China Visa Application

As mentioned, I tried to apply China Visa on Monday 7th April and got rejected. The counter lady looked at my departure date and straightly asked me to come back another week. No excuse accepted. Me, being not so prepared to be rejected, walked out empty mindedly without questioning anything. I SHOULD have asked them whether my documents are sufficient or not. I am too wishful if thinking they will let me know without me asking.

The documents I brought during my first attempt, which were merely the 2 pages application form, were totally insufficient. After booking my air ticket on 17th April, I decided to look at the embassy website again and found out the new regulations (updated on 14th April).

What is "the certificate of family relationship"? If I go to visit some friends or uncle, what kind of certificate will that be? :s

The list of requirements was long enough to shift my focus from my IR exam to the visa preparation =.=’ even the night before the IR, I was worried more about visa rather than exam. (That gave insight of how my paper went…) After the exam, I gathered all the documents I can get, and decided to try my luck at embassy again on the next day.

Wednesday, 23rd April. I reached embassy at 8.27am.. 4 minutes earlier than last time... and shocked to see the long queue T_T


The counter is at second level and I can’t even enter the building!

Lucky enough, there are quite a lot of people got rejected (even before getting their queue number!) and I still managed to get queue number 14, in comparison with 42 from my previous visit.

After getting queue number, I sat at the chair provided.. waiting and praying… then suddenly I heard a bunch of people talking behind me:

“Don’t go to counter 10, the lady didn’t intend to accept any application at all. She will just find any reason to fail your application. I think if we got her, we just forfeited and re queue again”

I heard about it and started to worry. I looked at the situations of the 5 counters and calculated it using the round robin algorithm… and the result is.. counter 10! This is the only time I hope that I miscalculate something. But no matter how I recalculated and no matter how I wish there will be a glitch… I still got her T_T

I went to the counter feeling much more nervous than exam. I gave her the required document.. and the first sentence is already discouraging.

C: “Sorry, we didn’t process application for foreigner. You need to go back to your home country to apply for visa. We can only process for Singaporean and Singapore PR”

I: *looked determined outside but almost crying inside* “Oh, I have actually applied for Singapore PR, but it’s still under process. Here is the invitation letter I received.” (showed her the letter)

C: *Considering for a minute, then decided to proceed* I need your hotel booking.

I: “Oh, I’ll be staying at my sister place.”

C: “If that’s the case, then you’ll need to have invitation letter from your sister, follows with the copy of her identity…”

I: *Cut her in the middle* Oh, here are the documents I have, will it be appropriate? *Give her whatever things I brought: household card, copy of my sister passport, bank account balance, even my birth certificate*

C: *Abit shocked, but then try to sort out the documents* So, this is the name of your sister?

I: “Yes. Here is the household card stating that, and here is the translation of the household card and that is my sister passport saying that she is a legal occupant in china and Here is my birth certificate and the translation as well. And this is my account balance…” *Almost didn’t know what I’m talking about*

And guess what, I think she got confused by me as well. Finally, she wrote a pink receipt and gave it to me. “You can collect it on next Monday”. Oh gosh.. I was sooo happy to hear that.. like I have won from a very big war XD It was almost 9.30 when it's over.. the time spent at counter was less than 5 minutes.

Out from the embassy, I still looked happily at the pink receipt she gave me. Afterwards, I quickly called and thanks all the people that have helped me all the way. Thanks:
Daddy – For sending me the household card and my birth certificate
Sister – For sending me the photocopy of your passport and advising me to bring my PR invitation letter
Arianto – For such a great and prompt ‘illegal’ translation of household card and birth certificate.

Thanks everyone… without one of your help, I really will not be able to get that. The requirement is really tight this time. Just after my application, there is one Singaporean rush to the counter and don’t want to give in. “So if I booked the hotel online, how on earth you want me to get the hotel bill!? Why it’s so complicated!? $#@$#” I felt bad for her T_T and anyway, I even heard that the photo must be in white background... Lucky that I prepared for the white background photo as well :D (Previously I was using red background and she didn’t give me a single advice)

For those who want to apply for Visa… Kichi was right… be prepared.

Finally T__T I made it T__T (Tear of happiness). Wish mum all her best getting her visa as well.

Last exam on 30th April,
Erlin.D

In exam period (again)…

But guess what, it felt so different from the typical exam period. No, not because of the new canteen in NTU, although the new fish ball stall did affect my daily eating habit. Hahaha..

