Category Archives: School Talk

Just a Reflection (aka Random Thoughts)

Sitting at the canteen of a polytechnic this morning, while passing my time away, something dwell upon me.

I AM OLD. LIAO.

Yes, it may not be a surprise news to  you,  and me, but yeah, finally,  it seems that this fact has dwell upon me when I am here.

Yes, that’s about it. Maybe this is what will happen when you are in a environment where a lot of people around you are so young and vibrant.

Awaiting the day when I am ’19′ again. Ha.

Last Entry

This could be the last blog entry in limyishun.net.

4 years, 8 months and 26 days (28 April 2003) since my first ‘recorded’ entry (My first entry is far far earlier than this, say 2001, but I had lost the record), this blog, limyishun.net is, and could be going to the end.

Before you guys go into a panic and start asking me what’s wrong or anything bad happened, don’t worry, I am fine.

This decision, is purely a commercial reason.

Frankly speaking, a huge part of me doesn’t want this blog to go. This blog, has been accompanying me over these few years, watched me smile, cry and grow up. Memories recorded and archived at limyishun.net.

I am trying to find a suitable new home for this blog. Afterall, I can’t just ‘delete’ almost 5 years worth of memories, right?

Will keep you guys updated.

alamak, little boy

June’s blog have been one great source of entertainment, and if you do not know June, how she write on the blog is so different from how she portray herself!

Extract from June Low’s Blog

my boyfriend is funny.
he is the ONLY guy whom i know,(by far) who doesn’y know
Victoria’s secrets is a very famous retailer of to-die-for lingerie in the States.
He thinks it’s Victoria Beckham’s Own brand, that sells clothes.(designed by her)
She does has her own brand, but i can’t remember what it is.
I know for sure it isn’t called Victoria’s Secrets ((:
HAHAHAH

Eh! Little Boy! Even I know what is Victoria’s Secret loh!!!!
Even Channel 5 shows the fashion show of Victoria’s Secret every year, where you can see anorexic models parading around their lingerie. Alamak..

Maybe, maybe DOTA really is a boyfriend stealer.

Latest Update:
Eh… Even Uncle Heng know loh! *lol*

Surprises.

Actually, only 2 surprises.

Surprise #1

It was supposed to be a surprise birthday celebration for Dave.

The ‘gang’ (namely, Clarence, Jwo Shyang, Xuehui and June, and me, of course) had planned a ‘surprise’ birthday celebration for Dave.

The plan was to bake a cake for him (it was my last paper, while they finished their papers), and I will meet Dave after the exam (The others had made excuses to ensure they are ‘unavailable’ the whole afternoon. In the end, had to use the excuse of killing time to meet Dave in order to ensure he doesn’t reach there earlier. Also, to have more control in the planning since the ‘victim’ is with me. *lol*). Afterwhich, we will go to the KTV to celebrate the end of our papers.

Everything was going well. Dave and me reaches the KTV at 6.30pm while the rest was there at 6pm.

However, what I did not expect was it was a double celebration! They had planned this celebration with me in mind too! (ha ha! *shy*) I was ‘tricked’ into the entire ‘con game’ too! And Dave knows about some of it too!

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This is the birthday cake that they bake! It tastes great too, btw.

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The other birthday boy, Dave.

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Don’t ask me, I just have the urge to upload this picture. Those who know will know!

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The 4 shuai ges. Ha ha! The picture is blurred due to the result of 3/4 bottle of vodka and 1 bottle of ice wine!

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Blur! We asked someone who take this picture, which I guess he’s drank too!

Anyway, thanks folks for the ‘surprise’! *lol* And the present! *lol*

Surprise #2

This is a VERY BIG surprise to me indeed.

One of my school mate, Duke, told me this 2 days ago.

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“u can write pretty well”

Of all compliments I got all my life, this is the first time I was told that I can write pretty well! *ha ha*

Well, I shall strive to write better posts for my blog, Duke! Anyway, I don’t mind more compliments! No one will reject compliments, I supposed?

Why Did The Boy Throw The Clock Out Of The Window?

