I PASSED JLPT 2 WOOT
Demel is a happy bunny. Wai~
Now there's only H1 A-Level to care about. Gogogo!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Knowing the events or the shape
In a discussion with a friend in regards to knowledge about people, we came a question of interest.
Given a choice between the shape of a human life (the perspectives, the outlooks, the opinions) and the significant events and turning points of it, which would you have rather picked?
The friend argued to me that the events of a person's life shape the life of the person, and if you knew the shape of the person's life it means that you know pretty much the same thing as anyone who knew the events, save said actual events themselves. I conceded that as somewhat true.
"I know him", he said, referring to a particular subject in question.
Yet, the assumption seemed to be that the subject would have been the way he was even without any event to shape his life. At least, when I asked about any possible event that could have shaped said subject, and the friend seemed to reply negatively.
"What's there?" he said, referring to the life of the subject.
There are reasons for everything, weak or strong, or many to one. Whether he says it or not, something has caused a person to be acting that way. And in certain cases, it need not even be conscious on part of the person. At least, that's what I believe. >_>
To say you know someone's actions and beliefs and mannerisms and not know why he acts that way acts counter to knowing the person, doesn't it? At the very least, I find it paralleling one dismissing the acts of a problem child as problematic and never finding out why they were problematic or why said child is a problem child in the first place. Queer, innit?
My point was that knowing the events that shaped a person's life allowed you to know about the shape of the person's life and why exactly it ended up that way. (Another friend shot the argument down later by asking what I would do if the person was a stranger I knew only via MSN, but ah well). Furthermore, it worked even for subconscious shaping of a person's life, a point rather evident to me since someone actually guessed (correctly, too) a rather - well, not say unknown but something I don't really talk about - event in my life just like that, figuring out why I changed as a result of that event.
It's really just a bunch of rambles and all, but there's a rather interesting question at the bottom of this.
Do you know a person if you know only the shape of his life and not why he ended up like that?
Do you know a person if you know the significant events of his life but have to guess the effect it had on him?
Given a choice between the shape of a human life (the perspectives, the outlooks, the opinions) and the significant events and turning points of it, which would you have rather picked?
The friend argued to me that the events of a person's life shape the life of the person, and if you knew the shape of the person's life it means that you know pretty much the same thing as anyone who knew the events, save said actual events themselves. I conceded that as somewhat true.
"I know him", he said, referring to a particular subject in question.
Yet, the assumption seemed to be that the subject would have been the way he was even without any event to shape his life. At least, when I asked about any possible event that could have shaped said subject, and the friend seemed to reply negatively.
"What's there?" he said, referring to the life of the subject.
There are reasons for everything, weak or strong, or many to one. Whether he says it or not, something has caused a person to be acting that way. And in certain cases, it need not even be conscious on part of the person. At least, that's what I believe. >_>
To say you know someone's actions and beliefs and mannerisms and not know why he acts that way acts counter to knowing the person, doesn't it? At the very least, I find it paralleling one dismissing the acts of a problem child as problematic and never finding out why they were problematic or why said child is a problem child in the first place. Queer, innit?
My point was that knowing the events that shaped a person's life allowed you to know about the shape of the person's life and why exactly it ended up that way. (Another friend shot the argument down later by asking what I would do if the person was a stranger I knew only via MSN, but ah well). Furthermore, it worked even for subconscious shaping of a person's life, a point rather evident to me since someone actually guessed (correctly, too) a rather - well, not say unknown but something I don't really talk about - event in my life just like that, figuring out why I changed as a result of that event.
It's really just a bunch of rambles and all, but there's a rather interesting question at the bottom of this.
Do you know a person if you know only the shape of his life and not why he ended up like that?
Do you know a person if you know the significant events of his life but have to guess the effect it had on him?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Company
The weirdest way to spend Valentine's day. Ever.
It's still a bit scary how I get myself into these kinds of things. Except this time, it's a lot scarier thinking about what would happen if we managed to pull this off.
Meetings are going to serious/hilarious shit.
It's still a bit scary how I get myself into these kinds of things. Except this time, it's a lot scarier thinking about what would happen if we managed to pull this off.
Meetings are going to serious/hilarious shit.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The State of Choir
It's been tiring. It's been surprisingly unproductive at times. And at times I really question what the heck I've been doing in it all this time.
Tomorrow's the first performance I'll be taking part in. For the year 5s. To be honest, I can't believe the state of it all.
At times I wonder why Levin brought me into a choir that seems to me as lacking in morale and faith. I can't come up with a good reason why, honestly. Perhaps he doesn't have one either.
