[Picture-less entry... Sorry to disappoint!! =))]

We played yet another game in Management Practice yesterday. As soon as the lecturers finished announcing the rules, I shouted excitedly,"It's US against THEM (the lecturers)!!" because as long as any team submits a wrong answer to the puzzle, the lecturers will take all in the money bag (we each put in GBP2 while the lecturers put in more into the money bag). To make things more complicated, at least 4 out of 6 tasks required all teams to share information before a solution could be found. On top of that, I see no point in engaging in any antagonistic behaviour as we have another 10 months to go before the end of the course.

Surprisingly, at least one team in our Stream did not go with the flow, and apparently, the teams in the other Stream did not attempt to collaborate much. I think Erik asked an interesting question in class, i.e. whether people saw these games as merely games or that they have an impact on our relationships with one another. To me, the interesting bit is not so much whether there were indeed 2 camps, but more the fact that it was possible to see the consequences as different, separate and/or mutually exclusive.

Today, the MBA Director (the one with the same jacket as 'Good Fren') had a session with us. Where we were first fed a free lunch, then were asked for our feedback. Nothing in Life in free, especially in Business School. =))

When 'Good Fren' raised his hand to contribute his views, the MBA Director went,"Ahh... 'GOOD FREN'!!"
Win oredi... I wonder if my graduate scroll will read,"Blinkymummy Lee", and his "Good Fren Tan"

As I observed the session, I was trying to imagine something like that happening in NUS, and/or any other familiar Asian context. Asking for feedback from a crowd of 140+ in the flesh is really not an easy feat. This little para would have been my positive contribution.

There is no good way of saying this... But I'm pretty sure many people in class welcomed the fact that we had the afternoon off today. Gave us some breathing space. The unexpectedness increases the utility derived. I wish Dr Yin a speedy recovery though. =))

Right after Corporate Finance, 5 of us went in search of Cypriot food, but ended up with some South African food instead. Here you see the South African chanting before he commences.

I'm kidding... I have no idea what Jaques was doing!

The big German was definitely keen on his chicken and rice!!

After lunch, I went back to Judge Business School to disturb a couple of people (including 'Good Fren'), sieved through the giveaway book shelf (found 2 interesting books, i.e. "Corporate Society" and "Time & Value"), then made my way to Sainsbury on my own for the first time.

Got home, and applied for a job while making dinner. 'Good Fren' came back around 6pm. I fed him before peddling away in the rain to Hughs Hall for the Diwali Party. He couldn't join us at the student-organised event because he had a phone interview at 9pm. And yes... I'm still trying to become the Subservient Asian Woman...

I've always know the Festival of Lights as 'Deepavali'. I was told by an Indian classmate that it's the traditional name. I miss our apartment in Singapore. It's near Little India. =))


I wanted to take a pic of the food, but was too slow... =))

Only managed to take a pic of the snacks.

Despite the rain, the turnout was fantastic!


Oooh... Members of Judge Business School staff were with us!


Before the craziness broke out, we witnessed a little prayer ceremony.


The ladies were dressed in such splendid colours.


Our beautiful Priya taking a quiet moment.


While others, young and old, looked on...


Yeah... Many people were in the audience...


Hey Look! The UK/US pair again!! Something is going on here... =)))


Check out Lars (Danish) and Simon (British)?!! GOSH!!


And the big German, Axel, whom I shared chicken and rice with at lunch earlier.

He was working off the calories, man!!

This event has allowed us to see the not-so-obvious sides of many classmates...

For example, OPM (Nigerian) is really good at this dance.
And USHA (Indian)!! We thought she was a quiet lady!! We were so wrong! She's one HAWT dancer!!


Of course Priya is a sensual dancer, but DOM?!! He CAN dance!! And I can tell he used to club quite a bit! He had weird construction-related moves such as 'shovelling', 'building the brick wall'?!!

And I'm still a little puzzled why he said to me that I danced like Japanese girls?!

And Khurram!! He has the groove and moves, especially in that flaming red shirt! WOO HOO!!!


Of course... My favourite of the night... Has to be...
DR DISSANAIKE!! =)))

Louise told Dr Dissanaike that I had a blog with his pics on it.
Heh heh heh... He must be a little worried... =)))

As I was preparing for the ride home, Eli (Israeli) offered to ride with me on the way home. He stays a little further west than I do. Having conversation with a classmate on the ride home in the cold night breeze is very enjoyable. Makes the ride shorter and less painful.

I'm pretty sure this is analogous to what we can do for one another in this journey. Just for a moment.

We woke up to a bright and sunny Monday morning. Thanks to daylight savings...

One gets that feeling that the week will be one of extraordinary luck and encounters... I mean... What are the odds of 'Good Fren' and Dr Runde wearing the exact same black NorthFace fleece jacket on a Monday?!

On top of that, the MBA Director asked for a picture, knowing well that it will go on the blog?!
This must be our lucky day! =)))
I like that picture! It's warm and fuzzy... Orrrrhhhhh... =)))

We had Organisational Behaviour this morning and was given the following equation:


And that there are 3 constituents of Ability, i.e. Physical, Cognitive and Emotional. Someone asked if there was a ceiling for Emotional abilities. I'm not too concerned about whether there is in fact a ceiling for any of the abilities, but more about how to enhance the current state of abilities because I believe most people's potentials are under-realised.

Also, I am of the view that the acquisition of Emotional abilities may seem futile via the learning methods used to acquire Cognitive abilities, e.g. read a book and/or listening to a lecture. Instead, I believe the best way to acquire Emotional abilities is to shock the individual. One can only 'understand' the Emotional when one feels it first hand, and not learn about it vicariously through the words of others.

And I am tempted to think that a large chunk of Opportunity is Luck. Though it doesn't mean that one ought to sit by the roadside and wait for the ride. One has to be ready to jump onto the Luck Lexus if and when it stops by.

Then again... What do I know?

During the short break, I got Simon to tell me about the Chinese Communist Party, the Cultural Revolution and the Long March. I guess I can ask my dad about this, but it's always useful to hear different parties' takes on the same issues. Alex chipped in by saying that he could put together a short briefing on the CCP in the next China SIG meeting. And of course, Simon and I discussed Marxism and its implemented examples so far.

Lunch was a short affair because my study group was going through some potential CVPs. Our beer project doesn't seem to be coming along, and we will have to seek another asap.

Here you see my group getting together for Business Modelling.


On our way up to the 6th floor for the above discussion, we met someone in the elevator with a tray full of muffins. Of course, us MBA students are always hungry and it must have been written all over our faces because that kind soul offered us some muffins?!

I really feel like a student! WOO HOO!!

Couldn't help but to take a picture of Axel explaining his group's model. Check out the pointing!

Even before the lecture ended at 5.30pm, the sky was almost completely dark. 'Good Fren' felt rather cheated of sunlight. He spoke as though he needed to photosynthesise or something.

We were headed for Sainsbury to get some veges when some guy stopped at Market Square, warning us earnestly of policemen up the street checking for headlight-less cyclists!

After we got our veges, we pushed our bikes and walked back to Churchill College. To make up for lost time, I made dinner by cooking in 2 pots at the same time. At this rate, I will become the authentic Subservient Asian Woman in no time! Too bad the prawns are shelled even before it reaches the shelves. If not, I could perform prawn-shelling meekly at the table the next time our guests are over for dinner.

It has gotten to 'Good Fren'.
Now we are both victims of the bug, one more advanced than the other. Isn't that sweet? =))

We woke up to a somewhat leisurely Saturday. I asked 'Good Fren' what we had to do, and his reply,"Nothing."

So we did 2 loads of laundry, had a simple lunch, then headed for the University Library where the Montaigne exhibition was. If we had gone a little earlier, we would have been in time for Professor Ford's talk on Montaigne.


'Good Fren' was all wrapped-up because of the bug. It wasn't that cold.

The exhibition is held in a dark room in the semi-basement. The fittings are neither flashy nor expensive, but the exhibits are invaluable. Photography is not allowed in the exhibition of Montaigne's books filled with his handwritten notes. His small and neat handwriting in brown ink ran across pages of his books. I wonder what made he want to write in his books, and not in a separate journal or something.

I have not read much of his works. Through the exhibition and other readings, I attempt to piece together his privileged life as directed by his wealthy father. I wonder what it is like to lead a life where one does not have to worry about sustenance and where one's 'job' is to produce thoughts. That has got to affect the perspective.

The usual route to town was calm on a Saturday morning. These trees, grass, ducks and water do not change with the scientific discoveries or the history-making events which take place in Cambridge. In a quiet manner, they frame the mind like they did 800 years ago.


Something was brewing in town. There was a helicopter suspended in the air.

A contingent of black gowns and furry collars marched past us. We followed them inconspicuously on our bikes.

A graduation ceremony.
We thought about ours and shudder at the thought of the journey. =))

Maybe we will be back here 2 years later... in our black gowns... and a scroll in our hands.

