Being More Complete in Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me 2 was raved about because this sequel was done with the intention to please every type of audience. It was thrilling, romantic, humorous and yet childish. Thrilling because Gru tried to go undercover to find out who the villian was; Romantic because Gru eventually fell in love with his working accomplice, Lucy Wilde; Humorous because the minions made countless attempts to outsmart the audience with their less-than-perfect acts. Childish because his 3 daughters played a more significant role this time.

Yet this movie aims to be educational - with the good fighting the bad, the father caring for his daughters, the importance of Mum's love, etc. Was it trying too hard to please? I thought so, but it managed to win my heart over.

When Being Unfit Becomes a Reality

I knew I was gaining several pounds. With some denial, I was wishing that the extra weight gained would go away soon. But I was wrong. Afterall, food is my weak spot and I tried not to allow leftover food go to waste.

Nevertheless, I was still hoping that I can scrap through the yearly IPPT. I have been obtaining Silver for countless times. However, recently my standards have dropped to that of Pass. With no training to 'back' me up, I wasn't sure what my fitness level was. With no resolve to train, I knew I was in deep shit.

Indeed, when I took my IPPT yesterday, I failed my 2.4km run! I did everything I could, ranging from an early morning drive to pick up my running gear from office to pacing myself for every lap. I knew 2.4km would be my weakest station, but it has never been my downfall. I never failed IPPT in my life. What it meant - is that I am now classified as a FAILURE - an unfit individual.

2 seconds was what separated me from a PASS. If only I trained and exercised more, if only I controlled my weight more, if only I had my determination... Now I only blame myself.

With a few more days left to go before my deadline approaches, I asked with scepticism whether I would have that required level of fitness to pass the IPPT with a retry. Otherwise, remedial training (RT) would soon follow. RT might get me back into shape, or even to have a poke at my self-esteem. With a do-or-die mission for that re-try, I now hope for luck to pull me through...

Becoming Unfit in My Quest to Be Fit

I have originally set some 2013 resolutions and one of them was to be fit. There are 2 targets I set out at the start of the year - (i) To lose some weight and monitor the progress of my weight, and (ii) To exercise regularly.

I started off on the right note - with an initial purchase of a digital weighing machine. That allowed me to track my weight accurately, as it measures in increments of 0.1kg. I lost some weight initially and I attributed that little success to the careful selection of food during the day. However, after a maximum weight loss of 2.1kg, my weight stagnated and I guessed that was when I gave up hope of any further weight loss. Recently, my weight started ballooning. Now at the half-way point of 2013, my mass is sadly more than what I started off 6 months ago. I couldn't find any reasons, except for a recent lack of discipline in the snacks I gobble.

Exercising was going to tough. I seemed to understand the importance of keeping fit, but always failed to put it into action. Besides minor successes at brisk walking, slow jogging and some outdoor sun, I failed miserably in creating any routine of keeping fit. With the requirement of having to pass my IPPT soon, I now fear for the worse. I wonder if I can scrap through yet another year of IPPT, without the rigours of exercising. Or has my luck run out as I faced the possibility of failure and the punishment of carrying out remedial training to get myself back into shape?

My 4 Little Tips to Managing Stress

Recently, I have been overwhelmed with a lot of stuff, namely the routine tasks from work, additional 4 projects, marking of papers, the development of new curriculum, working on my Masters. With so many tasks on hand, it really seemed impossible for me to handle all of them. I must say that I have done pretty well till date and here are my 4 tips in managing stress so well:

1. Focus on 1 task at one time. Do not multi-task. I believe that the quality of my work stems from the high level of concentration that I give myself by doing the task wholeheartedly.
2. Do not give up. There are times when most of us feel despaired because there is a crazy amount of work that one has to do. Some tackle the issue by procastinating or complaining. But those methods will not help. My advice - start anywhere you need to. By just 'digging' away on any part of this mountain full of work - you would gradually and eventually bring down the mountain.
3. Always have an overview of the list of tasks you have do. I do that with my Weekly Key-To-Do list. That helps because it reminds me of how much is left.
4. Give little rewards to yourself. For completing every small task, e.g. editing a document, I would reward myself by viewing a short TV programme or munching on some snacks.

Now that I have shared my 4 tips, let's remind myself that I have these 4 tips to guide me through the 3 stressful weeks ahead.

Master Plan - do I have one?

I recently taught the subject on an Airport Master Plan. It is a document that charts the proposed evolution of the airport to meet future needs. An airport master plan should present the planner’s conception of the ultimate development of a specific airport and should have a planning horizon of 20 years. Hence, with that in mind, I posed the following questions to my students - what is their personal master plan?

