Welcome To My World

Late Night Bloghopping 5

2012-01-29T01:28:00.004+08:00

...Yep. Haven't done this in a long time. Just suddenly had the random thought of doing this again. So here goes...

The Clever Sheep: A blog with an appropriate header picture that describes a clever title. His posts tend to revolve around learning and Creative Commons, most of which I believe our teachers and other professional coaches in Singapore should be reading!
Growing Dreams: Shows the not-so-ordinary life of a woman with a few kids, having transitioned from newspaper article writing to nursing, and interested in improving health care within the community.
CLAS Villanova Uni Blog: A special blog meant to disseminate info about the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Villanova University... wonder why my school doesn't have such a blog? Then again with a Facebook page(inactive) and a regular email newsletter there's probably no need to...
Scattered and Random: The musings and life-descriptions of a history professor. Oh, he has 3 dogs, 1 cat, 2 aquaria and 2 cockatiels. And lots of other stuff.
Desert Photography: A showcase blog featuring the author's photo manipulations, which are in short stunningly beautiful! Maybe after the exams I might attempt to learn how to achieve such wonderful Photoshop mastery...
Steve Gravano: A photographer's site featuring photos involving various subjects and having some poetic quality about them... or maybe I'm imagining things?
Rattler Nation: Another university blog, this time from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Their sports representative students are nicknamed the Rattlers(not sure why), hence the name of this site. Their mascot costume looks... err... a bit odd. Then again RI has Griffles...
The Great _______ Adventure: Interesting 3-year ongoing experiment being recorded here, basically involving getting to do many collaborative projects and put up the details of each project in terms of progress, publications etc.
The Plant Garden: Oh, another one of those family blogs where the parent(s) upload various photos of their children doing stuff. They are pretty darn good at photography though, as evidenced by their separate photography blog.

So there you are, 10 blogs showcased in one go. Wonder if I get anything good for probably generating a few more views to each of those sites? :P

Awkward

2012-01-24T22:57:00.001+08:00

...erm... yeah...

...so, where are you from?

Hello? I said where are you from?

Oh, you're from there? Huh.

...what? No I wasn't making fun of you! It's just... I knew someone from there once.

He used to do stuff with me, not sure why he's stopped seeing me now...

...what kind of stuff? Err... you know, hang out, eat lunch, what friends usually do. That's why I've been to that place quite a number of times.

How do I find it? Well... I guess it's okay... it's just a nice place for us to hang out.

Let's talk about something else, what do you like?

Oh okay. I also had a friend that had similar hobbies, she used to talk on and on about -

Oh crap, I'm doing it again! Really sorry, I just like to talk about my friends a lot. They're the ones that like to listen and converse with me.

Nononononono! I'm not insulting you, it's just that they're really sociable guys that really like to listen to others!

(ARGH! I really should watch my mouth! Stupid oaf!)

...maybe you should ask me some questions instead? Sounds good?

What do I like? Well I'm pretty boring actually, so I pretty much like doing normal chatting with others. Like what we're doing now. And I sorta like music.

...Nothing else. Like I said, I'm pretty boring, heh. (For goodness sake STOP degrading yourself!)

...You've gotta go now? I didn't hear your phon- it's on silent? Okay. Well take care then, see you soon...

...sigh... I'm so hopeless at this...

Past Entry 15

2012-01-20T11:30:00.000+08:00

25 September 2011

Well hello there. I've just witnessed the finish of the Grand Prix race here in Singapore. Vettel's not confirmed champion yet, so things are still intense. Also I've just written a really lengthy post, partly in a sort of practice in preparation for the GP promotional exams in less than 2 days time.

Speaking of which, how will I do for the exams? Will I get promoted to Year 6? Or will I screw up really badly and have to retake an entire year from scratch?!? That's what I dread, because that would mean having to deal with the same boring topics all over again, and tackling the stupid PW segment one more time!!! Well even if I DID pass the promotional exams, that doesn't necessarily mean I'll also pass the HMT 'A' Level exams. Well if I pass the HCL promo exam there's a good chance I'll be fine later, but I'd never truly know what could happen. And retaking HCL is almost as dreadful as retaking PW, because next year the HCL syllabus will change dramatically! That would be a headache for me to re-digest the newly formatted information.

I'll try to be an optimist for now. Let's assume that I'll be in the clear and going on to Year 6. Then I'll probably be in a mixed state of euphoria and depression, the former from being glad that I'm not retaking a whole year, and the latter from the realisation that the holidays are over and I'm this closer to approaching the OTHER 'A' Level exams. And I'm not sure if the beginning of next year will be slow at first, considering that a good proportion of the batch students will be involved both in the Open House 2012 and the Orientation 2012 events.

Well apart from normal school curriculum, and still on the assumption that I'm progressing into Year 6 without having to deal with HCL again, this will also be the time for me to start focusing on getting my next piano diploma. If I don't do it next year, it will be too late by the time I'm out of the army! And it'd ideally be in the middle of next year in June, otherwise it'd interfere with the 'A' Level exams which I certainly don't want.

It's mildly frightening knowing that how I'll do for the year-end exams will determine the circumstances I'll be in when I read this post again. That's just even more self-motivation to revise intensely and strive to do excel in those exams!

So in chronological order it's the GP exams, followed by Chinese, Economics, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, before 'A' Level HMT and PW Oral Presentation. No choice but to just deal with them one at a time. I just wish they didn't cram both the GP and Chinese promotional exams on the same day! Well at least after the 15th of November I can definitely relax, although I'm assuming I'll actually pass all those written exams... >.<

The Dragon Cometh

2012-01-16T23:04:00.000+08:00

Once again Chinese New Year is approaching again. Being the only Chinese-related holiday that's celebrated in Singapore as a public holiday, a lot of us are excited. Or at least supposed to be. With four more days to the long weekend for Singaporeans, most of us are getting things planned quickly; applying for off-days to extend the break, finishing off work before the weekend, doing spring cleaning and planning for reunion dinners etc.

This year would also be the year that Chinese couples may try to conceive a child to earn the prestigious title of the parents of a "dragon baby". And also the year where there'll probably be a surge in students taking PSLE near the end of the year.

