Its now past midnight, and into 1 Feb 2009.
What does this mean for all 5 of us? No More Public Transport Concessions. From here on in, all of us will have to pay the adult fares, exception of Lime and Tofu, because the lucky bastards get to enjoy concessions again in JC. Its so unfair, everyone else in their tertiary education in JC and ITEs get it, but not Poly. Heck, even Uni students get their concessions, and NSmen too.
Another significant milestone of the day? As you might have already read from the 2 prior posts, its the real beginning of our tertiary education, and with it, we are no longer teens. We are now Young Adults. So grow up, bitches.
All in all, now that a new time has begun for all of us, except for nose who started early, its time to really learn from our mistakes from the past and make sure we do not commit them again. I know my errors, and I am determined to correct them once my school term starts.
So meanwhile, have a good one guys!
-Giant
P.S. poor JC guys. having to start school on Monday already. Oh well, now I have to decide on whether I should go for that Nike job interview...
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The Best Is Yet To Be
Alright, yes I'll admit, I'm still damn sore I didn't manage to do well enough to enter ACJC. And now that my posting is out, the verdict is also here and I'll be part of SAJC for the next two years. Effectively, I have no more chance of becoming an ACSian anymore and instead, I'm being forced to settle for their rivals.
Who knows whats going to happen while I'm there? Maybe I'll even enjoy myself thoroughly during my tenure in SAJC. Honestly, what is this? Dammit. No more ACS, no more ACJC, no dover road. And now, its at bloody hell Potong Pasir.
Though I'm honestly happy I didn't get my other options because AC and SA were the only two I was serious about in my options... I'm still mourning over ACJC. After so long, of targeting, aiming and finally doing the exams... My results were not good enough. Or shouldI say because I was not affiliated with the school. My score is definitely good enough for AC. Its just the number of bonuses I can deduct off. Damn.
Unhappiness, unhappiness.
School starts this monday. And orientation week is the whole of the coming week. I read the calander and it also shows SAJC annual cross country coming up soon in March. Its going to be a while before I fully embrace Saints culture and be a part of it. I hope its soon, because I know too, that all this moaning isn't good for me either.
I'll gladly trade my place in SA for a slot in AC's SB class.
Frustration. Frustration...
Friday, January 30, 2009
JAE results
Big day has arrived for a lot of Singaporean students (don't ask me about the figures). JAE posting results.
TOFU, Lime - Junior College
Giant, Panzer and Nose - Polytechnic
Only me and Giant will have overlapping campus. Even so, we're taking completely different courses. We're all going in different directions.
Instead of going out with the usual team five clique (which has now more or less become the Mass Communication clique), I peeled off to the library to see JAE results and read badly-written Star Wars EU comic books. Ate alone at the very-soon-to-be-torn-down canteen, and found a poster for an essay writing competition.
This is for Panzer and TOFU and maybe Giant. It's organized by a political association after all.
TOFU, Lime - Junior College
Giant, Panzer and Nose - Polytechnic
Only me and Giant will have overlapping campus. Even so, we're taking completely different courses. We're all going in different directions.
Instead of going out with the usual team five clique (which has now more or less become the Mass Communication clique), I peeled off to the library to see JAE results and read badly-written Star Wars EU comic books. Ate alone at the very-soon-to-be-torn-down canteen, and found a poster for an essay writing competition.
This is for Panzer and TOFU and maybe Giant. It's organized by a political association after all.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Lets burn another... nevermind
Recently, the bus lane hype has got to me with my father constantly mentioning how the bus lane when placed at a three lane road creates a road jam of up to 2km at Bt Timah Road and gives everyone a damn big headache. Biggest epic shit yet: there are only 5 bus services. And the price for violating these rules are heavy on the pockets.
I also thought about the recent news in Singapore of that MP who got burnt by the 70+ year old taxi driver. I think this should serve as a wake up call to our leaders that there is genuine unhappiness with law in our country. They are not directly linked; the bus lane and the old man, but point here is, these are signs that people are getting really unhappy with things going on. Most Singaporeans would just follow the law and do it because they feel it is not worth it to fight for an unjust law. Martin Luthur King Jr once said that a citizen has a moral obligation to obey just laws just as he has the moral obligation to disobey unjust laws.
The burning of the MP didn't seem to get the message across that when people, pushed into desperation, would react in a most violent way to handle the situation. In particular, this time with the cabby; he is old, still drives taxi because he has no choice and the government is unable to help him settle for a decent life. Cabbies's life are hard, working those long hours and sometimes getting fined as well for minor stuff. Civil disobedience was Gandhi's call to the Indians. We are just too lazy to oppose and to decide if laws are just or unjust. Imagine if a few thousand of us went to oppose a law by going to parliment and asking them to arrest us because we say we can't keep the unjust law. That way, we wouldn't have broken the law itself, and would have shown peaceful civil disobedience to get our points across.
I'm not trying to instigate anything here... But I feel our country is walking down a wrong path. Full of smokescreens and deceptions and a place where red-taped beuracrats carve their careers. This thought has provoked me hard over the past few hours when I heard a few people talking about it at the coffee shop. I think our government should seriously get the message that discontent is growing and people are increasingly being pushed into desperation. They should start listening, before someone else gets burnt...
PS : think about it for a moment, maybe our society is not as perfect as they are telling us it is.
-Tofu
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Religulous
“The last hour will not come unless there is much bloodshed.” Hadith sahih muslim 41:6903
I have just seen the movie and I must say unfortunately there is more mockery than comedy involved. But then again when your director is the same guy who made Borat, you know the if your purpose is to provoke your viewers, you'll get the job done. And with Bill Maher, the film does its intended purpose perfectly and to set the record straight, I like this movie.
Personally, I've been scouring the net to find the purpose of life as told by Christianity as they usually use it as a selling point. (literally selling point, in the movie with large elaborate churches and filthy rich pastors selling dvds which their church-goers must buy to be saved)
and 100% of the time I get a one word answer. Jesus.
"A man who is himself is born from a virgin and sends his son who his himself on a suicide mission in order to help everyone."- Bill Maher makes perfect sense.
Religulous goes into why ordinary people who use the same amount of brain power as anyone else choose to wall their "god part" while being perfectly rational about everything else...like santa claus. The answers he gets usually telling of how weak this wall is and how people CHOOSE to keep reinforcing it because the more they do it, the higher their chance of getting into heaven. More importantly the idea of ignorance is bliss. That belief without question and giving your daughter to rapists in order to protect angels is behavior that is rewarded. And people still thinking that their dear holy book is self evident when the only historical evidence is has is itself and that..isn't..exactly evidence
Very few people really know what the Bible means. they just use it to fit their means and goals and integrate it into their lives. Hate gays? Proof in the Bible. Love gays? Proof in the Bible. The one thing we can definitely count on is that the book was written and changed by countless numbers of authors and can be interpreted in many different ways. Interpreted by HUMANS. That makes believers who think they are sticking to the ultimate “Word of God” look even more ridiculous.
Bill really appalled that people actually believe these beonze age myths that were (eg. Senate member who says IQ isn't a requirement for the senate and the Republican debate where 3 nominees did not believe in evolution) written at a time where people believed the world was flat and the sun moved round the Earth but overlook these thing to make themselves more comfortable with their faith and make cop-outs of which ever part they choose to believe and discard the rest. Which brings the question, is there really such a thing as being moderately religious? It makes you ask the question.
Do you really believe in a talking snake?
Do you really believe in Adam and Eve?
Do you really believe 10,000 species of animals(since they dont believe in evolution)
can be placed in a boat?
Do you really believe Jonah could live in a whale for 3 days?
Do you really believe in a virgin birth? (Hero pattern)
He then starts with the danger of evangelical right wing politics.
"Light houses are more useful than churches" - Benjamin Franklin
Appalled at how ridiculous they can get.
(mormon video, what they really believe)
eg. Creation museum where they assert that men lived alongside Dinosaurs.
eg. The world is 5000 years old
eg. that 60% believe the rapture will happen in their lifetime.
The final part he delves into is of course the end of the world. The problem with political monotheist religion (all 3 of em)
"The LORD is a warrior! The LORD is his name." - Exodus 15:3
And the final narrative which I find is the most meaningful of the entire film. may not be perfect word or word but its something like,
This is not the time for countries to be steered be irrationalists. Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. And people who preach faith are keeping man in a bondage of fantasy that has justified so much lunacy and destruction.Faith is dangerous because faith makes people think that they they have all the answers. But because no is really talking to them, it creates a void. A void which is filled with Humans, by Humans who have their own agendas, limitations and corruption. If anyone tells you they know, I promise you they do not. Why? Because they do not posses any mental powers I do not. Man needs to be humble and rational. Because we have a record of getting things dead wrong.
Because while waiting for god to arrive, we may have already driven ourselves to extinction.
While the movie is meaningful and provacative, the screenplay is messy and fails to piece a perfect story from beginning to end. Borat meets Michael Moore is probably a good way to describe it and while I did find the movie humorous with religious leaders getting dumbstruck at every other question and how quick they are to respond. However I can see some people frowning for the entire duration and I guess that just makes my experience better.
While surely not a masterpiece of satire like Borat, it will remembered as part of the Atheist resurgence which started with Richard Dawkins and his book, The God Delusion.
Despite so, his message is not so straightforward as to say religion is bad and that god doesn't exist but to appreciate the world around us and to do our part to save our home and ourselves. Because we only have one life.
.jpg)
Summary: Not an excellent movie, but remains to be intelligent and witty while staying true to the genre, to be provocative and oh so funny. Loved Borat and Bowling for Columbine? You'll definitely like this. Hate Borat? I wouldn't recommend it to you...unless you believe in talking snakes. In the words of Bill Maher "The film's intent is not to offend, but if it does..."
-Panzerz
I have just seen the movie and I must say unfortunately there is more mockery than comedy involved. But then again when your director is the same guy who made Borat, you know the if your purpose is to provoke your viewers, you'll get the job done. And with Bill Maher, the film does its intended purpose perfectly and to set the record straight, I like this movie.
Personally, I've been scouring the net to find the purpose of life as told by Christianity as they usually use it as a selling point. (literally selling point, in the movie with large elaborate churches and filthy rich pastors selling dvds which their church-goers must buy to be saved)
and 100% of the time I get a one word answer. Jesus.
"A man who is himself is born from a virgin and sends his son who his himself on a suicide mission in order to help everyone."- Bill Maher makes perfect sense.
