Italiano!

Ciao!

Italiano it is!

Lots of work... I hope I can make it!!!

I wish I can watch all of Giada's episodes again..

And everyone says Italian is a romantic language.. Is it? I didn't know that, nor have I realized it yet.. Ask me again in a month or two probably??

Buona notte!

Blabber

Freaking out about Old English exam now!!!!! I really have no motivation to study... Exam's in 4 hours~~~~

By the way Brad Paisley is really pleasant to the eyes:



Cowboy hats intrigue me.

I wanna watch Brokeback Mountain again!

Apparently, have been so busy with exams, or rather, lack of exams.. That I nearly forgot about this space.. Until Shumz said, "Eh I commented on your post!" ROFL your comment is funny!!

Besides that, why do I say lack of exams? Cos I've only basically had one.. But the rest of the days were filled with... DRAMA. Not my own though.. So just basically providing moral support, trying to study, relaxing, pretending to study.. Slowly going through Old English vocabs..

I can't wait till Friday exam's over! Then I'll be done another term! Sigh, now I really can't bear to leave Vancouver anymore.. I dunno why.. My mind keeps fluctuating... How?!!?!

wants and needs :D

things i really want right now but have to postpone till after 490 paper is done and probably have to wait till after exams: (not necessarily feasible)

- SLEEP

- jacuzzi / hot tub

- massage for shoulders

- shopping (skinny jeans)

- wreck beach sunset (which i might do before friday)

- attempt to make bo bo cha cha

- big bear hug

- rice + furikake

- look at grad pictures (which hasn't come in the mail yet)

- RELAXING!

Good Motivation!

My very hilarious professor (as depicted in my wonderful drawing)

Rie and I were doing research for the report, and we take turns sending him emails because we cannot find much information..

Here's his reply to me:

(SO FUNNY!)

Hi Nikki,
It seems that you guys are enjoying research. This is awesome. Really, I mean it.
I would definitely encourage you to collect data from other sources. If you can do that will be really great. I am very interested to see the results. Because, honestly, this is a learning process for me as well. I am looking forward to learn from all the reports from the students. So, I will really appreciate if you provide data from some other sources as well.

However, you may not get poverty data for Singapore at all. I remember something was mentioned about poverty data in Singapore in the miracle paper. As far as I remember it is not available for long enough time or something. Nevertheless, give it a shot. One big quality for a researcher is to use data in a way which is not very obvious. Using other social indicators' data if poverty data is missing, is a very good idea. You are thinking in a right track. I am impressed. Keep it up.
Best,

(name removed)

We have good motivation to keep doing this paper now! =)

With the money I make from working at Vanier, it practically offsets my eating expenses.. I've only spent a net total of $20+ on food this whole year! LOL.

I like. Must. Work. More!

$$$

Oh my god!! Another UBC award offer!! I love these emails!!

DEAN of Arts Scholarship
Scholarships totalling $6,600 have been endowed by alumni and friends of the Faculty of Arts for undergraduate students in the Faculty. The awards are made on the recommendation of the Faculty of Arts.

I am one of the lucky 10 people, cos I got 1/10 of that total amount!!! :)))

ECON

My development economics prof cracks me up..

"oh no should I drop this class because I did so bad on the assignment??"

"please come up with a more substantial reason if you want to take the make-up midterm.. No time to study is not a very valid reason.."

I like it when he tells stories in class.. And when everyone laughs at him when he is so hilarious...

Random Email

Wah, haven't been here in a month!

Just wanted to note that I was very pleasantly shocked by my ENGL329 professor, whom I thought always disliked me and picked on me..

She sent an email offering me a part time job for something to do with linguistics, which I'm guessing is her project or something..

Sadly I'm not in Vancouver now.. Or else I would gladly take the job =D Except I don't quite know what it is about anyway..

But still, she sent me an email on her own accord! How strange and surprising is that! She still remembers me and possibly has a GOOD impression of me! HAHAHA.

I will be taking her discourse class next year, so I shall harbour better thoughts and less negative thinking.. =)

GOAL~~~!!!

Finally, it's time to reveal one of my goals that I have set out to attain this year.

I never really gave it much thought before since I always thought I would never be that good.

But after Term 1, it gave me a glimmer of hope, and in Term 2, I made a target point for myself and I worked as hard as I could. Sometimes I did slack off, but other times, especially around midterms, I spend so much time on studying I even I amaze myself and people around me.

Most of the results were released a few days after April 28, the last day of exams.. But only MV's course marks were not out. He is notorious for being slow.. After an agonizing wait of seven days, I finally received an offline message from Farooq telling me the marks were out.

