<金盆洗手>

(Source of pic: Herttoniemi Manor)

I had started writing up this post way back in January. I've been editing and adding to it ever so frequently, I've lost count. It's because everytime I touch this post, the emotions will start to build, forcing me to stop soon after. Good thing I started it early. Here goes...

...but let's pop some champagne first (Thanks, Jade, for these pics)...
And so, we've come to the end. In a couple of hours' time, I will be on a plane jetting home. My blog address is already in Dan, Stef and Jim's mailbox. It's part of my farewell present to them.

Before I say my farewells to you guys as well, allow me to self-indulge a bit more...

Ladies and gentlemen, this is where it all happens. Note the two phone books propping up my laptop to a more comfortable level for me (because I am very tall) and the Peanuts mousepad. If you look carefully, you might spot my Papermate Silhouette mechanical pencil. Note also on the left, the wireless broadband modem and the corner of my bed.


The past three years have been quite a trip of self-discovery. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

i) 我不怕孤單，但蠻害怕寂寞的。

ii) 我好奇心雖然有，但不夠“雄厚”，倒置我對研究的熱忱忽冷忽熱。這行不適合我。

iii) 但肯定的是，精算是我要走的路。這個，我從十八嵗時就曉得了。

iv) 我的寫作天份實在有限。我不是假謙虛。

v) 我比想象中還疼愛我的外甥女。

vi) 難然想家，但我不後悔走了這趟三年的悉尼路程。

...and let's enjoy some fried chicken too (Thanks, CM)...




And of course, some words to the main protagonists of this blog:

To Dan and Stef:

Thank you for all the weekends (and some weekdays too!) we've spent together. What I've enjoyed most about your company is not the movies. Not the "Xbox-ing". Not the field trips. Not the food. But rather, it's the ongoing bantering with the two of you and sometimes, between the two of you.

You guys know that I hate travelling, but if the opportunity ever arises, I will pay you guys a visit in Shanghai. But better if you guys can come over to Singapore lah.


To Jim:

Thank you for all the little bits and pieces of kindness and care you've shown me in the 2 years 10 months that I've stayed with you. Thursday is my most looked forward to day of the week, simply because it is the day you drop by to clean the apartment. I will miss our weekly chats. At times, you've felt like half a father to me.

I wish you and your family all the very best, especially your grandson. And yes, if ever I do get married, you'll be one of the first to be informed! If you ever find time to read through this blog, you'll probably need to enlist the help of your wife to sieve through the posts that are written in chinese. You have my permission to letting her read it.


To my boss:

Who unfortunately will not get to read this because I am not sending you the address (but to whom I've said basically the same things when I had bade you farewell yesterday). You've been more of a friend than a boss at times. I value all the advice you've given me, which has brought about the fruits of a publication (already at the publishers) and another two working papers.


To Le Tissier, 秋 and Ah Gee:

Just welcome me home when I'm back. *Grin* All the catching up will happen then. See you guys this evening at the airport.


To 欣:

I'm glad we've come full circle. Most of all, I'm glad to hear you're doing fine.


To 綺:

You've had a most paradoxical and profound effect on my perspective of life. Despite that, I hope you will never ever find this blog. 衷心地祝福妳生活美滿。


To my family, especially 慧:

Gu gu快到家了！來臨的星期一就配妳玩shape shape，畫畫，gai gai，搭MRT，接妳下課，跟ma ma去海邊吃mum mum。。。 或許有一天，等妳長大后，gu gu會把這個網址送給妳當生日禮物，讓妳回味回味一下童年時光。


Special thanks to UFM100.3. Without an almost constant link to home, I would probably have gone crazy already.


And finally, to my readers:

To my three pioneer readers, namely Ginger_ale, Chronicles of Chaos and Little Miss Drinkalot:

妳們帶給我的安慰是我無法形容的。But I'll still try...

Ginger_ale, you allowed me to move from an apparent soliloquy to a two-way exchange. That gave me immense satisfaction. For that, thank you.

Chronicles of Chaos, I never expected to become such close friends with a fellow blogger. But I did. 希望妳儘快走出黑暗吧，朋友。I'm saving up for your wedding ang pow liao. *Grin*

Little Miss Drinkalot, heh... this is a little embarrassing to say. But to have a blogger whom I really enjoy reading read my own blog feels rather flattering. I hoped you've enjoyed what you've read here as much as I've enjoyed reading yours. My little half-promised farewell gift to you is in your mailbox. Also, 希望妳早日找到屬於妳自己的幸福！

Special mentions too for two "late-comer" readers, CM and Jade. I didn't expect to know anyone from the actuarial profession via my blog, so your first e-mails and comments took me totally by surprise. Despite the end of my blogging days, we will keep in touch via e-mail. Heh, maybe we'll even get the chance to fly to UK together should we qualify at the same time!

...and we finish off with some cookie burgers and more champagne (Thanks, Ginger_ale)...


Lastly, some things I want to do immediately upon reaching home:

i) If you happen to be at Changi Airport this evening and notice a crazy scrawny-looking guy kissing the tarmac, that'll be me.

ii) Food. Food. Food.

iii) Catch up on my sleep.


Ok, that's all I have to say. Now pardon me whilst I do my own version of "Cantona".

