Somethings very wrong when you need an 18 year old to teach you manners.

I have heard about Asian hospitality and how we Asians are a courteous bunch of people. Rich in the traditional belief of filial piety and respecting our elders. But even though these praises have been heaped on us, it seems that it has failed to manifest in our Singapore.

I was taking a bus the other day and as usual the lack of punctuality in our bus services led to a very crowded bus. Well the bus ride was half way done when and elderly couple got on the bus. When I say elderly, I don't mean 40 year old elderly, I mean 60 year old elderly. Well you could tell that they probably would not last the bus ride standing up (They had trouble already getting on board let alone standing there).

Yet as usual everyone sitting on the bus acted as though they were 'busy' with something, no matter how trivial that something is. I mean, how would inspecting the wires of your phone constitute to doing something that would not let you see 2 elderly people struggling to stand up and looking for a seat? Well, peeved at this I gave up my seat- which was close to the front- which the elderly person gladly accepted. Well it took another bus stop before the guy next to me-Mr wire inspector- to follow suite.

Well I guess there are 2 observations from this:
#1: The lack of compassion or thinking of the needs of others
#2: The obvious hesitance to do the right thing even when someone else has led the way.

Now all you older Singaporeans (30 and 40 year old), you have constantly complained on those reality talk shows that the youths of Singapore are without manners and without any courtesy. Well, shame on you. You don't even practice what you preach. Not only do you not set a good example for the young to follow, but you also fail to practice it when someone has already led the way. Tsk tsk tsk. I hope I do not grow up to become like you people.

Now some of you people may be going 'hey those older people may have legitimate reasons for not giving up'. Well if there was such a reason I did not see it. O maybe it could be that they needed to shop for a long time later and needed to rest their legs that sit on those Gucci slippers. Or could it be that their 3 inch heels will be spoil it they are stood on for too long. Could it be that it is too difficult to juggle both listening to your i-pod, to text message and hold the bus rails at the same time? Trivial and superficial nonsense!

There is something called the 'order of priorities'. What it means is that one should do something if the benefit is greater than the other. To apply this to this illustration. We all have reason to remain on our seats. Even I did. But the point of the mater is, we need to weigh our reason to the priority of others who need it more. I am certain that it does not require a rocket scientist to tell you that the reason why the elderly couple needed the seat is better than any reason that you could conjure up. Yet, you do nothing.

Imagine if everyone was like this. How 'fun' will it will be. The buses will probably watching something from a dystopian movie.Where the old are sideline and made to be at the mercy of the young. Where no one on the streets says 'hi' to each other and walk along their merry way shoving and pushing anyone that may stand in their way. Where no one goes 'excuse me' and how they sneeze or cough without covering their mouths. For the discerning few, you will realize that this is happening right now! How unfortunate for our society.

What I am emphasizing here is that we need to be more sensitive to the needs of others. How does one say that we are civilized when basic empathy and manners are missing. This is not civilized behavior, this is rabid animalistic nature! A winner take all mentality, a completely self centered nature. We need to change this, I challenge you to take the first step.

Absolut ACJC?

I just listened to Abba's "thank you for the music", and it somehow stirred all the memories of the past 2 years. My My, this AC years have been good, real good.

Let me allude these 2 years to a how I drink alcohol. First I will sniff the vodka and instinctively a smile will creep to my face. Its uncontrollable, almost intrinsic. Then I will sip it and let it roll in my mouth getting the taste buds acquainted with that Oh so wonderful taste. Yes, it stings for a while but soon enough it taste as sweet as honey and rolls so smoothly. Then I gulp it down, it burns while it travels down the throat and continues to do so in my stomach. Ultimately it kicks in and the overall satisfaction is felt.

ACJC has been such. The first 3 months had been like sniffing the vodka the orientation and the friend making was O so great and O so alluring. Eventually the sting came. Endless homework, those boring lecturers that could but a sloth to shame all announced the end of those happy months. Yet, like all things, we get used to it. The homework came to us as a necessary evil and the excuses for not handing them up came as easily falling asleep during morning devotions. Yes, life rolled on with CCAs, endless visits to watch the performing arts and cheering our teams in tow. Life had been acquainted with ACJC and she had taken well to her. The taste of JC life was like the vodka, it was bitter sweet. It was filled with ups and downs. It was both painful and yet fulfilling. It was addictive. Then came the study of As. Time suddenly had decided to increase her tempo, the work piled up even higher, the competition dates drew. like all the liquid draining from the mouth to the throat, so was all the work piling itself up on the bottleneck of time.The pressure was great, the brain engagement level, high. Then the pressure settled in to boil for the greater part of November. Only, unleashing in euphoria as the last paper ended, the last full stop met the last page. Tis it all ended.