There is speculation that this Year of the Dragon would be a challenging one for most of us. Aside from doomsday predictions, 2012 may be another year where recession kicks in again. And according to Chinese horoscopes, I seem to be in for more hazards ahead, which could be worrying considering what I need to ultimately deal with in November. But that's still considerably far into the future. For now I can look forward to celebrating the Lunar New Year with relatives once more. However it feels to me that the celebrations have kind of toned down on the paternal side, after my grandfather's passing. It's as though we no longer have such a strong reason to reunite together again.

That doesn't mean I can't enjoy the holiday break still. It may still be within the first month of 2012, but already I feel like I need a vacation! Especially when I know that almost immediately after the break there'll be more work and tests waiting to strike like a hidden dragon...

One More Year

2012-01-09T23:24:00.001+08:00

Yup. One more year of education coming up. More specifically my last year in Raffles Institution if things go smoothly for 2012. And to "kick things off" there was the Homecoming 2012 event that occurred today. You know, the usual "it's so great to see you guys again" speech, the other "do your very best and enjoy your final year here" speech, the music performance, the montage of photos/clips to remind the batch of just how wonderful/terrifying 2011 was...

One unique thing that happened was the so-called class breakfast where classmates would sit together in the canteen with the CTs. Except we didn't actually eat breakfast with the CTs; they just met us and gave a quick few announcements before disappearing off. The rest of us just lingered around in the canteen, while the somewhat-average performers on the temporary stage in the canteen performed simple renditions of popular songs. Never bothered to queue up for the food as the line stretched out pretty long.

Somewhat interesting start to the term so far...? Well at the moment my new timetable looks significantly less cluttered than last year's, due to no more Project Work periods and the cutting down of Chinese periods. Now I NEVER have to stay back for lessons beyond 4 o' clock! :D

But as we all know, the workload would also proportionately(or even more) increase; I'd probably see more assignments and practices thrown at me this time. Showing the clips of the 2011 batch of J2s giving advice probably didn't help much, and might have even put more pressure on some people. ("The next year is going to be very tough! Your last chance to have fun would be about the first half of 2012, after that would be just intensive study!")

I'm really curious as to how 2012 will roll out. Perhaps this year might go out with a bang, in more ways than one. (DOOMSDAY IS NIGH) Maybe on December 21st a dragon from ancient times that was transported away from a portal by a spell, will reappear back on Earth and wreck havoc, and that could be how the world would end! Unless somebody with dragon blood (if we can find him/her quickly) rises up to the occasion to defeat the evil dragon. And with his/her Thu'um conjure something that mortal ears have not heard for centuries, or even millennia:

2011 + 1

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

Welp. We made it. Humanity has survived another long(short to some) year on Earth. Thankfully we haven't been wiped out yet.

Well technically the other side of the world hasn't reached 2012 yet. That's when I engage in one of my recent traditions: witnessing the New Year Ball drop in New York. Thanks to the wonders of technology I won't be needing to teleport over there or buy an emergency flight ticket, but instead watching a live stream of the event. And I get to interact with others online in the chat room too!

Unlike previous years I'm currently not at home at midnight of the first day of 2012, but I'm with my family at another countdown dinner at some country club. Might be better than cooping up at home watching the TV while surfing the net. Or not?

Thankfully this year I don't start school immediately on this coming week, but the week after instead. At least gives me time to prepare for the weird surprises in store. Although more often than not I always forget something. I probably still don't know what it is at this point.

So to celebrate the arrival of 2012, here's a rendition of the popular song that gets sung almost every New Year's Day:

Last Day of 2011

2011-12-31T12:33:00.000+08:00

So here we are, on the teetering point between 2011 and 2012. The past year has been really crazy for a lot of people. Many events took place that were, in a way, unforgettable. Deaths of famous people, deaths of millions of innocents, progression in one society, regression in another...

One really early event at the start of 2011 was the attempted assassination of a congresswoman in Arizona. Luckily she survived, but unfortunately other innocent bystanders were killed by the shooter. Then there were the protests in Libya that caused quite a stir, especially for the world economy, and led to resignation of the president. After that, the tragic earthquake cum tsunami double whammy struck Japan, and created a nuclear scare for a while. That probably stood out the most among the natural disasters that happened in 2011.

Then there was also the over-hyped Royal Wedding back in the UK, where so many people from around the world got to see live coverage of the whole ceremony. And also scoffed at a certain infamous hairpiece. Suddenly, news of Osama bin Laden's death broke out and evoked past memories of the 9/11 event. Other deaths followed: Amy Winehouse, Steve Jobs, and most recently Kim Jong Il.

This year has also been a personal turning point too. Being thrust into another tier of education, dealing with an entirely new class and group of teachers, things were really unfamiliar. I wasn't really used to the lecture-tutorial system, as were many others who treated the lecture theatre as a temporary sleeping room. The lethargy was scarily infectious and I wasn't spared of the sleepy bug.

I also learned of the condemned subject known as Project Work, where formed bonds between classmates were put to the test, and sales of coffee and aspirin/Panadol shot up, along with the numerous requests for interviews. I had to deal with Chinese lessons for one more year(and hopefully not another year more).

Isn't it a shame to have a crucial moment of my education take place in the rumored "Final Year on Earth"? As if the pressure to ace our 'A' Level exams wasn't bad enough, we also have to worry about whether this will be even worth it in the end, whether it's even worth trying hard for exams that we may or may not get to know the results depending on the fate of our planet.

If 2012 does go smoothly and we're all still nicely alive, then 2013 would seem like a fantastic year to everybody. Perhaps a boost in optimism on life. Maybe even a boost in population???

Joyeux Noël

2011-12-25T01:39:00.001+08:00

"C'mon honey, must I even get into this stupid outfit? It itches, and I doubt Bobby would even wake up and see me as —"

"Nick, just do it. He could be staying awake peeking from his bedroom, and if he sees you as you are sneaking presents, what would he think?"

"Honey, he's already ten. He should know by now that the big red guy doesn't really exist —"

"— and crush his hopes like that? He's still a boy! Let him believe what he wants for now. Just quietly put the gifts underneath the tree dressed as Santa - shouldn't take more than ten minutes - and you can come back into bed with me and snuggle under the sheets."

Her warm reassuring smile mismatched her cold stern stare into Nick's eyes. Still, the reward of huddling together with a loved one in bed, while the cold snowy weather raged on outside, was a strong enough incentive for him to oblige.

As she made her way back into the master bedroom, he clumsily manipulated his body to fit into the dust-ridden red suit and put on the grey beard. Ugh! The prop reeked of sweat and alcohol. When was the last time that was washed?