Religulous goes into why ordinary people who use the same amount of brain power as anyone else choose to wall their "god part" while being perfectly rational about everything else...like santa claus. The answers he gets usually telling of how weak this wall is and how people CHOOSE to keep reinforcing it because the more they do it, the higher their chance of getting into heaven. More importantly the idea of ignorance is bliss. That belief without question and giving your daughter to rapists in order to protect angels is behavior that is rewarded. And people still thinking that their dear holy book is self evident when the only historical evidence is has is itself and that..isn't..exactly evidence
Very few people really know what the Bible means. they just use it to fit their means and goals and integrate it into their lives. Hate gays? Proof in the Bible. Love gays? Proof in the Bible. The one thing we can definitely count on is that the book was written and changed by countless numbers of authors and can be interpreted in many different ways. Interpreted by HUMANS. That makes believers who think they are sticking to the ultimate “Word of God” look even more ridiculous.
Bill really appalled that people actually believe these beonze age myths that were (eg. Senate member who says IQ isn't a requirement for the senate and the Republican debate where 3 nominees did not believe in evolution) written at a time where people believed the world was flat and the sun moved round the Earth but overlook these thing to make themselves more comfortable with their faith and make cop-outs of which ever part they choose to believe and discard the rest. Which brings the question, is there really such a thing as being moderately religious? It makes you ask the question.
Do you really believe in a talking snake?
Do you really believe in Adam and Eve?
Do you really believe 10,000 species of animals(since they dont believe in evolution)
can be placed in a boat?
Do you really believe Jonah could live in a whale for 3 days?
Do you really believe in a virgin birth? (Hero pattern)
He then starts with the danger of evangelical right wing politics.
"Light houses are more useful than churches" - Benjamin Franklin
Appalled at how ridiculous they can get.
(mormon video, what they really believe)
eg. Creation museum where they assert that men lived alongside Dinosaurs.
eg. The world is 5000 years old
eg. that 60% believe the rapture will happen in their lifetime.
The final part he delves into is of course the end of the world. The problem with political monotheist religion (all 3 of em)
"The LORD is a warrior! The LORD is his name." - Exodus 15:3
And the final narrative which I find is the most meaningful of the entire film. may not be perfect word or word but its something like,
This is not the time for countries to be steered be irrationalists. Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. And people who preach faith are keeping man in a bondage of fantasy that has justified so much lunacy and destruction.Faith is dangerous because faith makes people think that they they have all the answers. But because no is really talking to them, it creates a void. A void which is filled with Humans, by Humans who have their own agendas, limitations and corruption. If anyone tells you they know, I promise you they do not. Why? Because they do not posses any mental powers I do not. Man needs to be humble and rational. Because we have a record of getting things dead wrong.
Because while waiting for god to arrive, we may have already driven ourselves to extinction.
While the movie is meaningful and provacative, the screenplay is messy and fails to piece a perfect story from beginning to end. Borat meets Michael Moore is probably a good way to describe it and while I did find the movie humorous with religious leaders getting dumbstruck at every other question and how quick they are to respond. However I can see some people frowning for the entire duration and I guess that just makes my experience better.
While surely not a masterpiece of satire like Borat, it will remembered as part of the Atheist resurgence which started with Richard Dawkins and his book, The God Delusion.
Despite so, his message is not so straightforward as to say religion is bad and that god doesn't exist but to appreciate the world around us and to do our part to save our home and ourselves. Because we only have one life.
.jpg)
Summary: Not an excellent movie, but remains to be intelligent and witty while staying true to the genre, to be provocative and oh so funny. Loved Borat and Bowling for Columbine? You'll definitely like this. Hate Borat? I wouldn't recommend it to you...unless you believe in talking snakes. In the words of Bill Maher "The film's intent is not to offend, but if it does..."
-Panzerz
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Jewish Sympathy
After seeing those 'boycott American products' and X-ed out Israeli posters hung on Malaysia's National Mosque, I am adamant I'm a Jewish sympathizer. They deserve our sympathy damn it. Poor guys being surrounded by tonnes of Arabs.
I'm serious about this. I would do a through analysis given the right circumstances but damn, they need help here...
23 January (fuckfuckfuck)
An activity in psychology class called for us to write down three defining characteristics about ourselves on a slip of paper - two of them real, and one of them fake. These unsigned pieces of paper would then be passed around the psychology students, and guesses would be made.
This was my slip of paper:
1. I have been a perpetrator of sexual abuse on more than one occasion.
2. I have seriously considered a romantic relationship with a person of the same sex.
3. I have no real female friends.
Then when it was time to clarify identities, I was told that I had to read it aloud. To everyone present. And confirm that the third characteristic was the false one.
The girl I lunched with on Wednesday (thus far, best friend in poly) says she doesn't give a damn, but damn... was that a cockup.
Once again, I was too honest without thinking. Like in India, where I refused to apologize because of my staunch belief that apologies are hollow. Back there, I could explain away my iron grip on my idealistic drive as a response to having all things familiar and comfortable being thrown out of the window, but here... it was just careless. Real fucking careless. Now to the rest of the group, I'm either a former sex offender or an attention-seeking liar. Good job Nose, all the DPA Film students were in there.
During the module after lunch, I fell prey to my Neville Chamberlain side again, as in stubbornly idealistic. For group work in secondary school, when I want to do well, I usually attempt to solo the entire thing and leave most group members out of the loop (usually, most of them are content to let you handle it all for them). Although it means more work for me, it raises the quality of end result, as most former schoolmates were dumbasses.
Polytechnic DPA students are NOT secondary school turds. When we went up for presentation, I had already prepared a separate speech for myself to run outside of the others'; I certainly thought it would help overshadow the flaws I saw in their interpretation of the discussion topic. I cut into my own group's presentation and set off into a long winded, unfinished stutter that cost us dearly. The stuff I said WAS relevant (though since it was unfinished, it made me look fucking stupid and egotistic), but unneccessary and self-serving.
Two problems: Too focused on personal agenda (that is, to pour my heart and views out to people at every opportunity), and didn't trust my group enough to work with them. My group scored lowest for that presentation, and you can bet I didn't dare to look one of my group members in the eye when he reminded me to work more cohesively in future. The DPA film students now ALL have a distressingly accurate impression of me. Also, I STILL can't find much to say to team five except terribad sex-related jokes and repeated phrases. Bad day all around.
Today there was no school, so I invited Lime and Zeda over. Lime couldn't make it, turning the afternoon into a boring one. To make matters worse, team five went off on an excursion on their own with Glenn and I wasn't contacted. No matter if it's because I didn't give out my handphone number to more than two people, or because I've already been established as a sexually dangerous fucking weirdo who fucks up his own group mates so he can get more attention (LOOK AT ME I'M GAY AND I MOLESTED SOMEONE SEVERAL TIMES, SO SPECIAL RIGHT), I still had to lie to Glenn that my parents forced me to stay at home.
I have a feeling he would otherwise have taken steps to include me out of obligation and pity, or worse - he won't. I wasn't there to support him for his big performance while everyone else was, after all. I think this may be the point where I've forfeited more or less all possibility of getting any more friends in DPA.
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccck
This was my slip of paper:
1. I have been a perpetrator of sexual abuse on more than one occasion.
2. I have seriously considered a romantic relationship with a person of the same sex.
3. I have no real female friends.
Then when it was time to clarify identities, I was told that I had to read it aloud. To everyone present. And confirm that the third characteristic was the false one.
The girl I lunched with on Wednesday (thus far, best friend in poly) says she doesn't give a damn, but damn... was that a cockup.
Once again, I was too honest without thinking. Like in India, where I refused to apologize because of my staunch belief that apologies are hollow. Back there, I could explain away my iron grip on my idealistic drive as a response to having all things familiar and comfortable being thrown out of the window, but here... it was just careless. Real fucking careless. Now to the rest of the group, I'm either a former sex offender or an attention-seeking liar. Good job Nose, all the DPA Film students were in there.
During the module after lunch, I fell prey to my Neville Chamberlain side again, as in stubbornly idealistic. For group work in secondary school, when I want to do well, I usually attempt to solo the entire thing and leave most group members out of the loop (usually, most of them are content to let you handle it all for them). Although it means more work for me, it raises the quality of end result, as most former schoolmates were dumbasses.
Polytechnic DPA students are NOT secondary school turds. When we went up for presentation, I had already prepared a separate speech for myself to run outside of the others'; I certainly thought it would help overshadow the flaws I saw in their interpretation of the discussion topic. I cut into my own group's presentation and set off into a long winded, unfinished stutter that cost us dearly. The stuff I said WAS relevant (though since it was unfinished, it made me look fucking stupid and egotistic), but unneccessary and self-serving.
Two problems: Too focused on personal agenda (that is, to pour my heart and views out to people at every opportunity), and didn't trust my group enough to work with them. My group scored lowest for that presentation, and you can bet I didn't dare to look one of my group members in the eye when he reminded me to work more cohesively in future. The DPA film students now ALL have a distressingly accurate impression of me. Also, I STILL can't find much to say to team five except terribad sex-related jokes and repeated phrases. Bad day all around.
Today there was no school, so I invited Lime and Zeda over. Lime couldn't make it, turning the afternoon into a boring one. To make matters worse, team five went off on an excursion on their own with Glenn and I wasn't contacted. No matter if it's because I didn't give out my handphone number to more than two people, or because I've already been established as a sexually dangerous fucking weirdo who fucks up his own group mates so he can get more attention (LOOK AT ME I'M GAY AND I MOLESTED SOMEONE SEVERAL TIMES, SO SPECIAL RIGHT), I still had to lie to Glenn that my parents forced me to stay at home.
I have a feeling he would otherwise have taken steps to include me out of obligation and pity, or worse - he won't. I wasn't there to support him for his big performance while everyone else was, after all. I think this may be the point where I've forfeited more or less all possibility of getting any more friends in DPA.
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccck
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Real Preliminaries
Think about it! She had all those cool steel pins put in. Now she can set off metal detectors totally naked!
- Carl Foutley
As Told by Ginger (yes, this was a show aimed at young teens)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOFU said that he waves at random people when loaded up with luggage for a departure. It makes them jealous. What a faggot.
Met up with all the Pebble Faggots over the weekend. We did lots of faggot things together. TOFU came back gushing about an American woman he got chummy with around Bangcawk. She's been backpacking all over the world for one and a half years all by herself, and still going. Naturally he was inspired enough to coerce Panzer into a Kuala Lumpur trip not long after his return to local soil. The dinner was good, guys. Lets do this again sometime. And goddamn, why do you nabs keep the interesting stuff on your own blogs?
Real studying began at the polytechnic this week. On the first day, I overslept, rushed to the bus stop without breakfast and overshot the poly by two bus stops. Thankfully, the elderly lecturer was later than I was. Less thankfully, he lectured us like a bunch of lower secondaries and below. That said, he wasn't particularly annoying, he was just subpar. Maybe it had something to do with the module, which was about creativity and used optical illusions and primary school maths toys to 'broaden our horizons'. Most of us used it to chat, but most people I knew were girls (gender barrier for the lose), and it is difficult to interrupt a clique's flow without looking like an ass (give me your gift of the gab, TOFU).
