Friday, September 29, 2006
Well, I've just escaped madness..the hour of the day that is dedicated to Gre preparation. The Chinese have 4 tutors, 2 Indians, 1 Singaporean and 1 American. Poor them, they are subject to so many different pronounciations! The other day we were teaching them the meaning of the word "Mnemonic". As it turned out the American way of pronouncing the word translates directly to "MotherF~#$%r" in chinese. That's one word they ain't gonna forget easily!
The white board is famous for it's "Gre Corner" and "Quotes of the Day"-2 of them. The Quotes are generally one genuine one, courtesy some famous person, and another, a spin, on the serious one. To Exemplify:
Original:"I was born intelligent, but education ruined me"-GBShaw.
Courtesy H C Tan: "I was born with common sense, but Micro economics ruined me"
Now that I'm down to writing, let me write a little more. I've spent a good amount of the day perfecting my alphabets, including the greek one's. In economics, we deal with a lot of variable. Once we've exhausted all the usable capital letters of English and the greek, we then start using the small. The small letters are generally used to denote per capita figures..
So today, I was finding ways to differentiate between the Capital and the small letters. I managed for all, except for good ol' "C". If I play around with it a little like giving it a dot or a tail, it either looks "greek" , or it seems like I'm denoting the rate of growth..God I'm babbling such nonsense..
On that insignificant note..I'll end. Exam on Monday..Wish me luck!
The white board is famous for it's "Gre Corner" and "Quotes of the Day"-2 of them. The Quotes are generally one genuine one, courtesy some famous person, and another, a spin, on the serious one. To Exemplify:
Original:"I was born intelligent, but education ruined me"-GBShaw.
Courtesy H C Tan: "I was born with common sense, but Micro economics ruined me"
Now that I'm down to writing, let me write a little more. I've spent a good amount of the day perfecting my alphabets, including the greek one's. In economics, we deal with a lot of variable. Once we've exhausted all the usable capital letters of English and the greek, we then start using the small. The small letters are generally used to denote per capita figures..
So today, I was finding ways to differentiate between the Capital and the small letters. I managed for all, except for good ol' "C". If I play around with it a little like giving it a dot or a tail, it either looks "greek" , or it seems like I'm denoting the rate of growth..God I'm babbling such nonsense..
On that insignificant note..I'll end. Exam on Monday..Wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I'm sort of happy today..cause I've 80% settled on a research topic. I'm mostly gonna work on Panel data. Obviously not theoretical..can postpone that for my PhD..but an empirical analysis. My classmate did one on it last year(she's super smart) and said she'd guide me with the basics. I have also identified my supervisor, will go talk to him after my midterms. I'm really excited. I hope he dosen't think it's too difficult for me..
Guess it's almost settled, I'm gonna become and econometrician(at least as of now)!!
Guess it's almost settled, I'm gonna become and econometrician(at least as of now)!!
I'm a little late, but I just found out.
Lucas won Rock Star Supernova????!! What happened to the Scandinavain baldy? and What about Dilana? The guy who sang "losing my religion"?.. I can't imagine who could have voted for that toad..
Either way, I couldn't care much, I'd never heard of Supernova until the show came on. I didn't even like the new (and worsened) INXS. It just dosen't fit to play around with a lead singer of a famous band, via some sort of television poll/show...
Lucas won Rock Star Supernova????!! What happened to the Scandinavain baldy? and What about Dilana? The guy who sang "losing my religion"?.. I can't imagine who could have voted for that toad..
Either way, I couldn't care much, I'd never heard of Supernova until the show came on. I didn't even like the new (and worsened) INXS. It just dosen't fit to play around with a lead singer of a famous band, via some sort of television poll/show...
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Why must the Government play a limited role?
Ans: Because they can come up with stupid regulations like this one:
No woman or man, not married and below the age of 35 years, is eligible to apply for government housing in 'you know which place'**.
I'm not kidding. That is the regulation here.
Only private condo's, which cost a bomb, can be bought.
Why must one be discriminated against just because one doesn't choose to marry?! A breach of personal freedom!
