Hey Mates,

Just came back from the beach and feeling quite burnt now. Over the weekend, my lodge friends (11 people) and I went for a 3 hour drive to the northern part of Queensland where the Sunshine Coast is. The famous Gold Coast is at the Southern part of Queensland. The beach we went is called the Rainbow Beach, abt 240km away from the city. As the motels are full for the weekend near the beach, we somehow managed to book 4 rooms in a small town called Tin Can Bay, 30 minutes drive away from the beach. Coincidentally, the town was having a once a year Seafood Festival but we arrived there late and most of the seafood are good. So in the end, we settled for some Tim Tams for light lunch before heading to the beach. By the time we got to the beach, it was around 4pm plus where the sun was beginning to set. Its my first time hitting the Aussie waves and it was a great feeling. No worries on stepping on sharp objects or swimming with rubbish. The beach and sea was clean and clear blue seawater.

Group photo taken at Tin Can Bay

Now that the weekend is over, back to my work at the University. Since this week the University is having their term break, it will be a good week for me to take out my camera for some shots.

Stay tuned next for Alastair and gang beach outing. Till then, cya mates! 
Hey... Have not been visiting to this blog recently... I was busy on getting quite a number of resources and doing some research to prepare myself for Major Project... Yup...

Ok... It has been 2 months in Penang doing our OSIP (Oversea Student Internship Program, did i get it right? :P)... Work load else, we are managing quite well somehow... Of course we do have our ups and downs during this period of time... But we did learn quite a number of things when we helped each others on our individual works sometimes... Sharing is caring... :)

Just wanna show you guys a couple of corporate websites done by Yong Han and Edmund from the Distributed Multimedia option... MilleGlasses (http://www.milleglasses.com) and ERP (http://www.iripcd.com/erp/index.html)... Cool right? You can go to google and search Milleglasses and it is right there! Hehe... This need some kind of 'tricks'...

There are more websites that we have done... But still not upload yet... We also did some Flash Promotional/Presentation CD for some of our company's services and products... Too bad cant show you guys as it is coporate stuff... Yup...

K lahz... Enough of work stuff... Now come to a MORE interesting topic... We learnt to make full use of the local public bus transport and travelled to Queensbay Mall for shopping! Hehehe... The public transport system here is not as good as in Singapore as most of the locals here own at least one to two transport vehicles... So there is no point to have a good public transport system here...

Anyway... here we are... In Queensbay Mall, we did shoppings... Like clothings, toys, accessories, magazines, and other stuff... Some of us also went to Salon for a hair cut, medicure and we had dinner and watch movies together! Movie tickets here is 10RM on Sunday!!! Yoohoo... Muahahahaha... And i got myself a quite rare Super-Deformed Gundam model kit and C-3PO Mighty Muggs for my friend...

I think after staying oversea for awhile, we are able to adapt to the lifestyle quite well... Looking after each other, getting daily necessities, explore the place around and learning to be more independent... We even made our very own 'Music Video'... Hahaha... Yeah... K lahz... Better off to sleep soon... Do stay tune for next week on Alastair's blog entry... Cause we will be going to have a great time next week! Hehehe... Till next time!
Well, just pop by to update abit of my life here in Australia. Went for a walk yesterday and decided to walk along the lakeside behind my office. Been here about 2 weeks already but till now haben really explore the University. So the lake shall be the first area to explore.... Took some photos with my handphone as I did not bring my camera with me.

Anyways, life here has been great so far. Get to meet people internationally and made friends with some of them. At the place where I stayed, I got to know students from Germany, Sweden, Japan, Taiwan, China, Saudi Arabia, Fuji, Australia, and also some from Singapore. It's quite cosy here as we all gathered around to chit chat during meals and also go shopping or sightseeing together. In the office where I was attached to, most of the researchers and pHD students come from China. The working life here is not as hectic as Singapore, most of you should know most shops in Australia closes by 6pm. Same goes for my working hours, 9.30am to 4.30pm.... kinda relax. Even the buses and trains here takes about 30mins - 1hour to arrive during off peak timing.

