Inferiority Complex

It is better to be envied than pitied. - Vorian Atreides


I think I've used the same quote somewhere in this blog before. But well, no other quote suits this topic better. I'm gonna come clean with myself for the first time, and perhaps the only time. If you guys wanna know about a vital piece of myself, check this out. But I assume most of you (if not all) would carry on reading this anyway.


Yes, I'm beaten. Beaten without fail. Resistance only ends in futility. I can only dream, and continue dreaming for the rest of my life and can never achieve whatever I really wanted, or fulfill any of my dreams. Maybe "never" is too exaggerating a word. "No longer" is probably what I really mean. No longer having the ability to achieve or fulfill my own dreams.


I probably have a minor case of inferiority complex, and have had that since primary school days. I just wasn't good enough. I can't jump high or far(that explains my inevitable failing of Standing Broad Jump), I can't play any sports even adequately(primary school days), I can no longer score good grades for my subjects(when I stepped into secondary school life), I can't be very vocal and charismatic, I can't sprint or run long distance, I don't have the strength to do pull-ups or even typical push-ups, I can't stretch much, I can't play basketball well enough, I don't have musical talent, I'm not agile enough, I'm not creative enough, I'm not good-looking enough, I'm not funny enough etc..... and so on... I think I can go all day about this. Bottom line: I am not good enough


Naruto has a dream, which is to become the Hokage, surpassing all the others that have came before him, as an attempt to make everyone acknowledge him as a person. He stands by his dream, never taking back his words and advances towards that goal with his undeniably strong will. Slowly but surely he is progressing towards becoming the Hokage, and the anime/manga serves as a platform to showcase his storied journey towards achieving that dream. I really admire his undying will and strength, and that's one of my reasons for being a fan of the series. He refuses to surrender and succumb to the evil side, striving towards being acknowledged by everyone, no matter how the odds are against him. Sometimes I wish to be like him, though I'm a far cry from what he is.


I knew that I'm inferior since primary school and I admit, I tried to change myself. To change for the better. My motivation for doing so? A girl I used to like. I tried to become better, so that I'm worthy of being together with her. Ya I know this definitely sounds silly, cheesy and unbelievably stupid till anyone can laugh at what I've done. But I'm not joking. That's my mentality. So what did I do? I began to play basketball, something I really sucked at when I'm still a primary school kid. I began to play Audition, which she also plays, so that I can have the chance to play with her. Mind you, I don't even have internet connection and a decent computer back then, so I've gotta head to internet cafes to play and hopefully get better(It didn't happen though, stuck at playing 140bpm max). I even began to try to lose weight as well. I began to talk more, and try to socialise more, hanging around with more friends, as well as trying to boost my not-very-high self-esteem.


Even in secondary school, I continued to try to become better because of that person. I didn't regret what I did. I changed because of her. I become the person I am today mainly because of her, and she probably didn't even realise it. I am better at basketball now, though not at a 'pro' level. I'm not as fat or chubby as I used to be, and I'm able to do things better now. But I'm still not good enough. I constantly feel the heat of the competition of the people around(or not) me. Just by looking at them, I have the urge to just look away and shake my head. They are able to sprint really fast, do multiple pull-ups, flip tyres, play basketball better than me, speak really well, or just more good-looking than me. They can even just be more attractive. Or all at once. And I am miles away from being on par with them.


I really envy these people, because they can do what I can't. But as the very famous and cliché saying goes "Everybody is special in their own ways", I suppose I'm special in my own way too. Well? Where? What? How? No matter how you see it, I don't think there's something really special about me. Not counting my very own looks(well I don't have a twin so my looks are 'one of a kind'), and some small and insignificant characteristics, I'm not by any means 'special'. But any religious or wise person would tell me to look at those small and insignificant traits within me carefully, and find out how special I am. Not denying it, perhaps I really am "special". But I don't wanna be special in such a ordinary way. It's not enough for me. I want to be truly special but not exactly outta this world. I want to be extraordinary. Okay, maybe not THAT extraordinary. Just something... more...


