CD ripping

Have been busy riping all my CDs into WMA format for the past few nights. Completed ripping those recent CDs in my car / ablum so far. Already took up 1.3GB space. There are still another 50% more CDs (older ones in my shleves)...that will maybe take me another couple of nights to finish the whole exercise.

Wanted to compile all my favourite sones long long time ago...now that there is a USB slot in my new car audio system, i finally took up the eefort cos it make sense to finally do it and enjoy the better songs when I am travelling daily. Good time to do some early spring cleaning on my CDs too...managed to clear out 20% of the less attractive ones.

Anyone reading the blog now has 1-2 songs as your all time favourites and think I must listen?? If yes kindly send the WMA formatted songs to my email : honghoo.goh@gmail.com so that maybe i can expand my library abit more :)

Mandarin / Chinese / English / cantonese song all also can, even hokkian i also listen abit. you u really want to educate me...can try other languages like thai / indian etc...lol who knows...i may like them.

PBP visit to Seraya Shell

It's my free day in school, no lesson at all on Tues, so i decided to visit my 6 pbp students. Good time to try out my 23 days old car along AYE/ JI too. :)

Visited Sin Yee in the 1st stop at Idemitsu. Brought her some japanese custard cakes. We 1st tasted such custard cake in Jia Yi (at bottom of alisan city) and the kids loved the taste, have to queue for 30 mins to get a box back in Taiwan.

Now back home, found this stall in Yew Tee, but the cakes are not as delicate as those in taiwan and also abit smaller. But neverthe less still nice to eat :)

Sin Yee seems vry happy over there and there might be a employment chance for her too....so that will keep her motivated for the next 3 months,

2nd stop - visited khalisa, also borought her a box of cake. Too bad the supervisor is busy meeting, so i talk to her only. she is also happy settling in, her senior LiYan is guiding her so should not be a prblem. Promise to bring her n sup out for lunch in the 2nd visit instead.

Last stop - Shell Seraya.Have lunch out of the JI @ pizza hut - the usual makan place, follow by dessert. After the lunch we even buy 4D!! (Inspiration from my new car). Too bad it didn't come out in the wed draw...hopefully better luck in sat/sun for me :)


will be seeing them again in5 weeks time. hope to bring good reviws with me :)

Lyrics

I always maintained that a good song can have good melody, but it will be only be great song if it is gifted a some good lyrics to pair along as well. And I almost miss 1 ...

When I bought the original CD of 纵贯线，i never refer to the lyrics in details and just enjoy the songs while I am driving. Anyway the wordings are too small for me to read comfortably.

And when i need to prepare the lyrics and remember the lyrics abit better, in order to get bigger fonts, i downloaded the lyrics from baidu.com for easy reading. Only then i realised how horribly wrong can the lyrics in the web can be.

The most touching 2 line of the song, in my opinion, are 孩子你呀 多些你的话 in verse 1.
and in the next verse, the lyrics changed slightly to: 孩子你呀 多谢你的话.
Many would regard it as a misprint. the lyrics in the web never reflect that. I notice that in the original CD booklet. Some would think they are same pronounciation / same meaning anyway.

I instantly recall the conversation with the mother at the wake. She wished the young could leave behind more words before departing so suddenly. Exactly the same feeling the 1st verse trying to express.

then when it come to the 2nd verse, notice the single word change...孩子你呀 多谢你的话.
Instead lamenting missing the words, the song is expressing we thank him for the words he has already spoken.

1 world, same pronounciation, so subtle the change, yet the meaning and progress of the song feeling bring us to a new level of understanding. I hope u can understand what I am to say. Not easy to put all these thoughts and feelings that go through my head n my heart when reading the lyrics ....

I am so glad I bought the original CD and went through the lyrics in details....and not believe the lyrics downloaded from the web. I could miss so much....

