One. Four. Five.

Car Keys

2010-08-01T18:24:00.000+01:00

Do you remember how exciting car keys were?

You walk along side the adult that is rummaging through her bag and pockets to find the car keys, once they have it in their hand, you can't help but ask whether you can run ahead and open the doors. The excitement starts to build from them giving you something that was in your eyes purely 'adult'. The keys granted access to your parents toy where the only role you played was to sit and not make too much noise. But now, with the keys in your hands, you start to buzz with power. You run towards the four wheeled machine that you've entered a thousand times. This time is different. Not only could you initiate the two beeps that came from the unlocking mechanism, but on those rare occasions when the adults were not yet at the car, you may have the time to clamber over to the driver's throne and insert the magical piece of metal into the ignition slot. This was one of those occasions. The doors are open, you have climbed in, you reach over and you've got the key in the ignition. Then the idea hits you, maybe you could take it to the next step. Your heart starts pounding as you contemplate on the consequences of you turning the key. You have heard the lecture on how dangerous cars are many times before, but the revving sound of the engine coming alive is too much to resist. You turn around and catch a glimpse of the adult coming around the side of the car, they're nearly here. You turn the key, and like the perfect machine that it is, the engine wakes up with a growl and settles to a soft purr. The driver door opens. They don't seem to mind. You climb back to your sit with a smile on your face. Doors close. As the car begins its journey, you sit back with a sense of accomplishment and relive the adventure that is possessing the power of car keys.

Past? What past?

2010-06-26T23:34:00.000+01:00

A whole lot can change in seven years. I got a new name. New city. New history. I've told the same lies so many times that I am beginning to believe them myself. The lying itself was not hard, not at all. Through the constant repetition of the same lies, the story gets entrenched, and it then gets easy to fit the new ones in. The hard bit is at the beginning, when the foundational lies are still fresh, still part of a balancing act. The constant fear that one slip might bring the whole house down.

I know it is cliche, but it is the truth, the fear never goes away. On the good days, you get distracted and you forget your own past. You believe your own story and all is good. But the truth is always there. The fact that your heart perpetually skips a beat when hear your old name acts as a constant reminder. It is reflex. You wish you could ignore it, but you cannot.

*Inspired by Dana in 24:Day 8

Adopted vs. Biological

2010-06-21T23:51:00.001+01:00

The concept that a parent will unconditionally love their own kid no matter what is familiar to us all. Some say that it is built into our genes, and by nature we will take care of our young; we naturally love our own. But how does this sit with those that are adopted?

The danger with mixing adopted kids with biological ones is that the kid will feel that he is less loved, and/or that the parents will indeed love their own kid more. But shouldn't it instead be vice versa? Sure, the parents will naturally love their own kid, but the source of this love may be genetic hardwired. Whereas with the adopted kid, the parents chose to love him; and it is because of this choice that the adopted kid should rest assured that he has something his biological counterpart will never have.

Help With Murder

2010-05-05T22:46:00.000+01:00

When needing help burying a body, or committing a crime of any sort, instincts tell us to involve the person that we most trust, whether that be your spouse, family or friend. The reasoning being that the trust will ensure that the body would be buried and stay buried. But this reasoning is not right.

By asking the person you most trust, you are essentially putting your interests over and above theirs, their status quo of legal purity is involuntarily stained by your own criminal incompetency. Assuming that you also care about the people that you trust, would you not instead want to keep them in the clear?

There is no doubt that you need someone that you sufficiently trust in committing a crime with. But all you need is a person you trust enough, not the person you trust the most. Out of the group that are sufficiently trustworthy, you should therefore not involve your best friend (as intuitive as this may be) but should instead involve your 'worst' friend, effectively insulating the others. By choosing this person, you maximize protection of both yourself and those you care about.

Caring About Your Image

2010-03-24T17:41:00.001Z

We have all met people that seemingly care about their image a little too much. We might call them superficial, fake, shallow, but is there really any justification for such negative connotations? Humans as a species are intrinsically sociable. We're herd creatures. Your interaction with people is solely based upon the perception that others have of you - your image.

Some might say that they don't care about their image, and that they will act themselves no matter what the circumstance. They need not and will not put on a facade for anyone. But that is essentially saying that the image that they present to others is that they are 'true' and 'genuine'. It is nonetheless an image that the person is trying to convey, its just that 'not putting up a facade' is among the traits that he or she feels are important.

As caring about your image is natural, I do not believe that caring too much about your image, in its literal interpretation, is the negative trait that society has lead us to believe it is. Rather, what society means by 'caring too much' is the conveyance in your image that you care about your image. But since we all care about our image, does that imply that those who maintain the 'true' and 'genuine' image, are the ones that are not being true and genuine?

Joining the Army

2010-03-22T02:09:00.001Z

You joined the army.

You went on tour.

You survived.

You come back.

Time has passed. Similar to any other situation where you are leaving a certain place with history, your memory of the place will always stay as it was when you left. Things have changed. People have changed. You don't really fit in anymore. But you reason with yourself that its okay, you went away for a purpose, it was all worth it.

Then this nutcase come along and says that you should have stayed here, that you should not have left. You were mistaken about the purpose, there is none. All you did was worthless.

*Inspired by a scene from The Lucky Ones - An amazing movie.

Different Reactions

2010-03-20T00:51:00.000Z

After asking around for people's opinion on whether I should get my ears pierced or not, I realised that people usually gave one of two types of answers. Those that gave an opinion on whether I would look good with earrings (ie. would they suit me) and those that gave an opinion on whether I fit (or should fit) into the image that goes along with having earrings.

The former is the type of answer I'm looking for. The latter, I feel is merely a reflection of their personal interactions with people with pierced ears. If that person has had a lot of friends who have also got their ears pierced, he's usually for the piercing. If the person's only interaction is that of the rebellious stereotype, he's usually against the piercing.

Piercing My Ears

2010-03-16T14:40:00.001Z

I woke up this morning from a dream, and genuinely believed that i had both my earlobes pierced and had small rings on them. The belief and history connected to it was strong enough that the first thought that crossed my mind was that 'i really should taking my earrings off before i sleep'.

Figuring out that in reality i do not have pierced ears, i have been flirting with the idea ever since. I'm afraid that it might make me look too try-hard, but i guess its merely an act of self expression.

Any thoughts? What you think of guys with pierced ears? Both/one? rings/studs?

Burnt Out.

2010-03-13T20:06:00.000Z

It's been effectively 2 weeks, maybe 3, lets make that 4 weeks, in which i have done the most minimal amount of work to get by. Exams are 8 weeks from now, and i have no motivation. So why?

I think its because I don't really know where this is all leading. The concept of not knowing what happens after August 29h is a bit daunting. The possibilities are endless. What i'll be doing. Where i'll be. How i'm doing it. Who i'll be with.

So how?

How Could You Think That About Me?!

2010-03-12T01:07:00.000Z

There's a very common scene on film and television where a misunderstanding between two characters induces a fallout.

J and K are good friends/partners/lovers

J finds out that he has an unknown enemy

J discovers evidence that falsely accuses K

J believes that K might be the enemy

J confronts K

K rightly denies all accusations

K feels relationship was not good enough to disprove accusations

K feels betrayed.

The sad thing about the scene is that the feelings and beliefs usually seem genuinely justified. It might have been because of very convincing evidence that led J to believe that K could be the enemy. And if J could honestly believe that, then its only natural for K to think that their relationship was not sound, hence the feeling of betrayal.

But is K's reaction justified? I don't think it is.

It is important to recognise that there are actually two betrayals - J actually felt betrayed first. Although it was because of false evidence, J nonetheless genuinely felt that K betrayed him. Hence, if K feels that he is justified to feel betrayed at the end, then J should similarly be justified to feel betrayed at the beginning, therefore justifying J's consequential belief, thus in turn nullifying the justification of K's feeling of betrayal.

Reductio ad absurdem - K's feeling of betrayal cannot be justified.

*I'm sure there is something wrong in the argument, but as I am too tired to think, i'll just leave it as it is.... haha

Our Two Selves: Remembering and Experiencing.

2010-03-09T22:14:00.001Z

This is a really interesting presentation by Daniel Kahneman, linking the science of happiness with self identity and memory.

Interesting points:
- Two selves distinguished by memory:
   Experiencing self: The present.
   Remembering self: The past via memories.
- What we keep from our present experiences are our memories.
- Memories are biased and are not accurate recounts.
- Different things make the different selves happy.
   Experiencing self's happiness stops increasing with income at 60K.
   Remembering self gets happier the higher the income.

I feel that the analysis can be superimposed onto how people from different cultures prioritise different things in life. Asian cultures which are more money-oriented and trophy-seeking, would focus on the remembering self; whilst other cultures with a more live-for-the-present personality focuses more on the experiencing self.

When do 'you' start?

2010-03-06T22:36:00.000Z

When do you think your present 'you' started?

Let me elaborate. I'm not looking for your birthday, or when your physical or conscious entity came into existence, but when you felt that your current "I" or "me" became what it is. When looking back into your own history, when do you stop relating that person to be yourself and start relating that person to your kid self or your high school self. Is there such a distinction?

You could say that one changes every moment, and that each day is a new experience that no matter how insignificant, still nonetheless becomes a part of you. But I'm not looking at the mini changes. Don't take into account the mini extensions or upgrades that take you from John 1.0 to John 1.1, what I'm asking is when you last upgraded from John 1.x to John 2.0? When did your core essence last undergo a major rewrite?

Some people say university, coinciding with the must embraced opportunity to reinvent yourself. Others say they've been themselves since high school. Some say primary school. Some say after their last relationship. Some say when they got together with their partner. What do you think?

Dream: Rebuked For Killing Coffee

2010-02-28T10:55:00.004Z

So it started with me and two friends being in a coffee shop; two high school boarding house friends at a coffee shop that I had supposingly gone to once before, in a residential area in north Sydney. It was small, rustic, had no more than 10 chairs and served amazing stone oven pizza. It was late afternoon and we decided to head over there and get some work done before going back home. As we sat down at the high table on the opposite side of the bustling cafe, I took our orders and headed over to the counter.

"I'll have a flat white please"

"Your friends want anything?"

"No, they aren't big on the coffee"

The guy sitting at the counter next to me kinda looked like an older, balder, Gerard Butler. In an excessively colourful shirt that looked out of place in the wooden setting, he nodded at me as I got my wallet out. I nodded back. The smell of good coffee hit my senses as the cup got placed on the counter, with no brown sugar available and the urge to return to my friends asap, I quickly put in a teaspoon of white sugar into the cup without destroying the latte art and began to head back.

"IS THAT HOW YOU HAVE YOUR COFFEE?!?!" The colourful shirt shouted.

The whole cafe went silent. All eyes on me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Before I even answered he signalled for me to come back over to the counter. He lowered his voice and as the cafe slowly began to generate noise again, he accused me of killing my flat white.

"The white sugar is too edgy for the coffee, it practically stabs a knife into the delicate yet full body. Also, taste the coffee before you add anything to it, the crisp acidity and chocolatey undertones of today's Guatemalan blend means that you'll need much less sugar than usual. You shouldn't just dump sugar in like that, you coffee-killer."

I had nothing to say.

Being Spoilt

2010-02-23T17:45:00.005Z

Quite recently, I tried to determine whether I would be considered spoilt. But before I could come near any sort of conclusion, i hit the problem of not really knowing what i was looking for. There are people that I think are spoilt, there are also people that most people would agree are spoilt, but what determines this 'spoiltness' that we can all seem to relate to?

Intuitively, the first thought was spending ridiculous amounts of money to satisfy one's needs. But that is not the full picture. What about people who are just spending proportionately to what their resources allow? Surely the expendiutre patterns of a multimillionaire and those of a student are different. It's not just the spending, it's one's priorities connected to it. Maybe 'spoiltness' is whether the priorities are proportionate to your resources. But then the problem with that is that people with unlimited resources cannot be spoilt.

Small Talk

2010-02-20T22:09:00.004Z

I love making small talk. It's one of the simple pleasures in life. At that moment when you first meet a person, there is minimal judgment. Apart from their physical appearance, which may be deceiving, there is no way to know what kind of person he is. A few lines of small talk changes everything. Through their choice of words, intonation, content, facial expression, body language, you get a much more complete picture of who the stranger is. It is taking 'people watching' to the next level: Instead of merely appreciating people through their actions/appearance, one can add a certain depth to individuals through the simple act of 'polite meaningless words'.

Knowing How To React

2010-02-05T22:19:00.003Z

The latest episode of private practice had parents needing to make the choice of choosing between their 8 year old twins which one to save with the spinal cord fluid from their younger brother whom the parents only had with the intention of obtaining the fluid. As one of the twins were too weak for the treatment, there was no real choice to make in the end. But the thing that hit me most was when the twins got news of the choice. How would you react if you were told that your best friend is going to die, and because of that you were going to live?

Let me tell you how you would react: You will be sad, genuinely sad, and in a rage of frenzy insist that either you both get the cure, or that neither of you do. A stroke of irrationality may even induce you to offer to give it up for your best friend and bet against the chances of survival, but in the end, there will always be teary-eyed scene of self-sacrifice. In response, your best friend will stay calm, be controlled and encourage you to take the cure and live your life.

Why would we all react this way? why isn't there an alternative? It is because there is no better way to play the situation out and everyone knows this. The one that can get the cure is ultimately going to get the cure anyway, as both twins dying is not an option, therefore there is nothing to lose in acting in a self-sacrificial manner. Whilst as angry as the dying twin might be of his bad luck, there is nothing he can do to alter the circumstances, and the most beneficial response to the self sacrifice is accept the impossibility and help his best friend come to terms with his survival.

Shared experience

2010-01-19T19:10:00.006Z

Edinburgh, Scotland - The only trip i took alone

What is the point in travelling? To see the world? To taste the culture difference? To experience things one cannot in their own city? I say all of the above. Then why do I have the aversion to travelling alone? If the point is to gain new experiences focusing on the novelty of the location, why is it so important to me that people come with me? Surely by going with other people you 'lose focus' on the location. That's why people always say that you get to experience more when you go abroad by yourself. Is it because I am unwilling to sever myself from the comfort of having people I know, needing to have with me a sense of familiarity, not able to truly let go of home.

Or is it just more fun that way?

I Disagree

2010-01-05T01:30:00.006Z

I used to think that your methodology was justified due to the prima facie good result that came of it, but after further thought, I beg to differ. I am not saying that one can ascertain with certainty the outcomes of specific methodologies, but with the help of probabilistic causation, I believe that alternate methods may have led to a more rewarding outcome. The current result may still be one that people admire, be proud of, and even be jealous about, but if one were to know the full scope of the result, I feel that one cannot help feel that it is not as positive an outcome as previously thought.

Why did I change my mind? It is not because my original analysis of the result was flawed, for I knew accurately what the result consisted of. It was merely that I had underestimated the importance of a certain characteristic that the result blatantly lacks. A characteristic that I have recently learnt the importance of, and that before I did not even know existed. I knew what the result consisted of, what I did not know was what it did not consist of.

It has been an enlightening experience, one which has lead me to the conclusion - I disagree.

Lefthanded

2009-12-30T22:35:00.002Z

Back on the slopes with my arm in a sling

Things that are surprisingly hard without a right hand:
- brushing teeth
- anything to do with the right arm (cleaning, drying)
- slicing and dicing
- peeling a banana
- using a coathanger
- going thru immigration (forms)
- western dining
- retrieving cash from wallet
- opening letters
- choosing what clothes to wear (sleeves may be too small)

Things that are surprisingly easy without a right hand:
- changing clothes
- tying shoelaces
- shopping (extra service given)
- typing (not fast)

Idolization

2009-12-16T10:38:00.003Z

Most people have idols. Me included.

But if you were to ask me who they were, the names I would give you would probably mean nothing to you. Why? Because the people I would be naming would not be celebrities or noble prize winners, but people that I know personally.

I guess using the word 'idol' is a bit much. Let's tone it down a bit, I'm referring to people that you admire or look up to. And that to me, seems more real and genuine when its concerning people that you have actually met. But saying that, the people that fall into this short exclusive list are not and cannot be said to be perfect. It is probably because of a certain personality trait that qualifies them to be worthy in my opinion to be admired. So in effect, I look up to person A for characteristic A and person B for characteristic B. Importantly, I look up to person A only within the scope of characteristic A and person B only within the scope of characteristic B.

Isn't this true with any form of idolization? People idolize Beckham because of his football, Mother Teresa for her selflessness, Gandhi for his non-violent political activism. It's one thing to admire the quality in that person, but where the idolization extends past the characteristic(s) which you admire and onto the person itself, I feel that its somewhat unjustified.

Graduation.

2009-09-11T21:36:00.001+01:00

As of 48 hours ago,

I'm now a graduate.

How do i feel?

No different.

Back with a Present.

2009-09-06T22:11:00.003+01:00

That's right peoples, the very few of you who still manage to intermittently check this blog, is once again blessed with the promise of regular new posts. I'll try.

But furthermore, there is an additional blog that I am obliged to introduce to you all. That's right a whole new blog. It's a food blog, written in conjunction by a few food enthusiasts and yours truly. We all love our food and feel like we should share it with you all who are interested.

Welcome all to...

Chopsticks, Fork and Spoon

Bon Appetit!
Tuck in!
食饭！
En Guete!
いただきます!

A place i miss...

2009-06-16T18:05:00.000+01:00

Whistler, Vancouver - 15 Dec 2004

Circle Line Crawl

2009-06-14T14:13:00.004+01:00

First stop: Pub lunch at 'The Gate', Farringdon, London

The infamous circle line pub crawl involves going (more like attempting to go) to each of the 27 stations of the London underground, and having a drink at a pub at each location.

Crazy. I know. We made it to station 13 (a good attempt if you ask me, i think its impossible to finish). Loads of fun, with friends joining and leaving us along the way, finding a lot of cool hidden pubs, and discovering bits of London that we usually would have no reason to go. Photos on facebook.

Fountain Glare

2009-06-12T18:24:00.004+01:00

Taken: Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, Italy.

Sun and water always makes an easy photo...

Rare Drop Bear Sighting

2009-06-10T14:50:00.008+01:00

Taken: Camp - July 2005

Native to Australia, this relative of the koala is dangerous and vicious, especially to tourists. Locals usually inform non-residents of Australia on entry, suggesting that alert should be taken in case of a drop bear attack. This carnivorous cousin to the cuddly koala drops out of trees onto unsuspecting tourists killing their prey with the fall. Encounters are rare but the survival rate is agreed to be zero - "You never see the one that gets you."

According to locals, there are several ways to prevent a drop bear attack. Spreading Vegemite or toothpaste behind the ears may keep drop bears away. Wearing forks on your head or helmets with spikes might prevent you from dying at the paws of a drop bear. Other local traditions suggest peeing on your shoes, before going on a walkabout. Drinking beer or pretending to have an Australian accent may attract the interest of drop bears and is to be discouraged.*

Dawn - A Rare Sighting

2009-06-09T16:08:00.004+01:00

Euston Road, London at 0500.

I reckon its quite rare for students to see the city in the early morning, and even if they do, it is not because they woke up early, but stayed up all night the day before.

Privilege of Boredom

2009-05-25T14:47:00.004+01:00

There is nothing like examinations to give us perspective...
...boredom is a privilege not a curse.

Slithery Rapunzel

2009-05-10T21:20:00.004+01:00

ladies and gentlemen, may i introduce to you all ... rapunzel
the burmese python that has been staying with me for the last few weeks

Chicken Congee

2009-05-06T23:04:00.017+01:00

The all time classic 'sickness food' - Chicken Congee. My flatmate wanted me to make it for dinner so... ta da!

Recipe: Mix sesame oil and soy sauce with uncooked rice and let soak under low heat for a few minutes (don't burn rice) then essentially add spring onions (leave green bits for garnish), ginger, dash of pepper, chicken stock, chicken bits, water and let boil!

Simple and tasty - the best kind of recipe.

Coincidentally, some friends and I were discussing the best way to make this classic not that long ago. And though we all had our minute differences, half of us agreed with low heat soaking bit, but we all don't really know why except for that it 'brings out the taste'. Haha.

New Design. New Exams.

2009-05-03T02:58:00.003+01:00

Procrastination has once again led to resuscitation...

...but its 3am, and i am tired.

What you think of the new design?

Little Things

2008-11-20T01:17:00.002Z

When you think that when something as small as holding hands is something special, I don't know whether to feel happy or sorry for you...

White Lies

2008-10-23T01:37:00.003+01:00

There was this one scene in the film Wild America, where Marshall Stouffer (played by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) has this mini monologue on how white lies really dont' do anyone any good. And although the point is not an original one, it still seems to be one of those 'somewhat meaningful but not really' topics of discussion.

I've just been searching the net for 30mins trying to find the quote, but i can't. But the gist of it is basically: It doesn't matter who, what or why - a lie is still a lie. And like all other lies, it will hurt everyone, including yourself.

What if the lie was for paternalistic reasons?
They are only lying to you, because they are trying to do what is right by you. What if by accepting the lie, you're causing more pain than if you chose to ignore it?

It's a lose-lose situation: You either accept their lie and cause unhappiness, or you pretend to accept it and let the lying slowly eat you away...

Krispy Kreme Drive Thru

2008-10-02T17:49:00.002+01:00

Inappropriately Happy

2008-09-19T18:28:00.004+01:00

He's always so happy.
Too happy in fact.
Inappropriately happy.
He always joking.
Looking at the bright side.
Ever optimistic.

But there are times when you should be sad.
All people need to mourn.
Or is it unnecessary to him?
He accepts it as it is, and moves on.
He is not in denial.
Merely gets over slump instantaneously.

George Bernard Shaw once said:
"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."

Where's my twin?

2008-09-13T14:15:00.008+01:00

"As a young boy, I lay in my twin bed wondering where my brother was."
- Mitch Hedberg

Hilarious.

There have actually been quite a few people who I've been privied to be said to be twins with...

- Maytas Sirivejchapun (My Thai Twin! Headmaster says we look identical)
- Tze Seeto (My Scottish Twin! Our pasts are uncannily alike)
- James Chiu (My Canadian Twin! We grew up together)
- Jane Cheung (Who's actually my sister, so that's alright.. haha)

I'm pretty sure there's a fifth...!! Sorry!

Continue or not?

2008-09-02T06:23:00.001+01:00

I dunno whether i should continue writing...
It's not like I have a lack of stuff to write about. More like, I'm too lazy to write it.

Group Political Warfare

2008-07-17T17:00:00.003+01:00

I've always been a fan of helping people out in socially political situations. Especially those which are only one sided and you're only involved in one side of things. But things get complicated, and i mean real complicated, when you are dealing with the people within the group and group politics gets dirty. When the knives come out and the backstabbing begins, its always a good time to pull out and let the parties involved battle it out. But since retreat is not always possible, sometimes you are forced to pick up the kitchen cleaver yourself and defend yourself - whether that be your image, reputation, or social status. The bloodshed continues till there are evident war wounds on both sides and what used to be a carefree lunch at your local restaurant has turned into a power play scenario with both sides trying to recruit and train soldiers for the battle field. In the end, no one wins. People lose reputations, others lose friendships. It never ends well. If the group survives, the people involved will go through a period of post-social-traumatic stress disorder (PSTSD) where simple everyday activities are awkward and uneasy. Some say that time heals all wounds, but let me tell you one thing - the wound may heal, but there will always be a scar there. It will never return to what it was before. What has happened is forever etched onto the history books of those involved and the ripples that affect the future are inevitable.

G8 Summit

2008-07-13T09:37:00.002+01:00

I was listening to the Economist today, and they were talking about how the three "F"s are causing trouble: Fuel, Food and Financial Credit Crunch. They were going on about how the consumer market was reacting to the changes and the effects on the population. As i was listening to the article reporting the woes of the summit, in front of me were two homeless kids, barefoot and in rags just trying to make it to their next meal.

Step Up Step Up.

2008-07-06T12:24:00.003+01:00

Sooo... Who's interested in being part of a world wide dance video? The idea is to have people dancing in well known places (such as NYC times square, China great wall, Sydney opera house...) and then kinda like "throw" the dance to each other. Putting it all together to create hopefully something that looks kinda cool.

Anywhoz... for those who dunno, there was a crazy dance battle on youtube between the crews ACDC (Adam/Chu Dance Crew) and M&M (Miley & Mandy). And here are the first two videos... (soooo much fun! hahhaha )

Parents and Kids

2008-07-02T15:48:00.005+01:00

Every family works differently. Some have a strict hierarchy system, while others do not. Looking at the different kinds of relationships between a child and parents can be really interesting. Some of my friends treat their parents as the authority of the house, the boss, the holder of the keys. Others treat their parents more on par of being mates, friends, buddies. A suggested explanation of this difference is the different parenting styles that are being used, but i strongly disagree. My relationship has changed dramatically over the years with my parents, and if the style of parenting was a yardstick to go by, i should probably be hating my dad (which is not the case). I think it has more to do with the personalities of the people involved. If the parents are just big kids themselves, then it's easier for the child to relate to them on the same level. It's not that the parents need to be immature for them to get along with their kids, not at all. Rather it is the compatibility of their personalities. But then it can be argued that the parents had a lot to do with what the kid's personality turned out to be. And so it follows the age long debate of nature verses nurture.

Besides from that, there is also the cultural aspect that should be taken into account. It is a well known fact that Asian families have a more grounded 'respect the elders' concept, and hence leading to a hierarchy. So I won't say that the compatibility between parents and kids is sufficient to determine the relationship style. But, i would like to think that it is a big bit of it.

What type of relationship do you have with your parents? kids?

C-r-a-z-y Dream

2008-06-29T03:32:00.003+01:00

Yes i know it's been nearly a week since my last post and i'm sorry. (Haha, I dunno if there's anything to be sorry about, but i know that Ziggy regularly reads this.) Shanghai's been kinda hectic. Going to school and then making new friends and making sure that I don't have dinner alone (coz I hate it). It's been good, making a few new friends and been hanging out with family friends as well. (Went to the Vue Bar last night. It's on the top floor of the Hyatt on the Bund. It overlooks both waterfronts and also has a jacuzzi!)

Anywhoz, back to what this post was originally about. My dream.
It was so vivid that i can remember stupid details like what color and design my bball jersey was, so instead of writing a novel, this is it in pointform.

The whole dream is set in Cranbrook School

- Josh running for 'school president'
- I was all the candidates assistants and knew all the workings of every 'party'
- There was this huge auditorium, and Josh won, so he made one of those dramatic inspiring speeches.
- Then, the whole presidency thing ended and I went to play bball.
- I was training with my team for a big inter-school match.
- But on the night of the game, i got benched and had to sit up in the stands (haha)
- During the first 5 minutes of the match a whole bunch of students rushed into the hall and caused confusion, i was still up in the stands.
- Someone shouted "BOMB!!" and i ducked down hands on head in the stands and then a few seconds later heard and felt a crazy big explosion coming from where the guy shouted.
- Opened my eyes and there were bodies and blood everywhere (still in the gym)
- Run outside trying to make sense of the chaos, and everything starts to shake.
- Earthquake rattles the school, buildings are crumbling, i run into the open space between the gym and the stone staircase until the shaking stops.
- Meanwhile the science building and part of the main building has crumbled. All other buildings have massive cracks in the walls.
- I bound up the stone staircase to reach Rawson and shout to the people still on the balcony (one being Pete Vong) telling them to get the hell out of the building.
- The aftershocks hit, and I stare in awe as both rawson and street fall to the ground crushing everyone inside.
- I look over the ledge at the main building and the rest of the campus looks like the sequel to szechuan. Buildings fallen, half standing, dusty, people with blood...
- Suddenly there's the sound of water, and the tsunami (which the earthquake supposedly created) hits the school like a wall of water.
- It floods and further kills everything that was below the upper level of the school (where I was)
- As it slowly fades away, it seems as the school has been cleansed and given a chance to start anew. Although buildings were still half collapsed, all the loose rubble had been swept away.
- I look behind me and there were a bunch of kids with walkytalkies that looked like different colored glow sticks made into a circle. (ie. each person had a different colored ring) They seemed to know what was going on, and those who survived slowly congregated around them.
- This is when Marcel showed up. We kinda congratulated each other on staying alive and listened to the guys with the colored rings.
- They said that they were aliens that were sent to start the school anew and showed us proof by pointing to an alien looking building that kinda just appeared where the science building used to be.
- Marcel and I leave, coz they were talking nonsense (we didn't believe them) and we head into the Egyptian museum located beneath Perkins.
- All the artifacts were in perfect condition and the curator said that what happened outside didn't affect the museum in anyway.
- As we crawled out the exit, I went back to the guys with the rings to see if i could get my hands on a funky walkytalky.
- He wouldn't let me have it so i pickpocketed from him.
- As i was trying to figure out how it all worked, trying my best to not create a second earthquake...

...I woke up.

Welcome to Shanghai

2008-06-23T13:26:00.003+01:00

I'm here
Learning Chinese

It sucks being illiterate
Gah

Birthday Cards

2008-06-21T11:11:00.000+01:00

No, its not my birthday...

But i was wondering, what do people do with their old birthday cards?
Do you throw them away? (that's a waste)
Do you keep them in a shoebox? (that takes up space)
Stick it on your wall? (every year?)

Mine are usually stacked together next to my books on my bookshelf. Chances are, I'll probably never look at them again. And even if i do, i'll only enjoy looking at the ones that people actually put effort into (ie.they either made or written an heart-warming essay). So... what to do?

What They Say About Opium

2008-06-19T11:11:00.001+01:00

You still
feel the pain,
but it doesn't
hurt any more

Quote from The Children of HuangShi

Fame

2008-06-17T11:11:00.000+01:00

Would you like to be famous to the point where your every move was watched by either bodyguards (royalty) or paparazzi (idols)?

I guess we all want the attention now and then, but there will definitely be a lack of both privacy and liberty.

Since you won't be a 'nobody' any more, every action has a consequence, no such thing as just having fun. Everything has to be thought out and calculated. (does it?)

Box vs Window

2008-06-15T11:11:00.003+01:00

Is there a real difference seeing the world through a box and seeing the world through a tour bus window?

Umbrella Duel

2008-06-13T17:03:00.003+01:00

On the way to the airport to go on my Europe trip, i was sitting on the ever so eventful piccadilly line when a group of people caught my eye. Picture this...

A group of around five guys in their mid-twenties sitting opposite each other making a racket. On closer inspection, two of them were concentrating intensely with extension umbrellas on standby by their sides. Then suddenly, "DRAW!" shouts one of the spectators (later identified as the judge), the two whip out their respective weapons with lightning speed pressing the release button on the way out creating the sound of extending metal and an explosion of laughter from the audience.

Now doesn't that sound like fun?

Writing Posts

2008-06-11T07:17:00.002+01:00

People start blogs for different reasons - to the sudden inspiration to keep a record of one's life, to vent your opinion on public matters, to have a way to keep a connection with friends overseas, or (like me) just as a method of procrastination. Everyone who has started a blog will eventually reach a point in time when they find that it is both tedious and time consuming to continue writing posts.

I am at that point.

But... I'm trying to push on, as hard as that is, to try an maintain at least a few posts a week. It's not like i have nothing to write about, I actually have a lot of things to write about, but it's the writing bit that is putting me off. It just seems to take a painstaking amount of effort.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2008-06-08T11:11:00.001+01:00

"Don't you dare eat me..."

Brush Your Teeth

2008-06-06T11:11:00.001+01:00

This post has no other purpose than to remind you to brush your teeth.

Persepolis Review

2008-06-04T11:11:00.004+01:00

I was halfway through the book when I went to watch the film, and although they flew through events in the book in seconds, the film did a pretty accurate job in representing it. (Of course, you would hope so, coz the director was the author)

It was original. simple. heartfelt.

How they managed to make a black and white simple animation film such a success is what i really want to know. Maybe it's because of the truth behind it, or maybe because of the political issues involved. But whatever it is, they deserve the attention. 100 minutes felt like 20, as you intently followed the character through her history.

You should all go see it! 8/10
Trailer

Dissertation, Presubmissions, Exams

2008-06-02T11:11:00.000+01:00

I've got a dilemma. So... was wondering if you guys could give your opinions on something.

In my final year, I have to take 4 units of Philosophy. Each module is equivalent to 1 unit. 4 units therefore 4 modules therefore 4 exams. But then, I also have the choice of doing presubmissions and/or a dissertation.

Presubmissions are a set of three 2500 word essays that we submit in replacement of an exam. A Dissertation is a 7500 word essay that counts for 1 unit. Both of these are on topics of our choice.

Now, my dilemma is I dunno whether i should do presubmissions/dissertation or just study for the exams (which are of the same format - 3 essays).

Pros for Presubmissions/Dissertation:
- Written in one own's time
- Open topic, can concentrate on what you want to learn
- Can voice original opinion on specific matter
- Less crammed exam schedule, less exam stress

Cons for Presubmissions/Dissertation:
- Takes a CRAZY AMOUNT of time, effort, and planning
- Marked to a much higher standard than exams

What do you think?

Joshua Trailer

2008-05-31T11:11:00.000+01:00

I think the scariest concept used in horror films nowadays are psycho children. And to prove my point, here's the trailer to Joshua, released in 2007. Enjoy!

Pre-blogging

2008-05-29T11:11:00.000+01:00

[Written on 22nd May]

For those who don't know, I'm currently on a trip with my parents and some friends. And if I'm not mistaken, I should be in Romania right now. And since I obviously can't really blog at my leisure, I've decided to 'pre-blog' my way into letting you guys know that I am currently right...

Another Year

2008-05-27T11:11:00.006+01:00

Birthdays never meant much to me, I mean, not that i didn't enjoy my birthday. No, not that at all, just that, it was the fact that i realised early on that it was merely another day that just so happens to coincide with the date that i was born, nothing particular. I guess everyone reaches a point where they come to this realisation.

People say that it is just an excuse to get together, or to get presents. But think back when you were young, when you thought that your birthday was the one day in the whole year that was special (and maybe you still feel this). What were we celebrating? ... We were celebrating LIFE.

Don't ever forget that feeling.

Since it's the end of May, Let's give a birthday shout out to all those May babies:

01 - Mark Vongsurakrai, Angela Widjaja, Chris Lonergan, Yojunn Bob Yoon
03 - Edmund Wei Kiat Ang
04 - Justin Sheining
05 - TrangKing C., Rosie Richardson, Katie Wong, Jack Lee, Annabelle Wang
07 - Jing Ting Lau, Joanna Liu
08 - Charis Poon
09 - Julie Leong
10 - Ben Allison
13 - Nicola Kim, Dylan Edwards, Caitlin Porter
14 - Jesse Steinfeld, Anna Lee
15 - Mei Chel Tan
16 - Linda Liu, Su-Ann Tan, Isabelle Bosi, Fanny Liu
17 - Chia Pei
18 - Charlie Cook
19 - Isaac Kim
20 - David Forrai, Adrian Dragicevic
24 - Jazz Phukkanasut, Swee Loke
25 - Palm Na Pombejra
27 - Lowana Koroibola
28 - Kenneth W
29 - Shin Matsumoto, Nicholas Jagelman, Lucy Baer
30 - Jack Allport, Liven Wang, Ralph Sham

Roka Restaurant

2008-05-25T11:11:00.008+01:00

For a friend's birthday and part of our overall post-exam celebration, we decided to give ourselves a treat and go to an upper class restaurant by the name of Roka.

It is located on Charlotte street and has the outlook that would scare anyone on a student budget. But since it was a celebration and all, we went for it.

Roka is a Japanese restaurant with both traditional and fusion dishes. The prices range from around 10 to 20 pounds a dish. Their seafood risotto-like-thing was amazing, roast fish (i think bream) was also good. But for the price, i really don't think that the overall standard of the food is worth it.

The restaurant's design is stunning and the presentation of the food (as seen) is crazy labour intensive. There was this one cook that all he did was make sure all the dishes look immaculate. So, i guess you are paying for the 'dining experience'. It was good, real good.

So... it depends on whether you are willing to pay for presentation and experience. If you just want good food, it is not the place for you. But, I'll go again. haha.

Anton Yelchin

2008-05-23T11:11:00.000+01:00

Anton Yelchin
11 March 1989 (currently 19)

I actually noticed him a long time ago, but not until recently has he been getting out in films again. If you didn't realise, he's actually the kid in Hearts in Atlantis with Anthony Hopkins and the mini-series Taken.

Recently he was also seen in Alpha Dog with Justin Timberlake, and is now probably most well known for Charlie Bartlett. I haven't had the chance to go see it yet (It only came out a week ago in the UK), but i can't wait! It looks fantastic. Good original plot, i just hope Yelchin doesn't disappoint.

Charlie Bartlett Trailer

The Series List

2008-05-21T11:11:00.000+01:00

What I'm watching:
- Brothers and Sisters
- CSI
- Dexter
- Gossip Girl
- Grey's Anatomy
- Heroes
- House
- How I Met Your Mother
- Kyle XY
- Lost
- Prison Break
- Private Practise
- Supernatural
- Scrubs
- Skins
- Smallville
- Code Geass R2
- Naruto Shippuuden

Yes, i know that's a long list. But you have to realise that I usually just play it along side with doing work. So... it plays. I work. When it gets to the good parts, I take a break. Haha.

Who is it really for?

2008-05-19T11:11:00.000+01:00

I witnessed a baptism the other day, and i couldn't help but wonder the true purpose of getting the child/baby baptised. I'm not questioning anything on the religious ground of things, not what it means or symbolises, but rather the reasons behind why parents would baptise their child.

Here's what i was thinking (feel free to scroll down to the comment button and rebut when you feel like). When a child gets baptised, it isn't the choice of the child, but rather of the parents. Do parents do it for the child? Most people would answer YES. But is you think about it, the baptism isn't really essential at that point in time. The child can always choose to get baptised when he or she is older (assuming that it has the same effect). And since it isn't essential to the child, then the reason for baptising the child must be because of the parents, not the child. The parents do it for the parents, themselves.

Some of the reasons may include:
- Public display of love for the child
- Social pressure and tradition
- They don't feel guilty, so they can say that they did all they could

...?

Vampire Elliot

2008-05-17T11:11:00.000+01:00

Don't you just love the photo.

For those who haven't realised, it's actually Jamie Bell. Our little Billy Elliott has all grown up, and looks somewhat like a vampire now (a very stylish one in fact). It's crazy how much one photo can do right?

Hahahahhaa..

