Of SITEX and Exam Results

Went down to SITEX today. As is usual these few years, kenna ambushed by insurance agents. Why Prudential and AIA are there I will never know. OK, I know why they are there but what relevance they have to techonloy is the part I can't figure out.

What I dislike most is that they don't come straight out and say that they are selling insurance or whatever they are selling. Instead they do the "Do you want to know how to get this <amazing electronic widget>" thing to trick people into talking to them. OK, maybe trick is too harsh a word but I still don't like it that only by careful scrutiny of their booth or person can you tell what they really are.

Was walking past the Prudential booth for the third time on my way out and got ambushed for the second time. Kept walking but the person was quite relentless and me bing the nice guy I am stopped and turned. Turned out the my pursuer was a GYSS schoolmate whom I didn't recongise. Funny how i can be remembered but I don't remember. I'm just not a people person. Anyway, chatted for awhile and gave her my number. Must ask Mei and Caisi if they remember her.

Got my exam results today:
BFA141 Commercial Transactions - Distinction
BFA281 Financial Management - High Distinction
BMA121 Management of Human Resources - Credit
BMA330 Strategic Issues in Human Resource Management - Credit

I would say it was rather expected. Never liked HR, didn't expect to do well in it in any case.

Of Not Serving

OK, so, Melvyn Tan pays $5,000 and stays away from Singapore for 28 years in exchange not doing NS. Not only that, he's welcomed back macam like a hero like that, while the rest of us suffer for two/two-and-a-half years plus donno how many years ICT to defend this land.

Immensely unfair isn't it?

Yes, but then which part of life is not unfair.

Even among those serving NS, there is inequality and inequity. What do you say about those PES A and B people who become B vehicle drivers? Why some people go Infantry or Engineers but some have to go Guards or Commando? What about those rich enough to find specialists to downgrade them and become clerks and such? Why I have to stay-in for my entire NS but my friend no need? Why?

Yes, there is something about inequality that offends the human nature, especially those that are the disadvantaged. Maybe that's why the people making noise are the male portion of Singapore. I'll bet most of them are combatants too.

I served 2.5 years. I was - am - a combatant. I faced the dangers of working with armoured vehicles and will do so every year. I have a bad back and not very good knees. I probably could get downgraded if I wanted to. But I do not want to give up the life-long comradeship and the experience of shooting big guns. Melvyn Tan will never know those things and for me, personally, these made the two-and-a-half years worth it. Turn the clock back and I would gladly do it all over again, changing few things.

For me, it's "Yah, so he didn't do NS and only got a $5,000 fine, so? What are you going to do about it? Find him and beat him up? Petition the Esplanade management, ask them not to let him on their premises cos he didn't do NS? Demonstrate outside the National Arts Council building and get them to remove him from whatever board he's on?"

Live and let live; whatever hardships he'd had reaching where he is today we will not know or understand, just like he will not know and understand what NS is like. Who is to say that his life has been easier? Who is to say that one is a superior form of citizen just becos of NS?

From a utilitarian point of view, perhaps it was decided that, because of who he is and what he can bring to Singapore culturally, it is for the greater good that he be allowed to get away with it.

Why Melvyn Tan didn't just give up his citizenship in the first place and just avoid all this trouble is beyond me. Or maybe just change his sex or something. Enough flogging of this dead horse anyhow.

Changes

8 months worth of changes:

• There's now a Burger King in HDB Hub. But had to give up a Starbucks and a Orange Julies for it. Not worth it if you ask me.
• SMU campus is completed. It's bigger and uglier than I thought it would be. Norman brought me inside yesterday and substantial portion of it's underground.
• The Supreme Court building is compleed. Still looks like it's being attacked by a flying sacuer.
• Now Saturday go Orchard Rd must pay ERP. Everytime Requires Payment indeed.

I realised that now I hate people - crowds - even more. I just can't stand Orchard Road anymore.

Home

Prata, 2 egg, 1 kosong and kopi-o for breakfast

Har mee for lunch.

Yep, I'm home

Going Home

I'm going home. I'm sitting in my room (my room for alittle while more), amongst my almost fully packed stuff typing this on my laptop's keyboard becos the P/S2 keyboard is at the Kelly Street House.

I'm having mixed feelings about going home. Now that it's so close, I don't really wanna leave. I'll miss everything here; the air, the view out of my window, the houses built into the hill and the people in college especially.

Not all though but most. Sometime it's hard to connect, I'm so much older but usually common ground is found.

I can't wait to come back here.

Returning

I'll be back in SIN in....less than 60 hours. I'm too tired to count the exact numbers of hours. Have already packed up much of the stuff, ready to move to the Kelly Street house tomorrow. Never knew I had so much stuff.

I'm tired, I was sick last night and had to come home early from Justina's goiong away. I'll see her again next year. I really wich I could just stay here and forget everything about going home. I'm actually sian thinking about going home. How can that be?

I don't wanna leave more than I want to go home. :'(

Once more into the breach...

Just One More

Just one more. BMA 330 Strategic Issues in Human Resource Management, my fave subject this sem. Or rather just teh least hated. :/

25 more hours...