A Personal Thought

I've always been wondering, as teenagers, is it true love, all our fantasies and dreams about friends and our feelings toward them?

Well, it is really difficult to come to a conclusive answer. Generally speaking, I am inclined to believe that what we consider "romance" is really an inadvertent manifestation of our adolescence. However, those little moments which allow the romance/relationship to bloom really makes me wonder - is adolescence really a distraction? Or is it a pacifier to keep us calm and ecstatic albeit all the challenges we face in school and as we gradually step into the doors of society?

My school epitomizes the more Draconian aspects of a society, where a lot of troubles are involved, where friends backstab each other, where what we were taught in our Biology 101 lessons - survival of the fittest - really fits into context. Well, many say that hardships allow relationships and love to prosper. Do these count as hardships? I really don't know.

Incoherence - it can't be helped. It's 2335 already.

SIMO Camp 2009

SIMO Camp ended 3 days ago, with everyone bring back sweet memories (for me it was sweeter memories, because I consumed loads of sweet stuff there, inc. a bottle of Coca-Cola)

Anyway, before going for the camp, I thought that this year would be boring because of the "abysmal" lodging conditions and mundane schedule. Contrary to my assumption, however, NUS High boarding wasn't that bad - they had toilets in the dormitories, as well as a nice small area for us to combine two beds to get a comfortable spot to play card games, triple dare and sleep. As for the schedule, we somehow managed to make the most fun out of it, such as by playing soccer/penalty shootouts.

Now for the actual camp:

To save time, I shall list down as many interesting facts/incidents about the camp.

1. SIMO can publish a book called "Calvin Geometry Demystified!" - includes ideas and theorems about Calvin lines, Calvin points, Calvin circles, Calvin concurrency. It's somewhat like Euclid's "Elements", except that the diagrams would seem to have been drawn by Ivan/You Jun.

2. We have all become werewolves.

3. Day 1 Ice-breakers included a 失败 session on Geom. (won't bother elaborating)

4. Ivan has a new weapon - a Compass!

5. Aidi became a new astronomical body which the earth, sun, and moon revolve around.

6. Jasper has failed in his attempts to show off. (Sorry, but must try harder the next time)

7. Fangying FINALLY did her dare. A pity Mengshi wasn't there to laugh.

8. I have discovered an inner lameness and retardedness in myself.

9. There was a massive 五子棋 session in my dormitory (there were only four participants though - Keven, myself, Ding and Chin)

10. Ding and I got scolded on day 1 for being the latest to get down from dorm after check-in.

11. Tap Tap Revenge is a FUN game!

12. Nat Team quiz = 强

13. My group pwned Vertical Training (Thanks Jie Jun, Royston, Yang Yang and company!)

14. My group nearly pwned Oral Quiz (we missed by 3 points)

15. I got to know some really cool people - Lam Jun Wei (he probably still doesn't know me), Lame Jeck, Daniel Low, Kung Ying Xiang (Kyx number 2), Tan Wei Jie (notebook camper) etc.

16. I didn't know that Senior Team girls were so noisy - I will never ever choose Blaziken as my starter pokemon again

17. Mr Lu's dorm = hotel room = 超级强. Might consider being a teacher in NUS High next time :D

18. Alpha cube is a vulgarity.

19. Aofei is a suicidal girl.

20. Ding Yue is a blur boy who somehow does not laugh at my lame jokes! (damn)

21. During Day One self-intro, Kyx and I swapped identities. Back then I couldn't figure out why everyone was laughing so madly at me when I told them I was Kyx...

22. My candid shot photo taking skills are imba.

23. Mr Lu thinks that Kyx looks retarded, and that Ivan dancing = most retarded thing that can happen.

24. I slept for a grand total of 25.5 hours throughout SIMO camp. Divide that by 5 and you'll figure out how much I sleep on average per night.

25. China has become an object-like creature which we all fear and discriminate against. We call proofs "China" if they involve complicated techniques; We name points and lines "China" if they are difficult to construct or be seen from the diagram.

