CLIF=Conning Little Innocent Fans?

(picture credits to www.xinmsn.com)

Another most 'anticipated' drama from MediaCorpse. They couldn't decide on the English name of the show that they used Courage.Loyalty.Integrity.Fairness. Reminds me of that phony John Cena tag line of Hustle.Loyalty.Respect. Only thing is Cena is a one man army that believes the military revolves around him.

Back on track, CLIF is no difference either. I'd admit that many would like watching police dramas where men in the blue uniform catches the villains, use their revolver to annihilate their psychopathic counterparts in a nail-biting encounter scene etc. But as the word/term "Drama" comes into play, everything and anything is simply amplified and exaggerated beyond proportion. 

I've always took a liking towards Singapore dramas for its diverse genres and aspects. It really tells a story on the life in Singapore, covering the very rich to the middle-class folks and not to ever forget the poor people where MediaCorpse loves to focus on. The wide variety of drama just entices me, but some just exclusively don't.

Look at other countries production. Hong Kong drama loves focusing on really old times, where there was Emperors, law and the police force. Taiwan drama focuses on gangs, family domestic disputes, business tycoons fighting for ownership of assets. Shanghai drama focuses on wealthy individuals always holding a ruger and people in uniform holding a bayonet. American drama will be on science-fiction, like out of space stuffs, investigating crime and mysteries like CSI.

All are so predictable except for Singapore ones. Look at the CLIF show now, the trailer involves rioting in modern Singapore, gunfights with men in uniform shooting at will, comrades dying in the line of duty and the police always wins in the very end. How ludicrous? This doesn't reflect on the real police force in Singapore. Yes, Singapore Police Force has a reputation for keeping baddies at bay with their efficiency, hence the low crime rate. However, how ubiquitous is it that you read the newspapers on police involving in a gunfight or a riot control? It happens frequently in the drama that makes it unrealistic. 

I can't believe how the SPF can support a show that doesn't reflect on what they are really doing. A commendable drama that truly depicts the SPF will be "Heartlanders" by the better channel known as Channel 5 if anyone could recall the Wushu guy Vincent in it. That's really what portrays the SPF, not pointless arguments and vows for revenge that don't really bode well for young kids to learn. 

In the end, the huge fans' support for this show will just boost ratings and will win themselves numerous awards, clear predecessors of mediocre shows that made it to the top like "The Little Nyonya", "Together", "The Ultimatum", "Breakout" and the list just goes on and on. Channel 8 isn't about good shows and dramas anymore that will boost ratings, its the fans now. They'll support even if the show sucked. Will this just be a repeat of history? We'll find out soon enough after this insanely boring show known as "The In-Laws" ends.

(video credits to MediaCorp Pte Ltd, Channel 8.)

Ceased Procrastination

The sun rose from the east, and is waiting to set in the west. It doesn't procrastinate on when to rise and set. Well, maybe its the duty of the Earth revolving anyway. Some things aren't exactly what they seem.

Those sophisicated stuffs aside, I spent 2 hours on the PTM last Friday and I'm starting to feel that meeting the teacher seems to be like waiting for your Queue Number to be called in a clinic. Only thing is that no one wants to visit the doctor in my classroom that he's marking other class' assignments. My L1B4 is at a peak of 31, quite disheartening but also a blessing in disguise as I've found a long-term motivation to study from it as well.

Spent last evening in the city, it has been quite awhile since I've spent some time in these crowded places. Had a steamboat dinner at Golden Mile Complex, has been 10 years since I've went there and surprisingly its still there with the good ol' taste. Went to Bugis Junction to do some shopping, nothing much to buy anyway. Drop by King Albert Park to have some supper at McDonalds before heading home. Only if this could be done in a daily basis.

For today, I'm going to spend a great deal of time on my Mother Tongue. Its the big day tomorrow. I'm going to need some luck. =)

Are You Sure They're Motivational Philanthropist(s)?

(photo courtesy of www.akltg.com)


At a young age of 26, Mr Adam Khoo made his first million dollars. Today, at the age of 37, he's a multi-millionaire continually giving "motivational" talks to people all over South-east Asia. Many will regard him as a philanthropist as he wants to "help" others to find their source of motivation and his secrets on earning his first million dollars.

This will just be a food for thought and there's no intention to scar his reputation. Adam owns a company know as the Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group (AKLTG) that provides workshops and talks targeting working adults, professionals, youths etc. I'll not beat around the bush any further by proclaiming that that he charges extremely high rate for a talk. I've experienced it myself. My school, engaged his 'apprentices' to talk for a whole day at an audience of about 100 students and each has to pay $200 odd for this talk.

This contradicts the fact that they're concerned about our well-being and tries to motivate us right? Apparently, their targeted customers are those who are rich, because if you send your child to his workshop with only has 5 people in it, it easily cost about $4000. I've done my researches on this. Adam trains about 20-odd of his staff on how to give talks and of course professional and dynamic speeches. Technically speaking, if you're running 3 hotels and earning big-time, will you want to give talks to people to work as him and not wanting to care about your hotels and earn yourself maybe around a $1000 for a talk?

Now into what goes into the talk. The workshop splits into 2 groups with about a 100 students in it. I happened to be in a group that starts at a later date. The trainers were talking about his life story for all we care, and astonishingly, their 'special' stories like they told us that they ordered McDonalds the day before, and this was repeated at the second talk. It was all staged and rehearsed! It goes to show that the whole group consists of what I call actors, I wouldn't call them con-artists because they did what they wanted to do, to motivate.

Group of actors indeed, I'm extremely disgusted at the fact that we already paid a hefty amount of money for this talk and the trainers were attacking their audience emotionally. How ridiculous! I guess those whom really needs motivation like those from poor family background can't even attend this course with such high rates.

Back to Adam, where he supposedly earned his million dollar from giving speeches at a rate of $1000/hour. Who gives talk and earns so much? Its like asking yourself if a beggar can even a thousand dollar a month by begging near a graveyard. Did he do something else to earn so much like investments?

He was said to be an 'under-achiever' when in primary school but after attending a camp, he was motivated and has all the accolades imaginable. Is this a make-up as well that he's born smart and the "under-achiever" thing was just another way to make people motivated?

I feel an air of hypocrisy around him, there'a chain email some time back when he was asked why he was taking an economy class flight and not business one since he's a millionaire. Then he starts to tell the person that that's how he became a millionaire by saving and scrimping, taking economy flights, drive a normal 'car'. Ok, I'll end it here. Adam owns a private apartment in East Coast. On top of that, he has 2 maids and drives a red Chevrolet convertible. You call that normal car and scrimping?

Of course he may manage to motivate a few and is a good person, but I feel he's so focused on earning money . Not that I'm jealous of his wealth,  butI don't think he's the kind philanthropist that many made him out to be.

PTM: Time Wasting Tactic?

(photo courtesy of DSS Photography Club Archives: Sec 2 Mass-PTM 2011)

I'll admit that I find the Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) one of the most paradoxical event started by an apparent dullard. I personally find PTM totally unnecessary and a complete waste of time. Perhaps that was why I rather not strike this lottery of getting PTM for 4 years. But my number was called.

I really feel a sense of unjust for those who frequent the meeting. What can the form teacher possibly say during the meet?

"Fail English, work harder on it, if not difficult enter Poly/JC"
"Fail so many subjects, L1R4 aggregate so high, can't enter most courses"
"You might want to consider dropping the subjects that you have been failing"
"How do you want to improve on the subjects you fared badly?"
"*Miscellaneous complaints on students' behaviour in class*"

How predictable this event works. All this questions had already been asked by my parents the day the light had shed on my examinations. And its already answered at the couch where I had a small talk with my parents. The ludicrous part was to have the questions asked again, by our teacher this time in the presence of our parents. First of all, I do agree that the teachers has the right to know why we achieve such poor grades but is it necessary for them to ask us with our parents around. Some parents have to take leave because of this and to listen the same tune being played by them days ago.

I also understand that my school is one of the really few school which only require the attendance of the pupil's parents should they fare badly for their grades. Its compulsory for most secondary schools to have the parents to turn up for a meeting with them.

Why can't the teachers arrange a time to have a conversation over the phone with the parents? Its not as if the meeting will take up to an hour or even 30 minutes. A few questions and cautions to let the parents know and that's it! I wonder how a simple thing can't even be brought to the mind of those people who are much educated than most of us.

And of course, I empathise with the teachers because I believe they also have the same ideology as me but its the school that insists on it. I bet they also feel dolt asking the those questions that parents would normally ask first. If you're a parent and your child gets such low grades, the first thing that you will do is to ask why right? The next probable question is how you're going to improve right? And the teachers are going to ask that. Horrendous.

There's some parents who will also like to meet their child's teachers perhaps as a form of formality and to understand the mentors behind their child's education. They also want to know how competent is the teacher, hence the meet. All this can be arranged at a date after the examinations or any time during curriculum hours so parents can have ample time to request for a leave from their work. I think its too impromptu to issue the form only 2 days before the meeting.

In this way, the objective is equally achieved as the teachers get to communicate with the parents and extract results to talk about via the phone. And for those parents who were so desperately to meet the teachers, they can arrange a time to meet and have sufficient time to request for a leave. Its a shame some people can't think of this brilliant idea.

