A Night To Remember

Prom night is something that has always been discussed among students since secondary 3. It was an anticipated night for everyone. The concept of hanging out with friends, teachers, and possibly a date for a night at a hotel sounds like fun and interesting to us. 

Well, like everything that we always wait for, the prom night finally commenced last night. 

The prom night was eventful, due to a couple of reasons... 

Firstly, it was possibly the last gathering that we could have with all of our peers and educators who have been accompanying us throughout the secondary school phase of our lives. We could still meet up with a handful of them after graduating, but those chances are usually rare. It officially marked the end of our secondary school lives and what better way to end it than to have the Guangyang ( that's the name of my school ) family come together and enjoy this joyous event. 

Secondly, it was sort of a reward for us. A reward for doing our best for our national exams and preparing very hard for it. It was also held as a form of celebration to mark the end of the stressful period. But no matter how exhausting it was, we got through it. 

                                                       ... 

Guangyang secondary school prom night 2014 was held at Hotel Fort Canning at 7 pm on the 17th of November. It was Disney-themed and honestly, when it was first announced, most people were pretty shocked by it. 

" Out of all themes to choose from, why Disney? Do they think we're kids? How are we supposed to dress up according to that? " were some of the responses that we gave. But, there's nothing we could do so, like what they say, we just have to ' suck thumb ' 

( suck thumb : To accept an undesirable or unwanted situation as it is because it can't be changed) 

The prom started out with some games which required us to identify the names of some Disney characters and movies based on their pictures and theme songs respectively. And it was at this moment, that I found out that I had very limited knowledge of Disney. Man, what was I doing during childhood? .__.

After the games, which I had little involvement in, it was time to fill our stomachs for the night. It was a typical buffet-style dinner. Nothing much to comment about it. 

Then there was a lucky draw where we could win some attractive prizes. Apparently I wasn't very 'lucky' during that session. 

The next segment was probably when I started to get a lot of attention from the crowd. Basically, what happened was ALL of my playful classmates decided to vote for me to be the Prom king. 

And... this was the outcome.. 

It was hard to escape when you had like 20 people voting for you.. 

And you thought that all I had to do was just to collect the crown and shake hands with the principal? Well, you thought wrong. 

Guess what? I had to DANCE.  

Yeah, DANCE! Like this... 




With who you may ask? Since I was the king, there had to be a queen too, right? 

When I was told to dance by the prefects, I was a little apprehensive at first, and a bit awkward too. I had absolutely no prior knowledge in dancing and I was watched closely by the crowd, who expected something from us. 

So, after a few minutes of smiling like an idiot to my ' queen ' and the crowd, I decided to get on with it. 

I just applied what I normally see in the movies, hold the hands and waist of the girl, walk a little bit and spin her around, and that was it. It only lasted like what, 14 seconds? 

The rest of the night was just a bunch of youngsters taking selfies and photos with everyone they see. 

                                                               ...

WOW, what a night. It was defintely a memorable episode and I guess everyone had their share of fun, no matter what it was. What I could certainly take away from that though, is that I need to learn some dancing skills to save myself from future embarrassment. 

They were right...

Here's part of a conversation between me and my senior... 

                                                             ...

8.00am, 

Me: Wah sian... Time to start doing papers again... U good lor got 10 weeks of holiday..

Senior: HAHAH Jia you! It'll be over before you know it. 

                                                             ...


OVER

BEFORE 

YOU 

KNOW 

IT....

And it was not just that particular senior who said it, everyone did. Whenever I talked about how my revision for Os were to any of them, that phrase would be something that all their responses had in common. 

Well, at nine this morning, I finally knew what they meant. 

When the invigilator said " times up! " for one last time, I felt like those months of rigorous preparation seemed to have passed by in a flash, that they felt like days instead. And that feeling of completion, fulfillment and of course, freedom at last, is undescribably satisfying. 

And so, they were right, this is it then, we made it. 

3...2...1.. * KACHA *

I went for the Canon Photography workshop at Catholic High School yesterday to learn about the usage of a DSLR ( Digital Single Lens Reflex ) camera. The workshop was brought by Popular Digital Media Group whereby the trainers are hired by Canon to train students and adults on aspects of Photography. 

