Freckled Things

Facing the New Year

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:51:58 GMT

Hello, Hello.
It's the 4th of January, 2010, going onto the 5th. How's the new year been for you? How many skeletons have ye swept under the carpet so far? That's what people do, isn't it? With the new year, it's out with the old, in with the new. Out goes old cupboards, in comes new shelves. Out goes old skeletons, in comes new sins.

I spent my countdown working an 11hr shift, then rushing to church for watchnight, which was satisfying in it's own way. I'm not the clubber sort, and the worship session that night was wonderful. 3000 people worshipping together is one experience that doesn't come by often.

I've started work, and met many different, and interesting people from different walks of life. Made my own analysis of behaviours and people. Some are funny, some I do not condone. I won't really elaborate on it. Not now at least.

I hope your new year's been good so far. Hoping's good.

By the way, Happy Birthday Mummy <3

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:12:13 GMT

³⁵So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷For in just a very little while,
   "He who is coming will come and will not delay.
    ³⁸But my righteous one^[c] will live by faith.
   And if he shrinks back,
      I will not be pleased with him."^[d] ³⁹But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Must keep remembering to make perfect my will to be like that of God's, regardless.
It is the greatest treason to do the right deed for the wrong reason.
But let me not give up as well.

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:36:47 GMT

trying hard to bling up myself and look like a bimbo, and failing hopelessly.
Seriously, I do not do bling.
It's just not me.
And a blinged up red top. Where would you want me to find one?!
Gonna wear my red racer, and cover both racer and self with glitter. Blingd.

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:40:06 GMT

i miss my rings. Will post photos from Malaysia trip and Club med trip once I'm done with my computer. It's frustrating me. Gotta scan stuff, sort stuff, backup stuff, and reformat the damned thing.

Ein Quickie

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:26:45 GMT

A's over.
Back from Malaysia.
Going to Club Med Bintan on Friday.
Don't miss me. Don't call me. I won't answer.

By the way, with regards to Christmas and presents: I'm broke, not a cheapskate, or I forgot you. If you even get so much as a candy cane and a card, you're lucky.

Pictures.

So that I can say "I've gone for an Amanda Palmer Concert!" without fibbing.

Princess Bunchilla. Or Blu-Blu.

Is called studying, and too much caffeine, plus Amelia's sequined bird clip.

I don't know. I was just in "that" mood.

Date with Sister and Aunt

Grampy <3. At Bryan's, for his 21st birthday

i doodle.

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:46:12 GMT

I BE ON
HIATUS!!!

(Or at least I'll try.)
Until A levels are over.

...miss me...
<3

Marks & Spencer

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:22:18 GMT

Indigo Collection Ribbed Hooded Cardigan with Wool (£45.00)

Per Una Speziale Long Sleeve Ruffle Cardigan with Wool (£120.00)

Luxury Autograph Pure Cashmere V-Neck Jumper (£49.50)

Autograph Pure Cashmere Slash Neck Jumper (£59.00)

Autograph Pure Cashmere Hooded Jumper (£99.00)

I WANT MONEY!!!

Peanut Butter Philosophies

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:40:52 GMT

Some psychiatrists say that
people who eat peanut butter sandwiches are lonely...
I guess they're right.
And when you're really lonely,
the peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth.
~ Charlie Brown

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:20:09 GMT

He's Funny That Way

I'm not much to look at, nothin' to see
Just glad I'm livin', and lucky to be
I got a man, crazy for me
He's funny that way

I can't save a dollar, ain't worth a cent
He doesn't holler, he'd live in a tent
I got a man, crazy for me
He's funny that way

I can see no other way and no better plan
End it all and let him go to some other gal

But I'm only human, a coward at best
I know for certain he'd follow me West
I got a man, crazy for me
He's funny that way

Though he loves to work and slave for me every day
He'd be so much better off if I went away

But why should I leave him, why should I go?
He'd be unhappy without me, I know
I got a man, crazy for me
He's funny that way

The original video that got me crazy on the song:

An alternative:

Mad About The Boy

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:50:06 GMT

Mad About The Boy by Noël Coward

Mad about the boy
I know it's stupid to be mad about the boy
I'm so ashamed of it but must admit the sleepless nights I've had
About the boy

