Warning against bad private school
Actually this happen almost 2 years back, but I didn't say anything until now. Reason being I don't want to gossip or bad mouth. Yet, right now, I feel a need to warn against anyone going there, so that they will not have to endure and suffer what I have been through.History: I have an engineering diploma, but wanted to get a marketing degree.I went to this famous private school near City Hall MRT station, didn't know anything about the school. But was attracted because the University degree they offered was from Australia best group of 8 university. Well... A lot of things was hidden through out my studies there, it is alright if only a few is not mention, but the number of hidden stuff are just incredibly much. This is truly a Terribly Manage Centre.1. Because I have no prior knowledge on marketing or business, I am not exempted for any subject. So the course consultant told me that I can still go for the degree and it will last for 3 years. Later then I found out that, I could also first go for an Advance Diploma in marketing in the same centre that will last around 18 months, and will exempt me quite a few subjects that will take also 18 months to cover.Well, the first advantage is that it's much cheaper at only S$5000+ instead of $15,000+ if I were to spend 1.5 yrs doing the degree course. Second, I will secure a Advance Diploma already. Third, no extra time is wasted anyway.2. I went back again, the course consultant agree that it is another option I could take. Told me that if I squeeze and go for as much lesson as possible, the part time Advance Dip could take only 12 months.It's not true, after I went in, they say it's impossible to do that even if I wanted.3. The school fees I paid doesn't cover the exam fee, which adds up to close to another S$1000.4. During the Advance Dip course, more than half of the lecturer does not seem to be qualify to teach. I am sure they are all highly certified, but they really cannot teach, it is tough to understand. Although I have nothing against the Indian, but I don't understand why they must hired so many lecturer from India, cost?The moral was low in class, usually only 3/4 of the students turn up for lessons, then more than half of them will leave the class after the mid lesson break.5. Finished my Advance Dip in December, wanted to register for Uni. But was told that registration only starts in April for the June course, even though there was a course starting in March. They say it is the common practice for Advance Dip students to wait for 6 months.Wrong again. During my In-Camp-Training in January, my classmate called and ask me if I have signed up for the March course already and it is already the last day for registration. I clearly remember the name of the person who told me I couldn't register for the March course, but so what? I have to get my wife to rush down to register for me, because I am outfield having my army exercise.6. The exam was a scam, there are so much tips given it's difficult not to score. Which account why I got so many distinction too.7. I was told by the course consultant that if I do very well in my studies in my Advance Dip, I could be exempted for the max of 12 subjects in the university education. Therefore I could well get a degree in less than 3 years instead of the 3 years they mention earlier.Not true again. I mention above that I have attained almost all distinction. But yet was told that the 8 exempted subjects I got is the same as my classmate who merely gotten around 50% distinction. Was also told that through out the whole history of the private school, nobody had ever gotten above 8 subjects exemption no matter how well they do in their Advance Dip.Due to this, I have to take more subjects, and the course fee will be estimated to go up to around S$30,000 (not counting the Advance Dip). I also have to spend another 2 years instead of 1.5 years.8. They did mention that the school fees were to be paid in Australia currency, so depending on the exchange rate, I might need to pay more or lesser. But never did they mention they cannot take credit card nor cheque nor Nets. I have to go down to the bank to queue up to purchase a cashier order in Australia dollar and pay for another S$20 service charge.9. After the first briefing by the University people from Australia, my classmate ask me if I am doing a double major.What double major? Again, another information that was not communicated and not written anywhere when I register for the subjects I wanted to do. I went to apply and change for a double major after that.After all these, I decided to change to go to another school for my university education. Although, because I made this decision late, so I have to suffer the panelty of forfeiting the first school fee I have paid of more than S$5000. But I am still gald I did it, I won't know how much I have to go through if I continue in the Terribly Manage Centre.Worth to mention about what happen to my classmate too in this Terribly Manage Centre:We were all given a slip of paper to state what subjects we are registering for exam and the amount to pay. When we pay, the cashier will take that slip and then give us a generic receipt which only state the amount we paid.So one week before the exam, my classmate who had paid the exam fee already was asked why she didn't register and pay for this subject exam by the lecturer. So she cannot take the exam for that subject. The school said that the amount she paid for is only for 3 subjects instead of 4. Obviously she wanted to take the exam, or else study for what? My classmate states that she already paid and registered.Well... she don't have the slip of paper, it was taken by the school cashier, and because the school only issue a generic receipt. What can be proven?sigh....
Riddle
See if you can guess this riddle I heard a long time ago.
"The poor have it, the rich needs it; if you eat it, you will die."
Recommendation for Budget airwayI traveled by
Tiger airways and use the
Budget terminal when I went to Vietnam.
