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This is so much better than Blogger.

Same Story, Different Setting

But it was still pretty awesome.

I really love Zach Galifianakis (woot I can spell his full name now). He's such a great comedian. I watched "Due Date" as well and it was hilarious. There's just something about him that makes the film appealing. Haha. Anyway, the sequel was a little bit more raunchy (if you have watched it you'll still remember the grossed-out parts) but the plot was pretty much predictable. You kinda know what's gonna happen next. Hopefully the third film in this franchise ends somewhat differently with a more unique plot. Looking forward!

Rating: 4/5

A Fresh Clean Slate

I'm so thankful that I managed to pass all my modules.

And I might have realised what has caused my so-called "downfall".

Complacency.

Yes, I was probably getting a little complacent and thought that things would turn out the way I thought they would. But of course they didn't, and I was steered off-course.

For HP101, I thought the MCQs were gonna be a little more straightforward. I thought the short-answer questions were really short-answer questions. I thought the lecturer wouldn't test something that isn't that much psychology-based. I was wrong.

For CBC214 (especially), I thought the standard of the paper would be similar to the previous year's. I thought that I would be able to figure out the solutions by referring to the notes like I did during the mid-term. I thought that enzyme kinetics would not appear in the paper because it was only a small section and the lecturer only completed it in the nick of time before semester ended. I was wrong.

For CBC216, I thought that those graphs we plotted would not be tested. I was wrong.

For the HW102A critique assignment, I thought I'd do fine based on my own standards and didn't bother asking my peers to look through and edit it for me like others did. I was wrong.

So you see, complacency has led me to the worst results of my entire university life.

But I'm determined to make it right from now on. As I always tell myself, "Everything happens for a reason", hence I feel that THIS whole debacle is a wake-up call for me. A loud one at that too.

I guess I'm starting on a fresh clean slate, and I really hope that this lesson sinks in my head real deep.

Time to get that GPA up where it should belong.

Ok so timetable planning has started and I must say that the choices for this semester are pathetic. I need to find another module and one for back-up. It's not easy! Plus I thought that Entrepreneurship will be available next semester but it isn't! Gosh.

Time Of My Life

It's like I haven't been to a cinema for half a year and now I'm watching movies like there's no tomorrow. Caught "Kung Fu Panda 2" yesterday!

I thought it was AWESOME. Albeit slightly short in duration (84 minutes). But it was action-packed and funny as hell. Jack Black is a genius!

Rating: 4.5/5

Been wanting to post the next 2 movies I've caught since last week but was too damn lazy to do so.

"Paul" was really, really hilarious. It had a common storyline, but it was still nicely executed. There was a twist near the end of the film too!

Rating: 4/5

Another comic book superhero! Well, I thought it lacked a little punch. A proper badass villian. Loki was...meh. And I still stand that the first 30 minutes of the film was the best part.

Rating: 3.5/5

Went to Tampines yesterday with my Sis to eat Popeyes. Don't ask me why the hell I went all the way there to eat Popeyes because I kinda regret it now. The chicken was disappointing! KFC beats it hands down. The fries wasn't anything spectacular either, they taste exactly the same as McDonald's twister fries. Sad.

Regrets

They say, "Live your life with no regrets".

But many of us just can't. Somehow.

I have a few regrets in my life -- big, small, or somewhere in the middle.

My biggest regret so far, is not spending more time with my late Dad, getting to know him better, having more father-and-son bonding activities. I regret hating my Dad in the past when I was still a young kid. I don't know why I dislike him, maybe it was due to me not understanding him better. I wasn't as sensible back then.

We always regret not cherishing our loved ones when they're still alive. It's always the case, sadly.

Another regret in my life was not continuing to sit for piano grade certifications. I sort of quit when I failed my Grade 6 practical exam. It was horrendous. I didn't really practise very hard for it! If I had, I would have had a Grade 8 certification 6 years ago. Probably even a Diploma should I carry on. I could have given private piano lessons and earning some part-time keep. And a good keep at that, too!

