Acknowledgements

Yuppie, thesis submitted yesterday and I am now a free soul. It suddenly dawned upon me that I will no longer have to go through days of sleepless nights or inadequate sleep, give up my hongkong dramas, compromise with playing tennis, etc. Instead, I can be back to the weekly drinking sessions or mahjong sessions, the drama-after-drama days. Nonetheless, I have to start to work on my modules since I have been neglecting them for the past 12 weeks. My only focus was writing a good dissertation and a meaningful one. I have been spending all my time outside of tuition to work on my thesis and indeed it has been a fruitful journey. Especially towards the end, when Linken was vetting my thesis and Kheng started correcting my subject-verb agreement, I realise that writing a dissertation with perfect grammar is indeed trying. The problem does not lie with me being able to figure out the singular and plural but rather, the tenses almost drove me crazy. I was really undecided between using past tense or present tense to write the thesis! The work that was done by me has to be in present tense whereas work done by precedents have to be in past tense? Ended up I went to my professor and he simply told me to write everything in present tense. Linken was definitely picking on bones and very critical of what I wrote but I do not blame him. In fact, I was really happy about it because it makes me ponder over what I have wrotten and what I could do to improve on it. What's more, I need not hug my laptop to school everyday though it has become a habit that I kinda love it. Put aside the weight, it gives me immediate access to whatever that I want to know.

For now, I wish to publish my acknowledgements.

No words of appreciation can express my hearfelt gratitude towards my
supervisor, Dr. Liu Haoming for his kind patience and guidance in helping me
complete this thesis to mark my graduation. His serenity amidst my panic over my
progress of writing this dissertation from deciding on a topic while he was
still suffering from a jet lag to resolving the many data regression issues, and
finally reading my draft has been extremely reassuring. Without his exceptional
forbearance for all the major and minor knocks on his office, the completion of
this thesis would not have been so smooth and I would not have developed an
interest in doing research work. He is God's grace to me as a final year
student.

Not to forget, I would like to express my appreciation towards Dr. Indranil
Chakrabotry, Dr. Goh Say Song, and Dr. Gamini Premaratne who have given me
numerous astute advices academically and have been instrumental to my learning
journey in NUS.

Next, I would like to convey my sincerest appreciation to Linken, one of my
best pal who has indeed shown me remarkable support by having a game of tennis
with me when I needed to take it easy, listening to my whining, and most
importantly, vetting my thesis despite his hard-pressed schedule. Further, I
would like to thank my best buddies: Chris, WenXiong, and Tailon, people whom I
seek to for comfort and for the mirth, fun, and laughter they brought to my life
for the past decade. They are whom I call true friends. Added compliments to
Chris for proofreading my thesis as well!

The final and most important, I wish to express my gratitude to my family;
my Mom who loves me unconditionally and has been extremely supportive while I
take on this last challenge in my academic career; my sister, Kheng, for
correcting the subject-verb agreement issues in my paper meticulously, and also
my brother, Michael, who constantly offers words of encouragement and astute
advices for the past 23 years of my life. A BIG THANKS for playing a
fundamental role in shaping up my character and showing incredible tolerance for
my whims and fancies, and never stingy when it comes to showering me with love.

I am truly blessed beyond measures to have you guys as my family members.

Owing to space constraint, I was not able to thank all the people that I would like to so the blog is a more appropriate venue I guess.

I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my Brother, Michael and my
cousin-in-law, Vincent. Prior to deciding on the topic, I was not sure if
writing on such a topic would have been anything meaningful. However, the series of events made me realise that Health is Wealth and that without good health,
you would have been denied access to the door of Happiness.

Next, I would like to thank Bestie, IatFai for his existence in my life. He
need not explicitly encourage me to be better or listen to my sorrows but
through the small chats we have during the gatherings, he made me realise that
if one's dreams are shattered, it may be hard to swallow initially but we
all move on. Seeing his attempts to live a fulfilling life despite living within
so many constraints, I have more the reason to do so. All the conversations we
had while I was on SEP also helped me stay in touch with Singapore and it was
always nice to have someone you know to relate to when you experience any funny or interesting events while overseas. Thanks, Bestie!

Next, to my ex-boss and mentor - Augustine, for showing me the ropes to auditing and interpersonal relationship and for encouraging me when I first entered NUS that all I need is time to adapt to the NUS lifestyle. Those words of encouragement were instrumental to me graduating today from NUS!

Not to forget, my wonderful Econs friends in NUS - Pauline, Rachel and
HuiYun. All the times that I was in NUS, I had their companion and we sat
through all the boring lectures together, sat for the same exams and the little
outings like Botanic Gardens, Dinner, etc. indeed brightened up my life!

