.

BLOODY HELL.

The little irritants of my life packed in one day. I wasn't able to do much during the mid-semester break and it ended just like that. My EZ link card turned out to be blacklisted (I HAVE NO IDEA WHY) from the transportation database of Singapore so I wasn't able to use it when I rode the bus a while ago. I had to pay $1 just to go to the library, and tomorrow I would need to change the bloody card and pay some more. The internet connection in my room decided to have a vacation at a time when I needed to access my uploaded notes in my school's website. Now I am at the computer center and the man beside me is touching himself. I have my period and I feel bloated and I am going to have stomach cramps.

I cannot explain how irritated I am right now. No words would suffice.

P&G!!!

I received a very exciting email this afternoon.

-----Original Message-----
From: P&G Recruiting [mailto:careers.im@pg.com]
Sent: Fri 9/29/2006 5:23 PM
To: Espinosa Korinna Gacal
Subject: P&G Finance Challenge Week

<http://pg.taleo.net/custom/images/company_logo_01.gif>

September 29, 2006



Korinna G. Espinosa
25 Lower Kent Rige Road
D409 Ridge View Residences
119081,Singapore
Singapore




Dear Korinna,

Congratulations! You have progressed through to the next stage of your application for our Finance Challenge Week at Procter & Gamble.



You are invited to a Problem Solving Test which assesses reasoning and problem solving ability. The test will take 65 minutes, but please allow an hour and a half in total.



The test will take place on 13th October 2006 (Friday) at P&G Office - Novena Square Tower A, Level 21



Please choose one of the following timeslots:
Session 1 - 9.00am

Session 2 - 10.15am

Session 3 - 11.45am

Kindly confirm your preferred timeslots via email (jamaluddin.b@pg.com) by Oct 3rd, 2006. Pls note that each session has a maximum of 48 seats. You are advised to confirm your preferred timeslot early as it will be based on "first come first serve" basis. You will receive an email once your timeslot has been confirmed.



Please note the following prior to the test:

1. Please bring with you a pencil, eraser and calculator for the test. Paper will be supplied for workings.
2. No business attire is required for the test.
3. When you arrive at our office, please let our Receptionist know that you are here for the Problem Solving Test. He/she will take you from there.
4. Please expect that you will be participating in this test with other candidates in the same room.
5. Here's the practice test for you to have a feel of the test at the website below: http://www.pgcareers.com/index.asp?l1=1&l2=1&l3=3


Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Thank you.


Regards,
Nur

Talent Supply Assistant

Procter & Gamble

Contact No. 68245788

I am all smiles. haha!

I'll comment more on this later because as usual, I am on a rush to go mugging with Sundeep again.

Lackluster ideas

This is what I wrote in my recent email to my groupmates:

Hi everyone,

I found an interesting business idea (just in case Dr Cheng doesn't favor our first one). It's quite simple actually, but I found it novel. It's about a product called Umbrolly, originally from Britain. The company places umbrella vending units in public spaces, selling advertising space alongside umbrellas. Its compact size allow it to be placed where customers are most likely to need an umbrella (usually near an exit).

I think this is a great business idea firstly because Singapore's weather is quite unpredictable. This will solve people's problems of being stuck inside a building or a bus stop because of a sudden downpour. Even if people already own an umbrella, what if the person left it at home because the weather seemed fine when he/she left, or found it a hassle to carry around a bulky umbrella, oblivious to the fact that he/she may be needing it later? Having a ready umbrella around may also indirectly prevent diseases brought about by being soaked in the rain, such as having flu or catching the cold virus. It's not only when there's rain that one would need an umbrella...also when the sun's glaring like nobody's business and you need some shade..

Like other vending machines, RainOrShine Vending Machine (or whatever name we want to call it) can be placed virtually anywhere with human traffic: shopping centres, MRT stations, bus stops, office buildings, schools (this would be a relief for concerned mothers of primary school kids I think).