The next regret, is one that we always have in our education lives -- not studying hard enough for the exams. I really really have deep regrets for not mugging as hard as I should have been for this past semester. And as a result, dragging my GPA down, possibly my dream of going for overseas exchange even. I think I did quite well for my mid-terms, to be frank, but somehow I got distracted by the GE and other nonsensical stuff during the lead-up to the exams. Oh well, I can only blame myself right?

I need to reflect on what has gone wrong and formulate some concrete solutions to pull up my GPA to where it should be.

On a sidenote, the holidays are here and there are lots of things I wanna do but I just don't know where to start from. I wanna write some new songs too but I keep getting writer's block. Hooks and melodies constantly form in my head but there are no lyrics to fill them in! :(

I also wanna try whipping up some of my favourite dishes like seafood zuppa but I'm just too lazy to start. Wish I could be like Pravin who just bakes when he wants to!

Who Run The World?

Hello blog, it's been a while!

Exams are coming and I'm so guilty for not mugging as hard as I should be.

Must be the distractions.

GE is coming and I haven't been more excited to cast my vote and make a difference.

Anyway, following the GE is one of my distractions.

The next distraction -- Buddy Rush. Though I think I'm not playing it as frequently these few days... But I managed to somehow get 2 of my friends addicted to the game. *Planning who'll be my next victim*

By the way, have you heard Beyoncé's new single? Apparently it's on its way to become a flop. Even though it's kinda hot, the whole song is just Bey's vocals layering over Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor". What a shame.

So Glee is back and the episode this week was kinda disappointing for me. It was boring and draggy. Hopefully next week's 90-minute episode will redeem the show.

Eargasm

Britney's new album electrifies and more.

The seventh studio effort from the Pop Princess herself is her best effort yet. It's as good as "In The Zone" and "Blackout".

If there's any artist who can pull off and introduce dub-step into the mainstream, it's Britney.

Britney loves to experiment with new sounds, and this can be clearly heard in tracks like the first single "Hold It Against Me", "Inside Out", "How I Roll" and the flute-heavy guitar-driven mid-tempo "Criminal".

Yet, there are also radio-ready songs such as the second single "Till The World Ends" written by Ke$ha and "I Wanna Go".

"Drop Dead (Beautiful)" reminded me of the "Blackout" album due to it containing some urban influences. But the heavily auto-tuned rap verse from upcoming rapper Sabi spoilt it all.

"The Big Fat Bass", produced by none other than the Black Eyed Peas' front-man Will.I.Am, seemed like a BEP leftover, and Britney ended up sounding like Fergie. However, the use of heavy bass, drums and piano did kinda make up for it.

The closing track, "Criminal", is one of the most outstanding tracks in the album. It doesn't sound like anything else out there. I bet even Lady GaGa would be pawing over the track, wishing it was her song.

There's just one mistake. "Till The World Ends" shouldn't be the second single. "I Wanna Go" has more potential in the charts as it's far more catchy with the happy whistles. But I'm guessing it will be the third single judging from how popular it is among the fans.

From the standard tracklisting, I would say the mid-tempo ballad "Inside Out" is my favourite track. Billboard did a great job producing it.

Although Britney's voice was auto-tuned throughout, it made the tracks signature "Britney". But if you would like to hear more raw vocals of her, do check out the bonus tracks.

Overall, "Femme Fatale" is a real, solid effort.

Aftermath

ваканция свърши.

That translates to "recess is over". It's Bulgarian by the way. And the end of recess signals the arrival of the examinations.

I'm so screwed for the mid-terms. So, so, screwed.

Let's check what I have accomplished for the past week:

1. Study for 214 mid-term.

2. Study for 211 mid-term (topics 2 and 3 done only).

3. Completed experiment for HW project.

4. Finished my critique (which I thought was kinda crappy).

5. Did my lab report.

6. Slacked.

There you go. It's not a lot of work done.

