I had the opportunity to chat with some Ms Earth Singapore contestants today at an eco-fashion workshop organised by SAVE. They are surprisingly down-to-earth & humble. One of them was chatting with me about global warming and how it would affect Singapore. At the end of that, she said that she can learn a lot from me. I guess it's funny that as one gains a higher status, it impresses others a lot when you are humble.
On another note, I'm sorry I haven't been joining you guys for ur activities. I've been real busy with Green Carnival. Qiu Han also helping out too! If you want to know what's the fuss all abt, go to www.greencarnval.com & check out our activities!
Btw, happy birthday leonard!
-Yihan (Phoney Bustard)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
White Hair
My brother came out of the bathroom, saying that he has a strand of white hair. So he bent down and ask me to pluck it out for him. I, of course, refused. (Reason being he's 2 years younger than me.)
So he 'stomped' away, and stood in front of the mirror for moments, trying to locate the white hair and he can't find it and he laughs at the mirror. And while I'm typing this I'm laughing my head off because he's mumbling 'I saw it..I saw it...' Oh and he just said to me 'Can you don't waste my time and pluck it out??'
Oh look, he's coming over. He bends down again. I refused again. HAHAAH and he went back to the mirror! HAHA the fact is, I couldn't see that white strand! HAHAHAH OMG OMG OMG
Ohhh he's coming back again HAAAAHAHAHAAH he ask me to 'Don't play lahhh! Find that white hair!!!' He say 'Don't waste time lahhhh!!!'
*in stitches* Oh! He's got a new technique. He goes back to the mirror and locates the white hair, and he holds on to the hair, and he tells me that 'the white hair is in this group of hair'. Then he walks over. Then I knock his hand away and he laughs and he obviously has given up. He walks back to the mirror.
Then I tell him to 'aiya..give up lah...' Then he said 'Shut up lah, I'm busy lah!' HAHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!!!!!
As of now, he's looking intelligently into the mirror, his fingers working hard at locating the white strand of hair. He laughs occasionally. I think my brother is psycho. :P
HAHAHAHHAHAHHAA he's walking over here again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
_____________________________
After 10 minutes of negotiating:
_____________________________
''seriously, what's the big fuss about? it's just a white hair what''
"a white hair is not just a white hair you know... it's self-esteem you know...''
"so when you're 50 years old, you'll not be confident anymore?"
"shut up lah. it's 11 o'clock already."
then he holds a group of hair again, and tells me to pluck it out. alright. so i plucked it out. i counted till 3 and i plucked it out on the count of 2 so that he wouldn't feel the pain, if any.
i measured the white hair. it was 5.4cm, a stunning 2cm more than the rest of his hair.
___________________________
Aftermath
___________________________
then he took the hair from me, and said
"now i must tie it into a knot."
"hah? for what?"
"because people say that if tie into a knot, i will not grow white hair anymore." he pauses and continues, "but then i've already tied a lot of knots and i still have white hair."
so he intelligently ties it into a knot.
"and then now i must throw it out of the window. this tradition is i ownself add one."
i watched him throw that strand of 5.4cm out of the window, into the night wind.
then he said to nobody in particular,
"ahhh. now i feel more confident." and walks back to his room.
So he 'stomped' away, and stood in front of the mirror for moments, trying to locate the white hair and he can't find it and he laughs at the mirror. And while I'm typing this I'm laughing my head off because he's mumbling 'I saw it..I saw it...' Oh and he just said to me 'Can you don't waste my time and pluck it out??'
Oh look, he's coming over. He bends down again. I refused again. HAHAAH and he went back to the mirror! HAHA the fact is, I couldn't see that white strand! HAHAHAH OMG OMG OMG
Ohhh he's coming back again HAAAAHAHAHAAH he ask me to 'Don't play lahhh! Find that white hair!!!' He say 'Don't waste time lahhhh!!!'