Who Acey Deucey is

In no particular order, and some of them may seem to contradict one another, I am

Trustworthy - that I inspire trust in people so much so that they trust their secrets with me.

Trusting - that I place my trust in others rather easily too.

Consistent - that after a while, it is pretty easy to predict how I react to certain circumstances.

Boring - that I do not dare or do not like to try new things.

Loyal - that they can count on me when the need arises and my tastes do not change easily.

Sagacious - that I have a knack for taking apart problems and getting right into the core of it.

Articulate - that I can explain and teach pretty well.

Forthright - that I say things as it is.

Politically correct - that I think carefully of the way to phrasing things before actually saying it.

Principled - that I stick to my principles staunchly.

Rigid - that I do not change my ways easily.

Perfectionistic - that I aim for perfection in everything I do.

Efficient - that I just seem to get things done quickly.

Meticulous - that I plan carefully. Very very carefully.

Patient - that I possess great patience and tedious tasks do not deter me.

Sensitive - that I am sensitive to the feelings of others.

Tolerant - that I do not get flustered easily.

Snobbish - that indirectly, I look down on certain groups of people.

Cynical - that I tend to suspect or weigh up the bad possibilities first before considering the positives.

Lucky - that I've been enjoying good luck in my life thus far.

Independent - that as far as possible, I try to manage things on my own and not trouble others for help.

Content - that I have few material wants and am contented with whatever I already have.


Some of these are gleaned from what friends and family tell me. Others are based on self-observation. Whether they are true or not is another matter. :P

Duck tales

Ma ma has been naughty. Very very naughty. And almost inevitably, this following story also involves Mr. Beanie Duck. Enjoy this final published tale of my niece.

Despite repeated warnings, 慧 had left some of her toys, including Mr. Beanie Duck, on the living room floor again. Gong gong had wanted to wash the floor, so he picked up her "mah sah" and threw them all back into the huge "mah sah" container.

Shortly after, 慧 came back and couldn't find her best buddy on the floor. She searched her table and other areas (but somehow excluded her mah sah container) but he was nowhere to be found. That naturally got her anxious,

“鴨鴨在哪裏？鴨鴨在哪裏？Ma ma，鴨鴨不見了！” (Translation: Where is duck duck? Where is duck duck? Grandma, duck duck is gone!)

Hawk-eyed ma ma spotted Mr. Beanie Duck the moment she stepped back into the living room. She distracted 慧 into searching for him in the room whilst "pocketing" Mr. Beanie Duck secretly. Ma ma had thought of an idea to teach 慧 a lesson in keeping her toys.

“慧慧naughty。玩具亂亂丟。鴨鴨被bird bird抓走了！抓去temple了！” (Translation: You have been naughty, leaving your toys on the floor. Duck duck has been captured by bird bird! He is now locked up in the temple!)
(Some background info: There is a chinese temple near my flat and 慧 liked to visit it when she was smaller. There is a pond there full of koi and we would bring some fish food there to feed them. The above pic is taken at the koi pond, about one and a half years back.)

慧 looked despondent.

“走！跟ma ma去temple喂魚，去找鴨鴨。” (Translation: Let's go to the temple to feed the fish and look for duck duck.)

“好！” (Translation: OK!)

At the temple, whilst 慧 was busy looking at the koi, ma ma took Mr. Beanie Duck out from her pocket and exclaimed,

“慧慧！Ma ma找到鴨鴨了！” (Translation: Look! Grandma has found Mr. Beanie Duck!)

慧 was understandably overjoyed to find back her best buddy and grinned widely. For the rest of the day, she clutched tightly onto him and did not let him once out of her sight.

At this point in time, I chided ma ma for undoing our good work thus far of reducing her reliance on Mr. Beanie Duck. But wait, there is more to the tale, she tells me.

That night, 慧 went to bed with Mr. Beanie Duck in hand. In the course of tossing and turning whilst asleep, Mr. Beanie Duck ended up at the edge of the mattress.

Midnight. *Sounds of rustling*

Ma ma awakes to find 慧 feeling around the mattress. Spotting Mr. Beanie Duck at the other end of the mattress, she returns it to 慧's hands,

“在這裡，鴨鴨在這裡啦！睡覺！睡覺！” (Translation: It's here, duck duck is here! Now go back to sleep!)

“嘻嘻。。。” (Self-conscious laughter from 慧.)

I asked ma ma if 慧 was still hanging onto Mr. Beanie Duck the next day. Her reply was no.

I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

Turning points

It is inevitable, I suppose, with the current permeating climate of change, for me to be taking stock of my life and to start planning ahead. For the past few days, I find that I've been dwelling a lot on the turning points of my life...

...Months before the PSLE, I had made my choices of which secondary schools I would like to attend. That was probably the first major decision of my life. My parents and elder sis had given me some advice but left the final decision to me. In the end, my choices were pretty prudent (read not overly ambitious). I had also intentionally chosen NOT to put down any of those so-called top all-boys schools.

After the results were released, my form teacher asked me if I wanted to transfer from the secondary school I was posted to a "better" one, for I had done well enough to enroll in any of those. She added she would appeal on my behalf if I wanted to. I gave it a minute's thought and declined her offer. I was happy with my first choice of secondary school.

