Sydney Down Under

I found a nice play to stay in Sydney. It's within walking distance to the University, and the room is relatively spacious, since it was intended for two people. This means that if any of my family members or friends happen to the area, they can put up at my place at marginal cost. Now all that remains is for me to study hard and get a good degree.

It's a huge relief to find a good place, since I've already taken a look at two other places, and found them lacking. I guess that's a result of having lived in Singapore for over 15 years - you get used to seeing HDB flats all around and cannot tolerate living in other countries with housing conditions that are not as well-constructed as Singapore. Perhaps this ties in with the saying that happiness corrupts, a saying that I heard in an anime. The speaker put forward this suggestion because he believed that we humans are never satisfied. When we experience an improvement in an aspect of our lives, we feel happy but this feeling soon subsides and we want more. That is not to say that happiness is bad, just that we should never forget our roots. In the pursuit of the different stages of happiness, we should never forget our first stage.

Life is like a roller coaster. It rises and falls at different stages. No matter how high you are on that roller coaster, don't ever forget where you started, for a peak always comes before a down slope, and it is never nice to fall down when you don't expect it.

karma

Well, today certainly was strange. Considering that Chinese New Year is in 2 days, I thought maybe I should have a dota game with my friends to commemorate it. So when I invited one friend for a game, he didn't want to play. So I joined my second friend's game. For some reason, the game crashed when it loaded. Nobody wanted to restart, so I chose some random games to play on Bnet. When I alt-tabbed out, I found that my first friend had hosted a game and I was 9 minutes too late to play. Two games, no play.

Of course, right now, I'm a little pissed at how circumstance has played me. As luck (or lack of it) first dealt its hand, my game had to crash. And that led to me missing out on a second game. If I had joined the first game and ended it fast, I could have joined the second game later on. A small slip led to a disaster.

I guess this is how life is. Sometimes, we are dealt a cruel hand by karma, and circumstances play us badly. It seems unfair at times, when we want something so badly, but it is given to someone else who does not have the same passion as you have for it. But that is life. Was it unfair? No. It's just that we are unlucky, that's all. In the show "The Amazing Race", this is a major factor in the final winner. Sometimes, strong teams who have led from the start end up encountering a major obstacle that they simply cannot overcome. The flight was delayed, the cards were bad, they couldn't find the needle in a haystack. Whatever it is, they missed out on the $1 000 000 cash prize by no fault of theirs. Was it unfair? No.

In a sense, I believe that Icyfate was dealt a blow far greater than a measely dota game. He was due for a major award that was supposed to be the pinnacle of his hard work. Yet, because of a miscommunication by the judges, he didn't get it. Each judge thought that the other didn't want him to receive it, when both wanted him to. But that's life. At least Icyfate can take heart that he knows he's the real recipient of the award.

So compared to Icyfate, I think my circumstances were somewhat better. However, life is unpredictable. What happens to me tomorrow, I don't know. What I know is that some things in life are uncontrollable. We can't do a thing about them. All we can do is live life to its fullest and prepare for the worst but hope for the best.

"In this world full of ups and downs, it's nice to know that there are jackalopes around." - narrator from mini-movie in front of Finding Nemo

Forgetting and juggling our lives

As I browse around the blogs of my friends and their friends, I notice that many of them have stopped blogging. The very people who inspired me to start a blog have, themselves, stopped. Why did they stop? Some of them, simply do not have the time. Others, just stopped. They no longer had fun blogging and found no reason to do so. Be it too little viewership or whatever it is, they simply lost interest.

That is exactly what happens to many of us. When the latest RPG game comes out, we buy it immediately and play it 12 hours a day. After around a month of playing, we get bored with it and stop. We forget what it was that we found fun about the game in the first place. When the latest Harry Potter book is published, we queue 5 hours for it. Reading it once is not enough , and we read it five times. Soon, we get bored of it and it sits on the shelf collecting dust. When we first start school each year, we have a resolution of passing with flying colours. And so, in the first week, we study like never before and bury our noses in our books. Soon, we get tired and the motivation wears off. Soon, we are back on the game console playing games.

Many of us simply live our lives that way. We initiate projects but do not have the passion to sustain them. Just like the things that we buy and chuck aside, they accumulate over time. However, unlike the latter that can simply be thrown away, we cannot possibly throw away our memories. Every time we do not complete a project, it takes a little away from our confidence. As the years go by, we begin to associate ourselves with failure and it appears that we can never succeed anymore no matter what we try.

There is a riddle that tells about a bridge that can hold 100 kg of weight. A man, who weighs 90 kg, tries to cross the bridge. Unfortunately, he is carrying three balls that are 5 kg in weight each. Yet, he still manages to cross the bridge without harm. How? Take some time to ponder over it. The answer is below.