*in stitches* Oh! He's got a new technique. He goes back to the mirror and locates the white hair, and he holds on to the hair, and he tells me that 'the white hair is in this group of hair'. Then he walks over. Then I knock his hand away and he laughs and he obviously has given up. He walks back to the mirror.
Then I tell him to 'aiya..give up lah...' Then he said 'Shut up lah, I'm busy lah!' HAHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!!!!!
As of now, he's looking intelligently into the mirror, his fingers working hard at locating the white strand of hair. He laughs occasionally. I think my brother is psycho. :P
HAHAHAHHAHAHHAA he's walking over here again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
_____________________________
After 10 minutes of negotiating:
_____________________________
''seriously, what's the big fuss about? it's just a white hair what''
"a white hair is not just a white hair you know... it's self-esteem you know...''
"so when you're 50 years old, you'll not be confident anymore?"
"shut up lah. it's 11 o'clock already."
then he holds a group of hair again, and tells me to pluck it out. alright. so i plucked it out. i counted till 3 and i plucked it out on the count of 2 so that he wouldn't feel the pain, if any.
i measured the white hair. it was 5.4cm, a stunning 2cm more than the rest of his hair.
___________________________
Aftermath
___________________________
then he took the hair from me, and said
"now i must tie it into a knot."
"hah? for what?"
"because people say that if tie into a knot, i will not grow white hair anymore." he pauses and continues, "but then i've already tied a lot of knots and i still have white hair."
so he intelligently ties it into a knot.
"and then now i must throw it out of the window. this tradition is i ownself add one."
i watched him throw that strand of 5.4cm out of the window, into the night wind.
then he said to nobody in particular,
"ahhh. now i feel more confident." and walks back to his room.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Ahhhhhhhhhhh......!
1. How effectively can states safeguard their sovereignty in the contemporary international system? Is sovereignty an inviolable principle?
2. Can states lose the right to demand obedience from their citizens?
OH-MY-TIAN!!!
-hilz
2. Can states lose the right to demand obedience from their citizens?
OH-MY-TIAN!!!
-hilz
Friday, August 31, 2007
Eccentric!
there are some situations where it became weird because of the things i said. it's more like i can't control my mouth. it just tumbles out without me filtering/editing the dialogue and sometimes it's quite funny, and to an extent even, embarrassing.
1. like one night, i had dinner with a cousin and my mother. and there was the 'getai' there. so i accidentally asked my mother 'are the chairs [of the getai floor] for people who haven't die?'
2. another time i saw my acquaintances [X and Y] in school, and we talked for a while. but after that we kind of realized there's nothing much to talk after that, and there was an awkward pause, like, we were waiting for things to happen or something. so i blurted 'why don't you guys make a move first.. because.. i'm going to make a move too.' they looked at me oddly. can't blame them.
3. another time after a conversation with an ex-classmate on the corridor, i said 'ok! i gtg. i got class now, so i'll see you later! wait, not later, as in, around. what i meant is, see you around.'
4. oh then got one time lecture finished already, then i rose. but then the person on my right (whom i don't know), who is blocking the whole row's exit, was still seated. so i just asked 'aren't you moving?' and that poor foreign guy said 'no i'm hanging around here for a while.' to which i replied 'ok. as for me, i'm moving.' HAHAHA. ohmytian. my friend commented that that was VERY odd. i KNOW okay?? think i wasn't embarrassed?
5. Central library. Perk point. I needed a chair. Every chair was used. Then got one guy using TWO chairs (for his legs) and it was the chair i always used. So I walked past once, and stared at him. in the eyes. (i didn't mean to! i was trying to figure out if he's local or foreign) then i surveyed if any other free chairs again before i have to do the inevitable. nope there weren't. so i went back to him and he had already started to push the other chair (for his legs) away. [THAT WAS FUNNY!!!] i said 'i'm sorry..' then he shook his head and said 'don't worry it's perfectly alright..' 'ok, so.. i'll use this.' then i pushed the chair to the other end of the room where i can put my legs up. i mean, that was bad! bad bad bad bad baaaad...
ohmytian!!! what's wrong!!! it's like i'm eccentric!!!
