Boo hoo hoo! It's not installing properly. Looks like a faulty installation disk. Back to the dealer I go tomorrow. Aaaarrrrggggghhhh!!!

I must say it's great to be proven wrong about our teens. Today's festivities were such fun because everyone got themselves involved with the activities that went on today. My earlier observations were inaccurate because the context of the involvement was totally inappropriate then as opposed to today's. It's hard to be festive on demand, as was the case on Tuesday (just scroll down). The social setting -- neat, sequentially arranged rows; uniform attire; ritual responses by command; mundane announcements and pronouncements -- everything set up to exclude 'fun' from the proceedings. Sing-alongs just can't be conducted in this environment.

Today was a whole different thing altogether. People wore what they wanted (within guidelines of course), moved as they pleased, arranged themselves by social groups rather than by subject groups. They spontaneously jigged, jumped, waved, ran conga lines in the hall, and chorused out of turn, and everyone was really having a good time. Wonder what school would be like if every day was like this?

For a peek into our National Day '04 event just click here. This would be from 03A2's POV, naturally!

Here's a couple of samples:


Can't resist. We look so 'patriotic,' all in red and white.


Community Adventuring. Dunno what 'nette has swallowed.

Must commend NYeDC 04-05 on your first public performance. You've shown guts to perform on such an unusual space, worked well together within your tight schedule, and with minimal 'teacher' input. Crowd response was generous from where I was sitting (inadvertently sandwiched between VP1 and Cikgu Ibrahim). Most importantly, you've shown the hunger to perform and this kind of spirit is going to be the driving force behind our quest for eliteness. Oh, I have some pix of the performance, so up on the NYeDC board they go!

Here's another sample:


NYeDC's renditon of "Home"

Had another 'workout' after everything was over. (I started way late because of an unexpected screw-up with a CIP I was helping to arrange. The email I received contained the line, "To add value... your students are invited to..." which suggests to me that attendance was optional and refusable. Duh. "Invited" in civil servant speak means "go or die." So I suddenly had to arrange transport for 20 students who will be serving their CIP in a more important capacity than they had been briefed). Anyway, the routine is coming together and it's no longer the monster it was when we first encountered it. I am still in need of polishing and constant revision, but at least confidence levels are higher now.

Thanks to June for doing my shopping for me and getting me that most desired piece of software >bwa ha ha!< that I have had no time to go get for myself. And now for more sleepless nights...!

And then there are days when we feel snappy, impatient and when stress lowers the boiling point of blood until minor irritations make us want to bark at people who are slow or forgetful or just unaware. On these days, the less said, the better.

Show a couple of stray cat photos instead, taken fresh today.


This is Girlfriend, Bubbles' first girlfriend


Nabiki is from Girlfriend's first litter. We don't think Bubbles was the father, though.


Funny Eyes and her family living up on the coffee-shop rooftop.

I guess we can call this period the mid-term break. With classes to run, National Day to gear up for, various admin ranging from examinations to fund raising to External Validation, new CCA leaders to break in, Racial Harmony Day (thankfully over, along with the embarrassment of giving away moldy prizes), holding consultations with students outside curriculum time, learning steps for our 'workout' routine, and tons of new marking to muddle through, the long weekend is certainly going to be welcome.

Before this job, my life has never been this active (I like to think this is being 'active') and in many ways, I think that this kind of activity is likely to keep me positive for a long time to come. Some stuff I could do without, of course, but most of it is, well, quite fulfilling.

Don't know why I feel embarrassed about saying that, but perhaps I feel that I've got more than my fair share of fulfillment right now while many people are still struggling with their daily lives. I am thankful, but it still is tiring, and right now, I need the break. So this long weekend has been long awaited and longed for. So rest, mark common tests scripts, and Doom 3, although I have yet to go buy it. It's supposed to be in the stores today but I just haven't had the time to go see it for myself. Obsessed gamer, what can I say?

With all this in mind, I refer to the conversation I had with Vince during lunch about promotions. Knowing myself, if there was an opportunity to be promoted but lose all this chaos as a result, I would seriously think twice about movin' on up. Being on the frontlines dodging bullets is still a lot easier than moving to HQ and having to decide what orders to give next. Told Connie managing naughty children is way better than managing naughty adults. Takes one to know one, eh?

