The Day of Reckoning approaches

Speculation is rife that the 'A' level results will be released on the 6th of March. That's a startling 5 days from now.

*Cues Jaws theme song*

I remember quite well the day I got back my 'O' level results. We ex-Crescentians assembled in the school hall, and sat according the our Sec 4 classes. The air was highly charged with tension and excitement. The principal welcomed us all back, and proceeded to show statistics on how well the school fared (Crescent performed very well, with an average L1R5 of 9-point-something) as well as the names of all the tops scorers (One Crescentian, Soumya, was a national top scorer). All this while I was thinking, ok that's all very nice to know but JUST GIVE ME MY FREAKING RESULTS. Finally, The Moment came. We queued up to get our results slips and because my surname starts with a 'W', I was somewhere at the back of the queue. One by one, the people in front of me got their results slip, looked at it, and started screaming or crying (We're girls, come on). When I got hold of my results slip, I held the letter as though it contained a bomb. I finally summoned the courage to take a peek and the L1R5 that stared back at me was - a 13! 13, the cumulative scores of mix of B3s, A2s and an A1! That wasn't as I thought! So I didn't get 9 or 10 points like many did, but hey, 13 is nothing to sniff at! I screamed, cried, jumped for joy and went around hugging people (nearly smothering my History teacher).

I wonder if that scene would play one more time when I go back to NYJC. Whether I would again do better than expected, perhaps even pulling off a miracle by scoring 3 'A's. Or if I will screw up, which is possible, considering how dreadful Econs and Maths went. To tell the truth, I'm not too worried about receiving my results. Even in the event that I fail everything, I still have 2 unconditional offers from a couple of decent American Universities. So I'm not afraid of not having anywhere to go, but more afraid of how well I'd do. After all, if I do well, I have more paths to choose, no? I could fulfill my dream of doing International Relations at the University of Leeds in UK. Unfortunately, I have to secure at least an A and 2 Bs to get into Leeds. Fat hope, considering the fucked-up Economics paper.

How my short-term future turns out depends on my 'A' level results. Quite unfair, but such is life. I see whatever results that are coming my way, good or bad, as the start of a new beginning. So bring it on!

My Purest Heart for You VIII

Yeah. Sort of.

Are you suffering from socio-political blogs' addiction?

A rather unusual, not to mention interesting meme done by the dude of http://www.bbqchickenwings.blogspot.com. According to him,"This quiz helps determine whether you have been indulging too much time in social politics and not doing enough work. " LOL, okay, we'll see about that. I'm game!

My answers are in pink. And I swear, I figured out everything on my own without sneaking a peek.


Section I: Short Answer Questions

See if you can identify who made these quotes.

1. 
   Please, get out of my elite uncaring face. Wee Shu Min. Please, get off your elite throne and have more understanding.
2. 
   If there are no wars or oil crises, this golden period can stretch out over many years. Lee Kuan Yew. I guess even wise 'ol MM Lee did not forsee the golden period suddenly giving way to the current dark age.
3. 
   Change has to take place in Singapore but change must take place not (between parties) but within the PAP. Lee Hsien Loong. Change has come.....not.
4. 
   They (residents) should thank the Town Council for working hard to come up with a diversified portfolio to generate income so that residents do not have to fork out more money. Ho Peng Kee. Thank you, Town Councils, for working hard to place billions of dollars of tax-payers' money into investments that eventually went bust.
5. 
   How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant? Vivian Balakrishnan. This comment reeks of a lack of sympathy for the poorer folks.
6. 
   Maybe it made lesser mortals envious and they thought maybe he was a little bit boastful. (Bonus question: who is the 'he' in this quote) Charles Choong. LESSER MORTAL. Good grief. That's the term he'd used to describe law-abiding, tax-paying citizens? I can totally see Wee Shu Min nodding her head in agreement. So, does that make you MPs and Ministers greater mortals? Of all the quotes listed here, this one pisses me off the most. Oh and the 'he' refers to Tan Yong Soon.
7. 
   So, in Hougang, you have to be creative to be an effective opposition. Amongst the things you can do, I suggest you study the annual accounts of the town council to ensure that the funds are properly used. Check whether the arrears for S & C charges are piling up, and eating into their reserves. Make sure that enough money is put aside for cyclical maintenance. In your walkabouts, check on the estate maintenance… In short, play the role of an effective opposition in Hougang. Goh Chok Tong. I don't like it when people talk like that. Low Thia Khiang has the competence to do his job as MP of Hougang, thank you very much. Go concentrate on your own GRC.