JC life as I knew it was over, yet the JC high was still there. Those friends I made still lingered. Much like the vodka taste. So heres a salute to all you people from ACJC who read this blog. Thanks for much and being there all. As I raise my glass of Baileys to you all, I wish you all the best in the life ahead and hope, that our friendship lingers on.

Agape? Eros? Phileo?

The Greeks used different adjectives to describe love. Each adjective (see tittle) reflected to magnitude of love with Agape meaning deep love and 'Phileo' describing a like. Such is the profound nature of this highly elusive and unpredicatble emotion

Case in point: There was a couple. They had been friends for the longest time and decided to take it to another level. You can probably imagine that the result was not eventful (or else I wont be blogging this right?) Well the break up came swift and fast and ended in weeks. Now the girl does not like the guy and feels jaded and used like those toys which you lose interest in after a few weeks. Needless to say she feels that the friendship of 2 years have festered along with the relationship. She wants nothing to do with him anymore and feels she has lost more than him.

Alright with the basis now set, let me provide you my opinion as I reflect on this.

To the couple: I am sorry that this had to happen. One would have thought that the 2 years of friendship would have served as a foundation rather than a destabilizing factor. Well what ever it is, I sure do hope that the 2 years are not 'wasted' and that I am sure a friendship is still possible. After all both of you seem to hold the saying that ' its history'. Thus if so, I don't see why you cannot start anew. I feel that even though you say it, both of you seem to show that you cannot forget what happened. I am glad that you can't, it shows you are human. To deviate, we are all individuals that are made up memories. Our character is sculpted by that. To simply forget the past is as good as forgetting yr memories- both good and bad. In doing so aren't you simply losing part of yourself? So now the 2 of you are at odds with each other, I am sure you can sit down and settle this. Don't lose the friendship! Its not worth it.

To the guy: this relationships are special. So don't use the 'thats life' excuse. We need to grasp these experiences and somehow draw a lesson from them. For example, in this case, you should try to see what went wrong. Was your mind in the right place but your heart in someone else's'? Since you asked her, I would seemingly think you are more to blame as you initiated it but you could not sustain it. But thats just me. Yea, I hope you know what you are doing.

To the girl: I just talked to you so I got lots to say. Ok first, theres no such thing as in "I think I suffered more than him" Love is not a study of economics. There is no marginal costs between 2 parties. Both of you suffered so don't feel that you got the shorter end of the stick. Cause in fact both of you drew short sticks.

People have different ways of dealing with problems. He seems to shun it and blame it life, you on the other hand blame him! Ok you may be right to do that but can you really put complete blame on him? It takes 2 hands to clap remember. Well, like I told you earlier, learn from this relationship but certainly don't lose the friendship.

Alright, thats all I have to say even though this situation is completely distinct, problems like this are extremely common yet the solution generic.

TIME WILL HEAL ALL WOUNDS? I hope in your case its true.

CHRISTmas

Okay, its 12am here is Singapore and Christmas day has officially begun. 20 seconds has elapsed and it feels no different from the 24th or any other day. Yet, today has a special meaning. A meaning that has lasted for almost 2000 years, a meaning that has transcended geographical boundaries. A meaning that is beginning to be lost.

Well, the theme of Christmas is of course celebrated by Christians. It marks the day in which Jesus (our savior) was born and marks the day in which salvation for the world begins. It also marks the day in which the wise men from the far east brought Gold, mirth and frankincense as gifts to worship Jesus. So thats Christmas in a nutshell, the salient theme here is the ushering of joy, happiness, an overall idea of giving and of course, thanking the lord. Well obviously the world, especially shop owners have embraced the idea of giving gifts. After all, more gifts mean more ringing in the cash registers. A must in our capitalistic and profit driven economy.