Random note: Somehow, we haven't been able to find a door stopper. Yeah... A door stopper. Those rubber wedges to stop the door from slamming and/or vibrating in the wind. I have 3 of those in our apartment in Singapore. I wish I brought one of them along. =_=

We did our weekly groceries and were trying to unlock our bikes when this CITI 5 came very very close to us. Apparently, a huge Sainsbury truck had parked along the narrow and busy street. The bus driver asked 'Good Fren' to help move one of the bicycles along the wall just in case he went over it.


'Good Fren' has become so natural at getting his picture taken. He turned around and assumed a pose. HAHA!! =)))

I think I need a new digicam. This one doesn't work well in a land with less sunlight. =)))

Once back home, I got into the housewife mode. Stuffing the groceries in their 'right' places, and making some chicken soup for supper.
Subservient Asian Woman strikes again!

Reading on a quiet Saturday night is a luxury I relish. =))
Very soon, I heard 'Good Fren' snoring heavily while I attempted understand the various forms of credit risks. I have time... One more hour to be exact... Daylight Savings mah!!

Went to see the doctor in the morning. He was very pleased with the health status milestone timeline I'd prepared for him. He said he wished every patient would prepare something similar. Haha...

As for the cough, sore throat etc, he prescribed me with the following:

1. Lots of water
2. Plenty of rest
3. PATIENCE

=_=

I walked out of the clinic without any prescription for drugs, so I got on my bike and headed for Judge. Then somewhere along Castle Street, the bicycle chain came off! There I was struggling to get the chain back onto the gear, and disbelieving the situation. Ended up with 4 icky black fingers.

Missed half of Corporate Finance. This is our last lecture with Dr Dissanaike. His last slide was hilarious. Check out his superimposed face! The question at the top reads: Is Gishan Fierce or Friendly?

=)))

Right after Corporate Finance, we walked over to Hilton for a recruitment talk, where one of the Chinese undergraduates, during Q&A, pointed out most vehemently to the Managing Director of the consultancy firm that the latter ought to practise sensitivity and should not list Taiwan as a country in his 'ppt'. o.O

We then rushed back down Trumpington Street to Judge Business School for our first Business Modelling lecture. Had a breakout session where study groups attempted to demonstrate the retail banking business on paper.


Rupert was very excited about drawing. He loves stick figures.


Though everyone was smiling, by that time in the course, many people were tired. It has been intense. And most significantly, the schedule is beyond the individual's control. It reminds me of something Prof Howie said during dinner,"Like a piece of bread bobbing up and down in the sea".


Patrick, the musician-turned-non-profiteer, wore a T-shirt declaring the power of music that day.


Representatives from two of the most powerful countries in the world, i.e. Rupert (UK) and Patrick (US).

Gosh... They look similar?!

A wise one once brought to my attention the concept of 'Uppers and Downers' in social interaction. He said that some people are 'Uppers', i.e. one would feel invigorated when interacting with these people, while some people are 'Downers', i.e. even in the absence of aggression, interacting with such people leaves one feeling drained and empty.

This has little to do with intelligence or breadth of experience. It has to do with personality, attitudes and energy. For example, it is possible to be faced with an enthusiastic Downer, i.e. someone who is keen to interact with you, asking polite questions such as "So, how are you doing? Good good..." but leaves you feeling less than before the conversation because somehow the focus seems to be on the form of interaction and the gratification derived from having been part of any interaction, and not on the substance/function of interaction, i.e. the genuine interest in the other party.

The MBA is a construct where actors pay to play within. This assumes that the actor is a willing participant. This construct, like any other, has its own set of spoken/unspoken norms/rules. It gets intriguing when actors attempt to interpret these rules through their lens tinted with culture values, personal experiences, ego etc. It gets even more intriguing when actors are observed to be consolidating and presenting their scripts, some louder than others. Using them to navigate the organised chaos of learning and socialisation for 12 hours a day.

Overlay the actor/script with the 'Upper/Downer' concept, one can picture a common room full of enthusiastic individuals attempting to 'network' with one another. Some are more successful than others. Some seek comforts in those with similar scripts. Some seek out those with starkly different scripts.

Who is the actor? Who is the audience? What is the right script? Is the script transferable? These are questions I ask myself everyday.

After Business Modelling, 'Good Fren' met up with his study group. Somehow I convinced a bunch of classmates to follow me to Sesame, a 4-month old Chinese restaurant where the China SIG people would be meeting for dinner.

Somehow, they were rather shy to be known as 'Hsin's Harem'. =))


AHHHhhh.... There they are...

From left: George (Cyprus), Zarko (Serbia), Bora (Turkey), Deepankar (Indian) and Axel (Germany)

This little Chinese restaurant along Hills Road makes really good dishes. The lady boss asked me if I wanted the Foreigner's menu or the Chinese menu (in Mandarin). =)))


My harem had no idea what they were getting themselves into... All they knew was 'No Pork, No Beef'.

Look how happy they are with the meal!

After the meal, the Subservient Asian Woman went for a beer with part of the Harem at Brown's while waiting for 'Good Fren'. And because I found another group of hungry people hanging around Judge Business School, we headed back to Sesame for Round 2. I'm not kidding!! The lady boss must have been very glad!

After the 2nd meal, it was time for karaoke in the basement of the restaurant.


Simon brought his brothers along.

Amidst the singing, I turned to 'Good Fren' and told him that I missed this bunch of lovely people whom we used to karaoke with. 不知道他们会不会想我们？

This long week ended on a high note.

We need to catch up on sleep, learning, nutrients and sanity. My body needs to catch up on immunity.

I like what the Business Modelling lecturer pointed out. He said that the worst thing a modeller could be doing was to stare at an empty excel spreadsheet. Hence, the modeller would be very tempted to just work on something... anything... and/or hang on dearly to a piece of work which is steeped in previous effort. In this anxious process, one may lose sight of the greater picture.

拿起容易 放下难啊！

I have so much to write about, but so little time and energy. The cold, cough and sniffing just wouldn't go away. By now, I think about 1 out of 5 people in class is falling sick. Even 'Good Fren' felt really lousy today.

I'm just dragging my reluctant body around Cambridge... Pushing it... Coaxing it... Abusing it... But I have shown it some empathy. I promised my body that there is light at the end of the tunnel by securing a slot to see the doctor tomorrow. I've even printed a timeline for the doctor, demonstrating my 'health and drug milestones' since I got here about 5 weeks ago. I'm such a considerate patient. Unfortunately, I'll have to miss part of Finance lecture tomorrow morning to see the doctor.

It has been a long day. School started at 9am, had a 1.5 hour break for lunch, then classes up till about 5.45pm. At 6pm, CEO of Booz and Company, Dr Shumeet Banerji, gave a talk on his firm and the current financial situation. I wish we had more time with him. At 7.15pm, we walked over to the Pitt Building to attend the Monitor Group session. By then, 'Good Fren' was extremely hungry. And if one is on the brink of losing one's voice, the day's activities become rather meaningless (without verbal exchanges).

By the time we got on our bikes and peddled home, it was almost 9pm. This MBA thing is hard work, I tell you. Especially the cycling bit. In the past 5 weeks, I've made up for all those exercise-less years I spent in my car back in Singapore. In fact, I think my thighs have become rather muscular. Like back in my basketball and handball days. Amazing. Thought I wouldn't be seeing my muscles ever again.

Last night, the advanced students of Churchill College were invited to dinner with the Master and the Fellows.

At the pre-dinner reception, the Churchillian MBAs were standing in a group, chatting about values and meaning, when I asked Dominic a question:


Before I could say anymore, Hyunsik told me not to ask him that question, because his wife was standing beside him. =))

I think it will be intriguing to pose this question to the MBA class and to observe the similarities and dissimilarities in answers across cultures.

Back to the Churchill College dinner, 'Good Fren' and I had the honour of sitting at the high table.


He sat between 2 ladies, Mrs Howie, and a MPhil (Chemistry) student.


While I sat between Dr Howie and a 4th year medicine student.

Dr Howie is a pioneer in electron microscopy. Of course I did not know a lot about before. He was most friendly at the table, filling the conversations with anecdotes (e.g. the Cambridge Regiment in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation), while patiently answering my questions, including "Do you have a religion?"

I have a slight problem. These wonderfully brilliant people I keep meeting in Cambridge... While I relish every opportunity to converse with them, I wonder if they find me painfully boring. Like... While I benefit tremendously from the dinner conversations, I wonder if they feel otherwise. o.O

It was a great dinner. Before this, I didn't realise that port could taste so good.

And because of Prof Howie, I cannot wait for Burns Supper in January!

Jaques came to me twice in class today and surreptitiously asked with a more-intense-than-usual look,



'Good Fren' told a few who sat around me during Marketing that this was my secret to being so chirpy everyday.

Quite a few of us are down with scratchy throats, aches and running noses. It got to me so bad that I felt a little blackout episode coming towards the end of Marketing. My hands are still tingling from the ride home.

