Just Listen

A very suddenly phonecall, from a very unexpected person.

It's been proven time and time again that the people who appear the most successful and the most happy are actually the saddest people on earth, especially if they have no one to turn to. It saddens me the way things are.

Reminds me of this poem from the 12 simple secrets of happiness.

When I ask you to listen to me
and you start giving me advice,
you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me
and you tell me I shouldn't be feeling that way,
you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me
and you try to solve my problems
you have failed me.

Listen! All I asked was
that you listen
not talk to or do -
just hear me.

Advice is cheap;
the price of a newspaper will get you both
Dear Abby and Billy Graham

I can do for myself; I'm not helpless
Maybe discouraged and faultering
but not helpless.

So please listen and just hear me.
And if you want to talk,
wait a minute for you turn
and I'll listen to you.

More frequently than ever, I'm being asked the age-old question about what I'm going to study, what I'll be when i grow up, when are my plans for the future, how my life will be like. And for the last time I'm telling all of you. I don't know.

But I'll survive.

When Paths Cross

A series of unfortunate events.

My Life Sentence

I can't blame them.
Because sometimes I forget that I'm human too.

Hope

Three billion people on the face of the earth go to bed hungry every night, but four billion people go to bed hungry for a simple word of encouragement and recognition.
- Cavett Robert

That's why encouragers go down so well with people. They support your dreams, understand your difficulties, recognize your efforts, and celebrate your achievements. They keep you from going to bed with an aching stomach, broken heart, or damaged spirit. They seem to know what to say and when to say it. They provide nourishment for the soul. They build Hope.

I've come to realise that people love other people not for who they are but for how they make them feel.

Funkyfish Unite!

In the spirit of festivities (and skipping classes), the funkyfish unite!

I never knew I could laugh so much in such a short time that my jaws feel like their dislocated. Seriously, I miss them so much and it's not like I can decide to sit with them in a row during lectures or coordinate and wear our funkyfish jackets, it was just awesome seeing everybody again! Was attracting lots of unnecessary attention with our own mini and group hugs and onthespot cheering and the resonance of the 403 laughter never really changes.

The gossip session at the student's lounge was good! Of mak and her wedding (yes date already chosen), of py and how she has totally lost the art of gossiping, of pht and her usual fare of very explicit issues, and of shenonn with the most subtle bits of gossip that can shock you to a very dramatic extent. It's been eons since and I learnt lots of things I never knew! Hi laogong are you reading this :)

HCinvest was quite an eye-opener. It's like a mishmesh of the dramatic openings from the HCIinvest coupled with informal rgs affability, with the usual guygirl thing and exchange of presents and all, among batchmates, from senior to junior and from council to teacher. Lots and lots of presents! The programme was really long though, with a 5 minute intermission in between, it felt like I was watching a musical. Food was good too. We were drawing uncanny parallels with our own council and the similarities were really scary. and ohyes, karena is the one and only councillor of the year! How cool is that!

Met up with so many more rgs peeps, including the usual competition teammates. Am very enticed to team up with them cross-college for this upcoming competition. Hm, I miss public speaking actually.

The spirit never dies!

And they flew

I was getting quite excited about the Singapore International Design Festival but I just found out that it spans exactly the same three weeks as my Alevel exams :(

It's already mid-May! Time really flies when you have so many little things to look forward to. Moo's stepping down this Wednesday, together with all the other funkyfishes in the HC council and there's gonna be a mini funkyfish gathering there on Wednesday! No prizes for guessing if I'll be there! Friday's gonna be very interesting as well. And another week will be over just like that.

I was wondering that day, whether nerds are nerds because they study so much that they do not have time for friends, or whether it's because they do not have friends and that's why they study so much. And it becomes a chicken and egg problem again!

Nah, nerds are cool in their own little way :)

Ah, now that I'm out of council I'm officially a councillor turn counsellor! Seriously, people should just stop wallowing in self-pity cause it's not that hip to keep on whining. Some problems are really not a problem at all, just unnecessarily blown out of proportion and added with all the unpleasanties.

