Does anyone want to play the new Dota?

I’m actually playing the beta version of the new Dota game, called Heroes of Newerth. They recently gave invitations to all the beta testers, so I can invite 2 people to join the beta. If anyone wants to play (and actually has time to spare), leave a comment or drop me an email! There’s some kind of restriction on posting screenshots and videos because its still in beta, but the website link should give some information. It is basically Dota, but using a wholly dedicated engine instead of the Warcraft engine, which makes for better gameplay. It also has nice community functions so that people don’t experience as many games where people leave, or get disconnected and stuff like that. Its a pretty cool improvement overall, so try it!

For those who don’t know what DoTa is, its basically a 5v5 team game where the aim is to take out the other team’s main building. Each player controls one hero character who gains levels and learns new skills throughout the game, and fights with the aid of these skills and items which can be bought with money earned in game. It requires a lot of teamwork and strategy, and is fun that way.

Bakkwa

Here’s some fan service: Clover THE HULK and TBBT!

Clover with the bakkwa. And TBBT sneaking in.

I think they can make anything look cute. My friends from Singapore bought me the bakkwa before I left. I was supposed to open it only during the Chinese New Year, but that’s sort of too long, so I decided to eat a few the past week. Surprisingly, they turned out tasting like the actual bakkwa back in Singapore. I was really expecting some low quality version since its packed into these tiny little sachets. I can almost imagine eating them like chips if they were all in one huge packet and I had to finish them once I opened it.

My first Labor Day in the US

Its Monday. Its also a holiday in the US because its Labor Day. I’m in the office. Doing work. And there are actually other PhD students around as well.

“Hey, whatcha doing here? Its Labor Day! Get outta here!”
“That’s exactly why we’re here! Its Labor Day! We’re celebrating labor!”
- Conversation from the cubicle next to mine

However sad this may sound (especially to CW, who thinks my last post is emo), I’m actually pretty happy about being productive and doing work. According to Tabby, however, I’m “noob” and “loser” cause I’m in the office. I shall wave off these comments with the Dogbert response: “BAH”

Life has no control group

I suddenly had a flashback of when I was in Primary Four during science lessons, being told to memorize the phrase “to act as a contol group” and write it down whenever we were comparing two things in a science experiment. I remember feeling indignant about having to memorize and write something down without knowing what it meant.

Now I know what it means. And I see it ALL THE TIME. times have indeed changed.

My first week

I was a bubbly person looking to conquer the world last weekend, and excited about moving house and getting all settled in. This weekend, I’m in that house, but I’m also surrounded by all the papers I’m supposed to be reading! In any case, I’ve been forced to rethink my semester’s plans, so a DC trip might have to wait till, oh, say, next semester?

Summary of the week:

So,

On Monday, met the person who does my finances,

and pleased at the stipend I was gonna get

On Tuesday, met the supes who assign me work,

and horrored at the work I was given

Wednesday, met my seniors who give me help,

and relieved when everyone said it’d be fine

On Thursday, met more seniors for lunch,

and elated at all the angels I’d find

On Friday, I met myself,

in my room, holed up and contemplated life my readings.

That said, my room is a great place to be in! My room mate, John (an astrophysicist PhD student, which sort of makes him the Larry Fleindhart in Numb3rs and me, the Charlie Epps) finds it a small place, but then he’s an American. My room is at least twice the size of a PGP room! and there’s still a living room and a kitchen in the apartment! And I have my own toilet!! All that is like, amazing ha. My pictures are on Facebook, but I guess I’ll post some here as well!

My apartment would probably sell for a lot back home in Singapore. Its practically a condo:

- on the 8th floor with a view of the city (which I’ve not taken a shot of).

- Rooftop pool

- Indoor gym

- Computer Lab, Conference Room, Lounges

- Game rooms equipped with pool tables and ping pong tables!

And that’s just within the apartment!

Outside the apartment:

- Metro within 5min walk

- Target right across the street (and visible from my window)

- Movie theatre across the street!

- Macy’s, JC Penny, and all sorts of food and stuff within 5min!

Now, this doesn’t seem like a lot if you’re in, like, Manhattan, but its HUGE in Maryland. Even the school shuttle bus stops right outside my apartment, so I know I won’t get too wet.

