kataribe

2009-10-11T22:05:00.000+08:00

http://www.zacharykieran.wordpress.com

thief in the night

2009-06-14T23:59:00.001+08:00

Somehow through this house of mine
The windows shattered
The brick walls crumbled down
All without a sound

How this happened, I dont know
But this funny feelings something
Ive never felt before

Like a thief in the night
you came around, you came around
To steal away my heart
Didnt see, didnt hear
When you came around
When you came around
to steal away my heart

You took everything away
You took my soul
You took my heart
But Ive been smiling these days

If theres one thing that Ive found
Its that love can sneak behind
And pin you to the ground

Like a thief in the night
you came around, you came around
To steal away my heart
Didnt see, didnt hear
When you came around
When you came around
to steal away my heart

Oh it came to be
Sounds hard to believe
That love found me
That love found me

Like a thief in the night
you came around, you came around
To steal away my heart
Didnt see, didnt hear
When you came around
When you came around
to steal away my heart

When you came around
I gave away my heart

donate to charity... without paying a single cent!

2009-06-07T20:15:00.003+08:00

If you need a break from all that playing/partying/studying (applicable for us poor Sec 4s) in this vacation, I suggest you do something really simple and meaningful. It will cost you absolutely nothing (not even your time), but will benefit many underprivileged people and support charitable causes. What do you need to do? Just watch Jumbafund!

Let me explain. Kevjumba is this cool guy that blogs over Youtube, with millions of people watching and subscribing to his videos. He's been around for quite a while, just doing videos about random stuff like

Girls are like MnMs

and

Asian's Just Aren't Cool Enough?

I'm not sure how this works, but Youtube has decided to cash in on his popularity and pay him for every video he uploads, and for every person that views his videos. And since he will/has been receiving quite a huge sum of money, he opened a dedicated channel just to earn money to donate to charity. The videos are also about random stuff, but more centered around his college life since now he's studying in UC Davis.

Now your part is really simple. To contribute, simply:
1) Watch Jumbafund videos
2) Ask more people to watch Jumbafund videos!

You will be able to choose which charity to donate to, so you do have some say in who gets the money.

And if you think his videos are crap and not worth watching, WAIT! You don't have to watch them at all! Just click on the link and turn down the volume or something and continue with your usual activities. But do tell your friends about Jumbafund.

If you think that your single, puny effort is not significant, think again. For the month of May, Jumbafund earned US$1708.51, and this sum was $1257 just 5 days ago. All this money will be sent to St Jude's Children's Hospital for research and rehabilitation.

I hope I was able to convince you to participate in this effort. I'll leave you with a Jumbafund video =)

Sushi boats and X men origins

invest + pop

2009-05-20T16:41:00.006+08:00

20 May 2009. CHS SL Investiture, the day when I suspend all my student leadership activities. NPCC Passing Out Parade happened on 8 May, so now I officially have no more commitments in school (other than studies). It's not really how I expected it to be. Pre invest and POP, I was in high spirits, looking forward to finally getting rid of all these 'commitments' or 'burdens', and the loads of free time I would have. Post invest/POP, although I am happy that I can finally step down, but life is strangely very empty for me now. What Tian Ming sir said about us feeling like 'there's something to do, but nothing to do anymore', or having no purpose anymore, is eerily coming true. There can no longer be the sense of satisfaction experienced when we complete a project successfully, or the bonding (and lame jokes) I enjoyed with juniors, squadmates and Council mates. Life feels like it's going to turn into endless days of mugging, tests and exams. I hope that doesn't happen.

Nevertheless, I have lots of lessons to take home from NPCC and Student's Council. I learnt people skills: how to interact with and engage people, how to show confidence and pride in yourself; work skills: excellence and dedication in whatever you do, and the initiative to help. I also learnt that as leaders, in order to have change happening, we must always speak up for what we believe in, and fight for what we want. The incident of Friday the 13th really made me see the diastrous consequences of not speaking up and quietly following even when we didn't like the system. And lastly, by working with others, I saw the different types of people in society and how to accomodate everyone, even if we disliked someone. And I really believe these lessons will put me in good stead when I leave CHS for other places.

As Councillors, we went through a lot of hardship, especially so during Council camp. The pledge we recited today during Invest brought back vivid memories of very gruelling and trying moments during that night in the hall (I can't reveal much due to it being secret). But it was all for the good of us, and I'm sure we emerged stronger as a batch. It's heartening to see our Sec 3 batchmates maturing and stepping up to lead people and organize events. Council must have really taught them something. The only regret I have about Council is that I didn't join earlier. If I did in Sec 2, I could have contributed more to the board and made more out of my time in SC.