Well, one thing I don't like about here though is mostly everything is expensive, especially the INTERNET. It's not free and doesn't come unlimited.... lucky my UQ account has free and unlimited access ;).
The bloggers went to a concert


The IMI blogging team with one of the animation group
Last saturday, we went to watch a symphonic concert to support our dear peers for their "screening" of their animation. The groups toiled days and nights just to get it done (*heart pain). The concert was organised by the Singapore Winds Symphony - Youth Winds and it's believed to be the first of its kind (in Singapore), ie to have imageries/ animation playing in the background while the music fills the concert hall.




I think the animation was spectacular, not forgetting the part where the conductor actually used a wii controller to conduct the piece and animation of birds and treble clefs would follow the controller ... ...



Mr Rick Toh accepting a token of appreciation for his effort.
mmm, it's so difficult to describe... you folks have got to be there to see it. Anyways, it was made possible through some scripting and Meng Tong's wii machine :)
Helllllllooooo~

Yes yes. Its the holidays, and the results are out. Whats left now is to enjoy the rest of the holidays before getting back into the second part of your supposed year. But first, lemme say a few words. ( im not very good at this but im gonna try.)

For those who got their expected grades:
A big big congratulations to you guys! hahah! Glad your hard work and prayers every night has paid off. Haha. Can finally enjoy a nice nice holiday without the sub-paper/parents nagging agony.
Woo~

For those who did not get their expected grades:
Erm..

For yr 1 - Don't feel so down. Its only your first year, first part of the semester. Lots more opportunities for you to bring up your GPA. Continue to work hard, and im sure you can bring ur grades up.

For yr 2 - Its halfway through already but there's still time. Dont let this setback erm.. set you back? Still got 2.2 to chiong. Its like what some people say. "Failure's not the worst thing. The worst thing is to give up. " So don't give up. =)

For yr 3 - You have no (insert whatever you want here) exams! Shoo~

Aaand yes maybe you guys have some parents who are demanding but just know that they are just worried about you and want you to do well. Disappointment at first yes but im sure you guys will be able to make them proud in the end =)
Its like what they say; "Everything will be okay in the end. If its not okay, its NOT the end."
Theres this wise man who also said; " If you fail, try again. If you fail again,try somemore. You will get used to the failing eventually and be able to brush it aside, leading to your success. " (im not sure if this works. Still trying it out myself)


This little joke here is to cheer you guys up. Cracks me up whenever i read it. Hope it helps.


Every year, English teachers from across the USA can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are won't to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.




~Daryl (the wise man)
Hey guys, I'm here in Australia finally for my OSIP. Beautiful country, cool weather (Min 11 Max 23), nice people. This is my first time exploring a foreign country without any guides, therefore was kinda nervous at first. Luckily, there wasn't any language barrier expect for the austAfter settling down and exploring nearby malls around my accommodation, headed straight of the University of Queensland. Ok, being 1 hour early saved me from being late after getiing lost in the University (Seriously very huge campus! 3 to 4 times bigger than NUS or NTU). After Spenting half hour getting lost, found the building that I need to report for induction, headed to the cafe open for my lunch (Why cafe? Hmm, cos everywhere are cafes and no canteens, unlike Singapore).

University of Queensland - Central Hall Area

After induction (Got Access Card, Library Card, Room Key, Transport Card, and settle some admin stuffs), spent sometime in my given office space to mingle around with the other 2 students in the room (Lu from China and Mandy from Malaysia). Around 4pm, started to head back to get some stuffs as the shops in Australia closes around 5pm to 6pm (Sunsets early). As my lodge accommodates many international students, it is no surprise that there are some other Singaporean students along with students from Finland, China, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and some Australians from other states, mingled around as usual around the dinner table while eating.

Alrite, thats DAY 1 in Australia!! Sightseeing on DAY 2 as my supervisor is not around till DAY 3. Was surprised to see this in the city...

Beach in da City!


It's so fun exploring without tour guides. Great scenaries and weather! But oh wells, work starts tomorrow... ;( but but GOLD COAST this weekend, Yeah!

Cya laters mates
Alvin