Clockwork Yo-yo

the new year

2008-12-31T16:39:00.002+08:00

A new year is upon us and a new beginning. Hopefully 2009 turns out to be a good year for me. Results, med app, ocs eligibility etc etc. 2008 shall be shed like a too-small-and-old exoskeleton and I shall have to grow into 2009. I don't buy into the bullshit of only NS being able to make me a man, 'coz they have enough man-children there itself. But I do hope that NS turns out to be a good experience - at the very least a sub-10 2.4! I think my resolution for he year would be to go cold turkey. Got more than enough time to do so. Jiayou me.

Note to self : Keep a straight head and look ahead.

plate turn

2008-12-29T17:20:00.001+08:00

I realised that just letting something out, can change the way you look at a person - even someone whom you've known all your life.

chef is out of town

2008-12-29T17:01:00.002+08:00

I sat at my keyboard with a vague notion of having something to say, but then it turned out to be mere word-wisps floating about in brain-soup.

fashion? haha.

2008-12-02T22:10:00.003+08:00

I don't get the deal with our sense of fashion. What is wrong with our sartorial sense? Seriously, knee length boots with tights? And furry at that? How come no one told me anything about the climate change? Tights/leggings(whatever) - the obsession many seem to have with them is insane. Wear it with everything? That's just one of my peeves. Maybe I'm being anal - but Singaporeans hardly seem to know what to wear and what not to, whether they can carry it off or whether they can't; and probably are oblivious of their status as fashion victims. I don't have any (fatally misguided)ideas of being some sort of Tim Gunn - but at least I try to dress properly, and not follow the often blind flock. Tokyoites probably need to teach us a few things or two...

2008-11-28T01:27:00.001+08:00

The delete button was pressed before time. But all in good time.

2008-11-28T00:30:00.002+08:00

Pinstripes and squared-off points. The navy lined white, white waves on 48% silk - under eye-glamour soft incandescents. And top it all off with a fed. He - in his severe black wrapped blue. A holland snip and sip. tick tick tock boom.

2008-11-20T23:01:00.002+08:00

While it lasted, it kept them at bay. Now that it is over, they're flooding back in. Probably take a barrage to stem the tide. Probably a single weed among the blossoms. And soon the green mud will wipe colors clean, maybe then...

2008-09-26T22:51:00.002+08:00

Today was one of the worst days in a long time. One damn thing after another.
I could blame life, but I just guess it's my fault really.

They sure do taste salty.

4 weeks more to the day of reckoning. I really don't want to be the one who wakes up with nightmare of flunking the A's after they are over. I think i may just have to dig deep to find the ability to last through this stretch. Whatever that has passed comes to naught if I were to trip up now.

KS Bull is really demoralising.

Being among the RJ population sometimes only serves to put you in your place. Mine is pretty much down there.

Bland moral? Hmm so much for ability.

2 minutes is all it take for a phone to vanish. Great.

I'm minutes from midnight, and it doesn't seem to matter anymore. JUst another day apparently. Nothing to it. Don't see much worth in it. Speaking of worth, there ain't much of it in...either. Ha.

2008-09-21T01:05:00.002+08:00

It's odd how people seem to care, only when they are affected directly or otherwise in any which matter.

It's been quite a while - but at least there are only a few more days after which it's sayonara. The maintenance of fixed distances is key. Arm's length - ideal space.

It's only today - and then back to the monkey grinder.

Herzog is currently a very identifiable character though for different reasons; from different circumstances.

Pork pie or fedora?

Now I'd rather any chair than that table. Big mistake.

6 movies in 3 days and counting. Interesting.

Long time since Neruda, maybe for a while.

Carpe diem. Sometimes it's good to just break though your insecurities and just do it.

2008-09-20T23:32:00.003+08:00

What contradictions we are - we the middling people of the (ex) middle of the solar system. We bear not the extremes - of greatness, or depravity/poverty and the like. The great - we dissect. Into fragments for analysis - small ,observable,understandable pieces which allow our reductionist selves to simplify them to normalcy, and pin their achievements to circumstance. The bottom rung beings - we aim to 'correct' and bring in line with the ringfenced herd deep in the societal bowels. We seek conformity, at the expense of even thought. Yet, we detest in ourselves mediocrity. We look down upon those who live within the well, never emerging from the shallow state. We hope to break free, but even in our doings we are bound by societal norms with our fixation on quantifiable success. So is this then what it is to be human? All-too human?

2008-09-20T22:11:00.002+08:00

We seek answers, in the boombox-ringtone-premeated ocean quiet atop the breakwater, amidst lovedrunk scrawlings. We hope that the answer comes riding down, in the last of the golden chariots. Till we realise, that the sun's setting on the wrong side of the shore. And in the drawing darkness, we hasten to pen our salt-cured enlightenment; only to find the inkblue words tumbling over one another. With a shrug, we dust our hands and walk into the burnt night.

2008-09-01T01:06:00.002+08:00

I watched September begin at the movement of a quartz crystal. And I count the days till they come. Possibilities only seek to confuse and paralyze. Must resist the barrage. Still the mind in a cocoon of isolation. Absorb and assimilate and not vacillate. Success as the world sees it. One step decides the path. Singapore Dreaming. 6th C - Coffin. Still, pursue it. The Plan. The Dream. The Aim. The Ambition.

2008-08-15T23:07:00.003+08:00

I really can't stand the likes of you. Self-righteous, pompous, loud-mouthed, bullshit-laden overcompensating chauvinist that you are. You don't own the world just because you don't have balls. Neither am I obliged to cater to your whims and fancies. Don't try the snub if you are pretty much useless at it. Someone should just get the Joker to put a smile on your screwed-up face. Pfft.
Seriously. Nevermind, it's only a matter of time before I don't have to give a flying-f if u are DOA.

2008-08-09T19:55:00.002+08:00

That's all it was, wasn't it? As-ing? Oh well, different people get their kicks differently. Heck. I'm not doing anything, so don't bother me.

2008-08-09T19:37:00.002+08:00

The world does not revolve around any one person. So, one should never hasten to ascribe any occurrence merely as a result of his actions. Catalysis is not the same as causation. So unless, one directly affects you, leave it be. Each is entitled to his own.

2008-08-09T01:09:00.003+08:00

If you have it , you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.

2008-08-01T23:39:00.003+08:00

Okay I'm gonna swear. Fuck fuck fuck. Fuck fucking fucking fuck. Super fuck. Fuck. Fuck for fuck's sake. fuck. fucK. fuCK. fUCK. FUCK. Fuck FUCK FUCK FUCK. fuCK. Fuck. fuck. Fuck. Fuck. And lastly, fuck once again.

Swearing for the sake/heck of it.

Is good.

2008-07-23T17:04:00.003+08:00

Sometimes one wonders whether one has led a worthwhile life. Someone once said that his biggest fear in life is to be irrelevant to others. The whole mid-life crisis issue, seems to be an existential crisis to me. Maybe not per se, but maybe in the sense that values and assumptions that so far had held true seem to come to be questioned.

I once read somewhere that you will only truly know what the world thinks of you when you ask your pallbearers. In that case, you may never know. But then again, you wouldn't want to find out in the end that it was all for nothing?

Dreams are places where fiction becomes reality. At least for that duration, you have something to hold on to. But after that, you'll be left with a sour aftertaste.

It's odd how your actions become the independent and mind becomes the dependent variable. Seems there is a negative linear correlation?

They say that things become clearer at death. I guess, till then I'll be chasing the wind and catching my breath.

What is it about one, that others seem to know and said one doesn't?

Okay, it seems more of the latter now.

It's not good to stand beside a street light. Stark contrasts seem to do no good. Especially when.

Nietzsche and his pithy sayings. He went mad didn't he? Gorgon transfixation.

Mistakes?

2008-07-19T01:02:00.001+08:00

If I were to start talking, space would become a problem. Is it me, or am I supposed to put 1 and 2 together to make 3? Or what's with 4 anyway? 5 is silent. Whichever the case is there is gonna be some head-banging, be it to music or against the wall.

2008-07-12T10:06:00.002+08:00

What are the words that you spout, but unbridled streams of conscious thought, bound by channels of grammar, syntax, rules and taking on a functional form.

If you are equally conversant in many languages, which language do you think in?

2008-07-12T00:29:00.003+08:00

The numbers keep on increasing when I don't say anything.

One thing is not to have any expectations. If it turns out for the better - it would be a pleasant surprise. Otherwise, it won't hurt so much either.

Times are a' changing. Somehow, it's become easy to let go of things that I once had to but couldn't. Maybe it's because of ? Can't say. Then are are things that pose riddles. Interesting puzzles. This is the millionth time I'm using 'interesting'. My vocab has degenerated.

Orioles seem to be a good omen. But sample size is small, so can't make an unbiased estimate.

I sound bloody disjointed. But what is this but a scattering of thoughts. Stream of consciousness.

2008-07-12T00:25:00.002+08:00

Little India MRT Station. Interesting, no?

this is way cool

2008-05-15T21:13:00.002+08:00

pissed

2008-05-10T00:38:00.003+08:00

i've been thinking about random stuff. and it's been pissing me off. Africa. IMF. colonialism. garish branding. slavery. white man's burden. screwthis.

kope

2008-05-05T00:09:00.003+08:00

now this is what i call kope.

CLOUDS

2008-05-04T21:23:00.004+08:00

the sky was pretty today. the wind probably felt indecisive and decided to paint the blue canvas with swirls, stripes, streaks and splotches. each cloud seemed to take on a different form as it sum through the deep blue sea; by turns a face familiar or a shape unknown. i so dig cloudscapes. when will i get to see a piercing sapphire-blue sky full of amorphous and abstract clouds?

i wonder if this looks like a dragon or King Kong's bro?

whatever. i christen you cloudzilla. roar.

