Back to School (Again)

How does it feel sitting for a test after ages of not doing one? Sort of dreadful: the same old routine all over again. Ensuring you did sufficient preparation and the anxiety if you pass or fail since this time around the stakes are higher too.

Classes can be pretty dreadful too, with long 8-5 hours and the presence of some obnoxious people adds to the bane. This is also the first time in my life I’m encountering a bona fide bimbo! She will shriek when she gets excited, talks with that irritating bimbo slang, bitchy, overconfident and guess what, she’s blonde. To do her just, as a saving grace she’s friendly.

Yet, I don’t know if a bimbo is worse, or someone who could just ramble on and on at the speed of light. Two of the combined: they really make a team. My ear drums are at their limits and I’m looking forward to a seat rotation.

Subject matter’s pretty interesting actually. Instructor’s pretty cool: a paunchy man who looks a little like Hitler, who is after all a little sadist. All in all, school’s still good whereby you still have the dominant control over your time.

Ultimately, do I miss uni? Honest answer: yes, but not the studying. The friends, the company, the crazy moments, the blitheness, and if uni was in a more urban area I think I’m really going to miss my student life greatly.

Puuuuuutttttt

I was told this explains me PRECISELY. No denial. LOL

Stay Cool.....

This is absolutely indispensable to cool your burning cheeks, and anywhere else you need cooling.

I’d now think extreme cold is more treacherous than the extreme heat, because this chunk of ice took much longer than I expected for the desert heat to melt down. Thus imagine what an iceberg could do.

Land of the O-mans (and ladies)

Just to retain the allusion to the country's name, the plural of man is mans.

An eye opening experience. People as warm as the weather. Food which is ironically better to my liking than Thai. The experience here cleared all preconceptions I had before I came to Oman.

It almost feels surreal to thread the desert and be out in the sweltering summer heat, or even to see a camel saunter by, and to top it up, a desert BBQ.

I was dead wrong to think that I need not a single dime in the desert because there's a barber and a convenience store out here.

Water here is inherently hot. In UTP I had to first jump under the shower head due to the chill, here I jump too but due to the heat, and being extra cautious to not overheat one particular part of the body. There's absolutely no need for a water heater here. My brother would relish in this. I always rebuke him for blasting the water heater back home.

Education level here I believe is of higher standard. Most of the folks here hold a diploma or a higher diploma and they can well get a good paying job. Not to mention very good English command of the people here. There really is not difficult at all to make yourself understood.

Owh and have I mentioned about a joke cracked a fellow local Omani: as of now, there are 300 dicks and 1 pussy here on camp. Poor kitty cat.

Living in containers, despite well furnished and air conditioned for the first week is fine, but the subsequent weeks, I think I'm getting sick of it. Initial weeks in the desert are fun, too long I think I'll go bonkers. Nonetheless I know I will miss my stint here. It's after all the human nature to be contradicting, yeap, grass (sand) is always greener (finer/browner?) on the other side.

A Revival, from the Desert

It's been a long while, almost eternity. Few reasons to be motivated to blog: Dean had a customised picture link to my blog which was totally awesome, and the fact that we've all since graduated the best way to keep ourselves abreast with the progress of peers is via a blog.

A lot happened since June, with a lot to gain and lose. A whole new exciting world to explore, a lost family member, months long HK like lifestyle due to major renovation and the dire need for sampatness. I officially miss the karaoke sessions singing at the top of my voice, the regular (not even occasional) Coffee Bean cakes and muffins, purposeful hunt for food and all the outdoor expeditions.

Everyone's moving on, embarking on their own respective journeys. Opportunities to hang out now becomes so rare that even chatting online becomes difficult. These are the times when solid friendships are being put to test, or times we have all taken for granted now being being cherished more than ever. My only wish is for convocation to be as complete as it can be. A final gathering. An official close to a great chapter in life.

On the Lighter Note

Welcome back to this long neglected blog due to some turmoil currently experienced by the moderator/author. This post is an eye candy for those recurring readers who have not (yet) given up interest in this blog.

How to 'Save Face', the Chinese Way

An American, a Japanese and a Chinese went for a hike one day. It was very hot. They were sweating and exhausted. When they came upon a small lake, they took off all their clothes and jumped into the water, since it was fairly secluded.

Feeling refreshed, the trio decided to pick a few berries while enjoying their freedom. As they were crossing an open area, suddenly a group of ladies from town appeared.

Unable to get to their clothes in time, the American and the Japanese quickly used their hands to cover their privates. But the Chinese covered his face while they ran for cover. After the ladies had left and the men got their clothes back on.

The American and the Japanese asked the Chinese why he covered his face rather than his male regions.

The Chinese replied, I don't know about you, but in my country, it's the face that people recognize!

Brood Yes, Then Learn

Last week was helluva week, from the pinnacle of KL Twin Towers to the deepest trench in UTP. My emotion graph for the week mimics our KLCI: erratic. I was high, way high in the beginning, dipped a little, picked up, dipped again, then went plunging into the black hole, and picking up again.

I learnt that your dearest person can either lift you up the most or bring you down the most too, but only little to that person's notice. Nevertheless, it came in this pang of realization on the importance of saying the right thing at the right time, even when I might think it is innocuous, it may mean entirely differently to someone else.

Two interviews I've experienced, priceless. Both were of different approaches, but they ultimately lead to the same conclusions:

• Be confident. Speak with conviction, fast or slow in whichever demeanour of yours, yet beware, not too slow till it's inaudible or too fast like a Volvo on the Autoban.

• Be yourself. When you try to be someone, you end up giving contrived answer and when you're being quizzed further, you'll start to contradict yourself.

• Be resolute on what you seek. Employers are not there to recruit irresolute people who would just jump ship when they feel like it.

• Learn to develop good communication and listening skills. Be clear, concise in your choice of words. Never ramble like and old granny. Learn to listen and obey instructions too, cause a bad listener won't be a good follower, neither a leader too.

• Talk to your interviewer with humility and respect, but nonetheless, not with fear and inferiority cause that will only portray diffidence.

• There is no one right approach for all scenarios. Try to be attentive and identify the ambience and adapt to it.

As for me, I rekindled my interest for technical jobs. The excitement stirred up in me from the interview by one of the most technical companies in the oil and gas servicing line just flourished imperceptibly. While a comment given by the interviewer in a separate interview made me realize despite my interest in non technical line, I might just perform better in the technical line.