Pkchukiss - Reality Wine

My Advanced Internet Technology project isn’t going too well; I’ve managed to get the client and server to talk to each other, but the code isn’t very optimal since I’ve got call-backs between 3 different classes on each side, and it’s going to balloon as I code if I don’t try and reduce the overhead now. Xiang Ju designed the interface and I’m pulling everything together. If you consider that the project was due on 30 June, that makes me way overdue on this assignment.

In the meantime, Xiang Ju and another classmate are going to work on additions to our existing code for our Data Structures and Algorithms project. It’s hell having to let them start without me, we’ll have to optimise our multi-tasking, since we’re looking at the end of the semester looming ahead. The examination schedules are out already, and we’re aiming to complete our projects before the examinations. Or at least I am. Xiang Ju’s Macbook is in the Apple Care centre after he fell from the steps in school. He wasn’t hurt, but the exterior frame of the notebook cracked because he was holding on to it when he tripped. Thankfully, the accelerometer on the machine detected the fall and halted the hard-disk, which is the main reason why I’m not tearing my hair out… Yet.

Here’s hoping that the tech surgery gets done as soon as possible (the turn-around time is approximately 4 working days); we don’t need more Consumerist style horror stories on service centres from hell. You’re probably less likely to bump into one in Singapore, but you never know where the jerks lurk. Heh, those last 2 words had a nice ring to them.

For System Development Techniques, I haven’t done anything on it yet; logic dictates that we work to turn in assignments that are way past due before working on the new ones, especially when your new assignments are totally dependent on you completing the first part that is way due in the first place! So, pushing it aside for the moment, we’re targeting to work on the Java Server Programming assignment after we finish AITEC and DSAL (the 2 I wrote about in the 1st 2 paragraphs). Then after we finish the 3 elephants in the room can I turn my attention to SDT.

The Module Coordinator for SDT (System Development Techniques) isn’t helping things though; she posted an announcement asking us to hand in our practical work for the entire semester in order to help score for General Performance marks within the module. Whether I’ll have the time to even touch this is still way up in the air. This is way last on my priority list, since I’ve got to take care of the 4 big elephants. With the end of semester examinations coming soon, I might have to miss this, thus showing everybody the cool cunningness of Singaporean practicality.

I’ve written up another post for the SP Videography Club blog, but as it stands now I’m the lone blogger on that site; it’s in danger of turning into another of my blogs, but I’m managing well (not turning it into another one of my blogs, that is), I guess. The club is going to take up my suggestion of a monthly movie-review session, but with nobody taking up this initiative, I going to make this my pet project. So here goes: I’m looking out for guest writers for the SP Videography Club. If you have a movie that you absolutely love or hate, contact me and we’ll work something out on getting your review published on the SPVC blog. In addition, you’ll get link-backs from this blog (pkchukiss.sgblogging.com), as well as the SPVC blog, which would bring more visitors to your website, as well as help in your search engine rankings.

There’s an additional bonus if you’re a Singapore Polytechnic student; if you join the SP Videography club, you’ll gain a chance to review a movie free per month. We’re also looking to increase the number of sponsored reviews (yes, you get to watch movies for free) if the response is good. You can contact me directly or drop a comment either here or at the club blog.

This post took me 10 mins to crank up, so I’m not missing much on the work aspect, but I’m sorely in need of some play-time. I grow increasingly cranky as more bugs in my code surface, and the sea of discontent may soon boil over… … …

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Stock prices recovered slightly after the company announced the meeting of a 21 July final deadline for the flash project. However, the outlook for the next month remains clouded under preliminary forecasts that the company may be unable to meet deadlines for 3 Java-based projects, as well as the expansion project for the initial flash project.

Investors remain guarded at the future prospects of this budding start-up.

“Well, it did have an impressive run in the last year, [for it to be] clinching the ‘Competent Company Award’ for 2 earning semesters, but the company appears to be expanding way too fast,” an investor who prefers to remain anonymous commented. “It doesn’t have enough manpower and resources to complete all these additional projects.”

The CEO could not be reached for comment. Rumour has it that he’s locked himself up in the production room together with other company executives in order to cope with the labour crunch. “He’s putting in lots of elbow grease to keep the company alive, but I’m not sure if he can meet the projected deadlines. I’m dropping my recommendation to ‘Sell’,” top analyst from Shareholders Mega Industries in Technology said. “It’s pretty sad that I’m giving a F- rating to this company, since I can tell that it used to be capable of a A+ rating.”

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I’ve reached Singapore on 11 July at 6.22pm. I boarded the plane on 10 July at 11.20pm. It sounds like a gruelling 19 hour flight, but it’s really just 13 hours plus having to return the 6 hours I gained when I was travelling westwards.

It’s definitely unreal: the plane had shades on throughout most of the flight, so I couldn’t see the transition from Paris night to the morning in the Middle East, and finally to evening in Singapore. In fact, we still has a little bit of light left on touch-down, so my body clock automatically assumed that it was afternoon. Then the it became dark.

I’ll write about the 7 days I spent in Paris once I have the time, but my school projects take priority, since I have 3 of them past due already, and a few more are coming up soon.

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Air France is a really cool airline - the airline stewardess are friendly and nice; but there’s only one short-coming: their economy seats are too darn small! I barely had room to move, and the seat had very little travel, so I was sitting almost erect for 13 whole hours.

When we landed at Charles de Gaulle airport (pronounced “Shoal-the-Goo-ul”) we met some very sour faces behind immigration counters. Not a bad start in the country known for their snobbishness. Thankfully, the reception we got once we met up with the guys from Microsoft France was way better.

Team Mamagaia from TP with Leon, our DMIT lecturer in the background. The picture wasn’t sharp because my hands were shaky. They’re competing in the Software Design category.

Team TrailBlazers from NYP. They’re competing in the Embedded Design category.

So all of us got picked up at the airport, and we went around cam-whoring with DSLRs.

Boarding the bus that’ll take us to the hotel

The airport control tower. The moment we stepped out onto the streets, the huge natural air-conditioning outside hit us. It’s like you’ve turned on a perpetual air-con outside in the room, but shoved the sun into all the rooms.

For some unknown reason, in Paris, it is a social norm to park your European car on the pavement. And your car had better be European, cos there’s absolutely no Toyota, or Nissan everywhere I looked. It’s the land of Skoda, Citrogën, Peugeot and Mercedes here, and the French are proud of it.

We saw an Air France Concorde about to take off…

… or so we thought

Rabbit in the clouds!

French tunnel

An Air France flight getting towed to somewhere. Paris is the hub city for the national carrier.

The competition starts today, so for 36 hours we’ll be working our butts off in the air-conditioned environment outside. I’ve got more pictures, but I don’t have the time to post them up yet, but I’ll try.

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We’ve reached Paris. Lots of stuff has happened since then, but the jetlag is getting to me. I’ll post some pictures up once I wake up tomorrow.

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