Thursday, November 23, 2006

Cultural Psych

I can't help but feel that I'm fighting a losing battle here. There's no way I'm gonna be able to cover everything in Cultural Psych by tomorrow. I was trying to read my textbook just now, trying to convince myself that there's still time to try to cover my base, but I almost threw my book out of the window in frustration. And now I can't find the motivation to look at my lecture notes. I really feel like just going into the exam hall tomorrow without studying, but I know I'll definitely kick myself after that. But NOTHING is getting into my head. Argh.

I do hope tomorrow's paper is not as bad as I am expecting it to be...

And don't even mention the past two papers. I just hope I can get decent grades.

Please remind me not to be so bloody ambitious next time. 5 subjects will do.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

singapore idol grand final, Jonathan Leong first song

Ahhhh!! Need I say more? =p
Dance With My Father

This is a very sweet song! I wish I could have found the original singer's music video with his real voice, but this singer is nice too. Enjoy! Below are the lyrics...

Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around ‘til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved

If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end
How I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again

When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way, I would run from her to him
He’d make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me

If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end
‘Cause I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again

Sometimes I’d listen outside her door
And I’d hear how my mother cried for him
I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me

I know I’m praying for much too much
But could you send back the only man she loved
I know you don’t do it usually
But dear Lord she’s dying
To dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Look what my Dog Did

Yes, just look!

Would you believe an dog that looks like this:














would make my things look like this:




My Post-its!!!











and this:


My eraser!!!


I wanna slap him, I really do! I just dropped my post-its and my eraser for a little while and the next time I looked, they were like that. Do you know how hard I tried to preserve the paper around my eraser and keep my eraser nice and clean?! And the silly boy has to spoil my efforts. Even my Post-its were not spared... From a nice and clean state, they became like.... like... RUBBISH!! Now both of my things have his saliva! Eau de Schnoozee. Does it have a nice ring to it? Oh man... Luckily the smell has faded somewhat from the eraser, and... I don;t think I wanna use the post-its anymore... What a pity. The size of the Post-its was PERFECT for note-taking...

Argh. But what can I do? It's like having a naughty child. We can't abandon our children even if they are mischievous can we? I can't bear to abandon him either. Haha!!

The Imp of the Perverse

I should be studying like a maniac; I know I should be studying like one; but I'm not. Instead, I'm online blogging about knowing that I should be studying, and doing everything else that's unnecessary- except studying.

Ever heard the story of The Imp of the Perverse by Edgar Allan Poe? It's very Freudian (Si Huan, you'll probably like it), talking about the perverseness in people, like how we would purposely do something to get ourselves into trouble when we know we can actually keep away from it by taking preventive measures. It's kinda like the death instinct Freud talked about, isn't it? Here's a paragraph from the story:

We stand upon the brink of a precipice. We peer into the abyss – we grow sick and dizzy. Our first impulse is to shrink from the danger. Unaccountably we remain. By slow degrees our sickness, and dizziness, and horror, become merged in a cloud of unnameable feeling. By gradations, still more imperceptible, this cloud assumes shape, as did the vapor from the bottle out of which arose the genius in the Arabian Nights. But out of this our cloud upon the precipice's edge, there grows into palpability, a shape, far more terrible than any genius, or any demon of a tale, and yet it is but a thought, although a fearful one, and one which chills the very marrow of our bones with the fierceness of the delight of its horror. It is merely the idea of what would be our sensations during the sweeping precipitancy of a fall from such a height. And this fall – this rushing annihilation – for the very reason that it involves that one most ghastly and loathsome of all the most ghastly and loathsome images of death and suffering which have ever presented themselves to our imagination – for this very cause do we now the most vividly desire it. And because our reason violently deters us from the brink, therefore, do we the more impetuously approach it. There is no passion in nature so demoniacally impatient, as that of him, who shuddering upon the edge of a precipice, thus meditates a plunge. To indulge for a moment, in any attempt at thought, is to be inevitably lost; for reflection but urges us to forbear, and therefore it is, I say, that we cannot. If there be no friendly arm to check us, or if we fail in a sudden effort to prostrate ourselves backward from the abyss, we plunge, and are destroyed.

Examine these and similar actions as we will, we shall find them resulting solely from the spirit of the Perverse. We perpetrate them merely because we feel that we should not. Beyond or behind this, there is no intelligible principle. And we might, indeed, deem this perverseness a direct instigation of the Arch-Fiend, were it not occasionally known to operate in furtherance of good.

Isn't this like how we always go after the forbidden fruit? We know we should not go after it, but we still do, just to know what it's like. We can never be content that what we have is good. There must often, if not always, be something done to spoil the peace and goodness of what we have.

Defensive pessimism, I think, is the opposite of perverseness. What is defensive pessimism? Well it's an action taken by a defensive pessimist. OK, I know this sounds very duh and doesn't explain everything; I shall attempt to explain it further. A defensive pessimist is someone who anticipates failure, and thus does everything in his/her power to prepare to make whatever he/she is doing to make it a success. The thing is, all the while the defensive pessimist is preparing against the failure, he/she is always convinced that the project is doomed to failure. This is like preparing for disappointment. Don't you agree that the concepts of defensive pessimism and perverseness are like opposites? One is doing everything you can to prevent it, while thinking that the whole thing will be a failure, whereas the other is doing everything you can to get yourself into trouble, all the while convinced that if you were to keep quiet about it, everything will be fine.

