Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Zenon's farewell message
This post will be my final post before the A levels. It has been almost a year ever since Draco Dormiens has been on, and that yesterday's farewell concert was indeed the last time our class yould get together in the college. By the way, I've just uploaded the photos I've taken yesterday on Imagestation. Click on the link at your right. However, you need to create your own free userid and password to access Imagestation in order to view the photos. Enjoy!
The farewell concert was okay though many felt that the videos were not very impactful and felt they were boring and lame. Nevertheless, I felt that the tributes made by the students and tutors are the most important cos' they've given great encouragement and advice for everyone to go forward and get through the dreaded A levels.
Following the concert, our class gave farewell gifts to our tutors as well as took lots of photos of ourselves. So...these pics from my camera, again, can be seen in my album. After all, some of us went to Jack's Place at Parkway Parade for lunch.
By the way, what I wanted to say to the college community was just a condensed version. This blog, shall now give an expanded version of my farewell message. PLEASE READ IT. And from now on, Draco Dormiens takes a break for the A Levels. Good luck to all taking exams, and may your passions and dreams blaze like fire! Adios!
ZENON'S FAREWELL MESSAGE
When I first came to TJ, I was as clueless as anyone else. I was just like Bilbo Baggins the hobbit who was reluctant to move out of his hobbit hole. (FYI, Bilbo is featured in great detail in The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings) He reluctantly left his hobbit hole in an adventure he didn't really desire, yet he returned back rich with jewels and with satisfaction, partly because he got the Magic Ring that could make him invisible. Linking back to mysellf, I really did not know how to adapt in the hectic JC life, let alone the vibrant TJ spirit. Thankfully, there were people around me who helped me out of my 'hobbit-hole'. They were like the 13 dwarfs in the story, and the tutors being like Gandalf. My OG group ensured that "no one was left behind", and I owed it to them that I'm one of the most profilfic students of the college, as well as being able to socialise and adapt well in my two years here. They were sensitive, emphathetic to me, and this shows how important friendship and mutual support is in influencing a person to excel well in the environment around him. With this I pay tribute to my OG mates like Ai Ling, Jianwei and Shaanthannaa. These people are indeed leaders in their own field, and which explains why I make it a point to spend every morning as far as possible with them, not with my CG mates. Without them, I may not be able to mix well with people in my own CG.
The first three months was also very crucial for myself, as given the leisurely period, it allowed to me to expand my ability to socialise well wityh my former CG 21/03, now known as 24/03. "Relax", was something Christopher Tham always tell me, and I'm still trying to best to control my "excited" and "hyperactive" behaviour. They were like my OG mates, being an interesting lot. Some of them would show their talent in today's Delta HC, which also explains why I even bothered to turn up at their House Function! They were a focussed lot, knowing well how to juggle both studies and PDPs well. I respect them for their ability to do so. Tributes to my friends to 24/03, as well as my former CT Mr Francis Tay who's still very understanding and passionate with his students and zoology. He made Biology interesting but unfortunately, the exam questions put me off. I had no biology background anyway. This explains why I used to insist that I'm a science student, but now I consider myself cross-faculty. You know, your tutors in your 1st 3 months are equally impactful like your present tutors.
When I switched to the cross-faculty in 33/03, I was in a total culture shock. It seemed to me that Arts students were in their own world and likewise for the Science student at first sight. The 33/03 people are indeed more lively, opinionated and passionate over what they like; but were not as balanced compared to my peers in the science faculty. At one time, I felt that given the huge turnover of peers, I'm sorry to said this but I ever felt at one time that that was the laziest bunch of TJCians I've ever seen. However, these group of people taught how friendship should be cherished. They taught me how to be empathetic, patient and accomodating to others. They taught me the true value of friendship. I pay tribute to my 33/03 peers for having guided me through. Also, it has been a pleasure to be a listening ear to all of you just as you people were a true listening ear to me. What makes 33/03 people so unique is their compassion and sincerity to the people around them. I shall not elaborate on this. They indeed excel in their own fields being as leaders or musicians or sportsmen.
