Tuesday, November 30, 2004

The End



Hi guys, it's all over. Anyway the whirlwind of activities begin tommorrow, so I shall talk less, let this picture do the talking. Probably one of the very last Guys TM outing we'll have, let this photo immortalise our friendship.
P.S Alvin looks very stoned and (hen)don has brown hair.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Incomparable

Wow, what a blast! Came out the concert hall with my ears ringing. Ok so he can't dance to save his life but he can really sing and connect with the adudience. 26 songs in total, most of them my favourites, like jie kou ,an jing, kai bu liao kou and qing tian. Yeah Jay Chou really entertained me last night. No nonsense banter, just song after song. The only elaborate set up was the starting part where he was on the top being lowered down singing yi fu zi ming, then zhi zhan zi shang. But the best parts was when he did the slow songs, the whole stadium would sing along to him and wave their lightsticks in unison.
(Note to self. Next time a big star comes along go sell some lightsticks at an inflated price. That was what one guy was doing and he was doing brisk business.)
I think the finale was quite nice, jay playing the drums while wen lan and nan quan ma ma sang bai se lie heng. Plus him playing his pink piano while singing qing tian and an jing. And i also realise how action he is, but I guess he has earned that right.
That long fringe covering his eyes, the devil may care attitude, reminds me of a certain Singapore Idol contestant. If he wins, he better thank Jay. But i'll settle for the real thing anytime.
Now, excuse me as I attend to a slight matter called econs s....

Friday, November 26, 2004

This is their world now

It has to be some form of amusement to the powers that shape our lives that I'm down with the flu after my exams. Bad comedy.
In any case, i flipped through the latest issue of outlook that came through the mail. In my groggy, clogged nose state, I deliriously looked for my name under the editorial section, then was mildly panicked when i saw the vice-editior's name wasn't mine, before realisation came back that I no longer have any association with RJC, much less outlook.
Flipping the pages filled with pictures from various activities, like inter-fac games and open house, memories of my own indian summer last year came back. It sure was fun then, the J2s of this year had smiles on their faces as they went about doing these fun activities. Now all we get is to be relegated to be solemn faces in the farewell assembly portion.
Well, this is their world now. As it was our world the same time last year. Enjoy it while it lasts.
P.S To all Guys TM, go look at the outlook issue 3, the latest one, page 8 bottom left hand corner. Can you say immortalised?
The End.

Here we are,
Once again.
Same place, same situation.
The outcome may be different,
Yet weirdly the same.
We came,
We met,
We had fun.
Yet somehow we knew all along.
That this day would come to pass,
All our ghosts will come to rest.
The laughter we shared,
The times we cried,
The times we refused to say goodbye.
Wonder if now we can,
Wonder if now we will.
So now the curtain calls,
We all shall run along.
Each to our own destiny,
Each to our own bright future.
Let’s hope,
That this world we shared
Of two short years,
Has enough memories
To bring you back
One day.
Now don’t look back,
Chin up,
Look forward,
Here’s to our collective plains of gold.
May the seeds sown here
Prosper and grow.

The End.
For now.


To all the friends I made in RJC, this was for you. May our collective futures be bright.

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Falling leaves

Just a few rushes of blood to the head.
Rui En is just too pretty. I know most people don't think so, but I can't really explain it as well. She's just pretty in my eyes. Same goes for jeanette aw. Ahh crap the presence of these 2 actually helps me tolerate the general campiness of channel 8 shows.
Incredibles was nice. Pixar really knows how to animate greatness. Chock full of cultural influences as well, what with robots out of H.G wells' war of the worlds, the subtle reference to the flash, the underminer spoofing the undertaker. All wrapped up in a nice warm package of a nice happy family ending.
Just 1 more left. Just hang in there will you? May I remember all the quotes I need to wow those econs s markers.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Offbeat

Sorry but I take time off my bio MCQ mugging to say this.
Rui En is damm chio.
There i said it.
Back to mugging.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

