Friday, 16 March 2007
Bargain!
What is your favourite mode of transport around UK??
For me its definately renting a car and driving around! The flexibility in the places you can go is unrivalled and its in fact cheaper too if you have a group of two or more!
Here's the great news! I've been renting cars with www.enterprise.co.uk so far and their service is excellent! A weekend gateaway (Friday - Monday) rental only costs around 55pounds and a day's rental is around 35pounds!
Here's why i will recommend Enterprise:
1) Friendly / Excellent Customer Service
2) Singapore license are now accepted by them (after much checking etc, i made sure they knew our license is accepted in UK)
3) Cheap!
4) Picking up service, i.e. let's say you rented the car from 12 noon, they will call you and ask where do you want them to pick you up from and they will drive you to their office to do all the necessary paper work!
5) Sending back service! i.e. its not an advertised service from them but they will glady do it for us as well!
And the biggest reason of all! There's a 10% discount whenever you rent! All you need to do is rent the car as usual from the website from www.enterprise.co.uk select the
1250 PERSHORE ROADSTIRCHLEY B30 2YA branch and choose the rest of the information as required. When you arrive in the branch upon payment, just tell them "Mr Francis Lin from Birmingham Uni" and they will instantly give you the 10% discount! I'm quite certain all the branch staff knows me by now but in case of any problems just look for the Manager, Mr Rob! =)
Oh yeah, if you have any queries about driving around UK feel free to contact me! I will try my best to answer any questions!
Best wishes,
Francis
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Uniquely Singlish..
Following a great response to the singlish of the day word, we decided to bring u another word..
Mug! ~~ No, its not the mug u use to drink kopi.... No, its not to rob someone...
Mug in Singlish means......
1) Read or study in a concentrated manner, learn by hard or concentrated study;
2) A student who works with particular diligence or concentration; a swot;
3) A person overly concerned with studying, a bookworm.
Related words ~~ Mugging : Action of doing it
~~ Mugger : Use to categorise people who mugs
How to use the word??!!!
Mug : I'm going to mug for my exam!
Mugging : Can't you see i'm mugging for the freaking presentation??!!
Mugger : xJC people are all chao-mugger!
Isn't Singlish just plain wonderful??? You can invent and re-invent words by adding "er" or "ing" to it....Stay tuned for more.... =)
Mr JM Lee ~~ Ambassador of The Speak Singlish Campaign ><
an apple a day. keeps the doctor away...

you are a : fashion slave
you score a: 80 out of a 100. (thank god..)

Wednesday, 14 March 2007
an apple a day. keeps the doctor away...
alright before i get the next complaint about how i havent been updating this blog.. i shall just crap up some useful medical knowledge? oxymoron? crap. useful medical knowledge??? hahha most stuff i study now is crap anyway..
nwaez.. today's topic will be on... *drumrollllssss*
C-A-F-F-E-I-N-E!!
oh boyyyy!! dont we all love it?? *chants* "i heart caffeine. i heart caffeine. i heart caffeine" *chants*
*yawnnnns* so it's night now. and after a full day of school and working on the neverending projects and essays and presentations and robots, you're freaking shagged and all you wanna do now is go to bed and sleep. however, most people ended up reaching for the cuppa coffee instead. i admit it's a damn generalisation cos people like me dont even attend a full day of school (read: pontang! *singlish of the day: pontang = skive lessons; sentence formation: wahhhh im damn sian today, im going to pon school*) BUT end up still damn shagged and i go to bed and sleep!! *oOps*
but back to reaching for that cuppa coffeee..

each time you grab that cuppa! do you even know what u're taking into your system???
it is a freaking drug!
omg. omg. omg.
so you and i. you and i. you and i are all drug addicts. ewwwww.
Caffeine is a drug that is naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants and in its natural form, caffeine tastes very bitter. But most caffeinated drinks have gone through enough processing to camouflage the bitter taste, so we get our ohhhhhhhhh!! nice nice coffee taste:)
caffeine is basically part of a group of drugs used to treat asthma!! if you're interested it's xanthine. and for more information either wikipedia it urself and come ask me!! i have an entire lecture on it *excited* and it is defined as a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system, causing increased heart rate and alertness. hahh! and you end up looking like the cat!

