"Many little things to do"
Seems like a common comment you might hear from friends
yet sometimes we realise thats whats happening to our lives
At the end of the Day, Week, Month
Sometimes i wonder if it's qte meaningless if we live life chasing all the loose ends
But neglect the really impt things like friends, love, dreams and ambitions
Oftentimes, i find myself doing things for the sake of doing it
A routine is still worthy of execution, as long as you see the logic and rationale behind it,
Like peeing or eating.....
But sometimes work, in all forms of it, is so routine and meaningless
That you just dunt put heart into it
You just do it, subconsciously, like breathing
Ok this may begin to sound like an amatuer try at existentialism
Im just trying to take a few steps back in life
To see whats really worth doing, stopping
Or putting my heart and soul in
Perhaps it is just as well
Much have i experienced in the past 3 months
But honestly i havent had the time to relax and reflect
Internalise some lessons, forge some resolve
Im sure that introspective approach would be much more useful
Than New year's resolutions made on the spur
I pray to God for strength that i may live each day anew
And that i may be given strength and vision
To differentiate the really impt things in life from pesky trivial stuff
That keeps trying to block/slow my way
And for the courage to focus effort on the more impt things
Despite censure, 'worldly' advice
For things in my power to change
I will try my best to carve things out to the best i deem fit
As for the rest beyond me
God Will make a Way...
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Saturday, November 12, 2005
rank is just something u wear on ur sleeve or shoulder.
It is authority that counts; authority that stems from capability, accountability, responsibility.
Dedicated to fellow NSFs out there, do not be afraid to stand up and speak out when you feel something is wrong or can be done in a better way, even if it means to point out your superior's mistake. He/she is only your superior as the Lord has charged him/her with higher responsibilities. But if he/she cannot discharge it to the best of ability, he/she answers to the Lord just like you and me. Where else do the powers of Men come from if not from the Lord himself?
Some people may be trained to be your superiors. But training is one thing, and actual on-the-ground capability is another diff story. I totally respect Officers who can think & act on the ground as much as they can plan and discuss from their swivel seats and air-con offices.
But as for those who commission smartly as officers in No.1 but thats the last time you see them hold themselves steady, thats a sad little story. There are those who will shake and tremble during crunch time. Whose balls will be in their throats when they have to make millisecond decisions. Not everyone can think on their feet, some are better off condemned to their swivel chairs and air-con offices, contained within a cubicle, churning our reports, emails, powerpoints. At least you can't really hate them that way, even better if you don't hear from them.
Do not be afraid to do the right thing, say the right thing. For if you remain silent amidst the unjust, illogical environment and let the vicious cycle carry on to your understudies, you are doing a whole generation injustice, and you are just another hapless tool, helpless pawn of the Organisation. You are just as blind to reality as the System.
But of course not every section of the Organisation actually allows or encourages free speech. Be prudent and watch your steps. Do whatever you can in the capacity that allows. Even a little bit counts toward alot eventually. One less signature needed, one less form to be filled, one less level of bureaucracy, will eventually do alot for generations to come. Do not think little of yourself, as no one but yourself may put you down, and every man & woman is made equal in the eyes of the Lord.
It must be hard up there, having to supervise and oversee so much and plan so much. But when you have little of an inkling what really happens on the ground, ithink you've lost the plot. Then it's about high-time some self-evaluation needs to be done. It must be tough i guess, once you go wrong and ur plans go a little awry, you have to put up with so many tiny voices speaking behind you, so many disliking you.
Yeah it must be tough to be an Officer, cos perhaps there is just so much expected of you in so many farcical ways. Give me any day, i would still choose to be a Specialist and take real pride in all my work.
Salute the rank, respect the Man.
It is authority that counts; authority that stems from capability, accountability, responsibility.
Dedicated to fellow NSFs out there, do not be afraid to stand up and speak out when you feel something is wrong or can be done in a better way, even if it means to point out your superior's mistake. He/she is only your superior as the Lord has charged him/her with higher responsibilities. But if he/she cannot discharge it to the best of ability, he/she answers to the Lord just like you and me. Where else do the powers of Men come from if not from the Lord himself?
Some people may be trained to be your superiors. But training is one thing, and actual on-the-ground capability is another diff story. I totally respect Officers who can think & act on the ground as much as they can plan and discuss from their swivel seats and air-con offices.
But as for those who commission smartly as officers in No.1 but thats the last time you see them hold themselves steady, thats a sad little story. There are those who will shake and tremble during crunch time. Whose balls will be in their throats when they have to make millisecond decisions. Not everyone can think on their feet, some are better off condemned to their swivel chairs and air-con offices, contained within a cubicle, churning our reports, emails, powerpoints. At least you can't really hate them that way, even better if you don't hear from them.
Do not be afraid to do the right thing, say the right thing. For if you remain silent amidst the unjust, illogical environment and let the vicious cycle carry on to your understudies, you are doing a whole generation injustice, and you are just another hapless tool, helpless pawn of the Organisation. You are just as blind to reality as the System.
But of course not every section of the Organisation actually allows or encourages free speech. Be prudent and watch your steps. Do whatever you can in the capacity that allows. Even a little bit counts toward alot eventually. One less signature needed, one less form to be filled, one less level of bureaucracy, will eventually do alot for generations to come. Do not think little of yourself, as no one but yourself may put you down, and every man & woman is made equal in the eyes of the Lord.
It must be hard up there, having to supervise and oversee so much and plan so much. But when you have little of an inkling what really happens on the ground, ithink you've lost the plot. Then it's about high-time some self-evaluation needs to be done. It must be tough i guess, once you go wrong and ur plans go a little awry, you have to put up with so many tiny voices speaking behind you, so many disliking you.
Yeah it must be tough to be an Officer, cos perhaps there is just so much expected of you in so many farcical ways. Give me any day, i would still choose to be a Specialist and take real pride in all my work.
Salute the rank, respect the Man.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The Ugly Singaporean...On the Bus
I've always wanted to write about this. I guess if i really swipe out a notepad and jot down evry nuance of these ugly Singaporean psyches everytime i see one, i would really have a long list.
Unfortunately, i do not really have the habit of carrying a notepad around, and usually it takes some time for me to internalise it, then only when it happens to me In-The-Face a few more times would i really be incensed enough to bear a grudge or even write about it.
Ok back to the story, i just wanna make the point that the Ugly Singaporean is everywhere to be seen, no matter where you look, no matter where you hide. Yes i believe it exists in almost evryone of us, including myself, i ain't really that kinda self-righteous prick.
