Primary School Days

Just completed last year's A Level Maths! It is surreal in the way that it brings you back to your primary school days where scoring pretty high scores was not an anomaly. Oh well, let us hope they are not going to up the standard for Maths as they did for History.

GP was not bad. It is probably one of the better essays I have written, but still there's always this lurking uncertainty at the back of your mind that it may not be good enough. Did the positive effects of migration question, and also discovered that I will probably be competing against all the Geography students. Mmm but I suspect that their arguments may be too technical and revolve around those that they have learnt in Geography. I guess that's the main problem with doing something so closely related to another discipline, and that was also why I avoided doing the History question on foreign influence.

Yes, migration has positive impact
1. Economic gain: brain gain, managerial experience, labour productivity
2. Cultural diversity: hybridized cultures, cultural feast, adapt foreign elements to local context
3. Demographic impact: solve ageing population

No, migration of people has negative impact
1. Economic loss: brain drain
2. Cultural imperialism: transmigration, centrifugal tensions, 'Coca-colonization'
3. War: Palestine vs Zionist

Other factors
1. Inherent conditions: minority-majority composition
2. Role of government: assimilation vs integration
3. Attitudes and perception: discrimination

Conclusion
Unique configurations of factors as well as nature and intensity of migration interact to produce different consequences of migration. Cannot provide blanket label. Invented a quote.

Hindsight
haha should have said the other factors can interact to augment the positives while reducing the negatives to further tailor the conclusion to the question. And I really should have focused more on the intensity and nature of migration angle! It seems even more interesting than the other factors.

Alright, time's up! Time to start on Physics :D
Oh, and the most fun conversations are the one spent teasing friends who are in denial xD

unexpectedly

Tonight was the first time I felt a surge of panic. You know how epiphanies often surface at the nadir or how such sudden enlightenment often manifeset under deep emotions like grief, happiness, shock... I guess that is happening to me now.

Powerful emotions like fear and panic somehow make this whole experience more real. It is like the proverbial pinch-yourself-to-see-if-this-is-all-real-and-not-just-a-dream expression. The A levels used to seem so surreal - perhaps we have become so used to it that we stop feeling the bite of reality. And now, it never feels more real.

The As is here. It is happening in 4 days' time!

Things like wistfulness, rose-tinted sentiments and beautiful ideals, they can be blocked, masked or obscured from the surface of our minds through distraction - by reading, studying or even playing. But things like deadlines and THE IMPORTANT TEST can't. It is like how we can never run away from our shadows, or tear ourselves away from our skin, and in a parallel vein of thought, we can never run away from the reality of As.

Sigh. This is all so unexpected.

RIJC

Apart from the A levels, the changing of name from RJC to RIJC seems to be the next most hyped up topic. Sentiments regarding the change vacillate from anger to disappointment, from nonchalance to over-enthusiasm, as Rafflesians attempt to come to grips with the change.

In any case, I believe that the merger must have been a decision that has been carefully vetted to make sure that it was an overall win-win situation, and much as we (who are ignorant of the overarching issuse) would like to dispute it, we should trust those situated at the higher echelons of the school to make the right decision.

However, trust, just like respect, is something that cannot be given by default. Trust is earned, and sometimes, it takes more than effort - it takes a collective mindset and attitude that clearly conveys that 'We are doin this for your own good. Seriously' to earn this valued trust.

For the people at the top, I do not think that they should validate decisions of such immense gravity with a simple message packaged into a letter and sent to the existing batches of Rafflesians. I said 'message' because I think using the word 'explanation' might be stretching its definition a little too wide. After all, the letter merely serves to inform rather than educate, such is the blandness of the message.

What we need is simply a clear breakdown of the benefits (i.e. CCAs can share sporting facilities instead of contesting the use of it as was the situation before the merger or perhaps the creation of a united purpose that will help facilitate discussions between board members of the different Raffles school?) and perhaps a promise that we will remain true to our fundamental values. Teachers often tell us to treat markers as if they do not know anything, and provide clear linkages and explanations in our essays. In a parallel vein, perhaps the school should follow suit and grant us the same treatment.