Most failed to answer my question, not because they chose not to answer, but because they provided an answer that fell short of the requirements. 20 years? Where do you see yourself in 20 years' time? That is a big million-dollar question that most, if not all, of us have not thought about. Some shared what they hoped to achieve within the next 6 months; those who thought more about the question shared what they aim to accomplish within the next few years. Answers include pursuing university education, starting work as an aviation professional, obtaining one's driving licence, etc. Only a handful attempted to answer the question - where they envision themselves in the future.

I asked myself - do I have the answer to my question? No, I do not. Maybe that is the reason why I asked them. To spur myself to reflect more about my ultimate future. I often set short-term goals - ranging from daily tasks and weekly key-to-do lists to yearly resolutions. If you asked me what I aim to achieve in 5 years' time, I can probably give you a comprehensive answer of not less than 300 words. But if you asked me where I see myself in 20 years' time, I sense my struggle to string a sentence to answer that grand question.

Today, I shall start to dream. I guessed I don't need to have a perfect answer for that question, but I need to start finding an answer. Will I be able to dream of an answer?

Port Dickson - El Cactus & more...

We seldom ate Mexican food. I can't remember when was the last time I tried such food, even though I come from a city laden with food. Nevertheless, I managed to locate this restaurant. With so many great reviews, I thought it must be definitely worth a visit. Here's an account of our visit:

Nachos - a must-try. Fried, crispy nachos with a variety of salsa sauces. It's delicious, though it's a little too oily. However, I must say that it's the best dish we had in this restaurant. Beef fajitas came in a hot plate and we enjoyed the 'wrapping' process just as much as eating them. However, I can't have any positive comments for the seafood pasta, as it was bland and boring. As for the margaritas, do order it, especially after a hot evening. The cost of my dinner = MYR 105 (S$43.40), a tad over-priced, but it was still a great place to chill out.

Service - Not all waitress can speak English. We were disappointed, considering that this is an international joint that caters to all tourists. It's not that difficult to communicate in simple English, but I guess that fared badly in that department. However, the restaurant owners are friendly when I approached them to ask for directions. I do hope they could do more to spruce up the image of this restaurant.

Though highly acclaimed by many tourists, with the upcoming restaurants that PD Waterfront will soon acoommodate, I doubt it will stand tall amidst the rising competition in the near future.

Will we visit Port Dickson soon again? Now that we have walked along the beach, stayed at 2 four-star hotels, eaten at 3 highly-rated restaurants and spent 4 days, I would not be going back to this place in the next two years. Though when I come back here again, I expect myself to try out the new slew of restaurants that might have swamped this area.

PD Waterfront - Mac's & Kim's

It was a long time since we last went to Port Dickson. I remembered Port Dickson as a sleepy town, where tourists come to chill out and lead a slow-paced life. Indeed, it has been. But recently, this sleepy town seemed to have woken up. We went to PD Waterfront - which was supposed to be the hub of the city. I guessed we needed more than a second chance to get there, because directions leading to the place were not evident. However, once we made the correct turn, there were a range of facilities available, ranging from the hypermarts, to the restaurants and seaside dining to a new fun fair being set-up!

MacDonalds - it was ranked #2 in tripadvisor for a reason. With the restaurant facing the sea, it has revolutionised fast food dining. It has ample parking nearby and even provided drive-through as an alternative. Amongst all the restaurants nearby, it provided the best value-for-money dining option. As it can get really crowded and noisy, I would advise visitors to chill out at the 2nd floor. It's a SAFE option - you won't be over-charged and yet the quality of the burgers are maintained.

Kim's Seafood Palace - it wasn't our first choice to dine here, as it was ranked #9 (at our point of research). But it turned out fine. We wanted to find other 'higher-ranked' restaurants, but they (e.g. Weng Yin and Lucky King) remained elusive. Hence, my advice - 'Save the trouble to haunt other joints, Head to PD waterfront to find your joy!' Indeed there are several restaurants in PD Waterfron which you can also head to! For our seafront dining for 2, we paid about MYR 60. A must-try the salted-egg calamari, as it simply melts into your mouth! Besides calamari, all other seafood seemed to be priced attrociously high.

Now You See Me

The catchphrase that I liked from this movie that I just watched was 'The closer you look, the less you see it'. How true it is in real life too, as we go about carrying out daily routines. Sometimes, we know to solve mysteries by observing the details within each frame. Maybe it isn't really necessary at times - for what we should do, is to take 2 steps back and understand the bigger picture. As we perform our tasks, maybe it comes as timely reminder that we should learn not just to perform the smallest detail to perfection, but to also understand that we might excel if we could understand how each activity fits into the grand scheme.