And a few days after that, the title is official!

I made the Dean's List! Requirement was a sessional average of 85% and mine was 87%! To be precise, 87.8%! 0.2% more and I would get a nice number of 88%!!! Arrrrgh.

But nevertheless, my GOAL of making it to the Dean's List is ACHIEVED!!!!!! =))) Super happy.

FYI: Dean's List is something like Honour Roll..

Packing is STRESSFUL!

Sorry about lack of updates after exams, I had to start packing right away. Pack luggage, pack my boxes to stay here..

It is actually more work than you think! There is so much garbage to throw out, so many useless things that I want to hang on to but should throw out, things to bring back to Singapore, things that stay here..

Trying to organize it by categories was even harder, so my kitchen stuff went in with other miscellaneous stuff.

Thank goodness I had Victor and Sandra, and later on Michael, to help me move my stuff into storage!!! THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU ALL!

Can you believe I've spent 2.5 full days packing and am still not done?!?!?! It's just the bits and pieces left, and it's the bits and pieces that are hard to consolidate together.. And I have more clothes than I expected =/

And I have to do laundry. And dig out the stupid phone charger which (I think) I stuffed into the printer box with all the other cables. And I have to return a library book. And so many things dunno throw or keep or bring back. I need a game plan.

I leave tomorrow. Too fast! I want a few more days! =D Can you believe I've been sleeping less now than during exams? This is physically AND mentally tiring! Have been sleeping at 2-3am and getting up at 8am+~~

How did exams go? I'll tell you when the grades are fully out. 2 of them are out already.

"Fake" test results

LOL WTF?

My prof posts a link on his website, and it says "Test Results". I click into it excitedly and got to Youtube playing a video: Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up..

I got confused and went back and clicked again. Again it was the same thing, then I realized WTF?!

HAHAHA. That woke me right up. I was still feeling the sleepiness from waking up at 7:30am for my 9am exam. BLEH.

Okay, can you imagine if it was something inappropriate? Sure kena fired one. EH I want him fired la, wanna throw stones at him =D

EDITED: So I sent him an email that evening:

Hi Professor,

I would like to know if the test results out? Why does the link under "Test Results" link us to a Youtube video? Thanks.

His reply a couple hours later?

Sorry,

It is a joke. It is called Rick Rolling.

I won't be placing the test results online although by tomorrow night I should have all assignments graded and I could send you your grades.

Sorry for the confusion,

(Name removed)

BORED!

The irony of life. I'm so bored now. Amidst exams.

WHY?

Because I just finished 3 exams in 3 days and it has been absolutely mind and brain draining. So tonight (actually all day today cos I didn't concentrate on studying) I gave myself a break, and did absolutely nothing.

Okay, was online listening to music and chatting and surfing but that's about it.

I ask people on MSN to entertain me, no one cares. BLEH!

I COULD start studying tonight, but I just wanted a little break away from it all for awhile. Then it's back on full speed tomorrow!

I'm so bored now I think I can go sleep soon. It's only 11pm. I had been sleeping at 2-3am every day recently. LOL!

Mental Breakdown

Stressed! In exactly 6 hours I will be writing my first exam, first of the 3 in a row! X_X

I thought I had price discrimination all figured out but when I actually see the question I get all lost and frazzled!

I have a tiny headache now which might explode into a big one soon.

I am very angsty and irritated by the world and the tiniest things..

Just now I was making brunch - scrambled eggs with ham bacon chicken and cheese in a tortilla wraps.. I was very annoyed by RM#4, who has fries in the oven and she keeps opening the door to check them WHEN I AM COOKING AT THE STOVE! At first she doesn't say excuse me cos I am at the counter but am moving back and forth, so it was kinda rude. More of what is rude was when I was actually COOKING at the stove she says excuse me and opens the door even before I have a chance to move away... HELLO! YOU ARE DAMN RUDE!

And RM#2's medicated oil smell is driving me up the wall. Needless to say her 2 room encounters last night at 1am and this morning at 10am was clearly heard from the sounds coming via the heater. No, this time I knew better and DID NOT knock on the door. And this time it was a different dude! I am extremely perturbed at this ongoing while I am trying to study. And it doesn help that her friend with a very loud voice is over as well. Thank god for earplugs.

Now, after my power brunch of protein and carbohydrates and no veggies, I am feeling extremely sleepy. I slept at 3am on purpose last night so that I will wake up late today and have enough energy the rest of the day to last till my exam at 7pm. Of all the days they have to cut grass downstairs they choose today, waking me up at 10am. #$*&)*&$@)(#*

Stressed. And VERY BRAINDEAD. Go away or I'll bite your head off!

