Wall-E I love WALL-E Image credit to Wikipedia. Totally dig this film, and kudos to Disney Pixar. Boy, did this film tug at my heart strings, and its animation is so awesomely good that it leaves me wanting more. Perhaps I should watch it a second time =P If you haven’t watched it, please do, and oh, stay till the end of the credits. *hint* pixel art fans, rejoice! Nicole FYP Update FYP has got off to a bumpy start initially, but I can see it getting smoothened out in the process. What happened was I had a unstable machine, causing my Ubuntu to go cookie, which led my suspicions to intermittent hardware fault, that I absolutely can´t comprehend. To save time, the lab tech allowed me to switch to an adjacent computer. Since then I have been setting it up, so far so good, and in the midst of getting down and dirty with all that setup and code analysis. Partly, I got to understand the entire portal, and then start playing with Zope Server, Plone Content Management Systems as well as getting to know Python, my partner in crime for the next one year. Hmm, I better get back to attending to the installation, Seems like all is going well. Only can hope and keep fingers crossed. Nicole Ben Siao Hai (Stupid Kid) A very old song, that has been stuck in my head. Enjoy Nicole Sleepless. Sleepless night. Guess sleep doesn’t come easy. Perhaps subconsciously, I am worried. Worried for? Well, the usual issues. Work’s piling like mad, and its like an avalanche at the moment. Slightly buried, but still alive. Ok, I whine too much. Time to put an end to it, and start dealing with all that workload as a matter of fact. A long day lies ahead for me. My Wednesdays are nightmares. No choice I guess. Got to grin and bear with it. I leave you with this quote. “Take your work seriously, but take yourself lightly” Nicole Juggling Roles I certainly have loads of contents to write and post on this blog. But I also realized that I am so tied down by my school work. It’s a fine line having to juggle with so many roles at one time… and some of the roles include being a student, daughter, girlfriend, blogger, accessory makeretc… While I relish the challenges of maintaining and performing well in it, however, I do feel very weared down by everything around me at times. Don’t get me wrong, not that I wanna whine or something, it’s just that I need to let it all out before I really go mad. And I mean it. Don’t worry about me, I will be fine, at most I will just wanna find a place to scream, or go find a place, have coffee, or a drink along with some soothing environment. Yesterday was a day well spent. Had a lovely time with Chillycraps, DK, Rinaz and the Tech65 Crew at the Science Center Podcasting workshop. Not to mention that Lenovo’s Blogger Night were to be held on the same day in the evening at Raffles City Shopping Center, Brozeit. Will be writing these posts soon too… And speaking of which, I do have a backlog now… From SMB3, to ACM visit, Podcasting Workshop, and the Blogger event… ah! Do hang in there and bear with me at the moment ok? I try to get it up as soon as I settle my school work. Increment in exponential amount doesn’t help at all at the moment. As soon as I can, I will be back with the backlog of posts. In the meantime, take care and cheers. Nicole Happy Professor Day Wishing all Teachers a happy Teacher’s Day! This week also marks the start of the one week vacation break for primary/sec/jc students. LOL~ Ok, I know I am no longer a kid. Have anyone thought of a Happy Professor Day? Nicole Science’08: Podcasting Workshop Just a quick shoutout to all ya interested in podcasting! Tech65 will be conducting a podcast workshop at Science Center on 1st September. Check it all out on this post. What? - Workshop on Podcasting Where? - Science Center When? - Monday, 1st Sept, 1pm How much? - Free! How to register? - http://www.sciencemonth.org.sg/special.asp I’ll be there to help them out! See ya there too ok?! Nicole Breakfast, Podcast Its a good start to the weekend, as I made my way to Geek Terminal to join the Tech65 Crew for their weekly recording. Nothing beats the good company with the Tech65 crew - Farinelli, Jerrick, Daniel, NTT, as well as DK and Chillycraps. I had breakfast and listening to the live recording session at the moment. Kinda fun A rare break for me, and I feel slightly more relaxed. Oh, I finally got some beauty sleep, and feel better, not so concussed. Nicole Posting from the iPhone Hello! Greetings from the iPhone. Though I am not the 3g version, but I still am an iPhone. Ok thats lame lol. I am just trying out blogging via the iPhone. Not too bad. Juz need to get used to typing on the virtual keyboard. Gets challenging though. This iPhone is not mine. Juz playing with it. Nicole I can have a day off plz? I ish feeling pretty stressed at the moment. Weekly meetings of projects for most of my modules are expected. Should expect some relief in week 6 where 3 assignments are due. But I can’t rest anymore. The workload is killing my back everyday. Have been jumpy for thursday and expect it to last into today as well. I know there ain’t many reasons for me to be jumpy. I just want a soothing massage, a nice hug, somewhere quiet for a cup of coffee would