Adventures of a Young Emperor

Guess who got in an accident

2010-09-27T22:24:00.003+08:00

Not me. My Logic Pro cashed on me. And by the way, Logic is a software that serves as a Digital Audio Workstation.

Anyway, I have you seen 10 things with Szuj Dzsenerisz? If you have, lick your elbows. If you haven't then here it is.

I hope to see thee around.

OH NO

2010-09-22T19:13:00.001+08:00

I ate a pie.

Meanwhile, have you heard of a more beautifully soothing piece than Edward McDowell's "To a Wild Rose"?

It's perfect with calm inducing stuff you indulge in such as drinking tea, eating butter and stirring molten chocolate. Anyway, try this: listen to Enter Sandman by Metallica then move on to The Wild Rose.

Here are links so that you don't need to look far.

Enter Sandman and To a Wild Rose. If you can, listen to both at the same time and make sure you can hear both at the same time.

Surreal, no?

One year later...

2010-09-13T22:12:00.002+08:00

It has been a looooong year since I have last blogged seriously. So here's what happened so far.

1. Grade 8 Yangqin Exam. Distinction - phew!

2. Added 2 countries to my been-there list.

3. Watched an entire Chinese TV Serial in China in a friend's dorm room.

4. Took up keyboarding skills and developed Logitone® technology

5. Rolled down a hill

6. Jumped over a cat

7. Made a friend in China because he was over-zealous in practicing English

8. Made an old friend. (I mean by age)

Whoa. This year is so drama. Can't wait for the next!

I'm back!

2010-09-12T23:28:00.002+08:00

Now that time has permitted me to restart this self-publishing-on-the-net thing, I thought why not?

I've decided to start another page on travel and music here. Go click on it when you have time to read on stuff about travel or music.

Ok bye.

So it's official

2009-07-02T14:21:00.002+08:00

Now that I finally have some time for myself (all the teachers cancelled classes today), I can write something.

It's been a whirlwind of a term 1 for me, and I recently crashed on my Math test (surprise, surprise). DARN YOU EIGENVECTORS!

Anyway, I've been observing that there is a huge number of local youths taking up Japanese as a foreign language. Personally, it weirds me out. Then again, I'm the one who knows how to thank someone in Macedonian.

So today, I just want to practise my German writing here in my blog.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heute ich habe keine Klassen, weil alle meine Lehrer die Klassen storniert. So, ich war bis zum Ende meine Midihausaufgaben. Aber ich jetzt im Bibliothek. Sigh.

Ever had this happen to you?

2009-06-06T22:34:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone! I haven't been on the Internet for leisure for quite some time. So, hello again, blogosphere and... blogosphere-ers.

I don't know if this has happened to you, where you are all raring to go on discussing the topic of thought, and your mind is all against it, because it is what I'm going through right now.

Imagine this:

Hello world, let's discuss (no, that's a stupid topic), how about (no, too cliched) ...

Sigh.

What I need is blogger's action day again.

Two weeks into school

2009-05-01T15:36:00.002+08:00

and this is what I went through:

4 physically draining keyboard lessons

4 music theory lessons

2 maths tutorials, 1 still yet to be done (the topics are partial fractions and complex numbers)

1 audio editing exercise

an encounter with death (by powerpoint presentation)

2 extremely corny lessons (aptly called Our Nation, Our World)

many, many 20th century pieces as examples for exploring timbre

recordings of Debussy

tramping up and down to the Main Library

2 lectures with a near dead lecturer (won't say who)

2 ear-training lessons coupled with one of my characteristic laughing fits

involvement with a group of people who we so fondly call ourselves the drug circle

'Nuff said

I had style, I had flair, I was there!

2009-04-08T20:51:00.003+08:00

and that's how I DIDN'T become the nanny. (Note the pop culteure icon to the hit 90's show "The Nanny", if any of you haven't been catching the drift)

I was going to blog about what NOT to blog, but i'll save it for the next post. Meanwhile, I took this really fun quiz (and it's not from Facebook). It's about what comes into my mind when you say certain words, and this game goes much deeper, as it focuses on lateral thinking (this is a transcript of when I played with a friend).

Country: Namibia

What you think about the previous answer: !Kung bushmen

What you think about the previous answer: Click sounds

What you think about the previous answer: Xhosa language

What you think about the previous answer: Nelson Mandela

What you think about the previous answer: Apartheid

What you think about the previous answer: South Africa

What you think about the previous answer: Africa

What you think about the previous answer: Roman Empire (Africa is a Latin word)

What you think about the previous answer: Power

What you think about the previous answer: HM Queen Elizabeth II

What you think about the previous answer: Canada (She's the Queen of Canada too)

What you think about the previous answer: Inuit

What you think about the previous answer: Greenland

What you think about the previous answer: Denmark (coloniser of Greenland)

What you think about the previous answer: Scandinavia

What you think about the previous answer: Germanic people

What you think about the previous answer: Germany

What you think about the previous answer: Namibia (colonised by Germany)

Funny how things come in full circle, isn't it?

Got Milk? An Earth Hour Message

2009-03-28T13:21:00.003+08:00

Found a strange addiction to milk (particularly full cream and chocolate) these few days. Yes, I know this is especially weird and unusual.

Today the Orchestra is performing on Earth Hour. In the dark. For about an hour. As Kok Wai put it: Omigosh. Better dish out the fluorescent bangles.

We have come a long way in development, but it has come with a price: The Earth is getting more and more sick by the second. Pollution levels are rising all over the world. Waste is accumulating and is increasing at an alarming rate.

Fortunately, modern technology and politics has improved in terms on environmental conservation. Rubbish is now used to create electricity. We also now have a carbon neutral country (that's Vatican City by the way) and many more nations such as Costa Rica are also aiming for this carbon neutral status. Australia is about to phase out the use of incandescent lightbulbs, saving heck of a lot of electricity.

However, laws and technology cannot function alone, for it is the common people that makes all the difference, including you and me. So, by doing our dear Earth a favour by turning off all the electrical appliances (except for the fridge of course) you can make a very big difference. Also in conjunction with Earth Hour, I invite you to watch the following video:

Happy Earth Hour!

A reply to the "Petition Against High Bus Fares to Poly Students"

2009-03-09T14:30:00.002+08:00

This topic has never failed to make me chortle within myself.

I see endless pages of argument between Poly Students and JC students in Singapore over the unequality of bus fares. JC students would pay the students' concessionary fare while Polytechnic students are subject to paying the bus fares.

What amuses me is actually how poorly this subject has been going on. I see much talk with no real work done, that is. Polytechnic students are typically complaining and JC students are just justifying the LTA's motions.

I have one thing to say: When arguing, base your arguments on a basis where everyone can relate to each other. As such, there shouldn't be long winded tussles over "You don't understand me" issues. (This applies to your relationship too, if you have any)

A nation is defined as a group of people who have similar interests and goals. In Singapore, these interests can be found within the National Pledge. I highlight this part in italics below.

We, the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves as one united people
Regardless of race, language or religion
To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness
Prosperity and progress to our nation

Here is the highlighted part, in case you missed it:

To build a democratic society
Based on justice and equality

To be a nation as described above one needs justice and equality. This can be applied to the bus fare issues based on this sentence which i know Singaporean students drone on each school day without taking in account of what is actually meant.

I have a proposition:

All students receiving tertiary education in Singapore should have 4 concessionary bus trips each school day, and this is used to go to school and return home from school. Anything more and the student is to be charged adult fare.

Extra concessions bought at bus interchanges or MRT should not have a significant price difference and I recommend that Poly students pay 15% more than JC students.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, and for the JC students who argued at these forums please be noted that:

1) Our school fees are heck a lot more than yours and that's why we do mind paying more for something over a basic necessity.

2) Yes, we have no uniforms and it is true it is easier for us to go out and have more fun, but please note: We are nevertheless in a learning institution and we do have exams and grades to worry about too.

3) We also will have to drop a course if we do poorly in school.

4) What do you mean (Fawwaz from the Facebook forums) JC students have no lax in discipline? Is that not an implication that Poly students always bend the rule? We are human, please, and no matter how hard you try, you can never have a completely perfect or a dysfunctional society.

Let's Talk About: Euthanasia

2009-03-04T15:34:00.003+08:00

This is another fairly eye-opening topic which I intend to discuss today.

Euthanasia is the act of mercy-killing to patients who are terminally ill. This issue has been stirring up a storm of controversy lately, and still no definitive answer as to it's extent of acceptability has been brought up. It is, of course, a highly subjective topic and I do welcome comments on this post but please, no inflaming comments please :)

Why euthanasia is acceptable:

It relieves the terminally-ill patient of further suffering.

It is more economical if you look in the healthcare system's point of view: More space in hospitals to treat other patients, resources can be used on other patients, etc.

Why euthanasia is not acceptable:

It is easily viewed as a crime against life and suicide in most religions.

It is morally wrong.

The medical professionals have the duty of sustaining a patient until he/she dies naturally.

Family members would want to spend as much time possible with the dying patient.

In my point of view, euthanasia is actually acceptable as long as it is consented by a mentally-fit patient himself. It is unfair to make decisions upon a mentally fit patient who, technically speaking, is the only one who knows the suffering he/she is going through.

However, if I would unfortunately be in the patients position (which I hope i won't be), I wouldn't end my life with euthanasia, but I would stop taking my medicine, because in my religion it is morally wrong to know your time of death. At least refusing medicine still keeps your time of death uncertain.

That's my point of view. What's yours?

What the Devil did in the First 7 days.

2009-03-02T17:27:00.003+08:00

Today I want to share with you Nury Vittachi's latest column in Reader's Digest Asia.

First a foreward: In the West children are taught the clear boundaries of good and bad, whereas in Asia children are taught the balance of good and bad (cue the memories of yin-yang and what not) If we were to apply the Asian outlook into Genesis, it would be very weird indeed. In fact, after reading this you may be led to doubting that it was the fruit of knowledge that led to Man's downfall.

The passage below is written by Nury Vittachi and edited by me.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT THE DEVIL DID IN THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS

In the beginning God created heaven and earth, and earth was void without form. Then God made a cicular light and called it the Sun. And he saw that light was good. Then the Devil made a smaller light, and rectangular in shape, and called it TV. And the Devil saw that light was bad.

God made springs which came out of the ground, which out came fountains of pure water. And God saw that water was good. Then Devil invented carbonated drinks. And saw that fizzy drinks are bad.

God said, Let the Earth bring forth vegetables, so that the children may grow up healthy. Then the Devil said, Let there be deep fried potatoes cut into long strips.

