JOWEEEEEN

this is everything i didn't say

year 1 sem 2

Friday, 18 May 2018 || 12:23 am

as with the starting of most of my previous posts, time really is flying past quickly. week 13 of my second semester in university is over, and i survived hell week with test and submissions every single day of the week. i never thought i would be able to make it this far, especially with the modules that i'm taking this semester. but here i am, just finished my finals. which also means i'm no longer a freshman in university.

most of my freshman year was spent adapting to the changes, especially since the change from junior college to university was a huge one. and working for six months also meant that my brain was not really active nor ready for studying again, and i have to admit, i struggled quite a bit. nonetheless, freshman year was fun for me. as i wait for time to pass to begin my sophomore year, here's a review of the modules i took in year 1 sem 1 of uni in ntu wkwsci.

1) GC0001 Sustainability: Seeing Through The Haze (Ger-Core)
this was an online module so you can do it in your free time. i think i completed the module during recess week in like 2 or 3 days?? you will have to watch a video before answering mcq/open ended questions and i'll just stop right here.

2) CS2023 Print & Digital Publications (Major-PE)
one of the two interesting mods i took this semester. it helps if you have prior knowledge in indesign, but it's okay if you don't have either because the tutor will teach you how to use the different tools. as a beginner, this mod was kinda stressful to me as we did a lot of tutorial work in class and assignments were in class as well, so you had to work under time constraint. there are three assignments spread over the semester, hence no finals. the tutor is really nice and patient so if you are unclear about anything, just ask. this mod also helps in designing skills in a way, cos you will have to design layouts for magazine articles and stuff. i would be done with this mod in a day for a week cos one hour lecture and two hours tutorial in a day so!!

3) CS2006 Theories of Visual Communication & Their Applications (Core)
i really didn't mean to, but i did not attend all lectures for this module, though i would say it's actually quite interesting. submission of assignments are to be done via social media platform so um, prepare yourselves. for our second individual assignment, we had to go to SAM and do a review about the exhibition there after attending a lecture at Lasalle. for our group assignment, we had to do a visual mapping of shopping malls so be prepared to set aside days to go down for filming and interviews. three assignments, one three hour lecture per week, no finals.

4) CS2024 Web Design & Technologies (Core)
when i tell people that i learn coding in communications, they will be surprised. and tbh me too. but yes in this module you will learn coding - html, css, javascript. there will be two midterms, no finals, and your batch takes a poll whether they want midterms to be open book or not. there will also be a group assignment where your group have to create a website and just apply things that you have learnt from lectures. and i admit i did not attend most lectures for this module as well - because there are slides, and the lecturer really just reads off from the slides. during the three hour lecture, she will go through content, and leave an hour or so for hands on practice. really up to you if you want to go for lecture or not. majority of your grades for this assignment depends on your online tutorial work which helped me a lot in understanding the concepts of coding, so i would just like to put it out there that it really is up to you if you want to attend three hour long lectures.

5) CS2400 Foundations Of Information Analytics (Core)
the main reason why i took communications is because i wanted to escape mathematics. but i could not run away from statistics with this module, which happens to be a core module aka i cannot su this. its two 1.5 hour lectures a week and most of the time he's going through concepts and stuff so you really really have to do your own practices in your free time. this i really regret not doing. there's an individual assignment, a group assignment, one midterm and one finals (50%) so all i can say is, good luck.

6) CS2021 News Reporting & Writing (Major-PE)
the other module which stressed me out the most but taught me a lot. i really wanted to specialise in journalism so i had to take this mod as it was a gateway mod. many thanks to yongsheng for helping me do star wars so i can get this!! honestly i get really really scared and nervous before every lesson with hedwig. its like one hour lecture and two hours tutorial and you really have to read the papers and get your basic grammar right. we do a lot of proof reading in class with a deadline so you really gotta work under pressure. hedwig really is intimidating in class especially the first few lectures, but after a while she actually jokes with us, though she is still strict. there are three assignments. one of which is deadline writing in class, and finals.

