The Man, The A/P Brian P Farrell

As my friends would know, I'm supposed to be going for exchange programme this semester. But as you guys can see me, I'm still hanging around in school. Why?

Currently, I'm attending classes because I bidded for classes during the CORS period. I bidded for class because at that point in time of CORS bidding, my partner university had not contacted me to confirm my place there, so I need back up plans for if the exchange programme was to fall through. A couple of weeks after I got my modules, I got the letter of confirmation from my partner university. But since I've already got my modules, and my name is in the register for the modules, I still went for classes.

Now, I have a big problem. Whether I should go for classes.

I went for classes as per normal, but during the tutorials I told my profs, except for my empire course, a teaching assisstant, that I was going for exchange this semester and that I was not going to complete the module. The general consensus among the profs was that it was okay for me, or rather preferable for me not to do my mid terms since I wasn't to be graded and it would be a waste of time for me to do it.

Then I couldn't take it anymore. I started skipping classes. Worried, I approached some administrative people if there was a way to remove me from the roster so that I need not skip class and be relieved from classes, to make it legitimate for me not to attend classes. Well, let's put it this way, NUS administration seems to like play ball very often. And I became a victim of their ball play.

From the various advices given to me, other than asking me to contact someone else, I gathered these things:
1. I am not allowed to take leave of absence until before I fly.
2. I am not allowed to drop my modules or I'd get a W or F grade.
3. I am not allowed to go for classes or they would bill me for special semester.
4. I have to technically still in the class since my name still appears in the register.

That was explained to me by Rhona from the Dean's Office. To make things clear with my Profs, I emailed all four of them, Prof Farrell, Prof Murfett, Prof Peleggi, and Dr Reuben Wong. Prof Murfett was the first to reply my email the next morning, followed by Prof Farrell, but because my inbox requires me to read the latest email first, so I ended up reading Prof Farrell's email first.

Prof Murfett sent this email to me...
"Hi Joan,
i haven't a clue as to what you should do under these peculiar set of circumstances, but I suspect that my deputy head of department - Prof Farrell - will know what's best from an admin point of view. Let's hope he will be able to enlighten both of us on what to do and when! I guess, from a purely selfish point of view, I would like you to stay in my course for as long as you can - but you really ought to follow Prof. Farrell's advice on this matter. If you do decide to quit, however, please let your other project team members know asap.
Best wishes,
Prof. m.
p.s. Where are you going on exchange? Somewhere cool in all senses?"
Put it this way, I read Prof Farrell's email first. I like the tinge of jibe in the email, the reference to the "deputy head of department". haha~

Prof Farrell, as usual, replied the email with the standard "come see me". I think whatever question I ask him in emails he has been replying them with "come see me". When I ask him question regarding my essays, "come see me", when I ask him to help me write recommendation letter, "come see me". So, me had to make it down to school to look for him. Luckily he asked me to look for him because I had forgotten that I had a duty session that afternoon at 3pm.

Prof Farrell is the man man. Imagine receiving a voice message, "This is A/P Brian Farrell from the History department. Can you call me back at extension XXXX when you get back? Thanks!" in a booming voice, oh man... He's so shuai man~

While we waited for the return call which never did come during my wait, we chatted about my upcoming will be printed and sold one day book, and whether I should be doing a four year course, and of course, my blog.

"Being a writer is like being a professional football player. Of course some people can be that, but it's not that easy." "To be a writer you also need to be in touch with the world. Some people think that being a writer is to go to some cottage in the village and just enclose themselves inside and just write, but some of the best writers I've read worked as waiters in Manhatten." "Actually early historians were wealthy people. They were the ones who had the means to sit and write the whole day without worrying to make ends meet." "You should write more essays and get more practise for writing."

"I think it's better to do a four year course. A three year degree is worthless these days."

"Oh yar, and your blog. Dr Keck asked me to take a look at your blog. It's filled with photos of yourself, and of food, I guess that must be a very Singaporean thing to do." "I must admit you do take nice pictures." "Maybe you'd like to say hi to me on your blog?"

