How i worry about Singapore's future

Today i met my 小姑 my dad's youngest sister, she was nice to come visit my place as dad's youngest cousin from Malacca is staying at my place for my cousin's wedding tmr.

She is a teacher in Singapore for the past 4 decades and what i heard instilled fear in me with regards to the prospects of Singapore's future. the problems can be summarised as follows, and can be considered general sweeping statements:

1. children these days are too pampered by their parents: they are no longer 'hungry' for success as parents provide them with cars, money, houses easily. This lack of 'hunger' has led to students not having the right attitude towards teachers
2. teachers of the newer generation no longer maintain the line between students and teachers. a likely cause for the teacher love fiascos, molests. Teachers start having physical contact with students even in conversations.

What this means for the future of Singapore:

1. the pampering and the lack of boundaries leads to lack of motivation. Students used to fear punishment by teachers, and the fear motivated them to study. I am not denying other forms of motivation. But it's so much harder to motivate students other ways.
2. Foreign students that come in are going to or rather already have superseded the locals. It's always the 'hungry' that will fight harder, and with other variables kept the same, the one that fights harder usually gets the prize.

i do not have a solution. But the way things are, if left to carry on. Will lead to the downfall of Singapore. The generation pampered, raised by maids.

My dad's studetns who came to visit

Here are pics of dad's students who came to visit my house.

Back in Singapore, the year is done

This year ended not so nicely. not as i expected. i borderlined my GP and Psych OSCE exam. So i had to sit for supps (supplementary paper). That in turn caused me to cut short my Sydney trip with the darling short and fly back 1 day earlier to study. Thank goodness and God that i have such a caring gf to support me as i studied.

Well out of the 4 stations, 3 went well. 1 was dementia ddx. and it was hard to assess the simulated patient as she kept trying to divert ur attention away.

anyways. back in Singapore now. playing with film =) started using mum's old 35mm film slr. it was the first Nikon to do TTL metering the FG 20 =) lol. may play with mum's old medium format twin reflex camera. it's a Yashica D. the lenses are a bit tarnished though will try cleaning it up first. Just learnt that it uses 120 film. and prob only can get it in peninsula plaza.

meanwhile go check out my latest Sydney shots =)

exams are looming.

exams are in like 17days. and i am just starting to study properly. was studying, but somehow doesnt stick in the head.

I noticed that i havent spent much time reading news recently, and it was reflected when i had a convo with some new people i met. Feels abit sad to be in the dunno rather than in the know.

I had fun so far this year. all the intensive knowledge acquiring and all the interesting people i met along the way.

I'm probably flying back Singapore 10 Dec, because i have to spend sometime on the photography club and some time with the GF =) before we head back to humidity.

good luck to studying guys. and remember to take breaks and eat chocolate.

That's Life

IT's been so long since i last updated. i apologise for the long long hiatus. HAd been preoccupied with little studying and a lot of photography.

here are some photos that i previously promised

Cheryl's Birthday




The Naked truth (Melbourne Spring Fashion Week)



And on a side note, I got elected as The Monash Caulfield Photography Club President =)
Really happy about it, but a little stressed, as exams are starting 12 NOV! Thank goodness the club doesnt need that much attention now.

here's the club website
and our sister club at clayton

back to studying now =) GP rotation sure is good for studying =)

And i realise something is wrong

Think for the past few weeks i have got my priorities wrong. Been putting photography way ahead of my studies. Resulting in me doing only mediocre =( Did well for my psych assignment though.

I wan tto do better than jsut mediocre! i promise to study harder for GP and VIA. at least 3-4 hours of work a day =)

Photography, wat have i done with u? Shot so many things and events. Shot 3 Fashion parades/runways/events. Then shot Andrew's 24th birthday and Cheryl Seow's 21st birthday. The editing of the photos is the real killer. Finished with the fashion stuff ,but not the birthdays.

Will upload all my photos soon. The Naked Truth event was really interesting and i got to shoot models in elaborate sets! Resulting in prob the best shots in my life man!

Had an aunt that had a recent Stent for Carotid (artery in her neck) stenosis and also one put in her MCA (artery in her head). She's doing much better now, but on the 24th September, she's going to go for the same thing again but on her right side this time. Hope everythign goes well!

Saturday i am organising a shoot. And i hope things go well. A druggie shoot. Weather looks good on Saturday so far.

I got to bark up with my studies. For sure for sure, i will.