At lunch, team five stuck together (mostly) and dined at the new canteen. The place is air-conditioned and offers a lot in terms of food choice. I tried to sit down with different people this time. Made some dumb conversation. Only bit I could remember here was the part when the I told the team hottie I didn't bathe at all as a joke. Forgot that my sick ones are not for people I don't know well.
The Indian Yoga instructor after that was pretty soothing, and basically what we do is stretch our tendons and muscles, breathe the yogi way, and lie on the ground, close our eyes, and practice abdominal breathing for a couple of minutes with the lights off. Yoga is like a slackfest.
After that I went to a nearby shopping centre (the one where team five went to buy BBQ ingredients) with two other former schoolmates (that I hadn't talked to till now), but mostly it's just a shitload of maid agencies.
The next day I had Psychology, specially for media students. We had a four hours long lecture. Despite everyone's efforts (including the valiant lecturer's), it turned out to be face-rubbing boring. I have to read 25 pages of their textbook - the powerpoint slides were already full of jargon and terminology. Gheyballs.
Lunch again. This time team five ate at a canteen that was closing down in February. The DPA people will be the only freshmen this year to eat there. Glenn joined us with a bunch of papers he was studying. Had some test at 5pm but chatted with us anyway. And by us, this time I mean just the guys. The guys and the girls sat at different tables. Maybe Glenn chose the men's table because of the gender barrier as well, or because it was just another one of his attempts to get people to talk. Most of the guys didn't talk much, and I tried to make up for it.
Glenn took us to a place where we could play board games on campus. We played Taboo there; Glenn walked in behind a staff member who was shooing us out of a restricted room and asked who had played the game before (you had to be there).
Another pop psychology course was next, except this one was slightly less retarded than the one on Monday. We watched a few pointless scenes of the Matrix and played a name game, which while lame, ensured that I knew almost everyone's names there, everyone knew me as "cockster", and someone threw a football at my cawk. Ow.
We played the prisoner's dilemma. The outcome was pretty unfavourable, because nobody had a real desire to work with the other teams and the ones who did, didn't make enough of a difference (I tried, too). Despite the numerous social messups so far, when the time came to choose team members for a real, graded group project, I opted to join one where everyone in it was a stranger. In retrospect, maybe I should have attempted to expand my comfort zone without putting my grades on the line. Internet sources say my course is pretty damn competitive, with backstabbings and social politics galore. I'll need all the marks I can get.
Back to worrying about grades again. And becoming a more socially comfortable person. Right now all the guys are doing is following the girls around because they're too socially weak to go with anyone else. When the JAE students come in, team five's guys will scatter like pinballs to their old classmates. The relationship I have with the female clique here is a far cry from the sec 4 girls clique.
I had a massive group convo yesterday. JJ was feeling nostalgic (I can never work up the balls to make my friendship with her any more real and steady) and we played truth or dare, one-on-one at first, then we got Giant and Lime and a bunch of former schoolmates in and went crazy. Fun bun until 2AM, where everyone finally got tired of me bragging about DPA and repeating the ghost stories Glenn told team five.
Jiasai and Giant and my former classmates are going to be like my social safety net in poly - even when everyone I know from DPA have gone to hell, I can still hang out with them (you will let me, right? RIGHT?). I could hang out with them all the time. But I don't want to need to do that. By the time the JAE mainstream comes, I want to have other crowds or people I can run around campus with.
Today morning, the first such person coincidentally crossed my path. Spent most of the day with her, talking about our adventures in our secondary schools. Didn't see much of team five. Apparently, without Glenn to bring them anywhere, they just stayed at the canteen for the entirety of the two hours that is lunch. Too bad she's not in my course. Here's hoping that she's not going to become just a safety net.
Tomorrow I'd better start acquianting myself with the group members I gambled on. Am I serious about this? The girl I hung out with today (and she is certainly pleasant enough to stick around and work with) is in the group that I left to join this bunch of complete strangers... so yeah. After doing some blog research, it seems that Glenn was right about this year's DPA being less enthu than DPA '08. At the very very least, I'll try hard.
I have the time and resources to accomplish here what I couldn't in Delhi.
Cookies to the first person who can count the number of times I've said "team" or "group". A pancake to the one who can identify all the places where I accidentally implied romantic tension.
- Carl Foutley
As Told by Ginger (yes, this was a show aimed at young teens)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOFU said that he waves at random people when loaded up with luggage for a departure. It makes them jealous. What a faggot.Met up with all the Pebble Faggots over the weekend. We did lots of faggot things together. TOFU came back gushing about an American woman he got chummy with around Bangcawk. She's been backpacking all over the world for one and a half years all by herself, and still going. Naturally he was inspired enough to coerce Panzer into a Kuala Lumpur trip not long after his return to local soil. The dinner was good, guys. Lets do this again sometime. And goddamn, why do you nabs keep the interesting stuff on your own blogs?
Real studying began at the polytechnic this week. On the first day, I overslept, rushed to the bus stop without breakfast and overshot the poly by two bus stops. Thankfully, the elderly lecturer was later than I was. Less thankfully, he lectured us like a bunch of lower secondaries and below. That said, he wasn't particularly annoying, he was just subpar. Maybe it had something to do with the module, which was about creativity and used optical illusions and primary school maths toys to 'broaden our horizons'. Most of us used it to chat, but most people I knew were girls (gender barrier for the lose), and it is difficult to interrupt a clique's flow without looking like an ass (give me your gift of the gab, TOFU).
At lunch, team five stuck together (mostly) and dined at the new canteen. The place is air-conditioned and offers a lot in terms of food choice. I tried to sit down with different people this time. Made some dumb conversation. Only bit I could remember here was the part when the I told the team hottie I didn't bathe at all as a joke. Forgot that my sick ones are not for people I don't know well.
The Indian Yoga instructor after that was pretty soothing, and basically what we do is stretch our tendons and muscles, breathe the yogi way, and lie on the ground, close our eyes, and practice abdominal breathing for a couple of minutes with the lights off. Yoga is like a slackfest.
After that I went to a nearby shopping centre (the one where team five went to buy BBQ ingredients) with two other former schoolmates (that I hadn't talked to till now), but mostly it's just a shitload of maid agencies.
The next day I had Psychology, specially for media students. We had a four hours long lecture. Despite everyone's efforts (including the valiant lecturer's), it turned out to be face-rubbing boring. I have to read 25 pages of their textbook - the powerpoint slides were already full of jargon and terminology. Gheyballs.
Lunch again. This time team five ate at a canteen that was closing down in February. The DPA people will be the only freshmen this year to eat there. Glenn joined us with a bunch of papers he was studying. Had some test at 5pm but chatted with us anyway. And by us, this time I mean just the guys. The guys and the girls sat at different tables. Maybe Glenn chose the men's table because of the gender barrier as well, or because it was just another one of his attempts to get people to talk. Most of the guys didn't talk much, and I tried to make up for it.
Glenn took us to a place where we could play board games on campus. We played Taboo there; Glenn walked in behind a staff member who was shooing us out of a restricted room and asked who had played the game before (you had to be there).
Another pop psychology course was next, except this one was slightly less retarded than the one on Monday. We watched a few pointless scenes of the Matrix and played a name game, which while lame, ensured that I knew almost everyone's names there, everyone knew me as "cockster", and someone threw a football at my cawk. Ow.
We played the prisoner's dilemma. The outcome was pretty unfavourable, because nobody had a real desire to work with the other teams and the ones who did, didn't make enough of a difference (I tried, too). Despite the numerous social messups so far, when the time came to choose team members for a real, graded group project, I opted to join one where everyone in it was a stranger. In retrospect, maybe I should have attempted to expand my comfort zone without putting my grades on the line. Internet sources say my course is pretty damn competitive, with backstabbings and social politics galore. I'll need all the marks I can get.
Back to worrying about grades again. And becoming a more socially comfortable person. Right now all the guys are doing is following the girls around because they're too socially weak to go with anyone else. When the JAE students come in, team five's guys will scatter like pinballs to their old classmates. The relationship I have with the female clique here is a far cry from the sec 4 girls clique.
I had a massive group convo yesterday. JJ was feeling nostalgic (I can never work up the balls to make my friendship with her any more real and steady) and we played truth or dare, one-on-one at first, then we got Giant and Lime and a bunch of former schoolmates in and went crazy. Fun bun until 2AM, where everyone finally got tired of me bragging about DPA and repeating the ghost stories Glenn told team five.
Jiasai and Giant and my former classmates are going to be like my social safety net in poly - even when everyone I know from DPA have gone to hell, I can still hang out with them (you will let me, right? RIGHT?). I could hang out with them all the time. But I don't want to need to do that. By the time the JAE mainstream comes, I want to have other crowds or people I can run around campus with.
Today morning, the first such person coincidentally crossed my path. Spent most of the day with her, talking about our adventures in our secondary schools. Didn't see much of team five. Apparently, without Glenn to bring them anywhere, they just stayed at the canteen for the entirety of the two hours that is lunch. Too bad she's not in my course. Here's hoping that she's not going to become just a safety net.
Tomorrow I'd better start acquianting myself with the group members I gambled on. Am I serious about this? The girl I hung out with today (and she is certainly pleasant enough to stick around and work with) is in the group that I left to join this bunch of complete strangers... so yeah. After doing some blog research, it seems that Glenn was right about this year's DPA being less enthu than DPA '08. At the very very least, I'll try hard.
I have the time and resources to accomplish here what I couldn't in Delhi.
Cookies to the first person who can count the number of times I've said "team" or "group". A pancake to the one who can identify all the places where I accidentally implied romantic tension.
Friday, January 16, 2009
PPP 3D2N (BAAAAAAAAAW)
If there was no God, he would have to be invented.
- Voltaire
At the end of the camp they played a little slideshow with parts of "When Six Songs Collide". Now I really like Superman by Five for Fighting.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Skip this post unless you're really interested in what happened, no new exciting philosophical insights here.
Day one
The rooms are badass. The guy in charge of my room from team six asked me if I wanted to sleep on the comfy sofa with extra pillows and a fan, but there's also a bunk bed here, and I don't think I've ever tried the top bunk.
2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a spacious living room and a kitchen. It's supposed to be structured very much like a HDB, but the wooden doors are so sexy with their fresh white paint and balconies and numpad locks. The numpads are the reason why I'm writing this on the bed instead of downstairs. I came up to get my stuff, and to my surprise, the door wouldn't accept my code. I tried about five times and rang the doorbell twice before I noticed I had been harassing strangers for the past five minutes. Gosh fuck, I sure hope that nobody I knew was in there.
