astuka's heaven

the truth___

2010-03-08T22:28:00.001+08:00

hyl: what is the truth?

martin: there is no truth in this sentence.

martin: haha, this is funny at so many levels.

hyl: ?_?

Don't Kill Adjectives With Nouns___

2010-03-02T18:41:00.003+08:00

The sweltering heat these days reminds me of my old, favourite introduction: "The monstrous red ball of supreme heat hung on the light-blue sky, threatening to melt all the helpless pedestrians on the busy street with its radiating warmth". I loved this introduction so much that I would use it for almost every primary school composition assignment irregardless of the question; after some time, my teacher became so accustomed to my writing that he could identify my composition from its first sentence. Since my teacher did not complain much, I had the false belief that my descriptive introduction reflected good writing style. Eventually, the use of adjectives became a desire to show off my rich vocabulary and that resulted in an immature writing style.

I did not realise my mistake until much later, when I entered high school. My heavily adjectival prose caught my teacher's attention and when she could not take it any longer, she summoned me to her office. That day in her office changed my writing drastically because it was there that I understood the shortcomings of my style; instead of displaying my proficiency in the English language, the constant use of adjectives only made my writing embarrassingly ornate. In addition, my writing also suggests a lack of confidence, as if I am trying to make up for my inability by overdecorating my sentences. If every crisis is a critical crisis, every emergency an urgent emergency, and every problem a grave problem, then the whole idea of a crisis, an emergency, or a problem becomes devalued. In these situations, the adjective becomes the enemy of the noun.

That does not mean that we can do away with adjectives. Adjectives have their uses when they define and refine rather than simply emphasise. In the sentence "We are in legal trouble", the adjective, legal, has a truly informative function. For a vigorous style, you can try replacing adjectives with colourful nouns. "The penniless man that lives in a small, filthy hut" can be replaced by "the pauper that lives in a hovel." A "large and impressive house" can be replaced by a "mansion" and so on. You get the idea. Now, before you give in to the temptation of using flamboyant language, do remember the guiding principle of using adjectives and you will surely produce a good piece of writing!

Something about martin___

2010-02-27T17:42:00.003+08:00

"If you broke your leg, you wouldn't mind using a crutch to move around. If your car had a flat tyre, you wouldn't think twice before using the spare. If your air conditioner broke down on a warm night, you wouldn't hesitate to call the repair person. However, as an Aquarian, you would likely have trouble accepting personal help for yourself.

That is because you are a very insular person and you don't like relying on anyone but yourself. Do you realise that this is at odds with your philanthropic nature? If you expect others to rely on you, you have to be able to accept help in return."

I saw this on the DailyHoroscope site and it struck a chord with me. I like to help my close friends in their matters. It gives me satisfaction when they involve me in their struggles and difficulties because it makes me feel dependable and reliable. But I wouldn't ask the same help from them. Because I dislike the feeling of being a liability, a burden. What irony.

Wise Words___

2010-02-19T11:06:00.001+08:00

“People have to be responsible for their thoughts, so they have to learn to control them. It may not be easy, but it can be done. First of all, if we don’t want to think certain things we don’t say them. We don’t have to eat everything we see, and we don’t have to say everything we think. So we begin by watching our words and speaking with good purpose only. There are times when we must have clear and pure minds with no unwanted thoughts and we have to train and prepare steadily for those times until we are ready. We don’t have to say or think what we don’t wish to. We have a choice in those things, and we have to realize that and practice using that choice. There is no use condemning yourself for the thoughts and ideas that come into your mind; so there’s no use arguing with yourself or fighting your thoughts. Just realize that you can think what you choose. You don’t have to pay attention to those unwanted thoughts. If they keep coming into your head, just let them alone and say, ‘I don’t choose to have such thoughts’, and they will soon go away. If you keep a steady determination and stick with that purpose you will know how to use that choice and control your consciousness so unwanted thoughts don’t come to you anymore. Then you can experience purification completely and in the right way and no impurities can exist in your mind or body at anytime.” - Doug Boyd

The truth about procrastination___

2010-02-03T14:11:00.005+08:00

To all my friends at EPRZ, I am back!

I have been intending to write this article for months, ever since I published my first in June 09. But why didn’t I write it? Because I have to practise what I preach. I have to do the things that I advise my readers to do. Today’s article discusses the benefits of good procrastination and there is no better way to validate its credibility than to use myself as the test subject. Here are the facts of my research.

As children, we were told by our parents to stop procrastinating and start working on our household chores. As students, we were told by our teachers to stop procrastinating and start working on our school assignments. And they would always use this popular saying, “the early bird catches the worm”, to support their argument. Fair enough. But what happens to the early worm? Doesn’t it get eaten? The truth of the matter is that procrastination can be good or bad depending on how you use it. So the important issue is not how you should avoid procrastination but how you should use procrastination to your advantage.

There are many activities that you could be doing now. All these activities are competing for your time and attention. How do you decide which activity to begin and which to postpone? Through objective evaluation, you will have to rate each activity in importance. After that, you will have to practice the principles of good procrastination- to learn when to do the right things and to postpone the wrong things. It means choosing to avoid lesser activities in favour of greater goals. If you have just been struck by a brilliant inspiration, for example, then you should work on that new idea and postpone the thought of running an errand for your parents. Learning to prioritise is, thus, the key to good procrastination.

During my absence from ERPZ, I have completed my National Service, organised several grassroots events, and earned my driving license among many other completed tasks. I have been using procrastination to my advantage by avoiding the less important activities to do the real work. And even though I have sacrificed the cleanliness of my room, the well-being of my stomach, and of course the welfare of the readers at ERPZ, I have accomplished much by practising good procrastination.

Most people will tell you that procrastination is bad and that you should avoid it or cure it. Their ill advice is predicated on the false belief that procrastination means doing absolutely nothing. Author Paul Graham writes that “there are three types of procrastination, depending on what you do instead of working on something: you could work on a) nothing, b) something less important, c) something more important.” The last type, good procrastination, is what you should strive for.

Tale of the Valiant Knight___

2010-02-01T11:24:00.001+08:00

First published on ERPZ on 19 Jun 09

Your eyes are fixated on the digital clock located at the front section of the school hall. The time inches towards judgement day. You are five minutes away from taking the most important examination in your life; the obstacle that separates you from your goals. Your stomach churns and groans in trepidation. Your hand shakes to its own rhythm. Fear chokes you as you struggle to recall the labyrinth of theories that you desperately studied the night before the examination.

You are afraid of the questions that lie ahead. How will I respond if I encounter unfamiliar questions? What happens if I run out of time to complete the paper? What will I do if I can't achieve my desired grade? These insecurities and uncertainties gradually worm its way into your mind, poisoning it with a cloak of pessimism. Any self-belief that you had prior to the examination would be drained away in a fashion similar to the Dementor's kiss.

For those of you who have accounts of such harrowing experience, I have a lot of sympathy for you because I know exactly how it feels to be that student. During my early schooling days, I was allergic to examination! The allergy manifest itself in many unpleasant ways. It was such a horrible experience! After being immeasurably frustrated by the same problem time and again, I decided it was time to control my mind and protect it from doubts and fears.

I had a taste for fairytale so I imagined myself as a valiant knight who was clothed in sturdy armour and equipped with the most menacing-looking lance. I was to ride to the land of Mathematica and to slay its heinous King using my newly acquired knowledge. In another scenario, I was an intrepid knight confronting the infamous nine-headed beast in the notorious wasteland of Scientia. I know it sounds like an absurd story to you but it did the trick! Through the power of imagination, I was no longer the kid sitting for the most important examination but I was the valiant knight, a noble man full of confidence and self-belief.

My new mindset yielded very positive results. The surge in confidence and my belief in my abilities influenced the way I studied subjects and how I answered questions. As Henry Ford, the automobile industrialist, once said, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." Many students cannot achieve their full potential because they are weighed down by their doubts and fears. They don't believe they have what it takes to score distinctions. Are you one of them? If you fit the bill, it is time for you to change your mindset and protect yourself from the adverse influence of pessimism. You can start doing so by transforming into the valiant knight!

My friend___

2009-06-09T20:53:00.003+08:00

Thud. Thud Thud Thud. Thud Thud. Thud Thud Thud. Thud Thud Thud.

A volley of bullets pierced through the air. Three of the deadly shells lodged in the skull of a burly soldier, who fell to the ground instantaneously. One second later, a charged explosion shook the scorched earth, claiming the life of another hapless victim.

Horror tightly gripped the heart of the World War I soldier as he saw his lifelong friend, Brian, fall under the hail of bullets. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier anxiously asked his lieutenant if he may venture out to save his dying friend.

"You can go!" The lieutenant yelled with his broken voice in his struggle to make himself heard. The soldier was about to leap out and make the dash when he was suddenly yanked back.

"But I don't think it will be worth your effort. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw away your life needlessly," continued the lieutenant.

The soldier hesitated for a moment. His lieutenant's advice struck a chord but the soldier cared too much about his friend. With greater resolve, he made a dash for Brian. Miraculously, the soldier survived and managed to bring Brian back to the trench.

As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the lieutenant checked the wounded soldier and then looked kindly at his friend.

"I told you it wouldn't be worth your effort," he said. "Your friend is dead and you are injured beyond duties."

"IT WAS WORTH IT SIR!"

"What do you mean? Your friend is dead."

"YES SIR," replied the soldier. "BUT IT WAS WORTH IT BECAUSE WHEN I GOT TO HIM, HE WAS STILL ALIVE."

"What did he say? His death wishes?"

"NO." The soldier shook his head. I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, "JIM...I KNEW YOU WILL COME."

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A true friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

Family and friends___

2009-04-20T22:08:00.001+08:00

Who are the people that are important to you?

If you can't answer the question, go for a scary surgery and see what flashes across your mind. There is no way you can lie to yourself in that situation.

I am not frustrated (but not emo)___

2009-04-19T15:20:00.003+08:00

Skills and techniques can be taught in lessons, but passion can't. If I were able to bend my desire and determination into coherent arguments, I would.

I walked out feeling pathetic but I know I am much better than what they thought of me. I can and I will prove that.

If I were to give an analogy for what I do.

2009-01-17T22:15:00.002+08:00

The sky is grey with angry clouds looming over the horizon. These big cumulonimbus clouds threaten to unleash a torrential downpour. Lightning streaks run across the sky, illuminating everything in its path. The intimidating weather is sending chills down my spine.

In the middle of the ocean, I am struggling to cling on to a rotten piece of wood. The choppy waters and the churning waves are making me sick in the stomach. I am also extremely exhausted after barely staying afloat for nearly 1 year. I try to call for help but there are none available. Despite the grim outlook, I repeatedly tell myself to stay alive and survive this ordeal.

There are several ships that pass by me. Some of the ships are gigantic tank cruisers while others are small fishing boats. I hate big ships because they create a lot of disturbance in the sea. This causes sweeping tidal waves. There is no way to avoid these waves, which often leave me drowning in its misery. Somehow, I still manage to survive and I owe that to my lucky stars. Sometimes, I wonder whether the sailors of the ships will notice and rescue me from this undesirable situation. As time passes by, I have become more mature and given up such naive thoughts.

Even though I see no end in sight, I am quietly confident of my chances of survival. Perhaps, it may be too early to comment on this. So why not check again on 13 Jan 2010?