And God said, Let the waters bring forth 10,000 varieties of fish to provide sustainance for the children. And the Devil arranged that the fish be deep fried, smothered in batter and served with the deep fried potatoes.

On the seventh day, God rested and asked his children to rest as well, and contemplate wonders of creation. And the Devil created the Sunday brunch, Sunday tabloids, and that the bodies of the children be filled with more deep fried potatoes.

God said to the boy, Go forth and multiply. Then the devil invented the computer and ordered 10,000 demons to fill it online battles etc. And the boy did cleave to the computer.

God then made many attractive blandishments which she could use whenever the boy is away from the computer. And the Devil invented the Nintendo DS Lite and the PSP.

Then the Devil entered the serpent and caused him to say to the boy, If you eat the fruit of knowledge which the Lord hath forbidden you to touch, your eyes will be opened and you shall be as gods.

And the boy looketh at the girl and said, "No thanks, we liketh not fruit. But hast thou any deep-fried potatoes?"

Haydn's Best Work

2009-02-28T15:53:00.003+08:00

It happens to be the music he composed for Germany which is in use until today. According to a source, this very song happens to be the last song that haydn ever played on the piano.

This melody appeared on one of his string quartets as well. If I'm not mistaken it is the second movement of the "Emperor" quartet.

Here's the link.

A Website and an Application to Remember

2009-02-25T22:28:00.004+08:00

It's nice that my sister can read Wingdings (seriously, she codes all her messages in those and sniggers behind my back) but I can read more scripts than her at present.

Anyway, I just discovered these cool, albeit insane, website that allows you to advertise for $1 a pixel 9and mind you, that is tiny). And the website author has smartly put up 1,000,000 pixels. There's more: the whole thing has been filled to its 1,000,000 pixels many times over. Let's face it: the author is one smart kid with lots of money now.

Here's a snapshot:

and the link.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Google's new version of Google Earth is now ultra packed with new add-ons that make exploring much cooler. In addition of Google Mars and Google Sky, it now has a Flight Simulator to go with Google earth, so you can practically fly over the Earth's surface in a choice of 2 planes.

I guess in the near future, Microsoft won't be making any more flight simulators.

You can download and experience Google earth free. Here's the link.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I want to end off for today, I want to say that the first few seconds of music on Han's blog has really gone into my head, because i can't stop the music that fast :)

Let's Talk About: The Veil (Hijab) in Muslim Society

2009-02-19T13:43:00.004+08:00

In turns out that Western perceptions in the topic of the women's veil is a symbol of oppression or weakness. Let's get this straight:

We have to understand that the Asian society is culturally more conservative than Western society. Try going out anywhere in Asia and not covering enough and see how many signs of disapproval you get.

Women are not the only ones to get clothing rules. Men in the Muslim society actually have to cover everything from their navel to their knees.

If Westerners are tut-tutting over the Muslim veil, why not over the nuns' veils as well while they're at it?

That being said, it is unfair to look at everything in one point of view.

However, I must point out that it is true that in some parts of the world, the women are forced to cover up. In my opinion, there is no need for drastic measures because I am absolutely sure that women with proper moral values will actually do what they think is best.

On the other hand there are some places where the hijab is banned in governmental institutions, education sector, etc. My opinion of this matter is to actually allow women of a certain maturity to make their own choices. Actually, when a woman is forced not to wear a hijab, muslims consider it fine as long as she has an intention to wear it.

My final word on this matter is that freedom of choice needs to be emphasised, and this not only goes to Muslim women but to ther societies as well.

You can read up more on the issue in the book below, "The Veil Unveiled"

An Annoying Habit

2009-02-18T15:45:00.003+08:00

Hey guess what, I just picked up this annoying habit of going to the SEAB website, looking for the 'A' Levels syllabuses, looking at the areas of study, and going to look up for material on the web/library. This is either

a) I'm going mad with boredom

b) I'm just a kaypoh (that means busybody for the learners of Singlish) who wants to know stuff that people taking A Levels also know.

c) I ran out of stuff to blog

d) I have a genuine interest in studying stuff but detests taking exams

e) all of the above.

If you really want to know, I've been looking up Music H2 syllabus, English Language and Linguistics H2 Syllabus, and much other stuff which I rather not say.

P.S. I must say that the Music H2 Syllabus is actually quite interesting (especially the Asian stuff) though.

Speak Better Singlish Part 2

2009-02-15T22:34:00.002+08:00

LESSON FOCUS

usage of the particles "leh"
expressing the past participle
sentence structure in Singlish

1. Usage of "leh".

This two particles are always misused by ang mohs [ang MOR] (Westerners), if ever used at all. The particle "leh" is used when implying that the listener should not try to make things difficult to the listener or trying to make the spaekers point more concrete, as opposed to "lah" where it convinces the listener to do something asked by the speaker.

Compare these sentences.

A. That one very cheap, leh.

B. That one very cheap, lah.

Both the above sentences imply that the item referred to (that one) is cheap, but sentence B is more of a convincing tone, as compared to sentence A.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Expressing the past participle

Singlish is similar to German in the sense that the past tense is alwys a participle, thus having no need to conjugate the verb any further.

There are two ways to express the past participle:

Use of the particle "liao" (LIAU)
Use of "orredy" (from English: already)

Normally, "liao" is used when there is only one verb in the sentence and that sentence can NEVER be a question. "Liao" is ALWAYS placed at the back of the sentence. After use of "liao", the verb NEED NOT be in the past tense.

Example (pronounced act-ZAM-PER in Singlish)

1. I talk to him liao. (I have talked to him)

2. I finish my homework liao. (I have finished my homework)

"Liao" can also also describe past actions without indicating a past participle.

"The dog bite me, liao" (The dog bit me)

"Orredy" is used when the particle "got" is used, or when the sentence involves a question. It is considered to be more formal than "liao". As such, "orredy" can replace "liao" but never the other way round, except when "liao" does not indicate a past participle.

Example

1. You finish your homework orredy? (Have you finished your homework?) [NOTE: It is wrong to say, "You finish your haomework, liao?"

2. I got wash my hands orredy. (I have washed my hands)

In an infinitive (to .....) is used after "got", it is ok to use "liao".

1. I got to finish my homework liao.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Sentence structure in Singlish.

Singlish is a strictly SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) language. The focus of the sentence is normally placed at the front. Observe the following sentences:

A. I finish my homework orredy.

B. I orredy finish my homework.

Sentence A focuses on the subject finishing his HOMEWORK whereas sentence b focuses on the SUBJECT finishing his homework.

If in the occasion where the focus is to be the object, the particle "one" (WAHN) is used.

A. He hit me.

B. He hit me one.

Sentence A shows that HE hit me whereas sentence B shows that he hit ME.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that i'm done with the bare basic grammar, we can move on to more cultural stuff from next lesson onwards!

I got to zao now liao.

Speak Better Singlish Part 1

2009-02-12T20:58:00.005+08:00

In an efforts to increase the awareness and promote better usage of pure Singlish (the dialect used by middle-class Singaporeans) I decided to chip in in this indispensable guide to Singlish. maybe by the time I come to Part 5, i will write in Singlish, so don't worry.

Singlish is not as complicated (complicated in Singlish would be cheem) as it looks or sounds. It lacks orthographical rules, thanks to the intellects of people who want to preserve the integrity and purity of our colonialists' tongue. As a result, local words tend to be spelt as it is pronounced. I have devised a standard that will be used throughout these lesson packs.

In Chinese, Malay, Hindi or Tamil loanwords or cognates the following convention will be used. Words of english origin will preserve the orthographical rules of English.

CONSONANTS

1. "ch" is always as in church, never as in character.
2. "g" is always as in game, never as in gentle.
3. "h" is always aspired.
4. "r" is always soft, but some people prefer a tapped "r".

VOWELS

1. "a" is long in single syllable words, as in father. Pronounced short if preceded by a stopped syllable.
2. "o" as in old.
3. "i" as in India
4. "u" as in put.
5. "ee", long "i" as in feet
6. "oo", long "u" as in foot
7. "eh" as in eh?
8. "e" as in say. On unstressed syllables pronounced "uh". Can also alter vowel sounds if placed at the back.

All diphthongs are pronounced as 1 syllable and are generally short. Syllables ending with "h" are generally lengthened, and the h is not pronounced. If you are steel confused, I include Berlitz style pronunciation guides for you.

PRACTICE TIME!

Pronounce the following words.

1. Cheem (CHEEM) complicated
2. Orredy (or-RAY-dee) already
3. Leceh (Lay-CHEH) troublesome
4. Gahmen (GAH-men) government
5. Chop (CHAWP) to stamp
6. Chope (CHOPE) to reserve
7. Pai Kia (PAI KIA) gangsterish teenager
8. Shiok (SHOKE) great; enjoyable
9. Ulu (oo-LOO) something out of the way
10. Zao (DZAU) to leave

Now you have knowledge of 10 words!

CULTURE NOTES

1. If you have ever travelled to Singapore, you may have noticed that people seem to put "lah" at the end of the sentence a lot. "Lah" is used if the speaker wants to assert his statement, or invite someone to do something.

2. People in Singapore chope (see above #6) their tables at hawker centres using a packet of tissue paper.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next week, on Speak Better Singlish I share on another commonly used particle "Leh" and more on the Singlish grammar.

Now I have to go and zao. See you soon!

Here's a Tip for Essay Writers!

2009-02-10T17:50:00.003+08:00

Many of my peers apparently are going to do essays as a regular part for their exam. Now, in an essay, I'm sure everyone might have that sinking feeling that you don't have sufficent words to meet the word requirement, right? (I do hear of word limits, though, and i'm afraid this entry won't be as helpful.)

There are 9 easy steps in achieveing longer sentences.

Here's the sentence we are trying to lengthen: More nightclubs will bring trouble to the streets.

STEP 1: Begin a statement with an indication to studies, even though you are not aware of it. No one's gonna care anyway. If some obnoxious KI guy/girl asks you, the see Step 5.

Studies have shown that more nightclubs will bring trouble to the streets.

STEP 2: Replace simple words with more complicated words. You may break simple words up for definition, or you can also replace them with a foreign quid pro quo.

Studies have shown that nocturnal establishments that offer entertainment services will bring ominent trouble in the neighbourhoods and thouroughfares.

STEP 3: Use vague, sophiscated verbs or adjectives. The vaguer the better.

Studies have identified the fact that nocturnal establishments that offer entertainment services will bring ominent trouble in the neighbourhoods and thouroughfares.

STEP 4: More adjectives can help in lengthening the sentence further.

Various studies have identified the fact that nocturnal establishments that offer entertainment services will bring all sorts of ominent troubles in the neighbourhoods and thoroughfares.

STEP 5: Convince that your studies are in fact true, (although you are not aware of it) by saying that there are many, it's just that the person was too ignorant for his/her own good. By the way, cahange all wills to woulds and can to coulds here.

A number of various applicable studies have generally identified the fact that nocturnal establishments that offer entertainment services would usually bring all sorts of ominent troubles in the neighbourhoods and thoroughfares.

STEP 6: You are now clear to write any redundancies.

A number of various applicable studies carried out by various research institutions have generally identified and indicated the fact that nocturnal establishments that offer entertainment services at night such as selling liquor would usually bring all sorts of ominent troubles in the neighbourhoods and thouroughfares where people will encounter many inconveniences because of them.

STEP 7: Write "it is" or "there are" expressions to make yourself sound innocently smart.

There is no escaping the fact that it is considered very important to note that a number of various applicable studies carried out by various research institutions have generally identified and indicated the fact that nocturnal establishments that offer entertainment services at night such as selling liquor would usually bring all sorts of ominent troubles in the neighbourhoods and thouroughfares where people will encounter many inconveniences because of them.

STEP 8: Slip in lawyers' tongue here, to make yourself sound superior.

There is no escaping the fact that it is considered very important to note that a number of various applicable studies carried out by various research institutions have generally identified and indicated the fact that nocturnal establishments, despite being legal, that offer entertainment services at night between but not limited to 8 pm till early morning such as selling liquor would usually bring all sorts of ominent troubles in the neighbourhoods and thouroughfares where people, mainly residents living in the area, will encounter many inconveniences because of them.

STEP 9: For the final touch, add in Greek or Latin words.

There is no escaping the fact that it is considered very important to note that a number of various applicable studies studies ipso facto carried out by various research institutions have generally identified and indicated the fact that nocturnal establishments, despite being legal, that offer entertainment services at night between but not limited to 8 pm till early morning such as selling liquor would usually bring all sorts of ominent troubles in the neighbourhoods and thouroughfares where people, mainly residents living in the area, will encounter many inconveniences because of them.

To remind you how the sentence started out: More nightclubs will bring trouble to the streets.

Have fun!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, I've prepared the new music for this month, which I fondly call Blogosphere II

One way to inconvenience people...

2009-02-07T20:45:00.002+08:00

... is to set up a parasitic meta blog! (Thank you Leila Johnston)

Here's the link.

Enjoy!

On My Latest Book Report...

2009-02-05T14:35:00.003+08:00

I have been doing something that would have pleased my Music teacher.

Now that I'm done analysing the first movement of Symphony 104 by Haydn (still) and studying World Music (Gamelan) to the point that I can actually get an honorary degree in ethnomusicology (I think...), I want to share this book I've been reading.

Yes, it looks like something I've been reading for ages, but actually started on it when I last put on my previous blog post. The book features stuff you can do to make people's lives miserable (and annoyed), and I've even taken liberty of practicing this new way of annoying readers (by putting parentheses all over the text) as you would should have noticed (by now).

Some excerpts (from the book of course):

1. Remember to announce "Cross the road!" loudly when the green man lights up.

2. Cheer up the grieving. Make two bluetack eyes and a smiley mouth and stick them to gravestones.

3. Ask for sandwich fillings while pointing at other ones.

There are more in the book's website http://worryfriends.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the way, i've been learning my German and needs practicing for good use, so if any of you
can speak German, tell me and we'll try having a proper conversation.

In addition, I've been listening to this band called Rosenstolz (http://www.rosenstolz.de/die_suche_geht_weiter/) and their music is great. I recommend that you hear some of their tunes (maybe Wie weit ist vorbei, Ich bin Ich, Willkommen and Gib mir Sonne). They sing in German however.

P.S. Since I've been learning German, I was resisting the temptation to put Capitals in the Oddest oF PlacEs.

The Strange Oddities in the World

2009-01-10T20:37:00.008+08:00

As I was walking down 7-11, an air freshener caught my eye.

There were 2 things on my mind, first was "Who calls air freshener sai?". Secondly , I thought it was high time to post weird oddities around the world with my camera phone or by other sources.

This is what I got

#1: Spotted in Malaysia

#2: Average Americans?

#3: It's not nice to put an underwear commercial on a bus

#4: Spotted in Vietnam. "Hey waiter, this tastes like... oh never mind..."

#5: Alternative printing method if you ran out of ink.

#6: Action watch

#7: What to do if you ran out of brushes...

#8: Flat-screen TV?

#9: Do not enter...the fries cannot decompose...

#10: Talk about irony!

#11: A very strange Wanted notice

#12: Spotted in Germany. Maybe "Drive-In" was too literal a sign...

#13: One word: Yuck...

#14: Spotted in India. Might as well we don't visit the zoo...

The Day After the New Year Message

2009-01-02T16:16:00.002+08:00

After a really long break since November, I've decided to return to the blogosphere. There are few things I want to discuss namely:

1. How to have New Year wishes,

2. Resolutions (more like what not to have as a resolution),

3. Some stuff I discovered in 2008

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. NEW YEAR WISHES

Be realistic, maybe aiming to colonise Jupiter by this year. Don't aim for unrealistic stuff such as vying for Pluto to be a planet again, that will never work. Mark my words.
Don't bother wishing stuff over New Year. Why do you think they have birthdays? I guess that cancels my first point.

2. RESOLUTIONS

Never say "Fulfilling my last resolution...". I nearly cringed with incredulosity when Hady Mirza said it after hearing this from many many many many other people, if you get my drift.
Don't bother making New Year resolutions. Who the heck fulfills them anyway? Do you?

3. SOME STUFF I DISCOVERED IN 2008

PDQ Bach
"Stayin Alive" is sang by a guy
That infectous chord progression is from "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Little Richard.
The song "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone is in Romanian
Cher isn't a guy! (Hear the song "Believe" by Cher if you don't get it)
ACS (Barker Road) is a boys' school, not girl-deprived

Places I want to see before I die

2008-11-24T21:18:00.002+08:00

ASIAN REGION

Borobudur Complex / Prambanan
Preah Vihear
Delhi
Persepolis
Petra
Medain Saleh
Mecca
Anti-Lebanon Range
Jerusalem
Aqaba

AFRICA

Pyramids of Giza
Luxor
Casablanca
Timbuctoo
Bamako
Accra
Serengeti region / Masaai region
Kalahari

EUROPE

Athens
Skopje
Warsaw
Stonehenge
Cambridge / Oxford
Catalonia

SOUTH AMERICA

Buenos Aires
Rio de Janeiro
Punta Arenas

CENTRAL AMERICA

Belize / Guatemala

NORTH AMERICA

Yucatan region

PACIFIC REGION

Tonga / Tahiti / Fiji
Palau
Rotorua
Uluru

Let's reduce carbon emissions!

2008-11-24T13:18:00.004+08:00

We are living in an era where the Earth has suffered enough. The point is, we have no time to wait till the next generation for some steps to be carried out. I have some suggestions to lower the carbon emissions until scientists actually carry out their plans in future.

Introduce the Certificate of Entitlement for cars for every country in the world with a HDI higher than 0.50. Each CoE should be worth more than US$ 10,000 for regular cars US$5,000 for hybrid cars and no CoE is needed for electric cars, or public transport. 20% of the money collected from CoE are to go to impoverished nations of HDI under 0.499. The rest are used for carbon offsetting.

Lower population all over the world. Target: 4 billion by 2050.

Paper and tobacco should be heavily taxed. The tax is used for carbon offsetting

Make carbon offsetting compulsory for all travellers travelling by air. The fare should include carbon offsetting.

Introduce a watchdog run by the UN to make sure that countries observe the above. The watchdog should be made anonymous and the governments should not know who these watchdogs are.

A tax of 20% of the electric bill if the area runs on coal, oil or natural gas. The tax should be used for carbon offsetting.

These are just my views to lower the dangerously increasing carbon emissions

I've been composing again...

2008-11-21T16:52:00.002+08:00

And this time, I had a hand at the rock genre. Since I couldn't find a vocalist, I wrote everything instrumentally. The main instrument is the synthetiser, good fun to input, but super tiring. For the synthetiser player who wants a backing track of it, come and ask me and maybe I'll charge you 10 Singapore cents. Otherwise, you can listen to the music here in my blog by clicking the play button in Music of the Month (which does not update every month contrary to popular belief)

Enjoy!

Is Singlish acceptable?

2008-11-18T17:53:00.002+08:00

Singlish is a creole formed by mixing English with the other languages in Singapore, particularly the Hokkien dialect of Chinese and also Malay.

This issue is rather controversial in the sense that the people in the higher levels of Singaporean society is condemning it, whereas Singlish is, and has been, a way of life.

Some view Singlish as a deliberate "attack" which destroys the beauty of English. Honestly speaking, I do believe in preservation of the language, but at the same time, I do think that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Singlish. The deliberate attempt to mutate a language may be frowned upon in society, but consider the following.

Why is there so much discussion over using proper English over Singlish, when so little is done against American English in favour of Standard English?

American English, in my opinion, is a similar deliberate attempt to mutate a language. They

deliberately change the spelling so as to challenge the orthographic standards of the British, who originally spoke English (such as installments, British spelling: instalments or American: traveler, British: traveller)
deliberately change the pronunciation of words (such as route, British pron.:ROOT, American pron.: RAUT)
changing of grammatical law (BrE: New York are the champions, AmE: New York is the champion)
borrow foreign loanwords not inherent to Standard English (such as chutzpah from Semitic origin)
adopting new words to distance away from Standard English (such as checkers BrE: draughts, or counterclockwise BrE: anti-clockwise)

I think that it is agreeable to a large extent that Singlish does more or less the same to Standard British English now as what American English has done to English spoken about 300 years ago.

To end off, don't you think that as long as things like American language exist, Singlish has every right to exist as well?

Let's Count My Instruments! (Part 1 -- Wind Instruments)

2008-11-14T15:06:00.005+08:00

2 Hulusi (from Yunnan)

A Kazoo...

A Homemade Flute

A Cornet...

Top to bottom: Qudi, Xiao, Didgeridoo

Top to bottom: Bangdi, Suling (from Indonesia), Ney (from Jordan), Another bangdi

4 recorders

Total Wind instrument count: 16

Let's improve the spelling rules for English!

2008-11-10T15:20:00.000+08:00

Courtesy of Mark Twain

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.

