Identity

Just got a call from my scholarship board today.

Apparently they want me to apply to be a Singapore permanent resident by this week, and for citizenship before I leave for my PhD next year.

I felt somewhat shocked, expecting all this only after I had graduated with my PhD. It's disconcerting, being someone your whole life, then changing suddenly to someone else. I imagine most of my friends in Singapore will always see me as a Malaysian (Juliana has remarked so, and most Singaporeans have commented on my Malaysian accent when speaking chinese); imagine how weird my own perception of myself will be...

(Just to state that I'm not making judgements on being Malaysian or Singaporean; rather, it's the change from one to the other that's unsettling.)

When I go to the US next year, what should I introduce myself as? If someone asks me what my nationality is, what will leap to my mouth? Today's Malaysia's national day, ironic huh?

Anyways had a great weekend, went to a bar with my lab, and there was the CUMSA chalet...was going to talk about these, but the call today just seemed to overshadow everything...some other time then...

People weekend

What a weekend!

Firstly on Friday I met Han Liang, a good friend I hadn't seen or talked to in 6 years...We parted after secondary school in ACS(I), when he left for the USA for high school, came back for national service, and left again for Yale. It was great to see him again, and even greater to find that even with the 6 year gap between us we could still talk and insult each other (more me insulting him) like we just parted yesterday. The theme of our conversation, apart from finding out what happened to each of us, was how with some friends, you can not see for years and still get on exactly as how you did in the past, with no awkwardness or wondering-what-to-say. These friends are rare treasures that you know you'll never be afraid to contact, who will never drift away despite great distances of space and time, and given my nomadic life I'll always be grateful for. You lousy Cambridge people better keep in contact hor.

Saturday was the Cumsa Fresher tea gathering! Spent most of my time talking to friends, less to the freshers...haha it's the juniors' (non-freshers) turns to answer the freshers' questions about rice cookers, flights etc. Rice cookers somehow always seem to pop up as a concern, every year. Also had dinner with Tsing Ling who came down to Singapore, went to this chocolate place with chocolate souffles, chocolate drinks and chocolate chips dipped in melted chocolate. Chocolate overload.

Then got a call from Daniel at night, apparently Joel and him had just come back to Singapore! Met with them for lunch on Sunday, as well as a bunch of other Cambridge people. And it's a small world! Hard to believe that Joel knows my housemate! (who is currently pestering me to comment here how hunky he is). So Joel came over for dinner, and we just talked till late.

And tomorrow is Monday. I remarked how as a working class denizen you feel a trepidation about Mondays, and an exhilaration on Fridays, and my housemate agreed. Also how you don't get any extended holidays like in school, and when you start work you'll be working till you retire. Scary. (will be glad for the 5 years of PhD then!!)

Also, I just finished reading Ringworld. It's the best science fiction book (with the possible exception of Dune) I've ever read! I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in science fiction!!! Man the book was written in 1977, and somehow all the sci-fi authors since have never reached that standard. Want to borrow thw sequel, but the only 3 libraries in Singapore which have them are at Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands and Marine Parade! T_T (these are like the furthest places away from my place in Commonwealth) Any friends there who go to the library often? =P

Roller bled

Just roller bladed for the first time in my life, and it was a terrifying experience...

Sunday afternoon and my housemates decide to head to East Coast Park to learn to roller blade cos they're so bored, and they drag me along. It's a hot day, the sky looks overcast, and it's an hour's travel away. I moan, but my roommate threatens to rape me.

It's been years since I've been in ECP, and the sea is actually a refreshing change from all the buildings and concrete. People cycling, walking around, barbequeing, and of cos, what we've come for, rollerblading!! It looks cool when others do it, just gliding along the park, cool and aloof to the people looking to you...inspired, we went to rent roller blades for ourselves.

Wearing the blades, we immediately realise that we couldn't stand up. Each movement with your feet threatened to send you propelling forward out of control...it's like learning to walk all over again...each step is a fight to not fall backwards on your butt with a resounding thud...which I lost quite a few times....

The first half and hour I was just trying to stay vertical, walking like a duck, keens bent, butt out, hands forward in case I fell....defintely NOT impressing all the girls....lots of other beginner skaters around too....doing the typical beginner moves, like the cheerleader wave (swinging your hands wildly when you lose your forward-backward balance) and the Rockette Kick (kicking your leg out when you lose your sideways balance).

Fell a lot, always to the back though, so after a while I was putting my hands out to the front to shift my weight rather than to break a fall....1st lesson learnt. Still walking like a duck though, and with my eyes down on the road, but once in a while a real blader will whiz past as if I was merely a lamppost...true considering our relative speeds. And the speedbumps!! Speedbumps on a roller blading path??? The cyclists are unfazed, the real bladers don't even notice them, but each bump is a mountain to me, and always promises a fall...such that in the end I was going around them by walking on the grass....