Identify the following bloggers

1. 
   Usually starts his post with a picture of relevance or with a hidden meaning. Uses a cat as his avatar. Works in a investment bank. Mr Wang. I like his posts on the Singapore education system.
2. 
   Another one with a cat as an avatar. Likes to put whole articles and then add comments regarding each sentence in red. Has a split personality called Lee See Nao. Molly Meek. The bimbo with brains;)
3. 
   Short and sweet posts, updated every morning. Used to have nice Orchids as pictures but currently there is a Chingay special. Ok, this one I don't know. Anyone has the answer?
4. 
   Posts are full of vulgarities. Thought to have retired but recently made a comeback. Recently joined Twitter. Rockson. The blogger who uses language so filthy, he makes Samuel "m*****f*****" Jackson look like a gentlemen in comparison.
5. 
   Hosts a weekly podcast. He likes to ride a bicycle and used to be a columnist with a mainstream newspaper. Mr Brown. TUR KWA!!!
6. 
   Avatar is a funny mask. Uses satire to great effects in his posts. Being together with him might win you some 4D or Toto. Lucky Tan. He's the wizard of sarcasm, my role model :D
7. 
   Investigative blogger who is often quoted on mainstream newspapers. Posts are well researched and footnotes given at the bottom of the posts. Yawning Bread. I like the guy, his articles are always thought-provoking and well-researched.

Section II: Yes/No questions

Besides knowing the bloggers in Section I, do you also know who frequently makes comments in their various blogs? Nope. I have never commented before. I just read.

Do you set The Online Citizen or Singapore Enquirer as homepage in your Internet browser? I link The Online Citizen, but I don't set it as my homepage. My homepage is the BBC.

Do you stop work at 12 p.m not because you want to go for lunch but because its time to check Singapore Daily for their daily updates? No lah! I'm not THAT gung-ho about socio-political issues. Lunch is more important.

And then do you read every single post that they aggregated? Again, no. Only the ones that interest me.

And you feel bored during the weekends because blog posts do not seem to be as frequent and the editors of Singapore Daily do not update on weekends. There's more to life than socio-political issues.

Do you think that all mainstream media is crap? Not ALL of it. There's plenty of bullshit but there are a few good articles, to be fair.

Do you feel depressed on a day when no government official makes a goof, silly quote or there is no government policy worth criticizing about? Well, there's always George Bush to make fun of.

Do you know the blogger whose abbreviated nickname is KTM? The Kway Teow Man? But he has never revealed his real name.

Do you put all your favourite blogs on an RSS feed or Google Reader and refresh at least once every hour to catch the latest postings? Nah, I just link them and check them everyday.

Do you know who are the Chua sisters? Chua Mui Hong and Chua Lee Hong, Straits Times journalists-cum-PAP cheerleaders.

Can you name another 15 socio-political bloggers other than the ones in this quiz?

1. Groundnotes
2. Wayang Party Club
3. Feedmetothefish
4. Insane Polygons
5. Gerald Giam
6. Ian on the Red Dot
7. Sam (of thinkingbetterthinkingmeta)
8. Simply Jean
9. Endoh
10. Ng E-Jay(of Sgpolitics)
11. Xtralicious
12. Leounheort *waves at Ben*
13. Xenoboy
14. The Legal Janitor
15. The Void Deck

You do not know who East Coast Life is 2 weeks ago but you do now? I knew about her way more than 2 weeks ago.

Do you rather get an autograph from Mr. Wang and Molly than from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? THE LATTER! Especially Angelina!

Do you spend time pondering how these bloggers look like IRL? (in real life) Hah, I wonder a lot more about how Rei Ayanami, Hitsugaya Toushiro and all my other favourite anime characters would look like in real life *starry-eyed*

____________________________________________________

So, it looks like I know my stuff pretty well, but am not obsessed with it. Addiction? More like a deep interest.

The winds of change blow again

The winds of change have blown.

