The Han Dynastory 文翰王朝传

There and Back Again

2011-09-11T20:04:00.003+08:00

[written on a piece of paper starting from 5.27pm]

I did not intend to spend my Sunday like this.

Tired, grouchy, pissed and sweaty, standing in the chaotic flux of people, buses, smoke and noise that is the Larkin bus terminal in Johor, Malaysia.

Earlier this morning Ray came back to Singapore from a trip to Malaysia with bad news - his luggage was "lost in transit".

Dad had apparently sent Ray back on a bus as usual, except that this time he had to change buses in Johor, the Malaysian state abutting Singapore. This anomaly caused him to leave his bag in the first bus by mistake. Hence, the responsibility to accompany Ray to head to Johor to attempt to retrieve his luggage became a hot potato between Mom, Shuan and me. As the proceeding events of the day would suggest, I really suck at playing hot potato.

I've never liked Larkin bus terminal, and that's putting it mildly. Hence, I brought along anaesthetic in the form of a novel and lots of Bossa Nova in my phone to ease the pain. It worked, right up to the point when I actually reached Larkin.

Touts, smoke and noise. As I stepped out of the bus, all three greeted me like old enemies who thought we were best of friends. Our first challenge (besides overcoming my utter disgust) was to find the right counter. Thankfully, within minutes I was rapidly switching between English, Mandarin and Malay, making various enquiries and calls to trace Ray's luggage. The task was complicated by Ray's inability to remember his bus number, but eventually, with commendable effort to remain polite, the navy blue duffel bag that ruined my day was found in Bandar Tasik Selatan back in KL, awaiting Dad's picking up. Objective complete. Time to head home.

My day should have gotten worse when a kind old lady helpfully pointed out that the long, sinuous queue almost capable of putting Universal Studios Singapore to shame in front of me was for the bus Ray and I had to take. Interestingly, it didn't.

In fact, it actually got better.

Perhaps I've studied too much human geography and economics. Perhaps I've just been standing too long in the queue. Regardless of the reason, I suddenly found myself looking at the touts, wondering what it would be like if I spent a few days immersing myself in the terminal, shadowing the touts to find out more about their work and lifestyle. I even thought of some questions I would ask them in a survey - how many hours do they work a day? What is their daily/monthly/annual income? Is it enough? do they have other jobs? Are they supporting a family? Why did they choose this job? What do they do for entertainment and how much time do they have for leisure? Are they happy with their current life?

Soon, my geeky interest in gathering information overrode my angst and I actually started to have fun. So here I am, writing everything down (having a Moleskine moment, I suppose). First in the queue to the bus from Larkin, then on the bus to the checkpoint, then in the queue to customs... After all the times I have entertained myself by reading while queuing or travelling, writing is proving to be an amusingly refreshing twist.

And so, I would like to focus my attention back on that last question of the imaginary survey.

Whenever I gripe about the people and environment I face when I'm back in Malaysia (particularly places like Larkin) it rarely occurs to me that these people may actually be comfortable with the way things are. To them, that is life as it is. On the other hand someone coming from a completely different background like me would think it impossible to live such a life. It is the classic case of the town mouse and the country mouse (except that I've been more of a grumpy weasel).

The recent civil and political uprisings may suggest that Malaysians want change (hopefully the kind that brings real progress), but this may not necessarily apply to all levels and individuals of our society. If the government really does come round and makes real progress towards our Vision 2020 (to establish Malaysia as a developed nation), how many people such as these touts will actually embrace the winds of change?

The government recently transformed Puduraya (Larkin's equally evil twin in KL) into something ostensibly comparable to the renowned KLIA. I wonder what happened to the livelihoods of the Puduraya touts? That's a whole other survey waiting to be imagined......

I did not intend to spend my Sunday like this, but wow.

A Response to the Outcome of the Bersih Rally

2011-07-10T14:36:00.002+08:00

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_689155.html

I definitely agree that protesters shouting "reformasi" (reformation in Malay) was an extremely bad move on the part of the Bersih movement. A protest against unfair elections and an anti-government protest are very, very different things. Misguided chants of reformasi only serve to weaken the credibility of the Bersih movement. Worse still, it may lay the foundation for further trouble with the elections.

Imagine the outcome of 2 possible scenarios expressed below:

1. The Bersih Movement sticks strictly to their original call for CLEAN ELECTIONS ONLY.

If the government heeds their call and promises and makes provisions for fair elections, the government may still win the election, but if the integrity of the election is proven, the population will have to accept the results.

2. The Bersih Movement mutates into an ANTI-GOVERNMENT protest.

Even if the government heeded the original call for clean and fair elections, citizens confused by the calls for reformasi will think that the whole purpose of the Bersih Movement was to topple the government. This would result in a refusal to accept a possible win in the election by the incumbent party, Barisan Nasional, even if the election was proven clean. Further protests (and likely more violent ones) may ensue, plunging the country further into chaos.

Unfortunately, it seems that yesterday saw the prelude to the second scenario, where reformasi calls sprouted during the protests. It may not have been the intention of the organisers, but they should have ensured that all who took part in the rally were sufficiently disciplined and clear about their goals.

What I provided is a worst-case scenario, a lose-lose situation for both the government and the populace. How the situation actually plays out will depend on how Najib handles the situation. Unfortunately, he remarked that "the incident... will serve as a lesson for everyone that street demonstration not only brings hardship to the people, it could also lead to possessions being destroyed." Such a statement may only serve to stoke vengeful anger against the government, and Najib ought to have been more careful with his choice of words. Nevertheless, credit should still be given to his other statement, 'if there are other issues, the rally organisers can discuss with the Election Commission and the Government. But illegal rallies and street demonstrations are out of the question.'

If Najib truly means what he said, then I hope that the opposition accepts the diplomatic gesture. If there is at least one lesson to learn from the Bersih protest, it is that their intentions must be firmly established and adhered to. Such rallies are not an excuse for frustrated citizens to vent their anti-government anger, eliciting inevitable countermeasures by the police. To stray from the original plan would only prove the government right. Both the government and the Bersih supporters may have made mistakes yesterday, but it is up to the people to show their noble intentions. Let the government see that Malaysians are rational people who will make their stand peacefully. Let the government see that above all they only want to see their beloved country change for the better.

Opposition Politics: The Inherent Advantages

2011-04-30T11:59:00.003+08:00

Amidst the frenzy of Singapore's elections, I wish to discuss an issue that surfaced in my mind ever since I began observing American politics. Does the opposition party possess advantages in gaining the support of electors over the incumbent party?

I am not discrediting opposition parties around the world. Indeed, checks and balances as well as alternatives must be present in any system which claims to practise democracy. However, I wish for those with the power to vote to think rationally, and to remember that politics and governance can be completely different matters altogether. Politics is, among many other things, the relationships and intrigue involved in gaining influence or power. Governance, on the other hand, is the administration and directing of the affairs of the state. A great politician may not necessarily be a great governor, vice versa. Those who stand before the people to be elected, be they of the ruling party or the opposition, ought to be judged based on their ability to govern the nation, nothing else. The abilities to inspire and to gain support are important, but they are not the key purpose of a government. Thus, in presenting the inherent advantages of the opposition, my aim is to remind those with the power to elect their leaders not to be swayed by the opposition for the wrong reasons.

The following are the inherent advantages I consider to be present in the opposition's ability to garner support of the people:

1. The Blame Game

All the current perceived troubles of the state may easily be attributed to the incumbent party. After all, they are the ones currently governing the state. On the other hand, bad policies and poor responses to state troubles will never be the fault of opposition parties. Knowing this, opposition politicians may easily sow dissatisfaction among electors towards the incumbents. This makes the opposition appear to be a much more appealing choice, especially when the aforementioned tactic is combined with the Power of Promise, the next tactic discussed. Of course, there is no doubt that governments with truly bad policies should be replaced. However, electors should not allow themselves to be swayed by the Blame Game. After all, the opposition is yet to prove itself as well.

2. The Power of Promise

It is a result of human nature that electors will tend to favour those who speak that which they, the electors, will like to hear. Whether it be by presenting clear policies or merely by stating objectives, opposition parties will naturally promise to outdo the current government. Electors, in their thirst for something better, will want to believe that there is a better alternative, and if influenced by Electrified Emotions, the next point, they may not be able to discern the feasibility of the opposition's promises. This will merely result in them setting up themselves for disappointment when the opposition comes into power.

3. The Electrified Emotions

Man is an emotional creature by nature. Although there are those who shun emotion in favour of logic and reasoning, a majority of us will still be influenced by our emotions one way or another. In the heat of electoral campaigns, politicians will naturally use words with persuasive power and provide arguments which appeal to emotion. Love aside, the most powerful emotion may perhaps be anger. The USA recently saw the rise of the Angry Voters Syndrome, fuelled by figureheads such as Joe Boehner and Sarah Palin, and movements such as the Tea Party. The flame of dissatisfaction with the Obama administration was stoked into all-out blazing anger, which encouraged American voters to "teach Obama a lesson" in the US mid-term elections, resulting in Obama's Democrat party's defeat. Here we see the effectiveness in manipulating the emotion of anger - find a bit of dissatisfaction with the ruling party and blow it up. Most men are vulnerable to anger, and with a bit of mob psychology, the opposition may easily stir up resentment against the ruling party. However, the latter is unable to harness this emotion - anger is best used against the ruling party by the opposition. After all, it is hardly possible and sensible for the ruling party to incite anger against the opposition. Thus, the opposition is granted an ability which the ruling party does not possess: the manipulation of angry emotions.

4. The Impossibility of Immediate and Identifiable Improvement

In the world of policy-making, results are rarely immediate. Very often, major policies which are implemented will take years to have visible effects. For example, education policies targeted at the younger generation are meant to influence the older generation of a distant future. Results of such policies may not reveal themselves within the relatively short span of 4-5 years, the typical length of a government's term. Moreover, the complexity of today's social structure impedes attempts to form clear causal relationships, meaning that it is difficult to prove that a positive outcome resulted from a good policy, hence proving its effectiveness. Thus, the two elements combine to create a difficult position for any incumbent government: the effectiveness of its policies may not be visible during its term, and even so, it is difficult to prove whether or not those policies were actually effective. Thus, within the span of a government's term, the opposition has free reign to "show" that the incumbent is incapable (see The Blame Game).

I had some other points that I decided not to include - they seemed more to be about weaknesses of democracy rather than advantages of the opposition. I may elaborate more on that some other time, but for now, I want to make my message clear:

Vote for the opposition only if you have carefully considered the feasibility and effectiveness of their proposed policies and objectives. For the good of your country, do not allow yourself to be swayed by political manoeuvring, be it by the ruling party or the opposition. We elect leaders because they are good governors, not because they are good at getting us to vote for them.

Males Bond Through Games, Females Bond Through Shopping

2011-04-17T21:41:00.002+08:00

I'm making a broad generalisation here, but I this is my sweeping observation of what I perceive to be deep-rooted social conventions.

Drinking aside, perhaps one of the best ways to break the ice or simply strengthen friendships between males would be through games. By "games", I refer to any sport, video game, board game or activity which promotes fun and often an element of (hopefully friendly) competition between participants. I believe it is not too far-fetched to say that the pattern of male bonding through games is consistent throughout all socio-economic strata. Gaming nights for gamergeeks, business or political deals forged over a game of golf for the high and mighty, a few rounds of soccer involving all the village men and boys, weekly games of tennis for the upper-middle class and above, the list goes on and on.

This may reveal how shallow I might be, but here is a case in point: there was once when someone who is now my good friend just moved in, and was perceived to have intruded upon my social circle at the time. Most of us were unhappy with him, and we maintained a cold, distant acquaintanceship with him at best. Then one fine day, I found myself stuck in a room with him, without any where else to go. He had just set up his PS2, and was geared up to play Time Crisis 2. He tentatively asked me if I would like to take turns with him, and handed me the gun controller. All ice between us immediately shattered the moment my trigger finger got to work. At last, we had found something we could both agree on: Time Crisis 2 is an awesome game.

Till today I still find games an effective means of making friends. Soccer during recess and after school back in my secondary school days in Singapore, trips to the LAN centre after school or work and so on. Even talking about games can result in endless conversations with people whom I hardly see or knew at all.

Now, on the other hand, I probably don't need to say much about what shopping together does for females. I will probably make a fool out of myself trying to analyse such social behaviour, but I know one thing for sure: there is a certain light in Felicia's eyes whenever I go window shopping with her, and there's suddenly a lot more that we can talk and laugh about.

And so we arrive at the point I wanted to make: assuming my observations are accurate, if you're out of ideas for creative activities, these are things you can fall back on.

Cultural Exchange

2011-04-04T23:55:00.007+08:00

Just a few hours ago I took Mom, Ern and Ray to Chinatown to celebrate Mom's birthday. Our journey to our intended location (Mom chose the place) had a few hiccoughs, and needless to say, we ended up some place else. We still got what we were looking for, at least - Chinese steamboat.

We found ourselves along a row of shophouses, pausing in front of a comparatively clean, yet peculiarly quiet Chinese restaurant. A mainland Chinese man with tilted eyes, a crew cut and a rather endearing smile stood before us, his right hand at an angle away from his hip, inviting us to dine.

Mom was specifically looking for Ma La, literally a numbingly spicy kind of soup used in steam boat, alternatively known as hot pot, especially in Mainland China. In his thick, probably northern Chinese accent, our waiter assured us that they offered Ma La Tang.

We proceeded to enjoy our meal, delighted by another Mainland Chinese style of eating steam boat: mixing our own sauces. During the course of our meal, Ern abruptly put his chopsticks down and announced, in curious panic, that his tongue was going numb. He accused the vegetable he had just chewed on, and in a few moments he apparently started to salivate a little bit more, though his tongue had gone numb. After a bout of puzzlement, Mom concluded, half jokingly, that it must be the Ma of the Ma La, literally the "numb" of the famous Ma La soup. She even pointed out the pepper-like condiment in the soup to be the likely cause of his discomfort.

Before long, I too found the tip of my tongue losing its feeling. It was a most peculiar sensation, I must admit. Laughing, my Mom asked our friendly waiter if Ma La was really supposed to have such an interesting effect. Excitedly, our waiter explained that Ma La indeed had that very effect, a result of the spice Mom had noted, called Ma Jiao, literally translated as "numbing pepper". He shared that he particularly enjoyed that numbing sensation on his tongue, and would inhale deeply through the mouth to get that funny tingly feeling. In that moment of his excitement, sharing about the food he loves, the "accent barrier," as I call it, between him and our family thinned. It was an interesting feeling difficult to put into words, to connect to him not through words but through feelings and ideas. That certainly broke the ice.

