Showing posts with label experiences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label experiences. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Long time no post
It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog... Lots happened; a wave of events, of decisions made right and wrong, of fun and excitement, to that of the doldrums and despair. June holidays have been both wasting time doing nothing in particular and studying and going for astro competition (project round hahaha). July so far has been a period of reflection, turning to religion, and making one of the most understanding friends I've ever known. Talking more, learning more, sleeping less, groaning less. I guess blogs are now less popular now; tweeter, facebook (endorsed by fong) have taken the centrestage. But I ultimately would like to keep posting on blogs... true, it might be "exhibitionist", but at least it records snippets and snippets of my memory... something which may or may not stand the test of time.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Aaron's house
Aaron and Wenjie are mad. They do crazy things. They play LF2 and Sol Calibur for at least 2 hours. They take turns to disturb people on msn, posing as one another by using the other's email address. They do basic research at a very very fast pace; Wenjie has a very good memory, while Aaron has very good mnemonic cum memorisation techniques.
(In the above paragraph, I am referring to Aaron and Wenjie as "them" instead of us. I am trying to distance myself from their madness so as to appear perfectly rational.)
I joined them. We are mad.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The vibrancy of JC life
Only 1 full week of official Junior College lessons with official timetables. And it feels like a gale—activities occurring one after another, of lessons and CCAs each in succession of one another, interspersed, confusing… more like a cranky old-fashioned car with a steamy bonnet and a choking pipe—exhaustive. Albeit fast-moving, it is paradoxically slow-moving overall: each activity passed very quickly because it was exciting and enriching, but due to the multitude of varied activities, it felt as if I’ve done so many different things throughout the week, making it the longest week ever. The transition from sec school was by no means difficult, as I finally convinced myself to keep up with the curriculum instead of lagging behind a bit to accommodate commitments for piano and rugby, then catching up in the end. This will not, and cannot happen anymore, as the curriculum is much more rigorous and compact (naturally), and that tutorials are based on lectures, and that if you lag you may never catch up in the end.
The lecture-tutorial system: a superior system to lessons. Lectures and tutorials are usually taught by different teachers, so the pace of teaching is standardized throughout the level. This is a check and balance to ensure that objectives for the week be upheld and procrastination almost impossible. This makes lessons all the more interesting as real teaching is done. So far, I’ve learnt at least a new thing per lecture/ tutorial. That is in and of itself incredible.
CCAs: the plethora of clubs which you can join is immense. Most are slack, some are not; you would just have to go for club orientations and check them out: the people, their organization and synergy. I’m hoping to contribute to some of the clubs… will reveal details later.
School activities: Interhouse activities, activities organized by council, activities organized by clubs such as law society, performances by the performing arts people, external speakers coming in for talks… almost anything under the sun. It is teetering on the edge before it overflows its confines to the label I call “too much”. But I don’t mind “too much”, though it might be too much. It just gives me more choices on how to spend my time. To all RJ people, What’s Up This Week (WUTW) would be crucial in being informed of all that is happening. Keep on the lookout and go for the best thing possible, keeping in mind the next best alternative forgone :)
Programmes: Special programmes on Monday’s protected time. Some programmes are held after school. MOE also has programmes like SRP etc for J1s, which are both a boon and a bane.
Admin matters: communication via emails is especially prevalent in JC. Any information disseminated is most likely going to your mailbox, accessible with a click of the mouse, eliminating any excuse that you might not have received it. I’m now checking and replying to mails very, very frequently. Not that it’s bad though; I get to know what is happening everywhere. I’m never at sea again.
Your OG and class: a few OGs are still active; most are descending towards a slow and painful demise as the context and excuse for outings and meetings diminishes. My OG, O’rh Horr, still meets before assembly, and we mug and talk about life. My class (CT group) eats together during common free blocks, but past the first week of lectures (aka real JC orientation), we don’t play games or go out. Planning to organize class CIP to increase bonding :)
So take heed, JC is going to be fast and furious. You’ll not be checked. You’ll pretty much be left alone, so self-motivation is important. I’m going to chart my JC life my own way. I’m going to attend many many activites and work hard for good results at the same time. What about you?
Just for laughs:
The lecture-tutorial system: a superior system to lessons. Lectures and tutorials are usually taught by different teachers, so the pace of teaching is standardized throughout the level. This is a check and balance to ensure that objectives for the week be upheld and procrastination almost impossible. This makes lessons all the more interesting as real teaching is done. So far, I’ve learnt at least a new thing per lecture/ tutorial. That is in and of itself incredible.
CCAs: the plethora of clubs which you can join is immense. Most are slack, some are not; you would just have to go for club orientations and check them out: the people, their organization and synergy. I’m hoping to contribute to some of the clubs… will reveal details later.
School activities: Interhouse activities, activities organized by council, activities organized by clubs such as law society, performances by the performing arts people, external speakers coming in for talks… almost anything under the sun. It is teetering on the edge before it overflows its confines to the label I call “too much”. But I don’t mind “too much”, though it might be too much. It just gives me more choices on how to spend my time. To all RJ people, What’s Up This Week (WUTW) would be crucial in being informed of all that is happening. Keep on the lookout and go for the best thing possible, keeping in mind the next best alternative forgone :)
Programmes: Special programmes on Monday’s protected time. Some programmes are held after school. MOE also has programmes like SRP etc for J1s, which are both a boon and a bane.
Admin matters: communication via emails is especially prevalent in JC. Any information disseminated is most likely going to your mailbox, accessible with a click of the mouse, eliminating any excuse that you might not have received it. I’m now checking and replying to mails very, very frequently. Not that it’s bad though; I get to know what is happening everywhere. I’m never at sea again.
Your OG and class: a few OGs are still active; most are descending towards a slow and painful demise as the context and excuse for outings and meetings diminishes. My OG, O’rh Horr, still meets before assembly, and we mug and talk about life. My class (CT group) eats together during common free blocks, but past the first week of lectures (aka real JC orientation), we don’t play games or go out. Planning to organize class CIP to increase bonding :)
So take heed, JC is going to be fast and furious. You’ll not be checked. You’ll pretty much be left alone, so self-motivation is important. I’m going to chart my JC life my own way. I’m going to attend many many activites and work hard for good results at the same time. What about you?
Just for laughs:
Friday, February 13, 2009
1st week of rj
10S06p- chem, math ra class, with a dash of art and geog people... everyone's good in their own right. All are friendly; we played orientation games, and there was much participation coming from everyone.
shocks encountered throughout the week:
abrasion from scraping my face on the field during saturday's rugby training. very very worried... fortunately the wound healed well.
physics lectures: surprisingly funny with a very fun "McGonagallish" teacher.
Maths RA: very very good teachers; we had an excellent lecture about using the combinatorics/ "reasoning" way of thinking instead of the usual teaching of notations. Have to read ahead though... I have a nagging feeling that Maths RA'll be a flagrant violation of the sacred sanctified codified institutionalised "no child left behind" policy.
Piano: Hanjie's fingers are actually independent of one another, nimble enough to be controlled, finger by finger, by the great bao bao. feel very inspired to practice a lot to be just like him. 路漫漫其修远兮ah! Oh yes, Evan Ma is imba at piano too, with his amazing handwork in rigoletto paraphrase (another piece I gave up on)
fri: cultural shock during eve of valentine's day (i.e. a school day nearest to valentine's day). All the girls came with gifts etc for og and class... and the boys had nothing to give in return for such a kind gesture. Kartik and I were so paiseh that we actually rushed to Thomson Plaza in the middle of school to buy stuff for the girls. The rest succeeded in keeping the girls hanging about, so when we came back, we could present the gifts to them. The guys of 10S06P felt pleased with themselves.
signups: bb ppl called for interhouse debates. No more debates for me, I say... I've got too much commitments. But I'm going to sign up for a lot of stuff. I'm not going to sit back and wait for things to happen, circumstances to go my way, opportunities to come knocking at the door, everything presented in a platter. I'm heading out, I'm venturing out of my comfort zone, into unchartered territories, and try and try and try. Not holding back anymore.
To end off: (lumpy's fixation)
Mendelssohn's violin concerto!!!
Disclaimer: Can't say the following recording's the best, but it's decent. For comparison, please go on to youtube and search for more recordings.
To debunk the claim that I'm a boring pure classical person, I'm telling you that I'm not! I don't analyse classical stuff; I just happen to listen to them slightly more often. I like pop too, especially british pop, namely MIKA.
His live performance's not that good... but this song's great!
shocks encountered throughout the week:
abrasion from scraping my face on the field during saturday's rugby training. very very worried... fortunately the wound healed well.
physics lectures: surprisingly funny with a very fun "McGonagallish" teacher.
Maths RA: very very good teachers; we had an excellent lecture about using the combinatorics/ "reasoning" way of thinking instead of the usual teaching of notations. Have to read ahead though... I have a nagging feeling that Maths RA'll be a flagrant violation of the sacred sanctified codified institutionalised "no child left behind" policy.
Piano: Hanjie's fingers are actually independent of one another, nimble enough to be controlled, finger by finger, by the great bao bao. feel very inspired to practice a lot to be just like him. 路漫漫其修远兮ah! Oh yes, Evan Ma is imba at piano too, with his amazing handwork in rigoletto paraphrase (another piece I gave up on)
fri: cultural shock during eve of valentine's day (i.e. a school day nearest to valentine's day). All the girls came with gifts etc for og and class... and the boys had nothing to give in return for such a kind gesture. Kartik and I were so paiseh that we actually rushed to Thomson Plaza in the middle of school to buy stuff for the girls. The rest succeeded in keeping the girls hanging about, so when we came back, we could present the gifts to them. The guys of 10S06P felt pleased with themselves.
signups: bb ppl called for interhouse debates. No more debates for me, I say... I've got too much commitments. But I'm going to sign up for a lot of stuff. I'm not going to sit back and wait for things to happen, circumstances to go my way, opportunities to come knocking at the door, everything presented in a platter. I'm heading out, I'm venturing out of my comfort zone, into unchartered territories, and try and try and try. Not holding back anymore.
To end off: (lumpy's fixation)
Mendelssohn's violin concerto!!!
Disclaimer: Can't say the following recording's the best, but it's decent. For comparison, please go on to youtube and search for more recordings.
To debunk the claim that I'm a boring pure classical person, I'm telling you that I'm not! I don't analyse classical stuff; I just happen to listen to them slightly more often. I like pop too, especially british pop, namely MIKA.
His live performance's not that good... but this song's great!
Monday, February 9, 2009
O’tiero: rj orientation 2009
Well-planned, well-executed, well done! Ogls were fun. Bb10 aka O'rhh-horrrrr was responsive, un-cliquey, friendly. Result: we got a successful orientation.
Had a few familiar faces: Han Sheng, Fayang, Shing Bo, Kevin, Long Chuan, Gerald, Alison, Cherie. Seen Lincoln and Tianyang in RI. No trouble getting to know the rest: Amanda, Chloe, Evan, Fiona, Zibing, Xinjia, Stella, Michelle, Zaf.
1st day was good; the usual icebreakers, running around, OG games, free ice-cream, OG dinner. Games were weirdly entertaining, especially the standing-on-chairs-answering-questions-add/minus-yr/opponent’s-chair-if-you-answer-correctly/wrongly. Following an offensive from the opponent, we decided to sabo them by always asking for their chairs to be removed instead of our chairs being added on when we answered the questions correctly (we peeped at the answers beforehand).
Joke: who are you? Fayang: Fayang. Which “Fa”? Fayang 的 “Fa”. Which “yang”? Fayang的“yang”. (So it is 发扬光大的“发扬”)。
2nd day was the best; we went around Toa-Payoh and Bugis for an amazing race, “200 dollars worth of Swenson’s voucher awarded to the top-five groups”. The passing-bottle game was difficult as we had to pass a bottle only with our chins and shoulders, but everybody was laughing and laughing, making it the game of the day. We adjourned to Manhattan Fish Market in Central for dinner and talked at the banks of Singapore River, with Zheng Xuan talking about JC and life—I realized then that we have a lot in common about our directions, ambitions. Oh yes, no prizes for guessing who ate “pol-lock” (pollock), played games and trespassed a bar at the roof-top while the rest (we) were at Central.
3rd day was IHC—rough and mentally tiring. For the first game, pairs of gals holding hands tear off pegs from individual running guys. I found it ok, didn’t really try dodging… but it’s said that Marcus Koe tried to sidestep the girls and got a sprained ankle. Fine during training, but injured in this game! 2nd game was chaotic, placing chopsticks in other’s bases, trying hard not to get caught. 3rd game was about running through lines of defence without getting touched by newspapers. As usual, the scale of these events was great, and the ogls handled them well.
4th day: dance and cheers and dance and lunch and home. Uneventful.
5th day: take 5. Played Frisbee with OG; “cepat” call was great as my team made short passes while outrunning opponents to score. O nite was only alright, the response being lukewarm as everyone’s tired.
Storyline: started out good, ended very abruptly, but already better than RI.
Batch dance: It’s a pity that we’ve practised for 5 straight days only to perform with a bad soundtrack…
But thanks guys for all the fun. Special mention goes to Zheng Xuan, Readon, and Ying Jing, especially Zheng Xuan who has been with us for meals and hosted OG outing at his house.
Had a few familiar faces: Han Sheng, Fayang, Shing Bo, Kevin, Long Chuan, Gerald, Alison, Cherie. Seen Lincoln and Tianyang in RI. No trouble getting to know the rest: Amanda, Chloe, Evan, Fiona, Zibing, Xinjia, Stella, Michelle, Zaf.
1st day was good; the usual icebreakers, running around, OG games, free ice-cream, OG dinner. Games were weirdly entertaining, especially the standing-on-chairs-answering-questions-add/minus-yr/opponent’s-chair-if-you-answer-correctly/wrongly. Following an offensive from the opponent, we decided to sabo them by always asking for their chairs to be removed instead of our chairs being added on when we answered the questions correctly (we peeped at the answers beforehand).
Joke: who are you? Fayang: Fayang. Which “Fa”? Fayang 的 “Fa”. Which “yang”? Fayang的“yang”. (So it is 发扬光大的“发扬”)。
2nd day was the best; we went around Toa-Payoh and Bugis for an amazing race, “200 dollars worth of Swenson’s voucher awarded to the top-five groups”. The passing-bottle game was difficult as we had to pass a bottle only with our chins and shoulders, but everybody was laughing and laughing, making it the game of the day. We adjourned to Manhattan Fish Market in Central for dinner and talked at the banks of Singapore River, with Zheng Xuan talking about JC and life—I realized then that we have a lot in common about our directions, ambitions. Oh yes, no prizes for guessing who ate “pol-lock” (pollock), played games and trespassed a bar at the roof-top while the rest (we) were at Central.
3rd day was IHC—rough and mentally tiring. For the first game, pairs of gals holding hands tear off pegs from individual running guys. I found it ok, didn’t really try dodging… but it’s said that Marcus Koe tried to sidestep the girls and got a sprained ankle. Fine during training, but injured in this game! 2nd game was chaotic, placing chopsticks in other’s bases, trying hard not to get caught. 3rd game was about running through lines of defence without getting touched by newspapers. As usual, the scale of these events was great, and the ogls handled them well.
4th day: dance and cheers and dance and lunch and home. Uneventful.
5th day: take 5. Played Frisbee with OG; “cepat” call was great as my team made short passes while outrunning opponents to score. O nite was only alright, the response being lukewarm as everyone’s tired.
Storyline: started out good, ended very abruptly, but already better than RI.
Batch dance: It’s a pity that we’ve practised for 5 straight days only to perform with a bad soundtrack…
But thanks guys for all the fun. Special mention goes to Zheng Xuan, Readon, and Ying Jing, especially Zheng Xuan who has been with us for meals and hosted OG outing at his house.
Monday, January 26, 2009
chinese new year
This morning, I tried to call the shop in science centre which sells the eclipse glasses... no one picked up the call.
Yesterday, or the day before, or 2 days before, etc, I didn't buy it as I wasn't in the know of the solar eclipse.
Science centre was open, but I wasn't there.
So I missed the partial solar eclipse.
And I'm not sad, because the sky was overcast at the time of the eclipse... a consolation that I mightn't have seen the eclipse even if I had the glasses.
But CNY was great, though the money was less. It was the same routine of visiting paternal->maternal->paternal, eating vegetarian at both sides, preparing for the influx of relatives which fill the house at the maternal side, catching up with relatives who would always ask for our names year after year, and collectively paying respects to our ancestors by bowing at their tablets (maternal side).
I find myself wishing only for happiness and health amongst my relatives... "Prosperity" and "getting what you want" (xiong go yong dak go yong) just don't seem important anymore.
And we played blackjack at the paternal side after a steamboat dinner. Lots of laughter when I did something very stupid and lost the "finals", but it was all in good spirit.
This is the most different chinese new year I've ever experienced.
Yesterday, or the day before, or 2 days before, etc, I didn't buy it as I wasn't in the know of the solar eclipse.
Science centre was open, but I wasn't there.
So I missed the partial solar eclipse.
And I'm not sad, because the sky was overcast at the time of the eclipse... a consolation that I mightn't have seen the eclipse even if I had the glasses.
But CNY was great, though the money was less. It was the same routine of visiting paternal->maternal->paternal, eating vegetarian at both sides, preparing for the influx of relatives which fill the house at the maternal side, catching up with relatives who would always ask for our names year after year, and collectively paying respects to our ancestors by bowing at their tablets (maternal side).
I find myself wishing only for happiness and health amongst my relatives... "Prosperity" and "getting what you want" (xiong go yong dak go yong) just don't seem important anymore.
And we played blackjack at the paternal side after a steamboat dinner. Lots of laughter when I did something very stupid and lost the "finals", but it was all in good spirit.
This is the most different chinese new year I've ever experienced.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
quickie before I sleep
Went stargazing in bishan park for the first time with sis tagging along; stayed for around 45 minutes. The stellarium software predicted the exact coordinates of the stars in altitude/ azimuth; I set it at 12am so that when I reach there, I can measure and identify the stars.
Unfortunately, the weather took a turn and we find ourselves staring at clouds. Managed to find sirius and orion (the easy ones), but by the time the sky cleared, the coordinates were a tad off, giving me an excuse to say, hey, I couldn't identify because it wasn't accurate anymore :)
Still, we tried (in vain) to identify more constellations; I had drawn out orion, monoceros, gemini, Taurus, Auriga, Lepus, Canis minor, cancer and a small not-drawn-to-scale star map. Thought we saw Canis minor and lepus. In the end we gave up and remembered all the stars we actually saw. When we reached home, lo and behold, we have (probably) mistaken the two heads of gemini for the two stars of canis minor, and the rectangle in canis major for the one in lepus. And we discovered that we actually saw auriga, as the curve of stars we memorised turned out to be.
So, new constellations today (drumroll):
1. Orion (ok not so new)
2. (most likely) Gemini
3. Auriga
4. Canis major (with Serius so also not new)
Two downsides: 1. I had to crane my neck to stargaze, and came later to realise that I could lie down, so I now possess an aching neck and dirty clothing. I should find something to lie down on in the future. 2. I had to copy the constellations and their altitude/ azimuth, spending lots of time preparing... I now know that a laptop/notebook could be useful as I can bring it along into the secluded venue. Tsk.
Nevertheless, I experienced myself tremendously, and hope to do this again sometime soon.
Unfortunately, the weather took a turn and we find ourselves staring at clouds. Managed to find sirius and orion (the easy ones), but by the time the sky cleared, the coordinates were a tad off, giving me an excuse to say, hey, I couldn't identify because it wasn't accurate anymore :)
Still, we tried (in vain) to identify more constellations; I had drawn out orion, monoceros, gemini, Taurus, Auriga, Lepus, Canis minor, cancer and a small not-drawn-to-scale star map. Thought we saw Canis minor and lepus. In the end we gave up and remembered all the stars we actually saw. When we reached home, lo and behold, we have (probably) mistaken the two heads of gemini for the two stars of canis minor, and the rectangle in canis major for the one in lepus. And we discovered that we actually saw auriga, as the curve of stars we memorised turned out to be.
So, new constellations today (drumroll):
1. Orion (ok not so new)
2. (most likely) Gemini
3. Auriga
4. Canis major (with Serius so also not new)
Two downsides: 1. I had to crane my neck to stargaze, and came later to realise that I could lie down, so I now possess an aching neck and dirty clothing. I should find something to lie down on in the future. 2. I had to copy the constellations and their altitude/ azimuth, spending lots of time preparing... I now know that a laptop/notebook could be useful as I can bring it along into the secluded venue. Tsk.
Nevertheless, I experienced myself tremendously, and hope to do this again sometime soon.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
madmadmad
Tiring, fatiguing, exhausting... I'm only repeating the same words to reemphasize how long the day was for me.
Attended the GC course, General studies in Chinese and Geographic Information System for electives until 11.30. Played table tennis for almost 2 hours with Huiyao, Shingbo, Leonard, Zewei, Edmund, Brandon, Matthias, Ashish. Brother was there for a short while and we partnered against the people. Very fun.
Wanted to know what dance was about, and spurred on by a hot-headed enthu Leonard (another Leonard) and Shu Jian, we auditioned for modern dance. We had about 20 minutes to prepare a sequence of dance moves which can be applied to many songs, and just did it. Hard to describe the dance moves, but it was hard, full-stop. I was lucky to be performing with people who know the dance moves; we copied each other when we needed help and got through it successfully. The other group was less fortunate; at one point they were all stuck somehow and laughed their way to the end. But it was hilarious and we laughed our heads off, implicitly recognizing the pain and effort those real dancers put in even for a minute of performance.
Had to go for MathSoc meeting (orientation?), so we left halfway. Played the answering questions game, game of buying and selling oranges, and sprouts, a simple game possessing specific strategies to win which evades me completely. Similar to Alchemy club orientation, except that this was more mathy and funny due to the usual loudish behavior of Huiyao and Ivan.
Went for dinner with 3 MathSoc exco guys and teacher-in-charge. Talked quite a lot about the syllabus and JC Math in general. Nicholas, Desmond, Eng Xiang and I made our way to a certain secluded spot and played “psychological modified bridge” (I coin that term), and floating bridge.
Fun fact (wikipedia):
Singaporean bridge is a re-invention of sorts of the traditional game of contract bridge. This version of bridge derives its name from where it is believed to have been invented, Singapore, and just like its traditional predecessor, there are variations in the rules. What is fascinating is that most Singaporeans, predominantly the younger players, are not aware of how contract bridge is played. In other words, they believe this version of bridge to be 'bridge'. It is also known as floating bridge. Possibly the only online server that hosts this version of bridge is Viwawa.
Didn’t know that the common bridge that we play is a unique one.
It was so riveting that I forgot the time, only to find out that I’m already late for piano lessons.
Hurried back home and took the piano lesson.
And here I am, writing about what I’ve done today.
Attended the GC course, General studies in Chinese and Geographic Information System for electives until 11.30. Played table tennis for almost 2 hours with Huiyao, Shingbo, Leonard, Zewei, Edmund, Brandon, Matthias, Ashish. Brother was there for a short while and we partnered against the people. Very fun.
Wanted to know what dance was about, and spurred on by a hot-headed enthu Leonard (another Leonard) and Shu Jian, we auditioned for modern dance. We had about 20 minutes to prepare a sequence of dance moves which can be applied to many songs, and just did it. Hard to describe the dance moves, but it was hard, full-stop. I was lucky to be performing with people who know the dance moves; we copied each other when we needed help and got through it successfully. The other group was less fortunate; at one point they were all stuck somehow and laughed their way to the end. But it was hilarious and we laughed our heads off, implicitly recognizing the pain and effort those real dancers put in even for a minute of performance.
Had to go for MathSoc meeting (orientation?), so we left halfway. Played the answering questions game, game of buying and selling oranges, and sprouts, a simple game possessing specific strategies to win which evades me completely. Similar to Alchemy club orientation, except that this was more mathy and funny due to the usual loudish behavior of Huiyao and Ivan.
Went for dinner with 3 MathSoc exco guys and teacher-in-charge. Talked quite a lot about the syllabus and JC Math in general. Nicholas, Desmond, Eng Xiang and I made our way to a certain secluded spot and played “psychological modified bridge” (I coin that term), and floating bridge.
Fun fact (wikipedia):
Singaporean bridge is a re-invention of sorts of the traditional game of contract bridge. This version of bridge derives its name from where it is believed to have been invented, Singapore, and just like its traditional predecessor, there are variations in the rules. What is fascinating is that most Singaporeans, predominantly the younger players, are not aware of how contract bridge is played. In other words, they believe this version of bridge to be 'bridge'. It is also known as floating bridge. Possibly the only online server that hosts this version of bridge is Viwawa.
Didn’t know that the common bridge that we play is a unique one.
It was so riveting that I forgot the time, only to find out that I’m already late for piano lessons.
Hurried back home and took the piano lesson.
And here I am, writing about what I’ve done today.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Scare
Statistics don't lie:
GP and Econs only have about 60% of people getting As in As.
In Promos, the percentage of As is dismally low: 1+% 2 years ago and 0.7% last year.
The trend, moreover, is towards a lower percentage obtaining As in each passing year.
A wake-up-and-buck-up call to all J1s this year.
Fortunately, the number of As is not fixed, i.e. you can have as many people getting As as possible, so it's not a zero-sum game. It never is.
I convince myself that I'll work for the A, and resolve to attain more knowledge in current affairs and a birds-eye view of the swirling world of economics.
All of us can do it, even if we're not the "geniuses".
GP and Econs only have about 60% of people getting As in As.
In Promos, the percentage of As is dismally low: 1+% 2 years ago and 0.7% last year.
The trend, moreover, is towards a lower percentage obtaining As in each passing year.
A wake-up-and-buck-up call to all J1s this year.
Fortunately, the number of As is not fixed, i.e. you can have as many people getting As as possible, so it's not a zero-sum game. It never is.
I convince myself that I'll work for the A, and resolve to attain more knowledge in current affairs and a birds-eye view of the swirling world of economics.
All of us can do it, even if we're not the "geniuses".
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Exams and post-exams
It’s really over… the other blogs have talked about it, I rather I do not, only to proclaim that I’ve done quite well. And that’s that.
HMT O’ levels was indeed a whirlwind. The compo might have been good, might have been not so good; there is ambiguity for the rest of the paper too. A lack of surety. Uncomfortable. But I guess that’s part of life.
It’s a pity though that most claim that they would not read another Chinese character for the rest of their lives. Admittedly, with English becoming sort of a “lingua-franca” in our world (the Chinese too are learning English in droves, with Earnest), Chinese seems to take a much neglected back seat, especially with the international 海外华侨s (Ethnic Chinese outside of Mainland China). Yet, we must not forget our roots, our ancestry. We need something to connect us, a sense of belonging, a sense of history, love (but not patriotism). Perhaps Chinese can be the connection, a heart-to-heart, truthful connection beyond our appearances and our characteristic idiosyncratic ruthless practicality and money-mindedness.
I still read Chinese. I’ll still read Chinese.
Clichéd. Anyway, the post-O’ level-activities came in avalanches. All hell broke loose. We had a class chalet immediately from wed to sat, when I joined the likes of the China scholars, Georshie, Tanuj etc in Counter Strike LANning. Never played CS before, so it was entirely an exhilarating experience. I was particularly impressed (and slightly worried) for the China scholars—they were amazing with the accuracy in their shots. I had a fair amount of beginner’s luck, managing to gun some down out of the many many more times they managed to do unto me. I’d also successfully squeezed into the Mahjong gang of four several times and played several games with a poking Fong, a complaining Ram and a wide-eyed Renyan. Alright, it wasn’t a gang of four; it was a rotating door policy. But mahjong is mahjong, and we had a good time. We watched shows too. Georshie and I watched ‘big bang theory’, with nerd and not, strung together with wit into a sure-win formula of an American sitcom. The China scholars and I watched Inferno affairs. Zhiyu was ranting about how good how good how good it was, and indeed it was. Wonderful.
Outdoor activities were fun too. Barbeque was good (Fong orchestrated the entire thing wonderfully). Food was relatively good at Changi Village (except that it was too oily; I had diarrhoea). Walk at the seaside was very good. I never knew such sunsets, scenery, breezes could be experienced in Singapore.
Sleeping was good too.
Georshie and I were the only ones who stayed throughout.
1st day: barbeque
2nd day: some came and went. Xbox came and went. Only scholars +3 people stayed.
3rd day: graduation day. Returned at 5 plus. Some came and went. Only Ashish, Conan, Renyan, Joshua, Samuel (from another class) stayed.
So it was rollicking fun.
HMT O’ levels was indeed a whirlwind. The compo might have been good, might have been not so good; there is ambiguity for the rest of the paper too. A lack of surety. Uncomfortable. But I guess that’s part of life.
It’s a pity though that most claim that they would not read another Chinese character for the rest of their lives. Admittedly, with English becoming sort of a “lingua-franca” in our world (the Chinese too are learning English in droves, with Earnest), Chinese seems to take a much neglected back seat, especially with the international 海外华侨s (Ethnic Chinese outside of Mainland China). Yet, we must not forget our roots, our ancestry. We need something to connect us, a sense of belonging, a sense of history, love (but not patriotism). Perhaps Chinese can be the connection, a heart-to-heart, truthful connection beyond our appearances and our characteristic idiosyncratic ruthless practicality and money-mindedness.
I still read Chinese. I’ll still read Chinese.
