BRB - Be Right Back

I never go back on my word! - Naruto


These few days I haven't been posting anything and I most likely will not for at least 2 or 3 days due to the "overwhelming" work and activities I have. But I promise to post after another 2 or 3 days. So... loyal visitors and maybe not-so-loyal visitors and those who happen to bump into my blog, please hang in there! LOL!

Restore

In some families, 'please' is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was 'sorry'. - Margaret Laurence

Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. -  Evan Esar

Every family has it's own problems. Sounds familiar? Commitment to get along with members of your family is the best solution to these problems. Nothing could tear your family apart if the family works together to perserve the harmony amongst yourselves. Sounds sarcastic? Give in, take a step back and all's well. Sounds unreal? From what I can tell, every family has it's own problems. It's rather true. There're different types of problems each family faces, some face more problems, others less, but all face problems. It could be financial, communication, perception, conflicting views on certain stuff, pressure on children and so on. I have a classmate who is rather introverted and quiet in my class, considering that my class is very bonded and we can communicate and approach one another very easily. He's been really troubled and sickly recently. Out of concern, the boys in our class (every boy. That includes me.) asked him about his troubles and worries, wanting to help him. He opened up and said that his parents are top students and his sister is too a top scholar, and that his parents are giving him too much pressure as they always compare him and his sister. He can hardly cope with his work now and we (the guys in the class) are trying to help him in his studies now. Sounds familiar? Or did it happen to you? When parents compare you and your sibling(s), and gives you pressure... I doubt I myself can withstand that kind of pressure for a long period of time and still maintaining good grades. There's one kind of family problems. There're a few examples too. Maybe having a hardcore gambler as either of your parents or both? Perhaps alcoholic instead? Parents that are not understanding and somehow always think that they are correct? Parents that does not spend much time with kids due to work? Enough about parents, how about siblings? A siblings that always bully you and in the end, you're the one getting scolded and he/she is unscathed? A sibling that always fights with you over stuff? A sibling that treats you as a nuisance to them. Or maybe there's problems with both parents and siblings. Or maybe even YOU are the problem. I have witnessed torn-apart families, families that may exist in name but not in reality, families that don't act like families. And I've seen people cursing about their families due to the serious problems they face. I've also seen people being affected due to family problems that is left unresolved. Deep down people hearts, there may be deep wounds in each of their hearts that cannot be thoroughly erased although it may heal over time. Whenever you have a conflict with your family members or problems whatsoever, never turn it into a real fight. Think before you make any action that may be rendered reckless. Coz' it may tear apart families. And those who have broken relationship with any of your family members, restore it. Maybe try by treating them better or perhaps forgive them. I'd hate to see yet another family being tear apart. You may say that you're unlucky to have such a mother, father, sibling(s) or whatever. But you are born into the family. It's your responsibility to prevent the family from falling apart. Every family member is a pillar to hold the family from falling. That includes you. Make an effort to restore any bitter relaionships and broken family ties.

Remark

Ultimately all things are known because you want to believe you know. - Zensunni koan

My one-week school holidays are officially over. The new term started today. Everything is back to the usual school life. It really tends to get boring sometimes. When I meant boring, I do not mean the lessons or homework is boring in nature. I'm referring to the rather automatic and dull life as students. Well, at least we're students. When we go to work, it's even more frustating. Well, what should I say? On the very first day of the supposed school holidays, I'd told myself "The holidays are already coming to an end". I could already visualise the first day of the new term which I went to school with a heavy and dull expression, totally disatisfied with the duration of the holidays we so deserved and the fact that school started already. I did the exact same thing I've foreseen. Then there comes Chemistry lesson. The entire class was completely bored out of the lesson. Then there goes the lecture. Our Chemistry teacher gave us a hard lecture. She said that we're not working hard enough and we will not make our A1s with that kind of attitude we have during class. More, she remarked that we, after getting back the results that is not satisfactory, will blame everyone but ourself. We will blame the teachers for not teaching us properly, for giving too much homework etc., our parents for sending us to tuition, or for NOT sending us for tuition etc., our friends for always dragging us out day and night that made us lose the time for studying etc. so on and so forth.... That was her remark. By that time, I've already clenched my fists. I have always blamed no one besides myself when my results were dissatisfactory. I understand that I'm the one doing the examination papers, not the teachers, parents or friends. I take full responsibility of what I wrote as answer to each and every one of the questions. If I fail, it's my fault. If I pass and do well, the credits goes to me too. I'm sure that I'm not the only one like that in my class. My class is a mature yet fun-filled class. We are bonded to one another, that's why I'm so convinced that there's a high possibility that every single one of our class understands that it's OUR responsibility to obtain good results. And it's OUR results. OUR work. OUR effort. But there's some truth in the teacher's lecture. If we keep this slacking attitude up, we might as well drop the subject. Coz' we'll never make it. Alright, time to make some Attitude Adjustment, don't ya' think?