Later, their only other customer arrived - a Caucasian tourist. Through a series of gestures and hand signs, she ordered her food, which they served promptly. We soon ended up watching her struggle to cut her meat with a fork and spoon. Amused, we suggested to our waiter to bring her a knife. Half smiling, half chuckling, he shuffled back to the kitchen, his rummaging reverberating throughout the room, only to return, almost triumphantly, with a butter knife in his hand. Just after he handed her the much-appreciated knife, she made another gesture requesting a napkin. Our family found it hilarious, and suggested that he gave her a packet of tissue as a crude substitute. There we were, Mainland and Straits-born Chinese, forgetting our differences in the face of an entirely different culture.

Our other waiter later lamented his inability to converse in basic English. He asked us if we could recommend any disks which he could purchase and learn conversational English, just so he would be able to serve his English-speaking customers better. After reading all that online trashtalk about the stereotypical Mainland Chinese whose rudeness surpasses Singaporean tolerance levels, it was a heartwarming reminder that the likes of our kindly waiter are still out there, merely overshadowed on the net by their uglier counterparts. Of course, we should also bear in mind that the internet has apparently been more useful in dishing out the dirt on others than in praising those whom we do not know personally, but that's another issue to discuss another day...

And there you have it, a three-way cultural exchange in a humble restaurant along the crowded streets of Chinatown. For some reason, the image of our friendly waiter seems stuck in my head. His smile radiated a sense of calm quite unlike the hustle and bustle of Chinatown. After a long day of work and stress, it was a real treat to end it off with that brief acquaintanceship between our family and the waiters. Food for the soul indeed.

What I Learnt Today

2011-02-12T01:13:00.002+08:00

Always respect the time others should have to themselves. Always.

End of Year Sale

2010-12-31T02:18:00.005+08:00

Went shopping with lovely Feli today =) We haven't been able to go out ever since she went back to Indonesia shortly after A Levels ended, so it's great to have her back again for a short while.

Bought some new clothes that are reasonably more stylish than everything currently hanging in my wardrobe XD Definitely covered more ground than that brief prom shopping excursion with Chris Khew that ended up in a mad dash to the LAN centre XD

If you're a male pragmatist with hopeless shopping skills and you happen to be in dire need of help in this field, get a girlfriend.

Bonus: it's probably more fun to shop with her than anybody else except *maybe* someone who offers to pay for everything XD Awesome if both are the same person, but that might make you a loser.

I'm Still Here!

2010-12-20T02:10:00.001+08:00

I've not abandoned this Blog! I'll not let it degenerate into a spam site! Just give me some time to savour the sweet holiday now that A Levels are over, and soon I'll be busy again and complaining about the lack of time to blog.

I Am Blessed

2010-08-24T00:05:00.000+08:00

No other way to say it.

Go Away Spam

2010-06-26T02:28:00.004+08:00

Just cleared all the spam comments on my rather dusty blog. Many thanks to those who have cared to ask what happened to my blogging instincts.

Well, what can I say? When you're living a felicitous life, there's no reason to spend so much time blogging on the computer. Not when there is so much else I could be doing...

...like keeping up with my workload -.-

So Far So Good

2010-03-13T00:49:00.002+08:00

1 week break!

It started on a good note =)

My Lucky Number

2010-03-04T22:37:00.000+08:00

Four/Fourth =)

Taking A Break

2010-02-14T18:40:00.003+08:00

I'm sitting at the coffee table in my uncle's living room in Kuantan, listening to Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1 on YouTube. I had 12 hours of sleep last night and I just had a nap earlier. I did a simple pencil portrait of my uncle over lunch and I had some fun doing a few pen sketches of roses on the couch later.

I guess one could reasonably conclude that I am taking a break. Well, in the physical sense that would be very much true, judging by the amount of sleeping involved. However, I think I am yet to discipline my mind to the point that I can take mental breaks. When I'm not careful my mind wanders off to thinking about the work I need to complete when I get back to Singapore (if I'm not busy trying to ignore the fact that it's Valentine's Day today, of course), and how soon I would like to get back to Singapore to get it all done. I don't know when I mutated into a workaholic, but it's taking a toll on my sanity.

Somehow, my misguided sense of responsibility leads me to take charge of things, and I find it difficult to let other people handle things I was previously in charge of. People have told me that I need trust other people more, but I think that is not the main issue. The problem lies in my inability to accept imperfection in what I do. I can accept imperfection in what others do, knowing that I will never truly understand the capability of others. However, I, for some reason, believe that I should be able to meet certain standards I set for myself, and when I fail to meet them, I feel like I've let myself down. Hence, the difficulty I have in letting go of things and handing tasks over to others lies in the self-inflicted guilt that I haven't done enough. It is something I will likely be spending a huge part of my life overcoming. As my teacher advised during a very candid and emotional sharing session, I cannot afford to keep voluntarily offering myself as a martyr.

This is completely unrelated, but I learnt something interesting while on the road with the family yesterday. We were driving from Singapore to Kuantan, and my Dad (who had to drive from KL to Singapore to pick us up) was tired. I offered to take over as driver while we were along the coastal highway (on the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia). Mind you, it was my first time driving along that highway, a highway with only one lane on each side, meaning that each time I attempted to overtake a vehicle in front of me, I would have to watch out for vehicles approaching from the opposite direction. My first few attempts at overtaking were carried out very cautiously. I observed the timing of other drivers ahead and how far they cut into the opposite lane. When it finally came down to it, I remember hardly anything besides slamming the accelerator as if my life depended on it. Of course, after a while the slamming of the accelerator was done less out of fear but more out of frustration with slow drivers (we were late for our reunion dinner and these jokers were crawling at 60km/h). One particularly amusing driver happily drove in the middle of two lanes unless there were cars coming from the opposite direction, causing me to spend a good 15 minutes just trying to overtake him. Where are the "jump" or "launch missile" buttons when you need them -.-

Okay, erm, back to what I learnt that I found interesting... At some point I found myself driving behind a bunch of cars who were in turn driving behind a huge truck. One by one they overtook the truck until it was my turn. Then I noticed something which Mom pointed out. People overtook the truck when the truck had its left signal on. Nobody overtook the truck when it had its right signal on. Basically, the truck driver was kindly signaling when it was safe for the drivers behind to overtake (since the sheer size of the truck made it difficult for drivers behind to see what was ahead). I have to admit that I had not expected that sort of kindness to come from my fellow countrymen on the road. Nevertheless, I was all the more pleased. Little instances of kindness like that make people's days. That's a thought I should remember as I go about each day =)

Settled

2010-02-07T18:20:00.002+08:00

A lot can happen in 90 minutes of a heart to heart talk.

Like forgetting that your next lesson is at 3:10 and not 3:30!

Still Catching Up

2010-01-31T22:43:00.002+08:00

It's been a few weeks of school already and I'm still recovering from the holidays and settling into the life of a J2. Mrs Wilson remarked in choir yesterday that sometimes in life you need deadlines to keep you going. I'll admit that is true, but I think my current situation is a case study of failure in moderation.

I was reflecting during Church today how I've not really taken care of Mom as well as I should have. I ended up going home early to see what I could do since she's not well today. Most of the time I hide behind the excuse of too much school work. This year will be a test of how well I've defined my priorities.

Just Do It

2010-01-13T23:18:00.003+08:00

Test of Patience: Being told to take the garbage out when I'm sweaty, tired, stressed, and ready to snap at anyone who bothers me.

But I passed this test tonight =)

These little achievements deserve to be celebrated as the pressure begins to mount XD

Reflections of 2009

2010-01-03T15:10:00.002+08:00

Now that 2010 has arrived I am compelled to look back at 2009 and think of all that has happened.

Some key events of 2009:

1. Getting satisfactory results for my GCE O Levels

2. Being posted to ACJC

3. Joining the ACJC Choir, a wonderful family whose values are not very different from mine

4. Deciding to enrol in the Music Elective Program and obtaining an MOE scholarship for it, relieving a lot of financial pressure on Mom and Dad

5. Trip to Beijing to visit my eldest sister (also my first trip to mainland China and to the Great Wall!)

6. Taking up a leadership position in ACJC which has perhaps become the greatest source of growth opportunities in my life in the College

7. Getting over a crush which governed much of my actions towards the end of 2008 but eventually falling for someone else -_-

8. Mom's third cancer

9. Grandpa's passing

10. Period of stress and loneliness (in conjunction with a period of spiritual low)

The tenth event on the list is something in particular which might possibly sum up 2009, as emo as it sounds. Junior College is by no means a walk in the park, and I have high expectations of myself, hence the period of stress. But it wasn't always about making the grade. The greatest source of all that stress (and a lot of disappointment in myself) was the realisation during the year that I had compromised on acts of service in my academic pursuits. Towards the end of 2008, it became my dream to work with the United Nations and contribute to the betterment of mankind. It is a tall ambition, and I knew that it would also require appropriate qualifications. My first step on that path was to ensure that I obtain good grades in order to keep as many doors open as possible for me to pursue such a career in future. However, the key to my dream - service, was ironically lacking during my time in ACJC in 2009. I consciously decided to forgo a lot of little acts of kindness in exchange for more time to study. Having realised this, it became clear to me that I had lost sight of what I truly wanted, and it was a rather painful revelation.

It was about the same time that I began to feel somewhat lonely. I had plenty of friends, or more like people I enjoyed being with and spent time with here and there. However, I did not feel close to any particular friend as much as I did with Ben and Marion in 2008. In 2009, Ben was off to National Service while Marion just got busier with things in her polytechnic. I did not find any friends I could really speak to in ACJC during the school year (although that is possibly changing as I type). Perhaps it is because of the age difference, but I really missed having friends like Hao Ran, Chern Hui, Zi Jien and Fang Soe who are all in universities now. Of course, it is easy to feel that way because I have only spent a year in ACJC, while the four friends I miss were classmates of mine for at least three to four years in KL. This year will be the seventh year since the start of our friendships, so there obviously has been a lot of time for me to develop a close bond with them. One thing I enjoy most about talking to them is our dreams and hopes for the future. We're all at a crucial stage in life where many great things are about to occur. I remember the talk I had with Fang Soe on one of my trips back to KL. Each time I go back I would often spend a night at his apartment which he rents with some of my other friends to catch up with each of them. There was once when he shared about his difficult decision whether to take up farming to honour his father's profession or to enter the field of social sciences to engage in human development (a dream not unlike mine). He eventually found a balance between the two, and I am very happy for him. It's this kind of friendship that really takes time to develop, and I obviously can't expect it within a year in ACJC, but all the same, I do feel lonely at times when I am unable to feel close with friends.

One thing about I noticed about the period in time which one might dub as "depression" was that I had been neglecting my spiritual development, primarily in the form of studying the scriptures. I could easily make time to spend at least half an hour studying the scriptures each day, but I did not, and it has affected me. That's something I should really work on this year.

If 2009 was a hectic year, this year will be more than pure chaos. I can look forward to the ACJC Fun-o-rama, Choir tour and GCE 'A' Levels. Nothing a bit of camaraderie and divine guidance can't pull me through though.

What Hurts

2009-12-29T23:25:00.003+08:00

To have your sincerest intentions misread.

Capital ideas from an awesome magazine

2009-12-28T00:55:00.008+08:00

just read my latest Newsweek magazine. the December issues tend to have a lot of interesting recaps of the year. i have about Twenty Eight issues now and nearly every issue has been as enlightening as it is entertaining. one of the things i've learnt to enjoy is flipping through each Page while having a meal and reading the photo captions. most of them are thought provoking =p

the issue0 i just read has an obituary with more than Twenty Six people who have had great influence on the world. i'm secretly wondering if i'll ever make it there haha. Top film makers james cameron and peter jackson had a conversation on the movie industry, and what they said just Left me in a daze -.- amazing people

Warning Signs

2009-12-24T23:35:00.008+08:00

1. Frequent sighing
2. Emo-ness
3. Lack of appetite
4. Incessant dwelling on convoluted thoughts
5. Constant staring at nothing in particular
6. Inevitably symbolic dreams
7. Assuming that at indefinite intervals, none of the above occur - Occasional, vitalizing Creative Empowerment

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Jaded

2009-12-18T22:57:00.007+08:00

Frankly, it seems like this happens every year.

Extremely annoying >.< I've learnt that thinking about what I'm feeling is the best way to screw myself.

Luckily this time round I am perhaps protected by the shades of disappointment and resignation. If I decide to do anything, I'll remember what the last escapade got me into.

I'll have to admit though, I do miss the creative empowerment XD

Life-Changing Experience

2009-12-12T23:18:00.005+08:00

CAUTION: This post is not as inspiring as the title suggests

Jack randomly wanted to go over to his cousin's place to have a go on the PS3 after choir today. He invited me to tag along but I wanted to head to Camden Hospital for the Pharmaplus Christmas Charity Fair which our fellow Choir member Natalie was volunteering at. We spent a good deal of money (nice to put my scholarship money to good use) and time chatting with Nat there. After that, we headed over to his cousin's place.

There it was, right in front of me, the PS3. So sleek. So tempting. I just sat in front of it and stared for a while.

"Help me switch it on"

"But I don't see any button"

"Just touch the power symbol there"

"Whoa, touch-sensitive. Oooo...."

I continued to stare at the device in awe. I even placed my hand on the PS3 to convince myself it was actually happening.

Then, of all games we could play, we had to play Arkham Asylum. Seamless gameplay, excellent theme, beautiful graphics, powerful atmosphere all rolled into one. It ruined almost every other game I've played before. No other game has ever made me feel so powerful.

Alas, my slice of heaven was short-lived as I had to shoot off for the ACJC Guitar Ensemble's charity concert I bought tickets for a while back.

Now I'm sitting here wondering what else can quench this insatiable desire.

Life is just not quite the same any more

Life Without Maid Day 4

2009-12-03T16:29:00.003+08:00

Kak went back to Indonesia on Monday. Permanently. She was with us for nearly 13 years. Hard to believe she's finally gone. Every time I pass what used to be her room I can almost hear her favourite K-pop playing on her phone. Everything is alright so far. She went away on a month's vacation back in 2006 and I basically had to hold the fort the last time, plus we had a much bigger house then. If we managed then, I'm sure we'll managed now. At least Mom isn't working any more.