My life recently =)

Sorry that i havent been blogging lately. jsut not much has been happening to talk about.

I am currently on community psychiatry. where psych recovery clinicans see patients arfter they are discharged from hospital. it's an intersting system that i think singapore can implement if it has not done so.

been playing more badminton lately. and i hope i get some training from Melissa at the end of the year if i can afford the time. hope i can get better so i can at least make my gf run the court to chase my shots.

photography has been so so. finally developed the shots from Werribee mansion and park. turned out really pretty go see =) i finally got a battery grip for my d80 and it looks quite pro with it and can supposedly last 5000 shots lol. may get a 16Gb card soon. MSY a computer store in my area selss stuff real cheap.

lastly. i am organinsing a druggie shot with a few of my friends, hope it can work out. but it is currently clashing with my possible shoot for Stylemelbourne.com for Melbourne spring fashion week. OR can clash with a possible arrival of Becky's parents and her brother =( i went on a sleep study and found ou t that i can have 4 REM sleep cycles in 7 hours of uncomfortable leads on my face and ear phone in my ears. So that show i sleep pretty well. peace =)

The tide comes and goes

i refer to the photography aspects of my life.

lost the job at the nightclub to a mroe experienced phtoographer. and got an assignment from a online fashion site: stylemelbourne.

so life goes on. i'm currently doing psych at Frankston hospital. really fun i think lol.

And so a new chapter begins

i've got a new website =) it's http://www.kerfern.com for my photography. have a look and leave some comments =)

tmr will be start of a new semester. starting with psych. and 2 full days of lecture from 0830 to 5 pm

had a good holiday =)

1. got a photography job where i shoot clubs every friday and get $100 for it.
2. shot a lot of shoots with victor =)
3. played DOTA and CS lol
4. learnt how to play majong properly
5. dinners with friends
6. had KTV with friends =)
7. missed my Becky who went back to sg

at least i had a great time. now it's time to start work again.

Sway, as in bad luck =(

yesterday went back to the area where i did my model shoot on friday. Was shooting 2 friends when i left my equipment unattended. And i wasnt there for probably 15 mins. i was just about 10-20 metres away but it was a blind corner where i left my lenses.

They were stolen by a guy, without us knowing. And i found out only later when i went back to my camera bag. The damage? 2 lenses, Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 cost about $1000, and a nikon 50mm F/1.8 about $200. =(

what more? My friend accidentally bumped my flash and it landed on the floor and is not working liao =( sending it to repair in <1 hour's time.

hope my life gets as bad as this. and not any worse.

meanwhile. i'm uploading photos to flickr from my model shoot. they are pretty decent. though as my darling says, they lack the x-factor, like thos in magazines. and i think it's the composition and directing of models which i have to brush up on.

what is it i want to do with my time?

Shot on friday again.

so now have to process photos. and have to STUDY for exams for friday!

so i spend too much time onphotography. it's something i dare not admit. i probablyshould cut down. but i love it!

can almost feelmy knowledge slipping away as i do up the photos. =(

goodluck to studying and exams everyone =)

love u all.

Was sick again.

Had a terrible gastroenteritis. with fever, and was winging in bed, could not get out of bed to do stuff. and i am totally fine now =) Thanks for those who were concerned.

Thanks to my Becky who took great care of me, cooked porridge for me, and checked on me ever so frequently, forced me to drink to rehydrate... =)

got a job as a photographer for a club every friday. If you see that i seem to be attending clubbing events on facebook, it's because i am shooting it. not because i got de-jaded of clubbing. so i got some spare cash to pay for my 70-200mm sigma F/2.8 which is on its way. prob in the air now. again ordered through ebay. man i am excited! the unravelling of another aspect of photography that i have yet to untap.

meanwhile I have a cousin who's getting married this December! she's currently based in Germany. I think it's cool to have another cousin married. I offered my services as a spare photographer. but i wonder if they'll take my offer. they feel bad as i am supposed to be a guest lol.

And exam on 12 and 16 of June. need to hit the books now =) take care readers =)

Headache

having a headache now from a possible neck strain from sleeping too much.

well it's part of recuperating from the virus that gone from my nose to now my right lung. but prob from also erratic sleep patterns in the past 2 days.