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

(Photo courtesy of www.daylife.com)

Raddy Avramovic named his list of "new" squad of National players a few hours ago. And I've got to say this is one of the most absurd decision. That inexperienced new FAS President Mayor Zainuddin axing the whole team. Guess what? 16 out of 33 players are "Old Guards" aka players that has been in the team before it was axed.

No doubt it is a very good experience for the other 17 players comprising both of youth players and those who earned the spot to represent Singapore. Question is, in the 33-player squad, who really shouldn't be there and should have been there.

Noticeable fault in the squad would have to be Aleksandar Duric. This 41 year old can even pass a Beep Test, but when it comes to the pitch, it seems as though age has caught up with him and he had a bye through the Beep Test. Shahdan Sulaiman, Jumaat Jantan and Shukor Zailan are another part of this category. Both didn't have a very good records in their caps for Singapore, inconsistent. Lionel Lewis, another really inconsistent goalie that would be a gamble for Raddy to field as the result will either be him at his top or lowest form.

Noticeable additions would include Hamqaamal Shah and Ruzaini Zainal. Great platform for them to develop further out of their clubs. And the miss will be Precious, Baihakki and Ridhuan Muhammad. Can't agree further with this, Precious' a little too aggressive, Ridhuan is plain dribbling up and down the flanks and Baihakki is rather rash when deciding for an offense or defense.

Noticeable misses would be Ahmad Latiff, Shahril Jantan, Eugene Luo and Jeremy Chiang. Raddy still can't f'n put away his prejudicialness of Ahmad Latiff, he's a great winger and can feed ball dangerously into the box. Shahril Jantan is very consistent as a goalkeeper and he has proven this from time to time. Eugene can dart and shake off players easily in the centre of the field. Jeremy on the other hand is a great full-back, can run back to defend after providing assist for an attack.

Raddy still can't tabulate his stuff properly, its the National Team we're talking about. Apparently, the fans can think and analyze things better than this 'veteran' does. Problem is whether they're hearing us and working on it.

Goalkeepers

Lionel Lewis (Home United)

Hassan Sunny (Tampines Rovers)

Izwan Mahbud (Courts Young Lions)

Defenders

Juma'at Jantan (Home United)

Shaiful Esah (SAFFC)

Daniel Bennett (SAFFC)

Ismail Yunos (Gombak United)

Hamqaamal Shah (Gombak United)

Afiq Yunos (Courts Young Lions)

Safuwan B Baharudin (Courts Young Lions)

Irwan Shah (Courts Young Lions)

Shakir Hamzah (Courts Young Lions)

Delwinder Singh (Tanjong Pagar United)

Midfielders

Shi Jia Yi (Home United)

Isa Halim (Home United)

Shahdan Sulaiman (Tampines Rovers)

Shukor Bin Zailan (Tampines Rovers)

Hariss Harun (Courts Young Lions)

Raihan Rahman (Courts Young Lions)

Faris Ramli (Courts Young Lions)

Zulfahmi Arifin (Courts Young Lions)

Nazrul Nazari (Courts Young Lions)

Fazly Ayob (Courts Young Lions)

Mustafic Fahrudin (Persela Lamongan)

Shahril Ishak (Medan Chiefs)

Ruzaini Zainal (SAFFC)

Andrew Tan Wee Tat (Balestier Khalsa)

Forwards

Qiu Li (Home United)

Sufian Bin Anwar (Home United)

Fazrul Nawaz (SAFFC)

Khairul Amri (Persiba Balikpapan)

Aleksandar Duric (Tampines Rovers)

Khairul Nizam (Courts Young Lions)

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

(photo courtesy of Dunearn ICC; happen to land myself in their camp's photo album.)

Finally received my Corre shirt, darn it was undelivered last Thursday because of the Preliminary Orals. That guy there couldn't believe I memorise the Article No. and started to have a conversation with me. The small little place they call Post Office contains a lot of mail but its located on the 5th floor of West Mall. What a hassle to transport all the mail up/down right? Still looks like a bank to me.

Anyway, I didn't fare as badly for my Chemistry paper than I initially thought. Its also disappointing that I scored 12 for Biology MCQ and 13 for Chemistry MCQ. Re-test for Additional Math tomorrow after today's Elementary was done, I'm honestly too lethargic for any more drilling. And guess what?

1)  I've this little test on my worst subject
2) 11 consecutive periods of Mother Tongue on both Wednesday and Thursday
3)  Friday's the day of reckoning
4) Next Monday is the Mother Tongue O Levels
5) Tuesday to Friday of next week is just hardcore mugging on core subjects

Suddenly have the urge to get into Polytechnic as quickly as possible, I don't have to sit for 8< papers for examinations anymore! Most importantly, the word "Mother Tongue" will cease to exist in the vocabulary book of Polytechnic!

Wish me luck for now... because I'm going to need it badly.