Better go mark stuff now, or lose gaming time over the weekend... buh bye!

Council has the unenviable job of motivating the unmotivatable. Inexperienced, the Councillors use every trick they know or can improvise in order to elicit some cooperation from a tough crowd too full of teenager 'cool' to join in as a member of the community in community events.

Yes, teens don't want to be seen as 'conformists' doing the will of the authorities. That would be so uncool. Teens are individuals -- 'no one can tell us what to do.' So they conform to their own brand of uncooperativeness. Thus united, no one can tell one teen apart from another. The only ones who do stand out are the Councillors who boldly, some say stupidly, stand in front of a hostile audience and hope to get some kind of positive reaction, but usually, expectedly, in vain.

Councillors try every trick in the book to help them get their jobs done. They cannot command, no one respects them that much. They try cajoling, but no one takes them seriously. They know that the student body holds them up as objects of ridicule, so they can only entertain as clowns can. And when they make mistakes, as they did today, everyone reviles them for being insensitive, or not being serious, when really they are at their wits' end.

Teens will not even follow their own student leaders. Teens choose rather to follow their own inertia, their own self-imposed ennui. They are a depressed, repressed bunch we are supposed to feel sorry for, or we don't care very much for (insert your own favourite catch-phrase here). They are unwashed as they are unloved. No matter. Teens are like that everywhere in the (developed) world. And when they grow up, they become accountants.

The failure at this morning's assembly was not the sole fault of the Councillors. But they are the scapegoats, as they are everytime they try to do their jobs. Councillors, you are brave and foolish. Can we add resilient to your list of qualities too?

An afternoon conversation got me thinking about the nature of love and why it seems so elusive to some people. Do we try too hard to find love, do we overanalyze situations, do we lack a sense of commitment, are we constantly plagued by uncertainty so we never recognize it even when it hits us in the face? Or are we just looking for love in the wrong place? Perhaps it's all of the above.

Or perhaps there is no love to be found in the first place?

Before you get up in arms and accuse me of pessimism, nihilism or worse, let me explain. After today's conversation it occurred to me that love and life might not exist on the exact same timeline but that love is always one step or more slower than life. The reason why people can't find love is because they are looking for it in the present when love can only be found when we look backwards into the past. It is in our memory that we recognize if the things done for us, words said to us, gifts given to us were done, said or given in love or for some other reason. Time would have proven the worth of the gesture.

What other reasons could there have been? At the time of doing, saying or giving, there is always a nagging suspicion (that varies in intensity) that there could be ulterior motives or misunderstanding behind the gesture. We worry that when we receive a token of affection, the giver could have just meant to be polite, or was confused, or under some kind of pressure, or they could be really out to take advantage of us. So within the moment there are too many suspicions, too many doubts to be able to see love for what it is.

As a relationship sustains itself and as it matures, we can look back and over time realize that, as we grow old together, the love we sought has been there all along. Love is clear in hindsight; love follows us through our lives, and it is pointless to pursue because it never exists in our future (or even in our present) but rather in our past.

So, the harder we chase after love, the more frustrated we get. Love isn't for the impetuous, the impatient or the ungrateful. It is the privilege of those who have maintained strong relationships over the long-term. So appreciate those who are close to you today, and know that love is there even if you can't see it.

So ends the sermon of the day.

Looks like Singapore isn't the only place in the world with a stray cat problem. Check out what's going on in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Look up http://www.saveagato.com for more details!

In MSN today:

From More Things You Need to Be Told by the Etiquette Grrls (EGs), Lesley Carlin and Honore McDonough Ervin