And you know what, that turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

I most thoroughly enjoyed myself in the secondary school I had stuck to. I was also to go on to learn many valuable lessons about life in that school, many of which I doubt I would have learnt in a top school. I've written about some of my experiences in that school whilst guestblogging for my second regular reader, so I won't be repeating them here. Suffice it to say that I still hold fond memories of my time there.

Of all the schools and institutions I've attended so far, it still lists as my undisputed number one. If any parent were to ask me to recommend a secondary school for their child, the choice cannot be more obvious for me...

...When I was 18, after the 'A's, I was one of the first to be enlisted for NS. In fact, I went from student to civilian to soldier in the space of a fortnight. During BMT, right up till the release of the 'A' level results in March, I was still undecided about the university course to sign up for.

That was until a JC classmate brought to my notice the actuarial course. The funny bit of this was, she had intended to sign up for the engineering course. The actuarial course was not well-known then, because it was (and still is) hidden under the guise of Business. Not only that, Business was as far from Engineering as chalk from cheese. So how she found out about it, I don't know. Why she told me about it, I also do not know. Indeed, years later, I was to ask her these same questions. She told me she had clean forgotten!

In any case, after she had told me, I did some research on my own about the course during the months leading to the application deadline. The rest, as they say, is history

I sometimes wonder what course I would have ended up in had she not told me what she told me...

...At 25, I was standing at another crossroads in my life. I was largely happy with my work and work environment but the long hours were hurting my actuarial examinations preparations. I knew if I kept up the pace, I would either start failing those exams or get burnt out. Something had to give.

So I made that fateful decision. I quit my job.

What initially was a two year hiatus from work became two and a half, became five and finally (and hopefully) five and a half. Again, with the benefit of hindsight, it turned out to be the right decision. I might have lost out on financial rewards and career progression, but what I've gained in the past five and a half years is invaluable. For one, I've progressed in my actuarial examinations. And I've made a few vital self-discoveries that will serve me well in my life...

...Backtracking a little, at 27, just after my two and a half year hiatus, I was deciding between returning to the workforce or coming over to Sydney.

I had spotted then, a really interesting job in the papers. It was from the Singapore Pools. They were looking for a game analyst for the Italian Football League, Serie A. Now, you would know by now that I enjoy my football and I certainly enjoy my probability. I applied for the post with much expectation. Given my actuarial background, I thought I might have an edge over other candidates.

At the same time, I had already applied for a few universities in Australia. But nothing had been heard of them yet.

This time, the decision was (sort of) made for me. Singapore Pools never got back to me for my job application, whereas I got my approval for the Australian university soon after. And that was how I came over to Sydney.

If it had been the other way round or if a job offer had been made before the approval from the university arrived, I would have taken up the job and stayed put in Singapore. As things turned out, that didn't happen.

Which is why you're reading this post...

...Now I wonder what's next.

Sick chicken

Mid-autumn. Now is the time when a great variety of clothing thickness can be observed on the streets.

I have always been one of the early birds to dig out my winter clothing and putting them to good use. 今年也不例外。Since the return from the Blue Mountains, I have been in three layers of clothing, two t-shirts (or equivalent) and one coat, whenever I am out and about.

Therein lies a little awkwardness for me.

You see, there is quite a number of Australians still hanging onto their summer inclinations. It is not uncommon to see Aussies in sleeveless t-shirts or singlets, shorts and slippers (they're called thongs here) on the streets. And they are NOT exercising, just going about their daily routine. This happens even in the evenings when the temperature takes a further dip.

And then, here I am, in full winter battle order, walking past them with my hands deeply buried in my coat pockets. The contrast is so big, I get self-conscious about it. Of course, there are other people like me, all togged in winter wear. Some even have their beenies and scarves out.

Still, I can't help but wonder what makes those "summerly" people so "healthy". We used to joke amongst ourselves that it makes us seem like some weakling or sick chicken.

<甚麽shape>

Warning: This post is only suitable for high-tolerance readers. It contains potentially grotesque images.

“Ma ma！我要大便！” (Translation: Grandma, I need to do "big business".)

And they both scurry into the master bedroom loo. Before long, she is seated comfortably and erm... pushing.

*Big plop*

*Idle chatter with ma ma whilst waiting for the second bowel movement*

*Two small plops*

“Ma ma，好了。” (Translation: I am done, grandma.)

So she gets up and grandma erm... "takes care of the rest".

“Ma ma，甚麽shape啊？” (Translation: Grandma, what shape is it?)

“妳自己看囖！” (Translation: Why don't you just look at it yourself?)

And she does, upon which she makes the following observation,

“是Mickey Mouse的shape。” (Translation: It has the shape of Mickey Mouse.)

0 days to go!!!

Guestblogging index

This is just an index to my posts whilst guestblogging for my second regular reader, in chronological order:

Mic testing (17th February 2006)
Laughter (18th February 2006)
Mahjong (19th February 2006)
Terminating a friendship (20th February 2006)
Failing my English composition (22nd February 2006)
Aceing A-Maths (23rd February 2006)
Dropping Literature (24th February 2006)
Mr. Siew, my Chinese and Art teacher (25th February 2006)
Netball (28th February 2006)
Funfair (1st March 2006)
He won't tell (2nd March 2006)
JC life (3rd March 2006)
Budget (4th March 2006)
Visiting Sydney (5th March 2006)
Small encore (7th March 2006)
Out of order (20th March 2006)
My sporting life (29th March 2006)


Mainly for easy personal reference later.