So now, I will at least try to shed light on the more elusive part of Christ-mas. Christmas is a time of not only buying and receiving gifts-as fun as they might be. But it encompasses a deeper and more profound meaning to it. You see, today marks the day in which some one who felt deep compassion for the people decided to do something for the people. For he was in a unique position in which he could die and at the same time absorb all the other sins and filth of the people, thus liberating these people from the chasms of sin and torment. Braving the fears and doubts and motivated by love, he did just that. And in doing so, saving the people, provided they believed of his work. Obviously, that guy is Jesus and I just summarized his entire life.
But before I plunge into a sermon, let me gather up the significance of this story.

Be it you be an atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or any religion for that matter. The work of this person is definitely to be admired and adored. For once, forget that the nativity story is about a Christian God and just take a step back and see this Jesus as a mere man. See him as a person. It will probably strike you that the action of this man is certainly honorable, selfless and moving. That emotion is the THEME of Christmas holidays for all religions. The lesson of caring for someone else. For putting someone first. For sacrificing a bit of ones interest, for some one else's. It behooves me to emphasize that Christmas is not the only day that we should do this. But it should certainly be a time for us to remember that.

BLESSED CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Confessions of a cab driver #3

Well, the last time I did this, all was well in the realm of taxi fares. Flag down rate was $2.50 and ever 200m or more was a beautiful 10 cents. But now, Oh my the balance has been disturbed. the dark tide of flag down rates at $2.80 and every 325m at a whopping 20 cents have decended in a austere cloud of darkness. Cab companies have been forced to turn to the dark side. Led by none other than oligopoly leader Comfort 'Darth-gro'. Together they have teamed up spreading pain and havoc into the leather wallets of commuters. Its clone army of Toyotas and other Japanese manufactured cars have enslaved the commuters leaving them with only 3 choices, Pay up, settle for public transport or learn to drive.

I had the pleasure of taking and talking to a cab uncle today, and I must say, he remained rather undecided as to the outcome of this new hike. When I talked to him, I asked him for his thoughts. He initially thought that it was a good initiative and allow him to make more money. But when I probed further, he admitted that NTUC should reduce the rental which is $94 a day-cabbies on average make $82 a day. A complete contradiction to his initial assertion!

I guess his reactions is reflected in almost all of us- commuters and cab drivers. We are profoundly confused at this new hike. What was the initial problem that allowed for this scheme to be sanctioned? Was it the rentals or the lacks of cabs in the CBD during peak hours?. Next, did it address the problem? would increasing fares solve the CBD issue indefinitely? would it mean that cabbies will find it more lucrative to be cabbies? Finally, if it does not solve the problem, then what exactly is the hike based on? This conundrum seems barely to be addressed, let alone explained.

So where do I go from here, I am about to reach my place. I asked the driver one last question. What should I do. He tells me to voice my concerns and let the needs of the commuters and drivers be heard. I got home and thought about it, and this is what I derived:

To whoever is reading this, please do something to change the new policy. If not, at least try to voice out the concerns you feel (and I know you have concerns). Don't remain apathetic and think that 'the world will never listen to me, so I will just watch it spin and do nothing.' This mentality will only make you a mindless clone who is completely passive. The fact of the mater is that you do make a difference. Like voting, every vote counts. Just look at the recent election, the PAP had a marginal victory over the workers party. That has completely got to do with the hundred of so votes that were cast. Emphasizing the power you yield.

I for one will now take this lying down. I am currently designing a shirt that will probably say :
"Will rather walk that accept exorbitant hikes". Don't get me wrong, I am not a political dissident. I just think that the message that this sudden and rapid hikes need to be addressed and not brushed aside.

Ok, this has been another episode of confessions of a cab driver. My young padawans, even though the dark side is strong, the force certainly can challenge it. Take heed, you must. Voice your concerns, you will. May the force of pro activeness be with you.

'connecting people'

Well, after an arduous day in orchard fending off these crazy shoppers who probably have a fetish for getting caught in crowds, my list is almost done. Today was great fun and the past few weeks have made me understand the need to 'remaining in touch'.