Generally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeiniing voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x"— bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez —tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivili.

Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev alojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

Ai dont no ebaut iu bat ai toteli agri wix his plaen.

Why is English so hard to learn?

2008-11-08T15:12:00.001+08:00

Because it has so may words with double meanings. I present you 7 examples.

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.

2. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4. The farm was used to produce produce.

5. A seamstress and a sewer fell into the sewer.

6. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

7. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

10 things I learnt today.

2008-11-07T15:01:00.003+08:00

1. Parenthtical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

2. Don't bother using a foreign word when there is an English quid pro quo.

3. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

4. Always avoid alliteration.

5. One should never generalise.

6. No sentence fragments. Ever.

7. Be more or less specific.

8. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.

9. Don't overuse exclamation marks!!

10. Be sure to finish what

Counting my stuff

2008-10-30T15:58:00.002+08:00

I have nearly seen 17 years of my life.

I have 1 sister.

I have a mum and dad.

I have 2 living grandparents.

I have used only 5 handphones since I was P5.

I sleep with 2 stuffed toys.

I have 2 fridges at home.

The fridge for drinks is reduced to 4 packets of milk.

We have 4 TV sets at home.

Only 1 has a cable connection.

I have 1 PlayStation.

I don't have any PSP.

I never spent more than 4 years in a single school.

I have a blog.

I have 138 friends on Friendster, but

less than 5 remember my birthdate without friendster reminding them.

I maintain 2 emails.

I have 138 unread email messages in my yahoo account and

I have 1347 unread messgaes in the gmail one.

I have 1648 songs in one computer's song library.

I have a laptop which I have owned since Sec 2

I had over 500 songs in its library until it crashed

about 1 year ago.

Now it has 25 songs.

I have a grand total of 9 playlists.

I have recorded 9 of my musical works.

I have lost over 7 of my works.

I have 45 packets of McDonald's chilli sauce.

We have only one printer that works.

I have over 100 channels on cable.

One of my favourite shows in 1000 places to see before you die.

My internet connection can only reach a max of 54.2 Mbps.

I have tons of ticket booklets.

My books only occupy 5 rows in a bookshelf.

I have seen 6 concerts and 2 musicals.

I spend an average of $60 a month.

I spent a grand total of $312.50 for the month of November already.

That is $252.50 more than usual.

I have 4 pairs of shoes.

I have 6 more days of exams to go.

I have 2 months before I see the results.

I have gone through 10 years of schooling.

I have gone through nearly 17 years of my life.

If condoms had sponsors...

2008-10-21T12:38:00.003+08:00

It would look like this...

Why everything comes from India

2008-10-17T21:51:00.002+08:00

I am enlightened that everything comes from India after watching Goodness Gracious Me.
Here's some:

Superman is from India because only there can you run faster than a train, have two jobs at the same time, cannot take a day off from work, have a terrible haircut, and travel around in cheap flights.
The Queen of England is from India because she is a descendant of Queen Victoria, the empress of India. In fact ,the whole royal family is from India. The family business, the whole family living in the same house, arranged marriages, living with parents until marriage etc.
The English language is from India. We have words like verandah, bungalow, jungle, shampoo, thug, etc. If you think it's bullshit, that's very Indian too.
Almost everyone in the Bible is Indian. Feeding of 5 thousand with fish and bread? Sounds like an Indian picnic to me. Moses came down the mountain with two tablets. Reminds me of your Indian pharmacist. Samson lost his strngth because of his loss of hair. He sounds like a Sikh. Indian, right?
Leonardo da Vinci seems to paint Indian lifestyle. Look at the Last Supper. 13 men on the table. Where are the women? In the kitchen of course.
Picasso is Indian. His self portrait has an eye here, an ear there... Just like the streets of New Delhi.

The things you learn from GGM... If you take offence I sincerely apologise!

Tips on how to swear at someone, and get away with it!

2008-10-17T18:41:00.002+08:00

Moral of the Story: Be truthful!

A Conversation

2008-10-17T16:33:00.000+08:00

I had a conversation with one of my friends. Let's call him A

A: You know what?

Me: Your blog lacks visuals

A: I think you're right

Raise your hands if you agree.

8 Things I learnt today

2008-10-15T16:03:00.002+08:00

1. It's fun to make sodium ethanoate

2. Sodium ethanoate stinks

3. Never make sodium ethanoate in your mother's kitchen, she'll smell a rat (more like sodium ethanoate)

4. Never tell your mother you decide to cook something and accidentally poured the ethanoic acid all over the sodium hydogencarbonate -- she'll never fall for it. Seriously.

5. Your mother WILL wonder where all her vinegar (source of ethanoic acid) and bicarbonate of soda (source of sodium hydrogencarbonate) went.

6. She'll wonder why is the a funny white powdery substance in her favourite pot.

7. Your mother will make you wash the pans, but:-

8. You are just in time to rush off for your music lesson and if you don't leave then, you'll be late

Blog Action Day

2008-10-15T01:00:00.001+08:00

Today is Blog Action Day, a day where bloggers write about a single topic at the same time each year.

This year's topic is poverty.

In this rapidly developing world, globalisation has become the buzzword for the 21st century. Nations who adopted the policy of globalisation has prospered well into this era, whereas other nations are struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of development.

In its wake, it has left problems, and one of them is poverty. Poverty is defined as deprivation of basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and so on. In 2005, the World Bank has announced that 1.4 billion people were living under $1.25 a day. Although this has decreased from 1.9 billion in 1981, it is still 1.4 billion too many.

There has been action against poverty, but unfortunately it has shown uneven progress. According to the World Bank, poverty rates decreased in East Asia from 80% to 18% of the population. However, in Sub-Saharan nations (West African countries) the figures remain at 50% who live in poverty.

Poverty has several problems, some examples are:-

Hunger: Hunger is when there is not enough food to go around. However, it is a well known fact that there is actually more than enough food to go around for every body. Yet one person dies of hunger somewhere in the world every 3.5 seconds. Action taken to solve this problem is "Food for work" and "Food for Education" programmes where people are paid with food at their work or education where food is provided rather than bought. This measure has been successful.

AIDS: This is a increasingly treatable and preventable disease, yet one person dies from it every 15 seconds. AIDS have known to ravage entire communities, often attacking adults and children alike. There has been cases where medical facilities are deserted because doctors themselves have died of AIDS. To resolve this matter lies in education, but in impoverished communities education is costly, and needs lots of time resource. In short, it is a hefty investment.

Darrhoea: Surprisingly common, yet fatal for communities with lack of medical facilities. Usually cholera and dysentary is caught by consumption of unclean water. However, it is proven that a cure for diarrhoea is cheap, simple and best of all, can be home made. Called Oral Rehydration Therapy, it is an alternative to rehydration tablets. The Therapy is carried out by mixing water with salt and sugar. This is extremely obtainable even in poorer communities. However, lack of awareness has claimed many lives to date, and 1.6 million people die of diarrhoea each year.

To alleviate the problems in poverty, some developed nations have adopted schemes such as donating 0.81% of the country's income to aid (carried out in the Netherlands).

What you can do is support organisations that aim to reduce poverty namely by volunteering, collecting funds, and so on. Another option is voluntourism, a recent idea. This is where you volunteer in a certain country and still get a chance to visit attractions, with lower cost of accommodation and food. Some even volunteer to teach ensure that education is received by everyone.

Whatever the case is, remember that you can make all the difference in the world. To the world, you may be just one person, but to to a person, you may just be the world.

Targets

2008-09-04T10:09:00.002+08:00

Here are targets for O Levels that I would like to achieve.

For my o level Subjects, I have split them in 2 categories, Non-Cushion and Cushion Subjects.

NON-CUSHION SUBJECTS (i.e. the ones I concentrate on)

English => A2
Music => A1
Mathematics => A2
Physics => A2
Malay => A2 --that's in the bag
Geography => A2

CUSHION SUBJECTS

Combined Humanities => B3
Higher Malay => B3
Chemistry => B3

(Note how I put Chem last...)

So this would be my aggregates: (after deductions...notify me if i calculated wrongly)

L1R2B2: 7 pts

L1R5 : 7 pts (see how good planning adds up?)

And thus, Ramadan is here...

2008-09-02T16:54:00.004+08:00

Wishing all 1.5 billion Muslims in the world a blessed Ramadan! Some Middle Eastern Countries actually have holiday for 2 days, I think, topped with teacher's day! (Jealous)

Anyways, here are tips for travellers who are travelling into Muslim -prevalent countries during Ramadan

1. Bear in mind --- DON'T eat or drink out in the streets. If you are really famished, go to a hotel restaurant instead, they will cater for tourists (and their money)

2. Saudi Arabia is especially strict on the no-eating-or-drinking-rule. I'm sure you don't want trouble with the religious police.

3. If you're taking a taxi, BE ESPECIALLY PATIENT. Hey, a hungry worker isn't a happy worker. You will see men with mood swings for the first time (I haven't had one yet...I guess I'm used to it). truthfully, during Ramadan, muslims also cannot get angry, not just abstain from food and drink

4. Opening and closing times are really hard to tell because it changes everyday. Staff usually go home about an hour or two before sundown. To be sure, check an imsakiah obtainable at your hotel front desk.

5. Visiting a Muslim-prevalent country during this time is best experienced in the last 3 days. Be sure to stay another 3 days for the Eid festivities. You will see a huge change in general attitude.

6. Roam the streets on Ramadan night. There are bazaars galore with cheap eats and goods. Best visited one hour after sundown when all the Muslims have gone for tarawih prayers. Tarawih takes about 2 hours, so try to beat the crowds beforehand.

To quote Esso, how do we know the best tips? We're Muslims too...

(Ramadan fact: On this day, 2 Ramadan/2 September, the Torah was bestowed to Moses)

What do you look for when seeking a companion of the opposite sex? (Version for Guys)

2008-08-24T16:53:00.006+08:00

Enough with exams stuff already. I was faced with this question by a friend of mine, and here are the answers.

1. Wants you to do everything for her/Independant-minded

VERDICT: Definitely independant minded. So as such you won't see me carrying my partner's handbag/shopping/polishing her shoes/helping her deciding what to wear, etc. Hey, we are endowed with brains, you know.

2. Brains / Beauty

VERDICT: This is really difficult. But brains first, beauty a bonus.

3. Family-oriented / Career-oriented

VERDICT: I find that at some point in life, a woman's biological clock will make her want to have kids. As for me, 1 or 2 is enough. So, I don't mind either.