1. like one night, i had dinner with a cousin and my mother. and there was the 'getai' there. so i accidentally asked my mother 'are the chairs [of the getai floor] for people who haven't die?'
2. another time i saw my acquaintances [X and Y] in school, and we talked for a while. but after that we kind of realized there's nothing much to talk after that, and there was an awkward pause, like, we were waiting for things to happen or something. so i blurted 'why don't you guys make a move first.. because.. i'm going to make a move too.' they looked at me oddly. can't blame them.
3. another time after a conversation with an ex-classmate on the corridor, i said 'ok! i gtg. i got class now, so i'll see you later! wait, not later, as in, around. what i meant is, see you around.'
4. oh then got one time lecture finished already, then i rose. but then the person on my right (whom i don't know), who is blocking the whole row's exit, was still seated. so i just asked 'aren't you moving?' and that poor foreign guy said 'no i'm hanging around here for a while.' to which i replied 'ok. as for me, i'm moving.' HAHAHA. ohmytian. my friend commented that that was VERY odd. i KNOW okay?? think i wasn't embarrassed?
5. Central library. Perk point. I needed a chair. Every chair was used. Then got one guy using TWO chairs (for his legs) and it was the chair i always used. So I walked past once, and stared at him. in the eyes. (i didn't mean to! i was trying to figure out if he's local or foreign) then i surveyed if any other free chairs again before i have to do the inevitable. nope there weren't. so i went back to him and he had already started to push the other chair (for his legs) away. [THAT WAS FUNNY!!!] i said 'i'm sorry..' then he shook his head and said 'don't worry it's perfectly alright..' 'ok, so.. i'll use this.' then i pushed the chair to the other end of the room where i can put my legs up. i mean, that was bad! bad bad bad bad baaaad...
ohmytian!!! what's wrong!!! it's like i'm eccentric!!!
today i crashed into a level 3000 with dr seet as lecturer.
today i met a 1st-3months jc classmate. she lost her fringe.
today i read about princess diana and the welsh monarchy.
today i met qiu han at yih bus stop.
today i collected my nussu welfare diary.
today i met an acquaintance (and his girlfriend) on bus 96.
[our conversation was odd probably due to his girlfriend's presence]
today i used buses A2, 95 and 96.
today i brought a myanmar student (who lost her way) to the student svc ctr.
today i directed someone (who lost her way) to munchie monkey's.
[conclusion: i'm a mobile information booth.]
today i used the internet in cblc.
today i used the toilets thrice. yesterday i used 7 times.
today i ate subway, for the very last time. (bec prices increased)
today i read the papers in the student lounge.
when in fact,
today i had only an hour's tutorial.
hilz
today i met a 1st-3months jc classmate. she lost her fringe.
today i read about princess diana and the welsh monarchy.
today i met qiu han at yih bus stop.
today i collected my nussu welfare diary.
today i met an acquaintance (and his girlfriend) on bus 96.
[our conversation was odd probably due to his girlfriend's presence]
today i used buses A2, 95 and 96.
today i brought a myanmar student (who lost her way) to the student svc ctr.
today i directed someone (who lost her way) to munchie monkey's.
[conclusion: i'm a mobile information booth.]
today i used the internet in cblc.
today i used the toilets thrice. yesterday i used 7 times.
today i ate subway, for the very last time. (bec prices increased)
today i read the papers in the student lounge.
when in fact,
today i had only an hour's tutorial.
hilz
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Aristotle's Stage
I am baffled. So baffled. Like a castaway.
Isolation is deadly, really. It alters one's frequency with regards to the rest of the world. It makes you lose some essential qualities that you used to be proud of, qualities that are relevant to everyone around you.
You just cannot fit in.
Today I was enlightened, and hit hard by the reality of it.
