30 March 2015

March 2015

March 2015- an eventful month. I struggled between prestige and passion. I decided that I want to study chemistry. I could chose Chemical Engineering for the sake of prestige. I could also just try for a concurrent double major or double degree. Why didn't I? Most common questions asked: Why go to NUS Science or just study chemistry in NTU?

I don't want people to judge me for the course I'm choosing - from there, people judge that I didn't do well enough to go to a better course. I don't want my parents to tell others and then let others assume that I just didn't do as well. Neither do I want to regret my choice to go into chemistry- the subject that I am so passionate about that I read up on additional mechanisms, go the extra mile to find out reasons behind certain reactions and how chemistry affects us in our daily lives- because university chemistry is different. Yet, my heart tells me to chose chemistry because I love chemistry. Who knows 4 years down the road, I may dislike chemistry. No one knows. 

2 years ago, I said I wanted to be a dentist, then I wanted to be a gardener and a plastic surgeon. I am not going to hide how many times my aspiration has changed. I did not throw my dentist dream away because I did not get straight As, neither did I throw my landscape architect dream because I can't draw nor did I decide not to be a plastic surgeon because I have to study for so many years. 

But 2 years in SA is enough to make me discover my passion for chemistry (academically) and my passion for people (CCA). It is hard to describe in 2000 characters or 3800 characters or 300 words on why chemistry and why people. Chemistry does not have a concurrent double major and I am not going to chose another course because of that. I am not going to chose another course because of prestige, neither am I going to give up physics in university either. So I hope that people stop judging my grades because of my choice. Stop telling me that I'm not going to acquire a good skill like engineering.

One thing I'm going to say is: Passion over prestige. I'm definitely looking forward to study chemistry, a bit of physics and some fun modules in university. 

03 March 2015

My Alevel Experience

I’m just very glad that I’ve finally completed Alevels and I must say though I didn’t get straight As, I am just really satisfied with my results yet I secretly (not so) hope that I’ve done better for General Paper. For those asking for grades,
H2 Physics – A
H2 Chemistry – A
H2 Math – A
H1 Geography – B
H1 General Paper – D
H1 Project Work – B
H1 Chinese – B

Despite the ugly D grade on my Alevel certificate, I’m just thankful that I do not have to repeat this exam again. And I’m just very happy for my AAA/BD because I did not expect the AAA since I left 10 marks blank for physics and probably more than 10 marks blank for Math. But D for GP isn’t something worth to celebrate (I was hoping for a C) since my mom spent so much money on GP tuition and that I spent more time on GP but I still couldn’t get a more decent grade for this subject. Despite hating GP, I actually am thankful for this subject. Because of this subject, I know more about the world around me (we’re not living in utopia), I learnt to evaluate what is right and what is wrong and that there are many little things we can do in the future  for the world to be a better place. This maybe my worst subject (that I’ve struggled with), but I felt that I grew a lot while studying for GP and I am definitely not crying over it. Hats off to my GP tuition teacher – Ms Ho and my 4 GP tutors that I had in SA (I’m still not sure why we kept changing teachers with different style of writing) – Mr Koh, Ms Ling, Ms Sin and Mrs Goh, especially Mrs Goh for really helping me to see what is around me in this world. I hope that I’m not your hardest student to teach.
As for the other subjects, I would also like to thank my respective subject teachers for putting in a lot of effort (including the lecturers) for their constant support, guidance and effort—extra lessons, extra worksheets and consultations.
I also want to thank my friends for providing me a direction to head to which made studying for Alevels much easier—Weixin (my first student who got an A for chemistry), Jonathan, Yentheme, Evan, Xin Siang, Rosa, Janessa, Bijuan, Doan and everyone else.


To those who studied with me for almost the entire year, Weixin, Evan and Xin Siang 7 days a week from morning to night in school and in the library, thank you for all the memories. It was really tough, but it was memorable. You guys make everything better. Our epic library moments- jumping across escalators to avoid sensors, xs’s radio playing out loud in the library, laughing at each other’s fail-ness and making library our temporary playground (we didn’t play like kids in playground but we had fun).

To those who studied in school with me and enduring my crap, sometimes I talk too much—Rosa, Janessa, Bijuan (during breaks and during the 2 week break) and Sarah, thank you.

To those who supported me and always listening to my worries, then making me feel better and always helping me – Ngan (Doan), Xin Siang, Weixin and Evan, thank you.

To those who I befriended while studying in school (Which made night study fun)– Yan Lun, Hyun Jun and Ben Ng, thank you. I always look forward to dinner time.
This photo was taken on the day before my 18th birthday which was the day after my prelim. 
To my 2 other students who gave me a taste of how teaching is like and for providing me a direction to head to– Jonathan and Yentheme, thank you.  