To see time flies…

~~~~lame~~~~

Time for me to have a ‘happy’ entry after the previous few entries.

Woah… 1 more month before school begins…

which means…
rushing from seminars to seminars…
facing through classmates (both good and bad) for projects again..

But I had not got all my modules!!!
HOW? HOW? HOW?

BTW: call me narcissistic, but I luuuuuurve this photo of mine..

*Summer Summer*

Finally it’s the summer term…

It’s weird leh!

I had not been such relaxed since I began school. I was actually working part time DURING my final exams this time last year as the company I was with was urgently short-handed.

To think that I had time to go for tea at the V Tea Room (Read: tai tai alert!) today!

When was the last time when I have the chance to ‘slug’ myself oin a chair? Last year December at KL, and that’s not even in Singapore!

Let me enjoy the short moment of peace and relaxation before gearing up for more stuff ahead okay?

The Underdogs…

Never underestimate the underdogs…

Intially thought that our presentation is too simple and no much content, missed some points that other groups presented and we did not, and we thought that we are doomed.

During the Q&A session, many questions were being asked. Did I mention that the GER asked stupid questions in which I responded in a crude answer, “Thanks, we’ll look into that” (Yes, that’s my respond to shut her stupid mouth up.) We, or at least myself, we are so DEAD. D-E-A-D. I am mentally prepared that we may get the lowest points..

Until the prof says, “Good! I like REAL PROJECTS. Projects that are REAL and useful in the real life. 4.5 (out of 5 points) for your team.” I can sense the stunned response from the whole class. Guess everyone thinks that we are doom. Very doom. But the prof thinks otherwise…
Morale of the story: Never Underestimate the Underdog!!!!

The Story of a 5 year old baby…

Got it from somewhere… felt it’s very meaningful… so to share…

A little story of SMU …

Five years ago, when SMU was established, it was known as dumping grounds of rejects from NUS/NTU by many. Among the 3000 applicants for 300 places, some had perfect results to show while some could not get into the other two universities. Some gave up their places in the medical faculty, some immediately quit their jobs after poly and some simply wanted to be part of this history-making team…

Parents screamed, army pals laughed, some applauded that move as something very bold, whilst some were very skeptical of its success. And so a team of dreamers were put into place to design a totally different university that is to be modelled after the top business school in the US. NUS and NTU profs were recruited, and so were a group of international faculty teams. And so came Janice Bellace, then Ron Frank… and now Woody as our President.

And amazingly, but slowly, the new professors recruited carved out a mission to develop the kind of graduates needed to succeed in this new world; and with that mission, they slowly delivered the results. People change, and why can’t ex-NUS/NTU profs change when they are in a new environment? The rest don’t see it.

When SMU first started in 2000… the 300-odd students all had different dreams but with one purpose; to be part of the pioneer batch of students to lead the way forward and to establish a new powerful subculture within the tertiary landscape. They dared to dream. They dared to be different. More important of all, they proved themselves to be a fighter and not a wimp; they invested their future in a university with no track records; unlike many others who simply wanted to ride on the reputations of the more established universities. In short.. they were a different and daring batch.

They knew they were guinea pigs, and they chose it that way. On the first day of school, they were each greeted with an apple on their seminar rooms desk, and were all excited about being the pioneers when the future was very much uncertain. 300 +, small and cosy, they called Evans their home. They played hard, worked hard. But some played too hard and were “killed” in that process… more than 30 students got kicked out. This was not NUS/NTU then. This was SMU. And as guinea pigs, they thought they could emulate their NUS/NTU counterparts. All play and no work in the first year is very lethal, so the Profs said. They did not realise this and so in 2001, the rest that remained moved with the Class of 2001 to the new Bukit Timah campus.

That year, as older guinea pigs, something happened. Four SMU Year Twos competed in the NUS Business case competition against their senior counterparts from NUS and NTU who were in their Year 3s and 4s. They were nervous about the knowledge gap. And yet… they came out truimphant to beat the other teams to emerge as champion. The only team from SMU against a team of seven. And so the press reported. But it was worth only a few lines.

Shortly, another amazing news arrived. Another Year Twos beat an international competition of senior students, this time round at the Copenhagen Business case competition. They came out tops… history was made but the only people who knew were very much their own SMU counterparts. There was not much publicity, unlike the NUS/NTU teams who emerged champions in other competitions and received rave reviews from the press. The Press thought they were the dark horse, and that it was likely a matter of luck than substance.

Then the publicity stint that angered many; SMU is different! And why not, when the students who came in were the dreamers, the doers and the creators of virtually nothing in the beginning! Other students could not tolerate the word different; some engine students hated us, some others laughed at us. We were known as the acrobats from THAT uni. We were always known as the rejects, when our admission process was so much tougher and vigorous. But the university thought differently, these students were indeed a different bunch! And they had the substance to sell!

