Dear all, sorry for the lack of updates... keep meaning to spend time to pen down all the things that have been happening, but I never seem to be able to find the time! Well, here's another quickie update, to assure all my friends and fans that I'm still alive, before the next update!
1. Course has ended! It's really bittersweet... it's a great feeling to pass out from the course and just concentrate on the final leg of the journey, but on the other hand it's going to be tough to forget all the great times I've spent with my course mates... Pili, Yong Tong, Wei Yi, Desmond, Weiqi, Jeremy, Hansel, Adam, Shiwei, Seah, Eric, Lester, Lip Jin, thanks for all the memories guys!
2. Course is starting! This is going to be the FINAL course I'm going to conduct for my own trainees, and it's going to start in about five hours time... Sigh... Going to need all my energy and determination to still get the job done! ORD LOH!! =)
Take care all...
Monday, January 24, 2005
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Karaoke 0: Prelude
I found myself, just a few hours ago, in a KTV cafe somewhere in Chinatown. It began when my army friends extended an invitation to join them, and let's just say that it was highly uncharacteristic for me to agree.
Dinner? Anytime. Outing at the library? Sure thing. Shopping for undergarments? Ok, but don't tell anyone. But singing?!?
In the end, it was a matter of pride. When I finally joined the group, who were happily queing up playlists comprising the biggest names in Chinese pop, a friend whispered to me, "Hanting, it's ok, you can just choose an English song to sing. We don't mind."
In history, nothing starts a war faster than the insulting of pride.
For the official record, my Mandarin isn't anything like my Grandma's, and I qualify it by pointing out that she can pen Mandarin poems while I break a sweat ensuring my spoken and written grammar is correct. However, and it's a very, very important 'However', I am able to read all my Mandarin newspapers and comics without having to guess the meaning of every alternate line, and I can appreciate Mandarin music to a respectable degree. Most importantly, I can engage a cabby in a full Mandarin conversation for 40 minutes, and heck, you've got to admit that's one h*ll of an Oral Test.
So yes, I was able to recognize almost all the songs that were belted out, and contributed a few renditions of my own too. On hindisight though, it seems kind of fishy that only my songs were 'accidentally prematurely cut short due to technical faults of the remote controller'.
At the end of the day, the one person in my mind was Ms Oei, my secondary school Mandarin teacher. She was the very first teacher I had who stressed that a proficiency in the language would enrich our lives in ways we cannot imagine. Her philosophy did more than that for me tonight - it bridged a very important gap for me, and brought my friends and I closer on some intangible level.
Thank you mam! I took about four years to finally understand the most important lesson you were trying to teach, but at least I had the foresight to ask you for a general extension for all work, way back in '99. =)
Dinner? Anytime. Outing at the library? Sure thing. Shopping for undergarments? Ok, but don't tell anyone. But singing?!?
In the end, it was a matter of pride. When I finally joined the group, who were happily queing up playlists comprising the biggest names in Chinese pop, a friend whispered to me, "Hanting, it's ok, you can just choose an English song to sing. We don't mind."
In history, nothing starts a war faster than the insulting of pride.
For the official record, my Mandarin isn't anything like my Grandma's, and I qualify it by pointing out that she can pen Mandarin poems while I break a sweat ensuring my spoken and written grammar is correct. However, and it's a very, very important 'However', I am able to read all my Mandarin newspapers and comics without having to guess the meaning of every alternate line, and I can appreciate Mandarin music to a respectable degree. Most importantly, I can engage a cabby in a full Mandarin conversation for 40 minutes, and heck, you've got to admit that's one h*ll of an Oral Test.
So yes, I was able to recognize almost all the songs that were belted out, and contributed a few renditions of my own too. On hindisight though, it seems kind of fishy that only my songs were 'accidentally prematurely cut short due to technical faults of the remote controller'.
At the end of the day, the one person in my mind was Ms Oei, my secondary school Mandarin teacher. She was the very first teacher I had who stressed that a proficiency in the language would enrich our lives in ways we cannot imagine. Her philosophy did more than that for me tonight - it bridged a very important gap for me, and brought my friends and I closer on some intangible level.
Thank you mam! I took about four years to finally understand the most important lesson you were trying to teach, but at least I had the foresight to ask you for a general extension for all work, way back in '99. =)
Friday, January 07, 2005
To My Brother 1: Achievements
I figure that try as hard as I can, there are only so many lessons I can impart to you. Lest I ever lose the fervor with which I try to convince you, sway you over to the dark (and suave and handsome) side, here's my first attempt to reach out to you in writing. And since you have just embarked on your JC life this week, well, I will first relate to you my thoughts on achievements.
In a nutshell, the next two years are going to be rollercoaster years, as you go experience things you've never experienced before. I don't want you to end up like me, leaving school with so many loose ends and regrets, so below are some guidelines I am sure you will do well to remember.
1. Figure out what you want from life.
Yes, it is a very tall request, but you must begin now. Small steps count as well. On the way home, instead of thinking about the test you have yet to study for, or when that cute girl in your OG will ask you for another Rain Dance, project yourself one year, two years, three years ahead. If you can visualize yourself forty years from now, what will be the one thing that will still keep you going, keep you smiling? Then keep that one thing close to you, and you will find your own windy path through life guided invisibly by your own personal purpose. The unconsidered life is one not worth living.