 Anyway, American Idol Season 10 has kicked off into its Top 12 and I am not at all impressed by it. The judges are useless. I think I can be a judge if it's just praising everyone even if they're horrible. Where's the reality check?? In my honest opinion, NONE of the finalists should be in the Top 12. It's THAT dreadful.

The other source of entertainment for me, Glee, will be on hiatus for an entire month. Bummer. But this week's episode was awesome. I gotta give it props.

So before I end this ranting post, I just wanna wish Japan a speedy recovery, and hope that its numerous victims can get access to food and water as soon as possible.

#prayforjapan

Till The World Ends

The spam messages on my Cbox can be quite amusing sometimes.

As you can see on the image above, I NEED TO THINK AND DO MORE.

I've been slacking weekend after weekend even though the mid-terms for my cores are looming in the near distance. Allow me to cite an example -- All I did this weekend was complete my lab proforma and the risk assessment for next week's lab session, went through a little bit of Electrochemistry notes, and read Chapter 3 of 214 (without understanding a single thing).

There you have it. Pathetic huh?

At this rate I'm going, I'll probably fail both mid-terms.

DO MORE GARY!!!

Anyway, results for my Psychology mid-term were out and I got 82. Then I saw that the average score was 81.79 and the median was 84. So should I be happy or upset? Confused.

Avril's new album comes out tomorrow!! I'll definitely be getting it but I'm gonna do a review now because I've already heard most of the album.

So Avril said this record is more acoustic-sounding, and her first single "What the Hell" was not reflective of the album. Which, in fact, is true. "WTH" sounds out-of-place as compared to the other moody, slightly stripped down tracks like "Push" and "Goodbye".

Can't blame her though, she has been putting her record label on blast over delaying her new album for over a year, and forcing her to include more radio-friendly tracks in the album. As a result, it doesn't sound as cohesive as it can be.

It was told that Avril was pushing for "Push" as the follow-up single to "WTH", but it turned out that the more upbeat and catchy "Smile" was confirmed to be the single.

Label politics.

I bet more and more artists will soon break away from their labels and release music independently. They'll have more control over their creative direction. And that's what true artists want, isn't it?

Well, I have been an avid supporter of Avril since her debut album wayyyyy back in 2001. And I really like most of the songs in this new record. My favourites would be "Push", "Wish You Were Here", "I Love You", "Stop Standing There" and actually "Smile" as well. Haha.

"Goodbye Lullaby" will be the first CD I'm purchasing in 2011. Next up, BRITNEY. Just another 3 more weeks to go......

Big Upset.

2nd selection is totally bullshit.

You have 5 spots and CBC students can't apply???

Damn you.

Now there's not even a sliver of hope left for me for the rest of this year.

I'm done.

I-I-I Wanna Go-o-o

Away from here.

I just wanna chill in a quiet, serene place. With soft breezes.

And have nothing to worry about.

How nice that would be huh?

I'm kinda sick of everything right now. I've lost the drive, the motivation to do anything.

No INSTEP, no summer research. No nothing.

Life is so boring. Mundane.

If I ever have kids in the future, I'll fully support and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Do what they want to do. But of course they must be 100% sure about the path they want to take, and actually have the talent to do so. Practicality, right?

I've lost my chance. I don't want them to lose theirs too. Be an artist, a musician, a dancer. Whatever they want to be.

Back to me.

If you think I'm a strong-willed, cheery kid who doesn't really care about anything, you're wrong.

I just appear to be. Truth is, I'm trying. Trying to stay happy, trying to help make others happy, trying to do the best I can, to do everything I can do, as me.

But sometimes, constantly trying is a really tiring job. Especially if it brings no success.

So I pray. I fantasise. I wish. I think of things worth looking forward to (albeit not a lot). So I can get past every single day.

