Thursday, September 20, 2007

Paid holiday - ctd

It still feels like a paid holiday, I (still) like it...

My new contact kicked in from the start of this month. When I got back from Thailand holiday, it was nice to see the bank account balance after the 4 pay-checks have been payed in at once (including 3 months of gratuity at the end of the first contract).


CONTRACT NEGOTIATION

For all that negotiation fuss, I got the new mattress, and a choice to fly to Croatia instead of to Australia. Also, few hours of 'scolding' by the school Director and 'black listed' myself, so that, IMO, there is higher possibility of snowing in Spora, then me receiving an anther contract extension come next February/March.


LIVING ARRANGEMENT

I got news that I would be getting two flat-mates. One would have been ok, two - not acceptable. Having been accustom to the freedom and comfort of living in the huge 3-bedroom apartment by myself, and having an opportunity to host visitors, I didn't like the idea of having to share it with two fresh Princeton graduates. Though we might become the best of friends, I still prefer if they live the next door. So I'll probably end up moving out into an apartment in which an air-conditioning does not work, and a possibility of having to share it with students - it's about possibility vs certainty: a student/s might come for a semester, roommates are confirmed for one year.


NEW LAPTOP

Couple of months back, as though Santa heard me, I got one of those two-core, w/ 1G of ram (most ppl got the newer model with 2G of ram - so much for Director's favorite slogan during 'scolding' of 'we are all equal'). Though, I was pissed at times with the slowness of this current machine (which I am still using in the office, as I haven't registered the new one which I am now using at home) ...all of a sudden, since I got the new one, I got much more patient with the old one - guess convenience/choice of having two machines must of had something to do with it.


CURRENT TASK

Currently, I have some tasks in preparation of the teaching materials for the next semester.

Though most time (should be) is spend on the RFID project for the coming 'Open House'. Projects objectives are: tracking the movement of potential students around the facilities, and correlating students' showing at the Open House with the eventual student enrollments. Also, to enhance students' experience and help with the management of the event.

In addition to this, I am exploring the possibility of using Second Life to teach OO concepts.


NEXT SEMESTER

-Teaching
It starts on 15th October. I'll be again teaching OOAD2 (Object Oriented Analysis and Design 2) and a new subject for me, Project Management - both of them have over lapping content, also they share the dryness of Sahara.

-Competition
Together with Patrice, a colleague, leading a team of three students to a Java programming/strategy competition at NTU - virtualXgame; and problem solving by writing an algorithm at NUS - algoMania. Team name is Machinegun; with a motto, coined by JackKee: 'for truth and love, justice and hope; for the future' ...!

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