Alas, at the end of the day, all the outcry and affronted sense of pride will eventually evanescent. In the span of a few years, Rafflesians will start to become familiar with being identified as RIJC or RIS, and it will no longer seem so strange or foreign. Change is often resisted in the intial period of time due to our perception of alienation and marginalization. However, it will not be long before the symbols of continuity begin to re-exert their influence and cloud away these feelings of 'institutionism', returning us to the docile times of status quo. With our consciousness becoming increasingly bombarded by these new terms, we will eventually adapt and accept these changes.

We will eventually embrace the new change.

Driving me crazy

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about you. Ok, it's more than a lot. It's A LOT. It's been bothering me so much I just needed somewhere to write it all down. So here's my confession.

You know, I just can't stop thinking about us. You make me lose my mind over you. I am losing sleep every night just thinking how I can solve this problem between you and I. Every single night. And the worst thing is that you probably don't know.

Sigh. I talk to my friends about you, but everyone tells me different things. So many diverging opinions, so many questions. I truly am at a loss of what to do. Can you tell me? No, probably not. Maybe I should have spent more time trying to know you, trying to understand you, but no, I always thought things will go my way, so I didn't bother. Now, it's too late for regrets.

Aren't you tired? Aren't you tired of running through my mind every single moment? If you aren't, I am. I wish I can forget about you, but I can't. It's too hard. Our futures are interlinked, you and I. Even if I want to, you probably wouldn't let me. Why is it so hard, I wonder at times. Perhaps you needed me to lower my expectations, but from the place I come from, these expectations are already low enough. Sorry. I shouldn't judge you like that. It's probably unfair.

You and I, we share this love-hate relationship. No, it's not that I don't love you. It's just that right now, I would really love to hate you and hate to love you.

Sigh. Can we ever resolve the issues between you and I? Can we? I need some advice. Maybe I am not good enough for you.

Uni apps ah, uni apps. You are driving me crazy.

A Growing Anxiety

Sigh, all of a sudden I just have this bad feeling about GP after reading the GP Prelims Examination Report sent by Liyana to the class egroup. I guess I'm resigned to never get the much-coveted A for GP. And this sense of doom is translated across the other subjects as well. Sianzzzzzzzz. This is the first time I'm feeling so anxious about results in a long, long time...

GP Prelims Examination Report

1. Is the pursuit of nuclear technology desirable in today’s world?

One of the more popular questions but the quality of most essays is disappointing. Many students limited their responses to the environment, comparing and contrasting different sources of energy as a substitute to traditional sources of coal and oil; while others focused primarily on the pros and cons of using nuclear technology – the high capital cost, need of infrastructure and expertise, problem of nuclear waste and potential risk of accidents. The predictable examples (sometimes the only examples!) of the atomic bombs used to end WWII and the Chernobyl disaster were often cited as reasons why the pursuit of nuclear technology is undesirable, without taking into consideration the context of today’s world. Better scripts were able to use the same examples intelligently either by drawing some parallels between the past events and the present conditions or by showing contrast to demonstrate the unlikely occurrence of such accidents and the absence of nuclear weapons in any armed conflict and terrorist attacks ever since.

The focus of this question is on the implications of the pursuit of nuclear technology – political, economic, social and environmental – and the assessment of the desirability of such a pursuit in today’s context. Some points to consider: the volatile climate of geopolitics, the manifestations of a country’s ambition or a symbol of power in the global political order, the current energy crisis coupled with the economic demands of development and progress, the recognition that environmental degradation cannot be halted merely by utilizing a greener alternative. The best scripts were able to avoid taking an extreme stand, that of it being completely undesirable or completely desirable. Students must understand the need of having a balanced approach to any GP question.

