24
Jun
Why I am at home on a Sunday afternoon
My head is still spinning from studying for my Database Management Systems module test on Monday. What’s unusual about it is the huge number of theories that get thrown at you for a computing-based subject.
I have to learn how to draw relationship diagrams, which would eventually graduate into a full-fledged UML (Unified Markup Language) diagrams. If you don’t understand any of the last 2 paragraphs, you’re not alone. I don’t either.
While I understand the need to map out the stuff to be included into a database (since these things get very complicated easily; with something that’s in one table referencing something else in another table), an approach I prefer would be to hack everything down into its small parts, then piece it together like Lego pieces. Talk about looking at the big picture!
Since I couldn’t really bear the thought of spending Sunday staring at more diagrams, so back on Tuesday, I tried to psycho my platoon mates to go out for some vocal stretching at a karaoke place. The response was quite ok, with 7 confirmed attendees out of 26 which I SMSed. The Karaoke culture isn’t very strong in my group (they prefer playing LAN games like DOTA), so I thought that the response was quite reasonable. We were initially set for PartyWorld Orchard, but Low Tide came with a suggestion for a place in Katong, which is cheaper.
Taking the idea and running with it halfway, I let everyone know that we could push the time till afternoon, since the Katong place opens from 1pm. What I didn’t think of doing was to call the place to make a booking!
Which led to the huge botch job on Saturday; I only remembered about that when Low Tide called me. You see, I had this pre-conception that like PartyWorld Orchard, which is located in the prime district, the place at Katong wouldn’t be filled to the brim with bookings on a Sunday. I forgot that the place at Katong is way cheaper than at PartyWorld Orchard, and being located straight in the heartlands, would logically be more popular than the deserted mornings of
When Low Tide made the booking, the Katong place was FULL already!
I didn’t think too much into it: since the plan was for PartyWorld Orchard at 11am, we could revert the timing till the original time! Yay for contingencies!
Yeah right! In total, 3 more people cancelled at the last minute because they couldn’t make it for the original time slot. I could blame no one else but myself for this goof up – I should have checked that the place was REALLY ok for us before confirming a time and place; that would have cut a lot of flip-flops on my part.
So now I am on a Sunday afternoon, staring at my textbook, and mentally stabbing myself .
on June 24th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Good luck with those relationship diagrams..they drove me crazy with the drawing and the theories, almost like learning how to understand Einstein’s theories
on June 24th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Hi grm!
Thanks for your comment! I can cope with the load, I guess, but when I think about all the relationships now, it is as if my entities are copulating right in front of me! Especially when the teacher goes, “The Employee entity has a relationship with itself… What is this kind of relationship called?”
“Incestuous,” I tell her.
Arrrrgh! My eyes hurt!
on June 24th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Hahaha..good to hear u can manage it. For me,what i learned in databases and those SQL stuff,theories..all returned back to my lecturers LOL.