I guess i will just note down a few facets of the Ugly Singaporean from time to time, perhaps then when i look back at these entries of mine, i can also remind myself never to commit those crimes again.
On a quiet day on the way back home after a hard day's work, you fail to get a seat on the bus, but that's ok. Somehow i have taken a preference to standing on bus trips. I get to observe more stuff, noting how people bahave in a typical social environment. In Singapore, it's almost like the famous Elevator Syndrome takes on a whole new dimensionin Singapore. The claustrophobic and I-only-want-to-be-so-close-to-you-for-the-trip atmosphere seems extended to the whole bus in Singapore. Everyone behaves like a stranger to each other on the bus.
It's almost as if it would be more interesting to figure out the lousy english some numbskulls used to carve love declarations on the back of the backseats, or just jacking in to your Ipod, mobile, fiddling with ur hp and pretending to sms, almost as if all these were more enriching and interesting than to give a simple smile to an oft-seen neighbour (and by neighbour i mean someone who lives in the neighbourhood, not just in ur same HDB block). Hell, almost everyone's a stranger on the bus unless the person beside you is ur partner whom you're trying to do hanky with at the back of the bus.
Then there's the act-deaf, act-blind attitude that some bus commuters have.Bendy buses are good inventions, but it somehow doesn't really matter in Singapore. Not because there are just too many people packed on this island, but because some of us have this devil-may-care attitude; how many times have you witnessed people playing dumb when the bus driver is already hollering at people to move to the rear of the bus in all national languages! Some people just pretend not to be able to see the space behind, continue hanging around near the door and chat with their frenz, if alone pretend to sms or make a call. Some of these people are either really deaf/blind or just being singaporean.
Some just want to be the first to get down and so stick to the door for dear life. I wonder if the authorities should come up with a concession fare for this minority since they give up their seats so willingly. Oh no i'm wrong, there is this group of people within this minority that is even more power....they nestle in strategic seats close to the door the whole journey, then when it gets to a popular stop where they expect almost the whole bus will alight, they get up and squirm their way all the way to the door just so as to be the first to alight. Some are so kanjiong they get up from their treasured seats one stop earlier. No dunt be mistaken that they have heeded the public campaign to alight one stop earlier and walk the rest of the journey to keep fit. SIngaporeans will have none of that shit and most will claim the obesity situation isn't as bad as compared to Western countries(erm, you mean sunny Singapore is not Western? hmm...) No way hosey, these people (mostly aunties, i note) actually strategically plan their seats to be near the door, spring up a stop earlier and gives the next seat-conqueror a real dirt look, just to make sure they are the first to alight.
I am darned sure all this planning could be put to better use by Singaporeans in other areas. I mean look at how some of us chope seats at hawker centers and food courts and you will understand our quick thinking, reflexes, innovativity and ingenuity.
Sometimes i note with disgust how some aunties try to beat the system by flashing their ez-link like 4 stops ahead of their stop, just to save those few cents, then justify to the driver that GST and bus ticket prices have gone up, even throw in arguments like the air-con was hot or that she(ok by now u shld realise my main issue is with aunties) didnt get a seat so she could pay less. Well the system has caught up by adjusting the reader to only read cards during stops at bus stops, but it isnt foolproof, especially given this calibre of Singaporean aunties. I really ain't surprised that the authorities are taking a serious look at fare-cheating cases.
Imean i really think we should be more than thankful for such a world-class inter-linked transport system that many other countries are envious of. We really shouldn't abuse it and try to cheat the system. I know sometimes we all have the craving to break a law or two and escape being found. But sometimes these culprits with baskets of veg in hand are obviously exploiting the system left,right,center and intend to do so for the rest of their lives . They are either trying to bankrupt the bus company or their conscience.
To all these kanjiong spider aunties, i only have one thing to say to them. In a very Army lingo, we should just give each of these aunites a spider. Apologise to those who dunt und the saying, but i must refrain from expletives lest i face an angry horde of aunties on my next bus trip.
I've always wanted to write about this. I guess if i really swipe out a notepad and jot down evry nuance of these ugly Singaporean psyches everytime i see one, i would really have a long list.
Unfortunately, i do not really have the habit of carrying a notepad around, and usually it takes some time for me to internalise it, then only when it happens to me In-The-Face a few more times would i really be incensed enough to bear a grudge or even write about it.
Ok back to the story, i just wanna make the point that the Ugly Singaporean is everywhere to be seen, no matter where you look, no matter where you hide. Yes i believe it exists in almost evryone of us, including myself, i ain't really that kinda self-righteous prick.
I guess i will just note down a few facets of the Ugly Singaporean from time to time, perhaps then when i look back at these entries of mine, i can also remind myself never to commit those crimes again.
On a quiet day on the way back home after a hard day's work, you fail to get a seat on the bus, but that's ok. Somehow i have taken a preference to standing on bus trips. I get to observe more stuff, noting how people bahave in a typical social environment. In Singapore, it's almost like the famous Elevator Syndrome takes on a whole new dimensionin Singapore. The claustrophobic and I-only-want-to-be-so-close-to-you-for-the-trip atmosphere seems extended to the whole bus in Singapore. Everyone behaves like a stranger to each other on the bus.
It's almost as if it would be more interesting to figure out the lousy english some numbskulls used to carve love declarations on the back of the backseats, or just jacking in to your Ipod, mobile, fiddling with ur hp and pretending to sms, almost as if all these were more enriching and interesting than to give a simple smile to an oft-seen neighbour (and by neighbour i mean someone who lives in the neighbourhood, not just in ur same HDB block). Hell, almost everyone's a stranger on the bus unless the person beside you is ur partner whom you're trying to do hanky with at the back of the bus.
Then there's the act-deaf, act-blind attitude that some bus commuters have.Bendy buses are good inventions, but it somehow doesn't really matter in Singapore. Not because there are just too many people packed on this island, but because some of us have this devil-may-care attitude; how many times have you witnessed people playing dumb when the bus driver is already hollering at people to move to the rear of the bus in all national languages! Some people just pretend not to be able to see the space behind, continue hanging around near the door and chat with their frenz, if alone pretend to sms or make a call. Some of these people are either really deaf/blind or just being singaporean.
