The dying cry of a lantern
battery-operated,
mourning over its
identity crisis.
Not one of the traditional ones,
not with its plastic skin
and gaudy colours;
not a lamp,
not with its frail heart
too dim to light a path.
It stares out with blank
eyes, swinging from
the child's grubby worms.
Uncertainty,
but it definitely knows it was
made in China.
#861 the tricky thing is yesterday we were just children
Sunday 30 September 2012
#860 even when you're sleeping, keep your eyes open
Thursday 27 September 2012
Sometimes, I wonder what made me choose to join this class. Was I really that passionate towards the sciences in lower secondary?
From where I'm standing now, there's a certain beauty I see in the arts that the sciences lack.
I mean, they're called the liberal arts for a reason. The arts (literature and the like) have this certain fluidity about them. It's as if they're constantly changing, constantly being moulded by society, and since society is on a ceaseless progression, so are the arts.
But the sciences? They're utterly rigid in comparison. We memorise formulae and processes and the whys of the things around us, but all these facts will remain the same for a very long time. Most of them, unlike the arts, are not shaped by society. They're just already... there.
For instance, I don't see how the function of the heart or any part of the human body for that matter, has differed since prehistory, from the times when man lived in caves. But the arts? Oh, how they have changed. The development of communication and language and writing, of culture and literature and religion...
It is true that perhaps, in today's society, the sciences are much more practical than the arts, so it's always more logical to go with the former.
Yet, this merely shows how today's society isn't as great as we think it is. Our utilitarian views and pragmatism cause us to overlook many things in life. It is a tremendous pity, how so many people choose the sciences over the arts, just because they think they can do more with their lives with the former.
And therefore, my dilemma.
To go with the flow, to play safe, to ensure a backup plan for myself? Or to give in, to explore another facet of my passions, to delve into the beauty that only a handful of "civilised" homo sapiens understand?
From where I'm standing now, there's a certain beauty I see in the arts that the sciences lack.
I mean, they're called the liberal arts for a reason. The arts (literature and the like) have this certain fluidity about them. It's as if they're constantly changing, constantly being moulded by society, and since society is on a ceaseless progression, so are the arts.
But the sciences? They're utterly rigid in comparison. We memorise formulae and processes and the whys of the things around us, but all these facts will remain the same for a very long time. Most of them, unlike the arts, are not shaped by society. They're just already... there.
For instance, I don't see how the function of the heart or any part of the human body for that matter, has differed since prehistory, from the times when man lived in caves. But the arts? Oh, how they have changed. The development of communication and language and writing, of culture and literature and religion...
It is true that perhaps, in today's society, the sciences are much more practical than the arts, so it's always more logical to go with the former.
Yet, this merely shows how today's society isn't as great as we think it is. Our utilitarian views and pragmatism cause us to overlook many things in life. It is a tremendous pity, how so many people choose the sciences over the arts, just because they think they can do more with their lives with the former.
And therefore, my dilemma.
To go with the flow, to play safe, to ensure a backup plan for myself? Or to give in, to explore another facet of my passions, to delve into the beauty that only a handful of "civilised" homo sapiens understand?
#859 curled up to this lullaby even when the music's gone
Wednesday 26 September 2012
I've probably already said this a million times, but I guess I shall just say it here again, because I'm bursting with feelings.
I wish I could live in the 18th-19th century period so badly... To be able to wear those beautiful period clothes (even the guy ones), to be able to hear the uneven clicks and clacks of the rickety wheels of the carriages when they roll across the cobblestone paths, to be able to smell the heavy tang of horse in the air...
Grimy and dirty and dark, yet mysterious and magical... It was the time of Jack the Ripper and Doyle, of Poe and Dickens, of Lowell and Emerson, of Longfellow and Holmes, of Babbage and Darwin... A time of science, of reality, of religion, and of magic, the last era before the beauty of the dark could be appreciated... and I guess that's what makes it beautiful.
I wish I could live in the 18th-19th century period so badly... To be able to wear those beautiful period clothes (even the guy ones), to be able to hear the uneven clicks and clacks of the rickety wheels of the carriages when they roll across the cobblestone paths, to be able to smell the heavy tang of horse in the air...
Grimy and dirty and dark, yet mysterious and magical... It was the time of Jack the Ripper and Doyle, of Poe and Dickens, of Lowell and Emerson, of Longfellow and Holmes, of Babbage and Darwin... A time of science, of reality, of religion, and of magic, the last era before the beauty of the dark could be appreciated... and I guess that's what makes it beautiful.
#858 the war outside our door keeps raging on
Tuesday 25 September 2012
If only I had a time machine, or perhaps a portal or a magic mirror, that would allow me to see what the future looks like.
This undecisiveness is scary.
The number of paths leading away from the crossroads I am now at; paths that are so diverse and different, perhaps even opposites of one another.
What will the future be like? I can't imagine it as anything. I only see a big hazy blur.
All those Chinese comprehension passages advocating the need for a goal in life or else you'll "not succeed"... but what if I can't decide? What if I don't know what to decide on? What if there are too many choices, each with their advantages and disadvantages?
Right now, I don't have an aim in life, and it sucks.
This undecisiveness is scary.
The number of paths leading away from the crossroads I am now at; paths that are so diverse and different, perhaps even opposites of one another.
What will the future be like? I can't imagine it as anything. I only see a big hazy blur.
All those Chinese comprehension passages advocating the need for a goal in life or else you'll "not succeed"... but what if I can't decide? What if I don't know what to decide on? What if there are too many choices, each with their advantages and disadvantages?
Right now, I don't have an aim in life, and it sucks.
#857 darling, everything's on fire
Sunday 23 September 2012
omfg let me just live here. I will die with no regrets.
#856 don't you dare look out your window
Friday 21 September 2012
The 2010 LA EOY Comprehension really got me thinking.
Truly, with the recent emergence of the latest iPhone model into the market, this passage cannot be any more relevant.
The front page of today's Straits Times shows the picture of the first person who purchased an iPhone 5 from M1 stores, who (coincidentally or not) was also the first in line for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s.
It makes me wonder what has become to us today. We all know how often the smartphone markets come up with their latest gadgets. Yet is there really a need to keep changing your phone whenever a new model pops up, just because you want the latest, shiniest, newest toy?
I know people who change phones like they are changing clothes. Friends who deem a phone that they have possessed for 6 months as old. Then there are those people who simply must get their hands on every single iPhone ever made, from the very first iPhone 3 (was it?) to the latest iPhone 5. That, in total, is 5 phones. If you count the white ones, then it's 6. And the entire iPhone franchise has debutted for what, around 5 years already? 6 phones in 5 years. The lifespan of one phone is a little more than a year.
Then again, some people keep changing phones because somehow, one way or another, the phones keep ending up spoiled, like a screen crack. It simply confounds me: is it really that difficult to take care of a phone? If you can't even take care of a simple product that can fit into the palm of your hand and even in your pocket, I really wonder how you can take care of children as an adult.
I have also been wondering, what happens to all these old phones? That man on today's front page who has been the first in line for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4s and iPhone 5... Now that he has his newest gizmo, what will the plights of his old toys be? Surely they can't be simply tossed into a wastepaper basket.
For some reason, after reading the comprehension passage, as well as today's front page, I feel really disgusted. What is the need for this constant change of mobile phones? Why are so many people so obssessed with garnishing themselves with these sleek new (and, to be honest) lumps of metal (because that is what they really are)?
Times like this make me wish I wasn't born in this period.
Capitalism encourages the culture of innovation, which temps consumers with more and better products. The mass media efficiently helps the capitalist to persuade us that if we do not upgrade to the latest gadget, we will be seen as uncool, outdated losers.- Is it time to give capitalism a vacation? by Robert Bridge
Truly, with the recent emergence of the latest iPhone model into the market, this passage cannot be any more relevant.
The front page of today's Straits Times shows the picture of the first person who purchased an iPhone 5 from M1 stores, who (coincidentally or not) was also the first in line for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s.
It makes me wonder what has become to us today. We all know how often the smartphone markets come up with their latest gadgets. Yet is there really a need to keep changing your phone whenever a new model pops up, just because you want the latest, shiniest, newest toy?
I know people who change phones like they are changing clothes. Friends who deem a phone that they have possessed for 6 months as old. Then there are those people who simply must get their hands on every single iPhone ever made, from the very first iPhone 3 (was it?) to the latest iPhone 5. That, in total, is 5 phones. If you count the white ones, then it's 6. And the entire iPhone franchise has debutted for what, around 5 years already? 6 phones in 5 years. The lifespan of one phone is a little more than a year.
Then again, some people keep changing phones because somehow, one way or another, the phones keep ending up spoiled, like a screen crack. It simply confounds me: is it really that difficult to take care of a phone? If you can't even take care of a simple product that can fit into the palm of your hand and even in your pocket, I really wonder how you can take care of children as an adult.
