Thursday, July 29, 2010
at
1:43 AM
| Posted by
Juwen
So uni has started. No more boring fundamental subjects anymore, now it should all be the fun stuff from now on. I think. It's a good thing though because I like being thrown to the deep end of things especially with programming. Gives me something more challenging than drawing diagrams and writing literature reports. Plus it means that I can stare at the computer screen more often. Plus I get to do (some) math for cryptography. It's like drinking water after walking for hours in a desert. Even though the math is not much and the lecturer is going through the math side of things reaaaaaallllllyyyyy slowly but at least it is better than nothing. Not everyone has a background in mathematics (if any at all).
It's also been a very procrastination filled week since I've put off editing the photos because of my intense disappointment etc. but in the pressure of having to finish the photos before Sunday I have to push on. It's funny because the second time round, all of the sudden the photos don't look too bad minus some of the framing problems and concept. I wonder if this is going to be the general trend of things when I start shooting for other people. I can picture it now (hurhur...), I have to tell my clients before/after the shoot that you need to remind me about the photos a week after because during that week I'll be beating myself and ranting about how sucky I did during the shoot. And also my boss has been chasing me to post the pictures up, not quite sure who has the higher precedence here. I'm sure this will not be the last of the photo rants. In fact, there *might* be another one coming up right around the corner. More when I know what I'm getting into.
But enough about me and bring in the news!
I have a theory that physicists are actually the jocks among the academic world. They want stuff with grunt, explosions and the sorts.
Not cool Hillsong, not cool. But I suppose we all knew this already, right?
Body shape affects your mental sharpness. Strong body, strong mind.
This actually throws a spanner in the whole question on whether a person is gay from the start or something else works. Actually, nearly all issues that I've encountered so far in the news about gays has become very very tricky to approach/think about, even more so as Christians. And let's not get started on the whole gay marriage issue...
According to this, the number one thing that defines men today is having a family.
Not cool man. Social media etiquette fail.
Brilliant idea for a pre-wed shoot based on Pixar's Up. Great stuff but also kinda demoralizing a bit.
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010
at
2:58 AM
| Posted by
Juwen
After having to muster enough courage to see the photos, I have to say I am rather frustrated. Frustrated by the fact that I don't think I have learned or improved anything since the last shoot. If anything, I think the results on this one is less coherent than the previous shoot. What started out as a concept that I truly like is now a big pile of mess. Kinda like today's Masterchef's Pressure Test on Adriano *shudder* Zumbo's eight textured vanilla cake. Even more apt that the Malaysian went out of the competition. How's that for symbolism?
What the hell was I thinking when I said I can shoot again?
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Thursday, July 8, 2010
at
4:54 PM
| Posted by
Juwen
I've had a good mix around with my Singaporean friends and like I said the last time, I am always always fascinated with the dynamics of the school system in Singapore. I don't know if people think that I'm weird trying to analyze the schools, on how there's this general school loyalty (particularly if you are from AC) across the board. Whether they admit it or not, it's there. I also find that one of the first questions one Singaporean asks another (if they have just met) is which school they were from. I take it that Singapore is really that small, both physically and demographically. There's even one view going around that a Singaporean can tell which school you were from just by the way you act/behave. Ironically I have been doing it somewhat onto people but never really made the connection that there are some behavioural markers for a particular school. All of which are entirely fascinating to me. It's like I'm David Attenborough, studying the creatures of the wild except I'm not British and I don't look at the camera every now and then and say "Fascinating!"
Amidst all the profiling of Singaporeans, I also start to see how all of this come together to form their type of humour. Generally Singaporeans are quite sharp, able to pick out details whether it is inconsistencies that lead to the humourous bashing of words or action or intellectual flaws (however misguided they are about the topic) and humour tends to favour a lot on sarcasm and exaggeration. Waaaaaay more than us northern neighbours. However, I, on the other hand, love this kind of humour even as a kid. Unfortunately kids my age aren't really used to the whole sarcasm thing and exaggeration is more like a shorted out fuse than a huge explosion. Perhaps that it is because there's more exposure to English for the Singaporeans than us Malaysians in our early years. But I digress.
Then it got me thinking, how would I change if I lived in Singapore? Besides being in a particular school because of my behaviour (can't remember which school is that), I'm not sure what I would become. I think my mum would be glad because any other school in Singapore is better than the Malaysian schools combined. I will have more freedom to pursue some of the sports that I have been interested in since there are more resources available etc. I don't really care about that so much but I think as a person, the informal education and social interactions would actually play into my favour. Sure there are the downsides like pressured to do well every single time, going to army with this scrony body of mine, having to tolerate about the constant complaining etc. but it would be interesting to see how all these factors interact together to shape me as a person.
If given the chance to start all over again from a kid again, would I shift to Singapore? Short answer, no. Given what has happened to me over the years, I would be glad to go through the life I lived all over again. Sure I'm still that geeky guy no one really talks to in school unless they need to borrow my homework to copy just minutes before handing it in, have low self-confidence (strangely I think higher than what I have now), a bottle-up-my-emotions-and-store-it-in-the-deepest-darkest-corners-of-my-psyche person and have nothing really interesting going on ever but the few key people made me who I am today. And they are all teachers in school and college. No way will I give that up.