So far delegation of household chores is on a flexible basis. Shuan being Shuan drafted a list of things that need to be done and how often they need to be done. It makes things look easier by putting everything on paper. As long as we all strive to be tidier, cleaning will be much easier. Kudos to Shuan for being the neatest. I tend to "organise" my stuff all over the place and in a horizontal manner (I detest stacking things) but at least every now and then I decide to tidy up my junk to de-stress (I have weird habits). I can't say the same for the remaining two brothers. One gets upset when told to clean up his stuff, especially when instructed to do so when he's hooked on Damnable DotA. The other is somehow oblivious/immune to all instructions related to tidying up his stuff.

The thing I miss most about Kak is her preparing breakfast on mornings where I have to go to school. I have a habit of snoozing for half an hour so by the time I wake up I have no time to prepare my own breakfast. Kak used to cut fruits, brew Milo and prepare sandwiches (I had no time to sit down and eat either). I'll probably have to do all of that the night before, since Mom needs her rest.

The more I do chores the more I realize how much of a clean freak I can be. It's almost scary. Dishes must always be squeaky clean and I rub every dish I wash to check. I learn little things about myself like that the more I do chores. Being a clean freak or neat freak are two separate matters altogether though.

I imagine it will be horribly hectic balancing school work with household chores when the school term starts, so on that note, I have sadly declined the offer to take up H3 Economy & Space at NUS next year. I already maxed out my credits, and as much as I'm interested in expanding my field of knowledge, it's more strategic to ace everything with fewer credits than cover more credits with mediocrity. I've already practically sacrificed my comic strip in the name of academic pursuits, I'm not sure what else I have left to sacrifice, so I should just stick to what I already have. My H3 Music research paper is already proving to be a pain anyway.

Maybe I should go practice on the piano now.

Uh

2009-11-30T00:57:00.002+08:00

One of those stupid moments where I was sure I had something I wanted to post here earlier but I forgot what it was now. This is yet another lame attempt to update this Blog XD

I'm still crazy over Dad's pancake lens.

Grandpa, Departed

2009-11-24T22:53:00.003+08:00

Grandpa passed away of a heart attack on Friday. I was pulled out of a school camp and rushed to KL within 24 hours.

I wasn't very close to him, for many reasons. Mostly, it was because Grandpa was a very quiet man. He didn't talk much, but he did have ways to express his love. When I was a child, he would buy me toy guns (which my parents never did for me for obvious reasons) and an assortment of other kinds of toys. We would often spend nights at his place when my parents were away. He maintained a small swimming pool which I have fond memories of, and always had a dog for us to play with.

Sadly, I can only recall two experiences when he opened up to me. The first was when I was thirteen. I was working at Dad's office and had to go over to Grandpa's office to fetch something. He invited me to his office to lend me a tie, even sharing some stories of his past. I remember sitting in front of him at his desk as he recounted his motorcycle accident long in the past. The second time I can remember him opening up was last year when I interviewed him to begin chronicling his life as part of my personal family genealogy project. He shared many things, even some dark moments in his life which he injected some humour into. He was an avid artist in his youth, although he used that talent more to obtain a scholarship to Europe more than to build a career. Trained as a land surveyor, he earned enough to ensure all of his five sons attended universities. He was a firm believer in education, and was an epitome of creatures of habit. There is much that I admire in him, although there are important lessons to learn from his many mistakes as well.

When I arrived at the wake and walked over to his coffin. I was suddenly overwhelmed and broke into tears. I could not understand it at that time. I guess it was just knowing that I would no longer be able to see him in this life. It's easy to remember my belief in life after death, but grieving for a temporary loss is inevitable. It was weird seeing his glasses placed on top of the coffin. Seeing the glasses that defined him made it worse for me. But eventually once I began to talk to a close nephew, the rest of the wake and funeral turned into a family reunion, which was nice. One of my cousins will be getting married in a few months. That would be a much nicer reason for another family reunion.

On the day of the cremation Dad needed a photographer for his camera, so I happily volunteered. His pancake lens was the BOMB. All I needed was a decent sense of composition and the camera (lens) worked wonders for portrait shots. Wielding that much power in my hands and ogling at it was just so... wrong... for a funeral. At any rate I was quite pleased with some of the shots. Not sure when Dad will upload them at the family blog. My first experience with erm, funeral photography. Believe me, it's no fun sticking a camera at crying faces, especially when your own tears are clouding your vision. But in the name of chronicling events photographically, I believe it was an honourable endeavor.

Thanks for everything, Grandpa.

Get a Life - Get a Holiday!

2009-11-03T20:25:00.005+08:00

So the exams are over except for maybe PW Oral Presentation, but other than that school is beginning to slow down. I've got big plans for the holidays apart from Choir, number one being my plan to sign up for some preferably long-term community service project. I'm currently interested in a program where I can help students in their studies. I guess I kind of miss being in Barker that way. I don't remember a day when nobody asked me for help with something.

There's something that's been bugging me recently. It will probably irritate most people who read this, but it's something I need to get off my chest.

First off, I shall explain how our subject combination works for GCE A Levels. There are 3 levels (so to speak) of each subject - Higher 1, Higher 2, and Higher 3. H1 and H2 subjects are the common levels everyone takes in varying combinations. H3 papers are only for those who are supposedly academically sound and would like to deepen their learning and understanding of a particular subject. In a way, H3s are the equivalent to the S Papers in the past.

Typically, a Junior College student would take, as his four "core" subjects, 3H2s and 1H1. Latest MOE regulations also requires one of these subjects to be of a contrasting discipline. For example, a typical Science student's combination would be H2 Physics, H2 Chemistry, H2 Mathematics, and H1 Economics (Econs being his contrasting subject). On top of this, most students would also take their General Paper, which counts as a H1 paper. There is also the requirement to take H1 Mother Tongue (unless a student has acheived a sufficient grade in O Level Higher Mother Tongue examinations). Thanks to a rather bright MOE employee, we also now enjoy the benefits of compulsory Project Work, yet another H1 subject. As a result, a typical JC student would be taking 4H1s and 3H2s.

However, students who did well for GCE O Levels can choose to take 4H2s instead of 3H2s+1H1 for their core subjects. Students often choose to do so to improve their chances of obtaining future scholarship (especially the prestigious PSC scholarship). I'm a bit more insane. I chose to take 4 H2s just so that I could learn as much as possible.

As a result, I now take, for my H1s, GP, PW and Chinese, and for my H2s, Geography, Economics, Maths, and Music (Maths being my contrasting subject). In addition, I am required to take Music H3 (which is a research paper) as a result of my MOE Music Elective Scholarship.

This is the credits system has become a pain. Each subject is worth a number of credits. H1s are worth 1 credit, while H2s are worth 2 credits. Each student is normally allowed to take up to a maximum of 12 credits. Going back to the previous example of the typical JC student, he would be taking 4H1s (worth 4 credits in total) and 3H2s (worth 6 credits in total), adding to a total of 10 credits, well within the limit. Let's say he does well and he decides to take H3 Maths. 1 credit is then added to his H2 Maths credits, increasing it from 2 to 3. Hence, he would now have 11 credits, still within his means.

For my case, I take 3H1s and 4H2s. Therefore, I am already at 11 credits. By taking H3 Music, I will max out my credits at 12. Why is this a pain? Because I am interested in taking up one of the external H3s. I applied for NUS Geopolitics (considered a Geography/History H3), NUS Economy & Space (considered a Geography H3) and SMU Game Theory (considered an Economics H3 though in a very mathematical approach), with the intention/hope of taking one of the three. Unfortunately, since I'm already taking Music H3, I have maxed out my credits. I can't drop my H3 Music because my scholarship requires me to take it, and I will definitely not forfeit my scholarship (my school fees, which MOE now covers, are insane), so basically, I won't be able to take any of the external H3s. I heard that there have been special cases where people have applied to take 13 credits, but these people are all exceptionally gifted academically and I don't think I belong to that calibre. Furthermore, I have the school Choir responsibilities to attend to, and it will be very unfair to them next year if I neglect my duties for the sake of my own academic pursuits.

The irony of the situation is that by doing well in school previously and obtaining the scholarship, I am now prevented from pursuing my own interests (those external H3s I listed above all have something to do with my possible future careers). It kinda hurts, but if I complain, I think a lot of people will want to strangle me.

If I Could Write Music Like Shostakovich

2009-10-27T00:17:00.000+08:00

I'd have written my own Symphony No.5 Largo by now.

One Thing At A Time

2009-10-22T23:50:00.002+08:00

I broke down during my Chinese consultation session today. Not the first time I've been overwhelmed by the stress I've allowed to burden myself, but probably the first time I cracked in school.

The worst thing about what stress does to me is it convolutes my thoughts, tints my judgement, and eventually renders me incapable of doing anything productive. The effects intensify when I'm rushed, and that has been happening a bit too often recently. There will always be one deadline after another, and each time I fail to meet one, the pressure to meet the next builds up, causing me to fail it, perpetuating the problem. I spent hours last night simply stressing out because I had failed to meet two deadlines, both of which were delayed on my account, while a third had been added. I was literally stunned by the situation and I couldn't concentrate on anything I attempted to do. My temper is wearing thin and it's probably due to my own disappointment in myself.

Laoshi expressed her concern during the consultation today. She has been noticing warning signs in my work recently. My command of the language has become shakier and more inconsistent with each exercise, and seeing this, she immediately knew that I must be overworked and mentally exhausted. She urged me to learn how to let go of my burdens and just deal with the tasks at hand. To me, it's like those moments just at the start of exam papers where you've come to terms with the fact that there's no way you can do any extra studying and all that is left is to do the paper. Forget what you're hoping to achieve for now, for your hopes may very well become your burden. That was the golden advice she shared, which I deeply appreciate along with her support and encouragement. Thanks, Laoshi.

"Forget yourself and go to work," said President Hinckley's father. True, but don't forget your sanity.

How (Our) Religion Draws The Line For Us

2009-10-11T00:12:00.004+08:00

This is a response to Trent's recent post at his blog (which happens to truly be what it claims to be). The post is entitled "Right." and was posted on the 10th of October 2009.

I quote his second paragraph:

As idealism and images of a perfectly-run world of law and order get washed away with time and experience, beliefs in realism form a core of my principles; my eyes now see a world of grey. Religion tries to define what's black and what's white. Ironically, it makes things all the more grey. In attempting to draw a line, the line actually creates a new split and an additional school of thought; generating more confusion, conflict and endless debate.

In general, Abrahamic religions (ie Judaism, Christianity and Islam) draw the line by use of commandments which tend to be absolute, hence defining explicitly what is sin and what is not. We all know times have changed while nothing about the scriptures besides our own interpretations of it have changed. Modern issues do not have the line clearly drawn by our scriptures the way the Mosaic Law did in the past. In our Church, our Latter-Day prophets are able to give modern revelation from God regarding modern issues. For our Church, the conditions for abortion to be acceptable have been laid out. However, there are still many issues that the Church does not have an official stand on.

For example, in the debate on human embryonic stem cell research, the scriptures provide no guidance at all, and if the issue is on the sanctity of life, the scriptures are unable to help by stating at which point of time is an embryo considered a human being (or when does it possess a spirit). If a scientist considering stem cell research on human embryos turns to the scriptures, there is no direct commandment or law regarding the matter, other than the Old Testament's 6th Commandment forbidding murder, which brings in the earlier problem of when an embryo is considered a human being. Here is where the "additional school of thought" is formed, and instead of just arguing whether stem cell research using human embryos is right or wrong, a new argument ensues regarding the defintion of and criteria for murder. Thus we see that one debate leads to another and nothing gets done. Will the poor scientist be left without any way of knowing what is right and what is wrong, left to wander on his own in the confusing "grey region"?

My answer is no and I would like to share a Sunday School lesson I had a long time ago in KL to explain why:

I do not remember the topic of the lesson but we found ourselves in a discussion on personal revelation. Personal revelation is what each of us receives by inspiration of the Holy Ghost and concerns our own matters, be it decisions, callings etc. This is often achieved through prayer, scripture study, ponderance and fasting. The Commandments are a form of revelation that applies to all believers, and gives the general people a sense of what is right and wrong. Of course, everybody is different, and that is where personal revelation comes in. Each of us have to make unique decisions in life. There will be times when our situation just does not fall into the "general" category. Here, the "general" revelation will not easily define exactly what the right or wrong choices are for us. However, with personal revelation, those who are attuned to the Spirit will be given either a "burning in the bosom" (green light) or "a stupor of thought" (red light) after making a decision. This way, no matter what the issue at hand is, one who receives personal revelation will know which choices are good and which choices are not so good.

Coming back to the example of the scientist. If he were a member of our Church, his best option would be to prayerfully read the scriptures (more to invite the spirit than find explicit instructions) and perhaps fast to receive Divine guidance. Perhaps the Lord's answer to him would be affirmative, perhaps not. Either way, it is his choice, and what is right or wrong to him will be clear.

Naturally, our perception of what is absolutely right or absolutely wrong will easily differ from the person next to us. This is where the problem of the grey area comes in. If what we see as absolutely wrong is not wrong at all according to someone else, then it can't really be absolutely wrong, can it? But when we look at it this way, the only problem about the grey area is that some laws don't apply to everyone. But does it matter? Not when we have personal revelation. We did not come to Earth to decide for others what is right or wrong for them. We came to Earth to make our own choices and to progress spiritually. Unless we are Divinely called to lead others (by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority), then the only grey area that exists is what we are yet ask God about and receive personal revelation.

That is the beauty of the true Gospel. The Holy Ghost will guides us when we remain spiritually worthy and thus our "Religion," so to speak, draws the line clearly for us.

Thanks Trent for always sparking interesting discussions at your blog.

Why You Shouldn't Bother About Anything

2009-10-04T22:25:00.003+08:00

You wouldn't feel the weight of your own reputation.

My perfectionist traits are acting up again, as they usually do with the looming exams. Mom just gave me a massage earlier to help loosen up the tension that keeps building up in my back and shoulders. I really ought to stop stressing myself out so badly. That's seriously a problem about setting high expectations of myself. At least I'm paid to do well in school heh heh heh.