I signed up for the FacetsOfSg photography competition not too long ago and along with the competition, there is also a workshop for me to sign up for. 

What made me interested in this workshop? Well, first of all, I did not have much knowledge about the camera. I have only used it once during a school event where I, being a member of the Audio-Visual Arts club in school, had to snap some shots of the event. Even then, I didn't know the concrete details of the camera's functions. Secondly, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to interact with new people and make new friends :) And yes, I did make 2 new friends but they both live in the west, which reduces the probability of us bumping into one another ._. 

Anyway, back to the workshop.... 

For the first hour or two, we learnt about the theories of the mechanics of the camera. There are three pillars of photography- ISO( International Organisation for Standardisation ), Aperture and Shutter speed. When you combine these three together, you are one step away from taking an amazing photograph! 

Let's briefly discuss what these three pillars are all about.. 

What is ISO? Well, ISO is basically the camera's sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO level, the more sensitive the camera is to light which makes the picture brighter and vice versa. 



Before we talk about Aperture, let's think about the human eye. The pupil of the eye allows light to enter the eye, while the Iris controls the amount of light entering the eye. Depending on the intensity of light, the Iris can either make the pupil smaller, or bigger and that's exactly what the concept of Aperture is. Aperture is expressed by " f-stops " which controls the size of the lens. The higher the f-stop number, the smaller the lens and vice versa. 



Having said all that, so what is Aperture really? Well, simply put, Aperture is about focusing on the important object while isolating ( or blurring ) the less important ones. This is according to the concept of Depth Of Field. With a small f-stop number, the subject will be sharpened, while the background blurs. With a bigger f-stop number, the background would start to be clearer and clearer. 



Lastly, we talked about the Shutter Speed. Shutter speed is basically about the length of time the camera is exposed to light. This length of time will then control the motion of the moving object and creates a dramatic blurring or freezing effect. 

  


After being taught about the necessary skills to take good photographs, we were then given half an hour to roam around the school and take pictures of the given theme- Food and Architecture. Before the day ends, we gathered back at the computer lab to submit one photograph for each person and get the trainer to critic on our photographs and what we can improve on. 

Here's the picture that I took and submitted ^^

Overall, the day was one of fun. I got to learn more about the aspects of photography and I think it would be a useful skill to be used in the future. 

I'd like to share something that one of the trainers said which I think is really inspiring. I couldn't remember what he exactly said but it goes something like this, " Photography is about expressing yourself and your own individuality. Every picture is different, and that's because every person has a different outlook to the things around us. " 

Me armed with a DSLR camera at Catholic High School ^.^ 

VOTE FOR ME MAYBE?

I've decided to take part in the FacetsOfSg photography essay competition. It is a competition where I had to submit three photographs of Singapore's heritage, write captions in both English and my mother tongue ( Chinese ) and write an excerpt of less than 100 words to explain the story that my pictures want to tell. 

I chose the theme on Architecture and wrote about the infrastructural development of Singapore due to our economic progress. 

So please vote and support me in this competition ^_^ I would really appreciate it. 

Link to my work: http://www.facetsof.sg/photo-submission/5df4320e572e0c465145933065d64afc/  

If you're interested in taking part in this competition and wanna show off your great photography skills, visit www.facetsof.sg , create your facetsofsg account and get started! :) Hurry, voting ends at 25 July 2014

" Y U STUDY??? "

" Sec 1 is the year when you can play and fool around, Y U STUDY?? " 

This is a question that I've been asked countless times. 

For those of you who know me well enough ( Well now you know haha ^^ ), you would have known that I studied very hard and took my studies very seriously when I was in sec 1. To many, that might seem stupid. 

I mean, it's only sec 1! There's no need to take your studies so seriously, right? 

So why did I study so hard then? 

Well, honestly, I don't know. I can't provide you with a definite answer. 

I guess it's just a habit of mine that I've developed since young. I just feel that it didn't make sense for me NOT to study when there's a test or exam coming up, or NOT to do my homework when there is one to be done. I have a habit of 'getting things done'. 