I have also been wondering, what happens to all these old phones? That man on today's front page who has been the first in line for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4s and iPhone 5... Now that he has his newest gizmo, what will the plights of his old toys be? Surely they can't be simply tossed into a wastepaper basket.
For some reason, after reading the comprehension passage, as well as today's front page, I feel really disgusted. What is the need for this constant change of mobile phones? Why are so many people so obssessed with garnishing themselves with these sleek new (and, to be honest) lumps of metal (because that is what they really are)?
Times like this make me wish I wasn't born in this period.
#855 come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
Thursday 20 September 2012
I'm very dreamy these days. And so this post shall be dedicated to my dream house. Or thereabouts. Anyway, it is a dream house, so idc how ridiculous it sounds. How I love living in my own little bubble...
My dream house will be modern yet classic at the same time. Classic as in... old-time-ey. Like a castle, with the mix of Gothic and Victorian and whathaveyou designs. And vines. Lots of vines. There will be wooden panelings and chandeliers and marble, but there will also be glass. The windows will be huge to let as much natural sunlight in as possible.
There will be fireplaces with deep hearths and decorated framework. There will be lots of staircases. Marble staircases, twin wood staircases that twist down into the main hall, glass staircases, and modern wood staircases that seem to just hang in the air.
There will be a library. A huge library. With tables for reading, and those little period lamps with green shades and dim bulbs that you can find in many American libraries. The place will be quaint and old, filled with the beautiful musty smell of books. The shelves will be so high that there will be the need for ladders at regular intervals.
There will be a special room dedicated to collecting period clothings. There will be bell-bottoms and hippie styles from the '60s. There will be puff-sleeved gowns from the '30s. There will be Cloche hats, tubular dresses, straight-line chemises and fedoras from the '20s. There will be tunics, hobble skirts and waistcoats from the '10s. There will be bow ties and bowler hats from the 1900s. There will be chemisettes, bloomers and blazers from the 1890s. There will be basques, choker necklaces, bonnets and Ascot ties from the 1880s. There will be overskirts, tea gowns and frock coats from the 1870s. There will be gowns, crinolines, redingots and ditto suits from the 1860s. There will be gowns with flounces and engageantes, morning coats and top hats from the 1850s. There will be shawls, gloves, mantlets and low-collared shits from the 1840s. There will be gigot sleeves, brocades, cravats and cloaks from the 1830s. There will be belts, vests and trousers from the 1820s. There will be muslin dresses, vinaigrettes, fans and Hessian boots from the 1800s. There will be Brunswick dresses, banyans, and tricones from the 1770s. There will be sack-back gowns, close-bodied gowns and wigs from the 1730s. There will be mantuas, breeches, justacorps and baldrics from the 1670s. There will be kerchiefs, virago sleeves, coifs and hose from the 1630s. There will be farthingales, masks, doublets and ruffs from the 1570s. There will be plackards, corsets, gable hoods, zibellino, jerks and baretts from the 1530s. There will be kirtles, partlets, chaperons, overgowns and codpieces in the 1400s. There will be chausses, tunics, smocks and crespines from the 1300s. There will be surcoats, mantles and barbettes from the 1200s. There will be braies, chemises and pleated skirts from the 1100s. And more, of course. Much, much, much more, from way before.
You have no idea how fascinated I am over period clothes. Maybe even as much as my fascination over evolution and etymology and the history of names. I think that's just me; how I'm fascinated over the way we evolved, the way words evolved, the way fashion evolved, and the way names evolved.
Back to the dream (heavy emphasis here) home.
There will be horses. Of course, how can I not have horses? There will also be wide open grounds for riding. There will be large mirror-like ponds with ducks. There will be trees. Elm trees, maple trees, oak trees, willow trees. Just many, many trees.
It will be in the countryside. At night, it will be completely dark, save for the structure itself. And when I look up, I will be able to see nothing but the stars.
My dream house will be modern yet classic at the same time. Classic as in... old-time-ey. Like a castle, with the mix of Gothic and Victorian and whathaveyou designs. And vines. Lots of vines. There will be wooden panelings and chandeliers and marble, but there will also be glass. The windows will be huge to let as much natural sunlight in as possible.
There will be fireplaces with deep hearths and decorated framework. There will be lots of staircases. Marble staircases, twin wood staircases that twist down into the main hall, glass staircases, and modern wood staircases that seem to just hang in the air.
There will be a library. A huge library. With tables for reading, and those little period lamps with green shades and dim bulbs that you can find in many American libraries. The place will be quaint and old, filled with the beautiful musty smell of books. The shelves will be so high that there will be the need for ladders at regular intervals.
There will be a special room dedicated to collecting period clothings. There will be bell-bottoms and hippie styles from the '60s. There will be puff-sleeved gowns from the '30s. There will be Cloche hats, tubular dresses, straight-line chemises and fedoras from the '20s. There will be tunics, hobble skirts and waistcoats from the '10s. There will be bow ties and bowler hats from the 1900s. There will be chemisettes, bloomers and blazers from the 1890s. There will be basques, choker necklaces, bonnets and Ascot ties from the 1880s. There will be overskirts, tea gowns and frock coats from the 1870s. There will be gowns, crinolines, redingots and ditto suits from the 1860s. There will be gowns with flounces and engageantes, morning coats and top hats from the 1850s. There will be shawls, gloves, mantlets and low-collared shits from the 1840s. There will be gigot sleeves, brocades, cravats and cloaks from the 1830s. There will be belts, vests and trousers from the 1820s. There will be muslin dresses, vinaigrettes, fans and Hessian boots from the 1800s. There will be Brunswick dresses, banyans, and tricones from the 1770s. There will be sack-back gowns, close-bodied gowns and wigs from the 1730s. There will be mantuas, breeches, justacorps and baldrics from the 1670s. There will be kerchiefs, virago sleeves, coifs and hose from the 1630s. There will be farthingales, masks, doublets and ruffs from the 1570s. There will be plackards, corsets, gable hoods, zibellino, jerks and baretts from the 1530s. There will be kirtles, partlets, chaperons, overgowns and codpieces in the 1400s. There will be chausses, tunics, smocks and crespines from the 1300s. There will be surcoats, mantles and barbettes from the 1200s. There will be braies, chemises and pleated skirts from the 1100s. And more, of course. Much, much, much more, from way before.
You have no idea how fascinated I am over period clothes. Maybe even as much as my fascination over evolution and etymology and the history of names. I think that's just me; how I'm fascinated over the way we evolved, the way words evolved, the way fashion evolved, and the way names evolved.
Back to the dream (heavy emphasis here) home.
There will be horses. Of course, how can I not have horses? There will also be wide open grounds for riding. There will be large mirror-like ponds with ducks. There will be trees. Elm trees, maple trees, oak trees, willow trees. Just many, many trees.
It will be in the countryside. At night, it will be completely dark, save for the structure itself. And when I look up, I will be able to see nothing but the stars.
#854 you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Wednesday 19 September 2012
Picture post! I shall not pollute this otherwise really colourful post with a handful of dreary complaints about how EOYs are in 2 weeks.
MOVING ON.
Yes, my roomlights are bears on swings ._.
Nina finally Facebook messaged me after 93827483920138475 years and this was how I replied ._____________________________________________________.
This just shows how excellent I am with words -.-
From the last library trip! Which seems ages ago (they always do). And, now that I think about it, two of my library books are due this Friday O-O (crap.)
Ixora at my balcony~ and the pink ones are desert roses.
zzz
Spongebob sitting down
As usual, my hyperactive classmates...
avengers :D
The colours in my pencil case!! Inspiration from Kellyduck who was playing around with Yan Ling's stationery.
So I put like three (or more. I think more.) scoops of ice cream into my mug and waited for them to melt completely. It took longer than expected (nearly an hour). Anyway, it was kind of interesting drinking ice cream instead of eating it, for a change.
But eating's still better. Not that drinking it is bad... it just felt as though I was drinking slush from an avalanche.
Best (Y) from Hong Ying
Finally tried to salted caramel frap! Not that bad, but my faves are still green tea frap and hibiscus 8D
Jolene had a name change.
Mignon's really artistic phone.
New York!! ^^ I want to buy so many things in America -cries-
d'awwwwwwwwwwwwwww (':
Saturday: first thing I saw when I woke up. The ceiling, obviously.
Saturday's dinner!! :DDDD Angus House at Ngee Ann City~~
dinerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr <33 p="p">
After which we (of course) went to Kino. Han Wei got the latest installment of the Wimpy Kid Diaries (what.) and Astronomy for Dummies.
Yes. I'm serious.
Astronomy. For dummies.
While I got this!! 8DDD A beautiful Barnes & Noble edition of the three Bronte sisters classics. Shall start on it after EOYs (: I actually didn't enter Kino with this on my mind, but I was surprised to find out that they have a really dismal collection of Anne Rice ): So I guess I'll just have to a) search online, or b) search in B&N in US. Anyway, ever since that particular Lit Pull Out, I've been interested to start on Wuthering Heights, and this book also has Jane Eyre and Amelia Grey. Can't wait!! ^^
-excited bookworm asdfghjkl-
The next day... We went to the Flyer ._.
The place still looks weird. Like two slugs and a bunch of weird mushrooms. Or chimneys.
I could see Tangs!! :D (try to spot it from this picture)
Right at the top~
skyline
And then we went to Gardens by the Bay! Seriously, the Cloud Forest is 0: It even took the breath of cynical old me away.
Enter, flower spam.
Though the best camera, as I always say, is the experience itself. The sights, the scents, and even the cool drafts of air and moisture against the skin, not even the most beautifully filtered Instagram picture can hold a candle to it.
I thought the purple flowers were so cute heh (:
Pitcher plants on the pond!! Really cool.
I love this picture 8D
Mom the aspiring pro photographer.
Suddenly forgot what these guys are called... I used to have a pot of white ones in my toilet (they were from Ikea and bought at a point of time when I suffered from the most unfortunate delusion that my fingers were considerably green). Don't know where it has gone to now ._.
God, the mist was <3 p="p">
Aloha, amigo.
Real tree in front of the fake tree.
Unique view indeed.
And then after that, we went to the Flower Dome! Which was not as impressive as the Cloud Forest. Really. Not.
Anyway, I love those flowers (up there). The plant itself is completely white (I got quite a surprise when I first saw it), as if it is coated with a layer of ashes after a fire. But amongst all this white and grey are bright yellow flowers, and it was just simply gorgeous.
The scientific name... xD
Ghost tree 000000: (there was nothing ghostly about it)
There. Proof of the simply incroyable class spam.
Just when I was feeling guilty about not mugging... I had to spot the patterns on the ground -.-
Cross sectional diagram of a plant root much.
The hibuscus flowers were HUGE. ASS.
Bigger than my hand O:
The yellow roses of friendship (:
The lighting was really horrible. It was already at night, but the lights they used were coloured, so it certainly did not do any justice to the flowers there. So I didn't take that many pictures in the Flower Dome... Though there are really more flowers in the Cloud Forest than in the Flower Dome -.-
Dinner that night!! 8DDDDDDDDDDDD -stomach rumbles-
I love my class <3 p="p">
Malgre "le spam" ennuyeux.
And my fridge.
What a weird way to end a post ._.
On a side note, one of the cushiony thingies has fallen out of my glasses and is now consigned to the murky depths of the water pipe. (which reminds me of one of my white gold earrings which I dropped down the drain a long time ago -.-) Therefore, my glasses are now uneven and uncomfortable and Han Yi is not a happy kid.
Well I guess it was inevitable. This is the first time this pair of glasses has "died" on its own (unlike -cough- Han Wei's) in more than 2 years.
MOVING ON.
This just shows how excellent I am with words -.-
But eating's still better. Not that drinking it is bad... it just felt as though I was drinking slush from an avalanche.
After which we (of course) went to Kino. Han Wei got the latest installment of the Wimpy Kid Diaries (what.) and Astronomy for Dummies.
Yes. I'm serious.
Astronomy. For dummies.
-excited bookworm asdfghjkl-
Enter, flower spam.
Though the best camera, as I always say, is the experience itself. The sights, the scents, and even the cool drafts of air and moisture against the skin, not even the most beautifully filtered Instagram picture can hold a candle to it.
Anyway, I love those flowers (up there). The plant itself is completely white (I got quite a surprise when I first saw it), as if it is coated with a layer of ashes after a fire. But amongst all this white and grey are bright yellow flowers, and it was just simply gorgeous.
Cross sectional diagram of a plant root much.
Bigger than my hand O:
The lighting was really horrible. It was already at night, but the lights they used were coloured, so it certainly did not do any justice to the flowers there. So I didn't take that many pictures in the Flower Dome... Though there are really more flowers in the Cloud Forest than in the Flower Dome -.-
Malgre "le spam" ennuyeux.
What a weird way to end a post ._.
On a side note, one of the cushiony thingies has fallen out of my glasses and is now consigned to the murky depths of the water pipe. (which reminds me of one of my white gold earrings which I dropped down the drain a long time ago -.-) Therefore, my glasses are now uneven and uncomfortable and Han Yi is not a happy kid.
Well I guess it was inevitable. This is the first time this pair of glasses has "died" on its own (unlike -cough- Han Wei's) in more than 2 years.