To Joseph and Sharon - my first few friends in NUS who brought me so
much laughter out of my embarrassment, thanks for helping me tide through the adjustment phrase in NUS.!

To WaiTeng for introducing the lovely sport, tennis to me, for constantly
encouraging me when I felt really down and lost with my thesis, hall stays would
have been much different without her!

To the two splendid friends I made from SEP - Kim and Monica.
All the travels, living and culture experiences would not have been made
possible without Kim's company and I wouldn't have the same feeling towards the
various countries that we visited together without her. The days of cooking
together, couching in her room on Sundays to watch movies, running to Lidl with our slippers and shorts during winter, long bus journeys, gossips, etc. are memories that will stay with me for life.!

And for Monica, the little chats we have in our room during SEP, the art of
accomodation and lending an arm that she taught me, the constant encouragement
she gave while I was working on my thesis were all priceless.!

And so, I thank God for bringing them to my life and on SEP.!

Last but not least, thanks to every single friend I made in NUS especially
the Econs peeps!

Lastly, I would like to share any good luck that God has bestowed upon me
for the past 23 years with my cousin, Benjamin, who is sitting for his 'O'
Levels and my sister, Kheng, who is sitting for her 'A' Levels examinations.
Also, I would like to thank my cousin, BiXia, for lending me her Macbook power adapter when mine refused to work on the very night before the submission of my thesis (Every single bit of effort counts.!) And my cousin, Wendy, for the weekly badminton sessions when I needed to destress and also being the responsible
driver to deliver the power adaptor without moaning a single word! (I am not sure if she complained behind my back though! haha..Just joking!)

Thanks for making a difference in my life!

Hap Birthday, Bestie!

Happy Birthday, Bestie!

There exists some people in this world whom you do not have to see often, talk to regularly or show concern for frequently. Yet, you know that you will always be best friends, and when you need someone to talk to or some good advices, he or she will be around. Though we call each other Besties, sometimes I am unsure if it is just a name in disguise or a designation that is meant to sound or look nice. Frankly speaking, I feel I have never done anything deserving to be his Bestie, hitherto. I see that as him basking in happiness which explains why he does not need any offers for help from an optimistic perspective. In contrary, I have practically done nothing constructive for him! But, the life ahead of us is seemingly endless still. Some day, I hope I accomplish something to truly and be worthy of the name he calls me.! :)) Yet, even if I do not, I know I will be spared still.

Recall.

I went to an ex-colleague's 21st birthday party last night. Honestly, I was astonished by the crowd that gather and the setup and all. She had really big banners put up and spot lights, dry ice, sparklers all ready and it looked more like a wedding as commented by another of my friend. Lol! She had a 20th birthday celebration last May as well but because I was in Stockholm then, I was not able to make it and had not experienced the kind of lavish and grandeur that accompanied her celebration. Halfway through the party, she changed into another dress and that left me scratching my head and stunned. "Why the need to change your costume?"

By around 9 p.m., we then got ready for photo-taking and of course the highlight of the night, the cutting of the cake. I would likened the crowd to almost a throng but when it was time to sing the birthday girl a song, the volume sounded pathetic and I mean really pathetic. No one bothered to gather and you could see people leaving halfway, hoping that their absence will be insignificant in the large crowd. Some did not even bother to sing the birthday song nor clap and were busy taking photos with their own long-lost friends. Of course I did my part and sang the song, not only out of duty and responsibility but also with sincerity and wishes. Since you have decided to attend the party and send the someone your wishes, then do it whole-heartedly right? There was a crowd of around 100 people but the volume of the birthday song sounded like a pathetic group of 10 trying to amplify their voices.

Going through the celebration reminded me of my own 21st birthday party. I started to wonder, was my party anyway like hers? I would feel tremendously embarrassed and at the same time really upset and inadequate. It was as though those people who went never really wanted to attend but were merely being compulsive or conforming to social norms of attending someone else's 21st birthday party to reciprocate because he or she had attended yours. However, it is almost 18 months since my birthday celebration. I was so busy that night that I can no longer recall the expression on everyone's faces. However, deep in my heart, I know majority of those that attended really meant to be there to give me their true blessings unless it was yet another deception.

This incident had once again reiterated the point that we need QUALITY friends. Quantity does not count. I would rather have genuine and whole-hearted blessings of 20 friends rather than the pretense or hypocrisy of a 100. :) I love my friends honestly. Diverse and versatile.

