:)

My tutor wrote this on my Accounting midsem paper. How adorable is that!

Little Snippets

Just a few little updates:-

1. Against all odds, Blackpool narrowly beat Cardiff 3-2 in the Championship play-offs last Saturday to clinch a spot in the top flight next season after an absence of 39 years. A warm welcome to the Seasiders who will join Coco-Cola Championship winners Newcastle and runner-up West Bromwich Albion in the EPL for the 2010/2011 season.

2.IH Food Fair last Saturday!!! It was awesome awesome fun, eventhough I only helped with half the cooking (more on why next line), AND we didn't win :(. Team Malaysia comprised Wen Hao (leader in name), Kevin Kang (de facto leader), Young, Mandy, Esther, Daphne, Ruiting, Caren and her brother Ah Mok, Yu Ning, Liz and myself. Seeing as Malaysia had won for the past 3 years, none of us were keen to break our winning streak. After a long deliberation, we decided on roti canai, nasi lemak, bubur cha-cha, sea coconut and longan, curry chicken, honeydew sago and teh tarik. Sounds delicious right? The others started cooking at around 10 am, while Mandy and I designed the menu. At around 2pm, I joined the others at Wen Hao and Ruiting's place. While Yu Ning and I decorated the menu, the others were having great fun trying to reproduce the great taste of Malaysian desserts! Caren and Ah Mok were cooking up a storm with their nasi lemak and curry chicken, people from other teams kept on wandering into their unit because of the delicious smell haha. At around 3 pm, Esther, Yu Ning and I fried 30 pieces of roti canai using a back-burner, which was sooo fun! Sadly, I had to leave at 4.45 pm as I was singing in the SUMS concert that night, but my wonderful friends managed to save me some stuff from the Food Fair so I didn't miss out completely :). We finished off the night with some Malaysian bonding time by watching 'Hitch'.

3. Mozart's Mass in C Minor! Wow, it was such an amazing experience to sing in a real concert, with a professional orchestra. The audience only numbered no more than 150, but it was still truly such a wonderful feeling to bring one of the most beautiful and haunting masses ever written to life. And by some strange coincidence, I happened to glance up at a stained glass window depicting Mary and the infant Jesus just as the soloist was singing the words, 'ex Marie a virgine.." during Laudamus-te. So poignant. The sound that we were producing was magnificent; even Greg admitted that. If I have the time next semester, I'd love to do it again. The only blip was the mini coughing fit I had during the matinee performance on Sunday after the first two movements; I was absolutely terrified that my coughs would echo around the Great Hall, distracting the orchestra and incurring the wrath of Greg!

4. ASSIGNMENTS ALL DEAD DONE AND DUSTED WHEEEEEEEEE! I finished the Accounting assignment a week early, and although I still have to build the database for INFS1000, it still doesn't discount the fact that all my WRITTEN assignments have been successfully handed in. I need a break, 4 assignments in one week is really no mean feat, and my dark circles are extremely prominent.

5. David Villa has finally put to bed months of speculation by joining Barcelona in a 40 million euro deal. Now the burning question on everyone's lips is: Will Cesc Fabregas be joining him? Reports coming out of London seem to suggest that it is only a matter of days before Cesc rejoins his hometown club, as he has finally gotten fed-up with the Gunner's (dis)abilities to win trophies at the top level. I think he'll go, but we'll just have to wait and see. Lastly, Ben Foster has finally put an end to his Man Utd nightmare, joining Birmingham in a 6 million pound deal.

6. Inter have become the first Italian club to win an unprecedented treble; beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final 2 days ago to complete a hat-trick of titles: Serie A, Italian Cup and European Cup. Congrats to Jose Mourinho, who became the youngest manager in history to win the CL with two different clubs. But will he be at Inter or Real next season? Another question that's just dying to be resolved.

Group Work

Question: Group Work should be made mandatory for all subjects because it is beneficial for students. Discuss. The word count should not exceed 700 words.

Word Count: 693 words

Group Work is defined as "a formally established project to be conducted by a number of students in common, resulting in a single piece of assessment or a number of associated pieces of assessment" (University of Newcastle, 2002 as cited in http://www.academicintegrity.utas.edu.au/terms.html). It is a common method used in educational institutions all around the world as an alternative method to complete projects as opposed to individual assignments. This essay aims to examine the demerits of imposing group work as a mandatory part of the assessment structure for all subjects and its possible effects on those affected.