When I was in Sec 1 after I just joined NPCC, our squad leaders told us that after 4 years, our squad would be 'closer than classmates'. This statement is true to a certain extent, as although we are rather divisive and had occasional falling outs, there are lots of people in 30th batch that I can call as 'great friends'. I won't forget the times we spent going for camps, hikes, organizing stuff and having fun outside.

To my Council mates and squadmates: Thanks a million for all the memorable experiences, and the great friendships we shared. I hope the organization won't be the thing that keeps us together, but the solidarity we share.

To my juniors: Thanks also for all the great times we had together. Congratulations if you got a desired post! And if you didn't get the post you deserved, don't be crestfallen or anything. A teacher once told me that 'even if your talents and ability isn't recognized now, someone will see it another time, and you will definitely be rewarded for your effort'. Keep pressing for what you believe in, and if you have proven to be comptent, people will surely approach you. I know this sounds all cliched and cheesy, but I myself have gone through such failures and disappointment before, but saw the truth in my teacher's statement. So all the best! =D

So yeah, that should be it. By the way, Nixon shared with me this song by Switchfoot which basically sums up my life in Council/NPCC.

Switchfoot - This is home

I've got my memories
Always
Inside of me
But I can't go back
Back to how it was

I believe you now
I've come too far
No I can't go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I've never known

Chorus:
This is home
Now I'm finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I've been searching
For a place of my own
Now I've found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home

Belief over misery
I've seen the enemy
And I won't go back
Back to how it was

And I got my heart
Set on
What happens next
I got my eyes wide
It's not over yet
We are miracles
And we're not alone

(Chorus)

And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I'm gonna call it home
I got a brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I'm gonna call it home

(Chorus)

Now I know
Yeah, this is home

I've come too far
And I won't go back
Yeah, this is home

And why can't time just slow down?

Coldplay meets Taylor Swift

2009-05-19T00:17:00.004+08:00

Mish mash (more like one song after another with a fantastic transition) of 'Love Story' and 'Vida la Viva'. I have only one word to say: Awesome. (I rarely use this word, so you should understand the significance when it appears) The piano and cello are wonderfully paired, and it brings out the essence of 2 otherwise common songs that you hear everyday. Anyways,you must really watch this video. Creations like this make me appreciate the existence of music, and feel that it must be a higher being that inspires people to make such beautiful tunes, especially so when it's for his '7 year old daughter, who just loves the song'. Damn I wish I could make music like that.

Btw, sorry for the long break in posting. I'll get back soon. :D

my fabulously awesome sixteen

2009-04-27T22:46:00.005+08:00

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you! :)

Thanks everyone for making my transition to sixteen years all the more fun, fantastic, awesome and memorable. Without all of you, it might have been a very different kind of day. I know this sounds cliched, but without all of you, this day would not have been special or meaningful for me, so yeah, thanks again.

To Dennis and Ken, it was really great having a 'combined celebration' with you guys. It wasn't exactly perfect (no thanks to that GV auntie who refused to give us NC16 tickets), but it was definitely fun and a great way to spend a relaxing Sunday. And of course, Jiasheng, Joey and Ken's friends Edward, Shawn Matthew and You Zhe (sorry if I accidentally missed out your name), thanks for coming along to make the outing more vibrant and jovial. You guys really added life to everything and I hope you enjoyed it too. :)

To the School Of Thought people (Amanda, Sarah, Ryan, Preston, Daphine, Sonia, Joel, Xifan, Ximian, Zhi Wei, Natalie and Miss Eu) it was really a pleasant surprise to receive the book and card (and song)! I'll treasure all the gifts (and our friendship too), and a really big THANKS for making the effort to do all these stuff. Keefe, Josh and Ryan (Keeshuaaaa =D on the card), thanks for the really cute bread - squeezy toy! I would have walloped it had there not been a metallic key - chain dangling from it. Anyways it's really nice and I appreciate the gesture tremendously.

The bird between the Happy and Day is a 'Sulphur Crested Cockatoo'. The pointy head is a reference to my occasionally spiked hair I believe? The book 'God Explained In A Taxi Ride' was a really interesting and intriguing read. I finished it in a train ride. I'll read it again, though. Thanks for the book! And on the bottom right is the dear squeezy - bread. :)

Of course, I can't forget my wonderful family for contributing the rest of the gifts! I really love the new Apacs racket, which feels heavenly to hold and use. Somehow it has given me inspiration to perhaps consider going professional in JC. :) The watch (sorry I forgot to put it in) is also a brilliant gift. I had been without a watch for quite a while since my old watch broke and this watch is really a great help and a nice addition to my life. And lastly, the new phone is a blast. It sure beats the Nokia, which broke down on me, and I like its slim, sexy, lightweight design. And lastly, thanks for bringing me to dinner on Sunday. Yeah it was one hell of an overpriced dinner, but I enjoyed the company and food nonetheless. :)

And to everyone else who made my day by saying 'happy birthday', or making this day such a joy to spend, you have no idea how thankful and grateful I am for all these gestures. All of you prove the notion that life would be meaningless if there were no friends to go through it together, and also the fact that simple gestures can actually brighten up the lives of others. So thank you!

