2nd week into school, here i go again. Woke up on Tues nite with fever. Forced myself to sleep, drank lots and lots of water in the morning, and went to school. Thank heaven for Kent's car ride.

And suffered the longest 3 hours of lecture in school. Body aching, and kept fighting to keep awake.

Once back home, went into sleeping mode again. And that night i slept for 11 hours.

Next day woke up, cleared the throat, and i'm totally ok. Wow.

Just sleeping and water, without a single pill, and i'm cured. Isnt the power of our body self healing amazing?


Power of mobility.

The fortunate kent got his desirable driving licence recently, with good scores and first attempt. 
Once again it restated to me...How wonderful is the power of mobility.

Yes, it's one of the easiest way to experience freedom and convenience....
Go anywhere where buses or foot cant take you to!
Explore anywhere that you had never seen or been before!
Reach places in record times you never attain by public transport!
Be dry even in the heaviest thunderstorm!

Sadly, things arent that innocent.
Step out on the wrong time of the day and you are struck all way in Traffic jams. What freedom are all reduced to mere confinement.  
Start paying for petrol and cashcard and burn a pocket hole as big as Java island volcano. 
Trying finding for parking lots in town, either you tear coupons as if there's no tomorrow, or pay as much as dinner+lunch, or end up walking further than marathon.

How i wish i live in Australia. Where car is neccessary, not a luxury.

But looking back at Kent, for the moment all these thoughts are flung far away. Freedom is how you define it; piloting the car at which ever lane you want it to move on can still be freedom. At least traffic jams and ERP can be avoided with correct planning of route, 
and SIM have a basement carpark...which is free.


Power of advertising.

Anyone still remembers that Prudential Adv shown more than 13years ago? Thanks to the adv song "my life story" by Dick Lee, some still remembers it....well, at least my friends, as we chatted on this topic that day over dinner.

Songs accompanying adv are really one of the most classic example of marketing, and it really works. Either people get interested in the ad because their idol is singing for it, or simply that customised tune is so catchy. Throw in a jazz song and some Ang Moh in the ad and your brand feels continental. With James Browns's "I feel Good", I thought Benq comes from the states...When it's actually Taiwanese.

And whenever I drove pass this road and saw this signboard, that song came to me again. Again and again it spins in my mind for the rest of the day. grr.


"....If you need somebody....Mr invertor, mr invertor, mr invertor...."



It's such relevances in our life that make Marketing such an interest subject to study. I guess i'll like it for the rest of the term....Only if uol have BSC Marketing.

Best.

We always save the best til the end, dont we?


Just like we always save that tasty drum stick of the nasi lemak as the last portion to be eaten with that last patch of chilli.

Just like mothers, who save the best part of the meat for the child to be eaten in the end.

Just like drama series, which the script writer save the best scene/action to the finale climax with a bang.

Just like we always save the kiss til the end of the date.


And just like me, who saved the best lunch (in my view) til the end. The lunch time of my last day at work.


This is it. The last day of my 3month assignment. From filled library to packed to empty. Alongside I tasted different stalls at different hawkers/ food court, each with different results. Some tasty, some not. Some really expensive, some value for money.

So where did I decided to go on the last day? Amoy Street Hawker. That Fried Rice stall on first level.

Yes, the fried rice with Zi2 Cha4 quality. Despite ordering the smallest portion, fillings and rice are abundant. Big yes to value for money. Further more, not overly salty, nor oily, yet is still filled with taste. In which is evenly spread out. You do know, in some fried rice you get lumps of unfried white rice here and there, or even just taste salty. Not this.
Best of all, the uncle is certainly not unfriendly. Yummy.





.......And it's not opened on that day.


Damn.


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the long story about my phone.

Throughout my train ride home, i stared all over my phone. Rewind an hour earlier, i was in the  office flipping Today, and saw the adv: "High Trade in!....Nokia 6260 -- $130" ....130? That's 40% of what I paid for it 2+ years back....while considering others lost 40% on the first month of purchase.... Is my phone so wonderful?

