Thursday, February 18, 2010
Dear Friend,
I wanted to write this in a poem,
but could get no rhyme nor a rhythm.
So finally broken prose it shall be.
Who cares, cause I doubt anyone will see.
Nonetheless -
When I tell you a test was hard,
I like to hear you thought so too.
Cause if everyone thought the same,
the bell curve would shift left and better we'd do.
But when I tell you my life sux,
Second last thing I want to hear is yours sux too.
No sorry, I'm not that nice, I mean
I'd love for your life to be great,
But I know it's seldom we've got such fate.
It's just that last thing I want to hear
Is how your life is worse...
oh dear!
Cause though I'd like to share your grief
empathise with you and say words wise.
I can't when I'm struggling myself.
So give me a minute, maybe more
Listen to me and guide me first.
After that my ears are yours.
But if I don't listen I'm sorry
deaf I must be but blind I'm not.
Just give me a sign
and let me know.
Your Friend.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
My POV
So after that post, here's another short one on my point of view after reading today's papers. Amidst the usual expected mix of good and bad news of our world today, 2 articles still disturb me. They can hardly be considered sensational but they still just strike a chord in me.
The first was how Singaporeans "go gaga over records". I can fully understand that with Singapore's siege mentality and desire to always be number one, Singaporeans would like to break a couple of records here and there as well. Granted, we do have outstanding people like Dr William Tan who has challenged the limits of the human body and set numerous records in the process and it is heartening to learn of his indelible spirit. But every so often, we have a great number of records for the strangest things like
most number of people wearing balloon hats, now
most number of people doing a DANCE with balloon hats. And since walking and dancing has been done, why not
longest balloon popping wave?
Yes, I'll plead guilty to being involved in a most number of people eating (not just any orange, but) mandarin oranges at the same time though I'll dispute my willingness, but what does this show about our society? Admittedly, some of them are part of awareness programmes, like the largest synchronised breast feeding was to promote the health benefits of breast feeding, but isn't it more important for the cause to take the lime light rather than to document these as records? And what about others which have no relation to any greater cause at all?
The other piece of news was slightly more disturbing because it was just plain sad. According to the article "Renting Taliban for US $20 a day", in Iraq "100 000 Sunni gunmen ended up working for the US for US$300 a month per head." so some suggest paying some of the Taliban's fighters to change sides. For barely more than what our recruits in BMT get paid a month, these men bear arms and head to the front lines, probably just so that they can put food on the table. How's that for a reality check?
News sources:
"S’poreans go gaga over records"
"Renting Taliban for US $20 a day"
Both from myPaper, 12 Oct 09.
The month gone by
Looks like my updates are becoming increasingly sporadic but I've got good reason - it's been a busy busy month. Even with my SATs and uni apps, it's been wryly happy with stuff like cable ski-ing in batam, to visiting the ulu Hay Dairies goat farm in Lim Chu Kang which might as well have been overseas as well.
So cable ski-ing in batam with hz, mervin, wei liang, wen hao (and his friend) was good and here's a photo that hasn't been shared cause it was taken by the ski park ppl's camera:
And the Hay Dairies goat farm was interesting despite the travelling time being longer than the visit time. I finally tried goat's milk which in a word tasted flat, and learnt that the after the poor goats spend their whole life producing that and kids, they either end up on the operating tables of our hospital for educational purposes or get shot by the men in green testing out new weapons. There was also a surprise discovery about a certain anatomical property of a male goat but that's another story.
Happy people and not so happy Goats
Coming back to a more urban part of Singapore, there was also a visit to the Land Transport Gallery which I must say exceeded expectations. It was a short tour of about 40 mins but the presentation was fantastic! and it was rather cool to learn about the difference license plates we have... betcha didn't know there's an RD license plate for cars undergoing testing! Other photos are on fb but these 2 are worth putting side by side.
Never think it's too dark to see your license plate.
Further back in the month there was also a prawning trip at ECP which was a nightmare for the prawns what with our luck that night, but this entry has been long enough.