A toast to:
--> the one or two unique ones whom I can dial anytime and anyday for a coffee or to lend an ear and to walk through the ups and downs of life together, watching each other closely.
--> some whom I put in the extra effort or walk the extra mile to maintain our friendship, holding it as though it is a fragile piece of glass that might be broken once I hold it too loosely but you guys make me appreciate what other friends had done for me.
--> A few among the litre whom I love to disturb, call them names knowing that they won't be angry or pissed occasionally yet sometimes surprising each other when we start to lend each other a heart and an ear for some comfort.
--> the several whom I always complain and whine non-stop towards to vent my frustration and anger when I cannot suppress it or contain anymore.
--> Those who seemed so distant yet once in a while, a knock on my phone or msn or email tells me the weight I have in their heart, thanks for not forgetting me. :)
--> The few or several leisure khakis be it KTV, mahjong, tennis, badminton or even a movie. You know who you are but that does not mean you ain't important.
--> Lastly, the rest whom left a little and brief footprints in my life. Though you ain't that special, thanks for being there when I needed a friend or company. :)

The Right Tempo.

The overwhelming number of gatherings and outings have taken a toll on my tempo and pace of studies. I am supposed to be putting in extra effort this semester, ain't I? Where's my Mugging Cap? Lol.!

Anyway, it was JY's birthday on the 7 Feb so we had a KTV session out at Top-One. The guests were unusual, definitely not people whom we get to meet often but it was cool still. We need new faces to paint a different picture in our clique other than the usual 4 of us. Yet at moments during the session, the exceptional affliation between Jan, Omma & I surface. Cos everytime minute happenings surface, the 3 of us would be extremely quick to look at each other through the corner of our eyes with the "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" stare. I thought it was really hilarious. :)) Yet, it was a short gathering since we all had our own hangouts to be at subsequently.

Oh yeah, I need to mention: AUDI rocks.! The fanfare for the Brand originated from my vocation training at EY. One of the Tax Managers drove an Audi A4 and at that time, I was memerised by its exterior appearance. Nonetheless, being a Continental Car and its status as a more luxurious branded car, it was not that common in Singapore. I had taken lifts in different cars, from Subaru, BMW, Volvo, Honda Civic etc but the ride in my friend's Audi after KTV elevated my liking for the brand. The interior of the car was posh and it was the exact style that I wanted. :))

I'm excited about graduation cos it has always been my dream to own a car. But AUDI will definitely not be my maiden car because of the steep price-tag that comes with it. Lol. But I hope to edge closer to it as I age. So, AUDI, wait for me. :))

From movie to KTV and lastly, steamboat over @ BY's house on Sunday. I love sessions like those cos we will always crack lots of jokes, expand on each other's conversation, dig at each other's sorrows with no ill intentions and bring out the hidden-side of each other. And this time, tuition was the Hot topic cum debate.

IF has an 'amazing' student, one whom he terms as a 'STUPID' kid. Hearing his stories made me extremely certain that no primary school kids should be on my agenda. I once had a pri. sch boy whom took a toll on my temperant, on my patience and get on my nerves every lesson. But I guess at least my student's mom is someone who knows his son and his abilities so well that she does not expect too much from the tuition. In fact, it was always me calling the mom to address concerns that surfaced during the sessions. And this was the unusual conversation that arose:

WenX: 你爸爸不是猪？ 你妈妈不是猪？ 为什么会生出你这头猪？
＊Laughters, Giggles follow."

BingY: Elbow him, Box him, Beat up his whole family. Whole family get into a fight. Ah, tuition teacher go crazy liao! Uncle come, punch him. Dash out of the house, beat up all the neighbours!!!!!!!

KokW: (Acting as the maid) "No Sir, no sir. Don't beat me."
WenX: Go out, Kick the Dog. (Acting as the dog) " Er, er." *Two hands imitating the paws of the dog*

By then, the giggles could no longer be contained. The laughters flooded the whole kitchen and people in the living room were aroused by the interesting and arousing conversation that was going on in the kitchen.

Sometimes, I wonder. Will such engaging conversations continue 5, 10 or 20 years down the road when we all will be elites in our own field or industry, some married and even with kids, some still single, some still unsettled? What will bridge the growing gap between us? I guess it will still be the habit of having each other in our lives that link our hearts always. :))

FOR IATFAI

I saw your post to congratulate me on the change of status!

71 SHOUTS: "THANKS A LOT IATFAI! THAT WAS REALLY SWEET YET FUNNY!"

I hope you enjoy this last month of your work in UOB and the all the best in your transition from FULL TIME WORKER to FULL TIME STUDENT!! :)