The first few scenes got me dropping my jaw and the hinges stayed stiff till the end of the show. While I do not actually support the active persecution of them, I was uncomfortable with the propaganda of the morally correct-ness of the act itself. We cannot press forward beliefs based on a certain faith or in some places a few faiths, not even when these beliefs are those of the majority. Yet the tolerance and the active protest against the discrimination seem to vindicate their actions and choice of sexuality. Which begs the question - what kind of message are we sending out to the society when we actively persecute those we deem wrong based on our religion or when we choose to lay back and tolerate them as part of a harmonious multifaceted society; the converse similarly intriguing - when we choose to be activists for the rights of those deemed wrong by the majority or when the choice to remain as a closet believer stands. I struggle for words to string together proper thoughts but it might be the late hour getting to me or probably the intensity of the show and the clashing thought of how right the wrong seems are rendering me illogical.
I know i have not been blogging for the longest time and unless i’m on your rss feed, there’s little probability that you will be reading this. Anyway, as reminded by chiew, i thought i should write something to make my subscription to the domain worthwhile.
I am on course for the next two months and is subjected for this period of time to public transport. Something occurred today and it was rather interesting [to blog about].
For those of you who do not already know (open google homepage and see the beautiful deco, click on it you dumbo!), today is Earth’s day. It is a day dedicated to our planet and Panasonic APac decided to sponsor some bus rides in selabrasinya (the celebration of). I was fortunate enough to catch a bus ride (no. 16) on my way home.
The bus greeted me with a green sticker screaming “FREE BUS RIDE” and on board, the ezlink machines were sealed with prominent plastic bags. Well, no wonder the bus was particularly crowded. At one of the stops, the bus got full inevitably and some passengers could not get on. Two ladies beside me were engaged in random conversations and one of them suddenly remarked “wah see, some of them cannot get on. They must be saying ‘wah f**k, free bus ride cannot get on, next one must pay leh!’ “.
Besides the obvious graciousness, the remark triggered a thought in me - since Singaporeans are so hard up for free gifts, should not all Singaporeans embrace Christianity, a religion that brands itself as salvation by grace? Imagine yourself reaching a bus stop immediately after your death and a bus comes along with a tag “free salvation”. The door opens and you ask the bus driver “where to?” The reply “heaven”. And you, a typical Singaporean, enthusiastically question “wah, heaven ah? for how long can stay there?”
“Eternal”
“hmmm, eternal like very long hor? like that expensive anot ah?”
“it’s free.”
”free!? you mean don’t need to tap ezlink card ah?”
“yah, just acknowledge me as your personal driver (saviour)”
“really anot, so simple meh? what’s your name?”
“Christ, Jesus Christ”
“wah so cool…like James bond. Aiyah, free one I take lah”
Perhaps there are only a few true blue Singaporeans and thank God i’m one of them.
Looks like it has been some time since i updated this nest of mine. Things got pretty busy towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year. In anycase, I wish everyone a happy new year and may this year be a better one that any that you have had.
The title of the post probably suggests a certain shift or rather radical change that I have to make, both in my life and the posting that I will or may be making in future. Firstly, I’ve graduated. *applause*. Thank you for all your concern and I am glad to share with you that God was willing, allowing me to achieve the mission impossible during my last semester of school. On the same note, I will be starting work soon (next week) doing something that has no relations whatsoever to BIE. Crazy stuff I know but that’s the way God has led me and that’s the way I trust to follow. So the beginning of another chapter of my life shares the close of the previous chapter. However, I do wish for the friendships forged over the past years to continue into the new chapter of my life. More meet ups!
Secondly, on a different note, this blog will be overtaken by general writings that will be geared towards the two major areas of my life, Faith and photography (more on the former of course). Let’s just leave it as that. So if you cannot take any of the spiritual feeds, I am sad to say good bye but do keep in touch. Otherwise, keep on reading! Happy 2009!
“For it is written, I [God] will destroy the wisdom of the wise. and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Cor 1:19-20, 25.
I forgot what I had in my mind when I was reading this but I remembered this urge to share it. No matter how rationale Christianity can brand itself to be, one still require a certain jump in thinking or a certain change in paradigm to actually accept the notion of Christ death and resurrection. Some call this jump or leap a blind faith. Be it blind or be it nonsensical but I think this leap is necessary before you can fully understand or experience the spirituality of God.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14.
