in AIESEC, we talk about the AIESEC Experience and the stage of Heading for the Future... it's kind of the last stage in the whole AIESEC Experience, and is important because it is the point where you take time to reflect on your journey in AIESEC to see how much you have grown (or not) as an individual, to reassess where you stand with regards to your personal goals, and to see how you can move on to other things in life while continuing to pursue those goals... it's like reflecting and writing the last chapter of your AIESEC story...
I have recently fully experienced the wonders of this stage... having finished my President term for AIESEC Singapore in early August, I have been taking this 1 month or so to just chill, take things a bit slower, as well as to start the process of finding an internship abroad through AIESEC...
and I truly appreciate the fact that things move much slower now.. such that I have the time to really think back on the past 5 years of AIESEC involvement... to question myself on whether I have changed, how I have changed or more fundamentally, who am I?
after all... if I am made up of the experiences of my past, then 5 years is quite a lot of impact on who I am today...
since I am still occassionally helping out the AIESEC members, I now look at things and present my thoughts from a different perspective... I have been having some very interesting realisations and thoughts stemming from there...
it's hard to explain, and I am sure more thoughts and insights will be made as time goes by... but I am happy with how my brain is being active in this sense nowadays...
on a slightly different note, my brain is also happy as it is actively reading.. books, internet, articles... I am expanding my thoughts and perspectives!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Dead Poets Society
This is one movie that has made my top ten best movie to watch list... so yes it's in the list alongside others such as the Shawshank Redemption, Remember the Titans, The Usual Suspect, Gattaca to name a few..Set in 1959 in an extremely traditional prep school in the US, it tells the story of how an English and Poetry teacher (played by Robin Williams) inspired and forever changed the lives of a group of his students... by means of unorthodox methods of teaching, this teacher challenges all that the boys knew about life... I won't spoil the story for you in case you want to watch it or read the book... but here are some lines from the movie that will surely give you a taste of how artfully written the story was...
"Carpe Diem - Seize the Day"
"Did they wait till it was too late? to make of their lives just one iota of what they were capable of?
"Only in dreams are men truly free"
Really really inspiring movie about life, opportunities, finding who you are, and challenging perspectives... Watch it if you can!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Nature in Singapore
There's a lot to be said about how adaptable animals are and how easily they keep up with the many additions that human beings make to the so-called 'natural surroundings"
So here's the evidence of the latest urban resident of Singapore...
Animal Name: The Singapore Cat
Natural Habitat: in the lower racks of display shelves outside NTUCs and provision shops
The Singapore Cat is a highly evolved urban creature. Unlike the traditional wild cat species which shun and are highly independent of human beings, it prefers the artificial, dry and cosy environment created by snuggling among packets of human-processed food. The Singapore Cat shows a high resemblence to particularly famous cat by the name of Garfield, especially in terms of its unexplained liking for potato chips.
So here's the evidence of the latest urban resident of Singapore...
Animal Name: The Singapore Cat
Natural Habitat: in the lower racks of display shelves outside NTUCs and provision shops
The Singapore Cat is a highly evolved urban creature. Unlike the traditional wild cat species which shun and are highly independent of human beings, it prefers the artificial, dry and cosy environment created by snuggling among packets of human-processed food. The Singapore Cat shows a high resemblence to particularly famous cat by the name of Garfield, especially in terms of its unexplained liking for potato chips.
Monday, September 22, 2008
My latest read...
I am currently reading a book titled "Jihad - The rise of militant Islam in Central Asia".
It is written by Ahmed Rashid, who is a journalist based in Lahore, Pakistan and is the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review and the Daily Telegraph. He also writes for The Wall Street Journal.
It's been an interesting read so far, and has gotten me quite intrigued in the history of Central Asia. It's also rekindled the interest I had in Islam from the days of doing research in undergraduate days for a Sociology professor...
More thoughts after I am done with the book...
It is written by Ahmed Rashid, who is a journalist based in Lahore, Pakistan and is the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review and the Daily Telegraph. He also writes for The Wall Street Journal.
It's been an interesting read so far, and has gotten me quite intrigued in the history of Central Asia. It's also rekindled the interest I had in Islam from the days of doing research in undergraduate days for a Sociology professor...
More thoughts after I am done with the book...
Update on FBI Game
Dey has kindly enlightened me further on how this game should be played! It needs to be asked in real-time, such as face to face, or on MSN, Skype etc... The idea is not to give that person a lot of time to think before answering!
so if you still wanna play, drop me a note somewhere on MSN or in a comment :)
so if you still wanna play, drop me a note somewhere on MSN or in a comment :)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
In response....
This is a reply to the comment of the previous post... hehe...
Thanks Nicholas for the 3 questions!! as much as it's less than 10, it's better than none! hahahah
1. What do you see in your future - maybe 5 years from now.
this question reminds me of applications.. for AI, for TNs etc etc hahaha...