16 is the legal age for a couple of things, including NC16 movies and the right to own a pilot's license. =D And it carries with it a lot of responsibilities. Being on this world for such a short time, perhaps it's not fit for me to say this, but I've been through quite a lot in these short 16 years. There were many occasions of joy, happiness, successes, and an equal amount of heartbreak, tears shed and grief. What I've learnt, however from all these events is this: No matter what happens in life, always move on. And with regards to what you believe in and your pursuits, never stop fighting to achieve them, and always press on. Don't let others change what you want or deserve in life. And I believe that one day, you will be rewarded for your efforts, some way or another. =D With regards to today, I've made some personal resolutions for myself, and I hope I can achieve them. :)

1) To press on steadfastly and dilligently in whatever pursuit of life I set myself on, and not stop until I reach my goal.
2) Take a more serious viewpoint on my religion and how I can be more committed to it.
3) To make the lives of the people around me brighter and happier :)

So yeah, once again, Thank you, Domo Arigato Gozaimasu, Xie Xie, Merci Beaucoup.... and the list goes on. =D

back to the stone age

2009-04-21T15:08:00.003+08:00

If you were browsing through the World section of the April 18 issue of the Straits Times, you might have come across this eye catching, full - page advert:

On first glance, it might look like Uniqlo Singapore is thanking all its patrons for their great support during its opening in Tampines last week. However, if you take a closer look, you will realize that it carries a very different message.

It reads: "To avoid overcrowding when the store is busy, we will have to maintain a queue. This is both for the comfort of shoppers to view and try the apparel, as well as ensure the safety of any expectant mothers, children and senior citizens. We seek your understanding on this."

Forgive me if I misinterpreted the advert, but I think it was reminding shoppers the importance of a queue? I was rather taken aback by this, because since when did humans need reminding that it was important and essential to do something basic, like queuing? It's like putting a sign in a toilet cubicle, stating "For the convenience and comfort of the next user, and to maintain the cleanliness of the toilet, please understand that you must flush after using the toilet." Pretty obvious, right? Don't get me wrong. I fully applaud Uniqlo Singapore for putting up such an advert, to urge patrons to behave sensibly and have proper decorum in the store. However, I feel that it really says a lot about how much society has progressed (or matured), if we need to be reminded that basic stuff like queuing was important.

Oh well, just some food for thought. :)

mash - up

2009-04-15T23:33:00.006+08:00

The Youtube Symphony Orchestra Global Mash - Up. This is a damn cool video, featuring musicians from all over the world sending in videos of their parts for a symphony composed by Tan Dun and then being combined into one sound. It's not exactly synchronized perfectly, but who could fault such a funky idea?

bicultural

2009-04-08T22:15:00.002+08:00

Yesterday our class went to watch the finals of the Bicultural Scholar Awards, which is this supposedly prestigious event where participants must prepare major papers on any topic they like in both English and Chinese, and go through a rigorous interview process where they are shot questions on their paper, and then the best of the lot must present their speech in the finals, and go through an 'impromptu question' category.

Well, there were excellent speakers, as well as some which seriously cast doubts on the interview process. It was interesting to hear those speakers which had opinions of their own, such as one that was against animal testing, or for euthanasia. However, some chose to present history pieces, such as the history of Tony Blair or Mao, and in my humble opinion, we don't need to hear a recitation of what already has been told or is available on the Net. And especially if the speaker shows a lack of understanding or empathy by claiming that Mao, who ruthlessly caused the death of millions of citizens with his epic fail policies, was actually a great leader who caused China to rise up fast. In fact, it was probably the later leaders that tried to revive its economy, and it's an accepted fact that China was probably better off without Mao.

CSM's speech on Communism vs Democracy was really unexpected and it was quite excellent. He presented the pros and cons of both camps well and made the point that a society with just one aspect will never be as successful as one with a good mix of both. However, kudos to Wesley for winning the top prize for the Sec 4 category of $3000! (no 15 000 RMB) And great job to Duo Geng and Han Zhung for making it to the semi finals! :)

Chinese drama during the interlude was... (you know what I mean). "Hai zi, ni zai na li ah?" (Father searching around frantically while speaking on the phone while his kid is like beside him)

air rifle + bowling

2009-03-28T16:18:00.003+08:00

Air rifle competition today was rather.. unsatisfactory lol. The 10 practice shots I took were all great, and most landed in the inner black circle, and ZX even managed to land his first shot right on the bull's eye. =D However, once we started the real shoot, whatever 'skills' we had all came crumbling down. The first 2 cards I used were all wasted, as all 4 shots landed outside the circle. As for subsequent shots, they did not meet my standards or expectations. Final score was 62, team 231, finished 6/20. =S The top team was a girl's team from JWSS, with a deadly score of 486. But oh well, Mr Yong treated us to 2 games of bowling after that. Thanks Mr Yong! It was kinda amusing to see all the other defeated teams also at the bowling center. At least we will get 1 participation point for CCA, which makes my total score 21, which entitles me to 2 bonus points. =D

