Like poles and dipoles.

Been wanting to post this for a long time but haven't gotten enough feels to do so. Until this morning. Had a usual chat about an unusual topic over a usual timing with an unusual person. hur hur

You know how people always say that opposites attract and like ends repels? I dunno. To me this statement just doesn't feel right. Maybe, at best, opposites complement, but also to some extent. In reference to relationships, how can 2 different people live together with so much possibility of clashing with each other and yet hope to work things out! Imagine the pain when problems can't be resolved, when you realise that your differences cut through so deep. It scares me sometimes of who I might find and what I might find if I ever love someone who's the exact opposite of me. Will we ever be on the same page? Will our priorities differ? Who's right and who's wrong? I shudder at the thought of facing these questions with someone who might not even know me.

Similarities bring people together. Common childhoods, common experiences, they do more than just create a medium for meaningful interaction. There is a special bond that has the potential to bind them. A bond that can be nurtured and grown over time.

Similar views on life, love and liquor.

Lately I've been pondering quite a bit on love. Not that I would want to fall in love again at this point in time, but just thinking of the possibilities excites me. It's been keeping me awake when I should be asleep. Keeping me sane when the world is driving me nuts. It's been so refreshing!

Yet it feels like everything that has happened has happened for a reason. The past few weeks have been nothing short of ups and downs and I get a feeling that God is trying to tell me to slow things down. All I can ask right now is for wisdom to discern, and for God's will to be done.

Amber's nice, but it'll have to wait.

It was just this morning before I embarked on yet another 5 kilometre run. Something and someone got me back on the mood for blogging again. Thank you.

I used to love writing. Loved the way I could express myself so freely without having to make any justifications in front of another human being. Or worse still pretend to be someone i'm not. Since this blog no longer has any followers, I figured imma post whatever I would hope to say but couldn't bring myself to mouth the words right here.

Sad thing happened today though. One of my men was verbally and physically threatened by his superiors today. Sadder still is the fact that he wasn't to blame. Saddest of all was that his superior took it out on him, in order to sorta cover his own ass in front of HIS superiors. I was pissed at the lack of justice, as well as as the lack of leadership around in that office. Though my men may be great deal smaller in terms of seniority, but Excuse Me, he has been working ever so diligently to cover Your ass while you were often away. To me, the need to save face while not admitting that you might have been in the wrong is a no go (to hell with my english/lack-thereof).

How can you call yourself a commander when you will not admit first of your own wrong-doings. Will you even be humble enough to know that he has been supporting your ass all this while!? Now that you have decided to act on lack of care for your subordinates, it only makes my job a hella lot easier.

I will never bear a grudge, only the burden of injustice. You most certainly won't go unscathed.

It was a wonderful apple indeed. (an old draft I found)

Just recently, I have begun to realise that my diet plays a crucial aspect in my overall well-being. My mum has insisted that I eat two servings of fruits everyday, and that I should eat more. A lot more.

I had an apple and a slice of watermelon just after a bowl of pork terriyaki. Along with a packet of milo. It certainly felt good. I was just commenting a while ago that the guys in our class are really healthy. Nearly everyone is inclined to having a slice of watermelon or honeydew after their meal. 

People say that a healthy person is also a happy person. I ought to be happy. I am at the prime of my youth. I am surrounded by a jovial bunch of guys who chuckle at just about the slightest twitch of an eye. Today is a bright an sunny day. The conditions are perfect. 

But why is my mind distraught over an abyss of nothing~ness. What is wrong with my life? Do I not have everything that I have ever needed? Why do I feel so empty? Why does life feel so meaningless?

Just last night, I had a quick chat with Tiara, over the usefulness of the lesson. She had so much verve. She was filled with good vibes. 

Disasters bring out the best in people.

 It would be nice if there were no such thing as a disaster. It would be great if no one has to endure the horrors of war. It would perfect if there were no war! Then everyone would be happy, and death would just be part and parcel of life. But if everyone were happy and content, then who would strive to make the world a better place? How is anyone supposed to improve upon humanity? After all, how are we going to be happier than happy?

 I will never be in favour of war. And as for natural disasters, I am no God. They are way beyond our control. But disaster alike, rob us of our material possessions, the lives of our fellow countrymen, the lives of our loved ones. Everything that we could possibly dream of attaining would crumble in the hands of a hurricane or even at the will of a nuclear attack. However, precisely because of our human frailty, disasters often bring out the best in us.

