I don't like medical examinations. They feel rather freaky, though I have to admit that the doctor was nice. The psychological testing part was fascinating, hahah. It was mentioned in the form but not explicitly stated so when the doctor started asking me various questions related to what I want to do with my life and etc., I kept thinking "OH so this is the part where he determines whether I'm a psychotic nutcase".
We had this discussion on ethical issues ('cause I said that I'll probably be doing life sciences and that I want to teach eventually), and this idea he mentioned was good food-for-thought. The gist of what he mentioned goes something like this: In real life, we're always valuing things and using people, but there's always a struggle in our hearts because we should value people and use things.
The whole thing started with cloning. Then we moved on to embryonic stem cell research (Ah, the last chapter of JC bio.), which led to the ethical issues part. One thing I learnt was that the authorities (Bioethics Committee, I think) determines day 14 as the start of life.
So what are we from days 1 to 13? Non-living?
If this law is laid down just so embryos can be harvested for stem cell research, I think it's majorly wrong.
But it's also true that money makes the world go round, and a lot of things that people do are done for their own selfish gains.
Of course there're people who care for others and give selflessly. The unfortunate thing is that they're the minority. I'm not saying I'm a saint; it's just that... don't you ever wonder why the world is so screwed up sometimes?
Also, since the screwed-up-ness of the world is caused by man, how does that reflect on our inherent nature?
Mmm. Just wondering.
30 June 2008
25 June 2008
[05]
Pearl's comment on science fiction/fantasy inspired this entry, hahah. Happy reading!
(Do note that all research was done on wikipedia, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.)
Fantasy, science fiction and horror fiction are all classified under speculative fiction, which generally deals with events or entities that are unproven or have yet to occur. (Thus speculative fiction, duh.)
The main purpose of horror fiction is to scare/freak out the audience. In my opinion, it's pointless. I've never really understood why people would want to scare themselves; there're many more worthwhile ways to get the adrenaline flowing.
There isn't much to horror fiction anyway, so I'm not going to elaborate. We see enough examples in the cinema as it is, don't we?
Fantasy is a genre that involves magic and other elements of the supernatural, and is usually associated with themes of the European Middle Ages. Technological and morbid themes are avoided in fantasy, unlike the other two subgenres mentioned.
In fantasy stories, fantastic elements usually appear in an internally consistent setting, and restrictions are placed on the characters' powers to ensure structure in the story.
Science fiction, on the other hand, involves speculations based on current or future science and technology. The difference between sci-fi and fantasy lies in how most of the imaginary elements are scientifically possible, i.e. not "magic".
Most works of science fiction are meant to entertain, though at the same time, they are also written with a certain amount of um, intelligent postulations (I couldn't find any better word) about alternate possibilities. Settings in science fiction usually contradict known reality; the characters can be placed anywhere/anytime from the past to the future, from earth to outer space to other worlds (that's where aliens come in). Some stories involve technology or scientific that are complete opposite from the laws of nature that have been discovered as of now, while others involve the discovery or application of new scientific principles or of new and different political/social systems.
I know "new and different political/social systems" doesn't seem related to science fiction, but I guess when science comes into play, like genetic engineering/eugenics/social "brainwashing" etc., the new technology changes society and so connecting science to the alteration of political/social systems. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is a great example. So are most books of Scott Westerfeld's, but I won't harp on that. Heh.
Science fiction is thus also a "literature of ideas", as it explores the consequences of such changes implemented in society.
Oh this is something that I didn't know: Science fiction is divided into hard and soft sci-fi.
Hard sci-fi novels includes a lot of accurate details from the quantitative sciences (especially physics, astrophysics and chemistry). E.g. 2001: A Space Odyssey (and subsequent sequels) by Arthur C. Clarke.
Soft science fiction/social sci-fi are mostly based on the social sciences, i.e. psychology, economics, political science, sociology and anthropology. (I remember this huge debate in my GP class about whether social sciences are true sciences or not, but let's just assume that they are, even if they're not traditional sciences. Man has progressed, so let's not get stuck in old mindsets, yes?)
It's not that I don't like fantasy; I love the entire The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. What I dislike are stories that aren't thought-provoking, that are written for the sake of producing something. Everything is so commercialized nowadays that a lot of stuff exist just to make money, and where's the point in that?
I think every piece of work has to serve its purpose. Pure entertainment is a valid enough reason to produce something, but it can entertain and educate (or at least, induce some brain activity) at the same time.
This, is why I don't like senseless horror flicks.