Satt sat for his SATs on Sat. Not too bad, just hope I didn't make any stupid mistakes. 2300 within reach? I sure hope so.

2008-04-29T19:42:00.003+08:00

I always found it morbidly fascinating that only an inch of concrete separates us from sure death along a road. Pass that line - vroom goes a lorry - and whoosh you go. Whee!

Hinduism is odd - at least in my opinion. The general unitiated populace believes in the pantheon of gods while the enlightened ones believe in the supreme state of being. On another note, Shankara does put forth an interesting theory of the oneness of atman and brahman.

If money was no object, I'd just go study philosophy. But med is good too.

I can't stand it when everyone asks me - "Why are you reading this now? You mean you haven't read it yet?". Yeah and how many profess to have read Ulysses? Ok I shan't get anal.

SATs is this Sat! After that, Satt would have Sat for his SATS on Sat. Wow! I feel moderately prepared, but I'll probably hardcore the practice tests. Hope the essay doesn't ownz me.

confusion abounds. but it probably would have to be shelved in lieu of an epoch-making event.

i hate paedos

2008-04-27T23:22:00.002+08:00

Today the Bishan Gay Paedophile (BGP) got on my bus. He really makes my skin crawl. He gives the RI boys perverted looks and always has this paedophile-ish smile etched in his face, in the presence of such boys. He sat on the usual seats that face the front of the bus, but sat facing the back , to unwaveringly ogle at the RI boys. God, if only I had a hammer - I'd konk him over the head. I was severely traumatised just by being near him. Bitch.

And then there is this bastard who imprisoned his daughter, raped her multiple times, and fathered 7 children with her. WTF man?! This is twisted, and he's 73 for goodness's sakes. I hope they hang him.

2008-04-20T22:25:00.003+08:00

Apparently, someone just shook the hourglass. Each grain seems to be flowing faster than usual. Maybe my mind is ensconced in a reality a dimension apart from that which the rest of my body inhabits. Just some mumbo jumbo.

'our time is running out
our time is running out
you can't push it underground
you can't stop it screaming out'

Lyrics when taken out of context seem to take on the meaning that you imbue it with. Apt, nevertheless. You always hear that Plato, Nietzsche, Gandhi, Lincoln, MLK - had the same number of hours as anyone else. They managed to achieve so much, yet others rot away. My ineptitude is in stark contrast to these luminaries.

'Get out of the rut dude'

Speaking of rotting away, due to certain circumstances I found myself having to wait at the void-deck of a block for quite some time. Well, having nothing else to do apart from acting busy with my phone - did some people watching. There was this dude - apparently drunk (face all ruddy, actions unsteady) sitting on one of the benches. He would stare at a spot on the table, possibly hoping that the earth would suddenly yield gold. Then he would look up and gaze around. This continued for awhile. Then he stood up. Looked blankly around. Shuffled around with the seasoned inebriates' walk - to a nearby tree, and examined it branches and leaves. Then he shuffled back to the benches and went back to sleep. Must be in his 40-s or so. I would think that he didn't really have much in the way of a job (maybe a meagre one to supplement his booze) and the beat-up bag he carried could possibly have been his home-on-a-back (hermit crab? But which hermit boozes?)

It was a scary thought - when I tire imagining myself in that position. A life without purpose is not worth living. If all you do is to live from bottle to bottle, then you are better off in a halfway-house. I hope I never have to face such a dire situation. It seemed like a timely reminder to not slack off in my slowly (go faster!!) progressing course of study. These few months literally determine the rest on my/your/our life - about 150 days to go before full readiness has to be attained. I just hope I reach that level by that time. Miracles may happen, but then you should be putting in the effort before luck/or whatever omnipresence, helps you along.

stuck between two lips
one, red and quavering
the other, distant and pale
yet it draws you in
you desire to be closer
to that which you are furthest away

2008-04-13T23:29:00.003+08:00

sunbleached white skeletons

2008-04-08T18:34:00.002+08:00

odd, isn't it
when line breaks
in random places
and italicized words
are oft called poetry

2008-04-08T18:17:00.003+08:00

we live our lives, in eternal apology
for the mistakes of our forebears
their sins - our crosses to bear
till our end,
then history whispers past atrocities
to our children, and they too
hold their heads in shame

Ich entschuldige mich.
私は謝る。

2008-04-03T23:07:00.002+08:00

pink cotton

Absence yet again.

Solitude amidst nature is good for the soul and mind. The incessant chatter in the mind dies down - even if only for a moment. When a wood-essence drenched breeze floats by, worries seem to grow wings and float away. In that time, life is dictated by you and no one else - no imposed values, expectations and hopes. It is at this time - when thought rings with liquid clarity. Alone, you can waltz with your thoughts in a cerebral ballroom. Contemplation in measured doses - helps you to ground yourself in life and not flow down the whitewater-rapids of modern living. Too much pondering will on the other hand only lead to a detachment from reality. I'm still finding my spot.

I just finished 'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy. It is a really good read. She is able to truly evoke a sense of being in her characters' shoes; this she achieves by the various small, recurrent motifs/details that allow you to hear and see the fictitious wordland. I think I was able to especially connect with the book, as I have in fact been to Kerala (where the story is set). And the book does remind me of what I had experienced there. It is in equal parts funny as well as sad. Enough to tinge your heart blue.

Pablo Neruda. My new source of literary bliss. Although I am not a fan of his Commie-sympathetic poems, the rest are beyond comparison. His love poems and odes are truly something. His poems literally transpose you into his mind's eye. You see though him. It was worth it getting the gazillion poem anthology of his! Woo...

Moozak! Me <3 Soil & "PIMP" Sessions + Burial. Two extremes - but godly all the same.

It's the A-Level year, and people all around are doing stupid things they shouldn't be doing. Stupid things should be saved till after. If not , grades will turn out to be horrendous.

I ask, "Should I ?"
You say, "I do not know"
If not you, who?
Who then, will unravel
this Gordion knot?

2008-02-14T21:48:00.003+08:00

It's been awhile.

Ulysses has been read! Mission Complete! Wooh! It has not been easygoing - but there is this sense of achievement. Yeah. Joyce is really an interesting character, I should say.

V-Day. There's the Lonely Hearts Club and there's the Empty Wallets Club. Guess where I belong?
It has been seriously beaten to death by the consumerist bludgeon. 13 chocolates at $85 ? Please.

I've begun writing again - somewhat. It's been good so far. Just have to keep at it. Consistency is key.

his skin glistened with her salt

nearing end of the year

2007-12-26T22:48:00.000+08:00

It's 5 days till the new year begins. School's starting in 6 and A Levels are coming in 300 odd days. I'm not in the "ALRIGHT! LET'S GO TO SCHOOL!" mood as yet, and I doubt I will be anytime soon. Probably will be like, "Oh. Ok. School. Hoorah." Still have quite a bit of homework to complete. I don't want to get a white slip on the first day of school itself, so I'd better finish it up ASAP.

31st December. Countdown @ Boon Lay. Performing there - playing congas as part of a Latin band. I do hope all goes well. Supposedly, there's an expected turnout of 30,000 people. But since we are the second act, I doubt many people will be around. But in any case, this is my first tie playing in front of a big crowd. So, I seriously don't wanna die. Haha. And I think I'm starting to fall sick. No, Please.

I just finished reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Quite tragic - but I love Nabokov's prose. It is rich and evocative, and he seems to have a knack for painting a sense of doom, and tragedy. It is very much a controversial book, what with its subject matter. Even so, its literary merit cannot be denied.

Sometime back, I watched this movie called American Beauty. It is quite an old movie, but I was quite touched by it. It deals with a lot of issues, such as love, existentialism, freedom, happiness and the narrative is tied by an underlying thread of the concept of beauty. One scene which I found particularly memorable was a scene where we get to watch a video of a plastic bag floating in the wind. Call me mad, to me it was truly beautiful. You'd have to see it to understand.

Jeff Dunham and Omid Djalili are two of my current favourite comedians. Jeff Dunham is a comedian and ventriloquist. His act revolves around his many puppets. My favourite ones are Peanut, Ackmed the Dead Terrorist and Walter. Never fails to crack me up. Here's one. And try tell me it isn't the least bit funny.

Omid Djalili is a British Iranian comedian. Here's one of him. Have to get his DVD.

Miles Davis is now my favourite jazz artist at the moment. The Birth of Cool is seriously Arctic cool. Seminal work indeed.

The above is a Banksy. He is a British urban artist - who mainly does guerrilla graffiti art. His work is highly illegal - as it technically is vandalism - a criminal offence. But I really admire him for his bravery, creativity and surprisingly 'deep' art. Banksy - don;t get caught. And please come to Singapore. Thanks. :D

merry christmas

2007-12-25T22:22:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas ! :D

heaven and morality

2007-12-12T02:32:00.000+08:00

Most of the main religions worldwide such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism et al believe in life after death in a metaphysical plane known Heaven or Paradise. Heaven is described as a place where God(s) reside(s); a place of eternal bliss, a place filled with all the luxuries in the world. And according to religious elders and texts – entry is limited to ‘pure and virtuous’ souls only. The sinners among us – doomed to the pits of Hell.

The fear of God; of divine retribution is incentive enough for the religious among us to lead a life governed by morals. We are told time and again, that only the good can enter Paradise. By toeing the line drawn by their respective religious orders, followers hope that they can reap their just rewards. Whether or not they can make it to Heaven, they fear torment in the vile depths of Hell. That fear acts as a barrier against sin.

A religious man thus usually tends to be a normal man. And that is indeed good. If this were not the case – one would see civilized society as we know it come to an end. Without morality, humans are reduced to depravity.