In Singapore, one competitor could be Giordano, which is renting umbrellas to the public. But it is less convenient because you would then need to return the umbrella, so it's quite a hassle. Or, people could just buy umbrellas in normal stores, but again, we are offering convenience for people in a stuck-in-a-bus-stop-and-it's-raining-cats-and-dogs scenario or something similar.

Aside from getting revenue through selling umbrellas, we can also earn money through selling advertising space in our compact vending machines, so it's a double revenue kind of thing.

The target market can be virtually anyone also, it's just that the means of promotion will differ.

For more info about Umbrolly, you can visit www.umbrollys.com.
For more business ideas, this site is very helpful: www.springwise.com

This is all for now. What do you think?=)

Cheers,
Korinna

But based on their replies, it seems that this business idea is now being thrown inside the rubbish bin. I just realized that all my ideas are being rejected.

The initial business idea that we all agreed upon is about a cafe for diabetics and health-conscious people. However, I think that the restaurant business is already quite saturated, and based on what we've already discussed so far, we haven't really come up with something so novel that would make our cafe unique compared to other ubiquitous cafes.

I also tried to suggest some high tech business ideas, but my group is quite hesitant to pursue any of them because none of us are that technically inclined. But actually, I think it can still be done if we just do our research about the existing technologies and how we can make use of them in new ways. For instance, the GPS-enabled vouchers sent via sms to customers. We could partner with telecommunications companies and retail stores or other establishments. If a participating store decides to have a promotion at this certain time, an sms will be sent to customers around that area telling them about the promotion. Since they are already within the area at that certain time, they are more likely to participate in the promotion. Thus, there will be an increase in the store walk-ins, and of course whenever there's discount and you're at the right place at the right time, you being the consumer will be happy.

Or do something similar like what my father suggested to me last vacation. It's about a delivery service via sms, whereby we could partner with telecom companies and retail establishments again and set up a 'menu' that can be accessed via mobile phone, and people could just sms their orders of whatever that's on the menu.

Hmm...I don't know...I'm not too excited about the food business idea. Maybe it stems from the fact that I am from Engineering faculty and I want something more high tech. However, I am still not that persuasive enough, and I still need to improve on how to get my ideas across to other people.

I'll Show 'Em.

This is going to be what I think is my last post about NOC. really.

In the very near future, I would like to brand myself as a business savvy individual trained with the rigours of engineering. How does that sound? Nice right?!

I'll show them NOC people. Really. I know I have what it takes. I am undaunted by your rejection. Ok lah, for a while I was a bit hurt even though I tried not to be. But I am still human. Of course I am genuinely happy for Michael, because I really prayed that he would get into the program. So ok God answered a part of my prayer. I kept telling myself that it would be okay even if I didn't get in, but of course it still hurt me that I wasn't accepted...given that I really gave my best and prepared much for it.

Never mind, my crying days are over. I want to thank Sundeep for being there for me. He is always there in times like this.

In my absence in the blogosphere, I went about settling my 'back-up' plans. I'll post more about it later. Right now I badly need to study. I'm glad I am making some progress too.

Bad Day, For What?

Something amazing happened today. God truly works in mysterious ways. See, this morning at 10 am, we were supposed to have a group meeting for our upcoming presentation for my Entrepreneurial Marketing module. It is still a mystery why my trusty alarm clock didn't work, and I woke up at 10:08am. HORROR! I didn't even have a time to take a shower (which is sort of an atrocity for me, not showering in the morning). I rushed to our meeting place and in the end, we had a not-so-fruitful meeting.

When I got back to my place, I realized a very horrible thing. My keys are nowhere to be found inside my bag. I was frantically looking all over the place. F**King S*it WHERE ARE MY G**DAM*ED KEYS?!!! I tell you I've never uttered more curse words in my whole life than at that moment. I was past boiling point. Anyway to cut the long story short, I went to the hall office and got another key, which cost me 60 whopping dollars.

