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Happy Birthday Jared!

posted by Japheth @ 10:42 AM 0 comments

Quote

"History teaches you how to think. Sociology only teaches you how to smoke. Geography... teaches you how to think and smoke" (Wee, 2008)

posted by Japheth @ 1:13 AM 0 comments

777th post

I just realised something very important.

I FORGOT TO SIGN MY ASSIGNMENT BEFORE HANDING IT IN!!! ARGH!!!

I wonder if i will be penalised for that... for just a stupid signature declaring that the work is solely done by me, myself and I. I mean this was the first time i had to do something like this. I think the sociology department is really WEIRD!

I did enjoyed my day nevertheless. Not with the HY1101 lecture of cos, but the world history lecture that came right after. If not for a last minute upload of my essay using Chuling's laptop, i wouldn't have known that there is a make-up lecture at 6pm. Gosh, thank God for that. And i was glad i did not miss the lecture because Peter Borschberg is really fantastic in delivering lectures. His introductory lecture to Age of Destruction was totally intriguing and captivating, as compared to the previous lecture on... hmmm... i forgot... something to do with Asia i guess.

Oh well, time to do my world history essay.

This is a pic of Assoc Prof Peter Borschberg... check him out in school... He's usually in a very very casual attire.

BTW, to the die-hard badminton peeps, we are playing next monday same time same place. Call more people and book more courts =)

posted by Japheth @ 9:35 PM 0 comments

Funny Dream

I had a dream,

I dreamt of myself angry with my brother over some matters. And i took his spectacles, broke it into 3 pieces, and started twisting the metals together (i couldn't believe i was so strong in my dream... probably in real life too tsk). And seriously, i have no idea why i am including this in my blog entry. -_-

Am working on my sociology assignment right now. Sometimes i really do think the school management should put a quota to the maximum number of essays a student could have in one semester. This will ensure that a student's initial passion for a subject will not be KILLED in the process of churning out essays like a cyborg.

Looking forward for a swim...

And to the geogies... badminton next monday? And JARED HEARTLESS WONG WEIMING is not included in the invitation. Reason being: makes no difference, he won't come anyway. =S

posted by Japheth @ 11:52 AM 0 comments

Quotable Quotes

Lecturers say the darnest things...

Never engage a Marxist geographer, they are all cuckoos. (Wong Poh Poh, 2008)

All human geographers are just floating around. (Wong Poh Poh, 2008)

There are 3 kinds of geographer: one who knows physical geography, one who knows human geography, and one who knows nothing. (Wong Poh Poh, 2008)

posted by Japheth @ 8:35 PM 0 comments

Futility

Move him into the sun -
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields unsown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds, -
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved - still warm - too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
- O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth's sleep at all?

- Wilfred Owen

posted by Japheth @ 12:27 PM 0 comments

LOST

in thoughts.... for words...

posted by Japheth @ 12:25 PM 0 comments

History, Sociology and Goggles

I know this post might cause some controversies so i must say it is strictly my own personal opinion. Today during a conversation with yongkai towards the busstop, he said something about his preference of sociology over history. Of cos, i disagreed with him, though respecting his preference at the same time. What i noticed about sociology tutorial is that people often give really assumptuous statement. The basis of their so called argument seems to always run in the line of "i have a friend who is..." or some really blatant generalised assumption which got my eyes rolling non-stop. It came to a point of time when i just kept telling myself... i don't think i want to say anything anymore. Everytime i wanted to say something that is based on hard facts and evidences, i could never seem to penetrate into the 'chaos' of the discussion. But to be fair, some points brought up were worth thinking about.

History is different. There is no way you can say anything without having any evidence to back your statement. And that's the thing i like about history, as you have to think hard and crtically about issues, especially that of the interpretations of certain events by historians. Oh well, history and geography RULES! Hahaha.

My goggles broke today. Sadded. Was stuck with swimming breast stroke in the pool. Decided to buy a pair of goggles after school. Went to Harbourfront, Don't have... to Vivocity, Don't have. This is ridiculous!! To think Vivocity was voted the mall with best shopping experience. Yah right, i totally DISAGREE. I couldn't even find a decent sports shop that sells a decent pair of goggles and you call that a mall with the best shopping experience. I was flabbergasted.

So in the end i took a bus to Queensway and Anchorage to find my goggles. Guess what!? i couldn't find a shop that sells any goggles at all! What's wrong with the shopping malls in Singapore?? You have so many swimming complexes around and yet there are no shops that sell goggles??? Oh well, not wanting to be defeated, i took a bus to Great World City.

Finally, my good old GWC, did not disappoint me. Bought a pair of speedos goggles at Royal Sporting House. By the way, there will be a branch of Kushibo at GWC soon.

and now back to my history proj... zzzZZzzz

posted by Japheth @ 11:04 PM 0 comments

Emo

I'm going to tell myself... no emo post.

Nothing particularly interesting happened today. Went for a run after cvcf and saw this couple by a construction site. The guy with his bag scurried away from the girl saying "wo yao xian zou le" and the girl was like crying non stop (like those fen shou parts in Taiwanese drama).

Oh man... i felt so sad

posted by Japheth @ 11:03 PM 0 comments

Asian Civilisation Museum

Today is ASIAN CIVILISATION MUSEUM DAY! As I have to work on my history project which is based on the exhibits in the museum, and that today happened to be my free day, i went to the Civic District early in the morning.

I was at the bus-stop waiting for the bus amidst the morning crowd when i saw a middle-age (40-50+) lady who had with her a walking stick (those for the blind). At first i wanted to ask her if she needed help in knowing what bus has come to the bus-stop, but something stopped me. On hindsight, the thoughts in my mind were totally ridiculous and i was just ashamed how i could be so lethargic in helping those in need. First, i was thinking to myself, she could just be partially blind, rendering her capable to see the bus that comes to the busstop. If I ask her whether she needed help, it might be insulting for her and she might be offended. Second, I felt really shy to do a 'good deed' in front of so many people. I mean I do not like to have many pairs of eyes stuck onto me.

Then i pondered again (at that time the crowd has seemingly slashed by half), why was i thinking so much? It's better to run the risk of offending her than to risk not helping a person in genuine need. Why should i care so much about man's approval when it's God's approval that i should seek. Thank God that i struck a conversation with the lady and found out that she's waiting for someone to help her. At that point of time, i felt really guilty of my prior thoughts. That selfishness, that self-centred thoughts, even a good deed are just filthy rags, being mixed with such impure intentions. I helped her to the bus, while wishing for the ground to swallow me alive.

While i was walking from Victoria Concert Hall to ACM, i passed by 3 suspicious looking Indians sitting by the pavement with baskets in front of them. On closer investigation, i realised they were SNAKE CHARMERS! How cool was that. I advanced towards them, anticipating the glorious sight of cobras in the baskets, but it turned out to be pythons instead. BAH, i just walked away, disappointed. I think they were more like snake keepers than snake charmers. Oh well, i was thinking if they were licensed to do such a thing by the S'pore River. Anyway, since i'm not exactly a fan of 'prim-and-proper' but encourage 'organic-development', i suppose such shadow 'busking' should be given a blind eye.

It was my first time in the ACM. Didn't expect it to be that huge. And of cos i didn't expect to get in for free just by showing my NUS matric card. For once i realised that the Matric card is not just useful in getting you through the library turnstille, but that of the museums too. WOW!

I will save the details for my project although i do have to point out some interesting observations along the way...

Compared to the museums in London, ACM was a major disappointment though i did appreciate the tech-savvy screens and guides. The standard just wasn't there. In a nutshell, the exhibits were 'unscholarly' and seemed to be what you will get from wikipedia.

The museum was 'sparsely populated'. Apart from the school kids who were COMPELLED by school to visit the museum, the tourists (who were mostly Caucasians), and fellow HY1101 coursemates, i hardly spotted any locals in the area. It was just not part of the S'pore culture to visit a museum. I mean we always say things like "Wanna go for movie", "Wanna go for makan", "Wanna go orchard (or some malls)", sports etc but do we say "Wanna go museum"? Sometimes i don't know if i should blame the uncultured culture or should i blame the quality of the museums or should i just blame the lack of history in this area. Well, it doesn't matter does it? For suddenly i realised there's no point in typing the above paragraph at all.

I was pretty irritated at the E-guides throughout the exhibition. Can you picture yourself in the exhibition room that is dead quiet and from one corner the person in the E-guide kept on humming some stupid tune. It was downright irritating and distracting. For a moment i felt like smashing that gadget. My suggestion is, if it's not in use, just SHUTTUP! Don't go humming some really bad tune that destroys the atmosphere of the museum. I couldn't concentrate on reading any of the exhibits with that humming at the background.

Aiyoh, i should have been doing my project instead of ranting so much.

After the museum trip, i took a stroll along the S'pore River (yes in the hot afternoon sun) and i found it really nice to do so. Just to take breather underneath the tree shade in the green spaces amidst the office building seems quite a good experience. Guess why i took this shot below?

SEAWALL!!! Hahaha. Can you see the tiny weeny bit of deposition?

And this is the Esplanade. Love the rustling of the tree, the clear blue sky and the white clouds

posted by Japheth @ 8:01 PM 0 comments

Thorn in Flesh

"Because i'm so wretched that Jesus had to die for me"
"And yet because i'm so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me"
Humility and Confidence...

SOmetimes I really thank God for that thorn in my flesh. Yes it caused me great despair, but i've come to realise that thorn always humble me before the presence of God.

posted by Japheth @ 7:03 PM 0 comments

Proverbs 30:7-9

Two things I asked of You,
Do not refuse me before I die:
Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say,
"Who is the LORD?"
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

posted by Japheth @ 12:05 AM 0 comments

Farewell Brother

posted by Japheth @ 12:15 AM 0 comments