his BlackN'White Tales

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

WordPress

Updates in http://jericholaw.wordpress.com/

his Blackish White Thoughts

1/14/2009 02:33:00 AM

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Possible migration

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his Blackish White Thoughts

11/27/2008 09:59:00 PM

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Something's lacking...

and so i was thinking and i can't help but slowly realised that i'm lacking something lately. Humour. Great deal of it i reckon. And... somehow, just like the new mv in my blog, i guess the only thing left is just to show you my 风度

his Blackish White Thoughts

11/23/2008 01:52:00 PM

Saturday, November 22, 2008

and so...

time flies once again. Been almost another month since my last post, and now its a period of study and mugging for exams. Actually not very applicable to my case, cause i can't really bother. Just do what i can from now till my papers.

The past 2-3 weeks was probably the toughest period for my 3 semesters in NUS. Barely catching enough sleep rushing 2 major projects and having tests and presentations along the way. Before i dwell further into school stuff, i'm just gonna update alittle about today. Call it ill-fate, or carelessness, i just think it sucks to be me.

The drama started this morning. As i stayed out the night, i made my way back home around 11am. It started with me having to do a run to catch the bus. And speaking of which, the short distance although didn't cause me to pant like a dog, but i can feel that my legs are not running as fast as my mind and body wished to. Time to seriously lose some weight and get back in shape.

Just as i thought my day started on a bad note, what lies ahead is just what i need to make my sentiments dead on.

So when i was about to reach my doorsteps, i realised i have forgotten to bring my keys out. And so i knocked on the door. After few knocks and to confirm what i fear most, the gate is knocked too. And... this only means my parents is out. Viola, there you go, my god-knows-how-many-times i'm stranded outside.

And so i went downstairs and sat near the playground looking at the familar kitchen windows and only myself to blame for forgetting my keys. Unsure how long my wait will be, i took a slow walk and got myself the papers and went back to the bench and start reading every single article that interests me.

At this point of time, if you guys are wondering why didn't i call my parents, just for the records, they don't carry mobile phones, in short, out and unreachable. My brother's probably working and so this sum up my alternatives to get the keys to my house.

After an hour or so, i know the wait is gonna be a long one, so i head to have my lunch alone. Seriously, to date, i don't recall me having meals alone outside that often. Kinda sucky to do that. Went to the prata house near my place and to make my day even more gloomy, my crave for mee goreng wasn't available until 3pm. So i settled for 3 plain pratas and i sure took my time and sat till 1 plus.

At times i felt like calling my friends out, few who actually stayed quite near me, the thought of doing so just flashed by and i just dropped idea without much hesitation. I guess i'm the kind who rather suffer being alone than to trouble others. Maybe it will make my situation even worse when i get rejections or shrugs for suggesting them to head out and accompany me for lunch, just because i'm locked out.

So i head back to the playground and sat for another half an hour, only to see my psp died on me. How nice. Real icing on the cake perhaps.

As i repeatedly attempt to call home, hoping for my parents to pick up if they're back and staring most of the time at the windows, i start recalling the last time i had the same situation. Guess that was probably many years back when i was in secondary days. I remembered i had few lock out in my primary days as well. And for the record, today wasn't the longest at 5hours+, i think i had a record still standing at 6hours plus. That was alot worse too, for that i didn't have the luxury of having my lunch and playing my portable console game.

Around 2pm, i made my way to amk centre. Decided to head where the crowd is and prevent myself from going senile with the wait. So i took the slow 15minutes walk and started window shopping at Hub's NTUC at my first stop. Surprisingly, i stayed there for almost an hour. And... NTUC is quite a good place to get most of the stuff you need at home. At least for AMK's one, i saw pretty much quite some items i would seriously consider having them for my house in the future.

I was also picturing myself as an old uncle shopping with my wife for goceries and stuff. Can't blame me for having this thought, for every 10 steps i took, i'm bound to face 1 eldery couple. Guess it's a norm in supermarkets.

After the "window market", i walked around centre, and with no where else to head to, my last destination was the AMK National Library. Side-track a little, have you guys wonder why AMK's library is located at such a "wulu" place? I know it have been there since i was born, but seriously, it's super isolated. And despite this, it's still crowded. Singaporeans like to mug and read? Maybe... And, i just couldn't find a section where all the magazines are shelved.

