:: version 3 done !! ::

finally, after like, 60+ hours of awakeness (in fact, another 5 hours and it's three days, wohooo~ prof really wasn't joking when he said we'd have little slp, i wonder when's the last time i slept and wake up when i want), I've finally done up the version 3 of basic interface, loads of hard work, numb hand and finers but after it's done, I've this sense of achievement, that in the end it's really all worth it >w< though im like, psedo awake now ... okay, better hurry go slp,, tomolo's a long day of lessons. One thing that's VERY important for team project :: COMMUNICATION :: communication break down and you'd have loads of problems :) constant communication of ideas's the way to go to a as smooth as it can get group project XD

aniwae, im like.. floating now, better go replenish my sleep. I feel like it's the end of the semester(of 3216 only) already where it's barely the third week where tutorials just start. But the pace's set, let's keep moving forward!! ONWARDS to bed first...haha, urg, friday got ihg, im like aching everywhere from training.. was it yesterday or day before..shrugs, my sense of time is a little skewed... omg, i jsut realised i have a lot of things to do >.< ihg, photog, seminar.. OMGGGGGG lol, ignore me, not thinking straight..slp slp slp!!!

:: Take 2 :: push and march forward ::

Simple is the way : that's the first thing I learnt while designing user interface... my first version was rather messy and not as unified. That was scraped and version 2 was up with the firm mindset of keeping it simple and easy on the eyes. That was version 2, I focused more on the various "pop up" windows layout. The buttons came out as a disaster since I don't really have much time to spend on it...looks like the UI wasn't quite well received and I feel a little like I've let down my teammates but never mind, i shall march forward and read up on more books and see if i can improve and make it better. A little setback but nevermind, I shan't be dishearted for long, there isn't time for it anyway...keep moving on!!

Sometimes I always wonder if I am ever good enough, a stupid self confidence issue of mine but I will keep telling myself that I'd be okay, there's a reason why I am here and I'd just give my best and things will eventually work out >.<

Anyway, give my all and learn what I can is the route i'd take, but of course, think and learn smart, now on to study more about GUI...

In the world of hell and heaven, each person have a very very long spoon. In hell, everyone starves because they can't feed themselves but in heaven, everyone is always full since they feed each other.

:: Finally UP :: TeamWork :: Friends

OMG, my group's app: Codename Gentoo's finally up, though it's a hardly functionable game but it's finally up:) After the scraping of the first design, we've finally decided on the current one. After sleepness nights (literally) and many hard work, the design's finally up on my part and the code up on my friend's part. We've worked rentlessly. I realised that I've hardly had dinner back in my hall, in fact, I can't recall when was the last time I did or spent much time with them, I was always in school working but I have to really thank my hall mates!! they were very understanding and helpful, always helping me da bao dinner so i can eat when i went back and though i hardly did go back for dinner, they still informed me on when they're having it or their activities >.< I'm really touched, that though I've not really spent much time with them, they were still there helping me, informing me of their activities and for that, I'm happy that I've made such wonderful friends >.<

Back to working. I think when my team was formd, our roles were rather defined, Im the designer, Laurence's like the team manager and overall lead like that, coming up with game ideas and what not with our God (that me and laurence pray to for things to materialized) programmers, Patrick and Eldwin.

During the lesson on Monday, where we learn how to break down our projects to smaller modules and how to assign the different workload to people who do them best and also how to coordinate and make the things work. While the case study were large, rather "long-term" projects, much longer then us anyway, it might not really apply well if we do it case by case. This is especially so since we aren't working on this full time and it's rather hard to coordinate and really put down all the details of what we do, when do we have to complete it and how it is interdependent with things other's do. However, the key idea was there. I guess everyone knows in their heart how to work in a group and things just naturally progressed from there. Breaking down the assignment, assigning jobs to people who are good in them, communicate on what each other require from the other as well as setting deadlines and updating each other. It is afterall, a groupwork, we have to work together. While we know this and how to work in a group, the model presented to us on Monday was rather interesting and gave me a new insight on how things work with huge groups. Things were more organised, dynamic and there were a lot more planning within it. Dispatching work and working in a close knit group is very important if you want to get a good work done.