• Polite boys stand when a girl enters the room, and when she departs. Actually, everyone, regardless of gender, should stand when an elder, or a very important person, enters or leaves. Boys should open doors for girls. Please actually hold the door for the girl, instead of merely flinging it open and running through, leaving her to sprint through before it slams. Open the door and step to the side while the girl passes through (perhaps saying, "After you," if she hesitates). At this point, the girl should politely thank the boy. He then says, "You're welcome," and, when she is through the door, goes through it himself. See, dear reader, this is really quite simple!
• Girls precede boys through every door except revolving doors. Boys, if you encounter a revolving door [like at the Fullerton] when you are walking with a girl, you should enter it first so that you may push the door. (Of course, you should not push it too fast, so that the girl has to leap like a gazelle to enter the revolving door you've set spinning out of control.)
• Boys graciously give up their seats on buses, trains, etc., when all the seats are taken and a girl is forced to stand. Simply say, "Excuse me, please take my seat." He should also offer to assist her with her luggage, especially if she is obviously attempting to heave her heavy Pullman suitcase onto the awkwardly placed luggage rack. (Girls, of course, should immediately thank the boy for his kindness.) Again, the same principle applies to when the elderly, the infirm, the obviously frail, or the pregnant are standing, no matter your, or their, gender.
• It is very nice for a boy to help a girl into her coat. Just stand behind her and hold the coat by the shoulders while she puts her arms into it. There is no need, however, for you to button it up for her [darn!], or help her on with her mittens.
• In a bar, if there is no table service, it's nice for the boy to fetch the drinks.
• Very old-fashioned, polite boys sometimes order for a girl in a restaurant. Now, if you're going to do this, you should inquire what the girl would like to eat before placing the order with the waitress. It would be very bad for her to have to correct you because she breaks out in terrible hives when she eats shrimp, for example. Also, you really have to be a traditional, perfectly chivalric boy to pull this off with grace, since your waiter at, say, Bennigan's probably isn't going to expect it.
• If a boy has asked a girl out on a date, he should pay. This is just the polite thing to do. If for some reason the girl has done the asking, then the responsibility of paying is hers. Under no circumstances should anyone on a first date reach for the check and demand the other party pay up! In longer-term relationships, you may find yourselves switching off occasionally, as both parties will be making plans, and this is fine. The EGs just think it's nicer to alternate than to have both of you reaching for your wallets every single time you go out.
• When you are taking seats at a theater, concert hall, movie theater, church, lecture hall, etc., the girl precedes the boy into the row of seats. In a restaurant, when the maitre d' is leading you to your table, the girl precedes the boy.
• When a girl is taking a seat at a table, the boy pulls out her chair for her. This is a maneuver that takes a bit of practice to be done gracefully, however. (The EGs have heard embarrassing stories of teenage boys who know they should do this at, par exemple, the prom, but get a bit over-zealous and yank the chair completely out from underneath their poor dates. Not a pretty picture, dear reader).

Something about this 'etiquette' thing makes the modern guy's skin crawl. But, hey, if the ladies like this sort of thing, it's a small price to pay for their company. Until you bump into that ol' gang of yours, that is!

I survived the day a little short of breath. There's a nasty phlegm build-up in my bronchial passages though I haven't started coughing yet. Decided to skip this afternoon's rehearsal to prevent weakening my body further through physical exertion. Apologies to everyone involved.

Found out that the abandoned canteen where we were to have our in-line skating lesson last evening was out-of-bounds to students AND staff because it no longer belongs to our campus and it's scheduled for demolition so it's quite dangerous to hang out in. I wonder where the lesson was moved to?

Must also confess spending another point six k again, this time on an LG 17" LCD monitor. Gave my brother my 17" CRT to save him $200+ since he is on such a tight budget. (I sound so noble, don't I?) Helped him pick his parts which the dealer assembled, and for what he paid I think he got a really good bargain. His new system can take a slew of upgrades, more than my current could ever handle, so he's quite future-proof. Between his and my purchases, he paid less for his new system than I paid on my upgrades. There is no justice!

As for me, I repaired my stupid RAM problem without having to go to the dealer's. Actually the RAM wasn't the stupid one. Now I know: RAM has to be placed in the computer in descending order, i.e., biggest chip goes in slot 1 and then downwards from there. With a lot of ham-fisted pulling out and shoving back of VGA card and installing the memory chips in different configurations, I finally figured it out. So now I'm running 1024Mb worth of memory like I paid for. Yay! Now I have to figure out why my new benchmark is lower than my previous when I was using less RAM. It's going to be a long night...

It's getting to mid term and it's good that students are already approaching me for consultations on their GP. What's taken them so long? The best lessons are really with tiny groups and 1-to-1 sessions. We talk, we think, we discuss and the teaching becomes so effortless because the student/s learn without noticing it. Full engagement counts so much towards our ability to learn.
Conversely, large classes are counterproductive. No one learns, everybody distracts everybody else, or else are cowed into compliance so that the work done begins and ends in the classroom with little to show for it in the long run. No wonder parents pay for private tuition, the Sports School and other elite schools are deliberately keeping their classes small, but we civil service types face larger and larger classes each year. When accountants run the show, I guess this is the kind of logic you can expect: low costs and high profits tend to override wisdom and reality.

