Monday, June 21, 2004
02:13 a.m.
Sorry Heik... its 2.13am on Monday and as much as I'd like to watch the Portugal-Spain match... but I'm really sleepy. Yeah I know I promised you to stay up... But you were all "well if you don't wanna", so I guess I... well I just can't make it. So sorry I can't update you on the score 'as-it-happens'. Really, really, really sorry!
Oh well, life's life, and it happens. Haha, tell ya the truth, I'm not sorry. Heh... I need my sleep!
just the updates
*comments/trackback enabled on both the main blog and photoblog.
*more stuff on the Singapore article, I shall post a complete report on EVERYTHING soon.
*holidays are ending, I've still got homework and essays to complete. the homework marathon... has just begun.
Friday, June 18, 2004
07:58 a.m.
Just a little update to my previous entry.
TMLutas wrote to me on Wednesday to share his opinion of Singapore. His viewpoint is very interesting indeed, so check it out here.
On a more interesting note, Philip Bowermaster dropped a tag on Wednesday as well after he spotted me on Steven Den Beste's blog. He's writing an online novel and believe me its fairly interesting to those who can comprehend the sharp implications he brings about. The only connection it has to me is because he's writing about Malacca and my Portuguese ancestors are pretty important in it =D
Go read! Improve your vocab!!
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
06:46 p.m.
Yesterday, I wrote to Steven Den Beste about Singapore. I've often asked foreigners about our country's system, but usually they're common teenagers who don't know much. Given the amount of insight I've gained from his site, I hoped for a constructive and well-thought out reply.
Here it is: Reply to 'A letter from Singapore'
Chew on it guys. What I feel is that given the close-knit nature of society here (given our compact nature as a country), Singapore is ready for a more open and liberal society. I understand that yes, maybe the Govt. felt the need to keep a grip on issues in the State to prevent unrest, riots, whatever. But hey, they've been forcing CME lessons and National Service on us for ages, isn't it time they put some faith in us and respect the fact that yes, its time to let our interllectuals stand up and speak?
I feel that the conservative nature of society here has been primarily caused by two things: chinese-speaking culture and the education system.
No doubt, our education system is by far one of the best in producing top Math and Science students, but what happened to our thinking interllectuals? Our current Education Minister, Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam has acknowledged and if you notice, has focused more in nurturing creativity in the classroom. Whether creativity can be nurtured in schools at all is another thing altogether, but the current education system certainly stifles it.
And when I use the words "Chinese-speaking culture", it doesn't mean that the Chinese culture cannot breed creativity. I'm just using it as it associates very often with the more traditional Chinese homes. Usually, Chinese-speaking families are either:
1. More traditional and less familiar with the more-liberal Western culture. You know, the families with nagging, superstitious grannies while the children live off Chinese variety shows where actors and actresses cross-dress and do stupid things on national TV.
2. The non-JC/U older generation. I've noticed that those parents who don't go to junior colleges or universities are less familiar with liberal cultures. Obviously, since they've never written GP or theses. They're more laid-back, working as blue collar workers in secondary industries (and thus more likely to speak in dialects to converse with the common workers). Their children then usually just speak Mandarin as the first language at home. Although, oddly, these parents usually pressure their children to surpass them education-wise, and these children eventually give up the Chinese-speaking culture and revert to a more liberal one, after exposure to different cultures at university.
Odd, biased, but probably true. People who go to university are exposed to subjects like existencialism, social and political science. To the traditional, encountering subjects like these can be a shock. But honestly, conservatism breeds ignorance, and there is no plague as widespread or as costly as ignorance. Keep in mind that the world is surging towards a more globalized and meritocratic society, and it would really hurt to lose out to the other billions of people out there just because you decided to be laid back and ignorant now. In any case, it doesn't hurt you to think more does it?
In any case, my belief is that we should all work to open up Singapore slowly but surely. Honestly, there are probably many who feel stifled and oppressed by a system that has to keep an iron grip to preserve the peace at their expense. I do not believe that the American model of liberty is perfect, in fact, it is very flawed in my point of view. But as long as they are happy and they can keep the peace, it's alright with me. Heh, but no, their model can never work in Singapore. What Singapore needs is the freedom of expression and actions under a responsible government that knows when to pull the Internal Security Act when appropriate, not just when they feel threatened. I may be dreaming, but hey, it's something worth fighting for.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
05:08 p.m.
First off: Photobucket's experiencing some server turbulence, so don't mind the missing pictures. If the problem's prolonged then I'll temporarily shift my pictures over to Angelfire or some crappy host, but for now I'm guessing that Photobucket's problems wouldn't last that long.
Right, now to my entry.
Do me a favour and ask me before you add me to your blog/site's links.
I have nothing against being linked, but I do mind because...
Well, click HERE for an example. I only go to this blog because it's a complete and often updated online directory of blogs from Peicai Secondary School.
I really have no idea why people just add and add to their links. There are plenty of blogs owned by church people which I haven't added, mainly because I haven't asked them yet. I hate being added to people's blogs without being asked first. Its like...
Dude: Hey X, who's this new guy named Daryl on your links.
X: Hahax, juz a schl frnd.
Dude: Wow, you seem to have plenty of friends
X: Hahaxx... No lah... =X
Wanna see my side of the story?
Gal: Hey Daryl, just got to your blog from X's site. You know her?
Daryl: Who the fuck???
The moral of the story is: ask before you add.
Sunday, June 13, 2004
06:58 p.m.
Yes! Are we doomed yet? People are slamming me being grammatically correct and spelling everything properly while I seem to be wrong for campaigning against the use of "hahax.. hahaz... hehz.." What's wrong with being normal? By doing everything properly, did I just make myself different? Haha, so? You idiots who try so hard to be different ended up copying everyone else...
Which thus makes me a freak. Sigh... But even Frankenstein's monster had more brains than the peasant folks chasing it. So I guess I'm better off being a freak eh?
But, damn, what's so wrong about being the same? Or being different for that matter? Why can't you all be yourselves? Instead of being shepherded along by the whims of society, why don't you all just take comfort in the fact that you alone and only you can define what is, err... 'cool'?
Slammed again! "Who cares about what happens in the world?" said a classmate of mine. You ignorant glassheads. Why don't we all just bury our heads in the sand and stick our asses out for people to kick? "I wish Singapore had guns" "Forum? The newspaper has a forum?" Not that Singapore's forum had anything much, which adds more insult to injury.
It gets sadder.
"I'M PUNK!"
Dumbfucks. I have seen punks who really believe in what they preach. People who would rather die then conform. With reason to of course. They have beliefs, they have sense. They are probably more liberal-minded then most of our fortunate Singaporeans. But then of course, alternative became trendy. People started buying electric guitars, formed a band and call themselves punk. What the fuck?! I don't think I'm a punk, but I'm more punk than most of you mofos with stratocasters.
Iraqis and Americans die everyday. School shootings occur everywhere. Teenagers are drawn into subcultures they hardly comprehend. The modern mindset is being molded by the ignorant masses and not by the people which matter. Meanwhile, Singaporean teenagers live their lives day-to-day without knowing this, without thinking about how every little action they do is another tiny ripple contributing to the waves which shape the world today. Ignorance is bliss? Sure. I can forgive the children in Tanjung Balai, most of them live to adulthood without much awareness about the world. But Singaporeans? Give me a break. Internet. Kinokuniya. Go grab a Michael Moore DVD one day and have a nice laugh with plenty of things to chew on as well.
It's a wonder I've managed to keep my sanity. I'm the only person I know who check online newspapers every half hour to see what other bullshit is happening. You think you can't change things that are happening? Right.
Haha, praise the Lord.