(Almost) the end

3 papers in one days is no joke. Thankfully it was quite manageable. Econs MCQ was quite harrowing, paper 2 was better as I ultilised my econs s knowledge to answer the questions, although i drew and redrew my graphs a few times. Biotech was surprisingly easy save for the essay qeustion, but I was pleasantly surprised as for once I actually could answer the question at the first try without going in my head "what in (insert deity here)'s name are you writing?". They even asked us to define a drug, plus gave us 2 marks to calculate gradient. In the end I reckon only 7% of the biotech syallabus was tested, so much for the other funny stuff like monoclonal antibodies.
The pseudo-end, but I mustn't be distracted.
I know econs is done and dusted, but I just couldn't help but think about this. As I trawled the malls today, I marvelled at the variety of consumer goods available to consumers today. Designer shoes, necklaces, digital cameras and body lotions etc. It sort of hit me that most people do not really need, as in without them they'll be unable to survive, such items. Yet it would appear that the economies of the developed world is greatly dependent on consumption, domestic or otherwise, and it is consumption of the unnecessary kind. I guess it wouldn't be too wrong to say that the global economy is fueled by the desire for consumer goods. Investment, government expenditure has its ultimate form as consumer goods, further strengthening this arguement.
What perplexed me more was actually why do we demand goods? This is the part that economics (albeit at A level) does not explain well. The statement that men have unlimited wants does not really explain it. What is the root for this "unlimited wants"? Is it genetic, or ingrained by the society we live?
If we were to examine the Law of demand, it states that demand is the willingness and ability to consume a certain good. Fair enough, it tells us that people are able to consume a good, and only consume the good if they decide to do so. But it fails to tell us WHY we want to consume a good? What do we use as a yardstick for consumption? It is ridiculous to think that each consumer conducts a thorough cost benefit analysis to purchase a product.
Finally, why is there a great need to consume? If it is to maximise satisfaction, then there is an implicit assumption that every consumer would be unhappy until he consumes every good he desires, which is almost impossible as men have unlimited wants. And doesn't it contradict the old maxim, that to be happy you must be contended? It would seem that economics show that the ultimate destiny of humankind isn't as far off as hobbes classically remarked, "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Nothing like a little walk down the malls to sitmulate the brain.

Friday, November 19, 2004

He doth bestride this narrow world like a colosuss

You know, the part where I said it'll be over soon?
I lied.
It's a crazy wait. Somehow time is doing its darnest to make me feel as macham as possible. Like mum says, for some papers, you're just ready, straining at the leash to do it and be done with it.
In any case, I'm grateful to a weekend off to whack econs and biotech, especially biotech, which bores me to tears. Special mention goes to medical biotech, quite possibly the most irritating topic I ever studied.
Just some thoughts I would like to share:
1) I think, once again, it is a sad reflection of our society when I walk into the Orchard MRT Popular to look at comics, what grabs my attention instead are the assesement books piled higher than me (no mean feat), a mere 1 month into the holidays. I don't know about you, but really I think any child would rather play than do assesment books. I just find it profoundly sad that we have degenerated to such a society.
2) Having said that, I think this is the best time to be a student. With all the new initiatives, no more "one size fits all" policies, emphasis shifted away from the mugging part, this is a good sign for future students. Still, I can't help feel cheated, hence my cryptic comment to my sister, who is now in primary 5 and is currently on a field trip to australia, "have fun for the lost generation."
3) Once again, I repeat myself. Singaporeans do not know how to vote as they usually expect walkovers.
4) About the bio o level question that was messed up, here's an interesting related story. I heard someone complaining about it over the radio, claiming the question was wrong, so i went online to check with a RI friend. He proceeded to explain to me why the graph was NOT wrong, and gave his answwer according to the incorrect graph. As it turned out, we know the question was wrong. Anyway, my point is that I sort of expected this to happen. Some damm smart guy/girl would try to think out of the world and answer it in the best way they can, when the question is actually wrong.
Just bear with it a bit more. After 22nd I'll probably be pseudo-celebrating already.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

