XD

Poly forum was... pretty awesome.

Will have photos as well as some account of the activities on board once the batteries for teh digicam are charged.


Very insightful to the Singapore education system as well, since that was my sub theme for discussion and debate.

Never before have I heard the word "passion" been used to many times by these lecturers and staff, as well as the minister of education.

It seems like many of the select 60 student participants of the 5 polys are some pretty impressive achievers.

The students from Republic Polytechnic, particularly caught my eye. This new poly... RP, keeps telling their students that the're getting such creative teaching techniques, they tell people they have "PBL" or Problem Based Learning with such pride. Some, with over cockiness. But the things is, its because the poly is new, and the teaching methods so different from secondary school, that the students have such a sense of pride in how they are learning.

Ironically, for the older poly's particularly my course, we've been getting such problem based learning since year one. Its just that it was never pointed out, nor featured. So on the macro perspective, both the old polys and this new one may have similar problem based learning techniques, but because RP is new and its celebrated so much, the students think they're so special.

So yeah, well some of the RP students really are entreprenuers. Starting up a student union with the help of the staff, creating and organizing clubs for their polytechnic students to enjoy. Not bad.

But I'm still not sure what stand I have on one of the topics that was discussed. Its about creating solutions to give students more opportunity to pursue their "passions."

I think that, yes, its good that new schemes or some additions to the curriculum would help in giving students the chance to do what they are passionate for, since Singapore is now moving towards a value added workforce due to lack of manpower with respect to the other rising giants like China and India.

However, some possible problems posed are will these students actually be following their "passions", and not just some fleeting "Interest"?

Interests change, what if a students decides to go into music but later finds out that He does't like it after all? Will he have the rest of his education to fall back on? Or would he hit a dead end in his education so to speak?

Hence, some more passive, but yet sufficient syllabus for music and art would be more feasible.

Syed from RP during one of the final presentations shared that he once had a "passion" for music. But then later he looked at the long run and decided that it would be better and easier to make a living through other means. I don't think that that is passion at all. And if this is the misconception that students thinking that they want to do this for the rest of their life are thinking, then there may be some serious problems.

To me, passion is following an interest even when you hear that it would be much easier to make a living through other means. Even when your family members say that what you're playing is noisy. Yes, it was discouraging every time I heard my family members call my first composition noisy, even mom, or them rolling their eyes saying "there he goes again" every time I played that same piece.

But I didn't care. It angered me that these people were not being supportive like they were to someone else. It angered me that these people could not appreciate what I was trying to communicate, yet they critisized it. And despite all this, I didn't give a damn. Because this was MY passion. And if they couldn't get it? Then screw them.

But its because of this, that I can look at other pianists, who have gone through grade 8 or even Diploma, and not see as superior. For in contrast to those that had the training and nurturing and had fun and enjoyed themselves from clases, to me, who made it on my own and fought for what I believed in, I can say that I have come much furthur pursueing my passions then them.

People often ask me what grade I am after they hear me play. They always ask if I'm grade 8, but when I tell them that I only passed grade 1. And then sometimes I wonder if I've accomplished anything at all, during these few years of playing the Piano, but now I know. I've come damn far. Furthur then any pathetic grade or diploma will take you.

"Passion" is often contradictory to "Logic".

Then again, back to opportunities to pursue your interests? Its quite ironic that this school has provided me ample opportunity to pursue it. Now, it can be appreciated, but it would mean as much if I had not fought for it in the past.

Okay, I slept at 2:30am this morning... I ache, I'm grumpy and and pissed off for no reason. Haha, better go to bed. Erm... after playing Budokai 2.

Overall, this damned forum made me think too damned much.

Whew. Just finished packing for the poly forum. Yeap, grabbed as many wearable clothes from amongst the house and dumped them in the bag.

2 days 2 nights on the super star virgo! Its "The newest and largest world-class megaship in Asia-pacific", woooo.... there's a helipad, library, amphitheatre, cinma, arcade, track, basketball court, pool, gym, spa, disco, casino, hair salon, blah blah blah, its like a moving country or something. But according to the schedule we won't have much time for any of those... booo.... so many workshops.

Just hope I don't forgot to bring anything... ahuahau tomorrow then check lar...

I wonder if its possible to get sea-sick on something this frickin big... don't think so lar. I wonder if we'll see any giant whales... or giant squids... wow that would be fun. But I doubt we'd encounter a Leviathan on the way to malacca and back. Was it malacca... or kl... or penang... ah heck, somewhere around there.

Today damned slack in the com lab. FYPJ over so can work on anything now ahuahauhua!

Helped Dre with her project music, then worked on bot model for a while... went to play basketball, work on bot model for a while, took a nap, work on bot model for a while.

Damn productive...

Training after that was ok...

Was supposed to be "light" training, because the race is this weekend liao. Heh.

Did 6 rounds warmup, then circuit. Run like madmen, pushup sitump burpees. Getting used to wide angle pushups, whereby your arms are perpendicular to your body, instead of parallel, which is easier to start out with... but right now wide angle seems easier.

Panting like sheet... then did weights, ears blocked liao. Sign of exertion, which is good I guess. Then pool rowing. Still getting used to the left side. Apparantly I have to row left side for the race, because we've got too many right and too few left and I balance it out perfectly if one right side goes over. And so Ben put me on the left side... saying "you're the only one who can row both sides." That means row decently, at least. But its weird relearning everything again for your left side.

