Just Another Day In School... #4

Here are two very classic examples of "How In The Hell Did You Qualify For University Education?!"

Classic Example No. 1:

Note:
1. This posting was made on 29th September 2005.
2. The "make-up test" being referred to here is to be scheduled on the 8th October 2005.
3. Scienctists have not made any breakthrough in forecasting/predicting the future as of now (29th September 2005).

Classic Example No. 2:


Note:
1. This posting was made on 29th September 2005, marking Week 7 (out of 13 weeks of the school semester).

Disclaimer: I am not liable for the coincidence that occurs in the names of the students involved.

On The Bus... #11

Another trip on the bus. Two caucasian girls were on the bus chatting loudly.

Girl 1: *Whips out her ez-link card* "I got this for like don't know how much."
Girl 2: "OMG I can't believe you're an EZ-Linker!"
Girl 1: "What's wrong with that?"
Girl 2: "I just can't believe it." *Shakes her head*

*More chattering ensues*

Girl 1: *Tries to tap her ez-link card at the reader*
(The reader is showing the no-entry sign at the moment)
Girl 1: *Gives up and shrugs* "I don't know how this thing works actually."
Girl 2: *Takes a look at the reader* "It's turned off, you freak!"
Girl1: *Tries to laugh it off* "Oh haha."

Yet another trip on the bus...

Hong Kong Disneyland And The Hordes...

Here's a link, courtesy of EastSouthWestNorth, that has an article about the just-recently opened Hong Kong Disneyland.

Credits go to Apple Daily, Ming Pao and NineMSN as well, for the write-ups by their reporters.

http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20050914_2.htm

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=62379

I quote some of the sentences used in the articles (just in case you don't wish to read it):

"The Ming Pao Daily reported Tuesday that visitors from mainland China disregarded the theme park's rules and smoked cigarettes in restaurants and other nonsmoking areas."

"The newspaper carried another photograph showing a woman from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong helping a young child loosen his trousers to urinate beside a flower bed."

"It was hot yesterday, and so some mainland Chinese male tourists pulled up their shirts to display their flesh. Some people pulled up their long pants to turn them into shorts just to cool down. Others squat by the roadside to chat."

"Our reporter observed a "classical" scene. Right in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle, the reporter saw our stream of water falling by the road. The reporter turned out and saw a bare-bottomed boy urinating into the flower bed under the direction of his mother. Some of the "fertilizer" fell on the ground. Later, that little boy ran around the plaza while exhibiting his "little bird.""

And this line probably sums it all up in one line:

"Although Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997, many locals regard themselves as more refined and educated than their mainland Chinese counterparts."

Disclaimer...

With the advent of the iron fist, it looks like the law is here to stay.

However, I must claim that all of my entries are written because I have witnessed the events taking place personally. There is no distortion of truth, and neither is there anyway of warping what I have seen.

And for some entries which aren't directly based on my real-life encounters (like How To Survive In The Real World), it's just a good read for you to think over things which you probably won't think much about, even when you're sitting down there waiting for things to come out (with a full toilet dispenser beside you of course!).

As a disclaimer, please inform me if you find any of my entries, in any manner, be it *slightly* or *very*, sedt0us, just let me know. I will remove the offensive entry, no questions asked.

Meanwhile, I hope that whoever is reading this, continues to enjoy the nitpicks that I put up.

Kids And Kittens...

Another school day, another walk to the bus-stop.

Walking past the lift lobby of a block of flats, I came across a bunch of kids. There were 4 or 5 of them. They had 2 kittens with them, which 2 of the kids held in their hands like a couple of ragdolls (because they weren't able to move in their hands by the way the kids grabbed them).

The kittens were very much alive, and small/young too. The kids wanted to see the kittens climb a concrete pillar (they probably thought it was the same as a tree). So they took the kittens, and tried to get its paws to "stick" to the pillar by pushing the kittens against the pillar.

Just in the manner in which you would do, to get those suction-hooks to stick to your wall at home.
















I wouldn't be surprised if the kids grew tired of the kittens' refusal to "stick" to the pillar, and then decided to test the flammability of the kittens' fur.

