Partial list of board games I've played and the ratings.

My range is out of 5, 1 is not enjoy, 3 is ok, 5 is very good. And only for those that I've played.

20th Century (2010)
3

7 Wonders (English first edition)
5

Agricola (2007)
4

Alien Frontiers (English first edition, second printing) (2011)
5

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer (English Edition) (2010)
2

Back to the Future: The Card Game (2010)
3

Ca$h 'n Gun$ (2005)
1

Catan: Seafarers (1997)
3

Citadels (2000)
2

Eclipse (English first edition) (2011)
3

Eminent Domain (2011)
4

Family Business (Mayfair third edition) (2008)
1

Get Bit! (English second edition) (2011)
1

Hansa Teutonica (2009)
3

Le Havre (2008)
3

Merchants & Marauders (2010)
3

Munchkin (2001)
2

Pandemic (2008)
5

Power Grid (2004)
4

Race for the Galaxy (2007)
4

Sentinels of the Multiverse (2011)
5

Small World (2009)
4

Ticket to Ride: Europa 1912 (2009)
3

Troyes (Multilingual second edition) (2011)
3

Urban Sprawl (2011)
2

Wealth of Nations (2008)
5

Wits & Wagers (2005)
1

Post to the students in here

YBAM：Misleading Teachings Deviate From The Right Path of Buddhism

The Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) recently received a correspondence from the Buddhist Society of a branch campus of a university in Kelantan, stating that members and other undergraduates are influenced by a Theravada monk, leading to transferrence of course of study, and strained relationship with the family members.

The monk started to approach the undergraduates of the said university since March this year.  Activities were carried out without the acknowledgement of the Buddhist Society of the university.  The monk even brought dozens of students to pay a visit to the temples in Thailand for few weeks.  When the semester started in September, these students, of about 30 of them, contacted the faculty and their family about their intention of transferrence from Medical Discipline to other disciplines such as Nutrition or Sport Science.  Some students could not concentrate in their study, and absent from the lectures to participate in the activities organised by the mentioned monk.  Some students even have the intention to withdraw from the university. The university started to show concern on this incident following the request of transferrence of course from these students.

Most of the affected students are the future doctors, with some of them are graduating in next one or two years, and some of them are even the JPA scholarship holders.  However, these students disregard the worries of the family members, as well as the implications of the RM 250,000 compensation that the family is going to make following their irresponsible act, had a falling out with the family, and even threatened to run away from home or to terminate the family relationship.

This monk taught the students that the patients should not receive medication for their condition, as these sicknesses are the results of their Karma.  If one receives treatment for the sickness, this will not eliminate the Karma, and he/she will continue to suffer in the future.  This monk keep stressing about the supernatural power, and telling students that he has the power to know the past, and to predict the future.  He also used the so-called subconciousness method to let students to see their pasts.  These teachings led to the Medical students not willing to, and also dare not to face the patients and corspes.  Some of them even felt the uneasiness and the horror after contacting or facing the patients and corspes.  In addition, this monk also misled the students in the views of the relationship that led to the end of the relationship of a few couples.

YBAM also received some complaints that this monk used the same tactic to approach the Buddhist and youths in the Alor Setar, Kedah.  He also has a centre for students’ gathering in the Klang Valley

In the Buddha’s teaching, we see how the Buddha, as the leader, also concerned his disciples who are sick, and provided necessary medications. The Buddha taught how to integrate ourselves into the society and to benefit the society with our contributions.  The Buddha did not teach us on the unconventional and bizzre ideas, which leads to the worries of our family and friends, or even broken relationships with them.

YBAM hence urge the Buddhist society in the varsities and the local Buddhist societies to pay extra care when dealing with the interactions between the venerables and the disciples, as to avoid the negative implications that might be caused to the students and disciples following such relationship.  Together with other Buddhist organisations, YBAM is also trying with various approaches including the Immigrations, university and family members, not to worsen the development of the incident, and to prevent this monk to bring the students to Thailand in this October again.

-- 

May the Blessings of the Triple Gem be with you and your family always.

This blog post is in response to the news above and directed towards the 30+ students who were involved. If anyone can direct them to this I would be very grateful. 

So, hi guys and gals, calm down, I know what might be going through your mind now. I know because I was there, during my teenage years, just before SPM. Oh really you ask? Read on and find out. I'm not a mind-reader, so sorry if my claim is not true after all and didn't help you.

