Back to School

I picked up my NUS student card couple of days ago - FINALLY:

The achievement, which will enable me to complete the masters degree, took 13 months, three academic semesters, and 3,569,987 emails exchanges with 2,423 different people across 78 departments at two universities.

I'll be doing one computer science, one sociology, and one research subject combining the two. The semester finishes on the 6th December.

study...!

Homeland stopover

Two years and two weeks ago, I was on my way to Singapore to start this big OE.

On the way there, I've done a 'little' D-tour to visit Croatia for the 1st time in 7 years.

The holiday was spend in Zadar:

...with the family:


Of other notables:
- they are all big, as in metric scales big. My grandma called me 'crops'. Einstein would have said 'it's all relative'.
- they are all genuine, full of love for each other. ...And love for their drinks, food, coffee, cigarettes...
- they are all pessimistic, cynical, and love the sound of their own voice
- understanding the previous two points, served as a big relief 'it's not me, it's the genes'
- on arrival to customs at Zagreb airport, I was notified of the issued 'ban on the exit from the country', as I have failed to serve the army before my 27th birthday.
- the bureaucracy insured that it takes full month an a half - till the two days before departure - to sort out the paper work, and get the ban lifted.
- when kissing, do you start first kissing the left cheek, and then the right, or vice versa ?

David: From Poet to Rock Star to...

It's well know that David the Lover spend his leisure time in Spora honing his poetic skills. Then he moved to Shanghai where he established himself as a Rock star...


Last week David moved back to the home town, Chennai India. It will be interesting to see which hobby tickles his fanny next.

One thing is for sure, we'll be expecting to be entertained.

On a more serious side of things: Good Luck Bro...!

Timing is everything...

All good things come to an end, and so is the case for my 'paid holiday'. This being my last semester of teaching at the school, on the 1st of October my contract finishes and it will be the time to move on.

Last year at this time, I thought that I'll have a good chance to move from education into industry here in Singapore. People where buying new cars, new apartments, changing jobs... in short the economy was booming. The 'plan' was to apply for Singaporean PR (permanent resident visa) and use my international 'good looks' and education to get a job in the local IT industry, an illusive 'real' job.

Sure, things can change in an instant, and a calendar year is a long time ... So now, one year later all news related to economy are about scarcity, caution, recession, downturn, inflation. My PR application got rejected, and with it my possibility of landing an industry job (drastically) reduced.

If I had the 'crystal ball', I probably would've tried that industry jump a year ago... but at the time I was too busy enjoying the 'paid holiday'.

By December, I'll finish my 'outstanding' degree, look for a job (in the IT industry) all over the place (mainly Spora and Dubai), and in mean time, give the PR another crack. That's what I (think I) know. And then, I'll take the next step in the direction that will seem the best at that time.

'Not knowing what's next...' - wouldn't want it any other way! ... is there any other way :)


Ps:
1) Dan Millman, a person born in 1946 seems to be credited with 'timing is everything'... that just seems wrong... The cliché that good should be from a much earlier time. Let me know if you have a better reference.

2) Couple of interesting essays that I stumbled upon while looking for the credit for the quote.
- One, talking about the need for patience before you can see fruits of the seeds of change.
- The other, on the belief that no matter what, you are at the right time in the right place in your life.

Change...

It was Patrice, during our conversation on good presentations/speakers, who suggested to check out Obama's campaign speeches.

The speech is good, but even more so, I believe in the kind of change that he's 'promising':


...wishing him the best of luck during 'the implementation stage'...!

UPDATED: acceptance of the Democratic Presidential nomination in Denver on 28th Aug.

An Inconvenient Truth

I finally got around to see the documentary by Al Gore. Great movie, strongly recommended. Though, if you are the kind of person that would end up liking it, the chances are that there won't be much, if anything, new for you there...

I remember back in 2000 wishing for him to win the US presidential election - I don't remember why I was wishing so. In 2007 he won Noble Prize for "efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." (ref) Watching the movie made me think that should have he won that race back in 2000 he would have made a (much) more positive influence - to ecology, earth, us...- by now.

I know, as usually a very debatable, but definitely intriguing....

What if...!