What do we understand?

In response to Miss Huang's "What do we understand?":

Here's what I really wrote down (embellished a bit).

We understand nothing.

We do not understand the tools we have created for ourselves, which is why accidents happen.

We do not understand ourselves, so we can never satisfy ourselves to find happiness by ourselves.

And we understand, least of all, the people around us, so we shall always be apart.

In everyone's heart, there is an inpenetratable armor like the hedgehog's spines that not only separates us, but also forces us keep our distance lest we destroy one another.

Mutual religious harmony is a lie! So is the Cake!

Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious society, and for a long time our country's leaders (and most of its people) have strived to overcome their difference and achieve racial and religious harmony. So far, a form of "peace" has been achieved, but is it really possible to achieve a harmonious society where there are different religions?

We have still failed to completely knock down the barriers between people of different faiths. Is this merely because we have not tried hard enough or is it because we are attempting the impossible?

People with different beliefs—Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Jews etc.—all disagree (at least to a certain extent) over how life should be lived, about how we should treat others, about what is moral and immoral. Since, then, all of us have no common ground, no inter-religious negotiation or interaction can be carried out, except when a religion promotes acceptance and tolerance of others. Even then, tolerance of another's religion does not equate to complete acceptance, and only is a willingness to not engage in violence and intimidation etc.

The current societal norms and expectations are that people should keep their religious beliefs separate from their public lives. Publications regarding religion are still considered "out-of bounds". This policy is to ensure that religion is not used to incite violence. So then, religious freedom cannot be totally given, in order to preserve peace.

Since different religions or beliefs conflict in some area, how is it possible to achieve true religious harmony, where mutual acceptance of others' religions occurs?

02mania

The pale screen of a Fujitsu Lifebook casts a deathly blue glow on the haggard face of a figure hunched over, caught in the throes 02mania. Shadows lurk under the table, bed and chairs, as if the only force restraining them is the weak light of the laptop’s screen. The crooked figure’s dexterous fingers madly dance over the Lifebook’s keyboard in a blur.

Strains of music emanate from a pair of X-minis as an electric fan rattles in the background, somewhat softening the edge of the stifling heat. The continuous staccato of a keyboard only serves to stagnate the stale, suffocating air. Outside the window, loud, repetitive croaks merely serve to worsen the feeling of lifelessness and stasis.

After an eternity, the figure sighs and shuts the lid of his machine, extinguishing the sole light in the room.

Writing

Recently, I've realised that I have a very frequent problem when writing. I tend to write several openings to a text or narrative so that I have several alternatives to choose depending on what I am writing for. However, choosing the correct (or rather, best) opening or ending rams me into a block. Even when it is already obvious which alternative I should use, I find it hard (and a bit painful) to obliterate the other options after putting so much time and thought into crafting them. Perhaps this has to do the "Ikea Effect".

As for the "Ikea effect", it's a psychology term used to refer to the increased attachment one has to an item, the more investment of labour ones puts into it. For example, I feel much more attachment to a bowl of noodles that I just boiled as compared to the bowl of mee pok bought from the school canteen.

A Blaze for Glory. Sort of.

"You gotta aim for something in life, you know!"

"Why don't you do something useful with your life?"

But how do we define what is worth striving for?

In order to succeed at anything, we must give our all, our 100 %. We must allow it to take over our body, our mind, our life—everything. We must bring this aspiration to the forefront of our lives, elevating it until everything else fades into the background static—including our friends, family and other dreams.

But once we have succeeded, we end our own lives. We have charged headlong into the solitary goal box of inertness, as Charlie Gordon noted as his intelligence began to backslide. Our program is complete, and we now have nothing to do, as Sonny remarked in the closing scenes of I, Robot. The struggle for glory, the perspiration, the joyfulness in the journey to the realisation of our dream, the driving force behind our lives is destroyed in the fulfilment of itself and is been replaced with a dreary, lifeless, infinite, eternal boredom.

Is it even worth embarking on this meaningless chase after the wind?

Even if we top the pop charts, become the world’s richest person, toil in hardship for the survival of others, make a name for ourselves, eventually, what we have done fades away, turns back to dust just as we do, and people begin to say “What was that guy’s name again?”

Projects Finals

Finally! The Finals (pun intended) result for the Projectsday Comp have come out! I got a... B+. Diao.

1 mark from an A!

At least I've racked up enough IS marks to clear the B3 requirement. I think.

World Cup 2010, or, Ecclesiastes

Imagine yourself standing on the podium, after the final round of the FIFA World cup. You lift the champion trophy high in the air, for the spectators to see, and as you do so, supporters of yours roar and cheer. Pride and joy swell up in your chest and you think, I am a Champion, the very Best (Note the capital "C" and "B").

But hasn't this happened before? Aren't there other winners, too? What happened to them?

Italy won the Cup in 2006, but this year, the most recent mention of Italy's football team is a front page article bearing the title "ITALY CRASH OUT".

So then, we ask ourselves, what is the meaning of these achievements and accolades, and strivings to find a sense of self-worth?

And, even more importantly, does our identity and value hinge solely on these empty cups and trophies?

If we take away our achievements-

our actions-

our ambitions-

our material possesions-

Is there anything left?

Keys

I rested my hand on the chipped cement wall and climbed the grey, nondescript stairs up to my apartment. Light streamed in from the windows, lighting up swirling eddies of dust. I took the stairs slowly; my trainers were worn out and blisters daily formed on my feet.

I was rummaging through my pockets when I remembered that the key to my apartment had gone missing the week before at school. The second was with my room mate. And my mobile phone was in the apartment charging. I sighed and looked away. Looked like I wouldn't be getting in for a while.

I leaned against the wall and let myself slide downwards. The roughness and coldness of the wall felt strangely comforting, as if it was an anchor in an alien world. My vision began to dim; the horizon was getting darker and darker. Or was it just my eyelids getting heavier?

Finally, oblivious, I slid into a dreamless sleep.

The wonderful and (now no longer) elusive Ellipsis

The Ellipsis: a series of marks, or dots (usually three) that indicate an ommision of words in the text. It has been used artfully by writers for a long time in order for the reader to be able to use his own imagination instead of being constantly spoon-fed like a baby. However, in recent times, the advent of the internet has resulted in a large number of internet users and others wielding it clumsily (Some don't even know it's proper name, for literature's sake).

Firstly, why does practically everyone call the ellipsis the "dot dot dot thing"? It's called the ellipsis. What a nice name. Secondly, the usage of the ellipsis is supposed to be confined to allowing the reader use his imagination to, say, finish off the end of a chapter of a book himself, not making the reader read the writer's mind!

Ah well. The ellipsis used to be one of my favourite punctuation marks, due to it's awesome glory and subtle guidance. However, due to the overabundance in population, I may have to reconsider, in order to restore the balance to the use of punctuation...

E-learning 2010

Hurhurhur. I get to miss school on Monday and Tuesday cos the teachers are away on some conference. There's e-learning, but I think I'll end up blogging instead.

New blog: Aviation

Hi again. I've started a new blog on aviation. Its at www.aviationppp.blogspot.com. It will be on advancements in both commercial, military and research aviation. Do check it out.