That afternoon, the memories of all my life's screw-ups came back, and I felt like s*it. I poured out everything to Him, that I felt so worthless and insignificant. I felt like I am up to no good, and that even if I suddenly die, no one would bother. Everything just didn't turn out well recently, and I was having a very bad day. Some more, I didn't understand why I had to lose my keys and pay $60.

Then after much shedding of tears, reading the Bible, and putting make-up back on so I'd look refreshed, I decided to get back on with my life and do my lab report. Okay until now I haven't done that yet, because something amazing happened. My room door was wide open, but someone still knocked anyway. And that person was holding my lost keys!!! I got mixed emotions, because by default my lost keys are already useless at this point. But I was still happy anyway, and as the guy was leaving I asked for his name.

He said: "Jacob". The name rang a bell in my head.
Me: "Did you go for NOC?"
Jacob: "Yeah. I was one of the pioneering batch that went to Stockholm." I KNEW IT! (While doing my research as preparation for NOC, I came across his name many times. Too bad I didn't get in the program.)

Then we had a little chat and off he went his merry way. SO. I had to lose my keys and pay 60 bucks to meet Jacob is it?!

Dunno why leh. But I believe this experience is more than this chance encounter, and I am still amazed at how God works in mysterious ways. I am also sorry for all the profanity I privately uttered to God.

NOC Sidebit

CONGRATULATIONS Michael! Woohoo! At least there's still someone who'd be able to wave and plant the Philippine flag somewhere out there courtesy of the NOC program. Make the most out of it okay. I believe in the NOC program and what it can do for you...so you go all the way okay. Don't be easily discouraged by ANYTHING.

Yay you make me proud. =)

NOC: The final chapter

[edited] I just read Michael's blog...and okay, now I know why I didn't get in. It's because of my bloody CAP. Hee nevermind. Almost everyone really can't get past the low-CAP stereotype. But still, I stand by my belief that my CAP doesn't define who I am.

Finally, the NOC result is out. I didn't get in.

Thank you Lord for the opportunity you gave me. It was a good try, and well...I learned new things about myself too. It's just a bit puzzling for me, because my second interview went well actually. I enjoyed it, and it seemed as though the two professors who interviewed me enjoyed it too. Before I left, they even told each other "She's good!", and they were nodding and smiling. So that raised my hopes up a little bit.I guess everyone else 's interview went well too, thus making the competition very tough.

I am not sourgraping or anything, but even if I did get into the program, somehow I already knew that I won't be going anyway. First, there's a slim chance that MFA would really let me go because I would need to extend a semester or more and not be able to graduate on time; and second, no one in my family is actually very happy that I did apply, because we won't be able to afford it.

It's just ironic that after I had the worst interview of my life, I got into the Singapore Scholarship program; and when I had what I though was the best interview of my life (with regards to my confidence level and eloquence), I didn't manage to get in. One day when I see God face to face, I'll ask him about this.

Anyway, God's ways are higher than mine. I do not feel devastated with the outcome, because I already prepared myself for this moment. It was a good experience also, and it was a good try. And who said going for NOC is the only way to achieve my dreams?

So yup, life goes on. Time to implement Plan B...or C...or D...even if it takes Plan Z as well. Thanks for all those who encouraged me and prayed for me. I love you guys.

sige po, sa susunod yung mga masasayang posts na lang.

i need to rush to school na!

i can't think of a good title for this post

Okay I am here again. I am disappointed with myself, because clearly, I haven't been studying when I should be. I am just being nostalgic. No, that's not even the right word, I reckon, because I am not actually longing for the past, but pretending to be be, given that I know what's gonna happen in the future. Okay before any grammar police incarcerates me for any more run-on sentences, I shall now state my case.

I am becoming so needy nowadays. You know, I want to be with him always. I just thought that maybe we could make the most out of our remaining time together by being with each other as often as possible. However, he thinks it's best to gradually end our ties so when that fateful day comes it won't be so painful. He advised me to go out with my friends more. See he is not even jealous of Wayne anymore (yeah right, like he has a reason to be).