**PS: I have been told that anybody found making anti government statements can land up in deep trouble.
Ans: Because they can come up with stupid regulations like this one:
No woman or man, not married and below the age of 35 years, is eligible to apply for government housing in 'you know which place'**.
I'm not kidding. That is the regulation here.
Only private condo's, which cost a bomb, can be bought.
Why must one be discriminated against just because one doesn't choose to marry?! A breach of personal freedom!
**PS: I have been told that anybody found making anti government statements can land up in deep trouble.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
India Shining!
Mankiw's blog gives a link to Thomas Scinetific's prediction of this years Nobel Prize for Economics. Of the three broad areas, one is International Trade, for which they guess, Krugman(yes!-The counter punch, super controvertial Bush bashing liberal), Avinash Dixit and Jagdish Bhagwati are the likly candidates. Two Indians!!! Hurrah!
Mankiw's blog gives a link to Thomas Scinetific's prediction of this years Nobel Prize for Economics. Of the three broad areas, one is International Trade, for which they guess, Krugman(yes!-The counter punch, super controvertial Bush bashing liberal), Avinash Dixit and Jagdish Bhagwati are the likly candidates. Two Indians!!! Hurrah!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Over lunch yesterday, we were discussind job opportunities in China and India. As opposed to most Indian's working after they graduate(obviously because of the surplus of jobs available-atleast now), Chinese choose to go for their masters.
This because of the lack of jobs.
I never thought it possible, for a country recording double digit growth rates for the last so many years, there would be a paucity of jobs.
Last year, more than 1 million chinese graduates, gave the exam for master's course. They apparently have one common exam in english and math, while other courses and universities have thier separate exams. The three top unviserties in China are the Peking(Beijing) University, Xiamen University and Qinghua University. We have about 6 to seven people from xiamen doing either finance or economics at SMU for a year.
The one's who don't get in, either sit for the exam or get a job not worth their degree. Surprising ain't it? The big cities obviously have much better prospects than the smaller cities but the opportunities are drying out for graduates.
As we had studied in policy last year, with more and more Chinese getting a higher degrees the number of educated unemployed will rise. With so many student with master's in finance( and if you have a master's in finance implies you are very good)and to a lesser extent economics, the companies would obviously prefer them to undergrads.
Another fascinating fact I learnt yesterday was that most chinese get a full score in thier Gre!This when they don't even know proper english.
I was told they are taught how to pick out the right answer. I didn't know that the reading comprehension was something where you can be taught how to comprehend. Since most get full scores, you are not even considered abroad if you don't manage a 1600 or at max 1580.
My friend got this brainwave yesterday that both of us could go and spend a year at Xiamen next. My chinese would most definately improve and we'd learn a good amount of math. I don't think that will materialize, but it'll be pretty cool, to spend a year there. I've seen photos, it's a beautiful place!
This because of the lack of jobs.
I never thought it possible, for a country recording double digit growth rates for the last so many years, there would be a paucity of jobs.
Last year, more than 1 million chinese graduates, gave the exam for master's course. They apparently have one common exam in english and math, while other courses and universities have thier separate exams. The three top unviserties in China are the Peking(Beijing) University, Xiamen University and Qinghua University. We have about 6 to seven people from xiamen doing either finance or economics at SMU for a year.
The one's who don't get in, either sit for the exam or get a job not worth their degree. Surprising ain't it? The big cities obviously have much better prospects than the smaller cities but the opportunities are drying out for graduates.
As we had studied in policy last year, with more and more Chinese getting a higher degrees the number of educated unemployed will rise. With so many student with master's in finance( and if you have a master's in finance implies you are very good)and to a lesser extent economics, the companies would obviously prefer them to undergrads.
Another fascinating fact I learnt yesterday was that most chinese get a full score in thier Gre!This when they don't even know proper english.
I was told they are taught how to pick out the right answer. I didn't know that the reading comprehension was something where you can be taught how to comprehend. Since most get full scores, you are not even considered abroad if you don't manage a 1600 or at max 1580.