The tutors are another group of people I'll like to pay tribute to. Mr Hasim indeed is an adaptable, flexible and insightful GP and Civics Tutor. He knows how to bring out the best in all of his students, and I felt he is one who will ultimately bring my GP level up from shatters compared to the promos. Also, Mr Bala is one of the greatest tutors I've ever seen. His sheer dedication and understanding for all of his students is something most of the tutors are unable to meet up with. I indeed consider him as my 'de facto' CT given his great concern not just with our history but also our other subjects and non-academic performance. I'll indeed be the Rambo for him. In addition, other tutors like Mrs Ivy Lim, Mrs Lokman, Mr Gary Quek, Ms Tan SF and Mr Thompson deserve equal compliment for their patience and dedication. I particularly prefer Mrs Ivy Lim's analogies like 'dresses' and Mr Thompson's animated lectures. These tutors ensure that my momemtum will never slow down. Of course, I shouldn't forget our wonder principal and vice-principal ie. Mrs Lim LC and Mrs Hoo. They're indeed dynamic and successful women in the education service, and I respect the high level of sensitivity and the holistic view of ways in which they treat the students. All of these tutors have indeed encouraged me to excel well for the As, and perhaps become a teacher in the future via a scholarship.
By the way, one last point worth mentioning. It seem that whatever I've been saying seen to have some sort of 'entertaining' impact on the people round me, especially my own CG mates. I didn't know my lingo had created a large group of "Zenon twin brothers and sisters", and I think that's great because it helps to destress in the midst of the exams, and it bonds everyone together even further in these tough times! The people around me are equally friendly, being my PDP mates or my juniors and so on. It's great to have a group of friends who are equally motivated, and we indeed are the Bolsheviks in ourselves. We 'struggle' together, in the 'dictatorship of the students', as well together break down the barrier of the A levels to chase our dreams and the 'utopia' in our life. It's great to have as many 'twin brothers and sisters'! It colours your life. And I'm sure I've coloured the life of my 'physical twin' ie. Zheng Quan of 26/03. I do not know his reaction to me mentioning him yesterday, but I'm sure he's a jolly happy guy who'll always be optimistic in both good and bad times.
Well, life in TJ has just been too good. I'll miss the vibrant college life here as well as my friends I've known. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. May your lifelong passions and dreams blaze like fire!
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
11:00
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Tributes to the Prelims
This post will be my second last post before the official break for the A levels. As the title has indicated, I shall first dwell upon and put my dreaded prelims results to rest, setting the atmosphere for the 'A's. Following that, I shall say something about my two years here in a brief manner, for I don't have time to talk alot here until graduation nite in my final post after the final assembly on Monday.
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Too fast, too little, too late? An insight into the Prelims
Given the above title, I guess it'll be very obvious. But at a glance, here's it. This time round I shall not reveal my raw scores this time round. I don't see any rationale in scores now since moderations rule the day...
General Paper --- B4
Mathematics with S Paper --- C/U
Economics --- C
Chemistry --- D
History with S Paper --- B/U
At the overall impression, this isn't very encouraging for a person who is aiming for a scholarship. Such grades won't take any potential scholar anywhere. Even though I've made small improvements in GP, Economics and Chemistry; I've suffered setbacks in Maths and History especially when I was so close to distinctions in the A level paper and merits in the S paper.
As for GP, my comprehension as usual held me hostage. I reached a new high for it, but it wasn't good enough. Also, even though I got a decent grade for my essay, it still wasn't good enough! I attempted the question on "How far and to what extent has your country been affected by recent world events?" Mrs Noordin, the essay examiner was very concerned about my writing style, and her criticisms was the first ever to come from an English teacher. At least she doesn't complain about my handwriting (frankly speaking it was very clear compared to the rest of the prelims). I felt that I had done the wrong question, for such questions wasn't within my specialized areas of knowledge like history, politics and the environment. (The environment question at first glance put me off, only making me realise I could've done that essay easily at the end! Nevertheless, I got some useful, personalized advice from her. I may feel lucky to get a B4 especially when the tutors marked leniently for comprehension, but I really must do something about this. Anyway, Mr Hasim thinks that I stand a strong chance in excellance. However, this means that I need practise! I need to put in the extra mile and effort, especially for comprehension! I want my A1 for GP!!!
Economics was a close shave. I did well for the MCQs with a high mark, for having practised so much during Mrs Ivy Lim's remedial sessions proved beneficial. I always suck in all MCQs. This time it helped me. However, CSQ was a sore point with a single digit. I really don't know how I'm going to handle this dreaded section, cos' these areas may hold my aims hostage! Also, I just passed my essay overall for the first time, but I was disgusted that Mrs Ivy Lim again failed my trade essay. It just made me feel stupid. Actually, I don't really like the subject in the first place, yet I've to get my A for it. Maybe I should start writing essays for her now. However, I should start by reading my lecture notes and answer plan, for frankly speaking, I wasn't really well-prepared for the prelims, and in one way affected my performance in my CSQ/DRQ. I need a thorough revision now. I need time!!
