**"What if he googled me" was censored because of certain insensitivities.**
Yesterday was a pretty awesome day. I went to Nim's hse for lessons. MJ1101E. (Majong exposure module). Or rather it was a refresher course since it's my 2nd time playing with the pros. Wasn't surprising that I lost all the rounds, luckily i didn't stay long cos the plate of chips was dwindling by the time i left and i pity W having to take over me.
And so i rushed to meet WHan at Cinneleisure to watch the sneaks of The Fountain. The show was nonsensical, too many biblical undertones for my liking. And to save money the director kept recycling/reusing some scenes...."Not again, this is the 4th time we're seeing this scene...." The overall message it was trying to get across was 'not to be afraid of death'. I was saying to WHan, how hard can it be to bring across that point? The director took abt 100min. Gosh.
After the movie was much better. We had a good talk, went shopping at Isetan and Borders! (I luv bookstores) And then for supper at Mac.... Did you know they shrunk Fillet o'fish. Pathetic, how to fill my stomach when it's so small and so ex? So what if they changed the packaging and it now comes with a box? Give me back the wrapper and 'regrow' the fillet and i'll trade you back the box.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Day 16
Whee...
Just came back from cycling with Leong. We went abt 4km to fr our hse to Bishan Park. 4km may be peanuts but for someone who almost nv steps out of the hse to do anything more vigourous than being a 'couch potato', this is an achievement alr, and I'm contented. Could've gone furthur but I thought we'd better take babysteps at a time, lest i develop a "negative reinforcement" to it.
Just came back from cycling with Leong. We went abt 4km to fr our hse to Bishan Park. 4km may be peanuts but for someone who almost nv steps out of the hse to do anything more vigourous than being a 'couch potato', this is an achievement alr, and I'm contented. Could've gone furthur but I thought we'd better take babysteps at a time, lest i develop a "negative reinforcement" to it. The last time I cycled we were in Cambodia where my cycling skills were legendary. I say legendary because the ppl there cycle great, the kids there cycle effortlessly on bikes way bigger than themselves. It must hv been the most comical sight to see someone, a foreigner, cycle with so much difficulty. With my super lousy skills, I tried ferrying someone else and we ended crashing twice. Once into some oncoming bikes...kids... So piaseh. Embarrassed my ctry leh...
Today I went to MWH too. It was CNY celebrations today. Didn't do much except served oranges and new yr goodies + hear the old folks sing. Quite entertaining, I don't even remember the lyrics to the new yr songs but these old folks....the lyrics are buried in their hearts. Even those with speech difficulty held the mike and belted a few songs for us! Can still hear the melody although I could not make out the words. What a great effort that deserves a clap!
Today i had a minor triumph, i managed to break the ice with a couple of old ladies. These grp of old ladies can't speak normally and are very shy so they're usu neglected by the volunteers. But today I held their hands and played some games with them and they responded. I could feel they appreciated it, so it made me happy too. There was this old lady who gave me the cold stare and wouldn't say hi to me or shake my hand at first, but I managed to arouse her interest after I started playing some hand games with the rest while she looked on. Finally she agreed to play with me when I asked her again! Yayz~
Sometimes i feel like i'm self-entertaining myself, celebrating over these minor things... quite childish of me, but through this "childishness" at least I can tell myself i just made that someone smile, even for that brief 1 sec.
Happy Kids at MWH
Today i had a minor triumph, i managed to break the ice with a couple of old ladies. These grp of old ladies can't speak normally and are very shy so they're usu neglected by the volunteers. But today I held their hands and played some games with them and they responded. I could feel they appreciated it, so it made me happy too. There was this old lady who gave me the cold stare and wouldn't say hi to me or shake my hand at first, but I managed to arouse her interest after I started playing some hand games with the rest while she looked on. Finally she agreed to play with me when I asked her again! Yayz~
Sometimes i feel like i'm self-entertaining myself, celebrating over these minor things... quite childish of me, but through this "childishness" at least I can tell myself i just made that someone smile, even for that brief 1 sec.