The Closer You Look, The Less You See It.

An Evaluation of Avillion Admiral Cove

I liked to give an evaluation of hotels that I have stayed over. This would allow me to: (i) review my choice (and ascertain that it has been the right one), and (ii) assist travellers in making their choice of accommodation (and yet enable me to be a step closer to being a hotel critic). My evaluation of Avillion Admiral Cove would consist of 3 PLUSes and 3 MINUSes:

Plus: SPACIOUS - The Premium Room I stayed in was spacious. I liked the size of the room, which measured 41 sqm, as it allowed me to be messy, without having the feeling of over-crowdedness.

Minus: DIRTY - The bed sheet and blanket were filled with stains. Whilst the rest of the room seemed clean, there should have been a consistency in the level of cleanliness. I wished that the hotel could carry out an entire change of bedsheets and blanket covers.

Plus: OCCUPIED - The facilities of Avillion Admiral Cove made me feel at home. Several activities, such as swimming, sun tanning and KMX, kept us busy. In addition, there were other activities, such as fish-feeding, boat ride, cycling, etc. Indeed, one can be fully occupied in this hotel, without leaving the resort.

Minus: JACUZZI - Having spent significant time in the pool, it was an embarrassment for such a huge hotel – to have spoilt Jacuzzis. Every of the 20 Jacuzzi Jets was closed and covered. Dirt seemed to have formed there and I wondered if the management is aware of its incomplete water facilities. The staff, when queried about the Jacuzzis, replied that there were no Jacuzzis around. Either the jets have been spoilt for so long that they are inexistent or the staff are so poor in their command of the English language that they gave an inapt answer.

Plus: FRIENDLY – Our hotel stay was a pleasant one as we noted efforts by staff to be friendly towards their guests. There was an instance, where a new staff went beyond her call of duty, to explain how we can explore PD Waterfront. Checkout was fast and smooth too.

Minus: WIFI – There was limited TV channels & no room WiFi. Considering that this is a resort far from other amenities, it has to self-adequate. However, it was sorely lacking channels & programmes. In addition, there was no room WiFi. Hence, whilst there were facilities to keep on entertained in the daylight, the same cannot be said for the night.

A Job or a Career?

I asked myself - why am I getting frustrated at work lately? Why do I become irritated at how people reply me or go about doing their tasks? An Eureka moment striked me and I realised that how people treat their work will affect their outlook and attitude to work. I was simply disturbed at how they treated work as a job, and not a career.

A job is an activity through which an individual can earn money. It is a regular activity in exchange of payment. When colleagues do that, they come to work without passion. I see those lacklustre eyes of my colleagues - often finding excuses not to carry out tasks or merely carrying them out only at their convenience.

A job is carried out without feelings. Recently, I experienced colleagues who followed guidelines without interpretation. Without understanding the context of rules, which are created by humans themselves, they become mere robots - no different from a machine executing these transactions.

A job is “safe”, as stability of work and income is there. With a mentality of 'if it ain't broken, why fix it?', several colleagues are not willing to change their old working ways - when guidelines change, when efficiency calls for it, when gaps are found, etc.

A job or a career - I asked myself... Maybe as I treat this as my career, I should either change their perspective or accept that these are old dogs who will never learn new treats...

Port Dickson - Will there be an airport?

Being an airport analyst, I am studying the prospects of whether Port Dickson will ever build an airport. In a ever-changing world, where airports bring people closer together, I do wish that the answer is a YES. However, my logical mind tells me why this might not be the case. Here are the reasons:

1. Presence of Nearby Main Air Hub - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) is Malaysia's main international airport. Being huge in size, it is more than sufficient to perform its role as an air hub and yet allow passenger traffic to & fro Port Dickson. KUL is only 50 km away from Port Dickson, making it approximately an hour drive to get us from the airport to the beach.

2. Current Passenger Profile - A significant number of beach-goers are currently from the main capital of Kuala Lumpur. Trapped by the bustling city's pace of life, Port Dickson provides an outlet for the residents and expatriates who stay there. Separated by 90km, it is only a 1hr 20min drive to get there.

3. Competing Domestic Airports - There are 2 domestic airports - fiercely fighting for its own domestic share of the market, namely Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang being only 95km (1h 25min) away and Melaka International Airport being only 100km (1h 25min) away. With these 2 airports surrounding Port Dickson, it is difficult for this town to crave out a significant market share.