It was a rather funny scene this morning when I boarded the train with an unfinished cup of coffee. There was a cop on the opposite row sleeping (with a jacket on), and I didn't know what he would think of me bringing a drink on board. When he woke up and left the train, I thought I could finally touch my drink but a group of transit cops boarded the train and stood nearby. They kept looking in my direction, and I finally decided against even taking a sip.

end of one term, start of another

2009-03-22T20:33:00.003+08:00

If only time didn't pass as fast

2009-03-19T19:32:00.002+08:00

"Change is brought about by individuals who refuse to fall for what they do not believe in, and not looking through the warped perspectives of others, even if it is the majority view and resisting might invite strife. This, I say, truly displays the mettle of a person."

I received word that due to the incident of Friday the 13th, real reforms will be carried out to make the organization a more meritocratic one that recognizes true talent and gives equal opportunities for growth. Were the actions irresponsible? Maybe, because the problem could have been solved in another way. Childish and selfish? I don't think so. Speaking up for what you believe in is definitely a mature act that immature people and 'followers' can never comprehend.

I'm just glad it made a difference.

2009-03-19T14:10:00.001+08:00

Crack The Shutters

Snow Patrol - Crack the shutters. A truly awesome song from a fantastic band. =D

oxymorons

2009-03-17T17:05:00.002+08:00

It's Day 2 of my March 'vacation', which is peppered with remedials from all subjects. Apparently our teachers are not convinced that they have worked hard enough and they should go on a vacation themselves with their family..

Today we tried to work on our SS project, which is a podcast on Venice. The plot is more or less finalized, and all that needs to be done is the complete script and recording. I hope our sense of humour is appreciated. My com definitely tried to be difficult today, with the mouse disconnecting and connecting periodically. Poor A was the victim of an attempted molest by this gay uncle on the street. Haiz it must suck to be targeted by gays. Maybe you should carry some pepper spray or potassium chloride jabs?

2009-03-11T21:05:00.005+08:00

Today our results were finalized, and thanks to my Humanities papers, I managed to snag an L1R5 of 12! Which means I'm not banded in the 'problem child' group, but on the fringe of 'wonder child' and 'normal child' group. =D I of course do not believe in all this mindless banding..

I've gone for a long hiatus from blogging, so I guess I should recap some of the stuff that happened in the past few days. (or weeks?) Lets see.. Cross Country was rather fun, and I ended up running (and caught up with Edward house), although I didn't intend to run initially (since I was in non - competitive for a change and Joseph house was in a persistent losing streak). I was spurred on toward the finish line by my Sec 1 junior, who was in Edward house and was like, "Ahh! Joseph house! Kill the Joseph house guy! (Makes gun movements) Bang bang!" and I retaliated with "I'll eat you up!" and chased him for quite a while. The run was really fun, and easy, thanks to the gym trainings, and our class was quite impressed by one of our classmates, who broke all our expectations and ran all the way.

A few of us went to my home for a spot of badminton, but I could say that it was quite a failed attempt. The sun was terrible and the slightest bit of wind made it impossible to play on. It was the same scene for my badminton game the next day lol. Now I can understand why those 'pro' players never play badminton outdoors. The wind is the shuttlecock's greatest enemy. Anyways the company of friends was great nonetheless.

At SOT we learnt about 'prejudice and discrimination', and there is really a thin line seperating the 2 behaviours. Prejudice refers to having biased and untrue thoughts against a particular group (race, gender, age etc), discrimination is the acting out of these thoughts. While I think it is perfectly fine to crack some jokes once in a while (I, too, laugh at my own race), it is really scary when people do horrendous acts due to this prejudice. The fact that these acts are cold, calculated and 'intellectual' reflects a certain sort of perverse and twisted nature of the doer. He is not insane, in fact, his brain is perfectly rational and thinks nothing of his behaviour.

We watched a documentary about the Rwandan genocide 'Ghost of Rwanda' and it showed the horrific effect of racial discrimination. The Hutu tribe (yeah I know the name is funny), jealous of the Tutsi tribe for being labelled as 'racially superior' by their former colonial masters the Belgians, started a bitter and violent campaign to exterminate all the Tutsis from Rwanda. One scene of the show was about this BBC reporter visiting a church where some Tutsi people took refuge in, and it was really disgusting. Decaying, maggot infested corpses were strewn everywhere, and some even showed signs of being raped and hacked apart. It looked like a screenshot from 'Fear'. There was one scene where just below the statue of Christ with his hands outstretched, there lay a body lying with his arms apart, like a parallel image. The horrific thing is that a place of refuge and solace turned into a living hell for some people. A girl who survived the carnage was interviewed, and she was clearly in a state of shock. Her fingers were hacked off by her attackers, and she sought refuge by hiding under a pile of dead bodies. I cannot imagine the torture she had to go through.