Happy Kids at MWHFriday, February 09, 2007
Day 15
Heehee ^^ Today I gave Meng a hug. He did so well for his OLvls! I'm so proud of him! He was too shy and won't let me hug him at first, haha but later he relented. Gosh, now hug him still must tiptoe... better hug more now else nx time too old alr cannot hug him anymore....=p So proud of him... he spent every weekend at Scouts, don't see him studying at all still can get 9A1 & 2B3!! Superman!!!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Day 14
Last Mon night, I surprised myself by holding a 1.5 hr phone conversation with a friend. The only other times I've done it b4 were with xx. Anyway, this friend of mine is looking for a job. He's been rejected a few times because of his criminal record and is feeling rather despondent. He shared that he was passed up by employers even though they told him "he was the most qualified candidate for the job". I feel rather sad for him cos he's so young. Just because of one past mistake, ppl won't give him a chance.
This got me thinking. Could our govt erase an ex-offender's record like in some other Western countries? Like paroles, if we can accept it and save some super-villianous guy from the gallows, surely we can give ex-offenders of petty crimes another chance. I'm not saying erase all the prisons records. But maybe like one or 2 in a span of 5 years? They did it in ancient China too (according to the many Ch8 tv dramas i've watched), the Emperor decides to pardon all his prisoners during his birthday anniversary, for karma reasons. Since the Yellow Ribbon Project hasn't seemed to have much success in changing society's or rather employers' mindset towards ex-offenders, maybe we shld reexamine the system.
Some ex-offenders are truely rependent and just want to get on with life. They try very hard. Their families and friends are willing to accept them. But to strangers, ppl who do not hv the chance to know them better it is different. When they go for job interviews and face the question of "Do you hv a past criminal record?", it bothers them. They can lie, but if they choose otherwise and put a check in the "Yes" box, the employers penalize them for their honesty!
The intention behind the YRP is to help ex-offenders integrate back into society but if they face this sort of rejection again and again, depression sets in and we may drive them back to their 'old ways'. My friend for example was using words like "bum" and "useless" to describe himself.
Of course, we must be extremely selective in screening the cases. We can't just pardon everyone on a whim. The ex-offenders must prove that they deserve the chance for their "tainted record" to be "bleached white again". Sure, there'll be detractors, e.g from the victims' families and from cynics, who believe that erasing the ex-offender's record is equivalent to "allowing a wolf to walk around in sheep's clothing". People will say that the prison records act as a safeguard for those who did not commit any injurious actions that forfeit their rights in society, against those who did. We need to differentiate 'them' from 'us'.
This sort of opinion is not totally wrong. I read once in Readers Digest abt these 2 youngsters who killed another 2-yr old when they were just ten. [Case] They were given new identities 10 years later, after serving their sentence. People were horrified, especially for the many who cannot forget the brutal killing of the toddler. For the 2 boys, now youngsters, no one knows they were the ones responsible. Their girlfriends do not know they're dating ex-murderers!
Maybe to ease the quandary, I'd suggest that the ex-offender can hv his record erased from the public, but must still periodically report to probation officers? I don't know...
It does not cost the authorities much to erase a record, but it can truely make things a lot easier for that someone who is trying to make a fresh start in life. I think this 'act of pardon' is sth our govt shld consider.
But for now, I can only say to my friend, "Don't give up, there's a silver lining in every cloud!"
FYI, my friend is "no bum", in fact, he's quite a role model among his peers. He denies this saying he's no role model. But I'd say! the definition of "role model" is not all-encompassing. Everyone has their shortcomings, but they also hv some good qualities that others don't possess and can learn from. Many ppl are role models but in different ways =)
"You'll get by somehow, everyone does."
This got me thinking. Could our govt erase an ex-offender's record like in some other Western countries? Like paroles, if we can accept it and save some super-villianous guy from the gallows, surely we can give ex-offenders of petty crimes another chance. I'm not saying erase all the prisons records. But maybe like one or 2 in a span of 5 years? They did it in ancient China too (according to the many Ch8 tv dramas i've watched), the Emperor decides to pardon all his prisoners during his birthday anniversary, for karma reasons. Since the Yellow Ribbon Project hasn't seemed to have much success in changing society's or rather employers' mindset towards ex-offenders, maybe we shld reexamine the system.