4. Inter-religious / Same religion

VERDICT: Same religion definitely a plus. There is better understanding, and raising children in future won't be so difficult as it's easier to agree on the child's upbringing

5. Inter-racial / Same race

VERDICT: I sit on the fence for this. I just happen to open to fate here.

6. Same interests / Don't mind differing interests

VERDICT: I would like to befriend a person of similar interest, of course. That way, there will be no boring monologues, etc. etc.

7. Wealthy / Not so well off

VERDICT: Imagine having a wealthy companion. Sharing the load will be so much easier. Of course I will have to be independant on my part

8. University Graduate / Not a university graduate

VERDICT: In my opinion, knowledge is not justified on a piece of paper (or what some call a 'degree'). I look for sensibility, so I really don't mind if she isn't a graduate.

9. Superior / Inferior

VERDICT: I sit on the fence for this. As always, all I want is someone sensible with a principle (not principal, like a Sophie i know) in life.

How I would Tackle the essays in Our Prelims

2008-08-22T21:58:00.002+08:00

PAPER 1

1c) With reference to examples(s) evaluate the effectiveness of the possible measures that can help cope with the destructive effects caused by plate movements

I would write this in the two sets method. The first set would have the criteria of BEFORE and the second set would have the criteria of AFTER.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2c) With reference to example(s), assess the effectiveness of measures in managing floods

Use the three point method here. You may choose any three points given in the answer key to our specimen paper.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3d) With reference to example(s), assess the effectiveness of the methods used to manage deforestation

Again, use the three point method here. Materials in Specimen Paper answer key is generally effective and you need some pre-exam research for this one.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4c) Using examples such as the coastal management measures utilized in Photograph A and B, assess the effectiveness of such coastal management measures in protecting coastlines from erosion

This is rather lengthy, so let's break it down: You can actually use OTHER measures than reflected in Photograph A (Seawall) or B (Planting vegetation) because the question reads "Using exaples SUCH AS..." rather than phrased "Using the coastal management measures utilized..." As such, you can use other stuff as well.

However, this is a bonus. You can use two sets (SEAWALL and VEGETATION) or three points.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PAPER 2

1d) "Food can be engineered to prevent disease" To what extent, is "engineered food" the cure for disease?

This is rather straightforward, clear cut and upfront (hem hem). Two sets rule (YES or NO) will do the trick. Oh, and having good general knowledge and common sense is a bonus. This is similar to history essays as well.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2d) Listed below are testimonials from clients at the Bangalore Tech Park.

"ITPB is a Tech Park of international standards yet distinctly unique. It has created and more importantly maintains an environment which comprehensively caters to the high standards, both professional and personal, demanded by its clients." -Mr. Ramesh Kumar S.

"Excellent office space, well-run with responsive management and quick remedy to problems and issues." -Ms. Shobhua Nikam

Using the information from the quotations above and your own knowledge, evaluate the factors which have led to the growth of Bangalore as a Tech Park in India

(This took me forever to copy...) Two sets rule is best for this application. the 2 criterias would be WHAT IS GIVEN and WHAT I ALREADY KNOW. After all, the question did say "...from the quotations above AND your own knowledge" (stress inserted)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3d) Assess the impacts of tourism on the economy and the environment with reference to exaples you have studied.

Again, two sets rule, labelled ON ECONOMY and ON ENVIRONMENT

4c) With reference to example(s), state and explain why some developing countries in Asia experience difficulties in improving the quality of life for their people?

Best use 3 point rule, and have some common sense and good knowledge armed for this one.

======================================================

Geography Essay Tips for Students Taking the New O-Level Syallabus

2008-08-18T17:32:00.005+08:00

I have looked at various answer keys and have finally come up with a way to write your answers in recognisable order that will please the examiners. However, you must also carry out your pre-exam research.

Pre-exam research stage

Decide what you're going to concentrate or write on. (This is easy for Physical Geography because questions rarely change completely).
Familiarise with pros and cons regarding the very subject itself. For example, you can say seawalls are effective at deflecting and absorbing energy from incoming waves but are expensive and require regular maintainance.
Find examples of pros and cons on the Internet or by reading up travel guides. Travel guides are full of examples or everyday stuff. For example, from reading a travel guide alone, I know that Pondicherry was spared by the 2004 tsunami thanks to a well-built seawall. From the internet, I discover that seawall failures in the Bahamas was caused by rapid erosion of the base leading to collapse, an epitome of poor construction.

Now that you have gathered facts and examples, time to look at the essay writing stage.

Writing the essay

There are two ways to tackle the essay writing part. There is the three point method and the two sets method.

The three point method is where you come up with three points and a conclusion, similar to a History essay. There is a systematic way of writing a three point essay. I will outline the steps below.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Write an introduction describing your three points.

1st Paragraph: Write your Point followed by its purpose and benefits (ie why is it a significant point) [P]. Write an Example of the point acheiving its purpose [E]. Next write some Limitations on your point [L]. Then write an Example of such a limitation happening [E].

(To remember this is actually easy for fans of FC Internazionale-Milan or Portugusese footballers. Just remember PELE)

2nd and 3rd paragraphs: Similar to first paragraph.

Statement to link every thing here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two sets method is used for comparison. For example, to get maximum marks for an essay regarding measures taken during an earthquake, you need to write BEFORE (such as structural engineering) and AFTER (such as rescue) measures. Below is a walkthrough on this.

=================================================================

Write an introduction stating your two sets of points here.

1st paragraph: Write your CRITERIA for the first set of points here. Thene PELE various points under the first set criteria.

2nd paragraph: Similar to first set.

Statement to link here

============================================================

I have a sample of PELE at work here (the method, not the footballer).

Seawalls are structures built parallel to the coast attached on the coast itself to deflect and absorb energy from incoming waves [P]. This measure is seen especially effective at places like Pondicherry where it reduced damage done to the town when the 2004 tsunami struck. There was minimal erosion of the banks as compared to other neighbouring towns [E]. However, seawalls are expensive to build and require regular maintainance as erosion actually occurs at the base of the seawall. As such, they are particularly prone to poor engineering. This can be seen when the seawll along Caves Point in the Bahamas collapsed when the base eroded so badly due to poor engineering and maintainance, and the seawall collapsed.

(Please do not memorise or copy this. I have no guarantee that this will fetch full marks, but it should according to the Answer Key. Anyway, I will be on the lookout for those copying this so beware)

I hope this clears your essay writing doubts. Good luck for the students taking the new syllabus for Geography for 'O'-Levels!

{DISCLAIMER: Please attempt this steps at your own risk. I do not hold any responsibilities if anything undesirable happens. I have tried to match the steps as closely to requirements of the Answer Key as far as I can. If anyone wants to raise an issue, please reply via the ChatBox}

A Word on Handwriting, Spelling and Grammar

2008-08-18T17:04:00.003+08:00

I have recently read the article on the Straits Times on bad handwritng among students. Here is an online adaptation of the article:

http://digital.asiaone.com/Digital/News/Story/A1Story20080811-81645.html

Handwriting is extremely important. It makes sure our thoughts and ideas are well conveyed. In the world of spell- and grammar-checks, more and more teenagers are prone to bad handwriting, spelling and grammar. The absence of penmanship lessons in school, coupled with no penalties on errors in spelling or grammar in non-language related examinations has led to poor language usage and perpetually illegible handwriting.

Here are some examples of poor spelling (obviously, getting samples of bad handwriting would be humiliating)

1. I had a friend who doesn't see anything wrong with the words "vechile", "freind", and "speeling"

2. I had teachers (I assure you they are no Americans) that habitually spells words like "color", "traveler" and "gray"

3. I bet very few teenagers (and some adults alike) see the mistakes in words like "curb" (the roadside object), "licorice", "percent" and "skeptic".

For number 3, it would seem alright in the eyes of an American, but let's face it, British English is much more accepted and people always use the "American" excuse for bad spelling. Let's face it people, ENGlish is from ENGland, for crying out loud!

Returning to the topic of handwriting. Are doctors actually the olny ones excused for the behaviour of bad writing?

The answer: NO

Statistics show that the doctor's spidery scrawl has cost 7000 lives each year, and in America alone, 1.5 million people actually developed complications due to wrong dosages. Of course, it is also part of the phamacists fault not to ring the doctor and double-check, but the root of the problem still lies in bad handwriting.

Personally, I have been through doctors that do have atrocious handwritings. I was thinking, 'do medical schools have an adverse effect on handwriting, or is it doctors mentality of "I am a doctor and people should respect me, why would I care if they can't read my writing?"'

I certainly hope it's not my second thought that is the reality.

سلام ۲

2008-08-11T12:02:00.001+08:00

السلام عليكم

غدا عندي الفصل الموسيقى. لا أمكن إخر! نحن درسنا موسيقى حايدن، مؤلف من المانية. أحيب استمع إلى سيمفونية ١.٤ ذلك، تلك الجميلة.

الامتحاني يجيء، لو سمحت دعا إلى الله إكراما لي! شكرا

سلام

2008-08-10T22:48:00.002+08:00

أحيب أكتب إلى العربية

NOTICE

2008-08-07T17:44:00.002+08:00

A new law has been passed.

Visitors to the closed territories (i.e. Savarnadvipa and the environs) who have visited Shelford Road within the past 6 months need a Letter of Invitation. To apply for it, simply register at Cardo Maxima, Avenidas Cardo Maxima (Humanities Room 1). The Letter will be processed in 1 week. This letter is valid for 3 visits.

Long term visa holders who visits Shelford Road will have their visas disqualified and need to apply for a new one. Study permit holders will have no effect visiting Shelford Road.

This new ruling is due to opening of diplomatic ties with the neighbouring kingdom. Please note that this is vulnerable to change. Visitors will still be checked thoroughly if they have any evidence of visiting the abovementioned place.

The Road Map of Life

2008-08-02T11:10:00.003+08:00

They say if you have passion in something, you do that thing really well and can even excel.

So, how do we get around life doing something we really like? Here are some questions that you can ask yourself.

1. What is my purpose in life?
This is really intriguing. If you'd realise, some people have really different answers than yours, and your reaction to such answers can be, well, like, What? Seriously though, this is a catalyst for knowing what you really want. Think through this question. It doesn't really matter if you have multiple purposes.

2. What can /must I do for myself?
This question aims for you to realise what you are willing and unwilling to do to achieve whatever you have answered in the first question. If you don't have an answer for this one, maybe your answer in the first question isn't really for you. Try digging deeper into yourself, look for passions and talents you have.

3. What can others do for me?
It is impossible for you to do everything yourself. Get help from someone close to you: friends, family, etc.