2. Learn the art of sacrifice.
And not just blind sacrifice, but purposeful, meaningful sacrifice. All the trashy Japanese comics we've been reading over the years do have one recurrent theme that does make sense - only when you find something truly worth protecting, dying for, do you fill yourself with the drive and energy to be all that you can be. Though the going will always be tough, the sacrifices you make to preserve the people you love will always be worth it, in the end. The sweetest satisfaction only comes when you live for others, not yourself.
3. Compare to improve, not compare to compete.
My CT told me once that if you want to compare with others, no matter how good you are you will never stop comparing. I guess the Chinese say it best - There Are Skies Outside Of Skies. When you see how others can do so much more with the same 24 hours you too possess, you will often be inspired to realize your full potential. Yet, the moment you allow envy to touch your heart, comparing will no longer serve as a driving force, but to twist you and blind you to all the things you should be thankful for. You are who you are.
4. Study hard.
You saw this one coming, didn't you? I don't care what you think, in my opinion you're still as mature as Spongebob Squarepants, so for goodness sakes just listen and study hard. When you end your JC life with the grades you want, and all the paths you want to explore are fully open to you, then you can go and be as big a monkey as you want. Choose your options freely, rather than let your options force you to make a choice.
Remember, cherish every moment of the next two years, and don't regret anything. Heck, I regret all the way back to kindergarten, when I played too much and got retained for three years.
In a nutshell, the next two years are going to be rollercoaster years, as you go experience things you've never experienced before. I don't want you to end up like me, leaving school with so many loose ends and regrets, so below are some guidelines I am sure you will do well to remember.
1. Figure out what you want from life.
Yes, it is a very tall request, but you must begin now. Small steps count as well. On the way home, instead of thinking about the test you have yet to study for, or when that cute girl in your OG will ask you for another Rain Dance, project yourself one year, two years, three years ahead. If you can visualize yourself forty years from now, what will be the one thing that will still keep you going, keep you smiling? Then keep that one thing close to you, and you will find your own windy path through life guided invisibly by your own personal purpose. The unconsidered life is one not worth living.
2. Learn the art of sacrifice.
And not just blind sacrifice, but purposeful, meaningful sacrifice. All the trashy Japanese comics we've been reading over the years do have one recurrent theme that does make sense - only when you find something truly worth protecting, dying for, do you fill yourself with the drive and energy to be all that you can be. Though the going will always be tough, the sacrifices you make to preserve the people you love will always be worth it, in the end. The sweetest satisfaction only comes when you live for others, not yourself.
3. Compare to improve, not compare to compete.
My CT told me once that if you want to compare with others, no matter how good you are you will never stop comparing. I guess the Chinese say it best - There Are Skies Outside Of Skies. When you see how others can do so much more with the same 24 hours you too possess, you will often be inspired to realize your full potential. Yet, the moment you allow envy to touch your heart, comparing will no longer serve as a driving force, but to twist you and blind you to all the things you should be thankful for. You are who you are.
4. Study hard.
You saw this one coming, didn't you? I don't care what you think, in my opinion you're still as mature as Spongebob Squarepants, so for goodness sakes just listen and study hard. When you end your JC life with the grades you want, and all the paths you want to explore are fully open to you, then you can go and be as big a monkey as you want. Choose your options freely, rather than let your options force you to make a choice.
Remember, cherish every moment of the next two years, and don't regret anything. Heck, I regret all the way back to kindergarten, when I played too much and got retained for three years.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Union
My cousin married his childhood sweetheart of almost twenty years last night, and held the wedding dinner at Rasa Sentosa.
When I couldn't immediately spot the little door gift at the table when I first arrived, I was a little disappointed. For the door gifts always reflect the meeting of minds of the newly-weds - what would you and your confirmed life partner choose as the little memento for guests attending the most important dinner you would ever host?
It took me a while to recognize this particular door gift, for it was quite well camouflaged among all the other items already laid out. And I thought to myself, hey, this beats the heck out of little chocolate hearts or candy -
A pair of Chinese chopsticks.
When I couldn't immediately spot the little door gift at the table when I first arrived, I was a little disappointed. For the door gifts always reflect the meeting of minds of the newly-weds - what would you and your confirmed life partner choose as the little memento for guests attending the most important dinner you would ever host?
It took me a while to recognize this particular door gift, for it was quite well camouflaged among all the other items already laid out. And I thought to myself, hey, this beats the heck out of little chocolate hearts or candy -
A pair of Chinese chopsticks.
Tsunami
For all the friends and family who have left us
Seemingly alone to bear with it all
Every sleepless night on our minds you'll be last
Every morning you're the wake up call
Some answers though we might never find
The questions are anything but scarce
Lest for a lifetime we should pine
We must remember the blessings present in the past
Although the pain might never dissipate
The memories we wouldn't even think to hide
For your touches on our lives will forever be great
And you'll live on somewhere, deep inside
When was the last time you really treasured the life you are living?
Now wouldn't be too late.
Seemingly alone to bear with it all
Every sleepless night on our minds you'll be last
Every morning you're the wake up call
Some answers though we might never find
The questions are anything but scarce
Lest for a lifetime we should pine
We must remember the blessings present in the past
Although the pain might never dissipate
The memories we wouldn't even think to hide
For your touches on our lives will forever be great
And you'll live on somewhere, deep inside
When was the last time you really treasured the life you are living?
Now wouldn't be too late.
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