Currently blogging from Jakarta, and I'm officially dead tired. Down with the fever and flu for two days now.. What a great time to get hit by the common flu and fever, like during a holiday. Hmph!
Oh well... four more days to my homecoming!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
You're Goinna Miss Me When I'm Gone
After numerous hectic days preparing for this, I'm finally all set and ready to go.
I'll be leaving on a jetplane (Keep on dreaming... Its only going to be some budget plane), to the lovely island of Indonesia for an Exchange Programme with the students from this school called SMAN 71. In the process, will be sightseeing, visiting places of interest, shopping. Well, take this as a well deserved holiday after the devillish regime of preparing for A's is finally over.
Be back next Sunday yea!
I'll catch you guys soon! Pray for my safety :)
Till then, take care my friends, and may this 8 days be days filled with joy and laughter for most, if not all of you.
I'll be leaving on a jetplane (Keep on dreaming... Its only going to be some budget plane), to the lovely island of Indonesia for an Exchange Programme with the students from this school called SMAN 71. In the process, will be sightseeing, visiting places of interest, shopping. Well, take this as a well deserved holiday after the devillish regime of preparing for A's is finally over.
Be back next Sunday yea!
I'll catch you guys soon! Pray for my safety :)
Till then, take care my friends, and may this 8 days be days filled with joy and laughter for most, if not all of you.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A tribute to my 2 years in NYJC
And so it all ends.
Two years worth of books, notes, studying, sleepless nights, everything, gone by just like that. Yes, I'm now an ex-JC student. Makes me feel so old, but well, this is a reminder of how fast paced life tends to be. Two years it has been, but it seriously didnt feel like two years at all.
I remember the first time I tried to find my way to this school, I took a bus and got lost at Serangoon Central, making a grand entrace for the Orientation at 8 am when the rest were supposed to be there at 730 am.
I remember my first day in this school, having no friends, wandering around aimlessly as I searched high and low for my future classmates, schoolmates, friends. I did have an OG back then, but I felt as if I just could not click with anyone from that school. I missed my old school, I regretted my decision.
I remember sitting alone for lunch, just miraculously hoping a few familiar faces would surface so I wouldnt be feel so lonely.
I remember the first day I met my class, I felt so elated to see a couple of familar faces. I loved my class almost immediately with the strong bonds we forged simply on Day one, and I remember the big birthday song the entire hall sang for me as that day fell on my birthday. It was love at first sight for 0706 :)
I remember seeing some people in school as people I would never get to know no matter how much I tried, but as I look back now, weirdly, its these people whom are closest to me right now.
I remember telling myself never to enter council in JC, for I tried my best to psycho myself into thinking I would not be JC council material, but look where I am now :)
I remember feeling left out and regretting my decision when I made it through as a councillor, and I thought I'd never ever get to know them well enough, but they are now part of those closest to me :)
I remember the devillish regime of Project Work we all had to endure, rushing through deadlines, non-stop typing on the computers, the neverending visit to the computer labs and libraries, the many meetings we had, all these for the good grade we deserve
I remember the truckloads of knowledge all of us had to miraculously store into our brain cells, topped up with the complimentary tutorials and projects we all had to do as students.
I remember surviving many hours of otherwise boring lectures, if not for my classmates and the sweets they passed around
I remember the many hours spent on books, trying to digest all the information given. So much midnight oil burnt just to make sure I understand what was going on, and if carbon content really were to be given out from the full combustion of this oil, the world would have long been on the brink of grave danger.
I remember all the setbacks I encountered during my entire two years in this school, in terms of academics, my social self, everything, but I now look upon them as sharp stepping stones which I have taken on the way to my future. They have hurt me, but they turned me into a better person.
I remember all the lovely moments I encountered during my entire two years in this school too. There have been moments where I produced good results in my Science subjects which is totally not my forte, where I topped the class in my only strength which is GP, where I spent with my friends whom have helped me alot through this process.
I remember all the events I have planned and been through during my two years here.
I remember the people who have helped me out during this process, 0706, the Student Council (29th, 30th, 31st) , the teachers, staff of the school, the many friends I made and more...
I remember... memories
Two years worth of books, notes, studying, sleepless nights, everything, gone by just like that. Yes, I'm now an ex-JC student. Makes me feel so old, but well, this is a reminder of how fast paced life tends to be. Two years it has been, but it seriously didnt feel like two years at all.
I remember the first time I tried to find my way to this school, I took a bus and got lost at Serangoon Central, making a grand entrace for the Orientation at 8 am when the rest were supposed to be there at 730 am.