As for Maths, Mr Quek just gave me a simple piece of advice. "You need to be more careful, Zenon." And he was right. The reason why I get a C for the A level paper and an Ungraded for the S Paper was all due to sheer carelessness. If not for my careless mistakes, an A grade for the A level paper and a Merit for the S paper would be easily be in my hands. Mr Quek felt that I've got my concepts all right. I've really done my paper way too fast in a hasty and messy manner. Perhaps I should really make my presentation alot more neater, but more importantly, RELAX. I've done things too fast, and I've panicked too much. In the end, Blitzkreig has failed. Now I must take care to slow down, relax, and work my way in a steady pace. Take it easy!
Chemistry was a sore point. I improved a bit, but it wasn't enough. Careless mistakes, as well as the failure to grasp concepts right in all topics especially Food and Inorganic Chemistry held me down this time round. I think it was a lack of practice, as well as not being able to get everything in my mind. I think I've to really get down to tackle my weaknesses following Mrs Lokman's advice, and really consult her as much as I can. But before this, I must read. Read my lecture notes to get my facts right before I can work, within this short period of time.. I want my A. I want to be the one of the rare breed of TJCians to be honoured -- to be honoured as the rare breed of cross-faculty students with straight As. It is very hard for cross faculty students to hit 4 As, and I want to be the champion of the cross faculty of 03/04. I want to show my peers in 33/03 who have chickened out of the cross faculty, as well as my juniors in 31/04 that a Chemistry and History student can do it. I must. When there's a will, there's a way. Forth Eorlingas!
History is interesting thanks to Mr Bala who has pinned me down from an A to a high B. Actually, I deserved it cos' I was ill-prepared, for I was more worried about my chemistry and economics that I gave little time to history and maths. Actually, I didn't study for maths at all and I just simply glossed through Mr Bala's paper the day before the paper. Well, this time I must consolidate my ideas and arguments. And I need practise again. Gonna type a few essays for both Bala and Thompson. The A will not escape my hands. And so is the S paper Merit. Actually, my secondary school form teacher set me a target for Distinction for this S paper knowing my strength lying in history. I shall fulfill the aims she set for me.
All of these won't come easy. Though a couple of tutors including Mr Bala have prophecised that I'll get straight As, I must make the prophecy come true by my own determination and perserverance. I've to slog and consult where needed. I need to stay focused and not slack by blogging. (which means that I won't blog after the farewell concert) I'll set the momemtum this time round following the farewell assembly. Victory will belong to the most persevering.
Okay, time to stop now and continue my revision. Gosh! It took me more than half an hour to write this! Must add oil man. We all must do it. We must survive in the darkest of times! However, the pre-battle gathering is not till Monday. One more day to pay tribute to my friendship with the college community..
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P/S: If any of you all need me to write something for you either in a form of a testimonial or tribute, please give me ASAP. Anyway, I'll bring along a camera on Monday to shoot my fond memories of TJC...
And also I need to decide where to go, being the US, UK and Canada, and more importantly which course to study. In addition, following Mr Hasim's advice I shall consult Mr Tony Tan and Mr Thompson regarding my future, which includes applying to PSC now. Mr Hasim felt that I do stand a reasonable chance. I do hope so.
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
21:30
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Some things to talk about
First of all, this isn't my last post. Maths S paper has just been released, but Mr Quek have not returned me my script nor told me my marks...I'm very worried... despite the very low passing mark (30 for a merit), I heard that many people got ungraded... I really hope I'm not one of them... I want my merit! (after a history s ungraded...[dear readers, you got a small hint now!]) Also, I really need a personal session with Mr Tony Tan to discuss my future battle plans and strategies. Having spoked to Mr Hasim, I feel that I must really act as soon as possible (some of my readers will know what I mean. For those who didn't, please find out yourself)... I want my scholarship but my prelims results won't give me one!! (now dear readers, you got another hint now)
Things in TJ are just getting mundane. For a graduating year two, many of us would've find coming to college at bit pointless and boring. I really wonder how we're going to make studying interesting, given the principal's advice. I wonder how we can make a story out of chemistry, economics and maths; though we can actually derive some entertainment from studying history (I'll have to ask Kelvin how to do so).. I can't wait for farewell assembly to come...
Oh yah, two things worth mentioning today.
(1) I took a photograph together with Zheng Quan!! Oh yah I happened to pass by when Ivan requested me to do so, since his 26/03 mates brought their cameras along today. The 26/03 people have always longed for Zheng Quan and I to have a photoshoot together. Now they got their wishes come true. However, I haven't seen the picture. Well if you're a 26/03 student and you're reading my blog, please identify yourself. I want that picture if possible. In fact, I do read some of the blogs of the 26/03 gals. (33/03 people, please stop 'pitying' him, okay?)