0 days to go!!!

I need comforting

I returned to my apartment very late last night, from part one of the farewell festivities. Or should I say very early this morning.

Whilst trying to coax myself to sleep, I realised I still missed my comforter. I've never really gotten used to sleeping without a comforter (it is known as body pillow here). This despite having gone without it for the entire three years I have been here.

And the strange thing is, it is not easy to find a comforter in Sydney (or maybe even Australia). One of my ex-housemates from Singapore, upon hearing this (from other friends, not me), shipped her comforter all the way here!

Then there is this story I heard from her, about one of her guy friends (also Singaporean), who was so desperate for a comforter after arriving here, he went to Paddy's Market and bought one of those girlish 小叮噹 or Hello Kitty mini-comforters.

0 days to go!!!

<不用打電話>

“Gu gu囘來后就不用打電話了。” (Translation: When you are back, gu gu, you won't have to call home anymore.)

She had said it to me without anyone's prompting; nobody had taught her to say it either. What's more, she meant it as a statement of fact, not as a question.

Akan Datang: Final posts

0 days to go!!!

P.S. Here's wishing all readers a Happy Easter.

<響應LMD號召>

This, in response to my third regular reader's tag.


Seven dreams before death (actually, some of these I've alluded to before):

i) Qualify as actuary
ii) Visit Malta
iii) Attend a Beaglefest in Santa Monica
iv) Become a decent cook
v) Learn Japanese
vi) Watch my niece grow up happy
vii) Have my hair cut by LMD (HA HA HA!)

Actually, I wanted to put down visiting Old Trafford and attending a Man Utd match. But this has put paid to that dream. At least until they sell the club back to the fans.


Seven things I can't do in this lifetime:

i) Become a professional basketball player
ii) Draw a decent comic strip
iii) Learn a musical instrument. Any instrument.
iv) Enjoy travelling
v) Sing. Properly.
vi) Dance. Properly.
vii) Write a song


Seven things that attract me:

i) Wise women
ii) Things that are apt
iii) Good writing
iv) Self-confidence
v) A woman's nape
vi) Determination
vii) 繁體字


Seven things I say:

i) Steady
ii) Duh (only in writing and internet, not in speech)
iii) So so so...
iv) 估計, thanks to Dan, Stef and Fred
v) Naughty girl (only to my niece)
vi) Wilco (also only in writing and internet, not in speech)
vii) What's the verdict?


Seven books that I love (this one's easy!):

i) Kamikaze by Yasuo Kuwahara
ii) Terror In The Starboard Seat by Dave McIntosh
iii) Reach For The Sky by Paul Brickhill
iv) The Wrong Stuff by Truman Smith
v) Not As Briefed by Ross Greening
vi) Lie In The Dark And Listen by Ken Rees
vii) Piece of Cake by Geoff Taylor

See their covers here.


Seven movies that I’ve loved (this one's easy too!):

i) 重慶深林 (Chungking Express)
ii) Memento
iii) Les Enfants Du Marais (The Children Of The Marshland)
iv) 紅の豚 (Porco Rosso)
v) Tmavomodrý Svet (Dark Blue World)
vi) 밀애 (Ardor)
vii) Sur mes lèvres (Read My Lips)

See more recommendations here.


Seven tags:

Nil. The buck stops here. Again. If I get bad luck from this, I know who to blame. Again. *Grin*


Still 1 day to go.

<完美的一天>

On the Saturday just past, we finally went on that much postponed trip to the Sydney Fish Market. And for that lobster lunch. Yah yah... *Slurp*This is one of the entrances to the Sydney Fish Market. Notice how blue the skies was. Clear blue skies is perhaps THE feature of Australian weather and in my opinion, the main attraction of Australia for European, especially British, tourists.
We ended up having more than just the lobster. I saw abalone and eagerly pointed it out to them. Both the lobster and abalone was picked live and cooked immediately. We also got some side dishes to go along with them.

We had (see above pic, clockwise from left) lobster sashimi, calamari rings, small octopus, stir fried lobster (from the same lobster) and abalone with ginger and shallots.

Amongst the four of us, Dan is the biggest fan of seafood. By a country mile, actually. So when I commented that the lobster sashimi tasted a little like agar agar, he said I 不識貨. Actually, Fred also added that he didn't know how to appreciate it properly (his exact words were it tasted bland). For me, it was the 口感 that was nice. But that was about it.

What did it for me was the abalone. Indeed, all of us loved it! When I woke up the next morning and was making breakfast, visions of abalone floated across my eyes as I looked a little forlornly at my bread.

After the hefty lunch, we went to The Rocks (again! For me, that is) for a walkabout. I had wanted to get two more of those kangeroos for a close friend's children and Stef needed to buy a present for a birthday party.

Then, we went to the Centennial Park for some er... exercise. Actually, it was just some boomerang throwing and football. Have I mentioned before that I know (more or less) how to throw the boomerang? Dan and I had tried it before last year and we can get it to return to roughly where we stand. Though we still don't dare to catch it, like the aborigine who demonstrated it to us had done. It was Fred's first try at it and we all had a good belly laugh at his attempts. He ended up expending more energy retrieving the boomerang than throwing it.

