Sunday, December 30, 2007

On the plane

During these 2 months I spent about 45 hours in the air, taking 9 different flights on 3 different airlines.

My first flight was on a KLM B777 (thank goodness for B777s) from Singapore Changi Airport to Amsterdam Schipol Airport, which was a very beautiful airport with lots of shops selling lots of goods which I could not afford. Chocolates - 10 EURO. Parker pens. Cheese. Wooden Clogs. Salami. Cameras. DVDs. Expensive European newspapers (why buy when you can get it on the plane?).

My second was on a KLM Fokker 50 (which seats 50 passengers in a single class) from Amsterdam to Koln-Bonn Airport. The Fokker 50 was a propeller plane with 2 prop jets on its wings. When I embarked the plane, the temp was 0 degrees C. I was freezing, yet the pilot said on the PA, I'm sorry that our heaters are malfunctioning today. We will turn on the engines to keep the temperature comfortable. And so he revved up the propellers, and i smelled kerosene. Was frankly a bit worried but I told myself, it's KLM. Royal Dutch Airline. It's safe. And off we went to Cologne!

When I arrivded at Cologne, I found out my passport was missing! I put it in my back jeans pocket but it's not there anymore! OMG. Was terrified. I searched high and low, checked my pullover pockets, my jeans, my bag, no where to be found! Thankfully I stood up and found out I have been sitting on it all along! Relief man!

My third flight was the same KLM Fokker 50 back to Amsterdam. Watched the beautiful sunset from 20,000 feet. Was gorgeous i tell you. The guy beside me was irritating tho. he was doing something on his laptop and was probably racist.

My fourth was a KLM B777 back to Singapore from Holland. Because I did not sleep the previous night and had a pretty long day (flight's at 9pm), i slep throuhout the flight depsite having a world class entertainment system in front of me. The KLM entertainment is not bad, with good songs and up to date movies (I watched Simpsons and 2 episodes of Heros and lots of comedies on the way to Holland). but due to sheer exhaustion, I just slept. Until the fat flight attendent in the KLM Blue uniform came and put a tray of breakfast in front of me... I ate some breakfast (no mood really, cos I was very very sad that I had to leave my friends from around the world after a week of joy and fun)... and listened to classic Elvis songs. Cant help falling in love, in the ghetto and Bridge over troubled water moved me to tears (well, nearly)... I wanted to whip out my camera to see the photos all over again which was in my jeans pocket but I couldnt... I had to stand up to loosen the pocket and i did not want to stand up because i was sitting right smack in the middle of the centre.

My fifth was a JAL B777 (thnak goodness for B777s, I just love the plane).. I sat beside a Japanese dude who kept asking fro Bi-ru bi-ru from the flight attendent... Luckily he's quite nice to me, and the best thing was that I had the window on the B777! Hahhaah.... 2 noisy Singaporean kids were seated behind me, so I had to adjust the volume of my Die Hard 4.0 movie to ultra loud... Food was good, completely own the KLM food.

no.6 was back from Narita Airport on a JAL b747. Sat on the last last row of the B747 (thankfully window seat again), and the view was fantastic. Food was good, movie was good (Bourne Ultimatum), service was good. Absolutely perfect except that the trip was over :(

I was apprehensive about flight number 7, a Garuda Indonesia B737 flight from Singapore to Jakarta. But the food was good (or I was just extremely hungry)... Turbulent flight but it was quite okish... The couple from France behind me kept talking and talking, but i'm ok... Was thinking about what to present in the conference to eavesdrop...

Number 8- Garuda 747 from Jakarta to Bali. Btw, did I mention that Indonesian Airports are quite cool? Jakarta has this kampong roof like structure which was culturally appealing to me. I slept during the 2 hour transit in Jakarta on the seats... too tired...

Number 9- Garuda 737 from Bali back to Singapore.. Also did not sleep much the night before. Was sitting at the emrgency exit, i read the emergency operating manual at leats 5 times, I could memorise it already. The pkane kept bouncing up and down throughout the flight, and I kept looking out of the window...saw nothing but clouds. Beautiful. Did not eat the food served on board cos I full from the big mac meal which i ate in Denpasar Airport. There was a taiwanese couple (who apprently are Singapore citizens) sitting in front of me and I could sense that there maariage was on the rocks man. Their son is some snobby dude who is only 13, and so the flight attendent told him not to seat at the emergency exit where only 15 year olds and above could be seated at. So he took his ipod from the baggage compartment above and scooted to the bakc of the plane to sit, leaving his parents at the seat in front of me. The father is some grumpy idiot who is very typical Singaporean and likes to complain here complain there. Not cool. Not cool. His wife is ok, luckily did not lie back and give my legs a hard time. Behind me was a bunch of crazy British talkative tourists who keep thinking Batam was Singapore. And the british woman behind me keep pushing against my seat, i wanted to turn around and say something but decided to give Singapore a god image. Aiyah, tolerate a bit and let the Singapore tourism prosper more lor. After all, if I turn back and say something, the women will not come back to Singapore, so whats the point?

So after my 3 trips, I returned (for good) to my bed in my home. Home Sweet Home. I love my home, and my room and my bed.

No hotel can beat my home. No hotel bed can beat my bed.

My mum also came back from Taiwan on Xmas eve, and my sis from Kathmandu, Nepal, more recently. My sister kept her poor father and mother and brother waiting outside for her while she shops for perfumes and cosmetics inside! We waited 2 hours already for you cos your flight was delayed! Thankfully she bought lots of stuff for me so i'm not complaining:)

What a long post... Sigh.. I better go plant trees to offset my carbon emissions already...

2007

I had wanted to write a long long post about 2007, but decided otherwise.

If you want to hear about issues, go yahoo and search bush, iran, iraq, saddam, terrorists, nuclear, natural disasters, ... or you may just type shit and all these stuff will appear immediately.

Of course, there's a lot to talk about climate change as well, but well, international herald tribute writes better than me.

2007 for me was a good year. and I will tell you why. now.

Because in 2007, i gained something very extremely important and valuable... and that's perspective.

Yea, i know, you must be thinking, what the hell is this idiot writing here? What is perspective?

Yea yea yea, you'ld rather think about that cute boy or cute girl in the opposite class... Oh I saw him this morning! ooh ohh!

Yea yea yea, you'ld rather think about Jay Chou is coming to town! And pawn off your mother's wedding ring to afford the tickets to his show...

Yea yea yea, some say Halo 3 is the most important thing in 2007. Or cry over Vista...

And of corse, there are some real important decisions to make throughout the year... Should I watch Book of Secrets or I Am Legend? Oh my... what an important decision.

Of course, none of the above matter much to me. For me, it's How on Earth did Man Utd lose to West Ham last night? And how on Earth did Ronald miss that penalty? And why on Earth did Fergie play Flectcher instead of Anderson?

And tyco chelsea just won against newcastle. crap.

Anyway, there's so much to cheer about in 2007!

Firstly, I was kicked out of ISLE back at the start of the year. Thank you hor, Mr Seah, for kicking me out of your prestigious prgramme. I am eternally grateful to you for giving me the chance to go to Germany (where I met great friends from around the world, 16 other countries, to be exact), to go to Japan (where I made friends with RJC students and managed to catch an idea of what university life overseas is about, and visit Disneyland (for the fifth time i am saying OMG that place is just fantastic, and i just love disneyland), and to go to Bali for an evironmental conference where i made more friends from around South East Asia. Of course, Germany and Bali really motivated me and gave me resolve.

So Thank you for kicking me out of your wonderful programme! (no offence to students to participated, just that sometimes, the adults p*** me off.)

And of course I am very very grateful to the wonderful (this time, I actually mean it) corporations, organisations, government and indviduals who nominated, recommended, selected, and sponsored me to go for these trips! Without these 3 trips, I would probably not gained the most important thing this year, which is 'perspective'.

Secondly, I found out that RJC is not as bad as it seems afterall...

The percentage of irritating people as cmpared to the entire student population is merely about 50%, which was way-off the initial estimation by me (80%)...

and although the school is really an institute where time-wasting, useless protocol observance and bureaucratic measures rank really really high (perhaps second only to governments), there is also lots of good stuff in the school. Stuff like what?

1. RISK, where i always enjoy seeing myself get thrashed or thrashing others
2. Drama and gossip(not performed by Raffles Players)
3. Celebrations (there's always something to celebrate, no matter what)
4. Sleeping during lectures (which I will try to not practice next year, it's one of my resolutions)
5. PW (it's finally over!)
6. Ice tea (better not be affected by inflation, i'm warning you, stall 2 auntie)
7. Opportunities (Ok this one's really true, this school is a place of opportunities)

As I flip back my calender before recycling it, there's actually not much stuff la... sometimes there are tests, sometimes SPA, sometimes Inter House Championship stuff, and a whole lot of events and celebrations.

But there's one thing that p*** me off. Mr Hodge said, guys, we want you to help the poorer students in the school who cannot afford the school fees. Yes sir! THEN WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND $30,000 ON NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS? AND OH YA, BEFORE I FORGET, THERE'S ALSO TAKE 5! Oh my oh my? Where is the love, indeed...

Ok, Mr Hodge, you are a good principal and I will miss you, but i still cannot understand why are you willing to spend spend spend like that? Do you know that 30,000 means you can give 1,000 bucks to 30 deserving students?

But no, you choose instead to entrust the tax money of my papa and mama to a group of wise leaders called student councilors (no offence, really) to blow it away! In 3 hours, the money is gone! Oh....my.....money!

Yes yes, the performance was good. take 5 was wonderful. But to students who need to give tuition after school to pay for their lunch the next day, 1,000 bucks is better.

Which is why One Earth is commited to helping these folks. the proceeds of our MEGA jumble sale will be 100% directed to helping RJC students in need. We believe in social responsibility, heljng not just to protect Earth and it's finite resources, but making sure that people benefit from it as well.

Happy 2008! (Note, there's free breakfast on the first day of school! )

Saturday, December 22, 2007

I am very much grateful to all of you

Things are turning out fine for me. Slowly but surely, there is progress. With response from schools getting better and Samuel working harder than ever to pull in more schools, I am quietly confident that Thingsyoucando! will create history in Singapore as the first youth-led major initiative that advocates action and awareness at the same time. Even Primary Schools and Special Schools are joining hands with us to make this project a success.

Yesterday was a tiring day. Together with Zi Jian (Film Soc vice chair) and Ming Quan (Alchemy Club chair) we worked 7 hours straight, skipping lunch, and pausing only for toilet breaks and the occasional chat, to produce the backbone of the Thingsyoucando slides and the complete production of the trailer. The trailer has been a long story. When I flew back from Bali, I immediately sent an email to Zi Jian, persuading him to produce the trailer for Thingsyoucando!... I alone cannot do much... But Thingsyoucando is a beauty in itself. With zero funding (as yet), minimal advice from RJC, we still managed to pull through to today. Why?

The answer is... friends.

Without friends I am nothing. I am useless. But with the support of Alex Goh and his talented team of artists, we produced the posters. With the support of Zi Jian, we produced the trailer. With the help of Samuel, we managed to contact all the schools in Singapore. With the support of Calvin, we will produce the video. With the support of Arun, Ming Quan, Muhd, Nick, Thingsyoucando held firm. With the support of WWF (Singapore), NEA, SEC, ECO, and even CNA we found support and advice. With the support of an MP, Dr. Fatimah Lateef, we found hope. With the support of my overseas friends, in particular Renzo and Anthony, I found encouragement. With the support of my family members, I found strength.

Without the support of my friends, Thingsyoucando would never have been born.

The Thingsyoucando! report, Conversation for Conversation pre-planning report and the Hu Ching 2007 Year End Review will be published next week on my blog.

Thank you so much. Hu Ching is not perfect, and never will be, but he loves all his friends.

And he is grateful to all.

RJC is indeed a place of talents.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Announcement

Hey guys, gals, everyone who knows me.

Just wanna inform you that I am still alive and that this blog is still functioning. I seriously dun know if anyone still reads this blog but I really dun have time to blog these days.

I just came back from 2 overseas trips, where I had a lot of fun and thoroughly had so much fun and learnt so much. I will be going overseas again next week from sunday 9th to wed 12th, this time to Bali, Indonesia, where I'll be a delegate for Singapore for the South East Asian Youth Environmental Network (SEA YEN) held in conjunction with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC). This time this trip is very formal, very serious and I am excited. We're going to attend 3 full days of discussion and conference with youth delegates from South East Asia and we will produce a charter to be presented at the Framework Convention through United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

I have recently posted photos of my Germany and Japan trip on my facebook, please click on the link you see on the link list if you want to see more.

I am also very occupied with Things You Can Do!, which is, as you know, my environmental project. In addition, I am also planning ahead for One Earth activities which are the putting up of school toilet posters in partnership with council, the setting up of 11 more recycling bins around the school in partnership with Estate office, giving advice to IHC games next year, the planning of Conversation for Conservation, and the Jumble Sale and Earth Week.

As you can see I am very busy, I havent touched my homework and I'm a bit worried that I may have to spend Christmas stuck at my desk, alone, studying and revising and doing all these stuff.

I am afraid that I have no time to be an OGL. I have decided that should I become OGL, I would be a burden to my fellow OGLs which is why i rejected the offer. I hope you undertand you know who you are. On the other hand I will still perform my duties as a registration officer for Oteam because this is my responsibility and I will not run away. Even if I have to hide alone next year along school term to mug in the toilet I will not run away from the things I should do.

This is also the reason why I had to disappoint my juniors for declining your invitation for me to perform for that special concert. I simply had no time but I will still attend the concert as an audience because I would like to clap for you guys.

After returning from Bali I will focus on my One Earth stuff and my academic work, which remain my main priorities.

Thank you for staying with me if you're still reading this.

See you soon :)

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Hey everyone!

I just got back from Germnay yesterday but unfortunately will not be able to distribute the gifts and share the phots now cos I'll be flying off again tml, this time to Japan....

I met lots of ppl there and miss them very much now....

Everyone is so friendly!

See you soon guys and gals in Singapore! I will be back soon...! I will miss you'all!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Hello from Cologne, Germany!

Hey everyone,

Here is Germany, after 14 hours of flight.

I'm safe and sound, the keyboard is very hard to type cos its for german users! Look at this ÄÄÖÖÖ cool huh?

Friday, November 16, 2007

Time to go...

I'm leaving for a week to Cologne and Leverkusen, Germany, then will be back for a weekend, before flying off to Tokyo, Japan.

During this time from 17th to 24th, then 26th to 3rd, I will be away, but there will be internet where I am going so communications should not be a problem, just perhaps a little slow. Email me: fabienrules@hotmail.com.

I have already informed samuel, ming quan, alex, muhd and kephren of ECO about thingsyoucando! and I trust them fully to handle everything better than me.

I am very sorry that I was unable to help out the j1 booklet team because of my schedule and some unexpected events but please understand the former was the reason why I chose programmes and why I wanted registration.

Everything is in place now, finally, and I can leave without worries.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

The environment



The press these days have been focusing a lot on the environment. It is indeed comforting that more people are being more aware of the climate change crisis and global warming.


Just a few hours it was reported in the news that Police officers in Thailand have embarked on a new plan to recycle used cooking oil. By handing out tanks to hawkers, restuarants and households, used cooking oil will then be collected and recycled into fuel for powering Police cars. A simple project that saves up to SGD$10,000,000 (ok i think its the figure. I heard it in the Chinese news and I'm not very sure I caught the figure properly but i think its S$1o million. Anyway the thing is they saved a lot of money, and conserved a precious resource - fuel)


It was reported in time a few months ago that Sultana High School in San Bernardino, California, USA, managed to cut its annual energy bill by US$100,000 by promoting basic conservation techniques like shutting off lights and equipment when not in use. Imagine, how many flag days is needed to raise this figure? How many fund raising items need to be sold to raise this figure? How many busking days are needed to raise this figure?


WILL HUMANS BE ENLIGHTENED?


RJC is a large consumer of energy and electricity. Here we are, organising so many fund raising events, CIP activities, so many fund raising here and there, but do you realise that by closing the doors and windows when air con is on, setting it to more than 25 degree Celsius, turning off toilet lights, switching off classroom lights, you save possibly much much more than you can raise?


Imagine that we can save SGD$50,000 a year at RJC. It is not impossible you know.


Can you imagine how much more money the school can give your CCA or you? Can you imagine giving this money to financially deserving students?


Can you imagine that we can actually give this money to build your so called student's den or to fund your national day ceremony at school?


Raffles One Earth does not have many fund raising activities. But we urge people to conserve, and by conserving, we save!

Currently, Raffles One Earth has partnered the 27th Students' Council to bring forth the environmental message in school. Very soon, you will see posters appearing behind the door of every single toilet in school to remind you to switch off the lights after use. Toilet lights (and fans) can be switched off anytime, especially during after school hours. We made sure that the posters are of the highest aesthetic standards and quality.


We are working very hard, negotiating with the estate office and a private company to bring more recycling bins to school, especially in the canteen. A metal can recycled saves the energy required to light a lamp for 3.5 hours. Recycling trays meant specially for paper will be placed in every tutorial room, and they will be cleared frequently.


When the new principal comes into office, I will try to push environmental issues in school up her agenda. With the support of the school administration, i believe that RJ can and will become a greener institution.


We are also planning an IHC game next year. A special committee of dedicated members have been selected to plan and organise the IHC game. I cannot disclose much but I can say that it's gonna be quite BIG, definitely.


Thingsyoucando! will bring forth the environmental message to over 100,000 youths next year. The speakers have been set, the PR department is working very hard (right samuel?) together with ECO Singapore's PR side, the Slides and Scripts are planning the content of the talks, the Research and Design team are working very creatively on their posters, the trailer crew, thinking of ideas and putting them into film.


Earth Week next year will be something BIG as well. In fact, if the council admin and teacher do not disrupt our plans, you will see a major coordinated effort to tie in the IHC game together with Earth Week.


Also, a major conference will be held next year5 in RJC as well, brigning together the leadership of green clubs all over singapore. These youths leaders will come together to share ideas on how to make this isalnd even greener. I believe that if adults do not wish to take the lead, we youths have to step up and take the initiative to show that how things should be done. Conversation for Conservation will be held on April 22nd.


EC networking session will also be continued next year, in partnership with NEA. The J1s will be responsible for EC networking.
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Yes indeed environmentalist/environmental activists/campaigners face a hell lot of setbacks and challenges. In my school alone the pressure to deliver is mounting. Some teachers dun even know that an environmental club exists. If I call them ignorant, would I be rude or honest? Some CCALs have no respect for us. If I dish out some justice, would I be ungentlemenly or valiant? It's time to shout out loud!


And we face a hell of bureaucratic challenges. The authorities who disapprove something so simple, something so beneficial, something so clear, because of... politics? Dammit I'm sick sick sick of politics. Paperwork, totally redundant and time consuming.

Once I remembered li jian and I attended this FOSL workshop and there was a point in time during the workshop when the entire class was listening to me and the teacher mr k debating abt the environmental movement in RJC. Come on man, it's not as if I'm the principal la. Please la... please wake up. You think it's so easy why dun you be an environmentalist yourself? Take some initiative la...

I hate people who argue with me for the sake of arguing. Bloody hell.

It is indeed disappointing to see all these happening but if I were to give up now, or anytime soon, would I be proud to call myself son of my father, father of my sons?


The going is tough but we will not give up.


The nature with most environmentalists are that they are soft hearted, kind and gentle. People tend to exploit these characteristics. I am none of the above. If anyone dares exploit me, hohoho...

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Environmental concerns are for real. Global warming is for real. You think your oil can burn forever? You think the snows on the Swiss Alps will forever be there for you to ski? You think polar bears can swim forever? They need icebergs to rest on. And ice bergs are melting...


Act now. Start with the 7 Easy Green Habits:


1. Reject Plastic Bags. Tell the person behind the counter, "no thank you!"


2. Recycle Paper. Print both sides. Dun throw away paper, put in a tray and recycle the stack of waste paper. Use paper that has already been printed on to do your physics practice.


3. Reusable Stationery. I use only refills.


4. Open that window and use a fan instead of an aircon. If you turn the aircon on, set it at above 25 degree celsius


5. Do not leave the heater on for too long before you take a shower.


6. Turn off your TVs, PCs after use. Standby mode sucks energy from the mains, and money from your pockets. Make sure that little red LED light is not lighted on.


7. Public transport. You only need 45cents for a trip.


Also fill up a 500ml bottle with water and put it into the water tank behind your toilet bowl. It saves you 500ml of water everytime you flush.




It is this simple.



Poster design: Fransisco Chandra, another talented member of 08SO6Q and thingsyoucando!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

They say absence make the heart fonder.

Very true indeed.

After close to one year since I left Chinese Orchestral music, I miss it a lot.

I think perhaps I would be unable to perform now, given that I havent touched the zhongruan or sanxian for close to a year already.

Those times...

from sec 1, playing with that tennis ball...

wise words from seniors

mr yeo

malaysia-penang

concerts

syf

malaysia-melaka

bad performances

good performances

sightreading when coming late for practice

getting scolded a million times

talking back to ___

practising till the finger skin turns red and peels

coming back from breaks wet and sweaty

AWOL for CO camp after getting through the bloody auditions (one of the biggest regrets in my life, only 2 people know the true story)

the backstage of SCH

the performing stage of SCH

Practice, diligence, hard work, is key to a successful performance.

December 14th concert: a tribute to mr yeo.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Arrival hall

trying to look retarded...
skinny gangster...lol
Yix, satay please...
at the arrival hall...


And samuel, Head, Public Relations, Thingsyoucando! campaign, at the headquarters of ECO in Bugis, being very professional in an important phone call with a school official.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

This is not emo, but rather reflective.

_____

Being introduced to the theories of Malthus and Structuralist Geography (opposing theories) have perhaps been my most enjoyable experience in academics this year. I have always believed that Structuralist Geography, coupled with enlightened political leadership, education and human ingenuity will one day relieve, and heal the world of pressing issues, which, in my humble opinion, are environmental problems, poverty, disease, and an unequal playing field.

____


In hindsight, I am also grateful of the 2 opportunities which I was given.

____


I also took the personality test, and I can testify that it is very true. My personality type comprises only 3% of the entire human population, they said. Recommended career choices came as a pleasant surprise.

____


I am off to watch Castaway, one of my favourite movies of all time now. It's a fantastic film which showcases the purest essence of human society and love. A classic.
Hey everyone,

Just to inform everyone that I am still in Singapore and that this blog is not out of service. I have enjoyed the class chalet thoroughly despite having to leave at 6 30 with yix the following morning.

I will continue to blog after I become less busy, calm down and recover my emotional health.

Till then,

Thanks everyone for your care and concern.

If I appear quiet or distant or unfriendly or unable to reproduce my humour, may I ask for your understanding and forgiveness.

I have many things on my mind right now. I need to spend more time with my family also.

Some unexpected events have rocked my life but I am positive that Hu Ching will be back.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

(:

As Dad said to me, "it's just another day of my life".

And I agree.

albeit a (: one

:) :D ;) :]

Sunday, October 28, 2007

this weekend has made me think

The purpose of this entry is to allow me to look back in perhaps 9 months time when I need to make a crucial decision. This entry is meant for myself, so i will only record the event that took place. the (extremely private) details will be archived in my head.

The places where i've visited this weekend, the ppl whom i've met made me reflect a little bit.

1. on fri, during the dinner.

2. on sat, when i went down to bayer offices.

3. when i met jia wei, the phD whiz.

4. when i went to lunch with previous batches byees.

5. when my mum told me what my teachers said of me.

6. when i went down for the branch event at SBWR.

7. when we rushed back to launch the counter strike.

8. when i was talking to _____ & dr._____

9. when i spoke to anandraj from nus about uni research.

10. when i went for ecoguide briefing.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

lessons from a board game

today while playing risk,

i learnt the importance of winning with humility, losing with graciousness, and fighting with determination.

i also learnt that all's fair in love and war is not true.

i also learnt that you do not need to spend money to get fun, laugher, and joy.

i also learnt that arrogance is the most worthless thing on Earth.

i also learnt the significance of teamwork.

i also learnt that pride goes before a fall.

i also learnt that you should listen to only your mind, not to your heart and not to your balls.

i finally learnt that victory is sweet.

Monday, October 22, 2007

a follow-up

After talking to cheang mun yoong on msn, i realise something. that he had tried his best for his students, although that fact alone cannot cover his incompetencies as a teacher.

A nice person he may be, a smart student he may be, he is not a good teacher. He lacks the basic qualities of a teacher, and that is understanding, patience and firm-ness when required.

He has given me the permission to say what I wish to say about him, and I will. I cannot blame him, as I have mentioned earlier. But if I could, I would wish to slap him.
3 hard times.

When I went back to him for consultation furing the Septemer holidays, I brought along a thick file of chem notes, filled with post-it notes. Siti and Jukie can testify for me. I went to him, humbled myself, asked him desperately to explain some important terms and concepts to me.

HC: Hey, can you please explain this for me?
CMY: no.

At that point of time, what else could I do? I was like a beggar, begging him for enlightenment, of which he dispensed little to me.

Compare that to Mr Koh, who patiently explained the questions to me when i went back for consultation before the CTs.

It is not his fault. He arranged for extra lessons, he tried to be serious, he spammed emails with notes, he planned extra questions, he bought chocolates. Maybe his style did not suit me or my class.

The bottomline is: I screwed my chemistry, a subject which I have absolutely no passion for, big time, and CMY is just coincidentally my chem teacher.

Wrecked

After a day of thinking, talking to friends, discussing about life, arguing with my parents, listening to music, walking around in my small room, playing some guitar, looking out of the window, and staring into space, it is now time to write.

I have let down a lot of people. Teachers, yes. Friends, yes. Parents, yes. And most importantly, myself, yes.

Why and how did this happen, i know. I know exactly the reasons. I can only blame myself. Not any teachers. Not any lecturers. Not the heavens. Only myself.

Only I can say whether I did well or not. And i am saying right here, right now, that i did not do well. I did not perform to my capacity. I did not fufill my expectations. And this feeling sucks.

Who knows what I have been through? On the very first day of the week-long examinations, I return home, only to realise that I have defined ageism as ageing population. I held the dictionary in my hands, my feet shaking, my body trembling, my mind trying to stay calm. I knew i was in deep shit. There was no way i could pass my GP essay. I have let Ms Chan down deeply. I do not really know what her expectations for me were, but I was on form for my essays in term 3 and 4. And on that monday afternoon, I had lost it all.

I was heavily demoralised, but what was I to do? What was over was over, and I was to pay for my fatal mistake. It took a hell lot of resolve to get back into studying. If there was something I could learn from this experience, it was resolve and determination. It was picking yourself up after a setback and fighting hard again. I can tell you that although I may not be the toughest fighter out there, I may not be the smartest student, or the most hardworking, but having been exposed to so much shit since young, I am one of the most adaptable.

I felt that I have not reached my expectations of all my subjects. This is really disappointing. I think many people are feeling the same way about their respective marks.

What exactly went wrong?

Inadequate preparation, yes. I started studying 3 weeks before the start of promos. A fatal mistake. I had to read all the notes from scratch, because I had not been paying attention during tutorials and lectures. I slept in class. I talked in class. The 3 weeks were hardcore, but they were not enough. Consistency is far more important. I started far too late.

Like what KK said, many people spent too much time in front of the computer. I cannot agree more.

Complacency did also play a part. Especially for guys, whose egos are ususally bigger.

Ego. What a word. I admit that I indeed have a huge one. It is good, at times. It gives you self-confidence. It makes you walk straight, with your back straight, with your eyes looking up, not at your shoes. It gives you style. Posture. Charisma.

But it is also bad. Very bad. My geog teacher said, he doesnt want to give my essays any more marks for fear of inflating my ego. wth. But i shall accept it, as i have done so with all the shit my short life have presented to me so far.

I suddenly feel very tired. I do not feel like writing this piece anymore. When I make a comment, some people think that i am full of shit.

These people are immature. They havent seen half the world out there.

I only speak the truth. My comments, if you like it, fine. If you do not like it, fine too. I do not have to listen to these people.

Since young, when my dad brings me out to meet those old lawyer dudes and business people at those social parties, I have been listening. And I have been listening hard. And one evening with these people can change your perspective on life.

For me, they have. My outlook on life is therefore different from most teenage boys.

Why did the Greeks execute Socrates in 77BC?

If you know the answer, you will accept my words.

On this rainy evening of doom and gloom,
I fare you well upon a journey of hell.

I only have a message for my detractors:

I may be defeated, but I will be back.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

RISK




Risk is a really educational game. Other than learning abt geography (which is very very important), we learn about risk taking, stragetic planning, alliance forming, dice rolling, etc.


I played 3 games today. Wild boar, after beating me during the first game and forcing me to concede the 2nd (since it was time for physics lecture) decided (wisely) to not play the 3rd game. Instead, Gabby and Muhd entered the fray against my blue troops.



The 1st game with wild boar was not good. I started quite well, managing to invade the Dark Continent (Africa) and Latin Amercia, before conquering Europe and attacking North America. However, with some really good dice rolling, the wild boar attacked (hard) and whacked my troops into dispair. We had to seek refuge in Harry Truman's land.


My blue troops were severly outnumbered. wild boar had achieved domination of Asia, Oceania, Africa and South Amercia. With his stronghold in Venezuela and Iceland, I could not fight back.

Second game was a tough and very even fight between wild boar and me. Using key places like Middle East, Egpyt and Northern Africa, the fight was difficult. My europe was under attack. (See the video above). Wild boar and his advisor.

Third game was longest and arguably the most exciting. Started off with gabby muhd and I.

Using Australia to back my Siam troops, I defended Asia from Gabby's green army. Using also Southern Europe to attack Africa, I expanded my blue troops into Africa. The blue empire strtched across South Asia all the way to Europe. We are strong. (see above)

The muhd and gabby decided to form an alliance against me! Fine. The brave and gallant blue troops fought hard, just like the Spartans in the Battle of Thermopalae (spelling not sure) when King Leonidius's (spelling not sure) 300 spartans soldiers fought against Xerxes' many many Persian soldiers. With Gabby attacking from Greenland, Afghanisation and Ural, and muhd attacking from the South, my troops could not withstand such heavy fire.

hahah Risk is such a fun game.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

SIAN

omg school is so sian these days

the lectures are so freaking longgg. Cant take it already. Actually they should just return the promos lor, so that those who did badly will pay more attention, and those who did well will also pay attention (cos they're already hardcore muggers by nature). 1.5 hours of maths or physics or chem or even even geog just bores me like siao.

boring. boring. boring.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Welcome tourist!

Welcome to Singapore!

We shall start our tour at Raffles Junior College, where you will see young kids rehearse hard for their Project Work Oral Presentations.

After that, we head down to J8 for lunch!

Very soon, your tour guides will arrive. Oh, they're soaked in the rain! hahah.

We shall shop around j8 for about 1 hour, then take the train down to Orchard. At this point, please be reminded to bring along your NETs or Credit Card, for its extremely vital to have either one in your wallet before you head for orchard!

Once at Orchard, follow Tour Guide Zhuang and Banker Samuel around. They're very very exprienced shoppers, although their taste may be weird at times. Samuel is especially fond of military colours (freak!) and black/grey/brown and thick jackets. Zhuang's taste is quite good, I have to say. If you like Polo tees, stripes, and jeans, short pants, all kinds of tshirts, sunglasses, caps, flip flops, shoes, baiscally everything, you can follow these 2 ppl around.

We will pass through all the major shopping centres all the way from orchard to somerset. It's a long tiring journey, so make sure you're in comfortable shoes!

After dinner, we head for more shopping! Shop shop shop. Havent got enough cash? Try window shopping (the zhuang way). If you're evil like samuel, you can go shop to shop and try on their newest clothes, then just return the clothes after trying and leave the shop.

Pictures!

Mark & I: PW!
Mark, Fransisco and Clara: Guess where's Yix?
Zhuang (Special Tour Guide) and Samuel (Banker): Shopping at Orchard
Handsome, handsomer, handsomest!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

me again!

after going back to school for 5 days (despite it being a 2 day week), I pulled and dragged my tried self into the weekend.

Shouldnt talk about work, should talk more abt my life. Yea. My life is brilliant.

Friday night, jonny and melvin supposed to come over for some cards, but for some reason or another jonny said, i'm outside having dinner, then, i'm still outside, then, I'm home, buti'm tired, so instead, went over to mel's house to watch GOAL on his ultra large screen TV. Quite a good movie, inspiring no doubt, but quite lame.

Saturday afternoon, went out with mum to get my phone! oh yea finally, after a long wait, after so much time on researching, looking thru my past bills to find the mobile plan that would suit me best, after going thru the SE website to compare so many phones and prices, talking to ppl abt their models, finally got my phone. I only use Sony Ericsson. I Sony Ericsson. And I paid for my phone! Feels good to be financially independent.

Next up will be the new bike and clothes!

Sunday morning went to botanical gardens with li jian, samuel and the bayer ppl, had to film a video. Whoa freak, I had to be the first to be filmed. Havent memorised the script yet and I had to go first. Luckily the director was quite patient and funny. If having a camera staring at you isnt bad enough, try the public's attention. Thanks lah. I know you ppl want to look at me, but then hor, I doing video leh, it's already hard to concentrate.

After 3 hours of filming, went to have lunch with li jian at some cafe that tze wei recommended, since we were already at coro. (samuel that ri boy went to macs at king albert's instead). Had a really good talk with li jian over an hour long lunch. And it's super value for money. Have to bring your friend there if you're at coro. Its called Prince Coffee House or something like that, students meal onyl at $6 (choice of chicken/pork/steak + soup +free flow of soft drinks). Ambience was ok too, tho it's a bit dark...

After reaching home and napping for i dunno how long, went to play soccer at the field. Havent been there for months! Glad to see all the old faces there. Things are still the same. The muddy pitch, the usual boys stuff, spitting freely as and when you wish, yelling at each other, then going to uncle joe's for drinks.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

whataweek

man i'm exhausted. but happy. cos i had a busy but meaningful week.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

my dream

sorry friends, the past few days was quite busy, did not blog.

Hmm, today i shall talk abt my dream.

I dreamt that I was having this journal. And i was passing it around to frens, asking them to write something in it. all the messages were short. and then, as i was flipping thru the pages, i noticed that somebod wrote something quite long. a few paragraphs. this somebody said that i had a problem. then i was asking what problem what problem?? then the person say you seriously have a problem, without telling me what problem exactly.


i was puzzled.

when i went to school, i really wanted to ask this person, so what's the problem? but then i know, it's a dream. if i ask the person, the person will just think i'm crazy.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Scary

i find myself on the verge of imminent insanity.

I am now unable to differentiate the real life and my dreaming life.

Since the end of promos, i find myself being subconsciously unaware of the 2 separate universes.

My dreams, of that i'm certain, is informing me of something. The question i must answer is, what thing?

I am tempted to re-open my secondary school philosophy journals and start reading through what I've written about dreams. I am tempted to do some research on Sigmund Freud. In 1900 he published his landmark work The Interpretation of Dreams, in which he argued that dreams are disguised manisfestations of repressed sexual desires. hahahahahahah. what a joker. lol.

anyway, what's so scary about my dreams is not about sexual desires, but rather about whether or not something has occured in real life or in dreamland for me. I am confused.

Friday, October 5, 2007

One last post for tonight

See that?

That is a beauty. So divinely glorious. A brand new Boeing 777-300ER (extended range) from Cathay Pacific. Note the brand new paint job. Look at the swept-back wings without winglets. Wings that can withstand a elastic limit of 35 degrees. This means that the turbulence can practically throw the wings up and down with the fuselage remaining at the same altitude (remember Newton's 1st law: a body moving in a linear blah blah law of inertia whatever cos physics is freaking tough). Ok, the wind can throw the wings up and down while the body remains at the same position, and the wings can be pushed up 35 freaking degrees. OMG. a piece of genius really...

With the arrival of the b777s, Cathay can now specialise into its long haul operations, hence being able to compete with the likes of my beloved SIA and other long haul operators like United, Lufthansa, British Airways, etc. But seriously, i think the only airline that SIA should fear is Cathay. and perhaps Emirates. But i'm not too concerned about Emirates tho. Emirates is not established through hard work, it just has rich owners pumping money into it. It's just like Chelsea. SIA is like Man Utd. Cathay, perhaps Real Madrid. and British Airways? maybe Liverpool. Chelsea is good, but once Jose leaves, ohhh, GG. So SIA go go go, I will always support you. Just dun increase fuel surcharge too much.

But at the same time, the jet is perhaps one of the most pollutive machines on Earth. How ah? I also dunno leh. I am facing a dilemma. But actually, there's a solution to this. The answers lies in politics (aka Structuralist Geography). Politics? How the hell is it even related? Let me slowly explain...

The reason why jets consume so much fuel is because they are unable to take the shortest route to their destinations. Some countries refuse to open their air space, resulting in airlines having to plan their flights around a certain country. So, if the politicians open up their airspace, we can save a lot of oil. Simple? yea.

And add that to human ingenuity. Jet designers are now able to use composite materials to build more efficient jets, hence consuming less fuel.

Ok, enough of talking. My keyboard just told me it's getting tired.

Sigh... I shall end now with a wishlist. I wish, i had S$1,000 now. For what? For:

1. A good bicycle with front suspension, shimano click gears, shimanov-brakes and titanium frame. Actually aluminium alloy frame will suffice. Cost? $400

2. A nice sony ericsson 3.2 megapixel cam new phone. cost? dunno leh. should be around $300 (sign contract lor)

3. A model 15:1 scale full metal 747 Cathay, 777 singapore airlines and concorde British Air planes from takashimaya. $1,00.

4. Free cash so that i can go borders and spend $pend $$$$pend. One full day at borders, cost $2,00.

That should settle it. Crap. Why am I sounding like sis ah? so spendthrift-.- Heck. My sis is one happy person, and the reason behind her smile is not a fat bankbook. It's cos she buys happiness (literally)

Some thoughts

oh crap...

was feelin sleepy, decided to go sleep, then suddenly, my dad say go pour him a drink. So i went to the fridge, took out the jug of ice cold water, and poured him a cup, and decided to pour myself a cup, then after drinking it, turned awake again. crap. so decided to blog somemore since my comp is still on.

1. If i screw up my a level, I am going to enrol myself into flight school IMMEDIATELY.

2. If no airline wanna employ me, I am gonna join the crew of some racing yacht.

3. If no skipper wanna take me, I am gonna join the crew of the Royal National Geographic Society, hopefully some seasoned geaographer will take me as his/her apprentice on some assignments.

4. If seriously seriously all options fail, then i'm gonna open an adventure school (in dunno where, but definitely not in Singapore)

5. If seriously the tsunami of dread does not recede, then i gonna be a tour guide/broker (not the stock broker of course, the kind of broker that brokers real deals like in John Grisham's "The Broker"). No choice liao.

6. Worse come to worse then at most invest in currencies and stocks from home lor.

So, whats the big deal? Life has so many billion trillion zillion options, it's just whether we wanna take it or not...

Btw, jenny by the click five is a good song. so is i'm yours by jason mraz.

Some comments

I got a few comments to make today...

1. Whats wrong with jay chou man? yesterday i watched secret with a few frens at yix's, and seriously jay chou has a few problems... (SPOILER ALERT!)

a. he dao the chio girl in his class who actually likes him for a less chio 'ghost'. man he needs glasses.

b. he actually damaged his bicycle when going back to school during the last scene.

c. he dunno how to even ask the construction ppl to stop work when he went back to the piano room, and in the end killed himself for his foolishness.

anyway, i seriously think the long hair pony tail girl in the movie chio-er than the one jay chou like, so MARK and GABBY if you're reading this, you cant whack me with the cushion now. hahahahahah.

anway, away from soapy lovey dopey dovey movie stuff, here are some comments on open house:

a. i seriously think open house is a good way to network, socialise and make new frens and get to know old ones better.

b. we transformed our booth in 1.5 hours. i myself cant believe it but here it goes proving that teamwork, planning, innovation and on-the-spot improvisation is so dam crucial to doing something well.

c. li qian and nai chien are seriously dam smart. The only ppl who answered 5 quiz qn correctly.

d. some people seriously cant read. throw paper into metal recycling box.

Some other comments:
a. PW is stupid.

b. i need to kick around some soccer ball in a real match real soon, if not i will go crazy

c. i am super tired now.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

sigh...

did not want to go back to school today... and did not. Why should we? Prepare for open house? nah.

yesterday we did up our one earth booth board, and when i went home and thought over it, decided that it was not up to standards. Not up to our standards. People do not set us standards; we set the standards for ourselves. People do not judge us; we judge ourselves. The only judgement that should affect you should come from yourself. Not from others.

Anyway, no choice. Have to go down to school tml early to re-do it.

The reason why we did not really do a really nice board was not because we could not, but we did not wish to. Why then, did we did not wish too?

1. Our booth is on second storey. Who on this Earth will come?

2. We have to focus on other things too. Other than the booth, we have recycling boxes and the quiz to prepare for... and perhaps we are the only one with nice prizes to give out... Dun anyone dare kao pei me and say that the effort is not there because the effort is THERE! In order to secure the prizes, I had to correspond with the NEA officials since 2,3 months ago, and in order to prepare the quiz questions, we had to bloody brainstorm for so long.

3. The booth. Many CCAs spam their booths with info. We choose not to. Is that a problem? You see, the difference between us and the rest is simple: we think from the point of view of the VISITOR. The visitor will want something interesting to do on the spot, and who on earth will wanna read tons of info on the board??????

Nevermind. We shall do our best. Our board will be good. The reason for doing it well is not to please anyone, but to live up to ourselves. Remember, I dun do things to bloody please others, I do it answer to myself. Call this ego if you want, I call it my guiding principle.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

3 hours of wiki

Napped at 6.
woke up at 7.30
Dinner at 7.30
turned on the comp at 8.
By 8.30, finish checking inbox.
By 8.45, finished printing necessary stuff
By 9, could not think of an essay to write in response to one of my mail. decided to do another day. (guiding principle: "you cant force an essay, you invite it onto your paper." You must seduce it, tempt it and slowly translate your ideas into prose. Have you seen the Thai ladies making silk? They slowly pull out the silk from the cocoons. Similarly, for words too.)
By 9.15, finished bowl of (extremely sour) fruits.
By 9.30, sent out a couple of emails.
By 10, decided to head for my fav site, wiki.org

Here are some interesting stuff from wiki.org:
-Haneda Airport in Tokyo is 4th busiest in the world, despite serving only 2 (yes, read:2) international locations). Comparatively, Changi is 23. Sian, still long way to go to the top.

-"Homo" in homo sapien means "man". "Homo" in "homosexual" means "same". Like homogenous. Why? Because homo is both Greek and Latin. In the 2 languages, it shares different meanings.

- "The lives of many historical figures including Socrates, Alexander the Great, Lord Byron, Edward II, Hadrian, Julius Caesar, Michelangelo, Donatello and Christopher Marlowe included or were centered upon love and sexual relationships with people of their own sex. Terms such as gay or bisexual have been applied to them" (from wiki). Alexander the Great, ruthless conqueror, was gay? Julius Caesar (et tu brute?), unifer of Rome, was gay? Socrates, mentor of Plato, was gay? Donatello (not the turtle), ingenius artist, was gay? Michelango (not the turtle), famous sulptor, was gay?

- Physiological differences in gay men and lesbians:
Recent studies have found notable differences between the physiology of gay people and straight people. There is evidence that:


-The functioning of the inner ear and the central auditory system in lesbians and bisexual women are more like the functional properties found in men than in straight women (the researchers argued this finding was consistent with the prenatal hormonal theory of sexual orientation.[84]
-The startle response (eyeblink following a loud sound) is similarly masculinized in lesbians and bisexual women.[85]
-Three regions of the brain (medial prefrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and right amygdala) are more active in gay men than straight men when exposed to sexually arousing material.[86]
-Gay and straight people emit different armpit odors.[87]
-Gay men have, on an average, slightly longer and thicker penises than straight men.[91]
-Finger length ratios between the index and ring fingers may be different between straight and lesbian women.[92][93][84][94][95][96]

and more:

Cognitive differences in gay men and lesbians
Likewise, recent studies have found notable differences between the cognitive features of gay people and straight people. There is evidence that:
Gay men and lesbians are significantly more likely to be left-handed or ambidextrous than straight men and women;[97][98][99] Simon LeVay argues that because "[h]and preference is observable before birth[100]... [t]he observation of increased non-right-handness in gay people is therefore consistent with the idea that sexual orientation is influenced by prenatal processes."[81]
Gay men and lesbians are more verbally fluent than heterosexuals of the same gender[101][102] (but two studies did not find this result[103][104]).
Gay men are better than straight men at object location memory (no difference was found between lesbians and straight women).[105]


Startling.....................

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Alex Goh is in a class of his own.
J1s, Sec 4s, All are welcome to visit us. For some great prizes. Hesitate. no. more.

my mum's worst fears about her son

1. that he will go crazy

2. that he will be killed while riding his bicycle

3. that he will be killed while crossing the road

4. that he, when he grows older, instead of settling down with a girl, goes to tibet to seek enlightenment from the dalai lama.

5. that he will leave home for 1 year to fufill his childhood dream of cycling from singapore to paris.

i think that's all. Just now i said i was tired, and i was, so i went to brush my teeth, but then the energy came back.

note: the timing for this post is accurate it is 2.26 am tuesday oct 2nd now.

Monday, October 1, 2007

at 2am

"When you're dead during the day, you become alive at night."

another quote from me. Anyway, today i was sleeping at the beach the entire morning, hence i am wide awake now. i tried lying down on my bed but my mind started wandering about.

the time now, according to my baby g made in thailand watch, is 1.53 am. wow. and somemore tml (i mean later on today) i'm going back to school for a meeting.

anyway, i just wanna write down a few things lest i forget them, which i dun want to.

1. "Why do you want to change nature?" (dad to remy)
"Change is part of nature" (remy to dad)

Of the entire movie ratatouille (correct spelling rite?) I can only remember this line. I like this line. Classic. I remember 2 years ago, in a gloomy RI classroom, Mrs Kua MK was having chemistry lessons with 3F. And she emphasised the concept of 'change'. Back then i didnt know the importance of change, but now i do. I finally do. Thank you mrs kua for that valuable lesson.