My readers, I think that at this juncture of my life (which happens to be a time in which I am deep in thought whilst lifeguarding at the pool deck of Temasek club, listening to 'lush' and enjoying a ham pita sandwich), I really do feel that keeping in touch is not important but a key stone in life. When I mention keeping in touch, I don't just mean the usual 'hi', 'bye', 'see you later' kind of keeping in touch. I mean developing the friendship and making a profound effort to compromise, understand and effectively foster relationships.

I thank God that many good friends have come my way in this post 'A' level period. New friends like Han, Kiat, Wei Ting and Penguin all serve to complement my growing friendship with Jerome, Yanni, Kuoks and Chris. Thanks guys for being such wonderful people (sorry about Bangkok). Anyhow, I will end this post with 2 advice for you all.

#1(from Joel): Stick to a close and well knitted group of friends. No point of building a vast network of fair weather individuals.

#2: Keep in touch, don't just say 'see you' when you probably won't even try to do that. Make good of your friendships and your promises-at least try to. In a single word, CHERISH.

All I want for Christmas is you

If Christmas was this easy:

"I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you.

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas day
I just want you for for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You baby

I won't ask for much this Christmas
I won't even wish for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe
I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do
Baby all I want for Christmas is you You

All the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air
And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
Won't you please bring my baby to me

Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door
Oh I just want him for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby all I want for Christmas is You

All I want for Christmas is you baby
All I want for Christmas is you baby."

Yes yes, Christmas is round the corner and unlike the song that Mariah sang, it sure ain't only about having someone. Well, if that were the case, it would definitely make these toy producers all jittery.

But there is something to be discerned about the lyrics to this song. Imagine a Christmas in which presents are not the raison de entre. Imagine a Christmas in which the people here celebrate each other and not Hasbro,Mattel or Chanel products. Imagine a Christmas where we actually remember that this was the birth date of Jesus.

I am certainly not telling you to return celebrating Christmas by only going to church and doing nothing else. I am just reminding you readers that theres more to Christmas. Lets not lose the meaning of this holiday to product manufacturers and shop owners, aiming to cash in on the holiday. With that said and done, I need to do some shopping now.

adieu

TAXi

And so it begins. Today the new pricing scheme for taxis have kicked in, for Comfort taxis that is. I had the pleasure of riding a comfort taxi on its maiden day. I have to admit that I felt the pinch. The question on my mind -while I watched in trepidation as the meter, which seemed to be increasing at a uncanny and almost insane rate-was how am I going to pay for this? I don’t mean in the literal sense, I made sure I increased how much I carried by 49%, the same amount of the purported increase. Instead, the question of where this added 49% is going to come from is a more macro and long-term question.

The increase in the taxi fare is certainly warmly welcomed by cab drivers, yet what about the commuters? I do understand that this hike is considered ‘inevitable’ and that even with the hike; it is still comparable to the fees charged in Hong Kong. But this does not answer the question, which I am posing. Where is the added fee going to come from? My pay has certainly not increased by 49%! The end result of this hike is childishly simple. The commuters suffer. They have to now pay more for exactly the same service. Although the hikes may have been ‘inevitable’ does this warrant such a sudden and drastic increase? I don’t believe it does. The magnitude of increase is simply ludicrous!

Furthermore, I would like to touch on the simultaneous increase by all other cab companies, except for prime taxis (bless your souls). The liberalisation of the taxi industry by the Singapore government had been to incite competitiveness. Instead, all the other companies have conformed to the prices of the big boss (comfort). Where is the competitiveness there? If there were any competitiveness, it would mean that prices would be falling, as the firms will seek to lower their cost so as to produce cheaper price service to increase its customers. Instead, we see this monopolistic nature that we are so familiar with in the oil industry. Where the producers increase prices across the board so as to gain more profit. Undermining the government’s previous intentions to increase competitiveness.

Some say that this hikes help to solve the problem of the lack of taxis in the CBD during peak hours. Does it? If this were the case, why not just have the hikes only for peak hours. Instead, the hikes are effective everywhere, I did not know that there was a lack of taxis in the Clementi. This does emphasize that the reason for this hikes does not hold water. Sure, it is substantiated in the city during peak hours. But at other times, it merely looks like an unprecedented hike that lacks reason.