Asked him how my stroke was during rowing today and all got a pause, then "Not as good as your right side." Wtf... of course lah, that's my primary side. But then I remembered how exaggerated the twisting and drop is on my right side and did that for the left and hmm.... that works better.

I guess thats the thing about Ben. He won't tell you what he's feeling or what he thinks... he'll phrase things in a way so that you hear what you need to hear to achieve his desired effect.

Jonny got "reprimanded" by ben about attendance and stuff... I think Ben just said what needed to be said for a suitable course of action to take place... but I'm afraid Jonny might take it the wrong way. I guess its good if he gets pressured, interesting opportunity to learn, and at the same time, its good to see the coach care enough to give such a talk... but I actually went to imagine what it would be like to have no mens team next semester.

Maybe those who really want to continue will stay on, we'll pay for the rent for the dragonboats, and then those who really enjoy the sport and have a reason to fight for it will go on. But then we'll probably lose more numbers anyway. Argh what a pain in the ass team sports can be sometimes.

Poly forum is this wednesday.

Dress attire for most of the agenda is "jeans and polo T". Like... I have no jeans... only cargo pants or berms. I guess nows a good time to buy anyway. Maybe a normal pair, not anything too stuffy like bell-bottoms or what... that can look damn gh4y.

12:42am.... time to Z

Ben did some weird "exercise" after training on thursday.

It was kinda like hot seat.... everyone sat in a huge circle, girls and guys team, then we'd go through everyone one by one. Ben asked us to "settle any problems" with the person, so that we would not bring negative issues into the boat.

Although confrontation of certain issues was probably needed in the team, I'm not sure if some were necessary.

Some girls cried, blah blah, one even started sobbing when she tried to point something out about someone else. wtf? Then there was some talk about narrowmindedness about some people and some other serious stuff.

But all I got from the team was smiles, and playful threats. In the end only "complains" about me being too tanned, or thinking I'm neo in the matrix who can do kung fu. -_-. I guess that's a good sign ahuahua. Ahh the best was Jindian's turn, when the girls took the liberty to say together "you wear your socks very high."

I took the opportunity to suan Ken... and offer Willy some advice. Wonder if that worked. And being the extremely nice guy that I am... didn't feel too right that night in bed >_<.

But its out liao, and I guess it did help somewhat.

Friday's presentation for FYPJ went well. Operation flashpoint: Singapore's original soundtrack was awesome, thanks to creative's new SBS range speaker subwoofer system too.

Finally over, now can work on MUGEN.


Weekend canoeing sea training annoyed me...

That jag... he's fast in the canoe, as fast as he is on land. This is very annoying. Because I know that strength wise, I'm waaaay better. Weights, he does about 7.5kg per side for military press, I'm going for for 20kg pre side now. His pullups maybe 12-15 max, my max = 25. Yeah, a new high btw.

Only thing is his stamina is way better.

But the odd thing is I'm either on par with him or slightly behind him from the start already.

Damn annoying. I know I'm pulling way harder, but how come he can still go faster from the start? If it was stamina I'd understand if maybe he pulled away after 600-700 metres, but from the start? wtf?

So I narrowed it down to 2 probable causes.

1. I was using the 216 paddle instead of the 218 paddle which I usually train with. Shorter, weird positioning, odd catch and recovery.

2. Catch of the stroke. I'm not catching the water well enough. Was hitting or slamming the paddle in at times... instead of scooping.


So during today's canoeing training I went chasing other teams around kallang basin again. Overtook some team... not sure who they were, then went after ngee ann. They're not bad too. Gained on one of their rowers, but that other guy was fast. All the while checking catch and posture.

But towards the end heard someone call out my name from a dragonboat. Looked to see the whole boat looking at me... whoa... sounded like ivan... or sensei, couldn't find him among the many people on the boat then I head it "Reuben, pull harder!"

*%*(^%*(^@#%$ I need to ask sensei what he means by pull harder sometimes. When I go all out and wack the water he still says I'm not pulling hard enough. Maybe its catch first then pull fast... argh, have to check with him next week. Sensei enjoys rubbing it in that "I'm not there yet", which is saying "I'm not good enough yet". As much as I understand that this is meant to provoke me to train harder... it works alright. And bugs the hell out of me. Oh don't you worry... Jag's been rowing longer than me by a year only... but I'll catch up... very soon. I am a genius of technic and analysis... and if I have to train my running to be as zai as my weights then so be it.

Dragonboat on the weekend was okay...
Was finishing some 50 metre sprints in my t1 while some of the guys were waiting for training to start at the side. Stupid darren, keep saying stupid things like "Why you train so hard?" I guess some people will want to console or cheat themselves by thinking what they do is enough. But its not.

I cannot stand phrases like "there's no point to extra training", or "train so hard for what?" Because if they had any idea, how tough our opponents are, they had damn well be as worried and buck up ASAP.

But on the topic of consoling and cheating oneself. Does this make us who train extra hyprocrites as well? What if we think we're doing enough during extra training? Is it just for the sake of extra training or are we actually striving for something more?

Haiz... damn sleepy. And sunburnt again thanks to mr sunshine... Oh happy little mr sunshine always smiling down on this poor rower, screw you mr sunshine!

And quickly took out some info on the blog seeing as to how some people are finding this too easily. Scary. I'm glad Winston let me know he found this, I"m cool with that, but I wonder who else is reading this without telling me.

Argh... time to sleep