Bad stuff first. One, aforementioned blurfuck incident. Two, travelling all over campus with team five made my feet all owchy inside. Now I can't jump from the top bunk.
Lost my wallet with IC inside. Games played can be pretty retarded, and they keep trying to advance their pop psychology into things. There was one guy from Mikana's former class and a girl from Giant & Panzer's former class. There were both generally quiet like me.
On the other hand, my wallet was found and tomorrow I can collect it. The campus is huge. The food has vegetables. Thanks to my absence of mind, I wandered into team five by accident when I should have been in team six, and so I've had the privilege of making the acquiantance of a girl who looks quite a lot like Quirr (that's quite hot). =3 We got to give each other back massages too, woohoo. Now so long aas she wasn't in that room I tried to barge into - NO! Bad Nosey! bad Nosey! Thank happy stuff.
Nobody gave two hoots about the fact that I'm with team five. It's polytechnic freedom. No wonder they feel the need to preach so much about personal responsibility. Altogether there are about 80 plus people in DPA for my polytechnic. Team five has 17 people, and one second-year facilitator - that's right, Glenn is only one year older than us. Makes for easy communication.
Day two
Got out from the top bunk at seven. It was a cold night, but I managed to sleep reasonably okay without sedatives.
In my first primary school, I played "Freeze and Melt" with my friends, a slightly modified form of catching which encourages "saving" others from the catcher. All the freshies plus the student facililators played it today.
It was epic for a while, but the aches from the day before, not to mention my poor stamina, caught up with me soon enough and I could soon no longer handle short sprints. Still, nothing like rushing into a bunch of randoms and saving them all. Good feeling.
Then it was replaced by nausea. I remember early last year, I vomited during morning PE. So I downed three cups of soya bean for breakfast and skipped the bee hoon.
Because I was too much of a chicken to even venture near my team's table, I had to be invited over. Godammit. Then this big Malay guy joins the team - he wasn't here yesterday. He really didn't fit the usual stereotype of "nigr who keeps to his own racial group".
First activity: Form two rows of people; a person in one row holds the end of a thick wooden stick while his buddy in the row across from him holds the other, forming what I'd describe as a human ladder with wooden rungs stretching from one end of the room to another. Volunteers were to climb across, climb across with a blindfold, or not cross at all - the rest of the groups were to support the person's decision no matter what it was, via cheering, clapping, etc. The guy who just joined our group took initiative to help out other rungs. I tried to do the same and I think I forgot about my own rung and dropped it, which may or may not have caused the climber to fall. I must have looked pretty stressed after that, because someone asked me if I was okay. D:
Returning to the same room after a tea break, Glenn, our team facilitator, told me he could take me to find my wallet. It was only a little way away. Got my wallet back after a little bit of embarassing fussing about. Nothing was lost. There wasn't much chat - I had no idea what to say, as per normal with me. He did mention out of the blue that the DPA students this year weren't as enthu as the 2008 batch. I didn't have much of a response to that, and I agonized later over whether he had been trying to tell me to open up, or if he was really disappointed. Probably both.
The next activity took place in a grid made out of rafia string strung between desks. The 4x6 grid consisted of squares that could admit one person and the while thing came up to waist height. The objective was to get everyone on the team to the other side. After failing badly for a while, our team watched another more successful team and we basically emulated their strategy of working with the team from across the web. There was some discussion, and eventually things began to work right. On one of my expeditions into the grid I came down too fast and face-smacked one of my roommates in the back, not to mention sending the whole of team five back to the starting line. As usual, I obssessed about that mess-up even after the day ended. By this time, the new Malay guy was more "in the team" than me and half of the rest of team five were.
Lunch passed and we went out to buy ingredients for the BBQ. When we entered the supermarket, we watched speechless as a fellow team outside rushed by the window, pushing a van up a slope. It was truly a WTF moment.
Team five was pretty cool. A lot of us just blindly followed the leader, but plenty also took the initiative to peel off and return with useful things and suggestions. I couldn't navigate the place well enough to be anything more than a hindrance, so I stayed with the cart and didn't help out much. I was really lost.
Coming back to campus, we passed time with riddles and puzzles that ran the gamut from lame to fucking lame, but hey, puzzling people out with Fuzzy Wuzzy is always amusing, if only vaguely. Then the room was quickly turned into a danceroom. The second-years led first, and more and more began to join in gamely. This was in the middle of the day. They switched off the lights, the photographer went around spamming flashes with his camera and three-quarters of everyone were going at it like madmen in no time. It was epic. Again, I couldn't add to the experience, so I sat aside with the rest of the quiet social (or dancing) failures and waited for it to be BBQ time.
Got a plate from my bag and contributed it. Glad I could do that at least. Helped do garlic bread and Glenn's super special awesome cheese taupok. Around us, the sun set and other groups did their own thing. A bunch of second-year DPA students came in and said hello, and we ended it off with some bottle-spinning (I used the virgin joke question like thrice at least). Once again, someone took the initiative to get everyone else to clean up, then organize a meeting at night.
I showered, played a bit of cards with my team and we all trooped out to a little hut at the edge of a field. Full turnout. We sat there, filling the night air with some jokes and chat. Regrettably, I was still tongue-tied to join in much beyond smiling and nodding. I am such a loser. Glenn arrived, and we ordered Macdonalds. Like me, he was really surprised that some of us were already progressing to organizing a chalet or outing for team five.
While we waited for delivery, Glenn told some ghost stories about certain parts of campus, which pretty much ensured that I was never going to go near the Engineering block at night. It was pretty creepy. The conversation meandered off into aspects of poly life and laptops. All of us, including Glenn, stuck around until it was two in the morning, despite that he hadn't had proper sleep for two nights already and still had stuff to do.
Day 3
I woke up a bit late, and allowed my team six roomies to leave first. After I got my stuff together, I went downstairs, where the realization slowly dawned on me that it was a bit late for me to redeem myself much. I did manage to try my virgin joke again, shake his hand and pat him on the back, but I had the feeling I had let him down. God damn, this was India all over again. I didn't manage to overcome the shortcomings I had discovered back then. Meanwhile, team five was broken up and and we were sorted according to our schools of study.
Everyone studying film and media went to a conference room. Task: complete a lipsync music video. In ninety minutes. My new group here consisted of two girls from team five, and three strangers, including one American. They were fast. Don't ask me how they did it, but they quickly formed into another cohesive think tank, spamming ideas like crazy. Again, I didn't participate much. They knew the song and they knew what they were doing. We hit ground floor, I did what I was asked of me, filmed the damn thing at the last minute and came back up for pizza. Then everyone watched the gay music videos they had created; strangely, all were entertaining. My group was crowned the best. On the way back, someone took the initiative to start a conversation with me (did I mention that I'm a fucking loser).
Back at the activity room, there was a briefing, and we were asked to pick Sports & Wellness modules for the next few months. I had Lifesaving/Swimming, Orienteering and Yoga all down as possibilities, ignoring rock-climbing and dancesports. The yogi teacher said he could help with the Sit and Reach for my NAPFA, he could help with breathing, and basically it was a good deal. Orienteering was useful too, but only a few places were open. As for Lifesaving, the hot girl from team five was joining that, but lifesaving is really too situational and I'm not sure of my swimming abilities after a year of stagnation.
Believe it or not, we had to race to the other end of the room to chope the limited places for the Sports & Wellness module we wanted. It starts next week. Things are moving fast. I need to keep up.
I skedaddled out pretty quick after we were dismissed - wanted to avoid more fail on my part. You may have noticed at some point I'm pessimistic. Back at home, I had an anxiety attack and checked all my current contacts to see if anyone else was going to be at my school. I ate chocolate and had emo time hoping that Glenn and everyone else didn't think too badly of me.
/wrist
OH NO THEY ADDED ME ON MSN
This entry was completed January 18, 4AM (explains the terribad writing). Had a cappuchino while I was out with the rest of the Pforters. It came in handy.
- Voltaire
At the end of the camp they played a little slideshow with parts of "When Six Songs Collide". Now I really like Superman by Five for Fighting.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Skip this post unless you're really interested in what happened, no new exciting philosophical insights here.
Day one
The rooms are badass. The guy in charge of my room from team six asked me if I wanted to sleep on the comfy sofa with extra pillows and a fan, but there's also a bunk bed here, and I don't think I've ever tried the top bunk.
2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a spacious living room and a kitchen. It's supposed to be structured very much like a HDB, but the wooden doors are so sexy with their fresh white paint and balconies and numpad locks. The numpads are the reason why I'm writing this on the bed instead of downstairs. I came up to get my stuff, and to my surprise, the door wouldn't accept my code. I tried about five times and rang the doorbell twice before I noticed I had been harassing strangers for the past five minutes. Gosh fuck, I sure hope that nobody I knew was in there.
Bad stuff first. One, aforementioned blurfuck incident. Two, travelling all over campus with team five made my feet all owchy inside. Now I can't jump from the top bunk.
Lost my wallet with IC inside. Games played can be pretty retarded, and they keep trying to advance their pop psychology into things. There was one guy from Mikana's former class and a girl from Giant & Panzer's former class. There were both generally quiet like me.
On the other hand, my wallet was found and tomorrow I can collect it. The campus is huge. The food has vegetables. Thanks to my absence of mind, I wandered into team five by accident when I should have been in team six, and so I've had the privilege of making the acquiantance of a girl who looks quite a lot like Quirr (that's quite hot). =3 We got to give each other back massages too, woohoo. Now so long aas she wasn't in that room I tried to barge into - NO! Bad Nosey! bad Nosey! Thank happy stuff.
Nobody gave two hoots about the fact that I'm with team five. It's polytechnic freedom. No wonder they feel the need to preach so much about personal responsibility. Altogether there are about 80 plus people in DPA for my polytechnic. Team five has 17 people, and one second-year facilitator - that's right, Glenn is only one year older than us. Makes for easy communication.
Day two
Got out from the top bunk at seven. It was a cold night, but I managed to sleep reasonably okay without sedatives.
In my first primary school, I played "Freeze and Melt" with my friends, a slightly modified form of catching which encourages "saving" others from the catcher. All the freshies plus the student facililators played it today.
It was epic for a while, but the aches from the day before, not to mention my poor stamina, caught up with me soon enough and I could soon no longer handle short sprints. Still, nothing like rushing into a bunch of randoms and saving them all. Good feeling.
Then it was replaced by nausea. I remember early last year, I vomited during morning PE. So I downed three cups of soya bean for breakfast and skipped the bee hoon.
Because I was too much of a chicken to even venture near my team's table, I had to be invited over. Godammit. Then this big Malay guy joins the team - he wasn't here yesterday. He really didn't fit the usual stereotype of "nigr who keeps to his own racial group".