I do understand that cab drivers are complaining about the increase rents and how life is hard for them. Yet, it does not give taxi companies the right to increase these prices, thereby affecting another group of individuals-the people who take cabs. Instead of addressing the problem of higher rents, they have only tried to offset it by increasing rates. Ie, they are not solving the problem. Only alleviating it. Where’s the logic in that?

Sylp my yarbles!

Fuck it! its not going to fucking happen. You can't get STD from doing the tongue. Its as what they say, damn sway and damn unlikely. Anyhow whatever it is, I think this has reminded me to keep myself in check for a while. Besides, if anything happens she will show the symptoms first. Hahaha

Note to self: keep close contact with her for 90 days, thats the time they claim that the symptoms will show. hmm.

Aside from that shit, it was all good and prom was a blast. Finally that suit paid off. Shame that the $99 did not mean really good food.

Pity that we take things for granted and not fucking give a shit about the outcome till we are having breakfast at coffee bean and sitting around friends are discussing it.

Friendster and A Psychological illness

Ok, I know its abit early to blog again especially after the previous post, but I just could not help it. The topic: your stupid friendster profiles. The problem: number one, you don't use your real names. Number two, you have every other photo except yours. I mean how the hell am I to know who the hell you are.

To address the first problem. Do you have occasions in which you are surfing your friendster profiles and come across a name like 'Akura' or '3vil crazy' and '~l~'? I mean what the hell? I am sure your parents don't call you that do they? and if they don't call you that, they certainly don't give you those names. What are you thinking? '3vil crazy' it sounds like a name that the devil will give his son so that he can grow up to be like him. Ps: its not a good nickname either, unless you are really evil and crazy and in that case, why are you not located to Woodbridge?

On this topic of names, have you notice this trend of adding punctuations to the front of it so that your name appears first in the list? (eg. ~name) I certainly have seen it and I find this utterly hilarious. What satisfaction do you get from being first on the list? (yes, adding these will make your appear first on a list of names) Last I checked I will chat to anyone whether you are in the first, middle or last place. Please, for gods sake, unless the punctuations are there because you want me to pronounce it that way, please get it off. Its embarrassing and infantile.

Secondly, the picture. How does one manage to have no pictures of one self in a 21 picture album? Unless you have boils going all over your face and worms festering in them, please add some pictures of yourself. How else can we identify you? (especially if have those special names mentioned above) i know this may seem like incessant ranting but, theres a deeper implication to this.

These 2 behaviors reveal certain characteristic of an individual. Namely a low self esteem and a sense of wanting to be known ie. attention seeking disorder. Although not serious in the sense of being a medical condition. It certainly reveals a lot about yourself and how you feel about you. word of advice, don't seek for others to define who you are, merely confirm it.

If you don't love you, who else will? I have to go now, my "m" is calling me.

Hmmm....

What a week this has been. To briefly summarize this week, I will pick up from Tuesday. Wednesday was mambo jambo night, and if you have paid attention to my display nick, you will realize that I spent most of it sprawled on the floor. The reason? simple. Wine, Contrineau and Baileys don't mix well in your body. Friday was out with Teresa and Jerome couple with dinner with Kenneth, his brother and his wife. Which brings us to today. Prom shopping,Hitman,gym, suana.

Phew, it makes me tired just thinking of it. Well it was fun and I am throughly enjoying this new post A level, "I have no more school for the next 2 years" life. But, whilst I was lamenting to myself while sitting in the suana, I began to wonder if this is all "right".

I mean, the lifestyle now is definitely more enjoyable then the one suffered 2 weeks ago. But am I am not just substituting one hectic schedule for the other? Does it really make a difference?

*************************************************************************************
I am typing this after a few moments of thought and I conclude that I like this life! it has been great! But now, more than ever, I need to strike a balance. I need to have some days where I spend the time to get lost. I need to have days where I can nestle on the couch and read a book. I need to have days where I will wake up early, watch commuters rush to work and take stock as to how good I got it. Yet, I need to have days of mambo. Days of boozing and endlessly strolling around orchard.

I guess it boils down to balance and I do hope that I can achieve that. You know what, screw this I am going to relax now and let my mind drift.Time is on my side and so is life and God.
Adieu.

Oh my freaking GOD. At last the As are OVER! the four weeks of torment has finally come to a resounding halt. It has been one heck of an A levels, and I kid you not when I say that four weeks is just too damn long a duration for any exam to last.