The other day I was just thinking...next semester right...hmm...

January: our birthday month. His is on the 10th and mine is on the 22nd. We won't be together.

February: f****** Valentine's Day comes and I won't have flowers. (okay I'm kidding. I am more sad because he won't be around).

March: Supposedly our 2nd anniversary, which is not going to happen.

April: Exam period. Who am I gonna mug til the wee hours with? Who's gonna explain all those technical engineering stuff to me in plain english? Who's gonna wipe my tears away and cheer me on when I am ready to give up for not understanding the martian language used in my subjects?

Who is going to call me little princess? Smallie? Gacal? Mole?

One day he asked me why my parents never named me Mole. He said Mole Gacal Espinosa would have been a nice name. Then my business name would have been MGE Ventures.

Earlier today I read all our email exchanges. In the past, I was, erm, quite pissed and never appreciated his emails because, as the name implies, they are electronic mails, and I prefer tangible handwritten letters. It's only today that I appreciated his emails a lot.

When I was in highschool, during our English class discussion, I remembering participating and stating "...because sometimes, true love means letting go." Of course then, as an ignorant little kid, I didn't know how painful acting that out was.

Anyway.

Mid-sem break is coming up. After the most recent deluge of blog posts, I think I shall devote my time with my books that are already gathering dust in the shelves.

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot

Boyfriend Chronicles

I just had a good cry. (Again?) Warning: Mushy stuff. Those with saccharine intolerance (is there such a thing?) better leave now.

I don't even know where or how to start. It's just that it became increasingly often that I think about what's in store for me next sem. He is leaving for France in a few months and I think it's also going to be the end of us. But then again, maybe there's no us in the first place.

I never thought that I'd be so afraid to love someone with all my heart. I never thought that I'd delibrately choose not to love someone with all my heart. It's funny, because at the beginning, I admit that when I first told him those three magic words at the park, I didn't really mean it. I found it too soon, but I said anyway just to make him happy. We were just plain friends, but he was always good to me. Always there when I had problems (especially that time when I broke up with my first boyfriend), he was my personal tutor for most of my subjects in school, and he's very fun to be with. It was only because of our most apparent differences that I was so hesitant to be involved with him as more than friends. But anyway, I obliged when he asked me to give it a try. I was lonely and curious too.

We had a shaky start. We'd always have petty fights and I'd always cry during lectures. I've become such an expert in crying silently that even during lectures where we sit next to each other, my tears would go unnoticed. I think I set up too high an expectation from him, since I just came from a relationship with someone who promised me the world. And of course, we grew up in different cultures, so he didn't even have an inkling as to how I wanted things to be.

I' not even sure how many times we actually broke up in the past because of our petty fights. Twice? Three times? But we'd always get back together because we see each other in class everyday, and we have the same group of friends who we always have lunch with. For me, I found it very awkward to be around each other as just friends, since I'd miss him as more than that too.

As time progressed, I've grown to love him...you know, really love him. At one point I've even had the illusion that he could be the one who'd meet me at the end of the aisle on my wedding day. But then, I realized that he doesn't have this end in mind. It became clear that our paths would inevitably diverge in the future, because we each have our own plans in life.

At first, I was angry and frustrated. Why are we still together then, even if we know that in the end we will just say goodbye? It also bothered me so much that every school vacation, our relationship seems to take a break too. We very seldom communicate with each other, but it's largely due to poor internet connection in our home countries and high call rates. (I was complaining that we didn't talk much last summer, but when he got back here in Singapore, he had to settle $400+ for his mobile phone bills. With that amount of money I could have gone back and forth home in the Philippines TWICE.) Our lack of communication made it easy for me to admire other guys too, since I felt unloved anyway.