2. ‘The media have exaggerated the importance of sport.’ Do you agree?

A rather popular question but average or poor scripts spent too much time elucidating on the value of sport with little reference to how the media might have exaggerated the importance of sport. Candidates must show how the media (and there is no need for a definition of the media) have played up the value of sport disproportionately. There should be some indication that this exaggeration has caused some detriment to sport/sportsmen. There was the usual confusion between “sport” and “sports” and also if a singular or plural verb should be used.

Better scripts were able to suggest that the media have created hype in a particular sport (for instance, celebrity status accorded to sportsmen) to cash in on the lucrative advertising dollar. Moreover, by playing up the entertainment value of sport and the media’s over-emphasis on winning, the true spirit of sportsmanship may be lost.

Distinction-grade essays were able to give a balanced perspective that the media have also helped in the development of sport and promoting its value. Very few saw that there was a quid pro quo relationship between sport and media. Far too many candidates are still ignoring the importance of writing an effective thesis statement. Here is an example of a nuanced thesis statement: “….Yet I would like to propose that rather than having been exaggerated by the media, sport is not a slave to the media but that media coverage has given sporting events a more symbolic overture, allowing it to transcend the basic level as a form of entertainment, which explains its seemingly “exaggerated” importance by the world today.” (Tan Shihao Sean, 08A01D)

3. Is innovation always a sign of progress?

This was not a popular question. A total of 11 out of 178 students chose this question.

Requirements

1. This is an argumentative essay which requires a clear stand – whether it is yes or no.

2. The words that need to be clearly defined are ‘innovation’ and ‘progress’. Most students did not bother to do so. One wrote about innovation as synonymous with invention. In fact innovation need not be an entirely new invention but could refer to an improvement of an old idea. It need not just be confined to the field of science & technology, but could include new system/way of doing things, new idea, new method, in any field –education, transport, medicine, leisure etc. Generally the students’ scope was narrow and the entire essay was based on the area of science and technology.

Progress – obviously it is best seen in tangible improvements but must include the non-material aspect. Students ought to see the big picture and assess whether particular innovations contribute to the betterment/advance of society.

Key word to take note of: ALWAYS. This was quite often overlooked.

Sign of – indicates, suggest, herald, manifestation, reflection

Content/Argument

Innovation – the aim is to bring about improvement – whether through lower cost, increased efficiency, provide more options/choices, enhance aesthetics, enhance functions, be more competitive so as to stay ahead, increase brand value, increase sales & profitability, improve quality of life etc.

Students need to bring in relevant examples to illustrate the above. Some apt examples were brought in. Most students pointed out that innovations in various fields certainly brought about material progress but at times inadvertently brought about negative side effects. Environmental problems, materialism, consumerism, loss of cultural diversity, ethical compromises, spreading of rumours etc. were mention as justifications for the stand that innovation is not always reflective of progress.

The best answers (of which there were very few) were those who put together a sound argument with sensible, mature and thoughtful substantiation.

Comments on students’ weaknesses

1. In some cases the handwriting was atrocious. Students should be told that if markers cannot make out what students are trying to put across, they would lose marks.

2. Students often built up their essays based on examples, which is the wrong approach. Rather they should realize that markers are looking for their argument in response to the question posed.

3. In far too many cases, ideas were thrown in randomly. As a result, there was no clear line of thought/argument.

4. Students lacked the ability to develop their ideas and sometimes, a good idea was left unelaborated eg the question “…have men become slaves to their innovations?” was left unanswered.

4. Male liberation is a myth in today’s society. Do you agree?

The question takes a commonly held perspective and turns it on its head, assuming men, on the contrary, are not as free as we believe them to be. This question had much room for creative discussion but unfortunately there were few attempts.

If the writer is in agreement with the statement, then a possible approach would be to identify several areas where males are supposedly free such as the working world, family and societal practices and then attack these points critically to refute them. A discussion should include how men are still tied to societal stereotypes and expectations just as much as women are. E.g Respect only comes from certain “manly” occupations or how men are expected to perform certain roles such as being a breadwinner or to maintain a certain bravado or machismo image.