Just Another Day In School... #3

A non-local student comes 15 mins late into the lecture class.

Beside me, is a whole row of 7-8 empty chairs.

He moves into the same row as me, and HAS to sit one chair away from me.

Now instead of sitting down quietly minding his own business, he starts flapping my shirt-sleeve.

I ignore him.

He persistently flaps my shirt-sleeve with his hand, and I finally turn to stare at him.

He points at my lecture notes, packed full of writings and highlights of the important points, and beckons for me to lend it to him to copy.

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Let's analyse this carefully:
- He could have just "sat down and shut up". Nobody else would be burdened by him; only he himself has to answer for his punctuality for lectures. (This is what the normal student would do)

- I could lend him my notes immediately, but I would have no other place to copy any thoughts/words that the lecturer conveys. I could take out a spare piece of paper while the bastard is copying off from mine (assuming I did lend him my notes). But then I would have to spend extra time at home transferring the notes over from the spare paper.

- I could tell the fella to wait until the break at the end of the hour, but his persistency in flapping my god-damned shirt-sleeve sure pissed me off. There is no denying that he knows that the lecture has already started, and that nobody would like to be disturbed by such impertinent requests in the midst of any lecture.

And I am one of those who does not like anybody to disturb me during lectures.
----------------------------------------

Obviously irritated by this lazy bastard, I hold my finger up to my lips, and tell him (in his native language), "Keep quiet! Don't kick up a ruckus!"

He turns back, and gradually shows his true colours. After awhile, he grew tired of listening to the lecture. He shook his legs like a pair of jackrabbit vibrators. He sat and played with the empty seats nearby (these could retract and be brought up/down). He went to sleep (not doze off accidentally, mind you). He didn't make any notes of his own.

The lazy bastard.

MSN Service Status...

The below page always appears, regardless of whether MSN is experiencing downtime or not.








"It wasn't me."

Hurricane Katrina

When the tsunami occurred, nations worldwide responded immediately within 24 hours, gathering food supplies and raising much-needed monetary funds for Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka.

The US offered their help, pledging US$35 million. They subsequently increased this promised amount tenfold, to US$350 million.

Even Singapore immediately had food collection centres set up to collect supplies from Singaporeans.

Now, even as Hurricane Katrina has passed by for at least 4 days, nothing seems to have been done by the various nations in the rest of the world.

Even Singapore is only reporting about the disaster; nothing about any local efforts made to raise funds for the US of A.

So what is the difference here?

It's a superpower on the globe that is in trouble here.

Facts of Life Which You Didn't Know, #10

When political leaders and scientists talk about overpopulation becoming a serious problem, it always makes one think twice when such things happen instead:

(All links and any copyrights belong to the various news site. I am not taking credit for any of the information found on these links.)

1. 965 dead in Baghdad stampede
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/31/iraq.main/index.html

2. Hajj stampede: 244 pilgrims dead
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/02/01/hajj.stampede/

3. Scores killed in Indian stampede
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4204877.stm

4. Stampede in Ghana Leaves at Least 100 Dead
http://english1.people.com.cn/english/200105/10/eng20010510_69570.html

5. Inquiry into China New Year crush
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3463179.stm

And here is a site that sums it all up nicely:

Stampede Map
http://www.mapreport.com/century/subtopics/d/3.html

Is this a natural disaster? I don't think so. Nothing to do with the weather or any geographical misfortunes.

Are the deaths justified? We're not talking about the Iraq War, or a Gulf War, or conflicts between political parties that involve their nations. Those wars happened for a reason, be it historical, monetary, or greed.

So what's left? Probably "stupidity" is the only reason left...

I don't see overpopulation a problem actually. There will always be people stupid enough to kill themselves for no justified reason.

It only takes *one* stupid person to start it all.

Facts of Life Which You Didn't Know, #9

Actually, make that 2.

1. An adult mynah (the black bird with the yellow beak), if caught from the wild and held in captivity, will bite its own tongue and commit suicide.

2. There are plenty of birds out there that have either one leg missing, or one normal leg plus one stump (with no claws on it) for the other leg.