WORDPLAY___

2008-09-05T18:44:00.014+08:00

"Ha La La La La
Listen closer to the words I lay
Ha La La La La
It's all about the wordplay
Ha La La La love
The wonderful thing it does
Because, because
I am the wizard of ooh's and ah's and fa-la-la's
Yeah The Mr. A to Z
They say I'm all about the wordplay"

That was the chorus of a song from Jason Mraz, titled Wordplay. Here are some interesting wordplay that might catch your eye:

404 - Not found
~The soldiers were reported to be 404, and presumed dead.
[inspired from http 404 error message]

Beepilepsy - The brief seizure people sometimes have when their handphone beeps off. Characterized by physical spasms, goofy facial expressions and interruption of speech in mid-sentence.
~When the global financial market crashed, many private investors suffered from beepilepsy, which was caused by their concerned clients.
[inspired from epilepsy]

Blamestorming - The act of meeting with a group of people in order to try to ascertain the people responsible for the failure.
~The executive board held an emergency blamestorming session to find out the person responsible for the failed project.
[inspired from brainstorming]

Chequemate - Facing financial defeat after writing too many cheques.
~Peter was so seduced by the gorgeous woman, that he ended up buying her everything he could until he eventually got chequemated.
[inspired from checkmate]

Crapplet - A badly written or profoundly useless Java applet.
~ I just wasted 30 minutes downloading this Crapplet, which is causing my computer to crash repeatedly.
[inspired from Java Applet]

Decruit - To get people to leave the company or organisation.
~We are having difficulties decruiting our staff in order to maintain a more competitive workforce.
[inspired from recruit]

E-diot - Someone who is very stupid, specifically in the knowledge of electronic gadgets.
~You are wasting your time by advocating the advantages of e-mail to an e-diot like him.
[inspired from idiot]

Irritainment - Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying, but you find yourself unable to stop watching them.
~Ugly Betty is a prime example of irritainment; the downright ugly protagonist is an eyesore, but her touching life stories make great entertainment.
[inspired from entertainment]

Looser - A person suffering from diarrhoea and spends his time in the toilet emptying his bowels.
~James, that looser, stupidly ate that rotten banana, meant for a biological experiment.
[inspired from loser]

Square-headed Girlfriend - Another word for a computer.
~I'm currently in love with my square-headed girlfriend, who connects me with the outside world.

Take this quiz___

2008-08-16T23:33:00.008+08:00

This was found on MINDEF forums (quoted below) and it was pretty famous:

"Below is a quiz written by Einstein last century.
It's been translated and updated since then, but the logic is still the same. He said 98% of the people in the world can't solve the quiz. Are you among the other 2%?"

Facts:
1. There are 5 houses in 5 different colors
2. In each house lives a person with a different nationality.
3. These 5 owners drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet.
4. No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar or drink the same drink.

Hints:

1. The Brit lives in a red house

2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets

3. The Dane drinks tea

4. The green house is on the left of the white house

5. The green house owner drinks coffee

6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds

7. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill

8. The man living in the house right in the middle drinks milk

9. The Norwegian lives in the first house

10. The man who smokes Blend lives next door to the one who keeps cats.

11. The man who keeps horses lives next door to the man who smokes Dunhill

12. The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer

13. The German smokes Prince

14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house

15. The man who smokes Blend has a neighbor who drinks water

The question is: Who keeps fish? Try to work this out at the blank space below. Good luck!"

The answer is German!
1st house will be yellow, with a Norwegian that drinks water, rears cats and smokes Dunhill.
2nd house will be blue, with a Dane that drinks tea, rears horses and smokes Blend.
3rd house will be red, with a Britain that drinks milk, rears birds and smokes Pall Mall.
4th house will be green, with a German that drinks coffee, rears fishes, and smokes Prince.
the last house will be white, with a Swede that drinks beer, rears dogs and smokes Blue Master.
So did you get it? Tease those that didn't on the tagboard!

Happy 43rd National Day___

2008-08-09T11:55:00.005+08:00

Today, Singapore celebrates 43 years of independence. This is a day that marks her continued growth, maturity, and strength. A day where Singaporeans remind themselves of the sacrifices made by our hardworking ancestors and renew our commitments to protect the varied interests of our homeland.

We have come a long way from a tiny fishing village, to transform into an urbanised city state. Along the way, we encountered many problems such as our weak economy, racial riots and shortage of water resources. Older Singaporeans would vividly remember the days where they had to work long hours under the hot scorching sun in order to earn miserable wages that could scarcely feed their families. They would also be able to recall the terrifying images of the conflicts between different racial groups and the bloody fights that ensued. But such problems do not exist anymore. For that, we have to thank our government and leaders who exercised vision and strong leadership as well as those followers who believed in the leaders' audacious dreams. With their hearts and souls, they helped to create a better future for the later generations. A future characterised by peace, prosperity and progress, which we now enjoy.

Although Singapore is currently doing very well, there are still many daunting challenges ahead.

There is the dreaded brain drain, with talents leaving Singapore's shores for other 'greener' pastures. It is often emphasised by national leaders that Singapore has no natural resources, thus making its human resource the sole driving force behind its success. However, with increased competition for skilled labour, Singapore is losing a significant percentage of its "brains" to other countries and this would adversely affect the future of Singapore. Even though we try to compensate this problem by attracting some overseas talents too, it is not entirely effective as it raise another problem- the abuse of Singapore as an utilitarian platform. Perhaps many of these overseas talents (including students) are only using Singapore to gain access into other desired countries, and hence the option of attracting other talents would not be a viable long-term solution to imminent talent crisis in Singapore.

An aging population and related socioeconomic problems would also be a potential stumbling block for Singapore. It remains unclear whether Singapore is well prepared for the silver population but news of increased suicide rates of the elderly people will surely discourage policy planners. Then there is the lack of Singaporean identity resulting in apathy and lack of patriotism. It would be extremely negative to call broken forms of language (Singlish) or lack of civil manners (kiasu-ism) as parts of Singaporean identity but this is often the most cited answer from Singaporeans. Perhaps we could also take a lesson from the PRCs regarding patriotism, after witnessing how its citizens protected their country amidst criticsims during the Olympic torch-run.

Of course, Singaporeans have nothing to worry. PAP will DEFINITELY have solutions to all the problems mentioned above. RIGHT? RIGHT? Okay lah, let's not worry awready and go see some fireworks to cheer us up.

About the writer:

I am born and bred in Singapore. I love my country very much but there is no national flag hanging outside my HDB flat. I am not going to the NDP parade because I am poor and cannot afford the exorbitant prices of the tickets as sold in eBay. The last time I sang "Majulah Singapura" and recited the pledge was on the last day of flag raising ceremony in JC. Nowadays, I wear 2 green Singapura epaulettes on my shoulders (for Monday - Friday) but I would preferred it to have some traces of gold.

the truth can be adjusted___

2008-07-27T22:10:00.007+08:00

It was a boring Sunday afternoon. I am rather sure everyone would have experienced one before. Those days when you lie on the bed, twisting, turning or just lazing around. Then you take a slow walk in the nature park, counting the clouds and losing yourself in the warm breeze.

Yeah, I am talking about that kind of days.

So I had a good two to three hours of time to spare. My mind was filled with many options. Should I perfect the virtual art of threading through balls in Fifa 08 or finish the remaining part of How to Win Every Argument; The Use and Abuse of Logic .

In the end, I chose none of the above. Instead, I decided to walk over to the nearest LASERflair store to check out some of the latest entertainment sources... those adrenaline-packed car chases, kung fu rock n roll, cheesy love stories and what not. In short, there was no shortage of choices. One of them caught my immediate attention.

First there was George Clooney (No, I'm not gay, thank you.). Then the description of "7 Academy Awards Nomination". SEVEN, mind you. And the relevance;where the protagonist happens to be an attorney working in a powerful New York law firm.

Out went my 3 dollars and in exchange, I got to keep the movie for a day. The show turned out to be quite an interesting legal thriller. No, there is not much court room drama going on. I assure you that you won't see opposition leaders in this show questioning Prime Ministers or two neighbours squabbling over an awkward tree caught between their houses. Instead, this show focuses more on the battle between good and evil, moral values against insatiable greed. ( I intend to go a little deeper in this area but at 2241 hrs, my brain is already not functioning. Do not ask me why because I won't be able to give a satisfactory answer. Perhaps, MINDEF can answer that question.)

So who won in the end? Did the protagonist succumb to greed or did moral consciousness prevail?

You will have to watch Michael Clayton to find out.

Wait, I take that back. The answer can be found in Wikipedia.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Right :/ ?

2008-06-07T10:08:00.005+08:00

For this entire week, I assumed the role of a personal assistant. Yes, meet secretary See. Someone who will gladly (*coughs*) deliver your newspaper, prepare your warm water, and take care of all your administrative requests;make no mistake, that is only if you wield the power of authority and that roughly translates to having at least 4 crabs crawling on your shoulders.

The job seemingly appeared to be very simple, an illusion which I had been led into by the incumbent secretary who took a week off to enjoy herself in Taipei. Surely, any random Jack can perform easy tasks such as picking up phone calls, co-ordinating meeting files, and sieving through e-mails. Multiply that by a hundred fold and I'm sure that Jack, even with the help of Jill, will be roasted to bits like those ill-fated BBQ potato chips.

The endless calls, the dreaded e-mails, and the truckload of files. On many occasions, I find myself on the phone, signing over papers while balancing another stack of highly secretive reports on another hand- multitasking, something which only girls (and maybe a small group of guys) excel at.

Of course, this isn't as painful as that 24k road march, where you go from daylight to darkness (literally) or as traumatic as that entire BMTC experience, as claimed by some. But I can assure you that it is not easy. Not a single bit.

Even though the entire episode was a nerve wrecking one, I actually found it to be rather eventful. To be able to observe and learn from someone who has been there and almost conquered the hierarchy was certainly an experience worth taking home.

Below is a summary of the pointers/lessons which I learnt, particularly useful if your life-long ambition is to become a personal assistant:

1. A good secretary is one that is competent in acquiring information. However, it doesn't stop there. You also have to be calm when handling crisis since nothing goes according to plans and almost everything leads to disaster, have the vision to actually look ahead to foresee any unexpected (some oxymoron here) events and most importantly to function like a Blackberry phone. Without above-mentioned qualities, it would be extremely difficult to fulfill your secretarial duties. Do remember that meetings, appointments, and deadlines are your nemesis as they will all come back together to pay you a visit.

2. Your name is clerk. You have no history, future, passion, interests, hobbies, family or likes and dislikes. His name is boss, or sir if you can manage. Like you, he have no life as well so it is not wise to engage him in such matters. The result is two people, working within 30m of each other, but with absolutely no intent to communicate unless it is related to work. Take a minute to imagine that scenario. If that work environment is suitable for you, go ahead and submit your CV to SAF (Sorry, its not Sir Alex Ferguson).

3. Some requests may seem as if they are deliberately picking on you due to their seniority. This might make you believe that they actually dislike you. Or maybe they lavish praise on you and you actually bought their story. In whichever case, you will come to understand that most people are neither for you or against you;they are only thinking of themselves.

4. This is a direct quote-"You learn that no matter how hard you try to please, some people are not going to love you- a lesson that is first disturbing and then really quite relaxing."

Oh by the way I will like to take this opportunity to thank the backstage crew including those that got refreshments for me, printed and hand delivered the papers when my printer went nuts. These gestures made my time easier to pass.

ask yourself this___

2008-05-04T14:40:00.002+08:00

I wonder whether anyone came across this letter?
________________________________________________

Who Packed Your Parachute?

Charles Plumb was a U.S. Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"

Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor."

Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.
________________________________________________

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life throws at us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that happened to them, give a compliment or just do something nice for no reason. The world is increasing filled with me, me, and me. People doesn't care about what others think, feel or do. But this isn't how we should live right?

As you go through this day,this month, and this year, acknowledge the people who packed your parachutes.

I am posting this as my way of thanking those who packed my parachutes-think all of you know who you are.

poke poke poke___

2008-04-03T19:46:00.003+08:00

In the background, an aggressive female tiger struts around the confines of her cage. She is visibly frustrated, after being kept in the enclosure for several years. Outside the cage stands a young boy, who spent the entire afternoon watching her movements. He teased her with funny expressions, and even laughed at her sorry plight. He even threatened her on a few occasions, picking up a fallen branch and forcefully poking it into her empty stomach. Her frustration grows and she bears her teeth in a show of malice. He didn't heed the signs and attempted to thrust the stick at her again. Only this time, she gracefully escaped the attack, and swiftly bit off his hands. Excruciating pain shot through his arms, and he screamed in anguish.

The above paragraph is just an example of deliberate provocation, and the resultant consequences. You may get the impression that the young boy is rather dense or not mature enough to understand the implications of his actions, but we as adults are no different either.