Spooky Feed #51

O you who know what we suffer here, do not forget us in your prayers. - from Manual of Muad'Dib by the Princess Irulan

I am a great fan of anime and manga. Naruto is one of my favourites and one that I am so crazy about. The anime/manga have not reached it's ending yet, and I'm really excited to see what's gonna happen next. Every weekend I would go to the usual site where I read the manga, which is getting closer and closer to the climax and the ending of this incredible work of Masashi Kishimoto. I want to see this saga of the ninja who dreams of one day becoming the respected Hokage (apparently the strongest ninja in the village and the 'chief' of the village) end with a memorable ending. But an terrible incident blurred the possibility of me actually having the chance to see it finished. I'm sure you guys know about it. What am I talking about? Ask yourself, what's the news all about? I'm sure you will find out what I'm talking about. Every single news episode I see now and then is about this incident. Or should I say, this tragedy, disaster, and danger. Yes, you all know what I am talking about right now, don't you? An earthquake have hit Japan. And its aftermath IS devastating. Besides radiation from nuclear plant explosions, the deaths and casualties due to the earthquake and tsunami, the homes and buildings got severely damaged, and the crisis of facing yet another possibility of atomic incidents. Massive damage have been dealt to Japan. Imagine, the food getting contaminated by the radiation, the loss of loved ones, your home washed away by the huge tsunami... There's something that you should know: the creator of Hello Kitty have been confirmed dead due to the disaster. And rumors are that the artist of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto is missing due to the disaster. He might have come to harm while others say that he is alive and out of harm's way. I am worried for him, as I am worried for each and every one of the people in Japan. I have a classmate who is a Japanese that came to Singapore to study, while her family still lives in Japan. Thank God that her family is safe. I may not have experienced such a disaster yet and you can say that I am in the comfort and safe zone here in Singapore. But I care. I care for the people in Japan right now, suffering from the aftermath of the earthquake. Of course, I've seen countries all around the world sending aid to Japan, and it makes me feel that the world cares for one another. Remember Haiti? Please feel for these people as they are really having a hard time in their own country. I truly believe that the world is full of caring and warm-hearted humans. Let's pray for the best for the people suffering in Japan.

Spooky Feed #50

Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic. - from The Sayings of Muad'Dib by the Princess Irulan

Sorry for not posting for the last two or three days. Apparently I forgot. Although I have not forgotten what to post on. Just two days ago, I went to see a movie - Adjustment Bureau. For those who had enjoyed the movie should know what I'm talking about, and for those who hadn't, I will explain. According to the plot, the Adjustment Bureau is an organisations with extraordinary powers and their mission is to make things go according to 'Plan', and if things don't, they would most probably erase and reset it. I'll give you an idea. A person of the Adjustment Bureau can walk to many different places with the help of the 'Doors', when I mention 'Doors' I meant any door but you would have to put on a Mafia-Like Fedora Hat to have that ability. Other then that they can apparently spill coffee cups with a wave of their hands. They also have this book which they usually bring along that shows people's decision trees. Did I mention that the Adjustment Bureau is a huge organisation, led by the 'Chairman'? Now, you may ask, who's the 'Chairman'? Well, according to the plot, the 'Chairman' is the highest position in the entire organisation, the one who writes the 'Plan', and have powers no one can imagine, and of course the boss of the people working in the Adjustment Bureau. Note: He's the one who pays them their salary. But seriously, 'Chairman'. Well, he's known by a lot of other names in this world, and those in the Adjustment Bureau just call him by the title 'Chairman', if you get what I mean. Anyways, the Adjustment Bureau make sure things go according to the 'Plan', and they really do make sure. They create accidents, maybe minor events or so, a 'coincidental' meeting here and there etc. For example if they don't want you to meet a certain someone, they would spill your coffee (maybe not they themselves but using other methods) so that you would go back to change and wouldn't bump into each other. These little things may seem like accidents but in fact, these things happen because of the Adjustment Bureau.  Scary, isn't it? Although this might be just a movie, but imagine if there is really something like the Adjustment Bureau in our world. It's gonna be creepy. After watching the show, I started to be a little paranoid when events happen, whether big or small. Recently, an 9.0 scale earthquake hits near Japan, causing tsunamis and explosions. It's a rather chaotic situation there. And quite sad too. Then yesterday, I went to send my friends off at the airport as they are going to Vietnam on a overseas study trip but however, due to Visa problems and circumstances, one of my friend is unable to go. Damn unlucky. Or is it?