Interestingly, the site also included a section on fanfiction, of which there're five different types: chaptered fic, drabble (commonly known as one-shot), songfic and alternative universe.
A chaptered fic is the traditional kind, kind of like a novel.
Drabbles/One-shots (or two-shots or many-shots depending on how many the author writes, hahah) reflect a moment in time and is usually about the thoughts of the character(s).
Songfics are based on songs, with the writer getting inspiration from the song(s)' lyrics.
Authors of alternative universe fanfics change the settings but keep the same characters, creating potential what-if situations.
Just thought I should include fanfic simply for interest's sake. Hahah.
Alright, the entry was rather dry, but I had fun with it, so much that it doesn't really matter if people hated reading it. Hahah.
Tata till the next entry!
(Do note that all research was done on wikipedia, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.)
Fantasy, science fiction and horror fiction are all classified under speculative fiction, which generally deals with events or entities that are unproven or have yet to occur. (Thus speculative fiction, duh.)
The main purpose of horror fiction is to scare/freak out the audience. In my opinion, it's pointless. I've never really understood why people would want to scare themselves; there're many more worthwhile ways to get the adrenaline flowing.
There isn't much to horror fiction anyway, so I'm not going to elaborate. We see enough examples in the cinema as it is, don't we?
Fantasy is a genre that involves magic and other elements of the supernatural, and is usually associated with themes of the European Middle Ages. Technological and morbid themes are avoided in fantasy, unlike the other two subgenres mentioned.
In fantasy stories, fantastic elements usually appear in an internally consistent setting, and restrictions are placed on the characters' powers to ensure structure in the story.
Science fiction, on the other hand, involves speculations based on current or future science and technology. The difference between sci-fi and fantasy lies in how most of the imaginary elements are scientifically possible, i.e. not "magic".
Most works of science fiction are meant to entertain, though at the same time, they are also written with a certain amount of um, intelligent postulations (I couldn't find any better word) about alternate possibilities. Settings in science fiction usually contradict known reality; the characters can be placed anywhere/anytime from the past to the future, from earth to outer space to other worlds (that's where aliens come in). Some stories involve technology or scientific that are complete opposite from the laws of nature that have been discovered as of now, while others involve the discovery or application of new scientific principles or of new and different political/social systems.
I know "new and different political/social systems" doesn't seem related to science fiction, but I guess when science comes into play, like genetic engineering/eugenics/social "brainwashing" etc., the new technology changes society and so connecting science to the alteration of political/social systems. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is a great example. So are most books of Scott Westerfeld's, but I won't harp on that. Heh.
Science fiction is thus also a "literature of ideas", as it explores the consequences of such changes implemented in society.
Oh this is something that I didn't know: Science fiction is divided into hard and soft sci-fi.
Hard sci-fi novels includes a lot of accurate details from the quantitative sciences (especially physics, astrophysics and chemistry). E.g. 2001: A Space Odyssey (and subsequent sequels) by Arthur C. Clarke.
Soft science fiction/social sci-fi are mostly based on the social sciences, i.e. psychology, economics, political science, sociology and anthropology. (I remember this huge debate in my GP class about whether social sciences are true sciences or not, but let's just assume that they are, even if they're not traditional sciences. Man has progressed, so let's not get stuck in old mindsets, yes?)
It's not that I don't like fantasy; I love the entire The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. What I dislike are stories that aren't thought-provoking, that are written for the sake of producing something. Everything is so commercialized nowadays that a lot of stuff exist just to make money, and where's the point in that?
I think every piece of work has to serve its purpose. Pure entertainment is a valid enough reason to produce something, but it can entertain and educate (or at least, induce some brain activity) at the same time.
This, is why I don't like senseless horror flicks.
Interestingly, the site also included a section on fanfiction, of which there're five different types: chaptered fic, drabble (commonly known as one-shot), songfic and alternative universe.
A chaptered fic is the traditional kind, kind of like a novel.
Drabbles/One-shots (or two-shots or many-shots depending on how many the author writes, hahah) reflect a moment in time and is usually about the thoughts of the character(s).
Songfics are based on songs, with the writer getting inspiration from the song(s)' lyrics.
Authors of alternative universe fanfics change the settings but keep the same characters, creating potential what-if situations.
Just thought I should include fanfic simply for interest's sake. Hahah.
Alright, the entry was rather dry, but I had fun with it, so much that it doesn't really matter if people hated reading it. Hahah.
Tata till the next entry!
