Accepted

Just finish watching the show 'Accepted' on HBO. The movie is rather like a teen-pop "fantasy in real life" setting sort of plot. You know those kind of movies where the main character is going to be a great hit with crowds, school mates and society... you sort of want to emulate his/her success as a crowd winner... haha

for more info check this out
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384793/

but the important point of this/these movie/s is that ... we should always follow our heart. Even if society thinks we are not acceptable... we should not be rejected...

Why do we have to be worried about grades, certificates and prestige? Why does society scorn on 'failures', people who fall out of the system or the norm? Shouldn't everyone be given equal chances as respectable human beings?

Weird right? But painfully it is true... the system we live in is rather ... unacceptable of people who cannot find success and people who do not have higher education or follow social norms. I don't understand really why... but I think its due to the system, expectations, competition and most ironically ... because of the acceptance of success...

Sometimes I think like B (Justin Long, the apple guy in the adverts!) in the movie... why can't successful people in society (success) co exist with people who fail to follow the mainstream trends (failure)? Wouldn't it be nice if we just spend time to understand one another better? Think about that. I am going to try to make it happen... at least in my world.

Extract from the movie:

Bartleby: Nah, I'm not going to answer your question, 'cause you guys have already made up your minds. I'm an expert in rejection, and I can see it on your faces. And it's too bad that you judge us by the way we look and not by who we are. Just because you want us to be more like them when the truth is we're not like them. And I am damn proud of that fact. I mean, Harmon College and their - and their 100 years of tradition. But tradition of what? Of hazing kids and humiliating anyone who's a bit different? Of putting so much pressure on kids they turn into these - these stress freaks and caffeine addicts.

Dean Van Horne: Your phony school demeans real colleges everywhere!

Bartleby: Why? Why can't we both exist? Huh? You can have your grades, and your rules and your structure and your ivory towers, and then we'll do things our way. Why do we have to conform to what you want?

Dean Van Horne: Your curriculum is a joke, and you, sir, are a criminal.

Bartleby: You know what? You're a criminal. 'Cause you rob these kids of their creativity and their passion. That's the real crime! Well, what about you parents? Did -did the system really work out for you? Did it teach you to follow your heart, or to just play it safe, roll over? What about you guys? Did you always want to be school administrators? Dr. Alexander, was that your dream? Or maybe no, maybe you wanted to be a poet. Maybe you wanted to be a magician or an artist. Maybe you just wanted to travel the world. Look, I - I - I - I lied to you. I lied to all of you, and I'm sorry. Dad, especially to you. But out of that desperation, something happened that was so amazing. Life was full of possibilities. A - and isn't that what you ultimately want for us? As parents, I mean, is - is that, is possibilities. Well, we came here today to ask for your approval, and something just occurred to me. I don't give a shit. Who cares about your approval? We don't need your approval to tell us that what we did was real. 'Cause there are so few truths in this world, that when you see one, you just know it. And I know that it is a truth that real learning took place at South Harmon. Whether you like it or not, it did. 'Cause you don't need teachers or classrooms or - or fancy highbrow traditions or money to really learn. You just need people with a desire to better themselves, and we got that by the shit at South Harmon. So you can go ahead, sign your forms, reject us and shoot us down, and do whatever you gotta do. It doesn't really matter at this point. Because we'll never stop learning, and we'll never stop growing, and we'll never forget the ideals what were instilled in us at our place. 'Cause we are SHIT heads now, and we'll be SHIT heads forever and nothing you say can do or stamp can take that away from us! So go!

This Post is dedicated to students/ people / friends like me, who aren't the brightest.
It goes out to those who appreciate life and want believe in themselves and their dreams.
Especially to Gina and my friends, you always be accepted in my life.
Happy Belated Merry X Mas

I wish we all will meet again.

This post is going to be a bit depressing. Especially those who feel the same.

Feelings after watching '881' (express in a conversation on MSN, edited for Grammatical errors)
4:51 Thursday, December 20, 2007
» hope your awake soon, i just finish watching 881
» its a singaporean local production
» in many ways it makes me feel sad ... cos its about 2 girls who perform for the dead on the getai during the 7th month
» and the songs they sing... remind me of those who left us
» cos the songs they sing are for those who pass away... thats why most of the songs are also play during the chinese funerals... they aren't so familiar at first it was only much later when one of them dies... then i realize they played that song at my granny's funeral
» the movie really touches my heart. and it makes me scare about death but more so... to lose those who i love.

I think the movie is very well done. It really connects vert well with Singaporeans and Chinese families. It is able to bring that sadness and grief you experience at time when those important to us leave this world.

By watching it once... I suddenly remembered many painful memories ... especially when granny left. I remembered crying for days. I think that feeling is hard to forget and 'recall' except at times when someone important leaves.

But this movie has done so. Maybe it is the language that keeps me engaged with the idea of family and friends, cause it is only when I spend time with them do I speak dialect. And the use of dialect in many ways... brings me back to times of family gatherings... sadly times when family members pass away, the cries and shouts for granny to come 'back' were in dialect ... never in English or Mandarin.

But most of all, the songs and expressions of the actresses singing... remind you that life is full of hardship, love and farewell. The farewell song in the hospital, about birth, life and passing away as well as a few other dialect tunes were played at granny's funeral as well. That 'killed' me, as it brought me back to the scene of the funeral.

Perhaps I am thinking too much. Yet I have one childish wish, that will never be granted unless I pass away first,... I hope I do not have to learn about the death of a friend or family member. That aside, I do wish and hope (though some may not agree with me), I will meet you again after this life.

Seletar Camp Adventure

Yar right, who can have an adventure in Seletar Camp?

Get a mountain bike and explore the camp yourself, its quite a different experience and feel from the noise of the urban life we are all too used to. Its probably an invisible landscape... one that is home to the rich and the forgotten construction workers... and of cos, one with rich heritage and history within its grounds as a military base.

Seletar Camp - Rustic? Or Modern?

O yar, I guess I had been talking about getting a new bike and purchasing it. Well this is the new bike below. Cool huh? Its a GT Avalanche 2.0 2008 model. The bike handles very well on dirt and bumpy trails ... I tested it today... haha. Try mountain biking one day... you won't regret. Better still, it can help you keep fit.

My GT Avalanche 2.0

The adventure begun when I decided to explore this relatively secluded part of Singapore. Furthermore, the roads within the camp are prefect for beginners, traffic isn't that pack but beware of inconsiderate speedsters. There are some bumpy, dirt tracks you can wonder along as well. It seemed like a normal training session till I saw the turning into Seletar Airport. So I decide to check it out.

The Exclusive Private Playground

As I deviated from my the main road, I realized how 'unfriendly' this part of the camp was. It really is a space where only the well-to-do can afford to utilize. There was the private airport, private housing (one of the houses had a football field, a playground and a swimming pool, it had the facilities to operate a school. I wonder which female pig stays there to have so many kids... or is it just another case of inequality within our home... sigh.) golf courses and exclusive club houses.

There was also blardee a lot of warning signs and caution notices, it made the place look super unfriendly... but there was was which was particularly funny haha.

Don't Be Christmas Turkey

The adventure carried on as i cycled further in, till I reached this area where there was a construction project going on. This area was full of foreign workers, who bleed and sweat into building the infrastructure but never get recognized or accepted. It isn't surprising that this space is rightful theirs at the moment... and sadly this space is also one of the few spaces of leisure and interaction for them. While was there, I saw foreign workers of different nationalities interacting with one another, fishing, biking like me, and drinking by the water. I can't figure why but this site saddens me and all I could offer was my smile as I cycled past them.

Playground Hidden Away From Ours
(Take note, Seletar Dam where locals hang out is in the back ground)

But the finale was at the end... as I was cycling towards the gates that I came through at the beginning... I discovered it had been locked... some worker must have chained it while I was within the construction yard. Well, thank gosh I could dismantle my bike and squeeze it through the gates... and luckily I could squeeze myself through it as well. haha. If I couldn't get out, I think I would need to wait till the workers come and open up the gates for me... damm that idiot who chained up the gates. BLEAH!

