the first signs of prolonged pressure
working for a few hours for a few days. the first time in these 2 years (except for exams) im ever doing this!
i better do something now than to blanket my face with my result slip in distressed dejection.
do something when i can - recently i had some dreams of myself getting 33-34 points, and someone telling me that if i dont do anything about myself i will end up like that. so, i decided to start! all the bad time-wasting encyclopedic habits i got rid of, and focussed more on disciplined study.
it's working fine, and i will have to wait a while more to see my grades improve. Most can't pull off with immediate effect.
I urge u all slackers if you are one to pursue the ladder of accomplishment and start climbing if you're aiming for the 40th rung.
haha extremely bad analogy.
balls.
if you're aiming for 40 points, or 36 , start today! that's what i mean.
Labels: awakening
Teachers
As much as you don't like to hear it, teachers face a hell lot of stress. And most, close to all teachers face stress more than we do. In primary school, I was disgusted with the students thinking that teachers have a time of their life. Although we don't express that belief aloud, we do it in the crulest, selfishest, but ironically, CORRECT way.
In primary school, we talk about teachers taking teaching as an easy job, and we, students are so bloody stressed. Have we debunked that thought? Not entirely.
We hand up first drafts, second drafts, n number of drafts which extend to the infinite, with each only so little different from the previous. Teachers see our efforts by the number of drafts we hand in, not the quality we put in the drafts. We expect teachers to mark our script tirelessly, unfailingly. What hypocrisy when teachers try holding back work to give you and when they finally give us we complain that they are unreasonable. There definitely ARE unreasonable amounts of work, and many a time i witness them. But let's bear a thought for those who are going to MARK them.
Hand in a clean, polished draft and do your best, for I have slowly learnt how not to torture my mentors. It doesn't take much effort to. It's a win-win situation, for one gains more when he tries his best, and the less stress enchances one's life and performance and everything!
Labels: voice
Empire of the Sun
This movie by Steven Spielberg is a emotional coming-of-age story of a boy with origins from the aristocratic family. It's a semi-autobiography of the author of the novel of the same name, which depicts his accounts in world war II.
Jamie, the protagonist of the movie, is well portrayed as a child in an aristocratic family. Rich, and well guarded. Christian Bale displays his acting finesse even at a young age portraying the character's innocence curiosity towards everything around him. At the start of the movie, city he's living in, Shanghai, was shelled by the Japanese apropos, he got separated from his parents into a spell of temporal orphanage in the midst of a crowd. He was then deported to a Japanese internment camp, where he falls victim to the opportunistic Bassie.
While this movie possesses a solid enough script, it does lack narrative drive, sometimes leaving the audience a little behind the drama. It's not the typical movie, where there is a build-up, a climax, a solution, instead, it's a mature account on the development of the protagonist, his coming of age, his understanding towards the world. This movie is not the easiest to understand, it does leave me a little behind the effects, I only fully understood it the day after I watched.
This isn't a film one would really expect, themes like family, nemesis, love, respect, innocence all boils down to Jamie's coming of age. Bale acted his part out with superb accuracy for the characterization of Jamie. In the start of the movie, Jamie was innocent and curious, then about the middle, Bale portrays Jamie as someone who is starting to learn about the world. He is a strong and somewhat character in the movie, giving light to those he try to serve, except for the opportunistic Bassie. At the end, he comes of age, he understands the world, became friends with his enemies, and finally, escapes the hands of Bassie. The movie ends with a satisfying, warm, silent reunion with his family.
John Malkovich and Nigel Havers did excellent jobs in portraying the harsh realities of prison life. Malkovich acts as an opportunistic, egoistic man, who exploits Jamie's innocence and willpower on a few occasions. Havers was the true father figure to Jamie in the entire show, and brings to Jamie the realistic side of life. He is one of the characters who influenced Jamie most, and contributed greatly to his coming of age. Jamie contrasts with the realistic nature of the entire film. He does display idealistic thinking and behavior. However, he is a dynamic character who changes in this area.
Spielberg effectively used imagery to symbolize hope, determination, and defiance. Some example include the use of the color white, the atom bomb and simple words "I surrender". Sometimes the audience ends up trying to understand the nexus of these symbols and the entire story, but the result is very enriching.
Well, this movie is emotionally satisfying, but also great for the non-emotional, a movie strongly recommended. One of the best movies I've watched. Since it's the first time I reviewed a movie, my rating is the first also.
Script: 8.5/10Narrative drive: 6.75/10Acting: 9/10 (Malkovich was fine, Havers was better than fine, Bale was off the scale)Sound: 9/10Story: 17.75/20Directing: 18/20 (one of Spielberg's best i must say)Overall: 86%Labels: reviews
"you taught me that people will do anything for a potato"
Maturity
There are so many definitions to this: but is there a best definition? Many of which I'm listing are results of my futile rationalizing.
Is maturity attained when a person acquires the ability to discern? When a person recognizes the fine line between what's appropriate for the matter at hand and carries out the right action? A person of this sort is the common "grown up", and the most common definition to maturity. However, this way to define maturity is lacking in one sense: that a person never touches himself, never realizes himself, playing by societal rules, a conformist.