He didn't mumble enough

And that's my verdict.
First of all, happy deepavali, especially to my hindu friends, like mogilan and murugan, it sure sucks to have one of your major festivals during the A levels. What a waste of a public holiday.
The maid has gone home for 6 weeks for a good rest. That means 6 weeks of hoping my brothers who have taken over the household chores don't destroy my uniform, eating lunch outside and cleaning up the house and after ourselves. Oh well, it's a good thing for them as I do think they need to take some responsibility in this household.
Biotech is dreary. I somehow found myself stuck at the yoghurt production section for about 3? hours as I went about doing anything but study.
Some thoughts inspired from television. Product placements (cough*7-11 big gulp*cough) are a tad too obvious don't you think so? I really doubt they were actually filled.
And is it me or the show was filled with more commercials than anything? Lousy Mediacock, did you guys seriously think for a minute that you can fool the audience? It felt more like a half hour show, and we had to sit through countless advertisements.
He really didn't mumble enough. The last judge's comments were quite correct. That's not how you sing a jay chou song. You sing it until no one gets what you're singing. Next time try stuffing a bun into your mouth and sing. You'll get the desired effect.
Having said that he's smart as now all the teenage girls who swoon over jay chou, like his characteristic dark brooding and cool image would associate it with him and will definitely garner enough votes.
How to score points: Wish people happy deepavali and selamat hari raya.
I think the government would cancel the show next week due to its gratuitous use of dialects. This flies in the face of government policy! It is unacceptable! It will lead to moral degradation! The very pillars of our prosperous society are being threatened! Our word is gospel so listen to us only! (End sarcasm)
And actually I don't mind if it's cancelled. It'll be one up the a** for Mediacock. Anyway, I like to remind the whole of Singapore, even before mediacock decided to bring in this concept, on 2/8/03, we were the first in Singapore to this concept to Singapore. It was a night of glitz and glamour, and quote from the corny script I can't remember who wrote (I think it was nick) and delivered by ed, "In this pair of disco pants that I am wearing, I can feel static electricity charging up from the stage." It was the night of 01 Idols, and yes we 01 Raffles Scout Group were the first in Singapore to bring you the idol concept. Illegally of course but who gets hung up by such technicalities. Makes you sick right Mediacock? We were there first, and how.
Oh, and may I remind all those with short memories, the one who won, the one who was introduced as "what do you get when you mix mud, water and a little singing talent?", the one who got a flower from 2 guides, the one who mesmerised the female part of the crowd, the one who said "I hoped touched the lives of everyone here. And I hope to always be your bridge, over troubled water!", was ME! Muhahahaha! (End ego trip moment but I really won. I have the video to prove it.)
Lastly, I don't think ren wo ao you can be considered as a idol drama. It's not frivolous enough. I mean, someone actually died! Anyways, watching this episode made me realise that jeanette aw is a good actress. The various close ups of her as she bit her lip fighting back the tears made me just want to reach out and place a reassuring hand on her shoulder and say to her, "Don't cry anymore. Everything will be alright. You can count one me, I'll be by your side for you."
I guess that's an extension of my personality. "Saviour streak", that's what psychologists call it. Or maybe it's all these years being the "da ge". I know some that read this and would snort but at least I know where I'm heading. Simple and naive maybe, someone so nice gets tricked and corrupted in this cynical world far too easily. But hey, some ideals are nice to have, and I guess maybe it's my own defence mechanism, the wool I pull over my own eyes to make me believe in the niceness of this world and save me from being jaded. Whatever the case, I just aspire to be someone whose eulogy that wouldn't sound faked or forced, but sincere.
Ok enough rambling, back to studying....
Now where did I put those food biotech notes...

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Selective denial of reality

Well, how's it going for you?
Papers come, papers go. The cycle of anxiety, thinking, relief that it is over before finally that sinking feeling you get when you overhear that your answer deviates from everyone, or you whack your forehead and go "why didn't i think of that?"
Oh well, that's that.
Only 20 more days to go, not that I'm counting. Am just too tired and bored to ponder about life. At least during the O's I was still watching kiddy grade ( I STILL don't know how it ended!) and had something to look forward to.
Err, this time it's ren wo ao you, singapore idol somewhat, (I just like to listen to my mum being an armchair or bedside critic) OC for my weekly dose of american decadent lifestyle goodness. Gave up on football as it gives me more pain than pleasure nowadays.
Oh and John Rogers is writing the script for the Transformers movie. For your info, he wrote the catwoman script. Just hope that was a slight blimp.
Ran out of stuff to say.
Argh.
Study.
Now.

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Maths Paper 1

For those who want to analyse what may come out for the pure maths section for paper 2, here's a list thanks to nicholas tsao, who incidentally has his birthday haha...

Question Analysis for Maths Paper 1

1. small angle approximation, estimate root of equation
2. general solution question- sinx
3. Parallelogram deduction followed by deduction of rhombus/ rectangle (not sure)
4. integration by substitution
5. discriminant, inequality
6. linear interpolation, proving a root exists within a range
7. mathematical induction, deduction of integration using proven equation
8. 3d- trigonometry
9. AP-GP, to find number of odd numbers below 1000, and not divisible by 5
10. Functions and applications of integration- area under curve
11. binomial theorem and series
12. complex number- simple expansion and argument calculation
13. partial fractions and integration using result of partial fractions
14. applications of differentiation- stationary points
15. ODE- everything
16. Vectors

Monday, November 08, 2004

Am I not right?

Can someone explain this to me? So are you supposed to end up with someone you like or love? Ambiguous definitions argh...