Am I a nerd? I guess I am... ^^  

SLOW DOWN, WILL YA?

" Time waits for no man. " is a common phrase that I hear as a student who is constantly expected to get my work done or prepare for exams as quickly as possible because there is " not much time ". 

I just came to a sudden realisation not too long ago that nowadays, people, including myself, seem to be overly-obsessive with speed, getting things done fast and are always in a rush to get from one place to another. 



Why is this so? Well, it is due to the fact that in this modern and technologically-driven society, things are happening so fast that people feel the need to keep up with the pace to not get left behind. Mass-production is occurring at almost every industry and hundreds and thousands instant messages are being sent every second in lightning speed. 


Though I do agree in saving time and using your time wisely, but trying to do things too fast isn't really wise either. 

First of all, rushing to get your work done is never a good idea. This is because as you are working at whatever you're doing, you are so concerned with finishing it that the quality of your work suffers. Due to the trend of mass-production, people tend to care more about how much and how fast rather than how good. 

Secondly, when you're in a rush, you focus too much on reaching your destination that you tend to overlook what is going on around you, the buildings you saw, the people you met, etc. Because of this, many people are becoming more obsessed with the " end-point " but not the process or the journey. 

" Go to school. Get a degree. Get a job. Get married. " 






We are frequently reminded of the aims that we SHOULD BE AIMING for in life that we sometimes ignore other aspects of our lives. Our physical, mental and spiritual development, the friendships that we foster, relationship with our loved ones, the conquest towards becoming a better person.






Though I enjoy listening to songs that are fast-paced and getting that adrenaline rush from them, but I also like to listen to slow songs as well. 


It is often said that music has the ability to change someone's thinking, perception and even his/her behavior. I think it is absolutely right. 

I noticed that when I'm listening to slow songs, my mind would be drifted away from the present situation for a while and I would start to ponder and reflect on life. Where am I heading to in life? Who are the people that are important to me? Or even something as simple as, what am I gonna have for dinner later on? 

As my mind starts pondering, it is gradually and naturally inspired and that's how the inspirations for my blog posts come about. It is really by " slowing down " and stop trying to keep up with our high-paced society for a brief moment, to take a look at all the other wonders in this vast and beautiful world. 

So, to anyone who is rushing to finish reading this post, SLOW DOWN, WILL YA? 

Memorisation ( A pain in the neck? )

Memorisation. It is something that all students have to do, be it to memorise certain mathematical formulas or some scientific facts. Most would agree that having to remember a set of knowledge and retain it for an extended period of time is not an easy task at all. I mean, we all have a limited memory space, right? 

' Cramming ', as many would call it, is what most people would do to try to memorise for a test or exam. 

What is cramming you may ask? Well, Cramming is defined by the dictionary as squeezing or forcing things into an insufficient space. Basically, in this case, trying to take in as much information as possible into your head within the shortest period of time. 




Personally, I'm not a very big fan of cramming. I used to Cram when I was in Sec 1 but in upper secondary I found that cramming is not a good way to retain long-term materials, especially when I'm currently studying a 2-year course for my 'O' levels. 

What I've found to be a more effective technique is something called, ' Internalisation ', which means that instead of just filling my brain with tons of facts and 'downloading' them onto the exam paper, I actually internalise those facts and make it become a PART OF ME. 

So, what do I mean by making them a 'part of me'? What do I do to achieve this? 

Well, let me give you an example. 

Let's say, on a particular school day, I learn about the fertilisation process in flowering plants. When I'm at home that day, I would revisit what I've just learnt in class and read up the notes one more time ( Of course, although I'm not actually 'Cramming', I would make an effort to remember certain key points ). Before a test on that topic I would revise on it again. When I'm preparing for my major exam I would study it again (Obviously!).... 

note: try to study from the SAME set of notes as your brain would register them quicker every time

Very soon, that specific wealth of information would have already been ingrained in me that whenever I encounter questions related it, my mind would just instantly recall them. It's like having them stored somewhere in your brain and making them available for your usage at any time. 





You often hear people say that in order to be good in maths, you just got to keep on practicing on it. And, from personal experience, I can tell you that it's true. 

Why is practice so important in scoring for Mathematics? 