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There's been quite a funny talk going around the World Cup about an octopus named Paul who is in the business of predicting the future. And so far it has not been wrong but it has made some error in predictions before. The Germans are furious to know that their team lost along with a few other teams that would have no greater pleasure than seeing it dead on a stick.
Truth is, everyone likes to know about the future but everyone hates the psychic/soothsayer/prophet that pronounces doom upon them. In fact any business in predicting the future, essentially, will be a very strong love-hate relationship. For example, financial analysts, scientists particularly on climate and so on. And every single one of them will make mistakes in their predictions and people will hate them for it when it all goes wrong. But the point is not about the mistakes, it's about the reaction to the message of incoming doom.
Littered through out the Bible, messages of doom are plentiful because we have all continued our sinful lives. So in a sense, the people (or rather prophets, and Jesus himself) are in the business of predicting the future. Except it's never wrong. I repeat, never. How did all the people listening to these messages reacted? They ignored it or in Jesus' case, hate him for it, enough to kill. If a correct (but highly undesired) prediction by an octopus receives such heavy outrages, how much more do you think it will be like when God gives His judgment upon his people back then? Of course, analogies aren't perfect and there are miraculous exceptions to that (read Jonah). But interesting thought nonetheless. Coming from a spineless creature.
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Wednesday, July 7, 2010
at
1:53 AM
| Posted by
Juwen
It's been awhile now since enjoying my holidays for the time being. Then there's July Camp. Really nice campsite albeit a bit small. But for the size of our campers, it's just right. Friday and Monday were some of the saddest days in terms of number of campers, probably no more than 30. Other than that, it is actually a nice to know that I'm doing anything for camp like Bible studying or cooking (although I somewhat secretly want to cook). The last time I was in camp that I didn't have to do anything was in my first year. I forgot how it feels like when you just went to camp just to attend camp and to learn from God's word. Of course an interesting thought was that back then in my first year, I was a guppy but now, 7 years later, I'm now one of the dinosaurs.
The experience is of course very different when I was surrounded by my peers 7 years ago and now surrounded by guppies. The gap that I have been feeling a couple of years back is starting to grow again, and rapidly accelerating I might add. Though I've had my fun with the guppies, it is only a matter of time before the realization that I've past my use by date, so to speak. It's time for me to move on but my circumstances (presumably branches from my failures) has continued to retard me. It is not a good thought to keep when I can't name a single peer of mine that is going through a similiar course in life as my own. All have got jobs, more and more are getting married, and some have evolved into their own families. The natural progression of life somehow doesn't really like me very much, but do I want to be in it?
The only thing that is keeping me sane amidst the depressing environment that I am in are the friends that are signified by one apartment number. We've had crazy times together, wholesome talks among us, great food, plenty of alcohol etc. You name it we've got it. But at the same time I'm also preparing myself for the fact that this is not going to last. Heck, I think give it one more year and things among us will drastically change. One year. That's all it takes. As much I cannot change this fact, I don't like it.
On another ranting, I think people don't take me seriously at what I do. For example, it is utterly annoying when taking the group pictures in July Camp that just as I am about to take a group photo, suddenly 7-8 other cameras flood in front of me taking them. After shouting and yelling to get them out of the way, they keep going. And once they are done the group disperses and the 7-8 other cameras move on to the next group whoever they are. Normally that isn't so bad but try facing that for every. Single. Group. Just as my blood boils from all of this, people can still dare poke fun at how I'm trying to get the group shot. I had to muster every single ounce of restraint to not do anything stupid and just to stare coldly at the offender and nothing more. This is on top of the hundreds of people who have attacked me for studying mathematics, saying that it's useless and has no point or even ignoring me from conversation. And the thousands of people who are asking me why I'm still studying. What. The. Hell. Man. Is it that hard to listen and not be judgmental towards me? Oh wait, yes it is hard...
Ok enough depression and angst. Read teh niuz:
As much I like the fact that Shrek has gotten kids to eat onions, I really frown on their brainless aggressive marketing of their merchandise. Plus their past two movies is crap.
Sometimes game reviews should be left to the kids.
So Malaysia has jumped on the reality game show bandwagon eh? I'm not quite sure how to react to this though.
I didn't know that the issue of breastfeeding can spark such a huge debate about opinions, issues of public decency and feministic ideas. Some are really just absurd particularly the feminist views on the topic.
If the Jabulani ball is really that close to a perfect sphere, then I shouldn't be surprised at how the ball travels shorter than regular soccer balls and unpredictable flight patterns. 4 years of mathematics tells me so.
Traveling with friends on an extended trip is like marriage except worse. Not quite sure about the analogy but I agree with the article. Period.
I'm sure you've heard by now, the longest ever tennis match in Wimbledon. Totally redefines the term "epic".
I think this would be soooo cool. I'd pay good money for that experience.
First lesson in probability when I was in my second year is that intuition about probability problems are often quite wrong.
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