On the silverscreen
He melts my foolish heart in every single scene
Although I'm quite aware that here and there are traces of the cad
About the boy

Lord knows I'm not a fool girl
I really shouldn't care
Lord knows I'm not a school girl
In the fury of her first affair

Will it ever cloy
This odd diversity of misery and joy
I'm feeling quite insane and young again
And all because I'm mad about the boy

So if I could employ
A little magic that will finally destroy
This dream that pains me and enchains me
But I can't because I'm mad...
I'm mad about the boy

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:11:21 GMT

I VANT ZIS ON MY SHIRT!

Is ADORABLE!
AND SO ME!

WHIMSIPLE!

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:53:12 GMT

(I'm like, re-writing this for the second stupid time.)

...

(Technology can be very stupid.)

I IS BE WHIMSIPLE!
Whimsiple is the epitome of Whimsical, because you take the whimsiness of all the whimsical people in the world and put it together into a single entity i.e. ME, and I become WHIMSIPLE!

For all the stupid twits who still haven't got it, I shall put it in Math for your simple brains:
(WHIMSICAL people X population of the world) divide by 1=
WHIMSIPLE!

Did you know, for our Preliminary Literature Paper 1, some students wrote in their Disgrace essays that Lurie was having some love affair with Lucy his daughter. HAHA! For people who do not know what in bleeding tarnations am I talking about because a) you are not a literature student or, b) you are a literature student studying Disgrace as your literature A level text and you are just plain stupid, I would recommend that you go read the book (again, where applicable). But, for the sake of things, I shalt give you a summary:
Lurie is a very horny man, and he has a lesbian of a daughter, named Lucy. Lurie had a sex affair with his student which turned into a scandal when she got upset with him for insisting that she takes her communications test, so he was 'exiled' out of Cape Town. He takes up residence at Eastern Cape with Lucy instead. Later, Lucy gets preggers because she is raped, not by Lurie the horny man, but by 2 Kaffirs. Lurie does continue to have his sexual impulses, though, and he has sex with a squat tub, by the name of Bev, a name which reminds him of a cow.
And that's Disgrace, the bastardized version.

Now, for something fun.
Take a book, any book, and make it an abridged version of your own by making sentences out of no more than 10 words randomly chosen off the top line of each page. For example, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Great Gatsby, abridged.
Chapter 1

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father, founded on the hard rock that my father carries on to-day, stopped me on the road. Separated only after the war, the front was flat indeed. Gay, exciting things said: "Absolutely!" as though he were making only a polite pleasant effort to live in California. The butler came back and murmured "Got some woman?" With several feet of a girl, her body asserted itself for a moment. Nevertheless, I was confused from him.

I'm mad mad stark raving MAD! So get me a giant trampoline and clear the ceiling for I wish to jump myself high up to the sky with the stars as my backdrop and the world under my bottom.

GEEKINESS!

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:08:29 GMT

I WANT A BLACK GAMEBOY T-SHIRT!! Like the one that Tom Milson (check out his vids!) is wearing in this video!

I want it and I don't know why besides the fact that I think it looks absolutely adorable! I used to play with a gameboy, when Jynette from Primary school lent hers to me for a week or two. Forgot about it, and was reminded again this year, when Neil Gaiman posted a video of Tom Milson (whom I had subscribed to, but stopped following when I stopped going to youtube for awhile) who sang a song using his Gameboy!

Methinks his version of All My Little Words is nicer than the original. So yes, Gameboys are still cool!

Can't find the shirt on ThinkGeek though :(
But, whilst browsing, I did find a couple of cute things!

Like this 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/interactive/a090/
"Buy one of these glowing shirts for yourself, and gift one to your significant other (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, fembot 2000...). During your normal activities two and a half pixelated hearts will light up on your shirt. Hey... you're depressed and in need of a recharge. But get within hugging distance of your significant other wearing the matching shirt and suddenly the hearts on both of your shirts start to light up until you're fully powered up. Go too far astray from the source of your affections and you'll drop back down to two and a half hearts again. Got it? Amazing you say? But what if you haven't found a cute geek girl or boy to love? Never fear lonely geek! You can buy an 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt and pick up a handy Transmitter Pack to go with it. Now place the transmitter pack near something you love like your Wii, Star Wars figure collection, or maybe in the backpack of that cute girl in chemistry class. When you get close to the transmitter pack then all the hearts on your shirt will light up. You've been revitalized!"