An hour and a half after roller blading we stopped...I've not learned how to really cruise, but I've mastered the duckwalk, and can stand without falling...maybe 3-4 more sessions? My feet hurt, and knees are shaky, but I've survived! Never thought 4cm would give me claustrophobia though.

1st weekend! Only 51 more weeks to go...

Just had my first weekend since starting work; work makes you so appreciate the days off! Especially the privilege of waking up late....T_T been walking around the lab like a zombie cos I feel sleepy everyday...I used to wake up at noon during the holidays, now it's 8am, and no naps!

Lawrence and Adrian came over for the weekend though! =D Spent whole day with them; brought them to Marche for lunch, showed them Suntec City and we did the 'go-around-little-fountain-3-times-with-hand-outstretched' ritual for luck....suspect it's more of a gimmick to draw tourists smack to the middle of Suntec, thus passing by the multitude of shops and increasing revenue....like it didn't really bring luck to the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire when we started splashing each other....

Met up with Eka after and went to his friend's place for a dinner party...man that house is what country clubs aspire to be!! It's not only huge, but also very well designed, with open rooms and tall ceilings, looking more like a Roman courtyard, with a pool by the side and lots of drinks and food placed for guests.....we were standing in awe, as the more regular guests just acted as if everything was normal....haha we like suaku kampung people.....

Then stayed over at Eka's place...plan was to play the night away, watching anime, or chatting...in the end we were all so tired we just collapsed....but we managed to watch the Russel Peters show where he made fun of all the different races....seen it once but it's still hilarious....see had fun even if He-who-shall-not-be-named *cough-Matt-the-DLB-cough* was too busy in Japan with Minor infractions with the schoolgirls....

Came back home (still not used to calling this place home) on Sunday morning, to rest and do some reading for tomorrow....stayed indoors till I felt sick....feel that way everytime I spend the whole day indoors at home, think I need to go out at least once a day, or see friends...ah well was researching investing also, thinking of trying my hand at unit trusts, cos the fixed deposit rates here are crap (3%; whereas the savings rates in the UK alone are 5%!).... might also dabble a little in individual stocks....all my investment banker friends, any tips?? Apparently my housemate (who's from Credit Suiss) says it's illegal, insider trading and all that...so just email me anonymously haha....but if the tip is for any company with "Adult" and/or "Entertainment" in the title I'll know it's you Han/Matthew/Allan/Richard....ok maybe less likely to be Richard....

Somehow many of the Cambridge people are overseas, on holiday, working or teaching...I expect a phone call when you guys get back...or I'll draw all over your photos and post the pictures online...

It's a Monday night, start of the week is usually depressing, but tomorrow's a public holiday courtesy of Singapore's National Day! Man we didn't even get a single day off for public holidays in Cambridge EVER. Get to sleep in again =D There seem to be lotsa events happening around the Esplanade area though, not to mention fireworks, but might be crowded and most people seem uninterested in going....sighs watch on tv then....

Anyways here's a pic of my workplace from my apartment, my lab's labelled with a green arrow....you can't hear the din of cymbals and drums they're playing downstairs for the Hungry Ghost Festival....loud and been playing for 2 hours now....

1st week of work

So I've had 3 days of work now....

Well actually not really....I've had no real lab work to do....like today I went around the building looking for nice quiet places to sleep...found a nice lounge where no one goes to....cos my supervisor doesn't really have a project for me to do, so I'm just hanging around and watching him do stuff, but he says that he'll try to give me a mini-project next week....

Hmm my job as far as I can tell will be to characterise the best conditions under which certain cells can grow....which is prob one of the less interesting jobs, as it means I'll just be changing chemicals, temperatures under which the cells are growing to see which ones they like...=\ hopefully things become more interesting....

The space in my lab is worrying too.....cos my lab's got around 18ppl but only 12 workstations, and labspace-wise 3 students and I have to share 2 lab work areas...sighs there's no one space for my own to sit and do my own stuff, instead I have to go to the nearby pantry to read, and I don't even have my own computer.....if anything this in itself has dampened my 1 year work experience already.....

Ah well it's not even been a week, I think I'll try to keep an open mind and hope things take a turn for the better!

Work's tiring (even just walking around and trying to look as if you're busy reading papers)....and by the end of the day you just want to stay in and rest....went out for dinner with friends on Monday and Tuesday though, so today's the first day I'm just lying on my couch watching tv with my housemates, and it feels good =D

And Lawrence is coming to Singapore this weekend! But Matthew who was supposed to come too has decided to go to Japan instead, because cute Japanese chicks are more important to him than his friends, the lousy dirt'ee lil' bastard that he is....a warning to all japanese girls: keep away from this guy: