Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Happy Anniversary Ling...
And yes... we've finally hit the big 0-1! A year of blessings and pain; laughing and crying; ups and downs; and we made it through.
Happy anniversary, Ling!
All I am is yours, as you are mine.
Perhaps the years erode the boundary line;
Perhaps the fortune fades into the feeling.
Yet we are will, though often not quite willing,
As this year's choice becomes the next year's wine.
Nor without love could we endure the time
Needed to bestow so great a blessing.
In choosing love, unburdening desire,
Viewing passion as a gift to give,
Embracing as we long to be embraced,
Remaining where we would someone remain:
So do we tend both equally the fire
As each becomes the one one needs to live,
Replacing what can never be replaced,
Yearning for what comes again, again.
Take it easy, Keep it real...
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Wee Shu Min
Seems that everyone is having a crack at Wee Shu Min, which is totally understandable given the kind of controversy that it managed to stir up. However, amidst all this banter and noise about what actually transpired, I think that the whole saga has actually brought to light a key issue: Is there really an elite in Singapore?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not on some witch hunt here and then adopt a holier than thou attitude about the entire thing. It seems that the whole elite class thing has been somesort of an taboo topic to speak about. Everyone knows that there is, yet the majority of those actually shun from it.
It's very heartening to see the youths of today sounding out what they actually feel about key issues. They've managed to move beyond the classroom and take an active role in highlighting concerns of the general public. However, I despair at the arrogance that some individuals (again, I'm not on a witch hunt) have chosen to voice their opinions. Being insightful and critical is one thing, but being outright rude and pompous is another. If we are to depend on such individuals to lead the country (I would suppose that this is what education in an esteemed school is all about), then I have genuine concern for the future of this country. Let me explain.
We cannot afford to have such an overbearing attitude towards critical social issues. Public service is all about being empathetic, showing genuine concern for the less privilleged of the country. I'm an idealist, and would go so far as to say that more privilleged citizens of the country should step up and be counted, as well as to make a difference in the lives of others. This is Confucianism at its best. There is no point being the privilleged (and in Shu Min's own words, elite) and yet only being N-A-T-O (No Action Talk Only). Parents should inculcate this sense of social reponsibility in the child. Let's not mask our children's inadequacy (social or otherwise) and turn it into a self-serving defense. What's the point? That would culminate in running away from the gist of the whole problem.
On another note, I disagree with a blog being a private domain and realm. It's on the WWW for crying out loud! Simply google any darn subject of interest and you get tonnes and tonnes of links and whatnots. What more with the advent of GoogleEarth, etc etc. Point I'm trying to make is, there is no such thing as privacy on the net.
Take it easy, Keep it real...
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
MNO CQ Project!
Take it easy, Keep it real...
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Jay Cutler... Mr Olympia!
And the winner of the 2006 Mr Olympia... Jay Cutler! To post more pics later...
Take it easy, Keep it real...
Is a College/ University Degree important?
Chanced upon this forum thread on Stomp. Is a College/ University Degree really important? Or are we just over-exaggerating the importance of a piece of paper?
Well, in my opinion, other than our basic needs/essentials, all other things are really just 'good to haves'... Let me explain...
In the past, having a degree wasn't as important as it is right now. It was just a means to the end, i.e. for a better future. Hell, many of those in the previous generation didn't have a substantial education to begin with, not to mention getting to the University. Those with degrees then therefore had better access to resources, promotions, etc etc...
Then came a time when going to the University was a norm. Everyone wanted to get to the University, and most of the times, they made it. Regardless of whatever you want to say about the national education system, Singapore has managed to give opportunities (I'm not saying that they are equal) to those who have the potential to get to the University. But I digress... All of a sudden, getting a degree has become so common, and besides, with the multitude of Universities available and the many courses to choose from, it is little wonder that we have a sudden influx of graduates. In a flush, we have graduates competing for the most menial of jobs. Many are still languishing in limbo trying to get a job, any job. With all these graduates clamouring for a paycheck, who would want to employ non-graduates, especially if they are thought to be (rightly or wrongly) as cream of the crop'?
Non-graduates are good too, even better than graduates. Mostly because they know that they are already disadvantaged paper-wise, and have decided to work harder to make up for lost time or lost opportunities.
I have a friend my age who has only an 'O' Level certificate (for my foreign friends, an equivalent to a high school Diploma). And he's successful in his own right, earning more than many of the graduates out there.
So go figure, Degree or no degree?
Take it easy, Keep it real...