My friend got this brainwave yesterday that both of us could go and spend a year at Xiamen next. My chinese would most definately improve and we'd learn a good amount of math. I don't think that will materialize, but it'll be pretty cool, to spend a year there. I've seen photos, it's a beautiful place!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
I am supposed to come up with an idea for a thesis paper in some time. A lot of my friends who already have studied enough math have already started working on their papers. One is working with a prof on game theory and the other on inflation indexing in Asia. I wish December would come soon, so I would already know what I need to know to work with a prof.
These days, everything I read sounds like a research topic to me.First obviously I came with the intention on working on the philips curve, running some regressions on the dats for a country and then join the never ending debate on whether the philips curve is of any relevance. Then I was given an assignment on crime, I read this paper by GAry Becker on Crime and Prevention, and thought, I'd work on a model for singapore. Then there's always the option of designing a game theory model. I just have to figure out what game.
I got a 100/100 in my last econometrics assignment with a "well done". I felt so good. I felt like I was back in the 5th grade.
Also another recent achievement was attending a talk on poverty alleviation by Nobel Laureate Michael Spence, and Genious and Hunk Paul Romer. It felt so good to be in the same room as them. Singapore may not be the US, but I'm glad with the highly publicized IMF/World Bank meeting happening here, we've got to interact with a lot a intellectuals.
Shwetha was telling me the other day that she wisheds something exciting would happen in Singapore. While you have atleast 10 people dying in blasts on an average in India, Singapore's headlines consisted of "In suntec City, three roads have been blocked, inliew of the Ongoing IMF-World BAnk Meetings".
I told if she looked outside, something very exciting was happening. Japan getting an ultra conservative leader.The world's second largest economy, Asia's largest, getting a leader whose nationalistic belies may further strain the Sino-Japanese relationship.
Though going by his pictures, I was impressed, his opposition to Japan allowing a Woman heir to throne, ruined it for me. I feel great anticipation about Shinzo Abe, taking over the reins of Japan. I wonder if the forecasted widening of schism between the US-Japan and China will occur. I hope his economy performs well enough so he does not have to rely of this nationalistic bullshit of visiting the shrine.
Next post: Why Singapore is the way it is..Lee Kwan Yu's influence on Singapore.
These days, everything I read sounds like a research topic to me.First obviously I came with the intention on working on the philips curve, running some regressions on the dats for a country and then join the never ending debate on whether the philips curve is of any relevance. Then I was given an assignment on crime, I read this paper by GAry Becker on Crime and Prevention, and thought, I'd work on a model for singapore. Then there's always the option of designing a game theory model. I just have to figure out what game.
I got a 100/100 in my last econometrics assignment with a "well done". I felt so good. I felt like I was back in the 5th grade.
Also another recent achievement was attending a talk on poverty alleviation by Nobel Laureate Michael Spence, and Genious and Hunk Paul Romer. It felt so good to be in the same room as them. Singapore may not be the US, but I'm glad with the highly publicized IMF/World Bank meeting happening here, we've got to interact with a lot a intellectuals.
Shwetha was telling me the other day that she wisheds something exciting would happen in Singapore. While you have atleast 10 people dying in blasts on an average in India, Singapore's headlines consisted of "In suntec City, three roads have been blocked, inliew of the Ongoing IMF-World BAnk Meetings".
I told if she looked outside, something very exciting was happening. Japan getting an ultra conservative leader.The world's second largest economy, Asia's largest, getting a leader whose nationalistic belies may further strain the Sino-Japanese relationship.
Though going by his pictures, I was impressed, his opposition to Japan allowing a Woman heir to throne, ruined it for me. I feel great anticipation about Shinzo Abe, taking over the reins of Japan. I wonder if the forecasted widening of schism between the US-Japan and China will occur. I hope his economy performs well enough so he does not have to rely of this nationalistic bullshit of visiting the shrine.
Next post: Why Singapore is the way it is..Lee Kwan Yu's influence on Singapore.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Sorry about blogging sporadically these days, but my vocab is currently limited to negative semidefinite matrices and utility functions. My only break is when I grab a sub at subway and a cup of coffee at 'Mr tea'. And ofcourse reading a few pages of lolita before I go to sleep. I've been reading it for 3 weeks now...