Career wise: I'm interested in going into Business Process Management.. it's a field that presents itself in many job titles in the market, ranging from consultancy to risk analysis to information system to business strategy and so on. I think I'm just quite hooked on working with diverse brains to understand bigger pictures, to identify gaps and to create and implement solutions that help the bigger picture :)
social wise: I dunno about getting married by then but at the very least... have a boyfriend... I imagine my mom will be getting more and more anxious as the years go by... typical haha...
am still thinking which form of martial arts I'll be keen in by 5 years later... for now, I feel like I'm still exploring and finding a style that fits...
2. Is what you have done in the past 2 years in line to what you want to achieve for the next 5?
(Something less serious)
I think I found what I wanted to do in the next 5 years within the past 2 years... which make sense really cos part of my motivation for doing MCP full time was to have more working time to travel, to attend meetings and networking events, to understand what's happening out there, to talk to more people... and from those experiences, plus the thrill of doing all that was done in the term really helped me decide that "Yes! this is where my passion lies, and that regardless of my academic background, it is something I can achieve if I work hard at it!"
3. What is the one movie that you want to watch?
I just had a conversation with my brother that the new movies showing right now aren't attractive at all... I'm quite sure there's a list of must-watch movies that I have heard from friends but I can't remember any right now...
so the only answer that stands out in my head at this moment is... Wall-E by Pixar :)
Thanks Nicholas for the 3 questions!! as much as it's less than 10, it's better than none! hahahah
1. What do you see in your future - maybe 5 years from now.
this question reminds me of applications.. for AI, for TNs etc etc hahaha...
Career wise: I'm interested in going into Business Process Management.. it's a field that presents itself in many job titles in the market, ranging from consultancy to risk analysis to information system to business strategy and so on. I think I'm just quite hooked on working with diverse brains to understand bigger pictures, to identify gaps and to create and implement solutions that help the bigger picture :)
social wise: I dunno about getting married by then but at the very least... have a boyfriend... I imagine my mom will be getting more and more anxious as the years go by... typical haha...
am still thinking which form of martial arts I'll be keen in by 5 years later... for now, I feel like I'm still exploring and finding a style that fits...
2. Is what you have done in the past 2 years in line to what you want to achieve for the next 5?
(Something less serious)
I think I found what I wanted to do in the next 5 years within the past 2 years... which make sense really cos part of my motivation for doing MCP full time was to have more working time to travel, to attend meetings and networking events, to understand what's happening out there, to talk to more people... and from those experiences, plus the thrill of doing all that was done in the term really helped me decide that "Yes! this is where my passion lies, and that regardless of my academic background, it is something I can achieve if I work hard at it!"
3. What is the one movie that you want to watch?
I just had a conversation with my brother that the new movies showing right now aren't attractive at all... I'm quite sure there's a list of must-watch movies that I have heard from friends but I can't remember any right now...
so the only answer that stands out in my head at this moment is... Wall-E by Pixar :)
Friday, September 19, 2008
the FBI Game
I came across this on Dey's blog (http://allingreen.blogspot.com/)
The FBI Game ~
You Have 10 Questions.
You Ask One By One And I Answer One By One with TOTAL Honesty.
You don´t have to answer any questions.
Unless you want me to ask you as well after I have answered all yours.
My goal is to get to recognize myself better through my answers to your questions.
And get to know a bit more about your perception of me through your questions.
Now isn't that quite an interesting concept? really forces you to come to terms with who you are... and it's definitely much deeper than spotlight (since that game usually just focuses on relationships)
I think I don't mind playing this... so.. who wants to ask? :)
The FBI Game ~
You Have 10 Questions.
You Ask One By One And I Answer One By One with TOTAL Honesty.
You don´t have to answer any questions.
Unless you want me to ask you as well after I have answered all yours.
My goal is to get to recognize myself better through my answers to your questions.
And get to know a bit more about your perception of me through your questions.
Now isn't that quite an interesting concept? really forces you to come to terms with who you are... and it's definitely much deeper than spotlight (since that game usually just focuses on relationships)
I think I don't mind playing this... so.. who wants to ask? :)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Random thoughts
I was out of the house yesterday and just wanted to do a collection of some thoughts that popped into my head when I saw or heard certain things...
upon seeing women's underwear with butt padding (to make ur butt look bigger and perkier)...
"If someone with not much of a butt wore that and sat for a long time, will the pad get dented when she stands up? that will be an interesting sight"
upon seeing a lesbian couple on the MRT...
"I wonder if their parents know and what their parents think.. I wonder how the other passengers will react if they start PDA-ing (PDA = Public Display of Affection)
upon seeing devotees in the Guan Yin Temple asking for divine lots...
"Does it happen that someone shakes the container and ends up dropping a bunch of lots? Does it happen that someone shakes for a looong time and nothing ever drops out?"
upon seeing a random cat on the streets...
"what would cats say if they could speak?"
upon seeing women's underwear with butt padding (to make ur butt look bigger and perkier)...
"If someone with not much of a butt wore that and sat for a long time, will the pad get dented when she stands up? that will be an interesting sight"
upon seeing a lesbian couple on the MRT...
"I wonder if their parents know and what their parents think.. I wonder how the other passengers will react if they start PDA-ing (PDA = Public Display of Affection)
upon seeing devotees in the Guan Yin Temple asking for divine lots...
"Does it happen that someone shakes the container and ends up dropping a bunch of lots? Does it happen that someone shakes for a looong time and nothing ever drops out?"
upon seeing a random cat on the streets...
"what would cats say if they could speak?"
Writings from the past
Found this article that I had written (just for fun) in 2004 after finishing Junior College...
INERTIA AND FORCE
Inertia (noun): the reluctance of an object to stop moving when it is in motion or to start moving when it is stationary.
It is strangely coincidental how a word so commonly used in the study of physics is actually so predominant in our daily lives. Yet it is highly ironic that while so many of us may be able to identify this occurrence when answering physics questions, so few of us really recognise how much impact it has in our social lives.
Imagine this scenario: you are flipping through the pages of your secondary school autograph book when you suddenly come across the page contributed by a very close friend of yours. As the memories flood back into your mind, you realise how long it has been since you spoke to this friend of yours. Yet, you hesitate to give him or her a call. A little voice at the back of your head says, “it’ll be so awkward” or “maybe next time when I have more time”; and you obey that voice.
That voice, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is inertia at work. So often, we get caught up in the nitty gritty details of our hectic lives. We unknowingly become so used to rushing around and getting things done that we are reluctant to stop and focus on something that is very much closer to our hearts: friends.
The very people with whom we once played catch, the people who stood by us when we felt low and vulnerable, the people with whom we shared so many highs and lows, happy and sad, wacky and crazy times. I think it is such a pity that so many friendships casually die off because inertia becomes too powerful to overcome. I feel sad that even during gatherings, some people cannot turn up or do not bother to because inertia is so overbearing in their lives. It’s like driving on an expressway without wearing a seat belt: we become aware of inertia only when the driver is thrown through the windscreen upon a sudden stop. Similarly, by the time we become aware of this inertia in our social lives, more often than not the damage is already done.
But as in physics, inertia can be overcome by the introduction of a force in the correct direction. A force is a push or a pull exerted to change the state of an object. If exerted on a stationary object for example, the force can allow the object overcome its reluctance to move.
I have a lot of respect for those who are able to create this force and propel themselves to overcome inertia. They are able to gain strength from the thought that the goodness which comes out of maintaining that friendship is worth the extra effort. They try continually, ever so determined to bring back remnants of those good old memories. I salute them for their tremendous efforts and their faith in the human spirit.
We tackle physics questions concerning inertia and forces with apparent ease. Let us one day be able to tackle our social problems regarding these same two concepts with that same kind of ease. Let not a simple misstep on our part tear down years of friendship and love.
INERTIA AND FORCE
Inertia (noun): the reluctance of an object to stop moving when it is in motion or to start moving when it is stationary.
It is strangely coincidental how a word so commonly used in the study of physics is actually so predominant in our daily lives. Yet it is highly ironic that while so many of us may be able to identify this occurrence when answering physics questions, so few of us really recognise how much impact it has in our social lives.
Imagine this scenario: you are flipping through the pages of your secondary school autograph book when you suddenly come across the page contributed by a very close friend of yours. As the memories flood back into your mind, you realise how long it has been since you spoke to this friend of yours. Yet, you hesitate to give him or her a call. A little voice at the back of your head says, “it’ll be so awkward” or “maybe next time when I have more time”; and you obey that voice.
That voice, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is inertia at work. So often, we get caught up in the nitty gritty details of our hectic lives. We unknowingly become so used to rushing around and getting things done that we are reluctant to stop and focus on something that is very much closer to our hearts: friends.
The very people with whom we once played catch, the people who stood by us when we felt low and vulnerable, the people with whom we shared so many highs and lows, happy and sad, wacky and crazy times. I think it is such a pity that so many friendships casually die off because inertia becomes too powerful to overcome. I feel sad that even during gatherings, some people cannot turn up or do not bother to because inertia is so overbearing in their lives. It’s like driving on an expressway without wearing a seat belt: we become aware of inertia only when the driver is thrown through the windscreen upon a sudden stop. Similarly, by the time we become aware of this inertia in our social lives, more often than not the damage is already done.
But as in physics, inertia can be overcome by the introduction of a force in the correct direction. A force is a push or a pull exerted to change the state of an object. If exerted on a stationary object for example, the force can allow the object overcome its reluctance to move.
I have a lot of respect for those who are able to create this force and propel themselves to overcome inertia. They are able to gain strength from the thought that the goodness which comes out of maintaining that friendship is worth the extra effort. They try continually, ever so determined to bring back remnants of those good old memories. I salute them for their tremendous efforts and their faith in the human spirit.
We tackle physics questions concerning inertia and forces with apparent ease. Let us one day be able to tackle our social problems regarding these same two concepts with that same kind of ease. Let not a simple misstep on our part tear down years of friendship and love.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Ties that bind...
Yesterday was the Mid Autumn Festival celebration in my Junior College... this photo shows people from at least 5 generations of members from the Wushu club... says a lot about the kind of experiences we had in our 2 years in wushu...
Thursday, September 04, 2008
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