I'm in no mood to elaborate on the convoluted logic that keeps messing up my head regarding this issue. I think I'm more in a mood for a millenium of slumber. Getting a good rest these days is like drinking with two straws, of which one is not in the drink. Go try it =)

Senseless Bickering

2009-09-27T22:05:00.000+08:00

Some things in this house really need to stop.

YSA Convetion

2009-09-22T23:46:00.002+08:00

Thanks Ben and Marion for the wonderful weekend.

Many thanks to Kenneth, Joshua, Kenneth, Shem and Kandace as well.

Most quotable quote:
"This is why they call this a resort - we have to resort to staying in such a place"
- Parker, upon entering our bunk that had no air-conditioning, poor lighting, 3 beds (there were 4 of us), and a malfunctioning water heater.

Gasp

2009-09-13T21:46:00.000+08:00

Wasting Time

2009-09-12T16:40:00.001+08:00

I'm stuck here attempting a 4-page analysis of the 1st movement of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony. Dad asked us if we'd like to go out with him to fly his electronic kite. Today's the last day for me to finish this essay, and to Dad's dismay, I was unable to drive my brothers to Clarke Quay where he wanted to meet us.

HOWEVER, when Dad came back home himself to take them, they decided they'd rather play their computer games and humour Dad with little more than monosyllabic grunts.

Dad's going back to KL now.

Someone too busy playing DotA didn't even bother saying goodbye.

Surprises

2009-08-30T00:30:00.002+08:00

Unpleasant:

4 essays to do this weekend: Chinese, Economics, Music, Geography

(Arts faculty win, stress management fail)

Pleasant:

Distinction for ABRSM Grade 8 Piano

(1st Distinction for anything ABRSM in my whole life)

Breakdown

2009-08-16T20:35:00.000+08:00

A number of major websites are acting up lately. You can just smell a deliberate plot to sabotage. Either that or a government cyber defense exercise. All I know is that internet users are being deprived of non-existent rights.

Term 3 of the school year is coming close to an end. We have reached a point where everyone in the lecture theater appears zombie-like. It was particularly bad last week, where literally everyone complained that they were feeling unusually exhausted despite the four-day week. I suspect the arrival of our first few major common assessments to be the culprit. Ask any Geography student about granite and he will probably flee from you in utter horror. Oh, and don't get started on the first draft of the Project Work Written Report.

I've been thinking about my current imbalance of lifestyle recently. Co-Curricular Activities now take up a huge portion of my permanent mental preoccupation. It's just so much work on top of my already insane Music Elective Program homework, and I'm still trying to find time to practice more Maths (I failed the last timed assignment by 10%). On the bright side of things, the recent Geography test forced me to study (ie highlight notes and internalise information) which will make promotional exam preparations slightly easier. All this has been taking up so much time that everything I seem to be doing nowadays is related to schoolwork. I probably could blame myself for wanting to excel in what I do, but I'd rather not "take it easy" and run the risk of ending up reverting back to my old slacker self.

I'm a bit worried that I'll be a workaholic when I grow up. Wanting to raise a happy family while contributing to the world through work will definitely be a challenge. Dreams are the only real break I have from the hectic schedule I'm learning to keep up with right now.

Emergency Powers (I need)

2009-08-06T22:35:00.000+08:00

My ABRSM Grade 8 Piano exam is next Thursday. I only just got an Aural exercise book this week, and I've been going crazy.

Singing the lower part is no kick for a choirboy, (though sight singing is a lot more exciting) nor is naming the cadence after so much Harmony homework. But for some weird reason I had a lot of trouble naming the chords and their inversions. Even worse are my skills at detecting modulations. While practising with Aldy and Jasmine's help today I devised a few methods, one of which is imagining that the chord I hear is a dominant about to resolve to the tonic in order to detect the inversion. So far I can only get it to work for major chords. Aldy evilly threw me off with minor chords, so I'm yet to come up with something for those.

I hope my school uniform is fireproof, cuz I might burn out.

><

2009-08-05T00:03:00.000+08:00

I don't look forward to Mondays anymore.

Cannot Make It

2009-07-31T21:43:00.000+08:00

Intelligence fails you when you need it most.

Especially when it involves girls

Things to get done this week

2009-07-27T22:55:00.002+08:00

1. Read up on Prokofiev's music
2. Listen to Prokofiev's music
3. Research on a Classical Music composer other than Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven
4. Analyse a 12 tone composition
5. Improve my compositional techniques composition write up
6. Complete my Baroque harmony exercise
7. Familiarise myself with Carnatic terminology
8. PRACTICE THE PIANO
9. Listen to Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5
10. Analyse the first movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5
11. Finish my ECONnect e-assignment
12. Finish my Mac Laurin's Series tutorial
13. Finish reading my GP Government and Politics reading package
14. Hold a choir committee meeting
15. Complete the Chinese assignment on 《车票》
16. Craft a Human Geography essay outline

Economics: 1
Maths : 1
GP : 1
Chinese : 1
Geography: 1
CCA : 1
Music : 10

MEP for the win...

Hey!

2009-07-26T23:49:00.000+08:00

Something's up with Blogger. It's not appearing properly on my browsers, and more importantly, I can't post photos! Not that I've been wanting too lately, it's just annoying to know that I can't =P

Talk about annoying Internet Man entitlement complexes.

Beware

2009-07-21T22:00:00.000+08:00

You probably should never trust beauty magazines or anything exaggerating the alleged superior beauty of anyone (especially if they then proceed to persuade you to buy their products),

because I just realized (from firsthand experience) how easy it is to make people look prettier with Photoshop.

CHERN HUI IS IN SINGAPORE

2009-07-15T18:02:00.001+08:00

Joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM (and the others)

Sains and Matematik dalam Bahasa Melayu

2009-07-09T22:51:00.004+08:00

http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/03/pengajaran-dan-pembelajaran-sa.html

I couldn't agree more, especially to #3, 5, 15, 21, 22, 26 (perhaps the sharpest comment of all)

Nice to know I haven't lost touch with Malay. I should come up with a regular Malay reading session XD

Disturbed

2009-07-09T22:00:00.003+08:00

There are some dreams that are so disturbing that it changes your relationship (in one-way terms) with whoever was involved in it forever.

Fear not, I am not about to embark on yet another disastrous quasi-romantic escapade. I am merely disturbed. In both ways.

Ending the Beginning

2009-07-08T23:15:00.003+08:00

Ends have beginnings, but do beginnings have ends?

The beginning of the end can perhaps be defined as an event which triggers off a string of subsequent events which lead to the end, but how do you define the end of the beginning? How far does the scope of the beginning extend? Is the end of the beginning nothing other than the end? Oh wait, I think I just got it. If the beginning is defined as an event which will trigger off subsequent events, then the end of the beginning is the end of the very first event.

Obviously, I'm relishing the free time of post-exams lack of homework by coming up with this sort of nonsense

Beijing Trip 12-21st June 2009

2009-07-05T21:33:00.004+08:00

It's been about 2 weeks since I came back from my trip to Beijing, China. I've been thinking about posting briefly about what I got to do and what I wanted to do but didn't have a chance to =)

Things I got to do:
1. Ride the bullet train from Tianjin to Beijing (330km/h)
2. Celebrate 姐姐's 25th Birthday!
3. Hang out with Su姐 and 姐姐
4. Hang out with Christopher
Quote: "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, but if you do, name it after me." XD
5. Hang out with Jeff Whitaker (he left KL in 2005)
6. Eat lots of food
7. Try the famous 北京烤鸭
8. Try Russian Borsch (cooked by 姐姐's roommate Leru)
9. Listen to the exciting violent/glorious history of a 李 village
10. Cycle, not to mention love the bicycle lanes!
11. Survive crossing a street
12. Hang out with the kids at 姐姐's workplace (a kindergarten)
13. Visit 天坛公园 (Temple of Heaven)
14. Visit 天安门 (Tiananmen Square)
15. Visit 故宫 (Forbidden City)
16. Visit 长城 (Great Wall)
17. Hang out with 姐姐's fellow gamergeek friends! (games played: Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Acquire, Settlers of Catan etc)
18. Swing dance
19. Learn new swing dance moves (all to do with the swing out)
20. Correct my Waltz posture (thanks Su姐!)
21. Watch Star Trek
22. Buy new ties! (orange and pink are new colours in my collection of dull ties)
23. Learn more about Chinese culture (from Isaac and taxi drivers)
24. Get my baggage screened just to ride the subway -_-
25. Kiss inanimate objects
26. Take a break from studying (MUCH NEEDED)
27. Meet new YSA friends
28. Get a massage (not a full body one which I really wanted though)
29. Get a haircut
30. Eat 新疆 food (their 串儿 pwns Satay!!!)
31. Laugh at mistranslations
32. Haggle (first time in my life; it's amazingly similar to staying away from sin - "just walk away")
33. Buy gifts for the family
34. Ride an LCC XD
35. Learn what "barbers" with purple lights and 黑车 mean
36. Learn the principle of 谁买单 from Isaac
37. Take awesome photos!

------------------------------
Things I wanted to do but didn't:
1. Make a reality video titled "Crossing a Street in Beijing"
2. Study -.- (stupid Term Exams)
3. Visit the Summer Palace (a bit far + no time)
4. Go to 王府井 and try some exotic food (eg Scorpion)
5. Play more board games with 姐姐's gamergeek friends
6. Buy a new shirt (lazy to haggle)
7. STAY LONGERRRRRRRRRRRR

Assumptions

2009-07-03T23:47:00.002+08:00

A funny thought crossed my mind just as I was about to doze off at 2am last night.

Everyone likes to criticise Economics for making too many assumptions. Of course, the reason for it is not because of the fact that it makes assumptions, but simply because too many assumptions create a scenario that is non-existent in the actual world.

This brought me to wonder, don't we make assumptions in everything we do? This might be a little far-fetched, but take the example of the person criticising Economics for making too many assumptions. Did he not voice his opinion with the assumption that someone will listen to him? Obviously his assumption does not hold in the actual world, because despite all the critique about Economics (I read a very convincing article misplaced by a Knowledge Inquiry student), economists are still explaining and predicting the economy. Hence, nobody listened to him. Of course, his critique is still important to take note because bad assumptions by economists will have greater implications than bad assumptions by a critic.

But back to the point, we all make assumptions (be it consciously or subconsciously) in everything. By posting this blog, I'm assuming that it will be read, and is even worth reading such that you will continue reading even up to this point and beyond. By reading this post, you, as the reader, are assuming that this is worth reading and not a complete waste of your time. Whether or not my are your assumptions are correct depends on the outcome, and even so, the outcome is subject to interpretation through various standpoints.

What bothered me is this: Is it possible to consciously perform an action that is utterly devoid of assumptions? Even when we do random things (as in random for the sake of randomness) one can argue that we did so assuming that our actions are categorized as random.

So! Time for some serious mind stretching. Can you think of something you can do that can be argued to have no assumptions at all? I keep coming up with possible assumptions for everything I do, so I can't come up with any examples. I'd like to hear some suggestions, though.

Again

2009-07-02T23:55:00.002+08:00

I received a call earlier today from my dance teacher Sister Judy Tan.

My ballroom dance class has been disbanded. Again. Funny how the last time that happened, it was in August last year, and it's July right now - less than a month away from August. Seems like I'm jinxed to change dance class groups every year. Might as well be a Defense against the Dark Arts teacher in Hogwarts eh.

To make the coincidence even more astonishing, I just started learning the Quickstep in my last lesson. The last time round, I was supposed to start the Quickstep in the next lesson. D'oh! This time round, my dance partner Marie had to pull out, and so our group of six dancers dissolved. We did have a great time with the Waltz, though =) It will be great to be able to dance with her again in the future.

I have slightly better luck this time, though. Sister Judy found another group I can join starting on the 24th this month. It'll be Argentine Tango! I signed up straight away. For embarrassing personal reasons, the Tango was the first dance I wanted to learn when I considered picking up dancing back in 2007. That was before I knew Sister Judy and her husband Brother Algy Tan. When Sister Lee introduced me to them through a Rock N' Roll class later that year, I was encouraged by them try the Waltz, which I agreed to. At the same time I learnt some social Salsa which I have nearly completely forgotten, owing to the scarcity of female Salsa dancers at Church dances.

At any rate, the Tango still intrigued me, especially when Brother and Sister Tan did some demonstrations, or when I watched other dancers learning it. I also happened to be a fan of the great composer for Tango music, Astor Piazzolla. I knew nothing of the system 'quick' and 'slow' steps in the Tango, and I was curious to find out. I only just figured it out in the first and only Quickstep lesson I had last Saturday, since the same system is used. It took me several laps of blundering through footwork set against music before it finally clicked, and that's why I'm all the more keen to try out the Tango now.

The first lesson will be on the 24th, which means classes will be on Friday instead of Saturday. That should ease some pressure off my Saturday social deprivation.

Maths Crash

2009-06-29T23:26:00.003+08:00

I was pretty happy with the way I tackled the application question for my General Paper today. There's nothing like putting the full stop to something you know you've written better than usual.

There's also nothing like staring at blank spaces on your Maths answer sheet as the invigilator announces that time is up. I did it again, I panicked, made calculation errors, went back to correct them, and proceeded cautiously (ie too slowly). All of that in the very first question. Obviously, I messed up the paper as easily as a snail messing up in a Formula One race. I didn't finish the paper! Honestly speaking, I like taking my time to think things through (this applies to everything apart from whether ice cream belongs to my mouth), and that's not exactly advantageous in exam settings.

And so it happened. Out of 50 marks, 26 marks were gone simply because I didn't have enough time. I have effectively lost all hope of passing Maths for my Term exams. That's what I deserve for not practicing enough.

But a failed Maths paper is nothing compared to what's coming this Wednesday --- 3 H2 papers in one day: Economics, Geography, and Music. Thankfully, Economics is not content heavy, but Geography is as good as two subjects put together and Music is like three different papers mashed up together. I bet that on Tuesday night, I'll be having nightmares of a Plinian volcanic eruption, which will lead to a sudden rise in the Crude Death Rate; From the depths of the caldera of the eruption, Bela Bartok will pop out with his Tritone of doom playing on a Sitar in his left hand and an out-of-tune Rebab on his right, preaching Allocative Efficiency, Price Elasticity concepts and Long Term Costs of Production.

