The movie version of Nodame Cantabile was created to reflect whatever that happened to Nodame and Chiaki after they went to Paris. The drama version took us from Nodame being in school and falling in love with her Chiaki senpai, and then how she decided to work hard for him instead of just being a kindergarten teacher. The special episodes then took them to Paris, and the movie concludes the entire series.

So I am not too sure if people who hadn’t watched Nodame Cantabile from the start, beginning with the drama, would enjoy such a movie. They would probably not be able to grasp the characters and plot.

Nodame Cantabile, the movie, is also split into two parts, hence it is impossible to fully grasp the idea of Nodame Cantabile if one had not watched the first part. I do not know why, but actually most movies that are based on existing dramas and animes would not seem to be able to stand on its own as a movie. I guess, people actually go on to watch Nodame Cantabile after they enjoyed the drama.

As usual, the drama is full of many different pieces of classical music written by many people, but the one that was emphasised quite often was Chopin. There were a few major performances in the show, and I quite liked them. Spoilers, so skip the paragraph below if you are intending to watch it.

Kiyora’s violin performance in her competition, with an orchestra
Nodame’s rendition of the music she heard in the piano competition, which I liked
Son Rui’s new debut on Piano with Chiaki as conductor (didn’t really like it, most part because Nodame was upset cause she wanted to play this piece with Chiaki as the conductor. Yes, its the one she performed after she heard it in the piano competition)
Nodame’s saigo no performance (last performance) for Franz Stresemann
Nodame’s debut with Franz Stresemann
Nodame and Chiaki’s two piano symphony

Nodame’s last performance isn’t really her last. She was just upset after Son Rui’s performance and her failed attempt at proposing to Chiaki. LOL. So Stresemann came and heard her play and said that Nodame had finally arrived. So he whisked her off and placed her inside his performance and brought her to the skies. And she was afraid that she would never beat that performance and hence she escapes. And Chiaki brought her confidence back with the two piano piece that they played in part 1.

The credits were “short”, at least those without any images. They did show Nodame and Chiaki and what happened after that, so don’t walk away. I doubt you need to stand up even. The two girls who stood up found themselves wondering if they should stand or sit, and for a few seconds my view was blocked. Luckily they sat down.

I can’t voice out how much I love Stresemann that weirdo. He has that weird curly hair and that fake French accent and why in Part 2 he isn’t caught inside a club full of girls by his side? That’s like his trademark scene. He always makes me laugh.

Anyway for a great and detailed analysis on Nodame the movie, I have to wait till Rina’s post come up. She will know which piece of music was played in the different scenes!

Distance Based Fares kicked in since the 3rd of July this year, and so far it has generated plenty of discontent among passengers. I had been very supportive of distance based fares, because in a logical manner, distance based fare would make everything more fair. The move to distance based fares was said to help those who travel long distances, and is probably step one of any plan to remove long distance buses. It is said that about a third of the passengers would see an increase in fares, with the rest either maintaining or having a reduction in the fares.

But yet if Distance Based Fares were supposedly fairer, why are we generating much complaints? For the purpose of this discussion, let us ignore complains that the current statistics involving people with increased fares is much higher than 33%. This is because, surely, people with a reduction in fares would be less inclined to share the information, and people who saw an increase would be unhappy and hence be more proactive in dishing out the info. In addition, most of us do not really remember the fare before. We only have a bit of a rough idea, and hence we cannot be sure the exact increase / decrease in the fare.

The sad thing about the Distance Based Fare in Singapore is that it is really not entirely distance based. There seems to be some other variable that affects the fares. For one, it seems that amongst my circle of friends, that multiple transfers is better than a single bus trip. I am not entirely sure if the distance covered in both instances are the same, but assuming that they are roughly the same, then it makes no sense that we are encouraging multiple transfers, unless it is part of a wider plan to remove long distance bus services.

However, I do have proof that the formula does involve something other than distance. If distance based fares are only based on distance, then my MRT trip from Clementi to Lakeside should have the same cost. This is not the case. I have two scenarios drawn out, with both scenarios requiring me to take bus 96 from two parts of NUS to Clementi Interchange before changing to the MRT to go back to Lakeside. Assuming it is entirely distance based, I should get the same cost for the MRT part of the journey, and different costs for the bus leg.

The above shows the fares if I took the bus at the first stop in NUS, at Engineering LT7A.

The above shows the fares if I took the bus from Computer Center, 3 stops away from LT7A. Hence this is the one with the shorter bus journey. Looking at the bus fares, it seems to be distance based. However, why is the MRT fares different? Although I still pay cheaper for shorter distance travelled (as compared to scenario 1), it makes no sense that the MRT fares would differ.

Surely this is proof that there is some other variable at work?

I took the above screenshots from the Distance Fares Calculator provided at PublicTransport.sg.

The idea behind distance based fares is noble. The anger against distance based fares has, honestly, nothing to do with the concept of distance based fares, but how distance based fares were implemented. Surely, when transparency is touted as one of the pillars of our governance, that we should see some transparency in how the fares are being calculated? This is because when a noble idea is tweaked, it would cease being noble and become unfair instead.