Dinner time, and we decided to try a newly opened Korean restaurant in a neighbouring suburb. One look down the menu and my eyes froze on "Ginseng Chicken Soup". Now, I haven't had decent soup over here for ages and you guys would know that I do love my soup. I also ordered a rice dish which the other guys said looked like 八寶飯. Actually, it was more like the stuff they put into ice kachang, but instead, they've put it into plain rice and cooked it together.

When the soup arrived, I was quite taken aback by its size. It was huge! And there was a WHOLE chicken in it. Not only that, I discovered later that the chicken had fillings in it. I honestly wondered how I would be able to finish it AND the 八寶飯. Off came the coat as I got started on it. Then off came my outer shirt as I made some more progress with the soup.

Well, I managed to finish the whole lot. Thank you very much.

After the sumptious dinner, we adjourned to Dan and Stef's apartment for card games. They managed to track down another friend to make up a foursome whilst I watched a movie on DVD. All the way till near midnight.

As we were leaving, that friend they had invited said half in jest, more in taunting,

“啊！今天是完美的一天！”

Because they (Stef and herself) had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in their 3-hour marathon card game.

Actually, it was a pretty apt description to our day too.

Akan Datang: Phone calls no longer required

1 day to go.

P.S. I am not a Stefanie Sun fan. :P

Starting up

人無遠慮，必有近憂。

Given that the coming weeks or months will be my final sustained period of "free" time before returning to the workforce, I'd better make full use of it. It's time to begin my preparations for the next set of exams. I've just fixed the 開工 date, the first Monday after I get home, i.e. 17th April.

Akan Datang: A perfect day

2 days to go.

I get my little kicks VII

I've gone for my final haircut. And yes, she remembered.

I've done my final laundry run. And yes, the weather cooperated.

I've gone to the bank with a authorisation letter to close the account on a pre-determined future date. And yes, the guy who served me was surprised. I suspect I am the first customer he has ever served to make such a request.

Jim has found a new tenant for my room. And yes, I do realise that both of us are pretty efficient.

Still 3 days to go.

Shutting down

This is going to sound almost cliche, for many a blogger has talked about it before.

Blogging has changed the way I observe things, and how I remember them. Previously, I would let many of the events I've witnessed/experienced slip by. If they were special enough, I might tell it to a few friends but soon, it will be forgotten. If they were really unique, I might put it down in an e-mail and mail it to my closer pals.

Now, my perspective of everyday events have really changed. Every little child that runs past me, every conversation I have, every pretty girl I meet, every place I visit, every thought in my mind, becomes a possible blogging idea. The mind automatically asks if this is "bloggable" and if the answer is yes, stores it under the "KIV" section. And when an exceptional idea hits me, I try my darnest to remember it, putting it down (just the title) before my memory fails me. It is not unusual for me to jot down an idea as I speak to my mum over the phone, for example. :P

Ideas seem to pop up everywhere around me. I have little difficulty in generating ideas, which is also why I can sometimes blog a full week in advance.

And that brings me to something I was wondering about a week ago. Should I shut down my "idea generation machine" then? I might end up with a clutchful of unpublished posts and ideas on the final day if I don't.

I made a compromise decision in the end. Ideas that have been fleshed out into posts will all get published on the final day. Ideas not written up will be deleted away. So my dear readers, if you're lucky, you might get more than that last post on the final day.

Then there are all those feelings about going home that I've put on deep freeze time and again. It's obvious that I haven't been hiding my eagerness on homecoming. What I've left unsaid though, are another set of worries (which will be left unelaborated) that I'll have to face head on when I get back.

I've recently pulled the plug on this deep freeze, letting myself stew in the odd mix of melted feelings and thinking through these issues.

Akan Datang: Starting up

3 days to go.

Updating the odds

Football-wise, two very eventful weeks have passed. Chelsea's lead has been cut down further in size to 7 points. However, there are but 5 matches left for each club. So has Man Utd's odds of winning the EPL title increased or decreased (according to my model, of course)? Which factor has the bigger impact on the probability, the reduced lead or the decreased number of matches?

Just to recap, Man Utd's and Chelsea's remaining matches are:

For Man Utd,
Sunderland, Tottenham (a), Middlesbrough, Chelsea (a) and Charlton

For Chelsea,
Bolten (a), Everton, Blackburn (a), Man Utd and Newcastle (a)

I continue to use the same assumptions and model. This means that if Man Utd beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, they will then need two more victories. If not, they'll need four more (near impossible!).

My estimates of both clubs' chances of winning each of their remaining matches (excluding the match where they play each other) remains unchanged after a *ahem* review (given in square brackets after the team's name):

For Man Utd,
Sunderland [0.95], Tottenham (a) [0.65], Middlesbrough [0.9] and Charlton [0.85]

For Chelsea,
Bolten (a) [0.7], Everton [0.8], Blackburn (a) [0.7] and Newcastle (a) [0.75]

Following the same steps as before, for Man Utd, we will therefore be modelling it with the Binomial(4, 0.8375) distribution. For Chelsea, it will be the Binomial(4, 0.7375) distribution.