4. What do I do from now?
Do some research. Match what you want to do with something that appeals you. Remember, the keyword is NOW.

And, once you've done asking yourself the above, it's time to get cracking! Do what you like, and don't care what others say, who cares about 'em anyway.

P.S. I learned an interesting Chinese phrase: 旮旮旯旯儿

Has materialism poisoned our minds?

2008-07-28T18:11:00.003+08:00

Our society is now progressive and modern technology has allowed life to be much easier, laid-backable and comfortabler than ever before. Ever wondered how they made butter in the Middle Ages? A huge churn of milk has to be used and all you get is actually enough butter to spread on one side of bread. And churning is hard work. Now we can have pre-packed butter easily.

As above, my topic for today is materialism. Is it a good thing? Sure, it feels good to be more affluent than others and have more to show off.

But what does the conscience say?

Are we as content as we should be?

Nowadays, having a degree is everything. It lets us have a comfortable life with a comfortable wage and have a comfortable safety net as we retire. When we get a degree, we have more job options, such as lawyers, architects or teachers. That being said, you are bound to be paid a lot as you have made good contribution to the society.

Now let's take a look at who I feel also contribute to society worth mentioning.

1. Farmers and food cultivators
What? you may say. But this is really true. Food is a necessity in life. Let's reflect. When was the last time you ever thought of that poor man or woman who has to toil for hours in the back-breaking work to ensure YOUR rice is there? When was the last time you thought of the fisherman risking his life in the sea to ensure YOUR constant supply of seafood when they themselves don't have the luxury of the time or money of having good seafood themselves? And the dairy farmer, who has to work EVERY DAY to make sure he has enough to eat himself.

Let's think about it. The food industry can never rest. Nor are there sick leaves or job raise or something like that. Only the rising inflation and cost of basic necessities face them.

2. Cleaners
This may be a degrading job for people of "higher standards". however, let's reflect and appreciate them for a while. I mean, when was the last time you cleaned the vomit off the floor in a shopping centre/public place out of your own accord? Nope, we just wait for that foreign worker or the old uncle/aunty to clean that up.

In England, the wage of the cleaner is 7 pounds an hour. Would you do that?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My basic implication is here is that we are being dreadfully unfair to ourselves and fellow human beings. We think we are so important, so deserving of what we have done, when others like who I mentioned above actually should deserve more (The list above is non-exhaustive btw). They don't have degrees, or money to have something like that. Yet their job is so essential, and yet they are treated unfairly.

Some (not all, though) who earn a lot can be undeserving of the money sometimes. We have people who constantly injure Mother Earth for their personal needs. I don't think my time is worth even talking about this people. But good for you if you are not, and have contributed to society (and not to Global Warming I hope...).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next, I am discussing the matter on how selfish a lot of rich people can be. Take a certain country I shall refer to as Country A. It is well known for its financial power. But look in the country itself. People are denied of basic healthcare (try not getting an insurance), and the infant mortality is horrendouly high for a developed state.

The country mentioned has spent a lot of money sending people to space, providing aid (with strings attached, without a doubt) etc. Let's discuss on the aid part.

When DCs send aid, they expect returns from the helped country, such as agreeing to the country's plans, buying their products, etc. What are they trying to do, make the whole world worship the leaders? Why not have goodwill since they already have surplus money spending on projects like "wars against terror", sending people to space, having "nuclear talks" (which is weird as the country in question is the only country in the world who has used a nuclear weapon before, and it makes more noise on others)and what not?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's look in our own society. Money seems to be everything now. We just have to have that latest gadget, fashion and what have you. Let's take a moment to get rid of the materialism mentality and appreciate what we already have, and be thankful to all those who made living possible.

The most cursed of a man is one who clings to his belongings --Book of Philosophies

A Traveller Down the Road

2008-07-16T18:30:00.002+08:00

A traveller down the road
Traversing down the signboardless way
He walks into the unknown
He cares not,
Though he knows not,
What lies ahead

A traveller down the road,
capturing pictures along the way
It resides in memory
He cares not,
Though he knows not
What lies ahead

A traveller down the road,
Journeys by the day,
learns something at the end of it
He cares not,
Though he knows not,
What lies ahead

A traveller dow the road,
is a thinker
He understands what is there
He cares not,
Though he knows not
What lies ahead

A traveller down the road,
Knows what he is to know,
But more importantly appreciates what there is to know
He cares not,
Though he knows not
What lies ahead

A traveller down the road
Is already much wiser
He cares not,
Though he knows not
What lies ahead,
In this road called Life

-The Book of Philosophies

Another bucket of photos

2008-07-10T17:40:00.004+08:00

Here are some more pictures from my trip!

Downtown Amman

This is actually appetizer for our lunch...

A donation box

Dome of the Rock

Inside the Site of the Last Supper

Where the last supper took place

In the Dead Sea

We will...

Morning in Amman

A friend and I had the privelege of taking a photo with the King of Jordan

His highness King Abdullah II of Jordan

Israeli water

Israeli youths

Jordan's Queen Rania speaks...

2008-07-03T16:50:00.003+08:00

Her Majesty Queen Rania of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

I was watching Her Highness Queen Rania of Jordan's YouTube video on stereotyping and how to break it down. Essentially, the stereotyping she touches on are women's rights, misconceptions on Arabs and the Muslim religion.

One of her point intrigues me. Everywhere in the world, people must have heard of unequal rights given to women in the Arab world. She is right about one thing: Is it just the Arab world or is it a world wide issue? One of her point includes 1 every 3 women in the world are abused. Not exclusively to the Arab world then?

Anyways, today's topic of the day is interaction between leaders and the lead. Some like H.H Queen Rania chooses to VideoBlog (or Vlog as it is "properly" called) and others like Dr. Mahatir of Malaysia writes his own blog.

Whatever the case, direct interaction between leaders and the lead is very important. It creates trust between them (as in H.H Queen Rania's case where individuals post a question and she responses to them personally on YouTube) or may express what the leaders feel and deem necessary for the country (as in Dr. Mahathir's case). With direct and no middle management interaction, the trust the commoners put in their leaders can progress a country, this is where both sides benefit.

To see HH Queen Rania's videos, visit her YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/QueenRania

or visit her very own website at
http://www.queenrania.jo/

Visit Dr. Mahathir's blog at
http://test.chedet.com/che_det/

Nations special

2008-06-29T15:48:00.005+08:00

1. Largest Country: Russia (I'm sure you know that)

2. Smallest Country: Vatican City (Size:0.44 sq km, perfect for cross-country races)

3. Shortest National Anthem: Uganda (only 9 bars)

4. Longest National Anthem: Greece (158 stanzas, Singapore has only 2)

5. Longest Name for a Country: Libya (Full name: Al-Jamāhīriyyah al-ʿArabiyyah al-Lībiyyah aš-Šaʿbiyyah al-Ištirākiyyah al-ʿUẓmā)

The Bucket of Photos...

2008-06-25T20:56:00.007+08:00

Abraham's Tomb, Israel

A very nice rock, Jordan

On the way to the Dead Sea, Jordan

The ugliest rose in the world (if you ask me), Jericho, Israel

Nice camel, Jericho, Israel

People come to David's tomb to be solemn and serious...until they saw this sign, Israel

A sight Malaysians will never see-a sign completely in Hebrew, Wailing Wall, Israel

Cool sundial, Israel

The journey to Bethlehem, Israel

Tomb of Jonah, Israel

Everywhere in the world people avoid parking tickets...but not Jerusalem

The street where the crucifixion took place, Via Dolorosa, Israel

Dome of the Rock (there's a floating rock inside I swear...), Israel

People used to climb Mount Zion by foot...now they have the cable car, Mount Zion, Israel

The Dead Sea beach, Israel

Ruins of Petra, Jordan

As-Siq, the desert canyon, Jordan

Desert Highway, Jordan

Herculean temple, Jordan

What can you learn from Jordan and Israel

2008-06-18T18:04:00.002+08:00

1. NEVER to taste Dead Sea salt...it's downright yucky.

2. That Isreali customs are really strict...there's no escaping them!

3. It's really hot.

4. VERY hot.

5. Drink a lot of water, we are lucky people.

6. Did I say it was hot?

7. Never get caught in a sandstorm, your eyes will hurt.

8. You never see Malaysians in Israel, and they are missing out a lot!

9. Jordan can also be a person's name.

10. You get a lot of discounted items if you are a Muslim shopping in Jerusalem.
(This is 100 shekels. What, you are Muslim? I give this to you 30 shekels...)

11. As a birthplace of religion, people tend to be open. Very open.
(I am Christian. You are Muslim? We worship same god! Peace, peace (and a hug)...)

12. Hugging is a fact of life there.

13. Wear shoes, the sand from a sandstorm can never get off your sandals.

14. Your money can halve if you are changing money to Jordanian dinar. (SGD$1 = JD 0.490)

15. The dinar has 1000 fils, not 100 (that means three d.p. for money)

16. Never look too affluent, there are a lot of sneaky pickpockets in Hebron.

17. Appreciate the artwork on the Bethlehem wall.

18. Learn to tolerate endless meals of flat bread and/or salad and/or meat and/or kebab.

19. That Middle Easterners can be like a desert pear, sharp and stinging on the outside and sweet on the inside.

and finally...

20. Learn how to run wildly out there in the wilderness, and have fun doing so.

My last few days...

2008-06-13T14:30:00.004+08:00

Jerusalem (pron. YE-ru-sha-LA-yim)

Hi! I've been in Jerusalem for 3 days now. You can see the old city from my hotel, and the view is dramatic.

Jerusalem is divided into 2 areas, the old city and the new city. The old city is surrounded by a really ancient wall with 11 gates, where 4 are not in use. The gate nearest to my hotel is Herod's gate, but the walk through Damascus Gate is better because it is the shortest distance to all the sites of interest in Jerusalem. To get from the old city to the city center, take Bus No. 35 outside the Dung Gate or Moroccan Gate.

Here are some sites of interest in Jerusalem.

Old City

1. Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where, in Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified)

2. Dome of the Rock (where Jesus was resurrected and where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, the place where God took the soil to make Adam, the first human being, and the site of the floating rock) NOTE: You cannot enter the Dome of the Rock unless you are Muslim.

