Broken Sonnet

New blog

2006-07-19T19:12:00.000+08:00

Ok guys... I have officially moved to a new blog... check out lizardcounty.blogspot.com... its still kinda under construction though... so do check back for updates later on... thanks...

New blog

2006-02-24T23:38:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone. Thank you for being supportive about my blog all this while. I'm starting this new blog, mainly because I find it very difficult these days to be funny. And also, I am trying to explore new avenues of expression. Don't laugh.

The other site is still under construction. Hopefully, it will be up soon. Unless of course, schoolwork gets the better of me and I drop dead all of a sudden.

What really kills people?

2006-02-06T21:05:00.000+08:00

Everyone has the right to hope. Hope that things will get better, hope that peace will reign forever, hope that they win the big bucks. Too much of anything, though, is never good for one's health.

Last Saturday, 73 people were killed when a stampede broke out in a queue for a game show in the Philippines. It was the show's first year anniversary, and people had an inkling that big prizes would be given away.

I am not pointing fingers, but this is just a classic example of how hope can lead to catastrophe. Who can blame those people, though? Imagine living in a shack made from tattered plywood and rusted corrugated iron, about the size of a flat's toilet, with seven hungry and bawling children. When you practically slave yourself just to get by, such an opportunity to be rich quick can be difficult to resist. Especially if once you reach the place, the whole street is packed with people queueing. What do you do to get ahead? Push, shove, trample, anything to be nearer to the registration booth.

Lives were lost. Real breathing people, but I guess they are not breathing now, are they?

Hope kills (and I do not mean the cigarette, although that can potentially lead to lung cancer). I cannot pretend that I know how those people felt, but it must have hurt. I mean, that's being trampled alive!

First Day Blues

2006-01-05T10:03:00.000+08:00

It is really difficult to get back into the school groove after the holidays. You do not really feel like holidays has ended, you get terribly bored with all the introductions and how to get good grades stuff, and if you were me, you get really shocked when you attend your first class and realize that there is only one girl!

That aside, let me give you some tips to overcome your first day blues:

1. Sleep late the day before school starts. Since you are going to do this for 15 more weeks, you might as well start early right.

2. Mess your room up. For optimum thinking, you need to make yourself disorganized. There is this research that says people who have messy desks do jobs better. Trust me. I know.

3. Do not bother buying textbooks right away. Your day would surely be ruined if you queue at the book shop for five-ten minutes only to find that your text is unavailable for the umpteenth time.

4. Do not forget your I.D. Actually, it does not really matter. Just sneak in. This would be a good time to test your creativity and resourcefulness.

5. Last, but definitely the most important thing to do, buy gallons and gallons of coffee. Refer to tip #1 for the reason.

So have fun, relax, everything will probably end up screwed anyway, but it always happens right?

Harry Potter

2005-11-18T09:36:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I caught the recent installment of the Harry Potter movie. Boasting better effects, better storyline, better cinematography (though better acting has been appropriately excluded), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the best of the series yet. But what really made it tick is not its graphics or storyline or whatever. It was good because it was short.

Yes, it was short. Still long by movie standards, but shorter than the three previous movies. At two and a half hours, it covered the book concisely, sticking to the more important points. Of course, die-hard fans of the book would complain that the movie did not capture all the events, I liked it better that way. Let me explain why.

Reading is very different from watching a movie. When you read, you imagine the people, the setting, the action. When you watch a movie, you sit there eating popcorn and wait for things to unfold. This waiting can sometimes be annoying, especially if you have to sit through really draggy stuff that does not really relate to the overall scheme of things. When you watch a movie, you want constant action and suspense. You want your brain to be constantly engaged. And you really need to pee.

So kudos to the cast and crew of the fourth Harry Potter movie for a job well done. Looking forward to the last three movies.

Kleptomania

2005-11-18T09:23:00.000+08:00

What if you cannot help it? You are in a shopping centre, the amiable sales lady is attending to another customer, and you just need to have that item. What if you cannot resist?