The ethics of insurance agents have always been in question, ever since we hear stories of how bad agents sell policies to people who dont really need it, just so that they can earn the commission. Whilst such cases are now few and far between, they still do exist. Thankfully the measures undertaken to regulate this industry worked to some extent.

I did write about the lousy standards of testing done to ensure an agent understands any new plan rolled out by their company. Hence, I would not touch on it further although this is one issue on the integrity and ethics of the insurance agent.

The view I am going to write about might not be really an ethical issue, as it depends on peoples opinion. I find that it is an important issue to raise, and I would try to explain my stand. Hopefully at the end of this post, people will concur.

The issue I am raising was talked about in the papers yesterday. In it, agents were reportedly poached by rival agencies with cash incentives. The paper acknowledged that it is an agents right to switch companies, which I have to reluctantly agree. But I feel that it would be good for agents to keep to their parent company.

Back when I was in the Great Eastern internship programme, I remember an agent telling me that he chose to work full time and not part time as a form of responsibility and commitment towards his client. Financial advisory is not only just a product being bought and sold; it includes the relationship aspect.

Most of the time, we buy policies from relatives and friends; not so much the man on the street. We trust our relatives and friends to give us the best advice, more so than the person cold calling my house or approaching me at mrt stations. This belief is not accurate, but that is the topic for another post.

Additionally, the policies of the company might not be very different than what other insurance companies are offering. Hence what we are buying is not a policy, but a responsible agent or advisor we can trust. An agent that we can trust to settle our hospitalization claims when the need arises.

Hence, isnt it unethical for agents to jump ship, resulting in our policies beig transferred to someone that we do not know of? That sense of trust is being betrayed, especially when the next agent is unwilling to provide the same service the original agent provided? This is not surprising because the new agent will not earn any commission on the premiums the policyholder pays! As such, why would he want to spend time explaining the policies when we are not going to buy a policy from him?

In such a case, changing of company or even changing of a career is unethical. It would be even more so when the agent who jumped ship then asks his friends to end the old policies and take up new ones.

For sure, if you end a life policy prematurely, it wouldnt be in the clients best interest. This is accepted to be unethical by the regulatory bodies. But they do allow the agents to change companies.

Perhaps when one day all agents are dedicated and responsible, this issue would cease to be unethical.

Here’s the statistics for today’s run, which wasn’t exactly good because it got too hot in the middle of the run and then I felt dehydrated. So I stopped the run prematurely.

Yesterday was the 7th of July, a special double pair of 7s. It’s not special because it’s exactly one month after my own birthday, but it’s Jia Hao’s birthday, and this is the first time we organized an outing on his birthday.

Usually we just meet up whenever we can and our birthdays are usually sad affairs, so it’s a nice refreshing change this year. Plus Jiahao was there for my birthday in 2008, and I thought it would be good to go out in his too.

So Wai Kit and I agreed to go to Jia Hao’s house (with his consent of course) to check out his new PS3 which is configured into his 24 inch monitor. Prior to that, Jia Hao and Wai Kit did some intensive research on the fares. I could have taken 154 from my house to Jia Hao’s house, but I didn’t. Instead I took the MRT to Clementi and waited for 154. It was the same 154 that went pass me at my house, so I didn’t save on time but I did save on money. And less time going round and round making myself giddy.

It had been a long time since we went to Jia Hao’s house. I forgot when was the last time I went, but many things changed, I suppose. For one, I know Jia Hao’s room changed. I didn’t recall it to be like this the other time. The furniture and stuff.

We played SF4 and as usual I got trashed badly. I’m not a gamer and hence I don’t get exposed to these games often. Even when I try memorising those 1/4 back + 1/4 back + kick moves, I still epic-ly failed. We then went on to a racing game, which I chui-ed again. Driving using a PS3 controller is very different, and the amount of brake to put for a turn is very different when the car is moving at say 200kmh. But it was a fun experience, although the car in sand situation happened a little too much for my liking.

And I got to check out Final Fantasy 13 on the PS3. And Jia Hao summoned all the summons for us to check out the graphics. I quite miss Final Fantasy games. FF8 was my last game as the rest moved on to be solely on the gaming console instead of having the game compatible with the PC. So I missed out on a lot, and RPG is like the only type of game I would play. I wonder if I would end up getting a console when I start working?

Anyway the highlight was going to Din Tai Feng cause Jia Hao didn’t eat Xiao Long Baos from DTF or Crystal Jade before. So we took a bus down 3 stops to Novena and then mrt down to Orchard. Supposedly cheaper!

The 3 of us met Dom there because he was working in his internship. We just ordered noodles (Jia Hao ordered rice) and then xiao long baos and the shrimp dumpling. We weren’t very full so we had to find somewhere else to go. As usual, the 4 guys cannot decide because no one wanted to.

We ended up at Scape’s McDonalds eating Ice Cream and fries/nuggets. Nuggets are damn expensive. $4.10 for 6 pieces. Like a con job imo. Will never eat 6 piece nuggets on its own anymore.