2. my mum. ever since the end of promos i have been stoning in my room, doing nothing but playing fm, flight sim, surfing the net and reading. My mum had hoped that i would help out with some housework. I did not. sorry. But i will do so soon.

So what did my mum want me to do?
1. Trim the tree. She wants me to take the saw, climb up the ladder and trim off a top branch of her precious bouganvillae (spelling not sure) plant. The plant, fyi, is 3 metres tall and by climbing up to that branch i am risking my life cos:

a. I might fall into the drain that is directly below
b. In the process of falling, slice off my throat with that dangerous saw
c. Get pricked by the stupid thorns of the plant (have you ever seen those thorns before? they're like rhino horns sticking out and boy they're sharp)

2. Change the light bulb. Not just any light. its the tallest light in the house, and to reach it, its almost impossible. I have to spread out the ladder carefully between each steps of the staircase and position it so that it remians in equilibrium while I climb up 2 metres to reach the light which my sister blew.

And my dad?
3. wants me to pack up my room. Ironically, my room is already the neatest around here.

Ok,enough of complaining.

i feel tired already.

On gays in society

I am angry.

Angry that the media is targeting a man, a brilliant teacher, a humble educator, for admitting that he is gay.

That teacher is Mr. Otto Fong, and he taught me science during sec 1 and 2. And he was the one who developed my liking for physics. It was he who showed me encouragement whenever my form dipped. It was he who showered praise whenever my form peaked. And he, I can safely say, is one of the best teachers in the whole of Raffles Institution.

Never once did he display any act of indecency. Never once.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being gay, as long as the subject behaves properly. I have always felt that a homosexual is born homosexual. Don't bring me the religious point of view. I will not argue against it but i will not accept it. Think about it. Ask yourself, are you a homosexual? If your answer is no, do you think you will become a homosexual one day? Obviously not. If you are born not gay, you will not turn gay. Simple as that. If you are born gay, you can't change it. You can force yourself to act not gay but you won't be happy.

If I can remember my biology properly, i would say that there is a homosexual gene. And most likely this gene is recessive, for homosexuals belong to the minority. It is therefore, not influenced by external conditions/variations. A gay is born gay, not made gay.

Of course there are some sick, perverted people who display extreme acts of homosexuality. These people are mostly despotic females who think that being lesbian and kissing each other is hot. It is not. It makes my insides turn upside down. If we must discriminate, let us discriminate against these sick people. These people do not deserve our respect.

We live in a society that does not discriminate against race, language or religion. This society, then, should not discriminate against sexual orientation. It is not their fault that thay are born this way.

I feel that Mr Fong did the right thing in admitting that he is gay, because there is nothing wrong with being honest. He did not want to deceive the people around him. Maybe he heard the people arounf him cracking jokes about homosexuals. Is it his fault if he wanted to put an end to that? By admitting he is gay, he will no longer have to suffer by hearing such jokes. I guess that it must be really painful to force yourself to laugh to such jokes all the time in order to create the impression to others that you are not gay.

I am glad that Headmaster Koh has showed decisive leadership in terminating his suspension. Mr Fong, in my opinion, should not be sacked.

Words

I have been compiling my self-thought quotes and theories over this past year. Some are good, some are stupid, some are (i hope) wise, but all are original. They were hatched in the simple mind of HC.

Today i shall share a few with you readers.

Quotes
"We are not rebels. We are revolutionaries."

"Courage manifests itself discreetly. "
(Courage shows its face at the least expected places. Most of the time it appears as moral courage, which is easy to identify, and easy to forget, yet hard to achieve)

"Bold acts without thinking are not acts of courage. They are, in fact, acts of mere foolishness."

Theories

I have many theories. Yet i feel that these theories, mostly theories regarding human nature, may appear offensive. I have discussed many of these theories with my friends, and it is best for these theories to remain where they currently belong - in the minds of these friends.

Your face would be -.- by now. hahah. lame. crap.

However, in order to remember these theories, I must record them down. Hence I shall only publish the titles of my theories today.

theory 1- Indicators for losers (whoa, sounds rude)

theory 2- On the relationship between being pretty and being slutty (whoa, highly offensive but accurate)

theory 3- Reasons why people tend to become screwed up (whoa, sounds dangerous)


Friday, September 28, 2007

War's over

A Progress Report
by Gen. HC
Mr. President,
I present to you my thorough report of the war that we engaged in during the past week.
The war was inevitable from the start. There was no escape from it.
But now the war's over, and we celebrate our independence, our dignity, our honour, and our right to live free.
It was a non-violent engagement. Not a single drop of blood was shed.
Yet tears fell, often after difficult battles that tested the extremes of human capacity.
The war took place in terrible conditions.
We suffered harsh conditions, especially during the last battle (the battle of Geography and History), whether extreme low temperatures tested the endurance of our soldiers. Many soldiers who did not bring their bullet-proof vests (jackets) were vulnerable from the low energy air molecules that sucked thermal energy from their bodies. Even those who wore jackets and sweaters were not adequately protected. The cold was the enemy's perfect weapon.
Let me provide you a summary of the resources which we consumed over the past week:
1. Paper
In order to produce the paper that was used over the past week, we estimate that almost 100 trees were chopped down. During the preparation period, we used up even more paper, estimated to be around 100 sheets per soldier.
2. Ink
A hell lot. We estimate 1 entire pen-ful of ink per soldier.
3. Fuel
Battery power that provided energy for the tanks (GCs).
4. Ginseng Tea
3 cups per day for 3 weeks.
Now that the war's over, the soldiers celebrate. They have secured their basic right to live with independence, away from the tyrannical grip of dictators.
At 1730h yesterday, the soldiers dropped their weapons, their hands trembling from the cold and the enormous amount of work done during the 3 hour long battle.
Earlier on yesterday, shouts of anger were heard all over the battlefield as the soldiers took on the chemical warfare. Using despicable techniques such as ammonia gas and hydochloric acid, the enemy shocked our allied troops, who were definitely not well-prepared for the test. The person in charge of training the troops for the chemical warfare was Colonel Cheang.M.Y. We shall speak to him over the next few weeks.
On thursday, we launched into a battle of wits. Using complex mathematical symbols, the enemy attempted to induce our troops into a state of confusion and panic.
On wednesday, we encountered a physical battle in the morning, which was an extremely tough fight. Newtonian physics is not as simple as it looks. In the afternoon, the skills of our medics were tested.
On tuesday, our bankers worked hard, pitting themselves against an economic recession.
I shall not disclose what happened on monday, for it was disappointing defeat for me.
Next monday, some men and women shall seek to restore the rhetoric glory of the country. We wish them luck in their quest.
Over the next 2 weeks, we shall give out the medals of honour to those who have served well, fought smart, and prepared hard. Those who have done well will be rewarded.
With that, I shall conclude my report. The war is over, but we anticipate a greater challenge next year. We must seek to improve ourselves.
We also pray fervently for the countrymen of Myanmar, who face a much greater challenge in their lives today. We pray that they can find a peaceful resolution to their conflicts.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Preparing for War

Latest MSN nick from me.
Let me tell you why it's there...
The weapon.
Sleek, sexy and resilient, this PILOT G-2 is the mightiest weapon ever brought out to war.

The ammo.

One weakness of the PILOT G-2 is that it hardly lasts one 3 hour long Geography Paper.

It needs ammunition.


The soldier.

This soldier is one tough warrior. A veteran of many wars, this soldier has been in reciept of countless medal of honours.

The battlefield.

Where the real war begins.

The tank.

Supports the infantry. Virtually invincible, but infamous for its risk of back-firing.

More pictures to come.
I hate war, but this one doesn't have fighting.
It has pride, might, fear and glory.
Do you know Winston Churchill was a wartime correspondent?