Term Exams

2009-06-28T21:56:00.003+08:00

Yeah, Term Exams begin tomorrow. I haven't finished studying a single subject, and that's saying much. I haven't even blogged about China. I'll be stumbling through my General Paper and H2 Maths papers tomorrow. If I'm doomed to fail anything for Term Exams I sincerely hope Maths will be the only one I fail, since my track record suggests promising results for everything else, which works against me, really. I don't think I've ever responded well to pressure in my life so far.

My greatest fear for the exams, though is probably my piano performance exam. You just can't mug overnight for an exam that requires consistent hourly practices every day. It's kind of like Maths. Which is probably why I'm doomed for both.

Beijing Day Three

2009-06-14T19:23:00.001+08:00

Been in Beijing for 3 days now. It's been great so far, though I ought to kick myself for the lack of photo taking. I need a day to myself to just go out and capture the sights with my camera. The latest thing I want to take a photo of is the "friendship shop" Jiejie's room mate Leru was telling me about as we walked past it today. Apparently, friendship shops were where foreigners could do their shopping (and nowhere else) when China first opened up. Deviously, prices there are pure rip-offs. However, as Christopher's buddy Isaac taught me, in China the culture is that you don't worry about whether the price is worth it or not... it's about who's paying =P

I drove up to KL the day before my flight to Beijing. Dad covered the initial part of the journey, while I took the remaining 300km. It was probably the first time I clocked so many hours at one go. There was a terrible accident on the highway where a truck veered of the road. It caused a massive traffic jam you'd expect to see only in the city. Other than that the trip was mostly uneventful, except that I have set myself a new record for highest speed driven at... I was rushing to meet Hao Ran and some other J3B buddies for dinner. I missed the dinner in the end, but we went out to a 24 hour McDonalds for supper and a nice long chat. I miss their humour... my Singaporean friends seem to be less forgiving of lame jokes XD

My first solo international flight took place the next day (Friday). The haze was terrible... I didn't get to take any photos during take off. During landing, even when I tried to take photos, I realized that my window seat was where the wing was -.- Oh well.

I landed in Tianjin, where the Chinese quarantine officials came in to check our temperatures. I tried very hard to suppress my cough, which was sort of a remnant of my flu. Things worked out and I was not-so-shortly allowed to step onto Chinese soil for the first time in my life, though not after they checked my passport like half a zillion times. Jiejie was there to meet me, and she brought me to take the bullet train to Beijing.

I couldn't get a window seat on the bullet train, and we were going so fast (330km/h) that it was kind of hard to take any photos of the scenery anyway. But I looked out the window anyway to absorb the magnificent scenery around. Endless stretches of farms, fires (presumably farmers clearing their farms), distant coal-powered plants and a huge expanse of infinite space were things that convinced me that I was in China.

We arrived in Beijing and I was treated to a Never-ending Taxi Ride. The jam to Jiejie's house was terrible...

We went over to Grace's place where I would be staying, and joined the weekly Church YSA Family Home Evening. We played lots of Pandemic (an awesome board game of saving the world from infectious diseases) and a feast thanks to some culinary-inclined Taiwanese members.

Saturday followed, where I found myself awake at 11am. Jiejie came over to have breakfast with my host and her boyfriend. Grace and Jiejie decided to get manicures, which I wasn't keen on (she invited me to join her) so I stayed behind to (sigh) practice on the piano and do some maths. Jiejie and I later went out for a haircut and massage, then dinner. She showed me the sights and how to get around. When we went back to her place we got onto her bicycle and I brought her to the airport express where she could take a train to the airport to pick up her fiance Christopher. I was then left with some time to myself to explore the night scene, which wasn't much. I must admit, though, that cycling and watching out for crazy Beijing drivers was a true, must-try Beijing experience.

I went to Church today and got to meet some of the Beijing 1st Branch members, all of whom are foreigners, of course. The trip to Church involved a taxi ride with a chatty taxi driver sharing with us some awesome information. He said that most taxi drivers in Beijing took part in the Vietnam War, including himself. He later added that he hates war and is thus far approving of Obama. He proceeded to tell us about all the crazy things couples have to buy and pay insane amounts of money for when they get married. And I thought that the one child policy was enough to keep the population in check haha. It was cool to meet the YSA whom I first met at the Family Home Evening on Friday. I got to meet Jeff Whitaker too! The last time I saw him was when he left KL in 2005. It's been a loooooong time. He hasn't changed much =) I'll be going over to his place for some fun tomorrow.

We went out for a Japanese lunch to celebrate Jiejie's birthday today with Christopher, Isaac and Leru. Isaac shared with us the rules of a buffet "oyster challenge" which was thoroughly amusing. Christopher and Isaac later shared their hilarious trip to San Fransisco, involving a trip to the tanning saloon and getting a COUPLE'S DISCOUNT. We headed back to Jiejie's place after that for more Pandemic. Jiejie and Christopher decided to take a taxi while I followed Leru back on foot (where she showed me the sights, talked a bit about Russia and shared what she loved about Beijing). I'm not sure what else I want to do yet besides eat and play games with Jiejie's gamer geek friends, but I'm sure when Sujie comes on Tuesday we'll go sightseeing (I'm yet to set foot on the Great Wall!).

If only term exams aren't after the holidays...

Feeling Better

2009-06-06T23:22:00.004+08:00

My temperature has reached normal levels, though I still feel a little weak. Mom reckons I should still stay home tomorrow though. At least I had the strength to tackle the piano and part of an economics essay today.

My computer's fixed! Apparently the floppy drive had to be disabled and the graphics card adjusted (it was loose). I think it's high time to get a new graphics card though (and a processor too). I just need to budget it out carefully.

Wearing a mask almost all day is quite disorientating. I never knew air without a mask smelt soooooo good XD

Horror of Horrors

2009-06-05T18:48:00.003+08:00

It's not been a confirmed case of swine flu yet, but influenza nonetheless. The doctor advised me to take the rest of the week off (starting yesterday). The last time I checked, my temperature has gone down to 37.0 degree Celcius. My normal levels are at 36.6 though.

Wednesday night was one of my worst nights this year. The fever started to develop and I was shivering like crazy. I had goosebumps under my blanket. I even had to wear socks to sleep. Through it all I could barely breathe with my nose all runny. Most of that has gone away today (I think the doctor gave me anti histamines) but I developed a terrible sore throat this morning, probably due to constant breathing through my mouth, coupled with filthy smokers sucking their sticks of death outside my house. I'll be missing Waltz lessons and a YSA board gaming activity, which seems bewitched because I missed the last board gaming activity too. What's more irritating is that I'm a fan of board gaming. Gaah. Mom says I may not be able to go to Church this Sunday (for fear of spreading the flu to everyone), which means I have to sort out some stuff for the Ward Choir.

It's been pretty gloomy lying on my new bed (the couch) at home. If I'm not asleep, I'm lying awake on the couch feeling groggy, often having to witness Ray and Ern fighting over the computer. I hate that cursed game DOTA for life now. Ern has clearly developed withdrawal symptoms. I still can't supress the suspicion that he downloaded crap onto my computer and is therefore responsible for it dying out. He obviously will not volunteer to bring it down to the shop and get it fixed, since he only needs it to feed his gaming addiction, and the family computer is there to appease him. I, on the other hand, have unfinished schoolwork and photos stored in there. It sucks that I can't go out of the house.

I can hardly do anything productive either, since I'm so tired most of the time. I haven't been able to practice on the piano, neither have I been able to study in preparation for the exams after the holidays. Seems like I'll have to study during my trip to Beijing. Why does falling sick have to be the only way I can take a break -.-

On a lighter note, I've been able to read the first four books of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson, a tale of Greek gods and their half-god, half-human children in a modern setting. I read the first book ages ago in KL and haven't been able to find the sequels because I forgot the name of the book. I'm now re-reading the sixth Harry Potter book. I'm craving for more of Artemis Fowl though. All these children books go easy on my groggy brain.

My back aches after lying down for so long. I'm craving for a massage again, though it's probably best if nobody touches me. Oh well.

NOT FEELING WELL

2009-06-03T23:15:00.003+08:00

One of the suckiest ways to start off the school holidays.

My dear KL friends: I will be back in KL some time in the middle of next week, but only for 1 or 2 days before I fly off elsewhere. Hao Ran: Perhaps we can have dinner again? Poh Yi: Wanna meet up? =)

I miss the wheel... though I probably don't miss KL streets =P

Break Begins

2009-05-31T22:40:00.003+08:00

It's not a holiday because there's still work to do, plus term exams when school reopens.

At last, I can take a breath. My geography teacher told me to do him a favour and take a break. I know I have a tendency to work too hard, but I don't see any point of coming all the way to Singapore and wasting my time in school.

Recently, I've been hit by the fact that live moves on, and really fast. I realized that I didn't really have a proper closure when I left KL in 2007. In my subsequent visits to KL, I could always go back to Tsun Jin and expect to see everyone. Now, just about everbody is preparing for university, while some are already there. I was informed (to my delight) that Chern Hui, Zi Xian and Yi Fei will be coming to the National University of Singapore. Others are flying to corners all over the world. Jian Shan is already in Japan. The problem about this is that from now on, whenever I'm back in KL, I won't be able to meet everyone anymore. Even though I attended their graduation night last year, I didn't really treat it as a farewell, a final gathering before our paths diverge. In many ways, the part of me I attached to KL is really attached to them. Now that most of them are leaving, I feel somewhat at a loss.

What is home, then?

The saying that "Home is where the heart is" certainly has a point. Living in the age of global citizens, one may find it hard to say where is home exactly. Personally, I suspect then when I'm older, home will just be wherever my wife is.

Moving on, I'll be going back to KL before my trip to visit 姐姐 in 北京. Last chance to meet Hao Ran before he goes to Australia for uni!

On a side note, the problem about having too many super-intellectual friends is that their blogs are almost impossible to speed read XD Couple that with barely any time to slack on the computer these days, and I'm a frog in the well. Come to think of it, almost every time I go to the computer it's for school work. Maybe that's why my computer died on me.

Choir concert tomorrow!

Gasp

2009-05-28T00:15:00.001+08:00

I'm just here to take a breath.

Therapeutic

2009-05-17T22:31:00.003+08:00

Waltz yesterday was particularly wonderful.

We learnt the back whisk and wing, but that wasn't the reason why it was so enjoyable. In fact, I can hardly put it into words myself.

The essence of Waltz is the rise and fall, and being the most graceful ballroom dance, it takes a lot of work to pull it off nicely. Marie and I have come a long way with the Waltz now, having trained together for about half a year. We're starting to communicate better during the dance, and she's much better at following. I can't say whether my leading skills have improved or not, but at least I'm now more aware of what signals I need to send. The slightest twist at the hip, the gradual turn of the upper torso, or the descent that precedes any movement, all these things come together to let her know what I'm about to do. Miscommunication often has hilarious effects, like the two of us losing balance.

We've reached a point where we're starting to get used to each other as dance partners, which brings a whole lot more depth to the dance, since the communication barrier is slowly being eroded and we start to dance more than stumble over each other. Couple that with a superb new selection of songs, and you have a wonderful form of therapy. Therapy from the never ending destructive trail of homework, tests and PROJECT WORK.

On a side note, I'll be premiering my music timbral techniques composition soon!

When News IS Good News

2009-05-12T21:55:00.002+08:00

I was in my Harmony class going through my first draft of a String Quartet exercise, when Mrs Teoh, my Music Elective Program (MEP) Teacher came in to look for something.

"By the way Han, can you see me after class?"

I thought she was planning to have a talk with me about sudden rule-breaking requests, but when I asked her how long it would take (I had to rush for Chinese after the Harmony lesson) she said it's just a piece of good news.

"Actually, I can just tell you now. You've gotten the MOE MEP Scholarship."

A threw my hands into the air and my head back, as a silent cheer jammed my throat. She shook my hand and reminded me to pay attention in class XD

After all the excitement however, I must say that a certain sense of inadequacy has begun to surface. I am not being humble when I say that my performance skills are nothing exceptional. I was worried that my recording for the application would have put an end to the whole thing. I thought music scholarships are given to musicians who excel at every aspect of music?

Whatever the case, I will definitely take MEP more seriously (if that's possible hehe). There's a joy in music that is a major part of me that I hope to share. Perhaps with a deeper understanding of music, I can better bring the joy of music to others.

Different Skill

2009-05-10T21:58:00.001+08:00

The problem about cartoon caricatures is that they make people look cute

Not beautiful.

Subtle Personality Test

2009-05-09T18:27:00.003+08:00

I love these. You're supposed to visualise a situation and indicate what you feel inclined to visualise. It's pretty cool how much it reveals about your personality. I was tagged by Nicola to try it. For those who want to have some fun with it, go to http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

It turned out to be pretty accurate, although I must say that "efficient problem solver" is more of a joke to me. [words in these brackets are my replies to the results]

My results:

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth [*cough*] and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties. [I didn't expect this]

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. [hohoho] Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior. [charm is the buzzword alright]

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship. [DUH. Incidentally, I've never committed to a BGR so far in my entire life]

The seriousness of your love:

You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love. [sigh]

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can. [HAHA. I quote my awesome Geography teacher Mr Lynn: "You need to study less you knowww." I honestly do love learning actually]

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. [yesss] Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure [unfortunately so] and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of things that you cannot control. [I can get very annoyed with last minute requests/assignments] Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. [It seems to be the case] Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve. [probably because I have a tendency to take things to heart]

Good Day (Recipe No. 1)

2009-05-08T22:52:00.002+08:00

1. Physical Geography Tutorial packed with laughter
2. Maths tutorial and lecture where I actually understand what's going on
3. GP lesson with student presentations filled with an overdose of lame jokes (a sizable amount of which I was responsible for)
4. Economics lecture I am able to follow despite missing the previous lecture (choir)
5. Project Work discussion with teacher-in-charge that brings us somewhere (at last)

And through it all, a generous dosage of socialising.

Payback time in catching up on assignments over the long weekend.

Amusing...

2009-04-27T20:39:00.004+08:00

I admit that I am amused by almost anything, from lame jokes to the five-coloured highlighters frequently given away as freebies, but I still feel like sharing the two articles below.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_bs304;_ylt=Alqa0VgcbfX0y6dajASV_6b9xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTE2cDJuZXQ2BHBvcwM1BHNlYwN5bl9mZWF0dXJlZARzbGsDbG92ZWR1cmluZ3Ro

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1606692-2,00.html

I am not amused, however, by random people on Facebook adding me just because we have friends in common. Especially if we only have 4 friends in common, of whom none of them have ever had more than a minute's conversation with me.