So Pissed Off!!!

I can't really remember the last time I have used this phrase.. A few years ago this was the phrase that's always coming out of my mouth.. Except I was not really the person pissed off, SOMEONE ELSE was.. And then I'll say "Don't be pissed..." etc etc..

And nowadays the only times I ever feel somewhat pissed is when talking to a certain someone in my family. In my immediate family there's only 2 members. No prizes for guessing which family member that will be.

Recently I have become a world-loving person, embracing everything that comes my way with a smile and wave it off even if it bothers me. Like the phrase goes, ignorance is bliss. VERY TRUE, except I feel like I am losing discipline in many things that I once had control over. Nothing has really made me feel angry or mad in the last few months..

So enough of that, and 4 things/people have made me absolutely PISSED OFF..

1) ENGL320 Midterm - I prepared well in advance for this, taking the effort to photocopy my tables and painstakingly pasted them neatly into the cheat sheets (they are LEGAL reference sheets!) and was hoping to fully utilise them during the midterm. The professor prints out 4 pages instead of 5 pages of the test and missed out page 4... And she said she will give us the missing page as homework to do at home..

SIAN WASTE MY TIME MAKING MY CHEAT SHEET AND NOW YOU ASK ME TO DO IT AT HOME!!! Stupid okay. May seem like a small matter to get over with but this was the MOTHER of all cheat sheets I've ever made!

2) ENGL320 midterm - We are supposed to have 2 pieces of paper double sided with notes, and when I was leaving the test early, I passed the back of the classroom and this GIRL (whom I shall leave anonymous since she is on my Facebook) was like sharing notes with another girl. Okay, at first I thought maybe sharing cheat sheet is okay lah, and on the second look, it was a MINI BOOKLET like a A4 piece of paper cut half and stapled at the sides.. They were SHARING that. Hello? Sit at the back of class means can cheat until like that? Very unfair lor. So pissed at the dishonesty and audacity of some people.

3) ECON360 - Lecture: It's one of those classrooms with a long long super long bench that you have to squeeze past people to get in.. I sit smack in the middle and was turned to my right, talking to Vivian. Then this BIMBO BITCH *excuse my language here* pokes my back with her long nails and says in a high-pitched voice, "EXCUSE ME!" and proceeds to shove me out of the way to get to the seat beside Vivian.

HELLO that is rude lah. And can't you go the other way since it's less people to squeeze by?? And YOU BITCH I have been watching you for quite awhile already. You think it's polite to sit in the front row and just text the whole class away on your Blackberry right under the prof's nose? Seriously, BITCH.

4) ECON360 - Finally, pissed at my-own-freaking-self, for screwing up a very simple income and substitution effect, because I messed up and didn't draw the second point parallel to the new budget line.. Okay only can blame myself so I'm not yelling at anyone here.. SIGH. And why MCQ I got so many wrong *3 wrong* (17/20) while everyone gets like 18 or full marks.. Haiz. Never mind, thou shall not complain!

Okay la end of rant. Trees test tomorrow ciao!

I Love UBC #675829

How often do you see filming taking place on campus?

Quite often.


Sandbags -- props..


Fake tank in front of Buchanan Tower

Another fake tank


Even "towers" for spotlights I think..


A tractor for spreading fake "soil" onto the ground..


Random person taking photo with the tank


I wonder if those cylinders will blow up!!


Wow blowing up Buchanan Tower eh?


Yet another tank!


People getting to and fro class through the props


You don't see this on campus a whole lot, do you?


The whole set up against Buchanan Tower. Notice the red "soil" on the ground..

So what are they filming? According to DC++:

[19:55] haha nice they are filming xman in ubc
[19:55] for a stunt thoug
[19:55] so no hugh jackman
[19:55] but his double will be there
[19:55] jumping off buchanan tower
[19:55] in a prision scene
[19:56] prison escape scene
[20:03] haha just want people to know
[20:03] shooting tmw though
[20:03] in the morning
[20:03] what time
[20:04] 8 am but it might last until noon
[20:04] is jackman going to be there
[20:04] depending on how many shots it takes
[20:04] no his double
[20:04] its a stunt scene
[20:04] jumping off buchanan tower
[20:04] with tanks blazing
[20:04] buchanan tower = prison
[20:10] are they filimg tonight?
[20:10] i saw lights over there around 5
[20:15] yea they start tonight
[20:15] because they have a night scene
[20:15] but theye might continue tommorow

Sigh, when X-Men 4 is coming out next YEAR! I have never seen an X-men movie in my life, but this will be interesting to watch.