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

happy happy day

I am sooo touched and hapy today. So this entry is gonna be very detailed. I am write down every single detail so that i will never forget this wonderful day:)

i love my OG

My og is super evil, especially towards innocent people like me! When I went to school this morning, was feeling kinda sian cos of geog test. Then I went to the lodge, everything was looking normal as usual, didnt suspect a single thing. Lester doing his math or chem, evonna stoning, hilary doing tutorials, alex just talking around, doing nothing.

The Evonna started asking me questions about geog test. So i tried my best to answer lah. The Hilary was like, does anyone has a phone to lend me? Evonna started to (pretend to) search her bag. I was like, hmmm, ok, I lend you my phone! Took the phone out and then hilary went away. Well, according to alex, she was hiding behind the pillar all the time. Then slowly, the og ppl started coming. I mean like, ppl starting coming, and they havent came for a long time, so if they start appearing it must be something wrong rite? Yea. Ok, then i realised something was wrong.

They were waiting for cara, the most evil of the all to come. I really love my OGLs, they are having prelims now and dun really need to come to school cos they dun have h3, but cara came down! Shaf told me she would come down too, but she had to go airport and send her sister off or something, so she couldnt come! But anyways, thank you OGLs, though you are evil, you rock!

When they prepared eveything, they told me to close my eyes. So I did. Didnt want to spoil the surprise! When I heard val giggle i knew it was something evil liao.

Then Alex came and led me to the grass patch. Oh no. Alex said, on the count of 1 to 3, open your eyes. Oh no. 1,2,3! Oh no. Cold Cold. Packets of water bombs came crashing down on my vulnerable body. Even for a victim, I have to admit that it was fun:) Then alex brought me towel and a change of clothes. Thank you OG!

I love my class.

Physics was normal as usual, Mr se as usual arrowing me, but it doesnt matter. Then came the break. Oops.

For what happened at the parade square, we shall watch a video. However, the video is with gen sam. I was telling gen sam, his phone is so precious with all the videos and unforgettable memories, the band of brothers must ensure that it is never lost. After 2 years of JC, we must compile a video of all the videos we took in school, and we will cry in memory of the good times. Yix gaying, the geog guys dancing and singing in the lt, tricks of opening the toilet, and so many pcitures.

What happened next really really reallyyyyy touched me, I cant say in adequately in words. Perfect ten was paying friends forever just now, and i really must say, i love my love love my class! The girls made a birthday corner for me:) Sam Soh baked a cake! And the class lit up the cake with so many candles, it was so pretty!

After day we went back to class and took a class photo, with my face still covered with chocolate cake! Mr Lim was walking past and he helped take the class photo and he said to ms chan, this class doesnt seem to be in the promo mood. hmmmm, we are taking a break, mr lim! We wun disappoint you in promos:) And thank you all the teachers who wished me happy birthday- mrs cheang, ms chan, mr lim, mr (sexy baby) cheang, and mr se (mr se got a not huh? nvm, you rock too)

I love my frens, my brothers, my homies.

Thanks muhd for the frisbee and the ball. Thanks homies for the ball tshirt. It was really thoughtful of you guys. Although you guys have jacked, screwed, suanned, poked fun and did almost every terrible to me, we will still be homies forever. And thanks everyone who smsed me. Muhd, nick, yu jun, qi han, shi da, hilary, kevin "the rat" (the world became a better place 17 years ago, yea!), adrian (who suggested a cake but whose idea was rejected by the evil og that prefered water bombs - good luck for your german prelims!), shaf, ben, chong min - i hope i didnt forget anyone! And also thanks everyone who wished me while walking past - i cant remember all. I remember Arvind, the 4F ppl, the One Earth ppl, and so many other ppl who i just happen to know. And thanks y sum for the card.

And thanks mum and dad. Mum for giving birth to me, and dad for playing a part in the process. And sis too, i know you took care of me for 17 years.

Today was a good day.

Geog test finally over. Got into Oteam, but zhuang didnt get in, man its really unfair and wasted. Physics wasnt that bad, muhd got 25/25 imba please?

I felt the same way when isle results came out, was really sad and even angry. But it doesnt matter. We here with you zhuang. Joanne lei and myself got it for 6Q. When i felt the full brunt of injustice, I came out with my initiative for a self-initiated isle to Nepal and I bet its gonna be better than the boring ones that the school has been doing for years. Yawn. Nepal rox. Now I'm working with Ms Lim to design the programme, and I am gonna to only accept the isle rejects. So when we face injustice, the trick is not to feel sorry for yourself, but to fight back and show others what we are capable of! Yea. Life is unfair, but we can correct it. If Gandhi did it, why not me? moi? wo? watashi? Yes yes yes. 17 years and I have learnt much. Still much to learn though.

Tml got math test but i am hecking it. I still havent bathed and its 2310h. Yea, after school went for pastamania and swensens with yu jun, joel, zhuang and gen sam. And after that met up with alex and jason, went to somerset to meet with wilson for things you can do! This campaign is gonna rock some socks man. we are gonna help change the world for the better, no matter how small our difference!

Then after that went for dinner with mum dad and sis. I love you mum dad and sis. Sis drive the car back and mum and dad were having heart attacks. She just passed like 4 weeks ago and the standard of singapore drivers is really bad. I'm a cyclist and I know.

I feel happy and touched.

Smiles :)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

pokemon

the last week of every term is always the most hectic.

Anyway, mood has been improving, which is always good. On sun went to Ben's church on his invitation, though i have no religion, and understood a little bit more about the world. I'm always open. It's always good to see old friends. Met Chinks and Khar Suan there too, Singapore is amazingly small.

Sunday night watched man utd play spurs. frightening game, really. Was really hoping for a victory for the red devils, and we really did. Amazing goal from nani, robinson touched the ball but couldnt direct it away due to the sheer power of the shot.

Mum and Dad went to the wake of the SAF Capt today, apparently the Capt's dad is my dad's client. Makes me wonder (again and again), why is life so short?

When i saw charmander outside the canteen today, I thought about my primary school days when i was playing pokemon. whenever i play pokemon red version, i will always start with charmander. It seems that fire suits me the most. Arguably, squirtle the water guy is the strongest amongst the three, and bulbasaur the weakest. I still remember those days man.

5 years on, I hope I can look back and view my JC days with the same wonderful memories. Hmmm, I think I will:)

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Of thoughts

i realised that my blog is quite different from other ppl's. I dun record daily events in my life in my blog. There is one reason for this: I am too lazy.

But there is one advantage of being lazy. When you laze around on the couch, you are practically doing nothing. So you get to think. And that was how the ancient Greeks became masters of geographic thought without even leaving their country. They sat around and thought. And thus, knowledge.

During physics lecture today,something strange happened. I fell alsleep, a really really deep sleep, and i dreamt abt physics. I ususally dun dream when i sleep, and when i dream, i usually dun dream of physics. But this time, I felt that a divine intervention is happening. Someone is trying to tell me something. Like trying to warn me that i am gonna die soon or something. Or someone close to me is gonna to die. So the divine soul is trying to tell me to do something to prevent a calamity.

I realised that I am stupid. Stupid because i dun even know that boy A liked girl B, even tho everyone around me knows. Btw, A and B are frens. But I dun even know. And that was back in Feb. And just now, on msn, one of my brotheres just told me that he confessed to his crush, but i realise i didnt know about it till 5 months later. And he said that everyone else knew. So, I suspect that there might be a problem with me somewhere. This problems prevents me from knowing obvious happenings.

Let's analyse the problem. Possibe factors:
1. I am blind, which i am not.
2. i am deaf, which i am not.
3. i am stupid, which i may be, but i would wish that i am not.
4. i am oblivious to happenings.

whoa, serious problem with my internal programming. Am I too technical, so technical that i am like a computer, unable to sense emotions around me. Am I too empirical, so empirical that I cant sense emotions. Am i too rational, so rational that I cant read ppl's minds? Am I so stupid, so stupid that I cant link premises to come forth with a conclusion? Am i so detached from the world?

oh crap. I think i am.
 
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