3. The well of souls (again only Muslims are permitted to enter here)

4. Al-Aqsa compound/Temple Mount (you cannot enter here if you are a Jew due to Jewish religious law)

5. The Wailing (Western) Wall

New City

1. Mount of Olives (the view here is fantastic, although the climb is tiring)

2. Mount Zion (another fantastic view)

3. Mount Scopus (a fabulous view...of the university blocking the view)

4. City of David (is not a city actually, it's David's Tomb)

5. Site of the Last Supper

6. Holocaust museum (how cliché)

7. and many many more

I will post photos soon! Meanwhile, I will be on my way to the Dead Sea, so watch out for that post!

(PS. To people who the government does not permit entry to Israel, you are missing out so much!)

Merrily to Bethlehem...

2008-06-12T10:03:00.004+08:00

Ever heard of this carol? Well, if you went to Bethlehem, it won't be merry. Just came back from there and guess what, the Israeli government has built a 10 meter high wall around Bethlehem and the Muslims and Christians cannot get out of the city unless given permission from the Isreali Authorities. Rather unnerving, you may find.

The Bethlehem 'ghetto' is also neighbouring to two neighbouring villages, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Beit Jala is instead surrounded by an electrified fence.

However, the residents are optimistic that the wall will come down one day when the Israelis completely pull out of West Bank.

Anyway, Bethlehem is an otherwise charming town. About 67% of its residents are Muslim and the rest are Christians. Top must-see sites include the Church of Nativity, the site of the birth of Jesus, the souqs along the street, and being the centre of Palestinian culture, you can indulge in Palestinian art and food culture such as Baklava. Go see the mother-of-pearl carvings, they are simply charming.

To get to Bethlehem, take a sherut from the Jordan-Israeli border, or take bus number 21 from East Jerusalem at Damascus Gate and the bus will take you to Beit Jala before terminating at Bethlehem bus station, about an exhausting uphill walk to the Church of the Nativity. The cost of the trip is 6 shekels (about S$2.40)

Here are some pictures taken in Bethlehem

The walls around Bethlehem

One of the many graffiti on the wall

Bethlehem Media Centre

Only in Jordan...

2008-06-11T15:08:00.007+08:00

1. ...is where you see the King's face every 1 or 2 km in the town, streets, highways, ticket booths, shops, homes, airports ...

2. ... is where you can see Petra

The Siq

Al-Khazneh Farun (Pharoah's treasury)

3. ...is where serial smokers are on the loose and the smell of cigarettes can even be detected at a fully air-conditioned building

4. ...is where people talk on the phone at ear-splitting decibles

5. ...is where soccer commentators can spur the event of WW3

6. ...is where you can immerse in Bedouin culture

7. ...is where you can see bottles of consecrated holy water from the Jordan River at every shop whose owners are Christian

8. ...is where strong herbal coffee with no sugar or milk is served (tastes like all the bitter medicines in the world put together)

9. ... is where you can get caught in a desert sand storm

Here she comes!

10. ...is where brusque mannerisms can delight you

11. ...is where people's tempers are thinner than your hair

12. ...is where pushing someone aside if you're in the way is okay

13. ...is where people smile a lot

14. ...finally, is where escalators have traffic lights

You just have to laugh, right?

Travelogue: Day 1

2008-06-02T16:59:00.003+08:00

Hi! Currently at Changi Airport waiting for my flight to Bangkok at 6.15. Guess what -- the value of the Antarctican dollar dropped to 12 bucks plus :( Anyways, I'll try to find free internet access later at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport (see the previous posts below on a word on Suvarnabhumi airport) where I'll have about five hours before taking Royal Jordanian.

Since I'm at an internet outpost, I thought I'll share a bit on the intended topic of discussion, which is about ethics.

You may have well heard say me a lot of times "It's against my ethics". Should we in the developing world care about traditional and religious ethics? Maybe it's better to do away with ethics, as knowledge is far more important (as regularly stressed in school). However, we must still be mindful that certain things we do may be unorthodox and ethical to the sensible individual. Let's look back to the Korean scientist who lied his way through stem-cell research. Yes, initially, everyone thought that it was a miraculous breakthrough, but when his lies were unearthed, I daresay his reputation will take forever to recover.

This brings to the Asian attitude of "saving face". This concept may be alien to the Western world, but it makes sure that we don't embarrass ourselves in front of people (worse if you don't realise that you have.) This results in customs and concepts such as eating with the mouth closed or not looking at someone directly, rather unusual to thw Western culture.

To conclude, I suggest that we practise the Asian attitude of "saving face", to avoid embarrassing ourselves in front of others. Please leave a comment1

Notice

2008-05-30T19:21:00.002+08:00

This will be my temporary blogskin while the blog is revamping.

-serving you better...

Just One More Week...

2008-05-26T18:48:00.001+08:00

to go before I leave for my trek across the Middle Eastern core.

For any of you who are wondering how am I coping with serious culture shock and other stuff (which includes the crazy amount of E Math homework we have) this are the stuff I'm doing.

1. Psycho myself by believing Singapore is not hot (the Middle East is hotter)
2. Get proper visa and making sure that I have clearance to all of my destinations.
3. Rilek a little.
4. Have an open mind towards Middle eastern culture
5. Get hore riding lessons since I'm riding a horse across the desert to Petra
6. Finish my E Math homework in no particular order (jkjk)

For this trip, I have many typical responses such as "This is your 'O' Level year what..." (quoted from Glenn Wong) and let's make it clear. I believe in absolute continuity and look long term. 'O' Levels in my opinion is a 2 month matter (which doesn't mean I don't care) as compared to the many years I spend on the face of this Earth, which I believe I have addressed the serious issue of the lack of knowledge of it 2 posts ago.

Along my way, I'll take photos with my handphone and upload them during my trip (hopefully Internet cafes are cheap in all my destinations). At the end of my trip, I will create a movie with no words that focuses on Middle Eastern mysticism. So watch out next week for them!

If you have realised, the Antarctican dollar has appreciated in respect to the Singapore dollar, now that it is at a rate of S$29.65 per A$1.

Time to get started on indices...

Branding the Most Beautiful National Anthem

2008-05-23T16:48:00.000+08:00

I was at it again, listening to various anthems, and without a doubt, I found the World's Beautifulest National Anthem, which I'm sure you'll agree after listening to it.

Below is a video from YouTube, featuring Hatikvah, the national anthem of Israel. The anthem is in a minor key, which is unusual for national anthems. However, the melody, though heart-renching, is very uplifting and inspiring.

The anthem is in a binary form, AB. Section A is a melancholic tune which roughly translates as:

"Deep in the heart within,
A Jewish soul yearns,
And facing in the East, forward,
A watchful eye overlooks"

Section B is more uplifting as compared to Section A. It translates as:

"Our hope is not yet lost,
The hope of 2000 years,
To be a free people in our own land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem"

Section B repeats the last two lines.

Around the World in a Quiz

2008-05-21T17:02:00.000+08:00

I am shocked. Many people are not acquainted with the Earth we live in. For example,

"What is the national language of Panama?"

"Ermm, ... Panamian?"

Sighs

Test yourself here!

The Global Quiz

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

2008-05-11T19:00:00.000+08:00

Spotted in China!

These guys need help!

Wheelchair-bound people beware!

Spotted in Tibet

Bilingual Sign spotted in Canada

Spotted in Ephesus

So true...this sign is taken from Katoomba, NSW

Japanese are hostile towards smokers

...and are straightforward people too.

Spotted in Malaysia! It just so happens they don't care WHERE you spit, just do it quietly.

Thank god all the watches are exact and syncronised

Whoops

Things NOT to do in a toilet

As a side message, PLEASE practice sex SAFELY...

A word on Suvarnabhumi Airport

2008-05-05T17:27:00.000+08:00

That it's actually pronounced "soo-wan-na-poom"

For today's episode I will present the weirdest things that I have encountered concerning language. Let's start off.

1. The Estonian word for space explorer is kuuuurija.

2. In the city of Condom of France, it has a Bishop of Condom

3. In Jerusalem, there is a church called "Our Lady Of the Spasms"

4. Bangkok's full name is "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit ." Fancy that, not even a mention of "Bangkok" in it.

5. There's a village in Canada called Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! , together with the exclamation marks

6. One of the most outrageous place names in the world. This is the world's most stolen street sign.

You might want to read the local's reaction to this: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/09/02/1125302734420.html

7. The world's shortest place name:

8. "Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia" means fear of long words. How ironic.

9. For good measure, here's the longest word in English, it contains 189,819 letters.

It's found on an external page because I got too tired writing up to the 2000th character

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061113221628AAxlNn5

10. The shortest word in the English language is "a".

That's about what I have for today.

And thou shalt seek rest --Book of Philosophies 12:30

2008-04-25T17:14:00.000+08:00

Today's topic is something i think is very important -- the importance of sleep. I have recently found out that many who are taking important exams are forcing to stay up late to maximise their time studying. You know who you are.

But is it worth it?

We all know that sleep is very important. It provides the brain time to organise what to be done the next day, and keeps us energised. But lack of sleep by voluntarily burning the midnight oil is not the best thing to do. So we are faced with a dilemma, to sleep or to stay up?

Here is the Golden Question: Is sleep productive?

According to several resources such as Encyclopaedia Britannica and Wikipedia, there are several functions of sleep:

1. Restoration

Sleep can improve and increase the rate of healing within the body. A study shows that wounds take longer to heal because there was insufficent sleep. This is the very reason why hospitals have a quiet atmosphere -- it encourages the person to sleep. Sleep can also cure headaches.

2. Acheiving a catabolic state

Sleep achieves the catabolic state where the body renourishes and rejuvenates our immune, skeletal, muscular and nervous systems vital for the growth of an organism.

3. Memory processing

Sleep is also when the brain processes all the memory. Whatever the brain (not you) feels unnecessary, it simply throws it away. This explains why you remember what you may be wearing five years ago but not where you put your keys. The same goes with stuff you studied for. After brain torture throughout the night, the brain shuts most of it off because it needs to process the more important things you experienced earlier in the day.

4. Preservation

Sleep is also when your body protects itself because the you do not to eat or drink 24 hours a day. As a method of survival, your body sleeps to protect itself from all sorts of danger. If you went to SuperTeens, you will see something similar when Ken makes a fat guy stand over a thin guy, only there, you achieve sleep in a conscient mind.

For those of you who really want to stay up, fret not, the way out is to do Nidra Yoga, an exercise where performed in 15 mins, you feel like you have slept an hour. Trust me -- it works. BUT-- Nidra Yoga should never substitute sleep.

FYI-- circadian sleep disorders are treatable. Those who do not get it treated can be like Mr. Thai Ngoc who has not slept for 33 years. Seriously. He couldn't sleep after he got a mysterious fever.

What are your views on sleep? Write them here!