Anyway, aside from this the end of exams has been eventful. After Lit, it was water rugby and then dinner with Jerome, Han, Chris, Kiat, Yanni, Wei Ting before having some jugs of "get fucked" and "sex on the beach", before stumbling home.

Morning was spent packing hiding all that educational material from my "party going" eyes. Then it was Suana time and a light swim before waking up now. What an eventful day. Ok then theres mambo tomorrow and maybe a gym session.

Till next time

While I was being educated (part I)

This will be the first of a series of post that will be tittled "while I was being educated". The posts are aimed to kinda sum up what has been going on in the world as I have gone through my 12 years of 'fixed' education. I think it is somehow fitting as my JC years come to a close and I begin with a mandatory 2 years in the army ie a 2 year sabbatical from thinking, that I recapitulate what has happened these bittersweet 12 years.

For the first post, I will talk about the accession of reality TV series. In no other time period has the words "the tribe has spoken', and 'immunity' been so widely used. And lest we forget how traveling around the world could be such a strain. Top that off with multiple scandals caught on tapes and viewed by billions across the world. Yes! reality series has stormed themselves into our living room these 12 years and have become a staple diet in television programming.

What is all the fuss about? well I guess the reason why reality TV has gained such a foothold in TV programming is simple because we demand for it. We just can't enough of watching people have sex at night with completely unknown people, plot to vote off another person, scheme and bribe locals not to help others and basically to show the completely nasty side of human beings in which we wish we could enact but are unable to due to a supposed "civilized society". Well maybe it could be due to the highly fantastical notions of winning a cash prize and rising above ones social status. Either way reality TV has come a long way. The amount of spin offs from survivor, the amazing race, the contender, etc are too vast to count.

They have filled our TV sets with copious amounts of Darwinian theory in which the strongest survive. Where the weak are preyed upon and there is a constant struggle to maintain dominance through any means possible.

Is this really what we are advocating? To struggle? to scheme? to as what Pip says, show a very "bad side of human nature"? This I leave to you my readers to decide on you own.

This week promises to be a rather relaxed one. The irony of this being that I am technically still having my A levels. Anyhow I will try to maintain my momentum. I hope.

On a lighter note, met up with Jerome and Chris yesterday for a spot of shopping, and coincidentally enough met xiang un along the way. Interesting how small Singapore is. Well I shall spare you the tiresome details of the experience only to let you know that everyone left with a plastic from Zara, Pedro or Kino. But it was a great time to catch up with friends. I NEED to do this more often, maybe with a nice mug of Heineken next to me.

I started to reflect and I think we need to enjoy life and take it easy. Life is too short for us to be running this rat race all the time. After all even if we do win this race, what does it make us? A champion rat? not an inviting thought. So I think it is time that we sincerely learn to appreciate Life. I use life as a noun simply because I am treating it as a living object.

You see, we have hardly considered Life and have simply been going about life. What Life gives us is more a wholesome, rich and meaningful. Yet we neglect her and treat her without much reverence.

Its time that we live Life and love Life.

"4 for more?"

As I write this post, i am heaving a huge sigh of relief. Well, the bulk of the papers are over and the tensions of the A levels are slowly winding to a much anticipated close. The past four days have been a real mental and physical test. Four papers in four days and ten and a half hours later, I am still having a pretty sore right hand and an exhausted brain.

It did however, end on a good note. Had a good time with Han, Jerome, Xiang un, Boren, Shi han and Kiat last night, mm, this morning to be exact. Followed up with water rugby and Tin wai birthday celebration. I have literally gone 48 hrs with about 4 hours of rest.Boy! thats fun.

I do not know if it is some form of epiphany or not, but I think I have come to realized the profound importance of friendship. You know how we are told in school that friends are important and how and what a "good" friend should be. Yet, it is not until we really experience the deeds that allows not just our minds but our heart to comprehend. I guess it simply means the company, I am sure that we will not always agree all the time and sometimes we can say the most irate of things. Yet, somehow or rather its just a fleeting thought, a mere outburst of emotion.