Dedicated to Kelvin - 一路走好

天使的眼泪-纵贯线（罗大佑）

那夜里的歌声 有天使的眼泪

在星光中苏醒 随夜幕而低垂

如婴儿那一般 甜蜜的沉睡

无缘故的飘摇 在幸福的追随

孩子你呀 多些你的话

是否有点累 是否有点醉

他仁慈善良的爱 领你我冲破狂风巨浪

就如一颗明亮的晨星 带给我无限的希望

啊夜里的梦中 有天使的眼泪

为微笑而苏醒 为呼吸而无悔

如婴儿那一般 甜蜜的沉睡

有缘分的迁移 在幸福的追随

孩子你呀 多谢你的话、

是否有点累 是否有点醉

是否有点累 是否有点醉

是否有点累 是否有点醉。。。。。。

Year End HK visit

Finally PSLE is over!!! and only now wife has the mood to discuss about where to go for our annual vacations. There is a small window where the choices of Sec school are made...and thet need a week to process the national applications and release the final choice of all PSLE school leavers.

So we have about a week of window to go for a short getaway. Really to make full use the the 7-8 days, we want to minimise the travelling and go for a places where whole family can enjoy. In the end our choice to is go to HK-ShengZhen for 8 days.

We have been there 3 times before actually...but our last visit is >12 years ago b4 my son is even born!!. so I believe things in HK has changed so much for the past decade and worth visiting for a week of shopping and fun in the Ocean park. We will be taking the new cable car too!!

And needless to say, changes in SZ will be even more drastic, and for the better, for the past years. Hope it is still a shopping and food papadise. This time, for the first time, we will be staying in SZ for 1 night to maximise our time there and less hectic daily travel. I am prepare to burn a hole in my pocket there actually....books / sports shoes / jerseys will be my main targets of shopping in SZ.

I have book the flights (Jetstar) and hotels (Intercontinental) for all 8 days. have also done my home work on where to visit for each day....so all things set...just awaiting DEc 14 to come....then we will be off for a deserved rest. :)

MegaZip Video

25 of us made it to Sentosa...afew of those who signed up did very well in the exam so they really dun feel like jumping off from 5 storey high building.

the overall activity time is actuall 3 seconds for the parajump and 1 minute for the Megazip...but it took us more than 2.5 hours to complete as a group. We spend happy time chatting, putting harness, climbling up, joking, hesitating, taking pictures and being scolded by instructors for being too noisy.

But to me..that is also part of the outing fun. We are out there having a good time as a group.

Manage to take some very nice pict and videos too!! I did my parajump as well...but no one took video :(

anyway...here are the edited movie: enjoy!!

PS. while we are driving into Sentasa, we saw the heavy and busy constructions of the new theme park ...what caught our eyes the most is the horrifying looking roller coaster tracks!!!
and me and Christof smile at each other and instantly we know THAT will be our next outing target!! so stay tune...we will be there!!!

NUS Lunch gathering @ 25/8 Tue

After the NTU gathering post was uploaded, i received afew MSN asking why there isnt 1 arrange for NUS students....(exactly same respond as per last year!!). Have to tell them to calm down and wait for another week...

So here is it :

Date : 25 Aug Tue
Venue : Munchy Monkey
Time : 11.30 am to 3pm, there will be about be about 15-18 seats available...more than that will be abit too crampy!!

So kindly quickly refer to your time table and book the slot that you preferred to join. Kindly register in the comment area, please do not book for your whole 55 freiends...2 names allowed per registration only...if they want to meet up ...i think come here to register is NOT a too difficult thing to do for themselves.

See u soon in NUS.

NTU lunch gathering @ 18 Aug Tue

Yesterday HN visited me and informed me that NTU new semester time table is already out. Today I called up Sake ShuShi NTU branch and successfully booked the dinning area for 3 hours.
So I guess the annual gathering is ON!!

Date : 18 Aug Tue
Time : 11.30 am to 1pm (1st slot)
1 pm to 2.30 pm (2nd slot)

each slot there will be about 15-18 seats available...more than that will be abit too crampy!!