(2) Mr Hasim is going to give us a Pizza Hut treat tomorrow! I'm really excited this time round, cos' no teacher in TJ has really partcipated in 33/03 gatherings, Dustin Chin included. Our class is really happy with Mr Hasim's decison. Wow... Mr Hasim indeed can be a great CT... and he has shown that he could do so amidst the class's ambivalent attitude towards him.... Yum.....
And one thing not really worth mentioning about...
(3) Mr Bala seems to be in a bad mood today. The marking of the Junior's Promo papers seem to have affected his behaviour today. He was rather nasty, sending us grim warnings of not taking our revision seriously (he did actually had our interests in mind) . He wasn't happy either during the S paper tutorial, inviting us to leave the room if we wanna not do a Paper 3 qn for the S paper. (no one did so) He was also disgusted by the fact that no one bothered to read the Arms Race readings... please... everyone's so bogged with numerous number of readings.. for the first time in my life I ever came out of a history lesson (and history s as well) knowing NUTS about what was taught.. Anyway, I do need to buck up for my history paper 3..... but it's too much and too late....
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
20:35
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
The Prelude to Zenon's Prelims reflections
My Prelim reflections may be the very last post in this blog before I officially break to study for the A levels. When this post comes, it'll be significant since I'll put my grievances over this examinations to rest. It'll allow me to start afresh, recharge, and work my way to excellance in November. However, it'll only come when I get back my Maths S Paper (sigh). But anyway, for the interested reader, a 'narrative' storyline out here which is for entertainment purposes only, and in one way tells you what to expect in that post.
"March 2003. The revolution has ended as the science coalition was forced to share power with the humanities coalition in the Zenon parliament. That would bring Zenon into the 33/03 federation. Zenon met him, a member of the federation. He knew that person would be a friend yet enemy at the same time. He'll mark him as his equal, knowing that if one does well the latter will not.. Nevertheless, an ambiguous, loose alliance would be created under the 3J-Z umbrella. However, as the members of the alliance gets entangled with their personal problems, as would be seen in July.
July 2003. The first battle brought Zenon and everyone to its knees. Amidst the bloodshed, the people believe that a 'God' was coming, and the 'God' will overshadow and dominate the atmosphere of the federation. The 'God' will create gradually create a 'balance of power', one being the pro-chinese culturalist and one that is not. Leading the class in a bipolar world, relations were healthy, fruitful and beneficial. At the meantime, all states would gradually prepare for the next battle in October that would determine their survival. However, Zenon believed in neutrality. He didn't favour any form of alliances or understandings in the war front, but rather in other ways. After all, the strong Zenon state had survived over the years alone.
October 2003. The test of time. With the blessings and mercy of the supreme tutors the confederation of 33/03 made the battle successfully. However, it was bloodier, and all parties suffered heavy losses. Meanwhile, the rise of an external confederation known as the SPP brought Zenon and his equal together with other elites. The battle has been brought up to a level so high, that pride yet concern ruled over the Zenon state.
January 2004. A new supreme tutor appeared in the limelight. Zenon saw hope when the others saw the grim. Zenon looked upon him as the 'saviour', the one who'll lead the state to victory. Meanwhile, the Zenon state chose again to go it alone, but found it increasingly difficult to do so. Many states that were weak needed aid and out of sympathy the Zenon gave a few tokens when needed. However, he'd never commit to an alliance. However, he was more than willing to have mutual friendship links with those of his kind, but from a foreign confederation. With people in 33 withdrawing from the cross faculty, leaving him the last one standing, there was a greater need to strengthen Zenon power.
March 2004. Near status quo. However the battle marked the rise of two states, one including the 'equal'. Once disinterested friends, they'd soon rise up to challenge the power of the 'God' and bring everyone else to their knees. The Zenon state knew the battle must go on. He had consistently played an influential role in the history faculty. Last time, he had to deal with foreign competitors. Now domestic competitors threaten to destroy his dominance.
July 2004. Narrowly defended history power within the confederation. 'God' as usual ensured the balance of power within the confederation. As all states suffered major losses, they realised that they must unite together to deal with the hidden enemy. And that the enemy was none other than the A levels.
September 2004. Alliances begin to spring, and 'grand designs' appear, bringing about signs of personal self interest outweighing alliance commitments. Alliances such as the Kinky-Michigan alliance, the LSE alliance, etc. made the confederation stronger to deal with the enemy. Perhaps the Zenon state made a blunder to go it alone and stay as a disinterested power.
