When minds do not think alike...

I have put forward the following situation:

Assuming A and B are students with no income.

A is an avid fan of a rock band, which is coming to town for a one-night-only concert. S/he is really determined to attend this concert and would like to invite his/her best friend B to go together. B is a fan of the band too. A, coming from an affluent family, wants to purchase the most expensive tickets (assume: mosh pit) for the best experience.

On the other hand,

B has been following this rock band with A, and wants to attend the concert too. However s/he is reluctant to buy the mosh pit tickets. S/he understands A’s enthusiasm but does not see the rationale behind paying so much to stand throughout the night. B, from an average family, knows that although the ticket price is affordable, it is an unnecessary splurge s/he would rather avoid.

The core dispute here would be caused by differences in principles and values. A probably did not consider whether it will be affordable for B’s family. B may be feeling guilty to indulge at his/her parents’ expense. And why does B detest the pit?

If I were B, I will try to convince A into the next-best experience-providing tickets which do not involve enclosing sweaty bodies together in a pen. I will want to enjoy the concert too, but how can I do so when I do not appreciate the environment at all? I will still be able to address A’s desire to attend the concert; I only ask him/her to forgo a little from the 'experience' department. Also, overspending on a rock concert is not a wise choice to me. There could be better use for the cash in the family, for example, in extra expenses for the Chinese New Year. Since we are best friends, s/he should understand my position if I explain my concerns clearly.

But if you were A, would you convince me otherwise? (Remember, A is resolute about the mosh pit.)

Why this module?

I will be frank with my objective for taking ES2007S: grab whatever skills I need for my future. In the past semester abroad I spent a bulk of my time thinking about the future. (Really there was too much time for self-reflection. What else to do when the sun sets at 2.30pm?) The more thoughts I gave, the more apprehensive I felt. I did not (and still not, at this moment) think I had what it takes to survive the working world. No one taught me how to write a decent cover letter. No one explained if it matters how I reply an email. And certainly no one will feel sorry for me when I start flunking job interviews (that is if potential employers did not shred my resume right away…).

Had to do something about this situation urgently and so here I am enrolled in this class. I know there are tonnes of such self-help books out there but what could be better than a real classroom environment with an experienced teacher (yay!) and fellow peers (yay!) to learn from? Sadly to admit, the following points are true too:

1. Tuition fees paid and this is not going to cost me extra.
2. Clear MCs!
3. No finals!
4. 
   

So far I have not really been in a situation where I could not get my message across to the other party. Probably there were times when meanings were lost since English was not the first language amongst my international friends. But with a little more explanations, nothing is impossible!

Sometimes communication tends to breakdown when the “frequency” between parties differs. I suppose the personal background and experiences significantly affects the effectiveness of communication. It is almost psychological I think it is important when I first meet new people, I observe how they carry themselves and what kind of stand they take on issues. This way I can pre-empt clashes of personalities! Make friends not enemies yeah?

Self Introduction!

"Blogging gives more space fore self-expression..."

so I thought it'll be appropriate to start off with a little more About Me!

I'm a Life Science (biomed) year 3, graduating this semester provided my SEP credits transfers go through smoothly. I went to NTNU in Trondheim, Norway and yeah, it was a (damn) beautiful place. And expensive too.

My family moved from Hong Kong when I was 5. Apparently afraid of 1997, I was told. But since I grew up here and had taken my citizenship oath, I try to be Singaporean in every aspect I can (other than the "Place of Birth"...sorry can't change that). So usually, I'll only introduce myself as a Singaporean and not mention HK, until some point in the conversation I feel I had to explain my...backgrounds.

I think I always had an identity conflict. I speak Cantonese at home; I watch HK and Taiwan channels on Starhub instead of Mediacorp; I listen to HK radio streams online rather than Mediacorp; I read Appledaily(蘋果日報) instead of SPH-published newspapers...yet I tell you I'm Singaporean. Please don't hate me yet because I do love this little red dot on the map. I spent many nights during SEP thinking of returning home, where the weather is generally kind and where there's always good food.

Like any other kid who had been forced to interest classes, I can play the piano and flute. Still do so once in  a while with my school's alumni band. Not that much of a sports person, though. But I enjoy watching soccer! I'm a Red Devil and it sucks to see a £715 million and climbing debt. (Those Glazers geezers..*@#$^!&@#$*) Oh! And I'm so so so so anticipating Schumacher's return to F1!!!

Okay I think that's quite enough for a little self intro. Haha! Nice to know everyone and I hope it'll be a great semester with each and every single one of you. Lastly, please feel free to add me on fb! My full name (Chan Hoi Yee), no spaces in between, at nus dot edu dot sg!