26. Zhan Xiong failed at acting out "AIDS" during charades.

27. Aofei failed at acting out "Leydig cells" during charades.

28. Royston is a good GM for werewolves. (Here GM = Game Manager, not Geometric Mean)

29. Simon came back for 3 days. With him, life at SIMO became really fun (Well, he was, together with Seng Teck, one of the earliest Nat Teamers whom I got to know since I entered SIMO Senior 2 years ago)

30. I learned two new card games at SIMO. That increases my knowledge of card games. I can play about 8 card games now:

- Floating/Singapore Bridge
- Contract Bridge
- German Bridge
- Taiti
- A**hole Taiti
- Aidi's lame game (known as fishing in Zimbabwe, according to Kang)
- Bluff
- Gin Rummy
- Keven's stacking game (Starting at 7)
- 99
- Poker
- Hearts
-Solitaire

and more...

31. Jiawei plays Weiqi too! And he plays it well.

32. Junwei can play the guitar, and he is getting immune to my retarded jokes (Damn)

33. Fangying = massive 失败: Reasons - 1) She is in love with those two chinese characters and their Han Yu Pinyin equivalents, 2) She didn't know that you could call a person a joke (figuratively).

34. I failed as an entertainer because Fangying couldn't laugh at my retarded jokes. But the main reason for my failure is because Dingyue NEVER LAUGHS at my lame jokes. He laughs at other things which ain't funny at all... -.-
This shall be continued...

Facebook:

ABC About You

Questions:

A - AVAILABLE: Definitely not. I'm only available in JC, not now.
B - BIRTHDAY: 10th July
C - CRUSHING ON: someone
D - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: Yakult
E - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: Keven
F - FAVORITE SONG: Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head
G - GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: Chewing Gum
H - HOMETOWN: Singapore
I - IN LOVE WITH: Chocolate
J - JUGGLE: I can juggle 2 balls, but not 3.
K - KILLED SOMEONE: Never
L - LONGEST CAR RIDE: 1 hour or less
M- MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: (Swensens's) Frosted Chocolate Malt
N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 2
O - ONE WISH: Make this world become a loving and peaceful place
P - PERSON YOU CALLED LAST: My mum
R- REASON TO SMILE: Funny/Nice stuff happening?
S - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Mambo Italiano (Dean Martin)
T - TIME YOU WOKE UP: 0800h
V - VEGETABLE(S): I love green leafy vegetables
W - WORST HABIT: Forgetfulness at home
X - X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: One in Shenzhen, China
Y - YOYOS ARE: toys
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer

Random Questions About You:

Spell your name without vowels: ln w jn
What color do you wear most?: White
What are you listening to?: Chopin music
Are you happy with your life right now? Not really. I want more time!
What is your favorite class in school? Mathematics
When do you start back at school/college?: 0750h
Are you outgoing?: Think so
Favorite pair of shoes?: Badminton shoes
Where do you wish you were right now? Beijing

THE CANS:

Can you dance? What sort of dance?
Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth? Let's try that one day
Can you whistle?: Definitely!
Write with both hands?: Let's try this too!
Walk with your toes curled?: Don't think so...

THE DO'S:
Do you believe there is life on other planets?: Yes
Do you believe in miracles?: Yes
Do you believe in magic?: Yes
Love at first sight?: Yes and No
Do you think there's a Satan?: Sometimes I do
Do you believe in Santa?: Not really
Do you know how to swim?: Yes
Do you like roller coasters?: Kind of, they are exciting
Do you think you could handle the stuff they eat on those reality shows?: Nope

THE HAVES:

Have you ever been on a plane?: Yes
Have you ever asked someone out?: No, even though I've always wanted to (too bad I'm "Asian")
Have you ever been asked out by someone?: No
Have you ever been to the ocean?: No
Have you ever painted your nails?: No

THE WHATS:

What is the temperature outside?: <28 degrees celsius since Airconditioner is turned on
What radio station do you listen to? 92.4FM
What was the last restaurant you ate at? Swensens
What was the last thing you bought? Food
What was the last thing on TV you watched?: Apocalypto

THE WHOS:

Who was the last person you IM'd?: Fangying
Who was the last person you took a picture of?: Ding Yue (Math Club training)

CRYING SECTION:

Ever really cried your heart out?: Yes, while I was showering
Ever cried yourself to sleep?: No
Ever cried on your friend's shoulder?: No
Ever cried over the opposite sex?: No
Do you cry when you get an injury?: No
Do certain songs make you cry?: Yes

HAPPY SECTION:

Are you a happy person?: Kind of
What can make you happy?: Bright days with cheerful people
Do you wish you were happier?: Definitely
Can music make you happy?: Yes

LOVE SECTION:

How many times have you had your heart broken?: None
Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd die for them?: No

LOOK AT ME:

What is your current hair color?: Black
Current piercings?: 0
Have any tattoos?: 0
Eye color?: Black

HAVE YOU EVER:

Been to jail: No
Mooned someone: No
Laughed so hard you cried: Yes
Thrown up in a store: No
Done something really stupid that you still laugh at today: Yes
Gone skinny dipping: No

THIS OR THAT:

Pepsi or Coke: Probably Pepsi
McDonald's or Burger King: Macs
Single or Group Dates: Single
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Strawberries or Blueberries: Strawberries
Meat or Veggies: Meat
TV or Movie: Movie
Guitar or Drums?: Guitar
Adidas or Nike: Adidas
Chinese or Mexican: Chinese
Cheerios or Corn Flakes: Cornflakes
Cake or Pie: Cake
MTV or VH1: MTV

What a LOOO........OOONG Quiz!

Qiuping Cup 2009

Here's an article that I am going to submit to school. Readers feel free to comment and spot peccadilloes, if any of them exist.

"GO Raffles!"

Raffles Weiqi Team Achieves Outstanding Results

What is Weiqi?

Weiqi, also known as Go, is a strategic board game for two players. It is played by two players who alternately place black and white stones on the empty intersections of a 19 by 19 grid, with each player trying to capture as much land as possible. However, it involves rich strategic complexity as it develops, making it one of the most difficult games to play amongst the plethora of board games.

The Qiuping Cup Tournament 2009

The 18th Qiuping Cup National Weiqi Tournament was held during the weekend before the June holidays in Nanyang Polytechnic. The Qiuping Cup prides itself as one of the major national Weiqi contests in Singapore, with many participating schools such as Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Girls’ School and Nan Hua Secondary School, just to name a few. This year, seven of our fellow schoolmates participated in the Qiuping Cup. Albeit facing strong competition from our contenders, we have done the school proud by sweeping two of the top 5 individual awards and a team second prize for the Open category. Wang Zhengli (4F) and Hu Ching Hao (2I) achieved individual 4th and 3rd respectively for the Open category, while the duo with Alan Aw (4F) clinched the 1st Runners-up position for the Open category team prize, losing only by one game to defending champions Hwa Chong Institution. Said Wang Zhengli, “We worked really hard, we did significantly better than previous years, and we will definitely do better if everyone puts in the effort and time to practise the game”

This year, not only did our players bring back medals and trophies, we have also returned with a better understanding of Weiqi and its playing experience. “Through this competition, I realised that Weiqi isn’t really about winning or losing; it’s about understanding and appreciating its intrinsic beauty through the many complicated moves and configurations, as well as truly respecting the ingenious player who crafts and plays them,” contemplates Alan after the tournament.

Indeed, as the RI Team walked out of the hall after the prize presentation, everyone was content and happy. After all, on top of gleaning much from the tournament, we have displayed true Rafflesian spirit through our determination, hard work and teamwork. What else matters?

End of Sem. 1 2009

Semester 1 2009 officially ended a few days ago. Here are some photos to commemorate this memorable day.


#1: Secondary 4 Chemistry RA 2009, with new_chemist Mr Koh.


#2: Zheng Yang took this. I look like myself (I look like a retard) <-- that's supposed to be a lame joke...


#3: Ding Yue wonders why I called him out of the blue...


#4: This is a highly intellectual discussion (Average IQ per person = 2000. Standard Deviation also very high). I should change my camera focus...

#5: Our Chemistry teacher making us vote for who, in our opinion, did the best for a quiz...

The weekend was spent playing Weiqi at Nanyang Polytechnic (Qiuping Cup Tournament 2009). Strange enough, I played extremely well, beating people who could win me flat, and losing narrowly to good players. In the end, RI achieved team 2nd for the Open Category and Individual 3rd and 4th placing for the Open Category.