That however is not the matter of contention. The issue here is – is such a morality - true? True in the sense that; is this morality of a selfless and unconditional nature?

When one does good, only out of a desire to enter Paradise, then the notion of his morality becomes corrupted. The identity of that person comes into question. What becomes of the what and why fors of his actions? Morality is intrinsically valuable. As such, should not the notion of being good an end in itself ? This compared to morality as a means to an end? If one is moral, merely out of fear of divine retribution – then wherein lies the true value of his actions?

The traditional meaning ascribed to morality would be the motivation to act in a just manner, based simply on ideas of right and wrong and governed by an agenda-less sense of altruism. When a selfish motive comes into picture – then the concept of morality becomes a forced creed.

If not for achieving divine bliss, then what would one have to gain from being moral? This in fact, should not even be an issue in the first place. When one merely considers his own well-being in his actions – then he becomes a systematic egoist. One should do good – simply for the unconditional, unquestioning love that he should feel for his fellow beings. Love thy neighbour, wasn’t it once said? When one is able to shatter that materialistic lens through which one views life, then the proverbial ‘gates of heaven’ will be thrown open for him.

2007-11-13T22:34:00.000+08:00

Holidays. They are a paradoxical time. When you are in the midst of the academic year, you tell yourself- "I wanna/I'm gonna do a,b,c and z", " I can't wait for the holidays!" - and stuff like that. When the holidays actually arrive, how many do you actually do? One? Two? None? If it's the latter, it's not surprising. Then the usual - "I'm bored..." - comes about.

To keep myself from idling away, I've decided to create a list of sorts with realistic things to do in the holidays. That way, I'll have something constructive to do.

1) Revise unfamiliar topics
2) Read at least 5 proper novels - 2 down
3) Go running regularly - in the process
4) Start going to the gym
5) Go on a food trail, based on Life's 100 Best Dishes
6) Watch good movies

These will do for now.

I've just finished a novel by Ian McEwan - Atonement. I think it's one of the better novels I have read. He does not employ language that would require you to read with a dictionary in hand. He wields words simply, yet effectively. He can paint characters and scenery with great ease. I was captivated by his writing. That has not happened for some time. Well, I would recommend it.

As for television shows, I'm hooked onto this series called 'Pushing Daisies'. It's about this pie-maker who has a special gift - he can bring dead things back to life. But there are two rules to his gift. First - he can only touch the dead person/thing once. A second touch would kill. Second - he can only revive the thing/person for 60 seconds, any longer and a person nearby would die. He helps a PI to solve murder cases by reviving the dead, and tracking their killers down. There's more to this actually, and it would take me forever to say it all. You should give this a go, it's really quite touching and sweet. You'd have to watch to find out why.

It's only human

2007-11-05T23:26:00.000+08:00

At some point(s) in our lives, we all have done something that we may come to regret. It's common and only natural - for Man is by nature a flawed creation. The thing is that you should learn to accept yourself for your failings and try your best to become a better person. You've gotta do what your heart and mind feel is right, and take whatever comes in the way. Don't live a life of regrets. They will just gnaw away, either like an annoying rat or a vicious school of piranha.

This is as much for myself as anyone else. I've always thought about things long past. Things that if given a chance; go back in time to set right. That ain't gonna happen. So all I can and should do is judge myself not for what I've done wrong, but what I've done right. It's his deeds and nature which define a man. I'd like my life to be defined by the brightness that lays ahead.

'joke'

2007-11-04T13:07:00.000+08:00

Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says "But Doctor... I am Pagliacci."

Sad actually. I read somewhere that sometimes the best clowns are the saddest ones.
I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because they have this gaping hole within, a void that they try to fill through the happiness and laughter of others. Emotional leech? No that's harsh. Maybe a sponge.

Oh, so sad...

But further along the clown despair-o-meter is the scary evil clown. Oh boy, do they freak me out. I think I got nightmares when I was young with heck-a-lotta clowns running around in my head. Brrrr....

This here, is downright sinister.

But at the end of the day; it's happy and funny clowns that save the day. What would we do without the honky red-nosed white faces ever ready with a painted smile?

Our favourite clown: Ronald McDonalds

Hey kids! This is ROOONALD MCDOOONALD! Come on down to McDonalds where delicious, juicy burgers, fries, and Coke awaits. That'll sure make your day! So, what are you waiting for? Hvae a rolly-polly meal today! Al products are available in Large only.(Disclaimer: The management claims no responsibility for any clogged arteries, damaged livers, overworked kidneys and gross weight gain)

Sweet 'ole consumerism.

2007-10-31T01:13:00.000+08:00

DONT CLICK HERE!

You've been thunderstruck

2007-10-10T22:35:00.000+08:00

AC/DC is the bomb! Blast at full volume - and let the adrenaline rush engulf you. I especially like Thunderstruck, Back in Black, Hells Bells, Highway to Hell and T.N.T. It's mainly the raw energy of the band that drives it; not much in the way of individual virtuosity. But, who cares anyway? As long as you feel good, it's good enough.

Kanye West is a funky fellow. He beats other ghetto rappers hands-down in the style department. What with his designer clothing and such; this being in contrast to like 50 Cent? His music is also quite good, and creative. At least he doesn't sing solely about his drug-fueled sexual escapades or the brawl he supposedly had with the Crips. Giving a listen to Graduation - only listened to a few songs. Quite good so far - but need to get the full album.

I think I need a punching bag at home. Sometimes when one gets mood-swingy then some form of physical violence against an inanimate object is in order to let off some steam. Shall think about it. But need the cash for other more important things...Like clothes! No, I'm not turning into some wannabe fashionista. It's just that I have a dearth of shirts and stuff at home - need to get more! Looking out for some nice shite - so that I can just go and buy and not have to wander around aimlessly from shop to shop. 'Coz I positively hate shopping. Like seriously.

Lessons have started - somewhat. But they are quite screwed up man. Smite me if I'm wrong, but hardly anyone is in the mood for studying. Especially after the promos. I know I'm not. Today during Maths lecture when I just looked around the whole LT, many were just sleeping or whiling away their time idly. Out of the lot, maybe about 30 were concentrating? Heh. The fact that the lectures are 1 and a 1/2 hours long makes it even more torturous. Or maybe it's just that I get restless easily?

PW - grr. Waste of my time. Have to work on the stupid OP. And they want a skit or some shit? WTF. However I may complain, still have to get the work done, eh? After all, I'm am a Rafflesian/Singaporean. Grades marks a-levels cv admission. The usual.

I shall start watching classic movies soon. First up on my list, Citizen Kane (rosebud). Shall try to catch Lust, Caution too - if possible. Critically acclaimed eh. Helps that Tang Wei, is quite chio too. Haha.

Oh yeah, I watched JBJ. Thought it was quite ok, though many others may disagree. But I thought that some parts were unnecessary. Like they didn't need a erhmm scene. I mean, what do they want to show? Sexual tension? Doesn't really add to the plot. It had some interesting points. Fireworks = national distraction? Maybe I read too much. I think Dawn and Xiaxue were parodied rather well in the play. Heh - headline grabbing?

Random note: I think No.15 is quite nice. But I'm confused. Oh wells. Come what may.

back in black

2007-09-29T22:48:00.000+08:00

Promos are over! I hope I'll promote - 'coz anything is possible.(for good or bad) Well, as usual post-promos aren't all that hyped-up as I imagined it to be. But they are still quite good; when you can just slack without feeling guilty about whether you should be spending the time mugging. Sort of a relief, I guess?

Well, the world has changed much in the meantime. Chelsea is going down the drain, Myanmar is in turmoil, stuff like that. Wonder if 1988 is going to be repeated? Bloodshed towards no end? Even if there is a people's revolt - it will be quite hard to overthrow the military, given that the base of command has been delocalised. Time will tell.

Planning on going to the Campaign to Confer the Public Service Star on JBJ play. Seems interesting, besides need to exercise the literary area of my mind - which woukd otheriwse suffer from attrition. Support the local arts scene seh...

what pisses me off

2007-08-02T22:31:00.000+08:00

Hypocrites piss me off. Especially regarding the issue of swearing. I get really pissed off whenever someone says, "Swearing is bad yadayadayadawholeloadabullshityadayadayada, don't swear..." Am I polluting your mind? Are you emotionally scarred? If I didn't swear at you, then why the hell do you care about what I say? Shut your goddamn ears or stuff your head down a hole like some ostrich. What's worse are those who act like self-righteous assholes, but they themselves use frick, frig and other assorted euphemisms. Euphemism schmeuphemism, it just reeks of hypocritical bullshit. If you want to say it, just friggin say it and don't beat around the bush. So to those of the second breed, screw off.

Hitler and Voldemort

2007-07-22T22:10:00.000+08:00

I think JK Rowling borrowed quite a fair bit from Holocaust history when writing her last book.

- Jews had to declare their ethnicity - So did the Mudbloods
- Nazis hated Mudbloods. So did the Death Eaters
- The Nazis had Hitler . The Death Eaters had Voldemort
- The Nazis eliminated resistance movements . So did the Death Eaters
- The Nazis took over the Reichstag. The Death Eaters took over the Ministry of Magic
- Hitler died by his own hand. So did Voldemort.

I think there are more parallels that can be drawn. That there are rather obvious similarities, does not say much about Rowling's literary ability. And the ending is rather screwed, I should add.

2007-07-22T22:06:00.000+08:00

Spoiler Alert *BeepBeepBeep*

R.A.B - Regulus Black
Harry is a Horcrux - kills himself - then comes back alive - then kills Voldemort
Hedwig dies
Mad-Eye Moony dies
Wormtail dies
Dobby dies
Fred dies
Lupin dies
Tonks dies
Crabbe dies
Voldemort dies
Harry and Ginny get it on
Ron and Hermione get it on

If anyone hasn't read the book yet, too bad. Hahaha.