I managed to clock in at 10min 20sec for my 2.4km NAFA run today! It's the first A for 2.4 I've gotten since coming to Singapore. Now if I could just do 8 chin-ups (which is like twice my current average) I will get a Gold for NAFA (assuming I do just as well in all the other four stations as I normally do), with which I can do... wait for it... nothing! I'm not even obliged to go for National Service in Singapore. At most, I can run around with an inflated ego proclaiming to the world that I rock. Yeah.

Incidentally, I calculated that the barest minimum to get a Gold for NAFA is 3 Cs and 3 Bs. Yes, it is possible to get a Gold for NAFA without a single A. Good luck everyone!

Rare Respite

2009-04-24T22:45:00.003+08:00

I just realized that right after posting this, if I go to sleep straight away, it will be the first time I'm able to sleep before midnight this whole week.

I watched an old Studio Ghibli Production called Kiki's Delivery Service while completing my Geography essay earlier. The beautifully done background scenery in the cartoon brought fond memories of my highway trips between Singapore and KL. Sitting next to a window on a bus with the curtain open, gazing across the open space where the sky cleanly meets the horizon, it is always a perfect moment to take a deep breath, put my troubles at the back of my head, and anticipate the opportunity to meet Simba once more.

And then doze off. Perfect time to catch up on sleep too.

Simba Dearest

2009-04-19T22:02:00.003+08:00

I did the following as a Chinese homework assignment, but since it's about dear Simba I thought I'd put it up here for future reference =) Simba will be turning twelve this year, and is still as active as ever. I can't wait to see him in June! He probably won't be looking forward to the obligatory bath he'll be getting from me when I'm back in KL heheh.

以上的照片里是我和我最亲爱的狗Simba。

Simba是我大姐在一九九六年从学校的沟渠救回来的一只小狗。我妈妈曾经说过她观察到这只小狗有多么的聪明。因此，她决定不把Simba送去SPCA，反而让他当我们一家人的宠物。自从那时候开始，Simba就成为了我家庭的其中一位家人。

每天早上，当我们兄弟姐妹一起准备出门上学，Simba都会在门外等着我们，通过脸上笑容与摇来摇去的尾巴说早安。他甚至会把前腿伸出来，上半身低下来鞠躬。当我们在爸爸的车里出发时，Simba会像兵士前进几步，停下来立正送我们走。放学后，当我到达家门口，Simba将会是第一位向我打招户的家人。他那开心，甚至兴奋的表情，那像小孩子一样无辜的风度总令我觉得回家是回到一个充满爱的家庭。有时候，当我面对烦恼时，我会坐在他身边向他发泄。他两眼看着我表情显得他好像听得懂我的心话。他只需要摇一下尾巴，舔一下我的脸，我就知道他又多么的关心我，多么想鼓励我。这时，我的烦恼就烟消云散。

我觉得我们都可以向Simba学习。我们应该学他如何关心、支持与鼓励亲人。同样，我们应该懂得支持自己的亲人或朋友们。我总觉得自己很幸福，因为我有Simba在我身边。同时，我希望自己的行为也可以让其他人觉得有我在他们的生活中也算是一种幸福。

There Is No Justice In This World

2009-04-17T23:55:00.002+08:00

Especially when you're feeling hardworking and decide to tackle that bit of homework.

Then end up staring at a few horizontal lines that begin to mock you with the fact that there's nothing between them but the whiteness of manuscript paper.

And so, a mindless improvisation of illogical motifs ensues on a tortured Baby Grand.

Speaking of tortured, I nearly forgot to remove the chopsticks from the piano after experimenting for Techniques class ideas XD

Disoriented

2009-04-15T23:08:00.004+08:00

I haven't been on Blogger for so long that I was momentarily stunned by the new buttons that appeared on my dashboard.

I've been wanting to post something of significant social meaning that is dear to my heart recently. Perhaps it is a spillover effect from GP lessons, but I keep finding other things to do on Sundays. Like paying off my sleep debts. I am still so fascinated by the fact that you can go for a GP class, have a magnificent discussion with the class that leads to practically nowhere, and still come out feeling pleased like you've learnt something significant.

Speaking of GP classes, I accidentally wrote a 70 word sentence in an essay. I apologized to my teacher haha.

"Let me introduce you to something very useful called the full stop."

.

Gaaah!

2009-04-03T23:41:00.001+08:00

Sleep is as hard to catch as a car flung from the edge of a cliff.

Hypocrite

2009-03-26T23:41:00.001+08:00

Note to self:

Put your money where your mouth is and shut up.

End of March Holidays

2009-03-22T21:35:00.002+08:00

The term "holiday" is now a misleading term.

I didn't have classes, but I went back to school a lot, many thanks to Choir. We're practicing some really interesting songs, and, as an MEP student, I'm expected to contribute a lot while in Choir. Oh well, I am a music enthusiast after all...

What I accomplished:
- Chinese homework
- Geography homework
- Maths homework
- Economics homework (thanks Ben!)
- A family outing (not that I planned it, but I enjoyed myself, albeit with a headache afterwards)
- Finished reading the GP Education package (which was very insightful)
- Finish playing Half-life 2 Episode 1 and Episode 2
- Clean up my room (not entirely, but already a commendable effort heheh)
- Drive around (hoho... a brief misadventure 2 Saturdays ago while driving some fellow MEP students home from a concert)

What I had hoped to (but failed to) accomplish:
- Brush up my Harmony skills
- Draw at least 1 comic
- Have a 1AH class outing
- Have a 4A3 class outing
- Go for the Mount Ophir trip (shot down to make way for commitments to the choir)
- Post something intelligent on this blog for once

Back to school again. Our infamous MASS PE at ACJC will do well to help me lose some holiday-overeating fats.

Enthusiasm

2009-03-15T21:52:00.003+08:00

There's this sinking feeling I have in a corner of my stomach somewhere that food therapy does not seem to cure. It's this sinking feeling that my enthusiasm over school does not go down very well with my classmates.

"You're crazy" is the kind of looks I get most of the time. Not in the warm way that I've grown too accustomed to hearing from close friends, but in a way that makes me feel like I'm committing a crime just by loving school.

Is the fact that I have a passion for every subject I'm taking so disturbing? Why shouldn't I study my lecture notes long in advance when I'm genuinely interested in the topic at hand? Because it'll make me look like a lifeless mugger?

Even worse, I tend to take non-academic assignments a little too seriously. I put great personal effort in little inconsequential projects which most other people won't bother with, thereby reeking with over-enthusiasm. The thrill of carrying out projects is not particularly in flavour with the masses, apparently. Excellence should only be required for graded material, after all.

And, to top it all off, my subject combination is just so weird that I can barely forge any close friendships with classmates whom I hardly see at all.

No choice but to just sit it out and hope that I'll eventually be accepted as someone who just happens to enjoy learning in school.

Frohman Frolics

2009-03-15T16:50:00.003+08:00

"Well, I've had it! I'm not a kid anymore! I'm a young adult!"

"You're thirty-nine."

"Yeah, and you're ugly!"

"That doesn't work. We're twins."

I've been laughing my head off the past few days over Gordon Frohman's many misadventures in the land of Parody. For all Gamers who have played Half-Life 2, http://www.hlcomic.com is a must to see!

Survival and Cultural Preservation

2009-03-08T21:49:00.003+08:00

With regards to my previous manifestation of irritation, I have spent some time thinking about it.

The issue of using English as the teaching medium for Maths and Science in Malaysia has long been debated. The official implementation in Secondary schools occurred in 2003. I do not remember any public outcry, but perhaps I was just too young and unconcerned to pay attention to current events. I was only aware that it was an issue that had been discussed for quite a while. I was, of course, pleased, because English is my first language. I was not aware of public resentment until recently (many thanks to Mobile TV on buses).

According to the government, the use of English in Maths and Science was implemented in hopes of raising the standards of the English Language in the Malaysian society. The reason for this is clearly a no-brainer - we are living in an increasingly interconnected world, and English is the lingua franca. In order to remain competitive, the ability to communicate well and conduct businesses with foreign firms is key. The government has wisely forseen the dangers of neglecting the English language, especially for the country's development. The decision to promote the use of English through such means is therefore commendable.

Additionally, the use of English in Science and Maths is sensible, because most leading papers on these two subjects are in English. Translations take time and are usually four years behind time. It may be justifiable to use Malay in Science and Maths if it were a widely used language, but the fact is that it is not. If one intends to study in leading universities in Sciences or Maths, or work with such research teams, chances are that English will be used in the reports. Malay, on the other hand, is not likely to be used outside of Malaysia. Furthermore, most of the technical terms used in Science and Math in Malay are direct translations from English in the first place. In practical terms, English should be used in place of Malay.

Now comes the accusation of cultural loss. I say: What cultural loss? The Science and Math taught in school was not developed in the Malay language nor culture in the first place. Scientific and Mathematical breakthroughs are not a hallmark of the Malay culture. Malay literature, on the other hand, is original, beatifully written, a delight to read, and truly Malay. Malay literature also happens to be a component of the subject of Bahasa Malaysia, which is compulsory for all Malaysians studying in local schools. It still is. This is where Malay truly shines on its own. This is where the essence of Malay culture can be captured, reflected, and preserved. This what is already being done.

I have gone through most of the Malaysian education system. I truly (if not secretly) enjoyed my Bahasa Malaysia lessons, especially the literature components. They make up my identity as a Malaysian, and I am proud of it. And it is because of my pride in being Malaysia that I am concerned for our future. English has already proven its importance in today's world. The future development of the country is at stake if the people are not well equipped with the modern tools of the trade - one of it being a good grasp of the English language.

The fear of cultural loss because of the use of English in Science and Maths is exaggerated, and it is not right for the opposition parties to bank on public emotions on the issue.

Point of Irritation

2009-03-07T23:19:00.003+08:00

My countrymen have done it again.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/413777/1/.html

I have some bold statements to make. In support of UMNO. I just need some time to phrase them properly.

Intensive

2009-03-06T22:56:00.003+08:00

I woke up at 7.15am today. School started at 7.25

I wasn't late, thanks to Dad, but I'd rather not try that ever again. I guess Swim PE yesterday exhausted me - I'm a crappy swimmer.

This blog is going to see very little activity this year. If the pace at which school life is right now stays the same for the rest of the year, I may be too tired to blog at all.

I'm already wondering if the marginal benefit of sitting here blogging away outweighs the marginal cost of more lost sleep hahaha.

Founders Day Celebration

2009-02-28T20:14:00.005+08:00

I went back to ACS Barker Road for Founders Day yesterday to receive a couple of academic awards. Some friends joked that I appeared to have looted the school XD

If you look closely, you can see my glasses tan line - a souvenir of ACJC Orientation.

For those interested, Dad filmed my Valedictorian Speech, found here.

Sleep = Privilege

2009-02-24T23:17:00.004+08:00

Writing a Valedictorian Speech is harder than you think. Try thanking a million people in about five minutes.

I've sealed my fate by taking up formal piano lessons again. I'll finally be taking ABRSM Grade 8 Practical.

I offered to be the GP subject representative in class today. Thank goodness I finally got a daily planner.

My Harmony lessons for Music are one to one. Just what I need.

I am the only Arts student in my H2 Maths Tutorial group. A perfect way to mix around with all them Science students who still can't quite believe that I chose the Arts stream.

I will probably not be seen at home any earlier than 6pm on school days. I'm still figuring out how to do my daily revision.

The Missionaries are still calling me to help them out, despite the fact that JC is about to reach its full swing. And I'm still setting aside time for them.

I'm considering drawing a bimonthly cartoon for the school Blog. I wonder if I can squeeze the time in.

JC life is so fulfilling-ly intense.

Too Much

2009-02-22T15:33:00.002+08:00

Sooner or later, my eyebrows are going to be permanently creased.

I find the fact that she's always haunting my thoughts increasingly frustrating, because I have too many important things to juggle right now. It does not help that while I am trying to work out the tasks I have to complete during the week in my head, she suddenly pops in to scramble up all my thoughts. I'm beginning to wonder how I was able to survive the 'O' Level Examinations last year.

Perhaps I have let my feelings for her stretch too far, although she probably doesn't realize it. The problem is, how do you snatch your head back from someone who doesn't even know that she has stolen it? Nobody walks up to a girl with a request for her to avoid him so that he doesn't have to see her and be reminded of her before she even knows he's fallen for her.

I don't know why I'm so moody about this today. I suppose it's a bit like a tiny pebble in your shoe - it's always there, but you don't always feel it.

And I suddenly miss Simba a lot. Sadly, I won't be able to see him during the March holidays thanks to the school Choir.

SarangeeeEEEEE!!!

2009-02-21T15:57:00.002+08:00

I'm sitting here in front of the computer spamming the letter E to celebrate the fact that it is the first time in the week where I'm not using the computer to finish the presentation on the Sarangi (an Indian Classical Instrument) for my MEP (Music Elective Program) class.

Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 is taking over my head. It will be one of the set pieces we'll be studying for MEP this year. Although we haven't started on it yet, I decided to borrow a CD from our Music Library. One first playing of the CD on my iTunes and I was instantly hooked. The rich, dark tones that eventually break out into an outcry of pleading on the lower strings in the First Movement was a very memorable moment. And that reoccuring "grotesque waltz" (coined by Roger Kamien is his book Music: Appreciation) theme in the Second Movement keeps playing over and over again in my head every day at school. The haunting piccolo solo in the Third Movement that is followed by a suspenseful build up by the orchestra is but one of the many points of interest in a single movement. The pompous Fourth (final) Movement reflects my pure delight in coming across such a wonderfully written Symphony.

I had Choir this morning, which was a blast. That Swedish song we're preparing for a performance is the type of music I've always dreamed of composing. The text is also (apparently) beautifully written. In about 90 minutes I'll be having Waltz lessons, followed by an evening at the Stake Young Single Adults dance (which I will have to be late for).

Idle Saturdays will be prized gems on my schedule this year.

Timetable Woes

2009-02-20T22:27:00.002+08:00

Massive Mess Up today when our Timetables were handed out.

I take H2 Economics, and my schedule only reflected 40 minutes of Economics per week. Is that supposed to be like, a twisted compliment to suggest that I'm smart enough to study on my own? Apparently my MEP lessons are on all the times when my classmates go for their Economics lectures. Oh well. I had to go to the HOD office to request a remake of my timetable. I'll have to wait until Monday to get it.