It's true that I did not think of wanting to skip SPM, or STPM or University or even getting a 3 year bond even after getting a strong and close affinity with Buddhism, wanting to become a monk, and attain enlightenment in this very lifetime. This is kinda the effect you'll experience if you go too deep into Theravada teachings too fast, which I believe you guys had from the description above.

Hang on a minute, you ask, I said "too deep", "too fast"? But isn't the teachings of the Buddha the best thing there is in the world? The only thing worth to do in this life is to practise and attain enlightenment? How can there be such a thing as too much Dharma? 

Ah, I would reply, but then what Dharma are you talking about? Learning about the Dharma is not the same as realising it. 

A man is not versed in Dhamma because he speaks much. He who, after hearinga little Dhamma, realizes its truth directly and is not heedless of it, is trulyversed in the Dhamma. -Dhammapada 259

Your actions of wanting to leave the lay-life or university courses without regard for the wishes, social and financial considerations reflects that there is no realisation of both compassion and wisdom. 

Calm down, stop rejecting this statement, it's not a blame, it's just a statement for you to reflect upon. Is it true? Is it really true? Is it the full truth? Calm down and ask yourself. You know the gist: meditate, calm down and throw the question inside of you, wait for the answer to come naturally, unbidden. 

Done that? Calmed down a bit more? Then reflect upon this: Too deep: most of the teachings of the Buddha is directed towards the monks, and they are made so that the monks are constantly reminded not to waste time, but to reflect that death might come anytime, that nothing in this world is worth attaching to. Therefore the only logical, rational, and sane thing to do is to renounce and meditate all the way. Yet, the Buddha also teached for the lay people. He knows that there are some who are not ready to go forth yet. 

You might be ready. You might want to do so now. Yet, it doesn't mean it's the middle way for you.

http://mettarefuge.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/practicing-the-middle-way-not-too-much-not-too-little/

Each person has their own middle way, 

When I started learning Buddhism on my own, reading the books without joining in a Buddhist Society or having Kalyana-mitta or a teacher to guide me, I had gone so deep and so fast into the theoretical ultimate reality and accepted what I see as obvious truths, that I decided to have "monk" in my email. And thus thinking this is how an enlightened being should view the world (impermanence, suffering, non-self) , this is what an enlighten being would not have think of (greed, hatred, delusion), thus deluded myself into a serious state of depression every moment I discovered myself to deviate from perfection.
That put me out of touch with Buddhism for a while in order to regain my sanity.
It took me years later on to realise “All things in Moderation. Including Moderation.” The way to Enlightenment is not the extreme way that gets you there faster. It is not a intermediate goal to achieve and get rid off so that I can get on with life. It is rather to realise that life itself is impermanent (still don't realise it, just putting it here to say I don't realise it). Now, from my involvement in Tertiary level Buddhist Societies, I am going back into Buddhism, gently, calmly, (sorry I still won't use slowly), practising it step by step with my Kalyana-mitta here and teachers to guide me.-http://ngxinzhaomonk.blogspot.sg/2011/07/middle-way.html

It's not easy to have the condition to go forth, but it is possible to learn and practise even while we keep our jobs, having a full layperson's life. 

Too fast: are you able to practise mindfulness at every moment in life yet? Have you been to a meditation retreat yet? Or before that have you been to a meditation course yet? Or more a more basic question: do you know what is right mindfulness? It took me years (it's still less than a decade ago that I started to seriously learn Buddhism) and many baby steps, with lots of references from one tradition to another and lots of testing to see what is mindfulness, and yet sometimes I forget what is it too. Buddhism is a gradual path, it's taking baby steps, one at a time to go into the Dharma. That's where we learn not only the meditation part, but also the right thoughts: loving-kindness, compassion, then renunciation. 

Loving-kindness to our parents, our teachers, to your future patients, to wish them well and happy. Compassion, for our parents, our teachers, our fellow Buddhist Community, your future patients, to wish all to be free from suffering. For our parents to be free from financial suffering, for our teachers, to be free from suffering of loss of talented students, for our Buddhist Community to be free from the suffering of bad reputation of Buddhism that this untimely fleeing will bring, and your future patients, to be free from bodily suffering. Compassion is not merely the wish, it's also the ability to remove suffering from these people. Renunciation, to let go of the strong sense of urgency you feel in you, because with wisdom, you see that it's not the right time yet. Even the Dharma is a raft, not to be attached to and certainly not to be a cause of suffering for ourselves and our loved ones. 

