Was watching Shigofumi a while ago when one of its characters commented that he doesn't comprehend the reason behind his friend's suicide, even if he was a close "friend" of his. What are friends? What are they suppose to do?
From Merriam-Webster:
Friend:
1 a: one attached to another by affection or esteem b: Acquaintance
4: a favored companion
So, are friends acquaintances? Mere pedestrians in our personal road of life? I wonder. It isn't a direct truth or lie. How many true friends can one make in life, friends that stands by through thick or thin, one that gives you advice,one that knows of, understands and accepts your aspirations, dreams, fears, likings, maybe even your inner malevolences. Humans are a herd animal;and yet they are lonely. Lonely, because few truly understands them, not even their spouse, direct families. "Friends" or acquaintances i might say, come in groups and go in crowds.
Am i concerned about this problem? Definitely. My personality doesn't allow me to find a friend easily, more to say a true friend. But perhaps, that will not be that bad after all...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
A reponse to the allerged derogative nature of the japanese subculture
It is quite interesting to read from randeep's post that the japanese subculture is the cause of the Sensitive New Age Guy(SNAG) syndrome in Singapore, in which the SNAG trend is getting more and more accepted and maybe promoted. Though it can be true, it is however not the cause of the whole fad. IMO, i can't accept randeep's allegations towards the ill nature of japanese subculture(JS).
First and foremost, i do agree that JS has its appeals to ordinary Singapore men. Come on, who doesn't like doe-eyed, perfect body proportioned, easily embarrassed girls. Females included. Personally i feel that it is perfectly alright to let oneself be immersed in this "culture". Slight immersion is the key here. Overindulgence and reliance is a no-no. It all boils down to the degree of addiction. Simple as that. But it has no effect on a guy's traits. You won't turn sissy just by watching all the doe-eyed girls and their adventures, nor will females turn into butch if they watch WWE and all the violent films out there. Anyway, not all JS consists of doe-eyed girls and their journey.
Japan fashion and its technology is among the top in the world. That said, the prevalence of JS in Singapore, and practically everywhere in the world can be attributed from that. Your Playstation comes from Japan, your Final Fantasy Games come from Japan, your camera and TV probably comes from Japan. Heck, maybe the design of your clothing and shoes comes from Japan. It is not an economic powerhouse for nothing. More or less, its influence will gradually and surely seep into your life. Rather than rejecting it, why not embrace it? If it is truly better, why not?
I should say that maturity depends on three factors. Inherent, influence and situational factors.
Inherent maturity isn't that much consequential though. Age acts as one major factor in that. In an ordinary example, one matures with age. Sure, some people may be that daring, far-sighted in their early teens or even childhood, but one can learn. By experiencing it, looking at what others do/act, thinking about what other people think, or even taught. Forced maturity in an individual is situational. Just think of it as an automatic mechanism in the human mind. One can perform exceptionally well in a life-or-death situation. Similarly, adversities in one's way of life can make one mature faster.
On another note, i do feel that Singaporean Males are getting more and more timid. In layman's term, their balls are shrinking. On the average. The NS experience apparently doesn't help much in this. In certain cases, it can even contribute to the shrinking of the balls.
Wages of women are raising. It is a norm, or should i say a must for a woman to have a stable career. Though their wages aren't exceeding that of men,( info from The Straits Times either this sunday or saturday, i forgot), they are financially independent. Guys on the other hand enter the workforce later than their female counterparts due to their service for the nation. Therefore, comparing to a man and a woman of the same age and educational backgrounds, it is more likely that the woman will have a bigger financial reserve, at least in the mid twenties to early thirties. Society decreed that a guy should be more financially able. NS certainly doesn't help much in this reasoning. Moreover, historically (until recently) men has been the financial pillar of a family. Being a rather conservative society, men are still thought of the main breadwinner of a family, at least in Singapore. With the skewed outlook of the weight of one's piggy bank towards one's expected role in a family, men aren't really looking too good here. Confidence grew, and i dare say some women abused this confidence. Thus this leads to Singaporean Men being more timid.
I stood horrified at why some Singaporean Men carry their girlfriend's bags even though their loved one isn't carrying anything whatsoever. I can't imagine myself carrying some girly bag in front of the public. If my girlfriend( eventually..that is another matter altogether) asked me to hold her bag in the public for no reason other than me being her bf, i will personally get infuriated. Same goes with my friends. I will definitely laugh at them. This is a matter of men's dignity, not some MCP characteristics at work here
I am getting tired. yawnz. Shall remind myself to write more since i got the time.