With my subject combination (and apparently, my raw L1R5 aggregate), I was posted to the class 1AH, one out of the 9 Arts classes in ACJC's batch of 2009 (there are 24 Science classes). Unless I'm mistaken, AH is nicknamed the "Arts Honours" class due to the fact that all the smartypants students who, for bizarre reasons did not choose the Science Stream, are clumped together in that class. At last! I'll be with weirdos like myself!

Currently the class has 24 students, of which only 5 are guys (unfortunately, I am one of the most envied guys in school). The number may expand, according to what I heard about the possibility of Humanities scholars from other classes being relocated to join us (or perhaps even the English Language Elective Program students). I've gotten to know a handful of my classmates already, but I doubt I'll be seeing them much since I'm not taking English Literature but taking MEP (I'm the only Music student in my class).

Choir tomorrow morning. Then Waltz in the evening. Then the Stake YSA Dance (which I will unavoidably be late for). I have this sinking feeling that my social life is not going to extend very far beyond school in the next two years.

In Response to Irfan's Post

2009-02-19T22:44:00.004+08:00

This is a response to Irfan's recent post, "Let's Talk About: The Veil (Hijab) in Muslim Society."

I left a reply, and I feel like sharing it here to make my stand known.

"It's so annoying when Westerners are so quick to point fingers at Muslims.

And I find it very disturbing that morality can be attacked by these people in the name of sexual equality.

Here's a point to consider: In Western society, women can wear bikinis and a whole assortment of visually disturbing "clothing" which are often designed to attract the lustful attentions of men. In effect, women who wear such clothing are subjecting themselves to be mere sex objects in the eyes of men, thereby encouraging males to exercise the traditional male sexual dominance.

Oppression and/or weakness in courageously upholding morality? So, is it a sign of strength in a society that actively promotes commercial products through sex, subtly or not, where women are little more than degrading eye candy? Interesting..."

I do not think that is there is a problem with the Hijab. The problem is that Muslims have been put in bad light once too often in recent events. An American friend once shared with me how scared she was of going to Malaysia, a Muslim country, until she actually came to Malaysia and worked with the locals. Then it became clear to me that the press has a lot to answer for.

Worst Ever

2009-02-17T21:24:00.003+08:00

Today must have been my worst piano performance in my entire life.

For MEP (Music Elective Program) today each of the seven of us had to perform a piece on our first instrument for about 5 minutes. I chose to perform Martinu's The Puppets' Dance, taken from the ABRSM Grade 8 Piano book of 2007-2008. I played it for my 'O' Levels last year.

I was the fourth to go, after Aldy, Shao Jean, and Jasmine. When my turn came I walked over to the grand piano and set up the score, realizing suddenly (and perhaps too late) that I was not used to the score being at that height (sadly, I have an over-reliance on scores). I put the thought aside and began playing.

First attempt:
Barely past the first page and I couldn't take it. Missing/incorrect chords everywhere. I asked permission to start again.

Second attmept:
Slightly better, but it got worse eventually. I asked for permission to start again.

Third (final) attempt:
Mrs Teoh asked me if I needed to take a break outside, and take my turn after someone else. I decided not to and just tried once more. I was not happy when I finished. Aldy pointed out later that my beginning had a good feel (though Mrs Teoh left a comment that I had overused the sustaining pedal) and the end quite good as well. I did feel that I started off a little better than my other attempts, but my practices were still much better. As for the last part, almost every heavy chord misfired, but since it was a fast piece I guess it wasn't really noticed, but I knew personally that I had failed myself. Aldy was pretty surprised, however, because he had heard me practicing in the other room before hand, and according to him I was at least 3 or 4 times better while practicing.

I don't know what went wrong, but today was the first time I ever messed up a performance that badly. Somehow, my mind just suddenly went blank when I looked at the score. It was like I didn't know what I was doing. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

After the performance, I went to another room to try the piece on my own again. It was better than the performance. Sigh.

Even worse, (though on a lighter note) after the performance Mrs Teoh had a brief discussion on what makes a good performance, and asked each of us about our favourite pianist/violinist and why. Shamingly, I do not have one, simply because I generally pay more attention to how the composer wrote the piece than how the performer played the piece. What a lousy pianist that makes me. I now have to start listening up on different pianist legends and making critical comparisons. Since when was "homework" finding out more about your favourite artiste? I bet others would die for homework like that. For me, I'm dying over it.

Zap!

2009-02-16T22:12:00.002+08:00

Our eyes can never meet.

Because any form of eye contact will short circuit my heart

Sunday Break

2009-02-15T20:56:00.003+08:00

Little Rachel asked me to read her a story in the Nursery room after Church today. I guess she really enjoyed those times when I read to her. Unfortunately, today happened to be the day that I decided to have choir practices both before and after Church, so I was not able to read to her.

Incidentally, I read in the papers recently that parents would do well to read to their little children in an interactive manner if they want to instill in their kids an interest in reading. I have distinct memories of Mom and Dad reading bed time stories when I was much younger, and I probably owe my present inability to put good books down to that.

I went home teaching with Brother Ho today. We went to see Sister Pamela and Brother and Sister Saw. The lesson was about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, which was nice to reflect on. In fact, I had a sudden inspiration to do a drawing of that world-changing event. Of course, it will have to be in my cartoon style.... I lack the skills necessary to pull off a fantastic oil painting. Part of the lesson shifted to the topic of Christlike Love. Brother Ho, who organized the Valentine's Day evening social last night (which I missed out on for the sake of better things to do) brought up a fill-in-the-blank from one of the games yesterday.

"We ______ from those we love"

The answer is learn, which is something to think about. Personally, I think it would also be wise to pick a future partner from whom we are able to learn many things, as much as being able to learn things together. The best conversations are those when you say something that evokes a silent moment of absorption and reflection in both parties, and you both come out feeling that you've learnt something. Talking crap is as full of fun as as it is with, erm, crap, but it is those quiet, meaningful conversations that create lasting impressions in both friendships and relationships.

Prioritize

2009-02-14T22:30:00.003+08:00

That's what I need to do. I'm in great need of a daily planner. I miss my ACS Barker School Diary.

School's been loads of fun. Yesterday's MEP class was an introduction to 20th Century Music, and of all things, we discussed Impressionism. I think it was clear to everyone in the room that my excitement could not be contained at all. I think my classmates need to be a little more participative, though. Miss Yong would ask for input and most of us would just stare back, pens held at the ready to take down notes. That makes for quite a few awkward silences. I suppose it's natural since we're all new. Hopefully we'll all open up soon enough. 'O' Level Music was super fun with Irfan in class XD

Didn't do anything special for Valentine's Day today. Well, I did quite a few things, but nothing to celebrate the occassion. I went for the ACJC Choir Welcoming Tea this morning (yes, I made it past the Choir auditions, and I'm not joining the Band). I can't be bothered to ramble on about what we did, but there was an inspiring post-reflection sharing session to leave everyone with food for thought.

I had Waltz in the evening, which was a blast, as always. Following that, I went out with the missionaries to teach Raja, who was very interested in the Gospel. It's interesting, because I had a gut feeling to not go for the Clementi Ward Valentine's Day celebration which took place at the same time. That left me free to join the missionaries out, who had apperently exhausted their list of helpers (everyone else was going for the event).

Just too bad I had no inspriation for a School Blues Valentine's Day comic.

Harmony Disharmony

2009-02-12T21:52:00.002+08:00

I only just realized what Diminished Chords and Augmented Chords are. I barely survived the Neapolitan 6th, and I'm already caught in a futile attempt to tackle the Italian, French, and German 6ths. My loss for only reaching ABRSM Grade 6 Theory. The rigorous demands of 'A' Level Music requires me to do all that catching up on my own before the crazy Harmony lessons start. Before I know it, I'll be expected to throw in all those chords I keep reading about into compositions. Thank goodness for Wikipedia and my Oxford Dictionary of Music. Now if only sleep wasn't a necessity...

4 H2s

2009-02-11T23:27:00.003+08:00

Just a quick update.

I decided today that I will be taking my four subjects all at H2 Level. I asked the teacher who handled my registration "is it justifiable to take four H2s simply out of an interest in learning more than is 'required'?"

She proceeded to explain that the difficulty in terms of skill required to take the paper is no different between a subject taken at H1 level or H2 level. The only difference is that H2 level content is broader. In that sense, if I can cope, I definitely would want to take everything at H2 level.

All it will take is a lot of commitment to my academic studies from now on. Time to put on my nerdiest face!

Subject Combination Woes

2009-02-10T23:00:00.000+08:00

After weeks and weeks of consideration, reflection, and confusion, I have finally decided on my subject combination.

Geography
Economics
Maths
Music

In short, GEMM, at far cry from the typical PCME and BCME.

I decided since last year that Geography would be the way to go, having discovered my personal desire to pursue a career in the social sciences. Then, a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the term “sociology,” and found myself deeply interested in such a field. Part of what sociology covers includes how society is influenced by the economy. It was then that I decided that Economics would be a good subject to take. As for Maths, no sociologist can escape statistics, so Statistical Maths would be a crucial element in my learning. Everything else in Maths will just be for good ‘ol brain utilizing. As for Music, that is where things get complicated.

At the beginning of the school year, when I was finally made to think carefully on my subject combination, I considered one of the following: Knowledge Inquiry (KI), Physics, English Language & Linguistics (ELL), and Music. Initially, Music was the first to be scraped off that list, due to my lack of confidence in my musical talent. That left KI, Physics, or English Language & Linguistics.

KI was next to be chucked out of my head when I had my first General Paper introductory lecture. The General Paper is about current world events, while KI, which replaces the General Paper, is a philosophical approach to the discussion of Knowledge. It struck me that General Paper would be much more practical to take if I’m interested in doing social work. Superficial philosophy doesn’t get much done, in my opinion. Plus, what’s there to argue when you have the Gospel. I no longer put any thought into KI.

I was excited about ELL, which includes (but is not limited to) the use of English in various contexts. I attended an introductory lecture, and took the diagnostic test (required to qualify for the subject). I didn’t make it. Thankfully too, because I could finally put it off my mind.

In effect, that would have left Physics as the sole survivor among the four subjects. Would have. Shao Jean from my Orientation Group tried to persuade me to take Music along with her and Leslie (also from our Group). Reluctantly, I attended an introductory lecture yesterday to see how I felt. I ended up buzzing with excitement throughout the entire lecture. Clearly, my heart has not let go of studying Music.

I attended another introductory Music lecture today, where our teacher introduced Indian Hindustani Music. I was just as excited as yesterday, but something interesting happened.

The school values suddenly popped up in my head - Integrity, Tenacity, and Passion in the pursuit of Truth. It is obviously clear that I have an insatiable passion for Music, but what I lacked was the tenacity to commit myself to the Music Elective Program. The story of the Lion in the Wizard of Oz suddenly came to mind, the Lion who wished he had courage. Another crazy thought came out of nowhere – my Orientation clan was Azlan, a lion representing tenacity. Shoot me down for having a weird mind, but it was revelation to me that the only thing holding me back from taking Music was my mentality. Never mind where my technical abilities stood – the teachers are supposed to train me, after all. Thinking back of the Physics introductory lecture where I mostly conversed with Kian Yang, I knew with a resolute surety which subject I had a greater interest in. Music finally won its way into my subject combination.

Next on my list of worries to lose sleep over:
Do I take 4 H2s or should I drop Economics to H1 level? Sigh.

Scribbles In A Car

2009-02-08T22:29:00.003+08:00

Sister Seow drove me and Michael to Michael's place today for the Young Single Adults' Loh Hei & Steamboat today. That meant that I got to sit in the car with her four awesome children. They were as excited as I was.

"Alright! Who wants to try drawing in a moving car?"

*Ryan and Rachel are the first to raise their hands.*

I took out the old sketchbook Vivian bought for me in 2006 (I still haven't used it up even after the sketchbook Hao Ran got me was massacred by some Barker Boys in 2007), tore some pages out and handed it to them along with pens and pencils to suit their personal drawing styles.

"Okay, draw anything you want!"

Rachel proceeded to draw a deliberately ugly impression of Michael who was next to her. She had a good laugh. Ryan made a few attempts to draw a nice little dolphin. Both showed me their work excitedly. I asked them to see if they could draw straight lines for fun. Ryan tried (and even Michael joined in). Rachel proceeded to draw whatever she wanted.

Eventually, Rena who was next to Rachel decided that it would be fun to join in, so she too asked for a piece of paper and pen.

I believe that when children are allowed to draw without guidance, they will draw things that most accurately reflect how they see the world, which is thoroughly interesting to me. In the case of Rena, she drew me and her Dad with extremely elongated torsos, which reflects how she sees everyone taller than her. That was pretty interesting to me.

This was Rachel's completed work (she decided to give it to me at the end)

She drew everything of her own accord. She probably loves her brother very much, because she included him in the drawing. She probably likes cats too. As for her impression of Rena, it took me by surprise. Michael suggested that Rena looks a bit like a mouse. Interesting to see that Rachel might view her younger sister that way.

Renee was busy crying over a missing sheet of paper from Primary, so she didn't start drawing until I was about to alight. She usually likes cutting things up, which is seriously fun to watch. Especially when she uses my mutilated pair of scissors. But anyway, I didn't get to see what she produced.

Rachel is starting to open up in terms of drawing. In the previous weeks she would wait for me to tell her what to draw. Today, she drew everything of her own accord, which is great, because interesting things are sure to pop up in future.

Ryan is going to be my protege haha. He's already talking about the diameters of the pens he plans to use, and what he finds more comfortable. If he hangs out with me a little longer he'll soon become fussy over the paper he draws on haha.

Back to another week of school tomorrow!

Orientation Over

2009-02-07T15:51:00.004+08:00

ACJC Orientation is now officially over. I'm sunburned, without a voice, and totally loving it. My wallet has taken a huge blow, though. I don't think I can afford any more outings with my Orientation Group Kojishi for a while, unless they decide to do something that doesn't cost money.
Our OG outing at Sentosa. We had loads of fun playing volleyball, frisbee, and captain's ball. Dinner at Marche, Vivocity, followed.