The answer is simple - It is a form of INTERNALISATION. 

After doing lots of different types of questions, you will soon become so familiar with them that somehow, you could do them with ease and without much thought each and every time. 





This is a way which has worked for me, so, give it a try. It may work for you too! :) 

OFF YOUR SCREEN!

Have you ever been in a scenario where you are out with your friends, be it to watch a movie, meet them for lunch, or just to hang around town and all they focus on is their smartphones?

Well, like anybody else living in this technologically-driven and digitally-connected world, I have. 

I don't get it, are the people they are meeting up with that boring to talk to? Are their smartphones better companions than their friends?  If that's the case, then why meet up in the first place? 

It's fine if they received a call or text message and they need to check their phones to see if it's anything urgent, but if all they do is check their Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, you name it, I don't see how they should be doing any of that. They can do it on their way home LATER, but when hanging out with friends, just enjoy the meet-up. It's not difficult to give your friends your undivided attention, isn't it? 

Now, having said this, some of you may be eager to ask me, " So, Hans, do you use the phone when you're with friends? ( I bet you do ) ? 

Well, honestly, I BARELY use the phone when out with friends. Like I've mentioned, unless I have an urgent call to answer, I don't see the need to use my phone when I have friends to spend time with. I do use the phone to tweet, check my Facebook and all but I can do those things at home or on the bus later on so why would I prioritise a gadget over people? I ask my friends out for a reason and that's to spend time with them.

So if I don't reply to your SMSes or don't answer some of your calls, chances are I'm with my friends. 



Most of you may be extremely familiar with this quote by Albert Einstein and I think what he said is absolutely right. We often see group of friends outside where all of them would be glued and engaged in their handphones but not talking to each other. 



If that's the case then just stay home and Whatsapp each other in a group, there's no need to meet up. LOL? 

There was this one time when I was travelling on the train with a friend and as I was talking to him, his eyes was glued to his phone. It's alright as he doesn't completely ignore me but I find it extremely annoying. It's like, I'm talking to you dude! Look at me. 

A social campaign called, " Put It On Friend Mode " (www.putitonfriendmode.com) was recently launched which I think is really good. It was initiated by four students from the Nanyang Technological University Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and information. Its purpose is to remind us to put our phones down and give our friends our utmost attention.  





Here are some of their videos

In a nutshell, when you're out with people, try to enjoy their company instead of being engaged in your phone all the time. In my opinion, what bonds people together are those deep conversations and memorable time spent with one another. So nurture your friendships now by getting OFF YOUR SCREEN! 

A Personal Frustration

Having lived on this planet for the past 16 years or so, I guess one of the biggest personal frustrations that I face on a daily basis is to perfectly say the " right things " that would appease everyone. 

I know that you can't please society, but sometimes I am just confused as to why some are offended by the things I say. I mean, most of the time, I don't mean any offence and definitely do not have any intention to hurt anyone. 

My intentions would be to compliment someone, crack a joke, or just wanting to give my honest opinion on something. But sometimes, there would be a small minority who get all offended and be like, " How can you say that? That's so insensitive of you. " 

I admit, there are times when my words can be really insensitive since I'm a blunt and brutally honest person and in those cases I would certainly apologise to not make any enemies. But in other times I just couldn't figure out what the person was offended about. Even if I did find out, it would be because of some silly and trivial matter ( WHUT -.-) 


Why are some people so emotional and too easily offended? 

Anyway, here's a video titled " No Offence! " by TreePotatoes. Watch how Tim struggles to help Herman look more presentable for work. A brief story of my life. 

Rebellious Years

Almost every normal teenager would go through rebellious years. It's part of growing up and natural 

It's just a period of time whereby we are already a young adult and we feel the need to break off from the confinements and conformations of society. We feel the need to be free, to be the true ruler of our own lives and not having to follow rules.

I started going through my rebellious years in Primary 6 when I started to have my own saying in life and rebelled a little against my parents and the school. I remember in Primary 6, somehow I was being very disruptive in class, making a fool of myself. I would say stupid shit in the middle of class which I assumed was amusing. 