be nice. Yearning for the luxury. Nicole I am on The Geek Goddess Show Nothing much to write today, due to 3 project meetings in 2 days. Boy, that adrenaline rush felt good… In the meantime, catch me on The Geek Goddess Show, as Jerrick and I talks about the Intel Centrino 2 Chip. \ Do let me know if there is any area that I can improve on Thanks Podfire for the feature Feel too shy to comment? Drop me an email/msn/plurk/twitter! Enjoy! Nicole Awesome Birthday Part (3) And so… for the finale, after the sumptuous dinner… it was back to the car, and to the Singapore Flyer! That’s my very first visit to the Flyer. LOL! *excited* On route to the Flyer, I caught glimpses of the Fireworks… whee… kinda lucky though, cos wasn’t expecting to catch these Fireworks. But a stroke of good luck and sheer coincidence made it possible. I can’t believe I was going up in the Singapore Flyer! After getting through the entrance, and all the security checks, this is my first photo while awaiting entry to the capsule. Me in the capsule. LOL~ Ok, granted, I am very excited and happy that I got to experience what is it like in the flyer. Everything looks like ants below… wheee! Ok, its not scary at all, at least to me, and I quite enjoy what I see from the capsule. Managed to capture the lights. And back inside the capsule… Decided to play with the blue LEDs. And my red roses became a shade of blue. Pretty skyline… Trying my best not to shake the camera… and the golf course too… As the flyer approach the top (165m)… It really feels quite shiok to see the view outside the capsule… and this, no camera can capture the sight of it all And oh, a lil scary picture about me in blue… And at the top most point of the Flyer, he proposed to asked me if I would be his girlfriend. I blushed and said “yes”. And so I shall leave you with this blissful picture Before I end this post, I would like to say a BIG Thank You to Terence, for planning all these, really making the day so special and unforgettable. Of course, not forgetting Blackliner, cos I had a great and wonderful ride on board the Audi A6. Excellent service, fantastic car. *Thumbs Up* Nicole **PS: You all know how to access my album Awesome Birthday Part (2) The night of August 22nd 2008 was never meant to be forgotten, instead, it will be remembered for many years to come. That night was just so magical, so awesome, that left me almost in tears of joy and happiness. “Dream come true” was what I could summed it up with. Another long post, and mouth-watering pictures of food. You have been warned! True enough, my surprise started when I ended class at LT2A. He came and presented the bunch of flowers to me. And here is a shot of the both of us before we left the school premises. Its quite a sight to see a girl and a guy, walking and with the girl holding a bunch of flowers. Roses to be exact. And how I was blown away when an Audi A6 pulled up right beside us. Oh my god! I was so stunned and surprised. Then, he told me we were heading to dinner… at The Ship Restaurant. The car cruised along nicely on the Expressway, and it was such a comfortable ride, that I can’t help but smile till my cheeks cramped. It was totally unexpected, and I was simply so delighted till I am speechless. And yesh, thats me, in the restaurant… The Ship Restaurant is tucked away in a small lil corner of Shaw Center, and it is a fine steakhouse. You’ll see what I mean with all that photos of the steak coming right up… and yes, the mastermind behind the magic of it all… We soon placed our orders, and awaited the arrival of the food. While doing so, I took note of the wonderful ambience, and the decorations around the restaurant. Totally impressed… that cosy feeling, and the warmth of the place. Oh check out the wonderful slice of garlic bread… Its fragrance, though not over empowering, hits me at all the right notes, and whets my appetite for the main course of the day. Before I show you the picts of the main course, check out the decor of the place. Haha, and when the food arrived, I can’t help but go oooh…. hearing the hotplate sizzle, and watching the waitress putting sour cream, bacon bits and spring onions on the baked potato… the smell just makes my mouth water… His steak - done medium rare, with red wine and cognac sauce. My steak - done medium well, with black pepper sauce. I can’t resist taking a shot of the color of the steak… haha… I know I should concentrate on eating, but the itchy fingers of mine decided otherwise. Check out the baked potato! Overall, the food is excellent, and the company was way beyond description. The steaks are lovingly done, and the nice sizzle of the hot plate simply whets up all the senses. The vegetables are done so nicely that it complements the overall eating experience. I enjoyed my steak throughly, and a satisfied stomach makes Nicole a very happy and contented girl. In fact, I couldn’t enjoy any dessert or coffee, because I am so filled up from the steak itself. So after the lovely dinner, it was back to waiting for the car to pick us up. My bunch of flowers were causing people to take a double look at me, and their reaction was quite unexpected when the car pulled up, and he being the gentleman, opened the door and