department of crappy engineering

i'm commenced

2009-07-12T22:10:00.005+08:00

This may sound a bit weird, but
I'm commenced!
(sounds so WTF, like I'm done or I'm screwed)
They don't call it graduation, they call it commencement. It's like telling you now is the time your life starts and the craps start rolling.

Actually I didn't feel much emotional at first. The preparation, wearing the academic dress in the robing room, going up onto the stage and receiving the thin-walled structure (aka degree scroll), oh and someone owned up for screaming "chillycraps". I just felt amused that I haven't seen so many faces in my cohort of 288, not even during examinations (since I wasn't the invigilator, how could I see every face?) It was only when the balloons started to fall from the ceiling and almost drowned me then I had some emotions oozing out from the oil well.

Like finally, I'm officially unemployed :P Finally, I can't use student concession. Finally, I can't buy student meal.

Looking back, I have one of the most boring lives you can get from an undergraduate. I didn't go for orientation camps, I didn't stay in campus in hostels, I didn't go for oversea exchange, I didn't take up positions in any clubs and societies, I didn't skip that many lectures, I didn't buy a laptop, I almost didn't borrow a book from the library until upper years, I didn't stay overnight to mug in campus near the exam, I didn't play computer games in the lab, I didn't copy any lab reports (loser!), I didn't use any S/U option.

I do know this B.Eng (Hons) costs me many cups of thick aromatic coffee from the engineering canteen.

To the class of 2009, congratulations for your commencement!

airport can't express

2009-07-10T08:30:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I took the MRT to the airport (don't worry, not flying off this time round). When going to the airport by rails, one has to transfer to another train at Tanah Merah Interchange. So as my East-bound train pulled into the station, I saw the airport-bound train already at the middle platform. When the train I was on fully came to a stop, the airport-bound train had already closed its doors. I walked across the platform, half hoping that the other train would open its doors again to take in the transfer passengers, but instead it sped off.

There is nothing wrong with train driver following schedule strictly, I'm just wondering could there be some flexibility? It was not just one or two small crabs like me, but quite a crowd transferring to the airport line. And I understand that there are CCTV screens for the driver to see if there are trains at the other platforms so as to facilitate transfer. Shrug.

Then it makes me wonder, do they actually encourage tourists to use public transport when going to and fro the airport? As far as I know there are no dedicated mode of transport serving the airport (maybe except taxi). Imagine taking the MRT and transferring at Tanah Merah, it would be lucky day to find a seat with no one staring at your luggages (and deciding if they should call the police cos you look like a big bad terrorist), or taking the bus and stopping at every bus stop picking up students and workers.

In many other airports they have something called the airport express. With luggage racks and comfortable seats, these trains take passenger right into the heart of the city from the airport, with no stops in between. Some of these were built parallel alongside existing rail lines, so they won't jam up the capacity like bandwidth hogging. I will be happy enough if there is a non-stop train that takes me direct from the airport to the CBD (say, City Hall Interchange), and leave me to my nonsense after that. Not likely to happen though.

beijing subway eat fresh

2009-07-08T10:49:00.009+08:00

It is always a new experience taking a ride on another country's rail system. The Beijing Subway was no exception.

Built in the 60s and originally planned to be used during wartime, the Beijing Subway is now the second largest underground railway network in China, second only to Shanghai. With lines to the airport and serving the Olympic venues, the Beijing Subway helps to ease the traffic on the ring roads on the surface. Even at this moment new extensions and lines are being built.

Regardless of distance, each trip costs 2 yuan. No wonder the staff gave me a weird look when I told him I wanted to buy a ticket to a particular station. Me noob :P

The only thing I find inconvenient on the Beijing Subway is that there are mandatory security checks at all station entrances. All bags have to go through the x-ray machine. Taking the subway feels like catching a flight.

4 x one night in beijing

2009-07-07T13:07:00.005+08:00

My recent trip makes Beijing the Northern-most latitude that I have been to so far. And 2009 is a good year to visit Beijing as the People's Republic of China celebrates 60th National Day. Also, after Beijing Olympic 2008, most of the infrastructures are in place.

Having been the capital of dynasties and modern China, Beijing holds significant political, historical and cultural status. As a Chinese it has been enriching to visit places like the Great Wall, Forbidden City (no forbidden fruit), Tiananmen Square among other sites, to walk on the streets, to take their bus and subway, to eat their food, to experience and peep into life of the locals. Beijing gave me a totally different feel from Southern China which I am more familiar with. The streets are clean, the buildings are tidy (even if they are old), and people are polite. The Wangfujing Dajie can match Singapore's Orchard Road or Hong Kong's Causeway Bay. It makes a difference to be in the capital.