Nick himself knew just how unconvincing of a Santa he was: he doesn't have the reputed large frame required to fill up the red suit, and he couldn't pull off an impression of a jolly fat old man to save his life. Any nearby mall Santa would be a good replacement! Surely Bobby would know he wasn't the real deal, so why waste the effort? Nick didn't have to grow up believing in a big fat guy delivering presents, and he turned out just fine! She's just too soft on her son, that's what it is.

Still, to prevent his wife from getting aggravated any further, he quietly hauled the large sack of presents onto his back, valiantly attempting to ignore the stench from the beard. He cursed in his mind again as he silently made his way down the stairs. Doesn't she know how bloody hard it is to walk down steps in clunky black boots without stirring a sound?

The door to Bobby's bedroom was slightly ajar. Peeking inside, the boy was sleeping like a log. "Told you he wouldn't stay awake long enough. Waste of time to change into this costume!" And Nick moved on with an even more disgruntled look on his face.

Standing in the living room now, only the soft moaning of the cold winds outside could be heard. The clock on the mantle showed 11:15pm. "Hmph, if it weren't for this blasted snow, I could be outside hanging with my friends at the pub having a good time. Instead I'm living out the part of a fictitious character with no audience to watch my horrendous performance..."

The tree stood opposite him, sloppily adorned with cheap ornaments, waiting to accept the packages. Nick emptied the bag bit by bit, carefully placing the gifts in a neat fashion underneath the tree. But why was he putting effort in that? Bobby would just race towards the tree, unleashing his wrath upon the boxes and disintegrate the packages like a bloodthirsty beast might undo its captured prey. And every year Bobby would hold interest in the gifts for at most a month. He always seemed disappointed somehow; it wasn't that he didn't like the expensive toys or the fancy clothes or any of the other presents, but he always appeared to be unfulfilled in some way...

All right, now for the milk and cookies.

He turned back towards the dining room. The chocolate chip cookies and warm (well, previously warm) milk were sitting on the marble table. Nick wondered if he should have gotten the table at all; they hardly ever had family dinners, the last one being last last Thanksgiving. Now it just served as a pedestal for the offering to Santa Claus.

Something was different this time; there was a piece of paper stuffed under the glass of milk. Nick was almost ready to toss the paper aside, knowing it a secret message from Bobby to Santa alone; his parents shouldn't need to know the contents of the message. Alas, Nick's curiosity piqued and with unsteady hands concealed within thick gloves, he unfolded the letter.

The room was really dark, and the handwriting was somewhat atrocious for a ten-year-old, but Nick could make out the words:

Dear Santa,

I hope you like the milk and cookies I left you. I know how tired you must be travelling to so many houses delivering so many presents!

(Tired, yeah right. The journey from upstairs to here took SO MUCH effort.)

Anyway, I'm grateful for the gifts you send to me every year. I like them very much. But I hope that I could ask for something more this time. It's not that I want even more gifts this year, you'd surely say no!

Now Nick was even more intrigued. What could he possibly want from Santa this time?

It's my dad, you see. Every time during Christmas he's so grumpy! I don't know why, but I think he doesn't like you very much! Whenever I said your name he just gave me "the look".

I'm not even asking you to deliver some fancy gift to him. I just want you to pay him a visit and tell him you're real. I want him to believe in you. I want him to be happy on Christmas. I want my family to become happy again!

That's all! Good luck delivering the rest of your presents!

Love, Bobby

Nick was stunned. That's what was on his son's mind all along? He wanted to run up to Bobby and apologise, but realised he'd blow his cover and ruin Bobby's dreams. No choice but to retreat.

The journey up the stairs seemed even more agonising, his feet being weighed down by an extra force. At the top, he took even longer to get himself out of the "stupid costume", as though it were chain-mail.

She heard the door click open. "Not so bad, right honey? Didn't take long after all."

He knew the process took an eternity, but he was too tired to disagree with her.

"Are you alright, sweetie? Come to me, and I'll make you feel better!" She opened her arms anticipating an embrace.

He simply shuffled to the bed without batting an eyelid, and just sank into the bed, his back facing her. He wasn't in the mood to even get cosy any more. It just felt wrong.

"Nick? Do you need a drink? Is something the matter?"

"No, honey. Everything'll be okay tomorrow. Just sleep."

Reluctantly she switched off the lights and closed her eyes. Being through much shopping earlier that day, she easily fell into a deep sleep.

Her husband, however, stayed awake for a while longer. His face and pillow were tear-stained, and his mind kept conjuring the image of the letter. When he was sure she was sound asleep, he quietly muttered to himself:

"Don't worry Bobby. Everything'll be okay. We'll be happy again..."

And on the Night before Christmas, the family slept soundly and had beautiful dreams. Dreams of ringing sleigh bells, of Christmas carollers, of dancing snowmen, of flying reindeer, and of a jolly big man in a red suit with a white beard, spreading joy to children all over the world...

Wow. That turned out to be way longer than I expected. Anyway Merry Christmas, and have a merry time with friends and family! :)

Almost There

2011-12-24T16:41:00.000+08:00

I might put up something special here later. Or not. Depends if there's still time by the time I make it back here after dinner and possibly some spectating of a mass caroling event.

Oh well... if you're bothered to wait, you could stay tuned to this blog.

The 12 Days of Schoolmas

2011-12-18T22:54:00.000+08:00

On the 1st day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
Some homework to be done by January.

On the 2nd day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 3rd day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 4th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 5th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 6th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 7th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
7 past-year papers
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 8th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
8 interesting (but not necessary to read) articles
7 past-year papers
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 9th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
9 new terms to learn
8 interesting articles
7 past-year papers
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 10th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
10 minutes of nagging (not necessarily face-to-face but through online means, e.g. email, video)
9 new terms to learn
8 interesting articles
7 past-year papers
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 11th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
11 consent forms
10 minutes of nagging
9 new terms to learn
8 interesting articles
7 past-year papers
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January.

On the 12th day of Xmas, my teachers gave to me
12 timed practices
11 consent forms
10 minutes of nagging
9 new terms to learn
8 interesting articles
7 past-year papers
6 model essays
FIVE STACKS OF NOTES
4 remedial lessons
3 email reminders

2 online quizzes
And some homework to be done by January!!! (which I'll probably forget)

Disclaimer: the aforementioned account of events didn't happen. The actual events still aren't something to laugh at though.

Past Entry 12

2011-12-10T18:00:00.001+08:00

16th June, some time in the wee early hours of the morning

About time I got to do another Past Entry. I'm awake again and I don't think I can fall back to sleep, so I'm blogging again. And to suit the occasion, this post is scheduled to be published on the day of the second lunar eclipse! Either this will remind myself then about what a spectacular view the lunar eclipse was, or if I don't get to see it in just a while, it'll be a reminder to not miss this next chance. And probably through a live feed since it'll be visible from the opposite side of Earth...

But by the time the second lunar eclipse pops up, the whole of Year 5 would be over. Perhaps I'll be relaxing just like now, except without the problems of exams popping up immediately after the holidays. On the other hand, I might be partially worried about the fact that I am running out of time to prepare for 'A' levels. And the thought of what comes immediately after 'A' levels scares me a lot. Seriously.

Being in secondary school has already helped me learn that the relative length of time gets shorter with age. Pretty soon I might find that 5 years would fly by in a flash, and later maybe 10. Children would suddenly morph into adults in front of your eyes, classmates you once knew suddenly become successful parents... When you don't know how much time you have left, it can be quite scary.

At this moment I'm kinda hoping that technology would be advanced enough to let me live much much longer than now, like at least old enough to live through the next century. Ideally I want immortality, but maybe if I live to the 22nd century technology may advance even more and become capable of extending my lifespan even more?

I'm not really sure if I'll be able to see the lunar eclipse later. I've been seeing a bit of lightning strikes and some clouds so there a chance that the red moon may end up being blocked, leaving spectators disappointed. So if I don't get to see anything later on, hopefully second try in December would be successful!

("A total lunar eclipse" = "O! A pale scarlet, unlit.")

Past Entry 14

2011-12-06T11:45:00.000+08:00

6th September 2011, 11+ pm

Tonight's going to be the first night that I'll be staying in my new home. We're still in the process of moving things over and rearranging stuff neatly, but now it's currently considered suitable for my family to stay and sleep over.

Well so far I haven't really had any strong feelings of remorse or homesickness yet, which is kind of a good start. I was initially harbouring immediate thoughts of objection and disbelief when I first heard the news that we would be moving house this year, and to a smaller unit too. There wouldn't be a similar balcony garden or spacious living room, and the bedrooms would be a fraction of the current one I was in. It seemed more of a downgrade since we were already staying in a mansionette unit...

I'm not really sure when to schedule this post yet, but perhaps by then I would have gotten quite used to this place, and maybe even enjoy this place. However I also don't want to forget the place where I have lived for about 17 years. I practically grew up in that house, in that suburban neighbourhood not nearby shopping malls or offices but consisting of friendly coffee shops and local supermarkets, along with a nice park. Now this new home is quite the opposite, being close to a hotspot for activity, and having the advantages of proximity and convenience to facilities and modes of transportation.

Although the distance wasn't exactly short, I didn't mind the journey to the coffee shops nearby. Along the way I usually got to witness various sights of young children playing in the playground...

Elderly women sitting on benches chatting away, although I didn't understand them...

Some boys playing soccer or basketball, temporarily ignoring the passing of time...

Students from Xinmin Primary and Secondary school that emerged every evening...

The bubble tea shop that was swarmed by those students because their drinks were tasty...

The food and drink stall owners that endlessly strived to earn a living...

Gatherings of men that came to watch football on the plasma TV at the coffee shop late at night...

Children trying to win a toy that they want from the gaming machines...

...and yet I feel there's still something that I haven't discovered about that neighbourhood yet. Some hidden treasures I haven't chanced upon. I still have that yearning to at least visit the neighbourhood occasionally to see what has changed, or what I've missed despite living there for so many years.

...Perhaps I should set this to show up somewhere in the December holidays? Well I can be quite certain that I wouldn't be distracted by exam/project-related worries, and would be able to unwind in the comfort of my new home. Unless something disastrous will happen to me later in the next 2 or 3 months, but the chances of that are slim. Right? Right???

XII

2011-12-04T21:37:00.001+08:00

So we're in December now. We in Singapore will not get to have a white snowy Christmas (unless global warming somehow inverts weather patterns) but we may still get a cold one due to monsoon rain. We may not get to enjoy the warmth radiating from a fireplace (is it even legal to do so here???) but we can still get warm and cozy with a blanket and some hot chocolate/tea, coupled with snuggling alongside a loved one.

For many of Singapore's students December's a "golden" month because it's the longest holiday break in the year. The time when we can rest without worrying about project work or midyear/year-end exams (though there'd probably be holiday assignment and small tests still). For those in Primary 6, Secondary 4 and JC 2 December's probably even sweeter because you're practically free to do what you want until the year ends! No concern about holiday homework at all.

It's also a month when all the social gatherings get crammed in. Being temporarily unburdened from school activity, gathering events with schoolmates and other friends will spring up in December like poppy flowers in a battle ground. Shopping malls will get filled up with buzzing teens hanging around doing stuff. Cinemas will probably be fully booked by such groups who want to spend quality time together watching a new movie. However I've yet to see a class LAN party in my lifetime, nor hear of such events from other people!

There's also the traditional barbecue lunch/dinner with "pot luck" snacks. Others may afford to organise a poolside party. I am probably the least likely person to organise or participate in either of those, even though I do have access to both facilities nearby...

That doesn't mean I can't spend December indulging in leisurely activity. Physical human companionship isn't crucial (but can be beneficial anyway) for every type of leisure. I just have to keep myself in check and remember to prepare for more bothersome obstacles in 2012. Whether the world will end in 2012 or not, next year will be important for me: in the apocalyptic scenario, 2012 would be my last precious year in my life, so I might as well make the best out of it. In the better non-apocalyptic scenario, I still have to put my best effort in attaining excellent results for the 'A' Level exams to pave way for better future opportunities.

But that can wait. Right now I'm still in a time when I should be having fun.

Maybe we can all ask Santa for a non-apocalyptic future as our Christmas present?

Past Entry 9

2011-11-30T23:19:00.001+08:00

January 30th 2011

Sometimes life suddenly takes a really sharp turn and you get thrown off course for a while. Maybe you'll end up having to take a different path to get to your intended destination.

I had intended to take a certain route, but I hit upon two obstacles early this year, and I get forced to go off the road.