I just dropped by to make sure that as I get ready for my SATs II, ORD and uni apps I don't forget the wonderful month gone by where I revisited old places, checked out new ones and tried new stuff. 8 years ago I said that "besides memories, what's gone never returns so don't dwell on them." 8 years on I still agree that once gone the past doesn't return. Except for memories, and now may I add words and photos. Yes photos. Call me a cam whore but deep down I know you're one too. =)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
There's no need for a title
I've wrote about school before, I've tried my hand at touchier issues too, but I typically make it a point not to blog about work. As they say, a blog, no matter how private it is, is still on the internet which is a public space. Well, a diary is a book in a very public world too but nevermind, I blog to share with whoever might drop by anyway. In some ways, I blog because I can speak without fear of boring people, I don't have to know who leaves upon the loading of the page. Yes, admittedly, I care more than I like to let on.
But anyways, after working in this place for a little over a year now, the dynamics of how we handled yesterday's unwelcomed excitement made it more welcomed than most other ones we've seen. To cut the story short since I still don't believe in blogging explicitly about work, it was 1 problem, 4 people, 1 phone call each to a helpful contact, a bit of luck, and 1 potential disaster of angry teachers and parents was averted.
People always curse NS for wasting their time, and I still grduge that it's setting me back by 2 years. Nonetheless, I will concede that I have learnt a couple of things.. and even more things that I now know I need to learn (although it is debatable that I could have learnt it even without NS). And one of these things is the effectiveness of a calm and methodical response to the situation and then reviewing what went wrong after. Funny how sometimes, even supposed role models can miss the point in the midst of it all and do the latter first, all while the fire still burns. Hopefully, this post will serve as a reminder for me if I end up in their position someday.
But while it draws to an end and I'm preparing to move on, I realise that the environment really plays a huge role. In school, especially the "good" ones, it's easy be be influenced by positive peer pressure to get you off your ass and do what needs to be done for your future.
Outside, it's mostly about pushing yourself. The vast array of agendas means that there's no overwhelming peer pressure to drive you in any direction. Moreover, with things not being equal in the reality, sometimes what's good enough for them may not be good enough for what you're capable of.
I like to merge the Adidas and Nike slogans - Impossible is nothing, Just do it. But to live up to it is a constant struggle.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
A surprise find
About a week ago, I did something I used to do very often when I was younger, but have not done in a long time. I picked up a random book from an author I have never heard of at the library and started to read.
There's always a certain excitement from picking up a new book. The distinct scent of the printed pages promising an adventure of a story contained in the words within, but after many a bad book or two, I can't help feeling a tinge of nervousness of possibly impending disappointment as well.
Nevertheless, in my need of a good read, a wanting to indulge in the life of another, I took the risk and borrowed it anyway. It's called We Know/Trust No One (UK/US title) by Gregg Hurwitz and because of it's larger-than-life-involves-the-Secret-Service plot, I'm not going to ask that you trust me on this, but it turned out to be a better than average thriller. Despite not exactly being an
un-putdownable book, it was interesting and fast paced enough that events many chapters before seemed like only a few pages ago.
What I really liked about it though, was the expertly written second last chapter that neatly wrapped up the drama which also played with themes of action and inaction along with their consequences - topics which have been close to my heart of late. Not a bad surprise for a book I chanced upon.
In reflection,
The measure of a man is in the things we do.
Sometimes it's about doing it because you can.
At others it's because you should.
It's what we do that makes us who we are.
But it's what we don't that leaves us where we are.
And it's regrets that tell us how wise, or not, we were.
I shall end with a beautiful song my friend sent me years ago by Martina Mcbride - All the things we've never done:
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The words of others
I love quotes. They're short, smart and make great sound bites.
Here're two I came across today:
How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin. -Ronald Reagan
but it's this one I really like:
Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem. -W. Somerset Maugham
Throughout our lives we all wear masks from time to time, sometimes to maliciously deceive, at others to hide our weaknesses. Do it too much and we may lose our true selves, but if it is weakness we were hiding, then is it an overcoming of a flaw or becoming someone we're not? hm.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
"Do RJ students steal notes?"
I was asked the above question so innocently I couldn't help laughing aloud. And the cause of the question?
"They say if you place money and a set of notes unattended in RJ, students will take the notes and leave the money."I always knew people had the impression that RJ students were muggers, but this takes it to a whole new level lol.