I also took a high speed train and sneaked out to Tianjin, an early industrial city of China in which they recently rolled out the first Airbus to be assembled in China.

I was so ill-prepared for this trip, I forgot about my Nalgene bottle, had to brave the sub 20 degrees chill in my berms, but I had my trusty Osprey backpack and Keen sandals to keep me exploring. Have I told you I forgot about bringing extra underwear too?

But at least I'm back (like donkey weeks ago).

penny press machine

2009-07-05T17:24:00.006+08:00

XinYun and I bumped into a penny press machine at Suntec City. Being very curious, we decided to each contribute S$1 to see what a pressed penny is.

(warning: heavy use of Singlish and high pitch voice of excited boy in the video)
Please pardon me. Spur gears make me high. How come her phone rang just when she had just inserted the coins?

It is said that the first pressed penny appeared in 1892. What the machine does is, it has the reversed image of the design, sort of like a mold. So when the user cranks the handle, the coin (not the coin you inserted) is fed in and is pressed under great pressure until it becomes oval in shape, and with new imprints on it.

This is the end product. Didn't photoshop to skew it ok!Users get to choose from the 4 available designs on the same machine. Do check it out if you are curious!

at the crossroad

2009-07-04T15:31:00.003+08:00

Not long after reading my coursemate Dusty write about the traffic police at Tampines, I myself had similar experience at Ang Mo Kio.

I was waiting to cross the road junction outside Ang Mo Kio MRT Station when suddenly an auntie approached me and in a hushed voice, told me that there were policemen catching jaywalkers. I looked across, and true enough there were 5 police officers in their dark blue uniform. It wasn't an ambush, it was a defensive position. During the short duration of waiting for the red man to turn green, I already saw 2 caught.

I don't have the habit of jaywalking at the busiest junction in Ang Mo Kio, but I still find it amusing that the auntie told me about it. It's like people vs police. In fact I was worried that blogging about it would compromise police operation, but hey I'm just discouraging people from jaywalking at that junction in Ang Mo Kio. *wink wink* I'm a good citizen. So people, don't jaywalk there ok? (there's a saying that waiting for the light to turn green at an empty road is stupid. What about getting caught cos you are smart? So now on top of "look right, look left, look right again", you have to add in the "look across for any law enforcement officer". Same thing I learned from people in Hong Kong)

On a side note, something that has been bothering me for an uber long time. How come police officers in Singapore don't have to wear head dress when on official business, except the police MRT unit, the Gukhas, and when my MP (member of parliament) is around? When I was in Hong Kong and mainland China, their policemen wear their peaked caps proudly when on duty. Talking about some of the best police forces in the region.

pay for your plastic

2009-07-02T21:45:00.003+08:00

The story about BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) seems like never-ending. While supermarkets in Singapore are still providing shoppers with free plastic bags, those in China have long stopped giving out free plastic bags. And Hong Kong is going to join in.

From July 7 onwards, shoppers in Hong Kong have to pay 50cents for plastic bag whenever they shop at registered retail shops. Shops that provide free plastic bags will be fined. I remember some time back there was some hoo-haa when ParkNShop, a local supermarket, decided to charge for plastic bags and got quite bad response from the public. Seems like you need legislation for things to happen. But then, being quick to respond, some convenient stores are giving handle-less plastic bag (those you use for freshies) in place of the normal plastic shopping bag, and the authority can't fault them for that.

I experienced what is meant by no-means-no in China. I went to a supermarket to shop for ingredients for cooking, but didn't have a shopping bag with me. I wasn't willing to pay for the 10cents plastic bag, so in the end I was carrying (literally) bloody fish and some veggie, walking out of the supermarket.

While I am not suggesting Singapore to follow suit and have legislations for giving out plastic bag, but I think cashiers can start asking if shoppers need a plastic bag instead of handing them out like SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). As a shopper, when asked, at least I would spend the extra nanosecond to think whether I really need the plastic bags. Or if I decide to walk out of the supermarket with bloody fish.

dress academically

2009-07-01T16:09:00.007+08:00

I wonder if it's too early to congratulate the class of 2009, since Commencement / Convocation hasn't started. But by now, those who are attending the ceremony should have gotten their academic dress.