Spooky Feed #49

He had achieved harmony simply by accepting it. - narration, regarding Gurney Halleck

I'm pretty sure that there's something you dislike in this world. Maybe being 'pretty sure' isn't quite the right word. I AM sure. Let's give a very common example: Wars. Who here likes wars? Wars involve killing, and if you are one of the soldiers, you would be pointing a gun at someone you most likely didn't even meet before in you life and are trying to kill each other. Nowadays, battles are conducted more technologically and sophisicatedly. Instead of old school battles with swords, bows and arrows, warhammers, axes and all that kind of stuff and blood flowing everywhere in the battlefield, we use advanced weapons: guns of all sorts. Then missiles. Then probably a nuclear war. We just have to press a buttons to fire a missile to kill a large number of people, no longer having to kill your enemy with you bare hands holding onto some old and outdated weapons. Maybe the experiences of killing someone at your own hands never belonged to any of the soldiers now, that they wouldn't experience themselves with their hands shaking after a murder. Yes, murder. With a cause. We may not hate war now like we used to on the killing people side after advances in technology but we could still dislike wars due to it's aftermath. Deaths of soldiers and innocent civillians. Lives of people were disrupted. Economy of countries in ruins. Ya, whatever you can think of. But the main point is we dislike wars. At least the most of us do. However, we cannot remove it completely out of this world. There are still heated conflicts all over the world, whether it's during the past, the present or the possible future. Civil wars, revolution, world wars, economic war, war for resources, or just war. We can't simply stop these things from happening over and over again in history even though most of us dislike it. Besides disliking wars, there could be lots of stuff that people dislike. Maybe your friend's attitude, disliking the lousy and inefficient computer, when you are late for the bus and train everytime, the fact that your friends are richer than you, your friends who don't regard you as one of them, the fact that you are born stupid or ugly or less competent or talented. These small little things that you may dislike... Yes name it all, discover the fact that you have always been grumbling about some stuff. Although you may dislike it, but you cannot just take it out of your life and your life consists of only the things that you like. Life don't work that way. For example, if you dislike your friend who is just very loud, noisy and irritating, you can't take him away from your life. Maybe unless you murder him which is a very stupid and reckless move. He would still be in perhaps your school life until the day he leaves. And for some cases, the things that you dislike is stuck in your life forever, nothing you do can remove it from your life. That's why you have to tolerate and think of solutions to these problems. You shouldn't have the mindset that the world should go your way coz' it never happens. Think it over.

Spooky Feed #48

Intelligence takes chance with limited data in an arena where mistakes are not only possible but also necessary. - Darwi Odrade

There's no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves. - Darwi Odrade

I remember vividly the time when I was a kid, learning how to ride a bicycle. My dad was there, holding a firm grip on the right hand steer, supporting and steering the bike so as to not let me fall while riding. I was overwhelmed by this strange feeling, it cannot be described by words. It's like you are learning to do something that you have never done so before. The feeling you get when you are able to do something that you once couldn't, especially as a toddler and a young child. Like the feeling you get when you could finally stand firm and walk when you are just a child. Then everything was gone. Like a balloon burst. A comeback to reality from a dream. I was down leaning right-side on the floor with the once-heavy bike lying on me. My eyes went red and swollen and I was groaning with pain. Yes, you've got it. My dad released his grip. My dad asked me to try again, but I refused. Apparently I was afraid of getting hurt once more. I declined one time after another as he asked one time after another. Days went passed. After 'serious' consideration, I gave in to my dad's persuasion and tried again. How did you think I fare this time round? I'm sure most of you guys should know what happened. I fell again. In the same exact position. Why? Coz' my dad released his grip. Again. Time after time, I tried. Time after time I fell. Maybe not all the times I've fell in the exaxt same way but yes, indeed I fell stupidly and clumsily. You guys who had learned how to ride a bicycle should know what happened next. Yes, naturally and somehow I eventually picked up the skill and never once fell again. Well, maybe besides a few accidents... Now riding a bicycle seems so natural to me now that I can't even explain how I came to know how to ride. My body seems to work on it's own and by the time I know it, I'm already riding leisurely on the bike. It's just like how you sing the national anthem. Your mouth just sings on its own. Like your body just absorbs and memorises what to do. The purpose of this recount is to let you guys know something that is just too common. Mistakes are necessary. Especially for growth and improvement. If you never did fall while learning how to ride a bicycle, it's quite impossible for you to master the skill of cycling. A quote is "You don't learn how to cycle by paddling and steering. You learn by falling." Each time we fell, we got back up to try again, trying our best to not make the same mistake twice, feeling the balance and gaining control. Then finally we mastered it. And the courage to make mistakes and correct it so that you would avoid making the similar error again is of great importance to growth too. If you never wanted to fall, you couldn't have learned how to cycle. And you would forever be stuck riding the ever stable tricycle, unable to catch up with those already ahead riding with only two wheels. So if you made a mistake, no matter how serious or how minor, accept it, correct it and learn from it. Then there would be growth in you.