First activity: Form two rows of people; a person in one row holds the end of a thick wooden stick while his buddy in the row across from him holds the other, forming what I'd describe as a human ladder with wooden rungs stretching from one end of the room to another. Volunteers were to climb across, climb across with a blindfold, or not cross at all - the rest of the groups were to support the person's decision no matter what it was, via cheering, clapping, etc. The guy who just joined our group took initiative to help out other rungs. I tried to do the same and I think I forgot about my own rung and dropped it, which may or may not have caused the climber to fall. I must have looked pretty stressed after that, because someone asked me if I was okay. D:
Returning to the same room after a tea break, Glenn, our team facilitator, told me he could take me to find my wallet. It was only a little way away. Got my wallet back after a little bit of embarassing fussing about. Nothing was lost. There wasn't much chat - I had no idea what to say, as per normal with me. He did mention out of the blue that the DPA students this year weren't as enthu as the 2008 batch. I didn't have much of a response to that, and I agonized later over whether he had been trying to tell me to open up, or if he was really disappointed. Probably both.
The next activity took place in a grid made out of rafia string strung between desks. The 4x6 grid consisted of squares that could admit one person and the while thing came up to waist height. The objective was to get everyone on the team to the other side. After failing badly for a while, our team watched another more successful team and we basically emulated their strategy of working with the team from across the web. There was some discussion, and eventually things began to work right. On one of my expeditions into the grid I came down too fast and face-smacked one of my roommates in the back, not to mention sending the whole of team five back to the starting line. As usual, I obssessed about that mess-up even after the day ended. By this time, the new Malay guy was more "in the team" than me and half of the rest of team five were.
Lunch passed and we went out to buy ingredients for the BBQ. When we entered the supermarket, we watched speechless as a fellow team outside rushed by the window, pushing a van up a slope. It was truly a WTF moment.
Team five was pretty cool. A lot of us just blindly followed the leader, but plenty also took the initiative to peel off and return with useful things and suggestions. I couldn't navigate the place well enough to be anything more than a hindrance, so I stayed with the cart and didn't help out much. I was really lost.
Coming back to campus, we passed time with riddles and puzzles that ran the gamut from lame to fucking lame, but hey, puzzling people out with Fuzzy Wuzzy is always amusing, if only vaguely. Then the room was quickly turned into a danceroom. The second-years led first, and more and more began to join in gamely. This was in the middle of the day. They switched off the lights, the photographer went around spamming flashes with his camera and three-quarters of everyone were going at it like madmen in no time. It was epic. Again, I couldn't add to the experience, so I sat aside with the rest of the quiet social (or dancing) failures and waited for it to be BBQ time.
Got a plate from my bag and contributed it. Glad I could do that at least. Helped do garlic bread and Glenn's super special awesome cheese taupok. Around us, the sun set and other groups did their own thing. A bunch of second-year DPA students came in and said hello, and we ended it off with some bottle-spinning (I used the virgin joke question like thrice at least). Once again, someone took the initiative to get everyone else to clean up, then organize a meeting at night.
I showered, played a bit of cards with my team and we all trooped out to a little hut at the edge of a field. Full turnout. We sat there, filling the night air with some jokes and chat. Regrettably, I was still tongue-tied to join in much beyond smiling and nodding. I am such a loser. Glenn arrived, and we ordered Macdonalds. Like me, he was really surprised that some of us were already progressing to organizing a chalet or outing for team five.
While we waited for delivery, Glenn told some ghost stories about certain parts of campus, which pretty much ensured that I was never going to go near the Engineering block at night. It was pretty creepy. The conversation meandered off into aspects of poly life and laptops. All of us, including Glenn, stuck around until it was two in the morning, despite that he hadn't had proper sleep for two nights already and still had stuff to do.
Day 3
I woke up a bit late, and allowed my team six roomies to leave first. After I got my stuff together, I went downstairs, where the realization slowly dawned on me that it was a bit late for me to redeem myself much. I did manage to try my virgin joke again, shake his hand and pat him on the back, but I had the feeling I had let him down. God damn, this was India all over again. I didn't manage to overcome the shortcomings I had discovered back then. Meanwhile, team five was broken up and and we were sorted according to our schools of study.
Everyone studying film and media went to a conference room. Task: complete a lipsync music video. In ninety minutes. My new group here consisted of two girls from team five, and three strangers, including one American. They were fast. Don't ask me how they did it, but they quickly formed into another cohesive think tank, spamming ideas like crazy. Again, I didn't participate much. They knew the song and they knew what they were doing. We hit ground floor, I did what I was asked of me, filmed the damn thing at the last minute and came back up for pizza. Then everyone watched the gay music videos they had created; strangely, all were entertaining. My group was crowned the best. On the way back, someone took the initiative to start a conversation with me (did I mention that I'm a fucking loser).
Back at the activity room, there was a briefing, and we were asked to pick Sports & Wellness modules for the next few months. I had Lifesaving/Swimming, Orienteering and Yoga all down as possibilities, ignoring rock-climbing and dancesports. The yogi teacher said he could help with the Sit and Reach for my NAPFA, he could help with breathing, and basically it was a good deal. Orienteering was useful too, but only a few places were open. As for Lifesaving, the hot girl from team five was joining that, but lifesaving is really too situational and I'm not sure of my swimming abilities after a year of stagnation.
Believe it or not, we had to race to the other end of the room to chope the limited places for the Sports & Wellness module we wanted. It starts next week. Things are moving fast. I need to keep up.
I skedaddled out pretty quick after we were dismissed - wanted to avoid more fail on my part. You may have noticed at some point I'm pessimistic. Back at home, I had an anxiety attack and checked all my current contacts to see if anyone else was going to be at my school. I ate chocolate and had emo time hoping that Glenn and everyone else didn't think too badly of me.
/wrist
OH NO THEY ADDED ME ON MSN
This entry was completed January 18, 4AM (explains the terribad writing). Had a cappuchino while I was out with the rest of the Pforters. It came in handy.
Thanks for the fish.
Now we always knew Dolphins are smart. They're highly evolved creature that actually communicate with each other besides SEX! SEX! MATING NAOOO! or HUNGRY! HUNGRY!. Which is actually impressive. But they've just got smarter. Either they reversed engineered the data chips place in them or some of them spent wayyy too much time in sea-world rehab that they actually now and ONLY now have learnt to use tools. They're already capable of breathing in air so they're halfway to getting on land and KILLING US ALL.
Spoke too much? Here's the sauce.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5439491.ece
DOLPHINS have developed tools to help them hunt for food, according to new research, which suggests the mammals could be even smarter than previously thought.
Bottlenose dolphins from an extended family in Australia’s Shark Bay have taken to protecting their noses with pieces of sponge when foraging for fish on the abrasive sea bed.
Scientists at Georgetown University in Washington DC believe a single dolphin discovered the foraging technique by chance and then passed it on to her offspring. Its use has had a marked impact on the dolphins’ hunting and social behaviour as the animals deploying the sponge tool spend more time alone, rummaging through sand.
While several animals use tools by instinct – such as birds that cover themselves with leaves for camouflage — the US scientists say discovering a new tool is a direct sign of intelligence.
“There’s a strong link between animals with larger brains and tool users,” said Janet Mann, a marine biologist who led the research. “Bottlenose dolphins have a brain second in size only to humans.
“Dolphins are already good at catching fish so they don’t need tools, but they’ve discovered this sponge makes their job easier. Working out how to use tools in a creative way like that is a hallmark of intelligence.” The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago – very recently in evolutionary terms – when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose.
Researchers eventually worked out that the “tumour” was a conically shaped sponge and it became apparent that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose.
The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase.
Scientists discovered that although dolphins tried to teach the hunting technique to all their young, it was mainly female offspring that grasped the concept. Those males that use sponges for hunting do so discreetly and avoid other male dolphins.
Mann admits we still do not understand dolphins well. “It’s hard to get inside their heads because their brains are constructed differently and it’s very hard to analyse their language, but they do seem very intelligent,” she said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its very interesting that males don't give a hoot. Like Humans, it must be the male ego.
"I don't fucking need tools to hunt woman, now where is my fucking tuna!"
Soon, the sponges will become "extentions" to the noses of these Dolphins, much like how primitive snails had to find real shells but after years of this sort of evolution, they are able to grow their own shells in adulthood. Yes, if you didn't already know, snails grow their own shells.
Next thing you know, they'll be making seige weapons.
-Panzerz
Spoke too much? Here's the sauce.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5439491.ece
DOLPHINS have developed tools to help them hunt for food, according to new research, which suggests the mammals could be even smarter than previously thought.
Bottlenose dolphins from an extended family in Australia’s Shark Bay have taken to protecting their noses with pieces of sponge when foraging for fish on the abrasive sea bed.
Scientists at Georgetown University in Washington DC believe a single dolphin discovered the foraging technique by chance and then passed it on to her offspring. Its use has had a marked impact on the dolphins’ hunting and social behaviour as the animals deploying the sponge tool spend more time alone, rummaging through sand.
While several animals use tools by instinct – such as birds that cover themselves with leaves for camouflage — the US scientists say discovering a new tool is a direct sign of intelligence.
“There’s a strong link between animals with larger brains and tool users,” said Janet Mann, a marine biologist who led the research. “Bottlenose dolphins have a brain second in size only to humans.
“Dolphins are already good at catching fish so they don’t need tools, but they’ve discovered this sponge makes their job easier. Working out how to use tools in a creative way like that is a hallmark of intelligence.” The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago – very recently in evolutionary terms – when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose.
Researchers eventually worked out that the “tumour” was a conically shaped sponge and it became apparent that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose.
The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase.
Scientists discovered that although dolphins tried to teach the hunting technique to all their young, it was mainly female offspring that grasped the concept. Those males that use sponges for hunting do so discreetly and avoid other male dolphins.
Mann admits we still do not understand dolphins well. “It’s hard to get inside their heads because their brains are constructed differently and it’s very hard to analyse their language, but they do seem very intelligent,” she said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its very interesting that males don't give a hoot. Like Humans, it must be the male ego.
"I don't fucking need tools to hunt woman, now where is my fucking tuna!"
Soon, the sponges will become "extentions" to the noses of these Dolphins, much like how primitive snails had to find real shells but after years of this sort of evolution, they are able to grow their own shells in adulthood. Yes, if you didn't already know, snails grow their own shells.
Next thing you know, they'll be making seige weapons.
-Panzerz
PPP begins (overview of 3D2N camp)
Just returned from the 3 days 2 nights camp by my polytechnic. Spamming chocolate into myself. Most delicious way to be emo.
My next few years in poly are either going to be epic win or epic lose.