However, when we see each other again, all my feelings for him would rush back. I am the type who would want to sms my boyfriend 'I love you' everyday, leave mushy post-its to his notebook or bag or door, compose poems and love letters and personalized cards, give him a ring (yes, the one you put in your finger..ha!) and..I don't know..be a martyr for love? (Whatever that means.) But I deliberately chose not to do these things anymore, because I think he'll get freaked out.

I find it weird that I'm in a way, limiting my love for him. But I guess I'm just obeying what my elders told me, not to be so serious in a relationship since I am still so young. I gave my all and broke my heart when I first fell in love, but now I am just being more careful.

I also give him credit for being practical, and not promising me the sun, moon, and the stars right now. Both of us have our own stars that we want to reach, and I guess it's true what the wise men say: Only fools rush in.

Right now, I am happily loving Sundeep as my boyfriend until such time that we will cease to be together. A while ago I asked him why he even asked me to be his girlfriend, when now it's pretty clear that we don't have a future. He said he didn't really think about such things before (and maybe because I am so pretty what. OKAY THAT IS JUST TO INFLATE MY EGO. Erase, erase haha). And in my case too, I know that I'm not supposed to have a relationship with a non-Christian blah-blah. I also don't know why I went for it...or why God allowed for us to be together. So shoot me for defying my religion, but we won't be ending up together anyway.

I am just savoring my (last?) moments with him. He is really dear to me, though he could get really irritating sometimes. But overall, he is a good and decent man. (And he is very funny to boot.) I also admire him for a lot more reasons, especially for his wit, and being able to juggle academics and extra-curricular activities very well. Sometimes, even if he looks like a walking garbage bag when he hasn't shaved, his hair has grown too long, and when he wears that checkered polo shirt and short black shorts that I personally want to burn to ashes, I still love him. But I love him more when he is cleanly shaven and he's in any of his soccer jerseys...haha he looks so masculine. And of course, as I've mentioned a thousand times before, I love his nose. I love his nose. And again, I love his nose.

Too bad, it seems that my children can't have his nose.

Life is complicated.

dugaya pud sa results uy.

I hate to admit it, but I am already getting restless and impatient while waiting for the NOC results. I mean, argh. If I am not in, I hope they'll tell me as soon as possible so I could execute my back-up plans already. If I am in, well, they also have to tell me as soon as possible because I would then have to solve another problem that's about to arise.

Remember my meeting with MFA after my NOC interview? I cried in front of the MFA officials because, number 1: I am a sissy and I really cry easily whatever the situation may be (when I am happy I cry, when I am angry I cry, when I am sad, of course I cry..etc)...and number 2: they told me I am not allowed to go for NOC because it is written in the Terms and Conditions of the Scholarship and whatnot, and as they were saying this I was reminded of all the effort I had put in as preparation for the two sets of interviews- all those sleepless nights and time I could have used for studying. On impulse and with tears streaming down my face, I told them that if ever I get accepted into the program, I would appreciate it if they let me go. Then the guy said they will deliberate, make a case for me, and submit it to the higher officials...but in the end the 'higher beings' will have the final say.

When I brought up the topic about students going for Student Exchange Program, which also is supposedly not allowed according to the Terms and Conditions of the Scholarship, they told me they still had strict guidelines for those who were eventually allowed to go (I reckon you must have lots of moolah in your bank account to show them that you can survive financially out there. Well whatever. I don't have that. And somemore my grades suck, so I don't have a very strong case for MFA...even if I told them that for NOC my CAP doesn't matter much.)

So there. This is the root of my quarter-life crisis. Right now I don't know where I'm going. I'm standing at this fork in the road for two weeks already and it's getting frustrating.

PS

I missed church this Sunday. Actually, I attended this Baptist Church at Boy's/Girl's Brigade where we had our AIESEC Orientation camp the whole weekend (I was part of the Organizing Committee - and this should be in another post altogether but I guess I'm over my frustration with the conflict of interest between the Organizing Committee and Management Committee, so never mind. I'll just keep the stuff to myself). Ya so I missed church and my Wyldfire bunch and I missed Ate Cla's farewell party (won't be seeing Ate Cla til next year- going to London School of Economics for her Master's Degree..wow). I missed church and this week's been... toinks never mind.