Most people who are sensitive to caffeine experience a temporary increase in energy and elevation in mood as well as mental alertness (hahh sounds like ecstasy!) but this is only if it is taken in moderate amounts. if taken in high doses, caffeine can cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches, and the jitters and can interfere with normal sleep!! And very high doses of caffeine would be harmful to the body!!
and from personal experience. i am not kidding about the harmful effects of caffeine. try a cafe mocha/ caramel latte/ 3 3in1 nescafe/ 2 owl brand kopitarik in 24hours.. omg!! it's like clubbing in your own room!! I MEAN THE HEAD AND HEART POUND LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS!! *thump thump thump thump*
Caffeine is addictive and may cause withdrawal symptoms for those who abruptly stop consuming it. These include severe headaches, muscle aches, temporary depression, and irritability. Caffeine sensitivity refers to the amount of caffeine that will produce an effect in someone. On average, the smaller the person, the less caffeine necessary to produce side effects. However, caffeine sensitivity is most affected by the amount of daily caffeine use so people who regularly drink beverages containing caffeine soon develop a reduced sensitivity to caffeine. This means they require higher doses of caffeine to achieve the same effects as someone who doesn't drink caffeinated drinks every day.
In short, the more caffeine you take in, the more caffeine you'll need to feel the same effects.
Although the effects of caffeine vary from one person to the next, doctors recommend that people should consume no more than about 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine daily. That might sound like a lot, but one espresso alraedy contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine!
and stop deceiving yourself by limiting yourself to just one cuppa a morning..
*i know what u're thinking*
and you wanna find out how much caffeine you'll need to kill yourself????
check out this link!!!
sabrina -doctor who?
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = Romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy
OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime
SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need.
GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do,
but married men are a lot more willing to die.
PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.
DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals...
Monday, 12 March 2007
Joke of the Day!!
His friend says: "Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen.”
The man replies: "Yeah, well, we were married 35 years."
Fingers!!
Do you think your finger is Incredibly FLEXIBLE!!
Or do you think your finger is EXPERIENCED & SKILLFUL in playing with a STICK!!
Then you are surely in for this!!~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik1NDo24mG0
Saturday, 10 March 2007
Joke of the Day!
In the first room, people are standing in shit up to their necks. The guy says "no, let me see the next room."
In the second room, people are standing with shit up to their noses. Guy says no again.
Finally, Satan opens the door to the third room. People are standing with shit up to their knees, drinking coffee and eating danish pastries. The guy says, "I pick this room." Satan says okay and starts to leave, and the guy wades in and starts pouring some coffee.
On the way out Satan yells,
"O.K, coffee break's over. Everyone! back on your HEADS!"
Friday, 9 March 2007
Singlish vs English
Singlish vs Britian English ...
Ours is simple,short,concise, straight-to-point, effective etc. The English did invent the English Language, but they cannot use it economically when communicating their intentions.
Compare these phrases that Singaporean and Britons use to say the same thing: So, why make things so confusing and waste of money when you are and a long distance call.
WHEN GIVING A CUSTOMER BAD NEWS
Britons: I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.
SIngaporeans: No Stock.
RETURNING A CALL
Britons: Hello, this is John Smith. Did anyone call for me a few moments ago?
Singaporean: Hallo, who call?
ASKING SOMEONE TO MAKE WAY .
Britons: Excuse me, I'd like to get by. Would you please make way?
Singaporeans: S-kew me.
WHEN SOMEONE OFFERS TO PAY
Britons: Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me.
Singaporeans:No-need, lah.
WHEN ASKING FOR PERMISSION
Britons: Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door? Sinaporeans: (pointing the door) can I?
WHEN ENTERTAINING
Britons: Please make yourself right at home.
Singaporeans: Don't be shy, lah!
WHEN DOUBTING SOMEONE
Britons: I don't recall you giving me the money.
Singaporeans: Where got?
WHEN DECLINING AN OFFER
Britons: I'd prefer not to do that, if you don't mind.
Singaporeans: Doe-waaaan!
WHEN ASKING SOMEONE TO LOWER THEIR VOICE.
Britons: Excuse me, but could you please ! lower your voice, I'm trying to concentrate over here. Singaporeans: Shaddap lah!
WHEN ASKING SOMEONE IF HE/SHE KNOWS YOU.
Britons: Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for some time. Do I know you?
Singaporeans: See what, see what?
WHEN ASSESSING A TIGHT SITUATION.
Britons: We seem to be in a bit of a predicament at the moment.
Singaporeans: Die-lah!!
WHEN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED
Britons: Will someone tell me what has just happened?
Singaporeans: Wat happen ????ADUI!!! (jumping to conclusion)
WHEN SOME ONE DID SOMETHING WRONG
Britons: This isn't the way to do it here let mne show you.
Singaporeans:Hoi!!!u pig ar lidat also doe no how to do!!!!
hahaha....so wat u guys think?? izzit true??
~by~
L
Interesting Facts!
Yes, I am talking about your blood group!
My First Question:
Which is the rarest blood type??
Well if your guess is AB-, you are half correct! In the UK, only 1% of the population is AB-, while around 37% are O+, which is the most common blood group around. Among the MAJOR blood group, AB- is the rarest.
But there are MINOR blood group. Heard of blood groups that is called CwD-/CwD- or Rhnull or S-s-U(+) or Sc:-1 ??? Because of unique inheritance from unique population or ethncity. With a confusing mix of deep ancestral migration. And here you go! A group type you will never hear before!
My Second Question:
Do you think blood type of a person can change?
Well, I doesn't believe at first, but YES, they do change! But at very rarely situation. In such situation is recovering for acute myeloid leukaemia. There are reports about an individual experience changes of blood group after recover from the serious illness. That is probably the main reason that the current Singapore Identity Card (IC) exclude your blood group. A few years ago, Singapore IC contains information of your blood group (it is on mine too), but in recent years, they excluded that information. Those that IC is green or IC is old, can approach imran! His IC is the new one!
Zhiwei
Birthday Wishes!
Road Trips! Manchester!