To close our Orientation last night, we had a campfireless campfire in the school hall, named Firandae. It was a blast, although in my opinion the mass dance was horrible. People started trains in an obviously overcrowded room. I could not dance more than eight beats without getting smashed into by at least two trains at once. I went out to take a break at one of the staircases. Shoot me down for being a snob, but I think I prefer ballroom. Or even the swing bar I went Lindy Hopping at on Monday. The lights are less dizzying, and people don't intentionally charge into you with no less than a million followers behind them while you're trying to dance XD I don't think I'll be joining a train on the dance floor any time soon.

The real lectures will be starting next week. I'm pretty excited about Economics.

Second Day

2009-02-03T21:33:00.003+08:00

Day Two of Orientation was crazy. We started off with talks on choosing our subject combination wisely, which I must say was very informative. I am still yet to pick a fourth subject to go with my "Geography, Economics, Maths" combo. Currently, I am considering (in no order of preferation) either Physics, Music, Knowledge Inquiry, or English Language and Linguistics to be that fourth subject. Knowledge Inquiry and English Language & Linguistics will be having diagnostic tests tomorrow. I shall try them to see if I qualify for the courses. Sample Lectures will also be taking place from Friday to next week, so I can drop by every class I'm interested in to see if it's for me. I just love that flexibility =)

There was a PE talk after that, of all crazy things. I was quite impressed by the PE Department philosophy and lesson package though. I can see that PE lessons will be rather interesting.

The games today left most of us caked in mud. It was fun, of course, but I had to sit outside the house to hose myself (and eventually my dirty clothes) before I could take a proper bath. As they promised, my skin already feels "as smooth as a baby's bottom, and as radiant as a pregnant woman" HAHA.

There is a crazy amount of school spirit in ACJC. Most of us in Orientation will have lost our voices at least twice over the course of these two days so far, and Orientation will continue up till the end of the week. I should probably get some rest.

Speaking of rest, my feet are exhausted. 姐姐 took me to a Jazz Bar last night, where I got to try out the Lindy Hop with her on a real dance floor. I later danced with two other random women. It was crazy. Send one wrong signal by accident and your partner will attempt a move which you will hinder and mess up the dance for a few beats. It was a good test of my leading skills. I was stuck with the closed position most of the time, since the open position is a bit tricky for me to lead with sufficiently fun variations. But it was a blast anyway. I enjoyed the music and the dancing, plus even a mocktail. Even watching other people dance was enjoyable. Swing is the dance to emanate pure energy.

It's just a pity that we have to go bars to find a public swing dance floor. The Church dances in the Stake here rarely amount to anything beyond clean clubbing, where dancing means jumping all around with some occassional hip-hop moves, and a handful of slow songs where people partner up and metronome around the room or around a tiny portion of it. Not many people have the patience to commit to several lessons on partnered dances, which is a pity, because the best part about dancing to me is the unspoken communication between two partners.

In other words, I am not particularly fond of the Mass Dance we at ACJC are preparing for at Orientation XD I still have to admit that it promotes a great school spirit, though, and that's why ACJC is so great.

First Day

2009-02-02T20:19:00.003+08:00

Just dropping by very quickly:

Today was my first day in ACJC. The first day of Orientation was awesome, though my feet are still black after a few washes, and my voice is taking a while to come back. And of all crazy things to do on a first day, I got into trouble with the discipline master along with some fellow Barker Boys. We were a bit too noisy during his talk. For me, I was laughing too much at every crazy joke my fellow Barker Boys were pulling. To quote Benedict, "Score One for Barker! And Barker takes the lead!"

Gotta rush. 姐姐 is taking me out Swing dancing on her last night in Singapore.

25 Random Facts

2009-02-01T20:59:00.003+08:00

I was supposed to be enjoying a game of Bang! with my family. Unfortunately, right at the start Mom killed me. Sigh. I'll just wait for the next round. I'm still working on a more serious, reflective "16 Random Things" post which 姐姐 in particular is waiting to see. This one is purely for fun.

----------------------------------------

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

1. I love ballroom dancing but I'm not built for it because I'm short.

2. I am frequently mistaken to be younger than I really am, for various reasons such as being 2 years behind in school, the fact that I look young, and also because I'm short.

3. There was one time I was helping get some cups for other people at Church, and I needed to get Sherman's help to reach them because I was too short.

4. Speaking of being short.... I'm waiting for the possibility of the final growth spurt at 21 haha.

5. Okay, enough is enough. There are three areas on my face where I have had stitches. One area was stitched twice.

6. Mormon or Church-themed pop songs give me the cringes (too cheesy). Any Church music other than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the Orchestra at Temple Square rarely makes it to my list of favourites.

7. I am a music snob (see #6)

8. In my Top 25 Most Played songs list on iTunes, 5 are by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 3 are spiritually uplifting music not by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 12 are by Joe Hisaishi, 3 are sung by Frank Sinatra, 2 are forms of Jazz (Bossa Nova and Big Band).

9. O Nata Lux is on the top of that list. It is a Requiem sung to Latin text by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. In other words, it is a funeral song. I must be a sadist.

10. Somethin' Stupid sung by Frank Sinatra is the latest and quickest to push its way into the list.

11. I crash into house furniture on a regular basis. Even a newly blind man would get hurt that way less than I do.

12. Two of my School Blues drawings completed in 2004 are still hanging in the house.

13. I was once mistaken for being Triplets with Shuan and Ern.

14. My longest crush lasted about 3 years. It wore off only because I was overwhelmed by the next.

15. My longest School Blues creation took about a week to complete. Surprisingly, it was not for a girl.

16. I like watching little children draw - their imagination is often unfettered.

17. I am afraid of teaching the piano for fear of misteaching the basics.

18. I am sick of my younger brother Ray's childish quirks. He's turning 12 this year. I cannot imagine him becoming a Deacon and serving the Sacrament?

19. I am probably guilty of Ray being childish in the first place. At his age I often lowered myself to his level to play with him, so in that sense I wasn't an example to look up to.

20. I scored below average EQ in a recent online test. Now you'll understand why I can be so stupid at times.

21. I almost always leave either a pencil or a drawing pen in my breastpocket (and behind my ear if I don't have pockets). If I were a girl with long hair I would tie it up with a brush pen the way some people do it with {a} chopstick[s] (which, incidentally, I find attractive).

22. People who try listening to music played on the music player I carry around through earphones usually can't hear a thing, but people almost always tell me to soften the music I listen to when played through speakers.

23. I have more guts digitally or on paper than in person. I have to consciously force myself to speak to people face to face and maintain sincere eye contact.

24. I prefer words on paper because of the time I have to plan my sentences carefully (I tend to blurt out stupid things when speaking in person). When I have to speak to people concerning more important/personal/sensitive matters I usually plan the conversation beforehand, in hopes that I will not get carried away by my own mouth, but conversations never go as planned. There was an instance when somebody said the exact line I had thought of saying. It felt like a smack in the face, and I was stunned for a while (especially because of the context).

25. I always write and talk too much. I am honestly working on that, but see, I just blew it again by saying so.

Posted

2009-02-01T15:00:00.000+08:00

All that Lindy Hopping must have exhausted me lately, because I wasn't able to wake up for Seminary on Friday morning. It also happened to be the JAE posting day on Friday, where post 'O' Level students would be informed of which school they have been posted to. The SMS-es started pouring in by about 7am. I was awoken from my sleep by a phone call from the youth at the Singapore Stake Centre Seminary asking me where I got posted. They didn't want me to miss out on the excitement, I guess.

I have been posted into ACJC. Poor Ying Er who put Raffles as her first choice got posted into ACJC as well. She'll be appealing, of course, but I still think it would be cool to have her in the same school. I won't be lacking a study partner for sure, haha.

School starts tomorrow, after the long, crazy break full of drawing, sleeping late, and sleeplessness over embarassing matters. I keep getting this impression that I'm going to loaded with busyness, almost as if my social life is going to take a plunge. Probably because the holidays are coming to an end (well, duh). Apparently I will be in the group "Kojishi" for Orientation tomorrow, and the clan "Azlan." Seems like the Narnia and Japanese Culture is in.

I'm feeling so sluggish today. I'm trying not to take a nap so that I won't have trouble sleeping tonight (and then waking up tomorrow). I still have a few holiday projects to be completed. Uh oh.

After Laughter

2009-01-29T21:39:00.004+08:00

I went to crash Seminary again today. We really went wild today with our being F.O.C. haha. Full of Crap! Soon to be the Toa Payoh Ward Youth catch phrase =P

David is a joke. Seriously. Spend a morning with him and you'll find your cheeks and belly aching from excessive laughter. We had fun taking a few photos today.

This was the best shot of the day, though obviously edited.

I got home and actually managed to finish the Custom Card Jon Poh ordered. I've been dragging that on for weeks. The money earned should be able to pay for one of the many movie tickets I bought during the holidays XD

姐姐 gave yet another awesome crash course on the Lindy Hop for me and Germaine today. Obviously, with two noob Swing Dancers learning together, apologetic laughter consistently drifted from the pavilion under which we danced to sweet 40's Swing music. The entertaining moments were when my yet-to-be-refined leading skills confused poor Germaine who just had to follow along. Well, at least she didn't end up literally flat footed... unless guys who step on their partner's toes when dancing are completely unaware that they do... Luckily she was really patient with me - It's a lot of work trying to remember my own footwork while having to consciously remind myself to send the right signals so she knows what we're trying to do. With a little more pracitce, however, I think the Lindy Hop will be the only dance I can pull off on the dance floor that is not bogged down by a fixed routine, which will be no less than awesome. The joy of two people dancing as one is inexpressible, understood only by experience.

My flexible schedule was later stretched to accomodate a last minute invitation from the Missionaries to accompany them on a visit. The next few days will be my last few days enjoying that sort of flexibility... School starts next week.

School Soon

2009-01-28T23:31:00.002+08:00

I need school to pull me out off idleness. I was reduced to card making and computer gaming today. Dad went back to KL, so I won't be driving any more this Chinese New Year XD

姐姐 came on a surprise visit from China today. She emailed me to check in advance whether we'd be around, so I was the only one expecting her when she showed up at our front door all of a sudden. Unfortunately, I was so caught up about keeping it a secret that I didn't tell Dad, and he left before 姐姐 arrived. Gah.

The best part about 姐姐 being back is being able to pick up bit of the Lindy Hop again! Okay, maybe the best part is supposed to be the fact that she's here, but still. Lindy Hop! I just got about a zillion classic swing mp3s from her. Germaine Yee will be coming over tomorrow to Visit Teach Mom, so we'll get to have another go at stumbling through the Lindy Hop under 姐姐's guidance XD

Two more days till posting! I'll probably dance it away.

Screech

2009-01-27T22:12:00.004+08:00

Sick of sitting around all day while a girl plays basketball with your heart and mind?

Try driving!

If the level of concentration required of a noob driver doesn't keep her out of your mind, then the car crash resulting from her playing hopscotch on your heart will.

Because you probably won't have a beating heart for her to mess with anymore! Har har!

Too much Chinese New Year goodies must be affecting me more than she is XD

Chinese New Year Driving

2009-01-26T21:38:00.002+08:00

I got to do the driving around this 初一. My steering skills have improved a bit, though my parking skills need a lot more refining. Thank goodness Singapore isn't so full of parallel parking. But hey, at least my family wasn't throwing up or screaming for mercy in the back seats.

Despite the fact that driving around here during Chinese New Year can be a bit tricky (random people parking at the sides of roads), I have to admit that it's still a lot easier driving in Singapore than in KL. In KL, you don't need to wait for festive seasons to see cars parked at seemingly impossible spaces. Just try driving past a Mosque on a Friday, or down Petaling Street (Chinatown) on any day.

I can't wait for the day that I'm skilled and confident enough to go on road trips. That will be when I can truly explore and appreciate Malaysia better.

Chinese New Year Eve Eve

2009-01-25T21:18:00.005+08:00

大舅父was not up to cooking for a Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner this year, so we decided to all go to a Western Buffet at Holiday Inn. It was the usual group: 大舅父, 大舅妈, their children: Simon (and his wife and two sons David and Joshua), Matthias (and his daughter Beverly), Claudia (and her husband and parents-in-law), and even the elusive Baxter, my older, vegetarian and animal-loving lookalike. Uncle Yen Wei and Auntie Chai Yan also came with Ying Er. 二姨妈 (and her grandson) were not with us, though.

Word had spread around the family about both Ying Er and my 'O' Level results. We had become walking celebrities for the night haha. Simon took a photo with the two of us, while Claudia's husband Jefferey came up to shake my hand.

I ate my heart out. Mussels and Scallop and Mussels and Ice Cream and Chocolate coated Marshmallows and Mussels. And other things...

I was barely into my first round when my nephew Joshua came over to ask if I could play with him. Within half an hour I was running after him around the hotel, trying to make sure he didn't break anything in the souvenir shop, teaching him how to pop a Mentos into his hand without having to tear the wrapper, and letting him have a go with my camera.

After the dinner Mom wanted to 大舅父's house to watch Mamma Mia with Claudia, while Dad had to go for a business meeting, which meant that I got to drive Mom to 大舅父's house. Watch out! Malaysian driver on the PIE and BKE! Haha.

Joshua was as hyper as always. Time is no limiting factor to his energy levels, apparently. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to buy him Mentos. I had just taken my bath and was watching Mamma Mia when he started calling me from the other end of the living room to play with him.

Joshua, David and Beverly had constructed a fortress out of "imitation Lego" and garrisoned it with plastic soldiers. I was mildly surprised when Beverly began to show me the ropes of their fortress.

"This is where the captured soldiers are tortured.... and if they die they go here."

Okay... I suppose that's what happens when a girl grows up with two male cousins to play with.

This was the best shot I could take the whole night.

Joshua showing off some claws
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I think the best part about Chinese New Year is that it's family-oriented at heart, a season to strengthen relationships within the bonds of the most sacred and fundamental unit of society. Never mind the hassle of festive preparations - the joy of overcrowding a house with a swarm of relatives is worth every drop of sweat once you're all laughing together.

Flushed

2009-01-24T16:53:00.003+08:00

WARNING: Make sure your speakers are not set at too loud a volume.

We filmed and edited this after Seminary yesterday. The idea was based on a joke me and my classmate from Chung Hwa Primary School used to pull back in KL. Sherman (the actor) was all up for it. Thanks! =)

Ben pulled off a pretty cool sound effect near the end =P

Stay tuned for more upcoming gags!