One just need to read the news to understand what I mean. Just recently, North Korea fired off its 'toys' into the Yellow Sea, showcasing her military might. This act of aggression triggered off a sharp exchange of words, which contributed to an increasingly unstable Korean Peninsula. And then we have Fitna, produced by Geert Wilders. With the controversial film linking violence with Islam, it infuriated numerous Islamic groups, which sparked worldwide protests. On the sports front, we have Mascherano scolding expletives and making continuous efforts to irritate the referee. These are just some fine examples of our lack of tactfulness when handling human relationships.

I wonder how worse things might get. Maybe next time, we might see gays making love outside church or something that goes along those lines of stupidity.

initial F___

2008-03-26T21:27:00.002+08:00

It is great to see the scenery from the 28th floor. The stylish office beckons. A pretty lady walks over and ushers you in. The stage is set for a swashbuckling interview.

Doors swing open, there is an exchange of handshake, and you settle down comfortably on the chair. General questions are fired off but you shrug them off easily. After all, you are well prepared to answer them after rehearsing through the ordeal several times. A piece of cake.

Your confidence grows. It becomes a protective shield, masking away your flaws and charming your audience with your strengths. You suddenly feel invincible, as if an omnipotent god. Surely no one can hurt you now?

Then the wind of change blows. A needle pierces through your shield, shattering it into pieces. Your shortcomings become awfully exposed, bare for all to see. You start digging for an escape with your bare hands, hoping to create a hole where you can hide yourself. But the ground is covered with granite, and there is no chance you can slip away.

You curl up in a roll, a traditional defensive stance. What a pathetic futile attempt. Meanwhile, the storm of attacks continue. When it is all over, you lick your wounds and leave. Count your blessing, she says. That is the price for overestimating yourself.

The next time I smoke, I bloody make sure it comes out from the barrel of my loaded rifle.

perseverance___

2008-03-11T19:54:00.002+08:00

I still remember that fateful day.

The sky was clear, less for a few fluffy white clouds. Although the weather was bright and sunny, I was in a less cheery mood, something that fluttered between anger and disappointment. Dragging my two feet, I managed to haul myself onto one of the benches in the school canteen, and settle beside CK and Niam.

As several other classmates tucked into their food, each of us remained silent. Having been humbled by the recent chemistry examination, none of us had the appetite to consume anything. The eerie silence continued for a few minutes, before CK suddenly spoke up.

A string of expletives were fired off to vent his frustration, before he gave a truly inspiring speech. Stroking up our egos, he challenged us to become "Comeback Kids", and to channel our anger and disappointment into a unstoppable drive to succeed. Since then, we snapped up past year papers, attempted ten year series, and other tiny booklets of assignments.

In the end, our efforts were rewarded handsomely. Looking back, I was glad that I persevered despite going against the odds. Although the failure disappointed me, it did not defeat me.

Being able to pick myself up, and bounce back from failure was crucial. Through this blog entry, I hope to inspire others such they too can find the strength to bounce back up.

brilliant___

2008-02-21T21:14:00.004+08:00

The more I think of you, the more I
love you. I cannot imagine how anyone could
hate you. You have always been to me an
honest, faithful friend, and I hope my love is not an
object of contempt. Its true that I once said
I would never marry, but that was before
I loved you. The assertion you know was
uttered in a bragging manner, but it was not
a lie, and I do not know why I made it. If I
could pluck up enough courage to
offer you my hand, I know very well you
would be surprised but I doubt if you
would accept it.I don't think I would want to
listen to a refusal from your lips and
become miserable. To die
without expressing my love for you
would be more preferable to that. If you write to me,
I shall be happy, but if you do not;
I shall be miserable and gloomy, as your letters
are a source of pleasure and a failure to receive them
always make me feel like committing suicide.

Love lots <33333

Or maybe not? Sometimes, things are more than it meets the eye. Just like this. Read every odd line to figure it out.

MVP

2008-02-07T19:49:00.000+08:00

Astuka wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!

When one talks about CNY, several chinese proverbs come into mind. These include gong xi fa cai, nian nian you yu, xin xiang shi chen and wan shi ru yi.

Of course, there is also my personal fav: shen ti jian kang. On a sidenote, I just understood my medical condition recently, which is mitral valve prolapse with moderate mitral valve regurgitation. For those of you who are interested to know more, here is some information provided by MayoClinic

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP, but dont mistake it as Most Valued Player) is a common heart disorder. It occurs when the valve between your heart's left upper chamber (left atrium) and the left lower chamber (left ventricle) doesn't close properly. When the left ventricle contracts, the valve's leaflets bulge (prolapse) upward or back into the atrium.

In most people, mitral valve prolapse is harmless and doesn't require treatment or changes in lifestyle. In some people with mitral valve prolapse, however, the progression of the disease requires treatment.

Symptoms can vary widely from one person to another. They tend to be mild, develop gradually and may include:

* A racing or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
* Dizziness, lightheadedness
* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, often when lying flat or during physical exertion
* Fatigue
* Chest pain that's not associated with a heart attack or coronary artery disease

Another name for mitral valve prolapse is click-murmur syndrome. When a doctor listens to your heart using a stethoscope, he or she may hear a clicking sound as the valve's leaflets billow out, followed by a murmur resulting from blood flowing back into the atrium.

Most people with mitral valve prolapse lead normal, productive and symptom-free lives. Doctors generally won't recommend restrictions on your lifestyle or any limitations on your personal exercise or dietary program.

However, MVP may lead to complications such as Mitral valve regurgitation— a condition in which the valve is particularly leaky and allows excessive blood back into the left atrium. Having high blood pressure or being overweight or obese increases your risk of mitral valve regurgitation. If the regurgitation is severe, surgery may be recommended to repair or even replace the valve in order to prevent the development of complications, such as heart failure.

OK, that's about it.

This will probably save me some time, when the need to explain my PES E status arrive.

My Fifa08___

2008-02-03T13:11:00.001+08:00

Rooney picks out Anderson!

Anderson does a neat twist to face the goalkeeper. The defence is split wide open now!

Anderson touches the ball first time...

and he prepares to shoot! is a goal?!

The ball is too fast for the goalkeeper, and he is left stranded in mid-air.

Cheesebun! The wicked spinning ball hits the post...

and spins across the face of goal. Did it CROSS the line for a goal? The referee is uncertain here.

Just a little more to go. So, is it a goal or not? Discuss.

FLASHion trends___

2008-01-27T10:47:00.000+08:00

A few years back, it was common to see youths wearing baggy jeans with the sharp tip of a bright orange comb sticking out of the back pocket. "No Fear" T-shirts were immensely popular and black Converse slippers ruled the street. Almost everyone have such clothes in their wardrobe, especially beng-lian (a word i specially invented to categorize them) and pasar aunties.

Then, there was the "center parking"-something that almost every boy attempted to do (with varying success). Just not too long ago, wrist bands, purchased off the shelves of 77th street and even NIKE outlets, were also worn frequently.

However, such outfit/accessory is rarely seen nowadays. Wearing that would be akin to committing a serious fashion crime, and therefore liable to /spit.

From above, it does not take a genius to realize that fashion trends come and go, like a flash of light. One moment, it is bright and prominent and in the next moment, darkness takes over, and hardly anyone remembers its existence.

Thus, it is utterly meaningless to become a blind devotee of the newest fashion trends, because you will always be one step too LATE. By the time you fit into your "desired" fashion trend, the craze has almost certainly blown over and are only propagated by wols sloof such as yourself.

In order to stay in that glamorous fashion limelight, you will have to kick start your own fashion trend. Who knows? Maybe the next "in" thing will be wearing your shirts inside out. (which I am seriously tempted to try.)

all in a day's work___

2008-01-24T21:47:00.000+08:00

You look left. Your colleague looks serious, as he attempts to complete his task on time. The "thumping" of keys on the keyboard produces a soothing melody. You close your eyes gently, taking a moment to relax and appreciate your existence.

Then, you look right. Another colleague sits on an armchair, opposite to the row of cupboards. He fumbles through the pages of a thick booklet of standing orders, as if looking for the words of God. You say a prayer for him, hoping that it will help his search. Moments later, your prayer is answered and he grins in triumph. You done a great job.

After some moments of satisfaction, you start to feel a little apologetic and useless- since you do not have any access to computers, you cannot help your colleagues with their work. However, guilt slowly melts away into (sadistic) pleasure, as you watch them toil laboriously with their work, while you sit comfortably on the armchair.

Your attention turns to the pile of mess located at the edge of your desk. You dig out a notepad from the mess. It reads, "Productivity is the key to a better [organization]". Fishing out a pencil from the box of stationery, you start to sketch your personal desk. A 15-inch HP monitor sits directly in front of you. There is also a keyboard, CPU, and your plastic water bottle. On your desk, there is a thick folder containing confidential documents. You scrutinize the sketch carefully, making sure that all details are properly included. Then, you continue sketching, trying in vain to create a decent art piece.

After a while, you start to lose interest. The sketch turns out hideous and you quickly hide it in your bag. Everyone covers up their dirty secrets, including you. Glancing upwards, you notice some colored pins on the wall. You start arranging them, and experimenting with the different possible permutations. You finally settle on a "V" shape, but this combination results in a pin being isolated. Suddenly, you feel a tinge of sadness for the poor, lonely pin. However this is just part and parcel of life where not everyone can fit into the real world.

You glance at your watch. The time is 1035. You pick up the newspaper from the table, and walk out of office to take a deserved break. There is news of a potential outbreak of chikungunya. You are concerned about your friends, who are currently exercising under the sun and continuously exposed to threats from Aedes mosquitoes. You count your blessings as you work in an air-conditioned building.

There are also disturbing reports of Arsenal's defeat. Journalists emphasized on the flattering scoreline, and praised the overall efforts of the winning team. They failed to realize it was perfectly normal for young boys to lose to first team regulars. Sometimes, age and experience are still most important, while skills and talents are just secondary. It gets a little ironic, amidst talks of global competition for talents.

There is a vibration in your left pocket. This is strange because you know that the vibrating function of your phone is not working. You start to guess if its from her, but it is a message from your old friend. You ponder over what to send, deliberately choosing your words carefully. Feeling bored, you also send out a few sms to your close friends, describing your situation. Most of them entertains you while others don't. You take it as a sign that they are busy with work, and make a mental note not to disturb them in the future. You take consolation that there are still friends, which you can count on, to brighten your life.

You overhear an interesting conversation. Your superiors will be attending a meeting soon and you sigh in relief. It has been an extremely challenging task to stare at the thick booklet of instructions for the past hours but the torture will soon be over. Soon enough, your superiors head off for their meeting. Everyone in the room begins to relax, and some even begin to play music using their computers. One of your colleagues leaves to attend a Medical check-up. You count your lucky stars because he left his computer unattended.

You access the online forums. Time passes quickly as you browse through entries of fashion disasters, soccer discussions, animes and mangas, as well as relationship problems. You have difficulty in understanding them because of the incoherent sentences, but it is nonetheless interesting to read about life experiences. Later, you come across a forum user discussing the benefits of keeping a personal diary during National Service. That prompted you to remember that you have a blog, and it is time for an update. Taking out a pencil, you begin to scribble a draft: "You look left. Your colleague looks serious..."

Jonathan Livingston Seagull__

2008-01-11T00:08:00.000+08:00

While searching for a good read at Borders, I stumbled upon an eye-catching book titled as "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". It had a nice dark blue background, with an impressive tag of " The Glorious #1 Bestseller", and I immediately found myself mysteriously attracted to it. Malcolm Gladwell would attribute this attraction as the effects of "30 second first impression" and it could hardly be more true. I was desperate to rediscover the joy of reading again, and the bestseller seemed to be a safe bet to satisfy my desire. It was also rather appropriate (because I only had a little time to spare) since the story was rather short, and it had beautiful pictures to supplement the plot.

It turned out to be a pleasant and inspiring story. It was not just about an ordinary seagull discovering the true meaning of his life, but also involved common themes that we face every day. Limitations, self-doubts, failures, and other life lessons made this book establish an excellent relationship with its readers. The beauty of the book lies in the fact that these life lessons cannot be found directly from the story, but only through much of our own thinking. When we start to read beneath the surface, we would gradually appreciate its beauty, and by then, our lips would certainly be forming a smile. Which was precisely what I did then.

If you prefer a pro review, try this

past/present/future__

2008-01-05T21:23:00.000+08:00

Come Wednesday, I would be visiting Hwa Chong Institution again to meet my grand juniors.