4. Low Local Population Density - Tin ore was plentiful in Port Dickson district during the 1820's, and it attracted Chinese immigrant miners. Over the decades, Port Dickson evolved into a busy trading centre, whilst preserving the beautiful beaches. Trading has since stopped and the town's population is currently

approximately 95,000 people. Compare that with Melaka, which has double the population, and we can estimate the possibility of a new airport.

However, I still wish for the impossible to happen. For that to occur, an internal revival is necessary. The question is whether any one will take on the risk to make that huge investment to plant the seed of a town into a jewel in the air.

非诚勿扰 - Facing the Harsh Reality

I watched 非诚勿扰 and am pretty intrigued by the show. Initially, I was intrigued by the proceedings of the show - such as how the guys introduce themselves and how the girls eliminated the guys one after another. After some time, I got the hang of the show, but continued to watch, because there seemed to be interesting variations, such as how handsome guys walk off empty-handed or the occasional 爆灯 by one of the 24 female contestants. I liked to watch the harsh reality of an online dating game and these are reasons why it is harsh:

1. If all 24 lights go off, the man loses. That means none of the 24 girls liked you and the issue must have been YOU.

2. If you are ugly, this could been easily brushed aside. But guys selected for this show - are generally above average. Then there must have been something really WRONG in you.

3. Short introductions are powerful and yet destructive. Impressions matter, but a wrong step, such as revealing that you are overly INSECURE, might lead you walking down the aisle before you could explain yourself.

4. How the girls manage to stand there for many episodes. Whilst many continue to be picky and wait for

the Mr Right, I asked if they know that they themselves have become RIDICULED by the audience.
5. Speaking off the cuff is not an easy task. If you are not to it, remaining quiet will put you in a better light, rather than sharing your thoughts. Sometimes, SILENCE is GOLDEN.

Interestingly, it always continue to excite me to watch, because of the humorous conversations, the wide range of topics discussed and the surprises that occurs within each show.

The Beaver (film) - is Speaking to Himself

The Beaver is a 2011 film starring Mel Gibson as Walter Black, a depressed CEO of a toy company. Signs of depression were evident as he refused to talk, did not get out of the house, left the company in chaos and later attempted suicide. When all failed, he found comfort in speaking to a beaver hand puppet. In actual fact, he is speaking to his other self. Whilst his 'speaking-to-oneself' syndrome is over exaggerated, I can fully understand why he needs to do that.

Yet the world perceives the art of speaking-to-oneself as an act of insanity, I asked if societal norms are the cause of this. I speak to myself often; in fact, I speak to myself less nowadays as compared to my teenage years. Back then, I was studying. My constant act of explaining concepts to myself aloud - enabled me to clarify endless concepts and achieve excellent grades.

There are countless articles and journals - proving that talking to oneself is not only normal, but might just be the highest form of intelligence. At its core, when you ask someone something you consciously articulate it. You explain it and frame the issue for the person. Most importantly however, you explain it and (re) frame it for yourself. You give direction to your other-than-conscious very clearly. Now you may question why actually articulating something gives any different result to just sitting there unspeakingly struggling with the question.

The art of speaking to oneself is percieved as an act of insanity. Walter Black received a harsh public outlash when he tried to speak to Mr Beaver to bring himself back to normalcy. Maybe the society is too stupid to move up the intellectual ladder. Yet I face a constant struggle - the need to speak to myself. Maybe that is why I have to either learn to mumble to myself or re-channel my occasional loud thoughts into this blog. Otherwise, I might soon have to find a beaver hand puppet...

The Informant - Should You be the Good Guy?

The Informant is a biographical film that depicts Mark Whitacre's involvement as a whistle-blower in the price-fixing conspiracy of lysine. It stars one of my favourite actors, Matt Damon, & I like this type of roles he has (one other similar movie was that of Good Will Hunting).

It started off as Mark decided to cooperate with the FBI on this organised effort during the early 1990s. That was some initial scepticism by both parties, but Mark decided to get on board. In the process of secretly working with the FBI for 2.5 years, he had to discreetly gather hundreds of hours of video and audio. This was definitely not an easy task, but only with efforts, then the FBI were able to expose all the companies and high-level executives who were involved in such a persasive crime. Yet he ended up with 9 years of jail, 3 times as much as the sentence for high-level executives he managed to expose.

Lessons Learnt:

1. It's not worth being the good guy. Good or bad - it's not for one to judge. Justice will have its take on your deeds.

2. When you want to expose others, make sure you clean your backside. How easy it is to say, but we must always be sure that we are totally righteous before picking on others. Maybe it's time to reflect on oneself first before always pointing fingers.

