how true.

testing google adsense.

a crazy day.

long absence. this is because of my crazy schedule over the past few weeks. indeed stanford can be fun and fulfilling, but it can also consume you. the environmental panel yesterday was an awesome success, and so many people showed up for dinner. people actually loved the talk and the speakers indicated that they enjoyed themselves. i am happy and satisfied. i feel like i have done something that contributed to the existence and purpose of FACES, which is important since i do not feel like i have done anything significant since i joined the club last quarter.

oh i basically logged in here to rant about my day being crazy. so here it is:

am

7 – interview with adam grant, deloitte llp human capital

8 – watched jeff bezos on the daily show, prepared for school

9 – tom and 271, learnt a little bit about at&t interactive

1030 – talked to friend about facebook and its strategies

11 – riita and 270, discussed about linkedin and its monetization options

pm

1230 – lunch with ser, hungry like hell.

1 – social dance 3 with powers!

315- kremer and rjr, dual currency hedge.

5 – office hours for stochastic modeling, i am screwed.

6 – eat leftover wings with plain rice, enjoyed some ice cream

7- beyondcore meeting with the gang.

9 – facebook company paper meeting with the markstrat replacements.

1030 – frantically typing emails.

1145 – wordpress closure for the day; got to be up at 7 tmr, iterate.

We will miss you, my dear friend.

It happened in the middle of a perfectly mundane week, and probably changed all of us who knew you in some way that none of us would have expected. The frantic msn messages, the international calls, the denial, and the grief will not bring you back. Everyone’s reaction was slightly different, each with our own way to deal with your sudden departure. Some acted like nothing really happened, because they did not know how to react or want others to feel their despair. Some were simply too shocked and overwhelmed to feel immediate pain. Some people simply could not function for a while. In the midst of the meetings, assignments, work and exams, it is difficult to put down everything to grief. Not even for 10 mins. The next moment I had to discuss on the generic strategies of Walmart, and write an email to the client of 271, I simply did not know when I could tell anyone that I felt at a loss, with regret and sadness consuming me from within. This is just too sudden.

I am reminded of you in many things I see. Even at the time when you probably  felt the most despair, we were reminded of our hilarious crashes on the powder, your free spirit and boldness. But we never connected. Even for those who did, we were simply too far away to feel any of your pain and problems, that ultimately took you away from us. I never thought that our encounter on the train at Marsiling MRT station will be the last time that we meet.

Your wit, companionship in the house, and your ‘perspectives’ will always stay with us. Our high speed crashes, our magnetic attraction on the slopes, your jokes, your companionship in the house when no one else is around in the middle of the day, your presence, our coincidences in cooking together, your innovative dishes, your poetry, your randomness endear us to you.

We will miss you, my dear friend. May you be in peace with yourself, and someday we will meet again.

He sleeps in the day, wakes up at night. Maybe he thinks the sun is behind the moon.

No one really knows what he does in his room, but he camps in it almost all the time. Maybe he has powerful eyes that can see through trees- and walls as well.

Or maybe he just writes haiku.

i don’t even know what to say.

This is a sad sad day. Please bring him close to you Lord. Please.

cirque du soleil.. whee!

Attended the first class of aerial fabrics today.. it was a huge class, with a disproportional number of girls – I wonder why. Anyway the instructors demonstrated a few tricks {quite an understatement here} and basically wow-ed the entire class. We went on to learn how to climb the fabric and do a foot knot so that we could stand on the fabric without straining our arms. Apparently we will learn a couple of basic tricks next time, I really hope that the class size will drop so that everyone has more time to practice on the fabric.

I’m lovin’ it, and I look forward to the next one!

Whee! http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/NR/ContentConnector/CS2000/SiteInterface/quidam/images/acts/contortion.jpg

masquerade and boats

first impression of venice

first impression of venice

Gondola

morris on water taxi

row of boats

my favorite mask of all

romantic

San Marco

and why do I love Rome so much…?

View at the top of the Spanish Steps

restaurants with many routards..

charming piazza novela

my favorite monument at the most picturesque time of the day

long absence.

It has been a while. and 一转眼就 2009 了。It is a year that calls for change, with that stealing the center spotlight as the primary message of the incumbent President Obama, to the long overdue issue of climate change. The renewal of the Kyoto Protocol and the commitments by countries to curb carbon emissions in the Copenhagen summit this November is worth looking forward to. The situation in the Middle East, and geopolitics in the region will also change with the numerous elections in Israel and Iran coming up. Hamas may not even be there in a few months. In a few months, my college life will end and I will finally return to Singapore for an extended period of time – something that I am not sure if I will ever get use to again. It is a time for resolutions, reflection, and re-examination of priorities when it comes to a year of great change.

But before that, a review of a few of my journeys over the past 2 months.

Florence

Masks in Venice

Vatican City

The Pope saying midnight mass.

Vittoria Emmanuel Monument in Rome

Mo and Chee in the Pantheon

Duomo in Milan

Classic Positano View from the beach

chewyx is coming to terms with his own mediocrity.

After taking 3 finals in the past 23 hours, I am just glad that I actually had the opportunity to do so. I am actually really tired too. The connectivity of the internet makes information transfer an instantaneous process, and the messages that come through are simply amazing.

30 seconds into gmail and I find a gchat message from s* that 242 results are out.

30 seconds later, I found that I performed below the mean.

30 seconds later, I updated my status on gchat and msn.

30 seconds later, I get messages of concern and comfort.

30 seconds later, z** asked me out for dinner.

30 seconds later, d* told me to email the TA about the grade.

30 seconds later, the TA replied! telling me to ask this other TA who graded the final exam.

30 seconds later, I decide to check the course handout to calculate my course percentage.

30 seconds later, I have come to terms with my own mediocrity.

Is this an act of suppressing my true nature and desire of wanting to do really well in what I do? I am not so sure. One thing is sure, I am really glad to be standing amongst Titans of the academic realm.

It is time to become one of them.