let me in first. Wanna know what happens next? Stay tuned… to the 3rd and final part of this wonderful and magical night. Nicole Awesome Birthday Part (1) With a sinful chocolate cake - layers and layers of chocolate fudge smack together, one can’t help but count calories. But I didn’t had to, I just want to enjoy the birthday cake. Before you read on, I am so gonna put a disclaimer here first. This is and will be a long long post, with pictures and what not… so be prepared ya! The main highlight for dinner would be this lovely dish: Salted Egg Yolk with Prawns. Man, I love the yummy and salty taste of the egg yolk that coats the fresh prawns. Can’t help but rave and digg about this dish. Kudos to dad the cook! I heart Mango Pudding, so this one is something not to be missed And of course, I can’t help but start gushing about the chocolate cake… From unboxing of the cake, till putting the candles on, I can’t help but take a picture of it at every stage When the candles are lighted, this is what it looks like… Ain’t the cake lovely? It wasn’t too sweet, and its just nice for my liking. Me ish one happy girl, with her chocolate cake and candles to blow. That was my early celebrations with my family and him before the actual day itself. And for that… Stick around to part 2…. Nicole Just For You, Thanks A short post just to say thanks for everything. You made life sweeter, with your kind words, encouragement and actions. My eyes opened to different perspectives, and to listen with an open mind. Thank you for all these lovely times, and many more to come Nicole Fast EasySafe Ever since I started using a computer and laptop for my studies, I’ve always been reminded on the importance and security of data. I can’t imagine the horrors of what could possibly happened if my important data falls into the wrong hands. To me, data is one of the most important things that I can’t afford to lose. Lose the computer, laptop is alright, although heartbreaking and apart from burning a huge hole in my wallet. But the data is priceless. I remembered a time where I misplace my thumbdrive containing my poly Final Year Project Report. That whole device contained all that precious editing of my report as well as other important documents. I was on the verge of tears because of all the hard work I’ve got to put in again to get the whole thing done. (My computer back at home has the not-so updated version). Thankfully, all ended well, as a kind and honest soul has passed the thumbdrive to the technician. It was a close shave though, as I thought I would have never seen it again. I guess no one would like to go through such an experience. So, here’s the savior: EasySafe. EasySafe will protect your private and confidential data. Oh, need I say more? You can get your copy of EasySafe from the following location: E2000 shop at Funan #05-02. Tec-Drome Technology at Sim Lim Square #05-78 and #06-74. IMM Challenger L2-49. And if you happen to already own a copy of EasySafe, but not sure of how to use it, watch this video for more details This is a sponsored review from Blog2u. Nicole Getting up to speed… Please bear with me, am trying to get up to speed with all that back log of posts… sorry! I had an awesome birthday, smashingly good celebrations, and its a dream that came true last night. Will need to get up to speed with everything now! Ciao! Nicole a new chapter awaits Every year, this special day, never fails to warm my heart, for it was this day that I came crying into this world. Life’s journey thus far has been sweet, sour, salty and bitter. (I don’t know how the salty part can fit in, just thought it flows) As I pause everything in its track, I take the time to savor and reflect. I wouldn’t say Life is a bed of roses. It’s constantly up and down, coloring my life and the people around me for the past 22 years. I feel blessed and thankful for such a journey, and it hasn’t stopped, it simply continues. As I turn 23, a new chapter in life awaits. Happy Birthday to Me. Nicole Photo of the Day Guess where I shot the photo. No prizes for the correct guess though. Nicole ranting away /rant mode on Sometimes I don’t get it why I have to be swamped with so much work that my entire social life seem on the edge of crumbling? Ok, not to such an extent, but one can already feel the impact of it happening. Late classes, screwed up timetable, and not a moment I can totally take my breath and rest. Things happen too fast too furious, coming to me like a shock to my system. I can probably tell you why. My back hurts daily, and my quality of sleep can get compromised. My shoulders are very stiff, and one whack would probably send me howling in pain. Its that bad. Readings, readings and more readings. Not to mention lectures, tutorials, lab on top of FYP. Argh. Final Year ‘Party’ has just begun. or rather Final Year Punishment. /rant mode off Ah… that made me feel much better. Sorry I had to make ya read through my brunt of rants and what not. :S *sorry* Nicole almost there… Mind is a whirl right now at the moment. Stoning in my lab. Well, might as well blog a bit for now. A lot of thoughts have ran through my mind, and some of them are well, life changing so to speak. It might sound vague to