Personality Tests

In the spate of all the personality quizzes thrown at me, i decided out of curiosity and wat-not to do a few, in spite of being one that scarcely believes in the reliabilty of such tests, and of horoscopes for that matter. Humans are too complicated to be comprehended and classified in such an archetypal and systematic manner. But well.. it doesn't hurt for the fun of it all =P

Disclaimer: I'll still only believe/accept the good things!!

Your #1 Match: ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller! You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

Your #2 Match: ESFP

The Performer You are a natural performer and happiest when you're entertaining others. A great friend, you are generous, fun-loving and optimistic. You love to laugh - and you like almost all people equally. You accept life as it is, and you do your best to make each day fantastic. You would make a good actor, designer, or counselor.

Your #3 Match: INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

Your #4 Match: ISFP

The Artist You are a gifted artist or musician (though your talents may be dormant right now). You enjoy spending your free time in nature, and you are good with animals and children. Simply put, you enjoy bueaty in all its forms and live for the simple pleasures in life. Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs. You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, or composer.

Your #5 Match: ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist.

What's Your Personality Type?

Winnie the Pooh


Which DISNEY character are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla

New York, New York

I figured the city's vibe is probably best captured in Frank Sinatra's - New York, New York. I kind of like the feel of this song, though i can't say the same for the metropolitan city. The city is really vibrant and i am sure we all know about its famous landmarks - Times Square, Central Park, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, NYSE, World Trade Centre(now ground zero after 9/11), the UN, Broadway, Rockefeller Centre blah blah.. the list just goes on. However this place strikes me as imposing, not quite the kind of place i would want to live in. But well.. New York isn't the financial centre of America for nothing.

Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it - new york, new york
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it - new york, new york

I wanna wake up in a city, that doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap

These little town blues, are melting away
I’ll make a brand new start of it - in old new york
If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere
It’s up to you - new york, new york

New york, new york
I want to wake up in a city, that never sleeps
And find I’m a number one top of the list, king of the hill
A number one

These little town blues, are melting away
I’m gonna make a brand new start of it - in old new york
And if I can make it there, I’m gonna make it anywhere

It up to you - new york new york

chinatown.. when we first arrived...

<<>

>>Hershey's.... dear dear's fav

>>that's how much the US is in debt, and counting..




Central Station. Probably the runaway winner for BEST (cleanest and grandest) "MRT" or rather.. subway station =P

I cannot stand the chinatown one. It has this dang stench which is really unbearable.






<

>>the ice skating ring at central park

this guy rocks!!

Well.. we didn't go up the building cuz u need to pay.
In any case, i have taken a foto as "proof" that i was at least there =P



Ah-hah... the name say's it all...

Statue of Liberty..

and look who's trying to mimic...

what a bull?!!

Ground Zero

inside the UN... World Peace!!

<

Finally... some nice silhouette scenery...

Boston (My version)

Well. i decided its about time i started posting some pictures from my SEP, lest pple think that this was a barren trip. For starters, i enjoyed myself a lot with my buddies in december. It really feels like the old times. No worries. Hmm... i guess i should let the pictures do the talking.

And to avoid duplicates, i will include pics that kenneth hasn't aleady put up. As always.. he beats me to it...


mike and me on harvard grounds.
(scholarly buildings and snow-covered fields)

see the harvard beanie i just bought =P










Morbid.. yes!! But they do have cemetries right in the middle of the city. Apparently americans are more patriotic than we are superstitious!!

me and kenneth in MIT. The background is supposed to form the words MIT.

beanies galore!!

boston at night

the next day: central park, looking lost!!

well.. we were really trying to follow the
>>freedom trail

A walk in the park, or should i say.. cemetery.. wooooooo......

finally.. Quincy Market
(and mike trying to look cool)
but according to XT: if u're cool, u're cool.
One doesn't need to try. haha =P

Now here's the actual boston
lobster!!


And here's a link to my bro's site for reference.

Band of Brothers

This is not a post on the film by Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg. Rather it is one on my special memories, my very own Band of Brothers. They are (from left): Xiaotian, Kenneth, Michael, Eugene, Me, Kuangmeng, Haoyong and Dirong.

It is said that change is the only constant in life. Indeed, how true it is. I remember the times when we were all pubescent, albeit fine, young gentlemen who became better friends from being classmates in RI4C'98. I remember all the fun and laughter as well as all the wacky(not without booze of course) birthday celebrations. I remember the pranks and playful banter, as well as all the hotels(Fullerton, Ritz Carlton blah blah) that we have "hosted" our stayovers. Maybe we got tired of Eug's place. Those endless but tireless nights spent playing PS2, worms etc, watching soccer and then late night suppers. Oh boy!! And not forgetting XT's fav breakfast-in-bed. Haha. come to think of it, we might have been too lavish then.