Allow me to concrete this rather abstract idea. Look at friendship as a tree as the years go by, it will become bigger and bigger ie. the friendship fosters and begins to grow. Secondly, along with growing up, it grows down too. thus friendship, like a tree goes deeper into the soil of your life and reaches into deeper recesses in which pain and happiness occurs. Thus building a friendship that is stronger too.

Of course sometimes it sours, like when a primary branch of a tree is cut off. Sometime even the bark disappears. Yet, while we may feel that it is a loss, there is hope. Like grafting, we can grow that once dead branch again, and start anew.

Ok, I have rambled enough. I need to sleep.

Months later

With a sudden spur of emotion and the need to get something off my chest, I have decided to resuscitate this dying blog of mine.

My my my, how much things have changed since the last time I decided to post something up. The A levels have hearald their arrival by giving me THE most stressful time in my life (so far), and my emotional life has been twisted in and out, and back in again fortunately or unfortunately not as bad as Han.

Well, time to bitch a little about this A levels. Dear Mr MOE, let me pour out my feelings about this wretched examination that I am experiencing. The revised A level program of 3H2sand 1H1 is not want you have claimed it to be. Instead of being a "lighter load", it has turned out to be like lead. Small but dense. Yes you heard me right. This perceived streamlined curriculum has done nothing to make our education more aerodynamic. Instead it makes us, well at least me, to feel that the load is heavier, the subjects more varied and ultimately, the A levels more difficult.

This is exacerbated by the paradoxical 'teach less learn more' theory. It is hard to learn more when teachers teach less and although self learning and discovery is suppose to substitute the teachers or 'mentors' , the problem lies in the fact that there is seriously no time for this fantastical idea of 'self discovery'.

Although I do have to admit that this education has churned out many bright minds and wonderful citizens, I just cant help feel that this system is not working out for me now.
Well, time to insert this life story here. Chances are, no one is going to read this post and even if someone does, probably apathy and this natural sense of "its not happening to me" mentality will set you. I am not exempted either, I will probably forget this episode once the papers end and I start the alcohol sessions.

Well, at least this is off my chest I really do hope that something will be done, but knowing this world, I don't expect too much.

"blackbirds fatten best in hard weather, why not I in these dog days?"

Carpe Diem!

Well, before I begin this post, I would like to mention to you that this would probably the most sentimental one that I would be writing.

Life is a fragile and unexpected thing

My maid’s husband has just passed away and it is needless to say that she is in a shattered wreck right about now, and not even our condolences and the constant promise that we would be sending her on the first flight back to her hometown is doing anything positive to the situation. Of course the real impact of the situation is not being impressed upon me, partly due to the fact that she is just a maid in which my family hires and she has been here for bare half a year. However, I do feel for her. It is only the natural thing for me to do.

In life, nothing is definitive, especially when it comes to departing this world. Today you may be here; tomorrow you may not. You see, this is the thing about life, you don’t really dictate its movement, sure you can dictate the events within your life, but you just cannot dictate Life. Who knows if you will get stomach cancer? Who can safely say that they know that they will live to 70? I can’t.

Although I feel a bit ashamed of using this anecdote to illustrate my point, I do feel that the lessons that we can draw from this is worth it. In life, we can never know what would eventually become of us. Thus it is pertinent that we seize the day and any of the opportunities that she brings to us. For the opportunities may not come again, and it would be a shame that we have to live to regret it on our deathbed, slowly de-generating away.

Let us not live our lives on ‘what ifs’. ‘What if I had turned over a new leaf?’, ‘What if I had studied for that exam’, ‘What if I had not started drinking?’. We should instead make all these ‘what ifs’ into action and curb all our bad habits. For we may not be able to amend them, if we procrastinate them for another day.

I conclude this post in remembrance of all our kin and friends who have transcended the physical boundary which we call earth. May their lives be a testimony to which we can base ours on.

March-ing on

Ahh the holidays are here and I guess it is once again a sweet intermission from stress. However, I would like to take this post to encourage my freinds who have not made it back to their JC of their choice.

You know how life is like a baseball game, and trouble, the thrower. You never know what he will present to you. It could be fast ball, a curve ball or a fake. Regardless of it, you can never be too sure of what to expect and more importantly, how to handle it. However this does not imply that you dont handle the situation thrust upon you. Instead, what you should do is to make the best out of it. Hit the ball and start running to the bases.

