Oceanshaft

On Saturday, went for practice at church followed by our monthly sports day. Held at the gymnasium of a primary school in Koga, the low baskets allowed for one of us to make regular dunk shots and basically let the rest of us feel really tall. Basketball was followed by volleyball, with some badminton in between. I still don't really get volleyball. But anyway, we had a great time with much laughter as always.

Went to Kaikan after that. Visited N & G's room, and four of us (St, C, Fadil and me) had dinner at Fadil's room after that.

So happened that R was going to arrive in Fukuoka that day so got her to meet me in the area. Sunday after church I brought R to Canal City and we went to Ichiran. Followed by dessert at Comme ça and then we made a short trip to Yodobashi before R went off to catch her flight.

Ramen from Ichiran

Dessert with the name ブラックムーン (Black Moon)

Here's an article of some interest to me from Today - Gifted kids to take　'integrated' path

Gifted kids to take 'integrated' path
Loh Chee Kong
cheekong@newstoday.com.sg

IN TWO years' time, the much-debated Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will quietly fade away from secondary schools.

In its place, the Ministry of Education (MOE) wants GEP students to join schools offering the six-year Integrated Programme (IP). This means that GEP students, who are identified in Primary 3, will no longer march to a different beat in secondary school. Instead, they will follow the same curriculum as other bright students who are picked for the IP when they are on the verge of leaving primary school.

In a circular issued on Monday, MOE informed the parents of GEP students in Primary 4 and 5 that it would no longer offer a centralised gifted programme at the secondary school level. The parents of the current batch of Pri 6 pupils were informed in April that they would be the last cohort to be offered the programme, MOE's deputy director of its Gifted Education Branch, Dr Tan Bee Geok, told Today.

There had been criticism that the 22-year-old GEP programme was "elitist". But Dr Tan stressed that the latest move was merely recognition of the fact that more secondary schools were now offering innovative programmes to develop talented students.

Dr Tan said: "We are just informing the parents in advance not to choose the O-level track. This group is so able that it doesn't need to take O levels. And most of the students which GEP schools would have taken in at the Sec 1 supplementary intake would now choose to enrol in the IP anyway."

Each year, some 500 students — or the top 1 per cent of each cohort — are selected in Primary Three to join the GEP. These students could go on to a centralised MOE programme in secondary schools.

But Dr Tan said that the landscape has changed since the IP – a six-year-programme that starts in Sec 1, with students skipping their O levels — was introduced in 2004. Then, four out of five "gifted" students picked this programme over the four-year GEP course, said the MOE. The number fell further this year, with only 13 students opting to stay in the GEP over the IP.

The IP, the new favourite, embraces some 2,000 students in 12 schools, including Raffles Institution, River Valley High, Dunman High and the National University of Singapore High School.

In contrast, only Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Dunman High and Nanyang Girls' High now offer MOE's GEP.

Noting that most of its former GEP secondary schools are now IP schools, the ministry said in the circular: "With such a small enrolment, it is not possible for the MOE to continue to run the secondary school GEP."

GEP students who wish to take their O levels can still do so in "schools with school-based special programmes that nurture pupils who have special aptitudes and talents", the circular said. Examples of these schools include ACS (Independent), St Joseph Institution, Methodist Girls' School and Catholic High School, said Dr Tan.

And although the GEP students would follow the same curriculum as other "very bright students", they would continue to be developed at these secondary schools, which would increase in number as Singapore creates a diverse education landscape, said she added.

Dunman High School principal Sng Chern Wei told Today that his school was looking to implement enrichment programmes which would allow both GEP students and non-GEP students "who are talented in some subjects" to work together.

Said Mr Sng: "It makes sense for the gifted children to opt for the IP because they can be exempted from the O levels and benefit from a more seamless process.

"The approach is definitely moving toward one where the gifted education model is realigned to provide more opportunities that will allow talented students who fall outside the GEP to benefit, and which will also allow our GEP students to have more opportunities to interact with students who come from a non-GEP background."

There was a spider on my desk about a week ago and I snapped some photos. (My camera's been acting up, so the quality's not that good.) Have been seeing the fellow around the last few days as well. Incidentally, saw the trailer for Spiderman 3 (oh! Venom!) when I went to watch X-men III last weekend with some friends.

Had a farewell party at church for the guys who are leaving this month. It's that time of the year again which comes every half a year. Other foreign students are leaving, quite a lot this time. Sad to see them go. Some have been here for 6 months, some for a year, some for 3 years even. It'll be my turn soon.

It's strange how knowing that you have to leave in 6 months affects your lifestyle. It's not near enough to start to pack and throw, but near enough to stop you from buying stuff, make you consider carefully where you want to travel, and think about meeting up with all those people you've got to know.