明天会更好！

I woke up with a slight fever and green mucus oozing out of my nose this morning. Sick... =))

While I was going about my daily chores, 'Good Fren' informed me that Rupert had sent over some queries on Business Statistics via email. We decided that statistics can neither be explained over the phone nor email. So we invited Rupert over for dinner and some last-minute stats revision.

Here you see Rupert smiling happily.

Rupert was telling us about the Burlesque event that we had missed last night because we were in London. We have to go together the next time!

We had Bak Kut Teh, stir-fried chicken with broccoli and mushroom in oyster sauce and white wine, and chinese cabbage with dried scallops. Rupert brought a bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc to complement the Singaporean-Chinese dinner. Perfect!!


Here you see Rupert getting a headache... Very different from what he was like during the meal! =)))

In fact, the revision is on-going at this very moment. It's really cute to watch the two of them. They are two people with obviously different interests and strengths. Yet one can feel the teasing camaraderie between them. =))
.....................................................

Did I mention that there are 4 couples pursuing the MBA at Judge Business School?

The couples were interviewed by The Times and here's the link to the article.

I think our MBA experience would have been very different if we hadn't attempted it together. Going by the first principle of a partnership, reading an MBA together is merely a manifestation of collaboration between two people. I think it's pretty logical if both are interested.

I'm sure there will more than 4 couples in the MBA by the end of the year. =))

Apart from MBA couples, what interests me most are the first time mummies in class. In the current batch, we have a 5-month old mummy from Bulgaria and a 5-month pregnant... YES!! 5-MONTH PREGNANT mummy-to-be from Taiwan. I hear that she's due in Jan '09, right after the exams?!

I haven't had a good chance to talk to them because they are in the other stream, but I will definitely seek out their stories. Kudos to these classmates of ours!

A bunch of us went to London for the Careers@Singapore event organised by Contact Singapore at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel which is owned by the Singapore conglomerate, CDL. We bought group train/tube tix to help keep the crazy costs down.

Here you see the cool, suave and energetic MBA group in their black business suits getting off the 11:15am train at Kingscross, strutting in the cool breeze towards a brighter future in Singapore.


Erm... But but but... First...
We need to figure out the London tube system...
How do we get from here to Gloucester Road?!!

"How many MBAs does it take to...." =)))

Of course, we figured it out in no time and were on our way once again... The tube was really packed.


Oooohhh... Check out the fancy black shoes we were wearing... Eh?! How come there was a pair of white Nike sneakers?!!

Coz I didn't want to walk around London in heels?! =))

When we got the hotel, the stream bifurcated at the command of the usher. Singaporeans were ushered into the Sentosa room, while non-Singaporeans went into the Orchard room. We got a little confused because we had wanted to stay with the group we brought to for the event. Eventually, we realised the kind intentions of the organisers. Because the turnout was likely to be huge, the organisers orchestrated a slight advantage for Singaporeans to meet up with the recruiters just before the main event started.

After a short chat with one of the recruiters who turned out to be 'Good Fren's friend, we proceeded to the Sentosa room where everyone was waiting.

The format of the event was very familiar.

1. Intro - Area Manager (ContactSingapore)
   
2. VIP Speech - Singapore High Commissioner to UK
   
3. Organiser's Speech - DD(ContactSingpaore)
   
4. Panel (made up of recruiters) Q&A
5. Food aka 'Mingling Session'
   

I'm sure many will find this image of Singapore very familiar. It has been used at various events. The skyline of Singapore has changed. Figuratively speaking, our perspective of ourselves has changed too.

After the Q&A session, our Hungarian classmate, Tibor, commented that Singapore is too good to be true, i.e. with effective tax rates of less than 10% for the first SGD160k, safe and secure environment, stable govt, accessible and world-class healthcare/public education system, fancy nightlife options etc. He asked,"There has to be a downside, no?!"

I took a minute and said,"Maybe the weather is not as good as that of London?" =)))

And to completely deliver the Singaporean Experience, the Singaporean food was served. And it was F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!!!

Laksa, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Beef Rendang, Honeydew Sago etc... *fainted*

Even my Korean classmate said it was the best meal he had since he had arrived in Cambridge a month ago. I totally agree!! So, you guys back home can imagine how lucky you are...

So, this chap from ContactSingapore came around and spoke with our group. 4 years in the service and currently on the Hi-Po programme which is probably keeping him rather satisfied. We reckon he's around 'Good Fren's age, so we told him that he ought to think about his options. Hence, the situation got a little ironic. Being part of the organiser, he was there to help us find jobs in Singapore, while we were giving him advice on exploring his career options. I like it when he said that he felt something special about being able to serve the greater good in the service. Ahhh... That familiar feeling... It felt... nostalgic...

Towards the end of the event, we approached one of the Reinsurance recruiters as a group. That elderly gentleman had been answering queries non-stop at his booth by the time we got to him. One of us asked him if he was hungry/tired, and Wontak got him a glass of water. =))

After the event, the bunch of us went for a drink at this place called the Living Room.

We thought we were on our way back to Cambridge when Deepankar announced that he was hungry. Then suddenly, most of us started to feel hungry... Weird group dynamics... Need to explore this issue further in Management Practice/Org Behaviour.

So, 'Good Fren' suggested that we should all go for the best roast duck in Bayswater, London. And we were all fine with the suggestion. Got underground, took the tube to Queensway and a short walk.

Halfway through the walk, Kee got really excited and went,"Hey guys!! He's bringing us to this restaurant that he went to 7 years ago!!"
I could feel the hungry anxiety in the air... Is the shop still there?! Will it still be as good as he remembers it to be?! At this point, I thought we walked past a cafe called KIASU... I must be hallucinating...

Before we knew it, we were there... At Four Seasons...
A Korean classmate pointed out that the English name had nothing to do with the Chinese name. We then started to read the Chinese name in Korean and Mandarin. Both sound very similar!


Wontak was looking for the duck on the menu.


The queue was so damn long lor!!! So long that we had to wait outside the shop...


So there I was peering into the display. The duck!! The duck!!
I felt like the Little Matchstick Girl or something...
Cold, hungry and outside the shop. =_=


Finally!!!! We got a table!!
While waiting for the food (which arrived very promptly because we gave the orders in the queue), our Indian and Nigerian classmates, Deepankar and Gbolade, attempted to grasp the chopsticks.



And World... Please witness Gbolade's first mouthful of rice using the chopsticks!! *APPLAUSE PLEASE*

Soon after, he switched back to the fork and spoon. =)))

Everyone was very happy with the food. Gbolade highlighted that the kailan had a special fragrance. I'd never thought of it that way, but I agree. Perhaps that's why it's one of my favourite vegs.

The duck was fatty and sweet. AAHHHHHHHH.....

Check out the aftermath...

The people at Four Seasons were so nice to us. Service was excellent despite the busy night. They also suggested for us to book a table in advance the next time.

Not sure why... Someone at the table commented that 'Good Fren' and I sounded very polite, i.e. we kept saying '谢谢', and asked whether that was common in Singapore. Actually, we are not too sure, but we think that saying 'Thank You' shouldn't be a difficult reaction whenever someone does something for you, regardless whether you are paying for it or think you deserve it.

Then the conversation went onto how to say 'Thank You' in Korean... So, I tried my limited and broken Korean by proudly saying 'gahm-sah-hahm-ni-da!' That led Deepankar to ask why I knew that in Korean. And of course, the answer is 'KOREAN DRAMAS'!! At this point, Kee (Korean) started imitating the chicks in Korean Dramas,"OH-BA!! OH-BA!!" Hahahahah!!

So, I spent the rest of the night calling the elder Koreans around the table 'Oh-BA' (which means 'elder brother'). =))

Somehow, on our way home... We kept laughing... rather easily and excessively... We concluded that it must be the Chinese food. =)))

We had a great day together, and learnt a great deal about Singapore and one another. Looking forward to the next session and next group!!

We woke up a little later than usual today. It's been a long week, and we are aching all over. We are quite sure that we have lost some weight due to the cycling, the rushing and the sickness.

Had a Finance lecture this morning, at the end of which I was picked, along with 3 others, to present a case study next Tuesday?! And we have a Stats test on Monday?! Once again, in a sick way, I am looking forward to it. *shrug*

Lovely day again... What are the odds of that?!!
Oh... Allow me to rephrase that in some stats lingo...
Ok... Scrap that...


After class, 'Good Fren' gave a small session on Stats in the MBA Syndicate room.


Here we witness Rupert's attempt at drawing some graphs...


Yeah... Rupert!! YOU CAN DO IT!!


Or so we think... =)))

As we can see from the exhibit above, Rupert ostensibly believes that studying statistics is positively correlated to hair growth. Weird but true... We have to listen to the Englishman, don't we?

After that, we went over to Mill Lane coz we had signed up for a Careers thing but couldn't turn up. We didn't want to be blacklisted... But by the time we got there, the person with the attendees list was nowhere to be found... Oh well...