Call me a library idiot, but seriously, i think the layout despite being more modern, it's quite hard to get what i want, and... i just don't understand why there's an Indian studying corner. Call me "R...ist", but i'm just wondering how and why is there a need for such segmentation.

As the thunder start roaring from the sky, i decided to make my way back before it start pouring and me getting stuck again. And with that, my call back home finally got answered and i officially reached home at 430pm.

Define ill fate and i will show you what it means.

Back to school stuff. Monday's my first paper, and i haven't got the thought of touching it yet. Maybe it's open book and it's business communication, so the preparation work isn't alot. But if you ask me, like i always say, examinations: A test of brain memory and if coupled with good command of English, you are able to crap your A out.

What? Me being negative and labelling examinations as something not desirable? Yes. I am. I don't care how much you wanna argue with me that studying without tests and exams ain't gonna work, for you will never know how well one has managed to comprehend the ideas taught, or apply it in the correct perspective.

My only statement for this is that, if you know all the exam questions, and you got them all correct, does it mean you're more knowledgeable? I can give you 2 cases of such scenarios.

1 super mugger who can literally read and write every single word out from text and lecture notes and he has distinction for English. I'm sure you guys won't have discrepancies that he is bound to do well right?

2nd case, 1 super lucky guy who decides to take the shortcut and mug only selected chapters which happen to be the majority of questions tested. Lucky but manage to do reasonably well too.

So with the well-proclaimed bell curve system, these 2 categories of students got the As and Bs. And so now you asked, how about those who mug hard, didn't have good command of English to express their answers even when they already got what is supposedly the correct ideas to the question? Sucks to be them right? Cs and Ds became their friends.

Now you tell me, is education a medium whereby we start becoming 'racist' to individuals' intellectual growth or capabilities?

In this world of extremes, where there are categories/stereotypes of hell and heaven, kind and evil, ugly and pretty, police and thief, tall and short, fat and slim, rich and poor, famous and anonymous...

Tell me is it a choice for us to choose where we fall under? Along the way in life, yes, maybe we can choose to be ugly, choose to poor, fat... choose to be all the negative craps no one desires. But choosing to be rich, pretty, slim, famous... is it alot easier and attainable? You tell me.

Some might also be thinking, why make one's life so tiring with all these meaningless thoughts and negatively of life. Indeed, we don't have to go through all these, for we never get to achieve the ideal state of living no matter how we yearn it.

To end off, i urge you guys reading this, to think about what is it in life that makes you special from others. Maybe if you can come out with something, most likely you are now living in a better life as compared to others.

Till then.

his Blackish White Thoughts

11/22/2008 05:11:00 PM

Saturday, October 25, 2008

The soul in you

Exactly 2 more months down the road, we would have reach the day many call for celebration, X'mas. And what does this mean, it means i'm 3 weeks away from my major project submission and 6 weeks away from my examinations. So time flies once again, and another semester is just about to end.

Probably not gonna touch on too much about studies. I guess the only real thing i can find in university nowadays is that i see muggers and proactive students will tonnes of questions in tutorial and some of the questions are just questioned to portray their intelligence and the extra effort reading up on texts and articles.

Yeah, well done all the top notch students, you earn yourself a great future to come. Only if you are more aware of the fact that you bought yourself a ticket to a possible good prospect/career, but you may not have the other social elements in dealing people, interacting with others, be less outspoken when necessary and be less selfish by not doing a great of work and deliberately give the impression that no work is done. Whether its just competitive nature or not, what's your point?

I think i sound pissed with hardworking and smart students, maybe i am just another typical loser who whines at someone's success, but i guess my point is that i just dislike the very fact that in this dog eat dog world, we are judged by our academic grades more than anything else. Never mind the fact that you're a guy who opens all the doors for strangers, helping every single elderly across the busy roads, for you're just the average Joe if you don't have a colorful resume that are filled with stacks of certificates and letter of recommendations.

So i was reading the yahoo news earlier and i have to quote this out. Extracted from the article, "MM Lee says world economy will be restored in 3 to 5 years", our MM Lee touched on a topic that says, "assortive mating", that is, finding a spouse at your level — something he strongly believes in.