Fine. Enough editorializing and getting sidetracked. I just meant to say that as the time draws ever closer, I'll be expecting more students looking for more of my time. I look forward to it. Let's get some real learning done, and done right.

I must note my expenses for the day: at least a sixth of a kilo dollars, mostly spent on a new 9800 pro :) and 512Mb of RAM that doesn't seem to be working!!! Watson isn't detecting the new RAM at all, pretending that it doesn't exist >___<. Hey now, wassup? Think I'll bring him back to the dealer tomorrow and find out what's wrong. Still, the pro board has nearly quadrupled Watson's performance from my previous ti4200, according to 3DMark2003. Watson now proudly wears the "Fueled by Sapphire ATi" sticker on his chassis next to his power button, and when I can get the stoopid RAM to work he'll be prouder still. For the VERY curious, here are Watson's specs as of today.

This evening I was supposed to join ODAC for an in-line skating lesson in the abandoned canteen. I would have gone if I hadn't reached home in the afternoon then realized I had left my keys back on campus! Must've left my brains on my desk at the same time, if you ask me. So I grabbed a cab, drove back, ran to the staff room, grabbed my keys, left my brains alone, ran back to the cab and drove home. 16 wasted bucks for the round trip, and a lost half hour or so too. I was so annoyed! Didn't feel like going anywhere again after that. Hope the next round  of in-line lessons will start again soon. Bah!

First set of block tests over for this term, and another one to go next week. The marking load is mad again and only 3 weeks to finish the marking. When am I going to have the time to do it, I wonder? Please don't say that's what my National Day long weekend is for 'cos I've got erm... other things planned. Must work really hard this weekend then, else I'm going to regret it. *psyches self up*

Stress of External Validation is over for me, having gone through my interview today. My group represented the CCA and enrichment aspect of the college and I think we managed to convince our Validator that we have a pretty good CCA programme in place. At least the round table chat was amicable and we were backing each other up with our answers, and everyone was smiling, which I'll take as a good sign. Questions about student leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration and alignment to overall Vision, Mission, Goals came up.

If anything, the interview helped me see how closely knit our CCAs have become in helping each other out in our various college activities; even more so than we have been in the recent past. The Validator asked us to think about how we can evaluate the effectiveness of our current programmes in terms of helping our students become the people they need to become. I guess the best way is for our students to tell us what they think of the experiences we put them through after they move on to the next and subsequent levels, so, oi, people, feed back, ok?

On the homefront, Mimi's come to stay with us again. This time for 2 weeks, after which we'll decide if her residence will be with us permanently or not. We'll see...

As the sun slowly disappears behind the darkening horizon, we sadly bid goodbye to the senior members of NYeDC, who officially, though informally, have stepped down to focus now on ace-ing their 'A's. It's been a wild ride, with lots of ups and a few downs and it's been a pleasure working with you guys. The last official thing we did together was to approve the new NYeDC leadership and I think the line-up is certainly a promising one. It's sad to see 'sif and co. go but you all have outgrown this little sandbox and bigger and better things await you now. While you're out there pursuing your dreams, we'd love to have you back once in a while to play with us again. (Gwyn, where are you?)

Congratulations to Fazli and the newly minted Exco. You've stepped forward to take over the reins of some ornery ol' horses, and as you asked, so shall you receive. NYeDC is now in your hands so let's ride on to greater glory. As far as your expectations go, the goal this year is "elite CCA." What does that mean? Here's my 2-cents worth, and see if you agree:

• All members are immediately recognizable through their unity of spirit and bearing.
• Despite the homogeneity of college uniform, all members wear their Drama badges with pride. As such, the uniform must be worn in such a way that the badge looks bigger than it actually is.
• There is so much passion for theatre and for productions that members, whenever they gather, talk drama as a reflex rather than as an item on an agenda.
• All members must have an attitude of train and re-train in pursuit of perfection. Nevertheless, less-than-perfection will never be an excuse that overrides the desire to perform.
• All members will use every learning opportunity during club activities to connect with and support their academic learning.
• Remember that the best performers can be either introverted or extroverted in their personality. No one is to be underestimated in their ability to deliver on their promises.
• If things seem overwhelming to the individual, the group rallies behind and supports the effort. Do not hesitate to seek assistance from fellows or tutors.