So kindly quickly refer to your time table and book the slot that you preferred to join. Kindly register in the comment area, please do not book for your whole 55 freiends...2 names allowed per registration only...if they want to meet up ...i think come here to register is NOT a too difficult thing to do for themselves.

And No Anna you cannot stay for both the session. LOL. (JK)
See you all there!!!

GT 2010 - Register by end Aug to get discount!!

GT 2010 - 4D3N Penang / Langkawi

Date : June 2010 school holiday

Estimated cost : $500 +/- (ALL inclusive!!)
– including 1 Free dinner hosted by Lecturers

Fly by budget airline direct to Penang - 4 full n funfill days

Activities :
Adventure / snorkeling **/ Go-karting / etc @ Langkawi
Food / shopping / sightseeing etc @ Penang

Who’s coming too : Your seniors graduated from NYP + a few other lecturers

Trust me not?? commit now and get early bird bonus : place your deposit of $150 by end Aug and enjoy a $30 discount!!!

Certified BLI finally

I was priviliedged to attend 7-8 of Tony Buzan seminars in SIM. I was beheaving myself and do the the assigments with my best efforts all the time. And with more energy put into the drawing of in all the mindmaps....I somehow gained more and more of the benefits and insights out of the exercises. It certainly not love at 1st sight...but I experienced the beauty of the mindmapping techniques only after 20-30 drawings.

Buzan is of course watching my work along the various seminars...and at the last..he mentioned that my mindmaps are getting better and better. I am more daring and willing to use abit more symbols and self drawn pictures in them.

Then of course, he ask me 3 times personally to join Buzan as a certified trainer. I am indeed deeply honoured to be asked for such a role and I just cannot say no to the master.

So I took 5 days leave and pay thousands of dollars on my own to go through the training of BLI workshop. Of course that is only the beginning. the follow up assignments include :
- 1000 word essay
-100 mindmaps
- 5 x 2 hours teaching (w feedback form to prove)
- 1 video recording of the class

took me 3-4 months to complete the assignments and then I submitted them to Buzan Asia.

And last friday came the good news - I was then officially certified as a BLI...Buzan Licensed Trainer.

From the comments of the MD of Buzan Asia Henry : "Your lesson is engaging and homourous".

And I was handled some extra time teaching assignments at UniSIM soon...I can only do it on Sat morning. But I am moer than willing to try out this adventure.

Long term there is also need for me to do mindmaps teaching / official rules of techniques in Chinese. That will be a more time consuming effort.

Anyway...this is what I set in my goals in 2009 and I have achieved it on time. I am ahppy of the effort I put in and the outcome as well. :) Just want to share my happiness with u all. Cheers.

Some funny answers in Safety CT

here are some of the funny inputs i received this semester :


since when do we have hydrogen supply into pilot plant?

it says diesel will try to react with 2-ethyl hexanol...but the question says SEPERATE POOL!

1st time I see someone put in SOLID as a answer in this safety valve question. Real solid !!

Someone also imagine we actually have flare in pilot plant?? Even better- this student haven't go to CPTC yet...got future!!

I really duuno what this student doing during safety briefing in week 1....

Sounds like english teacher - cannot be pump so not pumpable. what kind of elaboration is that....

So important to switch on the air con and lights b4 starting distiallation.....so logical and simple!!

2kg/g is so much different from 2g/kg!!

as of always...there is someone do forget their year 1 organic chem naming sequence....


This sem I tell the students to put stars in front of the paper to indicate priority marking - means be the 1st to be marked. Those with more stars will be in front of those without....and the winner is : 10 stars !!

All the students understood, except 1...maybe he try to be very efficient, but to me is not effective (meaning - NO USE!) , I regard his input as just 1 star instead. Wonder why he never write more efficiently...like 1k / 1 m....

Go-Kart @local Jurong circuit

Finally after afew delays due to school CT rescheduling, 4 of us manage to take 1/2 day leave together to try out the local circuit @ jurong. It's actually near Tang Dynasty and next to KFC.