Some ex-offenders are truely rependent and just want to get on with life. They try very hard. Their families and friends are willing to accept them. But to strangers, ppl who do not hv the chance to know them better it is different. When they go for job interviews and face the question of "Do you hv a past criminal record?", it bothers them. They can lie, but if they choose otherwise and put a check in the "Yes" box, the employers penalize them for their honesty!
The intention behind the YRP is to help ex-offenders integrate back into society but if they face this sort of rejection again and again, depression sets in and we may drive them back to their 'old ways'. My friend for example was using words like "bum" and "useless" to describe himself.
Of course, we must be extremely selective in screening the cases. We can't just pardon everyone on a whim. The ex-offenders must prove that they deserve the chance for their "tainted record" to be "bleached white again". Sure, there'll be detractors, e.g from the victims' families and from cynics, who believe that erasing the ex-offender's record is equivalent to "allowing a wolf to walk around in sheep's clothing". People will say that the prison records act as a safeguard for those who did not commit any injurious actions that forfeit their rights in society, against those who did. We need to differentiate 'them' from 'us'.
This sort of opinion is not totally wrong. I read once in Readers Digest abt these 2 youngsters who killed another 2-yr old when they were just ten. [Case] They were given new identities 10 years later, after serving their sentence. People were horrified, especially for the many who cannot forget the brutal killing of the toddler. For the 2 boys, now youngsters, no one knows they were the ones responsible. Their girlfriends do not know they're dating ex-murderers!
Maybe to ease the quandary, I'd suggest that the ex-offender can hv his record erased from the public, but must still periodically report to probation officers? I don't know...
It does not cost the authorities much to erase a record, but it can truely make things a lot easier for that someone who is trying to make a fresh start in life. I think this 'act of pardon' is sth our govt shld consider.
But for now, I can only say to my friend, "Don't give up, there's a silver lining in every cloud!"
FYI, my friend is "no bum", in fact, he's quite a role model among his peers. He denies this saying he's no role model. But I'd say! the definition of "role model" is not all-encompassing. Everyone has their shortcomings, but they also hv some good qualities that others don't possess and can learn from. Many ppl are role models but in different ways =)
"You'll get by somehow, everyone does."
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Day 13
why is there no Day 13?? it's not that i can't count but i was saving space for this entry (to be written in retrospective)...
Went to Moral Home today with LYong and WHao. My objective was to be there as an observer, to see how other organisations run their outings and sessions. It was quite an eye-opener, they've got much more resources then we do. As a student org, we're always handicapped by the lack of funding. ESN shares the same problem of lack of manpower but their "lack" is different from mwh. They 财大势大unlike us. Their so called lack was because the no. of elderly going on the outings was much greater. The result, 2 busloads of ppl took off to Vivocity.
My observer status soon melted down as my "volunteer" mode kicked in. I had to talk to 'my' elderly because the other girl i was paired with cldn't speak Cantonese. My cantonese is not much to boost of either and i had to take ages to answer the old lady that Vivocity was a "xing ga po zhui dai ge baet four gong xi, san kei gei"-- literally the largest shopping mall in spore. newly built. Haha.
After taking the elderly to the deck to see the scenery....She recognises Sentosa! at 88 years old! Recalls taking the cable car, but would not take it again cos she "keng"-- scared. Well, during the bus journey she was regaling me with tales of where she went, seeking my affirmation that we were where she thought we were...(she had been to these places before).
Nice old lady, refused to buy anything more than she needed with the $20 at hand even though it's sponsored. Sigh, others wld hv unceremoniously spent everything but after we 劝得口水都干了，she still spent less than 10 bucks.
However!!! There's sth i realised at dinner at this coffeeshop where we had quite a nice meal. Old people will not 客气 when it comes to filling their stomach. This salient point i had discovered too in my late grandmother. They won't stop until they're full. They're not picky when it comes to food but their stomachs gotta be filled so they can live a ripe long life. Even if they're sick and got no appetite, they'll force themselves to eat an adequate amount.