We walked on to PS, and went to the arcade. There’s only one 4 player game, and its the war game so we took on the rifles and went to war. Ironically Dom who is Pes E, was promoted to Staff SGT and he lasted till the end. The rest of us were killed.

And then we played Spot the Difference, which sucked because the machine’s monitor display sucked so bad that the lighting made it very hard to spot the difference.

Then we went home and called it a day, and watched World Cup and all slept emo-ly after being disappointed, and the earth cried as we switched off our lights and went to bed.

Recently my friends elder brother graduated from university and he got hired by a Singapore company. Sadly, as he is a foreigner, MOM has to approve his employment pass before he could officially work here.

His company has also kindly agreed to wait until the proper approval is given, but MOM kept rejecting his application. Even a letter from the MP couldnt help.

Now, he studied in university paying the same fees that we Singaporeans do. Hence he actually had the same MOE tuition grant as us. The only difference is that he has to work in Singapore for 3 years, something like a bond.

I think this is absurd. You subsidise his education, but you do not allow him to work in Singapore. The guy has got a job offer, and the employer actually waited until they decided not to hire him anymore. Why deny him a chance to work here? I rather we not subsidise his education in the first place. MOM told him to go back to his country and work for a Singapore company.

Are the policies of MOM and MOE out of sync? If we want to tighten our intake of foreigners in our workforce, then dont give out so many subsidies! Whats the point of subsidizing and then not allowing him to do his duty in the contract? Its not as if no Singapore company wants to hire him here.

Bleah. Why not subsidise my MBA instead? I would continue to work here. Isnt it better?

In the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, he states the 10,000 hour rule; that is, to become successful in any enterprise, you have to practise for 10,000 hours.

He cites studies of violinists and divides the people who are capable of becoming world class musicians, and the people who are good enough to become music school teachers. The difference is in the number of hours one plays.

Please forget about talent for a moment. Talent, undoubtedly, plays a part, but after you average it out, it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practise to become really good at something. For example, a saleperson has to practise his sales pitch to clients many many times before he can deliver the pitch smoothly. However it takes more practise to learn the art of the close, as well as to recognize the customers body language and do the proper pitch.

The book also gave an example on a guy called Bill Joy (if I remember correctly) and Bill Gates. Both were forunate to have he change to practise their computer programming skills so much during their university and teenage years respectively that when it is their turn to step up and program, they are more than good enough. Which is why the first guy is the founder of sun microsystems, and the other, as everyone knows, Microsoft.

Even Steve Jobs had practise assembling and designing his own computers.

I once read a quote from Bruce Lee that goes like this: I do not fear the man who practises 10,000 kicks one time each, but one kick 10,000 times.

Practise indeed makes perfect. If anyone doubts the examples because they are written, then I shall provide my own example. I obtained good results in programming aspects of my modules in NUS for just one simple reason.

I started making my own websites when i was 13. I learnt HTML, then CSS. Both are not programming, but it led me to learn PHP, and by the time I took my own programming module, I had already built a tuition website with a database of tutors. Although I did not practise 10,000 hours, it gave me a great headstart. If I had spent 10,000 hours on it, I might have been much better.

A little bit of practise goes a long way. Hence work hard and practise your trade for 10,000 hours so you will be good at it.

I’m planning to go to Japan for my graduation trip next year. So far I’ve saved up money from my industrial attachment, and I would also save the money earned during reservist which is in 2 weeks time. Hence now is the time to start planning on where are the possible places to go, as well as the rough costs.

Going on free and easy would mean having to find own accommodation, having to absorb transportation costs, and food locations has to be considered too. There’s plenty of things to research on, especially if there are multiple cities to visit, hence needing to find out on the best affordable way to commute.

So I would write the stuff that I have found down on a day to day basis if I have new information. This is so that I would be able to collate them properly in the future for a definitive plan on the graduation trip.

I saw a video from razortv and they were discussing about a stomp post where a girl was found asking her maid to take out the beansprouts from her bowl of noodles. When the maid didnt do her job properly, she scolded the maid?

Is this wrong? RazorTV seems to think so. Yet since when can our media claim that a particular action is right or wrong? Morality in plenty of cases are not so clear cut.

One thing for sure, plenty of bosses scold their employees too when they make mistakes. Unless we censure such actions too, Im afraid its plain wrong to suggest that reprimanding a maid be wrong. In the eyes of the law, reprimanding is not maid abuse!

Stompers also took the moral high ground and said that such princesses are spoilt. Whilst I would not allow my future children to do this, I doubt I can say that it is wrong. Is it in the maids job scope or is it not?

Can we safely accuse someone of being spoilt just like that?I mean its just a different way of living, and is it called being spoilt? Women who hire part time maids to clean the house cause both husband and wife are at work, are they spoilt? What if their jobs are very important and many peoples survival depends on them running the company properly? As such time is better spent on business and recharging rather than slogging on housework during the weekends?

Can we honestly claim a moral high ground based on an aspect of the truth?