A Tight Escape

Picking up the D50 once again

I took a photo recently.

I guess it helps represent my life very much in the past semester... or at least how I felt about it. It also tells you what weird weather we had recently. haha

I believe in time to come, I will once again learn and return to photos to explain myself.

Black clouds raging in the far grounds
But I have the light behind me

Too much time?

I think holidays seem to be the best period of a student's life... we seem to hope it comes sooner and sooner as our workload becomes ridiculous during the term. I guess this is my last holiday as a NUS student in Singapore, the next one shall be spent overseas.

And it is because of this fact, I have been trying to max out my days to do as many things as I can.

Its only been 1 week since the end of the exams... but it seem that school life is almost forgotten ... haha.

I have embark on a journey... to find back my 'old self' and I think I started on the right note...

I started to take my fitness more serious then ever. The IPPT draws nearer... its in May, this time around, I want to get at least a silver. I taken on cycling once again. Got a Mountain bike... the GT avalanche 2.0 ... hopefully I can use the bike to take on mountain biking... or at least trail biking. Been taking my daily runs very seriously... trying to run at a lower heart rate then before. Finally, I never felt better in the pool before. I swim faster then before... much faster... averaging 30 laps of freestyle per session but swimming requires entrance fee and traveling expense... damm why ain't I living in a condo?

Back at Big O once again... everything seems the same... well, there are new staff, 'old birds' are back ... but then again, as much as I enjoy working with my friends... changes often bring about difficulties. But thats not my main concern.

I think the best things about the holidays is ... you once again get a chance to relax with your friends... its been only the first week... but I have caught up with so many buddies... I shall blog about these 'friendly' encounters soon... I have to actively blog again... cos I find my memory failing me. Only by blogging will I be able to remember better. I believe.

The last Paper yeah!

I bet you used this statement (the title of this post) before... I am not being evil but when I hear a few students talking about it after my second paper for the sem, I shouted:
"Yeah, 5 more Papers and no more examinations for the rest of my life!"

So try beating that.

I think my brain is being over taxed... My speech/ grammar and phrases are all going out of hand...

"Kill two stones with one bird" (Kill two birds with one stone) and "Bowl of soup" (instead of "cup of tea")

And when you are panicking, trying to study and stressed... do you realize that it happens to your friends as well... for one, the number of bloopers and falls/slips are increasing around me. Haha.

Tomorrow is the last paper for the semester.... next semester, 3 more papers and I am done with the stupid system of NUS examinations. But the time from now till tomorrow, it seems freaking long. Damm.

The adventures of the Ung - Part 1

Doreen Ung came back. Yes that was last week. I didn't get to meet her much till the end of her stay in town but I still enjoyed bring her around to tour the ever changing landscapes and place of Singapore. Sometimes as you travel with a friend who has left Singapore for a long period of time... you sort of feel that Singapore is always trap within this 'bubble of development'... everywhere around you, construction and upgrading takes place. Doreen felt this way. It is matters like this, you kind of be unconscious of, until someone from the 'outside' brings your attention to it.

Times spent together with her was so fun and happy, I sort of forgot that I was amidst preparing for the examinations. Haha.

I think my god sis is happier this time around, although she keeps complaining she might 'melt' under our ultra hot climate which she no longer can identify as the one she used to spend her youth in. The last time I saw her was when she was in Sydney, perhaps back then she wasn't on holiday and she looked kind of tired from work. Maybe its also because, all her friends back here just miss her and treat the rare and precious Ung like a princess on holiday. Haha.

Well its good to see an old friend's smile again. Shall continue about her (missed) adventures when I get more pictures. O yar Doreen, I told you, I could blog about your trip during the examinations period. haha.

This does not happen everyday, even when I drive everyday.