But in all, these contributed to the blossoming of a friendship, which i sincerely believe will last a lifetime, despite the different paths we have now undertaken in our life journeys.

Now as i type, we are all in different parts of the world, leading the kind of life we want, for better or worse. Its great that I could travel a bit with XT, mike and kenneth before my exchange at UC Davis began. It is only then that i realise we have not had a good loooong chat for such a some time already, and perhaps as HY commented: "we have drifted apart??"

Nevertheless, as much as our current social and/or academic environment have shaped us, the camaraderie that we share still remains. And that is when i believe true friends exist.

xt, me, mike & kenneth (on brooklyn bridge)

An impulse to blog..

All of a sudden, i found the urge to blog again. Perhaps i have given up trying to concentate on studying. Rather than let my mind stray, might as well expend my energy on something *ahem* more constructive. Or perhaps somewhere at the back of mind, i remember that i had said that i will blog more often on my SEP.

Somehow, blogging has not been one of my priorities of late. It's strange how life pushes us along. Life is like a box of chocolates. I remember this line from Forrest Gump. You'd never know what you are gonna get. Going on SEP has been something i have always looked forward too, ever since i knew i was not gonna get a scholarship to study overseas. I'd always wanted to see life abroad. And maybe.. just maybe, the seemingly unlimited fun and freedom one gets to enjoy overseas is simply to alluring. Studies was never on my priorities. How ironical.

In fact, i am now close to a month into living this dream. Yet this doesn't seem like the kind of life i'd been wanting. Maybe i am just missing home too much. The comforts of familiar surroundings, of friends and of family, and of course ONWAH. Of which, the latter is something life has gifted me! However, this has certainly contributed to the divorce of my dreamed-SEP and reality. I thought i didn't need to study. I thought i would make friends easily and party all day long. I thought i would be able to spend effortlessly. I though i could live like a vagrant. I thought i could be free of all worries. I thought i would have countless fun. I thought i would be having the time of my life. Well.. i thought.

There is nothing wrong with this SEP except that its really not what i have expected. After all that trouble in trying to get over here, mapping of modules, application of visas, buying air tickets, settling my accomodation etc etc, more is to be expected over here. For one, transport was a problem and i had to buy a bike to get around easier. Textbooks are a hell lot of expensive. In USD some more. I didn't expect to get a textbook here, especially since i have mostly avoided buying textbooks back in NUS. Well.. u only need to pass, Jeffrey!! Still, how much is enough to pass? What is the minimum effort required? I'd never know, and i never felt so stressed before, when all i needed was to pass. I attributed this to the fact that i am alone, and there is none of my usual friends i can turn to for help, in case i ever needed. Now i feel so dumb and helpless.

Well.. kenneth, dirong, mike blah blah have all reassured me that the Singaporean (NUS) education system has more than equipped up with the necessary skills to do well in exams. Still, i feel inept and maybe even effete in face of the US education system. 10 weeks for a quarter is lightning. But in a way it is also good, cos i really want to go home asap.

In the light of all this, i am beginning to lose faith in myself. I'd wanted to use this opportunity to see how i would survive alone outside. And i am starting to realise that i am rather i'll prepared for life, and for its hard knocks for that matter. As paraphrased from XT: "You have to get out of your comfort zone to grow." Can i really brave a whole new world by myself?? Is it too early to tell??

Looking back at how i have lived my life the past 20 years of so, i feel terribly ashamed. I thought real hard. No accomplishment to boast of, and hardly anything to call my own. It is probably time to chart out my future, especially now that i have one other person i would really like to take care of for my entire life. Her name(as mentioned) is Onwah. I promised to love and protect her. And i shall not renege on my word. As underscored in my fav anime Naruto: "You will fight harder if you are fighting for someone else!!"

Incidentally there are two traits of Naruto that i particular like. First being that he never gives up and secondly, he does not go back on his promises. His indomitable fighting spirit and intrepidity is what draws me to him. And also the cool fighting sequences. Haha. But the anime has been pretty dull in recent months. Not much excitement after the Orochisama debacle.

Okay, so much for my digression. And while my love for her fuels my desire to make good in life, it is also the very source of my worries. I worry about the future of our relationship. And i worry about being a man unworthy of her love. As much as i worry about my parents and the eternal debt i owe them.

Perhaps we have all grown up. And i yearn for a time when i will be truly free from all worries. I surmise that will be the time when we rest in peace.