I, like you wish to become enlightened as soon as possible, yet, the time is not right yet for me to go forth, so I keep on practising, keep on attending Buddhist activities as a layperson (keeping my main job as priority first, yours is studying), and keep on learning and striving, baby steps. I can still gain enlightenment even as I practise while being a layperson. (Doesn't mean I've not inclined to go forth given the right conditions) There are surprisingly a lot of things to learn as a layperson. Like Physics and Buddhism: http://physicsandbuddhism.blogspot.sg/, the different traditions of Buddhism, the social, cultural, aspect of Buddhism, the various types of meditation, the various cool activities like Dharma Camps, Buddhist quiz competition, about love and relationships, and about how to present and teach the Dharma. 

Even the Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, and Arahant are not omniscience, they would not know how to teach to the masses of different background unless they had knowledge and experience of it first. Like me, I had some experiences with going too deep, too fast, therefore (if you're still reading and kinda calmed down by my words and see your "error" by now) I can help guide you. Of course there's nothing wrong with wanting to know more Dharma, but everything in moderation, realise it, and you'll realise, even moderation in moderation. 

Make sure your parents, teachers, friends have the right impression of the Dharma by internalizing it, by setting a good example, by being a good Buddhist role model, there upon, they would be more willing and open to your idea of renunciation of worldly life, and to Buddhism in general. The best way of spreading the Dharma is to be a living example of the benefits of the Dharma. Not the knowledge, but the realisation. It might take you a while yet to realise these, but give it time, and meanwhile continue your studies. 

A doctor is doubly blessed in practising. First, (s)he is able to do good deeds by saving their patients, the morality aspect is strong. Second, he is able to see suffering right in the face everyday. A good reminder and practise to be able to see the first Noble truth while tell us to understand suffering. If you are suffering now from all these situation, see and understand this suffering, what is the cause of it? (attachment to the knowledge of Dharma?) what is the way to the end of it? (letting go of mere knowledge, see the moon behind the finger) What is the middle path in your situation?

So be glad to be a doctor. Be not afraid to see corpses (there is a certain meditation on corpses, but should be balanced with metta meditation), be not afraid to save people's lives like the Buddha who take cares of the sick. 

"He who attends on the sick attends on me," -Buddha

If you need medical guidance, here's a group for your reference and guidance in Singapore: Medical Dharma Circle. 

BUDDHISM AND MEDICINE  

It has not gone unnoticed that the Buddhist aim of eliminating suffering coincides with the objectives of medicine (Duncan et al, 1981; Soni, 1976). The Buddhist emphasis on compassion finds natural expression in the care of the sick, and according to the Vinaya the Buddha himself stated "Whoever, O monks, would nurse me, he should nurse the sick" (Zysk, 1991:41). Buddhist clergy and laity have been involved with the care of the sick for over two thousand years. The Indian Buddhist emperor Asoka states in his second Rock Edict that provision has been made everywhere in his kingdom for medical treatment for both men and animals, and that medicinal herbs suitable for both have been imported and planted. -http://www.medicaldc.0catch.com/m1.htm

Join your local Buddhist Society, get to know Kalyana Mitra (Spiritual friends), because 

Then Ananda came to the Lord (Buddha) and said: "Half of the holy life is friendship, association and intimacy with the spiritual." "Say not so! It is the whole of the holy life, not half, this friendship, this association, this intimacy with the spiritual."
-Samyutta Nikaya V:2

And here, I have to stop. One final word, be sure not to defame Buddhism as it might deny many the opportunity and open mindedness to learn, to practise, to realise and to share. Do that by being the lay Buddhist Role Model: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.nara.html and follow the gradual path of http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/khp.5.nara.html. Thank you for reading. 

One Mile Above (aka KORA) - Review

Watched this last, with MDC people, after the show Xin qin said it's not so buddhistic, which I replied, you can put the analogy of it to the strive for enlightenment.

The quest started from love, from a younger brother's love towards the older brother that he wanted to travel to Lhasa. This is the Bodhisattva's love towards all beings that he undertook the journey to Buddhahood, it's the love of all of us towards all beings, that we journey towards arahantship or enlightenment in this very life. The motivation for the journey.

Then the main character, Shuhao had a row with his girlfriend just to start this journey, signifying the renunciation of the worldly life.