Two nights ago, a primary school classmate added me on Facebook, and to be honest, I'd never expected him to do so. We ain't exactly the best of friends, and we often quarrelled over minor stuff(those kinda harmless arguments and name-calling in schools). But if I do remember about him and what he was back then, he wasn't what he is today. So as to speak, he changed as well. He started a pretty warming Facebook conversation, and I really felt him mature and grown over the years. Really, I think I'm getting old and sentimental HAHAS... But, he became a rather nice person to talk to, and I didn't expect that of him. It appears that he got into NYJC which many of my ex-classmates together with him enrolled in, and I can only state that I went into Innova. You can drone on and on about the equality between schools and all that policies but we cannot deny the fact that there are better schools, elite schools and lower-standard schools. There's no changing it. I screwed up my O-Levels though I have to be grateful that I did my very best and a few subjects saved my life. Raw 15 points, I don't have many choices to choose from. I chose Innova because I believed that I can redeem myself from my mistakes and find a new life there. A new life? Ya, I found it. But it never was the same again. I don't have the Brotherhood beside me, I don't have 4 Endurance in my classroom, I don't have Mr Sherman See as my form teacher. I really miss secondary school life minus the work and stuff. 


Not looking down on Innova JC(I like my college a lot), but statistics show that I'm at the bottom of the league while most of my friends are on another level. We're all competing for the seats in the universities and we're supposed to strive for a course that we are interested in and able to score in as well. But the education system being mostly results-orientated, the seats are highly likely to go to those who are studying in the 'elite' colleges right now. Well, unless something extraordinary happened, and we Innovians start a revolution. A revolution to beat the odds and change our 'predestined' fate. Can't ignore that possibility, since amazing things have been happening just recently.


I used to be the top in class. Now, I'm at the bottom(I mean not being in the good or elite colleges NOT bottom in class). The peeps which I beat in results before, actually maintained their scores or even climbed into greater heights, getting into those elite colleges. Hwa Chong, National, Victoria Junior College(VJC). What can I say? You think I have a reason to feel inferior now? 


I wish I don't have to add this experience I had into this post, but it seems relevant enough for me to do so. I went to VJC for... a good friend's concert since she's performing. I thought I should accept the invitation and go support her since she had worked and practised really hard for it. To be honest, it was a torture from what I can tell. Needless to say, I stepped into that college for the first time and I felt... humbled. There's nothing really grand about the college(no offence), but I just feel so small. I mean, if you ask me to wear an Innova JC's PE shirt and walk straight in, I would. That's my pride for being part of the college. But, in my head, I just keep thinking that there are freaks in this school. Don't misunderstand me, what I meant by "freaks": Freaks of nature. They are high scorers in terms of academics and can play really well in sports and performing arts. There are probably really good speakers as well. If my memory didn't fail me, VJC won a couple of A-Division championships this year. Something IJC would not do that easily.


Lemme sidetrack a little bit and talk about the concert I went for. It was a brilliant performance by the Harmoc band, inclusive of my friend and I thought I've made the right choice to attend the concert, though I have an Economics examination the next day. I'm glad I went, and I wish I could hear more of their wonderful performance. Hehehe... To be honest, one of the main reasons I attended it(beside my friend), was because of a song that the band was gonna play. Anyone who know me well enough will able to guess what song it is and how much it meant to me. It is very meaningful and tragic at the same time. Too bad, my friend wasn't performing that song though. Over all, I'm really glad I made the tough decision to attend the concert and once again able to see a few of my friends and have a short reunion. All I can say for the performance is that, it could've been longer but still, it's pretty good. I hope my friend and her Harmoc company will continue to play such beautiful music. Kudos to my friend here, for making lotsa effort for the performance and for the brilliant performance itself.


Back to the topic. I'm neither good enough nor special enough. It's just humbling. I really envy those who are gifted, one way or another. Sometimes, I wish roles can be swapped. Some people misuse their gifted talents and use them with evil or unfriendly intentions. They just take their superiority over others for granted. Here's another one: "With great power comes great responsibility". These people sure don't have any dignified responsibility. That's another reason to say that life is unfair. Well, since when life has been fair? Especially towards the kind and innocent(In case you are wondering, I'm not talking about myself). Gifted talents and traits are often abused by those despicable and unforgivable people. And people who truly deserved these extra gifts from heaven, did not have them. No point asking why though. It just works this way.


Sometimes, I wish I can just surrender. Give up. Throw away my dreams and ambitions. If not for watching Naruto and his undying Will of Fire, I would've given up long ago. I wouldn't have just stood there and get pummelled time and time again as I sought to climb back up. As I sought to redeem myself. As I sought to change for the better. As I sought to win someone's heart. I wish I can just release and open up my clenched fist and just let it go. But it is just too darn difficult either way. I know I'm inferior but I ain't giving up. I know it's almost impossible but I'm not backing down. I know it's pointless to continue the struggle but I can't let go. I know it hurts but I just don't quit.


Change is forever. Change is constant. I know I still have a long way to go before I can catch up, but I'm gonna do it. I've been constantly changing because of a single motivation, and I've done it. Well, at least half of it. My second half is just about to begin. Take note guys, I'm gonna come after y'all. The epic twist of the story is just about to begin. Something revolutionary is gonna happen. And my prophecies often come true. My advice? Don't even blink. 

Championship

"We thought the Premier League had gone. Thank God it all worked out for us. We got two goals in five minutes. It was absolutely unbelievable." - Sergio Kun Aguero

I guess this post is pretty obvious huh? 13 May 2012: Manchester City became the Barclays Premier League champions. It is a historical moment, both for Manchester City and the Premier League itself. Truly, a memory to savour. If you're a football fan(or 'soccer'), you would probably have known how great a magnitude was the final match of the BPL season this year for Manchester City. Their arch-rivals and the only championship contender left standing: Manchester United, shares the same points as them, lagging behind only due to goal difference. In order for City to clinch that title which had evaded them for 44 years, they have to at least match the results of the Manchester United match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, and pray that United does not score many goals to cancel out the goal difference.


I was watching the match with my dad, and had expected that City will be up against a tough side on that night, facing a relegation-threatened QPR. After the first couple of minutes watching that match, and just looking at how QPR is defending with all 11 men(inclusive of the Goal-Keeper), I knew it won't be easy for City to score. Though dominating a huge portion of ball possession, City didn't score until Zabaleta took an shot and the ball went across the line, though QPR keeper deflected it, with a stroke of luck. Prior to that, the City fans at Etihad Stadium and across the world were very nervous, as United scored with Rooney's header.


After a Barton's ejection from the match, likely to face a long match ban for elbowing City striker Tevez and kneeing another City forward Aguero after being shown the red card, QPR took advantage of City's defence "accidents", scoring two goals and claiming the lead 2-1 against City. This is where the crazy part starts. United lead Sunderland 1-0 all the way till the whistle was blew, and during this period of time, City was trying to regain the lead from QPR. Despite numerous attempts at scoring, they have been denied again and again by the QPR defenders and keeper Paddy Kenny. But, the equaliser came at the additional time, with Dzeko hitting a header from a corner cross from David Silva. With just a few more minutes to play, the struggle between United and City for the title only escalated. 


On the virtual table, United was on top of the table after securing a victory over Sunderland while City fought for a draw. The City fans at Etihad Stadium was virtually on the edge of collapse. As it looks clear that United will win their 20th title, something extraordinary happened. A hero rose to the occasion. Substitute Mario Balotelli forced the ball to Sergio Aguero's feet and the Argentinian striker rammed the ball home, creating a miraculous comeback for City and their title dreams. Anyone could imagine how the United players and fans felt after that crazy strike. That happened in the 93rd minute plus 20 seconds. The City fans went into frenzy after witnessing the goal that brought the their Premier League trophy. That was absolutely stunning.


I officially joined the camp of the blue side of Manchester after witnessing Aguero's prowess in the early matches of the season, believing that they have a legitimate shot at the title this season. If you're saying that I'm a bandwagon fan, well I don't support United, Liverpool or Chelsea. I had supported Arsenal, during the 'Invincibles' era with Thierry Henry spearheading their campaign for trophies. After that I became rather mild in supporting either teams in the BPL. Throughout all the years in my life(I'm not old, I'm only 17), I didn't get the chance to witness the team I support win a championship. Not in Premier League football, not in NBA. The closest I got was the Celtics vs Lakers Finals Game 7, which I wrote about just previously. Really, I didn't have the chance to celebrate my team clinching a championship. That happened to a huge bunch of my friends, which several supports United and they've been winning the title year after year, a few supported NBA teams like Lakers and Spurs which also won NBA championships in the past decade. They have the opportunity to run about, cheering their teams dominant victories and obtain the bragging rights again and again(a lot of people abuse it though), but not me.


