i think i need to take a rest.
breathe!
should stop getting angry at people over small matters.
chill, girl!
R-E-L-A-X
it must be school.
should stop being a meanie.
SMILE!
& all along, its only what I thought.
10:49 AM
the bird in its cage is happy. it gets food and water everyday. when it got bored, it would swing on its little perch, tinkle the tiny bells in its cage. the bird is happy.
one day, the bird get let out into the house. now the surroundings are not longer static; she can touch it for herself, she becomes part of the outside world. it enjoyed the freedom, the ability to fly at will to anywhere she wanted. she loved to fly, loved the feel of wind running through her wings. oh! she was happy, very happy outside. everything felt different. even the air smelt fresher, sweeter than the air in the cage.
then one day, it had to be locked back into its cage. it could no longer spread it wings, something which she enjoyed tremendously. now, she can only swing from her lonely perch, watch as the world continued around her. the little bird was very sad. she was no longer contended with what her little cage could give her. she would forgo the food and security the cage provided her with, as long as she could fly freely once. Oh! she longed for the freedom.
the lttle bird was heartbroken, she could not return to her mundane life knowing the world outside in full technicolour.
imagine if you are the bird.
would you rather have never came out of the cage, so you don't bear the pain of what you're missing?
or would you rather have enjoyed the brief freedom, if only to get a taste of the world outside, even though you know you would suffer for it later?
& all along, its only what I thought.
11:43 PM
i got so much homework i think i'm going crazy.
yes i know, that doesn't sound any different from what thousands of school-goers echo everyday. but, like every other teenager, you think YOUR situation is always the worse off.
okay, so i know i;m not the worse off. there might be some teen out in some corner of singapore doing homework by the light from corridors because their electricity got cut off or something like that.
so i should really be very grateful that i actually have electricity in my house right now.
okay, that isn't the main point.
the main point is, i feel so ______ that i feel like banging my head against the wall. although that would be a great outlet for relieving stress, i'm quite sure it'll hurt. a lot.
which is probably why i'm not doing that and instead, i'm stabbing at the keyboard as though it owes me money.
seriously.
let me tell you, friend. next time even i ever survive the singapore system of working like a nut until the retirement age [which will probably be 85 when i get that old, due to rising life expectancy], i'm going to buy a property that faces the sea, just so that i can rival my voice against the waves and scream like a madman every morning. on the other hand, by that time, singapore ,might be so crammed that i'll be screaming from my 52th storey apartment. of which my neighbours will call the police as i'm disturbing them.
okay, i shall figure out another way then.
but you get the general idea.
*(%)^%^*%^%#*^%*#^^%##$@)*r^^@r^r@!^@@@@!!!_*@)&^$@*^
something like that.
i read in a magazine that teens need 9 hours of sleep a day. apparently, whoever said that
#1 lives in his perfect world
#2 lives in America {it's a US publication], so i really envy those yankees
#3 has never met a teen schooling in singapore
9 hours?? i wish for that too. just imagine if i wake at 6am (the normal time ppl wake up to go to school), i need to sleep at 9pm the day before. crazy ah. some days i get home from cca and i reach home at 8 plus 9. after finish bathing and dinner, it's 10pm. by the time i attempt any homework, it's something like 1 am plus. WAY PAST BEDTIME.
i get an average of 5.5 hours of sleep a day.
someone should tell MOE that less than 6 hours of sleep a day retards growth. and reduces mental capability.
of which MOE will reply and say that proper time management is a requirement in order to survive in the working world, and it is our own responsibility to ensure that we get proper rest.
or they'll say that they are looking into it.
whatever it is, i don't foresee myself lying my head on my nice pillow anytime before 12 as long as i'm trying to keep up with studies.
and yes, i'm trying.
& all along, its only what I thought.
10:28 PM
this feeling you get is just so strange.
have you ever seen those motivational posters that have photos of streams gently rippling in the middle of some forest?
like a twig that had gotten stuck in the mud while the water rushes past.
it's like everyone has moved on with their lives, while one remains, stuck in the past, hoping for time to stop.
but time stops for no one, don't you understand?
however much you prefer to leave in self denial, you too, know that it isn't possible to relive the past.
so you don't you just accept the past as history, and live out your present?
your present not in black and white, but in its full coloured glory, as it should be.
so why don't you, don't you?
accept the fact that others' life are still going to go on, whether you like it or not.
in a crowd. look. where are you? where are you? why have you gone without me? or maybe you haven't been here in the first place. maybe it has always been that way.
it isn't you, it's me.
stop.
struggle.
panic.
scream.
i'm seriously laughing at myself now. DUMB.
am considering the possibility of mental retardation due to lack of one leg's muscles for the past 2 days. but i don't see any connection. yes. definite mental retardation.
let me tell you another joke which isn't very funny.
i signed up for flag day a few weeks ago, was supposed to go today, 12pm to 6pm. as everyone has experienced, flag day consists of
1) unwilling teenagers giving you black face as they converge at entrance of shopping malls, hoping that time will pass real quick and somehow wondering why no one wants to donate. they stand there for long hours, if not hide somewhere until it's time to hand up their donation cans.