I am of the opinion that group work should not be made mandatory; instead it should be banished to the very annals of the world, never to surface again. According to a survey done by Ford and Morice (2003), a staggering 54.8% of students chose individual assignments over group work. This is not surprising, given the often unfair nature of group work. From that same survey (ibid, 2003), an overwhelming 56.1% students were of the opinion that firstly, the marking of group projects was on the whole, unfair. The main reason that this phenomenon occurs is firstly, due the possible incompetent nature of group members. It is not uncommon for students to be unable to pick their group members. If good fortune deserts you, one could actually find themselves lumped with the class dud or that lazy dude who never attends class. Incompetence mostly arises from a weak grasp of the subject matter being taught due either to non-attendance of classes/lectures, a weak grasp of the language, laziness or sheer stupidity.

This scenario leads to my second point, where group work is often unfair due to the 'free-rider' problem and the unethical nature of group members ie the unequal contributions of group members. A free-rider is defined as a "party that enjoys a benefit accruing from a collective effort, but contributes little or nothing to the effort" (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/free-rider.html). Free-riders mainly comprise lazy students who constantly skip class, overly dependent students or they may just simply encompass apathetic group members. Over-reliance on 'good' and 'competent' students then becomes prevalent, as these free-riders are unable to contribute meaningfully to the group assignment; having little or no understanding of the subject at hand. This creates an unnecessary burden and heaps more pressure on the other group members as they are forced to double their work load in order to cover for their colleagues. Since group projects are marked as a whole; these students cannot afford to do otherwise for fear of jeopardizing their own marks. As the Malay saying goes, "If there is one drop of bad milk, the entire thing will be spoilt".

There are arguments that group work can be made fairer for all by having students fill out peer-assessment forms; forms in which students are able to rate their peers' work contribution in order to give the marker some feedback on how the work distribution was skewed. It is a good idea in principle; however the resulting red-tape often renders the whole exercise meaningless. For example if a student rated his peers at less than 100% and this triggers an academic appeal process comprising group interviews etc, this would be very messy for both student and teacher. Furthermore, it might lead to 'bad blood' between group members. In most cases, students would probably just give their peers full marks in order to avoid the whole hassle of going through the academic appeals procedure which of course defeats the entire purpose of the peer evaluations.

In conclusion, there is no denying that group work is beneficial for students in terms of building collaborative skills and encouraging interaction and communication. However, this is with the very unrealistic assumption that all group members are on the same page, and work well together thus making it a mutually beneficial and enriching learning experience for each other. I reiterate my stand again that group work should not be made compulsory as they are a burden to students who suffer as a consequence of irresponsible and incompetent team members. No one person should be made to suffer as a result of another's laziness.

References

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/free-rider.html, The Business Dictionary. Accessed: [24th May 2010]

http://www.academicintegrity.utas.edu.au/terms.html, University of Tasmania Academic Integrity Definition of Terms. Accessed: [24th May 2010]

Ford, M. and Morice, J., 2003, How Fair Are Group Assignments? A Survey of Students and Faculty and a Modest Proposal, Journal of Information Technology, Volume 2

Quick Quotes

Was randomly browsing and came across some truly awesome love quotes.

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love -Albert Einstein

Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile. -Franklin P. Jones

To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia -- to mistake an ordinary young man for a Greek god or an ordinary young woman for a goddess. -H.L.Mencken

If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question? -Lily Tomlin

Love is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important. -Lisa Hoffman

You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~Dr. Seuss

Love is the poetry of the senses. ~Honoré de Balzac

Love is a game that two can play and both win. ~Eva Gabor

The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of. ~Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 1670

True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach

Love means nothing in tennis, but it's everything in life. ~Author Unknown

Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination. ~Voltaire

True love is when you put someone on a pedestal, and they fall - but you are there to catch them. ~Author Unknown

Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart, and the joy in a heart. ~Author Unknown

Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever. ~Author Unknown

It's so easy to fall in love but hard to find someone who will catch you. ~Author Unknown

References

Lewis, J.J., 2009, Love Quotes, from Wisdom Quotes: Quotations to Inspire and Challenge. Available at: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_love.html. Accessed: [18th May 2010]

Quotations About Love, 2010. Available at: www.quotegarden.com/love.html. Accessed: [18th May 2010]

2x

For the first time in their history, Chelsea clinched a domestic double, beating Pompey 1-0 in the FA Cup Final yesterday to put the icing on what has been a most triumphant year.