As he enters China, he got conned and ripped offed thousands of yuan. Which he only found out later on as he met a good friend. This kinda tells us to investigate, do not simply believe any religious teacher, but to find out what is it that they teach, etc... as accordance with the Kalama Sutta.

Then he follows this good friend (who turned out is heading for Lhasa too) and asked if he could tag along for the journey. The agreement didn't came immediately, the experienced teacher tested him out a bit, seeing his resolve to bike there. Then the friendship develops.

Throughout the way, the good friend keeps on talking more while he remain unusually silent most of the time. This eventually caused the downfall of his good friend. The test for sincerity came about when they waited for the clouds to disappear so that they can see the ice-covered mountains. This is saying that the intention of Shuhao is not sincere enough, he does yet know what's he is in for.

One of the major possible stumbling block is when they rested at a village early in the day. They found a house of a widow who's supporting kids and elderly, and by virtue of Tibetan's kindness, they allowed him to stay with them. In the house, a kid told him that his mother took a liking for him. And there was even a chance for him to stay in the same room as her. He politely and almost looked reluctantly rejected the advance and with a not-so-light heart continue on his journey. He knew he could had just give it all up, stay and live there. This is the obstacle that sometimes in the journey, we might get sidetracked to want to settle down with a partner. There is of course nothing bad in that, just that it makes it harder for the journey to be completed.

Then came the accident of his good friend. At the hospital bedside, he lamented that maybe he should not had started this journey. Then he saw the ice-covered mountain. He knew that there is the risk involved and it's very real. One has to keep mindfulness, energy, concentration, wisdom and faith at all times to be able to continue on the journey safely. Yet he still has the intention of wanting to do it. He is now sincere as he chooses with wisdom.

Hmm... I may not recall the sequences of these later event accurately. But here goes: then came the road that zig-zagged, he biked down the road, (instead of walking down), and fell off many times. His bike took quite some damage from that. There can be many ways of interpreting this, but I think it's more of patience, if he has just walked down, he could has saved the trouble. Or maybe it means we should slow down a bit and deal with obstacles as they come, and not rush through it blindly.

Then, his bike's tire got ripped, and it rained. Soaking wet and cold at that attitude, he almost gave up and slept dangerously in the middle of the road, whereby a driver almost hit him and came down to punch him. This is the usual, things will go bad, very bad before it gets good. And if you don't care for your own safety, others will beat sense into you.

And then he went and got attacked by a pack of dogs/wolves. They ate his meal pack and he managed to get away. This is the outside hindrances.

Next, he went into town and tried to get his bike repaired. This is a recognition, that we should stop and examine ourselves, if our morality etc... is broken, we abandon the wrong/ unskillful way and adopt the skillful way.

Then he was having food poisoning. Fortunately, he got saved by kind hearted people. This is kinda like internal hindrances, or bodily illness as an external hindrance.

Along the way, he goes and goes on, rejecting an occasional car that drove by, keeping to achieving his goal his own way. This might mean that no one can do the effort of training for enlightenment other than ourselves. No one can and no one may.

The scene where he found a Tibetan pilgrim doing 3 steps one bow, was the discovery of faith, the Dharma. It is the awe that faith can inspire, so much so that the effort of doing that exercise which is obviously harder than a bike can be done. He also learns to interact with the people around him in their own language, seeing and experiencing.

Along the way, he goes and goes on, rejecting an occasional car that drove by, keeping to achieving his goal his own way. This might mean that no one can do the effort of training for enlightenment other than ourselves. No one can and no one may.

Then he got the knowledge that his journey will end soon, this is the streamwinner stage. He strove even harder to get to the top. At the top of the mountain, he stood and surveyed the journey that he has been though, the things that he thrown away (even as one crosses the other shore, he should cast the raft of the Dharma aside, dwelling without attachment).

Then finally at the goal, Lhasa, he relaxed and looked Lhasa in the eye. He is still himself. But he has changed. He is able to get into the crowd, dancing with them, having no concept of a separate self.

Ok, some of this is a bit overrated, but this is quite cool.

Money Money Money (Financial management, Buddhist Point of View and Investments)

Oh right now, this will be based on a visit to Singapore Buddhist Mission Youth Saturday's sharing, featuring Ven. Bodhi and seniors' (some of which are working already) experiences.