Clichéd. Anyway, the post-O’ level-activities came in avalanches. All hell broke loose. We had a class chalet immediately from wed to sat, when I joined the likes of the China scholars, Georshie, Tanuj etc in Counter Strike LANning. Never played CS before, so it was entirely an exhilarating experience. I was particularly impressed (and slightly worried) for the China scholars—they were amazing with the accuracy in their shots. I had a fair amount of beginner’s luck, managing to gun some down out of the many many more times they managed to do unto me. I’d also successfully squeezed into the Mahjong gang of four several times and played several games with a poking Fong, a complaining Ram and a wide-eyed Renyan. Alright, it wasn’t a gang of four; it was a rotating door policy. But mahjong is mahjong, and we had a good time. We watched shows too. Georshie and I watched ‘big bang theory’, with nerd and not, strung together with wit into a sure-win formula of an American sitcom. The China scholars and I watched Inferno affairs. Zhiyu was ranting about how good how good how good it was, and indeed it was. Wonderful.
Outdoor activities were fun too. Barbeque was good (Fong orchestrated the entire thing wonderfully). Food was relatively good at Changi Village (except that it was too oily; I had diarrhoea). Walk at the seaside was very good. I never knew such sunsets, scenery, breezes could be experienced in Singapore.
Sleeping was good too.
Georshie and I were the only ones who stayed throughout.
1st day: barbeque
2nd day: some came and went. Xbox came and went. Only scholars +3 people stayed.
3rd day: graduation day. Returned at 5 plus. Some came and went. Only Ashish, Conan, Renyan, Joshua, Samuel (from another class) stayed.
So it was rollicking fun.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
10 days have passed
10 days have passed. In these 10 days I've done quite a lot: chem cct (done well :). english showcase portfolio (good). RE interim report (not that bad), mostly repackaging into something somewhat appealing... Maths TA (screwed). And best of all, my last debate for interhouse debates, which was much better than expected.
THBT the environment belongs to rich-- We were opposing. Preparation for the debate was less than intense--Ern Xu turned up for 2 prep sessions thankfully, me and Dewin once, Jie Min none. We were against the secondary 1 debaters.
I think what allowed us to win was not the usual "determination", "teamwork", "effort" etc, it was that we had nothing to lose. We've lost 2 matches, and in order to get into semi-finals, we need at least 2 wins. Evidently there is no chance at all for ever qualifying. I guess this was the defining factor which led to our victory. It was the lack of pressure from our side and the subsequent confidence to go out there just for enjoyment, for the sake of speaking out that did it. At least for me, I was less nervous and did what I had to do. I didn't commit any mistakes of disjoint argument--not linking back to the yardstick, motion, and "how our side wins"--to my teammates' and my own surprise. It was just me and Ben Mark, my friend, nodding his head away at what I have to say as I reason my case.
I received my first compliment in debating. Ashish said that if I smoothen my speech, minimise little bumps, had a good conclusion (when time's up and the bell's ringing incessantly, I just said "go with the opposition" and sat down :), I would actually be school debater standard.
Thanks teammates Ern Xu, Jie Min, Dewin for being such good buddies; Ashish for being such a wonderful and pro debater and teacher; fong for prepping; Ms Cho for showing up at debates and supporting us...
We went celebrating after that, just Ashish, Choon How, and me. It wasn't celebration per se. It was an excuse to go to Ashish's house to watch "House". All the while Ashish rants about how Hugh Laurie's an amazing American though he's British in real life.
Burned a Friday night. Now I've only 1 1/4 days for physics cct and lit laputa peer teaching on monday.
THBT the environment belongs to rich-- We were opposing. Preparation for the debate was less than intense--Ern Xu turned up for 2 prep sessions thankfully, me and Dewin once, Jie Min none. We were against the secondary 1 debaters.
I think what allowed us to win was not the usual "determination", "teamwork", "effort" etc, it was that we had nothing to lose. We've lost 2 matches, and in order to get into semi-finals, we need at least 2 wins. Evidently there is no chance at all for ever qualifying. I guess this was the defining factor which led to our victory. It was the lack of pressure from our side and the subsequent confidence to go out there just for enjoyment, for the sake of speaking out that did it. At least for me, I was less nervous and did what I had to do. I didn't commit any mistakes of disjoint argument--not linking back to the yardstick, motion, and "how our side wins"--to my teammates' and my own surprise. It was just me and Ben Mark, my friend, nodding his head away at what I have to say as I reason my case.
I received my first compliment in debating. Ashish said that if I smoothen my speech, minimise little bumps, had a good conclusion (when time's up and the bell's ringing incessantly, I just said "go with the opposition" and sat down :), I would actually be school debater standard.
Thanks teammates Ern Xu, Jie Min, Dewin for being such good buddies; Ashish for being such a wonderful and pro debater and teacher; fong for prepping; Ms Cho for showing up at debates and supporting us...
We went celebrating after that, just Ashish, Choon How, and me. It wasn't celebration per se. It was an excuse to go to Ashish's house to watch "House". All the while Ashish rants about how Hugh Laurie's an amazing American though he's British in real life.