I remember my first day in this school, having no friends, wandering around aimlessly as I searched high and low for my future classmates, schoolmates, friends. I did have an OG back then, but I felt as if I just could not click with anyone from that school. I missed my old school, I regretted my decision.
I remember sitting alone for lunch, just miraculously hoping a few familiar faces would surface so I wouldnt be feel so lonely.
I remember the first day I met my class, I felt so elated to see a couple of familar faces. I loved my class almost immediately with the strong bonds we forged simply on Day one, and I remember the big birthday song the entire hall sang for me as that day fell on my birthday. It was love at first sight for 0706 :)
I remember seeing some people in school as people I would never get to know no matter how much I tried, but as I look back now, weirdly, its these people whom are closest to me right now.
I remember telling myself never to enter council in JC, for I tried my best to psycho myself into thinking I would not be JC council material, but look where I am now :)
I remember feeling left out and regretting my decision when I made it through as a councillor, and I thought I'd never ever get to know them well enough, but they are now part of those closest to me :)
I remember the devillish regime of Project Work we all had to endure, rushing through deadlines, non-stop typing on the computers, the neverending visit to the computer labs and libraries, the many meetings we had, all these for the good grade we deserve
I remember the truckloads of knowledge all of us had to miraculously store into our brain cells, topped up with the complimentary tutorials and projects we all had to do as students.
I remember surviving many hours of otherwise boring lectures, if not for my classmates and the sweets they passed around
I remember the many hours spent on books, trying to digest all the information given. So much midnight oil burnt just to make sure I understand what was going on, and if carbon content really were to be given out from the full combustion of this oil, the world would have long been on the brink of grave danger.
I remember all the setbacks I encountered during my entire two years in this school, in terms of academics, my social self, everything, but I now look upon them as sharp stepping stones which I have taken on the way to my future. They have hurt me, but they turned me into a better person.
I remember all the lovely moments I encountered during my entire two years in this school too. There have been moments where I produced good results in my Science subjects which is totally not my forte, where I topped the class in my only strength which is GP, where I spent with my friends whom have helped me alot through this process.
I remember all the events I have planned and been through during my two years here.
I remember the people who have helped me out during this process, 0706, the Student Council (29th, 30th, 31st) , the teachers, staff of the school, the many friends I made and more...
I remember... memories
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
“The pen is mightier than the sword” Can written language really be so powerful?
Recent decades have seen an increasing belief in the idea that “action speaks louder than words” Actions are believed to be one of the stronger forms of expressing views as they are deemed to be more sincere as compared to the latter. However, there has been many doubts to how effective actions are in performing this role, especially with the introduction of written language, which may soon prove itself to be a worthy competitor.
For years, many have devoted themselves to the sword for it is a symbol of strength and power. A sword is used in battles and is the main cause of much bloodshed on the battlefields and soldiers are unafraid of using it, hence it is used as a means of symbolizing action over mere words. The advocate of the word believes that action is the strongest form of showing one’s innermost feelings. The pen on the other hand is just an everyday object we use, yet many of us fail to see how powerful it can actually be. A pen is used to write words, yet these words express feelings and emotions which could possibly prove to be more lethal than the sword. Hence advocates of the pen believe that written language can express emotions and surface hidden motifs far better than the sword itself.
Personally, being a student who immerses himself into the world of Literature and into the works of Shakespeare, I feel that the pen is indeed a mightier tool as compared to the sword. Whenever I feel the need to let out my innermost feelings, I find writing a more effective way of revealing my thoughts and emotions as they flow almost rhythmically with the swift movement of the pen. Whenever I pen my thoughts down, everything comes clear from the velvet sheet and the feelings hidden in me immediately becomes visible to the public eye. Having said that, it is not that I do not agree with the idea of using actions to express ones self. I have tried using action, yet I realize it often leaves me going for the politically correct idea and not what I really feel within me. Of course, opinions differ,
So, can written language really be so powerful? If we were to look at the context of the global arena, we would be able to see that written language has had a great influence in many parts of the world. The introduction of the new media has created a worldwide revolution, especially amongst blogging which has become very popular overnight. Online blogs have affected numerous decisions worldwide, some of which will be discussed in the later paragraphs. Blogging too, like writing, is a form of written language and although it does not involve penning down thoughts of a piece of paper, the functions of a blog are strikingly similar to that of a pen. A blog too, ‘pens down’ feelings and emotions through words, with the only difference being it done by typing on the computer as a medium.