7.8 On The Richter Scale

2008-05-15T10:58:00.004+01:00

What Happened

Student's Footage

They Need Help

Pangea Day

2008-05-14T10:28:00.002+01:00

For those who didn't know, last Saturday was Pangea Day. No, it's not a public holiday or anything, but actually one of those many "Let's change the world by doing this" campaigns. And normally, i would read what the whole thing is about, applaud them for actually taking initiative and then carry on with what I was doing. But this time I really wanted to participate or even help organise the event! Too bad i had exams. Even though the event has passed, I really hope that their message is getting out there and people are being influenced by their efforts.

Pangea Day Mission:
Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through film.
In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.

The Event and Films:
At 18:00 GMT on May 10, 2008, locations in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro were linked for a live program of powerful films, live music, and visionary speakers. The entire program was broadcasted – in seven languages – to millions of people worldwide through the internet, television, and mobile phones.

It featured films that were funny, sad, gorgeous, stark – and powerful. Voices that had never been heard before. Things many had never seen. Scenes from worlds few had visited. A cross-section of our amazing, complicated, noisy, beautiful world. Besides four hours of pure entertainment, Pangea Day offered a view into other lives.

After Pangea Day – after having experienced life inside so many other heads – we hope that many were moved to action. To become involved in pressing issues. To share their own video and photos. To join discussions that might move the world just a little bit further toward understanding. Together, these films moved us, frightened us, made us laugh and smile, and helped us feel closer to the world.

The videos can be seen on both youtube or the Pangea Day site.

Another Year

2008-05-13T12:48:00.006+01:00

EXAMS ARE FINALLY...

finished
over
done
through
ended
completed
wrapped up
concluded

OFFICIAL END OF SECOND YEAR

ONE MORE YEAR...

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

2008-05-10T22:00:00.003+01:00

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) - Baz Luhrmann

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '99... wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Skype Gone Crazy

2008-05-09T11:08:00.005+01:00

Call duration: 5hrs 29mins 49secs

Definitely the longest skype call I have been in. And we didn't really talk about anything in particular, it was more just 'hanging out' conversation with a game of categories.

Though the duration was meaty, it's definitely not the longest call I've had. We all remember our high school days of late night phone calls with special friends and what not. Staying up till the wee hours of the morning talking about nothing in particular, sometimes not even talking. It was more like, you wanted to be connected so much that you'll just leave the phone on your ear as you lie in bed. Conversing turns to speaking turns to mumbling turns to grunting turns to breathing. Then, before you know it, it's 7am and both of you need to go shower and get ready for school.

Exam of Death

2008-05-08T23:09:00.004+01:00

The exam of death is over.
Macroeconomic Theory and Policy

I reckon I did okay. Not fantastic, I chose the wrong question, so I lost around 20 marks there... so, that sucks.

Next up:
Microeconomics - the exam of hell

Killer At Large

2008-05-07T21:01:00.003+01:00

Weird.

In the last month, I have been presented with a scenario twice. Once through the film Reservation Road and the other time on the latest episode of a TV series (I'll refrain from specifying).

What if you were to accidentally kill someone and maybe could get away with it?

Not only would the choice be the biggest decision in your life, but also, you'll probably be making the decision under extreme levels of stress and a time limit. Your choices:
- Handle it yourself
- Go to cops

The consequences of going to the cops are blatant. You'll most probably get charged with manslaughter (either provocation or involuntary), do your sentence, and then forever be a criminal. (Let's assume that we don't know much about the details of law, and from what we've seen from the media, it is a safe assumption that killing someone will be quite a heavy sentence.)

If you were to handle it yourself, would you flee the scene or actively take part in a cover up? If you are not turning yourself in, should you might as well make it more difficult for them? Or should we draw the line at the cover up? If you leave it as it is, CSI has shown us their far-fetched techniques. If you cover it up, they might just catch you anyway and have you for more charges than before. But by then, you would be caught anyway, and what's a heavier sentence compared to an already heavy sentence?

If you ask me, all paths have their reasons, and to decide in a split second, all would seem rational:
- Complete cooperation - honest with the law and get the least possible sentence.
- Medium cooperation - non-cooperation only by omission of action, risk a slightly higher sentence for chance to get away.
- Least cooperation - maximise chances of getting away by risking an even higher sentence

You would notice that i didn't bring justice into this. To be just or not, or to do what is right. I'll leave that to you.

Heads Down Thumbs Up

2008-05-06T22:48:00.012+01:00

Was in the library today from 10am till 9pm. No, before you accuse me of being hard-working, you have to understand that we took a lot of breaks, and the breaks were fairly long. Haha. Anywhos, I was attempting to do Macro past papers when I couldn't recall the method for the question. In desperation of needing to remember, I put my hands on the desk and laid my head down, eyes closed. And that was when it came to me - When was the last time you recall playing "Heads down thumbs up"?!

For those who have no idea what I'm getting at, it's a kids game usually played in Primary School and earlier. Haha, it might sound lame now that we're all grown up, but i assure you that it was a lot of fun back then. Basically, all the kids put there heads down, eyes closed, and put there fists with thumbs up. Several kids are silently tapped on the head by the teacher, and they go tag another kid by pressing on their thumbs. When done, they return to their chairs and everyone opens their eyes. Those who got tagged try to pick out (by the sounds they heard) who tagged them, and if they get it right, their roles swap. My razor-sharp listening skills are the result of this game! Lol.

What games did you play? Or don't you remember?
Let's make a list:
- it/tag
- freeze tag
- candle tag
- 'crawl between legs' tag aka stuck in the mud (thanks tag addict!)
- flashlight tag
- link tag
- 2 chain tag
- tv tag
- hide and seek (tag)
- capture the flag
- sardines
- follow the leader
- signals
- murder wink
- cops and robbers
- around the world
- duck duck goose
- hot lava
- handball
- wallball
- kill the dill with the pill
- 'bok saw gua'
- red light green light
- octopus
- dodge ball
- number ball
- musical chairs
- marco polo
- celebrity heads
- 天下太平
- battle ants (where you dig up ants and make them fight)
- red ass / 'red A'

... comment to add to the list!

Feet in Dublin

2008-05-05T23:47:00.005+01:00

I always thought that this style of photo was a very Asian thing to do. But then again, you see a lot of our Caucasian friends do the same kinda thing but with their heads, them lying in a park or something like that. So why do we like doing it with our feet?

Maybe it's because Asians are also known to be more calculating, and since lining up our feet is more practical, less time-consuming, and easier to take a decent shot, we settle for such a photo instead. (Or maybe we're just lazy?)

No matter what the reason is, pictures like these don't really serve any purpose apart from giving the participants something to remember, and leaving the photo-viewers with the thought that the cameraman is trying to be arty. (But then again, I do quite like this photo, but maybe that's because I'm a participant - 9 o'clock)

The Great Wave

2008-05-04T18:41:00.007+01:00

The Great Wave by JJunior

Winner of Best of Show at the ICS Art Show. Impressive eh?
My art teacher once told me that I do not have one artistic bone in my body. I think she's right. Haha.

Kudos JJ. Nice work.

[Click on image to see enlarged version at JJunior's DeviantArt site]

Coincidence?

2008-05-03T23:26:00.004+01:00

I just found out there was a AISHK Reunion in Sydney today. For those who don't know, I was at that HK PRIMARY SCHOOL for 2.5 years starting in the middle of year 3. But that's besides the point. The point is where this ancient reunion was held...

... Cranbrook School, 5 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill, Sydney.

The address of my SYDNEY HIGH SCHOOL and boarding house from year 7 till year 12. Furthermore, I was looking at the photos and they held it in the room I had dinner in nearly every night for 6 years. I know every inch of that place, and I bet you if you looked close enough, you could probably find my blood seeped into the cracks of the building.

One hell of a coincidence eh?

Don't Judge Too Quickly

2008-05-02T22:19:00.004+01:00

A series of Ameriquest ads.
Hilarious.

Absolute Sovereign Missed Out!

2008-05-01T14:27:00.004+01:00

One down, two to go.

Just came back from the Political Philosophy exam, and although I shouldn't really care about it cause it doesn't count towards anything, it still bugs me that my perfection of an essay plan has gone to waste.

Do you think it's unfair that we do all this preparation only to make sure that we've covered everything that they could ask, and not the questions they will ask? I mean, if the point of it is to make sure that we know it all, then why don't you just test it all?

If you can deduce from the answers to some questions, that we know everything. Is it too big a step to take to deduce from 'seeing us in lectures' to 'we have learnt it all'?

He just drones on and on and on and on...

New face of Tintin

2008-04-30T09:55:00.006+01:00

Is it just me or does it seem like there's a lot of kid actors that has been shot into stardom by our love for trilogies?!

There was
Daniel Radcliffe...
There was
Elijah Wood...

And soon to come, is Thomas Sangster.
British.
Born in 1990. (He's 17!)
Starred in: Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, The Last Legion (thx for the reminder Anonymous)

He's been signed on for the Tintin trilogy which is directed by Steven Spielberg (1st), Peter Jackson (2nd) and BOTH on the third.
Imagine being 17 and getting to do that.

Oh. In my opinion, he looks nothing like Tintin. Haha

How would you react?

2008-04-27T22:28:00.007+01:00

Was thinking about John Woo's movie Paycheck (2003) where the 'before' Michael Jennings leaves the 'later' Michael (who gets memory erased) clues to figure out the whole situation and therefore effectively pre-constructing the path that the events will follow.

But if you really think about... Do you really know yourself well enough so that you'll know how you would instinctively react to certain situations? I mean, we all know how we would want to react, but that doesn't mean that you would really react that way. Would you deduce that something was wrong if your favourite mug isn't where it's suppose to be? If you were to go back in time and warn yourself this morning that something was wrong, how would you do it? (Not explicitly of course)

Do we trust ourselves in reacting the right way?
Do we know ourselves better?
Or is our knowledge about ourselves merely just as good as knowledge of our friends?

Fugitive Pieces (2008)

2008-04-26T02:08:00.004+01:00

On the independent front, here's another film that's worth a gander...
It has only been shown at film festivals and they supposedly have not been able to secure a major distributor yet, so it will most probably make it into very limited cinemas if any. I just hope it gets to the UK...

Hallam Foe (2007)

2008-04-24T16:54:00.006+01:00

I tried forever to find a synopsis that actually captures the plot of the film, but to no success. I guess it is pretty hard to sum a 95 minute film into a few sentences. So instead of trying to explain the plot to you, I'm just going to say how good it is and include the trailer at the end. Haha.

The film was amazing. A stunning performance by Jamie Bell. I can not see why he hasn't caught more of the public's eye yet. Hallam (Jamie Bell) is so damaged by the sudden death of her mother that the audience is simultaneously bewildered by his actions yet understanding in the reasons behind them.

Though beware, this film is not one for those who are seeking dramatic, edge-of-your-seat entertainment. It simply follows the actions of Hallam as he reacts to the situation that his life has put him in. Some say that the film is a bit slow, but I disagree. It's good - just not for everyone.

Watch the Trailer

Nim's Island & Deception

2008-04-23T12:52:00.005+01:00

Two up and coming films that I can't wait to watch when the exams of death are over...

Deception - Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
UK Release Date: 25th April 2008

Nim's Island - Jodie Foster,Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
UK Release Date: 2nd May 2008

Woot! Jodie Foster! Hahahahhaa...

All I Want Is You

2008-04-22T20:09:00.002+01:00

Barry Louis Polisar - All I Want Is You - Juno Opening

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, let the cold winds blow

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.
---

I was going to put Vampire but Antsy Pants, but then there wasn't a good youtube video for it. Haha. The song isn't for everyone, but whenever it comes on (my ipod) i can't help but laugh... so much fun.

Insomnia

2008-04-21T14:41:00.003+01:00

I crawled into bed at 2:00...

...and i fell asleep at 6:30...
...only to wake up at 8:30 for a 9 o'clock lecture.

For four and a half hours, I was lying there watching the seconds tick by minute after minute, hour after hour. Each time looking at the clock and counting down how many hours i have till i'll have to get up again.

According to Wikipedia, I should avoid "mentally stimulating activities in the evening hours" and "exposing the eyes to too much light". Therefore, by keeping the room dark and avoiding study, i should do what the situation is perfect for: watch a movie!

Study Environment

2008-04-19T00:34:00.004+01:00

The following items would be necessary:

- Large area/desk to scatter my items
- Lamp that is able to be moved/swung around
- Books/notes
- Water
- Snacks (preferably biscuits, chips, nothing too sweet)
- Comfortable headphones or speakers
- Playlist of chill unsingable songs
- Room to move around

The following are highly preferred but non-essential:

- Someone to occasionally say 'hi' to
- People who occasionally say 'hi' to me
- A window
- Access to caffeine (tea or coffee)
- Nearby bathroom
- Internet access
- Kitchen (with food)
- Access to smart people (to ask questions)
- Access to stupid people (to make me feel good)
- The mood to study

Sharks vs Vending Machines

2008-04-17T11:36:00.006+01:00

Vending machines kill more people than sharks do

Source: Sharkwater 2006
Watch the Sharkwater trailer: [Hi-Res] [Lo-Res]

Outside my window

2008-04-17T10:48:00.004+01:00

The view outside my window...

[Taken on 31 March 2007]

Jumpstart Swings

2008-04-15T19:42:00.010+01:00

It was a sunny autumn's day in the year 2004, and SCJH and Ralph decided to have a picnic brekky in Victoria park. Afterwards, the guys (Sham and I) felt the sudden urge to reinvent the use of playground swings to target a more agile and coordinated public.

Keep in mind that there were PLENTY of trial runs before the video camera was involved.

First attempt on camera...

...and again...

...and SUCCESS!!!

Charlotte: 16y.o. Sham: 16 y.o. Scot: 16 y.o.

Masters Tournament - Golf

2008-04-14T11:59:00.005+01:00

And so ... After four days of crazy golf, Trevor Immelman has come out on top!

The 28-year-old South African beat Tiger Woods by three shots to claim his first major victory, only four months after having a benign tumour removed.

"This has been the ultimate rollercoaster ride, and I hate rollercoasters... Here I am, after missing the cut last week, Masters champion. It is the craziest thing I have ever heard"

Code Geass R2

2008-04-12T10:32:00.007+01:00

Lelouch is back for another season in...
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion 2

Synopsis: [1st Episode Spoilers Warning] It's been one year since the failure of the Black Rebellion and the supposed death of Zero. Britannia has assigned Area 11 a "correctional education" status, where Elevens are made an example of by brute force, to try to prevent any future uprisings and suppress rebellious thoughts. Unsuspecting high school student Lelouch, oblivious to his rebellious past as Zero, stumbles upon a scheme on his life and the life of a mysterious woman known as C.C., who reveals to him his forgotten purpose and his "true" self. Destroying his assailants and declaring himself Zero once again, Lelouch sets out to finish what he started.

First episode was just released a few days ago and is now on Veoh.
If you're a fan of anime, and into military/sci-fi/action/mecha/drama... then you should definitely check it out:

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
[About] [Watch]
Code Geass: R2
[About] [Watch]

Liquidation of Oasis Airlines

2008-04-09T15:44:00.003+01:00

[According to HONG KONG (AFP)]
The Hong Kong-based budget airline Oasis has gone into liquidation, its chief executive Stephen Miller said Wednesday. All flights on Oasis departing from Hong Kong on Wednesday were cancelled. Passengers already holding tickets were advised to contact a hotline.

Earlier, the Hong Kong Economic Times reported a "rumour" that the company was struggling under debts of up to one billion Hong Kong dollars (128 million US) and would cease flying from Wednesday.
The company had been operating daily between Hong Kong and London, and six times a week between Hong Kong and Vancouver, with plans to open additional routes to Europe and North America. Oasis employs just under 700 staff.

----------
Stupid Oasis!
Now not only do I have to go back early... I need to shell out more dough! I'll miss the food, and the food, and the food... sigh. Did I mention the food?