Some just want to be the first to get down and so stick to the door for dear life. I wonder if the authorities should come up with a concession fare for this minority since they give up their seats so willingly. Oh no i'm wrong, there is this group of people within this minority that is even more power....they nestle in strategic seats close to the door the whole journey, then when it gets to a popular stop where they expect almost the whole bus will alight, they get up and squirm their way all the way to the door just so as to be the first to alight. Some are so kanjiong they get up from their treasured seats one stop earlier. No dunt be mistaken that they have heeded the public campaign to alight one stop earlier and walk the rest of the journey to keep fit. SIngaporeans will have none of that shit and most will claim the obesity situation isn't as bad as compared to Western countries(erm, you mean sunny Singapore is not Western? hmm...) No way hosey, these people (mostly aunties, i note) actually strategically plan their seats to be near the door, spring up a stop earlier and gives the next seat-conqueror a real dirt look, just to make sure they are the first to alight.
I am darned sure all this planning could be put to better use by Singaporeans in other areas. I mean look at how some of us chope seats at hawker centers and food courts and you will understand our quick thinking, reflexes, innovativity and ingenuity.
Sometimes i note with disgust how some aunties try to beat the system by flashing their ez-link like 4 stops ahead of their stop, just to save those few cents, then justify to the driver that GST and bus ticket prices have gone up, even throw in arguments like the air-con was hot or that she(ok by now u shld realise my main issue is with aunties) didnt get a seat so she could pay less. Well the system has caught up by adjusting the reader to only read cards during stops at bus stops, but it isnt foolproof, especially given this calibre of Singaporean aunties. I really ain't surprised that the authorities are taking a serious look at fare-cheating cases.
Imean i really think we should be more than thankful for such a world-class inter-linked transport system that many other countries are envious of. We really shouldn't abuse it and try to cheat the system. I know sometimes we all have the craving to break a law or two and escape being found. But sometimes these culprits with baskets of veg in hand are obviously exploiting the system left,right,center and intend to do so for the rest of their lives . They are either trying to bankrupt the bus company or their conscience.
To all these kanjiong spider aunties, i only have one thing to say to them. In a very Army lingo, we should just give each of these aunites a spider. Apologise to those who dunt und the saying, but i must refrain from expletives lest i face an angry horde of aunties on my next bus trip.
Monday, November 07, 2005
To those of my frenz out there who actually read my blog for another dose of my warped take on everyday events or just for the latest update of my life, i must apologise if my last entry sounded rude or totally out of character.
Well, the last entry wasn't meant for you dear frenz out there but for some prankster youths who have invaded my blog for unsavoury reasons.
But nvm, for those who were actually concerned enough to call (actually only Weeseng!), i thank you for your concern. For those who are just as eager to find out wassup with me, i shall try to explain briefly.
Well you see, for those who know me, you will understand that i still volunteer my services almost weekly for a Movement that i have great passion for, at least for the past ten years. However, in the course of my work, my way of doing things & some of the mistakes i have made along the way have provoked some angsty youth who seem to think that all the problems they faced at their CCA stemmed from me ONLY.
So they have launched a long-lasting hate campaign against me, which has recently culminated in prank phone calls & the unwanted invasion into my blog.
But it's ok, i may not seem a very religious person, but in times of need i always turn to the Lord for advice and help. And there is this one line in the Bible that particularly appeals to me now "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do". And that is one of the main reason why i am swallowing my pride and letting them hurl whatever they have at me.
I only hope that with the coming of age, they will one day understand my difficult position and why i had to do things in a certain manner in lieu of the fact that i was charged with the development, enrichment & discipline of 30 odd youths at any one time. Hopefully they can one day look back at this angst part of their lives and laugh it off, tpuzzled why they were such angry youths at that time.
I wnet through a similar patch, hating my CCA leaders, some of my peers, some of my teachers, classmates, even my family. But those angsty days are over. I was a hot-blooded teenager then who struggled to grasp with the realities of life and the pressure of the education system. But i have matured over the years and i thank God that i have the chance to return to my beloved secondary school and make amends to former schoolmates, teachers, and even a system that ultimately guaranteed my good future. I hope everyone gets a chance like me to make amends in life. It is hard i know, and i am very blessed to be able to do so, i know.
So yeah friend, if you're worried bout me, dunt worry, the issue has largely been compartmentalised and put away. I have consulted a few of my closest friends on this matter and have already decided on the best course of action; Forgive and Forget, unless the situation worsens.
I'm alright, just slowly walking on and recovering from another painful lesson in life from which i shall seek to grow and mature.
Well, the last entry wasn't meant for you dear frenz out there but for some prankster youths who have invaded my blog for unsavoury reasons.
But nvm, for those who were actually concerned enough to call (actually only Weeseng!), i thank you for your concern. For those who are just as eager to find out wassup with me, i shall try to explain briefly.
Well you see, for those who know me, you will understand that i still volunteer my services almost weekly for a Movement that i have great passion for, at least for the past ten years. However, in the course of my work, my way of doing things & some of the mistakes i have made along the way have provoked some angsty youth who seem to think that all the problems they faced at their CCA stemmed from me ONLY.
So they have launched a long-lasting hate campaign against me, which has recently culminated in prank phone calls & the unwanted invasion into my blog.
But it's ok, i may not seem a very religious person, but in times of need i always turn to the Lord for advice and help. And there is this one line in the Bible that particularly appeals to me now "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do". And that is one of the main reason why i am swallowing my pride and letting them hurl whatever they have at me.
I only hope that with the coming of age, they will one day understand my difficult position and why i had to do things in a certain manner in lieu of the fact that i was charged with the development, enrichment & discipline of 30 odd youths at any one time. Hopefully they can one day look back at this angst part of their lives and laugh it off, tpuzzled why they were such angry youths at that time.
I wnet through a similar patch, hating my CCA leaders, some of my peers, some of my teachers, classmates, even my family. But those angsty days are over. I was a hot-blooded teenager then who struggled to grasp with the realities of life and the pressure of the education system. But i have matured over the years and i thank God that i have the chance to return to my beloved secondary school and make amends to former schoolmates, teachers, and even a system that ultimately guaranteed my good future. I hope everyone gets a chance like me to make amends in life. It is hard i know, and i am very blessed to be able to do so, i know.
So yeah friend, if you're worried bout me, dunt worry, the issue has largely been compartmentalised and put away. I have consulted a few of my closest friends on this matter and have already decided on the best course of action; Forgive and Forget, unless the situation worsens.
I'm alright, just slowly walking on and recovering from another painful lesson in life from which i shall seek to grow and mature.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
To all those out there who seem to have a grudge with me and find some kind of pleasure in harassing me and invading my privacy, i am sorry to tell you that i am a much stronger character than perhaps all of you combined.