We met Manasij at Mill Lane and walked back to Judge Business School together. They went off for their study group discussion while I made my way home very s-l-o-w-l-y. Trying to soak in the Cambridge-ness of my surroundings.

Made some sweet soup to help clear the scratchy throat, and got down to some stuff I had been putting off. At about 6pm, 'Good Fren' came back. And like any good female Asian partner, I served him soup. Subservient Asian Woman is back!! (Until the MBA gets the better of her...) =)))

At 7.15pm, we skipped out of the flat and headed for the Churchill Dining Hall for SUPERHALL, where students from other colleges come over for a formal dinner. We knew it was gonna be uber enjoyable coz some crazy MBAs were coming over.


Suits! Suits! Suits!!


Our end of the table. I was sitting in-between Zarko from Serbia and 'Good Fren', and facing Dom's adorable wifey!!


'Good Fren' was sitting in-between me and the beautiful and intelligent Priya. He's so lucky eh?!


This is merely my second time dining in the hall because after the first time, I became very ill, remember?! =))

The food was really quite fine...


Of course, I'm very sure the taste of the food is positively correlated to the wonderful company I had all night long.


From left: Panash, Priya, Kevin, Zarko, Tibor, Me, 'Good Fren', Hyojin and Hyunsik. Dom and wife ran off before we could take this picture!!


Because Hyunsik and Hyojin came a little later for dinner, they were not sitting near to each other. After dinner, I caught a glimpse of them chatting and holding hands shyly in a quiet corner. It's so damn sweet!!!


Panash took this pic of me... I think it's cool!!

The bunch was having the best conversation tonight. We spoke of many things. From cultural differences to Photoshop to cute chicks in the room to Singapore to reverse osmosis/Hyflux to the A or B game to the experience of Eternity... I now have a sore throat. =)))

Somehow, there was some dancing after dinner. Here you see 'Good Fren' and I trying to do the Rock 'n' Roll. We're so damn stiff, man... Better stick to Business Statistics and blogging.

I have some videos which I will upload later... I think I still have not uploaded the video of Erik cooking in our flat?!!

I wonder what Sir Winston Churchill thinks of all that dancing tonight?

Need to rest soon... Off to London for the Contact Singapore event tomorrow.

The body is aching, but the will is charging.
Gonna spend a good bit of Saturday with another bunch of MBAs. So exciting!! No broken shell shall stop me.
ROAR!!!

Unlike yesterday, today's weather is gorgeous!!

Sunny with a cool breeze... Ahhhhh.... How I wish everyday could be like this...

Axel wore a suit to school today.

I must say he looked very smart, but I didn't understand why he did it. So, I asked him during tea break, in-between Accounting class, and he told me that he was going for the Management Consultancy recruitment fair.

Also during tea break, the Accounting lecturer, Mr Barker, came along and sat with a group of us at the table. I appreciate Mr Barker for teaching Accounting with a great dose of humour. Like I wrote earlier, it's rather amazing how I seem to be able to pick up accounting principles rather intuitively. Now, that's really scary.

Mr Barker also gave the people at the table advice on the CVP. It's a project in which MBA teams partner local firms to market their products/inventions etc. By some stroke of exceptionally good luck, my team will be marketing a BEER?!!!! Win oredi... Since the announcement of the project scope, my team has been talking non-stop about beer sampling. =)))

After class, 'Good Fren' and I were on our way to the University Centre when we met Axel in the lobby. He was waiting for James to finish his phonecall before heading to the recruitment fair. While we waited, I took the above pic of Axel with his favourite JBS banner. =)))

MBAs are a hungry lot. We are always looking for food. In-between classes, before/after classes, after talks... Of course, we had to have some lunch before we get down to business. Ended up at the Granta on the ground floor of the Centre. Lovely joint!


Check out the conversation at the table. I think they were waiting for me to hurry up with the pic-taking so that they could start on lunch. Heh Heh Heh...

Because we were talking about forming relationships with people in the MBA course, I highlighted Dunbar's Number. And if this theory is right, then the class size of 150 is really optimal. In a year, we ought to emerge as a tight-knit class with solid opportunity to develop meaningful and rich relationships with one another which will last us for a long long time.

At the fair, one of the recruiters turned out to have the same supervisor as 'Good Fren' back in Oxford. In fact, the recruiter informed 'Good Fren' that supervisor still has in her office the prototype of some gadget used by 'Good Fren' for his final year project more than half a decade ago.

After making our rounds at the fair, we headed back to Judge Business School to get our bikes. We finally found some time to stock up on groceries and stuff. 'Good Fren' couldn't find Gatsby at Boots, so he had to settle for a L'Oreal substitute. I was trying to take a whiff of the Vaseline body lotion when I involuntarily squeezed the bottle and some Vaseline squirted up my nose. =_=

We had to buy quite a bit from Sainsbury coz we didn't think we would be able to shop for the next few days, at least until the Business Stats test is over. Grocery shopping does NOT go well with cycling. I never realised that milk was so heavy until I had to carry it. We miss our car... very much... uber much... But... Erm... Technically, 小白 is now my mother's car coz we traded him for some cash to fund this expensive endeavour. Regardless, we still miss 小白 very much.

Got back to the apartment by 4.30pm, did 2 loads of laundry, sighed at the undone chores, unpacked my mother's box of treasures, made soup using the herbs she had sent me, made dinner, printed some past year test papers for mugging later, and much more...

I suspect there is a bug going around. Quite a few of us have developed sore throats and aching body parts. Then again... It may be the age, it may be the stress... Probably all of the above... =)))

As much as it seems to be fun on my blog... You know... Blinkymummy walking around Cambridge with a digicam and being hyper trigger-happy... MBA is hard work.

Yeah... We pay to work real hard... And this is merely the start... More to come, they tell me... And in a sick way... I actually look forward to it!! WOO HOOOOOOOO!!!

In fact, I am starting to feel that time passes a little too quickly. Assuming we take a full 12 months to complete the course, more than 8% of it has passed!!
AARRRGGHHH!!! S-L-O-W-L-Y PLEASE!!!

'Good Fren' and I were late for class today. VERY LATE! Like 30 minutes late. Because it was raining rather hard when I rushed out of the flat this morning. I hesitate to cycle in the rain because should I fall, I'm sure my shoulder would most definitely pop out.

As I was enjoying my slow bus ride to school, I realised that it's been a month since we got to Cambridge. I must say, it has been a crazy month! Looking back the entries so far makes me shudder. Thinking of what's to come... paralyses me with fear... The velocity of these new experiences is simply mind-boggling.

We had Management Practice class again today. I am beginning to like it very much because of the way it is conducted. A very interactive class where the 3 lecturers take turns stimulating and coaxing reactions out of us.

Today, 'Good Fren' and I ended up in the same game group with Ian and Priya.

I enjoyed working with today's group because no single person was an 'alpha'. Instead, everyone placed their strengths on the table, and allowed the relevant strengths to play when the situation called for it. In other words, no player attempted to dominate the activity.

Everyone crowding around the printer for their printouts.


Ian, Takashi, 'Good Fren' and I had lunch at Downing College. *mental note to self* Food is good. We then went back to Judge Business School for the last bit of the Cambridge Business School Club hastings.

It was a huge turnout! Including members of the staff.

These are the President and Vice-President candidates.

One of them even wrote a manifesto and distributed it before his speech. =)))

I personally think that the election process is unsatisfactory. Instead of individuals signing up and running for each post, I'd prefer for teams to compete against one another. Each potential team to present their vision, values, ideas, implementation plans etc. I want to know that the individuals making up the team have studied one other, and are sure that they can work with one another. This team should not be constituted by chance.

Since there is only 1 guy running for Vice-President, the President ought to be chosen based on who the VP can work well with. =))

After school, we went for yet another recruitment talk. Met this curiously laid-back investment banker (IB), and had a really crazy conversation.

BM: *checks out his name tag* XXX... Your surname... You are not American, are you?
IB: Me? No... I'm XX-XX (European).
BM: Thought so... But the American accent?
IB: Oh... *sheepishly* I studied there a little... And perhaps because I watch too many episodes of Friends.
BM: Friends?! I would think people our age were more like... Beverly Hills 90210!!
IB: YEAH! That's my favourite!! Brenda and Brandon...
BM: Milkshake!!
IB: YEAH! Milkshake! What's the name of that milkshake bar they used to hang out at?
BM: Errrr...
IB: PEACH PIT!!!
BM: HAHAHAHAHA!!!
IB: And you know what? Investment Banking is kind of like Beverly Hills 90210. I think that's a great analogy.
BM: Huh???

Apparently after that, he started telling every earnest investment banker wannabe who spoke to him that investment banking was like BH90210.

Later in the evening, he walked past me and said,"Bye, Brenda!"
How come I'm not Kelly?!!

..............................................................

Enough of school stuff...