Burned a Friday night. Now I've only 1 1/4 days for physics cct and lit laputa peer teaching on monday.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Updates
Interhouse debates- Thought we could win, but oh well, we lost to Jaryl's team in the debate, THW privatise all public transport services, which we were opposing. Good experience- nerve-wrecking, and Jaryl was fairly intimidating- and hopefully, in the next debate, which is impromptu (1h of prep), we'll triumph over the other team. What is surprising is that I didn't feel any sadness at all upon losing, which is very unlikeike myself.Congratulations to Yongsheng and team to have won the debate :)
Physics: somehow, I have to squeeze out at least half of my time to prepare for sjpo... There'll be so much competition, and I know I won be as good as physics RA +science club and the like, so I decide to just try my best and hope for more (than the best). Meanwhile, it's an uphill task to find time to learn more...
Portfolio: almost everyone in my badge's worried about this: showcase portfolio's due soon and really, I don't know what to do... want to tie in chem porfolio with showcase portfolio, but since I'm not sure what to do for showcase, I cannot do chem portfolio, which is due last week. I'm ruminating: the war of attrition against the massive edifice of the portfolio is ongoing.
Physics: somehow, I have to squeeze out at least half of my time to prepare for sjpo... There'll be so much competition, and I know I won be as good as physics RA +science club and the like, so I decide to just try my best and hope for more (than the best). Meanwhile, it's an uphill task to find time to learn more...
Portfolio: almost everyone in my badge's worried about this: showcase portfolio's due soon and really, I don't know what to do... want to tie in chem porfolio with showcase portfolio, but since I'm not sure what to do for showcase, I cannot do chem portfolio, which is due last week. I'm ruminating: the war of attrition against the massive edifice of the portfolio is ongoing.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Peddler selling her wares
This time round, brother wasn’t around and my parents were busy, so I went to the English tuition centre via public transport, alone. No big deal, it’s not as if I haven’t done that before.
Arriving at Novena, I always had to walk across the underpass to reach the place. As usual, it was fairly noisy, with the countless reverberations bouncing around the 2 walls, the ceiling and ground, which were hardly 3 metres from each other, similar to how we would flank our hands beside our mouths when we shout. A lone basker sat, strumming and singing an oldie that no one seemed to know.
And then at the escalator landing, a middle-aged lady with a crumpler peddling her goods—simple blue pens. “Pen?” she asked as she offered a brand new pen with wrapper attached. I merely walked past, ignoring her existence. Turning back, I noticed many more pens lay on a ledge. Approximately 10, though I didn’t bother to count.
I reached the tuition centre, and forgot about the whole thing. Nothing unusual, nothing notable after all…
2 hours later, I came back from tuition class, walking across the underpass, again.
The same lady offered a brand new pen with wrapper attached. “Pen?” she asked hopefully. This time, I held out my hand in rejection and walked on.
The basker’s taken a break, looking at his scores. This time there wasn’t a crowd, only a few individuals walking, minding their own business. I turned my head, and noticed once more, that the number of pens which lay on a ledge remained approximately 10.
Perhaps she’d sold more than 10 and had replaced the previous batch. Maybe not.
But something urged me to carry on walking. Of course, I still wanted to return and just buy a single brand new blue pen, just to put a smile on her spent countenance.
But I didn’t. I never bought not-entirely-useful trinkets from peddlers such as these. This time was no exception. This time round, I was a bit regretful, yet I was more hardened. On one hand, buying could mean “helping the needy”, on the other hand, it could be encouraging opportunists eager to earn quick bucks.
I just walked on.
Arriving at Novena, I always had to walk across the underpass to reach the place. As usual, it was fairly noisy, with the countless reverberations bouncing around the 2 walls, the ceiling and ground, which were hardly 3 metres from each other, similar to how we would flank our hands beside our mouths when we shout. A lone basker sat, strumming and singing an oldie that no one seemed to know.
And then at the escalator landing, a middle-aged lady with a crumpler peddling her goods—simple blue pens. “Pen?” she asked as she offered a brand new pen with wrapper attached. I merely walked past, ignoring her existence. Turning back, I noticed many more pens lay on a ledge. Approximately 10, though I didn’t bother to count.
I reached the tuition centre, and forgot about the whole thing. Nothing unusual, nothing notable after all…
2 hours later, I came back from tuition class, walking across the underpass, again.
The same lady offered a brand new pen with wrapper attached. “Pen?” she asked hopefully. This time, I held out my hand in rejection and walked on.
The basker’s taken a break, looking at his scores. This time there wasn’t a crowd, only a few individuals walking, minding their own business. I turned my head, and noticed once more, that the number of pens which lay on a ledge remained approximately 10.
Perhaps she’d sold more than 10 and had replaced the previous batch. Maybe not.
But something urged me to carry on walking. Of course, I still wanted to return and just buy a single brand new blue pen, just to put a smile on her spent countenance.
But I didn’t. I never bought not-entirely-useful trinkets from peddlers such as these. This time was no exception. This time round, I was a bit regretful, yet I was more hardened. On one hand, buying could mean “helping the needy”, on the other hand, it could be encouraging opportunists eager to earn quick bucks.
I just walked on.
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