However, in the world around us, i can see a lot of people that don't bother to really think and look at what they are good at. They hardly pursue what they're interested in while those that do enjoy themselves and more often than not succeed. It's rather sad when you see a lot of adults out there complaining about their jobs, hating them and what not since they aren't really doing something they like or is good at. They drag themselves to work everyday and I dunno, just see to plough through their very dull day. I wonder, we have limited time on earth, why not spent time enjoying ourselves. For me, though I've been working non-stop and literally didn't slp to come up with the second version of the design, I'm still happy and willing to do so since I'm excited about what we do and really want to do it well. I hope that this can continue on and in the future I'd be working like I am now, happy :) No, i shan't hope, I WILL get such a job. When I know how it feels like working for what you like, the excitement, the sense of accomplishment when you've finished, I won't want to settle for something I don't like and have to drag myself through:)

That brings me to another point i've observed. People are multi-talented. No matter where you go, there're people with different talents around and in a group you need tha variety in talent there. Like prof said, the programmers and non-programmers, though they do not have the same set of skills, they are invaluable to the team, to make things work. I believe, in order for things to work, in this case a project, people really need to start doing what they do best at. If you get a group of super good programmers, if they can't design, the app will not look as appealing while on the other hand, if you don't have a good programmer, no matter how good looking your app is, there isn't really much substance :) Another thing is that people learn VERY fast. Be it the programmers or designers like myself who are new to all these things, i must say we're doing and coping pretty well. This proves one thing to me, if there's a will, there's a way, there's no such thing as too hard or no time, if you really want to learn, you can fork out the time.

Talking about learning, I better start going through my other modules. It was such a busy few weeks that I hardly read through any notes and now I'm behind the notes for some modules.. okay, weekend shall be dedicated to that!! let's just hope I can wake up tomolo and absorb things XD until then >.<

::Amazing People:: Of Impression and being impressed

Tired. Now I know why prof said to sleep more during the holidays. Well a lot of things has happened in the past few days it felt like weeks to me..

The first lecture was really inspiring and make me think a lot on life which I'd taken time to really think about it and will post it sometime later when I can put my feelings into words more accurately without losing my thread of thoughts. It makes me feel that many of us, or rather, most of us are rather passive about our lives.All of us knows it in our head, how to succeed, reach to your goal, make changes, find your passion and many more factors. All of us know but how many people really make an effort rather then sit back passively without doing anything? Somehow, it feels like, everyone's a automatic robot going about things in their life monotonously and the world's coloured black and white.

However, there are people out there that are coloured and vibrant, full of life and purpose. I've meet a whole bunch of those wonderful people, brimming with loads of different talents, ready to pursue their dreams, to take action on the first day of class, Monday, 11 Jan 2010.

Excited. That was how I am when I rushed to the first lecture of cs3216 with my dinner on hand. I've attended prof's cs1101s and I know from the description that cs3216 is going to so much more crazy. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" I've experienced that throughout my cs1101s course. While I know that for cs3216, I'm going to be struggling, going to miss many nights of sleep, going to "vomit blood" while trying to juggle all the other modules, I know deep down in my heart that I'd still take cs3216. cs1101s has been LOADS of fun, I've made close friends, I've met different people, I've learnt many things, be it thinking process and life lessons. It was terrific and if given the choice i'd take it again without thinking. I know that cs3216 is more than an ante up with the crazy factor being overloaded, there's no denying it but I'm prepared. I'm prepared for all the hard work, for the endless nights to come, to go crazy. I'm prepared to learn, to make friends, to listen and see things from different perpestive, to venture out of my safe heaven. I'm prepared to go wild, take chances and spread my wings. I'm more than prepared to reach, to stretch my limits and give my all. But most importantly, I'm prepared to have LOADS of fun and learn with my teammates and treasure each and every memory.

Impressive. Amazed. Awed were just the few impressions I have of my new classmates, some more than others, some less but there's no denying that I'm more impressed by the pool of talent and passion radiating from each and everyone then I've seen from others. Impression made by the human "instinct" under less than a minute is often accurate and I'd trust it when my heart tells me that everyone is promising talents. They are people crazy enough to take cs3216 but more importantly, people who let it go and really take ACTION.

Throughout superhero and the show-and-tell, my impressed level just goes up and UP. Through my JC life where I'm surrounded by crazily MULTI-talented people, I realised that those really talented people reallly DO excel in MORE than one area. This thought just solidified when I saw everyone's show-and-tell. It buffles me how can people be good at SO many things but I can see it before my very eyes that day that people like that do EXIST:) I believe that it stems from all the actions they take in their life whereas others just sat there passively, wasting away their talents.

I must say I'm totally awed at the wide variety of talents my module mates have. Instrumentalist, singers, dancers and all the wonderfully cool ideas and projects they've displayed, the raw talent, the courage, the PASSION. While I have nothing to say about all the impressive show-and-tell, I must reflect on the feelings, the thoughts and what I see from it.