3. If it ain't broken, why fix it? There was no need for exposure; everyone was benefiting from the situation, yet he chose to rock the boat unnecessarily. Was it because of personal greed? But he forgot that fixing something that ain't broken - might make him the sole culprit for touching that issue in the first place.

Iron Man 3 - Tony's Hobby

Iron Man 3 is the recent superhero film that everyone is watching on the big screen. Have they all read the comics before? Have they watched Iron Man and Iron Man 2 before? Or are they here just because there was so much marketing hype about this comic hero?

Tony Spark is Iron Man. For years, he has a hobby which he cultivated. It was his love for building human-like robots as suits for him. He started small and there were mistakes - such as the armor flying fiercely in all directions towards him. But he built a name from what he loved doing. He became famous, as he was able to add sophisticated and superior artificial intelligence into his suits. Twice in the movie, he replied, as a matter-of-fact, that he build Iron Man because he needs a hobby.

What's my hobby? In this fast-paced world, am I so subsumed into my daily chores that I have no hobbies to pursue? What are hobbies? Can I consider blogging and travelling - my hobbies, though I am never a specialist in setting up blogs or giving travel advice? What happened to jogging & badminton? Maybe it's time I start behaving like 'Iron Man'...

My Weekly Key-To-Do

I started a weekly key-to-do list - some months ago. It is a list of key tasks which I need to complete for the week. It wasn't easy at first. But I guessed it was a necessity, after I shortlisted this one main habit I need to pick up after attending the course on '7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. There were weeks in which I deviated from the task, choosing the easier way out to tackle the urgent tasks on hand on a Monday morning. There were weeks I felt demoralised because I slacked and did not follow up on any key tasks.

But I persevered. A few weeks become a few months and now, it has become a habit. Having completed my Weekly Key-To-Do early this morning, it felt like a sense of accomplishment. I have walked so far to create this newly formed habit. Have I consistently cleared all key tasks? No. But have I become a more organised person? Yes. Nowdays, I constantly look at my Weekly Tasks, tackling some of these key tasks one by one. There would always be roll-overs to next week, but at least I was conscious (and probably guilty) of the the tasks that cumulated.

This new habit did not make a Highly Effective Person overnight. In fact, it took me months to master this habit. And yet having done that, it has only made me a more organised person (because I segment my tasks according to the different priorities & categories), a more self-aware planner (because I constantly have an overview of all my key activities and deliverables), and a more efficient worker (because I would always look back at my list and avoid that possibility of doing more trivial tasks).

Planning Early for Holiday has Its Benefits

I usually plan early for holidays. But due to a tight schedule that both Sy and I have, we procastinated the planning for a holiday until recently. Because of the last minute plans, I had so much trouble in securing and confirming the plans for a 3D2N nearby staycation. Some of my troubles include:

1. Intense Number of Hours put in. Over the past week, I have put in a total of 9 hours doing research on the number of places we can stay in. This included an intense 4 hour search I put in today - to finalise the hotel stay.

2. Change of Holiday Plans. One disadvantage of a last-minute holiday plan is that the places you want to go to - are all fully booked. I have to constantly look for alternatives, such as considering the possibility of changing the dates or making it a extended 2D1N stay.

3. High Prices for Accommodation & Transport. Air tickets were out of the question. Airlines charge an exorbitant price for short-haul flights. The prices for getting you into the air can cost as high as a four-digit sum for a 90-minute economy class trip for you. Accommodation-wise, you are not given offers. And for peak seasons, one hotel even charged an additional $73 per night because of a Public-Holiday surcharge,

4. Lack of Accommodation. Many hotels were fully booked. For those that were not fully booked, they displayed a high price - one that I did not seem too comfortable paying for. One such place we wanted to go was Bintan Resorts. However, all of Bintan's numerous resorts were fully booked. In the end, even though I could 'squeeze' out the availability of some ferry tickets, such plans have to be cancelled due to hotels being 'Full-House'.

Research for a Holiday was never easy. Today, I just concluded one of my harder sessions in holiday planning. Let's hope I have learnt my lesson - never to do last-minute planning for a holiday!

Oblivion - Questions to Ponder

Oblivion is a 2013 American science fiction film whose storyline was based on the plane Earth being attacked by aliens known to humans as the Scavengers. Tom Cuise takes on the role of Technician #49 Jack Harper, who is one of the last few humans stationed on the planet. Jack carries out the maintenance and support of 'drones' who are autonomous airborne machines that patrol the landscape .

I read the movie synopsis to better understand the proceedings within the movie. I watched the movie in a comfortable newly-opened, half-empty theatre - GV City Square. As the images of the movie seemed so lifelike that it intrigued me, I started to wonder about the future.

