Yes, I have gotten back my first examination results in my varsity education. I couldn't wait any longer for the release date. I couldn't wait to witness judgement day. I couldn't wait to see the fruits of my labour, within them bear the months of mental stimulation. It all boils down to the 29th, it is the deciding factor. Although results aka GPA aren't everything in life, they still play a microscopic part in your purpose of life, so it is bullshit when people tell you that results aren't important. You know very much that they are just finding a convenient approach to comfort you.

Let's face this practical world, in every organisation, every sane person will want to be the top 20% of the pyramid, hoping that there are always the remaining 80% to support them at the bottom. This mentality is entrenched in each of us and can be applied in the GPA system too. How you wish you are in the dean's list. But for my case, I am very sure I am still some distance away from that goal. It is always painstaking to see B grades on my result slip, but I gotta admit those technical modules aren't my forte and I deserve the 2 B+ grades. What I couldn't get over with are my 2 most confident modules, HE191 and CH1031, an A- for both of them won't settle me down. But looking from another perspective, I have to swallow my sky-high ego and admit that there are always more academically-inclined people in my course. Nevertheless, I am not and never will be disheartened, for I will strive for an even higher GPA=4.67(yes, i have calculated!!)

Besides the results, things are looking bright in the hall with our excellent performance in both sports and recreational IHG. I am playing hockey and boggle, both of which are totally new to me before I stayed in hall. I always feel it is enriching to pick up a new sports.

My first competitive hockey match( after just 4 training sessions) bounced off to an impressive start against hall 8. Technically speaking, we were on par, but we held the physical edge over them with our undying stamina and speed. Playing as a right back, I had very rare contacts with the ball, and precisely, the only 2 contacts were crucial interceptions that I made.

The 2nd match were against mighty hall 13, for they fielded a couple of national players. We faced an uphill task of neutralising their swift attacks and experienced game play. At the end of the day, the better team won, and i had no rants to make, only valuable experience gained for the next and final group match against hall 8 again.

This crucial match is a deciding factor for our advancement into the quarters and sadly, I couldnt promise my turn out that day, for I have boggle IHG on the same day. Yes, boggle! I am gonna own them all!!

My body has been aching all over since last week, ever since I lifted up my activity tempo with a series of consecutive hockey training, swim session and street-soccer challenge. It is always a good sign to have when pain invades my biological system, which in most cases, is accompanied by a slight sense of "euphoria" due to release of endorphins.



Yesterday's street soccer match was indeed an rejuvenation and soul-releasing session for me. The feeling of getting back to my kicking habit, striking the ball with the greatest possible impact, scoring multiple unstoppable goals, and adopting the grace and guile of the beautiful game, was simply beyond words could depict. It is simply amazing to learn of how football can actually bind communities together, hold primary importance over political and war issues, or in some cases, create intense rivalries. Football, in my perception, is a common language understood by all, played by all, watched by all. It is a game beyond imagination, a drama in its making. No amount of hollywood scripts can possibly craft out the most dramatic scenes of football, as we can see in last night's football match between Myanmar and Singapore. Who would have expected the burmese goalie to launch an assault on the referee, who was alleged by the Burmese to have made an unfair decision against them. This is yet another disgraceful scene in football, but being social creatures, we don't mind paying to watch 10 minutes of human conflict in its own making without a movie director. This is what I call real-life entertainment!

I suddenly thought of the date today..8 December. Well..no big deal on this date, but it is worth recording it down as my ORD anniversary. I don't even need to record it down! When can I ever forget this date when it is always running through my mind like a locomotive for 2 years?? The very bleak scene of a Friday, on 9 December, 2005 still hangs firmly on my memory wall with pins secured to it. 2 years on, one would have expected the extreme opposite scene of a Friday again, on 7 December, 2007, but it was rather a heavy-hearted one after all that had been gone through.

What a breath-taking ride I had that drove me through this 1st splendid semester of my uni life! It may seem hectic, but the joy of overcoming all the hard-fought modules and being able to juggle school and social commitments concurrently, is indeed overwhelming. I couldn't expect any more of the workload to be piled on me in the coming semester, but sometimes, I feel like I am the culprit for imposing such stuffs on myself. No prize for doing this, but isnt it better for me to fill up my grey matter while I am still youthful?

Being in CBE is definitely challenging, considering that I am even able to enrol into this course. With funny lecturers, brain juice-sapping modules and wonderful course mates around, I am enjoying every bit of my uni life. One of my favourite modules is surprisingly, outside my core subjects. I have no prior knowledge of economics, but I could understand its relevant importance to our society. A favourite subject doesnt yield a definite A grade, as I have learnt from past experience.

For now, I have got a dozen tasks on my to-do list(13 to be exact) and I believe this vacation would undoubtedly, pass by with a wink. So much so for all the events planning and game particapation, I need to find serenity in personal indulgence. A focused mind is the key to success. Maybe i should migrate to hilltop and meditate? LOL

Recently, I flipped through an old book and found some retrievable insights and motivation from a quote by Vince Lombardi: "Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." I allow this quote to run through my mind a few times and I could draw parallel to sports. The traditional football powerhouses are always awarded top seedings in tournaments and they continue to dominate top standings. That makes winning a habit.

But, occasionally, we cant prevent previously unrecognised teams from claiming top honours. This partly contradicts the quote. The transition from losing to winning is never a habit in a second time. Once you have won something, the winnng formula stays with you and is packed into your DNA, and whether u win again or not lies in your belief.

Sometimes, I feel that I should stop blaming on my circumstances. Being in a good circumstance gives you a comparative advantage over the rest. But often or not, a bad circumstance somehow turns us into a whinning bull. The people who get on in this world are those who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.