My form teacher was really angered and annoyed by my actions in class. I was lectured and scolded on a regular basis but I would just say, " okay... okaay... " while showing a stupid grin of mine. 

As time goes by, I started to be more matured and I no longer behave like that. If I had a time machine I would definitely go back in time and slap myself in the face, SERIOUSLY -.- 

I think the reason behind the development of rebellious years is because as a kid, we obediently followed our parents' and the school rules, without questioning why things were as such, because we feel that we could entrust our lives in their hands. 


But as we grow older and find out more about ourselves and society, we feel the need to control our lives ourselves, and thus the problem of " rebellious teenagers " arises. 

I remember when I was a child my parents would dress me up and I would wear any clothes they bought me. But as I got older I came to a sad realisation that they dressed me LIKE CRAP. 

So right now I would pick my own clothing... Not gonna trust them on fashion anymore..

Most rebellions may just be simple acts of disobedience, but if a person rebels to the extent that he does criminal activities, such as taking drugs, drinking underage, then the rebellion needs to be controlled. Is it okay? OF COURSE IT'S NOT OKAY. 

Many people believe that these kids have to be punished severely in order for them to mature and get them to realise that what they're doing is wrong and could endanger themselves. 

But I think that punishment may be able to control them temporarily, but it doesn't entirely solve the problem. 

Most of these kids are troubled, either to find a belonging in society, or going through family issues. Hence they end up turning to joining gangs, smoking, etc. 

I know because I used to be troubled as well. I was struggling to fit in from Primary 6 to Secondary 1. I had lots of insecurities and honestly I did fight. But I managed to finally fit into groups of friends which I can relate to so I guess that saved me ^^

In order to solve this problem, I believe that we need to find ways to help them with their struggles. I heard an analogy from a teacher of mine which says if you have a hole in your bag, you need to fix the hole before trying to store anything inside it. You need to solve the problem from its root. 

Most of you should be familiar with this short film. It was swirling all over the local Television about a year ago ( If I'm not wrong ) and it shows that what changed Glenn was not the punishments he received, but the encouragement and dedication of Mr Kumar to help him get through his teenage struggles. 

Mr Kumar knew he would be a great man, and he was right :) 

I really like watching this series on Youtube called " World's strictest parents ". It's a show where troubled and rebellious teens would leave their homes and live with strict parents in another country. 

Here's one of the episodes that I really like

They say that teenage years are the best years of your life, and it is. But I think there are also obstacles that you have to go through as a teenager and it's a phase that would be very impactful to your life. I know sometimes parents just don't understand us, but they are still your parents who want the best for you, don't forget that fact. 

Don't Deceive Yourself !

The golden rule in accepting any relationship request is very clear-cut and simple. That is, the person accepting must feel the same way towards the person who's confessing. If you like the person, accept him. If you don't, then reject him. 

But as simple as this sounds, some people just don't seem to get it. 

Despite not liking or having feelings for the person, some choose to accept anyway, which I think is absolutely ridiculous and stupid. 

Their " reasons " are that they want to give the person a chance, they want to make themselves like the person back as time goes by, or worse, they DO NOT KNOW HOW TO REJECT. 

I found that the last reason is more common among girls. Girls, by nature, are more sensitive, whereas guys generally are more direct. Being sensitive, girls will start thinking things like, what if I hurt his feelings if I reject him? What if I would feel bad? 

You're afraid that you'll appear mean and all... 

...right? 

If you have this problem, then I have only one solution for you. You got to learn how to be honest and insensitive at times. You got to be crystal-clear, as said by this guy here. 

But no matter what reasons you might have, you have to remember this - A relationship is a two-way thing. In order for it to work, both parties feel the same way towards one another. You can't have one party putting in lots of effort, convinced that the other party loves him/her back, while the other " putting up a show " and pretending that he/she loves his/her partner. 

This kind of one-sided relationship will not last long and in the end, when the devoted party finds out the truth, he's going to be hurt even more than if you had rejected him in the first place.

Also, as selfish as it may sound, a relationship is also about YOU having a good time, and actually being happy in the relationship. If you're in a relationship just to please and satisfy the other person, then I can guarantee you that one day, you're going to feel trapped, confined and might even cheat.  