1. What if the moon is destroyed one day? Will Earth still function as normally as it does today?
2. What if we undergo a "security wipe" to erase our memories? How much past will we retain? Or how new a leaf can we become?
3. What if clones of the fittest are carried out? Does it mean humans no longer need to worry about their existence or the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution?
4. What if we lose our sense of curiosity? Does the mere function of our existence, without the occasional pause to appreciate beauty, equate us to clones or even robots?

Maybe we have been too comfortable with our environment that we have been oblivious about our possible future.... Or are we too oblivious about the comfort of our surroundings?

What Type of Leader am I?

13 days in a 'boot' camp leading 26 students has allowed me reflect my abilities as a leader. It's difficult to receive a consensus on how great a leader I have been, because everyone sees the same person in so many different ways. There were many situations during the day in which I take charge of the entire situation, hence I asked - where do I stand as a leader?

Just and Fair - I see myself as impartial. I give no exceptions to anyone. For e.g., there was a female student who sprained her ankle and could not receive the certification by a doctore. Not making any exceptions, I told her the requirements needed to go for the trip. I asked if I could have been stricter and more 'by the books', and the answer was a YES, though I decided to add some humanity when tackling such compassionate issues.

Leading by Example - I see myself as an explemary leader. Having stressed the importance of punctuality to them, I remembered the countless situations in which I make myself available at the meeting locations 5 minutes before the stipulated time. There was an above-average student whom I gave a tougue-lashing, because he went to buy some food and returned late during the pit stop. Maybe it was my need to justify the "if I can do it, so can you" mentality. Or was it my stickiness to compliance.

Charismatic - I believe that if the students can understand the rationale behind each activities, they will be motivated to do their best. I always believe in talking to the students, even if it is just for a minute before each meal so that they can constantly feel the importance of service-learning and be guided under a visionary leader to do their best. Somehow, I know I am not the most inspiring speaker yet, but I strive to be one. What I lack is the constant reminder to start each message on a bright note before delivering the 'content' within each speech. I guess I will eventually arrive there - as I work on my openings.

Discovering More About Myself

I discovered more about myself through dealing with others. What I noticed about myself is that (i) I like to observe how people interact; Often, I would share with J how I felt about the entire team and their bonding thus far - I tend to focus on the social side of a team's outcome, and (ii) I view people with a certain level of standards, and when they fail to reach that standard, I condemn them.

As I focus on the latter, I remembered many instances of the trip in which I was furious with the female student leader. On countless occasions, she failed to attain standards that were expected of a basic human being, let alone a role model for others. J stopped me from confrontations on several of these instances, otherwise, I could have imagined a showdown between me and her.

Basic rules are there for all to follow, but to show disrespect on countless occasions led me to conclude that she didn't learn anything from this trip & I knew I have 'lost' this student. These were some occasions that made me furious:

1. She went into the guys' hut many times, despite my repeated verbal warnings to her,

2. She smoked in her girls' hut, despite the allocated smoking corner that we have all agreed upon.

3. She came down late several times, despite my reminders to the entire team on punctuality.

4. She was even absent once for breakfast, and no one knew what happened to her.

5. She took the front passenger seat of the car, even when I told her that it was meant for the host.

6. She spoke loudly asking her friends for payment, when the village head was having that short conversation with us.

7. She failed to update us constantly on her deliverables, though all other sub-teams managed to do so with daily progress updates.

Considering the long list of 'offences' she committed, I viewed myself as a highly tolerant person. Or maybe I have accepted how I can condemn a person without confronting her myself. I actually treated her as invisible. I thought of calling her 'animal names', but I reckoned that even animals know what self-respect is. If asked to choose between peace (i.e. to avoid the confrontation) and transform (i.e. to change her), I have chosen the former. Maybe harmony was what I sought for. (Or maybe one more final straw could have made me blow my top?)

Though if I had the choice, I would have never selected her for the trip. Indeed I have learnt to see one less person on this Earth.

Treated like a VIP and treating VIPs

Being treated like a VIP was what I expected least. However, when I started my Service-Learning trip, I felt as I was in paradise. As I was expecting some form of hardship, I wasn't expecting for anything special. The first example came in the form of our 1st night of stay. I had visualised that I would be sleeping with the boys. Hence, when all the boys were allocated one bamboo house to sleep for the night, I was prepared to bring my sleeping bags & my baggage into the hut. However, the host kindly pointed out that both J and me can sleep in the special 'hut' meant for 2.