A Didier Drogba free-kick was enough to see the newly-crowned PL champions through, after Kevin Prince-Boateng had his penalty and what was potentially a match-turning moment saved by Petr Cech. Alarmingly, Frank also had a chance to seal the match with a late penalty but he shot just wide of James' post. Not that it matters much (thankfully) but this is the second time this season that Frank has missed a penalty in crucial matches. Could this be a problem in the future? Something that rather soured what was a sweet victory.

It was a rather drab affair though, nothing like last year's final against Everton which was full of fire and passion, filled to the brim with lively attacking football and finished with a late Lampard winner. Pompey battled valiantly but Chelsea were far from their best and their passing seemed a little disjointed at times. It was even worrying at times how a Pompey through-ball would sneak past the Chelsea defence! 5 times we hit the bar before the goal finally went in, and Chelsea nerves were pretty edgy as we tried to get the second goal but found James in superb form.

The final whistle couldn't come soon enough, but thankfully we were celebrating a successful defence of the FA Cup; our 4th in 5 years and celebrating being only the 7th English team to win a history-making double.

And also, congratulations to Didier Drogba for beating Wayne Rooney to the Golden Boot and Petr Cech for winning the Golden Gloves award for the 09/10 season, well done boys!

We Are The Champions!

What a way to end their PL trophy drought! Knowing that only a win would guarantee them top spot, the Blues put in a masterclass to destroy a hapless Wigan side reduced to 10 men at Stamford Bridge, putting EIGHT goals past them and smashing the record books to become the first ever team to score more than 100 goals in the Premier League (103) and the first top-flight side to do so since Spurs in 1961.

Nicolas Anelka started the ball (pardon the pun) rolling with his first goal since God knows when with a simple header past Pollit. But the real drama only started when Drogba threw a hissy fit after Lamps refused (and rightly so) to let him take the penalty and try to surpass Rooney's total of 26 goals. Frank buried the penalty to make it 2-0, with Drogba apologising and admitting he was wrong after the match.

Kalou made it 3 in the second half and Anelka 4 with a volley, while Drogba finally got his goal when he powered a header into the far corner. After Cole was felled, Lamps unselfishly HANDED Drogba the ball to take the resulting penalty, who promptly made it 6. Goal no. 7 saw Didier complete his hat-trick and win the Golden Boot in emphatic style while Ashley Cole made it 8-0 in the final minute with a close-range volley.

In winning the trophy in his debut season ala Mourinho, surely Ancelotti has gone some way to casting off some of the Special One's huge shadow that was hanging over Stamford Bridge. If Chelsea win the FA Cup this weekend, Ancelotti will have done what even the Special One couldn't do: Deliver the Double.

That being said, it's been a wonderfully fantastic season. Chelsea deserved to be champions; the table does not lie. With a GD of +78 compared to MU's =51, Chelsea have showed their attacking prowess and willingness to take games to their opponents. We won because we beat all our Big 4 rivals both home and away, a remarkable feat.

Top 5 turning points of the season:-

1. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0 (Stamford Bridge)

2. Chelsea 1 Man Utd 0 (Bridge)

3. Chelsea 5 Pompey 0 (Bridge)

4. Chelsea 2 Man Utd 1 (Old Trafford)

5. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 0 (Anfield)

More pics to come... :D

I Want to Tell You...

But I won't because I'm a coward. As always.

2-0 to the Blues/IH Harbour Cruise

Drogba 33' (courtesy of a careless Stevie-G backpass)

Frank 54' (close-range tap-in from Anelka's cross)

We've got one hand on the trophy already. Victory is so close, we can smell it.

But thanks to Nani's strike at the SOL, it's not over yet. Manure are still hot on our heels, a mere 1 point separates us

Wigan doing the double over us would have DISASTROUS implications.

The Latics are poor travellers and the Bridge is literally a fortress these days again; but I would never discount them. God forbid if anything untoward (such as a red card) should happen next Sunday.

But Chelsea at the Bridge; on the brink of their PL title? It would take a brave man to bet against another 7-0 thrashing; just so that we can finish off the season in style.

.........................................................................................................................................

Last Saturday was IH HARBOUR CRUISE! Yes, it was quite a big deal because it was my first formal event in Australia; and it was the first formal IH event outside of well, IH. IHMA had rented a Captain Cook cruise ship specially for the night; which would take us on several delightful journeys around Sydney harbour. The theme for the night was 'Incognito', meaning we had to come in disguise ie with a hat or a mask :)

My ACCT1001 exam only finished on Thursday NIGHT, meaning in essence, I only had Friday to shop for a dress, mask and make-up! Shock horror. I've never been a last-minute person (okay, maybe sometimes) but this time I really had no choice, because my mid-sem was way more important than this event. On Friday morning, I went to Broadway Shopping Centre for 2 hours but alas, my search was in vain. Trying not to panic, I remembered that I had seen loads of clothes shops along Newtown, so it reasoned to logic that there would deffo be some shops selling formal clothes.