Inspired by my whirlwind roadtrip to Liverpool, Lake District and Manchester in a day... here comes my review on Manchester!
Manchester history:
One of the largest cities in England whereby many major airlines flies from (sigh, too bad bout birmingham!) Manchester's roots date from A.D. 79 when the Romans settled here. It remained under Roman occupation until A.D. 410 when the empire began its storied fall. The west gate has since been reconstructed upon its original site.
Interesting Fact:
Inhabitants of Manchester are known as Mancunians.
How to get there?
By train, bus & car! There's trains from Birmingham to Manchester which costs around 19 pounds return. Buses are from www.nationalexpress.com or you can rent a car which cost about 55 pounds from friday - monday! Ask me for more information! =)
Visitor Information
The Manchester Visitor Centre is located at Lloyd Street (St Peter's Square if traveling by Metrolink tram) or you can find them at www.visitmanchester.com is opened Monday - Saturday from 10 - 5.30pm and Sundays or holidays from 10.30am to 4.30pm. You can have free pamphlets containing information on accomodations, dining, city attractions and entertainment!
What's in Manchester that's worth visiting??
1) Manchester Gay Life
Well, there's a Gay village which spreads across Canal Street. Popular bars along the street are "Queer", "Churchills" and "Cruz 101".

2) Manchester United/City Stadium!
Oh well, depends on which soccer fan you are... there's always 2 stadiums you can visit! Old Trafford is really a nice place! (With free parking too!)
3) Manchester Library

4) Manchester Town Halll

Located in Albert Sq.
5) Manchester Cathedral
http://www.manchestercathedral.org/