"meh" Hoodie in black!
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/hoodies/8cc3/

Keep Out of Direct Sunlight Babydoll
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/bdcf/

Astronaut Ice Cream!
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/9e07/
Only because I heard it's nice.

The Infamous Drinking Bird
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/981b/
"The goop in his butt is methylene chloride has a very low boiling point, and therefore evaporates quickly. At room temperature, one or two degrees temperature difference causes the bright red chemical to climb to his head. Suddenly topheavy, he falls over. The felt head, soaked in the water from the cup, cools the methylene chloride, and it drains back to the bottom. The bird rights itself, and it starts all over again."
Super cute!

Fly-Goodbye Bug Vacuum Gun
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/c1ab/
"How does it work? Well, quite simply, it sucks. Really. It uses a powerful inward gust of air, coupled with the capture tube extending about a cm. This action stuns the bug and lets you snap on the top. Of course, if you are mean, you can always use one of the included glue cartridges (the bugs stick to the walls of the glue cartridge and die slow, lonely deaths) - but we like the catch-and-release method ourselves. Besides, the catch-and-release gives you time to study your prey. Then, with a Fly-Goodbye Bug Vacuum Gun in your holster, you'll be able lay some smackdown on any bug you want. "
WOOTS! This is like, the hunter's version of Kill-the-fly.

Heart Hand Warmer
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/9e29/
"The magic with the heart hand warmer is in the metal disc you see inside it. All you do is click the disc back and forth a few times and you'll see the clearish gel inside become opaque. As the opaqueness spreads, so does the heat! It's a crazy chemical reaction which we like to call AWESOME! Seriously, the pretty red gel is a supersaturated solution. Bending the disc starts an exothermic crystallization of the gel (i.e. it goes opaque and gets hot). And when it loses its warmth, all you have to do is wrap it in a towel and throw it into boiling water for about 15-20 minutes and the Heart Hand Warmer resets itself. Once it cools off from its boiling bath, it is ready to be used again. A great, fun way to keep your fingers warm this winter. Got a chilly butt? Then slip it in your back pocket. Just be careful when you sit down."
Perfect when in lecture! Fingers get so sodding cold it makes it difficult to write!

Dissolving Travel Toiletries
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/supplies/add9/
Open a pack, remove one of the 50 sheets, and add water. It dissolves into a cleaning product, which you then can use as you are already (hopefully) accustomed. In our experience, 3-4 sheets of shampoo will clean a moderate head of hair. As for the body wash, it will depend on the size of the body you are cleaning, naturally.
They are just so novel! And think of the convenience! Especially after all the horror stories about the hand soap available in school toilets.

Original Ring Thing
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/756e/
It's a beer bottle opener! And it looks nice! And because I like rings!

Mana Energy Potion
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/a273/
PERFECT for pre-exam-shit-i've-slept-for-only-four-hours-so-screwed situations. PLUS. The bottle's uber cute.

Health Energy Potion

http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/b472/
Like the Mana one, but in red, with a different taste too.

Pacific Chai
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/28ba/
CHAI! CHAI! CHAI! I <3 CHAI! i want the spiced chai latte one because I don't like vanilla flavoured drinks. Period.

Shower Shock Caffeinated Body Wash
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/8fb2/
"Shower Shock is an all vegetable based glycerine soap which does *not* contain any harsh ingredients like ethanol, diethanolamine, polyethylene glycol or cocyl isethionate. So it's a gently invigorating soap ;) Scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine anhydrous, each bar of Shower shock contains approximately 12 servings/showers per 4 ounce bar with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving." (Yes, caffeine can be absorbed through the skin, apparently.)
Sweeeeet. Might be the first shower that actually wakes me up. A cold one doesn't.