It is my duty also to inform you that if you continue your personal attacks and firebranding online or through any other form of media, in a way that may prove defamatory or threatening to me as an individual, i may be left with no choice but to take serious action.
It will definitely be the last of my choices to have to resort to serious action, but i reserve that course of action, so be warned.
I hope you do think seriously about your future before you continue your acts of folly online that will not bring about a resolution favourable to you. Even if you do not care much about your future, do spare a thought for your parents, your family and your teachers who have so much hope in you and your future.
I hope to keep this internal and once again advise you to resolve your personal unhappiness through more constructive and civilised ways that call for more than prank calls, online rantings and invasion of privacy. I am sure 12 years of high-quality education has taught you more constructive ways of resolving dispute than the ones stated above.
I may have made mistakes and am sorry for them. I hope you have a chance to realise them like i do and be able to do something constructive and personal about it rather than to just spiral down the path of self-destruction like you are now.
I have spoken, and so be warned.
It is my duty also to inform you that if you continue your personal attacks and firebranding online or through any other form of media, in a way that may prove defamatory or threatening to me as an individual, i may be left with no choice but to take serious action.
It will definitely be the last of my choices to have to resort to serious action, but i reserve that course of action, so be warned.
I hope you do think seriously about your future before you continue your acts of folly online that will not bring about a resolution favourable to you. Even if you do not care much about your future, do spare a thought for your parents, your family and your teachers who have so much hope in you and your future.
I hope to keep this internal and once again advise you to resolve your personal unhappiness through more constructive and civilised ways that call for more than prank calls, online rantings and invasion of privacy. I am sure 12 years of high-quality education has taught you more constructive ways of resolving dispute than the ones stated above.
I may have made mistakes and am sorry for them. I hope you have a chance to realise them like i do and be able to do something constructive and personal about it rather than to just spiral down the path of self-destruction like you are now.
I have spoken, and so be warned.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
Freaky island
Things are really made worse by the FACT that
PRESIDENTIAL SWEARING-IN is shown at the same time as
finals for PROJECT SUPERSTAR
There's like this tiny crowd of supa eleeite creme de la creme peeps gathered to witness the sombre swearing-in, dressed in their Istana-best and officers in smart No.1 Uniforms
as compared to swelling masses gathered at S'pore Indoor Stadium to support the aspiring Superstars, some half-naked to show support, some as mummies, others in primary colours to show support a la NDP.
My gosh, talk about Juxtaposition and contrast.
But i notice the swearing-in doesn't have the LIVE icon, so maybe it isn't. Maybe the eleeite wanna have their dose of Superstar fever also, hmm...notice this is one of the few large-scale 'national' performance event that doesn't have a minister or two to grace the event.
The only reason i hope the kelvin doesn't win is because i know if he does, almost the whole of singapore will bitch about it tonite, tml morning at work, and for weeks and months after, saying he won out of sympathy. typical singaporeans man....and i fear the Singapore Association for the Blind may get vandalised...
man...lianhe wanbao and lianhe zaobao are gonna have a heyday if Kelvin wins...and since EPL hasn't really heated up yet, i guess alot of money are gonna change hands tonite.....
Things are really made worse by the FACT that
PRESIDENTIAL SWEARING-IN is shown at the same time as
finals for PROJECT SUPERSTAR
There's like this tiny crowd of supa eleeite creme de la creme peeps gathered to witness the sombre swearing-in, dressed in their Istana-best and officers in smart No.1 Uniforms
as compared to swelling masses gathered at S'pore Indoor Stadium to support the aspiring Superstars, some half-naked to show support, some as mummies, others in primary colours to show support a la NDP.
My gosh, talk about Juxtaposition and contrast.
But i notice the swearing-in doesn't have the LIVE icon, so maybe it isn't. Maybe the eleeite wanna have their dose of Superstar fever also, hmm...notice this is one of the few large-scale 'national' performance event that doesn't have a minister or two to grace the event.
The only reason i hope the kelvin doesn't win is because i know if he does, almost the whole of singapore will bitch about it tonite, tml morning at work, and for weeks and months after, saying he won out of sympathy. typical singaporeans man....and i fear the Singapore Association for the Blind may get vandalised...
man...lianhe wanbao and lianhe zaobao are gonna have a heyday if Kelvin wins...and since EPL hasn't really heated up yet, i guess alot of money are gonna change hands tonite.....
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Monday, August 01, 2005
As i sat in my easy chair and switched channels whenever the irritating taufik/Rui-en NDP crap cohesion dance MTV came on, i noticed with interest how little state flags were being draped outside my windows.
at first i thought it were some playful kids who actually quit the computer and consoles to come out and play along the HDB corridors and void decks like i did when i had a childhood
only when i took a look outside did i realise they were put up by some banglas(presumably employed by the CC)
so all these long strings of cute multi-colored triangular state flags with the lion-head crest, all strung up in neat angles and making the HDB blocks look so nice are put up by bangla instead of SIngaporeans (less to say nationalistic ones)
i must also add that i see only one normal-sized white-red state flag outside a window from my block. that shows alot for national fervour i guess.
my whole family was just wondering why the cute flags came to our block this year, after a grand two decades since the block was constructed and we moved in. this is really our first time to recieve the honour of cute lil' triangular flags put up by banglas.
my first guess was its because my block, togeta with 3 other adjacent blocks were the last group convinced by HDB to pay for lifts on every floor. my block being closest to the main road, got the honourable reward for succumbing to the Board's marvellous initiative of providing lifts on every floor.
then i realised the model block that usually gets the flag treatment has gaping holes on every floor as part of the Lift Upgrading Program (they were the first to get them, no wonder model block), so maybe not too nice to drape those traingles over the gaping holes. logical.
so it boiled down to the fact that my block was the only rational choice. good planning on the authorities' part. but it's sad to know how much meticulous and practical planning took place in order for my block to finaly be crowned by those cute lil' things
its also sad to know that national fervour is limited to media-hyped celebrations at Padang and crappy MTVs on the telly, that we dunt put up flags anymore but the job is left up to banglas who probably laugh in their hearts at how their putting up the flags deprecate the value of having them hung up on block facades. what imean is they prob know we should be the ones proudly adorning our block.