The answer: He juggles the balls.

Isn't that exactly what we do with our life? We juggle with the activities in our schedule, making sure to keep to it down to the minute. For the first few days or weeks, we succeed. But soon, our arms tire and we start to lose balance. Imagine what would happen to the man if he lost control of the three balls? What if that led to the loss of his own balance? Soon, he would fall off the bridge and possibly lose his life. On the other hand, another man who only carried two balls across the bridge would have a much easier time. He could carry a ball in each hand and cross the bridge as per normal. That is what we should do sometimes. We should cut back on our activities and focus on seeing them through to the best of our abilities. Yet, the man who successfully juggles three balls would have more to work with in the future. He would benefit by having three balls instead of two. Sometimes, we participate in more activities because it will help us have a better future. The extra seminar, the extra module, the extra course. All these may help us later on in life.

So what exactly should we do? Just whack it and go for it? Or should we play the safe option? Whatever you choose to do is up to you actually. Just make sure that you don't lose yourself in the process.

Wannabes

Over the past few days, we three stooges teased a schoolmate about his relationship with one of the new girls in school. Recently, they became an item. In our MSN Conversations, we gossiped and laughed at all the antics of that boy, since we come from a school that was, two months ago, and all-boys school. We laughed at how he used SMS to proclaim his attraction (I'm trying to be careful with using the word "love") and how we thought it was insincere. And I was made aware of an incident in which Icyfate and his friends were watching this boy talking to his soon-to-be girlfriend. After 15 minutes of conversation and the girls went away, the boy went over to Icyfate's table to talk. All of a sudden, people came from North, South, East and West. Soon, a standing ovation followed.

All this makes me wonder about wannabes. There will always be people who are out there making all the moves. At the same time, there will always be people who do the clapping but don't take action. Now, I have no doubt that the ACS boys above who gave a standing ovation are people of action. What I doubt actually is myself. This reminds me of a scene in Serendipity, where John Cusack, the hero of the story, was talking to his best friend. His best friend, let's call him, Tom, told him that he admired John simply because he was a jackass. Tom had recently broken up with his girlfriend and was afraid of being rejected again. On the other hand, John was about to get married, but secretly yearned for a girl whom he met years ago but did not know much about. In the end, John went around the whole of London looking for her. He did not sit on his sofa and mourn his situation. He went out. He did something. He was out there being the jackass. And even if he failed, he can carry on his life with his head held high, knowing that he had done all he could to change his destiny. Of course, the movie had a happy ending and John found his soulmate who was the girl he met years ago.

It seems to me that many times, I'm too afraid to actually do anything. Every time I'm given an opportunity to shine, I reject it. I'm often afraid of failure and end up standing still because of that. On the other hand, there are people out there being the jackasses and getting things done. Now, I'm not talking about finding a girlfriend, since I'm a self-proclaimed bachelor for life. Rather, I'm talking about life in general. We should take advantage of opportunities as they come, since time and tide wait for no man. We don't know what else will come our way, so do all you can to change your life.

In my Friendster account, I described myself as a multi-millionaire wannabe. When will the word Wannabe be removed? When will it become multi-millionaire? I am here complaining about people being multi-millionaires while I am not one, but can I blame anyone else for my situation? It's not that I'm unlucky or anything. It's just that I don't take my chances. Others do. So my fellow bloggers, what are you? Are you out there doing things? Or are you mulling about your lousy situations?

I guess there is only one best way to do things. Once again, I'll paraphrase from Serendipity.

In this scene, John's best friend is carrying flowers and is about to visit his girlfriend, whom he had broken up with not too long ago.

John's best friend: How do I look?
John: Like a jackass!

And that is how we should live life. LIKE A JACKASS!!

Back again

I know that pretty much nobody reads this blog, but to those of you out there, wherever you are, you may be glad to know that this blog has been revived. I don't know how long it will be alive again, but for now, I present this single post.

I have got a new motivation factor, and that is my New Year Resolution. While I was in Sydney for holiday, I rode a river cruise that went around the Sydney river. The cruise had a recorded commentary onboard that introduced the various places to us. One area that we went past was a residential zone located in front of the river. With a good view overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, those houses were EXPENSIVE! According to the commentary, each one costs at least AUS$4 million! And thus was my New Year Resolution : To own one of those houses within 30 years.

4 million! Since I'm 16 right now, that would leave me until age 46. Since I'm a foreigner, and will not have to do National Service, I would get my bachelor degree at age 22. A master degree at 24 if I decide to do it. And a PhD at 28 if I achieve it. Give and take a little, leaving age 30, with 16 years left. That works out to 250 000 a year, and 20 000 a month. WOW. The most plausible ways to earn that much would be to start a business, invest wisely, or become a property agent. Whichever way it is, my next two years in the IB will be crucial. I have to do well these two years and beyond in order to get my house.