Spazzstick Caffeinated Lip Balm
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/78e4/
"Spazzstick is the world's only caffeinated lip balm. "
WOOTS.

Octane Energy Gel
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/5f0b/
"Octane™ penetrates deep into the skin allowing increased circulation. You will feel energized and more alert in just 30 seconds after application."
Sounds like the roller thing whatchamacallit that my mom uses.

I NEED MONEY!

YJC 2009

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:13:36 GMT

A couple of the more interesting news articles for this week:

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:12:50 GMT

[will be updated throughout the week, if I can be arsed]
[marked articles are the most interesting of the lot]

...

[I'm a nerd, I know]

THE TEEN BRAIN: THE MORE MATURE, THE MORE RECKLESS [TIME]
"Why would kids who take more risks turn out to have more adultlike white matter than other kids? The authors suggest that some risk-taking among adolescents is evidence that they are trying out more adultlike roles. Having unsafe sex and driving too fast may be mistakes, but kids often have to experiment with limits in order to learn how to live within them. Which, in turn, is a sign of maturity. "Adolescents who engage in [risky] behaviors obtain more experience in a variety of domains," the authors write. "Their more conservative peers, in contrast, do not have as much 'life experience' and therefore might be expected to have more immature brains.""

A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOCKHOLM SYNDROME [TIME]
" the phenomenon in which victims display compassion for and even loyalty to their captors."

"She assisted her alleged abductor, Phillip Garrido, with his home business, sorting out orders by phone or e-mail. She occasionally greeted customers alone at the door. She even went out in public. But she apparently never made a run for it, returning each day instead to a shed in the backyard of the man who allegedly kidnapped and raped her."

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIGHT BULB [NEWSWEEK]
"Though Thomas Edison is usually cited as the father of the light bulb, it's more accurate to give Edison credit as the creator of the first commercially viable light bulb. As early as 1820, inventors were honing in on the principles that would lead to the first electric illumination. An English inventor, Joseph Swan, took their early work and developed the basis of the modern electric light bulb in 1879 — a thin paper or metal filament surrounded by a glass-enclosed vacuum. When electricity runs through the filament, the light bulb glows. Edison refined the design, trying filaments made out of platinum and cotton before eventually settling on carbonized bamboo, capable of burning for more than 1200 hours. With Edison's design — and settlement of a lawsuit with Swan that resulted in the two inventors joining forces in 1883 — electric lighting became viable for the first time."

"The technology for the bulbs was developed as early as the 1890s as lights but General Electric perfected the design during the U.S. energy crisis in the 1970s. CFL bulbs use electricity to excite mercury vapor, which produces ultraviolet light that is filtered through a coating on the bulb to become visible light. GE shelved the design, as the bulbs would have required new manufacturing plants, but the the specs leaked over the years. Though assembling a CFL bulb is still costly, the bulbs are environmentally friendly and save consumers money in the long run, forming the basis of the government-mandated switch."

**WHAT MAKES TEENS TICK [TIME]
"It is the project of Dr. Jay Giedd (pronounced Geed), chief of brain imaging in the child psychiatry branch at the National Institute of Mental Health. Giedd, 43, has devoted the past 13 years to peering inside the heads of 1,800 kids and teenagers using high-powered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For each volunteer, he creates a unique photo album, taking MRI snapshots every two years and building a record as the brain morphs and grows."

"The brain, more than any other organ, is where experience becomes flesh. "

"Other researchers are exploring how the adolescent propensity for uninhibited risk taking propels teens to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Traditionally, psychologists have attributed this experimentation to peer pressure, teenagers' attraction to novelty and their roaring interest in loosening sexual inhibitions. But researchers have raised the possibility that rapid changes in dopamine-rich areas of the brain may be an additional factor in making teens vulnerable to the stimulating and addictive effects of drugs and alcohol. Dopamine, the brain chemical involved in motivation and in reinforcing behavior, is particularly abundant and active in the teen years."