its even sadder to know that kids dunt play catching/ police and thief/marbles/hopscotch at void decks or corridors anymore. even playgrounds dunt have swings anymore, no sand for playing and cat-dung to discover. all flooring heavily padded up, even more than the flattest girl's chest, just to protect them from injuries due to falls and such. i learnt about plasma when i had cuts and stuff..i wonder how kids today learn about them...
okie okei so much for all the media-hyped national fervour and the attempts to bring the celebration to the heartland. i hope the all banglas get a day off on national day, i always see them working even on public holidays, now i know part of the reason why. other reasons also include the third-world and post-riot mess singaporeans leave behind after evry major street party or national event. who cleans up? the banglas. even the press has quit sending in teams to capture the mess and chastise singaporeans. it's become part of our bad-traits culture.
if any member of the media is reading this, pls take the MTV off the air, or at least restrict broadcast till 2 days before Aug 9th. meanwhile i would rather have clips of hardworking banglas sweating it out puting up flags or a 30 minute clip on their contributon to our economyin the past 40 years.
at first i thought it were some playful kids who actually quit the computer and consoles to come out and play along the HDB corridors and void decks like i did when i had a childhood
only when i took a look outside did i realise they were put up by some banglas(presumably employed by the CC)
so all these long strings of cute multi-colored triangular state flags with the lion-head crest, all strung up in neat angles and making the HDB blocks look so nice are put up by bangla instead of SIngaporeans (less to say nationalistic ones)
i must also add that i see only one normal-sized white-red state flag outside a window from my block. that shows alot for national fervour i guess.
my whole family was just wondering why the cute flags came to our block this year, after a grand two decades since the block was constructed and we moved in. this is really our first time to recieve the honour of cute lil' triangular flags put up by banglas.
my first guess was its because my block, togeta with 3 other adjacent blocks were the last group convinced by HDB to pay for lifts on every floor. my block being closest to the main road, got the honourable reward for succumbing to the Board's marvellous initiative of providing lifts on every floor.
then i realised the model block that usually gets the flag treatment has gaping holes on every floor as part of the Lift Upgrading Program (they were the first to get them, no wonder model block), so maybe not too nice to drape those traingles over the gaping holes. logical.
so it boiled down to the fact that my block was the only rational choice. good planning on the authorities' part. but it's sad to know how much meticulous and practical planning took place in order for my block to finaly be crowned by those cute lil' things
its also sad to know that national fervour is limited to media-hyped celebrations at Padang and crappy MTVs on the telly, that we dunt put up flags anymore but the job is left up to banglas who probably laugh in their hearts at how their putting up the flags deprecate the value of having them hung up on block facades. what imean is they prob know we should be the ones proudly adorning our block.
its even sadder to know that kids dunt play catching/ police and thief/marbles/hopscotch at void decks or corridors anymore. even playgrounds dunt have swings anymore, no sand for playing and cat-dung to discover. all flooring heavily padded up, even more than the flattest girl's chest, just to protect them from injuries due to falls and such. i learnt about plasma when i had cuts and stuff..i wonder how kids today learn about them...
okie okei so much for all the media-hyped national fervour and the attempts to bring the celebration to the heartland. i hope the all banglas get a day off on national day, i always see them working even on public holidays, now i know part of the reason why. other reasons also include the third-world and post-riot mess singaporeans leave behind after evry major street party or national event. who cleans up? the banglas. even the press has quit sending in teams to capture the mess and chastise singaporeans. it's become part of our bad-traits culture.
if any member of the media is reading this, pls take the MTV off the air, or at least restrict broadcast till 2 days before Aug 9th. meanwhile i would rather have clips of hardworking banglas sweating it out puting up flags or a 30 minute clip on their contributon to our economyin the past 40 years.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
I want to break free-Queen
I want to break free
I want to break free,
I want to break free from your lies,
you're so self satisfied, I don't need you
I've got to break free
God knows, god knows I want to break free
I've fallen in love
I've fallen in love for the first time,
and this time I know it's for real
I've fallen in love
God knows, god knows I've fallen in love
It's strange but it's true,
Yeah!
I can't get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure, when I walk out that door
Oh, how I want to be free, baby
Oh, how I want to be free
Oh, how I want to break free
But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without,
living without, living without you, by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own
So baby can't you see?
I've got to break free
I've got to break free
I want to break free
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free
I want to break free
I want to break free,
I want to break free from your lies,
you're so self satisfied, I don't need you
I've got to break free
God knows, god knows I want to break free
I've fallen in love
I've fallen in love for the first time,
and this time I know it's for real
I've fallen in love
God knows, god knows I've fallen in love
It's strange but it's true,
Yeah!
I can't get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure, when I walk out that door
Oh, how I want to be free, baby
Oh, how I want to be free
Oh, how I want to break free
But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without,
living without, living without you, by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own
So baby can't you see?
I've got to break free
I've got to break free
I want to break free
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free
Thursday, June 16, 2005
This song is just so beautiful...enthralling...listen to it
Depeche Mode- Somebody
I want somebody to share
share the rest of my life
share my innermost thoughts
know my intimate details
someone who'll stand by my side
and give me support
and in return
she'll get my support
she will listen to me
when I want to speak
about the world we live in
and life in general
though my views may be wrong
they may even be perverted
she'll hear me out
and won't easily be converted
to my way of thinking
in fact she'll often disagree
but at the end of it all
she will understand me
I want somebody who cares
for me passionately
with every thought
and with every breath
someone who'll help me see things
in a different light
all the things I detest
I will almost like
I don't want to be tied
to anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to stay clear
out of those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
who will put their arms around me
and kiss me tenderly
though things like this make me sick
in a case like this
I'll get away with it
Depeche Mode- Somebody
I want somebody to share
share the rest of my life
share my innermost thoughts
know my intimate details
someone who'll stand by my side
and give me support
and in return
she'll get my support
she will listen to me
when I want to speak
about the world we live in
and life in general
though my views may be wrong
they may even be perverted
she'll hear me out
and won't easily be converted
to my way of thinking
in fact she'll often disagree
but at the end of it all
she will understand me
I want somebody who cares
for me passionately
with every thought
and with every breath
someone who'll help me see things
in a different light
all the things I detest
I will almost like
I don't want to be tied
to anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to stay clear
out of those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
who will put their arms around me
and kiss me tenderly
though things like this make me sick
in a case like this
I'll get away with it
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Just two weeks ago i had a strongly-worded confrontation and de-conflict session with my work counterpart in NS. Worst thing is our boss caught us in the heated argument and i expected a tricky time trying to explain the occurence of the confrontation.