The worst part was, the UN forces took a long while to respond to give assistance, largely due to the fact that the US was apathetic of what was happening in Rwanda. The then Secretary of State said that the US had their own definitions of 'genocide' and this didn't seem to relate with their definitions. Some lame excuse indeed. Bill Clinton must have been too busy doing Monica Lewinsky. This show really made us ponder over this point: Can harmless jokes and prejudice one day lead to acts of extreme discrimination? How far can we go in terms of making fun of other groups?

On a different note, I recently started on one of my most ambitious plans for this year. I shall not go into details (some of you already know about it), but the outcome will be great should I stick with it. Wish me luck! =D

Prelim 1 results

2009-03-03T16:29:00.004+08:00

Chemistry - 31/40 (78% - A1) First A1 for Chem I think!
Physics - 36/50 (72% - A2) First A for Physics!
H. Chinese - 66% B3 =D
English - 64% B4 Haiz no thanks to summary
E. Math - 19/30 (63% - B4) Damn lot of careless!
Biology - 31.5/50 (63% - B4) Key words missing!

Literature, A. Math and Hist/SS marks are yet to be finalized. I'm pretty optimistic about Lit and Hist/SS. Hopefully they can give me an L1R5 of 12 (Currently stands at 18, neither of which are good). Haha from my marks I came up with some lame theories:

1) Overwork theory: For those subjects that I did well in, I paid little attention to them. This was the contrary to those less stellar subjects. This proves that working too hard can cause your marks to fall.
2) Complacency theory: Those subjects that did well were not my strong subjects, whereas less stellar subjects were supposed to be my fortes (English, Math, Biology). So I should study those subjects more? But wait, doesn't this theory disprove my previous theory, since I supposedly paid more attention to these topics?

Victory

2009-02-28T23:54:00.007+08:00

(epilogue to the 'Invasion' essay)

Private Andrews trudged through the stone cobbled streets of Pyongyang, his battered rifle slung despondently around his shoulder. His army fatigues were drenched in a mixture of perspiration and tears, and specks of blood and mud dotted the previously – crisp uniform. His company marched in unison towards City Hall, their leather boots making dull thud – thud sounds on the ground, while the expressionless Koreans looked on from the sidewalks, their faces bereft of any emotion.

Andrews looked around at his surroundings. What were previously big, commanding buildings were reduced to a pile of debris and wood. Flames engulfed the remains of these structures and the sky was ablaze in brilliant hues of orange and vermillon. Homes that were once sources of shelter and comfort were now a burning inferno, places that brought misery and torture to those who still resided in them. Apart from the faint crackling of flames and the sounds of boots marching, an eerie silence enveloped the area. Andrews felt uneasy. This was not how it was supposed to be. This was just not right.

Where was the fanfare? Where were the happy faces? Just a day before, American bombers shelled Pyongyang, followed by multiple squadrons storming it to defeat the Korean People’s Army, bringing to an end months of endless fighting. North Korea was liberated. Koreans never again had to live under the tyranny of a sinister regime. However, instead of being greeted with cheering and triumphant smiles, all the Americans received were cold stares that radiated neither friendliness nor warmth.

As Andrews walked on, he noticed all the dead bodies. They were a mix of soldiers and civilians., and a nauseating smell emanated from the exposed wounds. A faint sobbing sound attracted his attention to a bullet – ridden body. It was dressed in a shabby shirt with torn trousers, without a coat to shield it from the bitter cold. A small boy, with a mop of matted, black hair on his forehead, was crouching over the body, hands clutched around its neck and wailing in anguish. Andrews’ heart broke at the sight of such a pitiful scene. The child turned his head to look at him.

His jet – black eyes bore deep into Andrews’, carrying with it an intense feeling of resentment and hate. Andrews was confronted with the reality and horror of the entire situation. The events that had happened a few days ago resurfaced in his mind again. For the first time in his life, he had shot and killed a man. A living, breathing being with a hope and a future, was destroyed just at the pull of a trigger. How could he bring himself to commit one of society’s most heinous acts? Now the past was back to haunt him. He suddenly felt very filthy and disgusting. Nothing could wash away the guilt he felt inside.

So this was how victory felt like. It tasted very sweet indeed.

*I hope Kim Jong il doesn't read this..

2 more days!