So we're after the following probability:

Probability(Man Utd wins the league) = Probability(Man Utd beats Chelsea) x Probability(Man Utd wins two more matches than Chelsea for their respective remaining matches) + Probability(Man Utd loses to Chelsea) x Probability(Man Utd wins four more matches than Chelsea for their respective remaining matches)

I leave the rest of the working as an exercise for my readers...





Just kidding!

Again, you'll have to trust my binomial calculations. We will then obtain

Probability(Man Utd wins the league) = 0.3 x 0.162 + 0.7 x 0.002 = 0.050


Rejoice, for that's an increase of 1.3%! And I hope I have managed to bring some smiles to the Man Utd fans reading this post.

Still 4 days to go.

Erase that

慧 is going through another phase of naughtiness. She even gana "lud" by her pa pa again. First time in a couple of months, I believe. It also got her mee mee and pa pa into a little tiff. Mee mee couldn't bear to see her punished. Pa pa later retorted,

“妳以爲只有妳心痛啊？我打她我更心痛you know。” (Translation: You think you're the only one feeling the heartache? I feel it more because I am the one meting out the punishment you know.)

A few days later, all seems well again. Pa pa and mee mee were bringing her to nursery in the morning.

“跟pa pa說bye bye。” (Translation: Say bye bye to pa pa.)

慧 waves and says her bye bye. A few steps later, she suddenly remembers, turns back and says with a waving away action,

“Erase 掉！Erase 掉！” (Translation: Erase that! Erase that!)

Tsk tsk tsk...

4 days to go.

Thinker or worrier?

Out of the blue, Jim asked me the other day if I was a thinker or worrier.

Caught by the moment, I blurted out an answer I've used quite frequently in recent times: I plan pessimistically but execute optimistically.

Which does not quite answer his question, that I know. After some thought, I realised I should have said the following:

If I can do something about the issue at hand, I put on my thinker hat. If I can't do something about it, I brace myself for the worst impact. I used to worry when faced with such circumstances, but now, I just prepare myself mentally for the worst that can happen.

5 days to go.

Paradox

This past week, since the return from the Blue Mountains, has passed by at an excruciatingly, agonisingly, torturously, painfully slow manner.

No, even that doesn't quite hit the nail on the head.

Hmmm...

Ah!

It feels like one of Zeno's Paradoxes, the Achilles and the Tortoise one.

Still 6 days to go.

She is also counting down

For the umpteenth time, she asks Grandma,

“Gu gu爲甚麽還沒有囘來 ？ ” (Translation: Why is gu gu still not back yet?)

But this time she sort of answers herself by adding

“還有nine day而已。” (Translation: There is still nine days to go.)

(This conversation took place three days ago.)

6 days to go.

Yellow polka dot bikini

Despite the strange sounding title, this post is actually a small thank you note to my Hong Kong colleague.

This evening, I had met up with him for a last dinner. Last because he is going home for a short break starting next Monday and by the time he is back, I'll be gone. As is usual in recent times, he is worried about not completing his work on time and may need to apply for an extension, like I had done previously.

I have many reasons to thank him, the most significant of which was the help rendered during the arduous programming days and the most recent of which was a printer driver problem. He was our "local" computer whiz kid. Anything and everything that has to do with computers, we'll look for him for advice. Heck, we trust him more than our local IT department.

As I bade him goodbye at the bus stop, he actually seemed a little sad to see me leave Sydney. For a small tiny ♪itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini♪ little moment in time, I felt a small tiny ♪itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini♪ little reluctance in leaving.

Just a small tiny ♪itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini♪ little bit.

Yeah... riiiigggghhht! HA HA HA!

In any case, many thanks, Kelvin, for everything.

Just over 7 days to go.

Fire!

From: Mee mee
To: Gu gu
Date: Fri 07/04/2006 8:51 AM
Subject: Fire (my own bold and colour)

慧's school caught fire because of one of the faulty aircon units last evening. School closed for cleaning up soot and will reopen next Wed.


From: Gu gu
To: Mee mee
Date: Fri 07/04/2006 8:57 AM
Subject: Better title

You could have picked a BETTER title for your e-mail, sis. You frightened me!


From: Mee mee
To: Gu gu
Date: Fri 07/04/2006 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: Better title

I learnt those one word impactful titles from you ha ha ha ha.


Very funny, sis, very funny.

Still 7 days to go.

Money matters

Matter 1

Last August, the Acey Deucey family, bar gong gong, decided to invest in Capitaland. After monitoring the prices for a while, we went in at the $2.80-2.90 range.

Three months later, i.e. November, it had risen to around $3.30.

Ma ma 說：“Ai yoh! Xim tia! Boh buay kah jueh tam boh!” (Translation: Heartache ah! Why didn't we buy more?!)

Mee mee 和 gu gu 說：“Mai an nee tam xim lah.” (Translation: Don't be greedy.)

A further two months on, i.e. January 2006, it hit the heights of $3.70.

Ma ma 和 mee mee 說：“嗨！早知道買多一點！” (Translation: If I had known, I would have bought more.)

Gu gu 說：“事事難預料。” (Translation: Such things are unpredictable.)

It is now April 2006. Capitaland's last traded price was $4.84.