However, what really struck me was that our boss let us sort things out at our own time, then he asked one simple question: "So are you guys still friends?"
That question really struck me dumb as i completely didn't expect that to pop from his mouth. Taken at a surfacial and practical pov, i initially thought he was concerned whether we were friends as far as whether our work commitment to him would be affected. But i dismissed that notion almost as fast as it took root in my mind.
Then i was taken aback at such an unexpected and weird question. I thought he would immediately grill me for the rationale for such a 'misdemeanour' in the highest office in the unit.
But no, he was sincerely concerned whether we were still friends, regardless of the tangible, corporate culture of that de-conflict session. All these thoughts raced through my mind within milliseconds,as i snapped myself out of itand answered meekly " Yes Sir, we're still friends".
That answer seemed to satisfy him as he drained his glass and went about his usual work. But that set me thinking real deep. On an afterthought, i felt it was real nice that he asked us such a sincere question of concern. With that one simple question i was touched and also realised that my boss was subtly teaching me a life lesson.
He had shown me that what really mattered at the end of any arhument, was whether the involved parties could still be friends, amd walk out of the argument still friends. Credible results and whether the argument was resolved aside, he showed me that the real important thing that should persist from any argument, was the endearing frienship.
Perhaps i am seeing too much into that simple, single ambiguous question. But what i can meaningfully infer from his unexpectedly unobjective and personal question is that there is much more to life than it seems.
Just like what he says, "workload never ends", let's just try to have fun and enjoy our work in our remaining days in this office. I do treasure and respect the unique relationship forged amongst the 3 of us in this special office, whether professional or personal.
Somewhat i realise we take too much things for granted in life. Perhaps sometimes if we slow down a little in this rat race and take a good look at things and people around us that really matter, we will be able to find more meaning in the seemingly mundane everyday things that subtly teach us invaluable life lessons.
However, what really struck me was that our boss let us sort things out at our own time, then he asked one simple question: "So are you guys still friends?"
That question really struck me dumb as i completely didn't expect that to pop from his mouth. Taken at a surfacial and practical pov, i initially thought he was concerned whether we were friends as far as whether our work commitment to him would be affected. But i dismissed that notion almost as fast as it took root in my mind.
Then i was taken aback at such an unexpected and weird question. I thought he would immediately grill me for the rationale for such a 'misdemeanour' in the highest office in the unit.
But no, he was sincerely concerned whether we were still friends, regardless of the tangible, corporate culture of that de-conflict session. All these thoughts raced through my mind within milliseconds,as i snapped myself out of itand answered meekly " Yes Sir, we're still friends".
That answer seemed to satisfy him as he drained his glass and went about his usual work. But that set me thinking real deep. On an afterthought, i felt it was real nice that he asked us such a sincere question of concern. With that one simple question i was touched and also realised that my boss was subtly teaching me a life lesson.
He had shown me that what really mattered at the end of any arhument, was whether the involved parties could still be friends, amd walk out of the argument still friends. Credible results and whether the argument was resolved aside, he showed me that the real important thing that should persist from any argument, was the endearing frienship.
Perhaps i am seeing too much into that simple, single ambiguous question. But what i can meaningfully infer from his unexpectedly unobjective and personal question is that there is much more to life than it seems.
Just like what he says, "workload never ends", let's just try to have fun and enjoy our work in our remaining days in this office. I do treasure and respect the unique relationship forged amongst the 3 of us in this special office, whether professional or personal.
Somewhat i realise we take too much things for granted in life. Perhaps sometimes if we slow down a little in this rat race and take a good look at things and people around us that really matter, we will be able to find more meaning in the seemingly mundane everyday things that subtly teach us invaluable life lessons.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
LADY IN RED - SIMPLY RED
I've never seen you looking so lovely as you do tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
mmm-mmm-mmm
I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
looking for a little romance
given half a chance
and I have never seen that dress you're wearing
or the highlights in your hair
they catch your eyes
I have been blinded
Lady in red
is dancing with me (cheek to cheek)
theres nobody here
its just you and me
its where I wanna be
and I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never forget the way you look tonight
I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
you were amazing
I've never seen so many people wanna be there by your side
and when you turn to me and smile
it took my breath away
I have never had such a feeling
such a feeling of complete and utter love
as I do tonight
Lady in red
is dancing with me cheek to cheek
theres nobody here
its just you and me
its where I wanna be
and I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never forget the way you look tonight
I never will forget the way you look tonight
Lady in red
Lady in red
Lady in red
my lady in red
I love you
I've never seen you looking so lovely as you do tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
mmm-mmm-mmm
I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
looking for a little romance
given half a chance
and I have never seen that dress you're wearing
or the highlights in your hair
they catch your eyes
I have been blinded
Lady in red
is dancing with me (cheek to cheek)
theres nobody here
its just you and me
its where I wanna be
and I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never forget the way you look tonight
I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
you were amazing
I've never seen so many people wanna be there by your side
and when you turn to me and smile
it took my breath away
I have never had such a feeling
such a feeling of complete and utter love
as I do tonight
Lady in red
is dancing with me cheek to cheek
theres nobody here
its just you and me
its where I wanna be
and I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never forget the way you look tonight
I never will forget the way you look tonight
Lady in red
Lady in red
Lady in red
my lady in red
I love you
Friday, May 27, 2005
Everytime I hear songs like “Time of your life” on the radio, it brings back very sweet and nice memories of JC days for me.
It was one of those songs that were choreographed into HCJC mass dances, thus college dances. So at every major school event like Mid Autumn Festival (MAF), these songs would be played and most of the crowd would gather for the college dances.
Though it was a little like campfire dancing, I was still very much restrained and shy at first. It was not until I was later strongly encouraged to learn the steps, have fun at the same time and just dance and soak in the atmosphere that I really enjoyed it.
Still clearly etched on my mind is one MAF occasion where I seriously did one of the college dances in full. I had never been a very good or natural dancer though I had performed thrice in public as a group. However, I came to enjoy that night when I took that leap of faith.
It seemed as though you had a thousand eyes trained on you, yet the crowd and the music drowned out my fears and anxieties. I figured there were so many people in the crowd I probably wouldn’t be noticed, even If I blundered all the way or stepped on my partner’s toes.
What really mattered to me was my partner’s patient coaching, understanding and willingness to share the dance with me. I was touched, in an inexplicable way. Slowly, gradually, all the people around didn’t seem so real anymore, didn’t really matter anymore. It was just me, my partner, the dance and our sincerity of heart.