At first I was wondering if I can use my elder brother's academic dress. He was from engineering, but from the other university. Nah, better don't take the chance, in case one has a big lion printed on it and the other has the other lion. So I got my own set.

Turn out, the colours and patterns are the same. So it doesn't mean your university's ranking is way higher, the academic dress is different. But like what the Thais say, same same but different.

I remember the time during my brother's Convocation, he was struggling with fastening dozens of safety pins onto his gown to keep everything in place. Not anymore. Introducing the NUS academic dress. It comes with zipper for the gown and velcro to attach the hood to the gown. The tassel is sewed to the correct side of the mortarboard and the mortarboard even has an arrow telling you which side to face ~~enemy~~ front (sorry, mixed up with Claymore mine). No safety pins needed. (sold separately somemore)

The brother says idiot-proof designs are for idiots. I can understand why he would say that, cos that's the difference between them n'us.

tam²

2009-06-30T17:21:00.000+08:00

While at Beijing I visited the Tiananmen Square. Or known as Gate of the Heavenly Peace Square from direct Chinese translation (what a mouthful, sounds like some formula), it is the largest public open space in the World.

It also packs the most number of policemen, from the armed police in green, the gong an in blue and the unknowns in plain clothes.

This was what I saw. A young man was aiming with his camera, walking backwards trying to get a nice shot of the Tiananmen Square. Then as he reversed, he accidentally bumped into an old lady and she fell. She made a big fuss about it and soon people from her tour group gathered and all joined in in scolding the young man. No authority in the world likes angry mob, and within seconds 02x Iveco Police patrol cars arrived at the scene, right in the middle of the Square.

I'm glad I didn't do any funny stunt or show any un-welcomed flags (read: Tibet and Taiwan) If not the next thing I know I would be pinned on the ground like a crab.

quote on arrival

2009-06-29T13:34:00.005+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hong Kong
.... I beg your pardon...
Welcome to Singapore.

-- cabin crew announced on landing at Changi Airport

So the Airbus A320 actually flew around in circles for 3 hours 20 minutes.

nationwide exam stress

2009-06-28T20:51:00.005+08:00

I was in China during the whole duration of their National College Entrance Examination, something like our GCE 'A' Level examination. It was amusing (and sadistic) enough to look at other people taking exam, but to see the whole nation stressed out over it was really something.

Some parents apply leave 1 month before the exam to revise with their kids. Some kids go to hospital and breathe pure oxygen in a pressure chamber while revising (I thought only divers use that?). Some parents drag their kids to the examination venue on the day. On the exam days, some public buses were reserved to ferry candidates to exam venue. And police cars and bikes cleared the path in front. If during the exam they find the noise level too high around the exam hall, the police would set up road blockades and divert traffic. At the front gate, teachers dressed up as cheerleaders to cheer their students on...

Cheating is a criminal offense. Around the exam venue there were officials carrying electronic devices to detect any radio transmission. True enough there were people selling undergarments with transceiving device -_-. High tech cheating indeed.

On the newspaper "experts" would analyze the weather, and whether the thunder would affect the listening test, what to eat to prepare for exam, etc... and after the paper they would analyze the exam question and comment on whether it was a tough question, how to answer it... then they will report how many cases of cheating in all the provinces. On the Guangzhou Daily the topic of exam easily took up 2-3 pages from the front page.

Seriously, where else can you find this kind of exam culture?

i am back

2009-06-27T22:31:00.003+08:00

ladies and gentlemen,

iamback
As suddenly as I decided to go on a trip, I'm back.
22 days. From Singapore to Hong Kong to Shenzhen to Dongguan to Beijing to Tianjin. It was a physically draining getaway but an extremely rewarding one at the same time. The reason I decided to book the flight back, was because I am really really really very exhausted, up to the last atoms and molecules. I still have many things yet to explore.

I guess I will have plenty of time to share about my trip after a good rest.

the other side of the wall

2009-06-18T21:09:00.001+08:00

Phew. Just a short update and clear a bit of cobweb here. Let me see, it's been 12 days since I left Singapore on a jet plane and the number is counting. 7 days in Guangdong and 5 days in Beijing put me behind the great firewall of China. (i did visit the real brick great walk though) Plurk and blogspot were non existence but i could still have updated using mobile blogging via gmail. Provided you can find access point or choose to visit the cyber cafes, which I didn't.

By the way I'm in Hong Kong now.