I finally have the chance in being part of a championship-caliber team as a supportive fan, but City's performances ain't the most consistent. They had a eight point lead over 2nd-placed United at the mid point of the season, after making their presence felt at Old Trafford by thrashing United 1-6. But several mistakes and slips here and there cost them their lead on the league table and United suddenly stood on top of the table once again, a position so familiar to them. I remember how I was cursing when City dropped crucial points when they lost or draw teams that they are able to win. I felt an all too familiar pain of loss when City lost the lead and perhaps lost their title hopes. However, United's mistakes against Everton and Wigan, after that another loss to City, costed them the lead towards the end of the season. City took over based on goal difference and a decisive win over QPR would most likely land City the title, but it was a hard-fought battle. A battle to the death. On the verge of choking and throwing their title away, City eventually prevailed with an unexpected and dramatic turn of events. Aguero took off his jersey and ran around the stadium for his goal celebration. Guess what? I did the exact same thing!


That was the most exciting match ever for me. It was like the climax of the movie and how the "good guys" always win in the end even when the odds were highly against them. The goals from Dzeko and especially Aguero was unbelievable. And to witness the team I support, to hold the trophy up high, was a special moment for me. I feel like I'm a part of Manchester City now, though I can't score goals, though I can't dribble the ball well, though I don't play football that well. That feeling was simply amazing.


This is truly the best season ever in BPL history, with incredible highs and lows faced in the various teams in the league. The intense rivalry for the title between the 'noisy neighbours' in the two sides of Manchester, the spiralling to the top three of the table through Captain Van Persie's remarkable season by Arsenal, the rise of teams such as Newcastle and Tottenham, the shocking number of goals scored in matches(8-2, 1-5, 1-6, 3-5, 4-4 and etc), the battle for relegations and cases of misconduct. The craziest and most exciting season ever, which the winner was undetermined till the very last minute of the last match of the season.


These few days I've been watching the same footages over and over again, replaying Aguero's "championship-winner" goal repeatedly, and my mad reaction at the goal happened again and again. Listening to the thunderous cheer at the Etihad Stadium definitely made my day. I guess this marks a turning point in my life, a point where I am inspired to reach the top again, like what City did after a long and painful wait. Thank you for the match. Thank you for the season. Thank you for the competition. Thank you, City and United. An unmatched rivalry for the craziest and undoubtedly the best season ever.


P.S by the way, the reign of the Sky Blues has only just begun...


"I never stopped believing, never ever." Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany

Disappointment

Disappointment is a form of bankruptcy - The bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation. - Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind


Sorry for not posting anything for such a long period of time. I actually wanted to post this early this week but as it seems, I was terribly sick. My fever hit a 40.2 degree celsius record. If you think that alone is bad enough, there's more. I've got running and blocked nose, terrible sore throat and coughing really bad. Till now, I still got my cough and sore throat...


Disappointments are part and parcel of life. Who doesn't know that? We all have our moments when we are very disappointed, whether if it's disappointed in our results, disappointed that your birthday present wasn't what you wanted, disappointed that someone else did something terribly wrong when you have expected better from him/her. Nah, I'm not gonna mention anymore examples, since it's obviously too many. But one thing we all do know is that disappointments don't cease to exist. They just keep coming, don't they? One after another.


Just last Friday, I have had quite a number of disappointments. The very first one is the GP essay. I seriously can't believe that I've scored 23/50 for my very first GP essay. That was a sub-pass. And I don't even treat sub-pass as a passing grade. First off, I did my best to do that essay, and even came up with some "brilliant" examples to seal the argument. Though I'm inexperienced and didn't follow much of the taught format, I personally think that 23/50 is far too harsh. Perhaps even biased.


Project Work is another hell for JC students. After getting my PI rejected, I thought what could be worse. Well, lemme tell you what. My PW group arrangement. To be frank, it hit me hard when my PW group was finally revealed. Not saying that any one of them is incapable or just plain slackers. To be honest, I think that they can contribute a lot to the group, including one or two who can come up with remarkable ideas. However, being such an analytical person, I had already came up with possible PW groupings(which is fair yet can ensure team chemistry within the group)in my mind way before our groups are revealed. But it obviously didn't go my way, so disappointment is inevitable. Quite frankly, I contemplated asking our PW tutor for a reshuffle, but I didn't do it. It probably might cause some tension within the class, which I believe we already had. I've been reshuffling the PW groups at the back of my mind ever since the groupings were revealed, "trading" people here and there, while ensuring that they can work together and have the each of the roles given within each group. Though I've actually found a few other combinations which could have worked as well, but like I said, I did not approach my tutor to ask for a reshuffle.