2009-02-25T22:24:00.003+08:00

Haha 2 more days to end of Prelim 1s! I'm rather satisfied with my work so far, save for Literature and English, which are supposed to be my fortes.. Anyway, this song never fails to make me happy: The Glider Theme from the 1999 classic The Thomas Crown Affair, one of my favourite movies of all time. If you haven't watched it, it is this sophisticated film starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo,about how this wealthy businessman (Brosnan) is quite bored of life and steals artpieces for fun while eradicating the cops. Russo plays a cop that is sent to investigate the theft but ends up in love with him instead.

I would love to play this on the piano some day.

2009-02-23T22:26:00.004+08:00

It's Day 2 of Prelim and the Language papers have already been completed. Higher Chinese today was rather straightforward,and our teacher had already gone through some passages in the compre (although she maintains that she has absolutely no prior knowledge of the paper xD). However, English on Friday was a disappointment (for the essays at least) as I did not perform to my usual standard. The topics to choose from were quite dry and I had made up my mind not to write the expository, so I ended up crapping on some emo story regarding 'Treasures' (where emo essays are not my forte, but rather action/comedy). The situational essays was also quite screwed because I did not read the points thoroughly enough and missed out on how to 'implement the funds donated'. Oh well, at least Paper 2 was better, as there were lots of inference questions which I enjoyed.

On a side note, I think CSI is a show that has some of the best theme music. I can't decide which of the 3 is my favourite.

CSI Miami: The Who - Won't get fooled again

CSI Las Vegas: The Who - Who are you. Possibly the most recognizable one from the CSI franchise, and the most upbeat.

CSI New York: The Who - Baba O' Riley. A more serious song that took a while to grow on me, but nevertheless a nice tune. I love the strings at the ending. =D

MBTI profiling

2009-02-18T23:29:00.009+08:00

Recently I did the free MBTI profiling on Facebook, which is supposedly more accurate than the DISC one, and found quite fascinating results: (it's quite a long analysis)

ENTP - Extraverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Perceiving

ENTPs are frequently described as clever, cerebrally and verbally quick, enthusiastic, outgoing, innovative, and resourceful. ENTPs are motivated by a desire to understand and improve the world they live in. They are usually accurate in sizing up a situation. They may have a perverse sense of humor and sometimes play devil's advocate, which can create misunderstandings with friends, coworkers, and family. ENTPs are ingenious and adept at directing relationships between means and ends. ENTPs 'think outside the box,' devising fresh, unexpected solutions to difficult problems. However, they are less interested in generating and following through with detailed plans than in generating ideas and possibilities. ENTPs are quick to see complex interrelationships between people, things, and ideas. These interrelationships are analyzed in profound detail. The result is an in-depth understanding of the way things and relationships work, and how they can be improved.

http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/entp.htm

ENTP - The innovator

ENTPs are known for their quest of the novel and complex. They have faith in their ability to improvise and to overcome any challenges that they face. They are highly independent, and value adaptability and innovation. They may be several steps ahead of others in encouraging and valuing change. They hate uninspired routine and resist hierarchical and bureaucratic structures that are not functional. They need freedom for action.

Living

ENTPs are lively children who question established truths and norms, dream and scheme, and develop unusual ways of doing traditional childhood things. The ENTP child is oriented toward doing the unique, which may mean taking risks and outwitting parental, school, and societal authority. They enjoy creating projects and following interests that are unusual and different.

ENTP children enjoy inventing new toys, dances, and languages. Because they are outgoing in their personality style, they often engage other children in their projects and assign them particular roles to play. ENTPs rarely accept things just as they are. They like to test or explore to see new meanings and relationships. When things do not go as they want, they use their ingenuity and cleverness to bring people and situations around to their point of view.

As young adults, when ENTPs choose a career for themselves, they tend to set flexible goals that allow them to incorporate new information and accommodate to new circumstances when they come along. It is hard for ENTPs not to be able to explore the road not taken. Their byword is keep your options open. Sometimes this flexibility can look like indecision to outsiders.

As adults, ENTPs take advantage of opportunities. Because of their ability to see relationships and connections between seemingly unrelated things, they are able to realize the potential in many things. When they see and opportunity that others have missed, they set action-oriented strategies that allow them the greatest flexibility to achieve the results they want. The worst job for them is working for someone who demands considerable rule following or tries too often to tell or order, rather than make suggestions to the ENTP. Throughout their careers, ENTPs want their work to be enjoyable, with interesting possibilities for applications. Additionally, having their work widely acclaimed and accepted as a unique contribution would be highly gratifying for ENTPs. They also weave in vacations whenever possible and want a flexible work schedule.

Learning and Working

ENTPs are relentless learners. When the subject matter interests them, they are able to find meaning in whatever they are studying. Knowledge is important to them, but they may not feel the need to show this to their teachers and therefore may be somewhat lackadaisical about assignments and tests.