October 2004. The Preliminary Battle occurred before the Dark Lord will show himself. Those in alliances finally showed their fruits of victory and success. Those in isolation crumbled under the mighty weight of these alliances, as well as the Dark Lord's servants. The Zenon state found his history power being lost to his equal. He in fact have been mistakengly viewed as 'complacent yet efficient', but indeed he's wasn't complacent! That was the mistake made by all.
Meanwhile, a prophecy appeared. The Lord of the Supreme Tutors appeared before the 33 confederations. She prophecised the victory of the confederations over the dark lord, saying that one must give hope to oneself and to others as well. Does it mean a relook in Zenon strategies? Does it mean a complete swing in the war front, from defeat to victory? Nobody knows, but the smith's busily sharpening the weapons....."
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
23:40
Sunday, October 10, 2004
One event, one paragraph
It's back to "what-I-think-about-something", before this blog collects dust again due to my A levels preparations. These past few days really has alot of interesting stuff to talk about. Prelim post-mortem will be left for another time cos' I haven't get back my Maths S paper.
The Singapore government seems to be relaxing their rules on the use of reservoirs. Well that would indeed be an interesting move cos' it'd indeed promote water sports and fishing to the masses, making it more convenient for everyone without having the hassle to travel to the East Coast, Kallang or even somewhere else.. (I live near Bedok Reservoir! haha) However, these reservoirs are very strategic and the government has to make sure these does not compromise the safe water that we all need. It seems that they've thought it out very carefully (as they've already done) cos' I was abit skeptical about this reforms anyway. Now these reservoir parks will be liven' up. Will it be able to host major competitions? I doubt so. Foreigners and professionals will still prefer Kallang and Marina Bay. Let these reservoir parks be the playground of the heartlanders, while let Kallang, Marina and Sembawang be the playground of amateurs, serious sportsmen and those spectators who want serious entertainment. Let the tourists play in Kallang.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (hope I got the spelling right) just became Indonesia's president-elect! Poor Megawati. I pity her but she lost because she wasn't tough enough, and her competitors undermine her as usual in the fight against terrorism and corruption. It seems that for a large, populous and underacheiving country like Indonesia, the presence of a "one and tough" person might be better than that of a liberal in order to help the country progress faster. Indonesia has embraced democracy, yet it booted out tough men like Wiranto. Democracy has also booted out 'soft' people like Gus Dur and Megawati. With Indonesia facing so many problems, Susilo must learn how to juggle his tasks well better than his predecessors. He may be a security czar but I haven't really seen much of his achievements under his umbrella. JI isn't fully eradicated and investor confidence is still low thanks to the incessant JI attacks on Indonesia. Megawati had too many things to handle, so does Susilo. And the Indonesian people are indeed unforgiving towards their leaders who have been unable to juggle affairs well. We have yet to see the real Susilo. The only thing I see is that Susilo won due to his 'tough' personality, and also due to Megawati's shortcomings. The 'wayang' isn't over.
The Bush-Kerry debate just will never end. Nobody knows who'll win ever since the two recent debates seem to put both candidates at a close draw. If I'm an American, I'd say both sides killed each other in the debating arena, but I'd still go for Kerry! Any international relations student would realise that domestic politics is the fundamental baseline for a country to have an impact on the international arena. This is where Kerry has an advantage because of the Bush Admin's twin deficit (both in current account and trade running into hundreds of billions), which has been perceived by many as unacceptable. Also, the Bush admin has been lashed out for using the budget for Iraq rather than for healthcare, education, etc. (seems parallel to that of the Vietnam War where Lyndon Johnson compromised his "Great Society Programme" over the war, causing much discontent at home). Kerry has also raised out the issue of homeland security being sidelined because of Iraq, putting Bush into a rather bad light. Has the US been overstreched? Perhaps. We've got no closer to Osama nor destroying Al-Qaeda nor bringing peace to Iraq nor finding WMDs. It'd seem that domestic politics not only has caused the downfall of George HW Bush, and perhaps, George W Bush as well. The American who prefers a president who cares more about issues at home will root for Kerry, while the American who prefers a tough US both at home and abroad would want Bush. Don't forget the Jewish and Cuban lobby as well. So far they've been rather invisible in this campaign.
However, Kerry is weak in handling external relations compared to Bush. He may appease the European bloc as well as the UN but the Iraqis may find themselves in greater chaos (since Kerry said he wanted to lower US dominance there). Also, North Korea and Iran is a thorn in both candidates! Kerry's "bilateralism" and Bush's "multilateralism" seem to go nowhere. Perhaps Bush may be abit at fault for demeaning North Korea as an "axis of evil" (but he had to anyway), but personally I think "mulltilateralism" is still the better way at this moment. The US needs China to nudge the North Koreans, or their efforts would be futile.
