Sunday, March 30, 2008

2nd Camp

On the 2nd International Physics Olympiad Camp! There were 2 people, 1 from melaka, 1 from Penang who abandoned their chances to represent the country. Although it's a really unwise move, but I believe they have good reasons to do so.
So there are only 16 of us with me in KAB and the others in KKM. It's quite an adventure to them as they need to walk more than 30 minutes to reach the Physics Building whereas I only need 10. However I sense that they don't have much of an adventuring spirit. The camp presents nothing much new to me and Boon Teik, except for the polar coordinates.
After I have shown Boon Teik a walk to a shop to photocopy a book I have, he told me that this was the best camp.
Wednesday night I walked to KKM and shared rubiks cube fun with ZQ.
Thursday, The EXperimental EXAm! I did badly on the 1st experiment but I think the 2nd one is quite nice and I believe I have a unique method.
The Theory Exam was easy, except for the Jupiter Question.

My Further Maths

I put in this post for 2 reasons: 1. someone wants to know more about how I scored an A in Further maths and 2. it's the essay for NTU scholarship application.

I was determined the master Further Mathematics T, and I had a tuition for that purpose. People heard that the subject is difficult, but it's not until they had a few glimpse into number theory that one by one, the size of the class reduced from a dozen to 6. I persisted. Studying 4 hours per week on it for one and a half year, I thought that I had mastered the subject, but in a simple trial exam, I had gotten only 76 marks(the highest amongst us) for paper 2 and a pitiful 28 marks(and the lowest) for paper 1. I really put in a lot of effort into it, revising the 3 inch thick notes, and timing myself on the limited past years papers.(about 5)

During the Examination period, the 6 of us gathered to revise each paper with me leading the discussion. I heard that there was only 40 students(the real figure is 57) taking Further Maths that year. And only the top 7%(3 people or so we thought) will be awarded A! That was dispiriting, but I said, I'll just have to be the top 3 person in the country!

As I sat for the first paper, I had to rush one question for 5 minutes during the last hour in the 3 hour, 12 question exam as I solved the harder ones first. After that, I felt like having sat for the longest, scariest roller coaster ride ever! And I was still shaking! Paper 2 however was quite easy, relative to paper 1.

So you'll agree that after tearing the envelope that contained my results open, I was, no still am, the proudest person alive. I had obtained an A for Further mathematics T!

P.S. Here's the materials to study if you do take the subject: http://furthermathematicst.blogspot.com/


For those living in Petaling Jaya/ KL/ Selangor nearby Petaling Jaya area, and wishes to have me as your Physics tuition teacher for STPM/ A levels/ any English Pre-U course, you can email me at ngxinzhaomonk@gmail.com to get my whatsapp and we can discuss further. My rates are RM 100 per hour, minimum 2 hours per session per week for individual visits. For group tuition at my home, the rate is RM 50 per hour, time wise is the same, minimum class size: 5. So spread the word if you wish to have enough to set up a class. Available from Aug 2018-Dec 2018. Thanks!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Siddhartha!

As I was saying... this is the Panggung Bodhi 2008 by UKM Buddhist Fellowship. The purpose of Panggung Bodhi is to expose the Public to the teachings of the Buddha. We had Sketches and dances performers to express ourselves. Our purpose is not of personal glory or your clapping, but to contribute to the world and plant a Bodhi seed in your hearts. I had the honour of becoming Siddhartha! I had to wear the clothes you see below.
This is also the first time I had make up, so it's a very unique experience for me, especially the hair that resembles 赌神.
I am very grateful for the UKM Buddhist Fellowship to let me be so an important character in one of the dances.
Ok Cheers! Panggung Bodhi was a great success and we are going to celebrate it on 3rd of April, Thursday. I hope to see all of UKM BF there.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Panggung Bodhi

Instead of lamenting on my recent unsuccessful things here, I decided to make a little suspense for the next blog. Once I have gotten my pictures of Panggung Bodhi, I'll tell you the full story.

On Thursday night, I went and helped out for the first time, and got to see the rehearsals. I learned how to make the pretty paper flowers! Friday, I went to wash my clothes (which on a wholly unrelated case, I did too yesterday) and helped out a little, there were no rehearsals. I helped cut out the big letters of PANGGUNG BODHI 2008!
On Saturday, I had the Honor to....( to be continued)

Monday, March 17, 2008

Life Changes

After picking up my results, I only had time for a lunch with my friends before coming back to pack up for my family is moving to KL. And so, my farewell to the good old "new house" in Melaka that I had stayed in for 14 years. Not that it make any much difference, I'm in UKM for most of the time anyway.

After applying to NUS and NTU, and receiving the news of Caltech's rejection, I came back to UKM. I planned to help out in the Panggung Bodhi 2008 that UKM Buddhist Fellowship held every year.