I hope I find myself a good reason soon.
Tomorrow's the first performance I'll be taking part in. For the year 5s. To be honest, I can't believe the state of it all.
At times I wonder why Levin brought me into a choir that seems to me as lacking in morale and faith. I can't come up with a good reason why, honestly. Perhaps he doesn't have one either.
I hope I find myself a good reason soon.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Thaipusam
Sometimes marvellous transformations take place in areas you frequent. One would be the Dhoby Ghaut area. Be it Christmas or Chinese New Year, the decorations of the season always lend the area a festive sense of the time at hand. The people seemed the same, though. Passers-by walking along the same street. Shoppers. Well, it was inevitable - the reason for the season tends to be commercial and centred around selling merchandise, so everyone around would do what they were meant to do in a shopping district. Shop. >_>
Today seemed rather different though. It's exactly the opposite of the other two aforementioned events. For one, there wasn't any pre-season decorations (let alone date back to one month before said holiday a la Nov/Dec). For another, there weren't any decorations period (In retrospect I think it'd be pretty funny). For a third, the people around weren't the same as the usual season would expect. It was the complete opposite.
Perhaps I'm being racist here but I'm more used to seeing the pathways full of Chinese, so it's always a bit of a shocker to find something quite completely different going on.
Then again, the awe of Thaipusam comes in the procession, especially since during the procession you can walk right next to them. It's really quite different seeing the kavadis in pictures in books and seeing them in real life. There's the mystical marvel at everything going on. The hooks pierced on the man that are bound by rope to the cart at the back (another person carries the rope so the man doesn't actually have to pull the cart, but the thought is still rather frightening), the silver-ringed staff in his hands (golden snake nicely wrapped around the head for an adornment similar to Asclepius) that clangs with every tap against the floor, with every step that he took, with every step that I took. It's a mysterious feeling just walking beside them and in pace with them, as if you're participating in the procession as well.
It kind of keeps you remembering the fact that even though certain races are statistically minorities, they're all still important folk in the picture and all take the limelight at some point of time.
Of course, the irony in the entire proceedings was that I was on the path they were going at until we deviated - they continued on the path along Park Mall while I crossed the road to church. Interesting events for a Sunday morning, no doubt.
Today seemed rather different though. It's exactly the opposite of the other two aforementioned events. For one, there wasn't any pre-season decorations (let alone date back to one month before said holiday a la Nov/Dec). For another, there weren't any decorations period (In retrospect I think it'd be pretty funny). For a third, the people around weren't the same as the usual season would expect. It was the complete opposite.
Perhaps I'm being racist here but I'm more used to seeing the pathways full of Chinese, so it's always a bit of a shocker to find something quite completely different going on.
Then again, the awe of Thaipusam comes in the procession, especially since during the procession you can walk right next to them. It's really quite different seeing the kavadis in pictures in books and seeing them in real life. There's the mystical marvel at everything going on. The hooks pierced on the man that are bound by rope to the cart at the back (another person carries the rope so the man doesn't actually have to pull the cart, but the thought is still rather frightening), the silver-ringed staff in his hands (golden snake nicely wrapped around the head for an adornment similar to Asclepius) that clangs with every tap against the floor, with every step that he took, with every step that I took. It's a mysterious feeling just walking beside them and in pace with them, as if you're participating in the procession as well.
It kind of keeps you remembering the fact that even though certain races are statistically minorities, they're all still important folk in the picture and all take the limelight at some point of time.
Of course, the irony in the entire proceedings was that I was on the path they were going at until we deviated - they continued on the path along Park Mall while I crossed the road to church. Interesting events for a Sunday morning, no doubt.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Life Of The Beginning of February
I was going to type out a story but then I realized that was my Commonwealth Essay and I shouldn't be posting that up. Meh. And it's only 800 words right now at time of writing this post anyway >_>
Life of February has been bundled with a lot of randomness as opposed to actual events. The spoiling of a GDC, the epicness of a domino-filled practical, the awesome celebration of a friend's birthday (Though admittedly that was in Jan),
It's been a short month, but somehow it's been keeping me from writing on this blog. To think I've still so much other work to clear that touching the blog seems a tempting but difficult option at times.
Life of February has been bundled with a lot of randomness as opposed to actual events. The spoiling of a GDC, the epicness of a domino-filled practical, the awesome celebration of a friend's birthday (Though admittedly that was in Jan),
It's been a short month, but somehow it's been keeping me from writing on this blog. To think I've still so much other work to clear that touching the blog seems a tempting but difficult option at times.
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