We shld take a leaf from these 'old books'. Because it's survival. You don't realise unless you are sick. Go to the hospital, you'll see that in the ardous battle the chemo pts fight, food is essential for a high chance of survival. You don't eat, you lose. (I know cos we've been through it)
Ok, the evening ended when we drove through Chinatown to show the elderly the cny displays and sang them countless cny songs on the bus. Oh ya, the volunteers there sing really out of tune but they still sing. People with generous hearts find this courage effortlessly =)
Went to Moral Home today with LYong and WHao. My objective was to be there as an observer, to see how other organisations run their outings and sessions. It was quite an eye-opener, they've got much more resources then we do. As a student org, we're always handicapped by the lack of funding. ESN shares the same problem of lack of manpower but their "lack" is different from mwh. They 财大势大unlike us. Their so called lack was because the no. of elderly going on the outings was much greater. The result, 2 busloads of ppl took off to Vivocity.
My observer status soon melted down as my "volunteer" mode kicked in. I had to talk to 'my' elderly because the other girl i was paired with cldn't speak Cantonese. My cantonese is not much to boost of either and i had to take ages to answer the old lady that Vivocity was a "xing ga po zhui dai ge baet four gong xi, san kei gei"-- literally the largest shopping mall in spore. newly built. Haha.
After taking the elderly to the deck to see the scenery....She recognises Sentosa! at 88 years old! Recalls taking the cable car, but would not take it again cos she "keng"-- scared. Well, during the bus journey she was regaling me with tales of where she went, seeking my affirmation that we were where she thought we were...(she had been to these places before).
Nice old lady, refused to buy anything more than she needed with the $20 at hand even though it's sponsored. Sigh, others wld hv unceremoniously spent everything but after we 劝得口水都干了，she still spent less than 10 bucks.
However!!! There's sth i realised at dinner at this coffeeshop where we had quite a nice meal. Old people will not 客气 when it comes to filling their stomach. This salient point i had discovered too in my late grandmother. They won't stop until they're full. They're not picky when it comes to food but their stomachs gotta be filled so they can live a ripe long life. Even if they're sick and got no appetite, they'll force themselves to eat an adequate amount.
We shld take a leaf from these 'old books'. Because it's survival. You don't realise unless you are sick. Go to the hospital, you'll see that in the ardous battle the chemo pts fight, food is essential for a high chance of survival. You don't eat, you lose. (I know cos we've been through it)
Ok, the evening ended when we drove through Chinatown to show the elderly the cny displays and sang them countless cny songs on the bus. Oh ya, the volunteers there sing really out of tune but they still sing. People with generous hearts find this courage effortlessly =)
Friday, February 02, 2007
Day 12
The Sangkhem gals went partying at NYDC at Wheelock Place this evening. Ha, no guys were invited. Edwin and Duc protested but unless they wore skirts, no guys allowed =X We waited for a very long while for seats, but it was worth it la, when we finally sat down and caught up with each other. My first real Friday Night out in a very long time!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Day 11
Met Duc, Edwin and Shimin for lunch at Biz canteen today. Duc regaled us with his experience at the food eating competition. It seems his team lost to a prc team. Haha so 'xiong' those guys... I was thinking Singaporeans kiasu? We still lose to the dragon ctry leh. I remember SMin saying that in another local tertiary, some prcs finshed the projects even before the the sem, risking the possibility of the project topic being changed, and not getting the module. Plus if 3 prcs form a team and the teacher req' 4 members, they'll just subsume last member who will hv it easy. On top of the "horror stories" of them study through the night w/o sleep. I personally had one of these "horror sightings" when I stayed bk in the central forum 1 night.
But on the other hand, who can blame them? Intense competition from their 1.3x10^9 compatriots bk in their ctry, it's only essential. The $100 prize fr the eating competition might be meagre after being split among 4 ppl, but it's still money. I think if I were them, chances are I'll do the same. Moreover, I think some of them joined just for the sport of it! If you compare this to many ppl who don't join because it's very "malu", the chinese deserve our admiration. And to maintain a cap of 4.5-5, we shld make them our role models.
But on the other hand, who can blame them? Intense competition from their 1.3x10^9 compatriots bk in their ctry, it's only essential. The $100 prize fr the eating competition might be meagre after being split among 4 ppl, but it's still money. I think if I were them, chances are I'll do the same. Moreover, I think some of them joined just for the sport of it! If you compare this to many ppl who don't join because it's very "malu", the chinese deserve our admiration. And to maintain a cap of 4.5-5, we shld make them our role models.
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