I can't accept situations where you contribute to a ''group'' discussion and everyone stares at you as if you were a hispanic speaking korean. It leads you to 4 different conclusions, either/or:
1. The ''group'' members can't understand what you're saying.
2. Your idea is unsuitable/horrible/over-the-top
3. The ''group'' members are shy to speak up.
4. The ''group'' members can't see you. They're staring into space.
For this analysis I would rule out #4 since there was a distinct pause (during which I heard my own voice saying my name) after the person to my left spoke and before the person to my right spoke. Which means I'm really there. And they can see me.
And for #3, I know of someone's colleagues who DO NOT speak up during board meetings. What's the point of a meeting then? Like, everyone stares at each other? How do they get things settled? Then I realized why they don't share ideas. Because once they contribute, they'll be given the task. And so: 'why bother working more when i can get the salary all the same?' So the best thing to do? Play dumb.
And then I observed my LTs during political science and literature. When the lecturer asked a question to (us) the audience, the people responding are the ones who were A) foreign students or B) overseas-educated students. The question Dr Wong asked was 'what are some nation-states you can think of in the world?' and 5 students responded. 4 of them were foreign students. only 1 of them was singaporean. and the worst part was, she was overseas-educated (an acquaintance of mine, that's why i know). This is a serious generalization, but then it has happened.
[So let's make a parallel to the boardroom. Key words: foreign talent. is that why?]
So, #1 and #2 - they are the more probable explanations as to why such things happen during such uncomfortable group discussions. and my analysis tells me that it's due to:
1. Isolation from the rest of the world.
2. Exposure to other ideologies
3. Hence different/wrong frequency, not in "tune" with society's makings
If we look around us, we do find people being able to connect readily with each other.
like, they share the same beliefs,
understand the same films in the same way,
finding the same thing beautiful and another not,
whereas others would thing the first was ugly and the second not.
they can understand each other's views completely in less than 10 words,
they can also see the same flaws, see the flaws of seeing the flaws, see the flaws of seeing the flaws of the flaws...
i guess what i really mean is a "soul-someone". i mean, a "soul-someone". it doesn't have to be someone of the opposite gender at all. and it certainly doesn't have to involve romance or anything. to be honest i look at aristotle's stage today and i realize that even my best friends don't even come close. if i have to give an example.. the closest "soul-someone" i can find is probably my brother. like, sometimes i start a request by saying his name, and then he knows exactly what i requested for without me completing my sentence.
i wished i had a twin. or a clone.
haiz.
whatever.
Isolation is deadly, really. It alters one's frequency with regards to the rest of the world. It makes you lose some essential qualities that you used to be proud of, qualities that are relevant to everyone around you.
You just cannot fit in.
Today I was enlightened, and hit hard by the reality of it.
I can't accept situations where you contribute to a ''group'' discussion and everyone stares at you as if you were a hispanic speaking korean. It leads you to 4 different conclusions, either/or:
1. The ''group'' members can't understand what you're saying.
2. Your idea is unsuitable/horrible/over-the-top
3. The ''group'' members are shy to speak up.
4. The ''group'' members can't see you. They're staring into space.
For this analysis I would rule out #4 since there was a distinct pause (during which I heard my own voice saying my name) after the person to my left spoke and before the person to my right spoke. Which means I'm really there. And they can see me.
And for #3, I know of someone's colleagues who DO NOT speak up during board meetings. What's the point of a meeting then? Like, everyone stares at each other? How do they get things settled? Then I realized why they don't share ideas. Because once they contribute, they'll be given the task. And so: 'why bother working more when i can get the salary all the same?' So the best thing to do? Play dumb.
And then I observed my LTs during political science and literature. When the lecturer asked a question to (us) the audience, the people responding are the ones who were A) foreign students or B) overseas-educated students. The question Dr Wong asked was 'what are some nation-states you can think of in the world?' and 5 students responded. 4 of them were foreign students. only 1 of them was singaporean. and the worst part was, she was overseas-educated (an acquaintance of mine, that's why i know). This is a serious generalization, but then it has happened.
