Snippets of the Week

Snippet 1

Krish and I were lamenting how the economic recession has affected everyone. Watched in Channelnewsasia that KP is having a salary cut of 7.5% (that's alot since usually pay increment in Spore is only like, what 10-20%?). Luckily it only affects the manager level and up. If they dare cut my already meager future salary, I think I'd rather bum around at home LOL...

Anyways, so there we were sighing on a beautiful blue-skied afternoon how we have to be mindful how we spend our money. Occasional trips to resto or nice cafe will have to be postponed and we have to be contented with meals in Koufu or Kopitiam. But then Krish said something pretty interesting. He said something like it is exactly the fact that people are tightening their belts that the recession is getting from bad to worse. Think about it, the lesser people spend, the lesser consumption there will be. Less consumption means less production and less income/profit for the producing industry. So companies have to cut somemore wage to cut cost. Which means, people will spend even lesser now that they have lower wage. And the cycle goes on.

Therefore, Krish suggested that we should contribute more to the economy. Spend more! More spending --> more consumption --> more production --> more income for companies --> (hopefully) salary increment for employees!

Brilliant isn't it? Never really thought about it.

Snippet 2

I think my interest in anything Japanese has somewhat become an addiction. I have to watch j-drama like once a day (cuz i'm still somewhat free, considering it's only the end of week 3 of school) and I had no idea who katy perry is or if britney has won can't-remember-how-many awards during MTV VMA last year. Instead, my mp3 is now filled with J songs. But still, I only fill it with my fav artists only. I dunno every crowing peeps in the J music scene, mind you. If I wake up early enough, I'd tune in to XFM 96.3, which ends its J segment at 9 am (unfortch, I hardly catch it since I wake up around 9 am haha...).

Oh and have I told you I'm taking Japanese mod? Heheh... It's an extra mod since I've already fulfilled my 39 credits requirement. The class is pretty fun, the teacher's really sweet. Very typical Japanese lady. But it's pretty slow-paced. I already know phrases and my vocab isn't too bad (according to Kit). But I know nuts about writing. So yea, I'm just hanging in there for the sake of the writing part.

Dawn and I got kinda excited being able to read the hiragana writings on the food packagings during our trip to Daiso. When I reached home I showed off my newly learned skill to mom. She was a little bit impressed only (mayb partly cuz jap is one of her least favourite language), and she just said, "Oh you know how to read huh? But do you understand what you're reading?"

Dang.. -_-

Anyways, when the usual gp of us (read: dawn, kit and I) were hanging out at koufu, Kit said that I should change my blog to j-drama, movie and music review blog cuz I seem to know the J entertainment world more than her despite the fact that she's stayed in the land of the rising sun itself for a year. Haha... Yea mayb she's right. I mean I do know what year many of the actors/actresses were born and some other little-known facts of some artists. But then again, just like my many other addictions, this addiction will sooner or later die, although it's definitely not anytime soon. So yea, from now on, I guess I will do some reviews when I feel like it. So ya, look forward to it ya! (:

31.12.2008

Exactly 9 hours to the new year, tho for the Adventists, we are only 4 hours away from the new year.

So many things had happened, good things as well as bad. Being superstitious, I thought 2008 would be a breeze. But I was wrong. Personally I had the worst, I really mean WORST term of my uni life. I never had felt so scared of failing before. But thank God, tho the grades hurt my GPA a lot, I didn't fail. I'm just crossing my fingers that KPMG won't revoke my contract ^^"

Globally, shit happened too. What with the investment banks crumbling one after another. Studying in a business school, to work in banks or to be an investment banker seemed to be the common dream. Alas, the current the economy dashed some people's hopes. The headlines on the newspaper paint a bleak future. "The economic recession is nigh!" people say, or is it already here? I don't know. I don't really read the newspaper. Well, as they say, ignorance is bliss.

As usual, the pessimistic me always start with the negatives. But yes, there are good things. Small small ones, but many. I can't recall all of them one by one but still, I was and am thankful for them. Thanks to the recency effect, or simply cuz I've short memory, the things I can remember are limited.

Anyways, whenever I'm thankful about something, it always involve my friends. I'm glad I've people that I can complain to, listen to my bitchings and my anxiety. Like during my BSM trip, I'm really grateful for the many new friends made, and a couple of really good friends made. They made the nasty things bearable.

Oh and my bro got married! It's a bit sad tho since it means that when my sis go back to Thailand and my bro lives with his wife, I'll be the only one left for my dad to be ordered around. Sighs... but well, guess I'm happy for my bro since my dad will stop nagging him to get married. Haha... "Hope to see little Tamps soon!" my friend said excitedly. Amen to that.

December was a action-packed. 3/4 of it were spent overseas. It was filled with rush to get from one point to another, thanks to the BSM trip and my bro's wedding. Really exhausting but fun nonetheless. It's also the first time since I hit the big TWO O that I get to spend my birthday in Singapore. I spent it bumming around tho, since I was so tired from the BSM trip.

Oops, I've to go to church soon. So I guess I'll end my post here. I'll tell the stories from my BSM trip and my bro's wedding another time (depends if I don't feel lazy :P).

HAPPY NEW YEAR PEEPS!! (:

PS: As a bonus, I'll post up this super nice song titled Niji (Rainbow) by Aqua Timez.

Freedom to Choose?

Was just wondering. Actually was reading AFA when my thoughts drifted away. It always happen. Anyways, was just wodnering the meaning of having a freedom to choose. The real meaning, of course.

It's funny how preaches always say that God has given us the freedom to choose. It's funny because if we choose to do something that is not in line with what God wants us to do, we suffer a consequence. For example, we can choose to be a goody-2-shoes or be a total jackass. But of course, God will bless the goody-2-shoes and not the jackass, right? Unless of course the jackass repents. But repentance is an entirely different thing and we shall keep this topic short and simple here.

It always happen, to me at least, when I do bad things I will suffer the horrible consequence almost immediately. Really. But I won't give you instances, cuz I ain't proud of my sins. So, if I want good things to happen to me, I have NO choice but to be a good girl right? I mean, who doesn't want good things ot happen to them. Even those super emo kids who claims they don't need God's blessings or good things to happen to them, deep deep down they must long for good things. That's irrefutable.

Ok I know that "God gives rain to both bad and good guys", which implies God's blessings is for everyone. But then again, why do we say "you will get your just dessert" to the baddies? which implies that if we do bad things, we get bad things.

So applying my Analytical Skill, I shall attempt to make a proposition (is it what it's called? can't remember. sold my AS bk already)

Since good things happen to good people, we HAVE to be a good person
if we want good things to happen to us.

"Have to" implies a MUST, which implies the lack of alternatives. So... what's that freedom to choose are we talking about again?