For all of you who are not avid fans of pathology textbooks (which I am sure you all are), kleptomania is a serious psychological disability, whereby a person, without his conscious consent, steals things. Yes, it is a tendency to shoplift. It starts with taking petty things such as pencils, erasers, chewing gum, etc, but if left untreated could escalate to more daring thefts. The disease can be treated if diagnosed.

So why am I talking about this? No, I am not a kleptomaniac. I just want to talk about it, that's all.

Anyway, the point is society should be more sympathetic towards kleptomaniacs. We should keep in mind that they are suffering. No need for more condemnation. Society may have been more open to autistics and dyslexics, but there is this certain dislike for kleptomaniacs. They are not criminals. They need our help.

And for those who are caught stealing and tell the police that they are suffering from kleptomania when in fact they do not, have some shame.

Cab Driver

2005-11-04T10:25:00.000+08:00

I was terribly insulted by a cab driver on my way to school today. It was raining, and Almerick was going to school anyway, so we decided to take a cab. Along the way, the cab driver asked which country we came from. So Almerick said that we are from the Philippines. And the cab driver said probably one of the most demeaning questions I have ever been asked. He asked, “So you are here to study English?”

As I said, I was horrified and belittled. How could he make the assumption that just because we are Filipinos, our English is weak? Even more insulting is his surprise when we told him we are recipients of SMU scholarships. Does he think Filipinos are incapable of being scholars? Does he think we only make good domestic helpers?

I am not saying that all Singaporeans are like him. What really disappoints me is that as part of the service industry, he seems to be extremely insensitive to his customer. Granted he may not have intended or even meant what he said, why can he just not say anything, if he had nothing meaningful to say?

This is not the first time I have heard such comments being made. It has been common to hear classmates telling me that their maids are Filipinos, and that I should meet them. Though not as demeaning, anyone not so tolerant might have taken offence, but I try to see their good intention of making small talk. But do not simply assume that it is alright with me, or that it was a tasteful comment. The Philippines might be a corrupt, impoverished and disorderly country, but it is still MY homeland, so I think it is just right that you give us due respect.

I did not study so bloody hard for my O and A Levels just to get my intelligence insulted. I do not get offended too easily, but he has crossed the line. And do not think I would not remember your name, cab driver, because I do. If I ever take a ride in your cab again, I would not tolerate any of your crap anymore. And I will teach you a thing or two about English. Your grammar is unacceptable.

Cynics

2005-11-04T09:54:00.000+08:00

I know it has been a while since my last post (stop the nagging already). It has been a very stressful past few weeks (like you really care about me), but I am back, and so is my laptop (see post below). So after the long silence, I shall unleash my creativity once again.

Speaking of creativity, I started a module called Creative Thinking, with renowned creative thinker Kirpal Singh. Now this is one interesting subject (not to mention boring, but I did not say that). I have done probably some of the wackiest assignments for this course in my entire schooling life, such as thinking of ways of promoting brand image through a tree.

Kirpal raised a very intriguing point on our first lesson: Cynics cannot become creative people. Being a cynic myself, I thought, “I am so going to fail this course…” So being the cynic that I am, I tried to be cynical about it.

Cynicism, I believe, takes a lot of creativity. For one to create a cynical remark, one must be able to rack his brains out to find the right word, one that is witty yet not encompassed by the laws of sedition. To a non-cynical reader, cynics would just appear bitter and remorseful, but a fellow cynic would recognize the talent and the beauty.

Cynicism does not deprive one of the merits of a creative mind. True, it may be a hindrance to creative flow, but it is not sunny everyday. Sometimes, we also need an outlet for that rainy weather, not to feel bitter about it, but so that we can set it aside and look forward to things.

People often mistake cynics for pessimists, which we cynics are obviously not. We find the irony in life, not the downside. Oftentimes, people in their tumultuous passage through life, seem to ignore the hypocrisies of society, and it is the cynic’s job to show them these. Cynics do not even ridicule society, though sometimes it should be, but we merely inform others that sometimes life does not work as we thought it would.