 A wise man from Japan once said, “After a great storm you can see more clearly where there is solid ground.” In the disaster stricken city of Fukushima, the world bears witness to the extent of which an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear meltdown can have an affect on the lives of the Japanese. We shudder at the images and video clips of the destruction brought upon our fellow human beings; of how the physical state of the environment is drastically altered to nothing but rubble. But amidst the bleakness of hopes, we awe at the courage and immense discipline of the Japanese. We salute to their selflessness; of their willingness to go beyond the call of duty to help each other, sometimes even to mere strangers. Throughout the course of the disaster, not one incident of looting was reported. There were neither fights, nor protests. Just snaking queues. Yes, disasters do wreak a bit of havoc, but they compel us to focus on what is truly important. Our families. Our communities. Our country.

 We each understand how vaccines work. How there is a need to inject that little bit of harmful virus into our body, so that our immune system is able to learn how to fight that particular virus in future. Quite simply, but really, disasters cause people to adapt and prepare for future disasters. Victims of disasters can experience healthy personal growth, as they seek ways to prevent themselves from becoming victims of those disasters again. We see today that countries such as Indonesia, the U.S., Japan have begun to develop technology to detect early signs of disasters such as any nearby seismic activities or possible drops in pressure above the oceans. Disaster prone countries such as them have been able draw on their experiences and subsequently emerge stronger and more resourceful, breaking various technological barriers that would further enhance their warning facilities. Therefore, the country would be able to prepare the citizens beforehand and effectively work out evacuations routes, thereby saving a whole lot more lives. All of which to gain, owing to the debt of human ingenuity that surfaces from disasters.

 Critics would argue that disasters would bring out undesirable behaviour in people, mentioning that people would turn to crime as a way of satisfying their immediate needs. This is indeed the case for some countries, and such behaviour is regrettable. But life is about choices that we make. It is not as if the law is abandoned once a disaster strikes, and that all morals have to be temporarily put aside for the sake of satisfying one’s comfort. There is still that little bit of conscience that exists in each and every one of us. Disasters have a thing about evoking empathy and sympathy in people, to the extent that it humanizes people. It makes people realise how no one is spared from them, regardless of race, riches or religion.

 It is never easy to disregard the destruction that disasters can bring upon us. But whatever we can learn and gain out of them, is the way we can progress forward to be happier than happy.

Why 4, and not 3?

Ever wondered why there were four terms in a year instead of three? I mean, theoretically, it is definitely possible. With four months in a term, everyone, both teachers and students, is surely capable of doing a great deal more. Consider the possibilities of having more time to learn, to prepare for examinations and not to mention more time for marking. With just three terms, students will realise the importance of each and every exam, and will tend to make the most out of them. Which is presumably a good thing. So why four, and not three?

It is not unusual to hear students lamenting about the lack of time they have in school nowadays. Juggling so many external commitments that include their CCAs, CIPs, Projects etc, how exactly are students able to squeeze in any additional time to study for their examinations?

This inevitably brings us to the point on “last-minute-work”.  Understandably, students would be left with no choice but to study late through the nights, thereby placing an unhealthy compromise on their own health. The idea of working late into the night has already turned into a widespread phenomenon throughout Singapore across the ages, but is exceptionally common amongst students.

Every parent would hope that their children receive the very best education from the school that they send them to, and we all know that this goes far beyond the textbook. Instead, of teaching the students solely according to their examination requirements, teachers are often tasked to teach at greater depth, which would be beneficial in allowing a student to get a grasp of the bigger picture of things. But as of now, the chances of that happening are gradually decreasing as students’ progress towards the more crucial years of their education. Not because of the teachers’ unwillingness to do so, but sorely due to the lack of time to complete the syllabus. Since they are quickly approaching the examinations, the teacher has to make sure that she completes the syllabus and that every student understands every examinable topic covered. This often translates into many remedial sessions which teachers call the students up for during the afternoons or even during the holidays. With so much time spent on teaching, will the students, in turn, have enough of time to learn and absorb all that has been taught? The issue here cannot be attributed to the students’ lack of time management, but with the system, for how are we going to revise when the topic has yet to be covered? Therefore, think of what an extra month could do to help the teachers and students?

These four extra weeks would also enable the students to be exposed to a greater array of non-academic activities that would promote their holistic development. Activities such as overseas learning camps, job-attachment programmes or excursions are just a few examples of what schools can offer. In our modern education system, there has been an increasing emphasis on the aspect of holistic development. It requires students to be as all-rounded as possible, in areas such as community involvement, character development and their academic achievement. No longer are job-interviewers targeting straight-A students, but rather those who are competent in areas involving human interaction; those who are capable of communicating effectively with others.

