Amidst the uncertainty, self-doubt and disillusion, the ever adventurous Tan Seng Kiat Eric has declared his irrevocable determination to make Political Science his major even though PS1101E is his worst module in AY09/10 Semester 1.

For the Module Preference Exercise, I have decided to take:
PS2234 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
PS2249 - Government and Politics of Singapore
PS2239 - Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
PS2254 - American Government and Politics

4 modules of Political Science?! That is so sick. But it is after talking to a few seniors and friends, I have decided to take this leap of faith. In their words, I should not allow grades to be the sole determinant on the choice of major, and I should not allow one setback to deter me from making advancement. Someone also reminded that I do have interest Political Science, and I should not let myself down. I am seriously grateful for their counsel. They have erased my apprehension as depicted below:



I am not going to allow the above scenario to happen. I am so gonna conquer you, Political Science!

Labels: NUS

"My oh my, are you turning in an African kid? You should eat more, young man!"
-Doctor, who was astonished by my reduction of weight by 5kg ever since I entered NUS.

"What?! You were the one who encouraged me, you pig!"
-Ignatius, who failed to make me feel guilty over a hilarious incident that happened 3 years ago.

"I saw the panic in your eyes!"
-Serena, who shocked me with a totally unexpected phrase which prompted an emergency game theory deliberation and weighing my options before I answer. All in a split second.

"Being on third floor entails such privilegs; no one is excluded."
-Khairul Anwar, on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of KRH Diva Level 3. That means, no one is excluded from the rights and liberties of being pranked. Talking about Human Rights, eh?

"It takes some time for the noise to travel up!"
-Yours Truly, on why it takes 10 minutes for PH to make some noise in the MSN conversation.

"The irony is, electives are compulsory! You cannot avoid it except for exercising your right to elect what you want to take to fulfill what you have to take."
-Yours truly, who was explaining to the ironies of life.

"...a girlfriend is like your 28 faculty modules which you cannot avoid. And the workload is equally crazy too."
-Hui Qun, who suddenly deviate from our original topic and tried to establish between a link between academic workload and having a significant other.

"Don't go for student exchange programme and become a sarong party boy!"
-Camie, who will be away for one semester in Denmark. Question is, who is the one going for Student Exchange Programme? Tsk tsk tsk. Look who is talking!

"I hate the the tyranny of the majority."
-Yours Truly, upon knowing that the NEL Supper Convention is staffed by residents of Seng Kang.

"Come Punggol. The air is fresher and the grass is greener!"
-Yung Joon, spokesman for NEL Supper at Punggol.

"Have you ever sat in a car before?"
-Crystal, who is interested in whether PH has ever sat in a car before. Or, a car boot.

"That is why she is Crystal. She has crystal clear vision!"
-Yours Truly, in attempt to trace the origins of Crystal's rationality as opposed to PH's clouded vision on Buangkok.

"The two dollar note has a cat in it."
-Teck Peng, who tormented PH with a close examination of the purple note for more than 10 minutes.

"Not only it has cat, but it also has ion!"
-Crystal, who did little to help PH from her situation.

"The two dollar note is positively charged, because it has a CATION!"
-Jian Rong, consolidating the words said by Teck Peng and Crystal to confuse PH further.

"Supper supper! But you all discriminate against dear Buangkok!"
-P H, who is still not over the tragical fact that we chose Jalan Kayu for dinner instead of remaining in Buangkok.

Labels: Millennia Institute, NUS, Soundbite

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
Exists in a bipolar system where there are two dominant world powers in the international system, as it was during the Cold War era when the international system was governed under the leadership of USA and USSR. The idea of MAD is that it brings peace and not annihilation, as both parties would wish to avoid the worst possible outcome. In fact, it can be suggested that the defence system such as nuclear capability is a deterrance for any aggressive engagement.

No state will be MAD enough to defy the MAD system.


Self-Assured Destruction (SAD)
Situation when one realises he is not helping himself by not revising his studies, and ends up in MSN and Facebook instead. The full knowledge of the worst possible consequences, confluenced with the lack of motivation to declare a state of Emergency and to avert the said consequence, results in a Self-Assured Destruction scenario.

One of the effects of SAD is that one will experience SADness, emotionally.

Labels: NUS

Horrified, terrified and mortified by Introduction to Sociology.

And it does not help when your friend is watching How I Met Your Mother and eating at the same time. It onlyreminds you how miserable your life is.

Plus, it is always comforting to have a friend who never fails to seize the chance to reiterate what privileges and luxury you are sorely lacking. (Danielle, 2009).


If the drawing by Danielle was meant to comfort me, apparently I received the reversed effect.

In the end, I got to go by 0100hrs. The MSN conversation boxes are far too depressing.

Labels: NUS, Soundbite

"I don't wish to be in a job which creates demand that has no demand."
-Kelvin, on the prospects of the insurance industry.

"What? A car wants to eff me?"
-Johnathan, whose mind was obviously not on the traffic even as Yours Truly tried to warn him that a car "is gonna bang you from the rear!"

"I CAN SCORE FULL MARKS FOR THIS PAPER!"
-A loud comment by a Physics undergraduate student in the examination hall when the time was up, based on the hear-say system of information flow.

"It is like IQ question! And it makes you think think think, and wonder how they derive to such ideas! We have different chains of thoughts!"
-Yee Kiat, on certain questions in examination papers that are like trick questions.

Labels: KRH, Soundbite

"Do you want a job as a teaching assistant?"
-Dr Andrea Pinkney, who probably have no idea how fearful I am for my South Asian studies final paper.

"Do you have any career aspiration, or what you want out from Political Science... You have a lot to buck up!"
-Yi Jian, my Political Science tutor who was healing my shattered psyche and recalled my initial obsession with Political Science.

"But Buddhism is emo!"
-Danielle, on her love for Buddhism.

"How is your lovespat with ___________?"
-Mallery, whose totally random question caught me unaware once again.

"...to be a jellyfish."
-Mallery, whose unique metaphor for lazing around reiterates why she is a class of her own.

"I saw you with a tall, reasonably pretty Chinese girl with long slender legs at the canteen!"
-Raudhah, whose amusing comment sounds shocking. This is as if...
i) it is a crime or deviance to be with a female friend during breaktime;
ii) none of my female friends possess the abovementioned qualities (including being a Chinese); or/and,
iii) Raudhah was reflecting on the qualities that she do not possess.

Labels: NUS, Soundbite

"One step away being full naked?"
-Yours truly, who responded to Khai's question on what is the benefit of Arvin being half naked.

Labels: KRH, NUS