OMG .. it's Rent The MOVIE

Call me slow .. but I just found out that there is a RENT the movie. I love this muscial. I watched it in Melbourne and fell in LOVE with the songs and the story. So touching and so GOOD!!! And the good part is that the original cast of the muscial is reprising their role in the movie. So we wont be getting crappy (but good looking) actors playing the roles. You are acutally getting real singers ... broadway singers.

I guess the only gripe I have is that Rosario Dawson is playing Mimi .. i guess they HAVE to have one star in the production otherwise who knows, you would only get ther true blue fans watching it. Also another gripe is WHY Chris Columbus as the director. Yuck yuck yuck. His credits include harry potter .. ermm nine months. and some other equally fluffly movies. Why not spike lee or sam mendes or baz luhrman as rumoured.

But at least they are having a movie .. a consolation for not actually watching the Broadway production :) cant wait!!

My Interview yesterday and the results

Went for my first round interview (or third interview) with EDB. Now it is for a position in planning division. They asked me about my thought processes regarding:
- how would you try to involve Singapore in the mineral industry in INdon?
- what are the steps in mineral processing?
- what you think Singapore should do to attract this mineral processing industry?
- can Singapore have a mineral processing industry?
- Finally, how would you examine the global trade flows in ten years time?

With the exception of the last question, I have ZERO knowledge of the rest. Nothing ... it was basically a BULLSHITTING SESSION for me.

Well, apparently the interview went well. The HR lady (who is very nice) called and mentioned that they liked me. Asked me a preference to which division (seems like I still have a chance at International Policies - I said I have no preference). Then I arrange a third round interview at the start of NOVEMBER. hehe ... so that gives me time to relax and show around somemore :P

More job hunting ... sigh

After applying for a total of 3 jobs - MFA, EDB, and Citibank (have not gotten a reply yet), I have to start applying for others. oh wait, I did apply for one more last weekend - a research associate position in the UN development program in .. (far far away land) colombo, Sri Lanka. Fun huh!!

Anyway, I really have to get my act together and start applying for the jobs. I already bookmarked all the websites and should be able to send in the applications. Wonder what is stopping me .. procrastination? laziness? or just a fear of facing up to reality? Argh ... I am graduating in Nov and I have no clue what me life will be after that.

Maybe I should just go on a long long holiday. Anyone interested? msg me.

Results of the interview

Well, they called me and told me i did not get the position in International Policy Division. But they liked me enough to give me a shot at a position in Planning division. I guess thats good right?
So another interview next Thursday.

Sigh .. this job hunting is really tiring.

A long day

After only sleeping for 5 1/2 hours, I woke up at 7 am to go for class.

0900-1230 - media class ... i had to give a presentation on a Singapore government campaign and assess its effectiveness
1400-1500 - rush from NUS to city hall
1500-1700 - the second round of my interview. I had to prepare a presentation on a country that is a competitor with Singapore and show how Singapore can collaborate. Well ... i think it went alright :)
1700-1830 - rush back to NUS for classes in the evening
1830-2100 - classes on the economic development of .. today was Singapore and Taiwan
2100-2200 - travel home ...

So finally .. i am home and i can sleep. I just need to get up early tom so i can finish my readings for comparative politics tom. sigh ...

Interview again??

I got into the second round - yippee ... now i have to go to class in the morning, rush for the interview in the afternoon and then go for the evening class ... sigh. It is going to be a long day tom. I have to go to the place and present on a topic of their choice. hopefully I dont screw up :P

Another Interview

Just got back from my interview with EDB. Seemed reallyy fast - it ended in about 15 mins and you know what that means. hmmm. just ask some basic questions like why i want to do a masters in International studies instead of econs. The only tough question is when the lady asked me what I would do when some middle eastern countries want to sign an FTA multilaterally instead of bilaterally? Who would I do?? hmm .. i gave a really lame answer .. to the effect of .. i don't know. haha ..

anyway, for those who want to interview there ... (of course here i am assuming that there are people who are reading this ... how self-deprecating), the question that they have for their writing test is: What do you think is the greatest challenge facing EDB and why??
They have not changed the question for a while. So if you are thinking of interviewing in the next few months (richard, interested?), then you can prepare for this question. Its really funny that you can bring in the things that you brought and your phone. So basically you can call people or look at your notes for inspiration when you go for the writing test. funny huh?

Friends are like Viagra ...

Boarded the bus this morning and went to sit at the back right seat. I love sitting there as there is more legroom (very important when the bus seats are built for 1.70+ Asian pp (I doubt SBS has ever thought of increasing the leg room. It would decrease the bus capacity. AND we wouldn't want that .. would we?? o_o)

So I saw this grafitti on the back seat and thought that it was really interesting. "Friends are like viagra. They keep you up when you are down." Very witty .. interesting.. unless, of course the witty interesting person RIPPED it off from some where. But then again, who cares!