Powerless

It is vaguely strange how i seem to find the mood to write only when i am feeling down. The words just seem to flow, just like tears. Wait a min. Before i go on. I must clarify that i am not weeping like a woman now. There are no tears. It's just a metaphor.

Well.. as it is.. i've put off blogging for some time, in fact quite some time now. 2 months?? Or more?? Since my last entry. It doesn't matter. Despite pleas from andy tan to update my blog, haha.. and i say that truthfully, i'd tried but somehow, i couldn't find any subject worth a significant amount of my time to commit here. esp. since i am in the midst of my exams.

Transexual bride Jesse?? Too much hype. Hanging of the aussie Nyugen?? Too politcal. Hmm.. though i did contemplate penning something about what i read in Gods Debris. 'Nuff said. It didn't happen.

Its funny how fate or God if the deeply religious so desire, can twirl us -- puny human beings around His little finger. We constantly walk the path of the unknown. Does our powerlessness accentuate His omnipotence even more? Is He laughing at our pathetic struggles now? Just like how i used to like putting my finger right in front of an ant wherever he crawls. I would laugh every time the little ant tried to move in an different direction whenever met with my finger obstacle. It seems that i enjoy my "omnipotence" in the face of the powerless ant. If i wanted, i could easily crush you with my lil' finger. Stupid ant.

In restrospect, this seemed to resemble the relationship i have with Him almighty.

Words of hypocrisy

I gave church a miss today. Woke up at 10am today, despite setting the alarm for 8am. Technically I could still make it for service, which starts at 11am. However, I deliberated and before long, it was already 10.15. So I thought might as well stay home than have to rush and still be late. Haikz!! All the excuses one can think of to justify his cause when he has already decided. I think I am just feeling lazy…

The truth of the matter is: I was already contemplating missing church for soccer the night before. Why did it have to clash?? A big part of me wants to play footie, plus… I need the exercise!! Gasp! Shall elaborate on that later.

My mum asked me where I was going, as usual. And I said soccer. Well I was lying, as u usual. Although this time, it’s not the usual “meeting friend”, “do project”, blah blah… Most of the time when I said soccer, I was indeed kicking. Only I didn’t tell on the post-soccer activity. Surely, this made me feel better.

I recall an incident beginning of the week. It was my sister’s 1st day of school after her 1 week break. And she was late. Dad had to fetch her to school as a result. Apparently Chung Cheng High has this policy of making latecomers do 50 starjumps. Afraid of the punishment, Ruiling asked my dad to lie to the discipline master that he was responsible for her tardiness, being the one who had overslept etc. I was flabbergasted at her suggestion, and responded sternly, “How can you even think of that?? Lying is NEVER an option!!”

Almost immediately I was overcome with shame. How about me then? I guess we always tend to seek the easy way out. XT tells me my mum confirm knows, she’s only waiting for me to come clean with her. Not daring to face the problem, I’m keeping my fingers crossed. But it’s ever so tiring...

Now I’m beginning to wonder which is the easier way out is for me...

~~~~~

On a happier note, I helped out at St. Luke’s Elder Care Centre’s health screening yesterday. My 1st time “playing” with the spygomanometer and the stethoscope. I feel like a doctor already!! But of course, I was only masquerading. Jiaxi, Ken, KM and his 2 frens, Liping and Liling were the more qualified ones (being medical students), apart from the other already qualified doctors, Ching Kit and Yining and their friend. In the end even pastor tried his hands at the instruments. In any case, I am glad I learnt something. At least I now know how to read the “systolic” and “diastolic”. And I may have gotten myself an internship opportunity. This arose after chatting briefly to another volunteer, who happened to be a HR manager with STATSchipPAC. Hooray!!

After that it was mid-autumn festival celebration at Guilly. I think pictures speak louder than words, so I’ll probably wait till pictures are uploaded before posting them here =P

~~~~~

Unable to put up with the sluggishness of my desktop as well as my sister’s and mum’s incessant complaints no longer, I finally spent one afternoon formatting it. Took a while coz the itchy-finger me went to tweak some settings. And in the end I couldn’t set up my connection. Exasperated, I called the SingNet helpdesk, got past a series of recorded instructions before I was finally able to communicate my concerns with a technical officer. After speaking to him, I realised my folly: I had keyed in the wrong password. This despite insisting adamantly that I had the correct password from the onset. How stupid can I be??

After that I went for a run. Oh! And I managed to catch a recording of 射雕英雄传 today. 郭靖 is my favourite 金庸 hero!! Why did they have to name it Legend of the Arching Heroes?? I’d prefer Condor anytime. And i think i still preferred the 83' TVB version. I remember being mesmerized by the Guo Jing character played by Felix Wong when i was young. Such chilvary!!