23 June 2008
[04]
I saw the fourth book of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies/Pretties/Specials trilogy, Extras. (Don't ask me about the fourth-book-in-the-trilogy thing; I have no idea why, but it is kind of cute.)
Pushing Daisies is pretty much the only serial I'm watching nowadays, ever since season 2 of Supernatural ended. Science fiction again. Hahah.
It reminds me a lot of Amelie 'cause of the whimsical details but Pushing Daisies is easier to watch. The reasons for filming/writing it a certain way are less... obscure. Not that it really matters; I never really got the "so-and-so, 9 years 3 months 4 days 38 minutes and 49 seconds old, is..." thing. Just get to the point, please.
I've been slacking my ass off and enjoying it. Work may be coming in soon; the first assignment I got from the tuition agency was... Yep, you guessed it. Math. It's not confirmed yet, so I'm going to recharge while I can.
Time to drag out all those math textbooks too. Whee.
Pushing Daisies is pretty much the only serial I'm watching nowadays, ever since season 2 of Supernatural ended. Science fiction again. Hahah.
It reminds me a lot of Amelie 'cause of the whimsical details but Pushing Daisies is easier to watch. The reasons for filming/writing it a certain way are less... obscure. Not that it really matters; I never really got the "so-and-so, 9 years 3 months 4 days 38 minutes and 49 seconds old, is..." thing. Just get to the point, please.
I've been slacking my ass off and enjoying it. Work may be coming in soon; the first assignment I got from the tuition agency was... Yep, you guessed it. Math. It's not confirmed yet, so I'm going to recharge while I can.
Time to drag out all those math textbooks too. Whee.
18 June 2008
[03]
I am completely in love with, and in awe of Scott Westerfeld.
(No, he is not in some boyband, nor is he some star-wannabe. He's a writer. Um, he's married too, but that's quite beside the point.)
He writes awesome books, mostly for teens/young adults.
(Technically, I'm still a teenager, so reading YA fiction is allowed. In any case, his books are way beyond the typical high-school-teen-drama-ish books in terms of plot, factual content and vocabulary. Or maybe it's just me and science fiction. Hahah.)
My left eye has been twitching for three days straight. According to folklore, something good's supposed to happen, but none has so far. It's starting to really get on my nerves.
I continue to quote from The Don't Sweat Guide for Teachers.
"Your privileged relationship with a student may mean that you are one of the first to identify a problem, but it's not up to you to fix it."
Isn't that the case for all problems? Not everything that happens is our responsibility, but the first problem is deciding which is. There're certain issues that fall within our ability to resolve, which is great, 'cause then we can do something about it. And then there're those we can't do much about.
The form of "help" rendered (be it by yourself or others) must be appropriate for it to be effective, I suppose.
The promise to not whine still applies, which is why I'm thinking very hard about what to do next and what the correct thing to do would be. At the same time, there're about five other big issues/events on my plate. It'd be nice to get all of them over and done with really soon.
If external stuff can't be changed, then it's up to me to change my mindset.
First up, not feeling like I'm about to explode upon hearing two particular names.
(No, he is not in some boyband, nor is he some star-wannabe. He's a writer. Um, he's married too, but that's quite beside the point.)
He writes awesome books, mostly for teens/young adults.
(Technically, I'm still a teenager, so reading YA fiction is allowed. In any case, his books are way beyond the typical high-school-teen-drama-ish books in terms of plot, factual content and vocabulary. Or maybe it's just me and science fiction. Hahah.)
My left eye has been twitching for three days straight. According to folklore, something good's supposed to happen, but none has so far. It's starting to really get on my nerves.
I continue to quote from The Don't Sweat Guide for Teachers.
"Your privileged relationship with a student may mean that you are one of the first to identify a problem, but it's not up to you to fix it."
Isn't that the case for all problems? Not everything that happens is our responsibility, but the first problem is deciding which is. There're certain issues that fall within our ability to resolve, which is great, 'cause then we can do something about it. And then there're those we can't do much about.
The form of "help" rendered (be it by yourself or others) must be appropriate for it to be effective, I suppose.
The promise to not whine still applies, which is why I'm thinking very hard about what to do next and what the correct thing to do would be. At the same time, there're about five other big issues/events on my plate. It'd be nice to get all of them over and done with really soon.
If external stuff can't be changed, then it's up to me to change my mindset.
First up, not feeling like I'm about to explode upon hearing two particular names.
11 June 2008
[02]
On my way home today, I saw this pair of conjoined cockroaches. The Siamese roaches were um, joined at the butt, or whatever that part of their insectoid bodies is.
