The World's Full of Apathy, but I Don't Care

Take20: The Merchant Of Venice Plot Mindmap

2010-06-27T06:44:00.001-07:00

Take 19: My War Movie MindMap

2010-06-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

Home Learning Assignment (Task 2)

2010-05-26T00:24:00.001-07:00

Task 2
Complete the template provided below (Annex A), focusing on
(1) Point of View;
(2) Situation and Setting;
(3) Language/Diction; and
(4) Personal Response,
And post your response to Task 2 on your blog. This template is based on John Lye’s ‘Critical Analysis of Poetry’, and you can make reference to this in Annex B when in doubt.

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1)Point Of View
American Paratrooper Steve Carlsen, called to participate in the Afghan War. This poem gives us an idea of what it is like in the battlefield, like storming through 'lead rain' and rush of war. I believe his point of view is shared amongst many other deployed onto the war grounds. Despite only spending up to a year in Afghanistan, it is clear that the poet has had enough of the hellish phase of war.

2) Situation; Setting
From the mention of the Hindu Kush and furthur background information, we can tell that the setting was in Afghanistan. Since the 9/11 disaster, many Americans have expressed intent to retaliate. Thus beginning the war between the Americans and the Afghans in 2001. For the poet, he is deployed two years since the start of the war and the poem can tell us the huge terrain he fights on.

3) Language/Diction
From the poem readers are able to see the negative attitude Carlsen has about war. Terms like
'terror I can’t define' and 'Dirty and tired and hungry and scared' gives us a straight forward depiction of what Carlsen experiences. Additionally, the poet takes a turn at the later half of the poem involving more of his emotions than the earlier part did for what he went through. The rhymes which follow from every line coupled with the short-syllable words gives the reader a thrill and makes him feel as though he could feel the rush these soldiers go through. The poet also makes many references to divinity, such as 'Saint Peter' probably to emphasise the close-to-death scenario which war really is.

4) Personal Response
I feel that the poet has really poured out his personal emotions in this poem. From the crazed frenzy on the battlefield to the mixed feelings on the peak of the Hindu Kush, the poet gives us a true and reliable account of what an everyday soldier might go through. You get the feeling it's real difficult being a soldier.

Home Learning Assignment (Task 1)

2010-05-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Task 1

Based on your understanding of the selected poem, perform extensive web research and write a report on your blog detailing the conflict represented in the poem(s) of your choice. Bear in mind that this piece of background information will allow your blog audience to further understand the poem as well as your analysis of the poem in Task 2.

Be sure to include your references and credit your sources.

We Slept With Our Boots On

They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned.
In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell

Steve Carlsen

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Introduction:

So this is a piece of war poetry by Steve Carlsen. Steve Carlsen is an American soldier who went through Infantry Basic Training and Airborne School. In November 2001, he was deployed in Kosovo for peace-keeping operations. He also took part in the Afghanistan situation in 2002. He was discharged in 2oo3. He currently attends Southwestern Michigan College where his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his experiences.

About The Poem:

To me, this poem is one that illustrates the poet's frustration through his participation in the Afghan war. He narrates his experience through the poem and gives the reader a sense of how harsh the war really was.

Some Definitions:

LZ: Landing zone, as he is a paratrooper. Usually marked with flares.

Hindu Kush: The Hindu Kush is a 500-mile mountain range stretching between north-western Pakistan and eastern and central Afghanistan

References: http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Steve

Take18: Internet Memes (ll)

2010-05-04T03:29:00.000-07:00

This would be part two of my five favourite Internet Memes.
Check out the post below for the first to third.
So anyway, here is number four:

4. Demotivational Posters

Originating from that "Inspirational Picture, Character Trait , Caption" combination to form some inspirational and encouraging posters, Demotivational Posters are often really witty. Like so:

5.The Rick Roll

Sigh. Rick Astley, must have looked back in some time in his life and pondered what he really was famous for. Apparently, yes, his song Never Gonna Give You Up. But for the wrong reason of course.
Ever clicked on some link, eagerly sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the screen to load, before your excitement turns into frustration because of this singing red-haired guy that really, had nothing to do with what you wanted. Something like this.