First and foremost, i do agree that JS has its appeals to ordinary Singapore men. Come on, who doesn't like doe-eyed, perfect body proportioned, easily embarrassed girls. Females included. Personally i feel that it is perfectly alright to let oneself be immersed in this "culture". Slight immersion is the key here. Overindulgence and reliance is a no-no. It all boils down to the degree of addiction. Simple as that. But it has no effect on a guy's traits. You won't turn sissy just by watching all the doe-eyed girls and their adventures, nor will females turn into butch if they watch WWE and all the violent films out there. Anyway, not all JS consists of doe-eyed girls and their journey.
Japan fashion and its technology is among the top in the world. That said, the prevalence of JS in Singapore, and practically everywhere in the world can be attributed from that. Your Playstation comes from Japan, your Final Fantasy Games come from Japan, your camera and TV probably comes from Japan. Heck, maybe the design of your clothing and shoes comes from Japan. It is not an economic powerhouse for nothing. More or less, its influence will gradually and surely seep into your life. Rather than rejecting it, why not embrace it? If it is truly better, why not?
I should say that maturity depends on three factors. Inherent, influence and situational factors.
Inherent maturity isn't that much consequential though. Age acts as one major factor in that. In an ordinary example, one matures with age. Sure, some people may be that daring, far-sighted in their early teens or even childhood, but one can learn. By experiencing it, looking at what others do/act, thinking about what other people think, or even taught. Forced maturity in an individual is situational. Just think of it as an automatic mechanism in the human mind. One can perform exceptionally well in a life-or-death situation. Similarly, adversities in one's way of life can make one mature faster.
On another note, i do feel that Singaporean Males are getting more and more timid. In layman's term, their balls are shrinking. On the average. The NS experience apparently doesn't help much in this. In certain cases, it can even contribute to the shrinking of the balls.
Wages of women are raising. It is a norm, or should i say a must for a woman to have a stable career. Though their wages aren't exceeding that of men,( info from The Straits Times either this sunday or saturday, i forgot), they are financially independent. Guys on the other hand enter the workforce later than their female counterparts due to their service for the nation. Therefore, comparing to a man and a woman of the same age and educational backgrounds, it is more likely that the woman will have a bigger financial reserve, at least in the mid twenties to early thirties. Society decreed that a guy should be more financially able. NS certainly doesn't help much in this reasoning. Moreover, historically (until recently) men has been the financial pillar of a family. Being a rather conservative society, men are still thought of the main breadwinner of a family, at least in Singapore. With the skewed outlook of the weight of one's piggy bank towards one's expected role in a family, men aren't really looking too good here. Confidence grew, and i dare say some women abused this confidence. Thus this leads to Singaporean Men being more timid.
I stood horrified at why some Singaporean Men carry their girlfriend's bags even though their loved one isn't carrying anything whatsoever. I can't imagine myself carrying some girly bag in front of the public. If my girlfriend( eventually..that is another matter altogether) asked me to hold her bag in the public for no reason other than me being her bf, i will personally get infuriated. Same goes with my friends. I will definitely laugh at them. This is a matter of men's dignity, not some MCP characteristics at work here
I am getting tired. yawnz. Shall remind myself to write more since i got the time.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
So near..yet so far to my SGD$10,000,000
Money makes the world go round.
As hc says, buying toto is like buying a hope. A hope that is damn hard to achieve. Hopes of a better life, of luxury and comfort. Freedom, perhaps. And with fortune, comes fame.
No more. Haha. (btw hc never won anything also. :p)
As hc says, buying toto is like buying a hope. A hope that is damn hard to achieve. Hopes of a better life, of luxury and comfort. Freedom, perhaps. And with fortune, comes fame.
No more. Haha. (btw hc never won anything also. :p)
Friday, February 15, 2008
New beginnings..i hope
(random blabberings mode:on)
With the end of my NSF life, and the beginning of university life, i can't help but think: is this a new start of everything? Will i be burdened by my past?(i will definitely still be bothered by NS. dammit)Will things go according to what i hoped for? One thing true about life is that there is no definite walkthrough to it, and every seemingly insignificant action might have an effect. The butterfly effect or chaos theory, it seems to be. Already my NSF life had destroyed what i had planned for, my ideals, and in a good way, my naiveness towards life.
Point 1: I really do believe that effort equals to desirable results. Anyone can work hard towards his ideals, goals, or even simply desires, and he will get it. Even a simple portion will do. The world, however, isn't so charitable. From what i had seen, sadly to say, the fact of the matter is effort does not always brings about the sweet fruit of success. Luck, or some say karma,fate,destiny,whatever word one may assign to the divine intervention of the higher living forms, is in play. Simply put, Luck ^ Effort = Results. You can put in a lot of effort and it can just a waste of effort. It is true conversely. What to do? Suck thumb and start blaming your god. You can start to change religion.