Hahah fine, maybe they were just mating.
My brother (who's back from Australia, as you recall) bought me this necklace and a pink roxy cap. The previous gift I received was a pink camera from my parents.
Alrighty, I appreciate the thought, and it's not that I don't like pink. It's just time for um, branching out into other colours. I have far too much pink stuff. Very girly. (To which my mom will say, "But you're a girl!")
At least the necklace is pretty, and my brother's sense of what is pretty (or not) has improved. That's something to celebrate, heh.
My first tuition lesson (teaching Sec. 2 English) went somewhat uneventfully, though halfway through the lesson I started wondering what on earth I was doing.
Sometimes parents just have too little faith in their children. Failing an exam doesn't really matter, especially considering the fact that only one student in the entire level passed. (And he/she passed by only one mark. ONE.)
Besides, aren't lifeskills more important than academic achievements?
Grades do help us to get ahead in life, but if the person in question is clueless when it comes to application of knowledge and all the nitty-gritty stuff in life, all the content in his/her head aren't going to be of any use.
Anyway, I felt so lost and bewildered that I headed straight for the library after the lesson to look for books on education.
(Yes, faith is supposed to help, but looking for concrete advice seems to be more practical.)
Two pages into The Don't Sweat Guide for Teachers (by the editors of Don't Sweat Press, very cute indeed), I discovered that the point of teaching is not so much about content as about methods of learning. As in, the teachers who impact students more are those who (via teaching content) show their students how they assimilated what they teaching.
In other words, there is a "personal touch" to their teaching style.
Easier said than done.
I just keep trying to remember the "don't take yourself too seriously" mantra passed on from my teacher, who got it from his teacher.
With that, I end this post, 'cause my hair is now dry.
Hahah fine, maybe they were just mating.
My brother (who's back from Australia, as you recall) bought me this necklace and a pink roxy cap. The previous gift I received was a pink camera from my parents.
Alrighty, I appreciate the thought, and it's not that I don't like pink. It's just time for um, branching out into other colours. I have far too much pink stuff. Very girly. (To which my mom will say, "But you're a girl!")
At least the necklace is pretty, and my brother's sense of what is pretty (or not) has improved. That's something to celebrate, heh.
My first tuition lesson (teaching Sec. 2 English) went somewhat uneventfully, though halfway through the lesson I started wondering what on earth I was doing.
Sometimes parents just have too little faith in their children. Failing an exam doesn't really matter, especially considering the fact that only one student in the entire level passed. (And he/she passed by only one mark. ONE.)
Besides, aren't lifeskills more important than academic achievements?
Grades do help us to get ahead in life, but if the person in question is clueless when it comes to application of knowledge and all the nitty-gritty stuff in life, all the content in his/her head aren't going to be of any use.
Anyway, I felt so lost and bewildered that I headed straight for the library after the lesson to look for books on education.
(Yes, faith is supposed to help, but looking for concrete advice seems to be more practical.)
Two pages into The Don't Sweat Guide for Teachers (by the editors of Don't Sweat Press, very cute indeed), I discovered that the point of teaching is not so much about content as about methods of learning. As in, the teachers who impact students more are those who (via teaching content) show their students how they assimilated what they teaching.
In other words, there is a "personal touch" to their teaching style.
Easier said than done.
I just keep trying to remember the "don't take yourself too seriously" mantra passed on from my teacher, who got it from his teacher.
With that, I end this post, 'cause my hair is now dry.
09 June 2008
[01]
Here's a hello to part two of everyone's favourite colours, black and white. Monochromes can be pretty exciting sometimes.
(Part one can be found here; if you can't access it, then congrats, 'cause you've just found out why this part two exists.)
This entry is purely for saying hello.
Actually, I was tempted to spice up this entry with some photos from the trip to Austria/Slovakia, but unfortunately all the photos were deleted during the transfer to the computer. At least I get to stick to my theme of two colours hmm?
My brother is returning from his school trip to Australia today. Maybe I'll post his photos instead. Hahah.
(Part one can be found here; if you can't access it, then congrats, 'cause you've just found out why this part two exists.)
This entry is purely for saying hello.
Actually, I was tempted to spice up this entry with some photos from the trip to Austria/Slovakia, but unfortunately all the photos were deleted during the transfer to the computer. At least I get to stick to my theme of two colours hmm?
My brother is returning from his school trip to Australia today. Maybe I'll post his photos instead. Hahah.
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