So I think the point I'm trying to get at is that we should not deceive ourselves into thinking that we like an individual, when we actually DON'T. You are not only deceiving yourself, but also the other party as well. 

I'm not a certified relationship adviser, I'm just saying all these from my own and others' experiences. 

Outside Of Familiarity

How long did you take to learn ABCs as a kid? Let me guess, probably, a few days, weeks? 

And when you want to start a conversation with a friend, what would you do? Well, you would call your friend by his/her name, and just naturally start the conversation with a question or two. 

Well, that's not the case for the intellectually disabled. Some take years to even master ABCs and forming of words, and starting a conversation may not be that instinctive to some of them. 


I went to Bishan Home for the intellectually disabled on Wednesday, 15th of Jan with my classmates to volunteer and entertain the residents there. It was my first time volunteering and actually stepping into a turf of the disabled. I was aware of the disabled people around us but have never really gotten a chance to interact with them in real life. 

When I first stepped into the home, I was having mixed feelings about the volunteer work. There was a bit of fear inside me too ( I don't know if I should be guilty of this ). 

We first stepped into a conference room to be briefed about the things we were gonna do, before putting our valuables inside the lockers. We then headed straight to the canteen and made our way to the hall. 

As I was walking towards the hall, the initially grown fear inside me grew even more. Some of them looked and behaved like normal people, but there were some who were behaving in a creepy manner and saying things that don't make sense to the entire human race. 

To be honest I felt intimidated by them, questions like "  why are they behaving like that? " and " are we still on earth? " ran through my mind simultaneously. 

It was something that most people don't normally see... 

I did not judge them as I know that they were born like that, but it just crept me out, you feel me? 

When we set foot on the hall, we were greeted by a massive amount of audience that stretched across the hall. Still containing the fear inside, I walked up the stage with the class while trying my best not to get the residents' attention. 

We were supposed to put up a performance for them. My classmate and I have printed a couple of songs, and some of them brought things like Piano, Ukulele, speakers, etc. 

We started singing slow English songs to them, they seemed to enjoy them, but what really spurred them on were the Old Chinese songs. Yeah, should have known... 

However, what got them really hyped up was when we started singing and dancing to Gangnam style 



Wow, I wasn't expecting the residents to be so liven up by one of the most popular K-pop songs of 2012. PSY, you rock! :D 

After we finished singing, we were supposed to interact with them, teach them how to fold origami, get to know them, etc. 

I decided to face my fears and approach some of them. I said hi to some, but they just looked away. Nevermind, I continued trying to interact and finally, I got to teach one of the uncles how to fold an origami airplane. 

Surprisingly, he was a fast-learner. But when I tested him after he's done, he took time to recall the steps, but that's okay. I'm a pretty patient person when it comes to teaching.... occasionally. 

I started talking to him and he's really cool. He opens up once he's comfortable. 

Before I know it, it was time to pack up and say goodbye to the residents. I shook hands with bunch of them and at the end of the day, I could see that they were filled with happiness. 

We left the home and it was time to go back to ours. 

After the volunteering was done, I could tell that everyone was enriched by it. Yeah, it was a very memorable experience for us that we will never forget. 

Our class photo outside of Bishan Home. Spot me haha ^^ 

What did I feel after the volunteering? 

Firstly, I would say that I feel really lucky. I mean, I have an IQ level similar to that of most people and I can do things, like a normal human being does. Often, things such as being able to start a conversation with ease or processing information quickly are taken for granted. 

I'm not bragging here, just telling you guys not to take things for granted. 

Secondly, I've come to realise that they are actually normal human beings like you and me, it's just that their brains are wired differently. They just can't control their behaviors. They have feelings too, so it's not right to discriminate them. So, well done Bishan Home for making them feel accepted in society! 

Lastly, I've learned that happiness can be obtained from simple things such as singing with them and doing that extra little thing to help the less fortunate, and god was it satisfying! Maybe the key to life is not to focus TOO MUCH on ourselves, but to also care for others. 


Really hope that we can volunteer there again, will they remember us? I don't know. But it's shouldn't be too much trouble to reintroduce ourselves right.. ^^