Yet, in life, things are easier said than done. First week of school has gone past without me studying much. Things have to change. The time that I spend on activities that are not goal-oriented have to be cut down. I have to stop thinking up lofty ideas that are simply too complex to excecute. Imagine all those plans I had to incorporate a study of Runescape into my EE! I guess in life, we have to be practical. Yes, we all have big plans to change the world. But there is nothing wrong with little steps that will pave the way for others. The movie Prince of Egypt is fairly accurate in saying that a piece of thread so thin and fine, plays its part in the grand design (of a carpet). The rock that sits on top of the mountain face, doesn't think itself greater than the one at the base. Why should we attempt to achieve goals through lofty means when a simple way will do just as well? In workplace jargon, the way to success is to KISS, which stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Anyways, school has started, and for the first time, I see girls in the same school as me. So how exactly have the rest of us reacted? Well, I've seen some people socialize like no tomorrow. In the canteen, one boy was actually sitting with 3 girls! WOW! In a school with a boy : girl ratio of 5 : 1, that leaves us with 1/5 for each. And here we have a person having 3! Oh well, whatever floats your boat. As for me, I have almost no reaction at all. One of my friends said that he is not socializing much because he does not want to appear desperate, but for me, I don't socialize because I don't really want to right now. After all, I'm a self-proclaimed bachelor-for-life. Now, one of my juniors in SJAB said that I surely must "like" one of the girls, but he remembered that I'm a bachelor-for-life. That is almost polar opposite to someone I know, who told many people about his crush. In response to the latter, I told my friend that if I had a crush, I would hide it. One good way is to act as if I'm a bachelor-for-life! Haha. So in actual fact, do I like any of the girls or am I really a bachelor-for-life? That's for me to know and for you all to find out.

One thing that I enjoyed was watching Serendipity again. Channel 5 aired it about a week before Christmas, and it was nice to watch it again. In the movie, two people happen to meet each other by chance when they tried to buy the same pair of gloves that were the last ones available. They had a great time, but the female, decided to leave everything to chance by writing her particulars in a book and selling it to a store while asking the male to write his on a 5 dollar note before spending it. Of course, after a long wild-goose-chase and many other plot bunnies, they were finally together. Perhaps life is like that. If things are meant to be, they are simply meant to be. They will happen. But, I believe that destiny can be changed. We decide our fates. We humans are not robots after all. The difference between us and robots is in the word Willpower. Imagine a donkey equidistant between two bales of hay. If his actions are governed only by his desires and emotions, then he would remain there forever, since he cannot choose which hay to forgo. Of course, he will decide to forgo one for the other. Destiny is controlled by us. How we harness this energy called willpower determines our success in life. No matter what dreams we have, willpower will take us far and enable us to achieve them if we really want to. Dreams such as having a AUS$4 million house within 30 years...

Moving On

Life in St. John is like night and day, always changing....

These are the immortal words of Arthur Nicholas, otherwise known as my elder brother. These words appeared on the final slide on the Powerpoint Presentation of the Secondary One CCA Orientation.

As I begin writing this post, I have just put up what is likely to be my very last Parade Notice as the Admin NCO (Secretary) of ACS (I) SJAB. All subsequent notices will be put up by my capable successor.

It is Tuesday night. On Friday, it will be SJAB Day. The day that all Year 4s have been waiting for. It is the benchmark of the end of our reign as the head of this magnificent UYO. Once this day is over, we are unofficially relieved of duty. It is during this day that I will lead the Corp as one of four contingent commanders, and give the command to halt after marching in. With the grace of our Almighty God, I know that the day will go without a hitch. It will be the fourth time I'm involved in SJAB Day, and my last. My first was as a member of the stationary contingent. Second and third as a member of the marching contingent. Now, my fourth is as a contingent commander.

The experience seems pretty surreal, as I look back at my years with SJAB. Really, the ups and downs as well as twists and turns have really left me at the edge of my seat. In Secondary 1, I was the usual Year 1, always known as "Arthur's brother". In Secondary 2, when Arthur was one of the only 3 Staff Sergeants, "Arthur's brother" became more widely used. At that time, I was still very quiet, doing just enough to ensure that I would never get punished, while not volunteering for anything either. It was during this time that two of the members of my year began showing plenty of initiative in volunteering as well. At the end of year 2, I was made a member of FAC. Year 3 came, and lo and behold, Zone Champions!! In June, I was ordained the post of Admin NCO in the committee, and slowly, "Arthur's brother" changed to "Johnathan". At the end of Year 3, I was made one of four Staff Sergeants. Year 4 came, and the strength of the committee was tested, as we sailed through choppy waters. The four captains of the ship argued at times, but eventually, the storm ceased. And so we arrive at where I am today, ready to leave this great ship after a journey across the vast ocean. My destination is arriving.