During the breaks of the competition, Yiheng, Ching Hao, Xue Wen, Zhengli and I were playing taiti, bluff and poker. It was a highly intellectual gaming session with Ching Hao laughing at my lame and retarded jokes and Zhengli playing a totally different version of taiti from the rest of us. (He played China version, we played Taiwan's 2nd version). During bluff, Yiheng won through a series of bluffs which no one bothered to catch. Poker was played with one of the assistants of the management committee of the tournament.

All in all, the last week of school was really fun and enjoyable. I'll probably miss it when the second semester begins.

Sayonara, RI Sem. 1 2009 (being my last first semester in RI)!

Update

This is clear evidence that I haven't been writing. This essay was taken from a draft for an expository piece.

Reader beware! This piece of writing is an assignment which is uploaded for educational purposes only. It does not aim to persuade readers to take any particular stand towards the issue. View discretion is advised.

Elitism in the Singapore Education System (SES) - Does the SES promote Elitism?

Ask any Rafflesian how he perceives his counterparts from neighbourhood schools and he would tell you that they are just like any one of us. But deep down inside, he’d probably consider them as underachievers who “do not deserve as many privileges as we do”. Indeed, this is just one of the many situations which give credence to the cold and bitter truth that elitism is prevalent in our society.

Elitism, which originated from the French word “élite”, refers to the idea that certain persons belonging to certain groups deserve favoured treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority. In this sense, it is unquestionable that elitism is an entity in our society. However, it seems to be unclear how and whether, at all, the Singapore Education System promotes elitism. In the light of this situation, I feel that one should approach the question by looking at specific initiatives which have been implemented by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

First and foremost, we shall examine the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) procedure. The MOE grants all primary six pupils the privilege of choosing their desirable secondary schools, subjected to various requirements of the respective schools. As a matter of fact, the elite schools always have significantly higher academic requirements. As such, the crème de la crème who excel in their PSLE will stand a higher chance of entering these top-ranking schools. And once they enter these schools, they will be recognised by the world. For example, Raffles is a brand name which is held in high regard by many institutions all around the world. This would necessarily imply that these “elite” primary six students will have greater opportunities worldwide in the future, as compared to their less academically inclined contenders. Does this not mean that the PSLE is intrisically promoting elitism?

Let us now contemplate the Integrated Programme (IP) in secondary schools. Established about half a decade ago, the IP prides itself as the best path for secondary school education, claiming to be effective in nurturing youths into well-rounded individuals through engaging them in broader learning experiences. Much to our chagrin, however, only the elite students study in these schools, as only the top-ranking secondary schools such as Raffles Institution and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) offer this programme. On the other hand, MOE organises many programmes, such as the Science Mentorship Programmes and the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Programme, which are only open to participation from students who study in IP schools. As such, it is inevitable that the elite students are given extra privileges and benefits locally by the MOE, and the answer to our question seems to be positive.

Other than the IP and PSLE case studies, the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) also reveals much about how the MOE promotes elitism. In the GEP, teachers are specially trained by the MOE and are thus equipped with more versatile educatory skills. As such, the GEP students are able to benefit more from their teachers’ lessons, as compared to their mainstream counterparts. This tells us that the GEP student is in some sense getting better treatment than the mainstream pupil, thus strengthening the viewpoint that the MOE, and therefore the Singapore Education System, promotes elitism.

In conclusion, it is apparent that elitism is bred by the Singapore Education System. However, as for the extent of which it is being promoted, we shall let the specific initiatives by the Ministry Of Education decide.

The actual essay contains an argument against my stand towards the issue. Anyway, whatever the case, I sincerely apologise for any possible controversial issues reflected in the essay.

A Messed Up Week

NAPFA 2.4 km run was on Monday. I didn't do too well, my timing was 11:22. Fatigue got control over my body for the last two rounds, and it broke my consistent 1.5 minute/round rate. Well, depending on my schedule, I might want to do a retest...

And about Chemistry, I messed up a test last week, got really depressed over it. But all thanks to several friends, I'm feeling better now :)

So that's about it. I shall update about more interesting stuff soon (such as jokes, RA maths classroom fun etc.).