Remember I said something about going for my House Exco interview in one of my previous posts? I didn't get into the House Exco. Yesterday the House leaders and CCA leaders were "inducted" officially if I'm not wrong. To not be up there with the rest of the House Exco members... It is very disappointing. To my surprise, I've found out that my OG mate Isaac didn't get past the interview as well. I mean, I could very well see those who have led the Aquila House well during the Bintan camp. If I could vote for someone to be part of the House Exco, Isaac would definitely be one of the first. But no, he didn't get in. The thing that really made me wonder is why. Why not us? Just becoz' of the interview? Leadership capabilities are measured by an interview? Many people went for the interviews for their respective Houses but some of those notable candidates actually didn't get in as well. Looks like I've still got a long way to go.


Despite being disappointed so many times before, I still feel demoralised somehow. I've been striving to not disappoint anyone anymore, especially myself. But it just keep happening.

A sneak peek of the future? A prophecy?

“This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper" - T.S Eliot


Hey, it's been more than a week since I've last posted, and my excuse will probably forever be the same. Busy. With what? The stressful life of studying in a Junior College. It's taking quite some time to come up with something to talk about. A topic which I have not touched on yet. Also, I'll need both the mood and the time to type it down and post it in here, so it may take a while for me to do so in my current hectic lifestyle.

Strange things have been happening this few days. When I say 'strange', I don't just mean weird stuff going on... I mean bizarre and almost unnatural things occur. No doubt that those living in somewhere along the equator will have already figured it out that the climate is changing for the first time since perhaps in the last 3 centuries. It's raining almost everyday in the supposedly summer period. No, before anyone launch an argument telling me that the countries near the equator do not experience the four seasons, I absolutely agree. Sure we don't have snow falling down and have freezing cold temperature in the winter period, or have scorching hot sun in the summer that will melt most of us (actually we do, but oh well). But we do have rain seasons. The last time I checked, rain normally falls most heavily during the June and December period. What month is it now? April. Before that? March. We still got May until we finally reach June and our deserved long holiday period. But it's been raining cats and dogs in recent weeks. The rains were sure heavy. I'm sure the roofs got one hell of a beating by the ferocious rain. 

It didn't happen just this year. The weather has been pretty unpredictable and unstable since probably 2010. In 2011, it became rather obvious that the climate is definitely changing. Rainy seasons are arriving either later or earlier, and rain falls are either lighter and heavier. Not to mention the length of each period. The monsoon climate is changing pretty dramatically as well. I'm not so sure about the countries out of the tropical and monsoon climate but I got a feeling that things ain't going to be the same again. Not since punching a giant hole in the Earth's atmosphere. 

The weather and climate is still probably something not considered bizarre yet but there's more to come. For the past week, I've witnessed something more extraordinary. Thunderstorms are so common right now that I wouldn't be surprised at all if there's one tomorrow as well. But this time, I am never closer to the streaks of lightning then I am now. The streaks of lightning are so close that I can clearly spot the intense blue energy sparking in the lightning itself. The bright, burning blue energy. Yes, I'm not joking. I just saw it like more than 3 hours ago. And last Friday, after my college's concert, I'm seeing orangey-yellow lightning flashes towards my house's direction from my college. Hey, we are not in Kanto, Johto or Hoenn region. There's no Pikachu or Raikou or Zapdos that is gonna use "Thunder' and send yellow electric flashes in the sky. I've just said the lightning flashes are bright blue. No way they're gonna be orange or yellow.

Just this evening, there was some sort of a overlap between a sunset and a dark brewing thunderstorm that the sky was totally orange and misty. Since light shines upon Earth, almost everywhere is painted orange. Nope there's nothing wrong with my eyes, and I'm certainly not talking about the kind of mild orange-yellow you normally observe in a sunset. It's pure orange. And after the sun totally disappeared, the lightning began to strike  more frequently.

