Memories...
Saturday, March 31, 2007
I m a little bit disturbed. Just came back home, and witnessed 2 accidents, both along PIE and both along the 1st lane.
For the 1st one, it was near the exit of eng neo avenue. Saw 4 cars crashed into each other. Ambulance was there as well, and leaving.
For the 2nd one, it was near the exit from PIE to BKE. Saw a bike crushed under a car. Victim was not there anymore i think. But i saw lots of blood on the ground.
Everybody always hail Singapore's transport system as one of the best in the world, as one of the most efficient in the world, as one of the most inter-connected in the world. But why is it that we still see and hear of accidents every single dae?
Something somewhere must be wrong.
Unknown to many, my blog was featured in the Straits Times digital life on Tuesday, regarding my thoughts on MOE's abolition of the TAF Club.
Apparently some wise journalist had quoted almost my entire entry in his or her report, without even notifying me. Simply cut and paste the entire chunk down. To me, this illustrates the increasing seamless transition of information from the blogosphere to the mainstream media, which means that what you write or say in your blog can be increasingly transfused into the public arena effortlessly.
To put it simply, if u say todae for instance, that 'Tan Chuan Bit sucks,' dun be surprised if you read that 'Tan Chuan Bit sucks' in the Straits Times the next dae. Heh. no offence bit bit
Blogging has a price to pay indeed.
Friday, March 30, 2007
It was a delight to see Prof Straughan and her 2 kids just now! n_n Apparently she's back from sabbatical leave after 1 sem..Haha..I always feel she's one of those who really do care for the welfare of students. And i can still remember a lot of nice things that she did for Arts Club not just during my term in office, but also for previous batches..A really warm lady whom i respect a lot.
And yesh, i rem the time i was grilled by her in her office, when i decided to re-run. =) But i noe at that point of time, she said harsh things to push and spur me on, and to challenge me to set a good example for the club and fellow students. I always hope that i did not let her down, and it was really a pity that she couldnt attend our Thank-You Dinner last year, but still, i m grateful for her care and support of Arts students all these years.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
I m not sure why i have been feeling so lethargic and in need of sleep over the past few daes..Was so tired last night that i accidentally slept all the way till this morning..but still i m feeling groggy.
Hmm..Maybe i m using up too much brain power.
Monday, March 26, 2007
DEICHSTOCK AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUNDTABLE
There once lived King Arthur and his noble knights of the Roundtable, who protected and defended their city Avalon. They fought countless battles against foreign invaders and barbarians, and fought for the rights of their people as well.
Unknown to many, there exists a high council known as the Deichstock, who regarded themselves as high intellectuals who noe what's best for the people of Avalon. Indeed, the Deichstock often supplied Arthur and his men with weapons, equipment, supplies, and moral support in the past. The Knights of the Roundtable fought valiantly at the ground level, and often give their all to support the Deichstock in return.
Unfortunately, the Deichstock, high and mighty as they think they were, were too stuck in their thrones in the high mountains of Camlann. In name they always encouraged Arthur and his men to continue to be brave and to continue to promote the sacred spirit of Avalonese, but as time passes, the Deichstock began to lose touch of what's best for the people of Avalon. Avalon's territory was becoming increasingly seceded to the Saxon empire.
One fine day, the Deichstock suddenly announced to Arthur and his knights that they had to give up their stronghold of Camelot. Camelot was the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm, from which he fought many of the battles that made up his life, and so did his fellow Knights and past kings. Camelot was surrounded by plains and rivers, and its magnificent cathedral, St. Stephen's, is the religious center for Arthur's knights. It is from Camelot that the members of the Round Table embark on the Quest for the Holy Grail, held once every year where knights from every part of Middle Earth gathered to build the most magnificent Trojan House. Camelot's location was also extremely significant in the sense that it was from this center which most of Avalon were linked, in which supplies could be sent rapidly to aid outposts. The people of Avalon also strongly identified with Camelot as the symbolic center of Avalon activity and pride.
King Arthur tried his best and gave everything to try and persuade the Deichstock to re-consider giving up Camelot. Esp given the fact that the Deichstock only informed the Knights so late into the Llancarfan period, and expect Arthur and his men to empty Camelot in just 30 days. What's worse was that winter was coming, and the people of Avalon needed to prepare and stock up for hibernation. They had, after all, put in so much for the people during Llancarfan period that they ought to have deserved a good break.
Unfortunately, the Deichstock refused to budge. Rumours begin to circulate that Camelot was going to be ceded to the Saxons, who long complained that they had insufficient "earth and water". Arthur's predecessor, Uther Pendragon, who have been dubbed "Mouth of the North" by some his most vociferous enemies, was previously forced by the Deichstock to give up Glastonbury- known as the Gateway to Camelot, during his reign as well. Glastonbury was significant because it provided the people of Avalon with wood and quill pens. The Deichstock had previously promised Uther Pendragon that they would not deprive the people of Avalon with wood, and in fact, they were going to build new windmills to compensate the people. Uther negotiated hard as well, but to no avail. 1 decade after Uther handed the kingship to Arthur, the Deichstock still had not build the windmills for the people as promised. Glastonbury- the Gateway to Camelot, continues to remain vacant and in ruins today.
It looks like Camelot would face a similiar fate soon.
Uther, who is still alive and kicking, is fuming at the Deichstock in what he perceives as inconsistent promises. Legend has it that all along, the Deichstock already had plans for the ceding for Camelot, but were waiting, waiting quietly and patiently for the right moment to strike.
Meanwhile the people of Avalon are whispering among themselves.. They pay their dues to the Deichstock, and they should have the right to be consulted, to know why Camelot had to be shifted. Instead, what is happening now is that the people of Avalon are only being informed of decisions already made by the Deichstock. Discontent and disillusionment arise among the people of Avalon, many of whom have already felt that the Deichstock do not understand them at the ground level.
The Deichstock always think that they know what's best for the villagers and the people of Avalon, but do they?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
ENGAGING MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT..
I attended a PAYM forum this morning at Nanyang CC, where the topic was "‘Key Challenges of Singapore's Foreign Policies, particularly in ASEAN context". Was really glad that i could engage the MPs present up close and personal, who include Mr Alvin Yeo- MP and Adviser to Hong Kah GRC GROs, Dr Amy Khor- Mayor of South West District and Adviser to Hong Kagh GRC GROs, Mr Ang Mong Seng- MP for Hong Kah GRC (Bukit Gombak) and Chairman of Hong Kah Town Council, and Mr Zaqy Mohamad- MP for Hong Kah GRC (Keat Hong).
It was indeed refreshing to debate with and to get to hear the views of our MPs on the recent issues where Singapore has been facing criticisms from our neighbours, particularly with regards to the sand ban by Indonesia, the Shincorp issue, and the accusation by Malaysia that Singapore has been indirectly causing the floods in Johor.
Mr Alvin Yeo strikes me as a very sincere and diplomatic man. Dr Army Khor strikes me as a feisty and dynamic lady, while Mr Ang Mong Seng was very much the heartlander kind of MP. Pity that Mr Yeo Cheow Tong couldn't be there as he wasn't feeling well.
I was delighted as well, to be able to link up with a few personnel from PAYM (People's Association Youth Movement). We chatted a lot, and they were pleasantly surprised that i was very keen to help out in grassroot organizations, and in particular, my interest in joining the Youth Executive Committees at the community level. Apparently YEC elections are from July to Sept, thankfully, that gives me some time to prepare and learn more about how YECs function. Also appreciated the fact that they were willing to recommend me to the YECs in my neighbourhood area, including Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang and Yew Tee.
Apple, taking into account my Political Science background, also invited me to take part in an ASEAN caucus from April 23 to 28, where i would have the chance to network and come up with working papers with other ASEAN youths from the region, and then present these working papers to the ASEAN ministers themselves~ Sounds like a great opportunity for me, and i was really excited about the challenge. But argh! The date clashes with my exams. Xianz..now i m thinking whether there's any chance for me to explain to my lecturers to let me postpone taking 2 exam papers..If not i ll have to forgo the opportunity to debate and engage at a real level with ASEAN youth leaders and ministers! That ll be really xianz for me!
In any case, I am beginning to believe that God has an alternative plan and task for me instead of NYC.. Blessing in disguise? n_n hopefully!
ENGAGING MR PHILIP YEO..
I must admit, i am a professed fan of Mr Philip Yeo, chairman of A*Star (and previously of EDB). I ve been following his recent entry into the blogosphere, where he actively engaged others on Aaron's blog, giving his side of the story, and his views on many issues. I think Singapore needs more tough and straight-talking leaders like him. Below is the excerpt of my little conversation with him on Aaron's blog:
Ching Hock // Mar 24, 2007 at 6:42 pm
"Dear Mr Philip Yeo,
I wonder whether you remember that 10 years ago at The Chinese High School, you delivered a speech and chaired a Q & A session during our assembly session? I was 1 of those sitting among the 300 students then, not having a clue what EDB was about and I still can’ t recall exactly what you said about EDB (haha!) But what I do remember is that you encouraged all of us to dare to pursuit our dreams, and to dare to believe in ourselves.
10 years on, I thank you for that, and maybe I m pointing out this to highlight “the other side” of Mr Yeo haha.
On another note, I just want to add that I have 2 good friends who were interviewed and selected by Mr Yeo personally as A* Star scholars. They had drive, were extremely hardworking, had excellent academic grades, and distinguished cca records. They are most certainly outstanding all-rounders, contrary to the image of some who feel that scholars are “those who only know how to study”. I could be generalizing, but I do believe that no selection system in the world is 100% perfect, or that A* Star “mistreats” their scholars.
P.S: Haven’t been eating frog legs since smashing and killing live bullfrogs with my bare hands back in my army days.. Apparently when frogs die, their tongues will stick out. And 1 of the frogs actually pee-ed on my mate’s hand moments before he was going to smash its head.. Well..all part of training.."
"philip yeo // Mar 24, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Dear Ching Hock,
I am not perfect. =)
I try hard to find Cranes (Chinese symbol for wisdom?) amongst young Singaporeans.
And some Frogs and Toads hide in their midst. =)
Yuk! I prefer to buy “ready for cooking” frog legs from Cold Storage. Supposed to be good for people with asthma.
philip"
I feel some of the criticisms labelled on Mr Yeo haven't been fair, esp those bloggers who called him names and hiding behind anonymouity. Cheap shots. As expected, he lamblasted these anonymous bloggers, kinda similiar to the way i whack anonymous people on my blog. (except that i use more vulgarities back in return).
Melissa Sim's article on the Sunday Times today regarding his spat with Chen Jiahao (or acidflask) was crap as well. Contains no analysis, but mere cut and paste of the blog posts months ago. She also left out large amounts of information, and reading her article alone without knowing the whole story would potray Mr Yeo in a very negative light. Shows the limits of mainstream media, and as usual, another crap article from the Straits Times.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Its been a long time since i spent the night over at clubroom...brings back lots of memories n_n
And somemore quite re4 nao4 also..
Working on an ASEAN paper for the whole night..and the paper is due tom. Which means i dun need to sleep again tonight woohoo~ I think the more essays u write over the years, the better and faster u get. And u learn a lot more little tricks here and there which make the entire research + writing + compiling process much smoother.
Apparently MOE has decided to abolish the TAF Club Programme for primary schools..u noe, the programme where obese kids have to go for extra exercises. The stigma attached to FAT Club, oops, i mean TAF Club, plus the teasing from fellow young kids, had been linked to a decrease in confidence levels of obese kids.
I smiled to myself when i was reading the news. Good move. After all, i ve been part of TAF Club myself when i was a fat kid back then in primary school. And i can tell u that as an alumni member, the experience aint no good for a fat boi. I remember female classmates back then used to call me "Hamburger" and "Zhu1 Pa1 Jie4", or "Ba4 Kwa1" and such. Gosh, just thinking bout these names bring back horrible memories. And you noe what, TAF club training starts like after flag-lowering ceremony in the evening. Which means that while all the "normal" slim kids go back home, all the fat kids like me were "herded" into a corner and made to run 6 rounds around the field. Which is bad news becoz u have to bring yr PE attire to school everydae.
Even worse is that the whole school of "normal" kids would walk past us (the fat kids), and then point to us and then giggle: "See! All the hamburgers/zhu1 pa1 jie4/ba kwas! Orh bi guai4!"
And u noe what's worse! The 1st crush u had in primary school walking past as well..and seeing u struggling and panting in sweat...gosh!
Manz..what horrible memories~ *shudders*
So yes, MOE, good move for once. *applause from a TAF club alumni member*
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I ve lived for 23 years old, and i think its the 1st time that i see my mum jumping for joy up and down like a little kid haha!
Coz she struck lottery!!
Finally, after years (i think decades) of buying 4D, she got it! And i m so happy for her haha! n_n
There are 3 kinds of people that i detest in this world.
1) Liars. Esp those who lie to hurt.
2) People who do not learn from their mistakes, and repeat them again and again.
3) Lazy and irresponsible people.
Which means i take a very clear stance against such people, whether others like it or not, i dun really care.
And i find it amusing that some people can get upset over what i write here. Well, if you are upset, then v simple. Dun read my blog lor. I never ask u to read in the 1st place.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
I had tons of fun at Foodhunt last Sat haha..As usual, i only signed up the night before, and initially i was a little unsure about joining, coz e event ll take e whole dae till night..and i had a crucial debate and report due on mondae..
But then i asked myself again...something which i always ask myself when making decisions in life. Eg if i choose decision A over decision B, would i regret for the rest of my life not making decision B instead? This decision-making principle has stayed with me for a long long time. So in e end i decided to go for Foodhunt instead, esp as Xinyu has been asking me to join as early as January..
And i must say, i most certainly did not regret going for it! n_n it was great food, great fun, and most importantly to me, great company. Shifty, Gandhi, jay jayz and bit bit..we really had a wonderful time talking cock and catching up, and we really run like xiao for almost all the stations man! haha! Damn the yu tou mee fen stall for not letting us eat! But really, Sat reminded me once again of how zai Shifty, Gandhi, and jay jay are..reminded me of how lucky i was for having them in 26th MC..They were so proficient in what bus to take, what direction to go, so onz and so full of ideas that i didnt had much to do except run and eat on sat haha..and in e end we got 2nd!! haha! We were so happy coz we didnt waste all our efforts in piaing yay!
Overall i felt the event was really good and well-organized..could tell that e o com had quite good dynamics as well..wonderful foodhunt 07! =)
Dropped down to Sentosa for BVB on sundae for a short while as well..looks good as well..i think there's always a lot to be learnt from each year's events..and i thought it was good that there were attempts to enlarge BVB to include beach soccer, touch rug, and frisbee..who noes, maybe in future years, BVB can be even more massive, which ll be great.
On another note, i wasnt selected for the NYC YoungChangemakers panel. Hmm, got the results this morning, and was quite disappointed. I think the interviewers might have felt that i have too many other commitments outside, or that they might have felt that the experience could have been better given to a younger candidate. My brother feels that interviews can be a very subjective thing..he just came back from an OCBC interview few days ago and has successfully gotten into the 2nd round. I was real glad for him, and he was sharing his experience that different organizations may look for different personalities or traits in a candidate, or candidates who are most suited to their own organizational culture.
But being the optimist that i am haha, i guess i ll just move on from here. The good news is that the Global Youth Symposium in KL in May is still on, and i ll be going with another 2 NUS guys. And there's also SMUN to look foward to. But my drive for helping out grassroot or youth organizations is still strong, and i ll def keep a look out for any further opportunities to learn from this arena.
I have also been quite amazed and disgusted by how some people can use so much lies to further perpetuate their lies, or to hurt the people around them, even their own friends. Its quite incredible that such people do not realize what they are doing, or the consequences of their actions. Remember the story of the boy who cried wolf? In e end none of the villagers believed e boy anymore when the real wolf came. You are in a similiar situation becoz u have betrayed the trust of all your friends, people who have genuinely cared for u and stayed by your side when u were down. People who have shed tears for u when they thought that u genuinely had a problem. People who were willing to sacrifice their own time and happiness becoz of u.
And this is the way u repay them.
And this is the way u bitch about them.
And this is the way u accuse them of unimaginable sins.
And this is the way u try to screw around with their feelings.
And this is the way u try to stir shit.
And still, you refuse to repent and carry on repeating your dreadful mistakes.
To my friends out there, keep your eyes wide open. Unfortunately, there are people around who are not what they seem to be. Be careful of what you hear.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all LIARS, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
- Bible
I m such a pig. YAWNZ. I slept from 8 pm just now till 3 am now la! Duh..to think i was only supposed to take a nap of 1 hour..wah lau in the end times 7 = 7 hours hahahah!
Geeze, now i m damn awake la. And i got a lect at 10 am..looks like i wont be sleeping heh.
To all my friends, do try this personality test k! I got this from my mno module haha..and it seems to be really quite accurate to a large extent:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
I used to loathe working with year 1 girls. I still do at times, haha. Coz i think some girls are just too spoilt, pampered, rich brats, immature, naive, self-centered, shallow, materialistic, overly sensitive, emotional, and stuck in their comfort zones.
But then again, i make it a point to remember that most of them are 18, fresh out of jc, and never been through army. And that most guys are no saints ourselves when we were 18. I remembered very clearly that when i was 18 during my 1st year in army, gerard and lao da were frustrated with me at times as well. They were the only 2 platoon mates who were 22 then, 4 years older than me. I used to think that it didnt matter much, 4 or 5 years, but it does.
My point is that we all learn, be it boys or girls. And there is no shortcut to learning. Some people learn it the tough way, which does accelerate and make the curve steeper. Some people learn it the softer way, which is a gentler slope but still, they are learning. Sometimes older people say un-nice or harsh things not becoz they want to humiliate or takan others, but becoz they want you to learn, and to take the steep curve. And remember that real friends who care are not those who always say nice cushy mushy stuff, but those who additionally tell you your mistakes straight in the face.
Some people grow up never realizing their own faults, bad habits, or know that they piss off others, becoz they dun have parents or friends who dared or bothered to tell them their shortcomings and to tell them to change. Sad isnt it, such people.
Anyway, with regards to my 1st statement, thankfully as well, not all year 1 girls are like this. And many, if not most, do change. But they need time, just like everyone else.
So, the next time someone scolds u, think about the intentions behind that person before u judge him. And if u are the one doing the scolding, think about how you yourself were like when you were an 18 year old before reprimanding the other party.
YAWNZ. Gotta sleep, MNO presentation later.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST WEEK...
I must say, last week was quite taxing. Spent a lot of time making phone calls to professors for ISIS and preparing for the Gala Dinner, and well, kinda got a real reminder of the highs and lows of arts club life again hmm..Lows in the sense of a lot of misunderstandings, and highs in the sense of the dinner itself, which went relatively well.
Things got quite bad that I had to do a lot of apologizing, 54 smses in total. I was certainly at fault for saying certain things, but i was just being frank and straightfoward in saying other things. And i really felt that i needed to protect gandhi, who was really shouldering too much.
For those parts where i was wrong, i felt i needed to apologize, even though bit bit felt i didnt need to, as he was worried that it ll compromise my pride as an ex-president. To me, its not about being an ex-president or what, becoz presidents do make mistakes as well, just like everybody else in the world. What is more important to me is to have the courage and humility to admit a mistake, learn from it, move on from there, and not to repeat it again. And also to be sincere towards those i may have unintentionally hurt, due to my occasional fiery temper rearing its ugly head.
I did a lot of thinking the night before ISIS Gala Dinner..and chatted a lot with bit bit. Was grateful for his listening ear and opinions. I thought about what is more important to me at this point of time when i m in year 3, and realize that friendship is a key element. The 1 thing bad about doing MC stuff in general is that while it can significantly strengthen friendships and bonds, it can also severely strain friendships and relationships. Esp if there is a clash in working or management styles, or when 1 friend deems another as not doing enough work or being irresponsible. I have seen this occuring over and over again during the past 3 years, and i have previously almost lost friends such as Soozey, Kwang Ge, and Jianwu. Friends whom i m glad that i ve mended relations with, and who mean a lot to me.
Thankfully the gala dinner ended on a fruitful and happy note. I didnt realize all this while that being an emcee or host has got an art wan, until james taught me haha. I m also grateful and glad that my crazy streak hasnt deserted me. Now i m actually looking foward to trying out more opportunities in emceeing heh. Can really be quite fun.
With regards to the tuition kid, we parted ways. I wrote a letter to him, and a separate one to his parents, wishing them all the best in the future. Even though he can be a real terror sometimes, but i do hope that he does well in life and in his PSLE. Told my story to Beng Chong todae, who told me that i should have taken it easy for tuition, and perhaps not be too emotionally attached to my students.
Had a happy Sundae where i could afford to relax with Princess Shuang Er and watch the movie 300. Haha! i have been looking foward to it so much that perhaps my expectations had been too high. Not saying that the movie is not good or what, it is still an excellent show! But rather, maybe i expected much more from the plot and the battle scenes. And due to my enthusiasm, i had went to research the actual storyline of the original Battle before watching the movie..so maybe i knew too much, thats why the storyline is not as intriguing or surprising for me? Hmm..
Thursday, March 08, 2007
I have a lot of respect for friends who teach, or those who intend to pursue a career in teaching.. Friends such as Wendy, Alvin, Boo Boo, CLement Black, Xinyu, REuben (teaching or not? heh) and even those who are indirectly teaching, such as Eunice and Ridz.
While there are critics who say that being a teacher is a path becoz there is "no other choice", i strongly beg to differ. Many of my friends could have found other jobs instead of teaching, but they deliberately and consciously made the choice to teach. And not just becoz of the MOE scholarships. Many of my friends do have real passion in teaching and nurturing the young, and i think they deserve every bit of respect for that.
How many of us can really dare to say that we will make good teachers if we choose a career in teaching? I dun think many would, most certainly not me. I feel teaching requires a lot of patience, and a very good temper, qualities which i do not possess.
And i feel sad that in Singapore todae, the rat race among children has plummeted to such great heights that teachers are responsible and accountable for everything. The expectations of parents on teachers is so high, and so many parents assume that a good teacher is equvalient to one who can deliver good grades. I beg to differ on this though. Of coz teachers are responsible to a certain degree for the results of their students, but in a class, there can only be 1 teacher to 30/35 students?
Rather, i feel that a good teacher is one who imparts values, lessons in life, and encourages and inspires his/her students to believe in themselves, and to dare to pursue their dreams.
So many parents expect teachers to bear the brunt of responsibility shud their child do badly in results, without 1st questioning whether they themselves are at fault as well. Without 1st questioning whether they have helped to push or supervise their kids in doing homework or revision.
And i just feel really sad that so many parents are overly protective of their children, to the extent that they even shield their kids from mistakes that these children made. When something happens, it is always the fault of the teacher 1st, or the tutor, and lastly the kid themselves.
Teachers in this age are not allowed to hit their students, when the kids make mistakes. I m fine with that, coz i do believe that there are better ways than capital punishment. But surely when kids make severe mistakes, one has to reprimand and even scold them if need to. I m always of the firm belief that if parents are overly protective of their children when they are young, these children ll grow up with bad habits or traits which is far far harder to eradicate when they are teenagers or adults.
My tuiton kid lied just now. A very very heavy lie. I only gave him a little maths exercise 5 days ago. Yet he told me he lost the worksheet, and that he had asked his parents but his parents were also unsure of where they put it. Then he lied that he had called his mum to check, who in turn told him over the phone not to call her anymore. And when i asked what time his mum was coming home, he lied again saying that his mum was doing OT work, and that she wont be home so early. I then helped him search his bag, and discovered in a file the worksheet which he had supposedly "lost".
I shouted and scolded him. He had just failed his recent tests. How could he still continue to behave like this?
In came the parents, who charged into the room. And guess what, i received a reprimand myself for shouting at their kid. Somewhere somehow among the explanations and what not, they forgot that their kid had lied. I noe all kids lie, but surely, if u dun reprimand them from young, what happens then when they grow up?
I had to apologize for shouting at their boy in the end. Repeated apologies. The kid broke into massive tears and apologized to me profusely in front of his parents as well. And the dad told me that what i just did would hurt his pride. Excuse me? Pride for a primary 6 boy? I would think that at this age, learning to discern what is right and what is wrong is more important than pride.
And i was blamed for the poor results he got for his test, when his parents conveniently forgotten that they were the ones who cut weekday sessions to an hour coz they were worried that he ll be too tired at night. Forgotten that he had repeatedly handed up his homework late, or dun do. Forgotten that i had repeatedly warned them again and again that the kid had not been working hard. And they have been making excuses over and over again for him.
A caterpillar can never become a butterfly and spread its wings if it remains in its cocoon.
I had enough. I am not the kind of person who takes your $300 every month and shut my mouth up. If our perceptions and ways of teaching yr kid is different, then i think its time we part ways. And i ll make my feelings known to you this Sat. If you think that u can recruit another better tutor, so be it.
Up now for some Champions League action..finally!
Cleared an essay on Monday..yeah man. Many more projects and assignments to go though.
Been busy making lotsa lotsa calls e past 2 daes for ISIS Gala..really looking foward to it =)
Went for the SIA recruitment talk just now.. it was undoubtedly the biggest recruitment talk i have been to so far..and i didnt realize that SIA has been the top company which most NUS and NTU students expressed interest in working for (according to some survey), for the past few years. Citibank was the 2nd, while IBM, P & G, HSBC, ranked among the top 5...
The movie "300" is coming out on Fri. I m def going to catch it man. Looks like it ll be the movie of 2007... Its bout the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, where an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history.
(From Wikipedia): A small force led by King Leonidas of Sparta blocked the only road through which the massive army of Xerxes I could pass. After three days of battle a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks, revealing a mountain path that led behind the Greek lines. Dismissing the rest of the army, King Leonidas stayed behind with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespian volunteers. Though they knew it meant their own deaths, they held their position and secured the retreat of the other Greek forces. The Persians succeeded in taking the pass but sustained heavy losses, extremely disproportionate to those of the Greeks. The fierce resistance of the Spartan-led army offered Athens the invaluable time to prepare for a naval battle that would come to determine the outcome of the war.
The subsequent Greek victory in the Battle of Salamis left much of the Persian navy destroyed. Xerxes was forced to flee to Asia and left his army in Greece under Mardonius, who was to meet the Greeks in battle for one last time. The Spartans and other Greek allies assembled at full strength and decisively defeated the Persians in the Battle of Plataea, putting an end to the Greco-Persian War and with that, Persian expansion into Europe.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
THOUGHTS ON JAM ALOUD 2007...
I must say, i was really impressed with Jam Aloud. Was at the forum on Fri night to support coz i was worried that few pple ll turn out for the event, which wouldnt have looked nice considering that Miss Eunice Olsen would be there as guest-of-honour. Also coz i felt Joshua and Tyler , the MC and the o coms deserved our support becoz of the efforts they put in. My stand is always that if people are sincere and willing to be humble (in reaching out or asking for advice for eg), to dare to push themselves, and to give their best, there is no reason why i shouldnt support them. Vice-versa, if people are lazy, insincere, and wanna take e easy way out or shortcuts to fulfill their current mc responsibilities, i dun see why i shud waste my time supporting these individuals..
1 year ago, Danny Tan (the SDE president then) invited me to their SDE Cultural Night together with the other club presidents..it was held at the SDE area, with bands from their faculty performing, and a great crowd who was making lotsa noise. I left the event feeling really impressed, and telling myself that how wonderful it would be if Arts could have our own similiar event like that.
Seeing that reality on Fri night was heartwarming and great. How i wish Danny Tan could have been there to see it himself. Seeing Miss Eunice Olsen back again reminded me as well of ISIS Gala Dinner 2005, when she and MP Dr Tan Cheng Bock were the Guest-of-Honours then..Glad that she has not forgotten her NUS Arts roots, and as a side note, glad that she has been asking tough questions in Parliament. =)
I also feel that it hasnt been easy for Joshua and the com to always be on standby in case of complaints. I noe the feeling. I ve been through it before and it absolutely sucks. Potentially receiving calls from the school admin and getting whacked. It was particularly hard for 26th last year, coz we were originally banned for 1 year of holding bazaars by OSA due to 25th getting complained. Upon stepping up then, i had to seek help from the Deanery and had to negotiate very hard with OSA before they decide to overturn the ban. Last year's Bazaar for us then, we had to really stick very closely to the regulations due to the circumstances.
But anyway, it was great to see such a wonderful turnout at the forum for the finale of Jam Aloud. I think what has been particularly pleasing for me to see also is that there are quite a number of new faces helping out the club and that is good. I hope that the current com can really welcome these affiliates and friends with sincerity and encourage them to come for FOP. It ll be great to see all of them screaming themselves silly at Arts Camp and helping out with Rag etc heh heh.
Last but most certainly not least, kudos to Joshua. =) 1st time events are always the most difficult to pull through, becoz there is often little experience from past years to fall back on, or advice from seniors to seek from. Most of the time, the pd ll have to be threading through unchartered and murky waters, and be on his own. Of coz, there is always room for improvement, but as a 1st time event, i think he did really well for Jam Aloud. Has been humble and sincere and hardworking ever since he stepped up, he deserve his accolades and i m glad he has really done well.
I m sure there had been many others behind the scene who contributed to Jam Aloud's success as well, not very sure about NUSME though. I feel the problem with a completely new and entirely year-1 society is that they will lack resources and experience, esp in handling inter-club relations and PR. So they better be humble and sincere, or else they ll run the danger of being labelled as bandwagoners. And they better dun let success run to their heads, and start thinking too highly of themselves.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
THE TITLE IS COMING HOME TO OLD TRAFFORD AGAIN AFTER 3 YEARS!!!!!
LIVERPOOL 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1.
WHAT A FANTASTIC RESULT!!!!! I WAS SCREAMING IN JOY AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN WHEN O SHEA STABBED HOME THE WINNER!!
Yes we didnt played well todae. Yes we were dominated by Liverpool throughout the match. And Yes we rode our luck at times.
BUT!!!
We were down to 10 men. We defended extremely well. We never gave up. And we took our chances!!
And at this stage of the season towards the finishing line, whats important is that United manage to grind out results and 3 points!!
Luck? Any experienced fan will noe that to win championships, teams need plenty of luck to go their way. Just look at Chelsea for e last 2 seasons. Relatively free of injuries and being able to carve out many 1-0 victories. If u wanna talk about luck, i say its high time that United deserve some luck ourselves.
And this msg is for Liverpool fans: Even if u are my friend, but if u wanna cross swords with me over club loyalties, i wont hold back. So if u dun wanna cross swords, shut e hell up before u insult United. And if u insult others 1st, expect to be insulted back in return. Fucking sore liverpool losers.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Time waits for no man.
Feeling kinda tired now..gee..only slept for like 2 hours yesterdae coz i was preparing for my PI test..haha who ask me, do last min work and revision again heh..then went to the temple just now with my mum and sister..havent been quite a while since i last went out with my mum..we chatted a lot on the bus (she dun wanna sit my bike), and yeah, looking back, i do think that i inherit a lot of my resilence and toughness from my mum, and of coz, the fiery temper too haha.
Read an article in the New Paper todae, about a lawyer's laments. I do wonder now and then why is it that the pool of lawyers or law students in Singapore is so small and limited. Maybe the law faculty administration's focus is more on quality rather than quantity, but reading the writer's comments todae gives the impression that they are seriously seriously overworked. I rem one of my army friends' dad used to be a lawyer, but switched to doing business as he couldnt stand the long, stressful working and research hours. While the money and prestige is undoubtedly high, his social life suffered immensely, and after a few years, he decided that he wasnt going to do this for a lifetime. Maybe thats why the attrition rate of lawyers seem to be increasing in recent years...
I do have quite a number of Hwa Chong friends in law fac though, haha, whom i m pretty sure i ll turn to in the future. I rem back in JC, my GP tutor was encouraging me to try and apply for law at that time, coz she felt i could make the cut..i rem thinking very hard about it for quite some time, but eventually deciding not to, coz i knew my passion was in Political Science and International Relations, and i just felt that i would regret it if i turn away from PS. I really feel that its extremely vital for one to have passion in what he does or studies..And looking back, i m glad i made the right decision for myself.
Also helped out for ISIS todae..glad that the spirit of Hatters has been continued..but somehow, a sudden thought came to me just now, in that maybe its time that the club adopts a new beneficiary next year..I always feel that its important to aid different charity organizations becoz there are really so many of them in Singapore, and a lot of them are often bypassed or overlooked because they are smaller and have lesser resources. We have aided Singapore Heart Foundation for the past 2 years, perhaps its time to help others such as orphans, handicapped, or disabled associations..