You know what? I think the fact that life is full of ups and downs is caused by human's perverseness. Of course, it's hard to accept that we are perverted in the sense that we like to cause our own downfall, but think about it: why is it that quite a large number of high-flyers declare themselves bankrupt when they seemingly have it all? Why do some educated people turn to smoking when it's widely known that smoking causes lung cancer and other horrible consequences?

Hehe I welcome your rebuttals- there are lots of loopholes in this argument, and I admit, it's rather one-sided to state this argument like that. Haha, but I won't promise that I won't agree with you. So come on, share your views! Ahh... but don't sue me... =)

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A cappella - The Sregnis Singers - When I'm 64 Beatles

Here's a video from youtube by Hong Kong a capella group The Sregnis Singers. It's not as good as the original version, but I think they did quite a good job, though the original's more playful than this. Check out the background music!

When I'm 64

This song is very cute! It's by The Beatles. Well, if I can get the MIDI file up or the youtube video up, you can have an idea of what the song sounds like. But till then, here's the lyrics:

When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

You'll be older too,
And if you say the word, I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.

You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera ,Chuck & Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

An Amusing Analogy

This is Yi Lun's revelation, revealed in the car earlier this afternoon. I should warn you, though, that it's a rather crude analogy, albeit a funny one, so read it at your own risk!

Imagine your exams have started, and you just passed one stressful week of exams. The next week is much more relaxed, coz you've already revised all that you had to revise in the first week. However, there's still that dilemma within you- you badly want to relax because you were under SOOOO much stress the last week, but you know that you'd never forgive yourself if you relaxed and didn't study and the next week's exams are difficult. You know that heart very itchy feeling?

This is a bit like when you need to answer the small call of nature very very badly. However, while you are answering halfway, you find that you can't go all the way. Now, isn't this feeling very painful? You're so near to the goal, but... you can't go all the way!

Hope you enjoyed it! =)

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Happy Pepero Day!

Yep, most of you might not have heard of this kind of day. Neither have I, until today when Camella came into my room and gave me this:
















It's a packet of 4 peperos!

Why did I receive this?

Well, according to Wikipedia and Camella, Pepero or Pocky Day (depending on which country you are from), is day in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day. It is named after the Korean snack Pepero and held on November 11 (today), since the date "11/11" resemble four sticks of Pepero. Or, if you're from Japan, it's Pocky Day, since the equivalent of Pepero is Pocky. This day is celebrated mostly by young people and couples, who exchange Pepero sticks, other candies, and romantic gifts.

According to the story, Pepero Day was started in 1994 by students at a girls' middle school in Busan, where they exchanged Pepero sticks as gifts to wish one another to grow "as tall and slender as a Pepero" (Pepero means "thin like a stick"). However, it is more likely it was initiated by Lotte, the company which produces Pepero.

While in most countries of the world, November 11th is a day of remembrance (since it signaled the end of World War I), in Korea, Japan, Vietnam (according to Camella) and Philippines (according to Mira), it is a day of romanceMany students are truant on this day to celebrate with their friends.

In Japan, a similar Pocky Day was held on November 11 in 1999, which was the 11th year of the Heisei era. The date, 11/11 of the 11th year, resembled 6 sticks of Pocky. According to Korean sources this day was based on the Pepero Day.

From what I heard, some people actually go to the trouble to buy plain pocky sticks (think Yan Yan without the cream) and then dip it into their own chocolate and then decorate it with the colourful rice candy. But generally, I think the trend is buying Pepero or Pocky and then dividing them into groups of 4 or 6, then wrapping them in nice bags or paper.

Camella was real sweet to think to give us a packet! =D

Yep, and now you know that there's a Pepero Day! Cheers to an increase in general knowledge! =p

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Careless Whisper

I like this song coz it's catchy, but for the lyrics.... well, I haven't met a situation like this yet. This song keeps playing in my head!! If you have time, maybe have a listen at it! George Michael really has a good voice, too bad he's gay... isn't he?

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mindIgnorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you find

Should have known better, yeah

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand
And lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad goodbyes

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should have known better than to cheat a friend
And waste a chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you find

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhyhthm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a foolI should have known better than to cheat a friend
(Should have known better, yeah)
And waste a chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you
(Never without you)

Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt eachother with the things we want to say
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now who's gonna dance with me
Please stay

And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should have known better than to cheat a friend
And waste a chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Now that you're gone
Now that you're gone
Now that you're gone
Was what I did so wrong
So wrong that you had to leave me alone

- George Michael

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

On a lighter note....

Here's a picture I found...





















Hehe this is actually sold by an Australian lingerie shop. You can view it here: http://www.caryn.com.au/index.htm Naughty naughty design!! Haha!!

And I know just who would be interested in this. Unfortunately, though I was tempted to order one online for you, it costs AUD60, which is a whopping SGD$71.9984. No way am I gonna spend that much man... Haha maybe on your 21st birthday, then I'll order it for you. Or you could ask that special someone to do it? ;)

Yep, I must admit, it's quite creative, but.... a li'l too explicit, don't you think?

Motivation!!

It's a little more than 2 weeks to exams, and I haven't started studying yet. Wonderful. Now that projects are done, I find I'm wasting my time away doing rubbish online. Like blogging rubbish like this.

I need to find the motivation to concentrate!!!!!