A good response will have to go further than listing these examples and to show clearly how men are hence still subject to restrictions and possible ridicule and are not really as free as one would think.

If the writer disagrees, then the essay must show how men are still very free to decide how to live their lives and face no real restriction except those imposed on themselves e.g a belief in the loss of “face”. A matured response could therefore go on to compare how women are subjected to real, institutional forces and prejudices which they are unable to do anything about especially in certain countries and hence, by comparison, males are liberated.

A measured response would do well to consider certain exceptions but overall will show through adequately substantiated arguments how reality tends to favour (or refutes) the given statement.

5. ‘Animals matter.’ Discuss.

There were very few takers for this question. Those who did it fell into 3 categories:

* Those who adopted a very homocentric view and discussed animals only in terms of how useful they were to human beings. Needless to say, these responses did not score too well. Neither did the essays that gushed about animals and got all sentimental about how we should love the cute kitten with the soulful eyes.

* The better essays showed an awareness that the homocentric view is often the dominant view and therefore has certain consequences for animals depending on how useful or valuable they are to us. Therefore, some animals are reared as pets, some are eaten, some are experimented upon in inhumane ways and others are turned into handbags and sofas. There is also animal therapy which of course is for human benefit. No one commented on the hypocrisy of our attitudes and actions. Why are we alright with eating animals but not ok about puppies being badly treated?

* The really good essays also had breadth. They were able to discuss the importance of animals in religion, mythology, fables etc.

6. ‘A country’s low birth rate is a reflection of the people’s selfish mindset.’ Is this a fair comment?

This was a popular question that saw a wide range of answers and novel arguments.

The crux of the question was addressed by a majority of the scripts with very few misinterpretations but what separated the good from the bad scripts, as always, were the breath of issues covered and the sophistication of the arguments.

Poor scripts tended to be an essay by examples instead of arguments. They tended to cite run of the mill examples such as hectic lifestyles, material pursuits, an unwillingness to forgo freedom, without really substantiating or explaining clearly why these were “selfish” in nature. Too much was assumed or left to the markers to inference on their own.

Better scripts took such examples and debated the issue of the right of individuals to pursue private interests versus their supposed responsibility to the nation. Thoughtful responses would also be more measured by commenting on how the people’s attitude towards child rearing might seem selfish but are actually a result of societal pressures such as rising costs and longer working hours and hence will be too sweeping to attribute it to just an issue of selflessness versus individualistic selfish pursuits.

The best scripts truly critiqued the argument and debated the flaws (or merits) in simply using birth rates as a measurement of selfishness. They discussed at depth factors such as the effects of government policies and societal expectations and changes from the past. Some also used Singapore as an example and discussed the challenges of being both a parent to many kids and yet asked to be competitive economically and therefore questioned the fairness in ascribing selfishness to an already overworked population. Interesting arguments also questioned the statement itself; discussing how less developed nations with high birth rates is not necessarily an indication of “selflessness” either.

Some common mistakes would be to argue how many couples cannot reproduce easily but did not elaborate this point adequately or to consider whether such a group is large enough to pull down the national average birth rate.

Common grammatical error: Lesser is not the same as less!

7. “Love of country requires affirmation and criticism.” (Peter Beinart) To what extent is this true of your country?

This was not a popular question at all – hardly a handful of attempts even though it is a question on Singapore or the candidate’s country.

Basically, this question is about patriotism – its content and functions. Some candidates mistakenly defined “love of country” to mean “nationalism” in the rather narrow sense of “a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups”. (Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, italics mine).

This narrow definition skews the question in a way that is not meant to be.