(The reason for me writing this since last Friday is because I kepp falling asleep writing this article)

Earth Day 2008

2008-04-21T19:51:00.000+08:00

Here's to me wishing the whole world a Happy Earth Day. For my part, I am going to do my part to refuse to throw away a single object (recycle them instead), although that's what I always do.

For this Earth Day Special, I wish to shout out a message to the whole world.

*Clears Throat*

The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Cecilia Tan probably saw it ALL happen. Anyway, man has continually inhabited this planet for 2 million years now, and the Earth can provide it all.

But then, there is a hitch.

The Earth is dying. Fast. But we, the species who started it all, can end it. The crisis began during the industrial revolution in the 1800s when many new inventions appeared on the face of this Earth. Little did they know that the stuff the contraptions release are dangerous. The very stuff destroying Earth, unfortunately, is difficult to get rid of. When refrigenrants and styrofoam was invented, they did not realise that the ozone hole is developing. And the ozone crisis continues today, but it is heartwarming to know that the hole is closing up again.

What can we do?

Well, for starters, it starts from YOU. Yes YOU. By doing your part, you can save tonnes of waste by the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Excess waste caused by humans is causing a bulk of these problems. By reusing old stuff, or supporting by bringing your own carriers when shopping, or even using biodegradable plastic carriers can go a long way. Buying environmentally friendly products such as rechargables and hybrids also can go a long way.

That way, we can hope for a better future for our future and for our future generations in future.

Remember, the world is in our hands.

Share your message to the Earth here on the Cbox or in the comments!

When one rejoices, another will suffer --Book of Philosophies 12:44

2008-04-18T20:47:00.000+08:00

I was in a bookshop just now (no need to say which) and i realised something very disturbing.

Ever wondered why some paper products are expensive? Well, they aren't. The cheaper alternatives can be found in the bottom piles, and I saved about a dollar doing that.

Another disturbing fact is that publishers of past-year model papers can be after your money by cheekily putting the price of the paper in question really cheap -- only for you to find out that the answers are sold separately, and it is better of with the book with the answers in it. To prevent such scenarios from happening, purchase from credible publishers such as Dyna. SAP has separate answers booklet either sold with the book or separately, so be very very very very very careful.

My focus today is the shifting tides. Is it actually equally fair to compare and be compared to others when circumstances slightly differ? I got the inspiration from our O Levels. I'm sure people taking the 'O's in 2008 are facing a crisis -- a major change in syllabus (although chemistry students enjoy the benefit of a much easier syllabus).

This major change in syllabus is rather drastic and is listed as follows:

1. Social Studies: The addition of terrorism to the syllabus
2. Geography: Pure brain drainage on the removal of MCQs
3. Elementary Maths: This one changes every year so i'm not complaining
4. Additional Maths: The addition of quadratic roots, partial fractions and %$%# geometrical proofs
5. A much earlier O level date

What does this mean? Simple -- we have more to study for, with a shorter time to do so. Moreover, removal of JC tryouts means we are always 2 points short of people who take the 'O's before us.

JC points are dropping drastically to boot.

To sum it all up, the good results windfall last year made others expect more of us.

By the way, I have calculated that their A1 might only account for an A2 and A2 can account for a B3 if the people before us were to take our 'O's syllabus taking pressure, time and workload to consideration.

So tell me, is it fair to be compared to others? Post your views in the cbox or in the comments space!

The Man in Choa Chu Kang

2008-04-11T16:37:00.000+08:00

I must admit i am not the nicest person in the world.

But I am honest. Honestly!

And that was what was going through my mind when I was going to buy my pie at Pie Kia in Choa Chu Kang. If you are a frequent visitor of Choa Chu Kang MRT station, around 4:45 - 5:30 you will see a blind busker playing an electric guitar with a backing track. Oh, and you will also realise he will play the lambada over and over again (probably his only repertoire).

This really struck me. Is his (i must apologise to those who take offence) meagre repertoire going to sustain himself? I know the world can be cruel. It takes sides. It favours those who are perfect in every manner. It ditches aside those who cannot cope. And these people are the ones who are more self-sustaining, much more content than most people are. They can be alright wearing last season's clothes. They are ok taking a crowded bus or train to home or work. They are fine with hand-me-downs. These are probably things that we fortunate ones detest, because they are "out-of-date", "old fashioned" or probably "inconvenient". We often take things for granted.

What is the world coming to?

We all know that there are more than enough food for every human being on the planet. Yet there are still people out there dying of hunger simply because food is difficult to come by. Instead, we see powerful nations sending people to space (no, i'm not saying it is wrong though. Astronomy is a fine discipline to explore into) when the millions and millions of dollars can be used to feed people around the world. Also, the more common topic, the investment in nuclear weapons. Countries such as the USA are always on nuclear talks to Iran and North Korea (actually it's like a pot calling a kettle black-- The USA also have nuclear weapons too). What is the point on spending on warfare when people are still suffering around the world. Is it not a waste of time?

What is the world coming to?

Back to the busker. I was done buying my pie. He was playing a much more embellished version of the Lambada. Somehow I knew what notes he was going to play next. And I walked over and dropped a dollar into his collections.

Just a word to note: Pie Kia's Pie Seh, Pie Kia and Toa Pie Kia are very popular in Choa Chu Kang/Bukit Panjang youths. Their Pie Seh is awesome--at prices of $1.20-$1.30

P.S. When I first saw this shop, my first thought was "What is the world coming to?" ...

Things you never knew about the Antarctican empire

2008-04-09T19:29:00.000+08:00

Ten Top Trivia Tips about The Antarctican empire!

According to the story, Pinocchio was made of the Antarctican empire.
Europe is the only continent that lacks the Antarctican empire.
In Chinese, the sound 'the Antarctican empire' means 'bite the wax tadpole'!
If you kiss the Antarctican empire for one minute you will burn six or seven calories.
The Antarctican empireocracy is government by the Antarctican empire.
The Antarctican empire can't sweat!
If you cut the Antarctican empire in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will know how many children you are going to have!
The Antarctican empire can usually be found in nests built in the webs of large spiders.
The Antarctican empire was banned from Finland because of not wearing pants!
The fingerprints of the Antarctican empire are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.

What is the knowledge when creativity is not there? -- Book of Philosophies 12:208

2008-04-07T19:01:00.000+08:00

I think what is above is too true for our Asian society. We treasure knowledge, too much, until so much so that creativity is put aside?

Why in the world would I need creativity when a good knowledge promises me a good future? you may say. For starters, creative minds have shaped today's world so effectively. Who was it behind the concept of money? The one who designs products so that it will be easier to use? More impotantly, who was the one to create writing systems? All these are creative minds at work.

Speaking of which, what do you think is the most important invention ever created by man? Is it a computer, a book, a house, or i don't know, your gaming consoles you probably own?

In my opinion, writing systems are the most important. Really. Imagine if the written language was never invented, you would not have the computer, the book, or the gaming consoles in the first place. As the most basic necessity needed for learning, it is essential that every human being on this planet have this skill. Only then, the world can prosper and progress into the future.

Sadly, literacy rates are still low in some countries.

To veer a little off topic, for those of you who don't believe in the existence of the Antarctican dollar, here are some pictures

http://www.banknotes.com/aq10.htm

http://www.banknotes.com/AQ6.JPG

Now who says they don't exist?

I just got a nice photo of Amundsen-Scott, the most southerly settlement on Earth (only a few metres away from the South Pole). Here it is.

Of a Journey of 10 Billion Millimetres, the First is always the Most Important -- Book of Philosophies 12:79

2008-04-05T20:20:00.000+08:00

And that's what I'm gonna do today as my first official post. This post is the Mundane Discussions genre and my topic for discussion for today is a controversial film by Geert Wilders, Fitna.

Fitna is an Arabic word meaning "disagreement". This film shows terrorism linked to Islamic groups such as Al-Qaeda and is accompanied by verses from the Qur'an, the holy book of the Muslims. This film implies that these verses are these attacks as seen in,

"Those who have disbelieved our signs, we shall roast them in fire. Whenever their skins are cooked to a turn, we shall substitute new skins for them, that they may feel the punishment; Verily God is sublime and wise. --An-Nisa' 4:56"

As any person can see, this verse shows that Muslims are supposed to torture those who do not share their faith. But is it really? Is in not fair that we hear what the Muslims have to say?

This verse from the Qur'an actually depicts the fate of sinners (ie. non-believers who do not follow the faith of Jews, Christian, Sabians or Muslims) in hell for rejecting faith while living in the world that God has created.

Also in the film there has been depicted of the notorious capital punishment for the Islamic faith, including the punishment for homosexuality, female genital mutilation and punishments for child abuse. Sure, the Sharia' law is capital, but it serves as a reminder for the masses that these acts are unacceptable. Furthermore, the Muslims believe that such punishments actually lighten the punishments received in hell or even in further in life.

Impacts of this film may include further aggression from already-extremist Islamic groups like Taliban towards the Dutch government or community and may spark more strife. Already having a bad impression of the West as seen as territory-hungry warmongers (most of Middle Eastern territories have been colonised at some point in time by Westerners and the American occupation of Iraq caused the people to hate the American government for not pulling out even though Saddam Hussein is dead ) and this image will be worsened further.

Let's look into Wilders' point of view. His main motif of this film is "to provoke thought". IMHO, if an opinion wants to be voiced, it has to be done in a professional matter and has to be done and backed with facts from research.

Finally, let us remember that because of a few rotten apples the whole basket has to be thrown away (unless the apple carries a transmittable disease but this has not always been the case). Islam, like any other religion, promotes goodwill and peace. This can be backed up with a verse from the Qur'an as follows:

"Those who believe (in the Scriptures) and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, -- any who believe in God and in the Last Day (Armageddon), and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. -- Al-Baqarah 1:62"

What is your view on the film Fitna? Post your views in the Comments section (preferably) or drop a line in the CBox on the right. Until then, watch out for my next article!

Some Housekeeping Matters to Note -- Book of Philosophies 12:209

2008-03-31T18:36:00.000+08:00

I think we have some matters we need to note.

First of all, you are reading my very first post, and it will be a prelude to all other posts. My blog posts will be divided into sub-topics namely,

1. Life Stories (learning from the many things we learn in life)
2. Mundane discussions (A discussion of worldly matters)
3. Reviews (of good stuff I encounter)
4. Polls (as a ruler the voice of the people is very important)
5. All others

I will be writing once or twice every week, depending on my mood. So look out for future posts in the coming weeks.

Oh and by the way, welcome to the community