I currently don't know what this new path is like. The terrain is unfamiliar to me, and I don't know if I can pass.

When I read this again, I hope that I know what I'm talking about, and that I have managed to survive on this "wrong" way.

And that I'm still heading for my destination.

(This might be my shortest and most abstract Past Entry yet)

Cat & Mouse

2011-11-27T22:32:00.001+08:00

Another thing I like to do when bored on the Internet is to watch old cartoons. (Do I have an inclination towards vintage stuff???) To me today's cartoons filled with over-the-top action/drama/terminology/jokes can hardly rival classic humour. Back then cartoons were designed to appeal to both children and adults, instead of today's exclusive-to-kids shows, so the humour was more universally applicable.

One particular cartoon I liked to and still watch is the classic Tom & Jerry cartoons. When I was younger, during visits over at my grandfather's house I was usually stuck there with not much to do, so I cooped myself in a bedroom and watched Cartoon Network. Since I always went there at the same timeslot almost every weekend night, I got to watch the same thing: a series of Tom & Jerry classic shorts. Mind you the current modern ones have lost their appeal to me(and I suspect a lot of other viewers of my generation).

So here's a few Tom & Jerry videos I found over Youtube so that you may be able to enjoy their classic humour too! :)

One More Week

2011-11-20T22:18:00.001+08:00

"It's so close I can feel it!"

I'm about to enter my last week of school lessons for the year. Scary and exhilarating.

And for some reason I've left this blog alone for a little longer than expected. And still trying to sort out the ifttt thing so I can in some form announce a new blog post being published. No idea why Facebook wants to get rid of the feed-importing ability of Notes that let me import my own blog posts onto my Facebook wall for so long.

If you're wondering what ifttt (if this than that) is, here's the website. It basically helps in automating tasks for you by triggering actions across different online platforms.

Also there's a reason why I say my last week of school lessons and not Year 5 students' last week. I unfortunately have been cursed/blessed with extra remedial lessons for the rest of the week. Not all batchmates get the same punishment/privilege so they might just have their last lesson tomorrow.

The kicker is that I also have to do a focus test(s) next year right before school reopens. That not only means I have to go back to school earlier, but I also have to undergo more revision beforehand. Which is probably the intended effect of having to do the test.

There's also the extra burden of a certain holiday research assignment to be handed up on the first day of school next year, but that's a standard for all students taking that subject so in that respect I'm not disadvantaged compared to my classmates.

Meanwhile the Christmas spirit is already spreading in the form of decorations and music. Living near a shopping mall, the effect is even more prominent to me, seeing flying reindeer and giant plastic candy canes and white cotton wool appearing within the compounds. And in some shops I can hear classics like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and The 12 Days of Christmas being piped through the speakers.

Well I guess that validates my action of putting this Christmas Nyan Cat here:

The Good Old Days

2011-11-10T22:52:00.001+08:00

[DISCLAIMER: This post is loaded with embedded Youtube videos]

Occasionally when I get bored on the Internet, I look at old commercials. Of course that's after I get bored of present-day videos on Youtube, but the same platform also contains a wealth of vintage commercials that serve as a window into the past(even before my birth!). Some reflect just how much simpler life was compared to now; some showed how little people knew then; some gave an insight on the past culture and background of the intended audience. It's like a really simple form of archaeology that deals with a way more recent time period.

Back in the 60s people didn't really know about the dangers of smoking(it could be argued that cigarettes of that time were made less toxic though), so there were lots of advertisements encouraging people to smoke, even claiming that doctors recommend it for good health!

Companies even went as far as to use family cartoons to convince the public to smoke, as seen in these Flintstone advertisements. Surely something that would be highly objected today:

And back then it wasn't weird to pair up smoking with Christmas spirit:

There are also other commercials that would be classified today as "nightmare fuel", i.e. content that we today would find disturbing and creepy, enough to give nightmares. Take this super old McDonald's commercial featuring a much less visually appealing Ronald:

And here's a commercial for a doll that you'd NEVER want to sleep with in a bedroom alone at night:

But there are commercials that are unexpectedly entertaining, for instance this 60s Barbie advertisement with a rap!

I came across commercials about products that as far as I know don't exist anymore, like 7UP Gold(what does that taste like???):

...or another drink called the Crystal Pepsi:

Back then advertising also tended to be more agressive than today, explicitly poking fun at rivals. For example, the classic "Genesis Does" commercial:

...and this Burger King commercial attacking a popular competitor:

Still, there are also companies who choose to go with simple heartwarming ads like this Oreo commercial:

Obviously there are too many view-worthy vintage commercial videos for me to cram into this one post, unless you can handle the super long loading times. So go on and look online for other commercials that bring you back to the past. You may discover the almost forgotten history of today's products, learn the luxuries that older generations had, and maybe come across a few ads that were striking to you as childhood memories :)

Milestones

2011-11-08T00:42:00.002+08:00

We had not too long ago surpassed the 7 billion mark in terms of population size. Not really a completely a good or bad indicator of anything; the fact that we've reached such a big number shows just how far we've come in terms of survival and growth, but also hints at the growing severe problems of overcrowding or under-allocated resources to countries. Another so-called milestone is 11/11/11 on this coming Friday, which marks a once-in-a-century occurrence.

A personal milestone I've reached is the successful overcoming of the Year 5 promotional examinations. The thought of surpassing that barrier is relieving, but the hint of even bigger problems ahead are still daunting. Faster-paced teaching, more exams... yet all this could determine a big part of my future. Sure I know that failing in an epic manner doesn't mean the complete end of the world, but it's still quite a critical moment in my life, determining what kind of further obstacles I'll deal with and what future gains lie ahead for me.

A second milestone later on is the 4th anniversary of the creation of this blog. I know of people who have started their first blog in primary or secondary school on a whimsy, just to follow the trends then of keeping a personal blog. Then not long after they abandon the blogs. Some may come back and restart it, others may create a completely new one. I've managed to maintain my first and only personal blog for quite some time already. The reason why I say "personal" is because there were other blogs I've created, but for online school assignments. I remember the earliest one was a Chinese one on Multiply, supposedly to help us students brush up on our Chinese by keeping a simple regular weblog of our activities.

