26th Week 28

Another week of World Cup. Upsets and stunners. Well, not many in this World Cup. As usual, I am contradicting a lot of people in this World Cup, but people tend to follow over hyped players and teams rather than look at form. Switzerland is having a good run, Ghana surpassed my initial expectation and would have a decent chance against any team. The only letdown so far, Karel Bruckner's exit, even after 16 years of World Cup exile. Its really a case of great misfortune here since they are actually one of my picks to go far, if not win this World Cup. I must say that I underestimated the crop of German players. I guess a good coach does make a lot of difference! Thank goodness Dick Advocaat does not get to enjoy success beyond the group stages. I don't like Ahn, but I rate Park highly. The team played with usual vigor but I felt they don't have enough quality tactically or technically to beat top teams.

The other low point so far is the crazed 20 yellows in the Holland match. I think Van Basten lost the plot in that match, even if I felt he did way better than I would expect. It is sad to see Holland lose but to think of it, no matter how much I dislike Van Nooisteroy, he will do much better than Kyut in that match. Anyway, it is over, so I won't comment much with hindsight.

The week is tiring, and frustrating. A bad tummy and a costly visit. Who would pay forty dollars for a simple medical visit? I think the school should revise the cost system here. Two weeks from the second summer term and I paid forty bucks that entitles me to only use the facilities for two weeks? If I'm broke and dying, that means I should die since I did not pay tuition fees? It sounds a bit harsh on my version of things but I'm just commenting on the harshness of the system. Plain outrageous and downright uncompassionate. The service desk hinted about the cost but its an emergency. I think if I could have, I would heed the service desk's advice, but I don't have a choice. It seems that the system here is a "money and more money" system. The system definitely needs a touch of compassion.

Qualifier preparation? Dumps. Masters preparation? Dumps. I'm getting the feeling the school is only interested in the tuition fees I pay. I work full time and have nearly zero hours of revision for my exams. And I'm expected to pass them in order to graduate. And my tuition fees are wasted if I fail. So who will look at my case and try to help? No one from school. My friends are busy with their own preparation, which tells you how hard it is to pass. So I am left with two choices, die or die. What sort of welfare is this? I sort of gave up on the school's bureaucratic tendencies. Impossibly uncompassionate, if not devoid of compassion.

Anyway, I'm not the only one suffering, but I seem to be the only one with the most problems. While people know I like to solve problems, personal problems are not my forte. In fact, I would prefer to think that these are societal induced personal problems than that of myself. I hear better stories away from this school, but do they exist? Maybe. We'll see. Its not hard for a school to win my loyalty, but to have me lose so much faith in it, it is a stunner.

Well, back to work. Other than me and Karen, and possibly Adish, who else needs to work through their qualifiers without trying any of the papers? I get the notions to work harder, but hey, who else have to go through all this?