Point 2: I really do not believe in destiny. Till i met people borned with a fucking diamond spoon in their mouth. Or people with brains that are just out of this world. In a good and bad sense. In the race of life, people do not start at the same point. As again, you can start blaming your god.
Point 3: Equality is good and beneficial to the masses. Bullshit. Inequality is the way to go. Step on the other people who are trying to crawl their way up. Dramas aren't real. Get real.
Conclusion: Some things in life are inevitable. Some things aren't. Be optimistic. It is the only way to feel good after getting out of a shithole.
I digress. Anyway i had forgotten why i post in the first place. So i wish to all couples a Happy Valentines Day.
(Well definitely i will feel jealous when i see couples walking hand in hand. Especially when i am with a group of guys loitering around the arcade, the DDR section, fast food restaurants. To Hell with anti-single movements. They are just sour grapes. Having someone to cuddle, bitch, fight, accompany, beats none. I will get that elusive someone someday.)
With the end of my NSF life, and the beginning of university life, i can't help but think: is this a new start of everything? Will i be burdened by my past?(i will definitely still be bothered by NS. dammit)Will things go according to what i hoped for? One thing true about life is that there is no definite walkthrough to it, and every seemingly insignificant action might have an effect. The butterfly effect or chaos theory, it seems to be. Already my NSF life had destroyed what i had planned for, my ideals, and in a good way, my naiveness towards life.
Point 1: I really do believe that effort equals to desirable results. Anyone can work hard towards his ideals, goals, or even simply desires, and he will get it. Even a simple portion will do. The world, however, isn't so charitable. From what i had seen, sadly to say, the fact of the matter is effort does not always brings about the sweet fruit of success. Luck, or some say karma,fate,destiny,whatever word one may assign to the divine intervention of the higher living forms, is in play. Simply put, Luck ^ Effort = Results. You can put in a lot of effort and it can just a waste of effort. It is true conversely. What to do? Suck thumb and start blaming your god. You can start to change religion.
Point 2: I really do not believe in destiny. Till i met people borned with a fucking diamond spoon in their mouth. Or people with brains that are just out of this world. In a good and bad sense. In the race of life, people do not start at the same point. As again, you can start blaming your god.
Point 3: Equality is good and beneficial to the masses. Bullshit. Inequality is the way to go. Step on the other people who are trying to crawl their way up. Dramas aren't real. Get real.
Conclusion: Some things in life are inevitable. Some things aren't. Be optimistic. It is the only way to feel good after getting out of a shithole.
I digress. Anyway i had forgotten why i post in the first place. So i wish to all couples a Happy Valentines Day.
(Well definitely i will feel jealous when i see couples walking hand in hand. Especially when i am with a group of guys loitering around the arcade, the DDR section, fast food restaurants. To Hell with anti-single movements. They are just sour grapes. Having someone to cuddle, bitch, fight, accompany, beats none. I will get that elusive someone someday.)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Flavor of Life
Just feel like sharing this song to all. Personally i feel that this is a great song, and well, almost all songs sung by Utada Hikaru is great. Her voice is just..out of this world.
(from http://akaiyubi.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/utada-hikaru-flavor-of-life-lyrics/)
Lyrics & Music: Utada Hikaru
ENGLISH: (something like that)
(from http://akaiyubi.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/utada-hikaru-flavor-of-life-lyrics/)
Lyrics & Music: Utada Hikaru
“ありがとう”と君に言われるとなんだか切ない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
友達でも恋人でもない中間地点で
収穫の日を夢見てる青いフルーツ
後一歩が踏み出せないせいで
じれったいのなんのって, baby?
ありがとうと君に言われるとなんだか切ない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life…..
甘いだけの誘い文句味気のないトーク
そんのものには興味はそそられない
思い通りにいかない時だって
人生捨てたもんじゃないって
”どうしたの”と急に聞かれると”ううん、なんでもない”
さようならの後に消える笑顔私らしくない
信じたいと願えば願うほどなんだか切ない
”愛してるよ”よりも”大好き”の方が君らしいじゃない？
The flavor of life…..
忘れかけていた人の香りを突然思い出すころ
降り積る雪の白さをもっと素直に喜びたいよ
ダイヤモンドよりも柔らかくて温かな未来を手にしたいよ
限りある時間を君と過ごしたい
ありがとうと君に言われるとなんだか切ない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life…..
ENGLISH: (something like that)
When you say thank you to me,
for some reason it hurts,
Like a magic spell that doesn’t
get undone even after the good bye.
a hint of bitterness.
The flavor of life
Stuck midpoint between friends and lovers,
like an un-riped fruit dreaming about the day of harvest
because of being unable to just move one more step forward
what’s causing this frustration baby
When you say thank you to me,
for some reason it hurts,
Like a magic spell that doesn’t
get undone even after the good bye.
a hint of bitterness
The flavor of life
Sweet talk and tasteless conversations.
it sparks no interest in me
even when things do not go the way you want
it doesnt mean you’ve thrown your life away
When asked ‘ whats wrong?’