I've found in my college mail box 2 wonderful surprises in a row!!

Firstly, yet another book from Angry!!! This makes Number 3 in 1 month! I suspect he thinks we are not going back to Singapore. =))

Seriously... How am I to find time to read all these books?!! I need a time compressor!

And this evening... I found this monster box at the Porter's Lodge!!! You should have seen the grin on my face!! Hee Hee Hee... I kept telling the Porter,"It's from my mother!!"

After looking at the number of stamps plastered all over the box, the kind porter said (i) in jest that my mother must have a sore tongue, and (ii) that 'Good Fren' ought to carry the box. =)))

We managed to lug the monster box back to the flat. In a sick way, I was kind of hoping Blinky and/or Tiger would jump out of it.

Anyway, check out the stash!!!!


My mother sent me so much stuff!!! Mostly from Eu Yan Sang and Prima Deli!!

M-U-S-T S-U-P-P-O-R-T S-I-N-G-A-P-O-R-E-A-N B-R-A-N-D-S!!!

This afternoon, 'Good Fren' and I, together with a bunch of classmates, went to London for a recruitment talk by a major healthcare company.

The train ride was about 45 minutes. Of course I had to spend some time taking pics.


Initially, this guy was armed with his pen and highlighter, and running through pages of figures. After 30 minutes, he fell asleep. Busy executive.


I keep seeing the cage-like cylindrical structure on the left. Gas works, maybe?


We got to London around 5.36pm. It's busy busy busy.


Because there were about 10 of us, we kept having to gather every few hundred metres. =))


It's quite fun! Like a school excursion! Dom, aka the tall Swiss Engineer, was the human flagpole. We just had to spot him in the crowd and to follow him. =))

Getting squashed in the train was... erm... not too fun. =)

Ryan has a map. Dom was trying to read it.

We managed to get to the talk in an intact group. Not bad at all... How many MBAs does it take to get from Kings Cross to Marylebone?

MBAs from quite a few schools were present at the talk. We met an enthusiastic Mexican students from LSE. Apparently, he's studying in London with his newly-wedded wife. He got very excited when we told him about our situation, and invited us to stay over at their flat the next time we were in London. =))

On our way back, the group got smaller because departure times were different. We were so hungry...

It was really cold by the time we got back to Cambridge. We then had to cycle for at least 20 minutes to get back to Churchill College. That feeling... Sibeh Sian... 'Good Fren' had to remind me that in a couple of months, it'll be worse. =_= Thanks hor...
....................................................

2 of my readers have written to me. Words of encouragement and other stuff (including a comment that Jaques, my classmate, is cute). Incidentally, along the same vein, a classmate of mine asked me over the week why I was smiling/laughing all the time.

My answer: Why not?

What's there not to be happy about?
Here I am in Cambridge reading MBA with 'Good Fren'. We have never spent so much time together before. Cycling through an entire labyrinth of history every single day. We meet all sorts of people. Listen to their stories, their dreams... Learning from experts on a variety of topics. Soaking in the cold air of the UK. Wondering whether I should attempt an academic paper for the final project.

In fact, I think everyone ought to be happy as a student. School is where one can ask without feeling stupid. Where one can fail without feeling insecure. It's the best position anyone can ask to be in.

Last Friday marked the end of our third week at Judge Business School.

We had a Corporate Finance and Business Statistics classes. In between those two, Ryan, the Chinese engineer who worked and studied in Singapore, and the two of us visited the Careers Services for some brochures and had a lightning fast lunch at Queens' College.

Learning how to use tools is never an easy task, especially when it's an abstract tool such as statistics and one is given compressed time to do so. At the request of some classmates, 'Good Fren' and a few others will be helping the class by going through the stats syllabus in an adhoc 'tuition' session on Sunday. He has been preparing the slides and using me as a guinea pig. A barometer of sorts?! Indeed, statistics is not an easy subject to teach.

After the Business Statistic lecture, we queued up outside LT1 eagerly for a talk.

Once inside the LT, the excited MBAs could not contain their energies. Panash, the Consultant from London, is posing with his newly printed namecards, while Patrick, the American Jazz Guitarist-turned-Non-Profiteer, manages a rare smile.


'Good Fren' chatted with a lecturer from the Engineering department who had just arrived from Germany a month ago.


On the left wing, some crazy MBAs were pretending to be intense.


A second later, they launched their shooting attack on poor Blinkymummy. I is poor thing!!!


Just minutes later, they were in a serious trance.


Because the multiple-award winning Director, Florian Maria Georg Christian Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck, of 'The Lives of Others' had cast a spell on the LT.

A film about injustice and love, an intelligient director with passion and tenacity, a lead actor whose role and life are curiously intertwined and have ended... Of spies, love and betrayal. Who is the actor? Who is the audience? Who is the story teller? What is fact? What is fiction?

Just as one thought the spell was ending, Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6 and current Master of Pembroke College, gives his comments on the film, the emotions/memories it evoked and much more...

It was a heavy session indeed. Made me very hungry.

After some discussion at the wine reception, the MBAs broke up into a few groups. The Wagamama's, the Anchor, the I-am-going-home...

The weather was really fine. Cool breeze. The streets were filled with Friday night people.

As we walked along the streets, I kept thinking about the talk. About how the death of one is a tragedy, while the death of a million is just a statistic.

Before I knew it, we had stood in the queue at Wagamama's for about 10 minutes. Soon, we broke away as a smaller 'Mana Mexico Burrito' group.


After filling our stomachs, we headed to the Anchor to join a larger group of MBAs.


The energetics young ones went to the Fez after the Anchor. Check out 'Good Fren' expression when Jaques suggested for us to go along. =)))

.........................................................

Tonight, about 1/3 of the class met up in Judge Business School for a stats revision class.


Check out the time! It's 7.02pm on a Sunday evening!! We were in school for a stats class and Panash looked so happy?!! We must be going mad!


'Good Fren' conducted the main bit of the session for more than an hour, before it was split up into smaller groups, each tutored by a volunteer from class.

(Pic stolen from Gbloade's facebook)

I think this is what it really means by 'collaboration'. No need for touchy feely slogans and banners. But real help when in need so that everyone progresses together.

Stats is such a dry subject that when 'Good Fren' cracked jokes, no one was in the mood to catch it. I was the only one who laughed. Then again, I laugh at almost anything. HAHA...

I'm off to do some reading for tomorrow's Org Behaviour class. I have high expectations of it. Very excited!! =))

I spent the first half of Saturday sorting out admin/school stuff and chatting with some friends back home over the internet.

The thing about reading the MBA in Cambridge is that one is stimulated by more than what goes on in (i) the business school. (ii) The college has its own thing going on all the time. The schedule is just as, if not more, packed. (iii) Another layer of activities is that of centralised instituitions within the university. Career talks, exhibitions, workshops etc. To complicate the choices even further, (iv) the city of Cambridge has a schedule going on as well. It's like every entity is calling out to me. It's such a happy problem, isn't it?! o.O

In the evening, we had a Korean dinner at Hyunsik's which is on the same floor and about 10 doors away. The humble Korean researcher (formerly with Samsung), with a PhD from Michigan in some kind of Engineering which I cannot begin to understand, had kindly 'booked' us a week ago.

He said we didn't have to do anything for the dinner, but we felt the need to contribute in some sense. Yet at the same time, because I didn't know what would complement the Korean dinner, I didn't want to make something over the top. In the end, I made something simple. Stirred fried beef with celery. =)))


When we turned up at their apartment at 6.30pm, our stomachs just took on lives of their own.

Not only was it a feast for the stomach, it was also a feast for the eyes. Gosh... Words fail me...

At the interview in June this year, I remember Hyunsik telling me in the common room that he was going to getting married. Then TA-DAH!! By the time we met him again in September, he's married!

Here you see the newly-wedded couple, Hyunsik and Hyojin (a former English teacher). Because her surname is Lee, our initials are the same, i.e. H. Lee. Hence, her mail keeps getting into my pigeon hole at the Porter's Lodge. Yet another excuse for interaction!

Check out the spread on the table?!!! 'Good Fren' and I were so satisfied...

Junghoon, Korean Banker, joined us after getting lost in Churchill College for a while. =)) When he got to the table, the three of them started to speak in Korean. It was really surreal. Like watching a live Korean drama. I kept checking the bottom of the 'screen', around where the table was, for subtitles. =))

I noticed something about Hyunsik and Hyojin. When it was time to go, Hyunsik stood up to show Junghoon the way out. Instantly, Hyojin reached for her husband's coat in the wardrobe and was holding it such that Hyunsik could easily slip into it. If I did attempt to do something like that for 'Good Fren', I wonder what his reaction would be. He'll probably faint.

During dinner, Hyojin called Hyunsik "Elder Brother" in Korean. Because I was curious, they explained the systematic hierarchy of address in Korean society. It is so deeply ingrained that Hyunsik still cannot bring himself to address his American Professor by his first name, David.