Hello Prof Farrell, the most shuai guy in the whole of NUS~ hmm... Wonder if Prof Farrell knows what shuai is... Yea... I told him pretty honestly that there are little snippets of mentioning of Prof Farrell here and there in my blog. For one, any shuai guy I mentioned will be made comparisons with Prof Farrell. For two, any mention of school in my blog most probably would be accomanied by a slight mention of the shuai shuai Prof Farrell.

here there is this line "With Mr Thompson
One of the greatest History teachers I had, other than Prof Farrell of course... bleahz..."

here there's this paragraph "I finally went for my classes at 2pm, and the other at 4pm. It's amazing to see familiar faces popping up everywhere. I've seen like half the class from both classes from other classes before. Seems like the history community in NUS isn't really that big after all. This semester these two History teachers are new to me, an Italian and a British, very interesting mix of people. And it seems like everyone has something against Prof Farrell, both made jokes about "Brian Farrell". Suddenly can't wait for my Imperialism class with Prof Farrell on Friday, wonder who can he make fun of." By the way, the British lecturer is Prof Murfett and that was not the only lecture in which he made side remarks about Prof Farrell. He regularly refers to Prof Farrell with comments like "You won't need to know the military aspects of the war, I won't test you on that, that's for Brian Farrell's module."

here there is this line in the chat log referring to Dr Reuben Wong
"- xxoos - ruguo. ai says:
that shuai guy?
- xxoos - ruguo. ai says:
ooh...
yanwei says:
shuai?!
- xxoos - ruguo. ai says:
then i shall do that
- xxoos - ruguo. ai says:
hahaha~
- xxoos - ruguo. ai says:
erm... quite cute looking la...
- xxoos - ruguo. ai says:
not as shuai as farrell
yanwei says:
wah.................
yanwei says:
YOU GOT WEIRD TASTE LEH"

here is an entire Farrell gushing entry. Because of the changes made to some things, there are some discrepancies in the facts I've stated in that entry.

here is another entry and this is also the entry which got Prof Gordon to have an interesting conversation with me, of course first making the side mention of his deputy.

here is this comment "Someone said before, he hated Chelsea and her billions, but if his team was to have billions being sponsored by someone else, then it's a different story, the billions would be welcomed by him. That's man for you, all so biased." Ya, that someone is none other than the Arsenal fan himself. bahz~

Okay, I'm too lazy to scroll and look for more side comments to the shuai guy, maybe I should just put something to that effect on my sidebar. hahaha... Should I put it under "fields of obsession" or "likes" or "favies"?

Anyway, after that little talk with the shuai Prof Farrell, he does another very shuai thing. He sent this email to the three other profs and me...
"My dear colleagues,

I am sorting this matter out with the Dean's Office, having just met with Joan. It involves her going on exchange in Germany before the end of the final examination period this semester.
cheers,

brian"
Isn't it just so damn shuai to take matters into your own hands? hahaha~ He's really The Man man.

Back to my problem, I guess I'll still be swinging around school, maybe skipping classes here and there and popping about in and out. I think I'll still be going for my Cold War class, maybe maybe going for the Memory, Heritage and History class, and maybe maybe maybe going for EU and ASEAN, erm... the Empire and Imperialism class shall only be attended if I see how ba... hahaha... I'll try to attend it, but then but then. British India sounds pretty interesting actually although I prefer their clothing. (this is a joke, that is if you are a fashion whore, if not you won't get it, nevermind...)

I've typed a longer than expected entry. Shall end here now. To those who say I only know how to post pictures on my blog, well, the fourth long blog entry with no pictures at all is up here, so I'm not just a camwhore, okay... bleahz...

UPDATE: My modules have all disappeared from my IVLE, even my German for Academic Purposes. hmm...

UPDATE2: I went to look for the man, he said he didn't manage to get in contact with Rhona, there's nothing he can do and nobody has no idea what happened to all my modules. At least, he didn't do anything to them. hmm...

UPDATE3: The Man emailed me...
"Okay Joan, I saw your blog entry, I take your point. :)

And I did not say there was nothing I could do. I said Rona had not gotten back to me and I had not chased up on it. I will, you can count on this. Just be patient, soon you will look back on this and laugh, when you are in Germany.
cheers,"