I answer ‘its nothing’
The smile that disappears after goodbye
It’s unlike me
The more i wish to believe in you,
For some reason it hurts even more
‘i like you a lot’ instead of ‘i love you’ sounds more like you
the flavor of life
the period when you suddenly remember the scent of someone you had almost forgotten
I want to be able openly and honestly cherish the white purity of the falling snow more
A future tender and warmer than a diamond
i want to grasp it, in this limited time we have, i want to spend it with you
when you say thank you to me,
for some reason it hurts,
Like a magic spell that doesnt
get undone even after the good bye.
a hint of bitterness
The flavor of life
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Nsman
At long last i sighted my pink ic. The days of bitching, area cleaning, marching, getting scolded at every little thing, "heads out!!!",5-bx, soc training and tests, stores, lame parades and colourful operas, lugging of signal sets around outfield with camo( at least temporarily), outrageously priced cookhouse food, rifle cleaning, scouring around camp looking for rubbish to throw, PA, putting on and off TES sets, sudden deluge of rubbish on fridays, waking up and sleeping at a regular timing, rumors of nights out, route marches around camp or/and up/down stairs are gone. Yeah that basically sums up my 1 and a half years in 4sir. How delightful are those activities.
A simple ceremony today marks the end of my NSF days. ( And that still requires signal platoon to set up the PA system. Luckily i was spared. kudos to chee and derrick) Yet(or should i say obviously?), there is no melancholy, nostalgia in the air. Only exhilaration, exuberance, the eager to return to civilian life lingered in the air. Everyone wants to get out ASAP. Watchful eyes followed the holy pink ics' that mark the beginning of a long respite before ICT. That said, it was expected. The CNY celebrations just seems to be the icing on a cake.
Likewise to what yin foong said, i will only miss our platoonmates and commanders and friends made within the battalion. Especially the days outfield with the evolving TAC( the more or less permanently members: edison, wei chong, yin foong, derrick, brian, han cong, jianyun), stupid bunk fights and shouting and bitching and yelling; the bits and pieces of bunking life can't really be found anywhere except in camp.
Then again, to say that the 1 year 10 months is totally useless is biased. The lessons learnt, experience gained makes one more mature. The short stint has perhaps prepared me better for the cruel world outside.
(random blabberings) I realised that it is so hard to maintain your aspirations and dreams in life. Forces keep pushing you to do what the majority does; to veer off the track and bash up a new path up a slope is just so mentally and physically straining, even thinking of it makes one feel exhausted. Society judge you on what you think, do, act and even on what you not do and think. Likewise, i felt somewhat lost after the 2 years. Regimentation on a regular basis had changed my thinking;to just follow instructions can be easy sometimes. Maybe i am just getting sick and tired of my life. haha
Sighhh. The beginning of a new story; the start of a new track. To say in konata's terms, to trigger a new flag to a completely different ending.
A simple ceremony today marks the end of my NSF days. ( And that still requires signal platoon to set up the PA system. Luckily i was spared. kudos to chee and derrick) Yet(or should i say obviously?), there is no melancholy, nostalgia in the air. Only exhilaration, exuberance, the eager to return to civilian life lingered in the air. Everyone wants to get out ASAP. Watchful eyes followed the holy pink ics' that mark the beginning of a long respite before ICT. That said, it was expected. The CNY celebrations just seems to be the icing on a cake.
Likewise to what yin foong said, i will only miss our platoonmates and commanders and friends made within the battalion. Especially the days outfield with the evolving TAC( the more or less permanently members: edison, wei chong, yin foong, derrick, brian, han cong, jianyun), stupid bunk fights and shouting and bitching and yelling; the bits and pieces of bunking life can't really be found anywhere except in camp.
Then again, to say that the 1 year 10 months is totally useless is biased. The lessons learnt, experience gained makes one more mature. The short stint has perhaps prepared me better for the cruel world outside.
(random blabberings) I realised that it is so hard to maintain your aspirations and dreams in life. Forces keep pushing you to do what the majority does; to veer off the track and bash up a new path up a slope is just so mentally and physically straining, even thinking of it makes one feel exhausted. Society judge you on what you think, do, act and even on what you not do and think. Likewise, i felt somewhat lost after the 2 years. Regimentation on a regular basis had changed my thinking;to just follow instructions can be easy sometimes. Maybe i am just getting sick and tired of my life. haha
Sighhh. The beginning of a new story; the start of a new track. To say in konata's terms, to trigger a new flag to a completely different ending.
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