Gu gu 說：“嗨！可惜可惜。。。Wa ma xim tia liao.” (Translation: *Sigh* What a pity, what a pity... I also feel the heartache now.)

Ma ma 和 mee mee sniggers at gu gu.

(Please do not ask me for stock tips. :P)


Matter 2

I've been looking around for various avenues to transfer my AU$ savings home. And for every possible solution I find over here, e.g. via my bank, via money transfer services etc., I'm quoted extremely uncompetitive exchange rates, on top of slapping me with obscene administrative fees.

I've since decided to bring the whole lot home in cash. Which is going to be a little tricky, because the largest denomination of the Australian currency system is the AU$100.

Speaking of which, did you know that the Singapore currency system includes the S$10,000 note? Dan and Stef was very surprised when I told them that. Apparently, the largest denomination in China is the 100 元, which they said causes a lot of problems in the cities such as Shanghai where the cost of living is much higher.

I've actually seen a S$10,000 note before. Indeed, I've seen one from the earlier bird series as well. That particular note is strangely much broader than the other notes we are used to seeing.


Matter 3

More of a grumble than a matter actually. The S$/AU$ exchange rates has been dropping like a stone since December. Until late last year, it had been holding steady at S$1.25/AU$1. It is now S$1.16/AU$1. Ouch.

And the more it falls, the greater my urge to splurge before I leave the country for good.


Matter 4

Then there is the matter of whether to close or not to close my bank account here. My Hong Kong colleague had suggested that I leave it open, as it will save the hassle of opening another Australian bank account should I require one later. Valid (but not very material) point.

My current bank account, you might recall, pays close to zero interest rate in return for close to zero transaction costs. I enquired what fees I would attract when I lose my student status, but still keep the account open and make no transactions. I was told it will attract a monthly account fee of AU$5.

So I'll have to pay the monthly account fee whilst earning near zero interest. That made the decision a no-brainer. Bye bye, Aussie bank account.

But that causes a different kind of problem. My last pay is coming in only AFTER I've left Sydney.


Matter 5

Finally, the small matter of my superannuation (the name of pensions in Australia, the rough equivalent of our CPF in Singapore, except they are privately run).

I was clearing my drawer the other day and going through some old letters. I was reminded of my superannuation account and discovered I actually have a couple hundred of dollars in it. Heh. They must have been from my teaching pay; I had taught a couple of semesters back. So I explored the booklet and website a little and made a further discovery. I can actually withdraw what's in my account, but only after my visa expires.

That's fine by me. A couple more hundred bucks to treat my friends to lunches/dinners.


Akan Datang: Shutting down

7 days to go.

I get my little kicks VI

I've sent out my first two job applications. One of them is what you might term a "cold call" whilst the other is with respect to an advertisement a friend had brought to my attention.

I have heard good things about the working environment in this "cold call" company and even though my sources say they have no openings currently, I decided to give it a try. The other company's identity is unknown as its advertisement was posted via a recruitment company. However, the consensus amongst friends is it is "this" company. I've also heard of some good things about "this" company, so I jumped on the opportunity once I found out about it.

Yet another case of 謀事在人，成事在天。Fingers crossed again!

Amongst all the "little kicks" I've been getting recently (I, II, III, IV and V), the current one has given me the biggest "ommph". Even if it was self-induced. Well, the reason is simple: This is the most direct affirmation that I am returning to Singapore.

8 days to go.

Chills

I had written up the previous post almost immediately after returning from the Blue Mountains trip. Since then, it has gotten considerably and consistently colder. It's almost as if we had brought the Blue Mountains weather back with us.

Now, if you had read my posts from last winter, you'd know how much I hate the cold weather.

It irritates me even more knowing that winter is not supposed to be here (officially) until June.

I was hoping I could hang onto the coat tails of summer until the day I fly home. Too bad for me.

忍。

Still 9 days to go.

Blue Mountains

We went to Blue Mountains last Friday. By train, it is two hours from the city, so we chose to set off in the early morning. I suppose now is not a bad time to go to the Blue Mountains, for it has not gotten too chilly yet. It was quite cold when we first arrived but once we started trekking and as the morning wore on, we felt warm enough to shed our coats.

Here are some views of the mountain range:
This and the following pic were taken from roughly the highest point of the mountain range, known as Echo Point.
Another view from Echo Point. These two pics don't show off the "blueness" too well.
But this one does. The blue colour is a result the sunlight passing through the tiny oil droplets released from the abundant eucalyptus trees there.
As does this pic. The eucalyptus trees are also why the summer forest fires are so notoriously difficult to put out once they get going.
A closer look at the eucalyptus trees.
Here's one that shows off the rock structure of the cliffs rather well. Occasionally, I come across news of people falling off these cliffs. These are almost certainly fatal. The most recent case took place just a few weeks ago.
Here's the most famous rock structure of the Blue Mountains, known as the Three Sisters. A long long time ago, there used to be seven.
An alternative view of the Three Sisters after descending for about two-three hours.
Before the lengthy descent, we had actually gone the other way to take a closer look at the Three Sisters. This pic was taken from atop one of the sisters.
This is the Katoomba Cascades. By the time we reached here, we had walked for around three hours (including the thirty minutes walk from the train station to Echo Point). It had been a continuous descent and boy, it was tough going!
That's the Katoomba Falls on the left. By the time we reached here, we had trekked for about four hours and nearing the end of our descent. In all, we took four and a half hours to descend from near the top to near the bottom.
You would think by the positioning of this pic in this post, and by its content that this was taken on the trip back to the city, dogtired from the day's trekking.