Good candidates would examine the statement in the context of Singapore and discuss how patriotism is manifested – the official way (NE way, government campaigns) vs. the ‘unofficial’ way (how Singaporeans actually manifest this in their behaviour and attitude). They have to give examples of affirmation and criticism and say why patriotism is made up of both and not merely affirmation and also why criticism of one’s country does not necessarily indicate a lack of patriotism.

Poor essays would be example-driven and show a lack of understanding of the concept of patriotism (the theoretical and the practical). Mere descriptions of the various patriotic or unpatriotic acts by Singaporeans do not constitute a cogent argument.

8. ‘Race has no place in politics today.’ To what extent is this true?

A serious problem with many responses to this question was that students did not seem to be able to distinguish between race and religion. Many were using examples of religious conflict to answer the question. This is only permissible if the aspect of race has been adequately dealt with, and the candidate then goes on to say that very often religion is the issue rather than race, or that race and religion both seem to come together in politics. Instead, what the examiners were getting were responses that did not appear to understand the distinction, which was alarming to say the least.

There was also some confusion in the essays because it was not always clear if the candidate was explaining what should be the case as opposed to what is the case i.e. what the current reality is. The better essays did make the distinction. They clearly stated that it an ideal world, race should not be an issue but in reality, there is no getting away with it, although some countries seemed to be better at containing the potential for conflict than others. The more insightful essays pointed out how trying to accommodate race (e.g. recognizing the rights of ethnic minorities) often paradoxically led to race being entrenched as an issue.

It is important, in a question like this, to be able to provide a wide range of examples to illustrate the ideas. Frequently, candidates were obsessed with Barack Obama and used him for everything. At the other extreme were the students who wrote about the riots in Singapore in 1964 – a rather outdated example given that the question says today. However, examples aren’t everything. There has to be some analytical comment. If race is still a major issue in politics, why is this so? If not, why? Why is it that some countries are able to manage this better than others?

On a final note, the word politics can be followed by either a singular or plural verb but the writer needs to be consistent.

9. Is harmony possible in a diverse world?

Not well-subscribed. Most essays are slightly below average in quality and tend to be rather descriptive. Many students merely described areas of conflict or examples of such conflicts – that of racial tensions, religious conflicts, political/ideological clashes – and simply conclude that harmony is not possible or that harmony is possible if countries and people can put aside their differences and work together! That is not addressing the question at all. Some scripts had lengthy descriptions of globalization, which in itself is not relevant, unless it can be shown clearly how interdependence and interconnectedness can bring about a greater sense of being part of the global community and hence a greater resolve for people/countries (which may be divided along other identities/loyalties) to band together to address issues and problems more effectively. The link to a diverse world must be explained and the main points must address the possibility of harmony.

Students must also realize that harmony is more than just an absence of conflict or mere tolerance/acceptance (it is definitely not the same as peace!); it is actually about agreement amongst people/countries. To agree on something is to have a common ground; which would enable different groups to work towards a common purpose. The fact that differences do exist and that we live in a diverse world need not be proven in the essay; the focus is on the reasons how and why harmony is possible in spite of this diversity. The assumption in the question is that differences mean that no common ground can be found, which the better students are able to identify and challenge to some success.

10 ‘The global health threat is the most serious problem the world is facing today.’ Do you agree?

This is a highly popular question which, on the whole, was not well done. There were many scripts that ended up with the following:

* Mere description of the various problems faced by society and the world at large, namely terrorism, rising food and fuel prices (inflation), environmental issues, racial-religious conflicts, civil unrest
* The global health threat was mainly SARS and avian flu
* No comparison or even implicit comparison between the various threats
* No yardsticks or criteria to measure and compare the severity or gravity of the issues
* Deciding from the start that the global health threat is not important enough because there are other problems or it is not the only serious problem because there are also other serious problems (forgetting that the question is about the “most serious problem the world is facing today”

The good or better scripts would look at this question at these levels:

* How serious is the global health threat (what does it consists of besides SARS and avian flu – HIV/AIDS, genetically modified foods, contaminated foods, poor sanitation conditions (giving rise to diseases).
* Why is it considered a serious threat? To whom (which sector of society)? There must be a discussion of the social, political & economic contexts
* In the wider global context, how is the global health threat the most serious threat or NOT the most serious threat à a discussion of the relevant factors that interplay e.g. the reach of the threat, real danger vs. potential danger, consequences (both long and short-term), solutions (or resolutions/preventions) etc.