Spooky Feed #47

Education is no substitute for intelligence. That elusive quality is defined only in part by puzzle-solving ability. It is in the creation of new puzzles reflecting what your senses report that you round out the definitions. - Mentat Text One (decto)

They say the strength of human beings could never match those of animals like elephants, bears, bulls, lions and those which I did not mention. They say the speed of human beings could never match a leopard's or any fast animals I didn't bother to state. They say human beings could never swim faster than sea creatures. What I've said is of course, on the average. Perhaps we human beings really are inferior than certain animals in each attribute. And we might not be correct if we say that we are smarter than animals. One fine example is, a human vs any animal, the human alone, without any gadgets or stuff, and the animal also alone. If disaster strikes somewhere, the animals could feel it and "evacuate" before the disaster reaches the area, but the human could not feel anything and could only spot the incoming disaster when it's rather close. And the animals win the humans once again. But the point is, "without any gadgets or stuff". If the human have a disaster tracking and alert system, he/she could also evacuate from the area early. And who is the one who invented and built the disaster tracking and alert system? That's right, humans. Us. It's not about being the superior or inferior kind. But we humans have the ability to learn, and put our learning into practical use and could surpass any skill of any form. Technology is one very good example. Strength, speed, vision, the ability to stay underwater, the ability to fly, whatever. Television, Google maps, news, oxygen mask and tank, aeroplanes... Maybe you'd ask why are we doing maths and science and geography and social studies and whatever... It is for the world's progress in the near future. Who's gonna do it? Not the polar bears in the North and South Poles, not the leopards, not the sharks, not the elephants. But us humans. We are made for such things. And that's the purpose of education.

Spooky Feed #46

The eye that looks ahead to the safe course is closed forever. - Paul-Muad'dib to the Guild navigators, at his confrontation with the Emperor Shaddam IV.

As expected, I done poorly for the common tests. Most of the papers I took are already returned and analysed for mistakes. However, today my class temporary Form Teacher and our Mathematics Teacher whom we usually dislike his lessons and laugh at his antics, shared with us a message. He called upon one of my classmates to read out the message, and which he did. "Procrastinating, Delegating, all of these do not make us happy as we did not do our best to confront the problem. The whatever short-term victory or joy would turn into a long-term defeat. In that case, the way to long-term victory is to absorb the short-term defeat right now and use the knowlegde gained to turn it to the ultimate victory in the future." That was one part of the speech. And that could summarise the entire message the teacher have for us. Yes, we would feel better if we did not have to do or do any homework, saving it for another day, maybe copy a friend's work at school or asking other people to do it for you and stuff like that. Well, who likes homework? But the exercises are for us to build confidence, speed, momentum, greater understanding and more attributes helpful in our tests, exams which lead to our future. We should stop running away and stand firm to confront the problems. Whether homework, class work, CCA stuff, office work, whatever. If you continue to just procrastinate and do stuff like that, the short-term victory can really turn into a long-term defeat. Our future could be wrecked. I got the idea of the message. And I'm really gonna work on it. Hope those of you who "slacks" gets it too and start pulling your socks up. Life is never easy. We have to reach out and grasp every opportunity for a better future. It's gotta be us, not the friend whom you copy your work, not the subordinate you delegate your work to. Us.