That's why they had cables running up the whole Buchanan Tower.

Come to think of it, the waffle building DOES look like a prison. Or maybe it is! :P I thought it was supposed to be the barracks or something, with all the tanks hanging around..

*FYI: Buchanan Tower is where all the Faculty of Arts professors have their offices.. It's the rectangular building with the little squares on it..

The most IT-savvy prof I've met..

Wah, I really like my ECON326 prof. Erm, actually I don't know yet, because I seem to be having trouble with the material, a little bit..

But he very the cute! *not in terms of appearance though* I think he is so IT-savvy it's hard to find someone like that around who is equally academically-savvy. (Read: Most profs don't handle websites as good as he does.)

He has a nice webpage which even includes a FAQ section for the course, because he's probably used to millions of emails flooding in during the first week of class..

And I just checked it and he posted this:

The password protection of this course web page will be activated next Thursday afternoon. This allows me to post on this page some sensitive information such as your homework grades. Once the password protection is activiated, you will need an account to access this web page after that. Please create your account by filling out the registration form now.

Wow, who actually knows how to create this kind of form?? It was pretty decent.. And "activating" a "password pretection course webpage" sounds pretty technical to me.. Hahaha! Somemore he has drop-down lists for past handouts and assignments.. So pro~~ Where to find a prof like that?

He posts notes and assignments so far ahead it's really impressive! First assignment due this coming Thursday and he already posted the second one due the next Thursday! Don't tell me he just lives in front of computer all day long!~

And if you read the whole website carefully he has some spelling errors here and there. I'm usually rather anal about spelling mistakes but in this case it's actually rather cute! Somemore he refers the TA to "Mr. Huang Ce".. Such respect he has for a TA, addresing him as MISTER! Usually profs don't give a poo about them, and half the time we don't know the gender of the TA because they mostly tend to hail from Mainland China and only has two words to their name!

I hope this course turns out well and with the above paragraphs typed in such a light-hearted mood I do hope I can stay motivated and do well! Now, before I go off to tackle the first assignment of his *gasp* on a Saturday night, no less *gasp gasp*, I leave you a picture of my IT-proficient prof:

FISH prof?

Okay! School has officially started. First class of the day was cancelled cos the prof has to go to a meeting, and ENGL329 at 1pm was super boring.. She went on and on in circles round and round about 2 very simple concepts..

I am glad I made one right decision, at least about dropping ECON356, which is taught by Gordon Munro.

Apparently, according to Google, he's supposed to look like this:

But he looks more like a shrivelled up version of this:



Also, according to Google, apparently he supposed to be a retiree? What is he still doing here?!?!

And I went on ratemyprofessors.com and the reviews were so true! (those points I think are true are HIGHLIGHTED)

- "notes are useful, but the way of teaching is boring and wasted my time to attend."
- "what can i say.. he likes to go on and on in circles to the point where you have no idea what he is talking about..but there is some flexibility with exams and if you memorize the notes they're not that bad"
- "very boring and likes to ramble on. Spends hours on end talking about nothing. Tests are a joke as they are the same as past exams. marking is bit more harder."
- "Very boring...likes the sound of his own voice. So easy you will get a bad mark...because you get so bored of classes you will stop going"

This last review was my exact sentiments: "TOTALLY BORING!!! monotone voice"

And comments like these scared me:
- "I did awful on his midterms just because I wrote more than I should. Everything I wrote on my exams are backed by evidence, but he deducted marks off for any analysis that are over the course requirement."

- "Very Very boring. Just read off slides and notes. Don't need to go to class at all. Midterms and exam are very easy because they were the same as past midterms and finals. Just write the same stuff as in the notes and he will be very pleased. Do not add your own extra explanation!"

- "easiest course at 400 level...but i still did badly on my midterms...because it was just so boring...2 months on fisheries...about 3 weeks to condense everything else...final exams questions were the same questions used for the last 5 maybe 10 years...so i hope i did well...but the wierd thing is, our grades haven't been posted as of yet"

- "he's been using the same Qs for finals for the last 10yrs...so...easy? quite...but he taught fish for 2 months...that's boring"

Sigh, I don't think I could live with him teaching fish in a monotonous voice for an entire semester.. At least I made the right choice of not choosing this renewable resource course, and dropping the international finance course which I have not sat in yet.. It is in an hour and I don't look forward to it but I should still go in case any classes go anymore haywire tomorrow!