The 83rd Academy Awards 2011

The 83rd Academy Awards 2011 is currently in progress. It will be nail-biting moment around the world where movie buffs are concerned. I do feel the same, as this year one of the movies I have been raving about is up for five nominations - Actress In A Leading Role, Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing, and Best Picture; the movie in question is Black Swan, starring the ever so gorgeous Natalie Portman.

I'm REALLY hoping that Black Swan will win at least two to three out of five nominations. I have yet to watch it but I hope it has all the stuff I have come to expect from a ballet movie and more, as it has been categorised as a psychosexual thriller, thus, I would think Black Swan would not the regular run-of-the-mill ballet movie. Good to know that where Hollywood's concerned it's really moving it with the current times.

Having said that, I also hope that some of the movies nominated in the same categories as Black Swan such as The Social Network and Toy Story 3 will also have a fair chance to win as well. All great movies nominated for this year's Oscars should at least given some due recognition even if they may not win any awards, as they really do have a positive impact to the global movie box office collection.

If I were to be reborn...

Being human in this day of age is extremely tough. If I were to be reborn, I would choose to be an animal rather than be a human. A water mammal to be exact, an Australian sea lion to be precise. The reason being I think water is the element that suits my personality and temperament. I actually LOVE to be in water because I enjoy the feeling of being in the water as it supports my body when I'm swimming in it.

The Australian sea lion is somewhat similar to a seal, the only difference the mommy nurses its pups for 18 months before she completely lets them to be totally independent. During this time, the mommy sea lion would teach all the necessary survival knowledge to her pups. Thus, the Australian sea lion has been nicknamed by the National Geographic as Ocean's Supermom.

Swimming in the ocean as an Australian sea lion would probably feels like I'm in heaven; the only concern would be that the great white shark is my ultimate enemy. I guess I would have to outsmart the great whites in order to survive to be able to reproduce and raise my pups well. And yes, I can be one fierce mommy Australian sea lion in order to fight for my pups' and that of my own right to live.

The Australian sea lions are generally playful, affectionate and loving mammals. However, they often can be quite ferocious and temperamental during mating season, especially the males. The same happens when the mommy is trying to protect her pups from harm. Yup, that seems to be very much like how I would behave.    

I think being an animal, in this case being an Australian sea lion is more straight forward than being a human. First and foremost, I don't have to deal with the kind of politics humans would usually get themselves involved in. The only politics I have to get myself involved in would be the politics of hierarchy, I suppose this is necessary to determine my position within the herd. And yeah, I realise that the Australian sea lion is a very beautiful and graceful sea mammal, and not forgetting being able to live on both land and in the ocean to me is a GREAT BONUS!

Koon and Amin - I salute the both of you!

Souvenir from USA - courtesy of Koon

I was invited to a presentation of a student whom I have helped to ensure his application to participate in his university's outbound student exchange programme was approved to the USA on Thursday, February 24 2011. That happened three years ago, when I was then the officer-in-charge of student exchange programme at the international office. I was very strict with the students who came to see me when they were applying to participate in the outbound student exchange programme. Yes, to the extent some students were extremely scared of me and/or hated me for behaving this way.

I have my reasons for doing so, and the main reason was that I wanted the best for students who had walked into my office stating their intention to want to participate in the university's outbound student exchange programme. They were requested to do the required "homework" first, as I don't believe in spoonfeeding these students. Many students were dumbfounded, as they had expected me to lay out all the information for them to just breeze through the application. All I wanted was for the students to learn to be independent learners.

Tough luck for the students who were expected to be spoonfed. However, there were two students who had made my life so much easier when they came to see me about the application to participate in the outbound student exchange programme. These two students actually did all the "homework" required of them and they managed to get the approval from the university for them to realise their aims to be part of the outbound student exchange programme. One went to USA, Iowa State University to be exact, and the other did his internship (as per his study requirement) in Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in the UK.

Not forgetting my then clerical staff who did the mountainous paperwork and my then boss' personal assistant who did all the negotiations with the relevant DVC's office for the approval. Without these two dedicated people, it would have been a futile task to have been undertaken. The seemingly impossible mammoth task was being tackled as a cohesive team, the two students included.

After what seemed to be endless frustration running into dead ends, the students finally got the nod to go and they really made the most out of their times there. And they return with the kind positive outlook in which I could find no words to describe. They are young adults brimming with overflowing confidence, ready to take the world as if it were the horns of a very aggressive bull. Where their career paths are concerned, from what I could gather, these two students will be going for the moon and beyond to reach the goals they have set for themselves.

I take pride and I also feel extremely happy in seeing that they have done really well, thus far, and they should be able to make it in their respective lives in an excellent manner. Thus, to Koon and Amin well done, and keep up the excellent work and for putting up with me during those trying times. I just wanted the best for you two, and am sooo ecstatic you have what it takes to be great leaders in the future.     



Souvenir from Royal Botanic
Gardens Kew - courtesy of Amin