First day of School - Jan 9/116 days left

Yesterday was the first day of school. The warning signs and ringing bells blared in my head like nobody's business, though I'll decide to just plunge in and see where it leads me. I've got 5 course modules timetabled (which is a typical workload for a first-few-years but heavier for a senior) and on top of that, an honours year project that's supposed to be equivalent of 3 modules.

My first class was Management of Intellectual Property. The lecturer dressed in a hip fashion and was enervating when she speaks. However, the whole class felt pretty uptight and she didn't try to break the ice between us at least by a simple activity like introducing ourselves. Maybe she'll do it next week when the class enrolment stabilizes. Got a quick preview of the distinctions between private/public law and criminal/common law. Alarm bells rang for this class but a B should be alright.. at least I hope..

After that was a pleasant lunch with YH (a friend I recently got to reacquaint with after he left for GEP in primary school!) and then some HYP before Design of Interactive Media class. That was when the death knell sounded. At first I felt relieved when he announced that his past pet torture routine of throwing a huge interactive media project is no longer allowed in the module (it has been accorded a 2-module credit instead.. gross thank goodness I'm graduating). However, his extreme passion towards his values and his beliefs made me extremely discomforting as he expects everyone to be as enthusiastic and bloodthirsty as he is in the subject. He is ferocious indeed, showing us prototypes that he spent sleepless days and nights preparing. My goodness, we have other modules and life like shopping in Orchard Road! I felt really down and walked out of the lecture theatre shocked and bewildered. My whole world crashed.

I then met Ryan at Yusof Ishak Hall (YIH) to get Maya and 3D Studio Max books from him (so sweet of you Ryan, to volunteer) and realised I should be getting a few pictures. So here they are, not exactly very exciting but that's life as an NUS undergraduate:


In the far distance is the A* research body's Defence Science Institute. A*'s a premiere(I think) research institution under the Singapore government. That's the bus stop with a walkway that links to the Centre for the Arts and Raffles Hall.

Yusof Ishak House. There's the Genki sushi shop which I haven't really had a firm memory of. There's also a Munchie Monkie's Cafe where I spent a memorable afternoon with Jeffrey last year before I left for Australia. The University Health Centre where I always go when I'm sick. Computer-based Learning Centre where I was a member there last time. Student lounge where I had countless committee meetings when I was Piano Ensemble Vice-President. Office of Student Affairs where I went for anything PGP that PGP cannot deal with.

Ah, the infamous bus stop sign! It really pays to be able to decipher and extract the pertinent information from the list. The transportation in NUS is quite well-planned, I must say.