However, coming back on Thursday, I found out that I had left my key in melaka! This naturally made me angry and desparate as I just took a 5 hour journey via bus, walking, rapid KL LRT, KTM and finally UKM bus here. Good thing I had good friends that allowed me to sleep in their room. I took the spare key on Friday and ignored their "return it in 5 minutes" policy. I returned it on Sunday and much to my relieve, they only charged me RM3. Of course I took back my keys on Saturday in the new KL house (thanks to Ching Siang and my parents) and had to rush back here to participate in the rehearsals. Now back in UKM on Monday, I still don't know what to apply for and which scholarships are going to expire in the next few days.

One more bad news before I sign out, MIT has just rejected me too, yesterday.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

STPM results

Tuesday: I woke up on 8 something, quite early considering that I slept at 4 something the day before. I thought that I'll keep my hopes up high and be really happy if I got 5As or be really sad if I didn't. It's a change from SPM as I expected the worst but didn't really felt happy after getting straight As.
" I think the education of Maths and science should be continued in English and not changed back to malay as English is the international language for them. This is a story that I have heard before: A scientist published a paper of great importance for it's discovery, but due to it's not being published in English, it was only noticed after a few years, following the publication of another scientist about the same discovery independently, in English. As a result, the credit goes to the latter scientist." This was supposed to be my speech to the journalist that would be interviewing me. There's another one about how our educational system is just too long (13 years before University) compared to other countries. But I'll spare you this one as it's not the point.

The point is that I had gotten my hopes up high, waaaaaaaayyyyyy up high. Perhaps I should have been more cautious given that I had a talk with the penang Further maths taker. He mentioned that those who had gotten 5 As should be getting phone call to go to KL on Monday for the prize giving ceremony. Now since I hadn't gotten any, I am supposed to know that I didn't scored perfectly.

Back at school, I had fun distributing photos that I have kept for too long to my friends. Then I heard from another friend that one of us: Kerk Sin Yee had when to KL to get the perfect score prize. I had my suspicions already. Maybe it's my P.A. or my F.M. I was expecting 4 As 1A- now.

Then as Calvin came shouting that he had gotten 4 flat, all of us came to see the list of 4 flatters in Melaka. Scanning for my name, I found one Ng, way at the bottom. But it's not me. It's not even from the same school! I draw back, amidst the crowd of happy friends who had gotten what they wanted. I draw near to the group who hadn't got their names on the list too. Frankly I was surprised that I didn't make it. Maybe it was a mistake, I thought, I still hoped. Maybe 4 flats doesn't count in those who had gotten 5As, then I saw Kerk Sin Yee's name on the list. What a let off, now I expected my results to be 3 As 2 A-. A- for PA. And FM. And I don't feel too good right now.

As they called for the ceremony to finally announce the results at 1 something (when the results was out at noon), I came and collect my copy of the school's magazine and waited. I decided to cheer and clap. Heck, they are my friends up there no matter what, and I am glad for their good results. As the ceremony ended and each of us go collect the results from our form teacher, I braced myself for this final revelation. My form teacher told me that I had missed my P.A. I thought it was expected. But wait, she didn't said anything about my Further maths, could it be...
I tore open the envelope as fast a I dared so as not to destroy it. And lo behold.

I had scored 4As and 1 A-. My Further maths had gotten an A! Ha ha. I was glad, I had scored what no other had gotten! My spirits lifted. As I had trotted on to find Calvin, to give him back Wai Hong's book, I told him my results. And I rejoiced there. I was on par with them, even through I didn't got as good. As we eat our lunch that afternoon together in good morning Vietnam (Gilbert works there now), I see that I was lucky to have an A- in Pa. as my Pa paper2 got a B-! saved by my paper 1's A it must be a really close call to be in A-. by the way my further maths paper2 got A-. And the others unmentioned subject had gotten the best grade: A. What did you thought? Haha

Saturday, March 08, 2008

STPM results out at 11th of March!

Sorry I had the wrong information, I just listened to the radio on 6th of March of this news. Now I am back in Melaka and enjoying home life.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Mid Valley twice in a row.

I went to Mid Valley at 5 p.m. on Monday to buy the things that I need the most.
1. Slippers
2. Mosquito mat
3. Suction Hanger
4. Plaster
5. Bathing gel
6. Bathmat

So goes my list. Going for dinner first (I had skipped lunch), I went and search the mall and found most of my things in Carrefour. A trip to MPH had taken almost an hour and 2 books are bought back to accompany me :
  • Rama Revealed by Arthur C. Clark and Gentry Lee
  • Next by Micheal Crichton
Yesterday I when back to Grandpa's Birthday Dinner. William and Jia Long were there too! And on the way back, I had to go for Mid Valley's KTM so, reaching at 11 something, I woke up late this morning.

By the way on the last weekend I when back to Malacca and finished up Dragon Ball GT. It's a really nice series, worth the buy I say.

Judging by the Accuracy of my predictions of SPM results coming out date, I'll say that STPM results will be out on the 15th of March 2008.