It's been 2 consecutive rainy sundays. this week though, i didn't have tuition, so i was able to enjoy it a little more than last week. luckily, i got my errands done early, and came home before it began to pour. those errands involved paying my phone bill, depositing the tuition fees, buying train concession, topping up my ez-link card, and borrowing a few library books. doesn't seem like a great deal of effort, and it isn't. nevertheless, i like the thought of getting many things done.
the one thing i planned for, but didn't get to do today is have breakfast at dome. main reason is because i slept at about 2:00am last night, and only woke up at 10-something am today. add in a few delays caused by my phone bill (see below), and i wouldn't have made it in time anyway. i realize that i have to do it sometime this week, because one of the waiters told army boy that they'd be moving out sometime within this week. so, i've got to think of a new tuition venue as well, but that can easily be arranged. the priority now is to catch them before they move. going by my schedule, the best time would either be tomorrow or thursday. see how things go.
my phone bill this month gave me a shock at first. normally, the amount i have to pay is quite fixed...$43.35, provided i don't exceed my allowed minutes or internet usage. this time, the letter said $86.70, or exactly double my usual amount. a call to the customer service people revealed that i didn't pay last month's bill, and a quick ibanking check confirmed that. just when i was thinking that it's been too long since i paid the phone bill. seems like they only cut your service off if you don't pay for 2 consecutive months. never knew that.
gave tuition to army boy twice this week, once on thursday and again on saturday. now that we're moving into organic, i expected to have an easier time, since it's my specialization. unfortunately, i didn't count on him having proportionally larger problems with organic as well. he's got problems with remembering reaction names, conditions, and seeing synthesis routes. can't be that seeing synthesis routes is a special gift or anything, right? or maybe most of the chem kids are able to do it, that's why it appears normal.
other interesting news from school is that my lab got a new postdoc, as well as another phd student whose professor left the school. with 2 of the current phd students about to graduate, that brings the net headcount change to...zero. to think i was hoping for more space! so much for that thought. so far, the postdoc is kind of nice, not putting on airs or anything like that. i'm kind of mildly jealous that he's only 3 years older than me, and already has his phd. but well, that's how NS messes with singaporean guys.
seems like i still can't submit my phd application yet. there are still a couple of details which i have to iron out with my professor and the admin staff. if all goes well, i should be well ahead of the 15 november deadline. still considering whether to apply to/for NGS or not. after talking to one of my lab seniors, it seems that the only negative difference is 2 extra modules, while the positives include more allowance and complete freedom of module choice. seems worthwhile, right?
yesterday, we went to celebrate my cousin's birthday (and mine too, in advance) at this place called uncle leong's seafood in punggol. the food was pretty good and affordable (~$300 for 10 people). the downsides are the ulu location and the poor service standards. not somewhere i would go often, or by public transport. there was also a prawn-catching place and a pool place nearby. the pool place was interesting, in the sense that it charges students and army people $2 for 4 hours. that's like...3 to 4 times cheaper than the typical pool place. just wonder how much they make a day. granted, the location is rather out of the way, so their overheads should be ridiculously cheap. then again, it was pretty crowded yesterday when we went, so i guess they can get by.
incidentally, my dad kind of mentioned that the flat which he balloted for is located quite near the seafood place. and if memory serves, i saw that the closest stop is actually an LRT station. this kind of confirms my decision to get a car if i'm midway through phd studies if/when we move there. it's just way too far from school for me.
well, that's it for now i guess. don't think i missed out on anything. and even if i did, there's always another post waiting to be written, right?
the one thing i planned for, but didn't get to do today is have breakfast at dome. main reason is because i slept at about 2:00am last night, and only woke up at 10-something am today. add in a few delays caused by my phone bill (see below), and i wouldn't have made it in time anyway. i realize that i have to do it sometime this week, because one of the waiters told army boy that they'd be moving out sometime within this week. so, i've got to think of a new tuition venue as well, but that can easily be arranged. the priority now is to catch them before they move. going by my schedule, the best time would either be tomorrow or thursday. see how things go.
my phone bill this month gave me a shock at first. normally, the amount i have to pay is quite fixed...$43.35, provided i don't exceed my allowed minutes or internet usage. this time, the letter said $86.70, or exactly double my usual amount. a call to the customer service people revealed that i didn't pay last month's bill, and a quick ibanking check confirmed that. just when i was thinking that it's been too long since i paid the phone bill. seems like they only cut your service off if you don't pay for 2 consecutive months. never knew that.
gave tuition to army boy twice this week, once on thursday and again on saturday. now that we're moving into organic, i expected to have an easier time, since it's my specialization. unfortunately, i didn't count on him having proportionally larger problems with organic as well. he's got problems with remembering reaction names, conditions, and seeing synthesis routes. can't be that seeing synthesis routes is a special gift or anything, right? or maybe most of the chem kids are able to do it, that's why it appears normal.
other interesting news from school is that my lab got a new postdoc, as well as another phd student whose professor left the school. with 2 of the current phd students about to graduate, that brings the net headcount change to...zero. to think i was hoping for more space! so much for that thought. so far, the postdoc is kind of nice, not putting on airs or anything like that. i'm kind of mildly jealous that he's only 3 years older than me, and already has his phd. but well, that's how NS messes with singaporean guys.
seems like i still can't submit my phd application yet. there are still a couple of details which i have to iron out with my professor and the admin staff. if all goes well, i should be well ahead of the 15 november deadline. still considering whether to apply to/for NGS or not. after talking to one of my lab seniors, it seems that the only negative difference is 2 extra modules, while the positives include more allowance and complete freedom of module choice. seems worthwhile, right?
yesterday, we went to celebrate my cousin's birthday (and mine too, in advance) at this place called uncle leong's seafood in punggol. the food was pretty good and affordable (~$300 for 10 people). the downsides are the ulu location and the poor service standards. not somewhere i would go often, or by public transport. there was also a prawn-catching place and a pool place nearby. the pool place was interesting, in the sense that it charges students and army people $2 for 4 hours. that's like...3 to 4 times cheaper than the typical pool place. just wonder how much they make a day. granted, the location is rather out of the way, so their overheads should be ridiculously cheap. then again, it was pretty crowded yesterday when we went, so i guess they can get by.
incidentally, my dad kind of mentioned that the flat which he balloted for is located quite near the seafood place. and if memory serves, i saw that the closest stop is actually an LRT station. this kind of confirms my decision to get a car if i'm midway through phd studies if/when we move there. it's just way too far from school for me.
well, that's it for now i guess. don't think i missed out on anything. and even if i did, there's always another post waiting to be written, right?
-random thought of the day: Did I just agree to join a kata competition?-
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