[So let's make a parallel to the boardroom. Key words: foreign talent. is that why?]
So, #1 and #2 - they are the more probable explanations as to why such things happen during such uncomfortable group discussions. and my analysis tells me that it's due to:
1. Isolation from the rest of the world.
2. Exposure to other ideologies
3. Hence different/wrong frequency, not in "tune" with society's makings
If we look around us, we do find people being able to connect readily with each other.
like, they share the same beliefs,
understand the same films in the same way,
finding the same thing beautiful and another not,
whereas others would thing the first was ugly and the second not.
they can understand each other's views completely in less than 10 words,
they can also see the same flaws, see the flaws of seeing the flaws, see the flaws of seeing the flaws of the flaws...
i guess what i really mean is a "soul-someone". i mean, a "soul-someone". it doesn't have to be someone of the opposite gender at all. and it certainly doesn't have to involve romance or anything. to be honest i look at aristotle's stage today and i realize that even my best friends don't even come close. if i have to give an example.. the closest "soul-someone" i can find is probably my brother. like, sometimes i start a request by saying his name, and then he knows exactly what i requested for without me completing my sentence.
i wished i had a twin. or a clone.
haiz.
whatever.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Freedom of Press
The Reporters Without Borders organization was formed in 1985 and has been fighting for press freedom on a daily basis. Basically they do take care of each region (ie. Asia Pacific, the Americas, Africa etc) by compiling reports of press freedom violations. Their researchers then send protest letters to pressurize the target government who do not respect the right to inform and be informed. It also send releases to the media to gather support for such journalists under attack.
World Press Freedom Day is on May 3.
An offending word or photo may result in the journalist himself being persecuted. Hence RWB defends the persecuted and also exposes their mistreatment/torture in certain countries.
Also, RWB fights against censorship.
"198 journalists and media assistants killed since the start of fighting in Iraq in March 2003, two still missing, 14 are kidnapped"
...
"Two journalists under sentence of death now on 42nd day of hunger strikes" - Iran, yesterday
...
"With 11 journalist currently detained, Iran continues to be the Middle East’s biggest prison for the press and is one of the world’s 10 most repressive countries as regards freedom of the media." -RWB
...
The regime in Libya (a one-party state) controls the media and there are no independent press outlets. The press is simply a propaganda tool in Libya, under the rule of the “Brother Leader,” Muammar Gaddafi. Said one journalist: “In Libya, you can criticise Allah but not Gaddafi." However, times are changing, and now they have public internet access points. Hence Libyans may finally be out of the dark.
"Government gets blog service providers to sign "self-discipline" pact to end anonymous blogging" - China, two days ago
This pact was signed by at least 20 leading blog service providers in China including Yahoo.cn and MSN.cn. This marks the end to anonymous blogging in China. Upon signing to this pact, blog service providers are “encouraged” to register users under their real names and contact information before letting them post blogs. More seriously, they will be required to keep this information, which will allow the authorities to identify them. These companies have already in the past provided the police with information about their clients, resulting in arrests.
"The pact says “blog providers should monitor and manage comments ... and delete illegal and bad information in a timely manner.” Articles 11 and 12 urge them to equip themselves with a secure management system that allows them to keep bloggers’ details, including their real name, address, contact number and email address.
ISC secretary-general Huang Chengqing was clear yesterday when he said: “Blog service providers who allow the use of pseudonyms may be more attractive to bloggers, but they will be punished by the government if they fail to screen illegal information.”
Let's turn our direction to something more relevant to us:
"Singapore near bottom of press freedom index" -April 2004
Reporters Sans Frontieres recently published their 3rd Press Freedom Index, which ranked 167 countries for the degree of press freedom in them. Not surprisingly, Singapore ranked low, at position 147, i.e. 88% down from the top.
The only countries ranking lower than Singapore are dictatorships such as Burma and Pakistan, or communist countries such as Vietnam and China. Indeed, Singapore is also a one-party state, and all the main newspapers and broadcast stations are either government-owned or government-controlled.