6) Shopping!
There's a vast number of boutiques in Manchester actually which is quite similar to the ones you can get from Bullring or Selfridges... Anyway the shopping streets are.... King Street, St Ann's Square, Market St, Arndale Centre, Piccadilly, Oldham Street and Deansgate Street.
7) Dining
There's a cantonese restaurant named TaiWu which has 30% discount off food after midnight! So for those looking for supper... its a good place to go to!
8) Chinatown!
Soooo much bigger than Birmingham's!
Overall, Manchester is a great place to visit or just for a stop-over. There's so much more varieties in food and though there isn't much sceneries to take pictures with, its still quite a worthy place to visit! =) (Remember to go to Old Trafford!)
The tour guide,
Francis
Thursday, 8 March 2007
Joke of the Day!!
"Here’s a deal. I'll open this alligator's mouth and place my genitals inside. The gator will close his mouth for one minute, then open it, and I'll remove my unit unscathed. If it works, everyone buys me drinks."
The crowd agrees.
The guy drops his pants and puts his privates in the gator's mouth. Gator closes mouth. After a minute, the guy grabs a beer bottle and bangs the gator on the top of its head. The gator opens wide, and he removes his genitals unscathed. Everyone buys him drinks. Then he says:
"I'll pay anyone $100 who's willing to give it a try."
After a while, a hand goes up in the back of the bar. It's a woman.
"I'll give it a try,"
she says,
"but you have to promise not to hit me on the head with the beer bottle."
- Winter :P
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
Birthday Wishes!
an apple a day. keeps the doctor away...
im currently doing a special study module on social cultural and ethnic aspects of psychiatry in medical school and it's interesting to note that different social environments may in fact create varying mental health problems. whilst exploring more around the topic, i came across so many amazingly-freakishly-weird culture bound mental illness around the world...
there are loads out there. in fact my lecturer went through syndromes after syndromes.. illnesses over illnesses.. tonnes and tonnes of them, but i decided to just pick up a few that's more associated with our culture :):) and of course one that's totally wayyy offf ours but OMGAWDDD! i just had to talk about that. disgustingly funnnyyyyy....
read on....
you know you wanna know.. comm'on!
1. KORO aka genital retraction syndrome:
Originating in China, Malaysia, Indonesia :)
male patient is gripped by the fear that his penis is shrinking and gradually being absorbed by his body. Women too, can be afraid for their nipples or vulva.
What Happens???
A man goes to urinate and notices that his penis becomes smaller. Usually this happens because he's in a cold place or because he's upset about something. (fyi. both anxiety & exposure to cold cause male genitals to shrink.. RELAX it's just temporarily) But rather than shrugging the incident off, the man only grows more anxious, particularly since koro is considered deadly. As panic mounts, the man grabs his genitals before they can retract into his body and calls for help.
and... "If no one is around to help hold onto his penis (!!!!!!), he may even use mechanical devices--including cords, chopsticks, clamps, or small weights--to keep the penis from retracting."
wtfwtfwtfwtf... i personally hope no one finds this hot. it's just ewwwwwww. fine. i'll give it a WOW! kinda ewwww...
2. PIBLOKTOQ aka Arctic hysteria:
the syndrome is found throughout the arctic!!! among the Greenland Eskimos
an abrupt dissociative episode accompanied by extreme excitement of up to 30 minutes' duration and frequently followed by convulsive seizures and coma lasting up to 12 hours.
During the attack, the individual may tear off his or her clothing running around naked, break furniture, shout obscenities, eat feces (buggeerrr!!!), flee from protective shelters, or perform other irrational or dangerous acts.
3. BRAIN FAG aka Studiation madness
the fag is primarily experienced by stressed-out students (me me me!!) in Nigeria and other parts of Africa (alright maybe NOT!) in reaction to the alien pressures of Western-style book learning. Symptoms include difficulties in concentrating, remembering, and thinking, as well as burning or crawling sensations under the skin and visual disturbances. Most imptly, it induces sleep whenever u open ur book to study!! (that's absolutely true for me again!!)
4. LATAH
in malaysia!! malaysians who suffer from latah(usually middle-aged women), when started or surprised will burst into a 30-minute orgy of screaming, dancing, and hysterical laughter, punctuated by shouted obscenities.
Though often unpleasant for the latah herself family and friends find the outbursts entertaining and slyly provoke them in order to see a show. Startled women tend to mimic those around them, aping relatives or imitating things they see on TV.
last but not least. we have our very own SINGAPORE culture bound syndrome..
5. WEI HAN ZHENG (what the hell is this supposed to mean? i think it's some hanyupinyin and that's about how much i can make out of it)
among the singaporean chinese. "fear of being cold' effected persons wear heavy coats, clothing in Singapore heat.
whattt?? that's it. and u call that a syndrome?
at least we have our own tooo. hahhha we never lose to malaysia :P
geeeshhhhh..
such a long post!! im so tired now >_<
p.s. 19th comm or any other interested singsoc members.
coming fri phadthai 11 to 4 am. drinks menu for the night: malibu/ chivas/ cointreau... and of course my darling bacardi. drinks will be sponsored by me :) but of course if you come for the night u gotta chip in for the room. text me if u're joining!!
sabr!na -doctor who
The Singapore Sling
Welcome to the cocktail club! Its time to share the love for cocktails to anyone!
Being in the UK have exposed me to the term "Singapore Sling" quite often and I often wondered exactly what is it about. So here goes!
A brief history
"Singapore Sling" was originally created by Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon for the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. That's what is really known about the drink actually. The exact date of birth of the drink and the exact recipe has plenty of disagreement as it was lost in memories as time moved... nevertheless....
This drink is designated as an IBA Official Cocktail
Type: Cocktail
Primary alcohol by volume: Gin and Brandy
Served: "Straight up"; without ice
Standard garnish: Maraschino cherry, pineapple
Standard drinkware: Highball glass
IBA specified ingredients†: 4.0 cl (8 parts) Gin
2.0 cl (4 parts) Cherry Brandy
0.5 cl (1 part) Cointreau
0.5 cl (1 part) DOM Bénédictine
1.0 cl (2 parts) Grenadine
8.0 cl (16 parts) Pineapple juice
3.0 cl (6 parts) Fresh lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Preparation: Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into highball glass. Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherry.
Anyway, the premixed version of Singapore Sling in Raffles Hotel costs about SGD$20. Give it a try when you're back in Singapore! Tell me about your own effort as well!
Cheers!
Francis
Monday, 5 March 2007
死亡筆記 Death Note