As for Singapore, our government would prefer a Bush government because of our FTA, as well as our government's support for the US action in Iraq. Our government may not be so confident about Kerry especially when he said that if he's elected, he would review all FTAs to see if it's to the US's advantage. And if it's not, he'll cancel the FTA. And Singapore's one will not escape his eyes. In addition, our government wants to see a US being a tough guy in dealing with terror, and hence would be a bit skeptical about Kerry's strategies. What about the Singaporean people? Looks like they won't bother.
Personally, I don't really like Bush because of his Texan, aggresive tactics that has made Iraq and the world more dangerous, and he has been rather unfocussed on the war on terror. The War on Terror isn't just fought by the US. If the US's allies start to disagree (like France, Germany and Spain), we're in for more trouble. The US has landed themselves in a hell-hot place where no one can escape. Most Iraqis feel less safer today than they were under Saddam. The terrorists have become stronger and bolder despite the crippling effect the US had in Afghanistan. The US was so close yet they failed to completely subjugate the 'virus'. The 'virus' has spread, the menace has spread, and now it's harder to contain, as seen in Casablanca, Madrid and more recently, the Sinai bombings. I'd rather give Kerry a chance this time round. Hope the world would be safer if he gets elected. Go Kerry!
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
16:20
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Even more responses
My tagboard has become 'lively' again.. which means I've alot of things to say this time round....
Now my reader has identified himself. Seng Chuan, thanks for reading, but just a little favour: Since you've so much to say, perhaps you'll like to use the Haloscan comments tab (below every post) cos' my tagboard is meant for readers who don't have such long comments like yours. I shall now response to your comments as follows:
"ah...i am the SC - CCHMS...current student in cchms...looking at such matters from other perspectives other than my own the pink-slip movement - students who never hand up or complete assignments are given pink slips(booking forms) to fill in...first offenders get 1 and stand outside for that period he was given it...second offence...stand outside the whole day...parents will be notified...third offence...tea break with YLS...parents called in...offender risk suspension"
Okay... well who's initiative was this? I guess Mr Yue is overreacting to our teachers' complaints.. Perhaps he should just leave such issues to the teacher herself. After all, each teacher should be given his/her own right to decide how to deal with students who don't hand in assignments! Take Mr Davamoni. Yue or no Yue, Mr Davamoni's still the same. I guess this policy only aggravates such a minor offence in an unncessary proportion. Suspension for not handing in assignment? Hey. Let the teachers deal with such minor stuff THEMSELVES. So, how effective has been the policy been? Looks like we've not met the root of the problem then. The question is WHY? Is it they dunno how to do, or they're plain lazy or bogged down by CCA???
"DP = discipline master I will have no reaction over Mrs Lim's statements...Mr Yue is indeed passionate...he had us putting a round of applause to welcome 12 new PRCs today...he is 'passionate' though...from what i heard...he told MOE that he is very welcomed in CCHMS and...is willing to stay to contribute more to CCHMS...very big sacrifice but not seen by fellow friends..."
Which principal will be in the right mind to say they're NOT welcomed in their schools? Well PRC students are just ordinary friends, so your applause shouldn't be a 'wayang'.. After all, how effective is MOE's External Validation then? And what do you mean by "fellow friends"?
"yes...my mistake...should be the scheme of work and not curriculum...e.g teachers can alter sec 1 and 2 curriculum like what ASS is doing with the sec 1s now...sec 1s doing O level maths and stuff like that...but they didn't as they fear that we might...not be able to handle"
The bottomline is: Let the teachers do what they like. They know best. They're the ones who make sure that Chung Cheng does well in academic standings, NOT the principal alone.
"why do teachers cause many of mi classmates and schoolmates to drop asleep in class, i do not know...but injection of humour will do some good too.. so far almost all teachers in cchms teach the same way...ppt slides...maybe except mr davamoni...highly respected for his way of treating students like prisoners"
Don't ask me. Ask the teachers. They've their own style, unless the principal dictates the HOD and the HOD dictates the teachers on what to do. It's the teachers' and HODs' responsibility, NOT the principal in this case. Mr Davamoni has his own unique style of doing things and coincidentally, blends well with Mr Yue's policies..Or perhaps your teachers have too much pressure just like you..
And also, two ex-seniors have responded but based on earlier articles... Megan, I understand what you mean but I wonder how my words infuriate you when it doesn't even concern you.. please advise.. anyway people can always pretend and deceive in the real world.. it all boils down to myself, my own perception anyway.. And dpike, I actually felt the N2003 qn was okay and I was able to interpret the sources as how the Cambridge ppl did it, much to Mr Thompson's disgust.. (he said up till now he still don't understand the question, let alone the report) Anyway, an excerpt from the report says that "The general quality of the answers were very good and many candidates showed that they were very capable of understanding, comparing and using primary evidence." I guess their words shouldn't surprise you since you said the qn was easy and we can 'bullshit' our way..