While it was pretty obvious that the show-and-tell is there to allow you to showcase your talent so that people can appreciate, remember and be impressed on you. (I'm starting to remember people by what they've performed during show and tell >.<) I can see how this is a very important event during this course of the project. On the more serious note, it allows you to leave your print and impress upon others your presence. It is extremely essential because what follows after that is that you have to form groups for your assignments. This show-and-tell inadvertently aids you in that. We don't really have the time to mingle around and get to know others better and that was basically (for those who don't know you) what others will use to "judge" you. Those people with impressive show-and-tell gets "snatched" up pretty quick since they leave a good, strong impression on others. There are also those who stay back after show-and-tell to mingle with others so as to get a better impression

I've observed that different people have different ways to go about "showing off" themselves, some better than others. It is sad to note (though i know these kinda thing happens in real life) that some people are naturally better presenters than others. While it doesn't affect the actual potential, the first impression made (especially in cases like this) is so important that it very much determines whether people'd like to group with you according to their "image" of you. In the real life, it's rather sad that talents may go to waste since people can't really showcase their and don't have space to spread their wings because they can't really communicate with their colleagues or peers(though they can go their own way). There's always the talent-spotting people but if one's not good at communication or being a team-player, it's quite hard to survive out there where mostly everything's about teamwork nowadays. It's rather sad seeing talent being buried.

On the bright side(back to show-and-tell), I can feel the youthfulness, the energy and everyone has. It creates such a positive atmosphere that I can bask in it, feeling inspired by the endless talent, passion and energy. I feel privileged to be a part of a group of such amazing people and it more often than not make me want to never want to graduate cause I know the working world (I've worked before, it's terrible) will never or near rare to have such concentration of passionate, hardworking and inspired people working together with the drive to succeed and the readiness for action.

::Looking Forward::

You know, before I've decided to take CS3216, I've hesitated for a very long while. I kept wondering whether I should take it (frankly, the MCs goes nowhere for me, so it's like a totally optional module i can take). I knew that it's a very heavy module and I've only just started programming last semester, i wonder if i could make it. There's also the worry where my other modules would be affected and all those stuff, and in the worse case, i might drop out of my ddp programme. But after much thought and discussion with a few people, i've decided to take it.

I've had doubts, that's for sure but I also understand that I'd gain invaluable knowledge, friendships and experience from it that's beyond the classroom. I thought hard about it but i know it in my heart that it'd be worth it in the end. (most of prof's killer stuff definitely fit the category "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" to a T).

Now that we've been assigned the task of thinking about what we can achieve from this module, I'd just list some of the major reasons that influenced me to take this module:) Oh well, the most obvious one out there is of course the exhilarating experience that we'd experience when we see out ideas take flight as well as all the interesting knowledge that comes with it. Well, I'm still new to computing and all those stuff, so i thought that while it's fun and i'd definitely learn a lot from it, it'd give me a chance to experience projects of this scale so that i can gauge at least what i may do in the future when i get out. It was a chance for me to explore my interest and grasp for myself the feeling and knowledge that as long as i have a will nothing is unachievable(since in this case it looks so far outta my reach but i know im gonna make it:)). I've done a few production projects in the past, it was always satisfying but i always had this feeling, that anyone can do that, and i want to progress to do bigger things that have more impact. CS3216 just helped me realise it.

Next, which I think are very important as well is the friends that i can make, the network as well as a glimpse at how things really work out there, outside of the "protective shell" that schools protects their in. I'm certain that this will help me improve my teamwork, that I'd be more understanding, more accommodating and also learn how to support others in a team project. More importantly, i can learn from my peers and vice versa so that we can all learn from each other, that we can build strong, lasting friendship and understanding as we go through "thick and thin" as im sure we will, esp near the deadline..hehe..To those who knows me well, they'd know that i have a little problem with my confidence and i hope that through this, I can find confidence in myself.

These are one of the major reason and hope i have for CS3216. I know that though i'd have a hard time, I'd also have a GREAT experience. One that i know i'd look back and cherish all my life. Now that school's starting, I'm looking forward to this great new adventure :)

sulks

have i said i hate going out, esp shopping? no? i'd say right now, I HATE GOING OUT.. it's so tiring and rather boring since im not the type of person to really shop... well, spotting nice clothes is rather nice, and when i get my new year clothes is rather nice but i still, it's tiring and exhausting.. sigh..aniwae, thnx to my sis who went with me and my cousin...though im still tired... aren't i a weird girl?

phew now that that's out of my system... sulks, sometimes, i really hate the fact that i can't control my feelings.., not even my logical thinking can...

the thing is, i noe i have a reason for missing training and technically, it wasn't my fault for my injuries but still, i cant somehow, lift this heavy feeling off my chest...oh well, i logically know what my mum said is correct, that in the end it'd just get worse since i still cant run or else it'd just get worse but somehow.. just somehow, i still feel bad about it. dunno just feel weird...