Looking back, I must say that St. John Ambulance Brigade has taught me a lot. I have learnt a vast array of First Aid Skills and Drill Commands, but those are only superficial compared to the life skills I have learnt. I learnt about being a leader through my experience with the Year 2s this year. Indeed, it has been eventful. Yes, we rubbed each other the wrong way when we first started. However, it was as if they decided to give me a second chance, and I decided to change my teaching methods. I have no idea what I did, but it worked. I think the Year 2s have learnt quite a lot from me, but I have learnt even more from them. I learnt that being a good leader is not synonymous to ruling with an iron fist. In actual fact, my style of leadership involved familiarity. It would be tough for me to train let's say, the Year 3s, since I am not familiar with teaching them. At the same time, I have learnt that a leader cannot always give chances. I do punish the Year 2s, but it is never for the purpose of causing pain. Instead, it is for the purpose of them remembering what they have done wrong. In my opinion, punishments that are aimed at causing pain only waste time, and cause cadets to remember the punishment but not the mistake. There's plenty more where that came from, but there would not be enough space to cover all.

Once St. John Day is over, all that is left for me will be the National First Aid Competition, then I'm done. No more. It is finished. I remember my predecessor for the position of Number 2 on the AA Team. When the competition was over, and the team was sixth, I saw that he was trying to look happy, but he was sad in actual fact. Of course, I do not know why he was sad, but I will probably be sporting the same look when the competition is over. Why? The answer is that St. John would have left my life the minute the competition ended. I hope to end on a high note, preferably with at top 3 position, or even finishing first, but still, it pains to know that something that has been a part of me for four years is going to end.

So now, as mentioned earlier, it is Tuesday night. Three more days. Three. Three more days before I pass the baton on for my successor to run on and keep the dream alive. I trust the Year 3s, and I know they will do a good job. They will run and never drop the baton, just as we Year 4s have done.

To my Year 2s, thank you for the wonderful time, and good luck carrying on with St. John. To my successor, I'm passing the baton on to you. Good luck with it, and don't drop it, which I know you won't. To all Year 3s, good luck with your reign. Enjoy it, for you will never know how much it means until you have to let go of it.

The game will never be over, because we're keeping the dream alive -- Keeping the Dream Alive by Freiheit

Thank you all the teachers-in-charge, especially Mr. Seah, who's been in charge for all four years that I have been in St. John. Thank you to all my seniors who have taught me and helped me along the way.

Indeed, many people in SJAB think that it is boring and a complete waste of time, but it is not. Trust me, because I know. It is definitely not a waste of time. At the same time, it is definitely not boring, because.................

Life in St. John is like night and day, always changing....

Another Turning Point

Disclaimer: I do not own the song Time of Your Life. It is owned by Greenday

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.

Indeed, just as I had nearly come to terms with losing, life delivered yet another twist of fate that led to a complete 180. It all came in a phone call from Fate.

"We're going for the Nationals."

It was just one simple line. This was exactly what I had hoped for months ago. I remember telling Icyfate that it was possible for the winning team to forfeit their position, thus giving us a clear route to the Nationals. Of course, at that time, it did not seem possible for such a thing to occur. Yet, for some unknown reason, it did.

This event brings back to mind my wish of winning the Nationals at the start of the year. I had high hopes for the team. Icyfate, best commander (9.5/10!!!!). Me, best CPR (I hope). JL, best solo First Aider and Timer. Fate, best ambulance call. We are an all-star team!!! We still lost the Zone Competition though, and I began to think that we would not have won the Nats even if we had made it past the zone stages.

Now, we are given a second chance. It is similar to a person who had had a close encounter with death, but was given a second chance to live. What should he do then? Obviously, make the most out of his life, considering the fact that he had been given a second chance that many others did not have the luxury of. Similarly, the team was given a second chance. We had lost, but are now going to represent the Zone as champions. Losers given a second chance to compete as winners again. So what else should we do but make the most out of it and train hard to be National champions for once!

So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It is definitely going to be the final chapter of competing in First Aid Competitions. There will be no more after this. Zilch. Zippo. Caput. No matter what happens in the Nationals, I will be happy with it. Although my aim is to win, I will take heart in the fact that the team was given the chance to compete and once again display our abilities. As an ACS( I ) SJAB member, my last will be the first Friday of Term 3, St. John Day. However, my swansong as an FAC member will be the Nats. It will be the final performance before we bow out, but before that, the dream is still not over. We can still live our dream. To all our supporters who will be there for our competition, I can assure you that the team will fight to our very last. We will make the best use of our second chance, learning from our mistakes and gaining new skills along the way. We will soar on wings like eagles.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.