A magical time it was, a dance to remember, a night to reminisce about.
It was one of those songs that were choreographed into HCJC mass dances, thus college dances. So at every major school event like Mid Autumn Festival (MAF), these songs would be played and most of the crowd would gather for the college dances.
Though it was a little like campfire dancing, I was still very much restrained and shy at first. It was not until I was later strongly encouraged to learn the steps, have fun at the same time and just dance and soak in the atmosphere that I really enjoyed it.
Still clearly etched on my mind is one MAF occasion where I seriously did one of the college dances in full. I had never been a very good or natural dancer though I had performed thrice in public as a group. However, I came to enjoy that night when I took that leap of faith.
It seemed as though you had a thousand eyes trained on you, yet the crowd and the music drowned out my fears and anxieties. I figured there were so many people in the crowd I probably wouldn’t be noticed, even If I blundered all the way or stepped on my partner’s toes.
What really mattered to me was my partner’s patient coaching, understanding and willingness to share the dance with me. I was touched, in an inexplicable way. Slowly, gradually, all the people around didn’t seem so real anymore, didn’t really matter anymore. It was just me, my partner, the dance and our sincerity of heart.
A magical time it was, a dance to remember, a night to reminisce about.
I just finished chatting with my counterpart. It was a mighty fine chat really, and he initiated it, pleasantly surprising me. Well, it did help to stave off our rising boredom today, with nothing much going on and so much uncertainty.
Yes, pathetic as it may sound, our work capacity depends a lot on my boss’ decisions, schedules, meetings, etc. Well, we are his personal assistants, two moons around a planet, you cannot expect too much right?
And yeah back to the part about the talk, some interesting exchanges about life in general, regulars and NSF army life, the usual stuff. We are very different personalities and have lived very different lives. Our outlook towards NSF, life in general, people, relationships, quality of life, life goals all seem to differ quite a lot. It is amazing how we can still converse and learn from each other.
Well but I must tell you it takes a lot of strength, perseverance and patience to be able to conduct conversations like that. It’s like I enjoy it and am still amazed by how we can still communicate despite the many obvious differences in opinions about almost everything. Perhaps the only common grounds is that both of us are stuck with this queer job for quite some time and still have time to serve out in NS.
However interesting and enlightening, I feel tired after such a conversation. It leaves me a little more drained. Well I am partly to blame for I am quite a stubborn character and I have a very bad habit of wanting the other party to see my point and at least agree with me in-principle, everytime I say something. Yes I know that is an asshole bad character trait, I get real stubborn and hot-tempered sometimes. I listen less to the other person but more to my inner frustration at being unable to get the other party to agree with me.
Ok ok enough ranting and self-depreciation. I have somewhat checked that bad character trait to a certain extent and am still on the long struggle to overcoming it. What I really wanted to say guess, was that I’m quite tired. By what, I really am not sure. I just feel like having company, whether solo or with a group, out to somewhere nice and quiet at night. I have developed this love for the night, somehow, I dunno why. Just off to somewhere near the River, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Esplanade.
I just seem to have fallen in love with the night atmosphere by the river. Maybe just a little bar, a pool bar would be nice, serene, a few good-looking ladies, soothing jazz piped in, drinks, the sea, the breeze, the rustling of waves. Just relax, no real need to talk. But if there were small talk, anything would sound nice. I would really be in the mood for anything. I would be game. Totally relaxed, bring out the real me inside, beneath all that rebel-without-a-cause, rugged, expletive, impulsive skin that drapes around my frame.
I just want to be able to talk about my feelings, emotions or on any other things on my heart, from my heart. Just no-holds-barred, yet assured that the people around me will understand truly and naturally, or at least that they won’t feel offended. Just know when I’m talking cock, when I’m joking, when I’m trying hard to crack a joke, when I am just talking bored listlessly, when I am using my heart to talk, when I am listening with my ear, when I’m crying out loud inside, when I need a shoulder, when I need a soul-mate.
Company that know me, really know me. Dunt need to know the ghouls that haunt me inside which even I myself have much difficulty grasping, but just know. Just sit down beside me, a clink of glass, a blink of eye, an exchange of whispers, a cackle of giggles, a burst of laughter, a silent closure, an understanding of the heart.
Yes, pathetic as it may sound, our work capacity depends a lot on my boss’ decisions, schedules, meetings, etc. Well, we are his personal assistants, two moons around a planet, you cannot expect too much right?
And yeah back to the part about the talk, some interesting exchanges about life in general, regulars and NSF army life, the usual stuff. We are very different personalities and have lived very different lives. Our outlook towards NSF, life in general, people, relationships, quality of life, life goals all seem to differ quite a lot. It is amazing how we can still converse and learn from each other.
Well but I must tell you it takes a lot of strength, perseverance and patience to be able to conduct conversations like that. It’s like I enjoy it and am still amazed by how we can still communicate despite the many obvious differences in opinions about almost everything. Perhaps the only common grounds is that both of us are stuck with this queer job for quite some time and still have time to serve out in NS.
However interesting and enlightening, I feel tired after such a conversation. It leaves me a little more drained. Well I am partly to blame for I am quite a stubborn character and I have a very bad habit of wanting the other party to see my point and at least agree with me in-principle, everytime I say something. Yes I know that is an asshole bad character trait, I get real stubborn and hot-tempered sometimes. I listen less to the other person but more to my inner frustration at being unable to get the other party to agree with me.
Ok ok enough ranting and self-depreciation. I have somewhat checked that bad character trait to a certain extent and am still on the long struggle to overcoming it. What I really wanted to say guess, was that I’m quite tired. By what, I really am not sure. I just feel like having company, whether solo or with a group, out to somewhere nice and quiet at night. I have developed this love for the night, somehow, I dunno why. Just off to somewhere near the River, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Esplanade.
I just seem to have fallen in love with the night atmosphere by the river. Maybe just a little bar, a pool bar would be nice, serene, a few good-looking ladies, soothing jazz piped in, drinks, the sea, the breeze, the rustling of waves. Just relax, no real need to talk. But if there were small talk, anything would sound nice. I would really be in the mood for anything. I would be game. Totally relaxed, bring out the real me inside, beneath all that rebel-without-a-cause, rugged, expletive, impulsive skin that drapes around my frame.
