Wine Appreciation

A brief introduction on how to appreciate drinking red and white wines was on the menu today and I have to say I learned quite a bit about wines. Below are some notes I have taken:

White wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon) -> served chilled
Red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, Pinot Noir) -> served in any way

1. Hold glass at stem -> so body temperature won't affect the wine
2. Twirl correctly
3. Smell with nose inside glass

Recommended red wine for beginners: Merlot
Dessert wine/ice wine alternative: Noble Cuvee

Good wines should taste like anything but grapes!

Muthu's Curry

368 for 11. I went with a bunch of colleagues to Muthu's Curry for dinner and it was good. However, the price was a bit on the high end. S$368 for 11 people...

I saw an angel...

Angels do exist and I happen to saw one this morning. I had waited for almost an hour for a taxi but to no avail. I was very late for work and phoning for one was equally hopeless. Desparation and sense of finality were in me... Then something extraordinary happened. A lady waiting for a cab way up in front of me actually got one but instead of taking it, she directed the cab driver to pick me up! Apparently, she spotted me waiting for a cab while I couldn't even see her, being so far away. This was when I saw an angel in disguise;

However, for every angel that exists, there seem to be countless more ugly mortals. During the hour that I was waiting, I actually had people taking taxis in front of me and taxis speeding past me, the drivers avoiding eye-contact. What the hell? If you didn't want to pick me up, the least you could do was give me a wave. I am okay with people taking taxis from me in front as they might done in unknowingly, walking out of the buildings along the road. However, I actually had a couple of people who walked past me from behind and tried to stop a cab right in my face! These were definitely the worst kind of people. It wasn't a nice thing to do to an able-bodied person, let alone to someone on a wheelchair;

Ay... the good, the bad, and the ugly Singaporeans...

I have cable!!!

My brother has subscribed to Starhub Cable TV in preparation for the World Cup. Finally, I am able to watch my favorite team Liverpool FC play in the English Premier League as well as the new episodes of CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Miami, and CSI: New York. However, showing all three CSI at one shot for three hours is a bit too much for me. So may just catch one or two episodes at a time and leaving the rest for reruns.

How to pursue?

Channelnewsasia has an article on the situation that local undergraduates are reluctant to pursue PhDs. It gives some reasons as to why local students choose not to continue studying and that universities are trying to rectify the issue by giving out more grants and stipends. However, I think there are other concerns the students have.

One reason I feel that is very much relevant is a clause in the agreement for students accepting a stipend. This clause states that if a student fails to complete the study and graduate, he or she has to pay back every single cent he or she has received. I feel that this is a great concern and pressure that is holding potential postgraduates back.

Why is this so? It is because doing a PhD is unlike doing other courses. You may never know whether you can graduate as it depends on inspiration as much as hardwork on a thesis. It thus becomes a huge gamble with big odds. The commitment is great too as it requires 4-6 years. If we are talking about a $2K per month stipend for 4 years, that amounts to $96K. Not every one will have the ability to pay back that amount. And this has yet to include the money one could have earn if not studying; the salaries are for us to keep in exchange for our hardwork.

Therefore, to help alleviate the situation, the stipend for the first one or two years should be given without any condition. After two years, one will have known whether he or she can make it. Then there will not be any unhappiness or regrets. More people will thus be encouraged to at least give PhD a shot.

Kelvin and Betty

Just attended my first wedding dinner of this year. My ex-colleagues Kelvin Foo and Betty Chong got married today. Congratz.