This trip would be filled with much regret because it would once again remind me of the mistakes I made. My playfulness, lack of discipline stands out among others, as I nervously await my judgment day (release of A-level results). Looking back, there were so much stuff that I wanted to complete, but failed and this really made me feel lousy.

Yet, regret would not be the sole emotion that I would be carrying back.

Fond memories of the past would be swarming back as well-late night dinners at curry wok, class bench stoning, and of course, the magical moments at street soccer court. But it wouldn't matter 5 years down the road. Without future, the past wouldn't be important anymore.

employment letter...

2007-09-29T14:21:00.000+08:00

Dear Roman Abramovich,

I understand that you are fervently searching for a manager that can manage a world-class team of huge egos, play unprecedented football and capture elusive European glory. While you have yet to decide on the most suitable candidate, allow me to introduce myself.

I am affectionately known as astuka aka "the SPARE-cial one", by my players and have previously on 2 occasions captured Europe's holy grail. Please don't take offence, but I was previously the manager of Arsenal, your fierce London rival. Under my astute leadership and great vision, I carved out the reputation of Arsenal while working on a shoe-string budget. Arsenal is now 5 time consecutive champion in Football Manager 2007 with the fans and the board worshipping me as their new football god. With your financal backing, its not hard to imagine Chelsea as the most dominant football force on the planet.

I am also a manager that favours playing an attacking style. Parking buses in front of goals or requesting wide men to track back would disappear immediately if I am to be employed as the manager of Chelsea FC. Instead, I would drill into the players an attack-oriented gampe plan, with the motto of "strike fast, strike deep and strike hard." while chelsea have the substance, you will need my style to achieve your dream of flowing, beautiful soccer.

Please consider my application letter carefully because it might affect the future of Chelsea Fc. Discarding this letter would mean the end of Chelsea, and possibly slipping into the Championship. Accepting me could mean endless trophies and possibilities. Making a choice has never been so easy. Call at 1800-VERY GOOD.

yours sincerely,

The Spare-cial One.

summer camp

2007-08-07T20:18:00.000+08:00

It was a typical afternoon, with cold winds skidding across the grass plain. The sun was hung high up in the sky, but the temperature wasn't too warm due to the fluffy clouds that littered the horizon. The cooling weather was pleasant and perfect for outdoor activities. Yet, David wasn't excited. It was the start of another torturous experience, which he was keen to avoid. David considered obtaining a medicinal certificate to excuse himself from the summer camp, but he thought of the moments he would miss. After all, this was his first summer camp with the girls and he was looking forward to making more friends.

Dragging his heavy bags along, he trudged to the gathering point, which was located at the tip of a small hill. From there, David could see a refreshing view of Mother Nature and was consumed by its beauty; the widespread greenery, the clear "gushing" of clean river water, and the fluttering of butterflies provided a way of comfortable escape from urban life. David was indulging in the stunning scenery before something else caught his attention. The gorgeous girl had long, silky, golden hair which nicely framed her crescent face and a nice bronze tan. She was with a group of friends and they were chatting excitedly. Throughout the conversation, she let slip a few dazzling smiles, that showed her white, pearly teeth. David couldn't stop himself from glancing at her, and for a split second, their eyes met. It was an awkward moment for David, and he instinctively avoided her glare. He felt warm blood filling his cheeks, and he wished for a spot where he could hide his face-which was undoubtedly red by now.

As the camp instructor began his introduction and his customary "welcome speech", David stole a few more glances. Each time, he wanted to hold his gaze longer, yet he was afraid that the girl would take notice. And as the time for assigning camp groups drew near, he secretly prayed to be in the same group as her. It was a weird feeling for David, because he never felt such kind of attraction before;he badly wanted to know more of her, and to be closer to her. He cupped his hands tightly and made a deal with God, promising to exchange anything just for the opportunity to be with her.

"For Group Atlas, we will have James, Owen, Priscilla,Crowley,David, Kate..."

The voice traced off in his head as he no longer paid attention. His heart already skipped a beat as he saw her move. Her elegant strides and sublime smile certainly blew his mind apart; he had to squeeze his thighs hard to confirm that it was not a dream that would abruptly end. As she took her position beside him, David trembled with excitement. He badly wanted the world to stop dead in its track, so that he could relish in that moment.

"Hi! My name is Kate. Are you OK? You seem to be blanking out in your first day. Anyway, what's your name?"

"My... er, my name is... David. Nice to meet you! Oh, I was just thinking of my family. This camp barely started but I am already missing their company."

Damn, what a clumsy way to start a conversation, David thought.The last thing on David's mind was his family, although there was some degree of truth when he said he missed them. Instead, he was looking forward to every moment of the camp where he could spend time with Kate; the icebreaker, the team activities, and the campfire. The days flew by quickly. A hour, a day, then a week. By now, David and Kate were good friends that shared many little pleasant memories; the day where Kate finally conquered her fear to experience the "flying fox" or the quiet afternoons where they would spend their afternoons on the tip of that small hill, chatting passionately about their dreams and childhood. Soon, it was the time to say goodbye, and tearful farewells marked the end of the summer cap

As friends gave each other well wishes and hugs, Kate dragged David to a quiet side of the river. Without waiting for him to catch his breadth, Kate moved forward and gave him a kiss on his cheek. It lasted a brief moment, but it was sufficiently long for David to blush completely. Then she said, "I had the best times of my life and I would want to thank you for being such a good friend and for making this camp so memorable." David wanted to tell her that he wanted to be more than just his good friend, but was afraid to ruin their friendship. Reluctantly, he let her go, and then she disappeared away.

As David went back to the gathering point to collect his bags, he saw a oddly familiar notebook. At several times of the summer camp, he had seen her scribbling notes into the book. It had a white cover and it was conveniently small in size to fit into a pocket. David looked around frantically but she was nowhere in sight. He wanted to return it to her, but at the same time, he was curious about the content of the book. Resistance was futile and soon he was flipping through the pages. It contained snippets of her life, her happy memories and sometimes the times where she felt lonely and sad. He was about to close the book but stopped when he chanced upon her last entry. Reading through the lines, a sense of regret suddenly shot through him, paralysing his limbs, and making him weak.

The diary read:

Today would be the last time I would get to see him. I want to tell him that I like him but I'm just too shy and I'm not sure of what he feels. I wished I could have the courage to drag him to a place and say that I like him but I just can't find the courage. I just want to be more than a friend to him.

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

satisfaction.

2007-07-28T22:27:00.000+08:00

A saint was praying silently. A wealthy merchant, observing the saint's devotion and sincerity, was deeply touched by him. The merchant offered the saint a bag of gold. "I know that you will use the money for God's sake. Please take it."

"Just a moment." The saint replied. "I'm not sure if it is lawful for me to take your money. Are you a wealthy man? Do you have more money at home?

"Oh yes. I have at least one thousand gold pieces at home," claimed the merchant proudly.

"Do you want a thousand gold pieces more? Asked the saint.

"Why not, of course yes. Every day I work hard to earn more money."

"And do you wish for yet a thousand gold pieces more beyond that?"

"Certainly. Every day I pray that I may earn more and more money."

The saint pushed the bag of gold back to the merchant. "I am sorry, but I cannot take your gold," he said. "A wealthy man cannot take money from a beggar."

"How can you call yourself a wealthy man and me a beggar?" the merchant spluttered.

The saint replied, "I am a wealthy man because I am content with whatever God sends me. You are a beggar, because no matter how much you possess, you are always dissatisfied, and always begging God for more."
-----------------------------------------------------

the above was a short, inspiring extract that highlighted the need to be content with what we have.

sometimes, due to our innate greed, we desire more. more money, more time, more friends, more happiness. and we get lost in these fantasies, losing our way back to reality.

we fail to look at the treasures we already possess until it is all too late. therefore, we should take some time off and stop to appreciate the things we take for granted, and be satisfied with what we have. and also to find back what we lost.

with that said, i would like to thank those that contributed much to my college experience. it rather hurts because we are all going to graduate soon, ending our whirlwind-like 2 year college life. and we may lose touch with each other. and we may never be able to speak about all those gossips. and we may never eat together again. and one day we may never have the time or interest for a class reunion.

but for now, let's bask in the happiness. forget our worries and enjoy the last days.

3 things about the Happy Prince.

2007-07-19T19:26:00.000+08:00

Link:http://fiction.eserver.org/short/happy_prince.html

upon prompting from amphi, i decided to read up the story of the happy prince, which happened to be sitting comfortably in the personal message window of his MSN nickname. at first, it appeared as being no different from a typical fictional story. there is god, prince in shiny gold, happy people and sad people; popular elements of a child's favorite storybook. but the long, shaky bus-ride home became a rather thought-provoking session. The plot of Happy Prince was not as simple as it appeared to be, but there are rather several interesting points to ponder over. and on that same journey, i began to slowly think about it.

1. "Ah! but we have, in our dreams."

i am sure everyone have hopes and dreams. some dream to be the next billionaire to appear on the Forbes magazine, the next Singapore idol or campus superstar, the next miss Singapore. there is always this ideal standard that we are working towards, or trying to emulate. but try as we might, we rarely succeed. this give rise to some of the common phrase used to address dreams; "dreams are for weaklings" because tough macho man go all out for what they desire and not cower in their dreams. "dreams never come true" because dreams are supposed to be impossible to achieve. There is a fine line between targets and dreams and the mathematician, operating on logic and rationale (they support a theory through providing a proof) clearly understands this point. and if you do believe in logic and rationale, then why dream? thus the fictional story, as i intepret it, poses the essential question of why one clings on to dreams, hoping for it to come true, even when logic and rationale indicates otherwise. ah, what an intellectually stimulating thought on a "shagged bus" home.

2. "I lived in the palace of Sans-Souci, where sorrow is not allowed to enter." and "they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city"

we have a happy prince as a main character who only felt happiness. because he was unaware of the unhappiness happening around him, he only experienced joy and bliss. he was living a small bubble of heaven, and even though there was unhappiness around him, it didn't affect him. but look at what happened to him when he knew the truth. the happy prince was no more. he lost his identity and perhaps the most important thing of all. because of his curse/blessing to see the unhappy events happening everyday, he became affected by the truth and obliged to help out. along comes the little swallow with a big heart. the swallow too, becomes affected by the truth and with each passing day, they become more and more depressed. clearly, living in our own bubble of bliss seems to spare one from the misery and pain outside. if given the choice, would we prefer to live in that bubble or to know the truth? i couldn't give myself a convincing answer.

3. ‘Dear little Swallow,’ said the Prince, ‘you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see there.’

even when the prince turns blind, he still wanted to know the truth happening around him. yes, it would give him even more pain but he wanted to help everyone. and the question which i asked myself hard was what should the swallow have done? telling the truth led to the eventual haggard nature of the happy prince. if the swallow was to hide away the unhappiness, the happy prince would probably be able retain his own identity and his own happiness. so did the swallow do the right thing? was telling the truth the right thing? in the end, the prince and the swallow died, ending their friendship. the happy prince turned from a golden statue with ruby and sapphire to something of past memory. the swallow searching for happiness, eventually died from loneliness and cold. was the truth worth it??

SENSE-TIVITy

2007-07-13T18:06:00.000+08:00

Live Earth, the sensational 24 hour concert, ended off with a big bang. More than 100 artists took part in concerts in nine different locations around the world in an effort to raise awareness about the global warming crisis. The message to drive home is to be more sensitive towards our delicate environment, already plagued by problems of pollution and depletion of finite resources. For many years, human have ignored the bigger environmental issue when it comes to the selfish pursuit of satisfaction and comfort. Burning fossil fuels to power our air conditioners, or cutting down trees to produce our furniture are just some common examples to highlight our guilt. Yet, this trend continues because man still lacks a basic trait in their behaviour.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Sensitivity. (claps)

This is an characteristic that is increasingly becoming important and sorely missed. When companies decide to pollute the rivers, it shows a lack of concern and basic disregard about the people that depends on the river for a living. When politicians recklessly declare war on another, it breaks up numerous families and kills many innocent victims. Yet, they care more about the victory than the precious lives that were thrown away.

