Routine Updates Returns!

Briefly speaking, I've been indulging myself in all sorts of amusements, ad hoc PC Games, during the whole October, and was too exhausted to write anything. I feared my English level will just go down, but I found it hadn't yet, a very good news.

Now I'm more or less tired of these, and have made up my mind to spend the whole November on more meaningful things like reading. Hence, I wish I could update here in time.

There will still be 22 pieces of articles in November. As to October and September, I'll manage to write down everything worth remembering.

That's all for today.

Suddenly I Miss My Home

I've just recovered from the common cold, and am still suffering from this painful kanker on my tongue.

I've been tired of all kinds of amusement, temporarily or not, and the only thing I wanna do is to make full use of my time to do something, anything, meaningful.

I was working on my assignment of Computational Physics when I suddenly have this feeling.

It might be something that make me think of my childhood. Anyway, those memery, those golden memory of the "good old days" just come to me.

The lighthearted days. The games with my young pals. Those simple happyness and sorrow. Those cares I received from my parents and my...home.

Suddenly I, declaring that home is but a place for 3 meals and 1 bed a day, had a sudden impulse of utterly loneliness. At this instant, I suddenly felt that: wherever I go, whatever I do, however much I hate the binding from my family now and then, home is always there.

A New Record

A little before 9 a.m. last night, I was very sleepy, and, according to the principle of "maximum my comfort at every instant", I directly went to bed, without even turning off the computer (so that I can keep all the chating record on QQ during my sleep).

I had such a perfect, wonderful sleep, probably the best since I came to HKUST. When I woke up, the first instant I thought it had been dawn, but when I struggled up to read my watch, I found it's but 12:30 a.m.

After waking up and drinking some water, I decided to do some reading in bed. I read some Computational Physics, and when I can read no longer, I went to took a good bath. When I went back to my room, it has been 3 a.m.

After doing a little reading, I found I cannot resist the tempt of computer, so I played some PC game, SC followed by Mount&Blade.

When I'd had enough, I thought it was time for some more sleep. However, when I raised my head, I found it had been DAWN! The time on the computer showed that it had been 6:30 a.m.

It is then that I realized I've set up a new record: staying up until dawn!

I went to bed, and, quite surprisingly, woke up before 12:00. That's only 6 hours of sleep! Even plusing the nap, it is no more than 8 hours!

Very Uncomfortable

I was very exhausted, irritated by the god-damned homework of Computational Physics and was in a very bad mood, when I found Y's portrait on QQ became bright.

Hence we talked, she told me that she's gonna break up with her boyfriend, because she's too tired of loving someone that is too faraway from her. She said she had been very unhappy these days.

Suddenly I felt this unusual rage inside of me, I suddenly felt like slap on her face and shout at her with my top voice. I made up my mind to pick a fight. Hence I told her that I'm so fatigued and upset that I might shout, but it would not be her fault at all. Then I began to fight.

I told her directly, with burning words, that she's favored by the destiny that she can get a boyfriend with ease in high school, and that she can achieve love without any effort. I said that she just sat there, and a bunch of boys, including me, would chase her in succession, and be turned down in succession. "These facts are nice. However, not everyone is favored by destiny! There are a lot of people, like me, that are depressed because they have never felt the warmth of girls! And you are telling me you're depressed because you've been tired of having a boyfriend!"

I considered nothing about the outcome, I don't care whether she'll feel worse or not. I just wanna shout. "Last time you told me that being moved is not equivalent with love, and that one should not hook up with someone only because he or she has affected her or him. I know you made no effort to get a boyfriend, and you fall in love with each other SIMULTANEOUSLY, that's great! Congratulations! The only thing I wanna tell you is that I'm not so lucky as you! I have to deliberately chase a girl in order to win her love! And how should I chase? By doing something to move her!"

I said a lot of such words, and ended with "You think you're very unhappy, huh? In my eyes, you're too lucky to endure such an amount of luckiness! Have a look at those around you, like me, that are making great effort to chase their loved ones, and you'll surely feel happy!"

I feel far better now.

The Hall System of HKU

Last night, I was wandering in the website of answers.com, aimlessly searching for introductions to famous universities, when I came across such a paragraph from the "Criticisms" part of "University of Hong Kong" page.

Hall system

The Hall system has created controversy as some students have complained of being subject to hazing, and to harassment in their daily lives at Hall, being compelled, for example, to engage in late night meetings and other "social" activities, even though these incidents would be considered quite tame by the standards of certain other countries.

Many students also argue that the current Hall administration and admission system is unfair: each Hall is dominated by a small elected committee of students who have significant control over who is accepted to the Hall (there is an objective point system for admission, but subjective interviews also play a role in giving committee members control over acceptance). It is alleged by many former students that they lied about high-school extracurricular activities to be accepted, and upon joining the Halls must participate regularly in activities or else run the risk of being forced out of the Hall. Furthermore, newer halls such as Starr Hall, adopt (to a lesser extent) the traditional Hall customs rather than developing their own culture, such that only a narrow range of Hall culture is available for choice by prospective students. Hall-committee students have recently expressed the view, in letters to the newspapers and elsewhere, that overseas exchange students should not be domiciled in Hall, since they do not appreciate Hall culture.

A committee was set up in 2002 to examine the development of the Hall system, but it has been criticised by many students and academics as being non-transparent, and dominated by a select few students who are pro-tradition.

That said, most students who have gone through hall life have retained fond memories of it, and even consider it as being one of the most rewarding periods of their lives. Many have remarked that those sports and social activities, harsh and time-consuming they may be, have managed to foster in them a sense of esprit de corps and has also helped to enhance their strength of character, social skills and EQ, which have stood them in good stead in the years after graduation. Many friendships gained during that period also proved to be life-long.

Well, I have to say, I used to appreciate HKU, even struggled to be accepted in it. However, after reading this, I felt I was so lucky that I've failed to enter HKU!