Sometimes I really wonder if I have actually taken the leap or have I been taking God’s divine intervention in my life for granted. You got to take a step back at times to appreciate what actually has been going on.
A very recent conversation I came across -
A: I bought some snacks today and stock up in preparation for my exams.
B: What did you buy?
A: I bought cereals, lots of them…and peanuts…and biscuits…
B: oh be careful about the biscuits, remember the recent health scam? brands XX and YY should be avoided
A: orh… btw one more thing! I bought some pancake mix and maple syrup!
B: wow! what’s that for?!
A: duhz. for me to make and eat when I’m hungry lor. Like say in the afternoonz or in the middle of the night.
B: *sigh* i thought you were going to make them for me.
A: oh. erm… well I can make some for you if I have any left overs after the exams.
AHAHahhahahaha. When Charles Darwin proposed the notion of evolution, he did mention the biodiversity evolved by natural selection or survival of the fittest. Perhaps that was when the phrase “every man for himself” came about. Obviously, woman was not included.
I am A, a(n) ARSEH8L3
When I was 5, my mother used to shout “越帮越忙” each time I offered my help in the kitchen. This is probably the best phrase to describe the messy aid that governments around the world is trying to offer to the economy.
The housing boom fueled by the fake money from the feds dragged many structured products into the financial market. Talents poured into the industry and being in the financial industry became imprinted on everyone’s cover letter. I believe some will even tattoo it on their backs to remind them of the monetary driven ambition. You cannot resist the draw of the dollar and I was once a sad victim of it.
Now that the bubble has burst, central banks are called upon to pour even more money to prevent the economy from sinking beyond the tipping point of no recovery. The low interest rates and resulting credit was the cause of the trouble and here we go asking the banks to do the same in order to save the world. Weird.
So many people have gotten a job in the financial industry during the boom and rightly so they should be retrenched so they can be diverted to other segments of the economy for recovery to take place…no?
If we were to keep everyone’s job and try to pump in money to keep the housing prices high and the credit situation status quo in the industry, are we not trying to sustain a castle in the air that is inherently unsustainable? The earlier we realise the truth, the sooner we can let the market start its healing process. Yes, the truth is painful but you got to let the industry go under and return to a level sustainable by the economy.
Humility is something that I should really learn and demonstrate, especially in my conversations with others. I cannot remember who was it that I held the conversation with but I clearly remember commenting on the feasibility of renewable energy in Singapore in the future. While I can see solar energy being the main choice behind our push for alternative fuel, I did not expect it to be a major player in our manufacturing industry. Further, I dismissed the other party’s talk on wind powered generators and laughed at the idea of having wind turbines in Singapore.
News that followed made me swallowed back every single word. Norway’s REC revealed plans to build the world’s largest solar panel manufacturing plant in Tuas while world leader in wind energy Vestas set up its R&D department in Fusionopolis. Expect the unexpected. Leave some room for these things to happen the next time you discuss something with others. Being assertive has its pitfalls.
When the address bar does not prompt you for the wordpress link after typing the first few letters, I knew it must have been eons since I last updated anything. Rightly so since this semester has been my most busy or should I say will be my busiest semester ever. Yes. I am graduating and this breather cannot come any sooner. On top of my FYP, I had three lab reports to do, two term papers to write, one research proposal to submit and 3 grand presentations to make. Thank God for pulling me through. Not to mention the understanding girlfriend who was kind enough to relax our meetings to a frequency of once-a-week.
You might ask the same question that has been bugging me for months: where do I go from now? While the prospects of further studies and earning the eventual “Dr” title seemed really attractive, I had to balance this beckoning calling with the more practical moolah. My inability to secure a better paying scholarship means that I have to suffer a $1000 paycut should I ignore a civil job and accept the default research scholarship from the department. That’s $36000 over the whole course, enough to get me decent car or a superb set of nikon lenses, bodies, Gitzo tripods… you get the idea. Frankly speaking, the main drive behind the consideration of the PhD is the incomplete project at hand and I believe that with a few more months, I can easily complete it. My sup told me that it is worthy of a Master’s Thesis so logically speaking, some additions to it can easily pass it for a PhD paper. I would say that’s easy money and great life at least for the next few years. Then again, to sacrifice more than 30 grand for this desire is really testing.
What a time to graduate. Anyway, Keynesianism is again at helms with the calling for additional government injection. Recovery is going to be slow and I will be stuck till then. Hopefully things will be better soon. Hamilton is on the grid. *fingers crossed*.
Update! Dramatic finish for my man! In the final laps of the race, rain came down and forced the first five to pit for new tires. Timo stayed out and clinched a vital fourth position after massa, kimi and weird eyebrows came out. Vettel and lewis got caught behind the toyota man who chose to stay on slicks. On the second last lap, Kubica was on the tail of both vettel and lewis as he came out with intermediates first. Having gotten heat into the rubbers, the BMW asshole chased down the tail of vettel and tried to maneuver a crazy move to overtake the fifth and sixth car. What the hell was he trying to do with a lap down? Anyway, that sucka forced hamilton to slip wide, allowing vettel to pass with ease and Hamilton to chase for fifth position in order for him to secure the champsionship. Time was running out and the mclaren clearly did not have the pace in those conditions to close in for an attack on the monza winner (in wet). After massa passed the chequered flag, I thought all was lost as hamilton chased vettel all the way to the flag. Even the commentator was mourning the lost of the championship as the camera crew panned over to the ferrari’s pit to show the elated massa’s family. Suddenly it was announced that lewis was in fifth and the screen displayed the final lap times to confirm the announcement! Apparently, timo struggled for grip in the final lap as the rain poured heavily, slowing to a crawl on the final turn before the cars slingshot onto the straight, allowing both lewis and vettel to pass.
Yes. After all the wait. Take this you ferrari #*@(#*&!.
The weekends came and went again. I used to mark the two days after friday with a different coloured marker in the past because they were the time I get to have some rest. Ever since my holidays started, the weekends have been marked with a skull symbol. I am even busier on the s-days than the usual weekdays!
Nevertheless, I welcome back the saturday soccer session. It is always good to run around on grass (though synthetic) and breathe the fresh air (next to the high way). A moment to savour came at the end of the session when a high ball came to me and the defender let it bounce after I dummied a volley. As he turned his back to block the fake shot, I shifted my weight, turned and blasted one past him and slotted the ball beside the post passed the shock keeper. Let out a “woohoo” and was sure that I was about to press square during the instant replay, only to realise it was a real thing that I pulled off. Only a word to describe it - shiok ah. Ok that’s two words.
Then came the fire works. R got a room again and V used it for the youth meeting. The agenda was simple but the focus of the group was really poor and we got interrupted rather frequently. Mini R was really cute when she referred the swimming pool to “miming pool” and she kept going on about it until I lost my train of thoughts. Ah I want to pinch her cheeks. It was also a day that I witnessed the true meaning behind the role “father”. Someone thought W pooped in her diapers and wanted V to check. Without any hesitation, V brought W high up and put his face into her diapers, took a huge sniff and proclaimed proudly “no lah, not poop!”. Usually you would think that V has lost his manhood but no, he gained his fatherhood.
Fireworks came but the vantage point was not that excellent. Attached one at the bottom. It is not absolutely gorgeous nor acceptable by any standards, but give me a break! It’s my virgin fireworks shoot!
The last time I watched a movie twice within the span of a week was almost ten years ago when Neo set the CGI trend of bullet dodging and high flying kicks. This time round, there was minimal CGI effects and even lesser actions that characterizes the genre of superhero movies. There were no metal suits, no crazy genes that gives your laser eyes or spider senses; it was that sense of justice and calling to be something that you did not set out to be - a silent guardian. The movie tracks the development of batman and showed his coming to terms with his existence in a city so desperate of justice. His role was meant to inspire people. to inspire good and clean up the dirt. He set out to save people but yet was condemned by the same people. To watch them criticize his acts on the tube is one thing, but to be present at the news conference and hear them publicly seeking his blood was another. He must have endured tremendous anguish to know that these are the people whom he tried so hard to protect. Fortunately, he did not give up. Not after deaths of innocent, not after the death of his love one, not after the death of the white knight of Gotham - he is willing to sacrifice and willing to persevere. Awesome.
It’s rather interesting to see how dense I can be during the show. Harvey said that “you either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” and he was referring to himself and Bruce! Granted he did not know at that time that he was the batman but I knew and I didn’t catch that point at all. I guess we must thank the script writers who kindly put that same line back at the end.