For Tiger Airways, it was quite good actually, beside the no-free-food on plane(just pay for food), the rest is the same. The budget terminal was actually better than a lot of non-budget international airport I have gone too. Everything necessary was there, restaurant, shops, comfortable seats. The only thing is non linkway to go to the plane, I guess that is really ok if it doesn't rain.
I was just thinking how budget does these budget airline goes?
Maybe they can also have budget planes, like get from the 2nd world war transport plane and convert into passengers plane huh. Just get those kind of seats from the bus, don't need what reclining seats, anyway budget airway all short distant, almost the same as bus ride.
Well, budget cabin crew is good too. Just get those girls waiting to go to university after 'A' level, anyway they can spend 6 months, or offer part time job for those Uni undergrads, so they can go fly in the afternoon when they only have morning class. So we have a young, exciting and well educated crew.
Of course not forgetting budget pilot. Just get from those got chop in the middle of course from RSAF and SIA. Since they already flow for a while, can save money on the initial training. Anyway they going to fly passagers plane, why make them do aerobatic, save more money. To save even more money on training, the last stage could be done as OJT as the co-pilot, good idea, right?
If you use
www.streetdirectory.com . Let me recommend you a better site for getting maps in Singapore,
www.can.com.sgWhat
www.can.com.sg have, that
www.streetdirectory.com doesn't have -
- Bus number at the bus stop. (shown when you place your mouse over it)
- Instead of clicking the down arrow, just drag to see what is below.
- Got function to measure the distant between 2 point.
- Can use on your cell phone with WAP or i-mode.
- Show where are the wireless@SG zone.
Streetdirectory.com only have 1 function which I like -
- Nearby Vicinity & Information (to see the shopping and eating places nearby, but I suspect it could be an paid advertisement by the various shops)
Just in case you don't know what is offered by both website, some useful things you can do are -
- You can copy and paste the map to your word doc.
- You can use it to teach you how to get from one place to another by driving which road.
- You can see the bus route of any buses.
Last month went to Vietnam
We went to Hanoi(Capital of Vietnam), and only stayed for a night, the next morning we towards the east for Halong Bay, a 2 days 1 night cruise.
We also visited the cave while we are at Halong Bay (which obviously are lit with wonderful lighting for the tourists)
We spend only around 4 hours in Hanoi upon returning from Halong bay, then we proceed to take a 9 hou overnight train ride to the town of Lao Cai, and another 1.5 hrs of bus ride up to the mountain of Sapa.
You can see the some of the locals villagers from the H-mong tribe still wearing their traiditional clothing in this picture. Whether it is because they are doing it for the tourist business, I do not know. We have a tour guide for this 2 days in Sapa, she is a H-mong too (but doesn't wear the traditional clothing), she speaks good english and seem to be enjoying herself a lot in this job.
I ask her if she had gone anywhere else, she mention Hanoi and much prefer Sapa more than any place else on this earth. She says even if she is given a free tour to go any place else in the world she would desire just for a tour, she would not go, she love Sapa too much.
That set me thinking, I would like to visit places, maybe not to stay there, but just for a short trip would be great. But it is always due to money that I am not able to do that. But she just doesn't wanna leave Sapa, amazing huh.
Some dangerous mountain trails we walk by. Just one step to the right, and you would have fall off the cliff. You can see, there isn't plenty of space to go by.
We took an overnight train back to Hanoi and spend half a day there just to realize that most tourist attraction, (such as the museum) is closed due to the APEC visitors. Well...
Some photos of the traffic condition in old quarters of Hanoi. Who cares about traffic light? Don't waste time in between the red and green.
We visited some of the usual tourist attraction, not very interesting. Most of the places we wanted to go have been block off due to APEC meeting too.
In Hanoi, all the raodside foodstall seats and table are all pretty short and small, I wonder why. Maybe it is easier to bring along.
Click here for the rest of the uploaded photos. (It's not that I only took this amount of photos, but I decide only to put up the nicer ones, taken on a Canon A40, only 2Meg pix cam)
English lesson
You don't write, "Weather you choose this task or that, I will still love you."
One word is wrong - "
weather"
"Weather" means - the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.What you are trying to write is the word "
whether". This is the correct spelling.
"whether" means - used to introduce the first of two or more alternatives.You write, "Whether you choose this task or that, I will still love you."
Self-centered =X= Not observant
Have you ever wanted to alight from the MRT or bus, and seeing many people also wanting to alight? So what do you do? Most of us will just stand at the back of the 'queue', right?