"Persuading a teenager to go to bed and get up on a reasonable schedule is another matter entirely. This kind of decision making has less to do with the frontal lobe than with the pineal gland at the base of the brain. As nighttime approaches and daylight recedes, the pineal gland produces melatonin, a chemical that signals the body to begin shutting down for sleep. Studies by Mary Carskadon at Brown University have shown that it takes longer for melatonin levels to rise in teenagers than in younger kids or in adults, regardless of exposure to light or stimulating activities. "The brain's program for starting nighttime is later," she explains."

[I *really* like this article.]

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:36:03 GMT

Am learning to play the two pieces that Lestat played in Interview with a Vampire, the first being when he was mad at Claudia, and the second when he was half-dead and back from the swamp.

First piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYgJpYyCCd4
Second piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80q7aQqNZzQ

Haven't tinkered on the organ for too long, the fingers need some stretching, because I'm having difficulty playing the wider chords. MRAWR. Playing the second one first, because it's slower with less notes (duh. He's half-dead!), and I'm sort of getting it. Just need a bit more practice.

The problem is, the piece is designed to be played on a piano, with a wider range of octaves, not the organ. Had to tweak around the octaves for both keyboards first, before I could play ALL the notes required. MEH. The organ has the harpsichord sound though, so that's good.

Tomorrow's the last day of my break before the whole torturous cycle of school starts all over again. And rumour has it, that ASP is still on. WHY. Evil evil evil people. Sigh. On a more optimistic note, though, it means I can get out of these four walls again. One can honestly go mad facing four walls all day. At least during the prelims, I had the alternative: my notes. So it was notes, then wall, then notes, then wall, and so on and so forth.

I wish I were a man.

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:22:24 GMT

On this day of your life, Joanna, we believe God wants you to know...
... that you've been driving yourself too hard lately.

Sure, there is time to invest yourself fully into work, but there is equally important time for joyful resting.
And for you, this time is now.
What is the absolutely most wonderful little treat you can give yourself?
Do it today.

Yeah sure. If I lived in a fantasy world, maybe. There's no price for peace. You just can't get it.

The most beautiful song lyrics (IMO)

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:34:59 GMT

*click titles to listen to songs.

The Dance by Garth Brooks
Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance

Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd have had to miss the dance

----------------------------------------------

Danny's Song by Kenny Loggins
People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one,
And we've only just begun.
Think I'm gonna have a son.
He will be like she and me, as free as a dove,
Conceived in love.
Sun is gonna shine above.

Seems as though, a month ago, I was Beta-Chi,
Never got high.
Oh, I was a sorry guy.
And now, I smile and face the girl that shares my name.
Now I'm through with the game.
This boy will never be the same.

Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign,
Strong and kind,
And the little boy is mine.
Now I see a family where the once was none.
Now we've just begun.
Yeah, we're gonna fly to the sun.

Love the girl who holds the world in a paper cup.
Drink it up.
Love her and she'll bring you luck.
And if you find she helps your mind, better take her home.
Don't you live alone.
Try to earn what lovers own.

And even though we ain't got money,
I'm so in love with you, honey,
And everything will bring a chain of love.
And in the morning, when I rise,
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes
And tell me everything is gonna be alright.
----------------------------------------------

The Rose by Amanda McBroom
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love, in the spring
Becomes the rose
----------------------------------------------

If Tomorrow Never Comes by Garth Brooks
Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
Shes lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That shes my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes
cause Ive lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where theres no second chance to tell her how I feel

So tell that someone that you love
Just what youre thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

Revelation Song by Kari Jobe

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:20:13 GMT

Today's GP Paper was, without a doubt, God-blessed. Could never have done it on my own ability.

Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You…!

Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,

Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You…!

Come up lift up His Name
To the King of Kings…
We will adore YOU Lord…
King of heaven and earth
King Jesus, King Jesus
Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya!
Majesty, awestruck Honor
And Power and Strength and Dominion
To You Lord,
To the King, to King
To the King of Glory

RE: MM Lee's speech on Foreigners in Singapore

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:20:53 GMT

For a full transcript:
http://www.aussiepete.com/2009/08/if-not-then-what-integrating-foreign.html