The the bright side of all the studying though is that, micro is finally is beginning to get interesting. Probably beacuse of game theory. I watched a beautiful mind a week back, and simplicity of the argument is just brilliant.
The questions we are asked to solve are also very interesting. For example, one of the question in my assignment requires my looking into the paradox of crime prevention. ie is when the cost of committing crime is higher, the amount of crime in a scoiety increases. This is what micro should be all about. Applications, and not the bullshit that KRC taught...I'm glad that finally my mind block towards micro is disappearing. Thank God.
The the bright side of all the studying though is that, micro is finally is beginning to get interesting. Probably beacuse of game theory. I watched a beautiful mind a week back, and simplicity of the argument is just brilliant.
The questions we are asked to solve are also very interesting. For example, one of the question in my assignment requires my looking into the paradox of crime prevention. ie is when the cost of committing crime is higher, the amount of crime in a scoiety increases. This is what micro should be all about. Applications, and not the bullshit that KRC taught...I'm glad that finally my mind block towards micro is disappearing. Thank God.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Whee!
It's wednesday! It's the day of unwinding...by going to 'the Crazy Elephant'. Singapore's beautiful blues bar. They currently have 'the blues machine feturing mean jeane'playing on wednesday, and they are brilliant. A Long Island Ice Tea, limited conversation, and hopefully fewer european drunk wierdo's screaming "hey lady, you are great!". It's very hard to hear of places that play blues in singapore. There are lot's a pubs here, but they are some sort of cross between a coffee place where conversation takes precedance over music. I don't like those kind.
When you go out to listen to music, you must make sure you listen to music. I enjoy going here, cause it's sort like pecos or purple haze in Bangalore, or partially like 'blues' in Delhi, where the place is dark(first subtle sign to intimidate the loquacious) and the music is alive/loud(second not so subtle sign to shut up).
I checked out their website and they supposedly are quite famous, with people like REM and Deep Purple having jammed there.
There are many places I like to go alone to, for example coffee shops, on walks, for a run, for a swim. But there are some places, i just can't, like a movie theatre or pub. Such places, though you might want to enjoy the product alone and you ultimately can, it's sort of ingrained that you have to have to do it with somebody. Being a girl, I feel all the more pressurized( I don't know why), that company is essential. Such as it has to be, I cannot go to 'the Crazy Elephant' alone.
So today, I have managed to convince some of my classmates and shwetha to come with me. I hope they like it, and since I like their company, hopefully they will be eager to accompany me again..
It's wednesday! It's the day of unwinding...by going to 'the Crazy Elephant'. Singapore's beautiful blues bar. They currently have 'the blues machine feturing mean jeane'playing on wednesday, and they are brilliant. A Long Island Ice Tea, limited conversation, and hopefully fewer european drunk wierdo's screaming "hey lady, you are great!". It's very hard to hear of places that play blues in singapore. There are lot's a pubs here, but they are some sort of cross between a coffee place where conversation takes precedance over music. I don't like those kind.
When you go out to listen to music, you must make sure you listen to music. I enjoy going here, cause it's sort like pecos or purple haze in Bangalore, or partially like 'blues' in Delhi, where the place is dark(first subtle sign to intimidate the loquacious) and the music is alive/loud(second not so subtle sign to shut up).
I checked out their website and they supposedly are quite famous, with people like REM and Deep Purple having jammed there.
There are many places I like to go alone to, for example coffee shops, on walks, for a run, for a swim. But there are some places, i just can't, like a movie theatre or pub. Such places, though you might want to enjoy the product alone and you ultimately can, it's sort of ingrained that you have to have to do it with somebody. Being a girl, I feel all the more pressurized( I don't know why), that company is essential. Such as it has to be, I cannot go to 'the Crazy Elephant' alone.
So today, I have managed to convince some of my classmates and shwetha to come with me. I hope they like it, and since I like their company, hopefully they will be eager to accompany me again..