Not really about journalists but sort of

I am amused by how Conrado de Quiros started his article for today.

I AM protesting discrimination. My good friend Billy Esposo has had a libel case filed against him by Mike Arroyo. My good friend Ellen Tordesillas has had a libel case filed against her by Mike Arroyo. My friend Lito Banayo has had a libel case filed against him by Mike Arroyo. My colleagues Jake Macasaet, Mon Tulfo and the editorial staff of my favorite newspaper, the Inquirer, have had a libel case filed against them by Mike Arroyo.

I have not had a libel case filed against me by Mike Arroyo. I feel left out. I protest!

Read more...

Anyway, when I read the word 'journalist', I remember one of the batchmates of my brother in highschool. Sure, I've heard and read of the injustice being inflicted to journalists, but I didn't really give a fish about it because none of those who were sued, or worse- slaughtered, were related to me.

But last vacation when I went back home, I had this encounter with a young boy. I was waiting for my brother at the Octagon of the Boy's Dormitory in Pisay. They were having their Dorm Acquaintance Party at the gym, quite far away, so nobody else was around. Then this boy came, who apparently stays at the dorm. However, the door was already locked, because the party already started at the gym, so he cannot enter anymore. Being the not-so-friendly person that I am, I just went on reading the book I brought with me to kill my waiting time. (This is the part where you could relate with me for all those awkward moments you've had some time in your life).

Suddenly, I noticed the sound of a stifled cry...then an almost inaudible whimpering. My goodness the boy is crying! What to do mah?! So, being in that scenario whereby you are alone with a crying little boy, you CANNOT not do anything, right? I approached the boy and asked what was wrong, and why he's not going to the gym to join the party. Then you know what he said?

"Oh..because I cannot enter my room anymore to change my clothes (for the party). I was late because I just came from *somewhere I don't remember* to give a speech..you see, MY PARENTS JUST DIED.."

When I heard these words, I was like WHAT?!

Then he said he didn't want to join the party because he found his current clothes inappropriate, he hasn't taken a bath yet, etc. So all the while I was coaxing him to go to the party nevertheless, because nobody would mind his clothes (I know because I'm from Pisay too)...and I could sense that he really didn't want to miss out on all the fun, because from where we were, we could hear people cheering from the gym. I knew he just needed a little prodding. I had to persuade him for a long time, still to no avail. Then he went to the canteen to buy instant noodles for his dinner, showing me that I bug off and implying he's fine. I followed him to the canteen, and while he was buying his food, I learned from the canteen attendant that his parents were journalists and that they were ambushed together.

Then I remembered all those angry articles by Conrado de Quiros regarding the injustice done to journalists. It was during that moment that I realized the gravity of the situation. Journalists are being slain left and right without mercy, and they leave behind little girls and little boys (like the one I just met). It made me angry and sad.

Anyway, in the end the boy attended the party, thanks to the persuasion and kindness of the dorm manager who showed up at the Octagon. The boy wore an oversized black polo shirt, supposedly my gift for my father when I get back home later that night. He was hesistant in wearing the brand new shirt because he realized it was fresh from the paperbag with the receipt still attached to it, but his eyes were also sparkling with eagerness to join the party.

Later that night, the boy thanked me. But actually, that was only the least I could do. I want to thank him more for giving me a warm glow within when his lips finally curled into a smile, and for showing me the great strength tucked in that tiny body of his. Despite disasters and devastations, life still goes on...

PS

Ha! SO now I think I should stop having this quarter-life crisis (I'm 20)...or this mid-sem crisis...or whatever you want to call it. It's freaking irritating. One of the reasons why I've been silent for a while.

Patience, etc.