As expected circuit was the compact and winding type, so lots of sharp corners and there was a section which is quite bumpy too.

The cart engines are good, so at certain corners you really have to break and that is where skills come in abit to avoid spinning or hitting the tyres wall.


The steering of the cart was on the stiff side, so after 1 round we have to really rest. Had drinks at KFC to cool down and talk abit. Sonny is going back to Canada next Tue so we ask quite abit of his plan and info about things back home.

After 2 rounds, Allen have back pain, I have ribs strain, Sonny and Christof have cramp arms.
That's how stiff the steering and how much work to twist and turn all the corners.

Dun believe me? Look at the sweat after just 1 round!!
But is was still a very enjoyable outing we fulfill our aim the race in the local circuit b4 Sonny leave Singapore. :) We will miss him!!

五代同堂小聚

It's Uni application ending time and holiday, so it's also the best time to gather the small circle of special people to a lunch gathering. If not once work/school started or the the project attachment begin, then it will be really difficult to gather them together for a meal.

1st generation winner CY is graduating soon from NUS Chemistry in 5 weeks time. Thanks to her, her juniors are enjoying the fruits to inspiring the movement. She is now also seriously considering to be a inspector madam in the police force. Hopefully can can cancel some of my parking fines in the future years. :)

2nd generation winner Cow girl also entering her last year in Psychology, er I mean Materials Eng in NTU. She will be starting her final year project soon and with a preferred partner and seemingly easy project on the plate, looks like she will be having a relative enjoyable final year in NTU. No wonder she have the mood to sing K so often nowadays.

3rd generation winner CX is mugging hard at CBE NTU. She is also the 1st student in CPT who won the scholarship in CBE. So far her hard work is paying off and just about meeting the scholarship requirements. But I guess she is very safe now as she just have to carry a pen knife to school and NTU will not dare to mention any thing about the minimum GPA issue.

The new addition to the circle this year is XY. She is entering NTU CBC soon. (4 winners and in 4 different courses, quite diversified group actually). Also the first Singaporean too. She is also in my Specialty Chem class so membership does have its advantages :). Hopefully the Ca ion tablets she sold me will improve my immuenity and fence off the H1N1 flue bugs.

Hopefully, all 4 of them can join me in the GT2010 to Penang/Langkawi :)

After lunch, as we are leaving the resturant, cow girl is asking the title of my blog. The was she counted: 1st / 2nd/ 3rd / 4th generation...and blur blurly ask me : only 4 generations what, how come 五代同堂??

我懒洋洋的瞪了她一眼， 骂了道：“死没良心的，难道我就不是人吗？”
According to CX's word : I am now the great graet great grandfather!!

P.S. CY : next year hope you can start handling a cheque back to your juinor!! Finally after years of waiting, maybe the financial cycle will start to roll properly and will lessen my load.
全靠你了--！！ OK?? :)

On course - Leaders Effectiveness Training

Attending a 3-day course called the L.E.T. Its a model that train democratic, group centered leaders. Final aim is to taps the creative resources and abilities of ALL members, NOT just the leader itself.

Day 1 we go through the concept of the beheaviour window. This allow us to differentiate situational cases into 4 main categories: OTHERS own a problem , NO problem, I own the problem or WE own a problem.

Signal for OTHERS have needs unmet (Have a problem) :
Not usual self , makes mistakes, looks unhappy, self disclosure, cry etc
To understand more the REAL feeling, we need to use ACTIVE LISTENING skills.
A.G.E. - Acceptance / Genuiness / Empathy.

While asking / reaffirming the feeling - Use LEAD-in + feeling asking, once communication started, then ask more about the exact content. (PARAPHRASING)
eg "Seems like you are really concerned about not beling able to meet the deadline."

Beware of communication ROADBLOCKS : eg ORDERING / THREATENING / PREACHING / ADVISING / ARGUING / JUDGING / AGREEING / LABELING / INTEREPTING / REASSURING / INTERROGATING / AVOIDING.