I've been to many group outings - not so many, because I don't like them, but enough. When the facilitators of whichever activity try to herd the group of more than 8 randoms together, major divides always pop up to make it at best only partially successful, and at the end all you learn is that you should avoid working with assholes and avoid assholes in general.
In 2007, there was a gender divide in the Singaporean delegates that went to India. By 2008, after four years in the same school, two of which we spent in the same class, 2/7 still missed a pissload of people. Even OBS took some crap, if I heard right.
I don't know if it's because people are maturing, or because the number 17 is just right, or because DPA filtered out the noobs and small-voiced faggots, but there was no douchebag drama this time round. Hell, I'm not sure there were many douchebags there, my presence notwithstanding. By the first few activities, which were fairly simple things like running around the whole school, a few people from my group of 17 came out of nowhere and promptly began filling up unofficial leadership roles. No, they weren't asked, not even encouraged. And there was no jostling for attention - remember that there was no previously aforementioned pecking order or state of affairs that predetermined things. Mostly strangers to each other. So these people didn't have the benefit of having the intellectual high ground (come on, how many people in our old school actually want to engage TOFU in an argument?), or were the head of a clique (important for female politics), or anything. They just popped and took charge.
If I'm not wrong, even OBS leads people by the hand and gives them a poopload of restrictions, hammering cheers into the group and all that to ensure idiots are kept in check. Here we were served a steaming pile of open-ended. BBQ? Go buy food yourself. Late? Too bad. Bedtime? Your choice. They specified early on that nobody is obliged to look out for emo kids sitting in the corner and offer them emotional support.
There were very simple tools only - some well-done preaching (even if it was full of bullshit pop psychology, there was good emphasis on choice), a few official group leaders who were only one year older than us, and no gimmicks. The games were simple, yet managed to promote - shall I dare to say it - team work. Spontaneous cohesion. Not much prodding from the assigned leaders or the facilitators.
How well did I do? Well there has to be a reason for eating chocolate antidepressant, right? I fit well into the role of background helper (when I'm not messing up), but at the end of it, I still felt like a big failure compared to everyone else. Quite similar to the India experience in some ways; when your team manages to organize and execute a good barbeque, and all you did in the supermarket was look for cheese slices and accidentally bump into people because you're nervous about looking stupid and all that, man, you can really smell the fail seeping out your ass.
And no, not everyone was the epic headstrong type, but seriously I'm not going to use them as an excuse.
Big failure? Overall yes, but if we're talking about things learned, then no. This was a resounding wake-up call.
My next few years in poly are either going to be epic win or epic lose.
I've been to many group outings - not so many, because I don't like them, but enough. When the facilitators of whichever activity try to herd the group of more than 8 randoms together, major divides always pop up to make it at best only partially successful, and at the end all you learn is that you should avoid working with assholes and avoid assholes in general.
In 2007, there was a gender divide in the Singaporean delegates that went to India. By 2008, after four years in the same school, two of which we spent in the same class, 2/7 still missed a pissload of people. Even OBS took some crap, if I heard right.
I don't know if it's because people are maturing, or because the number 17 is just right, or because DPA filtered out the noobs and small-voiced faggots, but there was no douchebag drama this time round. Hell, I'm not sure there were many douchebags there, my presence notwithstanding. By the first few activities, which were fairly simple things like running around the whole school, a few people from my group of 17 came out of nowhere and promptly began filling up unofficial leadership roles. No, they weren't asked, not even encouraged. And there was no jostling for attention - remember that there was no previously aforementioned pecking order or state of affairs that predetermined things. Mostly strangers to each other. So these people didn't have the benefit of having the intellectual high ground (come on, how many people in our old school actually want to engage TOFU in an argument?), or were the head of a clique (important for female politics), or anything. They just popped and took charge.
If I'm not wrong, even OBS leads people by the hand and gives them a poopload of restrictions, hammering cheers into the group and all that to ensure idiots are kept in check. Here we were served a steaming pile of open-ended. BBQ? Go buy food yourself. Late? Too bad. Bedtime? Your choice. They specified early on that nobody is obliged to look out for emo kids sitting in the corner and offer them emotional support.
There were very simple tools only - some well-done preaching (even if it was full of bullshit pop psychology, there was good emphasis on choice), a few official group leaders who were only one year older than us, and no gimmicks. The games were simple, yet managed to promote - shall I dare to say it - team work. Spontaneous cohesion. Not much prodding from the assigned leaders or the facilitators.
How well did I do? Well there has to be a reason for eating chocolate antidepressant, right? I fit well into the role of background helper (when I'm not messing up), but at the end of it, I still felt like a big failure compared to everyone else. Quite similar to the India experience in some ways; when your team manages to organize and execute a good barbeque, and all you did in the supermarket was look for cheese slices and accidentally bump into people because you're nervous about looking stupid and all that, man, you can really smell the fail seeping out your ass.
And no, not everyone was the epic headstrong type, but seriously I'm not going to use them as an excuse.
Big failure? Overall yes, but if we're talking about things learned, then no. This was a resounding wake-up call.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Chastity Cup
I just had my first pubbing experience at an open air pub round the corner to my hotel in Bangkok. How many of us had actually gone to pub and took some fun bun stuff.
I had dinner at the same pub as well. I ate and then I took a look at the cocktail menu. I saw something that greatly aroused my interest. "Tequila Sunrise" is the name of a famous cocktail and I ordered it. It costed merely 160Baht, or a mere S$6. Finally I lost my chastity for these kinda things. My first pubbing experience was in Bangkok, Thailand. Its going to be remembered.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
o level results lol
yes lol
Oh god, am I on a timer. I hit myself with sedatives (otherwise I'll probably make this post really long), and Bridge may not come through - if I had completed more refined drafts of it this probably wouldn't have happened. I had hoped that the drabness of my life and the absence of a motivating force would be things of the past after my O Levels. This has not been the case.
Not to say nothing has happened. There HAS been some progress on Bridge, and I did complete a video project. But that's just excuses, and let's talk about other stuff (dodged!).
Results today. Wasn't very excited to be honest. Was more worried about my social skills after two months of stagnation. Wish I had the courage to talk to JJ, but she and I don't talk much; in any case, if I advanced any friendships with the opposite sex right now, it'll probably just become a plug for a bigger problem, like Geia was.
I've probably already said this, but I went in expecting very mediocre scores. Frankly though, I didn't care much about the scores anymore. After DPA, my enthusiasm for learning things other people pressed into my face eroded very quickly. This is primarily why my revision was so lackluster - I did not have a strong purpose. All I had was a childish want to beat Mikana at studies and a little bit of peer/parental pressure.
I have DPA, born of my few talents, projects, and friends. Nothing academic. Even my testimonial had Zephy's Pistol Ninja in it, no joke. I'm done with bring told to tell the xylem from the phoelem when I don't want to. I got pretty good results anyway, despite studying little. I was expecting a C for my Science, got a glowing A1 instead. Bullshat the written F&N paper, A2. They said on the powerpoint slides I had five distinctions - five! The most I've ever gotten was three.
But alas. There were bad surprises as well. I had only 4 distinctions. Humanities was a dismal A2, and Literature even worse: B3. That was disappointing. It was also weird. Didn't know whether to jump for joy, or be very annoyed at myself. Does it mean I'm not a writer by nature? I got all these doubts.
Another reason why I haven't been revamping Bridge - I'm becoming pretty good at artistic critique (or so I think) and I don't want to have to see my own work objectively.
I've been slowly talking more to people on the GZF forums. Learning about their lives. Bits and pieces. Some people go there to rant. People who have socially-unacceptable romantic feelings, some guys who've had divorces in the family, joined real fight clubs, stayed in their rooms for months on end, got arrested. But it's all background occurences, cold newspaper headlines, until you really get into the rants and the raves. It's not about what happens. It's about how happy and terrible and destroyed they feel. And when I watch from this angle, or talk to people who are in a worse spot than me and I learn firsthand how they feel about their lives... I think I don't have the moral right to be lazy, and I don't have the moral right to complain and bitch. This is just me. I'm a selfish guy, so I won't presume to pass judgement on how much emowanking the rest of you should do.
In a few days I'll be in a 3D2N camp. The notification and details came the say day as the O Level results. It's chocked with probably useless team activities and group hippie crap, but I'll see what I can squeeze out of it.
I dedicate this poast to Vonterul! Internets ftw
Oh god, am I on a timer. I hit myself with sedatives (otherwise I'll probably make this post really long), and Bridge may not come through - if I had completed more refined drafts of it this probably wouldn't have happened. I had hoped that the drabness of my life and the absence of a motivating force would be things of the past after my O Levels. This has not been the case.
Not to say nothing has happened. There HAS been some progress on Bridge, and I did complete a video project. But that's just excuses, and let's talk about other stuff (dodged!).
Results today. Wasn't very excited to be honest. Was more worried about my social skills after two months of stagnation. Wish I had the courage to talk to JJ, but she and I don't talk much; in any case, if I advanced any friendships with the opposite sex right now, it'll probably just become a plug for a bigger problem, like Geia was.
I've probably already said this, but I went in expecting very mediocre scores. Frankly though, I didn't care much about the scores anymore. After DPA, my enthusiasm for learning things other people pressed into my face eroded very quickly. This is primarily why my revision was so lackluster - I did not have a strong purpose. All I had was a childish want to beat Mikana at studies and a little bit of peer/parental pressure.
I have DPA, born of my few talents, projects, and friends. Nothing academic. Even my testimonial had Zephy's Pistol Ninja in it, no joke. I'm done with bring told to tell the xylem from the phoelem when I don't want to. I got pretty good results anyway, despite studying little. I was expecting a C for my Science, got a glowing A1 instead. Bullshat the written F&N paper, A2. They said on the powerpoint slides I had five distinctions - five! The most I've ever gotten was three.
But alas. There were bad surprises as well. I had only 4 distinctions. Humanities was a dismal A2, and Literature even worse: B3. That was disappointing. It was also weird. Didn't know whether to jump for joy, or be very annoyed at myself. Does it mean I'm not a writer by nature? I got all these doubts.
Another reason why I haven't been revamping Bridge - I'm becoming pretty good at artistic critique (or so I think) and I don't want to have to see my own work objectively.
I've been slowly talking more to people on the GZF forums. Learning about their lives. Bits and pieces. Some people go there to rant. People who have socially-unacceptable romantic feelings, some guys who've had divorces in the family, joined real fight clubs, stayed in their rooms for months on end, got arrested. But it's all background occurences, cold newspaper headlines, until you really get into the rants and the raves. It's not about what happens. It's about how happy and terrible and destroyed they feel. And when I watch from this angle, or talk to people who are in a worse spot than me and I learn firsthand how they feel about their lives... I think I don't have the moral right to be lazy, and I don't have the moral right to complain and bitch. This is just me. I'm a selfish guy, so I won't presume to pass judgement on how much emowanking the rest of you should do.