Last Sunday's sermon was about patience, which is very apt because I really need to cultivate that virtue. I'm sorry if I won't sound nice in the rest of this post, but I'm just uber irritated.

Ok. I need to have patience, especially in dealing with the following people:

a.) my inconsiderate next-door neighbor, who is very fond of blasting her stereo every single night. One time I went to knock on her door to politely request her to turn the volume down. You know what she did? Or better I'll say what she didn't do. She didn't even entertain me. Ok she turned off her stereo for a while. After a few moments of hanging around outside her room and realizing that she's never going to come out, I went back to my room. After a while, she blasted her stereo again. SO INCONSIDERATE, CAN?!

b.) some of my uncivilized floormates who do not flush the toilet after they poop. I do not think I need to describe the details...but please, you managed to grab a spot to study in a top world-class university but you never learned how to flush the toilet?! And somemore clog the toilet bowl with tissue you used to swipe your behind til the next user can't flush your wastes...Ok 'nuff said.

c.) one crazy woman who is unfortunately linked to me by my middle name. Details classified.

Anyway, a while ago during lecture, I just had this funny thought (at least for me) about some university acronyms. So now, right, I am doing BS Civil Engineering...also unknown as Brain Saturation in Civil Engineering. However, after that, I don't think I'll be doing my M. Eng... because I'm a Moron in Engineering...cannot keep up with the technicalities. If I want further studies, I'll take MBA instead. That would give me just a Minor Brain Abrasion. When I was younger, I wanted to take PhD too. However, as I now realize, I'm not too keen on having a Permanent head Damage from too much studies, after all.

(Before I end, here's the part where I put a disclaimer that says: Be Cool! Stay in School! Studying is Fun!!!)

YOU CANNOT MISS THIS!!!

Oh my goodness, this is like one of the best deals I've come across in my entire life. Too bad I cannot take part. You'll soon find out why. I saw this in the announcements section of NUS IVLE:

Paid Research Experiment: Study on Exercise
Functional Brain Imaging Lab, Dept of Psychology, NUS

The entire commitment to participate in this study will be for about 24 weeks. All participants will have a chance to get a free gym membership and exercise for 12 weeks of the study. Interested students are required to join the study in pairs. While one of you exercises for the 1st 12 weeks of the study, the other will monitor your progress. The two of you will then switch roles in the remaining 12 weeks.

What you will do in the study

We will assess your biological markers (cortisol levels and genes involved in brain health) and you will be required to provide a saliva sample at the beginning, middle and end of each 12 week cycle. We will also assess your cardiovascular responses (blood pressure and heart monitoring) during short, biweekly test sessions. Neuropsychological assessments will be conducted during the study.

In addition, we will also be assessing your brain function at the beginning, middle and end of the study (3 x 2-hour sessions), which will be conducted at NUH using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Unlike X-rays, fMRI does not involve ionizing radiation and is considered a routine and safe diagnostic medical tool.

The exercise sessions will be held in a fully-equipped gym on campus, and you will be required to commit to 3 one-hour sessions of cardiovascular exercise a week during the 12 weeks you are assigned to exercise.

Exclusion criteria

1) you are left-handed

2) you have braces or other metal implants which cannot be easily removed (do contact us for clarification if necessary)

3) you are pregnant or intending to get pregnant during the study

4) you are not between the ages of 18 and 40

5) you have been exercising more than 2 hours a week on average for the past 6 months

NB: If you are interested in participating but are unable to find a partner, please contact us as we may be able to pair you up with another participant.

The study is ongoing and we welcome you to start anytime. Our next intake is in Week 4 of this semester (4th-8th September). The tentative end date is the last week of February 2007.

Selected participants who fully commit and take part in each component of the study as described will receive a payment of $300 at the end of the study.

Contact Geetha (6 516 5000; fbi.lab@gmail.com).


Well, I cannot join because I have braces. I think this is a really good deal, because you are like "forced" to exercise (if you don't have the discipline), but then you are actually doing your body a favor. And somemore you get paid!!! For all those qualified I think you should go for it.