I just want to be able to talk about my feelings, emotions or on any other things on my heart, from my heart. Just no-holds-barred, yet assured that the people around me will understand truly and naturally, or at least that they won’t feel offended. Just know when I’m talking cock, when I’m joking, when I’m trying hard to crack a joke, when I am just talking bored listlessly, when I am using my heart to talk, when I am listening with my ear, when I’m crying out loud inside, when I need a shoulder, when I need a soul-mate.
Company that know me, really know me. Dunt need to know the ghouls that haunt me inside which even I myself have much difficulty grasping, but just know. Just sit down beside me, a clink of glass, a blink of eye, an exchange of whispers, a cackle of giggles, a burst of laughter, a silent closure, an understanding of the heart.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
I just simply love this speech...."I have a Dream"....you need to treat it like a speech, imagine the fiery orator, the chanting crowds, the sweltering heat of dissatisfaction in the 1960s, the tenous atmosphere, the explosive scene, the reaction of the crowds, my my..you should check out any audio clip of this speech..
Most inspiring
Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Source: Martin Luther King, Jr: The Peaceful Warrior, Pocket Books, NY 1968
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.
One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.
So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.
So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Most inspiring
Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Source: Martin Luther King, Jr: The Peaceful Warrior, Pocket Books, NY 1968
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.
One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.
So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.
So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Thursday, May 12, 2005
I think
It's nice
When you can smile after you cry
When two friends can just swing all day long, needless for words
When two buddies just lay in the sun, soaking in the rolling sunshine,
listening to the rustling waves
When three can sit down for coffee, or roll into warm sheets before a
pillow-fight
When a group sits round, kindling a fire, rubbing their hands, faces with a
red-hued hint of warmth, an inner glow or the fire?
When two old friends stroll through a dim, familiar path, elbows kissing,
hand almost touching, an endless chatter, a walk through golden memory lane
When two lovers embrace tightly, as if for the last time, two become one
When two buddies acknowledge a silent apology, patch up and watch a movie
after arguing
When a group lays down in open nature, urban rats bedazzled by the
overwhelming stars on the opaque canvas, talk about life amidst the flame's
crackle
I think
It's nice
It's nice
When you can smile after you cry
When two friends can just swing all day long, needless for words
When two buddies just lay in the sun, soaking in the rolling sunshine,
listening to the rustling waves
When three can sit down for coffee, or roll into warm sheets before a
pillow-fight
When a group sits round, kindling a fire, rubbing their hands, faces with a
red-hued hint of warmth, an inner glow or the fire?
When two old friends stroll through a dim, familiar path, elbows kissing,
hand almost touching, an endless chatter, a walk through golden memory lane
When two lovers embrace tightly, as if for the last time, two become one
When two buddies acknowledge a silent apology, patch up and watch a movie
after arguing
When a group lays down in open nature, urban rats bedazzled by the
overwhelming stars on the opaque canvas, talk about life amidst the flame's
crackle
I think
It's nice
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Confessions
the first time i bit my lip and went up to a girl, we fell in love deeply for 4 good years
the first time i stood up for self-perceived justice at the sight of perceived injustice to a platonic classmate, it was the first time i stood up to a teacher. (a teacher was still very much a representative model of an establishment i had been taught to respect). i humiliated my teacher, made her cry buckets, realised my folly, apologised and matured to become friends later on
the second time i stood up against a teacher who believed i could only go to a polytechnic, i managed to get into HCJC and took my 'o' results from her reluctant hands. that look on her face is still etched
the third time i stood up to a teacher, it was a grave mistake. this was my scoutmaster who had trusted me so much. i got punished on-the-spot, though amazingly my counterparts and team members followed in my punishment voluntarily, i was deeply touched.
perhaps my friends are right. i can be very stubborn, persistent, adamant, if i believe in something, whether its self-perceived justice or an intangible goal in life
but life has rechecked me. perhaps im overzealous in all the wrong ways possible. perhaps i love somethins, some notion, some person so much i end up hurting that romanticised thing, notion, person.
The first time i was seriously challenged, it was racist. from a teacher. a Pri school HOD of science. i bit my lip. did not want to press my luck
the first time i bit my lip and went up to a girl, we fell in love deeply for 4 good years
the first time i stood up for self-perceived justice at the sight of perceived injustice to a platonic classmate, it was the first time i stood up to a teacher. (a teacher was still very much a representative model of an establishment i had been taught to respect). i humiliated my teacher, made her cry buckets, realised my folly, apologised and matured to become friends later on
the second time i stood up against a teacher who believed i could only go to a polytechnic, i managed to get into HCJC and took my 'o' results from her reluctant hands. that look on her face is still etched
the third time i stood up to a teacher, it was a grave mistake. this was my scoutmaster who had trusted me so much. i got punished on-the-spot, though amazingly my counterparts and team members followed in my punishment voluntarily, i was deeply touched.
perhaps my friends are right. i can be very stubborn, persistent, adamant, if i believe in something, whether its self-perceived justice or an intangible goal in life
but life has rechecked me. perhaps im overzealous in all the wrong ways possible. perhaps i love somethins, some notion, some person so much i end up hurting that romanticised thing, notion, person.
then thats wrong. though my intentions may be clear, the damage is still done. just like the crusades, or the revolutionary spirit of the Vietcong. They deeply believed in a pure, altruistic notion that they would sacrifice all to attempt to achieve.
Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do
Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do
Forgive me Lord, for the hurt i've done to friends around me, knowingly, unknowingly. Forgie me Lord, for the hurt i have done to my sole loved one, help me bury the past in my heart, never to be awoken again.
Jesus
Lead me in your Jesus way
Lead me in your narrow way
...Transceit...
Perhaps i'm actually under alot of hidden stress
But that's still no excuse
I can tell you that generally
My heart and being is very unsettled
By what i'm not sure. Whether it should be
I dunt know for sure
Yes perhaps it's zeal and passion
Perhaps i've taken it to too extremes
I realise now that no matter what zeal and passion i may be
Fueled on, if it hurts my friends and loved ones,
If it dents my relationships somehow
Then i have to balance things out
Most of the time, it wasn't worth it.
I wasn't wise enough,
and am still grappling now
Perhaps i'm actually under alot of hidden stress
But that's still no excuse
I can tell you that generally
My heart and being is very unsettled
By what i'm not sure. Whether it should be
I dunt know for sure
Yes perhaps it's zeal and passion
Perhaps i've taken it to too extremes
I realise now that no matter what zeal and passion i may be
Fueled on, if it hurts my friends and loved ones,
If it dents my relationships somehow
Then i have to balance things out
Most of the time, it wasn't worth it.
I wasn't wise enough,
and am still grappling now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)