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Okay.... I may be blogging tonight or tomorrow on something... but don't expect prelim ramblings for the time being....
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
13:30
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
A point to make about Mr Yue
Following my annoucement in the anti-yue movement in Friendster, a few people have read this article of mine, even attracting non Chung Cheng Students like Yi Jian. Yi Jian, I was surprised you could come up with a response to my article, but thanks for your feedback anyway. Well, there's this interesting person by the nickname of "SC-CCHMS" who gave a very long response to my article as seen in my tagboard. Anyway, I'd appreciate if this person identifies himself properly. I hope that his views are of the views of Chung Cheng's Student Council (as shown in the nick) and not of his own. Anyway, it'd be better if he's a councillor, so please identify yourself so that you can feel the gaps between Chung Cheng and its ex-students.
Here's his response and I shall tackle it one by one...
<SC - CCHMS>: i personally think that peeps from my school are being very emotional where mr yue is concerned...mr yue holds a positive attitude where students are concerned and supports student-initiated projects... but the shortcoming is indeed his way of running cchms...taking the recent 'pink-slip movement' for example...it has caused more students to be defiant against cchms...i mean...a school is supposed to be a second home..but where is the love?
That was a very interesting and well though-out view for someone who is 16 years old or less. I acknowledge the fact that our friends are very emotional, but as shown in Friendster, they were way too trivial and have failed to rationally explain their discontent. Mr Yue is indeed radical, but radical in the wrong way. His "Bazaar by the Lake" (held in July 2003) was a great and successful one, something which helps the school raise abit of funds while students acquire valuable lifeskills. Why didn't he make this a yearly affair? Personally I think it was much better than having an esplanade performance.
As for the 'pink-slip' movement, could you care to give some detail on it? Such things never occur when I was in Chung Cheng. Whose idea was it? I don't think Mr Soon or Mr Toh won't get too far here. You also said that a school should be a "second home", something I agree with. After all, we spend most of our 24 hours with our peers and teachers, and these elements have a great impact on how our life today and beyond is shaped. Mr Yue has said before that "the school is not a military camp." Based on what you've said, Mr Yue would've contradict himself then. So "where is the love"? Does your teachers give "love", or merely are Mr Yue's lackeys? I'd like to hear more from you about this.
<SC - CCHMS>: yea..and the 'intolerables'...as a young principal..mr yue has inherited qualities of certain old principals who are like bulls...cchms is becoming more of a prison school or military school...when the DP walks around with red cloaks...
"intotelarables"....are you referring to Mr Yue's "six unacceptables"? What makes you think that Mr Yue has inherited qualities of certain old principals? Anyway Chung Cheng is simply going to the dogs and you seen to agree with me. What's DP?
<SC - CCHMS>: taking mr yue in comparison with anderson sec's principal...ASS' principal has an open mind to students' views and is warm to every andersonian and runs the school with passion...a direct copy of TJ's principal i must say...
You're very well-read and you deserve compliment for this. A good and valid comparison indeed. (ASS was featured in the Straits Times together with TJ over their online forums) Anyway, a question for you: Mrs Lim, the principal of TJC and longtime friend of Mr Yue, described him during a TJC roadshow that he was a "passionate person." How far do you agree with her? (FYI: The entire audience pretended to cough the minute she said this)
<SC - CCHMS>: therefore mr yue should just look at how others run their schools instead of pressurizing students about rankings...for our rankings might be boosted if the whole staff make some changes in curriculum
Good point indeed. Even with the rankings being replaced by bandings I guess he'll still continue to.... (you know what I mean). However, you must not forget the fact that the staff cannot make changes in their curriculum w/o MOE's approval. Perhaps you got it wrong here, it should be "scheme of work". Another question for you: How much control does Mr Yue has over the teachers' way of teaching? This is a very important thing to consider.
<SC - CCHMS>: teach less learn more...5 day week...mr yue seems to take this as an excuse to lengthen curriculum time which pissed many classmates off....4.10...how the hell can anyone survive from 7.25 all the way even with lunch breaks? seriously...the principal has a long way to go...
An apparent misinterpretation of our minister's words. And I agree that he has a long way to go in motivating his students and staff. Nevertheless I thank you for your feedback.