ENTPs use their enthusiasm and energy to get others involved in their learning. They learn through give-and-take discussions and by questioning and challenging others. They are quick, verbal, and logical, preferring to use their skills in interactions with others. ENTPs look at the logical foundations in others' thinking and build on them to develop their own conceptual systems. They want to be taught concepts rather then facts. Models are important to them. They typically absorb their teacher's material and present it in a framework that ties all of the elements together.

They like to challenge their teachers and classmates and enjoy competitive learning tasks through which they can show their conceptual versatility. They may also enjoy independent study in which they can pursue and area of interest.

ENTPs contribute and innovative, versatile, and enterprising approach to work. They view limitations as challenges to be overcome and look for new ways to do things. They need to find a niche for themselves in order to be free to maneuver. They prefer the start-up phase of a project rather than the followthrough or maintenance phase. Once the project is designed, they prefer to turn it over to someone else. They take initiative and inspire others toward greater accomplishments and challenges.

ENTPs usually find work that involves an analytical, entrepreneurial, and creative focus. They tend to tolerate ambiguity well. They want to be in situations in which they can take intellectual risks and meet challenges. To perform in their best fashion, they prefer flexibility and versatility. While they like status and titles, they ultimately want to be judged on their innovative accomplishments. They take advantage of changing circumstances and work those circumstances into their plans. As a result, they function effectively in chaotic times.

Some occupations seem to be more appealing to ENTPs: actor, chemical engineer, computer analyst, credit investigator, journalist, marketeer, photographer, psychiatrist, public relations worker, sales agent, and other occupations that allow them to be innovative.

Loving

For the ENTP, falling in love occurs when they feel that there is a good fit with the other person. Often within the first meeting, ENTPs will know whether the relationship has any real potential. ENTPs may find it difficult to commit to anyone until the right person comes along. During this period, ENTPs explore the closeness until they can be certain that they have looked at all of the possibilities. Because of this, they are not likely to settle down early. When they do become involved in a relationship, they generally want to maintain as much independence and freedom as their loved one can tolerate. Their mates may need to have high self-esteem and to be independent themselves in order to accept the ENTP need for freedom and novelty.

For ENTPs, falling out of love, which may not always occur, results when their vision of the relationship does not square with reality. Sometimes they will select someone who offers stability and comfort and ENTPs later will become bored with the stability. When scorned, ENTPs use their powerful and broad-reaching analysis to explain the reasons why the relationship was not good in the first place; additionally, they may become competitive with their former partner and work hard to win. ENTPs do not like to lose at anything they undertake.

ENTP's can be fascinating conversationalists, able as they are to follow the complex verbalizations of others. They may deliberately employ debate tactics to the disadvantage of their opponents, even when the "opponents" are close associates and valued friends. ENTP's are the most able of all types to maintain a one-up position with others. They value adaptability and innovation and thus respond quickly and adeptly to another's shifting position. They may even be several jumps ahead. The ENTP, talkative and motivating, is often the life of an enterprise. The ENTP can be an entrepreneur and cleverly makes do with whatever or whoever is at hand, counting on ingenuity to solve problems as they arise, rather than carefully generating a detailed blueprint in advance. A rough draft is all that an ENTP needs to feel confident and ready to proceed into action, counting on the ability to improvise as a situation develops. Because of this tendency to depend on ingenuity and improvision, they may neglect very necessary preparation at times. After repeated failures in situations where improvising has met with defeat, the ENTP may develop ways of avoiding such situations as a substitute to thorough preparation.

i love brit music!

2009-02-18T21:11:00.000+08:00

Presently I am addicted to all bands Brit. The songs they make are just so much more different, more classy than American pop/rock groups. Here are two great bands with their live performances:

The Feeling with their cover of Video Killed The Radio Star, at Virgin Radio's V Festival.

Rock legends Queen with Radio Gaga at Live Aid '85. Interestingly, Freddie Mercury was actually Asian, and he was probably the first British - Asian rock star. Sadly he passed away from HIV, ending Queen's legacy.

Note that both songs are about the demise of radio (or real music). It's quite true, seeing the amount of trashy music there is on the airwaves right now.

Tomorrow is HBL day, so I don't have to go to school! Sadly, we still have assignments to complete and Prelim 1 to mug for. But it'll be great working in the comfort of my room and friends to keep me company over MSN. xD

ahh! prelims!

2009-02-17T19:24:00.002+08:00

The dreaded, much loathed and vilified Prelim 1 is approaching in a few days time.. (although it is in effect just a 45 minute Common Test rebranded as a scarier name). I've heard all the horror stories about killer papers that give top students double digit L1R5's. (To give you an idea, the Chemistry paper will be fully structured with no MCQs) Will this turn out to be true, or just baseless rumours by seniors meant to frighten their juniors so that they can have a kick from seeing their pale faces?

