Archive for June, 2003
26 Jun, 2003
Cheryl Fox, An Influence?
I used to love watching Channel News Asia.
I first started watching it during the June school holidays a few years back. At that time, I didn’t choose to watch it; it just was the only thing I could watch at the time I woke up, which was about 6 or 7 a.m.
Cartoons (something I watch all the time) didn’t start till pretty late, about 9 a.m., and so it was either Channel News Asia or other news/variety programs in Mandarin or Malay. I typically speak only English, so I tuned in to Channel News Asia. I watched it as it evolved, from absolutely soporific to passable to reasonably good. I grew to like it; and when Cheryl Fox was first introduced into the morning prime time, I rejoiced.
She was attractive, and spoke well. I thus enjoyed watching Channel News Asia (and especially her) every morning.
I was taught, growing up, that watching the News was a good habit. I used to be so proud of the few times I watched the News back in primary and early secondary school (back when it was “time — by Raymond Weil, 7 PM”), as I would normally not be able to sit through the News and still stay awake. I was told that it was good to keep up with the affairs of the world.
And thus, I watched Channel News Asia as often as I could, which turned out to be everyday. I was spending 3 hours a day with Cheryl Fox speaking the news — my girlfriend (if I had one at that time) would have been jealous.
Now, whenever I attempt to read something aloud, I visuallise myself as her, speaking! and I actually do speak like her! horrors upon horrors! I even visualise the little quirks she makes when speaking, like the slight tilts of her head, or the tone of voice!
Watch out for whom (or what) you watch often…that person (or thing) might just influence your mannerisms without you even knowing it!
26 Jun, 2003
The Three Birds
There are three birds sitting on a fence. Two decide to fly away.
How many birds are left?
Well, three. Just because you decide to do something doesn’t mean you’ll do what you decided to do.
Often times, it is not the lack of knowledge on how to do something than it is the why to do something. When one thinks about something one has a passion for, one inevitably lights up. This passion may be sports, a hobby, or even a person. When one has the why, one will inevitably find the how.
Before deciding to learn how to do something, find out why you want to do it first. Then even when setbacks occur, one can carry on the good fight, and enjoy the spoils.
25 Jun, 2003
Thinking Out of the Box: Evolution
I would like to share with you the following story, though I am unable to recollect the reference from which I had taken it from:
There were once these kids that would topple the rubbish cans along the street, causing the rubbish to spew out. This had gone on everyday for a long time. One day, an old man came out, and offered the kids this proposition: He would pay them $2 to continue knocking all the cans down, everyday.
These kids couldn’t believe their luck, and for the next week, he paid them the $2 everyday for knocking down the rubbish cans. Then he told them that he would have to reduce it to $1. They were not very happy, but continued to do so anyway. For another week it went on.
On the third week, the old man told them that he could only afford to give them 50¢. They exclaimed, “What?! 50¢? You must be joking!”
The old man refused to budge from that offer, and they went away, and never knocked down another can again.
Analysis of the story
Imagine a square table, with four legs. The tabletop is an action, while the legs are the reasons the action is being done. In the story above, the action is that of kicking the cans down. The reasons the “kids” kicked down the cans was originally not that of money, but of perhaps a need for attention, or out of simple mischief.
When money was introduced, it was like adding an additional fourth leg under the table. This extra leg far out-weighed the other legs. So now imagine a huge table leg under the centre of the tabletop. Soon, due to a lack of a need of the other legs, the kids started taking them off.
When the other legs were taken off (when money was the only factor playing on the kids’ minds), the old slowly replaced the huge table leg with a smaller one (smaller amount of money). Soon, when the money became too small to support the tabletop, it collapsed (and the kids stopped their action of kicking bins down).
All actions have reasons behind them. Over time, these reasons evolve, while we may not even be aware of their evolution. Soon, we’re stuck with out-moded systems, systems that continue to exists because “that’s how it has always been done”.
Sometimes the only table leg left, is the one that says: “because that’s how it has always been done”.
23 Jun, 2003
Teaching Today
I’ve always had a thing for technology. Loved it since I first started using the PC many years back. Back then, it was games, games and more games. Then I started playing around with the PC’s files, started movings things around and seeing what a PC could do.
That progressed to using the PC as a tool or means to an end, mostly in communication (e-mail, icq etc.). This was followed by my milestone of building my first PC…I loved PCs, they were my pride and joy! Then I started formal lessons on PCs when I entered Temasek Polytechnic (TP). Suddenly my bed of roses turned to thorns; and pricked me, hard. Ouch!
Lessons were horrible (for reasons I have forgotten, I only remember boredom, the rest were mostly intangible reasons). I loved computers. I really did. After this I hated them. I hated all to do with the IT school. I didn’t like the style of teaching at all. Business subjects were not really different. The amount of facts and jargon one has to memorise is incredible! I liked the subjects, but not the way it was taught and presented. Soon the motivation was lost.
My God! Give me a break already! There’s something about the teaching styles which really, really turns me off. I think it’s really the lack of enthusiasm by these lecturers.
I remember back in Secondary school, there was an English Literature teacher who really presented herself as enthusiastic about the subject, and that enthusiasm rubbed off on most of us.
Here at TP it seems like they don’t really enjoy it, that they would most rather be doing something else.
There are those who do enjoy teaching, and sharing their ideas, but unfortunately they do not prepare us for the exam very well…that’s the thing! Catch-22! Make me understand! not study, please! An ex-friend (now simply living in memory, wonderful girl though) who was studying in Australia, Rachel:
dun think i’m studyin much.understandin,probably.that’s what i love bout the system here.
After that I could never look at a PC the same way again. Everytime I look at them I am reminded of facts. Horrible facts that I would rather put out of my mind. And to think I used to love fixing computers…now I would rather pay someone else to do it. By the way, I have just switched to an Apple Mac.
I much prefer informal education (experience, books, talking/discussions with people) than formal education…formal education is a turn-off most of the time.
Or is it just me?
22 Jun, 2003
The Itch That Refuses To Go Away
I scratch, but the itch just will not leave. In fact, it feels like I’m scratching the wrong area. My brain tells me the itch is on my leg, but scratching there, it seems the itch moves to a different part of my body. I do not know what to do.
Here is an exerpt of the book I read, called Buddhism.
Imagine that you see people seated at a sumptuous banquet. Long tables piled high with delicacies spread out before them. A dazzling and mouth-watering array of foods, perfectly prepared, is steaming and glierning and sizzling right in front of their eyese, eaily within reach.
But the people seated at this feast aren’t eating. In fact, their plates are empty. They haven’t helped themselves to do much as a crumb. They’ve been seated at this banquet for a long time now. And they’re slowly and steadily starving to death.
They’re starving not because they can’t partake of the wonderful feast, or because eating is forbidden, or difficult, or harmful. They’re starving because they don’t realize that food is that they need. They don’t recognize the sharp, urgent pains in their stomachs as hunger. They don’t see that what they need to do, all they need to do, is enjoy the feast that’s right in front of them.