2) willing teenagers who attempt to ka chiao the nearest passerby into parting with their spare change but not succeeding very well cos for some Singaporeans, it'll be much easier tearing super glue off your finger [ever tried that? it's really painful.]
so anyway, before i get carried away. i was supposed to go for flag day, and since i can only hobble around, which is a great improvement from yesterday's hopping around, i didn't go. come on, stand 6 hours i think i no need think about playing basketball for the next 5 days.
oh yes. the joke: it's for disabled people's association.
as my sis was saying, i can join them in being temporarily disabled.
and yes, the last laugh: i'm LAME. at least for the next 2 days or so. and i'm not joking.
hmm. i'm considering serious mental retardation.
i an imagine the faces of at least 5 ppl who will give me the "kiawoon, don't lame" look if i repeat this to them.
yes, definite losing of brain cells due to twisted ankle. i don't see the connection either.
last thing, i finished my blog entry for gp. yeah! 3 cheers. and i finished it this afternoon. maybe cos i suddenly had a lot of free time. go see!
http://gpissexy.blogspot.com/
& all along, its only what I thought.
11:33 PM
Que Sera SeraWhen I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
whatever will be, will be.
i hope not.
& all along, its only what I thought.
10:04 PM
GP blogging thing. gaahhhh i can't cope with all the GP homework! okay anyway, my entry for GP blog thing. [the school comes out with weird ways to make us do more work]
10 Ideas that are Changing the World
#2 The End of Customer Service
Technology is the key in the evolution of customer service. Without technology, there would be no “self service” as we know it; no ATMs (automated teller machines), no conveyer-belt sushi at Japanese restaurants, and certainly no such convenience like booking flight tickets online.
Convenience: yet another key idea in diminishing human service. It cannot be denied that the relative ease and simplicity of using self service facilities attributed in its popularity. Logically speaking, it benefits both producers and consumers. For producers, say a restaurant, they no longer have to hire five waitresses; one is probably more than enough. All they need is the installation of ordering screens linked to the kitchen, as was mentioned in the article. In the long term, this means additional revenue for the restaurant, since they can save on the cost of labour, more can be spent on, say, furnishing the interior, hence attracting more customers. For consumers, self service favours them too. Now, they can order at their own leisure, with having to wait for their turn to have their orders taken. It’s a win-win situation. Machines are fast taking over the jobs of humans, and it is poised to be even more so in the future.
Does this mean the end of service industry? From my viewpoint, this is certainly not the downfall of human service. As I have pointed out, technology is what drives this idea that is changing the world. It is also this very factor that hinders machines from completely taking over human service, reducing service to no more than talking machines and “invisible salespersons”. Yes, the merits of technology bring unbelievable wonders, yet glitches are aplenty. Take for example the recent chaos and confusion happening at Terminal five of Heathrow Airport, UK. Recently opened (27 March 2008), Terminal five touted a mechanized, state-of-the-art baggage handling system, automated check-ins and the like. However, technology breakdowns led to misplacement of 28,000 bags, and loss of 16 billion pounds- by no means a small figure. This is one instance in which human service triumphs self service.
I believe that there will always be a need for human interaction. No way will consumers, whether present or future, take sole responsibility for collection of goods and services. Consumers may be playing along in the game of self service, but there are many services which simply cannot be substituted with machines and automated service, and consumers understand that. It winds down to something very basic: all humans enjoy the attention of another human being, a warm smile when taking your orders, or genuine concern over how a defective product is affecting you. This personal touch is what differentiates one shop from another, making a difference between purchasing a good or not.
Moreover, I disagree with the author that customer service has come to an end. Simply recall how often you hear complains about Singapore’s lousy customer service, about how the service industry cannot be compared to other countries. It can be seen that consumers are still receptive to customer service; it is not fading into oblivion just because there are alternatives in the way your goods and services are collected.
In conclusion, I feel that technology should be employed as a complement to customer service, not to take over such that the only service you get is self service. This is something, I personally think, should never change, no matter how advancement of technology leads to greater inventions in the league of self service.
i feel like i'm talking crap. i have no idea why the font size is so weird either.
don't ask me anything. i don't know anything.
& all along, its only what I thought.
11:33 PM
GP blogging thing. gaahhhh i can't cope with all the GP homework! okay anyway, my entry for GP blog thing. [the school comes out with weird ways to make us do more work]
10 Ideas that are Changing the World
#2 The End of Customer Service
Technology is the key in the evolution of customer service. Without technology, there would be no “self service” as we know it; no ATMs (automated teller machines), no conveyer-belt sushi at Japanese restaurants, and certainly no such convenience like booking flight tickets online.
Convenience: yet another key idea in diminishing human service. It cannot be denied that the relative ease and simplicity of using self service facilities attributed in its popularity. Logically speaking, it benefits both producers and consumers. For producers, say a restaurant, they no longer have to hire five waitresses; one is probably more than enough. All they need is the installation of ordering screens linked to the kitchen, as was mentioned in the article. In the long term, this means additional revenue for the restaurant, since they can save on the cost of labour, more can be spent on, say, furnishing the interior, hence attracting more customers. For consumers, self service favours them too. Now, they can order at their own leisure, with having to wait for their turn to have their orders taken. It’s a win-win situation. Machines are fast taking over the jobs of humans, and it is poised to be even more so in the future.