They then asked how 'Good Fren' and I addressed each other. Somehow, though I have been blogging about this, it was kind of embarrassing to say it aloud in that context,"Erm... We call each other 'Baby'..." HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! EEEEEeeeee!!! *blush*

To make things worse, 'Good Fren' went on to announce that I would call him 'Papa' and he would call me 'Mama', even though we have no children!! WTF?!! *fainted*

Ok, enough of trivia... =_=

Because this lovely couple has just started their new chapter of life together, this little apartment in Churchill College is their first home. And most importantly, that meal was the first time they had ever invited guests over. Hyunsik kept saying,"Because this is our first time, we will remember you guys forever!"

I was very touched. Partnerships are usually challenging at the start. It takes much more effort to put something together. It is such an honour to be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour!

Mr Putin has a Tiger for his birthday.


I miss my Tiger.

But I suspect my Tiger doesn't love me anymore. Check out how loving he is towards his current caretaker. =_=

RRROOOOAAAARRRRR!!!!

I didn't take any pictures today. In fact, today feels like the first pseudo rest day after 3 weeks because we didn't have any classes in the morning. I woke up past 9am, took my time to warm up, and made an early lunch at a leisurely pace. I even had time to finish the Accounting homework after lunch.

We had a Careers Strategy Workshop in the afternoon. I think it's a useful exercise for people who are not familiar with having organised thoughts. While the tools provided sound rather tedious to use, I believe the grind will produce surprising and useful results. Through the 'forced' partnership for the session, I got to know Alim from Kazakhstan.

After that session, my Study Group (SG29) met up to go through the Accounting homework. Somehow, a couple of us arrived at similar answers via different methods. =)) I thought it was a fruitful session in terms of getting everyone in the group up to speed for Accounting and for the group to work together on something less urgent for a start.

In the evening, we had Mr Robert Diamond, President of Barclays PLC, take some time off his busy schedule to give us a talk on the financial market and Barclays. I can't blog about the content, but I must say that it was an insightful session and he certainly got me thinking about working for him.
...........................................

Now, I want to talk about something non-MBA-related which has piqued my interest greatly in the past couple of weeks. Last week, we met a Norwegian couple. The husband is ethnically Norwegian while the wife is ethnically Korean and adopted/brought up as a Norwegian. This week, we met a Danish couple. Once again, the female partner is ethnically Korean and adopted/brought up as Danish. Now that really got me thinking... This cannot be a coincidence.

So, I turned to the great internet for answers. And Wikipedia has all the answers (even which soccer team Mr Diamond supports =))).

In the mid-1950s, i.e. after the Korean War, there was a phenomenon of international adoption of South Korean orphans. This subsequently transformed into adoption of South Korean children due to other reasons. This group of people are called Korean Adoptees (KADs).

What's interesting is that, in the 1980s, about 1% of live births in South Korea was leaving the country for adoption. Most of them ended up in America and Europe (which explains our encounters in these 2 weeks). Read more about KADs and this phenomenon on Wikipedia.

Bursting at the seams with curiosity, I stopped a couple of our South Korean classmates in their tracks today and briefly spoke about the KAD phenomenon. It seems adoption (regardless of adoptee ethnicity) is not widely accepted in South Korean, though it is increasing. And on the topic of whether it is 'shameful' for South Korea to be sending its children elsewhere, I am of the view that at the policy-level, it is a laudable, unselfish and pragmatic move. The alternatives could have been sub-optimal levels of resources for everyone. Or worse still, infanticide.

Regardless, I will speak with my South Korean classmates more on this topic, because my nosy (sociological) mind wants to very badly.

The MBA spinoffs have already materialised, haven't them?!

The day started with 'Good Fren' waking up and saying,"Why do I feel like I am living a blog entry?" =)))

As usual, I left for school earlier. Finally got my locker key. YAY!!! I have a locker!! Now... what shall I fill it up with?

We had our first Management Practice lecture today. We were told that we had to keep individual diaries of our upcoming project. I am wondering whether this blog counts. Also, we were asked whether human beings made decisions based on self interest or altruism. I think neither. I personally believe that human beings make decisions based on recognisable patterns, i.e. what they have seen others/themselves doing before.

Apart from that, we had to play a team game.
Check out how serious the teams were. We were meant to be video-ed and have our performance evaluated.


Just serious serious work going on...


It's like in the working world, isn't it?


Then check out what my team was doing...
We were taking breaks in-between tasks and pictures of one another. =)))

Nah... My team was uber serious when it was time for work. =))

So far, Management Practice seems to be about self awareness and personal mastery. Perhaps it will shed some light on how to motivate unmotivated workers, especially when firing is not an option.

During the short lunch break, we rushed over to the University Societies Fair, hoping to see some wizards at the Harry Potter Society booth.


This is the main section. It was just bursting with energy. I felt 10 13 years younger.


'Good Fren' likes to ski, so he signed up for this. I can't ski and will not try because I am very sure my shoulder will pop out.


There is a singles club!!


The Careers Services people were there too! This concept is really quite alien to me because NUS didn't pay much attention to students' career opportunities/options when I was there twice. The university only provided the education.


I have no idea what these people were about, but they were fun.


The sports section of the fair. Someone tried to convince me to pick up Tai Chi. I was like... huh??

I really wanted to take pictures of the cheerleaders, but couldn't get a good shot. The water polo guys were not in their trunks... Orrrrhhh.... too bad...

In another room were the nationality-based societies.
Of course, we had to find and sign up for CUMSA, i.e. Cambridge University Malaysia and Singapore Association.

This David, the President of CUMSA. A young but serious chap. He has to be serious. He is a SAFOS (Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholar). He has the weight of the country on his shoulders.

Somehow, we walked past the Anglo-Japanese Society. The booth was (wo)manned by these 2 cute chicks!! If I were a guy, I'd so sign up lor!! KAWAII NEH!!!


The fair somehow extended to Parker's Piece.

This reminds me of that point in time, i.e. a couple of years.

A glider on display...


And what is this?!

Solar cells all over it.

The girl in blue told us that the students made this piece.


Sometimes, I forget I am in Cambridge. They make such stuff.


I love the school uniforms on these girls. Probably because I grew up reading Enid Blyton's "The Naughtiest Girl".


It's so cute to see the boys and girls sitting in different circles. It's that age where 'boys are smelly, and girls are silly'.


Perhaps a few decades later, 'Good Fren' and I will be in this bench, looking out at Parker's Piece, and saying to each other,"Remember that time we were here doing our MBA? I am still wondering what the Harry Potter Society was about?"


While I was trying to be all romantic and poetic in the warm sunlight, someone called out very loudly from the pavement outlining Parker's Piece,"BLINKYMUMMY!!!"

It's our classmate, Ken, the Japanese journalist. I am so lucky to get a shot of him coz he was trying to cover his face. He has been reading my blog coz he asked me this morning about the University Societies Fair.

'Good Fren' and I somehow assumed some kind of 'informative' role lately. Apart from selling Singapore verbally, 'Good Fren' started a wiki page on the Judge MBA called Working in Singapore. I think that public servant hat doesn't come off very easily. =))

Back to our day... After visiting the University Societies Fair, we then attempted to walk quickly back to Judge Business School for the second part of Management Practice for the day. We hadn't had lunch, so we bought some sandwiches and chewed on them during the lectures.

And then... We were to discuss a piece called "Sex and the MBA". Basically, it explores gender bias/issues in the MBA/work place, why there are fewer female leaders/MBA candidates etc.

Because I didn't read the piece before the class, I didn't have much to say about it. But I must say that I was pretty surprised at some of the responses to that piece, e.g. it's too much of a generalisation... it's a frustrating read etc. And there was certainly some (gender) tension in the air during the discussion.

Someone commented after class that he was surprised that I didn't say anything. Personally, I think gender discrimination is no different from office bullying. It's just another excuse to put someone down, regardless of abilities/merits, but based on something irrelevant. And I hesitate to make gender-based arguments because it inevitably exacerbates the gender divide. Gender equality is a sexy (pardon the pun) concept, but cannot be implemented literally. I have written so much about gender that I shan't repeat myself.

What I find most interesting about gender discrimination though is the fact that females practise gender discrimination on themselves. I have met females who refuse to accept other females as leaders because they believe that male leaders are more 'correct' and so better. How cool is that?!

After all that tension, we went to buy the Management Practice book at Heffers with one of the couples, i.e. Wontak (Korean) and Louise (Swedish). There were a couple of books we wanted to buy, but we kept converting book prices into wine/dining prices. After that, buying the books simply didn't seem that attractive anymore. =P

And because Louise said something about Fitzbillies Chelsea bun on our way to Heffers, we bought one on our back to Judge. =)))

It's basically similar to cinnamon rolls back in Singapore. I prefer the Almond Macaron I bought. Yummy...

So, what were we doing back at Judge when the day was officially over?


Was to watch Axel perform some Linux magic on his laptop?