So do not hastily judge a cynic. Remember, we pass judgment you probably would not even recognize.

Bad luck comes when you least expect it.

2005-10-05T16:19:00.000+08:00

Bad luck really comes when you least expect it. Just when you think everything is going well and you are on top of things, then bad stuff happens.

For a while, I really felt lucky. I have very hardworking project groupmates; I did not fail my MA test; my Math for Econ test went well. Everything was good. Life was good. Then today came.

I was on my way to school. On my way out of the hostel, I realized that I left two library books that were due to be returned. So I went back up to my room to take them. The stairs were slippery as it rained heavily the night before. So on my way down, guess what happened?

I fell. (Did you get this one right. If you did not, tsk tsk tsk.)

That was not the bad part. All I got were some bruises on my left arm. The unlucky bit I only discovered in school. As I opened my laptop, I find my screen cracked. As in, there are lines all over the screen, even as I am writing this. They are very distracting. Thankfully, the LCD underneath is not broken, so repairing it would not cost as much. And it is probably covered by warranty so I may not have to pay anything at all.

I guess what I am trying to say is that bad things happen to everyone, even to good people (not that I am good). So if you know bad things will happen to you, you can be prepared. Take it in stride and try to see some good in it. Then you would not feel too bad about it.

I still feel like an idiot, though.

Good Service

2005-10-05T15:50:00.000+08:00

The latest hoo-ha in Singapore concerns poor service standards in many establishments. In the Straits Times, a lot of articles have been devoted on how standards of service are worsening, what companies are doing about it and what the government thinks about it. But is service really that bad?

Of course it is bad, because if it was not, who would complain?

Do not be stupid. It is fine. Sometimes, you need to fill someone else's shoes before you can appreciate what they do, or what they do not do.

So now you work in a fast food chain as a cashier. You ask someone, "May I take your order sir/madam?" And they say, "I want this and this and this." Then you go and ask, "Would you like to have some dessert to go along with that?" And they give you this look that says, "No, stupid. Did I even ask for dessert. Obviously I do not want one, you good-for-nothing moron!"

That really makes your day. Then you have to add those who are exasperated and annoyed because you gave them very few napkins. As if it was your fault, it was company policy. Then there are the people who think you are the son of a devil because their order was a minute too late, thus wasting their precious valuable FREE TIME.

Do you not see it now? Service is a two-way mechanism. Good hosts are only as good as their guests. If you are bitchy and grumpy and expect the best service in the world, then you really are bitchy and grumpy. Who smiles at a frowning person? Although it is a part of their job to greet, smile and thank you, their contract did not include whiny and unappreciative human beings. So smile, it does not hurt. And you will probably get that good service you are looking for.

What to do when a typhoon strikes?

2005-09-23T16:17:00.000+08:00

Since Singaporeans are not very used to being hit by natural calamities, let me share with you some tips in the event a hurricane strikes the island (Ha, as if it would actually EVER happen).

Tip #1. Head away from shore.

I know this is a bit commonsensical, but let's face it. People are sometimes overcome by curiosity, especially Singaporeans. They are most curious about things they have never seen, so if they see a humongous nimbus cloud hovering at East Coast Park, they'll probably want to take a photograph. Do not, and I repeat, do not do this. It is stupid.

Tip #2. Do not go to school.

If you are a student, do not go to school. I know this does not apply to truants, who even in bright sunny weather would not be in school, but for the nerdies out there, do not even think about going to school. It may seem like life should go on for you bookworms but sadly, there would not be any lessons. Why? Because the canteen people are busy saving their lives, that's why. And since you probably never heard of school being cancelled due to bad weather, I am telling you that there would not be any classes.

Tip #3. Do not queue up.

In times of hopelessness, queue up. No, no, no, no. If there is a queue, it is probably for today's paper, which obviously you do not need, so why bother? Just walk straight ahead to Bukit Timah, where it is probably going to be safe.