I passed through my first exam on Wednesday. It was ADMT. I have the text book with me, but I don’t even bother to finish my lecture notes! For this exam, I only read through the review slides, which is less than 200… and didn’t felt guilty at all when I didn’t manage to memorize those slides. The day before exam, I slept soundly and set my alarm to 7.45am. It didn’t even cross my mind to wake up earlier to revise! O.o Have I lost my mind?

The lack of preparation was indeed fatal. For the first 30 minutes of exam, I was reading and skipping through exam paper, didn’t manage to find something that I am comfortable in doing. I used much more correction pen than what I ever did before. I didn’t manage to answer the question… even though it was in review slides! The worst thing is… I didn’t feel bad about it. After the exam, we went to the Palette and chatted over a plate of fish n chips.


Fish and Chips @ Palette - $4.5

What can be worse than a person who lost his sense of responsibility?

Back from the exam, I spent the rest of my day urging CAO to give me a proof of IA (since my IA certificate is not out yet =.=). At night, I chatted with friends and watch Code Geass before falling to sleep. Gosh, Code Geass is definitely the best anime I ever watch so far. No kidding.

The next day, when I was browsing through, I bumped into the promotion from SIA: Singapore – Shanghai for $668! This is what I have been looking for!! Finally, I spent the rest of my day confirming and booking the ticket. Shanghai, I’m comiiinnnggg~

Friday and Saturday… I didn’t do anything more than rewriting my tutorial to a more readable format.


Ayam Penyet @ Muslim Stall - $3.00 -- Recommended~

Today is Sunday… And here I’m blogging, after finished watching Vantage Point (a super recommended movie ^^). The next exam is coming on Tuesday, and I really haven’t flipped through the lecture notes yet. Can anybody tell me what happen to my mood? :S I’m not saturated… But I’m not studying like how I used to… why why why?

Btw, these 2 days, I had been listening a lot to "Seasons of Love" (fall in love at the first listen from here) The more I listen to the song, the more I can feel the meaning... hahaha....

525,600 minutes. How do you measure a year in a life? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee? Measure it in love.

I just realized that a year only have less than one million minutes. A year is so short!

Talking about year, I want to give my best birthday wishes to:
Albert, Arianto, and Nancy
for their bday on
19th, 20th, and 21st April respectively :)

Measure your life in love~
Erlin.D

Last Lecture in NTU

I had my (hopefully) last lecture in NTU on Thursday, 6.30 pm. Disappointingly, it didn’t turn out to be one of the memorable event. The second lecturer gave us review for 1 hour and chased us out afterwards to give more tips for the graduates. The first part lecturer (u know who) didn’t even bother to turn out :( I have been thinking of taking pictures with IRcians on that day, but end up going back with zero photo. Lucky that I have gotten quite enough photos on the second last lecture in NTU. Thanks to all the SCE-ians. Hahaha…


Taken during last lectures of DS
Photographer: Adi Alimin (credited first before he complained)

My ADMT Group + DS Group + CVIP Gals
Wayan – Winson – Vily – Irene – Henry - Me- Adi

My 2nd FYP Buddy: Peko2 ^^

...And Lastly, a group picture with the best lecturer this semester :D
I closed my eyes or they had always been that small? =.=

*Other pictures are not published due to confidentially issue*

After the last lecture… the exam wind is finally blowing here. Too bad that the study mood is still stuck somewhere. My mind was bothered by many other things, which make me hardly concentrate on studying. Finally, on Monday, I decided to clear one of them, which was my china visa application. Based from roomie’s experience of long queue, I wake up at 6.15 and rush there as soon as possible. I took MRT until Queenstown, turn left, go down, take bus 111 (sorry for the detailed information, must be noted down, who knows streetdirectory goes down again), and reached there at 8.30. The official opening hour is 9, but my queue number was already 45! T_T After more than 2 hour of waiting, my queue number is displayed, and I went to the counter… and got rejected! T__T

Due to the upcoming Olympic, the visa is now only valid for one month instead of three. And since I planned to go on 15 May, the day 4 April is definitely too early for me to apply T_T. The counter lady asked me to come back again next week. Sighed… I’m ok with the one month visa, but why they never posted the information inside their website!? In fact, the website is super confusing T_T Tell me who is the IT officer in charged! Never take Soft Eng in NTU right! Hahaha XD

I was quite fed up that time, maybe was due to my lack of sleep as well. I cancelled my initial plan to go back NTU and went to Bugis instead. Pray abit, shop abit, cool down a bit, then I went back and feel guilty a bit…

Alright, that’s a short story that I might want to remember. By the time I typed this, I’m only 4 days away from my first paper… first paper of the (hopefully) last exam. Hah!