The point here is whether we ever consider the impact of our actions on people? Are we sensitive to the needs of the people and the environment around us? Or are we just blindly consumed by the satisfaction of pursuing our own actions, without sparing a thought for others. For a start, we should start to exhibit some sensitivity. Wrong or right actions can be judged if we all use some common sense-tivity. And the world will be a better place if we consider the larger social cost of our actions.

Don't wait for another time to start being sensitive. Don't wait for another man to come to Earth to redeem our sins. Ultimately, don't wait for another concert to raise awareness of the need for sense-tivity.

Thank you. (:

faith.

2007-07-05T22:36:00.000+08:00

faith is confidence. faith is trust. faith is belief. it is something that is not easily given away. it is something that is sacred. yet, faith can be earned through observation, understanding, and respect. once given, it stands firm as a fortress, unwavering in the face of doubt. there may be times when the ground turns weak and wobbly, and faith seems ready to topple over. there may be times where faith becomes disturbed by events and incidents that one witnessed, heard or felt.

And at such times, faith starts to melt away. The four pillars of support may just crumble under the pressure, burying faith into the deep depths of earth. forever hidden, until man forgets its existence.

for now, my faith stays.

picture storybook;food & women

2007-06-05T17:51:00.000+08:00

When i was young, i love picture storybooks. It was simply a joy to read fascinating stories with illustrated pictures to capture my imagination. Today, I shall attempt to write one of my own with pictures taken using my Nokia phone in a local roti prata
store. Hope you enjoy this.

Entry Title: Food & Women

There are many kinds of women. They can be classified into several broad categories according to their characteristics or features. Some desire to be inside a particular category. While others are satisfied with their existing group. This entry shall seek to explore some of these common categories.

Let's start with my favorite kind.

THE HOT & SPICY

(picture of curry)

They are red hot. They make people sweat profusely. It is as if they are on fire, blazing the ground with their graceful movements and creating sparks upon contact. However, consuming too much of them has adverse effects. They give heart problems, since it has high cholesterol. Consume at your own risk.

The next category are highly sought after and favored by mother-in-laws.

THE "FECUND VESSELS"

Few people are aware that they are in this category until an event occurs. However there are some defining characteristics, which are hard to escape our attention. Wide hip. Large buns & bums. They are constantly in demand by mother-in-laws, especially those who only have a precious son to extend their family line. (Apparently, media portrays less of father-in-laws concerned about such gritty stuff.)There is some difficulty involved in identifying people in these categories akin to telling a good egg from a bad one.

Next, we have another popular category as highly demanded as the hot & spicy.

THE KAWAII SUGARCUTIES

(sugar on plate)
They are mostly lovable (those that are not lovable, are most likely the act cute kind.) They are sweet-looking. They are eye candies. Like all good things, there are some flaws as well. As a result of being too sweet, most find themselves being plagued with toothache and even diabetes due to reckless overdose. You have been warned.

This next category does not really belong in this women category. But without them, the topic never really seems complete.

THE TRANNY

(holder to contain pepper and soy sauce)
There is limited knowledge to divulge in this category. Talk to a real pro to find out more.

Lastly, a inside joke.

Ok, I didn't get that from a roti prata store.

jumble-o-mix

2007-06-03T08:40:00.000+08:00

It started with the national arts quiz.
Then, history repeats itself in SAT test.

On 2ND June 2007, I made a grave mistake. It was a foolish error, partially caused by time pressure. With the clock ticking down, i felt lost in a pressure cooker. Words that would normally flow to my mind were jammed. Sparks of brilliance were nonexistent on that day. In haste, I wrote a poo-poo; Albert Einstein failed 10,000 combinations before creating the first light bulb. It is especially ironic when the question ask if people benefit from adversity or misfortune. If this question comes out again, I will be tempted to quote my own little life example.

All right, hope you got a good laugh. Now, go back to your studies(and be serious).

Writer's thoughts:
I think i need a crash course on modern history.

FlaGay insights,oops i missed the letter:D

2007-05-21T16:51:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I was involved in the flag day charity drive to raise more funds for a hospital. It was my first flag day and I was rather nervous about it because of the numerous "FRIGHTENING" accounts that I heard. As in really frightening, BOO! The usual complains of exhausted legs, tiring hands and even swollen ankles (level 6 ultimate!) were discouraging to the soul, but I had to experience it for myself. After all, a man got to do what a man got to do. At the very least, I could console myself that I was contributing to the community, and helping the needy patients who could not afford their expensive treatment(unless it's another T.T Durai at their helm).

I started the day with high spirits, clearly affected by the infectious enthusiasm displayed by several of the volunteers. Ask Wei Chung if you don't know what I mean. Some of their smiles exhibited a strong sense of care and love for the unfortunate and it greatly inspired me to contribute my best to this charitable cause. My happiness was enhanced by the fact that the waiting time (for the charity can) was also very short, as apparently there was some shorter line for Hwa Chong students. Some comments of VIP privilege were mentioned, but I largely ignored them. It would be unfair to create a separate, special line just for us but we were not so naive as to believe such random piece of crap. (really no offence to others or their school that suggested this.)

The next task was to decide on the location to carry out our flag day. WC Niam, the conventional "auntie killer" immediately suggested Toa Payoh, no thanks to the high population of aunties shopping/living there. It was quickly agreed upon, as none of us (wc,ps,ck,niam and kg) inherited the evil fickle-minded gene, that recently became a notorious epidemic. With the location settled, we quickly boarded the MRT, and travelled to our destination.

My 4 other mates had a head start while I filled my stomach first. After finishing my breakfast, they already had quite a handful of coins in their cans. Beside, they were spread out quite efficiently and there was little space for me to join the party. WC Niam opted to camp outside the bank, hoping that passersby would be kind enough to donate their newly withdrawn fifty dollar notes. If ATM could give out coins, he would be the first to finish giving out his stickers. Wei Chung had the best spot, where the human traffic was the greatest. Chun Kang held a slightly less favourable position, but his "tooty smile" and never-say-die attitude more than compensated the drawback. Peng Sing was waiting under the bridge, but was unfortunately ks-ed by other over-enthusiastic students. The area was clearly saturated and at full employment, and thus I opted to walk several blocks away and situated myself near a library. It was a good decision because there were many avid book readers and muggers, who were happy to depart with their ten cent coins. It was also near to a bus stop and there was considerable human traffic.

At first, the result was discouraging. Holding the charity can was like carrying an infectious disease, with its symptoms clearly displayed all over my forehead. People started avoiding me, their pace quickening and several of them started displaying impressive qing gong abilities. Some chose to alter their direction, upon noticing me while others pretended to be engaged in an action. Initially, I was rather disappointed by their actions. In the end, it gave way to laughter because it was really a funny sight. One person was so focused on avoiding me, that she crashed into another fellow who was doing the exact same thing and I couldn't help but laugh at such a comical event. And then, it dawned on me that I had to exhibit a passionate attitude in order to convincingly persuade others to donate. I adopted a friendly and caring mentality in order to appeal to the kindness of the people. The warm greeting and numerous thanking reaped tremendous results.

There were boyfriends eager to impress their girls, displaying both their love and wealth. There were daddy and mummy eager to please their children. For every person that was keen to avoid me, there were other people willing to do their part for charity and this was really heartwarming.

Through this flag day, I also learnt a valuable lesson. There was this foreign worker who was trudging under the hot sun with large packets of spices and food. I did not approach him because he had his hands full, and it would be unlikely that he donate as it was rather inconvenient- this could be a result of my sub-conscious discrimination, since such a thought did not cross my mind. The next moment, he came to me, keen to know about the organisation which I was raising funds.

The conversation roughly went like this:

"Hello. What is this for?"

"Hi! Would you like to donate? This is for Ang Mo Kio Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, to help needy patients who cannot afford their expensive treatment, due to financial difficulties."

"Oh, I see." Without another thought, he whipped out a green dollar note and firmly slipped it into my charity can. "I would only donate to the organisation, where the unfortunate is really in need of my help. Otherwise, I would not donate my money."

"Thank you," I said with deep gratitude. My highest fund raising came in such a surprising twist and this event taught me that no matter who we are, we do have the capacity to display kindness and ultimately it all boils down to our personal choice. Even if we are just an ordinary person on the street, our actions can make us extraordinary. And this person was really exceptional.

The catch is that the money should be used to aid the needy unfortunate- and not spent on constructing some golden tap to produce "bling bling" water.

[comments: this blog entry is written with some witty humour. please don't take it as personal offence as the writer has no malicious intention. serious.]

cuál es amor: the dysfunctional relationship.

2007-05-10T20:08:00.000+08:00

What does love mean?

I recall reading a research carried out by professionals who posed this difficult question to young children who were 6-8 years old. The rationale behind the decision to choose these young kids was because they were pure and innocent, along with their perceptions of love. They didn't go through the ups and downs of love, and thus their perceptions would be less biased or distorted by their own personal experience or exposure. The result was a variety of positive responses that reflected maturity and understanding. In other words, these children were very intelligent on the subject, in the sense that they weren't too perplexed by the complexity of the issue, and yet knowledgeable to grasp the essential concepts.

If you aren't convinced, then you will need to open your eyes widely to read these "touching words from the mouths of babes." Billy, at the age of 4, exclaimed, "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." When 7 year old Noelle was asked the menacing question, he confidently replied, "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." My own personal (stunning) observation from this research is that not everyone have the same perception of love;and this difference starts from a very young age. At times, these perceptions converge and the end result is an unforgettable experience of happiness and bliss. But, what about the times when these perceptions diverge terribly wide? We could have person A taking the meaning of love as kissing under the beautiful night stars,pouring out all our affection and care and hearing the phrase "I love you" for umpteen times And then person B views love as intimacy that needs no affirmation or (repeated) questioning, and places more faith on subtle actions than the tried-and-tested phrase. The outcome is person A questioning the committment of his counterpart, and person B being frustrated by endless questioning of his faith. Throw in a few thunderstorms and this love ship will sink to the bottom of the ocean (no pun intended.)

Another possibility that causes this dysfunctional relationship is our reference anxiety. There is this persistent strange habit to compare between things and we all hate such comparisons. Most parents love to compare the grades (and intelligence) of their child with other siblings/cousins/child of frens/whatever shit you name it. Most teachers like to compare our miserable results with other brilliant students. Think Kevin. And we all hate this comparison because it devalues the merits of an individual. And yet, people are drawn towards making such comparisons, no matter how they hate being compared. Reference anxiety applies to the realm of relationship as well. People love to compare and don't shy away from stating these comparisons truthfully. "Why can people wait for their love everyday, no matter rain or shine and you can't even spend a day with me? Do you really love me?" In the case of parents comparing grades or managers comparing performance, everyone hates being involved in such comparisons. In short, these comparisons create frictions in social relationships and future hazards whenever a quarrel heats up.

Of course, not all relationships are ultimately dysfunctional. In fact, a relationship is functional for most of the time because at the time that it turns dysfunctional, it will be soon be painfully severed or forgotten (and that doesn't constitute any positive relationship anymore.)

the truth about hollows

2007-05-07T22:50:00.000+08:00

The Hollows in BLEACH fascinates me. Their blood-shot eyes and maniac looks, the hallmarks of a lunatic strike a familiar chord. I have witnessed them and certainly experienced such mindless frenzy before.

Every single one of us have a hollow living inside us, waiting for the right chance to strike at our consciousness, rationality and sanity. The only thing that differs from individual to individual is the strength of our hollow and its frequency of appearance. The strength of the hollow refers to its ability to distort our mind and its degree of control over our actions and thoughts. Its appearance, is often aggravated by the occurrence of certain events that disturb our mind. For instance, those cryptic voices that are whispering in your head could be the work of our own hollow and not the devils (as suggested by certain religious beliefs). This is also a plausible reason for split personality and other similar symptoms of different behaviour.

At a time when our hollow appears, everyone of us would have to make the difficult decision of either suppressing their influence (which is ultimately a heculean task) or risk submitting ourselves to this hollow.

dissecting concepts of rationality.

2007-04-29T17:57:00.000+08:00

"If one devalues rationality, the world tends to fall apart."
-Lars von Trier, Danish film director.