And speaking of wet, I got really wet last Friday as I was walking back to my hotel from school. You know the kind of wet you get when you jump into a swimming pool with all your clothes on? WETTER. The rain just started pouring from nowhere, and I was stuck in the middle, about half a mile from school and half a mile from the hotel, with NOTHING in between. I. Just. Walked. Well, it was fun for a bit, cause it was a drizzle. It was even liberating to know that I didn’t have any responsibilities at the time, and I could do anything I wanted with my time that day. So I skipped along. Until the cars decided to splash water on me. Ouch. That was painful. And wet. And probably dirty. RAWR. Then I had to traverse an OCEAN to get from where I was to where I wanted to be.

In any case, I managed to survive. So that’s good. Now I need to  introduce my two furry friends while I’m here in Maryland! On the left, is Clover the INCREDIBLE HULK, which was given to me by my friends in Tabeem. I’m gonna try to bring it around with me when I bring my camera, so you know that I actually went to the place when I take pictures. I like how its small and travel-friendly. On the right is my friend from way back, christened TBBT by Mr Erwin Teo. I think TBBT needs shades to toughen his image a little. Now he just looks. Stoned.

Oh thats my living room that they’re blocking by the way. My roommate brought the TV and there’s an Xbox!! Oh. Anyone who comes can sleep on the sofa!! Its really quite comfortable. Or you can choose to sleep on the carpet in my room, which isn’t too shabby either. In any case, the apartment looks big enough to hold like tonnes of people, so don’t worry about accommodation if you want to visit! Oh and if you guys really wanna see more photos of Clover the HULK and TBBT, got to my facebook. But you already knew that, didn’t you?

I’m in Maryland!

Alright I do promise to write something soon, so expect to hear things in the next week about:

1.) My Business Class flight to Maryland

2.) My Residence which I love to bits!

3.) Maybe something about school! Ha.

Maybe I’ll be able to squeeze in a trip to DC next week as well!

For those concerned, I’m having an EXCELLENT time here right now. The people are great and its an amazing neighbourhood. So till then!

Yay.

IACM Cert

Progress!

I finally made some progress towards completing my procrastinator’s list.

Let’s see, first I decided to learn Japanese, and actually started memorizing the hiragana version of the language. I wasn’t planning to do so much in a day, but I was spurred on by Tabby and Erwin to learn about half of the hiragana characters. Having a sensei and a fellow student around helps make it fun! I just hope I don’t forget too much of it by the next session.

I also managed to learn a bit about photoshop! They actually quite a few tutorials online, so I think I’ll just try working through them and see if I find any of the effects useful. Someone needs to think of a graphic project for me to do man.

For some miraculous reason, I also managed to work on my “thwart list” today! I managed to find out how to play in an international lStarcraft league and went on to try 2 games. Lost terribly. I really gotta learn to play better. also managed to arrange KTV for tmr, write this post, and think i’m gonna be on Rappelz for a while after this. I need to make an Easter cake!

I am so suprised at my productivity today. Hope it lasts. And hope I manage to make time to actually exercise.

The procrastinator’s list

You know we always have a list of things we REALLY feel like doing whenever the holidays come around, then feel bad about not accomplishing anything by the time holidays end?

Well, here’s my list of things to feel bad about by the time I enter grad school:

1.) Start learning Japanese or French.

2.) Learn Photoshop.

3.) Read some of those books i bought in NYC 2 years ago.

4.) Exercise. (I suck at this!)

For good measure, I’ll also list down the things that are likely to thwart my attempts to be productive and useful:

1.) Rappelz

2.) Starcraft

3.) A multitude of other computer  and video games that will have no bearing on my life and advance me towards geekdom.

4.) KTV!!

5.) Whining on this blog.

Sucks. Now I’m feeling bad even BEFORE the holidays end.

It has been an Epic Journey

…and I am DONE with my thesis.

Technically, I’m not yet done with school, but it is just one more presentation next tuesday, as well as a final test next Friday. School is more of a part time leisure activity now than full time procrastination.

It also means that I can start typing crap on this blog again. After yet another LONG absence.

Most important update: I’m going to Maryland for my PhD!! And to answer the inevitable question: “Where the * is Maryland?”, it’s a 20min mrt ride from Washington D.C., a 6 hour bus ride from NYC and all the way across the world from Singapore.

Hopefully, I get to catch up with all my friends before I leave. That’s gonna be like a major project during the hols, other than getting ready for a lifetime of university life.

Catch you again!