Does this mean the end of service industry? From my viewpoint, this is certainly not the downfall of human service. As I have pointed out, technology is what drives this idea that is changing the world. It is also this very factor that hinders machines from completely taking over human service, reducing service to no more than talking machines and “invisible salespersons”. Yes, the merits of technology bring unbelievable wonders, yet glitches are aplenty. Take for example the recent chaos and confusion happening at Terminal five of Heathrow Airport, UK. Recently opened (27 March 2008), Terminal five touted a mechanized, state-of-the-art baggage handling system, automated check-ins and the like. However, technology breakdowns led to misplacement of 28,000 bags, and loss of 16 billion pounds- by no means a small figure. This is one instance in which human service triumphs self service.
I believe that there will always be a need for human interaction. No way will consumers, whether present or future, take sole responsibility for collection of goods and services. Consumers may be playing along in the game of self service, but there are many services which simply cannot be substituted with machines and automated service, and consumers understand that. It winds down to something very basic: all humans enjoy the attention of another human being, a warm smile when taking your orders, or genuine concern over how a defective product is affecting you. This personal touch is what differentiates one shop from another, making a difference between purchasing a good or not.
Moreover, I disagree with the author that customer service has come to an end. Simply recall how often you hear complains about Singapore’s lousy customer service, about how the service industry cannot be compared to other countries. It can be seen that consumers are still receptive to customer service; it is not fading into oblivion just because there are alternatives in the way your goods and services are collected.
In conclusion, I feel that technology should be employed as a complement to customer service, not to take over such that the only service you get is self service. This is something, I personally think, should never change, no matter how advancement of technology leads to greater inventions in the league of self service.
i feel like i'm talking crap.
& all along, its only what I thought.
11:15 PM
band posting is out. i'll be kidding if i say i'm not worried for you guys. maybe cos i can still remember all of you as recruits, still think of you all as recruits. i wish to think of you all as sec 4s too, kind of hard to imagine.
just can't scrape that blur blur sec 1 recruit image out of my brain, so just prove me wrong.
all the best, you guys! time to grow up. believe in yourself and trust in your fellow ambians!
...
...
...
i think i've been doing work for too long. i'll getting disorientated again.
maybe that's what jc life is all about.
hmm. okay. how about this.
the story of one umbrella and four friends
this afternoon, i was sitting by the window doing my work. the sky was overcast, and rain fell in lashings. obviously, when you're indoors, you enjoy watching raindrops fall. so i was subconsciously staring out the window, taking a mental break from maths. as i was looking, at nothing in particular, my attention was drawn to this pair of friends. they were wearing cat high uniform, looking about lower sec? or maybe it's just the shorts. well, back to the story, they had one umbrella between them, and they were watching from a shelter to another building just a short walk away, about 50 metres. so they started out walking together with one boy holding the umbrella. in a mere 10 metres or so, they started to quicken their pace. faster and faster they went, until they broke into a short run. by then, umbrella boy was in front, leaving the umbrella-less boy trailing behind. even though it was just a short period of time that he was not covered by his friend, i believe he must have been soaked, what with the wind blowing and giant raindrops.
maybe that's what happens in life. two friends may start out together, having the same destination, the same journey. but as they progress, one friend gets left behind, abandoned by the other. it might not mean that the two friends don't care for each other anymore, it's just that one of them cannot keep up, and that's the way life works; it stops for no one. if you can't keep up with its current, then that's just unavoidable.
barely 5 minutes later, another pair of friends make the same journey. this two boys were either from RI or RJ. so they were walking, slow and steady to the building. i turned back to my maths, attempting to steer myself into finishing my tutorial. that obviously failed, because unaware, i had returned myself to watching that path. again, there was that same umbrella, bobbing up and down. puzzled, i looked intently at them. hmm, didn't i see them reach the building a while ago? curious now, i continued watching the two of them approach the building. there they were, slow and steady once again. they even stepped with the same leg in time with each other, as if they were doing a slow march. umbrella guys reached shelter of building, and the one holding the umbrella, once again, foraged into the mercy of mother nature. it was then that it dawned on me: there weren't just two RI/RJ boys, there were more! yup, i looked back to the shelter, and there, was the last of them. this final pair hunched under that tiny umbrella for the last time. they walked. left, left, right, right, stepping in time. it was apparent the the umbrella wasn't doing a good job sheltering two guys, and both of them had half their bodies soaked. but still, they walked. one of them eventually changed feet, so they looked like they were in a three-legged race. at last, they were under the shelter of the building. the other two friends, busy drying off, joined them and they went off all together.
such a thoughtful action right? if it was me, i would have just ran without the umbrella. but in this case, yes, maybe that's what one does for a friend, sheltering him from the elements, even if one has to make some sacrifices in the process of helping.
that's what friendship is about, i guess.
it's hard to find friends whom you can say know you well, and whom you know well too.
& all along, its only what I thought.
11:49 PM