Tip #4. Even if you are at the highest floor of your HDB, it is not safe.

Why? Because the foundation can give way. Then you are in big trouble.

Tip #5. Do not bring unnecessary belongings.

Just leave your ten-year-series books! You will not need it for the time being. Refer to tip #2 for more details. Handphones, however, are a must. How would you order pizza? Remember, the landlines would probably die.

Tip #6. Do not complain to the government.

Although it is the easiest excuse, it is probably not their fault. Stop being such a whiny.

Last but definitely not the least.

Tip #7. Do not play stupid ice breakers at the evacuation center.

If you value your life, trust me, do not break this rule. Even if your community spirit says otherwise. This is really not the time to be playing that "Whack-someone-with-a-newspaper-to-get-to-know-each-other" game.

Just follow these simple tips and your suffering would be minimized dramatically. For more tips, visit hurricanes-for-dummies.com.

GP essays

2005-09-22T12:31:00.000+08:00

A lot of my friends (which would probably include you, the person reading this entry at the moment, unless of course you just happened to be surfing aimlessly, in which case I give you my warmest hello) have told me my blog is very much like a General Paper Essay. Let me address this.

A General Paper, or a GP, essay is a component of the GP curriculum in which a student is to choose a topic from a given list and explore on its meaning and implications. The topics range from poverty to environment to anthropology. If this is your first time hearing about this GP, do you not think it is mundane indeed? And if you were privileged enough to attend junior college in Singapore, do you not just wish to throw up?

The curriculum recommends a certain manner of writing. Most essays tend to lean on the formal side, unless of course you either screw it up or plan to ruin your future. I believe this is what my peers find similar to my entries here. Notice the use of decent grammar and vocabulary. I have also avoided contractions and colloquialisms for the most part, unless of course no other word is deemed appropriate. Finally, the subjects that I deal on may seem to others ‘profound’ and hardly fit for a blog.

So am I going against the nature of things? I think not. Blogging is an outlet, a means to express oneself. Is it my fault that I think straight? I am not saying that I ALWAYS think in perfectly grammatical sentences. All I am saying is that this is something I have developed. Because I have been known (infamously) as an extremely tactless person, albeit truthful, I have learned that I should think before I say something. Nothing is wrong with that.

Another issue is that my lack of humor in my entries. You probably know me as that ‘funny cynical bastard’, and again, thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate it, you lame-a**. Excuse me for my language. Anyway, so why are my entries not funny? The answer is quite obvious, actually. Think of a clown. When he goes home to his family for dinner, do you think he whacks his head with a giant mallet? If he does, then he is retarded, I must say. Do you get the point now? Sometimes, I, too, get sick of joking around. Sometimes, I just want to be a ‘cynical bastard, good for nothing, parasite of the society’.

And if your GP essay looked anything like this, you are probably a lost case.

And if you find it too long, then how come you are reading all the way here?

The Paper Eater

2005-09-19T13:28:00.000+08:00

I just finished reading a book entitled "The Paper Eater". I bought it from a book sale, so I thought it would not be any good. I was wrong. It turned out to be one of the more enlightening books I have read. The book struck a chord, and it was painful.

The Paper Eater was a story about a futuristic city, Atlantica, run by a government dependent on the Liberty Machine, a super-computer that analyses all input data and makes economic decisions based on economic equations. It raises a few interesting points, which I would like to expound.

Firstly, it brings out the point of how consumerism has affected individual and societal decision-making. It reminds me a lot about Singapore, how people would queue up for the most absurd things. More importantly, though, it made me reflect on my own decision-making. I realised that things I decide on usually has something to do with utility, with how much I stand to gain. Why did I study in SMU in the first place? Partly because I wanted to master how the economy works, so that I would always be ONE STEP AHEAD. And in a world that operates on a "first-come, first-serve" basis, is that not a good thing? The book says it is not, at least not all the time. Liz Jensen, the author, was probably right. Sometimes, people should take a step back and ask, "Did I do the right thing?" Sadly, this is one thing I do not do very often nowadays.