So on last Saturday, 15th September, just before the talk on Altruism by Mathieu Ricard and his teacher, I went to the sharing. Ven. Bodhi gave each of us a piece of handout, based on Chapter 10 of the Shrewd Breadwinner, a life that's well founded by Ven. P.A. Payutto.
Look for Chapter 10, it's all in there.
http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=hR5oOGHg6m8C&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=Shrewd+Breadwinner&source=bl&ots=DIOzK4cc7s&sig=QzqXbVZJymQKkZi2p1TrA2EpgZw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=c6xcUJnxKY7rrQfa1IHQCg&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Shrewd%20Breadwinner&f=false

There are 3 levels, first of seeking and safeguarding wealth, second of allocating wealth, third of using wealth.
Ven. Bodhi discussion is that the 4 portions in the allocating wealth part, is not 4 equal portion and that the 2 portion for investment is one for soft (spiritual, skills, edication, help, goodwill etc..) investment and the other hard (material investments) investments. This is logical as it is not really possible to earn a living based on 1/4 of your income used on yourself in Singapore.

Then the investment part must come as even if you put your money in the bank, inflation will cause the value of the money to drop, if the interest from the bank is lower than inflation. So putting it in insurance, etc... would help.

Ze Ming shared that insurance, bonds, stocks, properties, etc are just instruments not investments, the difference between investments, gambling and speculations is in the psychology, blindly putting your money in something is gambling, having a gut feeling etc.. is speculation, research a lot and see long enough, you're an investing.

That's all for now. Thanks!

My recent weekends

This coming weekend will be spend in Malaysia.

My recent weekends were spend this way:

18-19th Aug: SPS Newbie Orientation Camp, I was the game master, for two of the most fun games in the camp (in my opinion) and got to know quite a lot of the newbies.

11-12th Aug: Helped in LDW for Saturday morning, afternoon at Buddhist Fellowship with Chriswini Tanaka and Jasper Ang, night celebrating The Return of Thuan Beng and Mukthar, Sunday morning gone treetop walk, afternoon at Tergar Singapore in Tai Pei Buddhist Centre, night relax, play and time for facebook and me.

The ones before that was non-working period, so not so remarkable. 

More remarkable is that the next weekend, 1st-2nd Sep, I will be joining "Joy of Living" by Tergar Singapore, missing out both Tzu Chi one-day camp (which I went twice already) and NUSBS MC handover day (which I had 3 already). 

Graduation done list.

Here's the list that I've done from the previous one.

1. Found a place to live.
• Minh had kindly offered me a place to live in Clementi, as his roommate. Recently I've cleaned the room with him and the place is very near NUS and cheap! Good deal for the next 3 years!
2. Found a job.
• Refer to this.
3. Play
• Marvel: Avengers Alliance is my main game now: Level 127
• Pokemon trading should be done within a few days: not done.
• Movies: Watched MIB 3, Avengers, The Amazing Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises.
• Finish up Fringe: Not yet, starting Young Justice.
• Presenting the Brain Band: done a bit, should use it more.
• Boardgame: Mainly playing Cashflow now.
• Computer games: Not really interested.
4. Tie up loose ends
• Finish up some more work on my Honours Project: not done
• Write that report for the Summer Research: not done
• Go through all the stars in my gmail: not done
• Check for the after graduation stuffs, for international students, Loan, Grant, Work Pass, etc...in progress
5. Religion
• As usual, get to attend all that I can attend, and in fact bring more people in via Temple Explorers Singapore!
• NUSBS Meditation Retreat,
• Tzu Chi: Near to joining as member,
• MDC: going to be treating them soon... as my first paycheck comes.
• Awaken Challenge
• Weekend visits to temples with cousin and friends: precursor to temple explorers.
• Other Buddhist Societies events...
6. Plan for graduation trip
• My graduation trip was back home, with NUSBS friends, tiring, hmmm... but haven written about it yet.

That's all for now.

Habitual tendencies

Do you have the feeling of being lazy?

It's not easy to live a human life. An unbalanced life will lead to accumulation of some problems or another that develops into a crisis which we deal with and then life gets back to be a little bit more balanced.

And then something unexpected happens. And here we go again.

I'm feeling a bit lazy to live a balanced human life. The middle way, the noble 8 foldpath that I follow should be my guide. Yet, as usual, it is hard to keep up all three aspects of morality, concentration and wisdom.

I go for a lot of temple tours, yet habitual tendencies tend to take over very fast. For example, I'm supposed to be sleeping now. So that I can get up early for work tomorrow. I'm still used to the student lifestyle.