He said: "I have explained this. I think I lost votes after I explained the awful truth. Nobody believed it, but slowly it dawned on them, especially the graduates, that yes, you marry a non—graduate, then you worry about whether or not your son or daughter is going to make it to the university."

So even the government is stressing the importance of qualification of your spouse when you are looking to settle down and start a family. Thus, this topic brings me to another article, also extracted from yahoo news, "Singapore gets top marks in UN World’s Cities Report", in short the UN has lauded the 43—year—old city state as a model city. However, experts cautioned that as all cities progress, they will no longer be measured just by their level of economic, social and environmental progress.

Cities like Singapore will also have to look at its inclusiveness and its quality of life. Related to this, the report said cultural assets too should be protected to nurture the soul of the city.

Quality of life. So i guess living in first class world, we are clouded by all the things that revolves around money. We worry about not getting a job that pays well enough to own a car, a house and support our parents and maybe kids. Maybe, because, with the financial burden piling, you just have to think how much a kid cost you now, instead of the upbringing.

Another thing about being a scholar, or a high flyer in many aspects, is that you are more hated by others rather than gaining respect. Some weeks back, there was this casual conversation with my project team mate and that he was saying he respect a well-doing person more if he/she don tattoos. Well-doing in the sense if he/she is academic high flyer, and is somewhat a pleasant person.

So i offered myself as an example and suggested that what if i'm covered in tattoos, he said he will salute and give me 100% of his respect. So i guess Scofield's role in Prison Break would easily earn a 101% respect from him. But, the big but, does the society accept one who dons a body of tattoos with first class honours, a graduate from Harvard for example?

A 99% no-no, for that the social stigma we have is that one shouldn't smoke, drink or party excessively, and tattoos are just not presentable in the business context.

Coming to the end for this post, just some food for thought, what kind of lifestyle, what kind of academic standings and what kind of family do you see yourself in right now?

I have no clue who's reading this, so i can't really give you my 5 cents worth of opinions regarding you, but for myself, i think i'm in a lifestyle whereby i may be slightly envy by a few, just a few, but i don't enjoy being who i am.

My academic standings is nowhere near excellence and fortunately nowhere near the pit. So i guess i'm just contented with my current grades? And what kind of family do i see myself in? I've seen some friends of mine with slightly less complete family; single family or parents not in speaking terms. So i would say, mine's somewhere in the middle; in terms of income, in terms of unity, in terms of completeness.

So having all the average "rankings" for my life, how good is my quality of life? Personally i like to procrastinate, until when it hits the crunch time, then i'll go into full gear. Bet many of us is just like that. For this, you can probably say that i created my life the way i wanted it to be.

I do love to have lotsa of things for sure, like becoming a self-made billionaire, owning a mansion that has a 5 minutes driveway to my 2 storey doors, drive a ferrari, have a blissful family, but when i have the big word "reality" smack at me, i have to wake up and feel sorry that i don't have the brains, the right ideas nor the right opportunity to make it come true. For now at least.

Seek as i may, i just hope that even when someday i have all the material stuff i yearn to, my soul is still intact. What about you?

his Blackish White Thoughts

10/25/2008 11:24:00 AM

Monday, September 15, 2008

Lessons learn in life

Ok, guess i'll get an earful for blogging at this time when i should already be sleeping. But anyway, the mood just kicks in and here i am.. 2nd post for the month.

For a start, i just finished up a movie, "Felon". Personally i think it's a great show, for that the storyline isn't those typical fantasy-kind or like those some called them "watch-and-forget". In short, it's about a guy who protected his family by accidentally killing an intruder to this house, ends up spending time in jail, learning the disgusting ugly side of things that happen behind the bars. If you guys have some spare time, do try to watch it. In my humble opinion, it's a 8/10.

Its been quite awhile since i get viewers' response, and since this post is more about thoughts and opinions, i guess it's good time to post a question for the floor.

Do you guys ever observe the small little things around your life, either complain about it, or get disgusted by it, followed by putting yourself into the shoe of that person or into the act by someone and try to comprehend it in another way, lastly end off by learning a lesson?