Anyway, without a proper keyboard it's tough for me to write much nonsense. It's heartening to read the comments but sorry i can't reply now due to some technical problem (this excuse works everywhere).

And so, until next time!

photo no more (this is not Cantonese vulgarities)

2009-06-08T06:00:00.001+08:00

(This is a scheduled post)

I have been wondering what photos should I take during this trip. During my previous trip I have taken quite a bit (see June and July 2008 archives of my photo blog. The tags aren't working). Anyway photos of tourist attractions are like flooding all over the place in blogs and books, and I don't usually go to tourist attractions, so most of my photos are kinda boring.

Anyway my coursemate hao has taken some nice food photos during his recent trip to Hong Kong, which pretty much sums up what you can't miss there. I wonder if his blog post has anything to do with my sudden impulsive decision to go on this trip :P

If possible I will try to mobile blog using my Nokia E51 (and its lousy 2.0 megapixel camera in the hands of a lousier 1.0 user) I'm sure the keypad will ensure that I keep the posts short and sweet.

leaving on 2 jet engines

2009-06-06T17:00:00.001+08:00

By the time this post is published, I should be somewhere above South China Sea, flying in thin air and marveling at works of mechanical engineering (aka the jetliner, besides the air stewardesses).

If you think you are surprised, you ain't alone. Cos I surprise myself too with this sudden decision to go off for a while. Potential employers, now you know this chap can fly under short notice. I was still packing my backpack a few hours before the flight.

I guess I just want to take a little break from the job-hunting-send-resume-then-waiting-for-replies kind of daily ritual. Call it exile, escape, grad trip (who goes on grad trip alone?), whatever term you want to give it. Ironically I am going to one of the busiest cities in the world to relax *roll eyes*.

'cos I'm leavin on a jet plane
Dunno when I'll be back again

Seriously... it's a one-way ticket and I have no idea when I will be back. Again, potential employers, this kid can take extended oversea postings.

During this period of absence I will have limited access to computer. But you can try your luck with my plurk and twitter for updates.

Take care :)

corny plastic

2009-06-05T11:00:00.001+08:00

Today is World Environment Day. Let me share with you something which is kind of related.

My final year project was on biodegradable polymers and one of the biodegradable polymers studied was polylactic acid (PLA). Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation of starch, which can come from corn, sugarcane or other starch-rich products. The following is a clip from HowStuffWorks on making of corn plastic.

Not only are bioplastics biodegradable, they also free up the reliance on fossil-based resources. However it is not as simple as growing more corns. We have to consider whether it takes more energy to process and manufacture it and also the environmental impact from cradle to grave.

And, how would people react if they find their forks taste corny.

student power

2009-06-04T07:54:00.004+08:00

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Incident of 1989. On 4th June 1989, what started as a peaceful protest by Beijing students evolved into a bloody crackdown by the People's Liberation Army. While I do have my views on the incident, but this humble blog of mine doesn't seem to be an appropriate channel to talk about it. So let's talk about students.

The students who led the movement were just into their 20s. Yet they were able to mobilize the masses, including workers and Beijing residents. Putting the question of maturity aside, I can't help feeling that students from other countries seem to take things into their hands instead of blindly accepting with both hands. There is this joke about European students learning about vibration and resonance frequency by shaking police patrol car during riots. Students leaders in other countries seem to be quite active in both social and political arena. They do things like petition when their university decides to award honorary degree to human rights violators or when the government rolls out some unpopular reform. Just recently, the former president of the Hong Kong University Student Union got himself all famous in the news media just because he openly questioned the student movement of 1989. And he got deposed.

In contrast, the tertiary students in Singapore seem to be politically indifferent/ignorant. I'm not trying to say we should go back to the days of Chinese middle school riots, maybe our society is so peaceful there is just no reason to be upset about. (Orly?) Well at least I'm glad we have access to information (just whether we want to access or not). They distribute Epoch Times alongside Financial Times in campus. The rest is up to your brains to decide which one to pick up from the stand. Usually students rather pay to get The New Paper for the soccer news.

But the student leaders here do know how to rally for student support when someone goes into Singapore Idol.

went unpacked

2009-06-03T17:25:00.010+08:00

I just came back from UNPACKED, the Industrial Design Exhibition 2009 by students of the NUS Industrial Design Programme.

This is my second year attending the exhibition and the ID guys never fail to impress with their creativity. While not all the projects are available in physical prototype form, but you can see the idea there. Even the eco-car KRUCE is there, so if you want to see some fuel cell car, head down there!