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
22:40
Friday, October 01, 2004
Some interesting and 'destressing' things to talk about
I really must talk about this. Today's events have seem to help me feel a bit better and 'not so stupid' following the prelims. A number of my peers were shocked by my description of myself following the prelims (you can refer to the previous article) and have been reassuring me that I have been not, and have expressed optimism and confidence that I'll get four straight As. Anyway, I'd like to thank those peers for their encouragement, and I'll build up the momemtum again next week after this week's break. I know I've so many setbacks (which I'll talk about in times to come), and even my competitors know that Zenon isn't a spent force. They won't be complacent, but they'll be even more efficient this time round. For some of them, their Michigan dream is indeed blazing like fire.
Today, our class had a wonderful on-the-house lunch at Kelvin's father's (or rather, family) foodstall. His seafood restaurant (or 'tze cha') just won acclaim from the media and hence decided to treat our class to his niche dishes like sliced fish noodles, beef kway teow, crispy noodles; as well as even sweet/sour pork (i think i should call it 'pai kok wong' in cantonese) and deep-fried chicken! It was indeed a feast in the food centre! Well, I think Kelvin's father deserves such acclaim and credit and I think his dishes does reflects his high culinary skills. However, I'm not a qualified food conoisseur and I'm not so experienced in 'tze cha' food so I shall not comment on the quality of his food. The bottomline is -- it's good! Everyone, especially those with huge appetities (you know who) enjoyed it to their fullest.
Anyway, if you wanna know where you can find Kelvin's father's stall, just go to Temple street in Chinatown, then a block with a number (33-something), climb the stairs to the 3rd storey and the stall's right at the landing. Well I don't really know the exact location so I may be wrong here, so I think you should ask Kelvin yourself if you're interested.
I just feel that I was sort of in an 'excited state' this afternoon. People like Su Hui keep on gossiping about kinky stuff and Michigan (She, Yoke Wen, Kelvin and Min Dan dream of going to Ann Arbor); as well as Jing Ying cheekingly touching Sabrina's chin just make me laugh my hearts out. Su Hui is really one of the most interesting gals I've ever met. She dispelled my personal myth that only guys have corrupted minds (with regards to sexual-related stuff), and that makes her such an interesting friend. Also, the class kept on rousing any hint of myself having any relationships with Sabrina despite the fact that she's already taken. Well 33/03 takes such stuff as part of 'destressing' and I think it works to a certain extent.
Lee Lee Fong was just getting inane today. She said in today's economics lecture that when students like us reflect, we should look at the wall and not at the TV. What a lame joke, but looking at the wall just make me feel like a prisoner who counts the days to his release; and we do need to destress. Also, she even suggests that we bring a mirror with us to school so that we can always to self-reflection all the time. Another lame remark today. Anyway, she said that she's sick of Keynesian theory yet remarked about how we should score well for it. I don't really agree since it's not my speciality. It just seem weird that topics with huge chunks of memory work (like inorganic chemistry) are the easy ones to score. (Unfortunately, I don't). And also with regards to her remarks about the 'mirror', she forgot that I already have a 'living mirror' in this college. Those who know me will know who I'm talking about, and following your advice I shall not give 'airtime' to him in order to protect his already-broken privacy. However I hope that you people don't imitate whatever I say. I've too many Zenon twins now. One is enough.
By the way, some Taiwanese protestors burned our Singapore flag, having been disgusted about our foreign minister's UN speech about cross-strait relations. Well I feel that those protestors including the Taiwanese foreign minister just a bunch of selfish people who fail to consider the international climate which has been mostly to their disadvantage, and think that what they think should be the right thing to think on a global level. Even the US isn't really going to save their skin is war breaks out. On our side, we're a small yet sovereign state and we have the right to voice out our foreign policy views and opinions. Personally I think George Yeo really hammer in the international reality real hard on all. If you're not happy, please do so through proper diplomatic ties.
The Taiwanese have to behave rationally and steadily or risk losing Singapore as a 'friend'; for Singapore has been getting very close in China wrt economic ties, and we as a small state are indeed treading a thin line trying to maintain a balanced relationship with both sides yet not showing favour towards one side. I sincerely hope that war will never occur, and no war will occur. If it does occur, it will only serve to erase all the good and optimistic fortunes earned by the East for the past few years. Hu Jintao may be a bit softer but knows when to be tough indeed. To sum up, we may be a small state but please respect the opinion of the small state and wake up to the international reality.
That's all for now. Feeling very tired and I really need some rest. Perhaps some 'reflection' now on emptiness (or 'shunyata', a sanskrit word for emptiness as known by Buddhists. In fact, buddhism teaches that the world is actually devoid and 'empty') Only then I can have a clear mind to ride my way to victory in November.
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
22:50