The effects of blogging have been seen in the area of politics, especially in countries like the United States of America as well as Malaysia. In America, political blogs have been set up to slam John Mclain down in light of Obama, stating that his debate factors for the recent country affairs debate were “highly incoherent” and that he was irresponsible due to the fact that he had an alleged affair with Sarah Palin. Such blogs receive many hits per day and as much as one wants to believe that such blogs will not play an impact on the voting as people are matured enough to decide for themselves, the truth is that people are indeed influenced by whatever they read, even if it is to a small extent. Therefore, the outcomes of the votes will definitely be affected, and many believe that this is why Obama is currently leading in the polls. Similarly, blogs have also been set up to criticize Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia for claims of him spending the country’s money on his ministers as well as not taking care of the welfare of his citizens, thus leading some to believe those are the real causes of him having an alleged early retirement in 2010.
Referring to the situation above, it can be seen that written language is a powerful tool in influencing the mindset of someone. All one has to do is write down what he feels and that would be sufficient in swaying another individual of his own ideologies. The government could try to stop this by closing down such blogs and banning others from accessing such sites. However, such attempts are in vain as another site can easily be set up in a matter of just hours. Evidently, the influence of written language will be here to stay.
Apart from that, it can also be seen that written language is indeed powerful and has many benefits, which is exactly why students are made to study subjects like Literature. They learn how to appreciate prose as well as try their hands at crafting poems and critiquing texts so as to develop their skill of thinking out of the box. Currently, in countries like Singapore and Switzerland, academics are concentrated mainly in the arena of Science and thus, while students excel in Science related subjects like Physics and Chemistry, they are falling behind in terms of understanding emotions and thinking creatively which will be relevant for the future. Especially in Singapore, the education system needs a revamp and the government realizes this as it tries to inculcate studies relating to the arts into the education syllabus as far as possible. The Singapore government is making a concerted effort to promote written language and apparently this will be a necessary skill one needs to acquire in order to succeed in his future aspirations.
Written language is also powerful as it is shown to be effective in cultivating effective communication especially between that of parents and their children. Parents and children are of a different age group and due to this, it is common that they always clash due to their ideological differences. In Canada, when counselors are faced with such situations, they do not adopt the method of purely talking things out as they feel that the issue might just remain stagnant and not be resolved as there is a tendency for both parties to hide some of their feelings or become too emotional. Thus, what they do is to make the children and parents write letters to each other so as to allow them to understand what is going on in each others minds. This way, both parties will be able to better understand what each other has to sat and conflicts can be peacefully resolved in this manner. In fact, the relationship between the child and the parent can soar to greater heights with this manner.
However, some naysayers to the idea of written language argue that actions can also be used to solve the conflicts mentioned above and that it is not necessary to use written language. Then again, they do not fully understand that when one acts, he tends to act on his impulses and that might possibly be a wrong move to take. If we were to take the war between Afghanistan and the USA for example, the USA claims they are lodging this attack to prove their stand that terrorism should never be tolerated, but they fail to see how badly this idea has failed as it has brought negative impacts to both countries, as well as the rest of the world population in terms of economic revenue and others. Many people around the world feel that the USA has gone overboard with the dominance of Afghanistan and some even claimed that this attack was done not to solve the problem, but rather as a form of vengeance. This example clearly shows us how the sword might not prove to be a mighty item afterall.
Hence, it would be suitable to conclude that written language indeed can be very powerful as it helps to understand one’s emotions and motifs better than action itself. Nothing is masked, and things come as the truth where written language is concerned.
For years, many have devoted themselves to the sword for it is a symbol of strength and power. A sword is used in battles and is the main cause of much bloodshed on the battlefields and soldiers are unafraid of using it, hence it is used as a means of symbolizing action over mere words. The advocate of the word believes that action is the strongest form of showing one’s innermost feelings. The pen on the other hand is just an everyday object we use, yet many of us fail to see how powerful it can actually be. A pen is used to write words, yet these words express feelings and emotions which could possibly prove to be more lethal than the sword. Hence advocates of the pen believe that written language can express emotions and surface hidden motifs far better than the sword itself.
Personally, being a student who immerses himself into the world of Literature and into the works of Shakespeare, I feel that the pen is indeed a mightier tool as compared to the sword. Whenever I feel the need to let out my innermost feelings, I find writing a more effective way of revealing my thoughts and emotions as they flow almost rhythmically with the swift movement of the pen. Whenever I pen my thoughts down, everything comes clear from the velvet sheet and the feelings hidden in me immediately becomes visible to the public eye. Having said that, it is not that I do not agree with the idea of using actions to express ones self. I have tried using action, yet I realize it often leaves me going for the politically correct idea and not what I really feel within me. Of course, opinions differ,
So, can written language really be so powerful? If we were to look at the context of the global arena, we would be able to see that written language has had a great influence in many parts of the world. The introduction of the new media has created a worldwide revolution, especially amongst blogging which has become very popular overnight. Online blogs have affected numerous decisions worldwide, some of which will be discussed in the later paragraphs. Blogging too, like writing, is a form of written language and although it does not involve penning down thoughts of a piece of paper, the functions of a blog are strikingly similar to that of a pen. A blog too, ‘pens down’ feelings and emotions through words, with the only difference being it done by typing on the computer as a medium.