These roadblocks, however can be used in the NO PROBLEM situation. When I communicate with friends, we use such skills to poke fun at each others at times and they will have no problem interpreting the intentions...

DAY 2 : I OWN THE PROBLEM
Typical example will be you are disturbed by your roomate loud MP3 music while trying to study, or like myself have lesson interrupted by students who talk loudly during lecture.
(See in such cases - the other party dun have a problem with their beheaviour)

So if the beheaviour is affecting you, then you will need to CONFRONT, to CHANGE OTHER.
3 criteria for effective confrontation:
1. Aim to produce a helpful beheaviour change
2. Low risk of lowering others self esteem
3. Low risk of damaging relation


The art, is by sending a 3 part confrontive I msg:
1st part : non blameful beheaviour description
2nd part : the concrete effect on ME (Time/$$/energy lost...)
3rd : MY PRIMARY FEELING. (AVOID YOU... YOU... YOU...)

eg. When you don't attend the sales meetings, I spend time filling you in on what we discussed, and I started to feel resentful.

Such confrontive I -msg will be very helpful to give you the confidence to START a conversation. The first step in the direction is critical.

The other party may feel sorry / surprised/embarrssed etc..or hurt / upset...and they might start try defending...

Then we need to shift gear into ACTIVE LISTENING to hear them. Concentrate not only the contents but also the FEELING part. Ask more, and send ou tmore "door opener" message to get them talking!!

Then follow up by a 2nd I msg starting by "HOWEVER,.....reinforce the needs that is unmet, the effects on you and your feeling". and listen to feedback....ding dong ding dong. Finally and hopefully, both will come to a state of emotion part = intellect....ready to move on to find a solution.

Day 3 We both own the problem
This is the case where there both parties have needs unmet....Clash of needs etc
examples is like you want to go eat at macdonals but frien want to eat at burger king instead. Or marketing wants to launch the new product but technical dept says the product is not ready.

Key is always use a win - win approach, never resort to POWER (I win).
Lay out both sides needs clearly!! Define the true and underlying needs is important.
Then it's follow up by Brainstorm for alternatives (non critical)
Evaluate the solution (ask : Does this alternative satidfy my needs really?)
the chose appropriate solutions (mutual, and opt for best)
Implement (wjo does what and by when)
Check results and open for revision

Iit's important to recognise VALUES COLLISION. When you and the other person strongly disagree on a certain issue yet no tengible benefits is affected. Like my son support Chelsea but I support Man Utd. Religion / personal values are most common aspect of such collisions.

I personally see such as No problem myself.

Last but not least, in the NO PROBLEM area, we can also send out I-msg to help bring our feeling across to others. Like APPRECIATIVE I msg / PREVENTIVE I-msg.

The thing I missed most....

Being a parent, entering the PSLE year for your kid is no fun. The school is kia su, the teachers in school is kia su, the wife is kia si, and of course I am kia boh. That means I have to act kia su also.

Plenty of assessment to work on, and in my opinion, they are not given enough chance to reflect where they go wrong...but just simply do more ...do more....Teachers pass out assignments and never go through properly in class, rather, the task now is dump upon the parents to ensure the assignment are completed and pass up in time.

Comes school holiday...50% of the time my son need to go back to school for extra revision class. If there is any time left...that will be music classes / practise / drawing / english tuition etcetc. No chance to bring him out for a day outing...sad....

Everyday when I reach home, will have to mark his assignment done during the day and go through the mistakes he has made. Science and Maths both subjects. Funny he is not getting better with the assignments...serioulsy speaking I am getting abit sick too...but no choice...PSLE year...have to be kia su. Meanwhile...do 1 more assignmemt....


I think the relief will come after October, when the PSLE exams are finally over. Then I can maybe clear my leave and spend some time with him, free of the school work, just simply have fun and play. Meanwhile, just hang on there...and do 1 more assignment.


OH I MISSED PLAYING WITH MY SON!!!!