What is meant by rationality when Lars von Trier made this statement? In Max Weber words, rationality can be easily replaced by "efficiency" or "logical consistency" and "empirical proof" but it doesn't fit so well in this context. Hence, the need to rationally develop the concept of rationality.

After going through several literature, I find that the definition given by Kizima in his work,"The Historical Process of Culture and the Problem of Rationality", is the most comprehensive one, that encompass all the hallmarks of rationality:

Becoming aware of the objective problem situation and formulating the problem requiring solution;
Defining the field of possible or desired solutions and making decisions about the proper program for problem solving;
Implementing the program, and controlling and correcting its course;
Analysing and evaluating results.

With that said, let us explore the applications of the rationality concept. The first is that rationality provides the fundamental framework for a systematic analysis of a practical or theoretical problem and paving the way for evaluative applications. It is a significant key to explaining the current social system and our social actions. In dimensions without rationality, anything becomes possible (in the theoretical sense). In that dimension, we could even take black as white.

As of now, my rational mind screams that my blog readership is dropping as a result of being classified in the heavyweight category.

insightful lessons from a geography of time (by Robert Levine)

2007-04-24T18:03:00.000+08:00

Scribbles:
1. Before I start, I want to apologise to you if you wasted TIME reading my previous blog entry. It was just a deliberate (and unsuccessful) attempt to revive my inactive blog, which I felt was moving into a deep slumber.

2. The blog entry was also a violation of the objectives of my blog, which is to entertain and educate my readers. This justify my decision to apologise.

3. For the sake of reference, I shall not delete the previous entry.
___________________________
Preface:
The main central idea of this entry is time. Together with time, other related issues such as pace of life, urgency and event times were beautifully discussed in a thought-provoking book entitled A Geography of Time (The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist), written by Robert Levine.
___________________________

The invention of accurate wristwatch and the widespread construction of public clocks in urban cities have intensified the relationship between time and man. I am sure you would be able to recall some of the more famous quotes describing this intricate relationship. An impressive description of this relationship would be the old Italian proverb that read, "Man measures time, and time measures man." Even though, time remains important in our daily lives, there was a lack of literature which critically examined this relationship or any thorough research on this topic. Hence, the brilliant observations and interesting field experiments of Robert Levine, all carefully captured in this book was a worthwhile read.

Among the wide range of findings, the most intriguing and acute discoveries/observations were the factors behind the pace of life in urban cities, the workings of the psychological clock and rules of the waiting game. Due to time constraint (see the relevance of time?), I would only briefly touch on these issues but I strongly urge any curious soul to pick up this book, if you are fascinated by the above issues.

According to a field experiment, Singapore was ranked as the 15th city in terms of pace of life among 31 urban cities. Switzerland came out top(fastest pace of life), while Mexico finished last. The experiment was based on a number of variables, including the walking speed of pedestrians, the working speed of postal clerks and the accuracy of public clocks. So what exactly affects the pace of life in a city? Is it economy of the country or the culture of the people? The suggested reply was the economic well-being, the degree of industrialisation, the population size, the climate and the cultural values of the people. A great irony was that the invention of time-saving machines resulted in even less free-time per day. An example was that the invention of the vacuum cleaner lifted the cleanliness standard of the people and in doing so, resulted in them using more time to use these machines. The startling revelation nearly knocked me off my feet and it cemented my interest to complete this book and to share this knowledge.

If the above paragraph isn't interesting enough to capture your attention, then I hope the next part does so. Have you ever played the waiting game with your partner and won? If your statistics aren't very glorious, then this could be a potentially useful book to hone your skills. Learn more about the rules of the waiting game and the skillful use of the siddharta move. Writer Alexander Rose once said, "Half the agony of living is waiting." Why not learn more about this waiting and alleviate your suffering?

Due to time constraints, I bid you goodbye. After all, time is money. Or is it? ;)

The Butler's Dilemma

2007-04-14T13:36:00.000+08:00

this is basically a rip-off from The Dilbert Blog.

For the sake of convenience, I'll paste it here:

"Let’s say you’re the butler to a billionaire who lives alone. The billionaire dies in his sleep. You know he owns a large piece of jewelry that no one else has seen, and you have access to it.

If you steal the piece of jewelry, sell it, and give the money to an African charity, you can feed an entire village for a year. The village would otherwise starve. If you don’t steal the jewelry, it will go to his surviving family who has so much money they won’t care about it.

Obviously it is illegal to steal the jewelry and feed the starving village in Africa. But do you have a moral obligation to commit the crime for the greater good?

And if so, do you likewise have a moral obligation to steal anything else you can get your hands, from dead billionaires or living neighbors, if you can use the stolen property for the greater good?"

Interesting Answers:
1. moral obligation is a oxymoron.
2. the billionaire is dead, the Africans are living, and life is for the living.
3. corruption is rampant in Africa.
4. steal the gem and exchange it for money (to feed the village). then steal the gem back.
5. give a man a fish, and he would last for a day. teach a man how to fish, and he would last forever. why don't steal the gem and invest?
6. ask robin hood, and he would give you a satisfying answer.

ULTIMATE:
he steals the gem and finds out the next day, that the billionaire willed it to him for his loyalthy and good service.

Discovering Jainism

2007-04-05T18:41:00.000+08:00

"I do not know if there is rebirth or not, or life after death. But, if it is true, I would like to be born in India as a Jain."

The wise words of prominent scientist, Albert Einstein, ignited my interest in Jainism. For those who are not familiar with this term, Jainism is a religion and philosophy that originated from India. Jainism is a little different from missionary religions, in the case that it does not actively seek faithful converts and more importantly, Jainism is not chauvinistic or supremacist. In the heart of Jainism is tolerance, acceptance and appreciation and this includes recognising and respecting differences. This ancient wisdom from India is increasingly important in our fragmented world as glaring differences threaten to divide our society and create destruction through the use of violence.

Jainism ask us to recognise and acknowledge the interdependence between of all souls that exist in our environment, regardless of its size, nature, gender, biology, religion or any other differences. This interdependence is founded on the principle that all souls have equal chance of gaining enlightenment, and the notion of enlightenment transcends the differences and labels that threaten to divide. Humans above all, with the most heightened consciousness places them in the best position to spot this interrelationship and appreciate them. From this fundamental platform, Jainism teaches that since all souls are regarded as equal, acceptance of diversity should be encouraged instead of denouncing such differences. This has huge implications in our world today as terrorism (conflict between religions), racism (conflict between races), and military violence (conflict between interests) continue to plague our society.

Another cornerstone of Jainism is its principle of non-violence. In fact, Jainism influenced the thoughts and actions of Mahatma Gandhi, an advocate of non-violence. The concept of non-violence stems from the belief that nobody wishes to be harmed by anything or anybody. By further extending this belief, there is no living being that has ever existed that wants to be harmed, and therefore we should not seek to harm in order to maintain this universal order. Some may confuse this teaching as not harming animals (becoming vegetarian), but this is not the case. Jainism recognises that some harm is unavoidable in life as there is always competing interests. What we can do is to lessen this harm and avoid causing unnecessary vice. In the words of Dr David Frawley, "non-violence is a call to action to make the world a more peaceful place."

Though not widely known, Jainism as an ancient wisdom has immense potential to heal our ailing world, where materialism, violence, racism and terrorism threatens to divide us into different camps, aiming for each other throats. With emphasis on individual responsibility, interconnectedness of all living systems, the principle of non-violence and the need to just live simply, Jainism proves to be an exciting spiritual journey, as well as a interesting philosophy, relevant to the 21st Century.

cherish

2007-03-24T13:45:00.000+08:00

I gasped in horror after witnessing her unfortunate fall. She was thin, weak and fragile as her tiny body frame provided little protection. A rough devilish use of force unsettled her balance and she fell helplessly to the ground. In a feeble attempt to cushion the impact, she landed on her knees and palms, and the resultant force crushed her bones. She winced in pain, biting her lips to divert her nerve senses but the agony was too intense and it didn't go off. Even though bodily pain would never be transmitted through the air, I was certain that the affliction was somehow passed on to me. Through staring at her unfortunate plight, I shared her misery and silent suffering and my heart wept for that poor girl.

She didn't deserve that ill fate. She was young and pretty and there is no doubt that she would have a bright future ahead, if not for this unlucky incident. She was also a obedient, loyal and submissive servant, attending well to her master's needs. She wouldn't shirk from her responsibilities or duties, and would always strive to complete her job with pride and efficiency. Why then does she deserve such a harsh treatment? Why can't she be treated with respect and care? Those were the questions which flashed through my mind as I struggled to comprehend the situation.

The unconcerned, uncaring and indifferent look on the bully was even more unforgivable. He radiated an aura of heartlessness, generated from the belief that she could be easily replaced. After all judging from his swanky attire, money is certainly not a issue for him. He would have no problems getting prettier ones, or better ones to displace her but this kind of attitude was totally unacceptable.

But what can I do? Confront him to start a fight or silently pray for her well-being? In the end, I just walked away like a ice man, appearing to be emotionless and indifferent. Deep down, I secretly hope that she would crumble under the impact and draw her last breadth after the accident.

After all, it would be satisfying if the bully pays a substantial sum of money to repair his spoilt mobile phone.

is equal society desirable/ possible?

2007-03-13T21:31:00.000+08:00

I was momentarily thrown back when I encountered this "powerful" question in a book, which I just finished recently. The book, Checkmate written by Malorie Blackman, was a thrilling twist of hatred, violence, inequality, discrimination, of hope and love, all captured in a fascinating plot that holds the attention of the reader in a vice-like grip. The most attractive feature of this book is that it sets the brain into thinking, as readers can't help but to compare this mind-gripping story with reality as we search for the answers to racial discrimination.

Set in the middle of the plot, a classroom debate about whether an equal society is desireable and/or possible was one of the many thought-provoking questions, raised by the author. Many would the make the fatal mistake of taking equality as being the same, which one of the characters prominently pointed out. An equal society does not equate to individuals having similar characteristics, religion, or values;having no differences. An equal society is about "equal opportunities, equal choices and equal treatment."

After some quiet reflection, I cannot help but notice the effect of differences on notions of equality. Because of the differences that exist within individuals, it inevitably drives a wedge between people, allowing rooms for comparisons. When cetain groups of people cannot tolerate diversity, such differences become the source of discrimination and inequality. It does not matter whether such differences are distinct or subtle, so long as there is asymmetry, there will always be injustice and unfairness. This brings us to the point of the possibility of an equal society. It is technically impossible to remove all differences from the society (God forbids that!) and therefore we must live to accept the fact that differences are here to stay. The real issue then is to increase the tolerance of diversity, and embrace this difference, instead of viewing them as a separate identity.

There is no doubt whether equal society is desireable, unless the question is being posed to one that is reaping the benefits of existing inequality. What about equal society being possible? For some, it may be an idealistic notion, an idea that is too far-fetched; good to see from afar, but difficult to achieve. Hmmph. The onus is on us to make it possible.

science and ethics

2007-03-08T22:10:00.000+08:00

What do you understand by the term, ethic? Is it merely just a complex philosophical term that seems irrelevant in your mundane life or have you encountered such a term before? Most people would give the common answer that ethic is all about good and evil or right and wrong. Less people would delve into the relatively unknown realms of meta-ethics and its analysis, which would totally sweep me off my feet.

In any case, the topic of discussion here is about ethic and science, or rather ethic and knowledge acquiring. In the modern world today, where acquiring knowledge is intensive, important and integral to the progress of our society, the line between ethic and knowledge acquiring is often blurred. Take the example of The Stanford Prison Experiment. In a quest to gain knowledge about the psychology of prison, a real-life stimulation was carried out to observe the struggle between the prisoners(powerless) and the guards(empowered). During this experimental process, it appears that ethic was sacrificed in order to obtain greater knowledge.

When is it necessary to make such a bold sacrifice and can this sacrifice ever be justified? I do acknowledge the value of the knowledge gain in the field of study, but the violation of human rights in this case offsets the gain in knowledge. Yes, avid supporters could argue on the side of utilitarian theory, since this knowledge gain could potentially benefit a large population with its adverse effects concentrated on a small group of victims. Yet, the distress and impacts on the participants are painstakingly obvious for all to notice and we can only blame this on our innate curiosity.