7) LK9001 Korean Language Level 1 (UE)
one really fun module this semester! it's two 1.5 hours lesson in a week with two written tests, one quiz, one essay and one oral test. the bell curve for this module is really steep, you can really tell that people in the class have background in the language already even though we had to declare that we know nothing about it. as i've wanted to learn korean for a few months now, taking this module helped me a lot now i know some vocabulary and can construct simple sentences. but then again, korean is a complex language and learning does not stop there.

sophomore year, let's go!

till next time x

#MXMinSG

Thursday, 17 May 2018 || 1:12 am

Brand New Music duo MXM held their first Match Up fan meeting in Singapore on the 4th of May 2018. As contestants of survival programme Produce 101 Season 2, Im Young Min and Kim Donghyun have showcased their talent, debuted and gained many fans who anticipated their fan meet.

The duo arrived in Singapore in the afternoon of 2nd May and were welcomed by fans who have been waiting for hours. We welcome Young Min, who had lived in Singapore for five years, back, and Donghyun who is visiting Singapore for the first time! In the evening, they had the time to visit Gardens By The Bay, and they looked like they enjoyed their time sightseeing as can be seen from their tweets.

On 3rd May, MXM had an open press conference, which drew a huge crowd of fans who came from school. Some even queued from the morning. Lucky fans were chosen to go on stage as MXM signed posters to them. During the press conference, we learnt what they have done in Singapore and some of their travel essential items.

Fans arrived at the venue of the fanmeet hours before it was scheduled to start. Excitement and anticipation could be felt as fans gave out freebies and started queuing up before doors opened. Screams got louder when figures were seen onstage and the boys started the evening off with their debut song, I'm The One. Screams and cheers erupted and some fanchants could be heard as well. They then performed Perfectly Perfect, another song which lifted the atmosphere in the venue. The first game tested the chemistry between the two members, where they had to choose one of two options. Every time both of them got the same answers, Young Min would attempt a high five with Donghyun in different ways, which got fans screaming as it was an adorable scene! The next game was pictionary, where three selected fans had to guess what the member was drawing. The fan who guessed the most number of pictures got to bring home one signed drawing for the member, and you could feel how much the audience wished they were on stage. The next two songs they performed further lifted the atmosphere. Just Come Out and Errday got the audience waving their hands and heads to the beat of the song, and some fans even shouting the fanchant. The next game was charades where fans had to guess the movements of the members. And the fan who guessed correctly the most would get a polaroid picture taken with them! During this game, we witnessed Donghyun dancing to the legendary Hollywood dance, which Brand New Boys had danced in Produce 101, and we saw the audience losing their chill as well. After the game, a video conveying gratitude was shown to the boys, and the audience raised banners. A cake was presented to them as well, and a picture was taken. After that, the boys headed back to prepare for their next stage and this instant, fans gathered to the front to catch a better view of the boys for their last stages. MXM ended the night off with Being Objective and Diamond Girl, and the fanchant for Diamond Girl was the strongest that night. Their encore song was I Just Do, where they spent most of the time waving to fans. The fanmeet ended off with hi-touch and photo op session, and some lucky fans got to have a polaroid taken with MXM and some won signed posters as well. Thank you MXM for coming to Singapore, and the memorable night. You guys must have had a long and tiring day, but you put up smiles for your fans and we really appreciate that. Hope to see you guys soon!

