I've received a complaint from a reader that my tweeter posts are longer than my blog posts. =)))

Oh come on... I'm merely trying to get used to all media. Greedy Greedy!

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I wanted to do up an entry on the nature and dynamics of complaints, but decided that the resources (time, energy, emotions etc) to be expended on this issue ought to be for now spent on my many essays which I have to complete before I head back to Singapore in 2 weeks. So that entry has to wait.

Concurrently, an online conversation with a long lost friend reminded me of a concept I had for a story. I was meant to develop it and weirdly... have been doing it... probably at some kind of unconcious level when I am sleeping for the past few days, because I wake up realising that another piece have been added to the story. That too I have to leave till the essays are over.


After so many episodes of exams/academic crunchtimes, I realise that I tend to get more creative during these times. Creative, not in terms of the subjects I am being examined for, but for something else totally unrelated. Usually, a few ideas would be developing in parallel.

While it will be great to be able to harvest these ideas in a more productive manner, such harvesting also inconveniences me at a time like this. Because real life demands institutionalised results from me. It's a game and I have to spend resources to understand the rules and hold up the answer which derives the maximum 'value' from the party.
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TRINITY FORMAL

Last week, a huge group from the class went to Trinity College for a formal. Supposedly the most aristocractic college in Cambridge because of royalty alumni.

Here you see the large group gathering outside the college grounds.


Making our way in...


The term 'networking' is often used in the MBA programme. There are other terms/concept which are used interchangedly, such as 'socialising' or the 30-sec elevator pitch etc.

But what does 'networking' actually mean?

Do the concepts of 'making friends' and 'networking' overlap?

I enjoy observing my classmates trying to interpret this 'must-do' concept of networking as if it was part of the core curriculum. Extroverts and Introverts alike... Some are obviously obsessed about the activity and the activity only.

I wonder how I should determine whether any networking attempt has been 'successful'. What are the measurements for successful networking?


Trying to get our act together to take a group pic.

While we were shuffling about, a classmate started to revive the previously online discussion about Harvard Business School's MBA Oath, and that we should start something similar. You know... like how doctors are to take the Hippocratic Oath.

(Ahhhh... I can see Angry Doc stirring in his seat in Singapore... dying to reply to this entry! =))

Regardless of how the nature of work for the two professions are different in terms to everyday definitions of 'being moral', my immediate thoughts were more focused on the practicality of an idea like that.

Doctors are licensed, MBAs are not.
Hence, the oath is not gonna work in any real and sustainable manner.

But I reserved my thoughts for my blog. I dislike sharing my thoughts in an environment/situation where the entirety of the former cannot be conveyed.

Anyway, back to Trinity College... This is the dining hall.


And the urban legend of old colleges and crappy food was proven right that evening.


Check out my 'sirloin steak', if that's what it really is...

In total, it's probably 6cm in width and 18cm in length and 1cm in thickness. Once you cut away the strip of fat (on the left), there is not much steak left.
And gosh... IT WAS TOUGH!

But we still tried our best to enjoy the experience because food is not the main play of a formal.


Afterwards, we went to the bar, had more drinks, 'networked', and played foosball.

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BRUNCH & BREAKING BORA'S BABY FUND

Bora brought his Baby Fund Savings Bank to our flat and got Axel to break it during brunch on Sunday. We have a video of the hilarious process, and I hope I will upload it soon.

The result: GBP317.

Quite a few classmates had or are having a baby during the MBA. Sometimes I forget that I am amongst some very ambitious people who understand the concept of limited mortal time. Always trying to get more out of the same resources.

Bora asked for some white envelopes. It has been a long time since I last saw anyone put money in an envelope. It's kind of nostalgic and reminds me of my childhood days.


Meanwhile, we also tried to finish up our Corporate Governance group work.

The line between social and work behaviour cuts very deeply for most people. Just imagine a 2x2 matrix. Someone whom you find to be extremely satisfying to hang out with at the pub may not be the best person to work with. Someone whom you think is so boring to hang out with may be one of the best team players in the world. And then you have people who are good/suck at both.

For the Corporate Governance group work, I deliberately asked the Nutella Gang because we have spent so much time hanging out together happily, that I thought we ought to take our relationship to another level. =)

SERVICE AT KING's COLLEGE CHAPEL

After our intensive and last brunch together as a full Nutella Gang, some of us headed to King's College Chapel for Sunday service. One of my to-dos before I leave Cambridge.

The service reminded me of St. Nicks. The many hours we spent together as a school praying and singing together. Though I am not religious, I enjoyed the process and can understand why some people do it regularly.


The King's choir boys, young and not-so-young, were so good. I can understand why some people like them so much... There was one who looked a little goth with at least one eye-brow piercing.

I asked Wontak if it's like a 'cool-sexy' thing to be a choir boy. Conceptually, it can be rather attractive, i.e. I'm so bad and anti-estab, but I have a vulnerable side which I do not share with humans. I only sucuumb to GOD. I do this by singing for HIM.

Not bad eh? I think I allowed my imagination to run a little too much during the service.