You might think that it is just something new and I shouldn't make a big fuss about this. Maybe I really shouldn't. But I just can't shake off the feeling that something is gonna happen. Something BIG is gonna happen. Not I'm not referring to Chelsea possibly upsetting Barcelona in the Champions League, nor am I promoting the current NBA slogan. I'm more convinced each day that something is gonna happen. Ya, you might think that I am referring to the "Apocalypse, Armageddon, the Judgement Day, the End of the World" whatever you call it, that's rumoured to occur in December 2012. Maybe I am. Not directly though. Somehow, I'm expecting something to happen. Something that might bring about a huge change in the world. Frankly, I've been waiting for that 'something' to happen since the beginning of my huge imagination in Primary School. Who knows? Maybe it really might happen...

The Association: Boston Celtics

"What hurts more, the pain of hard work or the pain of regret?" - Celtics motto


I've finished watching the documentary series "The Association: Boston Celtics", as I happened to chance upon it while looking through Boston Celtics videos on YouTube. No surprise, by now you should have realised that I'm a Celtics fan. I first saw the Celtics in action when I was invited over to my friend's house in the morning here in Singapore to catch the live action of the 2010 NBA Finals Game 7 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, some 8774 miles away. I don't really like the Lakers led by the talented but cocky and often considered a "ball hog" by fans, Kobe Bryant, so I soon found myself cheering for the Green and Whites, the long arch-rivals of the Lakers.


If you know anything about rivalry in sports, especially the most popular football rivalries between Manchester United and Liverpool, and the one between Barcelona and Real Madrid, you'll find this rivalry of the two basketball franchises very similar. In fact, Manchester United have won 19 Premier League trophies while Liverpool won 18, and the LA Lakers actually won 16 NBA Championships while the Boston Celtics won 17. Just too darn similar, isn't it?


In a best of seven games series of the NBA Finals that I was watching, Game 7 was to be the tiebreaker and to determine the new NBA Champion. Being held at the Staples Center in LA, the game attracted Hollywood stars and past legends such as Earvin "Magic" Johnson and so on, and I was really lucky to be able to watch the live telecast. It was an exciting battle between the Kings of the East and West, and as I watched on, the Celtics initially had a solid lead. In the last quarter, things began to break down for the Celtics and Kobe Bryant, along with team-mates Ron Artest and Derek Fisher, led the charge to eventually lead the Celtics by a small margin late in the final minutes of the game. Eventually the Lakers won by a seemingly miraculous comeback in the Finals. Upon witnessing the tough and heartbreaking loss for the C's, I was stunned and felt really sad for them.


No one wants to lose at Game 7 of the NBA Finals. They were so close to the NBA title yet it fell to someone else's hands, and to add into the wounds, they lost to their long-time arch rivals. The historical rivalry between the two teams started way back in the 1960's, when the Celtics led by Bill Russell and Sam Jones competed against the Lakers led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. Man, the three-point line had not even been in place yet. The Celtics won all 6 times against the Lakers in the 1960's era when they went head to head in the NBA Finals. Following up in the 1980's era, the emergence of the Showtime LA Lakers led by Magic Johnson and the Celtics led by Larry Bird reignited the deep rivalry between these two teams again, dominating much of the action in the 1980's. The rivalry turned into everlasting friendship between the two greatest NBA icons Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, whose rivalry saved the failing NBA at the point in time, and marked the best rivalry of all time. Not even Michael Jordan came close in beating that rivalry (since he didn't really have a near equal arch-rival in his era but no doubt he's the GOAT). I remember even writing an essay about the rivalry for my English prelims last year, and scoring 27/30!! 


That was in the past, let's look into the recent match-ups. In the 2007-08 season, the Big Three assembled in Boston: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. They will then go on to meet the Lakers led by Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals once again since 1987, in which they will clinch the NBA championship again, hanging yet another championship banner in the TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics. They then met again in 2010, in a deciding Game 7 and Celtics eventually gave up a solid lead and lost to the Lakers.


I'm in love with the Boston Celtics because of the brotherly love the team had for one another, From Delonte West, Glen Davis, Kendrick Perkins to Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, the Boston Celtics had always been a family. The Brotherhood, I'd call it, really. With head coach Doc Rivers as the father of the family, the Celtics had great team chemistry feared by many others in the league, and a unbroken bond between one another. Although business and trades separated some of them, but they will always be a family. 