So, I was watching TV mindlessly last night when what should come on but V.I.P., one of those mindless shows. Remembered watching it once (or maybe even twice!) back in Singapore and thinking how shallow it was. Ah well, since it brought back some nostalgic memories, watched the episode.

Wow, it really was shallow. However, the good thing is that it knows it's fluff, doesn't bother to hide it and just enjoys being itself. Hahaha. But why is it showing now on late night TV in Japan? Get me something beter please...

Watched a Korean movie called Siren after that. Much more gritty and serious. Wasn't too satisfied by the ending though.

Went up to Kashiihama for the fireworks on Saturday night, but it was postponed due to poor weather. Ended up wandering around Sports Garden with St. and F. Never fear, went again yesterday after church. The venue of the fireworks was at the seaside just behind the dormitory for foreign students (ie. Kaikan). Went with a bunch of people from church for the 1-hour spectacle. The last 10 minutes was magnificent. Went to Jusco for dinner (the place was understandably packed). Following that, proceeded to my friend's room for a session of PS.

Do you play Nethack?

If not, then perhaps you might want to skip this post. :)

On Monday night (4th Sep 2006) I completed my first Nethack ascension! OK, to be more accurate, it was at about 1 am on Tuesday morning. Details as follows:

You offer the Amulet of Yendor to Crom...--More--

Quibble the Conqueror St:25 Dx:18 Co:18 In:11 Wi:17 Ch:18 Neutral
Astral Plane $:25 HP:292(376) Pw:143(143) AC:-24 Xp:30/100226326 T:160346 Satia

An invisible choir sings, and you are bathed in radiance...
The voice of Crom thunders: "Congratulations, mortal!"
"In return for thy service, I grant thee the gift of Immortality!"
You ascend to the status of Demigod...

Do you want your possessions identified? [ynq] (n)

Weapons
J - the blessed rustproof +4 Sunsword (weapon in hand)
K - a blessed rustproof +5 katana (wielded in other hand)
Armor
i - a blessed +3 silver dragon scale mail (being worn)
u - a blessed greased rusty +2 helmet (being worn)
F - an uncursed fireproof +2 pair of speed boots (being worn)
G - a blessed +1 pair of water walking boots
L - a blessed rustproof +2 pair of gauntlets of power (being worn)
N - a cursed +1 Hawaiian shirt (being worn)
W - a blessed fireproof +2 cloak of magic resistance (being worn)
Amulets
f - an uncursed amulet of life saving
T - an uncursed amulet of life saving (being worn)
Rings
v - an uncursed ring of slow digestion
I - an uncursed ring of conflict
O - a cursed very rusty ring of free action (on left hand)
Comestibles
C - 5 uncursed lembas wafers
Q - an uncursed lizard corpse
Scrolls
H - an uncursed scroll of remove curse
Tools
b - an uncursed towel named nc
h - a blessed +0 unicorn horn
k - an uncursed skeleton key
p - a blessed magic lamp (lit)
q - a very rusty thoroughly corroded +0 pick-axe
s - an uncursed rusty stethoscope
w - an uncursed magic whistle
x - an uncursed oilskin sack
z - a blessed greased bag of holding
Wands
a - a wand of nothing (0:7)
c - a wand of magic missile (0:1)
d - a wand of teleportation (0:0)
e - a corrodeproof wand of create monster (0:11)
g - a wand of death (0:0)
j - a wand of death (0:0)
l - a wand of digging (0:3)
m - a wand of cancellation (0:5)
n - a cursed wand of digging (0:7)
o - a wand of digging (0:6)
r - a wand of digging (0:4)
t - a blessed wand of polymorph (0:6)
y - a wand of opening (0:2)
A - a wand of striking (0:0)
B - a wand of digging (0:5)
D - a wand of magic missile (0:4)
E - a cursed wand of magic missile (0:5)
P - a wand of digging (0:6)
R - a cursed wand of lightning (0:5)
S - a blessed wand of magic missile (0:7)
V - a wand of sleep (0:6)
X - a blessed wand of lightning (0:4)
Gems
U - the blessed Heart of Ahriman

Contents of the oilskin sack:

a potion of holy water
a blessed scroll of remove curse
2 blessed scrolls of teleportation
5 blessed scrolls of blank paper
2 uncursed scrolls of earth
9 uncursed scrolls of teleportation

Contents of the bag of holding:

3 uncursed K-rations
6 uncursed rubies
8 uncursed sapphires
6 uncursed diamonds
4 uncursed opals
4 uncursed jade stones
4 uncursed jet stones
5 uncursed agate stones
8 uncursed emeralds
2 uncursed rubies
an uncursed potion of water
a can of grease (0:9)
7 uncursed food rations
an uncursed +1 ring of protection
an uncursed amulet of magical breathing
4 uncursed aquamarine stones
an uncursed amber stone
an uncursed citrine stone
a rusty wand of striking (0:4)
a wand of sleep (0:2)
a wand of magic missile (0:4)
a blessed magic marker (1:2)
a wand of create monster (0:14)
a wand of cold (0:4)
a wand of digging (0:4)
a wand of cold (0:4)
a wand of speed monster (0:3)
a wand of lightning (0:4)
a wand of striking (0:4)
a wand of magic missile (0:3)
a wand of create monster (0:13)
a wand of create monster (0:14)
an uncursed +0 mummy wrapping
an uncursed ring of teleport control
an uncursed ring of teleportation
an uncursed amulet of unchanging
an uncursed ring of polymorph control
a blessed luckstone
an uncursed amulet of reflection

Do you want to see your attributes? [ynq] (n)

Final Attributes:

You were piously aligned.
You were fire resistant.
You were cold resistant.
You were sleep resistant.
You were disintegration-resistant.
You were shock resistant.
You were poison resistant.
You were magic-protected.
You saw invisible.
You were telepathic.
You were invisible to others.
You were stealthy.
You could teleport.
You had teleport control.
You were protected.
You were very fast.
You had reflection.
You had free action.
Your life would have been saved.
You were wielding two weapons at once.
You were extremely lucky.
You had extra luck.
Good luck did not time out for you.
You survived.

Vanquished creatures:

Asmodeus
Baalzebub
Orcus
Yeenoghu
Juiblex
The Wizard of Yendor (twice)
Death
Pestilence (4 times)
Famine
a high priest
2 mastodons
Medusa
Croesus
3 Archons
13 iron golems
2 ki-rin
11 storm giants
2 titans
12 glass golems
8 balrogs
Thoth Amon
21 purple worms
2 gray dragons
5 silver dragons
14 red dragons
16 white dragons
8 orange dragons
17 black dragons
15 blue dragons
9 green dragons
8 yellow dragons
18 minotaurs
16 jabberwocks
9 baluchitheria
13 Angels
Vlad the Impaler
12 stone golems
4 master mind flayers
15 Olog-hai
8 Nazguls
15 pit fiends
8 sandestins
10 hell hounds
8 titanotheres
12 trappers
a baby silver dragon
2 baby white dragons
a baby orange dragon
a baby green dragon
5 guardian nagas
7 disenchanters
49 vampire lords
5 skeletons
2 shopkeepers
4 guards
24 aligned priests
12 captains
6 shades
6 liches
11 clay golems
28 nurses
20 ice devils
16 nalfeshnees
13 lurkers above
3 Aleaxes
3 frost giants
16 ettins
5 golden nagas
16 black puddings
38 vampires
17 lieutenants
39 ghosts
a queen bee
17 winged gargoyles
3 mind flayers
14 giant mimics
13 zruties
14 fire giants
28 ogre kings
16 ice trolls
77 rock trolls
23 umber hulks
14 flesh golems
26 Elvenkings
7 doppelgangers
32 hezrous
67 bone devils
25 large mimics
3 wumpuses
12 fire vortices
a baby long worm
3 baby purple worms
31 long worms
11 couatls
37 stalkers
19 air elementals
17 fire elementals
7 earth elementals
28 water elementals
21 hill giants
9 giant mummies
4 black nagas
19 xorns
25 giant zombies
33 elf-lords
48 sergeants
9 barbed devils
32 vrocks
11 salamanders
54 wargs
5 winter wolves
33 hell hound pups
35 small mimics
9 glass piercers
18 warhorses
21 steam vortices
39 xans
19 ettin mummies
29 ogre lords
31 quantum mechanics
98 trolls
2 sasquatches
11 wood golems
3 erinyes
15 mariliths
3 djinn
4 sharks
21 gelatinous cubes
20 pyrolisks
14 large dogs
12 freezing spheres
18 flaming spheres
33 shocking spheres
10 large cats
27 tigers
20 gargoyles
5 dwarf kings
16 tengu
25 ochre jellies
13 leocrottas
20 energy vortices
11 mountain centaurs
6 stone giants
17 elf mummies
18 human mummies
17 red nagas
8 green slimes
13 pit vipers
20 pythons
16 cobras
55 wraiths
15 carnivorous apes
29 ettin zombies
12 leather golems
42 Grey-elves
119 soldiers
7 horned devils
10 succubi
17 incubi
19 chameleons
18 crocodiles
33 giant beetles
20 quivering blobs
49 cockatrices
49 wolves
16 winter wolf cubs
14 lynxes
14 panthers
140 gremlins
12 spotted jellies
30 leprechauns
11 orc-captains
17 iron piercers
a mumak
11 giant spiders
26 scorpions
15 horses
10 ice vortices
21 black lights
22 vampire bats
15 forest centaurs
17 gnome kings
13 orc mummies
10 dwarf mummies
107 ogres
53 brown puddings
11 rust monsters
30 owlbears
22 yetis
8 gold golems
10 werewolves
34 Green-elves
11 giant eels
38 lizards
23 chickatrices
7 dogs
a dingo
3 housecats
24 jaguars
17 dwarf lords
9 blue jellies
7 white unicorns
6 black unicorns
20 dust vortices
17 ravens
7 plains centaurs
8 gnome mummies
20 snakes
11 water moccasins
15 apes
30 human zombies
9 rope golems
25 Woodland-elves
64 soldier ants
22 fire ants
17 bugbears
9 imps
25 lemures
13 quasits
13 wood nymphs
10 water nymphs
13 mountain nymphs
37 Mordor orcs
61 Uruk-hai
7 orc shamans
14 rock piercers
15 rock moles
6 ponies
11 fog clouds
29 yellow lights
5 shriekers
9 violet fungi
20 gnome lords
14 gnomish wizards
12 kobold mummies
2 black naga hatchlings
2 golden naga hatchlings
3 guardian naga hatchlings
15 gray oozes
9 barrow wights
29 elf zombies
21 ghouls
8 straw golems
4 paper golems
4 jellyfish
5 baby crocodiles
69 giant ants
3 little dogs
27 floating eyes
3 kittens
34 dwarves
8 homunculi
8 kobold lords
6 kobold shamans
57 hill orcs
30 rothes
7 rabid rats
8 centipedes
9 giant bats
7 monkeys
29 orc zombies
32 dwarf zombies
6 wererats
2 werejackals
18 iguanas
71 killer bees
6 acid blobs
3 coyotes
6 gas spores
10 hobbits
37 manes
11 large kobolds
23 hobgoblins
12 giant rats
25 cave spiders
5 brown molds
12 yellow molds
a green mold
3 red molds
78 gnomes
24 garter snakes
18 gnome zombies
15 geckos
16 jackals
3 foxes
3 kobolds
5 goblins
4 sewer rats
18 grid bugs
5 bats
14 lichens
21 kobold zombies
21 newts