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
HAPPY ONAM!!! to all my mallu friends! God bless you'll where ever you are.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Gut Feeling, What a farce. What a scheming, insidious fellow. He fails you every time and yet when you are helpless, you turn back to him. To exemplify, to keep up on the promise I made my self yesterday, I walked to College today. The 'happy camper' set off at 8 in the morning, all excited about discovering a short cut to school. So I decided to follow my gut. At the first turn my 'gut' said " I feel you should go this way". At the next it said, " This turn is ingenious, I wonder if the other's know. It'll cut your travelling time in half!!". And I did as he said.
It was only when I reached something that looked like a forest(clearly not the centre of the city, where I was hoping to head) with sign saying "WOODLANDS", I realized I'd been duped again. From then on I made my way painfully back by asking people and reached school at 9:30, all hungry and sweaty.But my promise was kept up.
Moral of the story: "Always ask for directions".
It was only when I reached something that looked like a forest(clearly not the centre of the city, where I was hoping to head) with sign saying "WOODLANDS", I realized I'd been duped again. From then on I made my way painfully back by asking people and reached school at 9:30, all hungry and sweaty.But my promise was kept up.
Moral of the story: "Always ask for directions".
Saturday, September 02, 2006
I woke up at 10 today!!
I have never woken up that late. I was supposed have gone for a run, had my bath and practiced a little chinese by now. Yeah well, think I'll walk as much as I can today.
That's the good thing about the Chinese, they all walk everywhere. About 4 of my classmates who live about two minutes away from where I live walk back(and to) their hostels( notice the exchange of variable, where the mean/centre/new home is the school..happens to all graduate students) every single day. Everyday they offer if I'd like to join them and I keep postponing. Yesterday, a friend was dropping me to the bus station in the night(I don't know why) and said if I walked to and fro instead of taking the bus I wouldn't have to go the gym. Anyway I spend about an hour or so there. Good point.
My bus incidentally picks me up right outside my hostel and drops me there too. Hence the lazyness. But I've made the conscious decision, that, TOMORROW, onwards it's walking all the way baby. As a rational consumer and a student of economics, I must maximize utility and minimize expenditure. Walking satifies both. So my 'bliss point'(only economists will get that), here I come(walking obviously).
I have never woken up that late. I was supposed have gone for a run, had my bath and practiced a little chinese by now. Yeah well, think I'll walk as much as I can today.
That's the good thing about the Chinese, they all walk everywhere. About 4 of my classmates who live about two minutes away from where I live walk back(and to) their hostels( notice the exchange of variable, where the mean/centre/new home is the school..happens to all graduate students) every single day. Everyday they offer if I'd like to join them and I keep postponing. Yesterday, a friend was dropping me to the bus station in the night(I don't know why) and said if I walked to and fro instead of taking the bus I wouldn't have to go the gym. Anyway I spend about an hour or so there. Good point.
My bus incidentally picks me up right outside my hostel and drops me there too. Hence the lazyness. But I've made the conscious decision, that, TOMORROW, onwards it's walking all the way baby. As a rational consumer and a student of economics, I must maximize utility and minimize expenditure. Walking satifies both. So my 'bliss point'(only economists will get that), here I come(walking obviously).
Friday, September 01, 2006
Hectic day today.
Have to go for my econometrics class in 15 minutes. My C-N(cubicle neighbour) was telling me about the math they had already studied and it's about a level higher than very high level of this course. That got me depressed. I spoke to my parents and they seemed fairly kicked that I'm going have to work super hard. Sadists. But I love them.
So that's that. My worries have cut into my gym time and cleary I am no longer a happy camper(I don't know why I felt like use that word). Anyway, the stress will probabaly burn the required number of calories.
Anyway, I must go get my coffee now to sit through a mind boggling 3 hour class...
Have to go for my econometrics class in 15 minutes. My C-N(cubicle neighbour) was telling me about the math they had already studied and it's about a level higher than very high level of this course. That got me depressed. I spoke to my parents and they seemed fairly kicked that I'm going have to work super hard. Sadists. But I love them.
So that's that. My worries have cut into my gym time and cleary I am no longer a happy camper(I don't know why I felt like use that word). Anyway, the stress will probabaly burn the required number of calories.
Anyway, I must go get my coffee now to sit through a mind boggling 3 hour class...