Becareful of how you choose to live your life, for it sets habitual tendencies that require a lot of effort to change. I miss the old life of a student very much, but it is not a suitable lifestyle for me anymore. Gotta have to let go, and live a more balanced life.

Will I be able to bring meditation into my daily practice? I do hope so. The realm of youth is not to be wasted playing and pursuing stuffs that are impermanent. Let me be able to guide myself to have the energy and condition for meditation practice everyday.

Multiverse Part 2: Science Fiction

Refer to Multiverse Part 1,

But all this assumes another thing: that all choices that can be made must be made. It is reasonable to think that given infinite time or resources (universes), all quantum probabilities that can happen, will happen. And yet is free will determined by quantum probabilities? This is the question. Is free will truly free?

The real question is: is there something that is possible for you to do, but you would never in all the universes do it? No matter what happens.

It's hard to think of something like that. In the end, it depends on the idea that is the mind subject to the laws of probability?

Hmm... it seems that I need to refine my ideas about the 9 different kinds of multiverse according to The Hidden Reality by Brian Greene.

Meanwhile, we take what works: Morality, free will and conditioned cause and effect.

More Money or Interest?

Received an email a while back and now I'm posting this. 

Good evening,

How are you doing? Alvin Poh Leong Ann here... My apology for the late reply and for all the trouble caused. Yes, I do have a rough idea of it now. Recently I was away very often. I had attended several orientations organized by the Engineering Faculty and the NUS MSL. I’m glad I have read your blog. It gave a better insight of the Physics programme in NUS.

As mentioned earlier, I intended to further my studies in Physics however I’m offered to study Electrical Engineering instead. I would like to inquire, are there many differences between them? Are there more research and academic enhancement programmes such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme in Science (UROPS) and Special Programme in Science (SPS) for students who opt to do a Science degree? I have read about the SPS. Is it a recommended programme for research students? Engineering students wouldn’t be able to join, right?  I come to realize the Summer Programmes for NUS Science Students include many research orientated places in the prestigious university around the world, isn’t it?

I’m offered to do EE with a scholarship. I’m uncertain whether the switching of courses is allowed. I do understand that taking a double major is different. However, do you think is advisable? I inquired about it through a senior during my orientation. He did mention in such cases, students will have to overload each semester with more modules.

My main interest lies in the field of energy, particle and nuclear physics. When I was young, I aspire to be part of CERN research team despite the fact that it is quite farfetched. Anyhow, I’m uncertain of how to even get there. Being in EE, do I lack a lot academically? Will it be a disadvantage for me? It is most appealing to me that the Centre of Quantum Technology is affiliated to NUS. However, does it only involve Physics students in NUS?

Besides, are you graduating soon? Will you be doing your graduate studies? Will you be around in NUS?

I’m glad to meet you. Recent years not many students from Malacca High School are studying in NUS. You have been very helpful. Thank you very much!

Have a nice day! =)

My reply:

 Cool. Good that you've known MSL.

First off I would like to say that even Engineering Science studies nothing close to what we pure science students do, much less Electrical Engineering. From what limited experiences I had in USP about EE is that it mainly focuses on manipulation of electrical fields, wiring, etc...go google it. It's a bit boring to me. And nowhere close to the field of energy, particle and nuclear physics. So a double major is not a replacement for a pure major in Physics.

Only thing that you might get closer to Physics is to do the France Double Degree Program. It's extremely prestigious and hard. Full of pure maths and then physics and you'll have to learn them in France. It's open to Physics, Maths and Engin students. You'll spend your Saturdays studying with these people, and mainly become a study machine. For 1 and a half year from sem 2 onwards. Then 2 years in France and back for masters. But I'm not sure if you're going to study the same thing as a pure Physics student over there.

Secondly, SPS is not something to overlook here. It's only for Science students, it's tough, it's designed for research students and although I haven't described it fully in my blog yet, it's the main thing in Uni that I am glad to have and never regretted. In fact, I'm in SPS room writing to you right now. Summer Programmes, ya, lots of cool places to go to. See my Imperial experiences. I do believe there's a similar programme for Engin students, focusing on Engin stuffs. Go find out.