A few good scripts acknowledged that all these global problems cannot be easily solved because they are usually not purely a result of just one single condition e.g. SARS is not merely a medical problem anymore as disease prevention and control has to be borderless these days, just like the spread of the disease. Thus they acknowledged that it is all due to the interplay of contributing factors such as level of development, income levels, heath-care standards, level of education, political will, stability of government, style of governance etc.

Some common and annoying errors:

* global health threat – many leave out the determiner ‘the’ in “the global health threat”
* avian bird flu – obviously they do not know that avian means “of birds”
* chicken culling – all knew what SARS stands for but one mentioned that poultry was culled to halt the spread of SARS! (poor chickens and ducks!)

11. ‘A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.’ Discuss with reference to the arts.

An unpopular question, not surprisingly; I only marked 4 scripts on this question.

Students who did this question were more successful in writing about the value of the arts than in directly addressing the rebellious nature of the arts. They cited works of art which were not particularly controversial (even at the time of their reception). Some took ‘rebellious’ to mean (from what I could infer) ‘innovative, introducing new elements’, ‘adding variations to existing forms’ (which hardly constitutes ‘rebellious’.) When they did discuss controversial works, they were clearly dismissive of the art forms. They could have used them to consider the reactions of people viewing the art (does it affect them?) and discuss the concerns of the authority in banning the work of art (are their views and actions are justified?).

As with any essay questions with quotations, students should read the quotations carefully and be sensitive to the implications behind the quotation. Quotations are (usually) opinions, comments made by a person or by some persons. They have an implicit perspective on the issue mentioned. Students should consider the viewpoint of the person/s who make/s the comment. If we were to read the quotation as one reflecting the point of view of the authorities, we could detect a rather patronising view of the arts: the authorities are quite happy with a situation in which the arts do not amount to much, just merely provoking the occasional ‘little rebellion’ rather than actually having the dangerous ability of radically challenging people’s views of established ideas and institutions. Students should discuss whether they go along with such a view of the arts.

Students must read the essay questions carefully to make sure they fully understand the issues they should be addressing. One student obviously did not read the question which accompanied the quotation and wrote about rebellion in a democracy, without any reference to the arts at all.

12. ‘Values are no longer prescriptive but a matter of choice.’ To what extent is this true?

This question was not a popular question and not that well answered on the whole. Perhaps students realized (correctly) that the arguments needed for a sustained analysis made this a challenging question that required nuance and consistency in the essay. Students tended to interpret the question too narrowly and created a false dilemma between values as prescriptive and values as a matter of choice. Moreover, they tended to think of ‘values’ as merely ethics and morality, which isn’t strictly the case. General beliefs or principles of behaviour could also be included. In general, students also failed to present their arguments coherently and tended to write in a rather haphazard fashion when making their case.

Students should have realized that when a question asks the extent of something, their argument should sit somewhere between the two extremes presented. In this case, values are probably both prescriptive and a matter of choice and the best essays managed to point this out without sitting on the fence. A useful start would have been to make a geo-political comment, say about the difference in societies like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and the more liberal societies in the west. Students could then move on to point out that, even in ‘liberal’ societies, values could be prescriptive.

For example, one could argue that while it appears we have more room to make individual choices in terms of values today, we are still subject to the same societal and communitarian pressures as in the past. Thus, even if the larger community is more tolerant of difference, certain values are still favoured. Students could point to the relative decline of religion in moral and political life and the rise of individualism as examples of increased choice, but maintain that if one is born into a certain religious or social group, values remain prescriptive on the whole. More astute students could then raise a point related to social contract theory, where we trade the freedom to choose our own values in return for the security that social norms provide.