Yeah Lor.

Ours is a quasi relationship.

And maybe it's better that way.

But I think I will forever be in love with his nose.

And his French.

what a day

Eventful day. NUS Overseas Colleges interview (keeping mum for now - must not be overly enthusiastic lest I break my heart in the end.. but I want to thank God for being with me). Meeting with people from my scholarship sponsor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Preview of the Internet Marketing Convention by Stuart Tan.

I'll talk about the last eventful event I had today. So I got an sms today regarding the seminar preview about IM. After meeting up with the MFA people for what else, my grades -even though my lowest grade last sem was a B-, I decided to attend the seminar since I want to know the Internet Marketing happenings here in Singapore (besides, I was already wearing a business attire due to my first two appointments). I took a cab (which reminds me, I spent a grand total of $20 for cab fare today, which is equivalent to 7 lunches already..haiz) to go to and from MFA, because it's not very accessible by public transport. And as anyone who knows me too well, I don't have the greatest sense of direction either, so taking a cab to get there was my best bet.

The seminar was held at Adam Khoo Technologies Learning Center somewhere in Tanjong Pagar. A little background info about this Adam Khoo guy...he is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26 and now a multi-millionaire at the age of 31, he owns and runs 3 different companies with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. Once in a while he comes here in NUS to give talks and preview seminars, and that's how I got to meet him. He is really amazing, being an underachiever and kicked out of primary school, then decided to change the course of his seemingly bleak future...and look at him now, he is way over than an over-achiever. He was even at the top 1% when he graduated from NUS Business School. ANYWAY.

Stuart Tan also runs the company founded by Adam Khoo, and both of them are highly sought-after motivational speakers and trainers here in Singapore. They train all sorts of people -from kids to them that don corporate suits- to excel in whatever field they're in, and in life in general. Both of them have a very high reputation in society.

And that is why, I was all the more happy when I learned that they're also venturing in Internet Marketing. They are putting their reputation at stake in educating people about internet marketing. It gives me this affirmation that yes, internet marketing is a real option you can have to start your own business, even if you don't have any business inclination in the past whatsoever (like me). What I have is the passion to learn the nuts and bolts of this emerging landscape of doing business.

There were around 80 people who attended the seminar, and most of them are working professionals my parents' age. There were only 3 'kids' in the audience, me included of course. Stuart talked about all the things I spent more than 3 months learning myself, so I was just getting an affirmation of the things I learned rather than receiving new information. He ploughed the fields of the world wide web and reaped massive rewards after 9 months. That's impressive actually, because the other marketing gurus have usually taken years to get to the level Stuart is at right now. (But then again, he's already one extraordinary guy with loads of cash when he started internet marketing, as opposed to mere mortals like me and with little cash to spare).

I am glad that I can have a support group that I know really physically exists just around this tiny red dot of an island, as opposed to having virtual mentors in the internet. I mean, yeah I know the ones I've been corresponding with are real persons too, but I'm just glad I can talk to someone in the face rather than in the computer.

Oh yeah, I made my first 10 bucks already through the internet. Yeah I know it's close to nothing, but it's also a step closer to something I want to achieve. I tell myself to just take baby steps at a time, and before you know it things are gonna add up or even multiply. Right now I am even slowing down my pace in this business because I've got a lot of other things in my hands like school and CCAs.

For the curious souls out there, I made it through Google Adsense, just one of the ways to make money online. It is idiot-proof to sign-up and it's free somemore, just put those ad links to your site and if anyone clicks, you get a commission. A lot of people actually make a living out of Adsense, but having a good amount of traffic to your site is logically a prerequisite. This pink blog doesn't generate a lot of traffic (I'm not planning to anyway, since this blog is my personal space), and I just placed Google ads and all those colorful ads on the side for decorative purposes. Imagine, you put a decorative coinbank in your home which self-generates spare change you can use...not bad right?