//hi-touch and photo op experience
my sister was in front of me holding a donghyun board and she went pretty fast and i was holding the youngmin board. youngmin was first so i think he saw my board and he smiled so sweetly and brightly i squealed a little before saying that i really like him in korean and i think he said thank you but really really softly? am ded. then i told donghyun in korean that he has worked hard and i looked into his eyes and he said thank you in english aaaaaa. wished time passed slower then!!!
and photo op, unfortunately, me and my sister were separated, and i was the first person aka i had little interaction time with them. so i literally shouted to donghyun in korean, that i am a twin too!!! he was waving to the fans in the front row then, but i think mxm did not expect that exclamation out of the blue, and both of them burst out laughing a little. i even heard younmin's laughter which was louder than whatever he said during hi touch!!! and then donghyun asked really???? in korean. ok bless this i told donghyun i have a twin too :-)

till next time x

5sos3singapore

Wednesday, 16 May 2018 || 12:14 am

in 2016, 5sos came to singapore as part of their sounds live feels live tour. i had the privilege of seeing them perform for their first show in singapore, having won a giveaway. the evening of 3 march 2016 was the most memorable one - i got the chills when they came onstage, screamed the lyrics to all the songs they performed, almost lost my voice, and teared up a few times during the show. from then till today, i have actually became a kpop stan. but after i learnt that 5sos was coming to singapore again, i knew that i really want to see them again. and i was lucky enough to win a giveaway and see them for their second show in singapore on 2 may 2018. that day happened to be the last day of my finals as well. the show was barely an hour long, but i enjoyed every single minute of it, even though i didn't know half the songs they sang.

the theatre erupted into screams when ashton, calum, luke and michael walked onstage. it had been two years, two long years. while slfl ended off with she looks so perfect, 5sos3 started with it, and though everyone cheered and scream when they heard the introduction, everyone began singing to this familiar song as well. it felt so good, seeing the boys again, and hearing the audience singing together. they then transited to girls talk boys, which got everyone jumping along to the beat of the song. at the last chorus, luke got all of us to clap along, and we did. they immediately went on to the next song, disconnected. this song being my favourite in the setlist, i literally screamed when i heard the intro. just like two years ago, everyone sang and danced along to this song. i especially loved the last part when we all sang to the ending. it was luke's talking part before they started with the first unreleased song of the evening, moving along. the next song was she's kinda hot, and once again, it got everyone in the theatre jumping and singing to the familiar, catchy tune. the lights changed to red for the next song, valentine. even though it was a new song, luke led us to sing the ending and we all sang along. truly, a beautiful ending. it was then calum's turn to talk, and he introduced the familiar, toned-down song, amnesia. this song was so beautiful, especially when the boys let us sing a part of the song and you could literally hear the voice of the whole crowd. the next song was also a slow song, lie to me. luke got all of us to wave our arms and to me, that was a really nice sight to see - everyone enjoying an unreleased song, living in the moment. they then transited to waste the night, with the audience, once again singing and moving our hands along to the beat. luke also got all of us to raise our hands right before the last chorus before we all jammed together to this familiar tune. following that, it was ashton's turn to talk. he asked who have seen 5sos before, to which i screamed, and he asked who is gonna see 5sos again. and i screamed even louder because i know that i would actually want to see 5sos again, having enjoyed their second show here so far. he then introduced another unreleased song, talk fast, which was highly approved by the audience as you can see everyone jamming along to this new song. finally, it was michael's turn to talk. it was short, but he talked about their upcoming album and introduced the next song, young blood, which got everyone singing and jumping along especially at the chorus as it was released before. the second last song was jet black heart, and the hair on my hands stood at their ends during the first chorus when luke got us to sing and the whole crowd literally just sang. it really felt good, to be in a crowd, singing with people who enjoy the same music as you. the show ended too soon, and the last song was want you back. the atmosphere in the capitol theatre was amazing - everyone just living in the moment, jamming to this new song that was released, and the moment luke got everyone to sing the last chorus, i felt a tinge of sadness. it was the end of their show.

getting to see 5sos do their final bow for the second time, getting to jam to new and old music, getting to see calum, ashton, luke and michael for the second time they're here, i'm just so grateful. really, no better way to let my hair down and start the holidays, than to be brought back to my 18-year-old days. thank you, 5sos for yet another night to remember. i wished it was longer, but the next show is only gonna be better.

till next time x