Kid's Talk

2008-04-07T17:50:00.002+01:00

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.

"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead."

----------
Found online.
Hahahahaha... hilariously morbid.

Running Away...

2008-04-05T11:52:00.014+01:00

Was literally getting lost in the streets of Paris with my camera when I found a small park raised above the busy streets. The woman wasn't jogging, but was hurrying from/to somewhere...

Taken in Paris, France
1st Dec 2007

Private Practice

2008-04-05T11:13:00.003+01:00

Private Practice
Cast: Kate Walsh, Tim Daly, Audra Mcdonald, Paul Adelstein, Taye Diggs, Amy Brenneman, Chris Lowell

The spin off from Grey's Anatomy, but this time in a small 'private practice' in Los Angelas. With the mix of a more personal touch and eye-candy on the beach, it tries to replicate the sorta thing that has made Grey's Anatomy so popular.
It tries hard... but it just isn't the same...
Although it's good seeing Taye Diggs out and about again.

Recovery Thinker

2008-04-03T01:14:00.002+01:00

[From a chain email...]

It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then to loosen up. Inevitably though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker.

I began to think alone - "to relax," I told myself - but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time.

I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't stop myself. I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read writings of Plato, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Jesus Christ, and Aristotle. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?"

Things weren't going so great at home either. One evening I had turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother's.

I soon had a reputation as a heavy thinker. One day the boss called me in. He said, "Skippy, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job." This gave me a lot to think about.

I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey, " I confessed, "I've been thinking..." "I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!" "But Honey, surely it's not that serious." "It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver. "You think as much as college professors, and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking we won't have any money!" "That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently, and she began to cry. I'd had enough. "I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door.

I headed for the library, in the mood for Clinton's latest book "Family Morals in America". Listening to a PBS station on the radio, I roared into the parking lot and ran up to the big glass doors... they didn't open. The library was closed. Later, I realized that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. As I sank to the ground clawing at the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye. "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked. You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinker's Anonymous poster.

Which is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was "Jerry Spinger" talking about the song "I'm bad" by Michael Jacks. Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting. Life just seemed .. more bland .. without purpose or meaning, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking, and avoided thoughts about the meaning of life and my future. I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home and the office. Now I stare for hours at the T.V. and receive my daily dose of brainwashing instead of contemplating the mysteries of life.

Have you joined Thinker's Anonymous yet?

---
Hahaha. It's so matter-of-fact. I love this kind of humour.

I am Justice - DeathNote

2008-03-31T08:54:00.013+01:00

'L': I am Justice
Light Yagami: Justice? I am justice!

Most people know what Death Note is about. If you haven't heard of it or seen it, you should really check it out!!! I haven't read the manga, but I heard that its fantastic, and as for the movie , it is definitely a must watch.

Anyway, the underlying theme is the question of good and evil. Both parties are pursuing justice, but using totally different (if not opposite) methods. L is an officer of the law who believes in the legal system. On the other hand, Light Yagami believes that the legal system is worthless and that a new world needs to be created, even if it means killing those who oppose it. The beauty of the series/film, is that it does a decent job in getting the audience to side with both points of view. We are left to decide for ourselves whether an objective moral compass actually exists. Is there an objective Good and Evil?

I'm pretty sure that not a lot of people picked this up from the film but there is a shot where Light is on his bed reading Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. Nietzsche's theory is that good and evil are mere social constructs and there is no objective scale. (Whoever thought of including this was a genius) A lot of people would oppose this view, the public seems to want the belief that there is Good out there. Most if not all religions identify Good with their respective deity. Is it because of religion's influence on the upbringing of our world that has conditioned even atheists to want a sort of objective Good?

Nietzsche is not saying that our Good isn't Good. Or that killing the innocent is not Evil. Just that such labels are subjective. To us, Good is still Good and Evil is still Evil, but this is only because it was the way we were brought up. If we were brought up differently, is it really inconceivable that such labels can refer to definitions other than that which we are so comfortable with? If killing someone can be so easily justified in a serial killer's mind, imagine extending that justification to the whole population, to the whole world. If the whole world believed it, would we be an evil world? or just an evil world in the eyes of our current conditioned way of thinking?

The Prospect of Failing

2008-03-27T23:29:00.002Z

Prior to every exam, there comes a time when you know exactly how prepared (or unprepared) you are going to be.

Up until now, that point in time has never rendered me into a position of potential failure. But although, I haven't reached that point in time yet for these upcoming exams, there is an inkling feeling that this is going to be the closest shave ever.

This is definitely not a good thing.

So... Should I begin contemplating the consequences of failure? And make contingency plans? Or just push on and let it take its path...

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

2008-03-26T13:40:00.004Z

I'm not a big fan of 19th century based films, with their crazy garments and traditions. It is rare to see a film that can pull off the time period without creating a main of melancholy with a side of boring.

The Other Boleyn Girl is an exception.

The film keeps you on the edge of your seat, not a single boring scene (even if you know the ending through a history-based deduction). The characters come alive from the start and it doesn't take long for the audience to link manipulative to Portman; Naive/Innocent to Johansson; and Manwhore to Bana.

Rating: 8/10

The Silent Treatment

2008-03-24T07:52:00.003Z

She's giving me the silent treatment...

What is it code for?

"I'm furiously angry at you, but I'm not telling you what it is or when it happened. I don't know what you can do to make it up to me, but I expect you to make me feel better. Even when you do make it up/apologise to me, I'll only begin acknowledging your existence only when I feel that the time is right."

HK Chinese Orchestra

2008-03-17T22:42:00.008Z

I spent last Friday night at the Royal Festival Hall listening to the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra bang away at crazy looking traditional Chinese instruments most of which have names I haven't even heard of. But despite this... they were C-R-A-Z-Y impressive. Especially this one soloist who must have been about mid-50s. Although he looked like a stereotypical chinese old wise man, he was one of the most eccentric old guys ever, so passionate about music and happy about life. You should have seen him perform, he loved it, was smiling and laughing all the way through. (He's the one in blue) After his two performances he kept on coming back on stage just to mess with the audience and hear his never-ending applause. Haha. The whole night was really reminiscent of the classical concerts i used to go to in high school, it was great. Both my alleged twin (Tze) and I had an awesome time!

Crisis

2008-03-13T17:18:00.005Z

Wake up. Lectures. Lunch. Practical. Lectures. Dinner. Procrastinate. Go out. Procrastinate some more. Rush Essay. Sleep.

In these extended periods, you feel that, although you don't have very much to do, you don't have any time to spare. Who has time to keep in touch with old hallmates and have a catchup coffee session with the friend you made last term? If your schedules do not regurly overlap, it is safe to assume no one has made the effort to squeeze time out of their not-so-busy schedules to remain in contact...

...but all that changes in the midst of a social/political/emotiona/relational crisis. When something happens which is a big deal, everyone seems to be able to create copious amounts of extra time to handle 2 hour phone calls and write consecutive strongly worded emails. Not only that, but through the crisis, you also seem to catchup on what everyone has been up to since the last time someone called you up crying at 3 in the morning.

So, in order to keep the connection you had when you first established the friendship, we should not dwell in the melancholy of our everyday routine, but rather create the much needed crisis ourselves!

My Blueberry Nights (2007)

2008-03-10T14:18:00.017Z

It's Wong Kar Wai's first Hollywood movie and with his track record, it is a safe assumption that it is not your average type of 'entertainment at the cinema'.

The film follows Elizabeth (Norah Jones) as she journeys around the country, trying to figure out life and love and what not.

If you like the arty sort of film, then you will definitely appreciate Wong Kar Wai's constant use of distinct camera angles and vivid imagery. His usual use of sharp contrasts in color is once again a prominent effect used. But then again, there was a bit too much art and not that much film.

Rating: 6/10

Yawn...

2008-03-08T19:30:00.000Z

... So lazy.