The desire for perfect knowledge, to satisfy all our doubts, and to gain supremacy is driving us into a perverse obsession. We need to stop dead in our tracks, and critically reflect on our actions before this impulsive drive for knowledge brings us all the way to a point of no return. By then, it would already to be too late to spare a thought for ethic, which seems so idealistic.

boosting birth rate?

2007-03-06T22:46:00.000+08:00

THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB

This is not a personal swipe at Hong Kah GRC's MP Ang Mong Seng, but I find the idea of a friendship club as being too "desperate" and inappropriate. Indeed, Singapore total fertility rate is a troublesome issue, well below the replacement total fertility rate(TFR) of 2.1. In years to come, Singapore would be left supporting an ageing population and the adverse impacts that accompany it. Also, with some of sectors of the population growing at a faster rate than the others, this new situation threatens to upset our social stability, which is painstakingly protected by our Government. No wonder, our MPs are wrecking their brains over this touchy issue in a bid to boost our nation's ailing birth rate.

However, the proposal of friendship club does not seem the perfect solution to this problem. Beside the new potential dangers that this proposal could bring, the whole idea of the need to teach youths the skill of socialising and interacting is simply a derogatory concept. Personally, I felt that this was just another nice phrase to criticise the social networking of Singapore youths. What would other nation think about Singapore and its citizens if this proposal becomes a reality? That Singaporeans are so hopeless in relationship thus warranting the need to introduce a crash course as a CCA in secondary school. Or why not abolish the rules preventing the "shortening of skirt" in secondary school to convert potential gays into straight, thus boosting our birth rates as well. The whole point is that Singapore, which prides itself as a modern and first-world country, could deal with the problem much better than just a friendship club.

What is the root of the problem? Is it the emancipation of women? The growing line of birth-control products? Or is the stress of living in a highly competitive society hindering our reproducing abilities? In any case, the root of the problem must be addressed before signs of progress can be observed. In my own humble opinion, this is not an easy feat to achieve, which is why half-hearted or simple efforts would not work wonders.

What we need is a comprehensive strategy to tackle this problem whole-heartedly.

Kudos to Hong Kah GRC's MP Ang Mong Seng for boldly suggesting this idea and for his good intentions to increase the TFR. Bon children? -laughs-

unique solution?

2007-02-27T20:20:00.000+08:00

In many cases, there are many explanations/solutions to a single event/problem. just take the case of "why did the chicken cross the road?" If you were curious and googled this, you would find overwhelming range of explanations by different people.

Why Did I Cross The Road?

Well, you certainly won't be amazed by that since it isn't the work of mine so I shall attempt to do an adaptation of the chicken story.'

The question here is whether what goes around comes back around?

My version of answer would be something like this: According to popular economics, this may certainly be the case and it can be represented by the circular flow of karma, as adapted from circular flow of income. When one commits acts of sin, this can be counted as withdrawal of good karma. When one commits acts of kindness, this can be conisdered as injection of good karma. Therefore, if withdrawal is not met with the same magnitude of injection, then one will have bad (negative) karma, and God shall punish you! If injection > withdrawal, one will have good (positive) karma, and God shall reward you!So what goes around comes back around.

However, there are several assumptions to take note:
1. Good karma is awarded when acts of kindness is committed, and converse is true.
2. The original karma that one started with at time of birth is equal to 0.
3. God exist in the universe.

My solution would be completely different from others, who can offer another explanation. For example, Justin Timberlake would just say, "I thought I told ya, hey." And George Bush will talk to you about Terrorism and the Iraq War. And Hutu will tell you about the story of cockroaches, how "one cockroach can start an infestation.", and their hatred with Tutsi.

Morale of story? There are just so many solutions to a problem. Don't be afraid to find out your own. For all you know, it could be even better than the conventional ones. =)

silent whispers.

2007-02-14T21:39:00.000+08:00

creeping behind the shadows, the cryptic voice exerted its influence. speaking in strings of incongruous language, the corrupting tongue contaminated the mind. treacherous words aggravated extreme feelings of vexation and infuriation. the delicate mind is frail and fragile. as such, it is extremely vulnerable to such insidious taunts, which potentially sets off catastrophic disaster. yet, one can only blame himself for succumbing to these disturbing voices for their own soul could not hold firm in the face of such illusionary sentiments. if only one has the ability to sensibly judge justice from injustice, right from wrong, reality from illusion, then can he truly shake free from the vice-like grip of the misleading voice.

story of ctrl + alt + del

2007-02-11T17:49:00.000+08:00

for those faithful readers, you would notice that this is a recycled entry from my old blog. it's too good an article to chuck it somewhere in the old archive so here goes:

ctrl + alt + del = shut down

the story of CTRL

slowly but definitely. silently but unfortunately. the bare essence of control is slipping away from my vice-like grip. for a individual that prides himself for his composure, his flexible, astute and sagacious thinking, this is equivalent to a forceful punch,coupled with menancing knuckle-duster, on his fragile torso. This is almost akin to a fatal thrust that leaves a deep gash that even time couldn't simply erase nor eradicate. and all this, is the exact unequivocal pain that i'm feeling. the feeling that doesn't usually occurs but nonetheless difficult to avoid. There is no escape. I'm sure that many other individuals would have felt the same excruciating suffering, the tribulation of being helpless or even hopeless. As quick as required of a swirl of the conical flask in titration, i have suddenly found myself casted into an atramentous, shadowy, and clouded world, a unchartered territory. this isn't really unexpected. In other words, I had forecasted it based on my limited knowledge. As this murky future charges towards me like a bull charging towards his gladiator, all that I'm doing is cowering like a loser, accepting the certain fate that awaits, beckons and belongs to me.

the story of ALT

life is concrete. Strong, hard, and difficult to destroy. Yet its fragile in the face of violent nature; helplessly rooted to a building as a class 5 hurricane approaches with a sickening spin. as i alternate between my present and my past, i can't help but reflect on the wide differentials and sharp turning points of my life. If my complicated life could be plotted in similary ways of a overly-simplified function graph, there would no doubt as to the no. of turning points. past mistakes are forgotten, committed, and regretted. Yet this causal nexus repeats itself all over again akin to vicious cycle, and i find myself back to ground 0 or rather catch-22. a lose-lose situation arising from the failure to accept mistakes, the failure to learn from mistakes, the failure of being a failure. swearing no longer works. promises are just weaves of poorly-patched lies concealing a explicit truth. and this truth will continue to plague me like a scourge until it makes or breaks me.

the story of DEL

life sucks now. it sucks energy, enthusiasm and time off my youthful spirit. until i am left with a hollow shell to cover my truly ugly nakedness, and to lie in eternity without any ounce of strength as to make a struggle. all this to happen after fighting for every second, making every effort or action,... this is such a waste. if people could know his/her sorry fate the moment a sperm successfully destroys the protective protein coating and invades into the egg, many would have chosen to forfeit their life to save the trouble. Just this once, i wish that i could delete my life and be reborn. Or to delete the unpleasant memories. But wish only exists in the most far-fetched, improbable or outlandish Marchen, specially written for weaklings and nerds. and this, i do not belong.

so when the story of CTRL, the story of ALT and the story of DEL intersects at a common point, life comes to abrupt halt; like in a computer; with a click, it shuts down. with a slash, life shuts down. :/

lady luck

2007-02-04T12:54:00.000+08:00

Lady luck smiled on me that day when i stumbled across a group of SMU cheerleaders getting their act together. Apart from having (S) figures that every girl will strive for, or rather every guy will die for, they displayed something more special than what their physical appearance suggest.

There's something about cheerleaders that attract people. It's not just their pleasant voices which is capable of lifting fatigue and driving their team forward. And it's definitely not just their attire or the gravity-defying acts of throwing girls into the air. It's the confidence that they display which makes them special. It's the X-factor which makes them so popular. And it's the tenacity they exhibit which makes cheerleaders so mesmeric. (or tantalizing to scherzo. /quote"slurp")

confidence is beautiful? perhaps.

beautiful is being confident;as the cheerleaders taught me.

halely land

2007-01-30T19:26:00.000+08:00

-Not for the faint-hearted-

A few nights ago, I encountered a mystifying experience; so extraordinary, that I had to pinch my sore thighs to confirm my existence. It wasn't just unusual but freaky as well. Before I narrate this unparalleled occurrence, please take a small pause to regulate your breathing and heartbeat. -pause-

You ready?

On that fateful night, I was pretty exhausted after enduring a taxing mugging session, in a desperate bid to cramp in details of National Income Accounting. After struggling with fatigue, I rationally decided that turning in early was in the best interest of my collasping body and wasted brain. [you have to understand that I can only study when I am walking around. .:. if i study for 2 hrs, then i would have completed afew 2.4 km.] As I plunged into my bed, the warm fuzzy feeling finally coaxed me into unconsciousness and into the dark abyss of supernatural powers.

Mere words can't describe what I am trying to say, since my experience was so abstract and far-fetch, but I will attempt to do so and sincerely hope that you can understand. Have you ever heard of bei4 gui3 ya1 [direct english translation: kanna step by ghost] I felt something similar. My brain was awake but I couldn't control my body movements. My vision was blinded by a shining white light and my thoughts were in a blur. Though I couldn't see any terrifying ghost, I was quite worried about my sorry state. I mean, it was like Jesus, cloaked in white, knocking on my door before my 18th birthday? I can't imagine that. At least not until I sleep with the holy bible under my pillow. So, it troubled me and soon, I was earnestly urging my body to snap out of this hypnosis. This experience is akin to the female lead actor in Kill Bill, attempting to wriggle her big toe. Totally hilarious.

Unanticipatedly, my body responded and I regained my consciousness. That was the moment I gave my thighs a pinch and felt a surge of pain. Thank God I didn't try that on my nipples! and that I'm alive! Reflecting back on this, I think that I was in a transition state at that moment. Maybe, I was really going off but God had other important things to do, like saving the world, thereby giving me another chance. Something like the last scene of Constantine, just that I didn't point my middle fingers.

Anyway, I'm glad that I still can use blogger and that the drama was finally over. Even though the scars on my thigh are gone, I will still remember this episode of my life. Amen.

free radical substitution and love relationship

2007-01-24T21:13:00.000+08:00

i was studying the reaction mechanism, free radical substitution (FRS), for alkanes until a novelty struck me! Why not draw parallel examples that resemble such a reaction so that I can have a better time remembering this? So, here goes:

Initiation Step of FRS:
In the presence of sunlight, the chlorine molecule undergoes homolytic fission, forming a free radical. Free radical are species with an electron and therefore are very reactive.

Initiation (of break-up) Step of <3 relationship:

In the presence of heated argument of conflict of interests, couples undergoes homolytic fission, each taking their hearts back from the relationship, and breaking the bond that once kept them close. Since they are emotionally unstable at this point, they readily interact with friends, seeking comfort, security and consolation.

Propagation Stepof FRS:
The chlorine free radical abstracts a hydrogen from a molecule, forming carbon-halogen bond. Another chlorine free radical is produced.

Propagation Step of <3 relationship:

The heartbroken person finds a close friend to confide his/her sorrows. Comforting consolation words from his/her friend warms his/her heart, and for once, the heartbroken person finds life meaningful again, and in the process, forms a stronger bond with his/her friend. Meanwhile, the friend may become gloomy after hearing the sad story and may confide in another friend, thus continuing the reaction.

Termination Step of FRS:

The reaction is slowed once two radicals combine to form a stable product, without producing another free radical to continue the reaction.

Termination Step of <3 relationship:

The heartbroken person, after being comforted, becomes emotionally stable again, and thus discontinuing this reaction.

WOW! what a great way of remembering FRS. (:

the man with his trishaw

2007-01-16T17:32:00.000+08:00

The monstrous red ball of supreme heat hung on the clear blue sky, relentlessly torturing the travellers. Under the sweltering heat, a man was committed to his task. Sporting a T-shirt covering his thin body frame, he resembled the typical Asian man. He had dark bronze skin, with eyes that speak of a wealth of experience and resolute determination. His muscles strained with every pedal, as he persisted despite the daunting obstacles.