"An adviser to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew reprimanded Today editor Mano Sabnani in November for allowing a report to be published about a trip by Lee's wife to London for medical reasons. The young journalist who wrote the story, Val Chua, reportedly had her press card suspended."
"More famously, various foreign media have been bullied not to write searching articles about Singapore. Some, such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, have had their circulation curtailed. Others, such as the International Herald Tribune and the Economist, have either been sued in court for libel or threatened with such suits. In a recent case, the Economist was alleged to have libeled the Lee family when it said having the wife of the Prime Minister as head of the holding company that owned most government-linked businesses, suggested nepotism. The Economist chose to apologise and settle rather than fight the case in court. No one has yet won such cases against government figures in Singapore. "
World Press Freedom Day is on May 3.
An offending word or photo may result in the journalist himself being persecuted. Hence RWB defends the persecuted and also exposes their mistreatment/torture in certain countries.
Also, RWB fights against censorship.
"198 journalists and media assistants killed since the start of fighting in Iraq in March 2003, two still missing, 14 are kidnapped"
...
"Two journalists under sentence of death now on 42nd day of hunger strikes" - Iran, yesterday
...
"With 11 journalist currently detained, Iran continues to be the Middle East’s biggest prison for the press and is one of the world’s 10 most repressive countries as regards freedom of the media." -RWB
...
The regime in Libya (a one-party state) controls the media and there are no independent press outlets. The press is simply a propaganda tool in Libya, under the rule of the “Brother Leader,” Muammar Gaddafi. Said one journalist: “In Libya, you can criticise Allah but not Gaddafi." However, times are changing, and now they have public internet access points. Hence Libyans may finally be out of the dark.
"Government gets blog service providers to sign "self-discipline" pact to end anonymous blogging" - China, two days ago
This pact was signed by at least 20 leading blog service providers in China including Yahoo.cn and MSN.cn. This marks the end to anonymous blogging in China. Upon signing to this pact, blog service providers are “encouraged” to register users under their real names and contact information before letting them post blogs. More seriously, they will be required to keep this information, which will allow the authorities to identify them. These companies have already in the past provided the police with information about their clients, resulting in arrests.
"The pact says “blog providers should monitor and manage comments ... and delete illegal and bad information in a timely manner.” Articles 11 and 12 urge them to equip themselves with a secure management system that allows them to keep bloggers’ details, including their real name, address, contact number and email address.
ISC secretary-general Huang Chengqing was clear yesterday when he said: “Blog service providers who allow the use of pseudonyms may be more attractive to bloggers, but they will be punished by the government if they fail to screen illegal information.”
Let's turn our direction to something more relevant to us:
"Singapore near bottom of press freedom index" -April 2004
Reporters Sans Frontieres recently published their 3rd Press Freedom Index, which ranked 167 countries for the degree of press freedom in them. Not surprisingly, Singapore ranked low, at position 147, i.e. 88% down from the top.
The only countries ranking lower than Singapore are dictatorships such as Burma and Pakistan, or communist countries such as Vietnam and China. Indeed, Singapore is also a one-party state, and all the main newspapers and broadcast stations are either government-owned or government-controlled.
"An adviser to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew reprimanded Today editor Mano Sabnani in November for allowing a report to be published about a trip by Lee's wife to London for medical reasons. The young journalist who wrote the story, Val Chua, reportedly had her press card suspended."
"More famously, various foreign media have been bullied not to write searching articles about Singapore. Some, such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, have had their circulation curtailed. Others, such as the International Herald Tribune and the Economist, have either been sued in court for libel or threatened with such suits. In a recent case, the Economist was alleged to have libeled the Lee family when it said having the wife of the Prime Minister as head of the holding company that owned most government-linked businesses, suggested nepotism. The Economist chose to apologise and settle rather than fight the case in court. No one has yet won such cases against government figures in Singapore. "
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