Presentation of the Self

I remember vaguely this discussion with Gideon, Henry, Rene and Adwyn in the canteen one day after school. They (mainly Gideon) were talking about methods of 'talking', but I think it can be generalised to 'presentation'.

Essentially, the argument, or at least the part I listened to, went like this:
When I talk to A, I talk in a way a.
When I talk to B, I talk in a different way b.
When I talk to A and B, I talk in a way c that can be different from a and b.

Interestingly true.

Crossroads

Sometimes it's hard for me to understand
Why we pull away from each other so easily,
Even though we're all walking the same road
Yet we build dividing walls between our brothers and ourselves.

But I, I don't care what label you may wear
If you believe in Jesus you belong with me.
The bond we share is all I care to see
And we'll change the world forever
If you will join with me - join and sing, sing;

(chorus)
You're my brother, you're my sister, so take me by the hand
Together we will work until He comes again;
There's no foe that can defeat us when we're walking side by side.
So long as there is love, we will stand.

The day will come when we will be as one,
And with a mighty voice together we will proclaim
That Jesus, Jesus is King.
It will echo through the earth;
It will shake the nations, and the world will see,
See that...

(chorus)

I like the song. ^
Interestingly many of the Christian songs that I 'liked' seem to be medium paced and have either themes of deliverance or brotherhood in them.

I spent a total of about 8 hours on the PoD essay, but now it's finished. Mr Bernard Taylor said the first round one was good other than a minor point or two with regard to Pascal's Wager - the application of mathematical decision theory to whether one should believe in God or not. In my opinion, it doesn't really work despite its deductive validity - because belief in God should, as far as I know, be out of faith, rather than self-interest.

On a semi-not-really-side note, thank you Juzzie, Sam Chan, Russell, and many others who have helped calm me down over the pre-exam period. Sometimes, just providing a listening ear really helps.

shoot for 150.

For Russell, Sam Chan and Jason:

(Text: The Irrationality of Management or something like that)

Go try the test at www.typingtest.com. My fingers hurt.

Interestingly, a lot of skilled typists use the Dvorak keyboard layout that I do not understand well, but maybe just because I'm too used to it. Like how neither Russell nor I can use a Mac efficiently, why Jarrel prefers C while I prefer Java, or why I can sketch graphs better than draw other objects - familiarity and practice, it seems.

PoD essay is really ingratiating. I've been trying to write on Theism and Nihilism, but it's quite a mess. I don't really 'get' Absurdism, and Existentialism is going to give me headaches writing. It took me about 7-8 hours in Term 1 to digest Idealism and Absolute Idealism and write that essay (read: Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche), and I have no idea how long its going to take me to digest these.

if i disappeared
became merely a vapor tossed in the wind
would there be anything different? of course the physical landscape would change.
but on any other levels? any other planes?

jk

Belated Melody

Amazingly, I totally forgot to post about it until reading a few other peoples' blogs.

Teacher's Day. A day where we're supposed to honour those who have been (at least supposedly) imparting a wealth of knowledge to us. It passed seven days ago, and yet I have not posted about it. How bad of me =(

To my CT and current Chem teacher, I admittedly feel somewhat intrigued by you. Thank you for your teaching, and your patient explanations of various concepts to me. Though it might not have been your intention, thank you for the occasional bit of refreshing humour you provide in class - it can really help refresh my day sometimes, especially if I'm feeling stony. Thank you for handling my rather esoteric O Level request as well.

To my PCT and Geog teacher for 2 years, I have learnt much from you, both in and out of the context of Geography. It has been really interesting learning from you and I would definitely like to thank you for that.

To my C Math teacher this year, though I was initially rather unsettled, I have developed quite a lot of respect for you. Though it might not be so explicit, I have realised that you really care for the class and the welfare of all the students. Your dedication and determination probably has rubbed off on some of the students. I know that I have not always been paying attention during C Math. I am sorry for that - I never knew you were so concerned. Thanks a lot.

To my A Math teacher this year, it has indeed been a pleasure discussing many things with you, both within and outside the field of mathematics. Your smile has indeed helped us through the large volume of practices there is to be done; and though I'm quite sure most of us find it taxing, it probably will pay off in the end. It's also quite rare to have a teacher who will patiently explain why marks were deducted or could not be awarded for impressionistic work, so thank you.