Maybe not...

It was the 2nd Consulting SIG meeting where some classmates, who are in the industry, shared their experiences.

Made me realise that some pieces of work I did previously can be categorised under 'Consultancy'. Have to check with some of them on the lingo.

It was 8pm when we clapped at the end of the meeting. A bunch of us, i.e. Erik (American), Jed (American), Delia (Romanian), Marianna (Italian) and the two of us (Singaporeans), went to DOJO (again) for a late dinner. Somehow, we ended up talking about gender/gay issues. Spillover effects from Management Practice, I guess.

Anyway... We found a small parcel for me at the Porter's Lodge tonight. I love mail!!!

Someone sent me this book anonymously. I am thinking it has to be my old friend who has migrated to San Francisco because of the Ethan Hawke bit.

I have not seen the film, so it's gonna be fun reading the book. If and when I do have some time to do so.

By the end of the MBA, I will have really firm thighs coz I cycled like a crazy horse for 20 minutes every morning from Churchill College to Judge Business School.

(Which reminds me... I haven't had time to do up a photoshoot of my darling one-of-its-kind bicycle which I have yet to name... I'll get to that... soon...)

So, this is what happens in the morning. Usually, I'll wake up to hit the snooze button, then jump out of bed in panic about 15 minutes later, while 'Good Fren' is still soundly asleep. I'll make a mug of coffee for him, a mug of tea for me, and 2 bowls of cereal for us. While I ingest, I'll check my emails and the headlines/weather. By this time, 'Good Fren' will be up. I'll shower first, and get out of the flat before he is ready. Plug in my headphones and be on my way without him. This is because my cycling pace is much slower than his. He usually catches up soon after.

So, this morning, I was peddling amidst Cambridge traffic with Marilyn Manson punching away at my ear drums. THIS IS THE NEW SHIT to be exact.


Incidentally, we had our first Marketing lecture this afternoon. The lecturer is quite a character. Here you see him getting some help from a fellow MBA student with the technology in the LT.

Dr Yin reminds me of Shaoye. Similar brand of humour, looks and confidence.

He said something which got me thinking. He said that when customers buy a product, they are buying 'benefits'. Well... Somehow I couldn't resist the idea of purchasing a (social) construct. (Marilyn Manson prefers to summarise this rather bluntly in his brilliant song, THIS IS THE NEW SHIT, which played in my head at random this morning! *gasp* It must be an omen!!)

Are all 'benefits' perceived? Is there a distinction between 'perceived benefits' and 'real benefits'? Because in case of 'impulse buying', the 'benefits' are not derived from the product per se, but from the act of buying. I think it's a huge assumption to make, i.e. we consume because we rationally require goods & services.

We also had our first Corporate Finance lecture today. I like it that Dr Dissanaike is strict. Discipline is invisible and easily overlooked, especially when the going gets tough.

After the official day, we got together for a Real Estate SIG meeting. The group has grown! So many experts in the field have come on board that I feel like a fraud. =)))

I must try to go to the University Societies Fair tomorrow. Apparently, there is a Harry Potter Society?!! I wonder what they do when they meet up? Exchange wands and spells?!

Rupert, the British Entrepreneur, was telling me that there is gonna be a burlesque performance in Cambridge very soon. Juxtapose burlesque against the Cambridge academic landscape!! That's somewhat related to and even better than Marilyn Manson and Marketing. WOO HOO!!! I can't wait!! SURREAL!!!

So, the day started with an uber long Business Statistics lecture, i.e. from 9am to almost 1pm.


Here you see some Stats enthusiasts drowning Dr Jiang with questions during the break. They are definitely a few standard deviations from the mean.


For the first time, 'Good Fren' and I were 'separated' during lectures by OPM, the Nigerian Engineer Consultant, and Atrai, the Indian IT specialist.


5 of us had lunch at St Catharine's College.

Lovely dining hall. Will be going back.

The afternoon was spent on Accounting. And I am surprised that I get it rather intuitively. This MBA thing is really helping me discover 'the other side' of me, whatever that means...

The highlight of the day was really my Study Group gathering at DOJO, which was my suggestion.

There are 5 of us in Study Group 29 (SG29).

1. Atul, the Indian Engineer
2. Rupert, the British Entrepreneur
3. Jaques, the South African Risk Analyst
4. Mao, the Chinese Reporter
5. Blinkymummy, the Singaporean Jackress of all trades, i.e. Public Servant/Bank Employee/Blogger
   

Here you see Rupert fiddling with the Asahi 2000. It's such a classic shot that I had to make it black & white.


Which poison do you prefer?
Asahi or Business Statistics?


This is Jaques. Apparently, he has become quite a heart throb in Cambridge! Stranger girls would wave at him from moving cars while he walks to Judge Business School?!

Someone commented that Jaques resembled Orlando Bloom. I think he looks like the soccer player... something Owens?

Rupert attempted to draw India on a napkin, and Atul had to spend some good time correcting Rupert's impression of the shape of India.


Having an intense conversation about... CCTV where Mao used to work at.


Great foods of DOJO!!



So, we ended the night on a sweet note.

The start of a beautiful partnership. Can't wait to find out about our Cambridge Venture Project (CVP).

I kept the Asahi canister, and hope to collect more from SG29. And perhaps, we will bring 'em all to our CVP Presentation as a symbol of solidarity. =)))

Last evening, after our first Business Statistics class, we rushed to Sainsbury to buy stuff for our lunch cookout for today. We had to rush because we had to attend a Pizza Night at Churchill College at 7pm, and Churchill College is like a 20-minute (Blinkymummy's speed) ride from Judge Business School.

We managed to huff and puff our way to the MCR just after 7pm. The MCR was already filled with post-graduate Churchillians.


There were so many people from different countries and backgrounds. It's like the MBA all over again! Sans the nametags!! =))


The MCR bar carries beer starting from GBP1 per bottle.
Heh Heh Heh...


We met some familiar faces at the MCR, i.e. our MBA classmates. Dom, the Swiss Engineer, and Hyunsik, the Korean Researcher who used to work for Samsung. They brought their wives to the event. It's lovely to get to know their other halves. Provides a more rounded understanding of the classmates. =)))

After some time, the pizzas finally arrived.


Here you see the Mexican Astronomy PhD student helping with the pizza. I cannot spell his name.

We also met a PhD student from Sichuan (China) specialising in Regional Economics. He was very glad to speak to 'Good Fren' and me in Mandarin.

Somehow, I spent a large chunk of the night chatting with Dom's Wife, Dania(?) about fertility, life choices etc. I like her. She's very aware of her emotions and the dynamics of her relationships with people. Makes her an extremely attractive human being. And the way Dom places his hand on her knee so tenderly makes me smile. =)))
....................................................................

We slept in a little this morning. By 9am, I was up and preparing for the lunch cookout.

We had invited David (Hong Konger Architect), Ryan (Chinese Engineer who studied and worked in Singapore) and Erik (American-Chinese Consultant) over for lunch. I intended to make 3 dishes, i.e. Singapore Curry Chicken, Cabbage with Dried Scallops and Fuyong Egg.

I'm so proud of the preparation. It looks like a cook show. =)))

Erik turned up earlier, after getting lost in Churchill, as he was contributing a dish. I think he was washing the zucchinis in this pic.

I have a video of him cooking and defining American food (whatever that is), which I will upload later. =)))

Here's Erik's contribution. It's pretty good! He says it's American-Chinese. Hee Hee Hee...

Erik was so serious about cooking that he brought his own wok and knife!!
Check out the curry!! It's R-E-D!!! And they loved it! =))

Prima Deli will do well in all markets!!

A pic before we attack the food!!

Because we don't have any of those heat-resistant thingies for the boiling pots to rest on, we improvised. The 2 pots in the pic are resting a kitchen towel which is in turn insulated by an ARGOS book and a brochure to avoid damaging the table. Initially, I was tempted to use the Economics book coz it's thick and we're done with Economics. But I figured that it would be disrespectful. o.O

Anyway, I like cooking for people. I hope we can find more time to do so later on in the course, coz things have really started to pick up.
................................................

In the evening, there was yet another gathering for post-grad students who are staying at Wolfson Flats, Churchill College. I met a German MPhil student, an American PhD student in Social Politics, and 5 (adult) +1 (kid) Singaporeans. =)))

Encourage the German guy to explore work opportunities in Singapore by sending him an email which 'Good Fren' had earlier sent out to our MBA classmates on a recruitment event to be hosted by Contact Singapore.

I'm so tired now... It has been a windy day... Though it's only supposed to be 12 deg Cel, but I have been all wrapped up in my Lafuma and stuff. I wanna hide under the duvet and sleep, but I have too much reading to do. This is the start of a long cold 'winter'. HO HO HO!!!

The second week of orientation is almost over. I can't believe it. We have been walking around in this multi-coloured building so much.