"The Association: Boston Celtics" starts off after the terrible loss of the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals and how the Celtics began to push themselves back into form again and to redeem themselves from their mistakes in the Finals. It also shows the ups and downs of the Celtics during the season, including Garnett's, West's and Shaq's injuries, and also the worst thing that ever happened to them: Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson's trade to Oklahoma City. To them, it's like a loss of a family member. A stab in the heart. My eyes went all wet and tears began to drop as I listened and actually felt the hurt it did to the Celtics players. 


I feel that this team deserves my utmost respect as they displayed unmoving determination, amazing talents, an unbreakable bond and the brotherly love and care for one another. A true family. If anything, I would recommend you to watch the videos, as it really is meaningful and you can definitely feel the struggles and triumphs the Celtics faced day in day out. Till today, I remained a Celtics fan and will always be. In my heart, the Boston Celtics were, are and will always be the NBA Champions. Let's go Celtics, capture Banner 18!! #IAmACeltic


P.S I really need to get a Boston Celtics jersey/T-Shirt soon!!


"Once I found out it was done, I broke down in tears. It’s just the love. It is a genuine love for each other. I don’t consider these guys as teammates; I consider them as brothers. I don’t consider the coaches as coaches; I consider them as fathers to me. I am just happy to have had the chance to play with Hall of Famers and been a part of the Celtics history.” - Kendrick Perkins

Thirteen Days

If the sun comes up tomorrow, it is only because of men of good will. And that's - that's all there is between us and the devil. - Kenny O'Donnell in the movie 'Thirteen Days'


There was a movie screening of the film 'Thirteen Days' for History students last Thursday in a lecture theatre. I am (of course) one of those lucky people who actually got to watch this film. Just for the movie, me and my class chose the best seats in the lecture theatre so that we could actually enjoy watching it. It was really a good movie but I ain't one to give a full movie review so let's just drop the idea.


In case you have exactly no idea what the movie is about, I shall give a brief introduction on the plot. The movie is based on the Cuban Missile Crisis, apparently all thirteen days of the crisis from the beginning when the Soviet missiles were secretly shipped and placed in Cuba, all the way till the USSR's agreement to remove the missiles and the end of the Naval Blockade in the perimeters of Cuba. 


Apparently, History is one of the subjects I have chosen to take in the A-Levels, and Cold War is one of the very few themes there are in the subject. Having took History Elective (and scoring pretty well in it) in Secondary School, History remains one of my favourite subjects that I trust myself in obtaining high scores. And Cold War is one of the topics that I was taught by my Mr Sem, my History teacher, who had probably made us master the art of "smoking". Besides being taught the reasons and impacts of this and that in the Cold War, I had my very own knowledge of the topic, so I generally had the whole idea of what actually occurred in the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis.


You might wonder, why would I choose to watch the film till the very end if I understood almost everything that had happened, here's my answer: I have been told by my History tutor that it is a great movie. No joke, it really is. The tutors have reminded us that the film is made from the US perspective, and since we are trying to be as unbiased as possible in our essays, we shouldn't really judge from the movie itself and just enjoy the film as it is. Not that we care anyway. 


The film is circled around President Kennedy and his advisors, the dire situation they were facing in the events of the crisis, and the difficult decisions President Kennedy had to make in order to save the world from Mutually Assured Destruction(MAD) when both superpowers would fire their nukes at each other, killing millions upon millions of people. Well, had that actually happened, we probably won't be here right now. Heck, humanity would probably cease to exist.


It was the men of goodwill that saved the world from plunging into an all-out nuclear war. Thankfully, men of goodwill existed in that period of time. Both sides actually negotiated to bring the crisis to an end. That was good enough. After watching the movie, I had a clear picture of what President Kennedy faced during the crisis: the military heads who strongly opposed his decision of a blockade and to bring about a peaceful end to this crisis, the media who was pouncing on him, the unseen enemy in both Cuba and the Soviet Union, and the precious time which was ticking away.


In the end, the crisis was brought to an end without taking away many lives, then I could say it is because of men(or women) of goodwill who saved humanity. I could see such great leadership and moral qualities within the US leaders. I aspire to be like them someday, really. In times of crisis and strife, heroes rise to the occasion. Let's hope that there are men of goodwill in their midst.