That reminds me, I could think of something to post on May 18th next year. Not really sure what to do yet... any suggestions??? :P

Halloween Horrors

2011-10-31T15:39:00.002+08:00

Well FINALLY I'm done with the Chinese test. As to whether that also means a permanent end to Chinese lessons for me remains to be seen, although this time I'm a little bit more confident of passing :P

I saw it coincidentally fitting that the test happened to fall on today, which is Halloween. Just sitting in the examination room waiting already generates a lot of tension and anxiety within the room! And also the thought of failing the test in an epic manner is frightening too.

And Halloween always conjures to the mind images of horrible scary things like walking zombies, bloodshed, chainsaw-wielding maniacs etc. But what exactly is Halloween in the first place? And what's with the name? Well "Halloween" is possibly a contraction of "All-Hallows-Even", basically meaning the evening before All Hallows Day (or some call it All Saints' Day), which is the day that commemorates those who have achieved "beatific vision" (eternal & direct visual perception of God). That's another event altogether, so I won't dwell too much on it...

So why do people dress up as scary things on this night? And why give away candy? The origin of this holiday is quite unclear, having several links to different events on different calendars. Usually its roots are attributed to the Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and having some elements of a Festival of the Dead. The only thing certain about Halloween was that this was supposedly the time our physical world and the supernatural world sort of blend, allowing spirits and other weird things to roam our world.

Now some say that the tradition of giving away free candy is based on the superstition that the candy will help pacify the rowdy spirits, thus ensuring a bountiful future harvest. Others say it's based on the Medieval practice of "souling", i.e. begging for treats like Soul Cake on All Hallows Day by singing and saying prayers honoring the dead. As for the costumes, you can kinda guess they were originally a way to imitate the supernatural beings roaming the Earth, but with the fanciful costumes in modern times you might not be able to tell.

Another popular activity associated with Halloween is bobbing for apples... you know, using only your mouth to fish out apples floating in water. That isn't scary at all, so what's it got to do with Halloween??? Some scholars believe that some Roman customs kinda mixed around and influenced the festival of Samhain, and one of the Roman goddesses was Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees and gardens. Guess what her symbol was? An apple! So perhaps that's why apple-bobbing and candied apples somehow got into the mix.

Then what about the famous jack-o'-lantern? Well it started from the British Isles, where the tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables like turnips started. It's only in North America where they used pumpkins, which were easier to carve than turnips. Somehow the pumpkins were more popular and later got associated with Halloween much much later.

As for its name, the jack-o'-lantern was named after a character called Stingy Jack. Several versions of his tale exist, but what we know is that Jack somehow managed to trap the Devil, only agreeing to release him on the condition that he does not take Jack's soul. However when he died he was too sinful to enter Heaven, making him stuck on Earth. He then asked how he was to see at night since he had no light with him, so the Devil mockingly gave him an undying ember from the flames of Hell. Jack then carved out a lantern from a turnip (his favorite food) and put the ember inside it. Thus he was fated to roam the Earth with his turnip lantern until he could find a resting place...

(Interestingly the name "jack-o'-lantern" could also mean literally a man with a lantern, or a description of the will-o'-the-wisp phenomenon, i.e. "ghostly lights")

So now you can celebrate Halloween with a bit more background knowledge than before, instead of taking it at face value! If you're going trick-or-treating tonight, have fun! Although I suspect you'd already have celebrated yesterday or the day before...

Aftermath

2011-10-23T22:40:00.002+08:00

Oh goodness. Tomorrow morning Year 5 students in RI will be in for a rude shock or a pleasant surprise. Promotional examination results will be revealed. When we receive our marked scripts and spot our marks, some of us will heave sighs of relief, some will have their eyes light up instantly with delight, some will feel their heart sink into unknown depths.

Some will safely progress onto the next level of JC 2 / Year 6, some others may fall behind to their disbelief. I really hope I'm in the former category. The odds are in my favour technically, but I don't know if I may end up dropping a subject, which is what I dread.

Unfortunately I still have 2 subjects to deal with, PW & Chinese. I sure don't want to end up being depressed by my promo results and consequently do worse in those subjects, especially Chinese!

I can't really change anything now, unless somehow I can rewrite history to benefit myself, perhaps tell my past self the correct answers and improve my test scores. Well I can still improve my situation via the 2 aforementioned subjects, but to a limited degree.

I hope nobody tomorrow will play a sad song on the world's smallest violin for me over my results. Or a "Game Over" music track. I'd much rather hear victory music. Or just any kind of happy music!

Fear And Loathing

2011-10-16T22:41:00.001+08:00

~ Marina and the Diamonds ~

I've lived a lot of different lives
Been different people many times
I live my life in bitterness
And fill my heart with emptiness

And now I see, I see it for the first time:
There is no crime in being kind
Not everyone is out to screw you over.
Maybe, oh just maybe they just wanna' get to know ya'.

Now the time is here,
Baby you don't have to live your life in fear
And the sky is clear, is clear of fear

Don't wanna' live in fear and loathing
I wanna' feel like I am floating
Instead of constantly exploding
In fear and loathing

Got different people inside my head
I wonder which one that they like best
I'm done with tryin' to have it all
And endin' up with not much at all.

And now the time is here,
Baby you don't have to live your life in fear
And the sky is clear, is clear of fear
Of fear

Don't wanna' live in fear and loathing
I wanna' feel like I am floating
Instead of constantly exploding
In fear and loathing.

And when the time comes along
And the lights run out,
I know where I will belong
When they blow me out.

Endings

2011-10-09T23:20:00.000+08:00

The world has recently got wind of the news of Steve Jobs' passing a few days ago. The man who started a computing system and a company that would eventually make a huge impact within the technology industry and changing our modern lifestyles permanently.

Thus ends the legacy of a giant, but is it the end of the golden age for Apple? Currently it's too early to tell, although fans are already mostly disappointed with the announcement of the iPhone 4S. That I suspect is to allow Jobs a chance to witness the unveiling of another product while he was still alive. The Siri feature is itself intriguing but perhaps not super useful, except in overcoming barriers for visually handicapped users. I don't expect Siri to be accurate to the commands of Singapore users, because it'd probably screw up in terms of weather or traffic reports as it'll have a hard time recognising the names of some local places.

Anyway we can't say for sure that Apple will go downhill from here on. And there's no way to say that the rivals will be much stronger from this point onwards. One thing's for certain, Jobs will not be forgotten easily, having been immortalised on the Internet and through Apple's products.