Getting fat by the exam wishes~

Erlin.D

Advance Algorithm Jokes

When surfing Kichi blog, I found the funny joke related to algorithm. I decided to collect some that I have read before. If you're SCE students, you're bounded to understand the meaning :p


Path Searching


NP-Complete Problem


Travelling Salesman Problem

For more jokes, go to xkcd =)

Slacking Mode ON :s,
Erlin.D

The Deadlines

Yeah! I’m still alive =D

I knew it. I just can’t survive one whole week without blogging :p hahaha.. This week has been greatly packed with deadlines. The programming for IR, the demo for DS, the report for ADMT, the amendments for FYP… and now.. I’m glad to announce that I got through them.. muahahaa… I kept holding to the proverb “This too will pass” last week… and glad that I really made it through :D

The IR assignment aka second FYP is truly scaring. Until few hours before the deadlines, both duck and I were still busy with reporting and debugging T_T Nevertheless, it has been a great experience :) (at least until the result out) Those Extreme Programming days, accompanied with Mc Donalds till midnight, were surely a moment to remember. Now that everything has been submitted… I shall worry no more about them.. Que Sera Sera – Whatever will be, will be.

So, after the assignments chapter closed, now is the time for… lecture? I can’t believe that exam has been so near. One week time! (I really want to run away.. T_T) I haven’t even done any single tutorial :S Oh well.. This too will pass? (Misuse of proverb) hahaha..

Anyway, thanks a lot everyone for the exam wishes =] Truly motivating me to keep eati.. ee.. to keep studying. All the best everyone for the upcoming exam ;)


The only good thing about exam

No mood to study, yet.
Erlin.D

April Fool 2008

For some people, 1st of April might just be an ordinary day… but for a cheat lover like me, this is one of the day I have been waiting for :p I started to cheat since the first minute of entering April… Manage to cheat 3 people in the first 10 minutes… and that’s all for the rest of the day T_T After everyone awared about it, it’s very hard to think of something to cheat about.

But unbelievable, I was cheated for 3 times!! Twice by the same panda somemore!! >< Just like last year T_T. This year, the first lie was during the morning DS lecture, when he said that there will be quiz next week. I naively believed it.. he looked super honest T_T and the second time was at night, when he said that he canceled contract signing because of bond… At that time, there was 4 people around… and only me and my roomie believe on what he said.. I just know that I was so naïve :s I used to think I’m good enough in reading people expression.. but now I doubt about it :s At night, another friend try to cheat my roomie. Out of my business, I listen to the story and got cheated as well T_T gosh, I need to improve badly!

Lesson learnt from this year April Fool: Empty bin sounds loudly (direct translation from Indonesian Proverb of “Tong Kosong Nyaring Bunyinya”) Me, the empty bin, like to boast that I’m a good cheater, where in fact I’m nothing compare to those low profile cheaters. Hahaha…

Recalling last year April Fool, there is one funny incident. Panda lied that A is in relationship with B. This year, it really becomes true! Wow. I hope that the DS surprise quiz will be a fact as well for my junior :p hahaa..

Ok then, looking forward to next year April Fool ^^
Erlin.D

Happy Birthweek to me~

My 21st Birthday has been much more memorable than what I have expected. Thanks a lot to all my friends :) I can’t find appropriate words to describe my feelings… Maybe it’s ‘grateful’ times thousands. Hahaha.. Thanks everyone :’)


A ‘key’ to unlock thing in on age 21 (21/3/2008)


A headset that I had been waiting for XD (23/3/2008)


A ‘KEYboard’ to unlock MANY thingS on age 21 :p (24/3/2008)


My dream Goggle ^__^ Swimming anyone? Fufufufuuuu (25/3/2008)


Something with head bigger than mine XD (25/3/2008)


An e-card from my IA Supervisor! *shocked (25/3/2008)


A book written by my friend. WOW! (28/3/2008)


A memorable b’day wishes, even the box was from Adidas! :p (29/3/2008)


And of course, what is b’day without KFC and Cheese Fries? :p

Talking about KFC, NTU just announced that the new canteen will open soon next week ^^ The announcement email was sent on 1st of April, which make me doubt that it was April Fool =.=’ The new canteen will have Subway, Sakae Sushi, Canadian Pizza, Old Chang Kee, but no KFC :( buuh...

A week to remember~
Erlin.D