1. went to shoot on Friday. A clubbing event called Flaunt Fridays at BLVD club in Southbank. came home at like 3. slept at 5
2. woke at 5am Today (sunday) to go to Airport to fetch Melissa and Mavell =)

so as u guessed it, the studying hasnt happened over the past few days. but well i am starting now.

meanwhile. i think i love my darling more each day =)

sick again

seems like this year has got me sicker than most. i am down with the cold. one that has resulted in me missing a Surgical group simulation and training day program with MUSIG (monash uni surgical interest group), and missed a possible opportunity of finally earning some cash from photography, shooting a night club event, yes clubbing!

well i am enroute to recovery but i think tmr i still shouldnt be seeing neonates, for fear i give them the cold and kill them.

thank God that i have a caring and loving half to take care of me so well. we ended up going to Hoyt's for movieS. yes we watched 2, we got tickets for Star Trek but i got a bit spontaneous after the nice movie and decided to stay with Becky for the next show that we wanted to watch: Angels and Demons. Haaha and tt's with only one ticket ;pp

meanwhile in studyville, it's 3 weeks to exams and i havent been reading because i have been to shagged from a busy Frankston hospital for paeds, o i have been sickly. so i gotta catch up. can't let the others surpass me so easily lol.

Jason Mraz Concert =)

So the couple went to a/the Jason Mraz concert. It was Becky's first so i thought it would be nice for us to be near the stage. And the standing tickets got us to about 3rd row =)

performance by Lisa Mitchell revealed an ataxic attractie girl with voice tics. She sang wierd, couldnt pronounce words well and had terrrible showmanship.

Eric Hutchinson was lovely. he sings well and engages the audience. and well has cute blob of hair lol.

Jason Mraz was great. too bad he performed for only 1.5 hours of the 4.5 hours we were there. Kary and Becky were disappointed as i was at the length. His performance was nice though =) even got Becky moving and dancing on the floor =)

Let some pics do the walk and talking =)taken using Becky's omnia. my dSLR was not allowed inside =(

Scrambeled eggs

I chanced upon a video which Gordon Ramsey demonstrates how to make the perfect scrambled eggs, without waking the missus ;p

i tried it without the butter and the cream, with portobello mushrooms and normal big tomatoes sliced half, with bread that's really toasted on the verge of burnt.

and the result was a very happy loving couple having happy breakfast. =)

so go try it this weekend =)

So nothing much has been up

Easter break came and went. At least we did something this time. Went to DFO (that's duty free shopping). I got a nice top for $17 from esprit. She got nice boots for $40, some nice tops from Esprit too.

then after we went Mount Dandenong for a nice sunset and also a nice dinner at SkyHigh (the restaurant there)

Been reading Paeds, and well there is atad too much but i will strive on =)

So here's a few shots of my model shoot on friday at theBotanical Gardens. I had the pleasure of getting Diane (It's Deee Ah Nah) (a friend of a photographer) to be the model, didnt get to shoot the professional models that Victor got to come. too bad. But well the pictures are not bad =)

Ah finally a post with pictures

I have finally uplaoded my photos from a city shoot. I attended the shoot with the Monash photography club and i had a lot of fun. Especially seeing Victor whom i was introducing photography to about 2 years ago with his point and shoot, now matured to be a photographer probably better equiped than i am. he's got really good shots too, and i am glad we can learn from each other now =)

i am heading of to paediatrics for 5 weeks at Monash Medical Centre and then 4 weeks at Frankston hospital. Looking forward to it, but getting a bit stressed about it. Havent really studied hard for O&G and still trying ot finish up some notes, while also trying to pre read paediatrics.

Meanwhile mum's gone to Europe with my Aunt, haha wish i was there.

okay here are my fav photos from Saturday's shoot: the first shot has all 3 traffic light colours! =)

oh my i sure am slacking on updating

Apologies for not updating weekly as i used to. life has been quite busy this year.

so we end our first rotation in 4th yr. and it's the end of O&G for me. PAeds is coming fast next, and i am kinda worried, there's so much so much!

went out for a city night shoot with the photography club last night and i'm currently doing up the photos now. so keep your eyes peeled for them.

i realise the true power of waking up early and fast. like if i slept till past 11, and keep sticking to the bed instead of rising in an instant, my whole day will be infected by sleepiness. So i learn that it's not the number of hours that determine the rest of my day but how i wake! Coffee helps as well but well i shouldnt be substance dependant.

and i realise how Surgery is calling for me, but i stilllike cardiology. i like procedural stuff that's only a few specialties: Surgery, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, O&G, interventional radiology.

and well. i think gastro is abit tooo boring for me, and O&G is still on my list of possibilities. we'll see =)

all i need is some research to boost my Curiculum Vitae.