Anyways, today we had O Level Bio SPA, which was worth 6.6666......7% of our O Level grade. It was fine, considering how everything managed to be carried out smoothly and within the time limit. My glucose concentration of blood plasma is really weird though. Out of the range of answers from 7+ to 14+, mine was 7.8 (the lowest end of the spectrum). Interestingly, I recalculated my results and got something quite different but decided that the difference was negligible anyway. The second result would have gotten me a concentration of about 9+, which sounds more 'normal'. Everything else was great, especially the 'source of error' question, as a foolproof answer was given to us a few days before the test.

discipline

2009-02-09T23:28:00.000+08:00

My new year resolutions for this year were 1)To go to the gym regularly 2) To cut down or completely eliminate time wasting activities 3) Study really hard and do well for the O levels so that I can land in ACS (I) next year. I'm feeling quite pleased with myself as I managed to start on resolution number 1! I've been going to the gym for 2 weeks now (thanks Chris for helping me fulfill this goal!) and it's been really satisfying. We managed to work on our endurance running, stomach, chest and leg muscles. The people there are really hardcore though. There was this really big guy in a Navy shirt with muscles that could not fit into the circumference of my curved ruler who loudly hinted "It's MY turn" when I used the biceps machine for a short while. I can imagine the same scene after one year of conditioning:

Me: (working the biceps machine with maximum weights with just my left arm, as though it was as light as a feather)
Navy guy: (stands behind me and breathes down my neck) It's MY turn now.
Me: (turns around very casually and flexes gigantic arm muscles) As far as I know, I think I'm still using the machine. (stares menancingly into the Navy guy's eyes and start cracking knuckles)
Navy guy: Oh... O.. Okay, I was just complimenting your n... nice arms. I.. I'll come back later. (scuttles off in fright)

I think this is probably the first time I've started working seriously on a new year's resolution, but I think I just need a little bit more discipline to take on the other resolutions. The lack of discipline in my life is pretty apparent: Me wanting to go to church every week really badly when my mom disallowed me from going, but when she started allowing me to go, I couldn't find the motivation to wake up early every Sunday morning; attempting to do my Chinese essays but after writing a bit and getting bored (and a writer's block), I pause to take a break but never get back to work. You get the idea..

Anyways right now I'm in some kind of a fix, because I just discovered that my A Math textbook is missing! I don't remember seeing it on my desk when I was packing for home, so maybe 1) A classmate took it by mistake 2) It was swiped when I left for Lit class (our classroom was unlocked and empty, which is quite silly I know) 3) It disappeared into some 'portal'. Lol I hope scenarios 2 and 3 didn't happen. Although the textbook isn't very important (I can get a new one anytime), it has been seasoned with my 'aura' and I might not get acquainted with a new book. Haiz I guess I'll have to wait for tomorrow.

taylor swift

2009-02-07T22:48:00.000+08:00

Taylor Swift is one up - and - coming pop/country/rock artiste that makes some pretty good songs. I had never heard of her before, until I came across her song, Love Story on internet radio. I spent quite a while searching for the artiste of the song, before realizing that the 'female artiste' I was looking for was actually Taylor Swift (whom I thought was a male). Anyways this song has a nice, almost poetic story to it. I'm not a fan of country music, but this song is really quite good.

Note how the guy in this music video is Justin Gaston, Miley Cyrus' boyfriend, who recently was accused of being racist for posing in a 'slant eye' picture.

liberty city parkour

2009-02-01T13:00:00.000+08:00

GTA 4, the latest installation of the Grand Theft Auto series, takes gamers back to Liberty City, albeit with a much more realistic city and more engaging gameplay. With its new Euphoria engine, GTA 4 looks and feels very much different from its predecessors. The AI is more intelligent, and the pedestrians are definitely more varied. (you won't meet the people you bump into on the street again, for quite a while at least). Check out this cool video about Nick Bellic (the protagonist) doing parkour in Liberty City. Watch it in high quality and observe the fantastic graphics. :) Its ending is really random though.

It might be a blessing that my com's specs aren't good enough for this game. I think I would get addicted.

a new direction

2009-01-31T22:54:00.000+08:00

Hello again! It's been almost half a year since I ventured into blogging with Livejournal, and now I'm back again with Blogger, with a totally new site and all my previous blogs deleted. Using Livejournal was great in the first months because of its fresh and user - friendly interface, but after a while, many problems started surfacing: difficulty for visitors to leave messages (no tagboard), smaller range of skins that could not be customized much, and an interface that became boring over time.

Anyways I'm hoping to take my blogging style in a fresh and new direction, perhaps posting with a more mature perspective. Instead of writing so much about my private life, I hope to give insights on general events and post reviews about music, movies and other stuff. So, happy reading! :)