To my Physics teacher for 2 years, you have made me learn much both within the context of physics and outside of that. Though it may appear that people might not be so interested in your lessons, rest assured that there are those who do. Furthermore, the efficiency of the out-of-lesson consultations I have had with you has really been high. Thank you. It's also nice to know that there is actually a teacher that I can hug. <3

To my IHS teacher, your comments during lessons have always been quite interesting. Thank you for allowing me to have the honour of timekeeping the IHS presentations, and also for the support you have given me during the IHS project. I have also learnt a bit about discipline through my knowledge of you in the BB.

To my Lang Arts A teacher, in my opinion I believe that it takes a skilled teacher to make a student who dislikes the text like it - and that's what you have done. Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes and his contagious blastments will remain etched in my memory for quite a while, in a good way. Thank you for the support during IOC, and also for the very interesting discourses we've had during your lessons.

To my Lang Arts B teacher, your emphasis on the process rather than product has indeed been a refreshing change from what much of academics appears to emphasise. Indeed, I have come to know you as one who cares for the welfare of his students and is forgiving, yet assertive and reasonable. Thank you.

To my POD teacher, I admit that lessons have been somewhat dry at times - yet, you have tried hard to keep them interesting. Your propensity and willingness to accept the occasional logical flaw or loophole is also very intriguing.

To my Chinese teacher, I really have much to say. Thank you so much for understanding my predicament, and being there to calm me down during the O Level Release of Results. Thank you for being understanding with homework, especially for this subject that I find it tough to cope with. Thank you for your forgiveness with regard to my fickleness in choosing whether to take the O Levels or not. Finally, thank you for showing some confidence in me, and encouraging me when I hand in a good piece of work.

To my Comp Studies teacher, it has indeed been... interesting working with you, and though I probably will not be taking Comp Studies next year, the 1 year that you've spent teaching me has been fairly productive. Thank you.

I'm going back to writing LArts B.
bye.

jk

Some Thoughts

I just feel lost. I can't really decide what I should be doing now, who I should associate myself with, who I should look for, where I should be.

My mind is blank.

jk

Numerical Pain // T3 Results

My results have left me with a weird impression. =(
Stupid Geog 65 and Larts 67 led to...

81.8. less than shuan, rene, dyee, henry, jarrel, ximin, johnny, kwong and probably manyother ppl also...

after all what do i have to show for my effort?
just this?a failure, in some senses, by 8.2?

I'm a bit frustrated. But looking on the bright side of things, there are many other things that I can do as a result of not shooting for top place this year anymore. Also I was quite happy to win the individual prize for the intra-sch mathcomp (50/54) and the gold for Math Olympiad this year. Amazingly my Math Comp marks (93%) are higher than my C (92%) and A (87%) Math marks.

For the World Scholar's Cup, I will be working with Daniel and Russell. Our team is pretty good, I think - other than the fact that maybe we aren't so sure why we are a team.

The conversation below may not be word-to-word but I think it reflects the general idea...
Me - "Daniel, why did you want me on your team?"
Daniel - "You're pro in math and science"
Russell - "Why did you want me on your team?"
Daniel - *dunno*
Me - "Music. Oh, and Russell's a nice guy."

weirdness.

I can probably do Science, Math, Econs. Lang Arts won't be a problem cause it's MUGGING, and actually so are Social Sciences and Fine Art. Fine Art is appreciation, not practical, so I'll probably enjoy it quite a bit. For debates I'll hopefully be Proposition//1st Speaker, cause I know it's my strongest, and others like Jarrel think so too, it seems. Depends on issues, really. If they make us debate about a science topic it would be quite interesting.

after all what do i have to show for my effort?
just this?a failure, in some senses, by 8.2?

Granted, I guess didn't put in as much effort as I should. But now it's a thing of the past - with regard to academia all that matters for now is the 50% ahead.

jk

Lang Arts: Poem Analysis

This poem, which I have to analyse and present on Tuesday, is quite nuts.

To His Coy Mistress
Andrew Marvell
Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace.

Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Many other things, which I don't have time to say now as I have to prep for a CS test tmr. bye!

jk