In a few days I'll be in a 3D2N camp. The notification and details came the say day as the O Level results. It's chocked with probably useless team activities and group hippie crap, but I'll see what I can squeeze out of it.
I dedicate this poast to Vonterul! Internets ftw
Monday, January 12, 2009
ENGLISH O levels REPORT
TOFU - A1
Lime - A1
Nosedigger - A1
Panzerz - A2
Nosedigger - A1
Panzerz - A2
Giant - A2
100% distinction for English in the Pebble Fort
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Thai-phoon
Too lazy to type anything solid, so i'll use these few photos i took in Bangkok do the talkin' (with some help from the captions)
This is the Pratunam Market. Used to be effing crowded. Pretty empty, no thanks to recent events.
Well, this is a newly built building (wasn't there last year when i went). Some shopping mall or office building, yet to visit. MY dad says its parodying King Kong, but i think its just a man clinging on for dear life o.0
Was on the lookout for a rarer side of Thailand, and i saw this right opposite the shop where my dad was buying some jeans for my mom. If only we see S'poreans playing any sports, not just takraw in whatever confined space...we could be so much better in the sporting world
Saw these 2 shirts on display at 2 different locations. Just had to take pictures of them, since i wasn't planning on buying them. There were more designs, but i got shooed by the vendor. LOL.
Just before checking out of the hotel, I happened to peek into the basket, and lo and behold... 2 condoms... Yep, the sex industry is indeed thriving in Thailand.
This is the Pratunam Market. Used to be effing crowded. Pretty empty, no thanks to recent events.
Well, this is a newly built building (wasn't there last year when i went). Some shopping mall or office building, yet to visit. MY dad says its parodying King Kong, but i think its just a man clinging on for dear life o.0
Was on the lookout for a rarer side of Thailand, and i saw this right opposite the shop where my dad was buying some jeans for my mom. If only we see S'poreans playing any sports, not just takraw in whatever confined space...we could be so much better in the sporting world
Saw these 2 shirts on display at 2 different locations. Just had to take pictures of them, since i wasn't planning on buying them. There were more designs, but i got shooed by the vendor. LOL.
Just before checking out of the hotel, I happened to peek into the basket, and lo and behold... 2 condoms... Yep, the sex industry is indeed thriving in Thailand.
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Hero Pattern
This was created made by Lord Raglan to show the similarities of various ancient mythology/hero-myths of different cultures and the patterns of heroes of today's literature as well as the literature of ancient times.
Incidents which occur with regularity in hero-myths of all cultures:
1. Hero's mother is a virgin;
2. His father is a king, and
3. Often a near relative of his mother, but
4. The circumstances of his conception are unusual, and
5. He is also reputed to be the son of a god.
6. At birth an attempt is made, usually by his father or his maternal grand father to kill him, but
7. he is spirited away, and
8. Reared by foster -parents in a far country.
9. We are told nothing of his childhood, but
10. On reaching manhood he returns or goes to his future Kingdom.
11. After a victory over the king and/or a giant, dragon, or wild beast,
12. He marries a princess, often the daughter of his predecessor and
13. And becomes king.
14. For a time he reigns uneventfully and
15. Prescribes laws, but
16. Later he loses favor with the gods and/or his subjects, and
17. Is driven from the throne and city, after which
18. He meets with a mysterious death,
19. Often at the top of a hill,
20. His children, if any do not succeed him.
21. His body is not buried, but nevertheless
22. He has one or more holy sepulchres.
Apparently, no one has the full 22 but the scores are as follows, (at least the top few)
Krishna: 21
1. His mother Devaki had several children before having him, thus making her very un-virginal; Devaki almost counts as royalty because her father Devaka was rich enough to afford a dowry of 400 elephants fully decorated with golden garlands, 15,000 decorated horses, 1800 chariots, and the hiring of 200 pretty young ladies to follow her.
2. His father Vasudeva was the son of King Surasena, but was not quite a king.
4. Devaki learned that she was pregnant with someone special when she became pregnant with Krishna; outside from that, her pregnancy and giving birth were normal.
5. Krishna is considered an avatar of the great Hindu god Vishnu.
6. The wicked King Kamsa had imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki, and had killed their previous offspring. He thus followed the footsteps of baby-killers Pharaoh, Herod, and Amulius, who came after Moses, Jesus Christ, and Romulus and Remus.
7. When he was born, he was switched with Yogamaya, daughter of Yasoda and Nanda (mother and father), thus frustrating Kamsa.
8. Yasoda and Nanda return to their home and raise Krishna there.
9. There are some childhood details, such as his learning to dance, his having fun with some gopis, and his fighting some wicked demons.
10. King Kamsa invites Krishna and a friend to a wrestling match, hoping that Krishna will be defeated.
11. But Krishna wins, prompting Kamsa to order Krishna's foster father and several others murdered. Whereupon Krishna kills Kamsa.
12. Krishna marries some beautiful princesses.
13. Krishna helps make a certain Ugrusena king; he himself becomes king after a while.
14.The Kurukshetra War counts against this; Krishna also fights more demons, plays his flute, and has some fun with his gopi groupies. Krishna's fun loving is a rarity among religious prophets; only Jesus Christ comes anywhere close with his turning of water into wine for a wedding party.
15. Krishna delivers the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna at the beginning of that war.
16. Krishna's family misbehaves, giving Krishna a bad name.
17. Krishna's family and clan are destroyed in a civil war, leaving him to wander around.
18. Krishna shot in the foot by a hunter named "Old Age" (jara); his brother turns into a snake and goes into the sea.
19. Krishna dies in a forest by the seashore.
20. He had no successors.
21. He rose up into heaven.
22. Several places are described as his last resting place.
Moses: 20
His parents (1 and 2) were of the principal family of the Levites and (3) near relatives; he is (5) also reputed to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Pharaoh (6) attempts to kill him at birth but (7) he is rafted away , and (8) reared secretly, We are told (9) nothing of his childhood, but on reaching manhood he (11) kills a man, and (10) goes to Midian where (12) he marries the ruler's daughter. Returning (10) to Egypt, he (11) gains a series of magical victories over Pharaoh, and (13) becomes ruler. his rule lasts a long time, and (15) he prescribes laws, but later he (16) loses the favour of Jehovah, is (17) removed from his leadership, and (18) disappears mysteriously from (19) the top of a mountain. His children (20) do not succeed him. His body (21) is not buried, but (22) he has a holy sepulchre near Jerusalem.
King Arthur: 19
His mother, Igraine, is (1) a princess, and his father is (2) the Duke of Cornwall. He is, however, (5) reputed to be the son of Uther Pendragon, who (6) visited (7) Igraine in the Duke's likeness. At birth he is apparently in no danger, yet he is (7) spirited away, and (8) nothing of his childhood, but on reaching manhood he (10) travels to London, (11) wins a magical victory, and (13) is chosen king. After other victories he (12) marries Guinevere, heiress of the Round Table. After this he (14) reigns uneventfully, and (15) prescribes the laws of chivalry, but later there is (16) a successful conspiracy against him, while (17) he is abroad. he meets with (18) a mysterious death, and his children do not (20) succeed him, His body is (21) not buried, but nevertheless he has (22) a holy sepulchre at Glastonbury.
Jesus: 18
His mother, Mary, is (1) a royal virgin (descendant of King David),
and his father is (2) Joseph,
who is (3) her close relative.
He is reported to be (5) the son of God,
who (4) sends his Holy Spirit to Mary.
At his birth King Herod (6) tries to kill him,
but he and his parents (7) flee to Egypt.
We are told (9) almost nothing of his childhood,
but on reaching manhood he begins to enter (10) his future kingdom.
He teaches successfully (14) for some time,
prescribing (15) ways of behavior and belief.
His enemies (16) persecute him,
and he is executed (18)
on top of a hill (19).
He defeats the forces of evil (11)
and eventually returns (10) to his heavenly kingdom.
He has (20) no children to succeed him.
His body is (21) not buried,
but he has a sepulchre (22) in Jerusalem.
Mohammad: 17
His mother Aminot is (1) a royal virgin, and his father a Abdullai is (2) king of Mecca. He is also from the Quarais family (3). He is also reputed to be the son of God (5). At his birth Hablilabi (6) tried to kill him in Mecca. He is wafted away (7) and reared secretly (8). We are told (9) nothing of his childhood. Later he goes (10) to Medina where he marries (12) a princess Kadijat Kuburat, also of the royal Quarais family. He gains a series of victories (11) over his adversaries. His (13) rule as prophet (14) lasts a long time, and he prescribes (15) laws. written in the sacred book of the Quaran (Koran). Later he loses favor with his subjects (16) and is driven (17) from the throne, though he later re-establishes himself. His children (20) do not succeed him. He has (22) holy sepulchres in Mecca and Medina.
Beowulf: 15
His parents are unknown but probably royal (2).
As a baby he was set adrift in a boat (6 & 7),
laden with armor and weapons.
He is adopted by (8) the king and queen of the country to which he drifted.
We know (9) nothing of his childhood,
but as a man he is banished from the kingdom (17?).
While he is in exile, the monster Grendel ravages the kingdom, and when he hears of this,
he (10) returns.
He (11) slays the monster and his mother,
and (12) marries the princess Freeware.
He and his wife (13) rule
for many years (14),
and he (15) makes laws about religious and political life.
He dies (18) in a fight with a dragon.
His body (21) is placed on a ship and sent to sea,
and the people (22) build a monument to his memory.
Buddha: 15
2. His father Suddhodhana had been a king, or at least a noble.
4. When he was conceived, his mother Maya dreamed that a white elephant had entered her body through her side.
5. He was an enlightened being on his last reincarnation before achieving Nirvana.
6. Suddhodhana tries to keep him from his future career by spoiling him instead of by trying to kill him.
7. He suffers that spoilage through his childhood.
8. Maya dies and he is raised by her sister Mahaprajaprati.
9. Little is known about his life with Mahaprajaprati.
10. He sees an old man, a monk, a sick man, and a dead man, and deserts his wife and son in search of enlightenment.
11. He goes on a long quest, mortifying the flesh, and experiencing Mara the Tempter trying to lead him astray, until he achieves enlightenment under a Bodhi tree.
12. He decides to spread the word about what he has learned.
14. and reigns successfully for a period of time.