5103 creatures vanquished.

Do you want a list of species genocided? [ynq] (n)

Genocided species:

hobbits
dwarves
bugbears
dwarf lords
dwarf kings
mind flayers
master mind flayers
rothes
mumakil
leocrottas
wumpuses
titanotheres
baluchitheria
mastodons
liches
demiliches
master liches
arch-liches
rust monsters
disenchanters
jellyfish
piranhas
sharks
giant eels
electric eels
krakens

26 species genocided.

Do you want to see your conduct? [ynq] (n)

Voluntary challenges:

You genocided 26 types of monsters.
You never changed form.
You used 9 wishes.
You did not wish for any artifacts.

Goodbye Quibble the Demigod...

You went to your reward with 7114628 points,
Sunsword (worth 1500 zorkmids and 3750 points)
The Heart of Ahriman (worth 2500 zorkmids and 6250 points)
8 rubies (worth 28000 zorkmids),
8 sapphires (worth 24000 zorkmids),
8 emeralds (worth 20000 zorkmids),
6 diamonds (worth 24000 zorkmids),
5 agate stones (worth 1000 zorkmids),
4 aquamarine stones (worth 6000 zorkmids),
4 jet stones (worth 3400 zorkmids),
4 opals (worth 3200 zorkmids),
4 jade stones (worth 1200 zorkmids),
1 citrine stone (worth 1500 zorkmids),
1 amber stone (worth 1000 zorkmids),
2 amulets of life saving (worth 300 zorkmids),
1 amulet of unchanging (worth 150 zorkmids),
1 amulet of reflection (worth 150 zorkmids),
1 amulet of magical breathing (worth 150 zorkmids),
and 25 pieces of gold, after 160346 moves.
You were level 30 with a maximum of 376 hit points when you ascended.

Woohoo! Yes, very inane, but hey, it took a lot of tries to succeed.

Yes, I shall finally stop being lazy and write something today!

What have I been doing? Well, went for church camp, been going to school, and have watched a lot of videos on Youtube. Would like to recommend one video. Especially for all the Singaporeans. :)

Here's a video of one of the speakers (Ruby Pan) at the "Talking Cock in Parliament" event held some time ago. Alternatively, you can find it here at the mrbrownshow site as well. Can you identify all the accents? :o)

The site also has videos of some of the other speakers as well. The song by Hossan Leong is cool as well.

"I live in Singapura..."