I'm not too sure why many people have not responded to this building favourably, because I happen to like it very much. Not so much from an efficient use of space perspective as our Economics lecturer and MBA Director, Jochen Runde, has highlighted.

I like the building because it is quaint. It has weird colours. It is not a few hundred years old like all the other buildings in its vicinity.

And it has a rather complex web of staircases in its atrium which, together with the colours, adds to its complexity. It is a building with buzz, even when there are no human activities in it.
................................................

So, today is the first day that 'Good Fren' and I are experiencing a lunch break apart. *GASP* =))) His study group took him away from me. I was talking to a journalist for the Times on the phone yesterday (he will be doing up a piece on MBA couples next week), when he asked if this couple MBA thing would result in suffocation of the partners. Given how group work will ensure 'breathers' for couples, I'm sure we will be fine.

So, I had my first lunch on my way. Walked a little to Market Square.


And had some soup and bread.

Then... a busker started playing 月亮代表我的心?!
I sat there and started to wonder what it would have been like if 'Good Fren' didn't come with me to Cambridge, and whether I was really an extrovert because I can be very well be alone.

Coming back to Economics lectures. We had our last Economics lecture this morning. Amazing, isn't it? The Michaelmas term hasn't even started and we have completed one of the courses already.

As highlighted earlier, I enjoy the Economics lectures very much. I kept having deja vues during the lectures. Terms like price takers, perfect competition, marginal utility, C+I+G+X-M, comparative advantage etc. They make me feel young again as the first time I had learnt about them was when I was 17. That's the internal bit.

Externally, because I laughed so much, was late for one lecture and kept sitting the front row, Dr Runde remembers me rather well and has declared me a 'class barometer' of some sorts. I'm not sure how that works. Apparently, when he or someone else cracks a joke, my reaction was supposed to mean something. And that's not the weirdest bit.

The weirdest part was that Dr Runde announced that he had somehow read my blog... AND he called 'Good Fren' 'Good Fren' in class?!! I was like... WTF?!!!?! This is even weirder than one of 'Good Fren's directors at work calling him 'Good Fren'?!!

Seriously, Dr Runde has written quite a few books. He does Economics and Philosophy. I haven't met anyone who does that combination really. I told him that he would be on my blog, and he went, 'No!' =)))

Regardless, here you see Dom and Simon in a discussion with Dr Runde after one of the lectures.


Dr Runde hasn't had much luck with the gadgets in the lecture theatre.

I must say the Economics lecture went past in a flash. From what I know about it in my limited way, there is so much more in Economics. Wouldn't it be great to be able to immerse oneself in Economic Sociology?!

Going back in time a little. My new (restored) bike decided to give up on our way to school yesterday. The chain came off thrice!!! So we went back to Camcycles along Mill Road to get it fixed.

While that was going on, 'Good Fren' and I had lunch at Cafe de Paris. A charming little joint.


How Cambridge is this? We went in the cafe and found this guy reading some the European Journal of Cell Biology by the window.


In about 40 minutes, my bike was good as new with the tension in the chain restored. We then made our way to Judge Business School for the Non-Profit Special Interest Group (SIG). I've been to 2 SIG meetings earlier, and this one felt most like an Alcoholic Anonymous session. I think it's the circle of chairs.

This group consists of some pretty intense and specialised people from the Non-Profit Sector. I cannot wait to learn from them. I like the fact that these people realise the importance of non-profits having to speak the for-profit language. There is always value in learning about and from the other. The practical value can only be realised when one reaches a certain level of understanding and is able to extract from knowing.

I am very keen on learning about Corporate Social Responsibility. I hope the principle and its practice are coherent. I hope it's not another isomorphic trend which entities engage in. I shall see.

AT Kearney gave a talk on the Global Prize on Thu night. After that, there was so much buzz in the multi-coloured building. People forming their competition groups. I was too cold and hungry to form anything... We ended up following the Chinese students for some nourishment.

Somehow, the group started to grow in size and diversity.

8 Chinese, 2 Singaporeans, 1 Korean and 1 British.

And it was Rachel's birthday.

We were really noisy in the restuarant! =))

Wednesday started with the Case Study Boot Camp, where we were introduced to the meat of the consultancy interviews, i.e. the Case Studies.

Amidst the session, we were told to indicate our level of comfort with solving quantitative problems on sheets of yellow paper.

And in a moment, the lecture theatre was filled with laughter and yellow paper planes cutting through the cool air.

Here you see the Careers people collating the paper planes. I guess it's a fun exercise to gauge the class' response.


Next up was the Math Boot Camp. Niyazi, a sheepish PhD student with a pony tail, conducts it. As usual, we were in the front row. I was watching him handle the pressure and wondering what I would have had to do if I had gone to UCLA. Ingenuous youth.

A bunch of us went over to Pembroke College for lunch. David and I concluded that the tuna was a little dry. Oh well...

Because Priya (Indian who used to work in UBS-London) and I wanted to get a bicycle, we paid a visit to Station Cycles near the train station and the Bed & Breakfast where we had stayed at when we were last in Cambridge for the interview in Jun 08. It's difficult to find decent ladies' bikes.

Found nothing at Station Cycles, but chanced upon an absolute beauty parked outside Camcycles along Mill Road.

Because I adore my restored bicycle so much, I will devote a special entry to it (later). I even bought some tinsel to dress it up for the upcoming festivities (Halloween, Christmas...) and the general state of celebrations I'm in everyday. Come to think of it, I should give my bicycle a name.

Just as I was happily cycling the bicycle towards the Grafton, with 'Good Fren' catching up on foot, for some hangers, the chain came off rudely. =_=

KNN... We had to push it back to Camcycles... Then make our way back to the Grafton again...

At the Grafton, we found a great shop for knick knacks. It's called Poundland. Basically, everything in the shop goes for GBP1. We found some hangers, some other small household items, and the all-so-important tinsel to dress up my bicycle with, before making our way back to Judge Business School for a talk. By then, my left shoulder was hurting like hell... Been walking around too much with a heavy load on the shoulders.

The talk was by Walter Gubert, Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase. I can't blog about the talk because its contents are confidential. Some classmates asked a couple of pretty cheeky questions.

After the talk, I rode my bicycle back to Churchill College, while 'Good Fren' took a bus. Once I got back, I started making dinner. Stir-fried chicken thighs with celery in white wine, light soya sauce and black pepper. Complement that with some steamed rice, and we have a simple and enjoyable dinner. 'Good Fren' was totally knocked out by 10.30pm.

I am beginning to wonder if it's realistic to plan for 'study time', as time simply eludes us here in Cambridge! I blame the Chronophage. That beast!

It's been 2 weeks since we got here.

I was having my morning tea and cereal when I nearly choked at the news of JBJ's passing. I didn't know what to make of it. I did a quick count of who's left... And hoped very hard that these voids would not be filled by zealots and nothing more.

We had our nth Economics Lecture today. The lecturer commented that I was always smiling, and that I was officially his class barometer. =)) So weird. I think it's the sitting-in-front thing, which I had cultivated in my Soci class.

After Economics, we had a relatively long break. 'Good Fren' and I walked around a little, looking for cheese and soup. Eventually, we ended up in a small cafe.


We had sandwiches, apple pie, tea and coffee. It's very satisfying, especially when you are under shelter and it's drizzling outside.

After that, we went to Sainsbury's and bought some stuff before taking a 20-minute walk back to Churchill College.

Back in college, we checked our email and I made green bean soup. Before we know it, we had to make our way back to Judge Business School for a Math Boot Camp. Once again, we sat right in front. I like it.

After the Math Boot Camp, we spent quite some time trying to locate 'Good Fren's locker in vain. In the end, he carried the huge brickload of second hand books to DoubleTree/Hilton for the reception.

Here you can see... Many many people at the reception. Eating, drinking and chatting...

I met quite a few new people at the reception, including an aspiring French chef from our MBA class, and a Singaporean in the Judge Business School Masters in Finance class.

Drank a little, ate a little, chatted a lot... And before you know it... The event was over.

Some chucks of people went to a certain college to catch a film which sounds very much like my earlier story. Some of them retired. And some of us... adjorned to the Anchor for Round 2. =)))


Here you see a bunch of Asian guys from the Judge MBA class. From the right: Benjamin (Singaporean), 'Good Fren' (Singaporean), Won Tak (American-Korean), and Erik (American-Chinese).

You see the glass Erik is holding?
It tastes really weird. I wouldn't wanna name what it tastes like. And that disturbed Erik quite a bit. Heh heh heh...

Here you see Erik still holding onto the same glass... It's going down very slowly...

And that's our classmate from Russia, Denis. He would like to work in Singapore.

As the interest in Singapore accumulates, 'Good Fren' and I are thinking of putting together a 'Singapore Session'. Kind of like an introduction to Singapore and its contents. We will attempt to contact our public service counterparts for this event. Sponsorship for some Tiger beer will be most helpful. Perhaps... even Prima Deli?!! JEREMY?!! Are you reading this?!! =))