Third, Scholarship. Now the money factor comes in.
If you're an idealist, you'll switch to Science, no matter what it cost and will follow your passion to the end.
If you're a realist, then here's the deal: if you're so desperate for Physics as to want to turn down this Scholarship, you'll have to have loans. Assuming you'll already have Tuition Grant, so locked in Singapore for 3 year after graduating. Tuition Fee Loan, Study Loan, Student Assistant Loan. Amongst the 3 of them, you'll cover the tuition fees, Accommodation and might need a bit of money for food and others. (I don't buy books or printer, so I save from there.) The occasional Summer trips, Global Programmes, Summer Programmes, you'll either have to find the ones that gives you net money (i.e. you work there), or you'll have to ask from your parents. (about $900 for most of them, once a year.) Or you can just do a part time job. It's not that hard to work and study at the same time. There's demo lab, and SPS Mentor (year 3 and 4 only), and Physics lab (year 4 only), and others. Or summer internship etc....
And most of all, after graduating, the interest will start to count and you'll have to pay all the loans back. To make it comfortable, you'll have to pay more than 3 years. That's what I'm in now. But it's ok for me, I'll just continue paying it using my PhD. Scholarship, when I get it. You'll be poorer than most of your peers, but if you're pursuing further studies... then there's not much difference anyway, you'll stay poor until you graduate from PhD.
Overall, this is not a small factor to discount. It's your life: compromise your passion for money, or money for passion. Your choice. Your parents and family will prefer if you chose the first one. My style is the second one.
Fourth, there's no way in NUS, even in Engineering Science that you'll get a good exposure to the field of energy, particle and nuclear physics if you choose Engin. Ok you can always self study or take the France thing. Ok, just ask my friends over there. You can take mostly Physics over there, including things like energy, mostly about nuclear, environment friendly energy and management stuff. But it's not guaranteed that you'll get into a School. It's hard to get in and it's harder than SPS. And you've to be super intelligent with good CAP in your first sem to get invited to the programme. And super hardworking for the next 1 and a half years.

Fifth, to get to CERN, they need technicians and physicists too. So as an EE you can go there too! Just visit their website, build up your profile, etc, apply there....Just that you might have to do maintenance stuffs more than the real Science. But there's no guarantee that you'll make a better Physicists too, cause research is not really as cool as in Iron Man 2. To do what Tony Stark can do, go Engin. Research in CERN mostly involves analyzing whole chunks of data, not as exciting as they show in the movies. In EE, you know you can't do theoretical Physics then (see the unless above). But if you do theoretical Physics, you don't need to go to CERN, you can do it anywhere. CQT works with people from Computer Science too, to get a different perspective. If you go for Physics major, you'll most likely end up here, at least for a short while. I'm going to be here for 3 years.

That's about all. I really can't decide for you, so I hope I made this email not too bias either way. You'll have to decide for yourself and try not to get influenced by the tone of the email but rather consider the facts and make the choice that your heart tells you to make. Or your logical mind. You see, I'm still mixing up the tones here.

I later found out that his Scholarship allows him to change the faculty if he wants, but he prefers Engin, and not a fan of too many maths he sees in Physics. So he's doing Engin now. 

But anyway, food for thought. What's your choice? More Money or Interest?

Job

So, I'm posting this for fun. For now. Again. After so long of talking about other stuffs, it's back to me. The Ego. Oh well, school has just started, and it shouldn't affect me, but that I get to meet a lot of new people. Both in SPS and NUSBS, not so much on USP cause I don't go there.

Well, it seems a bit strange, I had started work on week 0 itself and I should be getting to know the people in CQT rather than my old attachments. Well, for that matter, a lot of the people I met asked me where do I work after the introduction that I'm an alumni.

Here's what I tell people:
Me: I'm working as a Research Assistant in Centre for Quantum Technologies now, yes it is in NUS.
Questioner: What am I researching on?
Me: Physics
Questioner: Which field?
Me: Theoretical Physics
Questioner: What topic? 
Me: (If not physics people then I think: Do you really wanna know?) Quantum Entanglement in General Relativity.
Questioner: (Blank look or amazed look if not physicist) So what do you do in it?
Me: (If I know it would not be called research is it?) Oh, I read papers, do the maths, get ideas, do the maths, write papers etc....

It's actually different people added together from above. Well, anyway, don't feel bad if you are one of them and reading this. I'm just letting you know my inner state.

On a cooler note, I am discovering more and more people who reads my blog! People who are going to enroll/join in SPS, USP, NUSBS, Physics, etc... Thanks for reading people! It's inspiring to know, so do leave comments, that way I can know that the post is read there and then! (Instead of having to meet you guys in NUS one by one and having a long enough conversation to come to the topic of my blog, it's nice, but it's only once a year!)