I'm off to Cairns!

Hopefully i take pictures just as gorgeous.
And in case all the rafting, kayaking, walking and skydiving takes its toll on me.
I love you all!

Update: Pictures from the trip can now be found here

tis the time to say...

Bye Pam...
Bye Marjie...
~omg... no photo! and i spent the most time with her in lectures too!~
Bye Jai...
Bye Monvan...oh, and special mention - goodbye neighbour! hopefully will still see you around.
damn exchange kids....

Like an Inferno in my Stomach...

151 is the incarnation of evil....
Hangovers are things that make you swear off drinking - that is until the next time you drink.
Job interviews were there to be missed.... right? Or you could call a sickie before you even get the job. ("i think i had something wrong last night. feeling nauseous." - i wasn't lying!)
Jason has a good tolerance for alcohol - but we got him in the end!
All in all, i think last night was both fun and terrible.... or terribly fun?
One farewell though.... Toodles Joe Callan! I'll miss the horrible pink shorts.

*sniff* at least there's Facebook. =P

Japanese Tetris?

oh my goodness...
my friend sent me this link.
i just think it's damn hilarious.
the japanese really have the strangest ideas for gameshows...
oh yeah.. i'm FrEeEEEe!!!!!

Because Blogging is a way to study

A second instalment of Country of the Day - TurkeyI have read a lot about Turkey, hopefully this consolidates everything and I remember this in my exam tomorrow.

Turkey... where is it?Well, that question is probably the biggest problem Turkey faces. Sandwiched between Bulgaria and Greece on the West and Iran, Iraq, Syria and Georgia on the east - it's really somewhere in between. Look up a map of Asia, they have part of Turkey in it. Look up a map of Europe, they have a teensy bit of Turkey in it too. Bleah! So, where is Turkey? My best answer is it's in between Europe and Asia.

Who lives in Turkey? It's got a population of 72 million people, many of them young and highly skilled. Mainly they're Turks, but there are other ethnicities - the Kurds, Roma, Arabs, Circassians, Armenians, Greeks and Jews. (phew) it's like a mixed bag of goodies.

More relevant to me... Why does Turkey want to Join the EU? (and should it?)
Well, whether you know it or not, Turkey has been an officially recognised CANDIDATE for accession into the EU since 1999. The Erdogan government has been working hard to gain entry into the EU and for good reason:

• Entry into the EU means entry into the largest regional grouping in the world. With all that support behind you, not only is it much easier to bargain in terms of trade and politics, but you'll also be able to access some of the EU budget, R & D, technology and be able to influence EU policy.
• Did i mention that the EU has a very protectonist market policy? Therefore, entry into the EU means access to EU markets.
  
• With dubious human rights record in their history, it would be good for Turkey to join a grouping with democracy as one of their main criterion. One such example was the trial of novelist Pamuk who 'insulted Turkishness' when he mentioned the history of the persecution of Armenians and Turks. (this is still a punishable offence) With the stamp of EU approval, this opens the doors to investment and other partnerships.
  
• It can gain the benefits of EU security and stability. What more with the proposed expansion of the European Security and Defence Policy (sort of like an European army) this has the potential to develop!

So, benefits for Turkey. Why should the EU consider them as a candidate?

• Europe is growing old. With declining birth rates and longer life expectancies, this generation (us! *gulp*) will be expected to shoulder the burden of financing social services for the ageing population. Turkey is a young country. With an injection of young, skilled labour, perhaps the load can be lightened. a bit.
• It's always good to have your neighbours on your side. Stable democracies all around means less chance of war and conflict! Furthermore, with the war on terror and what not - if they can curry favour with one Muslim country, they can look good in the eyes of others in the Middle East.
• As much as Turkey can access EU markets, the EU will then be able to access Turkish markets. I smell opportunities for expansion!
• Furthermore, this is a demonstration of European soft power. The ability to influence without coercion (*cough* *cou-America-gh*). Once they're roped in, it means cooperation in environmental standards, in battling crime, drugs and immigration! (no kidding, there's an Europol that does that)

So, good news all round - what's the problem?

• You see, Turkey is a Muslim country. Of all the 27 countries currently in the EU - none are Muslim. But the EU is a rights-based institution! Yes indeedy-doo. But it's also a scaredy cat. What about Islamicization of the West? The answer should be - yeah, what about it? But Europe's answer seems to be - Oooo... That's true, innit? The EU is worried it will undergo a crisis of identity if it lets Turkey in. So really, a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't here. Identity crisis vs. being hypocritical of their whole universal democracy agenda.
  