Came across this quote, "Sometimes, giving up does not mean you are weak. It means you are strong enough to let go."

Is it true? Or is it just some comforting words?

No don't worry. I'm not giving up my life, that's for sure.

But giving up something is really really tough. Don't you think?

Today, I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything.

I just wanna lay here in my bed.

So the application results for exchange were out......and I didn't get a placement.

Well, I kinda expected it though, judging from the huge number of applicants for that particular university. Still, I'm disappointed. Really wanted to escape from this island for a good few months...but that's not happening now.

The system is flawed, in my opinion. Might as well raise the minimum GPA to 4.5, so people like me wouldn't have to waste their time and effort to apply, wait and then get their hopes dashed. Giving opportunities for students to experience exhange?? Bullshit.

Sigh. What's decided has been decided. 2nd selection round isn't going to be of any help as well. I guess I'm not fated to go.

Everything happens for a reason. Pravin, if you're reading this, let's try next semester. And this time I sure hope we get to go for real. Who knows we can match other universities too! :D

Not My Intention

Kind of random but I would just like to apologise to anyone that I may have offended either through my spoken words, written comments or statements, be it on your blog, Facebook, or in person. I really do not mean any harm and have no intention of hurting you or making you angry.

I'm quite a straightforward person so I may come across as a guy who just says what he wants, but do know that I'm working very hard on being as sensitive as possible before writing a comment or saying something to you. I'm human and I'm not perfect, so there're bound to be slip-ups here and there sometimes. But please please don't get offended because I have no intention of offending you. :)

That said, I'm truly sorry, kindly forgive me for my mistakes and cheers to everyone! :D

Forget About The Price Tag :)

I'm currently hooked on this song. It's so carefree and fun! Jessie and B.o.B totally rocked it.

Stung.

This was such a fun movie. Made me forget my troubles for a moment. Jay Chou was honestly quite good!

As with "Burlesque", if you're looking for plot, this is not for you.

Rating: 4.5/5

Anyway, school just started this week and I'm plagued with stupid problems regarding course registration. Haven't really been happy these few days... I'm praying they will get solved soon Edit: They just got solved!! Woot! On another note, I submitted my application for overseas exchange last night. Here's hoping I can get a placement. Fingers and toes crossed!!!

People always ask what others have done for them. Yet they didn't think of what they themselves have done for others in the first place. Sad.

Show Me How You Burlesque

What can I say? The critics hated it, but I love it.

Christina's voice is just so powerful. And Cher certainly has acting chops!

Yea I know the plot kinda sucked, but the burlesque numbers and awesome soundtrack more than made up for it.

Do yourself a favour and catch this!

Rating: 4.5/5

Horoscope Shift?

If it's actually true, then I would be a Capricorn. I was an Aquarius by the way. I looked up the profile of the Capricorn and yea, it makes more sense if I'm a Capricorn.

Dominating Characteristics They are stable, patient and dependable. They aim and work for its accomplishment. They are good at business (??). Self control & self reliance are their specialties. They always return a favour received. They make good and true friends (Do I? Hope so).

Character analysis The Capricorn symbolized by goat, an animal which delights in climbing the highest mountain and most precipitous rock. Hard work, fatigue and self denial are counted as nothing by them. At times they are reserved, secretive and tactical. They are unmoved by flattery and seldom express surprise. They are interested in everything under the sun from Philosophy to Archeology. They are methodical in every thing they do. They take all the pain in surmounting difficulties that comes in their way. If baulked of a position of authority and made to work under the domination of others, they become gloomy, morose and critical. They always long for moral and intellectual freedom. Typical Capriconians are not easily roused to anger but they are very slow to forgive if provoked. They have the tendency to keep in mind a wrong and wreak vengeance at the right time. They are inclined to be jealous and suspicious. As a whole they tend to rank among the noblest people of  the human race.