Basically a bait and switch prank, which has left many frustrated.
Oh, did I mention he actually won an award for that? He won the 'Best Act Ever' award in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.

So, those (with the bottom post) would be the internet memes that have been circulating 'round the web nowadays. Here's an interesting link to check out by the way.

Jong, signing off.

Take18: Internet Memes

2010-05-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

No, not 'mimies', 'meems'. Uh huh, thats how you pronounce it.
Internet Meme- used to describe a concept that spreads quickly via the Internet

Anyways, ever surfed the net, looked through forums and see some gibberish or maybe some alien terms? For example: the random break out of 'All your base are belong to us!' or maybe, 'This is Sparta!!' Or, probably, one of the most popular, the RickRoll? Maybe the endless lines of Chuck Norris jokes ring a bell. But anyway, I'll just be going through five memes that I most come across.

1. Kanye West at the MTV Music Awards

Why: At the 2009 MTV Music awards, Kanye West deftly interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance Speech for best Video of the year, by snatching the mic and telling everyone Beyonce’s video should have won. Many pictures, with Kanye interrupting some person with the lines 'Imma let you finish', have surfaced after that incident. Here are a few:

And another:

Lastly, one I actually agree on:

2. Chuck Norris

Now there was a lot of mention of this guy 'round the web and many don't really know why he is portrayed to be such an invincible force. So here's the truth: his action movie 'Walker, Texas Ranger' and his renowned Karate success proved him to be the most invincible personality on the internet to date. Here are some 'facts' describe how powerful Chuck really is...

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door
Chuck Norris knows the last digit of Pi
Chuck Norris sleeps with a pillow under his gun
Chuck Norris is the only man to win a game of tennis against a brick wall
Before the Bogeyman goes to sleep, he checks under his bed for Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding
Chuck Norris can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.
Chuck Norris can divide by zero

And that last one... Well, it leads us to:

3. Dividing by Zero

Yeah sure, you don't get any result when you divide by zero (yes, really, try it), but go ahead
and make pointless jokes about it.

You get the point.

However, that will conclude the post for today as Blogger is buggin me about a word limit. So anyway, come by tomorrow and chec-

Take17: The Story of Henry Covington

2010-05-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

So I've actually bothered to make some trips to Borders recently- and of course, got a couple of books. One great read would be 'Have a Little Faith' by the well-known author Mitch Albom (it's non-fiction).

It's basically about his short journey with his rabbi, Albert Lewis. Its a book involving Albom getting to know the rabbi better as he was actually approached by Lewis to do his eugoly. Through his journey, he meets Pastor Henry Covington. He is the pastor of I Am My Brother's Keeper ministry and he, like any other pastor, preaches the Word of God. But where he holds his sermons? A run-down church building, which dated back to 1881. The walls were decaying, the roof barely able to hold it self up. But one thing that amazed me was the generousity of this man. He, who decided to keep the building going by paying the maintainence, offered the homeless a place to stay in that very same church. He would also, regardless of their religion, offer these 'refugees' prayers. Yes, your everyday kind soul. But what occured before his current situation was really what took the cake.

Covington was born in an extremely poor family. With eight siblings around it had made things worse. As he grew older, the influence of the Detroit lifestyle had taken its toll on him: he was smoking and drinking by the age of nine. He robbed an old couple once, too. And then he got really rich, really quick: drug dealing. He was sentenced to seven years of jail too, for a crime he did not commit. He was spiralling down a road he obviously did not want to go down. But in the end fear drove him away from all these horrible vices. Fear, that rival thug gangs would hurt his family. Fear, that there would be no tommorow for him. And, ultimately, fear of God.

Check the book out. Pretty great read.

Take16: Chill My Fellow Sportsmen! (ll)

2010-04-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

So I'm back to talk about this next incident: The Fagar Secondary School Sit-Down. The thing was, one Fagar Sec judoka was disqualified half-way during his bout. His coach, once a bronze-medallist in the SEA Games, was infuriated and went on a rampage, and later intructed his boys to sit in the middle of the dojo. This caused many delays. And of course, this whole event pretty much made the Fagar team look ridiculous. Just take a look at the picture below:

Yes, as you can see, they don;t look very interested in making a stand. To be honest, if I were one of those judokas, I would not have followed the coach's decision. These players have made quite a fool of themselves by acting under the coach's instruction like that. Oh,and I feel that he needn't be so angry really.

So these are my views on the recent sports incidents that have occured, and I would just like to say that sportsmanship is something way more important than the game itself.

Follow & Comment,
Jong

Take16: Chill My Fellow Sportsmen!

2010-04-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

As you all should now, there has been recent commotions going on surrounding a couple of incidents that have occured through out this whole frantic naional season. The better known of the two would be the Anglo-Chinese School Independent (ACSI) Vs St. Andrews School (SAS) rugby Under-17 final. What happened after the closely-fought match was that one ACSI player was left with a broken nose from a post game fight at the bus stop. Another suffered a bloodied nose and a broken tooth after receiving a fist to the face from a SAS player.
I have to say though, that I commend ACSI's fighting spirit. Coming from 7-3 down to pip SAS 8-7 is no small feat. And yes, losing even with a 4-goal cushion in hand really is extremely frustrating and, from the agressors point of view, it was pretty understandable. It's hard to take such a blow to the face (no pun intended).
Whether it was an air of complacency or just a lapse of concentration that cost them the match, I feel the SAS players, amongst all other rugby-related skills, should learn to lose graciously. As cliched as the term goes, violence never solves anything. The asssiliant learnt this the hard way, as the boy was suspended from all lessons, banned from school rugby activities for six months, disqualified from not receiving the school colors and on top of that whole lot, he would never be allowed to represent the school ever again. Ouch. Huge punishment.

However, there seems to be another side of this story. In a private letter set by SAS principal Belinda Charles to the St. Andrews officials, claims that an ACSI player 'batted the head of an SAS player' and 'taunted him as a loser' have been made. this player also made degaratory comments about the SAS players mother. To me, all deja vu really. Just click the link to find out why.

Other than that, such incidents, no doubt, have greatly affected the whole local rugby scene, especially since Singaporean parents have that label of being overly-protective. Many rugby teams in the future might lack players on the squad as these parents, giving meaning to the local term 'kiasu', pull their children out of the aggresive sport of rugby. After this incident, coupled along with the occasional broken bone or dislocated joint will surely deter potential 'ruggers' of the future.

Thanks for reading, and the second part of the post tomorrow.

FLock Test!

2010-03-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

This is just to try out Flock's Easy Blog Editor Function. Pretty nifty so far. Might recommend this for a better blogging experience.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Take15: My Epic Competition Experience

2010-03-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a week. Hooo. Gosh.

So, how were the holidays? Cool, I hope.
My highlight of the holidays was the Spex Junior Age group tournament that I joined during that short week of free time. It was a great experience for me and well, guess I oughta share it with you. (Match rules were best of 3 six game sets.)

Match Day 1

Yeah, naturally, the nerves start building up. Before the match was a total mental game. I could either go in with that 'nothing-to-lose' mentality or try and play aggressively. I counted myself pretty lucky for being able to sleep well the night before! Anyway, I managed to find out who my opponent was a few minutes before match time. So I decided, hey, starting a conversation to calm the nerves isn't a bad idea. This Daniel Hoong dude might be a really outstanding player so I guess if I go down the embarrassment wouldn't be that horrible. Turns out he is a player for Victoria Secondary, and I had mixed feelings upon hearing this news. This match wasn't too exciting actually, I managed to plough my way through to a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Between breaks I started conversations with him (Yes, people say I am friendly :D) and found out that this was his first competitive experience in the field of tennis. So I gave him some pointers and wished him all the best for his next attempt. Never hurts to make a friend.

Match Day 2

I'm still pretty amazed with myself for this game. Easily my biggest achievement of the term. My 2nd round match lasted nearly 7 hours long, from 2.15 pm to 8.30 pm. Now I know how those who pulled of awesome comebacks before feel.

So, back to the match. Anyway, I felt pretty disheartened when we started warming-up; my opponent was a league in standard above me! So, when the call to start the game was made, I just went into the game with a smile, because I knew going at this match with an optimistic attitude was better than trying to get it over with. The first set was up in about 50 minutes and I manage to take it 6-4. Well, he's no immortal. but this is where I began to slip up. I guess I lost my focus in the 2nd set and had the wrong mind-set. To be honest, I felt one set was enough for me. so it was about 4 o'clock when I was 1-4 down. Bent forward to grab some balls for my service and a drop of water appeared on my hand. Followed by another. And another. This couldn't be my sweat. The dark clouds were up there for quite a while now and I figured it was gonna pour somehow. So the match was postponed until 6.00 o'clock (for those who actually thought I had played for 7 hours straight, you flatter me!). To be honest, I really had to thank God that I had this two hours. I used it to reflect on my attitude (cliched, yes I know). I could finsh this. I steeled myself for a long battle ahead. As Leonidas of the heavy dramatized movie 300 said, 'Tonight, we dine in hell!'

Once the courts were dry and the rain decided to end its run, play resumed. I eventually lost the 2nd set 4-6.

Not the kind of impact I was hoping for. But any way I just wanted to try my best for the 3rd set. Apparently, so did my opponent. I found myself in a rather sticky situation hours into the 3rd set- I was already 2-5 down. For those who know tennis, a six game set would mean the one with 5 games at that moment would just need to win one game to wrap the match up(unless it is 5-5). That meant I was in monumental trouble. But after that it's funny though. My opponent had 7 match points in his hands at one point but I fought back. Yes, nearly defeated, but I fought back. "The score is 5-5 right?" My mouth tasted a tinge of satisfaction as I clarified the score with my opponent. I came back. Brimming with joy. Later on, my opponent won the next game to bring it to 5-6. I won the next game and this brought the score in the match currently to 6-4, 4-6, 6-6. this meant that what came next was a tie-break. Played by numerical points, the first one to reach 7 points wins the tie-break.

1-0.

2-0

3-0.

This is bad.

3-1. (My opponent's racquet snaps at this point)

4-1.

4-2.

4-3.

5-3

6-3

Good Game dude.

6-4.

6-5.

6-6.

6-7.

6-8.

Silence.

You know that feeling? When you're too happy to celebrate? After such a dramatic match, I didn't bother smiling at all, strangely. To be honest, I kinda felt sorry for my opponent. Spent like 5 minutes comforting him.

But anyway, it was a crazy match and I took quite a while to take it all in. What an incredible experience. Indescribable. Woohoo.

Match Day 3-4

3rd round, and I got a walk-over, to my delight. My opponent was actually from our tennis team too. Thaa-ank you Council Leadership Camp!

4th round, crashed out 0-6, 0-6. Hey I played against a first team singles from Raffles. Nothing to say!

But in the end I'm sure this will be a life changing experience for me. So do you all have any interesting, life-changing experiences? Share in the comments below

"It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see through it no matter what."

Note to self: Stop quoting TKaM.

2010-03-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

So the following is my interview with my mother about her point of view on prejudice and discrimination.

Me
Okay, so Mum today I'm here to interview you on your point of view towards prejudice and discrimination.
So first of all, what is prejudice to you?

Mum:
Prejudice refers to opinions and attitudes formed by individuals over others. Prejudice is very often hostile and unfavorable. Examples are racial discrimination, like what you are studying now in To Kill A Mockingbird, and racial discrimination.

Me:
So do you have any personal experiences of prejudice?

Mum:
Once, I remember vividly, it was in Australia. We were on a holiday there many years ago. Australia then was experiencing of Chinese immigrant who were making a good living there. While walking along one of the streets, we saw a few youngsters who shouted hostilities at us. They were telling us to go home. I felt angry and upset. Then, I hated them. That left a very bad impression of Australia on me. From then on, I told myself that I will not migrate to any other countries of other nationalities as I do not want to be treated as second class citizens there.

Me:
So how do you think prejudice can be stopped?

Mum:
I feel prejudice can be eliminated or overcome through open-mindedness, understanding, education and interaction with groups or individuals targeted for discrimination. It is not impossible, and we can follow the examples of great individuals such as Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela, who abolished slavery and brought an end to the apartheid policy respectively.
What's most important is self. Always, before you start pointing your fingers at others, look at yourself. We all hold prejudices in one way or another, in some places. Firstly, how we respond to and handle our prejudices make a difference. Secondly, it's all a matter of perception.

Me:
Thank You. That's about it.

(This was uploaded late as blogger had some technical difficulty)

Take13: Music Smart

2010-03-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

So this is my poem for the Trail of Tom Robinson:

How Absurd!

"Rape!" Screamed Mayella, during her trial in court.

But Atticus knew Tom wasn't that sort.

So he took up the case, though he knew it was a lost cause.

But still we have to give his courage a heart-warming applause.

His brains started working,

and his mouth started shooting,

And soon he had filthy Bob in a spot.

Soon the people realised,

that Tom was the victimised

But the jury decided, "I think not!"

So there went poor old Tom,

He stood no chance.

The rifle let fly

As he took his final glance,

At the horrible world he lived in.

Well if I had to share my thoughts with you,

Boo was the luckier of the two,

And in the end I'd say, "How absurd!"

"They've dared to killed a mockingbird!"

Jotted down during breakfast :) Hope you enjoy it.

Peace Out, Jong.

Take12: The Birmingham Grid for Learning

2010-02-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

So, these are my statistics from the Multiple Intelligences test. Seems I fall in the categories of Music and Interpersonal.

Musical: 22
Interpersonal: 20
Intrapersonal: 19
Visual/Spatial: 18
Linguistic: 18
Kinaesthetic: 17
Logical: 16
Naturalistic: 9

So this is my task:
Post your learning profile on your blog and write in no less than 100 words the implications or what you feel about the Multiple Intelligence test.

I feel that the MI test has its degree of accuracy. If the questions are carefully pondered upon, the test results could give you a rough estimation of which intelligence you excel in. From these results you will know where to angle your studying methods. For example, one who is naturalistic will be able to remember more things when studying outdoors, while one who is musical can form acrostic poems to help them remember a term.

However, I find that a test like this has many flaws. For example, it only has a handful of questions for each category. Also, many who punch in the answers so surely might not even know themselves well. They might not hold a certain characteristic though they deem themselves as such.

On overall, I believe the Mulitple Intelligence test is more accurate than not.

Take10&11: Peer Pressure/ The Mental Game

2010-02-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Before I begin I'd like to apologise for not posting for so long. Had a lot of thoughts but couldn't find the time to do it as Week 8 was extremely hectic.

Peer Pressure
Well on Wednesday our school hosted a pretty interesting event. Our Annual Cross-Country Meet, an event where the people of Hwa Chong run a span of 4 km throughout the school compound. Many of us were elated by the fact that this meet would mean a day's off of work. To be frank, I was quite happy that we had Wednesday off and was contemplating on whether or not to follow some of my peers' 'brilliant' idea to walk the majority of the distance. But in the end I decided to say no. It was an onerous task to run 4km after a day of exhausting training but nonetheless I just wanted to take on this challenge. I turned out top for my classes' non-competitive run so I guess that's kind of an achievement.
But I want to point out that it takes courage to say no. Yes, it might be pretty cheesy to be referring to To Kill A Mockingbird now but I believe that that theme of the book is one lesson we should all pick up on. It's the ability to decline a game of football after school when you know the work is piling up, the ability to turn down that opportunity to unleash havoc in class when you know you want to. Basically, resisting temptation is something can come real handy in our lives. I encourage my readers to try and exercise self-discipline and fall not to the depths of temptation. So I want to conclude now at the risk of sounding like some hysterical preacher and say this: Say no when you know you have to.

The Mental Game of Sports
So now, drifting back into the topic of the cross-country meet. Yes, a blistering 4 km. For those who will retort with sentences like "4 km nia!" and such, bear in mind I had training the earlier day and because of nearing competition dates training was naturally harder. However, through this experience, I realised what a mental game sports really is. Having to endure that seemingly-endless path is a tiring thing for both mind and body. But I tend to thing of the body as a tool and it's just the psychological effect that takes a toll on you. Steeling your mind and mentally preparing yourself is extremely important and it's the determination in your mind that keeps you going. That's how Liverpool, trailing 3-0 to AC Milan at half-time managed to equalise 3-3 and take the Champion's league trophy home in that memorable night in Istanbul, that's how Manuel Orantes, in the 1975 US Open semifinals, came back from 6-4, 6-2, to win 3-2. In the deciding set, he came back from 5-0 down to win 7-5! Now that's some amazing examples of mental endurance. So, I would just like to emphasize that it really pays to have that 'never-give-up' mentality, because it is that kind of mind-set that gets us far in life.

TakeNine: Back Home

2010-02-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

I'm many of us went back to our primary schools today. The place where you picked up a lot of stuff, be it good or bad, and have carried it over as you transit from the primary to secondary level. And yes, I went back today too. I saw many familiar faces and relived some nostalgic memories during my trip there. And there was one face of course, I had mixed feelings about saying hello to..

During the draggy days in primary school there was a rather erratic boy in our class. He was diagnosed as autistic and had some behavior problems. He was really an intelligent guy, having got a Grade 7 for piano and scoring well for his math. But his occasional quirkiness and rather weird sense of humor simply drove him out of everyone's friends lists. Simply talking with him was a horror to my class mates. To be completely honest, I too saw him in a negative light. Its really not easy at all to socialize with people with such unfortunate defects. Even our compassionate form teacher couldn't seal the lid on this particular firefly at times. But God gives his blessings from time to time. And it was to me a blessing that I got to know this autistic figure better because of a peculiar situation.

This autistic dude wandered away from the herd from time to time. So, my physical education teacher assigned me as his "buddy". I was like *face-palm* when I heard about the impromptu decision. What a drag, I had thought. But this assignment actually brought me closer to him and I decided to just accept whatever quirks and queers he had to offer. Sure, in the modern society, conversations with him would be considered lame, but I felt that I ought to give him a chance. Never hurts to be friends I guess.

I saw him today and he went up to me to converse. Figured I tried my best to entertain him. And I have to say I don't regret any of the time I've probably wasted walking and talking aimlessly around the school. He's a nice guy I guess.

Likewise, we will never really understand some one unless you really get to know 'em. Discrimination and prejudice grow from the seed of arrogance and misunderstanding. I'm sure racism is a great example. Blacks are equal too, not just "three-fifths of a man". And just because majority of construction workers are not Chinese, we cannot brand them as uneducated or inferior;we are the same. "God created all man equal." is a very good statement we can follow.

I just hope after this I learn to accept the flaws of others and not judge them by their problems, flaws and such.

Peace Out.

TakeEight: Please, If You're Gonna Put a Ring On It, At Least Be Loyal

2010-02-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, Tiger Woods has become such a role model. Now Chelsea Football Club's John Terry is doing it too. Previously we've seen South Carolina governor Mark Sanford and famous talk-show host David Letterman fall prey to the temptation of adultery. So I bring a warning to all my classmates, be loyal to your future spouse!

Just use the Atticus method if you're doubtful. "Climb into" your spouse's "skin and walk around in it". You do not want to regret it in the future. Don't under estimate the power of temptation. It can devour you and melt you down.

I bring this up because it's just discouraging to see so many "famous" men commit the grave sin of adultery. Many of these people are idols, figures which many look up to. Father figures, professional players, charismatic characters- so many people around the world look at these celebrities and really admire them. These well-known people make marriage seem like pointless vows on a piece of scrap paper. Is that the reason why so many cases of adultery has risen?

Just want to end off saying that it's not cool to cheat.

TakeSeven: Plagiarism

2010-01-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

Yea, as you 2O1 people know, an unfortunate event took place earlier this week. However, I want to make it clear that this is no verbal attack, I'm just trying to give some constructive criticism to our History teacher.
First of, I appreciate the fact that he has gone much effort to set up a website for us and correspondingly uploads useful information via his web page. However, there has recently been a mishap that has happened regarding the issue of Plagiarism. It is known that our History teacher has given us contracts to sign, and these contracts state that punishment shall be given to those who plagiarise.
This incident came about when our History teacher gave us an online worksheet to do. However, some people from our class had copied the answers to those questions straight of an identical source on the internet. Although I am not one of them, I do admit that their act of plagiarism was wrong . However, note the word "identical". Somehow, my classmates had managed to find a website that has the exact same questions as our worksheet, and another question comes to mind: Exactly who is in the wrong here? Our teacher, who has accused us of plagiarism, has done the exact same thing. Evidence? Typo-errors in the worksheet were identical to the ones on the website. It would be amusing to call it "a mere coincidence". And this sparked of quite a bit of friction between us students and him. So I hope that this issue will be resolved soon to ensure a conducive classroom environment (Yes, those same corny lines).
In conclusion, I just want to say, "Practice What You Preach".

TakeSix: My Childhood

2010-01-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

On the way back home from a onerous session of training, I just started thinking about my childhood. So I guess I just share it.

My childhood was a pretty pleasant one. Funny memories, really. Since my birth, my dedicated grandmother has taken utmost care of me. In fact, most of my younger days were spent with her. I still remember that routine; weekdays are spent with her at Toa Payoh, Block 179, the 13th floor. I slept on a mattress which had a floral pattern and owned a pillow nearly as big as me. I still have that wonderful pillow, and I have enjoyed sleeping on it ever since. My most vivid memory however, was taking out a Lego container and placing it in front of the television. I would rush to get my food and place it on the container, and as I ate my food enjoyed what was my main form of entertainment then.

However, time spent in the vicinity was not forgotten either. I still can paint a vivid picture in my mind: Two towering blocks, both dull red, sheltered an often-crowded Kopitiam below. The Kopitiam faced a huge open pavement which had trees and benches uniformly placed about 6-8 metres apart from each other. I always loved that guy who would come out at night and place little go-karts in a corner and rent them out for $1 for 15 minutes. Hey; huge space, obstacles, go-karts -- heaven for a young one like me. Once in a while my grandmother would, reluctantly, pay that dollar and allow me to have the best fifteen minutes of the moment. Such occasions were rare though, as my grandmother is a frugal person.

Naturally, as my grandmother spoke in Teochew, my second language had emerged as such. Soon, with my newly found 'skill', I made a reputation for myself in Toa Payoh. I would cheekily go up to the Kopitiam frequents and say a phrase or two, or even better, converse with them. Thus I made a name for myself as the "Toa Payoh Kia" (Toa Payoh Kid )... Yes, you can go ahead and dismiss the above but they wouldn't really benefit me in anyway to lie.

Sadly, as I grew older and had to go to kindergarten, I left behind my childhood haven for my new home. Now, it is my grandmother comin' over instead of me. All those memories: Choking on a fish tail ( Why did I do that??), losing a few bouncy, rubber balls to the vicious urinal, making my grandmother mad with my rowdy behaviour and more. My biggest regret is the loss of my '2nd language'. My grandmother used to be so proud of the fact that I could speak Teochew at such a young age... Now I just use Chinese to speak with her. It seemed as though my transition back to my home was a brainwash. Every time I hear my grandmother talking about my childhood with her I guess I die a little inside.

But regrets aside, I 'm just grateful for the fact the fact that my childhood is so memorable.
(I'm glad I got all of that off my chest!)

Jong, signing out.

TakeFour: As If the Plight Isn't Bad Enough.

2010-01-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you should know about the tragic Haiti earthquakes. Yes, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has taken approximately 50,000 lives. And after this devastating wrath of Mother Nature took place, many rushed in as volunteer workers to help the wounded. Thumbs up to them.