some of you, but I´ve intended to be this vague on my personal matters on my blog, for the moment. Usually quite straightforward, but I guess I am having second thoughts writing it in the open. Not your fault, but is probably mine as a writer. Not to worry, I will still write my personal thoughts and what not here… save for some matters and issues. Thanks for understanding. Anyway, mid-week Wednesday and I can´t help but start getting excited for Friday. LOL! By now most would have known what will happen on Friday. I would like to thank my family for the lovely birthday celebrations they held for me on last Sunday. Totally appreciated it. A simple dinner and a lovely oh so sinful chocolate fudge cake, and not to mention, a lot of fun and laughter. Thank you. Work´s piling, nothing new. Think I am so gonna be screwed. Nicole depressed by the rain Me ish having a problem. Rain makes me feel damn gloomy and depressed. Yup, the cold weather makes me feel so sluggish and so blue. Probably psychological, but I just can´t help it. Nicole Choice is yours. Sometimes I just wish that things could have turned out better instead of for the worse. However, as much as one can wish for, there are issues or matters that can never be within the reach of our control. Things can spiral out of control really quickly in that sense. I´ve experienced first hand what is it to be like making your choice and to pay the price for doing so. Its a matter of one´s choices and how expensive that price can be. Whichever the price is, be it emotions, actions, it arises from just one word, choice. You see, when faced with a situation or a circumstance, there are generally choices to be made, and that one thing leads to another. To be frank, I too can be really lost at what choice to make. Sometimes it tortures me so. In the end, the choice I made tend to have some undesirable price that I have to pay. Bottomline? I´ve learnt a very important lesson of living life. Make my choices carefully. Nicole networking with the banks. Getting ready for a networking session has never been so tough, especially if it might impact on your first job after graduation. I manage to register successfully for the Global Banks Networking Session, that is going to be held at Nanyang Auditorium on 19th August. Although the downside is I have to wear formal attire, but I ain’t complaining because I get to talk and mingle with people from the banking sector. For a girl like me with no know how of the business and investment sector, I figured that I may be in for a rough ride. But for all I know, perhaps I might find a silver lining in there. Whatever it is, I’ve prepared my CV and read up on some information. I hope to adopt an open mindset at the event itself. Nicole Locker Pretty much pleased I manage to get a locker in school, and this means no more heavy bag days LOL! Well, my sister and I can use it to store some of our stuff. The price of hiring the locker is quite reasonable, at $10.70. Think of it as a small space to store your stuff. I can’t wait to use it soon! Not a very big locker, but good enough to put some stuff there, and access it as and when possible. Probably this is my first and last time hiring the locker… haha… Yup, its located at a place I can access it readily and quite convenient. Nicole my life on yesterday Hmm, I’ve been missing out on the post on Saturday. Me bad, but hey, I need to study Was at Asian Civilization Museum for Social Media Breakfast 3, and had a nice tour around the museum too. Pictures and writeups at a later date. Reached home and made some accessories again, after that studied for my modules. Nicole PS: My family is celebrating my birthday early for me today! *happy* TGIF 2 weeks of school is almost over. Thank Goodness It´s Friday! Had a very good time at Geek Terminal with some friends. Martinis galore. Work´s coming in fast and furious, which means, my time online will be filled with more work than play. Oh well. Nicole for you To a special someone: “When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don’t give up though the pace seems slow– You may succeed with another blow, Success is failure turned inside out– The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit– It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.” ~ Unknown Nicole Makansutra - Gluttons Bay Went to gluttons bay to makan. Believe it or not, it’s my first time there… LOL! Not a very good shot I’m afraid.. haha… but yeah, I shot it while sitting down… =X I had yummy carrot cake and bbq chicken wings from this store… Close up of the carrot cake… Yummy wings! It’s a different experience eating in open air, and that’s probably a first for me at Gluttons Bay. Got pretty hungry after some drinks, so thus the food! The good part that I like would be the Ambience, but the bad part, too many flying insects, especially after the rain. :X Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience. Nicole Ain’t it Pretty? Lately, Will.I.AM tunes have been playing on my laptop recently… because I like it. Haha, of course, I like it for a reason… the tunes just flowed… His album, Songs About Girls, says it all… Song entitled Ain’t it Pretty. Says it all about how pretty a girl can be… Nicole