Ruling Planet	-	Saturn
Birth stone	-	Garnet
Lucky number	-	Three (3 series)
Lucky day	-	Saturday
Your color	-	Brown
Your flower	-	Rue
Your animal	-	Elephant
Your metal	-	Lead
Zodiacal Mate	-	Cancer

The highlighted ones are the traits I possess. Or at least I think I do. Well except maybe I'm not that inclined to be jealous of others...but suspicious yes. 

HP7

I just couldn't bear to not watch it on the big screen.

And I'm so glad I did.

Rating: 5/5

Britney's Back.

Please listen to the new single "Hold It Against Me" if you haven't. It's beyond heavenly.

Ok enough with the stanning. Haha.

Anyway, many of you wonder why I love Britney so much. Like, what's so nice about Britney? She doesn't have a good voice, she lips-sync...etc. So I'm gonna tell you right now.

Yes, it's true Britney doesn't have a very strong solid voice, but you can't deny that her voice is distinct and different, even when it's computerised or auto-tuned. It's the breathy vocals that makes her stand out from other singers.

Britney is not like your ordinary pop star. She dresses humbly, doesn't seek attention unlike someone else (you know who), and she's just like an ordinary mother going about with her kids, doing things all of us do. She doesn't care if her hair weaves look disastrous. She doesn't care if she got spotted picking her nose. She's just like us in everyday life. But once she puts her focus into music, the results are extraordinary. Britney knows what she wants. She sets trends, not follow them. Have you actually realised that with each new album she brings, it's always a different sound? And after that, every other pop star tries to adopt her sound. Producers and song-writers always find it a challenge to create music for Britney because they know it MUST be something different and unique.

Britney. She's an icon.

Stomp! Stomp! She's Arrived.

It's kinda rare that I blog so frequently these days but I just gotta dedicate an entire post to this awesome rising star that I so admire. Meet Jessie J.

Having garnered multi accolades recently (Google them), Jessie has already written many hits for other superstars but only now has she started to make a name for herself. With "Do It Like A Dude" out in both the US and the UK, Jessie is soon following up the stomping track with a feel-good positive song called "Price Tag" and it also features rapper B.o.B.

What I like about Jessie is that she's humble, down-to-earth, true, real, raw and talented with a swagger! She has absolutely one of the best voices I've heard in my entire life, comprising the strength and stamina of Christina Aguilera's voice with the beautiful vocal runs of Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis. And that's saying a lot.

I'm looking forward to her debut album "Who You Are" coming this March because I know that it will be packed full of awesome tracks. Meanwhile, here's a video of her performing "Price Tag" acoustically. You can hop on over to her official website to listen more of her songs.

Should Casual Eateries Ban Kids?

Came across this debatable topic on Yahoo!.

Apparently, some eateries have banned young children and babies from entering their premises so as not to disturb other guests lest they become noisy and rowdy.

I totally understand where they're coming from as I have had some unpleasant experiences, especially in the theatres. I mean, it's hard not to be annoyed when a baby cries and shrieks when you're like watching "Inception", right? Or when you're having a nice meal in a pleasant restaurant with nice, undisturbed ambience and suddenly 2 kids scream and run past your table just when you're about to place a piece of juicy roasted chicken meat into your mouth.

Not cool.

But if more and more eateries start following suit and ban kids, where will all the families go? Imagine you have a family and you want to have a family day out and dine at a restaurant. Where can you go? Nowhere. Or at least your choices would be limited. Sad, isn't it? What's more important is the kids wouldn't have the chance to dine out much!

In my honest opinion, maybe the rule would be more suitable and limited to fine dining outlets. Leave the casual dining options open to the kids.

Record Broken

It's the first time I've been to a cinema since I caught "Salt" last August.

And it's the first time I've finished a tub of popcorn all by myself! I deserve an award for this.

Anyway, I'm glad I managed to still catch "Narnia" after so long. It's the best out of the franchise! A pity it didn't perform as well at the box office.

Rating: 4/5