To begin with, I've quitted my Donut Factory job. Quite a surprise huh? Especially since I've worked there for a little more than a month only. I won't say much about why I've quitted, except that I haven't been too happy with some things for a long while, and I don't think I want to put up with these things for much longer. Nevertheless, it has been a great experience thus far. At my workplace, I met people from all walks of life. There's A, who is awaiting her 'A' level results like me. B and C are awaiting entry into polytechnic. L studies at an ITE while K has stopped schooling and eagerly awaits the birth of her baby. Besides the kids, there're adults too of course, mainly foreigners from Phillipines, Malaysia and China. Talk about diveristy! I do miss everyone, and will certainly pop in again (no worries there, K!) Besides having worked there, I also happen to be a fan of DF donuts;)

So I'm currently unemployed right now, but not for long. In fact, I've found a new job already, and will be starting tomorrow! This time, it's an admin job at the Singapore Human Resource Institute (SHRI). From packing donuts to sorting paperwork. Well, it should turn out better than the Donut Factory stint! I look forward to tomorrow! More details on this job some other time.

Lastly, I've finally got round to doing something I've wanted to do for a long while: joining Japanese classes. It was a tough choice between learning Japanese and learning Spanish but in the end I decided on the former because my interest in it was stronger. Classes started yesterday and it's been quite fun! My sensei is a very friendly lady who speaks a mix of Japanese and English, and whose very first words to minasan (everyone in Japanese) were 'Happy Valentine's Day!'. LOL! For the very first lesson, we began on hiragana and learnt some basic conversation. Oh and I also learnt how to write my name in katakana:)

Well, gotta sign off now. A new day, along with a new experience, awaits me!

Viva la vida

Viva la Vida by Coldplay


I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?



I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field



For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

**********************************************************

So, Viva la Vida has won the 2009 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Initially, I couldn't see what was the big deal about this song because I thought the tune was not particularly catchy. Or so I thought, until I learnt it won a Grammy. I realized I must be missing something about it and went to check out its lyrics as well as listen to it a few more times. Now it's the latest song that has gotten me hooked. Talk about an acquired taste!

What I like best about Viva la Vida is its lyrics. According to bass guitarist Guy Berryman, "It's a story about a king who's lost his kingdom, and all the album's artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerillas." Ahhhh, a powerful figure who falls from grace, as aptly described in the first 2 stanzas. He is brought down by 'revolutionaries (who) wait for (his) head on a silver plate'. Mikhail Gorbachev? King Louis XVI? Which historical figure could Coldplay possibly refer to? The historian in me is stimulated.

The title Viva la Vida has a nice ring to it. Apparently, it's Spanish for 'long live life!'. That we all should do: live life to the fullest and enjoy it while it lasts. Now it's become stuck in my head, and I keep repeating it like a mantra. Viva la Vida, Viva la Vida!

Long live life!

Life is unfair, the world is unfair

Leong Min is my really close gal pal whom I first met in primary 6. We hit off wonderfully well, and used to spend hours chattering away about nearly everything. She is still my really close gal pal. Today we went to Dhoby Ghaut for an outing. A simple one, just having lunch at our favourite Pastamania, and then proceeding to check out places like the giant craft store Spotlight (where we posed for some crazy shots with the colourful feather boas and where we met a rather nutty salesperson).

It was a wonderful, fun-filled outing. Our last outing together, actually, before she goes off to Melbourne, Australia, to pursue her tertiary education there.

I think I know what it is that has being weighing down on my heart for these past few weeks, causing me to lapse into emo-ness every now and then. It's the realization that with the passing of time, both things and people change. And there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. Let's see: a good guy pal of mine has gone off for National Service, and then in the second week of January, so did my boyfriend. Next week, Leong Min's going to Australia. And I? In June or September this year, I will most likely be going abroad for university, leaving behind my loved ones, friends and a country I've lived in for all my life.

It's no one's fault for changing or moving on, of course. Still ..... why? Why does change have to be the only constant in life? Why do people always end up having to go their separate ways? I want things to remain as they are, for the people I love and care about to be by my side, so easy to reach out to. But reality does not work that way. That's why I say life, and the world, is unfair.

Sigh. I will miss you all.