Secondly, it points out how people tend to remain emotionally detached. In a world where people are becoming more and more occupied with themselves, the future would probably be like that. People queueing up in silence, busy pondering their own little lives. In a way, I am sometimes emotionally detached. I do some things without any regard for others' feelings. But more often than not, some things are meant to be done without any emotional attachment. Business has to run its course, and in order to do good business, you cannot let your feelings take over.

Lastly, the book wanted to highlight one point, that computers will never out-think humans. No matter how complicated computers can calculate and analyse complex equations, humans are still far superior, because humans are capable of doing something computers are not, and that is being unpredictable. Irrationality makes people do things no one would ever think of doing. No computer can factor this into an equation. I, for one, am guilty of making many irrational decisions (like not applying to any agency's scholarship program). Good luck with the Liberty Machine in analysing that.

So is it safe to say that we will never be controlled by super-computers? Probably not. The problem with humans is that they progress very slowly and most are narrow-minded indeed. Computers, on the other hand, are evolving at an ever-increasing rate. If we do not do something about this, they would probably get the upper-hand.

drawn together...

2005-08-16T21:32:00.000+08:00

There is this new cartoon show I watched back home in the Philippines called Drawn Together. It is a reality-tv imitation, where eight cartoon characters co-inhabit a house. The show puts across in a hilarious way the cruel fact of how people are perceived in society, and how perceptions can quickly change.

Meet Princess Clara. She hails from the magical kingdom of Fairytaleland. Every girl wants to be like her, every boy wants to marry her and live happily ever after. She is in the league of Cinderella and Rapunzel. But at the house she is a different person. She is demeaning, seeing everyone else as impoverished slaves (especially Foxxy Love, because she is black). She is very narrow-minded and self-centred, always seeking attention (which he usually gets; once she opens her mouth all the guys go ogling at her) and making everything about her. I think there is a word for her, and it starts with a b, I think.

Then there's Ling Ling, who resembles Pikachu to an extent (Ling Ling is a bit orange, like Garfield). He is cute, cuddly, powerful with his lightning bolt. All the kids want a plush toy of him. But he cannot speak a word of English. He only speaks Japanese. So at the house, everyone thinks he is the MAID. They make him wash the dishes, make the beds and sweep floors. In one episode, Spanky the Ham made him knit clothes, a la sweatshop worker. How could Ling Ling's language (meaning english) incompetency have made him a lowlife? Simple. Westerners assume Asians are gullible and easy to manipulate. So when that fat western pig found out Ling Ling is Asian.... I think you get the point.

Finally there is a Betty Boop look alike, though her name escapes me at the moment. Let us just call her BB. BB is a 20's sex symbol, in the form of a cartoon (much like Betty Boop). In the past, she is the envy of many female cartoon characters (there probably weren't that much in the 20's anyway). She has graced the cover of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and a million other magazines (if there was Playboy that time, plus Playboy then). Fast forward to the new millenium. She is fat, encepahilitic (this is probably not a word), and in black and white. In short, she is ugly by modern-day standards. Barbie, now she is the modern-day goddess. Poor BB, she is now a has-been. Compared to Princess Clara, she is trash. What does she do? She starts throwing up whatever she eats. She is now BBB (the third B being bulemic).

The show is funny, but it is not skin-deep. It is a profound dissection of society- family, school, church, government, race. As long as we harbour preconceived notions of other people, prejudice will remain. As much as we strive for global equality, it is this very rudimentary instinct that keeps us from reaching our goal. Drawn Together is not your normal slapstick comedy cartoon, but in the end, it is merely a cartoon. Laugh when you can. Just be careful. You might be laughing at yourself.

Am I a mumbler?

2005-08-14T17:41:00.000+08:00

I have recently watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and it got me thinking. Are children evil? Was Charlie just lucky to not be tempted by any of Willy Wonka's many "tests"? Am I a mumbler?