15. He issues his teachings, which contain laws of a sort.
18. He eats a meal of poisoned pork, an oddity because Buddhism has the ideal of vegetarianism.
20. His son does not succeed him.
21. His body is not buried. He was cremated and has no tomb.
Zeus: 14
His mother, Rhea, is a queen of the gods (1), and his father is (2) her divine husband Cronus. As Titans, Rhea and Cronus are sister and brother (3). At birth Cronus attempts to swallow Zeus (6) who is spirited away by Rhea (7) and raised on the island of Crete by the curetes (8). We are told nothing of his childhood (9), but n reaching maturity Zeus returns (10) and overthrows his father Cronus (11). He then marries his sister Hera (12) and becomes king of the gods (13). For a time he reigns uneventfully (14) and prescribes laws (15) and (22) he was worshipped in temples.
Did it end up long again? damn
-Panzerz
P.S. Scientists think they've found a snake with legs. Its from the late cretaceous period,(aka somewhat dawn of dinosaurs) of its possibly the missing evolutionary link between them and lizards. So tell me, this god guy,he did what?
Incidents which occur with regularity in hero-myths of all cultures:
1. Hero's mother is a virgin;
2. His father is a king, and
3. Often a near relative of his mother, but
4. The circumstances of his conception are unusual, and
5. He is also reputed to be the son of a god.
6. At birth an attempt is made, usually by his father or his maternal grand father to kill him, but
7. he is spirited away, and
8. Reared by foster -parents in a far country.
9. We are told nothing of his childhood, but
10. On reaching manhood he returns or goes to his future Kingdom.
11. After a victory over the king and/or a giant, dragon, or wild beast,
12. He marries a princess, often the daughter of his predecessor and
13. And becomes king.
14. For a time he reigns uneventfully and
15. Prescribes laws, but
16. Later he loses favor with the gods and/or his subjects, and
17. Is driven from the throne and city, after which
18. He meets with a mysterious death,
19. Often at the top of a hill,
20. His children, if any do not succeed him.
21. His body is not buried, but nevertheless
22. He has one or more holy sepulchres.
Apparently, no one has the full 22 but the scores are as follows, (at least the top few)
Krishna: 21
1. His mother Devaki had several children before having him, thus making her very un-virginal; Devaki almost counts as royalty because her father Devaka was rich enough to afford a dowry of 400 elephants fully decorated with golden garlands, 15,000 decorated horses, 1800 chariots, and the hiring of 200 pretty young ladies to follow her.
2. His father Vasudeva was the son of King Surasena, but was not quite a king.
4. Devaki learned that she was pregnant with someone special when she became pregnant with Krishna; outside from that, her pregnancy and giving birth were normal.
5. Krishna is considered an avatar of the great Hindu god Vishnu.
6. The wicked King Kamsa had imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki, and had killed their previous offspring. He thus followed the footsteps of baby-killers Pharaoh, Herod, and Amulius, who came after Moses, Jesus Christ, and Romulus and Remus.
7. When he was born, he was switched with Yogamaya, daughter of Yasoda and Nanda (mother and father), thus frustrating Kamsa.
8. Yasoda and Nanda return to their home and raise Krishna there.
9. There are some childhood details, such as his learning to dance, his having fun with some gopis, and his fighting some wicked demons.
10. King Kamsa invites Krishna and a friend to a wrestling match, hoping that Krishna will be defeated.
11. But Krishna wins, prompting Kamsa to order Krishna's foster father and several others murdered. Whereupon Krishna kills Kamsa.
12. Krishna marries some beautiful princesses.
13. Krishna helps make a certain Ugrusena king; he himself becomes king after a while.
14.The Kurukshetra War counts against this; Krishna also fights more demons, plays his flute, and has some fun with his gopi groupies. Krishna's fun loving is a rarity among religious prophets; only Jesus Christ comes anywhere close with his turning of water into wine for a wedding party.
15. Krishna delivers the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna at the beginning of that war.
16. Krishna's family misbehaves, giving Krishna a bad name.
17. Krishna's family and clan are destroyed in a civil war, leaving him to wander around.
18. Krishna shot in the foot by a hunter named "Old Age" (jara); his brother turns into a snake and goes into the sea.
19. Krishna dies in a forest by the seashore.
20. He had no successors.
21. He rose up into heaven.
22. Several places are described as his last resting place.
Moses: 20
His parents (1 and 2) were of the principal family of the Levites and (3) near relatives; he is (5) also reputed to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Pharaoh (6) attempts to kill him at birth but (7) he is rafted away , and (8) reared secretly, We are told (9) nothing of his childhood, but on reaching manhood he (11) kills a man, and (10) goes to Midian where (12) he marries the ruler's daughter. Returning (10) to Egypt, he (11) gains a series of magical victories over Pharaoh, and (13) becomes ruler. his rule lasts a long time, and (15) he prescribes laws, but later he (16) loses the favour of Jehovah, is (17) removed from his leadership, and (18) disappears mysteriously from (19) the top of a mountain. His children (20) do not succeed him. His body (21) is not buried, but (22) he has a holy sepulchre near Jerusalem.
King Arthur: 19
His mother, Igraine, is (1) a princess, and his father is (2) the Duke of Cornwall. He is, however, (5) reputed to be the son of Uther Pendragon, who (6) visited (7) Igraine in the Duke's likeness. At birth he is apparently in no danger, yet he is (7) spirited away, and (8) nothing of his childhood, but on reaching manhood he (10) travels to London, (11) wins a magical victory, and (13) is chosen king. After other victories he (12) marries Guinevere, heiress of the Round Table. After this he (14) reigns uneventfully, and (15) prescribes the laws of chivalry, but later there is (16) a successful conspiracy against him, while (17) he is abroad. he meets with (18) a mysterious death, and his children do not (20) succeed him, His body is (21) not buried, but nevertheless he has (22) a holy sepulchre at Glastonbury.
Jesus: 18
His mother, Mary, is (1) a royal virgin (descendant of King David),
and his father is (2) Joseph,
who is (3) her close relative.
He is reported to be (5) the son of God,
who (4) sends his Holy Spirit to Mary.
At his birth King Herod (6) tries to kill him,
but he and his parents (7) flee to Egypt.
We are told (9) almost nothing of his childhood,
but on reaching manhood he begins to enter (10) his future kingdom.
He teaches successfully (14) for some time,
prescribing (15) ways of behavior and belief.
His enemies (16) persecute him,
and he is executed (18)
on top of a hill (19).
He defeats the forces of evil (11)
and eventually returns (10) to his heavenly kingdom.
He has (20) no children to succeed him.
His body is (21) not buried,
but he has a sepulchre (22) in Jerusalem.
Mohammad: 17
His mother Aminot is (1) a royal virgin, and his father a Abdullai is (2) king of Mecca. He is also from the Quarais family (3). He is also reputed to be the son of God (5). At his birth Hablilabi (6) tried to kill him in Mecca. He is wafted away (7) and reared secretly (8). We are told (9) nothing of his childhood. Later he goes (10) to Medina where he marries (12) a princess Kadijat Kuburat, also of the royal Quarais family. He gains a series of victories (11) over his adversaries. His (13) rule as prophet (14) lasts a long time, and he prescribes (15) laws. written in the sacred book of the Quaran (Koran). Later he loses favor with his subjects (16) and is driven (17) from the throne, though he later re-establishes himself. His children (20) do not succeed him. He has (22) holy sepulchres in Mecca and Medina.
Beowulf: 15
His parents are unknown but probably royal (2).
As a baby he was set adrift in a boat (6 & 7),
laden with armor and weapons.
He is adopted by (8) the king and queen of the country to which he drifted.
We know (9) nothing of his childhood,
but as a man he is banished from the kingdom (17?).
While he is in exile, the monster Grendel ravages the kingdom, and when he hears of this,
he (10) returns.
He (11) slays the monster and his mother,
and (12) marries the princess Freeware.
He and his wife (13) rule
for many years (14),
and he (15) makes laws about religious and political life.
He dies (18) in a fight with a dragon.
His body (21) is placed on a ship and sent to sea,
and the people (22) build a monument to his memory.
Buddha: 15
2. His father Suddhodhana had been a king, or at least a noble.
4. When he was conceived, his mother Maya dreamed that a white elephant had entered her body through her side.
5. He was an enlightened being on his last reincarnation before achieving Nirvana.
6. Suddhodhana tries to keep him from his future career by spoiling him instead of by trying to kill him.
7. He suffers that spoilage through his childhood.
8. Maya dies and he is raised by her sister Mahaprajaprati.
9. Little is known about his life with Mahaprajaprati.
10. He sees an old man, a monk, a sick man, and a dead man, and deserts his wife and son in search of enlightenment.
11. He goes on a long quest, mortifying the flesh, and experiencing Mara the Tempter trying to lead him astray, until he achieves enlightenment under a Bodhi tree.
12. He decides to spread the word about what he has learned.
14. and reigns successfully for a period of time.
15. He issues his teachings, which contain laws of a sort.
18. He eats a meal of poisoned pork, an oddity because Buddhism has the ideal of vegetarianism.
20. His son does not succeed him.
21. His body is not buried. He was cremated and has no tomb.
Zeus: 14
His mother, Rhea, is a queen of the gods (1), and his father is (2) her divine husband Cronus. As Titans, Rhea and Cronus are sister and brother (3). At birth Cronus attempts to swallow Zeus (6) who is spirited away by Rhea (7) and raised on the island of Crete by the curetes (8). We are told nothing of his childhood (9), but n reaching maturity Zeus returns (10) and overthrows his father Cronus (11). He then marries his sister Hera (12) and becomes king of the gods (13). For a time he reigns uneventfully (14) and prescribes laws (15) and (22) he was worshipped in temples.
Did it end up long again? damn
-Panzerz
P.S. Scientists think they've found a snake with legs. Its from the late cretaceous period,(aka somewhat dawn of dinosaurs) of its possibly the missing evolutionary link between them and lizards. So tell me, this god guy,he did what?
Da Motherland
你好
I have been in China for the past couple of days now... And because I'm living in an area of China that is prety suburb-y, I've managed to see the other sights of Shanghai that tourists don't see.
I have been in China for the past couple of days now... And because I'm living in an area of China that is prety suburb-y, I've managed to see the other sights of Shanghai that tourists don't see.
Who knew the parks here would be so nice and modern. Though small and all...
I hope this trip here by myself will help me gain the experience I need to springboard furthur overseas next time. Perhaps next end year I would launch another expedition, this time though, not to China.
Something I noted was of how I managed to blend it with the Shanghai people. A policeman even started talking to me in Shanghainese instead of the normal mandrian. In case you don't know, Shanghainese is like a dialect, Hokkien, Teocheow, Cantonese, etc. So I was pretty taken aback that I this guy talked to me a real native language.
But I guess in backpacking you got to try to blend in as much as possible. And soak in as much of the locals as possible. And not stick to the touristy stuff of things...
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