Meanwhile the year is also gradually coming to a close. For many students it means EOY exams, and in my case the PW and Chinese subjects left. I can almost feel it, the liberating sensation obtained upon tackling all necessary challenges along the way to success. Sure the burden has been reduced greatly but that doesn't mean I can completely forget about preparations. Obviously.

I may have stated this before, that the ending is not truly good or bad, depending on what is ending in the first place. The end of a school year may indicate the end of homework and assignments and projects, and dealing with temperamental teachers and bullies. It may also indicate the severing of certain friendships with both certain students and likeable teachers, the stop to sociable activities with classmates, or later the end of an era of blissful innocence. The end of a game could mean the end to a storyline, the adventures embarked or the new potential discoveries, but it would allow you to try new games. The end of a music piece indicates the unfortunate end of the performed item, and the end to the pleasant listening experience, but it is also necessary as a neat resolution to prevent the music from dragging on forever and ever, which is probably more torturous!

The end of a life? That depends on how the person lived. No one death is universally celebrated nor universally condemned. There are people who are glad that Steve Jobs had died, just as there are people who are upset over Sadam Hussein's death. But the death that I believe most people try to avoid is the death of a nobody. A person would hate to know that nobody else has any sentiments attached to him/her upon his/her passing. Imagine having nobody at your funeral feeling anything for you, or even worse not even having a proper memorial of any kind dedicated to you.

Nobody's 100% sure what happens after the end. Is the ending permanent or just the beginning of yet another event? Many people fear death because they don't want unfinished business left or bring any regrets to the grave. Most that have gone close to it and rebounded tend to change their lifestyles such that whatever they do is of significant importance to themselves and not some half-hearted commitment.

However we usually take things for granted, assuming that the end is just an end of a cycle and not a termination. We can put off things beyond the end of a week, a month, a year, a school term, or just an indefinite period, thinking that we'd get the chance later without question. We know that's not always the case, but our habit of inductive reasoning makes it convenient for us to follow such behaviour.

There's still a possibility of the ending of an ending. With enough luck and time humans may achieve immortality. There are games that don't even have storylines or grand objectives, let alone endings to those. There may have been people who have come up with never-ending musical pieces.

And this post will also have an ending. Perhaps not with a 100% certainty(there's the chance that I'd have to not publish this post at all, or the slimmer possibility that this post will never end for some bizarre reason), but it's still without reasonable doubt. I still have some control over when it will end though. We all have some form of control over most endings. Living healthily could postpone death, while abusing yourself could hasten it. Playing a piece really slowly would make it end much later than playing it really quickly. Sometimes by fate the ending could be quite sudden and abrupt, or slow and draggy.

So generally in life we all should prepare as best as we can for endings, to make sure we're fully ready to accept the conclusion without dire consequences on oneself and others. The other objective we've been striving for so far is to postpone certain endings, or even remove them altogether, but how long until that's achieved?

Temporary Relief

2011-10-05T22:59:00.001+08:00

Well the good news is I don't have to go to school for the rest of the week, since now the exam scripts are under the scrutiny of examiners toiling away to allocate the grades that each of us students rightfully deserve. Of course we know that there will be discrepancies, but they still try.

The bad news is there's still Project Work and Chinese left for me to prepare for and conquer. I've looked at the rescheduled timetables and I have mixed feelings, but more inclined to negative ones. Sure there are more free periods, but those are mostly used for revision or preparation purposes. And now there's way more time allocated to those aforementioned subjects, together with the other lectures.

Still this is a good time to slack around for a bit, not to the point of severe physical and mental atrophy, but at least enough to dissipate all the bottled-up stress accumulated from preparation for the earlier tested subjects. No point really worrying about how I did for past tests while getting ready for future ones.

Well there are some students there are already planning on class outings, but I expect they would be severely limited in choice of itinerary due to the wet weather we've been having recently. And let's hope this horrid weather wouldn't maintain during the Subaru Challenge this year. Can't believe it's already in its 10th year already! And they're letting past contenders who've clocked in at least 75 hours in a past challenge to participate again, so that would be interesting. I remembered one of the challenges had to deal with heavy monsoon winds and downpours as it went past Halloween.

Speaking of which it's really quite a disappointment that the Night Safari Halloween Horrors event has been cancelled. Kinda amusing to see how the new CEO fumbles around trying to justify the decision, but still a real shame that many tourists and locals alike are let down. Last time I heard that one reason was that these activities would disturb and possibly traumatise the resident nocturnal creatures, which are accustomed to a quieter and darker environment. Well then why hasn't this been an issue for several years? And I think the animals would already have adapted to a noisier environment by now...

Anyway after this nice tiny break, I will have to plunge back into the battlefield again and race against time to make sure I'm prepared enough for the last two subjects to deal with in the year of 2011. Not sure if it's truly a coincidence that my Chinese 'A' Level exam is on 31st of October itself. Even after that the year-end holiday period isn't really as long as before. It's due to compensation for the long lesson-free "honeymoon period" at the start of this year.

Let's hope whatever efforts I have put in, and will further add on later, won't be for naught... :/

Joy & Tragedy

2011-09-25T22:51:00.003+08:00

No I'm not talking about the F1 race happening now along with the exams dreadfully near(just 2 days for me!). Rather it's something that's kinda more serious. No doubt this race tonight could potentially secure the win of Vettel, and the promotional exam aren't something to take lightly considering it would determine whether I'll have to deal with another year of the same syllabus. Still this following issue is pretty important, and in some ways may be sort of a taboo in certain cultures.

In Singapore we usually don't like to confront this topic of loving somebody of the same gender, which is understandable since the government has been continuously encouraging the public to engage in heterosexual relationships and boost population growth, to avoid the problems associated with an ageing white-haired society. This isn't to say that the Singapore government is entirely against homosexuality; as far as I know most of the members haven't condemned members of the LGBT society yet. Even former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew would accept his grandchildren still if one of them were gay.

In the USA this topic of homosexuality is more openly discussed, both in good and bad ways. Although there are movements to abolish anti-gay laws and demystify the rumours of "gayness" being an illness or the work of the devil, there are more aggressive attacks and acts of bullying against LGBTs, more so for homosexual males. It has become extreme to the fact that unnecessary(and often premature) deaths occur, either through suicide or even murder. Recently, two events occurring within days of each other have highlighted this ongoing struggle to eliminate hatred and discrimination against LGBTs.