Other nights were no different. For e.g., all of us were given a resort to stay in for most of our nights thereafter. We were here to experience some form hardship, thus when I saw the luxury that was 'issued' to us, I asked if students were learn to experience the comfort at its most basic level. In addition, the resort owner issued a room meant for 6 people when there was only J and me. 

As if we represent a superb team of Singapore, we were brought to many places in Chiang Rai to meet important people and experience culture. We met up with a University Chancellor, another professor, 3 tourism directors, an army chief, 3 village heads, a globally-acclaimed movie director, an expert bird-watcher and the list goes on.

I wasn't sure that we should receive such VIP treatment, but I definitely had to respond in a positive manner. In many ways, I wasn't prepared - I could have been dressed more appropriately in some scenarios; I could have prepared more corporate gifts and 'better-looking' ones. But toastmasters taught me how to give impromptu speeches. Thankfully, I mastered the art of public speaking - in all situations, I seemed to have fared well. I also practised the art of small talk coupled with humour - that came in handy when I have to listen attentively and break down a Thai-conversation with simple English.

Being treated like a VIP was my honour, as words of 'thank you' were used to show my appreciation in every possible way. Treating VIPs was my learning journey, as I wondered what this unique Service-Learning Trip has given in terms of exposure and opportunities to interact with the elite from all walks of life.

Adjusting to my 1st Night in Chiang Rai

The first night in a foreign place is always the worst night, because we are left on our own to adjust to the vast differences in living conditions. I have mentally prepared myself for the worst and that helped. When we arrived at Chiang Rai International Airport, we were all brimming with energy. But as the night sinks in, we slowly adjusted to the new norm of having to live without comfort.

The first difference we experienced was the sleeping conditions. The base of our house comprised of wooden planks, thus making the floor creek whenever we walk around. A thin comforter was provided as the base, and that was why we prepared our personal sleeping bag. Many of my students were restless for the first night and I wondered if it was due to the lack of sleeping comfort.

The second difference was our toilet conditions. 14 people to 2 toilets was one of the issues we have to grapple with, though having to bathe at night in cold water was a bigger issue that we struggled to adjust to. I remembered taking my bath at approximately 8pm. Making my way in the dark to the toilet seemed easy, but having to scoop water and then pour it over myself was my biggest challenge of the night.

The third difference was the drastic change in weather. It was hot and dry when we arrived at 4pm. My guess of the temperature would be 33 degrees Celsius. And when the night came, the temperature reads 16 degrees Celsius on a cool breezy night. Whilst students love this, it should be noted with caution that our bodies need time to adjust to the drastic change in temperature between day and night.

One last difference was the food. Having gotten used to the diverse range of fast food in Singapore, one must now be contented with porridge filled with chicken and mushroom as a sumptous breakfast to start the day. As I thanked them for preparing meat in the morning, I wondered if I have taken the simple things in life for granted.

An Analysis of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport

As I transit at Bangkok to go to Chiang Rai, I had a transfer time of approximately 4 hrs, longer than the total of my flight times. I wondered if there were better flight timings available, but reckoned that the travel agency has done its due diligience that we reached Chiang Rai in an effective manner. Nevertheless, I took on the task of analysing how this airport has fared in terms of planning and design. A 4 hours' wait at this airport and I came up with 4 main observations

BKK's airport consist of 1 huge terminal. It operates in a centralised concept and does not have several terminals, unlike airports similar to its size. Adv: Savings in resources, as resources are optimally managed within 1 terminal instead of several. Disadv: The control & deployment of resources can be slow, as walking distances become significant as the size of the terminal increases. I remembered the length of endless travellators within the terminal.

BKK's airport terminal hosts both international and domestic flights. Adv: Passengers save time in transiting between such flights. The Minimum Connecting Time (MCT) between international and domestic flights can be significantly reduced, as passengers do not need to exit from the terminal. Disadv: This increases the size of the terminal & decreases the amount of aircraft access of the terminal, as compared to having separate terminals.

BKK's airport has a separate level for departure and arrival passengers. Adv: Passengers do not mingle with one another, hence improving security. Disadv: More space is required within the terminal to create the distinction between arriving and departing passengers

BKK's domestic airport's retail facilities operate in a Central Hub Concept. Adv: All shops and eateries are located in 1 place, increasing the passengers' convenience. Disadv: Non-aeronautical revenue is not maximised, especially since the terminal operates in a pier configuration.

Chiang Rai, here I come!

It has been a dream come true for me to complete the Service-Learning trip at Chiang Rai, Thailand. 9 months ago, my student approched me and asked if I wanted to be their leader for such a trip. From then on, work began - for the search for another leader, more students, preparatory work, liaision with the NGOs, etc. Many asked why I wanted to do it. I asked - why not? There are so many reasons why one should go for such trips.