it's nice to finally see my friends again~~

heh, it's been a while since i updated >.< just received a mail that I can only go back hall like... on the 11th when school starts? That's just plain weird, to allow us back when school reopens.. shrugs..

oh well, that reminds me of my hall mates and JC friends... these few days, due to the stupid sprain I suffered, I'm rather confined to my home but shrugs, it was fun to go out for dinner on Saturday with my hall mates >.< Huang hua, pretty smart little yellow flower was the best scorer among us so she had to treat us free dinner >.< which she choose Sakae buffet~ mwahaha, due to her request, i decided to erm.. spend a little  more effort in dressing up (tilt your head a little~):

 shrugs, i attempted. Throughout the dinner we cracked jokes, share stories, gaped at the amount of food the guys can inhale (and really inhale) got stunned at how the twins and Huang Hua mix their wasabi and soy sauce that it literally became a PASTE.. stare, i cannot imagine eating that (shivers). But as time goes by, I can't help but miss all the fun and joy we had together. It was sorta, liberating and on my way back home, i can't stop thinking and waiting for the next time we can play together again. I feel myself quite lucky to have such great friends...

Talking about great friends, i can't forget Nessa, Sophia and Cai Sang, my 3 best friends while in JC. Nessa's back in Singapore but she has to leave soon so we went out shopping yesterday (my first time in ion in fact...) i miss the times where we just talk non-stop and share our experiences.. from what Vanessa (or Vaness as her handphone strip says.. *Snickers) share, London's really unique place to be, i wonder when can i experience snow myself...but sigh, stupid stomach cramps just had to be so bad i have to go back home earlier and sleep off the pain, it still hurts now... but oh well, it was nice to spend time with them. I always feel awed at how much we grew, how much prettier they all become the next time i see them:) Sophia's hair is so much longer now~ It's be a while before Vanessa comes back again and I can't wait for the next time we meet again~

Oh, i still remember i have to do some new year resolutions as well as a post on what I expect to learn with cs3216.. still thinking about it... I feel sorta guilty now since due to my sprain which i haven't recovered from, I've sorta, missed a lot of trainings which I don't mean to.. but my mum's right i suppose... it'd just take all the more longer to heal. sigh, still doesn't stop the feeling of guilt eating me up, aren't i weird? shrugs... and sulks, my pps refuse to work, oh well, better be back to read java, which I'm still processing a bit slowly.. threads confuse the hell outta me..

Rats.. and cat..their friend?

recently rats.. and i mean a lot of them are giving my family a headache, they drill holes in cupboards, shit everywhere, stink up the place and steal our food... we recently found their nest, which is a mountain of panda bread in the cupboard, which they drilled holes into... sigh... oh well, we've caught.. erm... 3

It was rather interesting, the first and last one was caught by the rat trap, which is normal but guess what, the second one was trapped in my room (since it's just beside the kitchen). when me and my father when to look for it (poking around the floor) and found nothing, we thought it escaped... when i thought, hmm, nice of them to not have bitten any wires and when i looked to my desk.. HOLY, it was right there staring at me with its paws in front of it. Funny thing was it just stared at me when i called for my dad, only after that it ran and hid behind my screen... and even funnier, when my father's hand poised to catch it, it still stared at him... quite cutely too, only until my dad caught it did it struggle and it bit my dad!! just hope it's ok...

Out of those three, one died(overnight), one we released it and the last one's in the cage being accompained by... of all things.. cat??? at first the cat was on the cage, i thought i wanted to eat it, but now the cat just lay there under the shade for all things, accompanying the rat?? they look so relaxed then.. see the pic for evidence~~can't really see the rat but it's really in the cage!!

i was just wondering, what'd you do to the rat?? release it like my sis suggest, drown it like my dad's idea or to "boil them, smash them, stick them in a stew" as suggested by Patrick? i mean, it does cause us a lot of trouble and it's unhygienic but it's still a life isn't it? but then when i think back it is sort of, contradicting since we have rather low regard for ants as compared to say rats since they're more tangible and cuter?? but regardless, i think cats now a days really don't eat rats anymore huh??

A New Year, a new start

Hi, Happy New Year~~~ it's been a very long time since I've touched blogging and frankly speaking, my previous ones didn't last very long either..hehe oh well.. This is started for my class blog cs3216, but i was thinking, oh well, since uni's such fun for me, might as well document some of my experiences so perhaps in the future i can look back and laugh so please don't mind if personal stuff comes up in this blog:)

oh yeah, see the wolf to your right, help me feed him kz, and if you want, you can click on the moon to make him howl, quite literally >.< Happy new year guys, and hope to see ya soon >.< i miss my hall mates... mwahaha, nice that they called me yesterday to wish me a happy new year though xian yong, as usual wants me to pinch my cheeks.. LOL