Is maturity attained when one recognizes that ways of the world, but does not blindly conform, instead, lives a mind of his own? Is maturity attained when one begins to have his own opinions of the world and act them out? This is the experienced person, the person who had gone through the shits of the world, who recognizes the atrocities of societies because he had been in the world and grew to understand it. An experienced skeptic, or believer, either way, a starkly immense contrast with an innocent one. But the concept of independence has a problem: no man is an island and our every conception and perception is shaped by authority and premises, our senses nonperfect, our theories shortcoming.
Is maturity the coming of age of a person, when a person finally understands the ways of the world because he had been through, ergo formulate conclusions based on reliable self-experience? The coming of age is when a person finally knows himself fully? This is one point I firmly believe in: that knowledge of oneself is the sine qua non of maturity. One must know his flaws, his strengths, his limits to find his place in the world, to understand his lack of understanding, to understand man better. However, the coming of age and self-realization and understanding, as reliable as it sounds, is shaky and somewhat unreliable. Giving the changing tendencies of the person himself and more, the world, one cannot find his rightful place just by self-knowledge. It's not that it's not a good measure, but an inadequate one. To me, there is more to life than this world also, even I deem this as something extremely essential in the lines of maturity.
Is maturity the end of ignorance? Does the light of maturity break when the blanket of willful ignorance diminish? Does a person become more mature when he open his eyes and take action on the world around him? Does he become more mature when he looks at others' problems instead of himself? It is true, because he starts to realize the simple truth that the world doesn't consist of him, a release from innocence. Maturity starts with the end of willful ignorance to the world. But is egoism a sign of immaturity? It is, to an extent, but only in the premises of innocence, when one doesn't know, or doesn't care to know about the outside world. An example here: a competitive businessman isn't immature because he is egoistic for his gain of something. However, a lover who makes life difficult for his other because "he likes it that way" is immature because he is willfully ignorant about his partner's opinions but only pays attention to his own bubble for the way he likes it to be. But this theory has a problem: it only takes to account willful ignorance. What about innocence? What about pure innocence? What about narrow-mindedness? Are they not signs of immaturity? Compare ignorance, innocent ignorance with a baby. Is he not immature?
Is maturity the ability to conduct oneself in a favorable, acceptable way? Is maturity all about being poised? Does a measure of a person's maturity come from his outward appearance and his actions? It is true in the argument that good behavior is a sign of a person's knowledge of the rules and standards of society, and he is, therefore, mature. Looking form another angle, in chinese, maturity is
成熟. "成" carries the definition of accomplishment, achievement, or transforming to, turning to. The definition of "熟" is to be riped, processed, skilled, experienced, practised, deeply. Do you realize that only one of this definitions has directly to do with outward appearance? Is a person mature because he brings himself across well? Or is it the inner changes in him which made him realize that? There is a MAJOR misconception correlating maturity with appearance, and it's apparent everywhere. There is a way I behave in school which brings me across as an immature person. I know that, and sometimes I did that on purpose. One of my friends actually checked my blog and told me the next day that he didn't expect that of me. "i didn't know you're someone who... thinks." Well I expect all those comments, that I'm like this, I'm like that. But don't you think it's a good way to carry on with this maturity gauge experiment? If you don't get me, nevermind. haha.
But to me the best measure of maturity is not from the outside. It's from the inside of a person, from knowing the ways of the world, it's from understanding that you don't understand, and making an attempt to have a mind of your own. It's also about being independent, not stubbornly independent, but taking to account interdependence. In the book: 7 habits of highly effective people, Steven Covey lists habit no. 7 under that of interdependence upon one another. Maturity, to me it's also about knowing your limitations, so you are wary of yourself, and in a larger context, the hoi polloi. I believe maturity, or, riping comes at a very different time for everyone. Some I know are mature at 15. Some, who THINK they are mature, aren't even there at 18. Of all, maturity is instigated by one's own mind, one's own attempt to understand the world and himself and the people around him. Because through these, a person will know how to survive in this world, know this world, and recognize a part of his place in this world, and also to help others in this world. Ultimately, it must be for progression.
To come to think of it, there are so many definitions. These are just some to make you think.
Labels: christian-bboy, voice
the road to progression.
Moderation to convention is the sine qua non of mediocrity.
Discipline to acrid criticism is the birth of progression.
I've already put it as simply as possible. Some time ago, I started questioning the rationale behind my many commitments, and through which, I moderated my standards. For which, you must never do. It's either all or nothing, more than fine, the average mentality is the dawn of mediocrity. Knowing this weakness, began my self-criticizing lifestyle, I am never good enough, or good to start with.
The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it, a quote by Michaelangelo.
Pray and ask for trials, implore for more challenges, for little in this world comes free, little in this world shows on the surface. Trials, if done God's way makes you stronger.
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
Sorry guys gotta cut it rite now, my clock cheated on me.
Labels: christian-bboy, ilovemebutGodlovesmemore