I was really impressed by the hotpot machine and the plastic bag handle. Let's talk about the plastic bag handle (see photo below). Looking like a cable holder or washing machine hose with a cut in the longitudinal direction, it works by distributing the load over a larger area on your palm when carrying heavy plastic bags. Not unlike some of us folding a piece of cardboard to the same effect but more high tech. While it seems to go in opposite direction of the use-less-plastic-bag campaign, you can't deny it solves some problem in life.

The exhibition opens until 4th June (Thursday) 3pm at the National Library Building.

capturing the cap score

2009-06-02T15:00:00.003+08:00

I forgot to mention something kind of important. Last Friday I received my final examination result as an engineering undergraduate. Final as in, you know, last one.

Was talking to a friend about the CAP (Cumulative Average Point) score and how much it can drop in upper years. It is important as it affects your class of degree, and going by calculation it gets harder and harder to change the situation around as you go into upper years. That's the problem when people play too much (or the brain refuses to work) in lower university years.

Let's see some trend and analyse. The above graph shows the CAP score of yours truly over the past 8 semesters. The Y axis is arbitrary, so you can guess on. The dip was thanks to modules which I really didn't like, things like thermo or fluid or control. But it sure seems like you can (or, I did) pull up your score quite significantly even in your upper years, even with Final Year Project and other job hunting nonsenses bugging you. If your FYP rocks, it really can pull you up since it has a bigger weightage than normal modules.

I'm sure we all can climb up from the valley, be it academic result or the economy.

chinese medical hall

2009-06-01T17:03:00.002+08:00

With a piece of paper with prescriptions on it, I went to the nearby Chinese medical hall to get some herbs for the mother.

Chinese medical hall. It seems like there is at least one in every Chinese community in the world, to the point that I got a feeling they have Chinese medical hall before they have Chinese embassies. Even with the advances in Western medical science, many Chinese still trust Chinese herbs more than Western pills. Many believe that while Western medicines suppress the symptoms, it's the Chinese ones that cure the root of it all. Somehow I buy that idea too. But Chinese medical halls are progressing too. It is not uncommon to see diapers, panadols, vitamin C pills and cod fish oil in a Chinese medical hall.

So back to the one I was at. I was sitting on the stool, waiting for the lady to get all the stuff on my list. Reminds me of traditional hardware shop, they always have a way to locate the tiniest of components. While waiting another customer came with her toddler son. So the mother pass the son a 5 dollars note to pay for the stuff, and guess what, that kid gave me that 5 dollars note. (smart kid, hur hur hur)

This kind of heartland feeling, you will hardly find at pharmacy.

guest post: Online Engineering – Is It Worth Your Time and Effort?

2009-06-01T16:48:00.003+08:00

There are many reasons why people decide to earn a degree online – they may be looking to cut costs, hoping to stay at a job and also find time to pursue an education, or just making use of extra time they have on their hands. Various reputable schools offer engineering degrees online, so you can pick up an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and even doctoral degree from the comfort of your home. But no matter how good these online offerings are, they don’t come close to the education and experience you’re likely to get at regular schools and potential employers may not rate them highly when you go job hunting. So if you do choose to take the online route, you need to decide if it’s worth your time and effort. It may be if:

You’re working and need a more advanced degree to further your career: When you have a regular job, it does not make sense to quit and enroll in regular classes. Rather, you can keep working and find time to earn a degree in your free time if it means you could get a promotion or raise at work. It’s up to you to decide if you want to stop at a master’s degree or go on to earn a doctorate, depending on your situation and needs.

You think you are capable enough of coping with lessons on your own: Most online degrees, especially the ones that relate to engineering are difficult when you have to study lessons and learn concepts without the help of regular teachers, classrooms and discussions with fellow students. There will be times when you feel like quitting because it’s all too hard to cope on top of a regular job. But if you’re a good student who is capable of learning on your own, this could be the right option for you.

You cannot afford to pay the tuition costs at a regular university: It’s a well-known fact that online classes are not as expensive as degree courses at regular universities. So if you think you could get by with a degree from a reputable online school if it means not having to take out a loan to pay for college, this would be a good option. For one, you earn a degree even as you work, and for another, you’re not indebted to anyone.

The key to making your online engineering degree work for you is to choose a good school that offers a quality degree, one that is accepted in the industry you are hoping to work in.