2007-07-16T23:51:00.000+08:00

Little old angsana, bye.
F- the angsana, piece of f-ing rotting wood.
But, it's 80 years old...
So what? F- you. I kena accident you know! KNNBCCB!
How about you drive a little -
STFU, You want to die ?! You f-ing treehugger... go hug your...
Then the 200 -
F- told you to STFU right! I'm a f-ing f-head who can't stick to 40 km/h so I don't give a f about your f-ing tree. You got that you f-ing retard?!
But -
F-YOU

Sigh, angsana. Rot in peace.

earth and man

2007-06-28T01:16:00.000+08:00

Sometimes the things we do pisses the hell out of me. It's damn tempting to become a Swiftesque misanthrope. I watched this documentary today. It's a BBC production - Planet Earth. You should try watching it too, the footage is really amazing. There was this particular scene, where they showed a male polar bear making it's way through the swiftly melting Arctic ice with great difficulty. It could barely even stand on the ice. Then it got so bad, it started to swim. And swim it did; towards the open sea. It swam for days before it reached land, for there was nothing in the water for it. If it had not found land by then, it would certainly have drowned. In that stretch of land - lived a walrus colony. Polar bears do not normally hunt adult walruses - they are simply too big. But desperate times called for desperate measures - since the ice had begun to melt faster than previous seasons due to global warming, and this prevented the bear from gathering enough food to last it the coming winter. It vainly tried to bite through the walruses' thick layer of blubber and skin - its claws and teeth hardly made a mark. The walruses with their long, sharp tusks managed to severely wound the bear. And as they began to retreat into the safety of the water, the bear grew increasingly more desperate after seeing its vital source of food slip away. It began to attack various smaller walruses, but all it got was more gashes. And finally, they were all gone. Weak and severely wounded, the polar bear just flopped down - awaiting the slow death following starvation.

After witnessing this scene, I was really saddened. I might sound like a f-ing tree-hugger . But if you saw that scene, you would agree with me. The world was a pristine place before we arrived. There was a natural order of checks and balances. Now, the whole eco-system is kinda screwed. Being selfish bastards, we screw around with everything. Show me something that has been untouched by filthy, greedy, money-grubbing hands and I will tell you that, that "something" will be gone sooner or later. We indiscriminately fell trees, cause forest fires, hunt anything that moves, trade rare species like commodities, pollute the oceans, pollute the air, topple entire food chains, eliminate viable ecosystems and basically f***-up our planet. So what?! As long as Man has something to gain, why the f*** bother?! Eh? If you were thinking along those lines, stop. Everything in this planet has as much a right to live in this planet as we do. We ourselves are nothing great - merely dignified hairless apes. What many don't realise is that these activities only serve to squeeze the trigger of the cataclysmic gun ever so slightly. Eventually, it is all going to blow up in our faces. And then we have assholes like Rush Limbaugh. I quote. "Animals have no fundamental rights; only people do."

The following passage is from Wikipedia.
"Limbaugh is highly critical of environmentalism and has disputed human-caused global warming and the relationship between CFCs and depletion of the ozone layer, saying the scientific evidence does not support them. Limbaugh has argued against the scientific opinion on climate change by stating that scientific consensus "is just a bunch of scientists organized around a political proposition. You can't have consensus in science... they think consensus is the way to sell it because, 'Oh, but all these wonderful people agree."

Nice. How real smart. I wonder how many self-centered like-minded asses in this world. To all of you bozos, a big F*** YOU. Thanks for f***ing dooming our descendants to a toxic barren wasteland of catastrophic proportions.

2007-06-15T00:27:00.000+08:00

It seems that I have not posted for some time. I am currently spending my time doing some actual revision and studying (surprisingly) . I'm beginning to worry that I may not be able to complete my revision by the end of next week and so have resorted to mugging more than I have in Secondary 4. I hope I can at least scrape through the CTs with OK marks, and not fail all my subjects. 15 % at stake here. So I guess whatever posts that I may put up, in the coming days will be sporadic at best. I will be back to posting regularly once this whole sordid ordeal is over.

The state of religious understanding

2007-06-02T13:26:00.000+08:00

On Thursday, a certain incident set me thinking (as usual) Now it's regarding the matter of religious/racial tolerance and understanding.

I shan't name names here, but if you were reading this now, you should know it refers to you. There was a conversation regarding the public holiday on 31st May - Vesak Day. An individual as me why I didn't go to the temple to pray. There's nothing wrong in this - as he was just curious. So I explained to him that Vesak Day was a Buddhist event and had nothing to do with me since I was a Hindu. Then this smart-aleck said - "All the same lah. All also Indian...got fire coming out of their heads and all." in a rather insulting tone. And somehow others found it funny, and started to laugh. I was sorely tempted to add in a few remarks regarding his religion but chose not to do so, as I felt that it was rather immature. Besides, you can't fault the ignorant can you. I mean, if you don't know what you are talking about and are just trying to act smart - just shut it. That, and listen when someone who knows better tries to explain.

FYI, according to a census survey conducted in 2000, a vast majority of Buddhists were actually Chinese while Indians formed a small minority. Also, it should be noted that true Buddhism focuses on the teachings of Buddha, unlike in Singapore where it is intertwined with folk traditions (though this is decreasing currently.) Thus, it follows that the practice is not exactly a theistic one, but one which focuses on principles and values.

My point is that religious understanding - especially among youths - is not exactly on the level that most of us would like to believe it is. I feel that there has been a decline with regards to said understanding. Just to clarify - I'm not basing this on an isolated incident, but on a prolonged observation. We youth have not experienced the tumultuous times (e.g: the Maria Hertogh riots) that our parents and grandparents have undergone. So possibly, it could mean that we may not actually understand the consequences that a lack of understanding and tolerance could create. But as an educated and rational society, do we actually need such events to foster closer inter-religious bonds?

A more important idea is that, for a harmonious society to exist in Singapore, acceptance of others' religions and customs has to be achieved and not merely tolerance. Competitive comparisons should not occur, i.e my-religion-is-better-than-yours attitudes should be eliminated. Instead, one should be able to say - "That he is a follower of this belief is his own personal right. It doesn't make a difference to me - I still treat him all the same"

Before this can occur, religious understanding has to act as a foundation. This can be attained if we are willing to set aside our misconceptions and prejudices we may have regarding other religions, and try to learn with an open mind about those religions. This can be done through various sources, whether through print/no-print sources or simply by talking to friends of different races and religions. Once we know better, we would then be able to slowly progress to the vaunted acceptance stage. It is then that a true tension-free environment can be achived in our country.

P.S: I am not saying that there is no religious understanding and such in Singapore but that we could do better in this aspect.

organ donation

2007-05-26T19:04:00.000+08:00

I was chanced upon an article recently - about youths aged 18-25 withdrawing from the Humon Organ Transplant Act (HOTA). I find the idea of ANYONE- who is not bound by religious beliefs - withdrawing from this act entirely baffling. As a society, we are becoming better educated. And I believe that we are mostly realists. As such, I do not see the point in them acting in such a manner. Their organs aren't going to do anyone any good six feet below. I wonder.

Abdu-who?

2007-05-19T00:47:00.000+08:00

Recently, I had a conversation with one of my friends regarding the singing of the National Anthem. He observed that many - especially the RGS people don't sing it. I concur. He went on to say that he found it odd that they should sing the school song, but not the Anthem. A case of a lack of patriotism? I wonder. But when I asked a few of my female friends, they replied that they were 'too lazy' to sing it. Hmm...Maybe they may see no point in it, but by the same logic - what's the point of the school song? Nada? The song is there for the reason, and I wonder how many people think about that.

This set me thinking. Do people in general care about the socio-political environment of Singapore and the world in general. So I conducted some sort of straw poll in which I quizzed some of my friends with regards to their knowledge about leaders, situations and such. I was quite disappointed with what I found out.

Most of them hardly know who holds what position in the Parliament.Speaker of Parliament - who the hell is that? Minister for Education - huh?! You get the drift. Not surprisingly, the same scenario arose with regards to the world scene. None knew who Abdullah Badawi was (Malaysian PM - our closest neighbour at that). No one knew that Britain and France are undergoing changes in their political leadership. A common question was; who the hell is Barack Obama? But, they did know HILLARY CLINTON (for the sole that she is the wife of Bill Clinton - who was embroiled in the Monica Lewinsky scandal)

I mean come one, general knowledge/concern about current affairs. Do people even bother about what's happening around them? With such an attitude, how are we (RJ) to produce leaders of the nation? Leaders who care about global issues and pay heed to their counterparts. What's the point of GP and leadership skills workshops and such if this is how our youth are turning out? If this trend continues, there wouldn't be much of a political base to talk about in the coming future.

The New Moon Case

2007-05-17T00:48:00.000+08:00

Has anyone noticed the 'New Moon Chicken Essence' ads before? They are the ones with students who topped their cohort in the PSLE - posing with bottles of the supplement proclaiming their 'support' for the brand.

Somehow, I find this disturbing. Simply because this campaign suffers from a logical fallacy. Something which you could call - 'statement after fact'. That they are top students in fact cannot be attributed (or so I feel)to their consumption of said supplement. The fact is that is is after they were recognised as intelligent individuals, that they were chosen as 'ambassadors'. So, the premise that the supplement having been integral to their past success would not hold.

But, in reality, I doubt anyone bothers with such 'intricacies' of logic - for good or bad may that be. It dawned on me that, advertisements as a whole are in fact riddled with half-truths, omissions and the like. The truth is twisted, churned, mixed, stirred and out comes an amorphous mass of falsehoods and manipulation. 'Star power' = Immediate brand trust it seems.

the naivete of youth

2007-05-09T00:19:00.000+08:00

I became one among the ranks of those mindless creatures. Somehow. But it is human after all. I henceforth will forget about this whole nonsensical series of events and go back to a time before all this. After 2-3 days - that's a really fast change. But I think it's a change for the better. Probably, because I realised that my thoughts differed from reality. Slightly disappointing, yes. But for the best all the same. It's better to exhibit patience, won't you say? Especially in such matters.

Sidewalks and Global Warming

2007-05-07T16:01:00.001+08:00

A recent study conducted by a British psychology professor, in many major cities, yielded surprising results(well not all that surprising). Over a distance of about 60 feet, the pace at which people walk was measured. And of the whole lot, Singaporean’s were the fastest walkers clocking at 10.55 seconds. This was something which took Madridians 10.89 seconds and New Yorkers 12 seconds. In the other extreme, Malawians took 30 seconds.

Singaporeans – we hurry to school, work, play, everything; and sooner rather than later, to our deathbeds. Everything else, besides ourselves becomes a mere imperceptible blur. Why this is so? Maybe for the same reason (kiasu-ness?) why we stand in long lines for that Hello Kitty freebie that is going to end up in the bottom of your sock drawer or something. But I feel the reason is something even deeper. I guess it has something to do with greed. “Money is the root of all evil”, someone wise beyond his years once said. Ok not evil, that’s too strong a word. But well, our lives have become a rat-race with money becoming the proverbial cheese in the trap. We’ve become trapped by our own perceived needs that money becomes prized over many things. Family and friends? Mere social constructions. Everything (literally everything) becomes unimportant. This is probably evidenced by our laissez-faire attitude towards our socio-political environment. Somehow this strikes me as odd in that even going by the ‘monetary gain’ argument, Americans whose per capita income is higher than that of Singaporeans are in less of a hurry than us? Why this is so eludes me. But the point remains that money is the new ‘hip’ religion, and we its devotees.

With that in mind, consider the problem of global warming. Granted, there is a flurry of pro-environment activities (with all the celebrities jumping into the green bandwagon). But there is still a prevalence of an attitude of indifference towards the problem. Especially so amongst us Singaporeans. It is not that they AREN’T being educated about the issue. It’s more of HOW they are being educated. It is lost on many that with the predicted rise in oceanic water levels, it would not be long before we meet an Atlantean fate. The point I made earlier about our strong profit-motive comes into play here. We seem to have gotten our priorities wrong. We earn to survive. But when our survival is in question, then to what end are we earning for? Even puting it in this way may not stir many into action. But one could try putting it in the sense of monetary gains and losses to make it all the more explicit. For example, by emphasizing the hundreds of dollars in savings that can be made by adopting practices that are inadvertently environmentally-friendly, we could get them off their butts. Surely, we can’t resist the lure of money, can we? But I’m still skeptical about whether even this will be of any use, in our self-centered society. Probably, it will dawn on us when we are starving and thirsty with our supply lines being cut off. Or maybe when we are six feet deep in our watery graves.

:< Right ...

2007-04-28T15:13:00.000+08:00

I'm sorry, but - Fuck This Shit.

READ

P.S : Nothing against any religion, but those guys are mental.

Equations

2007-04-19T23:15:00.000+08:00

Statistics

After applying some simple algebra to some trite phrases and cliches a new understanding can be reached of the secret to wealth and success.

* Here it goes. Knowledge is Power
* Time is Money and as every engineer knows,
* Power is Work over Time.

* So, substituting algebraic equations for these time worn bits of wisdom, we get: K = P (1)
* T = M (2)
* P = W/T (3)

* Now, do a few simple substitutions: Put W/T in for P in equation (1), which yields:
* K = W/T (4)

* Put M in for T into equation (4), which yields: K = W/M (5).

* Now we've got something. Expanding back into English, we get: Knowledge equals Work over Money.

* What this MEANS is that: 1. The More You Know, the More Work You Do, and
* 2. The More You Know, the Less Money You Make.

* Solving for Money, we get: M = W/K (6)
* Money equals Work Over Knowledge.

From equation (6) we see that Money approaches infinity as Knowledge approaches 0, regardless of the Work done.

* What THIS MEANS is: The More you Make, the Less you Know.

* Solving for Work, we get W = M K (7)
* Work equals Money times Knowledge

From equation (7) we see that Work approaches 0 as Knowledge approaches 0.

* What THIS MEANS is: The stupid rich do little or no work.

The Pursuit of Happyness

2007-04-07T00:09:00.001+08:00

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Indeed.

Cyanide indeed

2007-04-06T20:49:00.001+08:00

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Hah

Smart Americans - Oxymoronic Statement

2007-04-03T23:31:00.000+08:00

I only wish I could become as smart as them in future. Q: How many SIDES does a TRIANGLE have? A: Ermmm...ermm 4, I think?/It doesn't have any sides...er one? Iran is in Australia it seems. Interesting new fact.

General know-wha?

minutes after midnight

2007-03-18T22:23:00.000+08:00

Yeah, the 1 week break is officially over. Unofficially, I think that slacking 'mindset' would carry over for a few days or so. The week - hmm, only slightly productive (IMO, which isn't very much at all) But oh well, that's just what I do best. Slacking. Technically, I'm not exactly the best at it either. The snail and company probably form the avant-garde of the WSM(World Slacking Movement). WiSdoM...whatever

It is rather tempting to launch into a quasi-emo tirade of sorts, but I vaguely remember that I would shut up about emo-shite and stuff. So yeah.

Too much retrospection and introspection isn't conducive to a healthy psychological state. But these are akin to salt(?) in a way, you do need a little to go around. Beaches are good places to think. Especially when there aren't many people there. Even though Singapore has no idyllic beach settings that amaze you in their quiet-but-at-the-same-time-loud appearance. The rolling waves, sea breeze and pure ambient noise sometimes can put you in a meditative trance-like state. That is, if no one is BLASTING their MP3 cellphones or boomboxes. But if you can find the right spot, well you can just sit there and daydream. Undisturbed by your worries and responsibilities, for that moment. I just like to idle and let my thoughts flow and wander without any restrictions. It's really quite soothing in fact.

At the moment, I'm reading Catch-22. It is quite a good book, if sometimes you are willing to look through the absurdist humour and ponder about the deeper meaning of it all.

School is in a couple of hours. Hmm. I hope there is an end to the sad state of my current CCA life. I do want a sports CCA...I'm just not made out for hardcore-clubbing. Hope is all but one can do. Oh, and sign up and try out for the CCAs.

symbols bymbols

2007-02-20T20:11:00.000+08:00

" With radiating waves, a skull and crossbones and a running person, a new ionizing radiation warning symbol is being introduced to supplement the traditional international symbol for radiation, the three cornered trefoil.

The new symbol is being launched today by the IAEA and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to help reduce needless deaths and serious injuries from accidental exposure to large radioactive sources. It will serve as a supplementary warning to the trefoil, which has no intuitive meaning and little recognition beyond those educated in its significance."

---Read

So, umm I guess we take it to mean you can run but can't hide from deadly, deadly radiation? Hmm...interesting.

it just slides by

2007-02-20T00:32:00.000+08:00

CNY holidays are umm...rather good and bad at the same time. Good, 'coz I have a lot of free time on my hands. I get to watch TV a lot, and slack a lot. Plus, learn some new stuff. Bad, 'coz I've hardly done much work. Let's see - econs essay, chem tutorialszzz (do and revise like 36 million), bio tutorialszzz (same as chem) and maths tutorial. I hope I can finish it soon. Hmm. Currently slogging away at econs. It's like boring >< I'd rather do a philo/english/lit essay anytime. Or even GP for that matter. I like GP! <3 It could be attributed somewhat to the fact that I find that writing (as in prose/verse- ish) somewhat relieves stress. Speaking of which, I have hardly bothered with verse till school started. Must work on it!

Recently, my class came up with this funky idea. Basically we come up with nicknames for ourselves in this format -> [s03k (add in) ]. There are a lot of random names, haha. Erm, mine is kokokrunch! (For whatever reason you can think of) xD That's my class for you. Hmm, we are also thinking about a class blog but its only tentative, I think.

I have to start reading fiction man...The only things I've been reading for some time now are my time magazines, print/online newspapers and such. Becoming too much of a GP boy already. Eeeyer...(not that GP ain't fun or anyth) Oh on a side note, Mr. Ali is damn cool! He taught us 36 million card games during take.5 Haha. Coolioz.

One more thing. Britney went bald?! Woah - eyesore. Not that she isn't one already. Heh.

ladeeda

2007-02-04T12:14:00.000+08:00

Hmm. Haven't updated for quite some time... Anyway, life has been going OK-ish so far. Though there are a few things that I have lost sleep over. But well, live and let live. Whatever.

On another note, Go Singapore! I admit I'm more of a fair-weather "fan" than anything else, but I hope they do win or something. So that we can be above-noob at something. Da-dad, dadada, dadadadaaa...butoh! *clapclap*

Organ sale? I'm tempted to write an essay about that or something...and go all philo/GP on it. But I'm feeling kinda lazy, maybe later. Well, one thing that pissed me off was - how do organs become commodities? And people won't donate organs but they would willingly buy/receive them for free? That's 100% concentrated, unadulterated Singaporean self-centered BS. I for one would donate my organs when I die. I mean, your organs aren't gonna help you while you are rotting away. Might as well help save lives right? Headline in 2027 - Mr Chin Chao Cheong Sam becomes made his first million in the organ export/import trade!

I read this article recently, by this dude - Pranay Gupte. (by way of my GP tutor)
He is some journalist, who has like '36' years of experience in the field. Apparently, he had worked with many esteemed press agencies and such. He went to work with ST, having left his previous post (only God knows why?!) The article is basically about his unsavoury experience with TST. Believe it or not, it's up to you. Somehow, this article just further adds to my notions with regards to the quality/credibility of TST. Take note though, that this dude was also involved in some other funky stuff. Like this Read. His credibility could be in question here. I wonder.

Vista. Bleargh. If I do buy it, I would only do so like next year. When everything begins to run fine and dandy (if that does happen). If I had the dough, I would totally get three computers. An Apple, a PC, and one with Ubuntu Linux. The first and the third look so pretty!

I don't think I am thinking straight. Conflicting emotions? Whatever. It may/may not happen. Propects are like totally confusing. Well maybe, just maybe - screw this emo BS. I was never emo in the first place, so let's not start.

So this is how my world spun thus far. Good ole' boxing for that one hit KO.

Jokes...Jokes

2007-01-20T22:18:00.000+08:00

My class is damn lame. In a good way. Full of "jokes...jokes" I can't help but to revert back to my 4H ways. This is one we just came up with...

Ice from North Pole - Nice
Ice from South Pole - Spice

Yay 3K

so they say

2007-01-16T20:29:00.000+08:00

"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause,

while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. "

-------- J.D. Salinger; The Catcher in the Rye

The OG

2007-01-15T23:40:00.000+08:00

So yesterday we had our first OG outing. We went to Paradiz Centre to play pool. Was quite funky, 'coz I think I got slightly better! I had only played pool 2-3 times before, and never at a shop. Anyway, I felt it was fun, and a number of funky stuff happened. One guy's cue ball went out of the table after doing a jump-shot(unintentional) and rolled for 36 miles before anyone found it in the dark. And oh, I think like physicists/engineers can play pool well - it seems to involve quite a bit of physics?

Anyway, after which - we went to Esplanade. WALKED THERE. The guys were almost dead by the time we got there; the girls were happily walking at marathon pace. I bet it's all their shopping stamina or something. It's damn weird lah. I can run 2.4km if you want me to, but I can't walk around shopping centres for nuts! After slackings, we went to Carl's Jr (some funky burger joint) and "take-away"-ed burgers and went to Esplanade to eat. By the waterfront... :D And we were laughing like mad at erm "heads in laps".

Then we went under some bridge to play funkydoodle games. Including shoot-shag-marry! But that's like erm shhhh(secret)!

Overall it was a rather fun outing, and my OG should have more! But some are still like stoning on their own - which is bad...cliques should have dissolved by now or whatever lah....zzz

P.S: I kind like my class. Seems quite fun - everyone was in a sports CCA so not bad. We owned some other class at Captain's Ball even though they had like giants and such! GO S03K! Yayness.

The Why Anything / Anyone Question

2007-01-14T00:36:00.000+08:00

It always follows this format.

Person A : Why me /this ?
Person B: Why you, why me? / Why this, why that?
Person B: Why anybody? / Why anything?

Concrete Leaves

2007-01-11T20:52:00.000+08:00

Literal concrete jungle
Concrete grey bordered
By dying greenery
Cold steel encroaching
On the warm hearth

Within meadows and woods
The aquarian waters
Turning a rust-flecked
Brown, dried up sludges

Cut, Raze, Build
The three-word mantra
Chanted by axes
and hungry chainsaws

Voices of mordenisation,
globalisation, change

Echoed by those
Governed by corporations
And subservient nations

Ambition corrupted,
metastasizing
A cancerous mass
bile-green;
Fueling the fire

The fire of need
That of greed
The fire that lurks
Till we crash and burn.

Life by KV

2007-01-11T20:51:00.000+08:00

" The guide invited the crowd to imagine that they were looking across a desert at a mountain range on a day that was twinkling bright and clear. They could look at a peak or a bird or a cloud, at a stone right in front of them, or even down into the canyon behind them. But among them was this poor Earthling, and his head was encased in a steel sphere which he could never take off. There was only one eyehole through which he could look, and welded to that eyehole were six feet of pipe.

This was only the beginning of Billy's miseries in the metaphor. He was also strapped to a steel lattice which was bolted to a flatcar on rails, and there was no way he could turn his head or touch the pipe. The far end of th pipe rested on a bi-pod which was also bolted to the flatcar. All Billy could see was the little dot at the end of the pipe. He didn't know he was on a flatcar, didn't even know there was anything peculiar about his situation.

The flatcar sometimes crept, sometimes went extremely fast, often stopped - went uphill, downhill, around curves, along straightways. Whatever poor Billy saw through the pipe, he had no choice but to say to himself, "That's life." "

- from Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonegut

1st Post

2007-01-11T20:42:00.000+08:00

My first post for the year. A nice number won't you say? 11/1 ? Ah whatever. I would like to start off with a certain quote. It's something that has captivated me quite a bit. I hope you find them meaningful too.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom always to tell the difference."

- Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonegut

grad nite

2006-11-24T15:22:00.000+08:00

So there. Grad Nite a.k.a All Star's Nite is over. It was a inght where the strongly emphasised themes were forgotten. No one cared anyway, save for a dumbo GEP who wore some dumb MILITARY COSTUME! At least it's just one. Oh, and another GEP-er who wore some ah peh t-shirt, shorts and sandals. How very formal/smart-casual is that. Hmmm. But even so, who cares about GEPs anyway?

On a whole, it was quite fun. The programmes weren't that good, but everything else was. The important things were like the eating, talking nonsense and camming. Honestly, I have never cammed so much before. It's like some record. Go around taking photos, koping other people's cameras to take some more. Haha. Oh, and I lost my door gift...whattagenius. pfft. But it's ok.

Sadly, couldn't get waterside pictures. The freaking river was too far way. And the hotel people were chasing us out! Stupid people! Grrr..

That was grad nite. So now, gnite.

hols

2006-11-10T01:54:00.000+08:00

Holidays are already here. I don't have O's. School's out. Graduation over. So, I'm Free! But I have to think of ways to spend my time fruitfully and not idle around too much. Incidentally I realised that I had slept for 12 hours today. I have yet to beat my previous record of 15 hours. I wonder what is happening to me.

Ahhhh...can't wait to watch Casino Royale! It has received rave reviews from critics (though many had expected to be disappointed) Nov 17. Countdown : 7 days. :D

2006-11-03T19:45:00.000+08:00

So it has finally ended. Over. Finito. Poof. A chapter in life written and sealed. A new chapter awaits. But will it be the same? I wonder. This shall be my final post on such matters. Hope for the best - in A's and all.

2006-10-29T21:39:00.001+08:00

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

2006-10-29T21:38:00.001+08:00

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Benzene Ferris Wheel.

2006-10-29T20:24:00.000+08:00

9 x 2 = 18 / 1 + 8 = 9

9 x 3 = 27 / 2 + 7 = 9

9 x 4 = 36 / 3 + 6 = 9
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
9 x 270 = 2430 / 2 + 4 + 3 = 9

And so on.

Benzene Ferris Wheel.

SG Pt 1

2006-10-26T16:07:00.000+08:00

Welcome to a new series - SG( Satt's Guide...not Singapore silly)

In this installment, we shall look at ways to cope with/beat/utilise the HAZE!

1) Wear an N95 mask. It prevents friendly neighbour-hoody ash/sulphur dioxide/etc from wreaking havoc in your lungs. For those who have no idea(most of you I'm sure) what an N95 mask is, here's how it looks.

But you have to follow the directions carefully, or else the mask may fuse with your body, and cause you to mutate. You would probably end up looking like this.

2) Fans. These would blow the haze away from your homes etc. and you can breathe in cleaner air. A better solution would be to create a petition, requesting the government to install a multitude of fans similar to the one below, along our border.

FYI, this fan is known as the "Wall of Wind" and it produces winds with speeds of up to 185 km/h in addition to biting "rain". It's actually used to study the devastating effects of hurricanes on houses, and can easily tear down a house in a matter of minutes. The important thing is to face the fans the right way - we wouldn't want a "Hurricane Alley" Singapore would we?

Any takers? Nah, I doubt it.

3) Kill all tree-burners! The best way to solve the problem is to get to the "root" of it, right? (There's a subtle pun here, but nevermind that) Anyway, if we were to kill them - then there wouldn't be anyone to set the trees on fire right?

Dead Tree-Burners!

No forest fire = no birds being killed = more birds = more luck. Yay. o.O

4) Manufacture weaponry. We could siphon off the smoke and store it in some container. In the event of some random war breaking out, we can easily gas our opponents with fresh neighbour-made haze! Good idea eh? I should be in the MOD man.

TOD - Tank of Death

5) Don't breathe. If one was not to inhale any air, no harmful respirable particles would enter your lungs. Thus you wouldn't get an 8% increase in the risk of getting lung cancer. But on the other hand, unless you are some Indian yogi who is a pranayama expert, I seriously doubt you are going to survive. The bright side: Whoever is dumb enough to try to asphyxiate themselves deserves to die and not waste our country's precious resources. Thus 1 stone - 2 mangoes!

This concludes the first edition of SG. Stay tuned for more!

lalala

2006-10-24T15:34:00.000+08:00

Hmm this is post 101. YAY! Haha. Anyway, I have been on a movie watching spree these past few days to make up for what I had missed during school. Watched quite a number of classic movies. But my HTL O-Levels are on Monday o.O And I haven't really done anything about it. But who cares - it's just MT, nothing really hard about it. But I have to at least do some exercises so as to not lose touch. I can't get anything less than an A1, if not it'll be damn jack 'coz my sister got an A1.

On another note, there are only 8 days before the end of my secondary school life. I think everyone will miss RI - but the extent depends on how next year turns out. Well you never know how much you miss something, until it's gone. Eeeks, this sounds so ....

Matriculation Day is tmrw. My choice is going to be BCME but I'm undecided about KI. Some people still haven't decided what they are gonna do - think fast and well people!

Random haze-related quotes

"Eh I think Jimi Hendrix sang 'Purple Haze' last time, because they burnt purple trees then" (Taufiq)

Q: What is the easiest way to preserve your salmon now? A: Leave it out in the open; you'll get smoked salmon" (A great visionary)

Q: What's the sound tree-burners make when they sigh? A: Haiz( Haze)

Q: What do you call the indonesian pollution ~~dispersal~~ disposal squad A: HAZ(e)MAT

Q: Which terrorist group created the haze? A: Haze-bollah

Q: How do evil tree-burners laugh? A: Muahahahahaze

Q: What kind of phone to tree-burners use? Motorola Hazr

-.-

pissed

2006-10-19T23:47:00.000+08:00

EXPLETIVE ALERT

Fuckers should know when to keep their stinkin' traps shut. Don't go talking about shit that you don't know about. You aren't gonna get fucking payback. You fucking don't know the consequences of your actions, do you? You totally make me sick to the core. Don't try to go all Freud-like on people, 'coz you are just a loser. Behave like a dude, and not like some airhead blonde bimbo beatch. I have already divined you true character behind all that layers of mummy-wrapping. You are nothing more than a piece of shrivelled up meat and I do not like your actions one bit. Change or screw off, you waste of oxygen!

Over

2006-10-19T23:36:00.000+08:00

YES! COMMON TESTS ARE OVER! WOOTZ! Ok, don't mind that enthusiastic ourburst - haha. Well, for one - I do not have any more dumb CTs as I'm getting outta Sec 4. Wooohoo!! Papers weren't too shabby - but would have to wait for marks to be fully reassured. Now, I can slack! YES! And do whatever I had wanted to do. Stay Tuned! :D

The Prestige

2006-10-19T00:05:00.000+08:00

After Tamil Class today, the tamil dudes went to play soccer. And by my estimates the PSI must have been 100+ or thereabouts. The haze was quite bad, but there were already a gazillion people playing soccer on the astro. It was quite fun, though tiring as the haze made breathing hard and the heat was not letting up. Who cares, even if your risk of getting lung cancer goes up by 8%. Haha. Risky business.

After soccer, Kannan, Arun and me went to watch The Prestige. Whoever gave it just a four should die. It deserves at least a 4.5. And if someone like Arun said it, it was indeed good. Haha. The screenplay was superb; it always kept you on your feet. You have to think along with the director, if not you'll be left scratching your head. Pick up on all the subtle clues - it's part of the experience. The acting by Christian Bale is commendable - as usual. He is one of my favourite film actors actually, haha. But one thing I didn't really like was the extensive focus on the obsessions of the characters. It reduces the depth of the work to some extent. But everyone should go catch it. Be warned though, it is not a MI:3 kinda adrenaline-rush providing movie. So if you are looking for nail-biting action, look elsewhere. This is a film for the appreciative movie buff.

Regurgitated

2006-09-30T10:32:00.000+08:00

He was from a world apart,
of alien roots and tongues
His life and ours
separated - by the deep chasm
of land and culture

He hardly comprehended
the 270 km/h lifestyle,
Dictated by the luminous trinity
of red, amber and green

He had never stopped -
to smell the roses,
that we so take for granted;
nor could he

He left his land,
that war-torn blood bath
Of corpses and munition
In search of life; but

He was like a puzzle piece
in the jigsaw of community

As it turned out;
He was of the
wrong shape after all

He was churned and spun
in the serpentine slum
Never assimilated, and
Regurgitated - out the
sulphurous gut of society

P.S: Hands too itchy to keep still. :)

absence

2006-09-28T19:22:00.000+08:00

This blog may/may not be inactive for some time to some (till my CTs are over at least) As such, posts would be few and far in between, if at all. So - this has officially entered hibernation, see you in spring.

tabling...

2006-09-23T00:28:00.001+08:00

random clip of tabling....

Analysis

2006-09-22T00:24:00.000+08:00

I have always wondered in Literature lessons; what the point of analysing literary texts was. Till now I have yet to find a satisfactory answer. Sometimes I wonder if the authors themselves meant for their work to be analysed to such an extent. Be it verse or prose, no piece of work is left in it's original, beautiful and unmarked condition. Instead, it is ruthlessly torn apart by analysis techniques such as SLIMS and SPECS (lit students should know what these are). This is further aggravated by the kiasu attitude of many, who consider literary appreciation to be some muggable subject. What is the point of literature now anyway? The utopian ideal of literary appreciation seems to be eroding. What has taken it's place is now mindless analysis of every word, sentence, punctuation mark and space.

Tales from the Window

2006-09-22T00:21:00.000+08:00

Tales from the Window

In the month of September
One just needs to stick his head
Out the window
Of his 20 metre Everest

When the sun is undecided
Between 150° and 180°

Take a whiff, of
The familiar cocktail
Of burning incense, paper
And diesel from buses

Open your eyes wide
And gaze, just watch
As ants scurry past, on
Two wheels, two legs,
Four legs and four wheels

Lend a listening ear
To the hustle and bustle
You might just be able to catch
A getai or two, resounding through
Or even whispers floating liltingly

These fragments of life
As seen by each individual
Have the bearing of normalcy
The comfort blankets of many

But when the sun awakes,
All that’s left
Are the ashes, of nights past

ICC Nite' 06

2006-09-16T23:00:00.000+08:00

ICC Nite has ended! [This is a backlog, so don't mind the transitions in tenses (even I'm not sure)] It was a blast! (Like a shot from the Master Blaster!) And it's also something that I would be rather proud of.

The previous week was very @#$%^&* We were having 7-9 school days, which is like longer than office hours. This was most definetly a machination of Narilla. It was her hairy and unwelcome intrusion in our Medley, that caused us much distress,torment, frustration and fuelled our desire to kill her. She is such a fickle creature that she comes 2 days before the show and asks us to change the Medley. Like, WTF?! We were supposed to add freaking thathuvam songs which she heard when she was a little gorilla, for according to her the parents would only enjoy such songs.

But as one parent had pointed out, “99.9% of the parents today listen to contemporary songs. And 99.9% of them only want to listen to how well the children sing. As such 99.9% of them, do not care what type of songs are sung”. This is in stark contrast to the narilla school of thought. Anyway, the fact of the matter is that Narilla is a noob and that she knew nuts about anything. As a result of this unwelcome intrusion, we had to make a lot of changes last minute to the item, and as such it became super long.

The actual day was rather tension-fied. We came down to school at 9 am to start preparations, rehearsals and what not. As per IST – Narilla was expected to come at least 36 minutes late. As such, we were happy-slappily playing chapteh with some screwed up shuttlecock. And then Narilla came, and rehearsal started. And Jax was like – “Ei! Neengal ellam olungah performance pannalaenah naa show-ei cancel panniduvaen!” and what not. And that was like super zzzzz.. But the septuplet gang of the Pariparan AKA Pakir Hussain, Karikaran (who together formed the Polonial Kousins), Panikutti Paithiyanathan, Makiponna Mukesh, Mohksim, Pitch Bitch and Nustad Nalla Nakha was unfazed by the empty threats! We had gone too far to come back now. So we were busy practicing the medley and it was only on that day that we sounded decent or so I thought. Well we didn’t go off-pitch much and stuff so yeah. Then we had to go and show out item to Jax to get an OK from him. So yeah, we Vathaapied first. And then Medley-ed. Both were OK, except that the Pitch Bitch kept making mistakes, and we were like rushing due to nervousness(For medley). Pfft. So after all that crap, and copius amounts of Strepstils and lemon juice we were released for lunch and stuff.(On a side note, I had finished half a box of Strepstils by the start of our actual Medley as I was losing my friggin voice).

Time was ticking, and the show was nearing. Evidently, we were damn nervous and stuff. The wait backstage was seriously a killer man. We were like pacing endlessly waiting for the damn show to start. And start it did.

First up was Vathaapi. I was damn nervous as Nithya and I had not rehearsed much save for the 30 minutes prior to the show. And poor dude, Narilla made him wear his drama costume for the item lah. >.< But it was da bomb man! Sounded like some Zakir Hussain, Alla Rakha fusion! Haha. Solid performance. But for our (solo+duet = suet) item, my mike went on strike at the start. So I had to hit damn hard to get some sound lah. But on the whole, I felt that Vathaapi was the most error-free item of the show.

Next was dance. Ah! Dailamo! It was funky man. I don't care what anyone has to say, they rocked. Hip-hop and what not, it looked cool from backstage ah. Balu was the most natural fella there but was good in it's own right. They evidently put in alot of effort for that item. And considering that they had 36 million other commitments, it was a bomb man. Doesn't Dailamo remind you of Dynamo - the detergent. Imagine making steps to such a song....that was exactly what we did. Damn funny lah! Haha.
Next up was our Medley. I was seriously worried about this, as ICC Nite was actually our first proper rehearsal, so to speak. Haha. When I tried to look at the audience, I couldn only see the blinding spotlights lah. Dass was feeling damn nooblet as he was just playing the chords(but it was very good for 48 hours worth of work). There were minor problems like going off-pitch/key and the mangling of lyrics by Manjo(as was expected). It also went kinda long. And I felt damn noob when I had to sing the friggin Thayillaamal Naan Illai. Was bloody anti-climax lah! And I rushed through one song. But overall, it sounded good, at least to me. COnsidering we had to undergo so much shit from Narilla, I would say the Medley was a success. Screw what a certain family has to say about the Medley. We got good comments for it, and for a first-timer like me, I think I did reasonably well. At least none of us missed our part, and started smiling sheepishly. Hehe. We were filled with immense relief when the whole thing ended!

Next up was drama. It was an unintentional comedy man. The audience were laughing like crazy, especially one paricular section (which prompted Narilla to go "Yaaru rowdy-thanamaaka nadanthu koraanga?") But I thought it was entertaining nonetheless, which is supposed to be the aim of the drama. It's this small mistakes that give it a human touch. Kaikeyi was a friggin transvestite and Seethai look like a female lah! The drama on the whole was very powderful.

And that was it. ICC Nite ended just like that. And poor Kannan. He had to thank the Narilla for whatever even though she was going against us for the most part. But it's okay. On the whole, I should say ICC Nite was a success, considering the following factors. 1) The gorilla was sticking it's hair in places where it didn't belong. 2) We do not have a dedicated CCA for dance and music, and as such the preformers were just a random bunch of people. 3) We have narilla, which no one else had the misfortune of having. 4) Our core CCAs were always clashing with ICC Nite prac. But despite all these, we came out the better.

Ethu eppadi irunthaalum, I must say I will miss the rehearsals. I had much fun n the rehearsals, although I was always on the verge of losing my voice, shouting as noob Sec1s and 2s. The medley guys especially were fun people, like Prahlad the Pannikutti Paithiyanathan and Kannan the Karikaran. Our common bonding point seemed to be our collective hatred for Narilla that was growing by the minute. We had escaped being evicted by Elango-adigal's blaeke friends and a whole lot of crap. Coming to think of it, I've already begun to miss the rehearsals. Post-production blues has set in. Hmmmm. I'll always remember the funtimes!

P.S: Whoever has ICC photos (of the nite and our camps and other random photos) send them to me. Let's set up a Flickr account, and preserve the memories of our last year in RI. =D

Cheers to the CCG and it's 36 members!

closure?

2006-09-11T23:15:00.000+08:00

What's up with the recent craze of the usage of the word - closure. I've heard that word at least 36 times in the span of 24 hours. OMG. It's like this and that needs a closure etc and 've been hearing that used in random contexts. -.-

Anyway, life's hell. A important person in ICC Nite is down with chickenpox. F***SH**! and we are in a mad rush to get the parts he does to some others and such. Curse you, chickenpox. And the hairy gorilla would seriously be in deep sh** if not for the Sec4s. She's verry the not lost lah. She hardly know what's going on, and thinks that we are all superhuman. >.< No other teacher can be as noob as her. Good riddance, avval tholai ithudan mudinthuvittathu. Oh yeah, AND HTL PRELIMS ARE 3 DAYS AFTER!!! GREAT!!! (And we are still piled with work nonetheless :( 0 Oh my kadavullae, ennai save pannu.

2006-09-03T01:48:00.000+08:00

I'm rarely affected by anything. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing is another matter. Affected would be in the sense of a lingering presence within or something to that effect. But when something happens, it kind of grows on you. Acceptance is the only way to some quiet, trying to forget would get one nowhere. Well, there's this presence now. Why? I haven't found an answer yet.

p.s: this is not meant to sound emo.

2006-08-29T23:01:00.000+08:00

That 60's song
Ringing like a cicada
Broken record on repeat

f-ia, m-i-a

2006-08-29T02:24:00.000+08:00

while it fell, i wished
for a bed of feathers
now that it's broken
there's no fix-it-all

idiocy in icc

2006-08-24T19:37:00.000+08:00

That gorilla can go screw itself. I can't stand is at all! Neither can the rest... She's bloody adamant and only wants to do things HER way. Avvalum, avvaludaiyah manangkatti theme-um. The only thing it can do is to give irrelevant comments and screw up what we have done. And this Jax is another big gundu, he has a very top-down approach, and does not give a flying f*** about our inputs. So they can go rot in hell or something.

Anyway, why are there despos like CB in this world? Omg. Like he tries to force his way through the music stuff, wanting to join and what not. Ok, so your mum has sung with Bombay Jayashree or whatever( I couldn't care less), but it's not like YOU have. Also, your voice is not suited to singing at all. AT ALL. You can't sing, you can't talk, what else can you do? And you go around telling your um makkals that you were CHOSEN to sing (which is so untrue). As such, inference points to the fact that the only reason you wanted to be in the music stuff was to impress someone, and not for the sake of putting up a good performance. So screw you buddy. Btw, thanks Rama.

where is it

2006-08-23T23:49:00.000+08:00

Slidin' down the seven band slide
Hillbilly banjo in hand
I've reached the end of my rainbow
But where's my pot of gold?

it's still in beta

2006-08-23T22:29:00.000+08:00

or so i hear. version upgrade impossible in near future.

2006-08-23T21:51:00.000+08:00

The sweet sounds of misery
Floating liltingly past
Along comes Avery
The gold won't last

fix you

2006-08-22T22:20:00.000+08:00

Time passes me by, the 23rd lane

As I sit on square one, white noise in stereo
Vrooms, zooms - like small shrooms
Unhearing, uncaring

screwed-up nara and philo

2006-08-19T00:39:00.001+08:00

DMP is becoming more of a pain in the ass nowadays. Mostly, it's because of tamil. Hello? Just because your fuggin timetable is screwed up doesn't mean that we have to lose our free days and slots! WTF! And just drilling us in katturais and stuff isn't going to make us better writers in like what 2-3 months? She just piles on the work and doesn't give a flying f--- about us. The intention maybe good but the method is not. I'm getting more tamil homework than everything else combined and multiplied by 36 in the span of 3-4 lessons! And I have 2 WHOLE HOURS of tamil per lesson - how screwed is that? Avva moonjai irandu mani naerathukku eppadi sagikichitu irrukkirathu? Oh my kadavule... Plus, avva does not give a damn about her lovely ICC Nite. Fuggin pracs are being postponed like nobody's business according to her whims and fancies. Ah why do I care... I seem to be the only sould who does. An cricket drives me mad. Bah humbug.

Ah but DMP is also really silly. Well I went for my first philo module - Mind: Is it Matter. Where you talk abtout the mind and how it corresponds to man's existence etc. I thought it was quite funky lah - so happyslappy sign up ready. Go there only then I know how screwed up it was. Like there was a sea of geppers there man. All sodapotti kanadi, pants up to chest roundamanis. Ok, well not really ALL - MANY I would say. I only have the protective enclave of Benjamin and Brian. Ah. And KB is also there - omg. Anyway, it's really screwed up. Like we are all in the same class - and we discuss through an online forum! Like WTH?! Has the p.d gone bonkers? Their rationale can be described in a sentence. Bereiter and Scardamalia (sound like some exotic european diseases) stated that writing has a crucial role in articulating one's thinking. So we meet online and type. At the cost of face-to-face discussion - which is like absurd and crappy. The dawn of technology, is the bane of communication. Plus I have screwed up assholes in my group who don't come up with proper arguments. Have a look at this. The topic is: Do robots think?

And this is by a gepper

"How do you know that robots are able to respond to their surroundings? Is this the case wherever and whatever happens? For example, if u place a human in bed with another of the opposite sex , both naked, for a few days, sex will most likely occur. But if u put a robot with another robot without clothes, they will not have sex. They cannot think and cannot do many things that humans can. Thus, how can you say that robots are able to respond to their surroundings?"

Here's another one

"No, robots do not think. I strongly believe that robots have no brain. They have a non-mental processor. That means they process thr inforamtion fed to them, not come up with the info themselves."

Like what the....Gah. It's okay..hmmph

Anyway so far bio has been coolios. We watched Outbreak which is duper coolios and I want to become an infectiologist! (FAD ALERT) Ok nvm, I shall kill ebola for the world. Yipeee. Lame I know.

RE Demon Vanquished

2006-08-14T16:50:00.000+08:00

Yay! Hurrah! Yay again! You get the drift. RE is over - the demon that makes me stay up late at night to appease it's insatiable appetite of paperwork + bits & bytes. dwreddd! Haha. Presentation was a rocker, and the judges said they were impressed with our linguistic abilities. Yayness. And my mentor said that I spoke very well - double yay!! Ah, come on A for RE! And we didn't rehearse at all - it was off the cuff. Hurrah. And my group members were wonderful, as such you end up with a 50 page report for half - year worth of research. :D

AND THE DEMON HAS DIED-ED!!!!!

tab - la, ling & list

2006-08-13T23:58:00.000+08:00

The tabla is an exquisite musical instrument beyond parallel. It's tonal range and fluidity remains unmatched by any percussion instrument. The mridangam can't go as high as it does, nor can the pakhwaj go as low and deep as the tabla does. It's something emotive and evoking. It speaks a language of precision and perfection. It's a joy to listen and play the tabla. But it's a very physical art, obviously. Every step of the way, you would be straining your muscles. The tuning - you have to pull and stretch the bayan till it is taut, and that can really kill you. The hammering can also be quite difficult as you also have to be careful not to break the tabla and your fingers. The playing also can be tough. Sometimes you are required to play continuously, with increasing speed for a perido of 20-30 minutes, and that can seriously kill any feeling in your hands. You'll literally be playing numb, but who cares? This physicality is something that is integral to the whole experience.

And this is why, I play the tabla.

EDIT: There is one thing I dislike about tabling. You have to use copious amounts of talcum powder to play smoothly, or else you'll get a goddawful screech. When you wash your hands, the talcum powder becomes a paste and sticks to your hands, and then it dries. So you are left with a toxic sludge on your hands which can only be removed with excessive scrubbing. Also when applying said talcum powder, powder clouds form and the smell travels far. As such, people start sneezing, and this is worsened in enclosed spaces. My talcum powder bottle becomes an enemy of state.