I pretty much agree with MM Lee's view on the necessity of welcoming foreign talents and workers to work and live in Singapore. There is an undeniable need in Singapore to have these people plug the holes, if I may put it that way. Holes of our incapabilities, or holes of jobs we deem ourselves too good to hold. Afterall, we are a highly arrogant bunch. A large majority [emphasis on large, by the way] of Singaporeans are unable to verbally communicate or, at least, write in proper English, let alone do both. This is the case in spite of the fact that a lot of us are fortunate enough to receive basic primary and secondary school education in English in our local schools. "We speak Singlish what!" Singlish, unfortunately, is not an official language. The fact that it is "Singapore + English = Singlish" does not make it anymore English than the broken incoherent ramblings that we find most annoying and intolerable of foreign workers. When foreign students do better than our local students do in school, we complain that they are taking away our scholarships and awards and what nots. Fact is, they are better than us. Many of them are capable of, at least, writing in proper English. It is highly embarrassing. Here we are rejecting them because "their English like KNS!", when, proportion-wise, more of them excel academically than we do. At least they can write well, even if they do sound a tad odd when they talk. Many of us cannot do either, when English is our first language!

A few months back, a friend of mine sent me a link to a forum. Someone had started a thread complaining (how Classic!) about how, despite the efforts to bring Google to Singapore, the job positions available to Singaporeans were very limited to blue-collar jobs, jobs that were meant for India Indians and MICs (Made-In-China) who studied engineering and such, not for Singaporeans who had higher qualifications. He further jeremiad on how the white-collar jobs in these MNCs were always given to the "angmohs" that these MNCs would import to Singapore. What then was the point? All this, he wrote in a stuttering of English and Singlish. The grammatical and spelling errors generously peppered the post, and it was just very painful to read. Soon after, he received a reply from a caucasian expatriate who very simply replied something along the lines of "Judging from the standard of your written English, if I were from an MNC, I wouldn't hire you either." It is appalling, isn't it?

So that's my two cents worth. One thing I really hated about his script though, was this:
"Between age 25 and 40, over 30% remain single and childless. Those who marry are not replacing themselves..."

You know, we are humans, living in a society. Not statistics to fill up a piece of paper, for crying out loud! We reproduce, to put it scientifically, and have children when we want to. We don't spawn, we don't split and we definitely do not REPLACE ourselves! That just really killed whatever respect I initially had for the man at the beginning of his speech. Really shows our worth in their eyes. How ignominious!

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:18:08 GMT

The greatest force on earth is not the compulsion of law but the compassion of love.
Romans 13:9-10

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I knew it. I knew that that was it. It is, indeed, so simple.

Psalms 30

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:17:13 GMT

¹ I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

² O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.

³ O LORD, you brought me up from the grave ^[b] ;
you spared me from going down into the pit.

⁴ Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.

⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
       but his favor lasts a lifetime;
       weeping may remain for a night,
       but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
"I will never be shaken."

⁷ O LORD, when you favored me,
       you made my mountain ^[c] stand firm;
       but when you hid your face,
       I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:

⁹ "What gain is there in my destruction, ^[d]
       in my going down into the pit?
       Will the dust praise you?
       Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

¹⁰ Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:52:59 GMT

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
Shes lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That shes my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes
cause Ive lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where theres no second chance to tell her how I feel

So tell that someone that you love
Just what youre thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:34:47 GMT

What I love best about walking in the woods with dog & daughter,
watching the fireflies,
is knowing it's impossible to capture.
Goodnight.
-Neil Gaiman

Brilliant note to end the day, methinks.

God wants you to know on Facebook:

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:52:35 GMT

On this day of your life, Joanna, we believe God wants you to know...
... that it's OK.

Just rest for a moment. It's OK.
Yes, things are crazy, yes, the world is going nuts.
Yet, deep underneath the stormy waves,
there, in the core of your being,
there is pure silence, pure love.
And ... it's ... just ... OK.

...thank you...

Most of the time you don't really hear it. A pulse is a thing that you feel. Even if you are somewhat quiet. Sometimes you hear it through the pillow at night. But I know that there is a place where you can hear it even better than that.
Here is what you do. You ease yourself into a tub of water, you ease yourself down. You lie back and wait for the ripples to smooth away. Then you take a deep breath, and slide your head under, and listen for the playfulness of your heart.
-Amy Hempel, Reasons to Live