Difference between the one you like and the one you love:

In front of the person you like, your heart beats faster
But in front of the person you love, you get happy.

In front of the person you love, winter seems like spring.
But in front of the person you like, winter is just beautiful winter.

If you look into the eyes of the one you like, you blush.
But if you look into the eyes of the one you love, you smile.

In front of the person you like, you can't say everything on your mind.
But in front of the person you love, you can.

In front of the person you like, you tend to get shy.
But in front of the person you love, you can show your own self.

You can't look straight into the eyes of the one you like.
But you can always smile and stare into the eyes of the one you love.

But when the one you like is crying, you end up comforting.
When the one you love is crying, you cry with them.

The feeling of like starts from the ear.
But the feeling of love starts from the eye.

So if you stop liking a person you used to like, all you need to do is cover your ears.
But if you try to close your eyes, love turns into a drop of tear and remains in your heart forever

Friday, November 05, 2004

Universe

I don't really know why, but I have fallen in love with this 1997 song by Savage Garden. And this is despite it being one of the tracks I skip when I listen to their first album. Simple, silky vocals of Darren Hayes, great midnight fare for the ears. Questionable lyrics otherwise, this is a good song for the quiet night.
GP was good. Now for the rest.

Well I'd like to take you as I find you
Imagine our clothes are on the floor
Feel my caress so soft and gentle
So delicate, you cry for more

But you know baby
You know baby does it right
And you know baby does it right

Universe inside of your heart
You gotta let me know
So you can be free baby
You wanted it so much
And now that it's over
You don't know what you want

Put time in a capsule
Two minds consensual
Entwined to perfection
If we could ...

Cuddle up close
Lay on my chest now
Listen my heartbeats coming down
If you get tired you close your eyes now
When you wake up I won't be found

Coz I know baby
I know you're the nervous kind
With so much going on in your mind

Universe inside of your heart
You gotta let me know
So you can be free baby
You wanted it so much
And now that it's over
You don't know what you want

But let me tell you that, this time (this time)
I'm gonna make you mine (I won't let you go)
Coz I know that this time (this time)
I'm gonna make sure I look out for me

Coz you know baby
Well you know baby does it right
And you know baby does it right

You will only end up lost in loneliness
And wake up with the words already on your lips

So I'll let you go, baby
So I'll let you go...

Universe inside of your heart
You gotta let me know
So you can be free baby
You wanted it so much
And now that it's over
You don't know what you want

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

What will be, will be

Although I know I shouldn't be thinking of this now, but since it's late and any desire to study is gone, I would like to write about what I would like to after the A's are done and dusted. It's only a paltry 1 month so I might as well organise everything before it zips past me in a flash. Of course I must not get distracted. Walking a tightrope here...

1) Get new spectacles, and new shoes
2) Meet up with OG, friends etc to say goodbye before I enter the army
3) Clear out all my notes and stuff
4) Find a buyer for my unwanted stuff, ie campbell, test tubes
5) Go GTC
6) Have a fun time during grad nite
7) Possibly enquire about the possibility of taking classes for driving on weekends during army. Or any type of classes for that matter
8) Attend my 1 week attachment to the law firm
9) Holiday with the family in Japan from 6-12
10) Get into shape....

I guess there's more, but I'll add on when I think of them. Good luck for everyone taking the A's!

Monday, November 01, 2004

The mother of all exams

Here they come. For all the 01 people, hope you guys can remember this poem that LaU wrote during the O level period, and afford yourself a laugh to destress.

The hour approaches:
Final paper,British made
Paper 2, A maths it is (or geog MCQ
lah...solli)
Calculators, pens all drawn
Vigililance! for freedom tempts,
Beyond RI gates green
Sea of white, bated breaths
Velocity perhaps?
Questions yet seen?
'Stop work'
Once dreaded, now awaited!
No more! No more!
Invigilators last seen

Conquest! November's glory
Final peak, 4 years wait
Chiobus beckon, 4 years late
Graduation night, alas!
No date!

Ubin sand, glorious sun
Backpacks laden - horseshoe,
Run!

Blood and sweat,
Yunnan bai fen
No sanitation,
Joyful abrasion
Let spirits soar,
Campfire high,
GC no monkey,
Harken, no sighs!

Alas JC comes
Wherever we go
Mugging. Oh what fun!
Mugging's a wonder
Before long, 6 feet under

~~~~~

Island sun, backpacks full
Glorious sand!
Oh ****
It's Tekong
And we all look like Adrian