Nope. This was actually taken on the train ride there. The hooded guy is of course Dan, with Stef leaning on his shoulder. Needless to say, they slept on the way back too. How I envy friends who can sleep on transport. I simply can't!

9 days to go.

<大紅燈籠悄悄挂>

This is not sarcasm.

I've only just noticed that since the return of the female half of my housemates, "things" have gotten quieter. Much quieter. I wonder what took me so long to notice it. Afterall, it has easily been a month since her return.

Maybe something made them realise the walls aren't as soundproof as they think they are. *Shrug* In any case, I am certainly most appreciative of this latest development.

Like I said, this is not sarcasm. It is just my way of saying "thank you for your consideration" without embarrassing them.

10 days to go.

Toys

I visited The Rocks (for the umpteenth time) a few weekends ago and went on a minor splurge.

Amongst the things I bought was this wooden kangeroo toy for my niece:
If you look closely, you'll see that the legs are movable. In fact, if you place it on an inclined surface, pull the tail and release it, the kangeroo will "hop" down the slope. So now, my niece will not get one gift. She'll get two.

And my set of polyhedra dice has arrived. Aren't they beauties?
Whilst I'm at it, here is a set of Peanuts UNO card I had bought last June/July in a rather roundabout manner:
My Hong Kong colleague's sister is studying in the US. She bought the set of cards there, brought it back to Hong Kong during her school break and my colleague brought it Down Under for me. It will soon complete the last leg of its travel odyssey by flying back to Singapore with me.

All this trouble, in the name of saving on shipping costs. I know, I very cheapo one. :P

11 days to go.

The thaw

I slosh through the undisturbed sheet of virgin snow, breathing ever more heavily with each step. The snow feels denser, even wetter, today, making it hard work to walk through. Finally, I reach my goal, a forlorn-looking bench facing the lake. Nobody is as crazy as me, taking a walk by the lake when winter isn't over yet. Although it should be ending soon.

I brush the snow off the bench before sitting down. Despite doing so, I can still feel that cold piercing dampness seeping through onto my back and butt in doublequick time. To keep out the cold, I lift my feet, pull my thighs as close to my body as possible, wrap my arms around them and place my thermoflask in that little space in between.

Once I get comfortable and stop moving, it becomes dead quiet again. Winter has simply refused to yield its vice-like grip this year; Looks like Spring will be late in coming. The lake is still very much frozen over. The other side is too far to be seen. I wonder if anyone had ever attempted to skate across it.

I suppose I had come a little too early this year. Nothing is moving or stirring yet. Not even the wind is blowing, which has made the walk today slightly more tolerable. Maybe I should return a week later...

But wait, what's that I hear? I hold my breath and listen more intently. Yes, it is a dripping sound. I look around at the bare trees and see nothing. But of course I can see nothing. Silly me.

And wait, what's that I see? Something brown scampering along one of the branches, leaving behind a trail of falling snow. Why, it's a squirrel. The first to venture out after its slumber perhaps?

What's more, a piece of the lake is "missing". It had escaped me when I first sat down. Closer inspection (without getting up) reveals a piece of the ice had indeed broken off and melted.

I haven't sat down for more than ten minutes and I can feel myself shivering already. This, despite the multiple layers of clothing. Boy, it's really cold today. Much colder than usual. I gingerly poured myself a cup of hot tea, wrapping my hands around the cup for warmth. Then I remembered what a friend had told me. The coldest part of winter would be now.

It looks like I haven't turned up too early afterall. Without doubt, it has began.

And that scares me.

Akan Datang: Money matters

12 days to go.

<保濟丸>

慧 had her first "brush" with 保濟丸 recently. She was at her other home, my sis's place, when it happened. An upset stomach and multiple bowel movements within a day. After weighing up the options, my sis decided upon 保濟丸, though we had never tried it on 慧 before.

Then came the problem. How to get her to take those little black pills? Since she was a little baby, my niece have never shied away from taking medication . Whatever we gave her, she'll just gulp it down. This time though, the awkward shape and size of the 保濟丸 might pose a problem. Or so my sister thought.

First try: Mix the 保濟丸 with a cup of water and let 慧 "drink" the 保濟丸 via a straw. It worked initially, until the 保濟丸 starting clumping together and getting stuck halfway up the straw.

Second try: Instead of the straw, use a 湯匙 to feed her. Well, that sort of worked. The idea was to get the 保濟丸 to go down together with the spoonfuls of water. Unfortunately, not all of them went down with every gulp. There were some free radicals left behind. Being curious that she is, 慧 started CHEWING them.

Now, anyone who have tried that in their childhood (I have!) will know how bitter the insides of the 保濟丸 are.

So 慧 starting wincing, cringing and making all sorts of funny faces as the totality of the bitterness gripped her. BUT, but she didn't voice her disapproval. In fact, she bravely finished the whole bottle of 保濟丸.

13 days to go.