1. School
Since school started on 10th September, I have been going for classes on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday every week after work. Although it has been more tiring and time-consuming than I had expected, I really love my life now.
Working while you are schooling just puts a whole new perspective to the learning experience. I am more motivated to study now, even sacrificing my weekends to read the enormous amounts of readings, drawing mind maps and completing my assignments.
Finally, I have a reason to study because I can see the immediate fruits of my labour in my work and understanding of the public relations industry. For once, I am not taking my studies for granted because the period of study is short and I am sacrificing my recreational time just to attend classes.
I just cannot afford to have the same mindset as I had in my polytechnic days - whiling my days away as if I had all the time in the world. When I am in class, I pay 100% attention and do not even feel like dozing off. Night-time study is more conducive for me because it does not carry forward the 'sleep-lag' from waking up in the early hours of the morning.
Humans are like rubber bands, with immense potential that goes to waste if they are not stretched and challenged. Of course, if you overstretch it, it might just snap. But all in all, I like being challenged to manage both work and my studies simultaneously. I have never felt more fulfilled.
For my Media Law and Ethics module, I had to visit the Subordinate Courts for the first time. It was an eye-opening experience. One thing that stood out was the fact that the judge did not wear the white judicial headwear I have affectionately nicknamed “The White Afro”.
The atmosphere was formal and serious, with policemen standing guard at the doors. Also, we had to bow when the judge entered and left the court. There was an uncomfortable silence that was maintained throughout the session. It made me uncomfortably self-conscious and afraid to make even the most minute movement or sound.
It was enlightening to witness cross examination for the first time. It felt like a scene from a drama series as the lawyers would carefully phrase and ask one-line questions.
I realised that the reason why they go through this tedium is to get a clear answer to a question that has only one variable. This would 'trap' and prevent witnesses from suddenly changing their statements by claiming that they did not understand the previous questions.
However, there was not as much drama as I had anticipated. There were no calls of ‘objection’, ‘overruled’ and ‘sustained’. There were no warnings of contempt of court and the judge did not get the opportunity to tap her little hammer to quiet the rowdy crowd.
2. Nikki Victoria
The new girl in my life is Nikki Victoria. She is fun-loving, loves to dress in black and has photography in her genes. She is a Nikon D40 with Vibration Reduction (VR) Lens. I am currently learning photography from one of my closest friends, Zhi Hao, to embark on a secret project that will hopefully come to fruition in a few months.
Close friend and Sensei Kodomut
BIG ORIGAMI CRANE @ Waseda High School Festival 2009
Marcus with his Blackbird Fly camera
Bored Pikachu Girl
A Pool to Drown for
I went exploring and photographing in town after my vocal lesson last week. I cannot believe I took 400 shots to end up with only 28 decent pictures. Looking through and cropping them gave me the biggest headache I have ever had.
Close-Up Shot of Grasshopper
Nice bright red flowers
The photo-shy pidgeon
Roman Catholic Church that reminded me of Aladdin's Palace
Alley of the Shadow of Death
Flowers that looked like pretty purple faeries
Flowers that looked like angels and church bells
Water is precious - every drop of it
3. Inglorious Basterds
Inglorious Basterds had a very different feel from movies of this genre and level of violence in their material. Quentin presented cruelty, murder and suspense in a very light-hearted manner. The movie was about a fictional plot of revenge of the Jews in Nazi-occupied France.
Inglorious Basterds had a very different feel from movies of this genre and level of violence in their material. Quentin presented cruelty, murder and suspense in a very light-hearted manner. The movie was about a fictional plot of revenge of the Jews in Nazi-occupied France.
This is without doubt a controversial movie that would offend even the least anti-Semitic German. But even to a discerned Gentile viewer with high moral standing, one cannot help but enjoy the scene when Hitler, the symbol of ultimate evil, and the German soldiers, his equally degenerate minions are burnt, shot and stabbed to death.
Revenge never seemed so sweet and it occured to me that this is the reason why wars will never cease. We all just want to get back at those who hurt us, to do onto them more evil than what they have done to us. It seems that the only history people remember is bad history.
The way of the world is a mystery to me. The evil are feared but disliked while the good are well-liked but taken for granted. Whoever strikes fear into the hearts of men has control over the same. Yet, even the puppet master is merely a pathetic, distorted and depraved man who has been corrupted by the greatest sin of all - pride.
Is pride the greatest disease of the human race? While not everyone has an oversized alter ego and inflated visions of greatness, we all seem to fall short of humility in varying degrees. Dignity defines humans who differ from mere animals which do not possess civility. Pride deflates human dignity and is the defining quality of Lucifer, the one who had a great fall.
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