Journey to the car (after the Class Reunion)

After the class reunion, Ramani was really nice to offer us a ride to the city. We were in the unknown (ulu) lands called Chinatown or Chin Swee Road. So we walked and walked. The car was so farking far. Lucikily I had nimale and a camera to entertain myself (no ... nothing dirty). Anyway, if you need a car to fetch the whole soccer team, Ramani is the MAN to call. His car is so freaking big and it even has a DVD player.

We walked ...

And walked ... oh look we are finally at the Singapore General hospital (where the car is parked) cos RA mum has staff parking (read FREE!)

And walked ...

Almost there ... see the lift sign on the top

The culprit :)

Ah ... the car finally. It just took us 10-15 mins to get to it.

Look how spacious it is

Jason was delirious from some joke. I can't remember what. See .. this is what you get from blogging so late after the event. My Bad!!

The LCD screen that is connected to the DVD player. EVERYONE say wuuuu ...

This was some random people that I took that were having a wedding photo session in the trishaw.

A closeup of the entourage ... I spy with my little eye ... some overly made-up bridesmaids. The photographer apparently spotted me taking a photo. Sadly we zoomed away

Class Reunion

After much procrastination, I am going to put up the photos that I took for the class reunions the previous saturday. First off, I am no fan of class reunions. How odd to meet people who knew you in your past, where you were someone else (unless you have remain stagnant/unchanged for the last 7 years). They remember you as you were, not as you are. Then there is a short intermission, where they reconcile the past and present you, and then comment how you have changed so much. Where in fact, you feel that you have not changed at all, maybe just a little but not as drastic as they say.

Anyway, my class had 30 pp and only about 12 pp came for the lunch. Thanks Poh Cheng for organising the class reunion, although I have to say that the food was nothing to rave about (cold fried tim sum and things with unidentifiable contents). Okay ... enough ... bring on the photos. Its basically taken from a round table so the angles will look horrible and the people are not exactly very cooperative. I will go in order from left to right.

Ramani and Lionel

Nimale - he came late

Jason Cheong and Qing Qiang

Poh Cheng and Wei How

Wei How and Gong Wei

Ming Qian, Andre and Alex (I like the waiter at the back)

Finally, Peter (and no .. he is not picking his nose) and Danica (he's shy).

So in the end, it was nice to know what everyone was doing. But again the high school groups emerged and those who were from the same social group sat together and chatted. There were the people who bridged these groups and were able to facilitate the conversation. But then it was always like that in 4A3 in SJI 1997. Au revior to the past... See you all in 2007 for the class of 1997 reunion.

Some humour Test

I am tired doing my readings for the Japanese studies so I decided to go blog visiting. I came across this test on Paul's blog and decided to take.. Who wouldn't.. haha! Well this is the result:

the Provacateur (66% dark, 34% spontaneous, 52% vulgar)

your humor style: VULGAR | COMPLEX | DARK You'll crack on anything, and you're often witty, even caustic, about it. Therefore, your sense of humor is polarizing. You're transgressive, and you've got a seriously sharp 'edge'--maybe too much for some folks. If they get you, people think you're one of the funniest (and smartest) people in the world. If they don't, they think you're an ass. Whatever, right? While some might question your judgement, your comic intellect is unquestionably respected. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Chris Rock - Lenny Bruce - George Carlin The 3-Variable Funny Test! - it rules - If you're interested, try my latest: The Terrorism Test

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 85% on darkness You scored higher than 18% on spontaneity You scored higher than 79% on vulgarity

Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on Ok Cupid

I am in job hunting Mode!!

After that catastrophe with the phone ambush by EDB. I have just applied for another position at citigroup. Heard that they don't pay well and they don't have a lot of welfare. So I am not really sure why I am applying for their management associate position. Oh well .. will see if I get the interview first.

Ambushed!!

I was ambushed by EDB on the way out of my class today. I got a call from EDB (because I applied for a position there in their International Policies Division). Then they asked if she can talk to me about some facts in my resume and asked some questions. So I thought why not?

So I boarded the bus cos I was having my media class at the LKY school of public policy and was going to the main campus area. Then she Embushed ME!! She started the interview - So why do you want to apply to the International Policies Division? What do you see yourself in the future and what are your plans? What are the challenges that you think EDB is facing right now? Argh ... and I did not have the poise or confidence to answer properly. But then somehow I manage to get through this round and she said that she will arrange the interview with the directors.

BUT .. since I interned there before, the expectations on me is HIGHER! Since I have done all these wonderful subjects like (Chinese Business studies, Japanese Business Systems, International Trade) I should be KNOWLEDGABLE of local and global issues. Oh yeah ... before she forgets, the Interviewers are the director and deputy director and they are very tough interviewers. So she tells me to get ready.

Thanks a lot ... I really hope that this is not going to be another MFA part two. Which by the way, I did not get. (Not too sure how to feel about that).