This incident provided me a lesson. Previously, I decided to stop my efforts. However, after this heart-warming incident, I finally realised that determination is the key to resolving my situation. As for now, I only need to find this key.

welfare rep

2007-01-04T18:30:00.000+08:00

THANKS for voting me as your welfare rep even though you know I have a BAD track record for such events.

I seriously don't get the rationale behind this. >.<

Erm. I will do my best to fulfill that role along with WJ and YS.

colours of my world part II

2006-12-23T22:44:00.000+08:00

this is a fictional story inspired by my ex-classmate in primary school.

Returning from an arduous training, which was severely taxing, the thing that came to my mind as I slipped into my cosy queen sized bed was a comfortable rest. As consciousness gradually relinquished its control over my exhausted body, a new terror that is far more gruelling, formidable and punishing than the strenuous physical exercise, was forcefully thrusting into my head. A terrible nightmare had just began...

In the cloak of darkness, I was plunged into another dimension, which strangely resembled the world. Except that this new realm was void of any colour or emotions. There was no more breathtaking sunrise, or beautiful horizons filled with wispy, fluffy clouds. Everything that existed was in depressing shades of grey. Everything left was a discouraging display of lifelessness. It was a horrible sight;People struggled in this world with grim faces, as if living in a choking poisonous mist. My first reaction was to confirm my existence by giving myself a pinch on my cheeks, which sent a surge of pain running through my nerve system.

This was all for real. Confusion, like bony fingers gripped me with a vice-like grip, and panic rushed through my cells. What is happening? Why am I here? Endless questions raced through my mind as I struggled to understand the situation. I attempted to move, but my legs refused, as if being tied to a gigantic boulder of fear. At this moment, a part of me wanted to surrender myself to this omnipotent fear and retreat away from it, yet another part desired to tackle this head-on and restore colours and emotions back into this dimension. Before I could make my decision, a shimmer of bright light blinded me momentarily. As I regained my vision, a beautiful angel emerged before my eyes. She had emerald green eyes, skin as smooth as silk, and a pair of elegant wings. Before I could appreciate her beauty any further, she cut short my thoughts by explaining the dire situation. It seems that a terrible heinous lord had just kidnapped the Colour angels, and thereby plummeting the world into a grey, emotionless sphere. The only way to restore these colours was to annihilate this vile lord, and to release the Colour angels, and I was specifically chosen for this task.

Reaching deep into her cloak, the angel drew out a sword and offered her blessings. Summoning every ounce of courage left in me, I accepted the sword and swore that I would confront this maleficent warlord and not succumb to his sinful acts of wrath. I would not bear with this angony any longer. Without wasting another second, I swiftly made my way to the lair of this warlord. What hell awaited me there? I could only guess.

Trudging through the swampy paths that led to the lair of this warlord, the weight of the righteous sword gradually took its toll on me. Silent breathing turned into ragged gasps for breadth as I persisted on this exhausting journey, travelling straight up a commanding mountain. When the crescent moon took its position in the sky, fatigue was already seeping through my veins, effectively poisoning all my muscle cells. I could hold no more, and as the final resistance was brutally crushed, darkness overwhelmed me as I took refuge in a cave. It was not the warm rays of the sun that nudged me back to consciousness, but a rude rumbling of stone falling down the mountain. After recovering from this abrupt awakening, I was hell bent on discovering the source of this disturbance, which unsettled my sleep. But before I could venture any further from the cave, a flicker of shadow caught my attention. Instinctively, I gripped onto my reassurance, the elegant sword, and cautiously examined the new danger.

Out of the blue, a pair of shuriken flew towards me at break neck speed. I darted out of its path but was forced into a tight corner, as the assassin pressed on with his attack. Sensing that victory was near, the assassin revealed his position and let loose a mocking laughter, teasing my inability. When he let loose his last shurikens, I thought that my mission was over, and death would soon claim my pitiful soul. Painful memories of my family,friends and the angel appeared before me, haunting my existence. I failed my mission. I failed them all. And most importantly, I failed to restore colours back to this world. Because of my incompetence, I actually allowed evil to triump over the good. No! No way! I swore that I would not allow this to happen. Twisting my body into a unnatural position, I squeezed through the path of the shurikens. Closing the distance between us, I hastily drew my sword as I prepare to claim his head. The assassin, sensing my newly discovered strength, geared himself up with a dagger and a intimidating set of knuckleduster for the duel. As he slipped the last knuckleduster into place, I leapt into the air, hurriedly swinging a blow at his shoulders with all my might. However, the assassin was highly skilled, and that hasty attack was not sterling enough to scratch him.

The role was reversed when my opponent started his attack in a flowing manner, blending briskness with vigor. My energy drained as I defended his attack fanatically, yet my opponent remained so fresh, as if he had limitless energy and power. One potent punch struck my chest forcefully, which send me crashing into the wall of the cave. I struggled to recover footing, as the immense pain vibrating through my head had disoriented my balance. In a flash, the assassin landed another blow on my stomach, forcing me to cough a fresh stream of blood in vain protest. With substantial amount of blood oozing from my wounds, an escape would be impossible. I have to confront this opponent and overcome this obstacle. Familiarising myself with the environment, I realised that my sword was just a short distance away from me. The assassin approached me with the jade dagger in his hand, determined to end his pathetic opponent, which seemed fatally wounded. As he swung his dagger high into the air, I swiftly reached for my sword, and in a deft motion, drove my sword through his heart. He let loose a foul cry as a parting gift, before collasping with a sick 'thud'.

To be continued....

if only...

2006-12-15T13:21:00.000+08:00

Today, I saw a guy wearing a hearing aid. As my eyes met his, he quickly turned away. If time could be manipulated back, I would have stopped myself from fighting him.

INTJ/ISTJ

2006-12-13T22:38:00.000+08:00

i was puzzled by some problems these few days, and decided to take a personality test:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

The result was that I was a INTJ, which slightly contradicted with the result of ISTJ when I took a similar test in secondary school.

INTJ profile:

To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

Now, I feel that I understand alot of my problems and hope other people knows them too.

can you see the future?

2006-12-12T00:18:00.000+08:00

Before, I delve into the main point of this blog entry, I would like draw your attention to some essential background information which are necessary to ensure a smooth, enjoyable reading experience.

=================
1. 7 hand Poker, mentioned in this blog entry, is a MSN game, which is available with the MSN Live Messenger

2. In order to win this game, you either have to win 3 in a row [ not in consecutive playing sequence, but in consecutive layout.] or win 4 out of 7.

3. For the inquisitive mind, or if you have a prying soul, you can start a game of 7 Hand Poker to satisfy your curiousity.
=================

I was playing 7 Hand Poker with WJ, and led edgily with a tight scoreline of 3-2.

The crowning moment came when WJ handed me a clear-win situation.

Before playing out my biggest flush to win this game, I briefly lamented that I won this game, because of WJ's fatal mistake.

Then without any more hesitation, I placed my cards on the table, and awaited my glorious moment. To my surprise, the game acknowledged my win with a scoreline of 4-2, yet I wasn't declared the winner.

Fate played a cruel twist on my lament as WJ proceeded to triumph by winning 3 in a row.

This manner of victory jolted me, because at this moment, I realised that nothing in the future is definite. Reinforced by the fictional concept of Sharingan, what we see as inevitable future might only be a misleading illusion potrayed by our eye of hypnosis.

Think about that.

a sweet.

2006-11-24T20:33:00.000+08:00

I am sick of the food that I had to eat these days. While people dine on appetising/stimulating [stomach] home cooked food, served in piping hot condition, which forces one to lust for more, I'm "enjoying" my typical "Neighbourhood Food". If I'm not mistaken, I once remember a certain cartoon hero said that," there's a limit to everything and there's a boundary to tolerance that should never be trepassed." And this pile of bullshit " Neighbourhood Food" has culminated into a unbearable spire, making it worse than the whole of HC food added together. Enough is enough, and it's time to set things right! So I took out the underused wok that stood hidden in the kitchen and whipped out a sumptuous feast of pineapple rice with pork rib soup-just kidding. I just took more efforts to travel further to buy something new.

On this MRT journey to Admiralty to buy my dinner (apparently one stop from Sembawang, where I live), I noticed this lovely cute girl being carried by her mum. Out of the blue, as if some sort of fear just held her in a vice-like grip, she suddenly wailed and attempted to wriggle out of the embrace of her mum. She gave it all she had, the desperate flinging of arms, enthusiastic kicking of legs, and of course twisting her hips-but in vain. One of the commuters, obviously tormented by the psychological stress generated by her high-pitch cries, restlessly approached the little girl, with hands outstreched and fingers clutching a MENTOS mint sweet. [Hey, I accept Paypal Donations.] The sweet was obviously tempting and at that moment, one trickle of saliva can be seen trailing down the corners of her lips. The young girl, at her age, clearly has no willpower to resist such a generous offer, thus glady snatching the mint, and quickly putting it into her mouth, less it gets "stolen away". Then the wailing came no more, as the little girl slowly savour her precious victory.

As I reflected upon that incident, I realised that everyone has a similarity as that of the little girl. We all need something sweet to motivate us to achieve greater heights. We all need some rewards to congratulate ourselves if we did something good, and certainly we all need sweet memories of the past to inspire ourselves in the future. Such sweet rewards, motivations, or memories would not just walk up to us and say "hi", but like the little girl, we must stretch out our hands and reach for it.

If the little girl didn't reach out for it, she wouldn't get to enjoy the benefits of that sweet. If we didn't or wouldn't reach out, then we would never know the good things that are being offered.

Guide to Writing SERIOUSLY Good Book Review

2006-11-19T09:37:00.000+08:00

I have started noticing that there has been renewed interest in reading novels during the holidays. So why not post a book review and share with your friends?

This simple blog entry points out the various guidelines that separate a good book review from a inferior one.

BOOK REVIEW POINTERS:

[1] Include a physical description of the book.
[2] Give introduction about the author
[3] Summarise the key content of the book.
[4] Forecast/Highlight a point that you want your reader to take notice.
[5] Relevance of the plot/characters.
[6] The lessons learnt from this book.
[7] Bring forth a important message.

BOOK REVIEW SAMPLE by astuka:

The book review that I'm writing on is titled "The Cheat". It is in hard cover and there are only limited copies in the world. This book uses recycled paper, that is friendly to the environment and has dimensions of 20.2cm by 13.5cm, with a thickness of 3.05cm(measured by vernier caliper.) [1] The author of this book is an eccentric odd man, Gusav, who primarily writes about social ills, as well as youth issues. [2] Gusav is not very popular yet, and therefore a search on Google would most probably yield irrelevant result. Moreover, after dismal sales record, Gusav has been declared bankrupt after being sued by the publisher, Penguin, and is currently serving time in jail.

"The Cheat" is about an intelligent boy,Brian, in junior high, who hate reading novels. He feel that time wasted on reading books would be better spent on watching pulsating derby matches in EPL or playing professional poker while sponsered 10m by the British Government. However the plot gets a twist when the main character was tasked with an assignment of writing a book review for his beautiful girlfriend. Seeking to impress her, Brian stumbled upon a interesting book, which writes about a guy,Seth, who came up with a plot to fake his teacher. Seth made up a book from the thin air and smoked his way through the entire assignment. Interestingly, the teacher was deceived the realism of Seth's potrayal and gave him an A for his fantastic efforts. [4] Inspired by Seth, Brian did the same, hoping that he would get the same result. [3]

I can relate myself to Brian, because of my similar take on reading and therefore understand Brian's pains and struggles to read a book. I can also understand the sacrifice of desperate individuals, as well as the luring temptation to embark on this sinful path of cheating your teacher. [5] This book teaches us to have integrity and to uphold our moral values when doing a book review, and I would definitely recommend this book to any avid reader. [6]

According to a survey by NUS, if youths and adults pick up interest in reading books, there would be 56% decrease in crime rates in Singapore. [7]

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That's your book review! =)

blogspot welcomes astuka

2006-11-02T21:53:00.000+08:00

Seriously.

Establishing a blogging spot is one of the many objectives i've had for the holidays...

Since problems started to occur in my spaces domain, like frustrating me with its square, limited templates and the problem of not being able to post any more entry, the agony finally accumulated into a hurried good-bye. Now, to kick some ass.

The pen is mightier than the sword? Guess I got to prove here.