• Turkey is rather large - AND it borders Iraq, Iran and Syria. Those countries would become the new EU neighbours and Turkey would become the largest member state in the EU. Power shift perhaps? Furthermore, there are fears that the EU is spreading itself too thin. Its institutions are already ridiculously bureaucratic - would further enlargement just make it ineffective?
• They may never resolve the Cyprus issue! Maybe for another instalment of Country of the Day, Cyprus is currently Turkish in the North and Greek in the South thanks to a supposed invasion. (but the history's pretty convoluted so don't judge!)
• If the EU doesn't let Turkey in, it undermines their influence because Turkey has made A LOT of changes to the system - abolished the death sentence, recognised lots of minority rights, reduced the power of the military - and to keep them out would say "Yeah, that was all for nothing." So one of the biggest EU carrots would be devalued and perhaps the EU will be labelled a hypocritical slut. (putting out but not taking in)

*phew* the Turkey issue. Well, if it had a solution i assume those people in Europe who get paid to think about it would have come up with it already. The conclusion? EU has some tough decisions to make to prevent quite a big crisis. Turkey itself will undergo a major change. Will it be Europeanised? I guess we'll just have to see, yeah? And we'll see if this question comes out in the exam tomorrow - otherwise...

Mr. Happy!

For all those who need to know about Mr. Happy..
They have rather disturbing articles online.
hahaha..
told you we didn't make it up.
Be warned : 18 sx.

Tips for the Geeky

Am not sleepy nor do i want to study so I have been wasting my time online.
Found at a blog i randomly visit from time to time.
Tips for the geeky at heart:
(i'm sorry there's a carebear here cc... )

6 hours of shopping is..

• proof that not all that midvalley/1U training has worn off
• proof that i forgot how to spend even though i can still walk for 6 hours
• proof that i obviously care a lot about my exam on wednesday
• proof that everything that looks nice in the shop windows doesn't when you're in the shop
• proof that boots are THAT hard to buy, after all
• proof that CC and i have stamina
• proof that CC and i are very fussy
  
• very tiring on the legs....
• best followed by a night with good friends in a nice bar (but it is quite a blow to the female self-esteem when only the boys got their bums smacked... by both sexes nonetheless!)
  

oh well, if i didn't manage to buy much, i can at least attempt to tease a laugh out of you...

Thursday Night Prime Time TV

On a disturbing note, they're showing

Still Doing It: The Intimate Lives of Women Over 65

at 9.35 pm tonight.

Laozhabor... *shudder*

Reminds me of my old people joke on Damien's blog.

The Question is...

To skydive or not to skydive?(and to tell the parents... or not?)

Your opinions greatly appreciated. =)

A Wise Man Once Said....

When asked "If two people you loved very dearly - maybe your mother and your father, or your sister and your brother - were fighting, what would you do?

Dalai Lama: I will beat them both *hearty chuckles*

An Ode to Facebook

(to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas)

On the first day of Facebook, instead of Study...
One friend befriended me.

On the second day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the third day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the fourth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the fifth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the sixth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the seventh day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Seven profile changes
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the eighth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Eight gifts were given
Seven profile changes
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the ninth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Nine new groups started
Eight gifts were given
Seven profile changes
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the tenth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Ten people poked me
Nine new groups started
Eight gifts were given
Seven profile changes
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the eleventh day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Eleven RSVP's
Ten people poked me
Nine new groups started
Eight gifts were given
Seven profile changes
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

On the twelth day of Facebook, instead of Study...
Twelve failing subjects
Eleven RSVP's
Ten people poked me
Nine new groups started
Eight gifts were given
Seven profile changes
Six highschool classmates
Five messages
Four networks joined
Three wall posts
Two photo tags and
One friend befriended me.

*sigh*
Merry procrastinating to you too.

Really Eddie? (if you still read my blog, that is)

The way I see it, we should really be working together...

p.s: you started it!

What are you doing here?

One assignment down. 2 to go. And then 1 exam.
Not so hard lah hor?
Not much going on in life lately.
Sit in front of the computer all day supposedly essay-writing but mostly playing Text Twist, or chatting, or Facebooking (damn you patrick tan chee fei!), sending people music, listening to the Virtual Barbershop (isaac chew... gggrrr...), playing Aaron's Nintendo DS and generally avoiding the essay-writing.
Oh my...
I guess it serves me right then that i feel too guilty to go to bed.
And for the second night in a row end up sitting alone in the dining hall/JCR working on my essay.
Oh wait, i mean blogging.
Darn it! Procrastinating again.
And so are you if you're reading this.
But all the same,

Work Hard!!! (Gambateh! Jia You!)

So Wrong....

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Yes, i'm still procrastinating.
At least i finished one of my papers, yeah?


Say yes, goddammit.
*glare*

Unbelievable...

Choc Orgy Night...
Scheduled time : 2 hours
Estimated attendance : 90 people
What was on the table : 3 trays of mars bar muffins, 1 death by chocolate cake, 3 giant bowls of chocolate bars (minis), 1 1.9 kg tin of milo, 5 trays of fruit, 1 box of popcorn (40 packs?), 8 bags of marshmallows, 3 plates of smartie cookies, 3 plates of rocky road, 3 boxes of choc top ice creams... (from memory)

Actual time : 20 minutes
Attendance : 115 (plus turned away at least 10)
What was LEFT on the table : Nothing.

I think that was a success.. Note for next SWOT vac, more chocolate please. (oh wait, i'll be a retired AO by then!)
What bums me out is that i spent more time compiling my awesome Chocolate Chillout playlist than they did listening to it.
*pout*

Never underestimate the power of study zombies and chocolate. At least we got people out of their rooms.... for like half an hour =)