And i am down with a cold

i reckon i just had a bit of fever just now. but my darling has been taking great care of me. forcing bed rest on me if not she was gg to make me bed ridden.

heating up meals, giving me meds, while i wonder what's day and night. and i remember dad said, 'it's always nice to have someone to give u a hand when you are down, that maybe the only reason to share your life with.' well there's no doubt about nicce having someone around, but well there are many other reasons too, to have a companion in life =)

today's got a cold night, and my nose is blocked again. hope the weather holds up well tomorrow, for i am to see flying planes, that i hope will not be grounded tomorrow, for they do not fly in strong winds as well not only in heavy rain.

Thank you darling =)

it's busy isnt it

4th year isnt exactly killing me. but i sorta lose track of time and date. and i have been studying much more thanks to my darling who keeps pushing me on.

it's an interesting experience living with your loved one. you see each other so often, and yet you never get sick of them.

and i am so sad that i have so many photos to process but no time to. i prob will do some before i start studying again.

Good luck to those who are taking their MBBS exams =) yes that includes you Dr Poon.

i had a fantastic time at Warrnambool. For our 9 weeks of O&G, we get to do mentor week. It's a week where u follow a O&G consultant to everywhere he/she goes, to clinics, theatre, and other places like their house. lol. i got to go to a rural place and get attached to the O&G unit there.

that's 6 doctors, including 5 consultants. i was sad that i didnt drive there and took a train. that meant that i had to walk all around. thought the furthest is a 30 min walk. and i got to prob learn more than i had for the past 4 weeks. i stayed in a motel which the doctors kindly sponsered and went to theater and clinic and ward rounds everyday! =)

so i conclude that rural life is actually sucky for internet, but great for learning, and it's a good place to lose weight if u do not drive.

i met a few melbourne uni medical students and they are doing their cardio, respi rotation there with rural. and they have so much knowledge from books, but it was obvious they needed more ward experience which was what they were there for. i attended a tutorial with them and it was fun =).

I think i like O&G

so life is not all about work and studying. sometimes there's play. but when it comes to O&G, it some how seems to be both. i look forward to going to see operations especially.

and i like it that there are more signs that i may actually start to have a direction in my career:

1. I got to suture just 4 stiches and i was over the moon, couldnt stop smiling.
2. i was in the change room with the theatre assistants and staff, and they all agreed that i have the personality and feel of a surgeon
3. i actually like being in theatre and i get a rush of adrenaline

so it seems surgery is getting higher on my list. we'll see about that.

meanwhile, becky and i played baddy with Ezra, Tze En, Melissa. i was so trashed by all of them. their shots struck me with awe. yes awestruck i was. this time, the girlfriend had a bad fall and i have to help her nurse her twisted ankle. think i should buy her a bell soon to call for me. lol

and i am studying much more thanks to the gf pushing me on =) up from my lazy chair to the couch where no computer lies is my fav spot for studying now =) computers are evil.

Good luck to those mugging hard for their final MBBS in singapore. and good luck to those who are overseas for attachments.

Back in Melbourne!

Hey sorry it's been so long since i updated. i am back in melb and starting on obstetrics and gynaecology. Saw my first birth on my 2nd day. it's a lovely experience and the motehr didnt want any pain relievers, including gas! how brave was she!

the love between the father and the mother was so beautiful, how he was always by her side, and giving her back rubs when she is in painful contractions. how he was holding her hand when she was pushing. And how a first time father feels at a lost what to do but is guided by his heart and feelings.

it was lovely.

and i realise i got no time to do up my photos. so i guess i got to try catch up with my work first.

Taiwan and Singapore

Taiwan trip was not bad =) liked the atmosphere, weather, girls (though missed my Becky a lot!), took many nice photos (finally got to take decent waterfall photos).

too bad i didnt get the chance to use the Hot springs it was in the basement of my hotel!

i hope i will get to cable ski this weekend. seems like response from my classmates a bit bad. and i will be working on thurs the Zeco scooters are being launched!

Had a great catch up with Wendy and Damien when they came to Singapore. think they are just leaving for HK! cool holiday for them.

now let the pictures do the talking. photos not to miss: