Memories...
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
ON MY SECRET WEAPON (S) IN EXAMS
Just finished my 2nd paper todae. Wow, Study of War is by further the toughest FASS paper I have ever attempted, in terms of how the questions are set. All the hons students were shaking their heads after coming out of the exam hall. Tough man.
Anyway, there are 3 secret weapons I used for exams.
No 1, a stopwatch. To time exactly how many seconds I have. And it never fails to discipline me into tight time management for each of the question in exams.
No 2, a mini-alarm clock to give me a macro view of the time, in contrast with the micro view espoused by the stopwatch. Its kinda like what rabbit likes to profess as the "big picture". (heh)
No 3, my trusted little bottle of giam sng di. Ya noe those kind of little dried sour fruit peels. Munching on them helps to quell the nerves, & to make me more awake. (The sourer, the better the awakening effect).
With these 3 secret weapons I can conquer any exams in the world. Haha.
Monday, November 26, 2007
ON SIMON WIESENTHAL
The Simon Wiesenthal story as a cause in Human Security: Undoing the Legacy of Hitler’s Atrocities.
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He was often asked why he had become a searcher of Nazi criminals instead of resuming a profitable career in architecture. He gave one questioner this response: ''You're a religious man. You believe in God and life after death. I also believe.
When we come to the other world and meet the millions of Jews who died in the camps and they ask us, 'What have you done?' there will be many answers.
You will say, 'I became a jeweler.' Another will say, 'I smuggled coffee and American cigarettes.' Still another will say, 'I built houses,' but I will say, 'I didn't forget you.' '' (Quoted in Blumenthal 2005)
ON DEATH
I was almost moved to tears just now, just by reading the newspaper report on how the families of the Cambodian dragonboat incident had to identify the bodies of their loved ones.
Theoden King (in the Lord of the Rings) once said that "no parent should ever live to see the death of their child."
Indeed.
I have the unfortunate past experience of seeing a friend in a coffin, lifeless, unmoving. And its one of the most painful experiences in life. Enhuai, the former Guardsmen who died in the dunking incident, was a former Chinese High, Hwa Chong, sunday soccer khaki, and BMT mate. He was loved by everyone and so full of life.
Do u noe what is the saddest sound in this world?
It is the sound of a mother crying at the death of her child.
Until todae, I never forget Enhuai's funeral ceremony. Hundreds of people were inside the hall, quiet..Praying.. Except for the sobbing and longing cries of a mother. The cries never stopped. Never stopped. Till todae i can still hear and remember them.
Unfortunately, many more people ll go thru this experience after the dragonboat tragedy. The least we can do as fellow Singaporeans and fellow human beings, is to spend some time remembering the 5 of them: Reuben, Wei Cheng, Jeremy, Boon San, & Stephen. And share the grief with their family & loved ones in our hearts, our memories, our blogs, etc.
And reflect again on the fragility of life.
God Bless the 5 and their loved ones.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
ON CLAUSEWITZ
I seldom profess to be a core disciple of any philosopher or intellectual. But Karl Von Clausewitz here has really got me intrigued & fascinated, after the module on Study of War.
So much of his thoughts have profound influence and ramifications on not just the conduct of war, the conduct of strategic studies, the conduct of politics, but also on the conduct of everyday life. Business, sports, etc. The key trait of Clausewitz is that he doesn't give u answers, unlike Henri Jomini who advocates the unchanging essentials of principles. Instead, Clausewitz invites u to straddle the boundaries together with him & to think of issues as beyond just art or science.
I particularly enjoyed Clausewitz's view of the paradoxical trinity of war, comprising of the 3 elements of: Violence or emotions, Chance & uncertainty, as well as the logic of policy or reason. Underpinning this trinity are the forces of friction, the fog of war, & the human agency as a living force.
The reason why I enjoyed this concept is that I can really relate it to so many aspects of life, and I intend to really apply it to my strategic thinking when I step into the working world soon.
Friday, November 23, 2007
ON KNOWING HOW TO EXIT GRACEFULLY
To be frank, I was quite puzzled and appalled initially, as to why Steve McClaren was still so defensive about his job and refused to step down in the immediate aftermath of England's defeat.
After all, wasnt he the one who called for everyone to "judge him based on his results"?
In that case, when u noe u didnt deliver, shouldnt u then eat humble pie, accept that u were not good enough, and exit gracefully?? At least have the basic dignity, integrity, & strength of character to resign with your head held high.
Like it or not, football these daes is judged by results.
Ahhh..but apparently there's more to it than meets the eye. Sources indicate that McClaren ll stand to gain $2.5 million (POUNDS! = Sg $6million approx) in terms of compensation should he be fired by the FA, rather than declaring his own resignation.
Tsk tsk, smell anything here?
So this morning, AFTER being officially fired, he then turns around and FINALLY accepts responsibility for England's atrocious campaign. This flip-flop character of him is so characteristic of his entire management of England.
McClaren's financial advisor would be proud of him. Now he can walk away with $2.5 million pounds from the bank, despite declaring yest as the "saddest day of his career".
Wow, earn 2.5 million pounds within 24 hours can still be so sad ah?
Tsk tsk, and they talk so much about modern footballers earning so much. Check out how much a mediocre manager can earn by leading his team to disaster man.
Morale of the story: Know when to exit gracefully with your head held high, esp when the whole nation obviously wants u to get lost. Even if u have failed, at least retain the very last vestiges of your dignity and basic respect.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
ON AN AWFUL ENGLAND TEAM
Tonight i got reminded why despite supporting Man Utd for 15 years, I never felt any inclination to support England.
Their performance to Croatia was awful and horrendous. And as always, the same problems surfaced again and again. Underestimating their opponent, cockiness, and assuming that a draw and a passage to Euro2008 was their divine right. Thoroughly over-rated by the media as usual.
Tactically the team had no shape at all. Playing long balls. Just like during the World Cup last year, huff & puff, and always relying on special flair from Becks or Rooney. One- dimensional. No creativity, no passing, no penetration at all.
And my, the fighting spirit was zilch!! I would have thought that after watching the brave Scots at Hampden Park absolutely batter Italy (and we re talking bout the World Cup champions here) last week, the English ll have something to prove.
And I felt it was absolutely disgraceful that the English fans booed and jeered when the Croatian national anthem was played. Again, no respect to the opponents at all. This is again in stark contrast to the Scottish last week, who even cheered for the Italian national anthem.
United fans never forget McClaren's role during the Treble year, but on account of his England management, he has to go. Tactically he's just too naive, rigid, and what we Singaporeans call Kiasee.
The new man in charge ll have to be Alan Shearer. Hero of Euro96 a decade ago. No doubt about it.
Now I can look foward to some England-free reporting from the New Paper during Euro2008 next year.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
ON READING TOO MUCH INTO BLOGS
Like what Jeremy irons said, I think 1 needs to be careful in discerning what people say on their blogs. Blogs are good for rantings and rumblings, but that doesnt necessarily mean that a person is whiny in real life. On the other hand, a person may always post very happy n joyous entries on his or her blog but that also doesnt mean that he or she is happy in real life.
Another example: there is this very famous blogger whom I ll decline to name. His/her blog is really impressive and lots of readers subscribe to it, possibly becoz of his/her unique writing style. But once when I met the blogger in real life and face-to-face, I was quite disappointed. He/she came across as someone who couldnt really speak well, stammers, n doesnt capture yr attention at all. Whats worse was that he/she came across as arrogant in person, in contrast to his/her blog persona.
The worst thing is always when blog entries are being unintentionally misinterpreted by others. Sometimes a person may be trying to say a certain thing about a certain target(s) but seen from another person's angle or POV, it might be misunderstood.
I guess the bottom line is to try n be a discerning reader, n maybe not to read too much into certain things sometimes. I need to improve on this aspect myself as well.
ON SLOWER ECONOMIC GROWTH NEXT YEAR
I was thinking, it might not be a bad thing to graduate in May 2008. Recent reports indicate that the economic growth rate for Singapore is projected to be lower next year, prob around 4.5% to 6%. Rising oil prices and the US subprime crisis (which could possibly pull down the American economy further) largely complicate the slower growth rate.
There seems to be a general sense that the economic curve is starting to come down, after hitting a peak this year. Which saw the 2007 graduates largely being able to secure a relatively smooth transition to job employment. We had the lowest unemployment rate and tightest labour market in years as well.
Lots of companies are also expanding this year and set to expand well into 2008, which makes it still relatively optimistic for 2008 graduates to secure jobs. Coupled with the Beijing Olympics and the F1 in Sg next year, it ll be good to graduate next year. 2009 would be harder to say though haha.
Was really glad to receive a call from Don halfway when I m typing this. Finally, he's back haha! But we also realize how time flies so fast man ..and a lot of our peers when we were year 1 oredi graduate lo. Yah, and he's so lacking in the latest gossip and updates man haha.
Oh i wanted to say 1 more thing. I think that its supremely impt that year1 to year3 students participate in CCAs & really beef up their CVs, nurture their passions & interests outside school work, as well as get to noe as many friends as possible, which ll also aid in future networking.
Think about it, almost everybody has a degree these days (& set to increase in future with a 4th Sg university). What really sets 1 potential graduate from the rest is really leadership track record, CCA records, reputable testimonials from supervisors, SEPs or overseas experiences, knowledge of foreign/ multiple languages, internship/working experiences, & sporting achievements. There are a lot of soft skills and transferable skills acquired amidst all these things, which are really significant.
The danger I see in a lot of juniors is that they just study blindly or think that joining 1 or 2 small-scale activities ll be enough. Its really very risky, unless u re so sure that u can get 1st class honours (which btw, normally only achieved by 1 or 2 out of the entire cohort for a particular Honours major). And frankly, even if u get 1st class but u only noe how to study & lack EQ, I dun think its very attractive to employers also.
Ok, I think i m being quite lo sor here. Shall stop haha. Guess I just dun want to see my juniors regret it when they become year4s, coz I really witnessed 1st hand a lot of Hons years students regretting that they werent more active in uni life when they were younger.
Then again, everybody is entitled to their own individual choices in life. But u live with the consequences of the decisions u make, including possible difficulty in finding employment upon graduation.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
ON A HIJACKED POST FROM SISTER CAMY
I took this from Sister Camy's blog:
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"you know i might have mentioned this before but i have been thinking: what happens to the feelings when you break up with someone and then eventually move on?
do they just melt away or do they stay around? if the feelings just melt away, is it then a process of unloving? how then does someone learn to love and unlove and then love? how does someone learn to switch between the processes better than others? some people think that those who move on quickly are those who never truly loved. i think not. firstly, 'quick' is purely subject. secondly, i think there are those people who put their heart and soul into each relationship and when it doesn't work, it just doesn't for them. for them, there isn't a need to cry your lungs out for months on end and wear black mourning clothes everyday. i know about these kind of people because i know.
back to the topic on hand, if the feelings stay on, how then do you learn to move on? is it because you learn to become immune the feelings, much like a flu virus? and when you get together with someone else, it is another kind of a flu virus which you are not immune to yet? somewhat similar yet different? is that why some couples lose that passions years into their relationship? because they are also starting to get immune to the 'virus'? or is it cause the new person can create feelings in you that overwhelms the feelings for the old one? are the feelings you have for the new person the same or different to that for the old one?
why do people have to search for their other halves? why does it comes so naturally sometimes, yet it is so hard at others? why can't people just hit bullseye right away, skipping all the unnecessary pain and heartache you will laugh at years after? if you say it is so that you will learn to appreciate the right one after all the wrong ones, i think it is completely fallacious statement. essentially, life does not end after happily ever after. i think it is the process of being together that you learn to appreciate your partner, what happens before that doesn't matter."
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Very perceptive of her.
Makes me wonder...
ON WRITING MY LIFE STORY
I was telling friends like Jeremy irons, bit, and ah bing ge today that I hope to blog as long as I can. So that it ll be much easier for me to publish my own autobiography and life story in future.
Haha, I noe, I may or may not be some famous personnel or big shot in future. And i m not really concerned about the sales of my books. In fact, a lot of people dun earn much from publishing books, unless u re like Rooney, Bill Clinton, Mick Foley, or Richard Branson. A check with my EUFP lecturer Dr Reuben Wong revealed that he earned really little from publishing his book (albeit his was on Europeanization of French foreign policy) .
Anyway, the key point of writing an autobiography and having my life story published in a book, comes down to my passion for life and love for writing. If I become successful next time, great, I can share my experiences and hopefully inspire younger readers. Just like how I was inspired when reading Richard Branson's autobiography, where it was very clear that his childhood and youth experiences were pivotal in shaping the successful man he is today.
A quick check on Popular's shelves also revealed that there is an increasing number of Singaporean authors (besides Catherine Lim, Kishore Mabubani and Russell Lee) who are writing on a range of topics and their life stories.
So there, lets see when my own book ll be published haha!
ON A SIMPLE QUESTION (?)
As usual, with the coming of exams, the focus of many people inevitably shift towards mugging. The most impt question which many NUS students fail to ask themselves is this:
"Why and what am I studying so hard for?"
This sounds like a simple, straightfoward, and no-brainer question at 1st sight.
But think about it deeper, and u ll realize that your answer to this question, may not necessarily justify the means to the ends.
Now go ahead.
Think.
Think real hard, really hard.
About the question before u go back to yr revision.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
ON EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED
I feel for the Scots yest night man. They played like real tigers against the wily Italians, and I couldnt believe it when the ref gave that ridiculous free kick to Italy in the end. Where got such thing wan!? => Kena pushed down by opponent then still concede free kick. Haha! Thats like insult to injury. Ridiculous refereeing man.
I wonder how the Scottish or Europeans in general curse referees. In dear old Singapore we have our very own "REFEREE KAYU!!", "REFEREE KELONG!!" and "REFEREE BLUTO" chants. Come to think of it, if only we can showcase such wonderful singlish to the whole world and glocalize these "Uniquely Singaporean" traits. Haha, but its impossible la, coz we wont make it to the World Cup.
And the Russians, for all their bulltalk, fell to the Israelis. Looks like they ll have to save their vodka for Euro 2008. Credit to Israel though, they played with real pride.
Lesson to learn: Dun count your vodka bottles before they are uncorked.
Reading the delayed newspapers todae (which didnt report on the results of the matches) where the Russians were lambasting the English and blowing their own trumpets, on hindsight, makes them look really silly.
I m not an England fan btw. I support Manchester United with all my heart for 15 years, but when it comes to international football all these years, be it the Euros and the World Cups, I dun really support any particular team. Except for Singapore of course =).
The truth is that the England team is massively over-rated, esp in the Sg media. The last time they played decent attractive football was back in Euro 96, when Shearer was leading the line with Teddy Sheringham. There was Steve McManaman flying down the wing, tough-tackling Paul Ince, and of coz, the flamboyant & dynamic Paul Gascoigne.
That was the last England team with real flair and creativity. The current one ll just count themselves massively lucky when they make it to Euro 2008.
Friday, November 16, 2007
ON BELIEF
Even the smallest person can change the course of future.
- Lord of the Rings
Thursday, November 15, 2007
ON EXTREME HAPPINESS PART 2
Todae i was sooooooooooo happy to meet Diana baby!!! She came back from Australia for a while and I was really really glad to have such a long lunch n chat with her haha. Was also great to see Siew Fan as well, not forgetting old bro Chongz. Made my dae man~
The chicken baked rice at Munchie Monkey ABSOLUTELY SUCK man! Its gotta the worst baked rice i have ever eaten in my life. Just the thought of it now turns me off. Yes, thankfully the Italian chocolate cake makes up for it. After munchies we were basically laing kopi at YIH canteen.
Some things never change: I still love Diana baby lots & lots! =p And i just feel so happy and carefree when I talk to her haha. We can talk about anything under the sun and she's always so perceptive~
More great news: My old buddy Donny's coming back to Sg todae. WElcome back old friend!! =p
And Rudy's getting married on the 9th Dec!! I was really honoured to be invited to his wedding and really looking foward to it liao haha.
Yeah, and Jennifer from CAAS called again just now with more details on the internship in Dec. I ll be posted to the Commercial division during my stint, which ll entail some business action haha. I m getting all excited oredi thinking bout it and when I was discussing with her.
And to my surprise, she told me they only selected a total of 7 interns out of over 100 plus (close to 200) candidates! And each of the 7 of us are posted to each of the respective Division, meaning there 's only going to be 1 intern in each Division for each project. Wah, looks like I wont be able to have lunch with Eric boi, who's assigned to the Airline Development unit. I seriously thought there would be like at least 20, 30 interns who would be selected.
Phew, guess I was really lucky. Going to start preparing some background research, but it doesnt help that exams are coming haha. Actually there's more motivation now for me. Coz I m aiming for the CAAS Honours Year Scholarship, which requires at least a 2nd Upper Hons and strong leadership track record.
So I better push myself somemore haha! Ok! Lets start with tonight! Shall only sleep 4 hour then. I have been sleeping way way too much for the past few daes, since I cleared all my essay deadlines.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
ON EXTREME HAPPINESS!!
I got a call this morning from Miss Jennifer to inform me that I have been selected for the CAAS internship programme!!
Am so happy and excited!!!! =p Been waiting for this call for weeks!! It really really made my dae and possibly my month!
Will start work straight after my exams, and for an entire month.
Its a huge step towards my dream job, and thus I m really really delighted! And to make things even sweeter, Eric got accepted as well! haha, yayz! We can have lunch at work together heh.
n_n
Sunday, November 11, 2007
ON PLANNING FOR EXAMS
Just did my exam schedule for this sem:
SCHEDULE FOR EXAMS SEM 1
1) Mon 12 Nov RS
2) Tues 13 Nov RS
3) Wed 14 Nov RS
4) Thu 15 Nov EUFP
5) Fri 16 Nov EUFP
6) Sat 17 Nov SSA
7) Sun 18 Nov SSA
8) Mon 19 Nov RS
9) Tues 20 Nov SOW
10) Wed 21 Nov SOW
11) Thu 22 Nov SOW
12) Fri 23 Nov SOW
13) Sat 24 Nov EUFP
14) Sun 25 Nov EUFP
15) Mon 26 Nov EUFP am*, SOW
16) Tues 27 Nov SOW pm*, SSA
17) Wed 28 Nov SSA
18) Thu 29 Nov SSA am*, RS
19) Fri 30 Nov RS pm*, ASS
20) Sat 1 Dec ASS
21) Sun 2 Dec ASS
22) Mon 3 Dec ASS
23) Tues 4 Dec ASS
24) Wed 5 Dec ASS
25) Thu 6 Dec ASS
26) Fri 7 Dec ASS am*
Ok now I m all set for my revision haha. I think its very impt to come up with a studying schedule like this. 1st of all it makes u more gan chiong, seeing exactly how many days to prepare for each paper. 2nd it gives yr revision a sense of direction. Finally, it makes u start counting down to the holidaes haha.
I think i m heading into this sem' s exam feeling the most-prepared ever in my NUS life. I have constantly been doing readings (which is heavily required for seminar participation), and havent missed a single class at all. (except for Sg Society)
Haha, what a far cry away from my yr1 to yr 3 days, esp my Arts Club daes when I was literally a part-time student. Sometimes I wondered how i survived this particular 7 months during year2 when i not only had studies, MC commitments, tuition, but even worked part-time 3 nights a week at Paradigm. Guess I learnt tons about time management then. And indeed, I think my mind is always at an optimum when i m busiest or when I have goals to aim at.
Ironically, sometimes when we are the busiest, our minds become much sharper. In the sense that when u wake up every morning, u have something to aim for, a target, a mission to achieve. You become more mentally alert, even though u may feel physically tired or drained from lack of sleep etc. I think a sharp mind is always impt for academic success. You may have done lesser readings or attended fewer lectures than yr peers, but if yr mind is sharper (or if you are more driven), u can always overcome this intellectual gap in time for exams.
Which is why deep down I m still a bit cautious and careful not to be over-confident. Experience has clearly illustrated that for exams, its not about how much u have read or prepared in the past. Its about how u perform for that specific 2 hours which counts.
I guess e good thing for me this sem is that I have channelled all my energies and ambitions into academic goals, blocked out my mind, and stayed very focused. There is this sense in me that with just a few more months to go before graduation, I might as well give everything I got.
And hopefully, I can reach the high targets i have set for myself.
ON THE END OF 22, 000 WORDS
I was really happy on Fri evening coz I submitted my EUFP essay, which means I have finally cleared all my essays & presentations for this sem. And I can start my revision for the exams soon. =)
My, how I managed to survive 22, 000 words I m not sure as well haha. Sure as hell took a lot of determination, hard work, planning, and brain-cracking.
And to make things sweeter, I got back my essay on Singapore Society, and got an A. Really heartened by it.
Helped to celebrate Xian Kwan, Suffi, and Ethel' s bdaes on Fri night. Haha, I think they have such wonderful friends in the o week commers. And I thought Camy's idea was really sweet. Fabulous group of people. =) It's always a joy to see friendships forged and originated from Arts Club activities. I had like Honours year friends walking past AS6 on Fri evening and were really impressed with the craziness and high spirits of all of them. haha.
Attended this dialogue, coincidentally with Mr Bear yest afternoon:
Politics, economy dominate dialogue session with youth on S'pore in 2030
By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 10 November 2007 2148 hrs
SINGAPORE: Politics and economics were the hot topics at a dialogue session organised by the National Youth Council on Singapore in 2030.
The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the 150 young adults had a frank and honest exchange of views.
He also said they shared their anxieties, their fears of complacency and irrelevance, and their hopes for political change.
"The two key issues which came through were economics and politics. (In) politics, as I have said, they hope and wish for greater openness, greater contestability that we hear loud and clear. My answer also was there will be greater contests in the future. We take that as a given. What I am advising is we maintain high political hurdles not in order to reduce contest but in order to achieve political standards. So the Singapore of the future, regardless of who is in power, will be governed by people who are competent, who are honest and able to get the job done and do their best for Singapore." - CNA/ac
Well, we all know that Dr Vivian was the former President of NUSSU and certainly a promising political and Cabinet leader, and so it was a great opportunity to engage in a discussion with him yesterdae. There were quite a number of young MPs there as well, including Mr Teo Ser Luck, Mr Michael Palmer, Mr Christopher De Souza, and Mr Hri Kumar.
I was particularly intrigued by the topic proposed by National Youth Council: "The Singaporean in 2030 in beyond", because it invites participants to gaze into the crystal ball and debate about Singapore's future.
The dialogue got off a to relatively slow and measured start, before 1 of the NYC organizers suddenly stepped foward and encouraged the crowd to really "speak their minds" and be bolder. That got everybody fired up I think. Questions and comments flew in thick and fast, and as correctly pointed out by the ChannelNewsAsia report, politics and economics took center stage. I posed a few questions to Dr Vivian as well, and was impressed with his candidness and forthrightness in his answers.
All said & done, I guess the dialogue was fruitful in that it made u think much deeper and reflect on how Singapore ll be like in the near future.
Went for Lao Da's baby girl' s 1-month bdae at night. Haha, I eventually gave an angbao, as did my other army friends. We all chatted late into the night, over traditional Chinese tea in his wonderfully-decorated new home. All of them re oredi working, and I ll soon join them in May next yr haha.
Man U Blackburn tonight. I have a lot of respect for Rovers esp for their manager Sparky. He was such a wonderful striker for United last time. Big, strong, tough, and powerful in the air, he used to form such a deadly partnership with Cantona. In fact Van Nistelrooy reminded me a lot of Sparky in terms of their playing style.
Always good to see ex-United players doing well. =) Wont be an easy game tonight, but I think United ll do enough to win.
Match Prediction: United 2 Blackburn 1
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
ON THE ULTIMATE QUESTION IN LIFE
No this is not about post-modernism, not about whether Singapore can win the World Cup, and not about whether the yong tau foo in arts canteen is the best in the land.
This is about 1 of the toughest questions in life..namely:
What birthday present do you get for a one month old baby girl???????
Ahahha. My old army fren Alex just gave me another 1st in life. He was my 1st friend whom I attended a wedding, and now he's going to be my 1st friend to hold a 1-month bdae "knighthood" for his newborn baby girl.
Which brings me to the next point. What on earth should i get for her?? I have been thinking very hard about it. Cant give her food coz i think she dun have much teeth yet, so chocolates are out. Yes i noe girls love chocolates but they ll prob expire before she can eat them.
Clothes are out.
Toys..hmm..i scare she go and eat or bite the toys.
Accessories...possible, but i might have to look for some real tiny weeny ones. I was thinking maybe those kind of anklets which look cute on babies, but e smallest anklet now ll prob become a necklace for her.
Little mittens or socks..possible. I ve seen some cute small ones. haha, but i dunno how big or small is she leh.
Mini Man U jersey.. haha. Thats for my own kid next time.
Self-improvement books a bit early also hor ahahah.
Bike helmet also dun have so small one hor. The helmet ll prob wear her, not the other way round. (My friend's a fellow biker by the way).
Hai..looks like i ll have to take a trip to those baby sections at the NTUC and find the snazziest suckler or milk bottle in town. Another 1st for me hahaha!
I cant wait to pinch her though. haha.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
ON POST-MODERNISM
Another fruitful seminar class for Study of War todae. The main topic up for discussion was Critical Security Studies, very much an offspring of the International Relations school of Post-modernist thought.
I must admit, when I was in year2 sem1 and doing the basic Intro to IR module, I couldnt understand and couldnt care much about the school of post-modernism. (Constructivism as well) After all, it seems rather straightforward and simple to just stick to the 3 predominant schools of thought in realism, liberalism and marxism. (subsuming neo-realism, mercantilism, neo-liberalism, & dependency theory)
But after some time, I guess u really start to appreciate the value of these approaches, at least for me. As social scientists, we realize that the "truth", if there ever lies one, often lies in the so-called Grey-Area-Phenomenon. And theories like Post-modernism and constructivism facilitates so much in closing the intellectual gap among the previously 3 mentioned schools.
Post-modernism and Critical Security studies challenge the basis and assumptions of realism. By adopting the argument that security is always a subjective field, beholden to some subjective interest, this field opens up to even sociological and anthropological penetrations. It aspires towards critique and the addressing of complexity, rejecting the dichotomy between "subjective" and "objective" views.
In so, it raises the imperative point that no theory is neutral, and that knowledge is always made by someone for someone.
Fascinating isn't it? =) How it liberates the intellectual mind and state-centric views of International Relations.
Really intellectually stimulating. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Honours seminar classes. You really learn 10 times more stuff than the collective sum of year1 to year 3 knowledge. And I appreciate that everyone in the class takes turns to present and lead discussions during seminar classes. Just makes every session more refreshing, something solely lacking from yr1 to yr3 lectures.
Plus the fact that u learn so much from other classmates. And its so much more interactive and 2-way process in the sense that if u disagree with even yr Prof, u can stand up and question/ challenge his views freely. So much more fun and exciting than just goin to lecture every week from yr1 to yr3 and hearing the lecturer stuff his/ her views down your throat without being able to counter or challenge back.
ON WONDERFUL FRIENDS
I had a great time last night at xiao indu ' s place, where the old gang of us had a bbq haha. Irritating gandhi keep fu1 yan2 ing me again when I talk about my stories. Hmmph~
Haha, Shifty not around this time unlike the last round. Missed her noisiness and irritating-ness.
Anyway, great food, great jokes, and most imptly, great company with old friends. It was great to see Xiaohongzi and everybody else as well. I even had a delayed bdae song and honour of cutting bdae cake with Weilong haha. Thanks guys! Appreciate it loads! =)
Everybody's getting old though. haha.
Back to reality and 1 last essay due this Friday. Haha, I cant believe I have oredi come 17, 000 words thus far. Only left 5000 to go!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
ON THE MOST NAIL-BITING GAME OF THE SEASON SO FAR
My, what a cracking game last night. I m not sure whether the neutrals enjoyed it, but it sure wasnt easy for supporters of both sides to endure.
All credit to Arsenal for trying to play their usual attacking game, though to be fair to be United, there were patches in the game when we showed our brand of possession football as well.
I felt Anderson had a great game winning many tackles and trying to control the congested midfield. Hargreaves looked a bit rusty following his injury, but I m sure he ll get better with more games under the belt. Evra was fantastic once again, and showed why he is still the best left-back in the EPL. Saha, well, looked much more muscular having spent more time working out during his injury haha. Great reverse pass man. Reminded me of Cantona, who used to deliver these kind of passes so often back in e old daes.
I wasnt very pleased with Wes Brown again though. My god when I saw the replay of the 1st goal we conceded, he was still taking his own sweet time jogging back without tracking Fabregas. Brown's positional unawareness and occasional lapses in concentration still amaze me at times, considering his experience of so many years at United. Small wonder then, that Gary Neville's impending return is so desired by most United fans.
1 major highlight of the game => Halfway thru, Sooze sent me this msg:
"Kanina the fucking commentators keep gushing and whoring over how Arsenal plays their fucking attractive football. Fucking irritating man."
Haha.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
ON PRE-MATCH TENSIONS
Frankly, I cant sit still man. Its Arsenal Man U in 60 minutes time!!
Most people expect the Gunners to come out with all guns blazing, esp at their homeground.
The key man for me tonight, ll be Hargreaves. In the past 2 seasons, with the departure of Keano, United have lacked a classic midfield enforcer in the mold of Gattuso, Viera, Makelele and Albeda. It showed in e 2 defeats last season to Arsenal. I think to beat the Gunners, u need someone in the midfield engine room to break up their fluidity and swift passing.
Something that Robbie Savage does very well against Arsenal. Haha.
Cant wait man.
Match Prediction: Arsenal 1 United 1
ON DREAMS OF THE INCREDIBLE HOCK
Attended another wonderful career workshop by Mrs Dawn Lim todae, admist my busy schedules. The topic was on passions, life goals, career goals, and dreams. I love it that Mrs Lim always challenges her students to dare to dream and to live their dreams.
Below, are some of my lifelong dreams. I act oredi noe most of them before the workshop, but I thought it ll be nice to jot them down here briefly..before I organize them into a personal mission statement when I have the time.
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In no particular order: =)
1) Be a reconnaissance scout in the army. (done)
2) To play competitive rugby despite my size and score my 1st ever try. (done)
3) To be a rider and have my own bike, and after which I can ride to school everydae. (done)
4) To make it to Chinese High and Hwa Chong Junior College. (done)
5) To major in Political Science and International Relations, my greatest intellectual and academic passion in life. (done)
6) To be Arts Camp PD and House IC. (done)
7) To be ODAC President in JC. (done)
8) To be student President of the faculty in NUS, overcoming my greatest internal barriers and shackles years ago. (done)
9) To represent Singapore and NUS at an international conference. (done)
10) To be part of a team that breaks a Guinness world record. Back in 25th MC. (done)
11) To have a beautiful loving wife whom I can love with all my heart, and who loves me with all her heart in return. We will look into each other's eyes everyday and share our life journey together, through ups and downs. We will hold hands, hug, smile, laugh, as we throng the streets of Paris, London, Pisa, Sydney, Manchester, Madrid, California, Glasgow, Moscow, Rio De Janeiro, Cape Town and New York. I will piggyback her when she's tired, listen to her whine when she's unhappy, and marry her in a garden ceremony. I will take care of her as long as I live and at the age of 80, we ll still be holding hands and telling our grandchildren how much we love each other. =) (Not Yet)
12) To have 4 kids. The little boy ll be up on my shoulders, and I ll tell them how notti Daddy was when he was as young as them. I ll tell my children to live their dreams and always believe in themselves. Most importantly, I want them to be happy and live their lives to the fullest, and I want them to love Mummy. Yes it ll be great if they ride bikes as well, even the girls. I ll tell my daughters all the little tricks and tactics that boys use to woo them. I ll talk to the boys about sex when they are 14, and teach them how to play football. On weekends, we ll all go out with Mummy to parks, dinners, movies, community events, and concerts. I want to be a role model and best friend for my children. And yes, I ll tell them that liverpool, arsenal, man city and chelsea suck, and that they can only support a certain football club. (NY)
13) To be an airport or airline manager, always in the thick of action in the dynamic aviation industry. (NY)
14) To do a Masters in International Relations and Strategic Studies. (NY)
15) To have a puppy and kitten grow up together in my own condo house. They ll keep each other company and snuggle up and sleep together at night. On weekends, I ll bring them together with my family to the beach. Yes even the kitty. Haha. On tough nights back from work, my little doggie ll jump up to me and lick me in the face. I ll say "thanks dude" and hug them both to sleep. It ll be great if my dog is a Golden Retriever. =) (NY)
16) To visit Old Trafford and watch a live match of Manchester United playing. They dun call it the Theatre of Dreams for nothing. (NY)
17) To visit the Loch Ness Lake in Scotland with my family. I ll run up and down along the shores of the lake to try and find the legendary Nessie monster. I wonder whether I ll have the guts to swim inside though. We shall see heh. (NY)
18) To watch the World Cup Final in whatever year in whatever city. (NY)
19) To have my own Super-4 bike by age of 27, and my Harley Davidson tanker by age 30. On late night suppers at Al Azhar, my Harley ll be so noisy and blast everyone with awe hahahaha! (NY)
20) To have a big family car by 35. Dun ask me what brand. I not so much into cars heh. (NY)
21) To travel around the world with my wife. =) (NY)
22) To represent Singapore in the United Nations 1 day and do my part for the global community. I ll also like to do whatever I can with my power to help alleviate the plight of some of the poorest and long-suffering peoples in the world. (NY)
23) To leave my name in the history of Singapore and the world, by making a positive difference on the lives of others. (NY)
24) To keep in touch with all my friends, past and present. We ll attend each other's weddings, housewarmings, baby celebrations, and have special nights out at the pub. At age 40, I ll still be playing football with my weekly Sundae football team. (NY)
25) Finally, when I leave this world 1 day, my funeral will be massive and have at least 5000 relatives, friends, colleagues, mates, and people bidding me farewell and saying 1 last goodbye to me... Because I have managed to touch the lives of these people and make a positive and lasting difference for them.
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Dun tell the Incredible Hock that his dreams are unrealistic or never going to be achieved.
Becoz those dreams are his. Not yours.
Just as you would have your own dreams.
And the Hock sincerely wish that you too, could fulfill your dreams 1 dae.... =)
For what is life without dreams?
"The Future Belongs to those who Believe in the Beauty of their Dreams."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