 

Notice that there will only three tests in a year, one towards the end of each term. If we were to do the Math, we can see that the percentage (waitage) for each exam would be slightly higher than if we were to have four exams. However, this a very flexible issue, in which every school will decide exactly on the percentage which each test in a term, carries. Some schools would choose to place the emphasis on the End-of-Year exam, while others would prefer an equal distribution of percentage throughout the three terms, so as to ensure that the students put in consistent effort. I would prefer that the latter be adopted since it instils the need for consistent hard work from students. Such a system would also discourage the students from banking on last-minute revisions in order to ace a test. I believe that this is a good practise for us students and hope that everyone sticks with it after they graduate.

As students, we are not born to be stuffed with information, but rather to learn what we can and apply what we have learnt into our lives. This, like everything else, requires time. What better way to do this than by having three terms, instead of four.

Tan Ming Shi

Jia You Singapore!

Hey all! I guess tonight may be one of the biggest nights in the history of Singapore football as our Youth Olympic Soccer team competes against Haiti at approximately 8.40 LIVE! Indeed our Singaporean team has worked hard to reach into the Semi-finals and we ought to give them all the support they need... I think.

Just last friday, on my way to the Singapore Sports School along with Marcus and Samuel Yu, we chanced upon a taxi-driver whose son was from St. Andrew Secondary School and was coincidentally in the water-polo team. Well, we had a fun and beneficial discussion with the taxi driver, talking about the YOG games, entrance to Secondary Schools and then a short lecture on the way the meters worked in the taxi. It did seemed that we were fortunate enough to flag down the 10 minutes before 5, which meant that we did not have to pay extra, for some reason. I was glad to hear that Singapore was doing quite well in ares like Soccer and Sailing, as the taxi driver was confident that Singapore would get a Gold medal for Sailing.

However, he then told us that would be also cheering for other countries, like the Swimming event later on. He then jokingly expressed his dissatisfaction with the rest of the other Sports Singapore would be competing in, saying that they were not up to par in comparison with other countries especially outside Asia.

To me Sports is something that is meant to be judged on its own, regardless of the country people come from. It's just another form of entertainment, and you get to enjoy the wonderful skills and talents portrayed by each individual competitor. Basically,

I just watch to enjoy the game. As I belong to Singapore, I should rightfully support my own country. On the contrary, I often think about it.

Why should I just narrow this scope of mine? Personally, I believe that there is always someone who is better than you in something, no matter how good you are at it. As the Chinese saying goes “一山有比一山高”；there will always be one mountain that is higher than the other.

My point is not saying that I do not support Singapore. I mean, I will give my very all for my country. But if, if Singapore does not manage to make it through somehow, be it whatever the reason, I will then change my focus to the other competing countries. Instead of stopping and lamenting over the loss of Singapore (touch wood!). I guess it's just about time we see things from a global perspective, be exposed to everything else beyond our comfort zone, just like the Singapore Table Tennis team which sent their team overseas to train and be exposed to how the real competition will be like.

On the whole, let us not give up and continue to hope for the best for Singapore. Jia You Singapore!

The way to success

Just today, I read a short passage from a Chinese book titled 《四面八方集》and I came across a very thought provoking phrase, “写文章不难，找读者不易啊！” In simple English, it means that it is not difficult to produce a piece of writing, but it is hard to find a reader for it. Just minutes ago, I tried to draw a little link with a previous book I have read, "The Outliers" written by Malcolm Gladwell. It gives a very comprehensive viewpoint of how the rich and successful people managed to become what they are now today. In part 1 of the book, it is 'Opportunity'.

As I think back, I am amazed at how much I have been exposed to and the countless number of opportunities I have received from God. Without them, I seriously doubt that I can be where I am today. With this thought in mind, I truly sympathise with those who were not given that same groundbreaking chance in life. An example would be people from Third World countries. As they are less economically developed, their children were helplessly forced to help out with the family in areas like farming. Their education have been neglected, their entire future ahead of them have been restrained just due to that major roadblock which a majority of them face--$$$. To me, it is a total waste of human intellect, for who knows! Some of them might even be the next Einstein!

They were born into this same World as us, breathe the same air and delivered their first cry. Why can't they start from the same starting line as the rest of us? After all, we will all end on that same finish line -- - death.

In contrast, allow me to quote from Malcolm Gladwell in his book "The Outliers", "It's simply that in Canada the eligibility cutoff for age-class hockey is January I. A boy who turns ten on January 2, then, could be playing alongside someone who doesn't turn ten until the end of the year--and at that age, in preadolescence, a twelve-month gap in age represents an enormous difference in physical maturity." It could just be purely God's grace that allowed that particular person to have a head start. To be able to have a greater advantage in the game.

So which is the way to success? No matter how good you are, you will always need a 伯乐 once in a while. You will always need that someone to realise your full potential, provide you with the perfect opportunity and only then will you excel.