House Captaincy

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

There are a lot of stuff I wanted to post about including the 4E class reunion I had three weeks back(Yes, I know it's old news but the previous post gave me a massive delay), and certain stuff that I feel that I should actually post on here. Though I have the intention, I simply can't find the time and mood to sit down on my computer and start typing a blog post. Not that I'm a very moody guy, but I gotta actually have the 'mood' to write a blog post, when I'm truly capable of expressing my thoughts. Anyways, JC life is hectic and it's gonna get at least ten times worse when we dive into the next section of Project Work, which is probably gonna make life more difficult. Not that I'm saying that I regretted going to JC but it's just that, I have to manage my time better than ever in order to keep up with the speedy pace of JC life.

Anyways, I mentioned before that I'm pretty interested to join the House-Exco after the spectacular orientation camp we had, and especially after kicking the other Houses' backside(No offence, seriously. Part of the beneficial and healthy competitiveness amongst the 4 Houses) in the Campfire performance we put up. I wasn't selected to be one of the ten potential leaders who would become House-Exco members(I'm probably the eleventh guy T.T), so I had to wait for the current House-Exco to call for willing applicants who desires to join the House-Exco. Finally, last Friday they asked us to submit our names and class in our House Master if we are interested. I did exactly that on that very day.

We were informed that the interview to select the candidates for the House-Exco will be held soon but we did not know exactly when. Today morning, when I was in my Economics tutorial lesson, my mobile vibrated and I took a look at the message received. Yup, it is easy to guess what happened, right? The interview was to be held today. I'm like "Seriously? This sure is a last minute call."

Subsequently I went to collect the application form, which was to be handed in during the interview at 5pm, and have to fill it up. Yes, my name, my class, my House and... What position(s) I am vying for. For your info, there's the Captain, two Vice-Captains, Secretary, Logistics Head, Cheers Head, Welfare Head, and two Treasurers within the list of House-Exco roles. I'm not gonna be the Welfare Head anymore(I've been the welfare head in Sec 3 and 4...), so I suppose I'm gonna choose another position. A position that I had expressed interest in. So for the blank, I wrote down just one word. If you actually spot the title of this post, you'll know which position I've chosen. Besides that, I've also written down Vice-Captain and Welfare Head(I guess "habits die hard'...).

So the interview started and finally it's my turn to enter the rifle range for the interview. To sidetrack a little, my House Master is the Teacher-In-Charge for the Shooting CCA,and hence placed one corner of the rifle range to be the interview zone. By the way, there's still training going on, and candidates were supposed to be interviewed by the entire House-Exco members plus the House Master himself, when the people were shooting air rifles and the place just kept going 'pop' and 'pop', distracting me in my answers to the questions raised by the House-Exco.

The very first question was from the House Master(besides the question which they confirmed my name) was "Out of the few positions you have chosen, which position is your first priority?" I answered "Captain", while grinning at the current House Captain which he returned the favour by smiling back and giving me a thumbs-up.

It wasn't actually a bombardment of questions upon me from the House-Exco, since they only asked a few questions to determine my worth and ability to be able to serve the House as a Captain. Another significant question from the House Master would be whether I am comfortable with my studies currently as he explained to me that a prerequisite for membership of the House-Exco is to be able to balance ourselves between our academics, our CCA, and our House stuff, there were incidents in the past where House-Exco members get ousted out because of failure to do well in academics and it could be considered embarrassing to some. I don't know why but I gave the confident look and answered "VERY comfortable". I was trying to liven the mood by making a small joke but it seemed as though they believed what I said...

Another question that was asked by the Logistics Head was that there will be unpleasant people whom I might not want to work with and sometimes even to the extent of hating these people within the House-Exco, and how will I deal with this matter. A pretty popular question, no doubt. However, it was the final question, also asked by the House Master, that left me intrigued. "What if we decide to place you in the Sub-Committee?" I did not ponder much about the question since I've already have the answer at the back of my mind. "I don't mind."

I left afterwards, thinking about what that question really meant. Are they really gonna put me in the Sub-Committee? Am I not suitable to become the House Captain or part of the House-Exco? Or are they just trying to find out my 'love' and 'commitment' to the House? Will I really accept just being in the Sub-Committee? 

The interview with the other candidates(the potential leaders who already got selected) will occur tomorrow afternoon if I'm not wrong, so they will make the decision soon enough. Soon there will be a verdict and let's see if the underdog will 'win' this time round.