It was a horribly rainy and miserable day, but I trudged all the way until Sydney Park (!) in the rain, in search of that elusive dress. The shops nearer to the city were shockingly expensive (like $100+) but my reasoning that it would be cheaper closer to the suburbs was vindicated; as the closer to Sydney Park I got; the price started to range between $40-$65. Not too bad at all.

I tried on three dresses (2 at Honey and Lemon), and one at some vintage shop but they didn't fit me well. Disheartened, I returned back to IH for lunch.

And then, my luck changed.

Two heads are definitely better than one; so since Esther wanted to buy a dress as well, she came along with me. We walked along the same route, but took the rightward turning at the fork to Marrickville which I had not taken previously. What a shame I hadn't! Turns out I missed at least half a dozen shops selling some great stuff! And luckily for Esther as well, because she found her dress at one of the shops. The clock was already showing 3.30, and I was getting worried because I had to return to IH by 5.15pm for dinner as I had BS that night. I insisted that we return to the road leading to Sydney Park and we ended up at Honey and Lemon again. This time, Esther picked out a gorgeous turqoise dress that I had missed out because it was size 10. I protested, but she insisted I try it on. And luckily I did, because it fit me so well compared to the others I bought it! And got a discount too, because this was the second time I'd visited the shop hehe. What a relief. We even found time to buy cheap masks ($2 each).

On Saturday morning, we visited K-Mart to stock up on make-up (because moi has absolutely zero knowledge when it comes to this sort of thing). Thanks to a helpful salesgirl and some fantastic input from Esther, I managed to get concealer, gloss and shadow.

Back to IH for lunch, Econs quiz and tennis.

Then it was dress-up time! Again, props to Esther for doing my make-up (eventhough I did look like a vampire at first; dark eyes and red lips). We took a bus with the rest of the IH peeps to Wynvard, before walking to the wharf. Most people came with really cool masks/wigs; Andy had some sort of grey girlish mask while Neil dressed up with an Einstein wig and red eye-shadow. Daniel B was wearing an elephant mask, while Tanco had Batman. Unfortunately for yours truly, my mask string snapped as I was putting it on, sheesh. Cheap stuff, that's what you get for such a cheap price!

There's really not much to say about the cruise actually, though we did get very excited with the free-flow of booze. I started off with white wine and had coke and vodka plus two lemon lime bitters and vodkas before finishing off with apple juice. It took a while for the alcohol to actually register in my system and it is with deep regret that I report that for a time; I was actually feeling quite ill as the four drinks I had on the trot came back to haunt me. Can't say too much about the food though; it sounded better in words than in real life. We did go up on the deck for a bit to see the awesome night-time scenery but it got really windy and cold, so we soon gave up. Unfortunately, I don't have a DSLR camera, so all my shots are pretty dark/blurry/not nice in general such a shame. Sydney Harbour truly is spectacular at night. We just pretty much hung out on the deck; boozing slowly. But the best part of the night was the disco downstairs; where everyone was just grooving (wait, that sounds silly) away to crowd favourites (Empire State of Mind, Poker Face etc) and golden oldies (like Abba). Well, we didn't actually groove; more like mucked about jumping up and down in the air making the rock sign lol. Who knew Lisa, Emila, Mio, Jihaeri, Marian etc could jump so high hahahaha. Oh and camwhoring. Not as much as usual though (I miss camwhoring with my friends back home :(( ). Unfortunately, the ship docked back at King Street Wharf at about 11 pm; just when the party was starting to heat up so it was rather anti-climatic.

Emila and I munching on mini-pies on the deck of the ship :D

Can you spot the thorn among the roses? Clockwise from L to R: Lisa, Jihaeri, Emila, Mio, Jess, Bo and me

Clockwise L to R: Andy, Jessie, Joan, me, Neil and Marian

A stunning view of the Opera House by night from the cruise ship (Photo credits to Jake)

Jake, Esther and I standing on the top deck (again, photo credits to Jake)

PS Mid-sem results starting to come out. Did well for INFS (22.5/25) but not so good for MKTG (15.9/20). Am seriously scared for MKTG Group report...have revised my expectations from HD to D.