作者:小畑健
夜神月最初筆記的依附死神。擁有兩本筆記本,一本他自己所擁有,一本為斯多所遺失,由他向死神大王騙到的,也是夜神月一開始持有的筆記。
彌海砂最初筆記的依附死神。除了自己的筆記外另有海砂所持有的,死去的傑拉斯的筆記。
在死神界中,一個死神把他的"死亡筆記本"丟失在了人間,所以他不得不來到人間尋找.
此時在人間界,17歲的男生夜神月在學校的操場撿到了那本"DEATH NOTE",並發現本子里寫著"只要名字被寫在上面的人就會死亡.
Joke of the Day!
Blair was pissed. He had to show. He called his 3-star General and said "General, jump into the sea and swim 10 rounds around This ship!". The General replied "Anything for the Queen, Sir", jumped into the shark infested sea and swam 10 rounds around the ship, with the sharks chasing him like gila! After the successful 10 rounds the 3-star General came up to the deck and said, "Long Live the Queen!". The proud UK PM exclaimed "That's what I call guts!"
Now Lee really cannot tahan. He had to show that his soldiers have it too. He called Ah Beng, one of his Private, and said, "Soldier, jump into the sea and swim 50 rounds around this ship!". The Private replied "Oi, le ki siao izzit? (Are you crazy) I juz bought my condo and I am getting married when I go back. Now, U want me to jump and die? If u want to hao lian, you jump into the sea yourself ! @#*&%F!." The Singapore PM grinned and said:

- Winter :)
Badminton!
- Did u know Badminton is the second most played sport in the world?
- Did u know that in a typical singles match a player runs more than a mile (1.6km)?
- Did u know that when badminton officially became an olympic sport in 1992, more than 1.1 billion people watched it on TV?
- Did u know Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world? 200mph+(321.86km/h) in international competitions.
movie reviews
on high demand...
here comes the next review
firstly. i must admit the whole plot is bland, predictable, little oohing and aahing surprises and definitely not one sophisticated and inspiring film. He's a has-been pop star; she's a never-was. He writes the music, she writes the lyrics (thence the title MUSIC and LYRICS. a bit of a no-brainer over there) and together they bore you into a coma with their total lack of romantic chemistry.
The weird thing??? i still love LOVE the movie. i'm a terrible sucker for such films. the movie is witty. intelligent. amusing. an absolute entertaining romantic comedy that'll probably sweep most girls off with the ultimate sweetness and loveydoveyness...
omg. guys. if u wanna jio anybody. write her a song, play it using the piano and sing it. extra extra points if u sing it right in front of everyone. make that in a public concert. omgomgomgawd.. you'll win her over almost immediately... provided you dont sing out of tune that is.
so this's the supposed song they came out with together. it's so nice i've been replaying it over and over and over umpteen times i bet my housies can hum the entire tune out by now :P
sabr!na -drama.mama