To my all-time favourite study buddy – Beatrice Tan (I can’t believe that we’ve been studying together for 6 years), thank you.

To those who supported me – the rest of 4th advocates and the heralds, thank you for the constant encouragement and support. Whenever we see each other along the corridors or during our projects in the first half of the year (My TBC task force and YFC task force) especially TBC as it was probably really demanding for all to stay back and go through so many dry runs with BT1 round the corner, I’m just really thankful we pulled through.



To our GP tuition group for always going for tuition together and always helping me with this subject—Stephanie, Leonard, Jonathan, Xin Siang and Sherard, thank you. We’re always so tired after school but we’re still pushing ourselves through to go for tuition together.

To 2 important friends that always listen to my endless crap in the morning (when I feel like talking), and their endless jokes about studies and just anything (I will not forget the both of you even though we do not study together). My day starts off pretty well whenever I speak to the both of you—Clement and YinQing, thank you.

To the one who make me look forward to go to library during the weekends, we call it fate—Carnation Kng, thank you.

To my makan hipsters who always encourage me in our chat, we don’t see each other often but I’m so glad for our friendship for the past 8 – 9 years, thank you for those yolo moments. (Going out 3 days before my J1 promos was something I wouldn’t do)

To my parents who always sacrifice for me and listening to my ridiculous requests such as salmon for dinner, only Australia broccoli, giving me allowance so that I can study outside, always nagging at me and helping me, thank you.



I wouldn’t have come this far without all these people that I’ve mentioned and I’m really sorry that I’m not a person with a lot of words when it comes to this but I am just so grateful for all the memories together. 
Evan once said: Alevel was tough, but the harder the effort, the more glory and memories. 
I love all of you a lot. No words can express how I feel when I saw my grades on that piece of paper. It isn’t the typical straight As, I’m not sobbing over that B or D but in fact, I’m fine with that. No regrets, no looking back, we’re all going to university and I’ll always remember this journey that I’ve been through and even if I forget, there’s always this blogpost to always remind me of everyone, including my teachers. 

Post Prelims and Alevel reflection

14 February 2015

Liar game









Watched finished Liar game a few days ago. If I'm not wrong, I watched  the last 2 episodes on Wednesday while I watched the other 10 on Sunday.

How was I able to wait for the last 2 episodes? Well, I actually couldn't stop watching liar game. The reason why I took forever for 2 episodes was because I was really busy and that there were a lot of things going on these days and I was really busy and tired that I couldn't finish the last 2 episodes.

Trust me, I dreamed about liar game in my sleep because the show totally killed me. It really killed me to the extent that I just kept thinking about it because it was such a sick show. I meant sick in the mind. Such a psychological thriller literally made me feel like the rest of the dramas that I watched were not as good as liar game and now I'm left hanging with episode 12... Please let a part 2 come out soon (in the mean while, I'm going to jump into the Japanese version after The King's Face since it originated from Japan).

This is a must watch drama and whoever who wrote this drama is such a genius! I was completely thrown off guard during the entire show and I absolutely loved the plot on how people deceive each other and on trusting each other. All in the name of money. Sounds like any other plot but it is a reality show in a drama and its a game where you see people betray each other. Shin Sung Rok (who acted in My love from another star and The King's Face) is really a good actor.



Everyone wears a mask. Good, evil, compassion, conscience, justice. Names of these masks. From time to time, we mistake those masks to be our real selves. But here, without any exception, we take off all those masks. Your true self, looking at this money… what would it be?



06 February 2015

Places to visit in the future

  1. Vietnam- Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Ha Long Bay, Sapa
  2. Japan- Osaka, Wakayama, Kyoto, Kobe
  3. Korea- Seoul, Jeju, Busan
  4. China- Beijing, Shaan Xi
  5. Europe- Russia, Germany (to see the remnants of WWII)
Realized that those countries that I want to visit have rich historical background. But I'm more interested in the geographical aspect. Really... 

Good grief, I really need a lot of money and time to travel to these places.

Bride of the century




Hello! I watched finished bride of the century 2 days ago and I really love that drama. There was that adrenaline rush that I was looking forward to. It was really an interesting plot though it was quite obvious on what would happen as there is more that what it was on the surface where the history in the family eventually unfolds in a really interesting way.


I loved how the fate of the family members intertwined and the chemistry between leads. (Hong gi is really quite cute). I was expecting quite a bit of horror. HAHA it wasn't scary at all. (In my opinion). This drama also left quite a bit of an impression in which I would want to watch this again. It's definitely an exciting drama to watch (Power struggle & backstabbing) with a unique story-line.