The same thing in school life. Dont be stumped at the current trouble that life has thrust upon you, instead handle it and dont lament on the problem. Sitting around and crying over spilt milk would not put the milk back into the carton. So what if you did not get what you desire? so what if your appeal fails? so what?! the world does not give a second chance! instead seize whatever you are given and try your best to hit a home run. Dont worry if you miss this chance, it is a player and only a game in the season called 'life'. there would be more chances and oppurtunities to come.

"Today we walk down this darken alley,
The walls tower here are blinding and scary.
I hold you close trembling in fear,
The only thing that eases my mind is that you are near.
Please don't go..."

CNY?

Ah, Chinese New Year is here, a blissful intermission from the hectic race called 'life'. Managed to get some socializing time today, met up with members of F.O.S for a CNY celebration that ended up in a game of hide and seek in PS.

Anyhow, it is the new year! No resolutions this time... I dont follow the lunar calender. But it is a good time to sit back and take stock of the year so far. It has been an eventful one, filled with the most wondeful of times and the most melancholic of moments. For the purpose of not divulging my life to the readers and to dampen their holiday mood, I shall not elaborate further.

You know, the funny thing about life is the bittersweet moments it throws at you, I was thinking the other day, 'what is my place on earth?' . Although it is philosophical and the answer relative, it is important to use this question to be your guiding light to the decisions that one makes. How can we ever tolerate living an existence without a meaning? Life is full of mystery and surprises, but there is a meaning to it. So this CNY, dont go about your daily innings without a slightest clue as to the reason you are doing in. If you do that, we are nothing better than the animals that we see in the zoo.

Happy CNY esp to all you 12 year old piggies

Bleh

Finally, after many weeks of being trapped out of Blogger, I am finally back. Thank you Google for planning to monopolize the entire web. With out you, I would not have a good excuse not to have blogged for so long.

However, the timing of my return is rather apt. This Wed is Valentine's day, It is a day where we would receive gifts from the ones who love us, etc. Well, I was thinking, do we really need this day to remind us that people love us? The answer is telling in the way that you would see this day. Don't get me wrong, I am not a pacifist here, by a realist. In our lives we will encounter people that we love (actually 'like' is a better definition), do we need this day to tell them that we "love" them?
Anyhow, I will be single for this valentines day as with all the other 16. But I am not Bitter about it, nor am I trying to dampen you, the reader's mood, all i am saying is this day is not very special, it is just unique.

So just soak up the festivities and well, enjoy the day.

Amoursanretour or something like that....

2007... so far

Sighs, it has been a hectic start to the year, and thus I am unable to post as much as I intend to. What has gone on within the last 2 weeks of my life?

Well there was orientation (which was a blast) and then it was back to school where I got reaquainted with my notes and those boring lectures where watching the grass grow seem to be a better prospect. Anyhow, the homework has been piling, the teachers have been yelling and I am getting the shelling. It is very plain to see that I need someone here with me, but my hopes are just as realizable as the lecturer in math shutting the hell up.

'amoursansretour'.... or something like that

Resolutions?

Well, it is the year 2007 and I guess the new year is suppose to usher in a whole new set of wishes and goals that I want to achieve in the year ahead. It is at this time when ppl start blogging their goals and aims, but this blog is different. My resolution for 2007 is to have no resolutions at all. The reason? Life is simply too short.

What do I mean by that, it is a known fact that resolutions are hardly ever achieved and life is too short to be chasing after goals. Dont get me wrong, to have a plan in life is important, but out time here is too short to be chasing after things and never having a minute to look back and appreciate the things that we had done and the problems that we have conquered. It has been a bad habit of ours to never see what we have done and only focus on the things undone.

Life is too short even if we live till 100, we only have 35,600 days to live. That is not alot of time, considering that we would sleep for a quarter of that time. You see, life is too short to always be chasing fantastical ideas with out having to halt for a moment to appreciate what is done. 2007 should be the year where we look back and take things easy. Let 2007 be the year where we live day by day apprecitaing what life has to offer. Let 2007 be the year of appreciation and not chasing and joining the rat race. Even if you do win the rat race, it only makes you the biggest rat.

Mantra for 2007:
Trust, rest and appreciate.