Notice I haven't mentioned anything about awards. Awards don't make a CCA elite. An elite CCA wins awards. So let's focus on making our CCA elite first, then the awards will come in as a side-effect.

We've already taken the first few strides towards elititude, thanks to our seniors in shaping the unity and spirit that lives in NYeDC today.  NYeDC 04-05, get your 7-league boots on and grab a big stick. We've got some hiking to do!

OK, change gear...

June rescued a tiny kitten from a storm drain during her stray cat run before dinner. It had fallen in and couldn't climb out again. So June reached in and pulled it out, then returned to the table where I was sitting and asked if we could adopt it in case it was dumb enough to fall in the drain again. This was a serious consideration, especially after June had earlier said that Mimi is likely to come live with us permanently very soon.

We went back to look at the kitten again after dinner and the stupid thing had now fallen into the monsoon drain which was next to the storm drain and was much deeper. The kitten was frantic, making such pathetic mewing noises hoping to attract a rescuer. With a resigned sigh I opened the grating over the drain, lowered myself in and fished it out. Good thing it wasn't afraid of me -- I wasn't going to chase it all through the drainage system in North Yishun just to save its life.

Fortunately the rescue was easy, but now I had a new kitten on my hands. Oh dear. Unable to take in another stray, June had a brainwave. Perhaps the Malay provision shop people might take it in, seeing that they are kind to the strays around their vicinity. Smart idea, though it wasn't the provision shop that took the kitten, it was the young Malay girl working at the pet (fish) store who did. Hope they'll be happy together. We'll keep tabs on them.

Everyone's  tense over the upcoming External Validation exercise the college is going through this week. Preparation for an important assessment is understandable, and everybody's thinking, "what if we screw this up? what if I screw up?" Indeed, what will happen? Ideally speaking, whatever the report says it simply means that certain college operations can be done better if we were to make certain changes in our current practices and procedures; or that under our current standards of assessment we are doing fine, so can we see if we can reach a higher standard by the next assessment? The whole exercise is no more than a learning experience but people, knowing people, are likely to take things more personally than objectively. Hence the preoccupation about not screwing up. Hence the added stress though it really is unnecessary.

Fear of recrimination, reprisal and blame, if anything, is a lousy motivator. After meeting parents even a couple of days after Parents' Day, it's clear that fear is at the heart of parent-child relationships and in many cases the cause of an unhealthy rift between the two. Parents obviously want the best for their kids, so by the same token, why can't we trust that our kids want the best for themselves? Unfortunately, by focusing on criticizing the negatives rather than encouraging the positives, both kids and their parents get the impression that they are striving for opposite goals rather than the same one, hence the perception that attempting to communicate with one another is a futile, even counterproductive exercise. And from there it's a downward spiral to heck.

Kiasuism is a trait Singaporeans are proud to identify with, but it's about time we started doing things because we see the worth of the activity rather than because we fear the consequences of not doing them (or screwing them up). I bet we could go a lot further, with less than half the stress.

Starting to obsess over getting new hardware for my computer. In fact I went temporarily insane and mulled over the idea of having a complete system overhaul and giving my brother all the parts I want to change so he can have his computer up and running again. Then reality kicked in. Bah!

Went to Sim Lim to drool over peripherals again and decided that for the price I had to pay for upgrades, the difference in performance was negligible and simply not worth the outlay. Besides, I just received my annual bill for one (yes, one) of my insurance policies, the amount due would buy me a beautiful new PC with all the bells and whistles I could want. Arrggh! Opportunity cost strikes again! So my brother isn't going to get hand-me-down parts from me any more. He's going shopping for a brand new system for himself this weekend and I'm just tagging along to advise him.

No, that's not true. There's still enough in my piggy bank for a graphics card and RAM upgrade. I still have a few days to think about getting a Radeon 9800 pro to beef up my system just a little. It's the only thing that will make any significant impact on performance anyway. Anyone interested in a slightly used Nvidia GeForce4 Ti4200? Using the latest driver it's still working a treat!