Now, that last statement probably gonna put some of you into a land of question marks, or probably get turned off by my English. Nevertheless, read on if you don't get it and please don't dwell on it. It's already quite bad to have a writer who thinks too hard.

So, lesson number 1: When you put yourself into something, whole-heartedly, how fast and well can you pull yourself out of it, walk off without looking back, and not feel a slight pinch.

It's not so much just about relationship, or work. I'm sure that part is quite understandable. I'm looking at those minor stuff, and it could be just a conversation, whereby you share your views and you are pretty sure you're in the right side. So you go all out to make sure your voice get heard by the other party, and you try to put down all the arguments against your point.

If you're one aggressive guy, you probably will shut the other person up, but deep down you know you may be wrong on some points. Likewise, if you're the soft-spoken one, you probably keep your say and opinions closer to your heart, and let the other party get the "win" in the verbal exchange, knowing he/she is just too blind to see or accept the facts.

I have to admit i'm the aggressive type, but seriously deep down i know i'm wrong at times. Even if i'm not, my aggression probably overkill the other party and i lost out hearing views about my blindspots. Once again, this is something not taught in the text, something not usually looked into in-depth, and i must say you probably have to "think-alot" to even come close to getting all this alien-thoughts running through your head.

Lesson number 2: You expect everyone in this world to have a clear idea what's right, what's the most ingenious way of dealing with things, and that why people just fail to see the "6" on the dice.

Let me relate to a classic example that happened at last Friday's MindCafe session with my buddies, on this game about Expressions. Can't remember the exact name, in general it's a game whereby you either draw, say, or act out the expression drawn from the cards. Out of the 20+ expression, there's only 3-4, at most 5, whereby the rest of the table got the same guess.

Once again, i commit alot of this act, whereby i tend to get nervy about others not being able to get what i'm trying to relate or state. So i guess you can put me as someone who rather do all the fishing for you, than to teach you how to fish throughout the entire fishing trip.

Good and bad. If you're someone who's more lay-back, sure, my impatience probably complements you well, by doing the job for you. On the contrary, if you're more persistent in getting to knowledge and facts, rather than accepting without any questions, you probably hate me for being such an arse, who always think he's smart and self-centered.

Lesson number 3: When feeling unappreciated, you turned into someone who presumed the world is black, and as time goes, you just switch off and accepted the very fact that in this cruel society, one's survival is often build upon someone's suffering or unhappiness.

I guess you can't help believe, or start to realise that in this small planet of 6 billion population, we are one species who cares alot more about ourselves more than anything else. So i wonder if this is one of the reason why, we as human, can never kill ourselves by holding our breath without any external factors.

In my previous post, at the last part where i complained about those group of people, it's just all about this; doing more for oneself, doing less for the rest.

Guess i'll end here. There are alot more lessons i have in mind. But before i go on the list, lesson 0, always get yourself sleep when you know you need to.

Till then

his Blackish White Thoughts

9/15/2008 01:21:00 AM

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Random

Once again, it's been a month since my last update. Time flies, i'm coming to the end of week 5 for the current semester. In short, it's another $3k gone to NUS, another 7 weeks from exams, another semester gone with ever increasing desire to burn the books and just enjoy and party everyday.

Speaking about total random, i lodged a police report today by making a call earlier during the day. In short, i was waiting for bus and i saw a guy behaving rather weird. Call it my gut instinct or whatsoever, when i saw a malay male approached him, and that the guy, call him A, reached into this groin area to take out something, i just have to think that it wasn't just simply the uncivilised act.

He saw me looking towards his direction and he keep looking. So tell me, unless you're doing something wrong, why would you stare back at a person looking from afar, when someone in front of you is speaking to you. As i hesitate to make a police call, i kept my sight on him. Good thing my bus didn't come fast enough.

Anyway, part of the reason for my hesitation, was that i'm thinking which number to dail, the triple, or the toll free 1800. I was thinking of calling the nearest police centre, but... who knows their number? Frankly i have no clue.

So after some thoughts, i decided to be good citizen for once, and i dialed the toll free 1800. Triple number will probably overkill the gut feeling i have. Don't think it's something worth their trouble. Anyway, the almost 40s of call waiting almost made me hung up the call, talk about efficiency, guess if i'm making a serious urgent report, "nasi lemak" would have hailed a cab, waved back at me, and disappear into corners before someone picks up, for me to either stare in disbelief while holding the phone or comtemplate hanging up and avoid being accused of making false alarm.