The effects of blogging have been seen in the area of politics, especially in countries like the United States of America as well as Malaysia. In America, political blogs have been set up to slam John Mclain down in light of Obama, stating that his debate factors for the recent country affairs debate were “highly incoherent” and that he was irresponsible due to the fact that he had an alleged affair with Sarah Palin. Such blogs receive many hits per day and as much as one wants to believe that such blogs will not play an impact on the voting as people are matured enough to decide for themselves, the truth is that people are indeed influenced by whatever they read, even if it is to a small extent. Therefore, the outcomes of the votes will definitely be affected, and many believe that this is why Obama is currently leading in the polls. Similarly, blogs have also been set up to criticize Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia for claims of him spending the country’s money on his ministers as well as not taking care of the welfare of his citizens, thus leading some to believe those are the real causes of him having an alleged early retirement in 2010.
Referring to the situation above, it can be seen that written language is a powerful tool in influencing the mindset of someone. All one has to do is write down what he feels and that would be sufficient in swaying another individual of his own ideologies. The government could try to stop this by closing down such blogs and banning others from accessing such sites. However, such attempts are in vain as another site can easily be set up in a matter of just hours. Evidently, the influence of written language will be here to stay.
Apart from that, it can also be seen that written language is indeed powerful and has many benefits, which is exactly why students are made to study subjects like Literature. They learn how to appreciate prose as well as try their hands at crafting poems and critiquing texts so as to develop their skill of thinking out of the box. Currently, in countries like Singapore and Switzerland, academics are concentrated mainly in the arena of Science and thus, while students excel in Science related subjects like Physics and Chemistry, they are falling behind in terms of understanding emotions and thinking creatively which will be relevant for the future. Especially in Singapore, the education system needs a revamp and the government realizes this as it tries to inculcate studies relating to the arts into the education syllabus as far as possible. The Singapore government is making a concerted effort to promote written language and apparently this will be a necessary skill one needs to acquire in order to succeed in his future aspirations.
Written language is also powerful as it is shown to be effective in cultivating effective communication especially between that of parents and their children. Parents and children are of a different age group and due to this, it is common that they always clash due to their ideological differences. In Canada, when counselors are faced with such situations, they do not adopt the method of purely talking things out as they feel that the issue might just remain stagnant and not be resolved as there is a tendency for both parties to hide some of their feelings or become too emotional. Thus, what they do is to make the children and parents write letters to each other so as to allow them to understand what is going on in each others minds. This way, both parties will be able to better understand what each other has to sat and conflicts can be peacefully resolved in this manner. In fact, the relationship between the child and the parent can soar to greater heights with this manner.
However, some naysayers to the idea of written language argue that actions can also be used to solve the conflicts mentioned above and that it is not necessary to use written language. Then again, they do not fully understand that when one acts, he tends to act on his impulses and that might possibly be a wrong move to take. If we were to take the war between Afghanistan and the USA for example, the USA claims they are lodging this attack to prove their stand that terrorism should never be tolerated, but they fail to see how badly this idea has failed as it has brought negative impacts to both countries, as well as the rest of the world population in terms of economic revenue and others. Many people around the world feel that the USA has gone overboard with the dominance of Afghanistan and some even claimed that this attack was done not to solve the problem, but rather as a form of vengeance. This example clearly shows us how the sword might not prove to be a mighty item afterall.
Hence, it would be suitable to conclude that written language indeed can be very powerful as it helps to understand one’s emotions and motifs better than action itself. Nothing is masked, and things come as the truth where written language is concerned.
HELLO WORLD!
It feels great to wake up, knowing that you're free :)
I'm officially back to blogging, after a recent hiatus due to the irritating A Levels. Well, its now gone and here I am back at blogger, bloggoing about anything that may prove to be of interest to me at that point of time.
I need to think, I need to write to keep my brain going. Expect more thought provoking entries from me!
World, I'm back!
I'm officially back to blogging, after a recent hiatus due to the irritating A Levels. Well, its now gone and here I am back at blogger, bloggoing about anything that may prove to be of interest to me at that point of time.
I need to think, I need to write to keep my brain going. Expect more thought provoking entries from me!
World, I'm back!
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