Notice that once in a while, there are always someone who decide to push and 'cut queue' despite of the 'queue'. The obvious behavior of normal human being when wanting to alight will be to stand facing the door, especially when someone get from the back of the bus, or get up from their seats to stand facing the door. I think usually that is not because they saw something interesting on the door, but an obvious body language that says, "I am going down this stop". So do you think those people who 'cut the queue' are not able to read the body signal or just want to 'cut the queue'?
Sometimes I think that they know, they just wanna be the first one who get off the bus/train.
Sometimes you queue up at like infront of 2 ATM, there will either be 1 queue for each ATM, or just only 1 queue right in the middle for both ATM, so that whichever ATM user had left, the next-in-line will just go to that ATM. Right?
Have you seen people who sort of see the queue, and they decide that, "these people are weird. There are obviously 2 ATM, why are these 10 person queue for only 1 ATM? I guess I will just queue at the other ATM."
Is that really what they think or do they just choose to act blur when someone tap on their shoulder and inform them that we are all queuing for both the ATM?
Singapore men are garang!Out of all the countries that need to serve National Service (have a conscript army)
Singapore is one of the longest you have to be in the army.
- Austria
- 8 months (will be cut to 6 months)
- Belarus
- 18 months for lower education, 12 months for higher education.
- Bermuda
- 36 months part time basis (not all have to serve, lucky draw)
- Brazil
- Don't have to serve if gogin college or have a permanent job. Else 12 months(Army), 24 months (Air force), 36 months(Navy)
- Bulgaria
- 6 months (For Degree and above), else 9 months
- Chile
- 12 months (Army), 24 months (Air force & Navy)
- China (PRC)
- Establish in theory, but never drafted due to large regular soldiers intake.
- Croatia
- 6 months, or 8 months of civil services.
- Cyprus
- 25 months
- Denmark
- 4 months
- Egypt
- 14 months(college graduated) up to 48 months (for lower education level)
- But only son don't have to serve.
- Eritrea
- 18 months
- Finland
- 6-12 months (depending on rank and vocation)
- Germany
- 9 months
- Greece
- 12 months
- Iran
- 21 months plus 3 months.
- Israel
- 36 months(men), 24 months(women)
- Korea, South
- 26 months
- Lebanon
- 6 months
- Malaysia
- 3 months (lucky draw to serve)
- Mexico
- 12 months
- Norway
- 18 months
- Poland
- 9 months
- Romania
- 6 months(higher education), else 12 months
- Russia
- 24 months, but easy to avoid being drafted.
- Serbia and Montenegro
- 9 months(changing to 6 months)
- Sweden
- Less than 1/3 drafted.
- Switzerland
- 4 months follow by 3 weeks refresher course per year, until rech 260 days.
- Taiwan (ROC)
- 16 months(was initially 18 months)
- Turkey
- 15 months (for private), 12 months (for officer)
- Ukraine
- 12 months full time or 24 months part time.
- Venezuela
- 24 months (excuse if sole provider for family, study in college)
- Singapore
- 24 months (down from 28 months)
Are you glad you are not born in Israel, South Korea and Cyprus?
But we beat the rest of them... yahoo!
Not observant = Self centered
Do you agree with this statement?
Imagine:-
This person call "Ah Ben", he comes out of his house, he press the close door button on the lift as he goes down without noticing a neighbor that came out running after the lift.
Ah Ben goes on to the MRT station, and someone infront had just drop his file. Ah Ben step on it because he didn't see and later apologize.
In the train, someone saw an old lady who need a seat and volunteed to give up his seat. While he stood up, Ah Ben quickly sit down and hope to catch some sleep. Good thing another passenger saw and decided to give up her seat for the old lady.
While walking to his work place, Ah Ben saw some performing artiste and while walking, he turn his head toward the performance to see, and knock into some children. He apologize for crashing into them unknowingly.
Just when he reaches his work place, someone else had just fall off his bicycle about 2 metre behind Ah Ben, and got quite a serious cut. But Ah Ben just didn't realize and keep walking.
In his work place, Ah Ben was expecting a fax and saw it at the fax machine, and took all the fax copied to his desk.
Later on, Ah Ben's colleage just reached and is searching for a fax copied that she expected to receive and she urgently needed. She ask around to see who accidently took the paper, but nobody responded. So she had to call her client and ask them to fax again, obviously the client are upset and wonder why it could have gone missing. But nevertheless fax again.
Just before lunch, while Ah Ben sort through his fax copied, his found what his colleage needed and proceed to pass it to her. But it was too late, she already gotten another extra copied.
And so on... and so on....
I am sure Ah Ben would hold the door for his neighbor, not step on the file, give up his seat for the old lady, not crash into children, help the cyclist and also not take his colleage fax; if he would have notice it. But he is just not observant.
So what say you?
Not observant = Self centered???