Since December 21 1993, there had been an official US policy named "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", which concerned those serving the military. While the "Don't Ask" part protected the homo/bisexuals in that others aren't allowed to investigate the sexual orientation of a person(without witnessing any evidence of unacceptable behaviour), or discriminate against them in any other way, "Don't Tell" prevented the gays, lesbians and bisexuals from opening declaring their sexuality to others while serving the army. The assumption was that by doing so they may affect the morale and unit cohesion of the other military personnel... which now a good proportion of us would consider to be a really unfair assumption!

Seeing how this mindset of perceiving homosexuals and bisexuals as an impediment to quality of military service is outdated, many have gradually spoken up to support the repeal of DADT; even Lady Gaga has even gotten into it! Not surprising since she's already been a strong supporter of the LGBT community. Finally after many many years, Barack Obama sent a Certification to Congress in July this year, which allowed the DADT policy to end on September 20 2011. Yes, that means right now DADT is already history! Needless to say many military personnel have finally gained the confidence to take the bold step of coming out of the closet, some even getting married to their same-sex partners within a few days!

The above event has shown that USA is taking another step towards acceptance of the LGBT community. However another event that occurred a few days before shows quite the opposite: a disturbing example of the consequence of discrimination against LGBTs, even when young.

Jamey Rodemeyer was a 14-year-old boy from Williamsville(the one in New York). There wasn't anything really strange about him; the only "distinguishing feature" was that he's openly gay. He has his own Youtube channel on which he uploaded videos of himself. At first he discussed about his confusion over his sexual orientation, but later encouraged others like him to come out of the closet, as part of the "It Gets Better" movement to lend support to such LGBT youth and motivate them. This was his "It Gets Better" video, which unfortunately became a poignant reminder of the irony of what was to happen later...

Ever since he openly declared his homosexuality, Jamey became the victim of severe abuse, both in school and online, constantly hurled at with anti-gay insults. It seemed that after a while Jamey just brushed off these insults aside and put on a brave face, which effectively deceived those around him, including his parents. However, it appeared that he could no longer tolerate the abuse and pressure, and shockingly committed suicide on 18 September 2011. His body was discovered the day after.

The news of his death and the circumstances leading to it sent shockwaves throughout the local community, evoking feelings of sympathy towards the grieving parents, as well as anger towards all those who went all the way to insult Jamey and even convince him to commit suicide. On the day of the funeral many strangers not part of the family attended, consoling the parents. There were even a few vans(trucks?) with children that passed by the funeral, holding signs encouraging the public to appreciate rather than hate the LGBTs.

Once again Lady Gaga comes into the picture. She is partly the reason why Jamey was initially proud to live as an openly gay person, seeing how his idol was advocating the idea of acceptance and pride of being "born this way". When news of his death got to her, she not only swore to strive for a law to stop such LGBT treatment, but also performed "Hair" during a live act in tribute of him. That to me is a really suitable song since it also brings across the concept of being proud of one's uniqueness.

So in just a short period, two crucial events occurred in the USA, one to mark the celebration of the progress made in accepting the LGBT community, the other to emphasise the consequences of discriminatory acts against LGBT that still happen today. And this will not be completely irrelevant to Singapore, which also has a strong LGBT community too, albeit of a smaller size. There haven't been any recorded instances of deaths due to anti-LGBT treatment/harassment, but still there's the same negative mindset that cannot be ignored. A significant number of Singaporeans still like to crack gay/lesbian jokes and loosely use "gay" and "fag" in insults. With strong Asian concepts of family and heterosexual love, it's probably going to be a really arduous journey towards LGBT acceptance too. The Pink Dot movement has shown promising signs seeing a spike in number of participants this year, but the anti-LGBT mindsets will take quite a long time to change.

We've already succeeded in inter-racial acceptance and engagement, so why not the same for members of the LGBT community?

Flow

2011-09-19T04:17:00.000+08:00

I suppose if there is one word to describe how JC has been so far for me, and how it might be later on, I would probably use the word "flow".

Normally the word "flow" is used with an attached connotation of serenity and smoothness and purity. "Flow" could describe a picture of clear river water travelling down its carved out path without pause, washing away sediments with it. I suppose I am using the word for its associated idea of non-stop continuous movement without jumps or breaks in between... which is hard to tell if it's more good than bad.

Well so far it seems like most of us students here in JC feel like we've never got a decent break for us since official lessons started. Well maybe the June holidays were as close as it got, but even that period was eaten away by exam revision and project work. The flow of time never has stopped and never will, and in fact it seems to have sped up exponentially. Months turned to weeks that subsequently turned to days before the exams. In my mind the river of time had gradually developed into a raging rapid.

Most of the subject syllabi also seem to have some sort of flow structure in it, in that whatever you've learnt earlier on WILL be tightly integrated with the newer concepts. I do notice this in some of the subjects I study. In Physics you start off from dynamics and forces, then move to circular motion, before you proceed on to gravitation and oscillation. In Chemistry you start off from the basic atomic structure, then to bonding and orbitals, then to basic organic chemistry. Maybe some call this a "pyramid" structure but I kinda see the flow from fundamental to advanced concepts.

Even in PW there has to be a flow of ideas in the written report. From credible supporting evidence you formulate analyses and lessons learnt, then from those you devise a plan. Any skip in the logical flow of substantiation and application creates a hole in the argument. Same for GP except with less time and currently unknown topic. In my opinion Economics seems to exhibit this "flow" characteristic a lot, seen from both the syllabus and the demands of the essay tests.

Even some of the topics themselves deal with flows too. Chemistry concepts included Born-Haber cycles, energy level diagrams and reversible reactions, while Physics concepts included thermodynamics and work + energy + power. Macroeconomics also studies the circular flow of income.

I feel that right now we're all like flowing towards the edge of a waterfall anticipating the steep drop. Well at least after the drop the water more or less stabilises, but never stops moving yet. I cannot consider the approximately 2 years of JC as 2 separate years, but as one whole continuous JC period. Even after all the exams in 2011 have been dealt with, and assuming that I do at least pass all of them, I still end up back into the (almost) same routine of lessons, except now in early preparation for the preliminary examinations. Time still keeps flowing even after promos, and I've got little time for myself to rest and meander off the river for a while.

When the flow finally subsides, I wonder what I'll do before the pace picks up again? And if the river branches off much later, will I be able to choose which vein I will travel along? Or will fate just divert the flow for me to get swept away into the unknown? Perhaps I may even create an entirely new branch for myself?