Day started early again, it being yet another last Sunday of the month. We were running a little late with our breakfast sandwiches and missed our bus. Not wanting to arrive any later, we caught a cab which was way faster than the bus-MRT ride could have ever been. We arrived 10 minutes early, and we were for once the earliest contributors at the Friendship Sunday breakfast. (Oh, wait, not counting the time we brought sandwiches and then discovered that there was no Friendship Sunday event that month! Doh...!)

We also found out that we had a reputation of being the last contributors to arrive every month. That is, everyone was complimenting us on the prompt sandwich delivery for a change. Usually it's more like saving the best for the last. Thank you.

Budak Pantai were our guest performers this month. The name of the group translates from Malay as "Beach Boys," so I guess the guys who gave us "Surfin' USA" and "California Girls" were the inspiration for this talented group of acapella musicians. As we had arrived early, we could watch them working over their pre-show preparations. It's nice to see performers who are professional enough to focus on setting up their tech properly rather than going over the motions of their performance in a last minute rehearsal. It shows confidence in the performers and an attention to details that are usually taken for granted -- the technicals: e.g., sound checking and balancing -- that if not prepared well and well before-hand could just as easily ruin a good show.

The members of Budak Pantai are all professional career people who only sing together in their spare time. One of the members happens to be the reigning "Singapore's Brainiest Lawyer." It must be great to be so multi-talented.

Their performance was light-hearted and good-natured, though very focused. Their voices harmonized well and their arrangements of familiar religious chorales are as surprising as they are refreshing. Their rendition of a Christmas carol that I've for the moment forgotten the title of was sung to a catchy Caribbean rhythm with faux accent to boot and was almost danceable to. If we had given them more time, they would have given us more of their cheery, improvised patter but we only gave them 4 songs and it all ended too quickly, I thought.

Nice to see Kit again who is making a whirlwind drop-in from Manchester to surprise her dad (my uncle) on his birthday. The whole family on my Dad's side had a local buffet lunch at the Peninsular Hotel. The food was only so-so, but the company was excellent. Discussions about the upcoming beach wedding party pretty much went nowhere as both groom and bride-to-be were simply allowing things to happen rather than making any actual plans for the event. Their laissez faire approach might upset a few people, but it's almost modus operandi in my family. Particularly amongst the males. Heh.

It's the aftermath of Parents' Day and the final wake up call to students who think the finals are still far off in the distance. It's a bit rude to bring parents in to play the role of tolling bell, but they have the right to know how their investment in the futures of their offspring is paying off. Different reactions from different parents, not always predictable by the results we deliver. I observe them all and I think of my own parents and the sleepless nights and grey hairs I have given them in my time. The worry, anxiety, concern, and , yes, underneath it all, the love they have for their kids; I've made Mom and Dad experence all that as well.

I know what it's like to deliver a poor report to the old folks: the initial apprehension, delay up to the absolute last minute, followed by the sharp words, the tears, the disappointment, the advice the admonishment, blame and worse. None of it makes any difference though. It doesn't make things better, it doesn't make things worse. It just... happens. Occurs, as if it wasn't happening to you. There's always another test or assignment to fail tomorrow, anyway. And so the cycle goes.

All this I experienced at 'O' level, and by the time I failed to get a cert from the VITB (ITE now) it was just resigned acceptance. My point being that my students are showing results today that are better than mine ever were when I was their age, but parents will always fret over what has not succeeded and discount that which has been accomplished. Fact of life for parents, I suppose, though it doesn't make life any easier for their kids.

Kinda' makes me wonder about my ability to raise a child.  I was at Mom's place for dinner tonight and the chaos and noise the 3 grandkids were making was sloooowly driving me insane. My sister's kids are already quite obedient and manageable. Nevertheless, from the excited, raised voices competing for attention, to the roar of cascading toys and components of toys and accessories being tipped out of their container, to the incessent screeching of some unfortunate miniature vehicle being dragged over the floor by ungentle hands, I could not bear to imagine life continuing throughout the day like this when only a few hours' of exposure could already elevate my stress to near unbearable levels.  Next time someone asks me when I'm going to bring another screaming child into this world, I'd like to know if that someone is offering to take care of it on my behalf first. Ooh...! How bitchy!