However there is always a flip-side to things I suppose. Amid the many thousands of volunteers going about their good deeds, there has been a recent headline where a man was murdered by a policeman over a mere sack of rice. It really makes you think: Wow. The scenario then was like this:
Five bags of rice which fell from a truck were found by two men on the street. Thus, the policemen assumed that they were stealing these sacks of rice, and probably to them, that was good enough a reason to pull the trigger. Four bullets were fired, and both men were shot from the back, however only one survived.
What's worse: his body was just left there for two days.

By most economic measures, Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. An average salary in Haiti is $2 per day. It is one of the world's poorest and least developed countries, and about 80% of the population were estimated to be living in poverty in 2003. So I guess its fair to say that their police force is not the most well-equipped, nor well-trained. However, I feel that although they might lack basic skills and instructions, they should have the moral righteousness to put their fire-arms down and instead clarify the matter. Right now, resources are extremely scarce and people might turn to theft for survival, and if the police start firing away at sight of one stealing food, I guess that weapons-related murder will be the second reason for the death of many in Haiti. What do you think?

God Bless Haiti.

TakeThree: The Wonders of a Workout

2010-01-17T06:07:00.000-08:00

Let me give you an overview of my day.

Woke
Went to Church
Had an interesting Disciple Group (DG) lesson
Sang my heart out during worship
Came home and wasted my afternoon doing nothing
Went for and intense swim
Back home
I crammed in two hours of self-initiated work

So now I am pretty amazed by how exercise can set you self-discipline at a pretty high level. Yes, I have been guilty of wasting my time away many times before and it's like this: "One of these days, is none of these days." or "How soon not now, becomes never." Yup, them good ol' procrastination quotes. But after some exercise something overcame me and I was ready to start studying, so I am quite impressed with this discovery. I guess the determination of trying to exceed my limits really got my will-power going. So I just want to share this because I'm trying hard not to procrastinate when I really should doing something else. And yes, I got a new record for my timing ;)

TakeTwo: Luxury Jail Cells

2010-01-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

Looks like for once, jail cells are not looking too shabby! At least, that is the case in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Artalyta Suryani, a business tycoon found guilty of bribing state prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan, has been exposed of having a luxurious jail cell. In her posh jail cell, there is an air-conditioner, a spacious double bed, flat-screen television, private bathroom and a adjoining karaoke suite. And that's not the end of the list, as she even has her cell serviced by maids and assistants.

Oh yes, did I mention that while she served her 5-year jail sentence, she had: private drivers to collect and drop off goods, beauty treatments, and a private office with pieces of furniture that others in Indonesia could barely afford. Funny thing is, she acquired this hotel-room-esque jail cell with the help of the dollar bill. Ah, the irony. Jail is supposed to be a place for outlaws to reflect and reform; giving these people a chance to turn over a new leaf. Yet, it seems, Artalyta never learns. After being transferred back to an ordinary cell, hope she realises that money can't get you anywhere.

This situation is another dent in Indonesia's already horribly-tarnished reputation, with cases such as the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono bail-out money case and other illegal corruption cases already destroying the purity of Indonesia. One shocking fact is that last year, more than 750 police officers were caught accepting bribes, 440 were charged with disciplinary action, 230 were reprimanded for breaching There is even an acronym to represent the state of Indonesia over the past decade, KKN, which is supposed to stand for "Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism". Although a notable effort has been made against corruption, it seems more effort has to be put in.

TakeOne: Fresh Start

2010-01-14T05:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty meaningful '09 for me, as I have grown stronger spiritually, mentally and physically. And here comes another year of blogging. This is the second blog I have maintained and as this year passes, I hope can really achieve more with this one (e.g: Our class' seemingly unreachable target of becoming a celebrity blogger). Oh yes, this blog is really initiated because it is a school assignment and thus it has its rewards. But if I can manage my time well and really have fun with this assignment, I might consider blogging as more of a hobby than an assignment. Hope as I venture on this journey I can really keep the readers comin' in. So anyway, here's to a great 2010 ahead. :D