Furthermore (and this is where a wider definition of values helped), our values can be influenced by those in authority with or without the help of the mass media. In this way, our value system is subtly prescribed without our being aware of it. It could be said at this juncture that while ethical choices may be increasing, our value system, especially in terms of a consumerist capitalist mindset may actually be increasingly imposed on us without our knowledge.

4,6

Out of the 4 subjects, I studied the hardest for Maths and least for Physics. In fact, I haven't touched Physics for 3 weeks except for tuition the week before! Sigh, so it is the most worrying one of all.

But anyway, History was good I guess. Managed to avoid doing any of the Theme 2 questions. Maths, on the other hand, was crazy. I think the Maths department is sick of hearing people compare how easy RJ Prelim papers are with regards to other JCs, and thus, they have decided to buck the trend by producing one that is considerably harder than before. Oh well.

Since I'm slacking before my Physics marathon later, let me just jot down some thoughts about the History questions.

2. To what extent was colonial rule responsible for strengthening Southeast Asian nationalist movements in the years 1918-1941?"

Responsible Colonial suppression; colonial concession; how they strengthened nationalist movements.
Not responsible Nationalist movements, role of good leaders
Synthesis Nationalist movements subordiante to colonial rule; movements are often shaped/responses to actions undertaken by colonial masters.

3. 'With reference to the period up to independence, World War Two proved to be the mortal blow to Western imperialism in Southeast Asia.' Discuss.

Not sure if my approach is correct, quite a tricky question as it ties up Pre-WWII, Japanese Occupation and Decolonization all together.

Definition Mortal blow = turning point? Significant change to the previous state of affairs.
Yes, mortal blow. Past: grudging acceptance of Western imperialism; Present: resolve against foreign imperialism due to socio-eco grievances under JO | Past: policing colonial army; Present: defensive armies trained for war; post-war: repel attempts to recolonize.
No, not mortal blow. Shift from direct to indirect/subtle influence or neo-colonialism. "Independence without decolonization".
Synthesis Image vs reality: image of disintegration of Western imperialism vs reality of Western presence, albeit in less noticeable form.

6. Why were some tensions between Southeast Asian state since 1945 more difficult to resolve than others?

1. Nature of tensions Security/sovereignty vs territorial/ethnic
2. Presence of institutionalized mechanisms Role of ASEAN; post-ASEAN; limitations
3. Consequences of tensions Multilateralism vs bilaterialism; major powers involvement
Synthesis Interaction of nature of tensions and presence of institutionalized mechanism, with considerations for consequences.

Many people claimed that the paper was easy, but they forgot that every other person they talk to will most probably be doing the same combination of questions (2,3,6) because that is the easiest to study for.

Looks like it's going to be the battle between whose essay is the most organized as well as whose essay can produce the most intriguing insights. And in all seriousness, I think the colour of pen you use and your handwriting (whether it's neat or not) will probably affect your scores as well.

Hmm alright, guess it's time to start on Physics soon! And to everyone else who is still reeling from the Maths paper...

WHOOSH! Cheer up soon (:

art

When we buy the illusion that we have unlimited tomorrows, then we operate on a deferred living plan, believing we’ll begin our 'better' life later. But this notion of having 'all the time in the world' is a seductive lie. For when we take our life for granted, it loses its fullness and zest.