Well, I think children are evil. They pretend to be nice, but they all have a hidden agenda- more cookies, new toys, more love, whatever their little (though by proportion they are bigger than adults') brains could think of. I have seen toddlers who would throw operatic tantrums, scowl at you when their mums and dads are not looking, or bully other babies at the playroom. You should see the look on their faces. Sheer triumphant, gleeful SMIRK. Brats. But that is not their fault. How would it be? They just do what their parents do. Whiny parents get whiny children. Bully dads get bully kids. In short, evil breeds evil, plain simple.

Of course, there are children who their parents would say are "sweet", "kind", "loving" and "angelic". That is a bunch of Crap. Those are their PARENTS. Surely no parent would say "My son is a menace." Unless of course you gave birth to the Devil himself. I mean, people are not perfect. What makes children any better? Maybe they are less exposed to life's cruelties, I will give them that. But their hearts are by no means pure. Hatred, greed and lust will always be present. A "sweet", "kind", "loving" and "angelic" daughter can grow up to be a total (excuse me for the language) bitch.

So why did Charlie get the factory? He is by no means "of a pure heart". Clearly, you can see his unnecessary want for the golden ticket? You can see in his eyes the envy when the fat German boy got a golden ticket, after gobbling up an insane amount of chocolate bars. So why did he win the prize. Simple. SELF-CONTROL. No matter how much his yearning, his desire, he chose not to give in. You cannot say he did not lust for more chocolates. He simply did not choose to give in to his lust. That is what the society is doing wrong at the moment, trying to reverse what is inherently human nature. Instead, we should teach children to fight the evils of society. Admit that they are there, that no matter what we do, they will remain. So we have to fight them. We have to resist. Only then would we win the battle.

Let us all be like Charlie. Or more importantly, let us be like Charlie's granddad (bless his soul).

So am I a mumbler? Am I?

2005-08-12T19:45:00.000+08:00

For those on the dim side, my blog name is actually broken sonnet minus the vowels. It is not my fault that this name was already taken. Why broken sonnet? Don't ask me.

2005-08-12T19:13:00.000+08:00

Due to persistent (and sometimes annoying) public demand, I have decided to break the silence and write something in this damn blog!

Now, I know some people would recall that the reason I wanted to start this blog is to create an outlet for some long withheld creative steam. Well, I lied. I was just bored. And annoyed at getting email alerts for friendster blog updates (but that is besides the point). So please do not, i repeat, do not use friendster blogs (again this is totally irrelevant).

Anyway, moving on to more important issues. Why did I take so damn long to post something? That is because nothing, absolutely nothing is happening with my life. And I mean nothing. I'm serious. I mean, do you write "I went to Orchard. It was kind of windy, but sunny at the same time." Come on people, that is hardly entertaining, let alone substantial in any sense. I know, blogs are meant to be a diary sort of thing, but, does your diary contain stuff like "Dear Diary, today I went to school. I listened to the teacher. Then I went to the canteen for lunch. I ate an egg sandwich. Charlie peed on his pants during PE because the teacher said do not stop until you have run five rounds. Then I went home." Only children who need to pass up their diaries to their english teacher would write such masterful pieces.

So why bother writing about the mundane? Or worse, about making the mundane interesting, blemishing with absurd but hypothetically amusing (most of the times they are just irritating) details? Am I supposed to follow suit to please the reading public (which is probably 0.01% of the general public; Almerick is NOT a member of the reading public)? I think not.

What do I write about then?

Let's make a list:

1. My life (boring)
2. What I do (boring)
3. Other people's lives (I'm not a gossiper. well, maybe sometimes)
4. Movies, TV shows etc (that is just plain stupid)
5. Business and Economics issues (uhmm... that is what school is for)

So, you see I have nothing to talk about, apart from maybe the weather. How do I then prevent this blog from going to ruin? I seriously do not know.