Tired. Still having trouble sleeping at night. Then woke up seriously late today: 7am! Missed assembly, a first for me this year. Still feeling like I'm on the brink of a Great Big Flu outbreak but it's just tantalizingly out of reach. It's not like I'm looking forward to it, but I just want to get it over with. Spend a couple of days in bed, douse myself with medication and I'll be fine again. With my luck, it'll hit during the National Day weekend when I really won't need it. Not with the promise of Doom 3, and my cousin's most novel beach wedding party to attend. Please, no!

Attended the SYF Drama Finals with 'sif, or should I say we both got a ticket each? 'sif, as Pres, deserved to go while I needed to see for myself what kind of a standard a Gold award play reached. Won't do too much of an evaluation here until after I've compared notes with 'sif over what we both saw. One common element that I noticed was that Gold standard plays run heavily with emotion and melodrama. People scream at each other and there's quite a bit of crying. Strong central characters are also a must, even if supporting cast are only so-so.

Left Chinese High early, before the results were announced. Too tired to last till then. Besides, I had a chance of beating the crowd at the bus-stop. I knew the performers' supporters would stay to the end. My strategy didn't pay off, however. The northbound bus from town was already full of passengers and it was a long ride home standing in the bus. At the Upper Bukit Timah area, my stomach reminded me to have dinner so I alighted prematurely at the most well-lit settlement to look for food. There happened to be a Killeney Road Kopi Tiam in the midst of a number of seafood restaurants lining the road. I stopped to order a Hokkien mee and a Coke. Under the circumstances, I just wanted to eat something and balek kampong ASAP. Sated, the lazy bum hailed a cab and rode home in comfort.

'sif messaged me the results: Play of the year by ACJC, Actress from MI, Actor from VJC. No arguments from me. Looks quite fair. Congrats to them all!

Have to psyche myself up to meet the parents tomorrow. Parents are supposed to be our partners in bringing up "our" kids, but when did this notion come into the picture? I don't remember having my parents roped in to keep me in check after 'O' levels. The assumption then was that having attained secondary school education, we were qualified to work to support ourselves and our parents no longer needed to monitor us so closely any longer. Nevertheless, it's probably going to be interesting for me to get to know my class through their closest sources. I wonder what embarrassing stories I will hear tomorrow *rubs hands in glee*.

Caught Will Smith in I, Robot. Pretty ok movie though nothing to rave about. Questions of trust abound as allegiances and suspicions flow quite fluidly between persons and robots. It all starts with a suicide under suspicious circumstances and a trail of clues that follow lead to... well, let's just say that it's bigger than just a question of who killed whom.

Can we say we are truly free as long as we live under the law? When does programming become sentience? When does law become trust? And when trust becomes the guiding principle, is there any further need for the law? Perhaps that's it, then. Where there is no trust, we have the rule of law. Only when there is trust, we can abolish the law and then we can be truly free.

A little disturbing, the depiction of the storage of obsolete robots. In that scene, we could ask if we can equate programming with nobility (i.e., the act of being noble, I'm not talking about royalty).  If it is just a reaction to the program, does self-sacrifice count?

So many questions. But questions are at the heart of the story. Each clue deliberately leading to another question rather than providing an answer. Makes perfect sense to me. I've always maintained that whenever faced with a problem, all we need to do is ask the right question and the solution presents itself.  Takes a sharp mind, though, to ask the right question.

Quite a philosophical movie then, a bit understated a vehicle for Smith, but it shows he's maturing. Whatever. I'd watch a Will Smith movie any day.

 

Must take a quick moment to be oh, so proud of A2's mid-year overall results. You've topped the Arts fac with the most number of passes in your subjects, and Farisa's made the Arts Honour Roll, so indulge me while I *beams*.

OK, high over. I hope A2 is able to get some encouragement from the results and push on harder to do themselves even mo' betta. The results were just quantitative, not qualitative; and you guys know that there's still ground to cover before you're really ready to face your final test.

Your success is no reflection on me, but rather on yourselves and your own efforts. There are still a few more assignments left before the end, so let's go all out to make one success feed subsequent successes. You should now be wary of overconfidence, but some confidence in yourselves is good for you too. Pack your bags with all the confidence you can carry and no more. Right. Move out!

Oh, and congrats to Sanjeeda (Drama Club) too for topping the Arts Honour Roll, if you ever find this entry.

A2's looking sharp! :)