With no tomorrows, each day becomes important, each moment special. Every conversation, every action, every decision becomes pregnant with meaning and value. Nothing is taken for granted, nothing wasted. This heightened consciousness injects passion and purpose into each precious second.

haha saw this and thought it was quite interesting. meaningful and profound too. so decided to share with more ppl =)

today was like one full day in school. overslept. zZz.. it's like i set my alarm at 8 and i actually woke up at 8. but my overwhelming consciousness sort of told myself to sleep another wink. and i woke up at 845. lessons start at 915. so i ggxx (gao gao xing xing, courtesy of nigel) took taxi costs $11 and still reached school late x.X

physics was quite ok. learnt a bit. 9/15 for the test! hahaha not bad la considering i haven't finished studying physics. anyway, i just realised i'm super noob. i sort of forgot that bubble gum can blow bubble. so i got noobified in class =X

someone: eh nigel, blow a bubble.
nick: huh, how? i thought bubble gum can only chew?
nigel: BUBBLE GUM OF COURSE CAN BLOW BUBBLE. WHY ELSE IS IT CALLED BUBBLE GUM?



blur diao. sort of confused bubble gum and chewing gum. haha.
then went to lunch at food junction. then we took class photo. LOL. took quite a few. ok must wait for mel again. she's like my official photographer or something. keep on getting photos from her xD

went back to school for econs. econs over went to art room to check out what zixin is doing. and we entered a gallery of wonders. haha the art pieces were really, really nice! really liked the paintings a lot. mmm i've always found myself an art-y person, and like to express my thoughts and feelings in images. that's why i'm so envious of these talented people who can draw, paint and basically do art so well =) saw bencakes and ian there too. haha busy art people.

took photos of some of their beautiful and amazing art pieces. don't be surprised if they look too realistic ;)

my personal favourite! dunno who did this but i liked it a lot! =)

zixin! with her very nice art work entitled 'conformism'. sounds deep eh? haha =)

er, random =)

the most pro one there i think! very detailed and nice.

ben with his pro-ded art work! lol zixin said the teacher called it 'life of a councillor' xD

then went to discuss some history with nigel, mel and funx. interesting discussions. interesting photo too. haha tried to take a scandalous photo of nigel and mel but failed badly. too agile for me slow fingers x.X (picture removed =))

lol funx and nigel said the tissue paper looks like ice cream? nice.

school!

ahhhh! i can't wait for school to reopen! lol, as weird as it may sound, i think school's really interesting (apart from the homework, that is), especially this period of time. why? well.. for one, 5A will be getting new classmates tmr! haha, i've always liked meeting new people and making new friends.. so it's sort of fun and exciting to anticipate who's coming in tmr. yup, then we'll be getting our new timetable too.. with PW included! hope the new one is as good as the old one. haha, and i like doing project work with a bunch of fun and responsible people too.

there's something about rj that seems to revitalise people, or at least it does in my case. i could swear that the atmosphere is almost sentient and alive, encouraging friendships to form and bonds to crystallize, spreading the positive synergies everywhere! lol, it motivates me to make every day a meaningful one, and to derive as much joy and happiness as possible, and at the same time, sharing it with the friends around you.


i would say that comparatively, i'm much more active a person now as in ri, where everyone is constantly being buried under the multitude of homework, projects and cca, making life in school seem like a drudgery. the difference btw then and now, i feel, is that i'm making an effort to put aside time for more meaningful stuff, rather than wasting it away on games and other random stuff.

this is when i realised that in everyone lies an endless sea of potential - we can either work hard and sacrifice a little to draw upon this immense source to change our lives for the better, or let it lie dormant and enjoy the superficialities in life. the problem with the latter is that this 'sea' will slowly trickle away.. and once it's gone, it can never return.

and it's like a painter with his canvas. as a painter, only if you're daring enough to mix colours around to achieve the desired shades will your painting look nice. on the contrary, being too conservative and unadventurous will only result in an otherwise unattractive and dull painting. we are our own painters and our lives are our canvases. how the painting will turn out to be will eventually be our choice.


kk, i realised i'm getting too contemplative >< actually, this coming week is rather special to me.. 'cause i took a risk to mix a new colour in my life, and the outcome will soon be revealed. i hope i made the right choice.. but only time will tell. haha, wish me luck! =)

to conclude.. dare to try. dare to achieve. dare to be different.

l'audeamus - let us dare.