For myself, it boiled down to these 4 main reasons:

1. I want to walk the road less traveled

I love traveling since I was young. Having visited more than 30 cities over 5 continents, I asked if there are more roads left unexplored. I wanted to view places that Singaporeans have not seen & experience culture that Singaporeans have not tried. The chance came in this village off the east of Chiang Rai. Having to transit via Bangkok just to reach Chiang Rai (CEK), the total duration from SIN to CEK took us a massive 8.5 hours. If I asked who has been to BKK, all would have raised their hands, but if I asked who has been to Phu Chi Fa, all would have asked what's that.

2. I want to learn more from other parts of the world.

Maybe it was the thought of getting more stupid that prompted to live life. Well, it worked. I wished to go for such trips ever since my university days. But I guess the lack of actions and the fear of the unknown never allowed me to take that big leap. I ever signed up for YMCA's Cambodia Volunteering Trip, but work commitments and the lack of priority prevented this dream from being realised. I know that there are endless amount of knowledge I can harness from such trips & I was right. Maybe I am now trying my best to move up the 'knowledge' ladder afterall.

3. I want to better appreciate my current life

There are times when we take the Singaporean life for granted. Living in a comsopolitan city, I asked myself if we are way too comfortable in the way we lead our lives, even quarelling over the most trivial matter. MacDonalds' over KFC, NEX over Junction 8, iPhone over Samsung, etc. I know that such trips would open my eyes to learn how the people in such villages are contented with their simple way of life. Nothing beats learning from them in a first-hand encounter.

4. I want to contribute back to the community and touch others in meaningful ways
To learn and receive was what I gained, to teach and contribute was what I gave. In short but inspiring encounters, I gave meaningful English lessons and played with children. In addition, I spoke to village chiefs, directors, university heads, etc to help each of them in whatever ways I can. To touch their lives during my journey is heartening, but for my work to help them improve their lives is my true honour.

Do I believe in luck?

I never used to believe in luck. Afterall, I am a firm believer of 'We create our own destiny' and ' 'We reap what we sowed'. However, I have a spate of unfortunate events that has led me to think otherwise.

The first occurred whilst I was driving to work. The black car in front of me jammed his brakes, leaving me little reaction time to jam my brakes on the right most lane of the expressway. I could not have done anything to stop my car from kissing his butt, as I hit my brakes immediately. Whilst he apologised initially for executing such dangerous moves, he still proceeded to claim against me. What an ass-hole he is - pretending to nice and apologetic whilst stabbing me with a 5K claim for a minor dent on his rear bumper.

Thereafter, I was on the receiving end of a 4-car pile-up. Thankfully, I was the 1st car, though it caused major inconvenience as I was severely late for work. With major inconveniences of having to log my report for these 2 accidents within a week, I reckoned that luck wasn't my side.

To add on to my woes, I received a $100 parking fine for parking at the loading bay - whilst paying my grandma a visit. For a mere 20 minutes of unloading my bag of CNY goodies, I received a fine that wasn't warranted. And to end off my day, the bottom of the rear bumper of my rented car was scratched as I headed for home.

I figured that luck wasn't on my side. I have been careful in most of the tasks I do, for e.g. I was more wary of my speed whilst driving, I was slow in maneuvering my car in and out of parking lots. But incidents like these made me wonder - maybe luck do exist and I just happened to be on the bad side of luck. The year of the Dragon is coming to an end. Maybe the year of the Snake will bring me to the other side of luck.

Review of my 2012 Resolutions

2013 did not start on a perfect note. That was because 2012 did not go as smooth as what I had planned for. I have carefully set out a long list for resolutions at the start of 2012. After much consideration, I have shortlisted and reviewed 16 key tasks to achieve in 2012 - ensuring that they are 'S'pecific, 'M'easureable, 'A'ttainable, 'R'elevant and 'T'ime-based. In short, I have ensured that my goals were S.M.A.R.T.

But old habits die hard. Resolutions are often written at the start of each year, only to be lost a month later in the midst of my busy life. I tried to change my old habit by (i) making my goals more relevant, (ii) being more task-oriented, (iii) printing & pasting my resolutions, (iv) attending a course on '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', and (v) writing down a weekly task list.

I have no past results to compare with. I could say that I have some success with my 2012 Resolutions. For a start, I am reviewing my resolutions so that I could have that scorecard that I so often dread to see. So here I go - my 2012 Resolutions' Report Card:

Maybe I shouldn't be so strict on myself. Afterall, I am now more conscious of what I have achieved in 2012.