That really makes me wonder about this trade of handphones. Dont you wonder at times how they determine all these trade-in prices? Dont dis-regard it; you never know when it can save you from tight times or simply help u get rid of your phone which u regretted buying...Unless you are the type who keeps all your previous phones in house and circulate among your family (yes DT, you know who you are)

So does brand really sells? Is Nokia so strong (bcoz everyone takes it) that it always the higher price fetcher? And uncommon stuff like benq/siemens have pit bottom prices?

Does features really play such a big part? Just like sun-roof & metallic paint adds resell value to a car, Bluetooth, FM, 3G are nirvana to phone trade in prices? For a phone made >2 years back, 6260 have every technology available then. And how do you judge new stuff like GPS? How will you know if it's still desirable in the future?

Model number? Higher in the nokia range means better price? Buy a 3 or a 5 series and it seems more likely depreciation is down the pit...

....but of coz with exceptions... Anyone still remember the ancient 3310? Heard back then it fetch more than anything, coz it sparks off new demand elsewhere like Philippines... Probably wat changed hands are all exported...

And, the more phones in range, the faster the prices falls? Nokia have so much models to choose from, and prices of new phone change as fast as stocks. Yet SonyEricsson never seems to budge so much, as it has a small range of models?

Indeed, i'm no expert in this trade... But it seems to serve a reminder.. .dont jump straight into the first pretty newly launched phone you see... Do some research online if possible, and wait for the price to fall and stabilise... You wouldnt want to sell and make a big lost, or be stuck with it for the next 21 months if u hate it, dont you?

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And what a typical case of "read the fine print". The next day I realised that to qualify for $130, it must have 9months more of warranty to go. huh?

Anything else it's minus 30 bucks off. Alright, sounds decent still, but that's before they deduct for your scatches, paint peel, etc etc etc.

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Then I saw the ad by Starhub for the COMEX trade show: "PDAs for $88!"

Too good to be true? I thought so too. This time round I flip up and down and scan through all fine prints. It's real: It only require a 2 year normal mobile plan contract renew, but while stocks last.

Quick check online; With exception of a few, the PDAs offered are aged models...But hey, there are decents ones inside too. Like the O2 stealth. At least it's black, Slider, launched in yr06, have WIFI and Windows mobile 5. Sweet.

So come Sat and we joined the rest of Singapore (I do mean, rest of entire SG) and flocked down to suntec. What a crowd! And what a Queue at Starhub! And the phone is out of stock! Expected.

Hence we shopped around elsewhere for other stuff, & we came back again with the intention to buy the remaining older $88 pda....


...And miraculously it re-stocks again, after 4 hours!

Staff hands me the order sheet, and here we starts, the long queue that eventually last for 2,3 hours. Check in 1908, check out 2145.

At least i got a new PDA. $88. Mr Red selling online? $698. Cheers.

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Not the end of story. At night, it's spoilt. SIM card inside, phone refuses to wake up from sleep mode. SIM outside, phone restarts whenever it tries to sleep. Grr.

Next day, to Starhub customer service centre. First time i utilise the policy of handset exchange within 8 days of purchase. And was told there's no stock, will call me again when stock comes in. So now i have a PDA that only surfs net. Hmmm....

Agitated me? Not really. Even if it takes a month to repair, it's still ok... Not forgetting the price i paid for it, there's no free lunch in the world.

One week later. I'm still waiting.

What happens next? watch this space.

Who else's phone purchase saga is so long?
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3months. 1 exam. 1 result.

I was actually typing another post for my old-phone-new-phone-purchase saga, but it gotten abit long & detailed so i guess i spend time editing it next time.

Now something to announce... after 3 months, my exams results are out today.

Guess every other SIM UOL students had been pacing up and down for it for the past 3months, and that everyone flocked in to check the portal whenever it was the supposed time it was posted there. After much delays, it was finally up today.

IF u are one of them, i wish u good luck, hope u had really did well.

As for me.... i passed everything.....but without flying colours. In fact, pretty not-so-flying colours.

Especially when you kept feeling that you could have done better.



Oh well, what the heck, at least I passed everything!

Including:
that crazily mad Econs,
that heart-killing twisted IBM,
that handcappied (no sci calculator suddenly) Statistics,
and that "disappearing-question" Sociology!


Still, it's an alarm. Buck up for the next 2 years! Focus work hard! Thankfully foundation units doesnt weight as much as Further units, so there's still chance for me....and those brothers/sisters like me. Jia you!


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