And soon, applicants climbed to all high! From 5-1 ratio of applicants to available place to 8-1! Some schools even received 10-1 applicants! NUS and NTU laughed at us, amid some chatters! We were still considered the rejects! Though soon enough, our average SAT scores were higher than them. Many poked fun at us, the Press soon loved us! And not surprisingly, the whole admission process was changed to favor the other two unis. SAT was scrapped for them the following year, when the GCE A’ level had not changed its syllabus yet!

And then… besides winning other competitions… some NTU dean gave that billion dollar lecture that was to remained in the hearts of our students; SMU students do not have substance! NTU has! NTU has longer history, SMU doesn’t! We must invest in more publicity, so they cried. And yet… as premiere business schools, so they always said with their Top 100 and now Top 20 rankings, SMU students did not understand why the others do not know about the importance of advertising and marketing when they call themselves business schools, and needed a young kid on the block to wake them from their deep contented slumber!

And then… more shots at the poor little kid. NTU President Su Guaning said SMU was like a little child, while NUS was more diplomatic on their views of SMU’s advertising. The “elite” university sold itself as a comprehensive university, or more like a mass-market university. It always sell its program as one for the top bueracrats! The tops managers!

Some were impressed, and some were very skeptical about the real selling point of a comprehensive university. Are there really rooms to leverage? How much can students really learn from the other faculty to remain really knowledgeable in that field? Nutrition and Health cried some students! History! Alas, SMU had always offered the same thing but more practical courses! We also have hardcore Science courses and American History too cried one! And so the fight continues.. And now with NTU becoming like NUS, Arts and Design! BioScience! And so they actually evolved into a mass-market university… it became a self-fulfiling prophesy…

This year, SMU won other competitions again! 2nd in a world varsity debating championship! SIFE Singapore champion! And more recently, 2nd in Loreal Brandstorm losing out to champion NUS but beating the rest to clinch the Best Presenter Team award! Suddenly… the Press no longer love us! Loreal First: NUS /NTU! The winners from the other two universities stole the limelights. Copenhagen: NUS first! Big ads. Big mentions in the press. For some of us… we wonder if we are always the underdog? Is it always unbelievable for a 5-year old university to win even international competitions? For a 3000-odd population, we had the substance to show! But to many… the Press thought it was better to show the superficial side of SMU! Cos in fact, we forgot many of them were NUS/NTU alumnis!

And then! 100% employment! And then! The employers love us! The other two don’t get it! Small lah! Bullshit lah… they shouted! And yet… some employers hated us! SMU- you can’t get into NUS/NTU right!? One senior insurance agent from Great Eastern Life sneered at one of us! We are mostly from NUS/NTU! He sneered again! He laughed! He jeered! A poor SMU student applying for a job got shocked! We only have one SMU student here! Sarcasm abounds! The poor SMU student cried: luckily I was not from NUS/NTU…

And so the story goes… and so the competitions continues. Thankfully, when we think of porn, the NUS striptease act did not excite us a single bit. The rest laughed… the bus 151 to NUS passing SMU always wanted to see whether we are that different. They had a long history! So they claimed! But yet… SMU students are always different. The dreamers, the doers, the more fun and yet intelligent ones! The rest sneered, they booed… this is SMU! How different can they be? *but to tell you the truth SMU people, we never dared take your route… so they silently giggled!*

And we just won another global competition! The Trust-Danone competition in Paris! Will the press dismissed it again? But hey… we are five years old! Winning several global competitions is something for Singapore hey! We cried out – they laughed! If NUS/NTU wins- big time coverage in the ads!

And so this is the tertiary landscape. Is a story dominated by the NUSes and the NTUses.

Come July – when SMU moves to the new City Campus – a new Chapter begins! A new beginning, new barriers to be broken! New records to be made! More global and visible competitions won! We are the dreamers! And yes… we have fought the good race! And yes… this is the SMU history.. the SMU SPIRIT! We love our Profs here! We love our dynamic and multicultural small student population! We love our suave Dean of Student! We love our cute President Woody! We will soon close a wonderful and unforgettable chapter at the old Bukit Timah campus… leaving NUS and NTU to fight for that quaint beautiful campus we have called home for 5 years!

A new chapter will soon begin… at the heart of Bras Basah..

*WE LOVE SMU!*

Memories Of SMU Year 1 Term 2


Here are some pictures of some of the great time I had during this term of SMU… This term has been a fun term with a lot of great pals, like Joshua, Castor, Chi Ching, Eng Teck, Ronald, Joseph, Huimin (Oh and Yun), Jacyln, Wanyuan, Stella, Kai Hong, Rox, Chermain, Lynn, Britt, Rita and more which I may forget to mention…