This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of engineering degree online at her blog The Engineering A Better World Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

vertical limit

2009-05-30T17:00:00.004+08:00

I was going up the escalator at the train station when suddenly a lady pulled on my sleeve and asked me about my t-shirt. I was wearing a climbing t-shirt. I thought she wanted to ask me where can she buy the shirt.

So at the concourse level we stopped and talked. She told me that her friend's son recently went to climb Mount Kinabalu. Although he had a weak heart and the doctor advised him against going, he went ahead. He went up, came down. Everything seemed fine until he collapsed back at the hotel, and he passed away.

While I find the lady weird to suddenly stop a stranger and talk about this, but one thing she said strikes me. She said, what's the use of reaching the top, accomplishment and all when you can't come back home alive, and leaving behind a sad family?

Worth it or not, is up to individual. For me, the reason why I don't really go all out for outdoor activities, is my family.

going on circle

2009-05-29T08:19:00.004+08:00

The route map looks like zoo train ride.

While I may like trains, but I didn't purposely go and ride on the new Circle Line on its first day of operation. I just happened to want to get home from Little India. Just nice, took the North East Line, transferred to Circle Line at Serangoon, back to North South Line at Bishan.

The transfer at Serangoon was fine, the distance seemed to be shorter than the transfer at Dhoby Ghaut. However it got a little confusing at Bishan. There seemed to be too many exits, and the North bound train and South bound train don't share the same platform like what it used to be. Even for the same direction, they have separate exits for staircase and escalator. You can't see the escalator until you are on it.

The Circle Line uses 3-cars Alstom Metropolis C830, so I actually find the platform a bit cute and short, only 12 doors, compared to 6-cars 24 doors on the old lines. Oh I really like the high ceiling of the platform, gives you that European train stations feel that I saw on pictures.

I thought I'm going to use the trains more from now on, when I found myself not able to squeeze onto the North-bound train at Bishan.

seeking job is not an easy job

2009-05-28T10:47:00.004+08:00

Nowadays hunting for job has become my daily routine. Flipping the classifieds, logging into the different job portals, sending in resumes. And waiting for replies.

Looking at the job requirements, many of the job postings say Nitec/diploma/degree. Which means to say, that position can be filled by an ITE grad, a polytechnic grad, or an university grad. That starts me thinking, what difference does holding on to a university cert make? (they will say, the pay is different. If so, why would employer pay more for the same job?) Why go the extra 4 years if you don't need a degree cert? Why pump money (both ours and taxpayers') into university education? Has our university education failed? Or has the economy failed us?

Ah, and during interviews, one standard question is, what makes you different from other candidates? How to convince them that the company can't function without you (of cos, that's a lie. Both the interviewer and the interviewee know it.) Seriously unless I've gotten hold of some scandals between the chairman and his secretary, I don't see how I can convince them. I'm just here to look for a job.

I'm kinda glad I'm the only one feeling frustrated. My parents have been supportive, never rushing me, and even suggesting me to go on a trip. I just want to get a job so that they can retire. They have been working for decades, even machines need a rest, no?

there is no shame in not being the best

2009-05-26T18:08:00.004+08:00

Today I went for my nth job interview. While I feel privileged to be selected for the interview by such a big international company (no hint), I wonder if I should feel equally grateful for the grilling session.

It is like the norm for interviewers to tell candidates scary stories like working OT or coming back in the weekend or stress and work piling up, but, to pick on the candidate? My interviewer today was like picking on the Bees in my result slips, saying I didn't gel my hair or didn't prepare a powerpoint presentation to sell myself. Huh? No doubt, first impression is important, but do I need to borrow Kangxi's clothes to impress?

Then just nice, my watch chose to run slow by 10 minutes and the interviewer blamed me for making him overshoot his interview time. While my watch was slow, I arrived 1 hour early for the interview, give it to him that makes me 50 minutes early. This sparked off another debate between preventing problem and rectifying problem. I don't see a problem. But if I had adjusted my watch 10 minutes faster, would I have earned bonus marks?

He said, I rank second from the bottom among the candidates so far. Seriously, if I'm not your best candidate, I don't need to waste my time listening to you saying I rank second from bottom. I don't have to act like unethical salesperson trying to sell something that doesn't perform as advertised. And while this may not sound suitable for schooling kids, but I don't see what's wrong with being at the bottom (motivational books will say the same thing). There is no shame in not being the best. And there is no loss in not getting an unsuitable job.

I am looking forward to my (n+1)th interview.