cHyOrK: >>

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Woot. Had my 2nd overnight cycling this year. It was pretty great.

Fellow riders: Shiwei, Royston, Jinhui, Muihian. I guess, riding with more people I know this time round, made the journey more meaningful and fun.

We started at 1015pm, and ended at 0715am.

Happenings:

1. The crashes by Jinhui :(.. and the unimaginable distance he walked with the F-ed up bike, but also the extent of his improvement by the 2nd half. I guess on-the-road cycling for long hours proves to be great training.

2. Supper-stop at Rochor Beancurd, just 1.5hours after flagoff.

3. Transvestites at Orchard??

4. Almost wanted to enter the expressway tunnel(!!!!!)

5. After dropping by DHS, where the roads were empty and deserted at Meyer, we became kings of the roads--flouting rules/cutting lanes/riding in opposite road directions/stopping and chitchatting on the road etc. It was a total freedom.

6. The many impromptu rest points. One of which at Katong Shopping Centre bus stop, where we had some good laughs over chats about secondary school.

7. Did a small portion of the Sundown route and realised how much the route sucked and the fact that I'm gonna complete those unimaginable undulating slopes in a week's time................................

8. Nevertheless, the park connectors were decent and led me to quiet places I've never quite seen.

9. Anymore? Fellow riders: do add on.

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We did quite a considerable distance, more than what I had done a few months ago, and so I felt this was fulfilling. Much kudos to Shiwei's directions and route-plannings. And cycling the park connectors made me quite impressed with how Shiwei does that route when running.

It was fun and I'm glad I didn't miss it. Yes, though physically, it was a butt-splitting experience, but other than that, the other takeaways were positive.

人生是黑白的.
11:59 PM <3

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Mission:Singapore - The Singapore Freeze

OK this is the 'official' video from Mission:Singapore. Another FlashMob Improv event is coming up on 31st May.

人生是黑白的.
12:25 AM <3

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

It's only a recent realisation that the way Chinese Language is tested in Secondary Level had taken a drastic reform.

It's now totally non-textbook-based, and there's no way you can prepare for the papers. Which means to say, gone are the classic 造句/完成句子/填写汉字/必读成语250条 etc. Yes, the emphasis has shifted away from rote-learning, but is it necessarily better?

For decades, chinese students have been studying chapters in textbooks, learned the new words, their meanings and constructed sentences with them. That had been the traditional way of learning the thousands of words and idioms. When tests/exams draw near, we revised the meanings, practised writing the strokes of the words, and tested ourselves how to construct sentences with these words.

Though traditional, it had been quite effective, for me at the very least. The repeated revision of the words at major exams, had forced me to be familiar with them, and they had somehow been ingrained in me for years. Even if certain words, whose meanings I may only faintly recollect now, I would still know how to write and read them.

Now with the total eradication of rote-learning, students don't even have to revise much for exams, except perhaps the format of writing letters. They don't need to recap on the words learnt/ their meanings/ the strokes of the words etc. Then, honestly speaking, will their knowledge of the language improve, given that after learning the words once in class, they would just chuck them aside and never look at them again?

One may compare Chinese language with English, and so may justify the case, by saying that English had all along been non-textbook-based, and one had never needed to 'study' for English. But think about the extent of use of English everywhere, you would realise the ample opportunities to use the language. Chinese, on the other hand, is merely restricted to chattings between certain family and friends. If given the chance NOT to 'study' for the language, I'm sure most, if not all, would really NOT do it.

If this is the case, I'll still stand by the traditional ways.

人生是黑白的.
5:48 PM <3

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Monday, May 19, 2008

This year marks the 2552nd Vesak Day, which commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and final Nirvana of the Buddha.

For the first time, I participated in the annual 3-Step-1-Bow ceremony held at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See, and I felt this was a more meaningful way to get involved. The process took a little more than 2 hours, and an estimated more than 10,000 took part during the 12 hours.

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About 3-Step-1-Bow

In this ceremony, devotees usually line up before sunrise to meditatively circumambulate the perimeter of the temple, bowing once every three steps, while chanting mantras or the name of the Buddha in praise of Him. Upon every prostration, the Buddha can be visualised to stand before one's palms, which open to receive His teachings. The open palms also symbolise lotuses (our minds) blossoming into purity. (Though lotus flowes' roots are in the "mud of defilements", they blossom untainted.)

Every prostration is thus the paying of respects to the Buddha (or the countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas). This practice helps to purify the mind, humble the ego and lessen obstacles along the spiritual path as one repents past misdeeds and aspires towards spiritual improvement. With mindfulness of one's body, speech and mind during the practice, concentration and calmness can be attained.

As the ceremony is long, it reminds one of the long and occassionally difficult journey towards Enlightenment. But it also serves to remind us that as long as we are determined, all difficulties can be overcome. Perseverance in completing the practice despite its difficulties also helps to strengthen our faith in the Buddha and His teaching to lead us towards Enlightenment. The break of dawn at the end of the ceremony represents the light of wisdom dispelling the darkness of ignorance as one advances towards Enlightenment.

~Adapted from [Be a Lamp Upon Yourself]

人生是黑白的.
1:40 PM <3

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