He said to them
Come to the edge
But they said
They were afraid
Come to the edge
He said again
They came,
He pushed
And they flew..

Your Purpose

Today was just awesome!

With an unexpected turn of events, the Taliban rule has been overthrown! And so I prove my point. Ever since I sat down to think of my purpose in life and actually live by my life philosophy, everything’s been going oh so swell... and I’ve not had any regrets ever since.

And so a new chapter begins. I just received news of new exciting business propositions, just confirmed another design project today, and will be wrapping up a website in a week’s time. Meanwhile, a group of us are spearheading a big-scale charity event scheduled for 3rd July in line with the President’s Star Charity [please mark your diaries], and I’m simultaneously working on three other design and photography competitions. Work wise, I’ve caught up in everything except statistics.

Life after council really rocks to the core! Don't get me wrong, council was a priceless learning experience in itself. But now's the start of a new chapter, for creating new memories, and to make up for all that lost time.

I’m living it like how I always wanted to :)
Have you thought of your purpose in life?

Babycal Throw

Babycal Throw
It took me quite a while to get the hang of this game but it turned out very very addictive. Brilliant game concept! My highscore is a measly 5825 up till this point. But I have the feeling the scores on the highscore board are hacked. Go play go play!

21st Exco :)

I just thought I'd post this, the 21st exco as never seen before!

Fuzzy Wuzzy Memories

I met up with one of the funkyfishes over the weekend and we subsequently plunged into a long conversation and basically reflected upon life. We talked about life and philosophy, school, other schools, previous and future schools, friendships, careers, and how the other funkyfishes were doing. It wasn't the typical conversation full of superficial laughter and lame jokes, but rather one of the most meaningful conversations I've had this year.

I guess it doesn't matter how infrequent you meet up, or where or what time or for how long. All that matters is the company of a good friend just to catch up with and set things into perspective.

When two rafflesians meet, they achieve this certain resonance because they are typically of the same wavelength and frequency. I like that analogy, it kinda encompasses the whole essence of it all. Especially where the Rafflesian population is small, they tend to stick together for support. How fuzzy wuzzy!

I love watching the reactions of my peers when I hand out my namecards. Amazingly, they can be classified into schools of reactions which sometimes is quite embarrassing and it just shows how a school moulds their students.

The typical neighbourhood school of reaction insists that my company is either a sham or a make belief and that I printed my namecard from my own Canon i255 printer just to show off. It's rather sad that they think it impossible that someone actually studies and does business at the same time. Fortunately, a fraction of them show some interest in engaging my services :)

The typical chinese school of reaction asks 'Can I work for you?'
I feel sad for them too, simply because they are resigned to being employees even at this young age which should be the time of idealism and ambition.

But the typical rafflesian school of raction says 'Oh Cool! Let's affliate and create jobs next time!'

I'm sorry but it just shows.

And today when she was talking about the whole Raffles environment,
I could totally relate I tell you... and it really brought back memories.

Arty Farty Party

Hokies. I've fixed my bandwidth problem and so the radioblog's back!
Will be launching minglee.biz in a few days :)

For now, some Arty Farty Links:

When Graphic Artitsts get Bored
Very cool photo manips!

Street Paintings
These guys are just geniuses, if only Singapore had this..

The Zoomquilt
A collaborative art project, a culmination of talent :)

Over

I guess it only set in today.

I actually felt bouts of emptiness. First when I realised I left all my pins in school and the only thing I had at home was my council tag which I didn't need to put on anymore. Next when I realised I neednt do exco duty anymore and would actually be going for assembly with the class everyday.

It's not really a feeling of sadness. Hm, it's abit like working in a bank and one day Zeus throws down a lightning bolt on you and when you wake up you become a monk. Okay that's probably the worst analogy ever but I think the feeling is quite undescripable.

I guess council was a way of life.
I guess being busy was my way of life.

And now that one chapter comes to an end, I find myself frantically looking for other non-academic activities to occupy myself with. Actually I knew this would happen. Ah, well :)

Leadership

It's not what happens when you're there.
It's what happens when you're not.