Actual call content shall not be discussed here. So as i was standing waiting for bus, keeping my sight with him as he was walking around the entire void deck, AIA called me. While trying to comprehend the conversation, i was half the time thinking when will the guys in blue appear, whether A has gone, and keeping in mind i have a bus to catch.

Just as i was about to end the call by throwing the disgusted reply of, "can i get back to you", from the corner of my eye, i saw a group of people, and i turned to my right. So guess what? It's a scene of 7-8 men in blue, walking towards and calling out to A, who tried walking off calmly near towards the bus stop.

Not alot of action, for A stopped after repeated calls and follow the "blues" back to the void deck. My bus came, and i left. Not exactly dramatic enough, and i didn't get any follow up call from them, so i guess either he's clean or they did their job and so my job as a "good citizen" ends.

Anyway for now, i'm looking forward to Friday. Probably the night i can slack more, for that the past 5 weeks i don't remember letting my hair down.

One last note before i leave. This is something i keep complaining and experiencing it day to day. The EQ of Singaporeans, NUS students, lecturers and more specific, human race.

Let me elaborate in details. I'm not sure how many reading this are public commuters, but i have to say, those taking MRT or bus are either too self-centred, or possess the infamous "kiasuism". Let's start with MRT, i hate to say, i simple don't understand people who like to crowd at the pole at middle of entrances. All will try to have a piece of the cold metal. Are they just simply too cautious not to fall, or they just want to have a touch of it since everyone is trying to do so.

For f sake, move in, especially to the center of the car or the other entrance where the doors are not opening. There's like ZILLION of space there. Worse situation is when you transit from Raffles towards Boon Lay. I know many office workers are desperate to get in for just 1-2 stops, so they will just squeeze and push their way in, and when they are in, they want to crowd at the direct opposite doors. Leaving another zillion space at the center of the car. Why?

Because they want to be the first to leave the train, hopefully be the first to step on the escalator, and be the first to step in the office and proclaim to be diligent worker who never fails to come work on time.

Now bus. I'm sure i don't have to touch on the part we as proud Singaporean, never wants to be the last, unless there's seat behind, many won't want to enter the "forbidden" zone, which happens to be the back of the bus. Even if they does, they want the passengers sitting down facing their back, to know that they got big branded bags, maybe i should call them luggages. For that "show-off" they again took up another person's standing spot. Why not right? Since they already paid for their ride, getting another free space is definitely a good bargain.

And guess what? The bus simply won't move even it's already full, with passengers almost like sardines. Now what? Oh, cause the kind driver wants more to be able to get on the bus and not be late. How nice of him.

So for f sake, if you're those trying super hard to get up when it's already packed, just back off and ask the driver to move on will ya? You are just delaying the 60 others who already got in. I just don't understand this part. Be considerate when others aren't considerate to you. For once, you will definitely be the one either in the bus or outside. Either way, be considerate and move on!

Now come the best part. Lecturers. I'm not even going to say it's just NUS lecturers, but you guys should know, lecturers as general. Yeah i know, some are real good ones, but you see, there's many i have encountered during my short 2 and a 1/2 semesters, who never fail to give the impression they are super busy to either not release lecture materials, or tutorials earlier.

Keep talking about all the big bullshit about time management, work hard, work consistently, when it comes to throwing us projects/assignment with a timeline to it. So why don't you lecturers start doing you all have been preaching?

What's the big deal about releasing notes at least few days in advance, instead of uploading materials 2am in the morning when the lecture is 12pm on the same day, or maybe have the decency to realise that there are different tutorial days, and that it's not fair for those having it on Mondays, while uploading materials on Friday which need preparations. But who can blame them? They are just humans with doctorates to their names. Simply permanent head damage (PhD).

It's late now, i guess that's all. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the new song. And remember, what's taught in classes are simply a test of memory, what's not taught in classroom, are what you see in your daily life. Either you learn it and be a better man, or you are simply one who slogs hard just to see yourself behave like a jerk.

Till then.

his Blackish White Thoughts

9/11/2008 01:56:00 AM