The Beginning of the End

For any sane Secondary 4 Express student, the supposedly last week of school isn't really their last. On the contrary, its just the mere beginning... the beginning of more tedious revisions. Look at the watch, its just 14 short days to the Mother Tongue O Levels. And we're fed with Mother Tongue periods from 8am to 1pm.

I use to have a mindset that Chinese is my weakest subject and I see no point in getting good results/excelling it. Guess what? Chinese is by far, my highest scoring subject, with Paper 1 and 2. (If I add 3 and 4, its another disappointing fail)

To be honest, I really wasn't expecting the kind of results I had. Disappointing but we must learn to pick up from where we fall. Intensive study on Wednesday and Thursday, D&D aka prison camp next Tuesday to Friday. Wish me luck. =)

When the tough gets going, the going gets tough.

The past can't be re-written, the future is not for us to see, the present is for us to live.

Here we are still living and breathing under the clear blue skies, doesn't look like the world will end today or anytime soon. I personally think that those preachers predicting May 21st as Judgement Day has badly failed buying Lotto/Toto. Cry wolf aptitude or undigested food in their rectum and can't pass it out?

The 2012 'phenomenon' won't even happen, trust me. Instead of worrying over Armageddon, why don't we continue with life? Why dwell on the past when it can't be changed? Why ponder on the limitless future? Why don't we live for the present, create more values right now? Earth don't function in a way where it is so fragile by the way.

Anyway, my grades for examinations were so atrocious I think its about time to pull up my socks. After an incident I've witnessed on Friday night, I'm motivated to get into that particular course. I'm going to pull people away from the gates of hell back into a paradise named Earth. =)

Scania K230UBs Euro V bus racing in AMK. LOL. Starting vehicles in front.

Today's Vesak Day, the public holiday which signals that the next one will be National Day! Kind of depressed my parents won't be participating this year, can't get to attend the event back at Marina Bay...

Played basketball and football in the morning, got traded over and I feel that all my steps seem heavier throughout the game. Gained weight? Haha... Spent the rest of the day at home and whipping up dinner, which let to the discovery of a special sauce I've invented. =)

Alright, school will be starting tomorrow unjustly because no marking days were given. Poor teachers, have to stay and mark our examination scripts right after they finished invigilating papers in the morning. On a positive side, tomorrow till Friday, dismissal time may be quite early... well except for Thursday as we have oral.

Speaking of which, how ludicrous it is to have preliminary oral days after the mid-year exams came to a long-last halt? Sigh, I'd bet that during the D&D camp, it'll be hardcore Math and Chinese. Guess what? Our Post-Exam Activities will include an exciting MT Intensive Study. *laughs sarcastically*

Finally, my mid-year examinations came to a long-awaited end today. However, preliminaries are starting... from Thursday, will have English oral... absurd. We deserve some kind of break right?

Anyway, I'm pretty upset now that I have completely lost my Train Simulation game's file. I downloaded it again and the whole gameplay lagged and sucked! Guess I'll have to play my trucking game then... but is always constantly low on memory. Maybe I'll get a RAM from Sim Lim while going to Istana with Jerome tomorrow. Haha...

And my tongue is seared last night, maybe sear was too hard on expression. I didn't know the soup I was drinking was boiling hot and I place it all inside my mouth without caution. Good grief... I spat it out but too little too late? Blisters all over my tongue, guess I'll need a week to recover... and especially at the part of your body where water is always present. Damn!

Kind of happy that we'll get to play soccer tomorrow yet again. Ain't it fun? Like 3 years ago, we started playing after school at a place named Beauty Garden. And thanks to some nonsensical plan by the girl in charge of that area, it has turned into a mediocre carpark. So much for nostalgia eh? Haha.

Tomorrow's the final paper of the mid-year examinations... Heck, I've considered it over since Thursday. Kind of weird they put 2 subjects into a single MCQ paper, the minimum chance of getting it right is 25%! How awesome!

That's of course if I didn't study... and that's the case for me throughout this whole examinations. To be frank, I'm extremely concerned for my subject combinations. I'm not optimistic on the subjects I am taking.

I dislike and have no interest for Physics because what's the deal with calculating force and such? I personally hate being an engineer so I dropped this subject as I thought it was pretty easy at first.

Chemistry? Great deal of interest since being in Primary school. My foundation of this subject was ruined by some intern teacher who even extended her stupid contract and suffered at her ridiculously low standard of teaching. After a year and a half, I can't even form a damn equation. _|_

As for Biology, that's the only subject I have interest in. In my opinion, I like studying a subject that can be practical in real life. We own our own body, so its essential that we know more about it right? Its such a shame this subject is a subject as a whole with Chemistry. Already paid for this subject in O Levels and Mr Aaron kept telling me that Chemistry will be very easy. Tsk.

For the other subjects, have no problems with them. Guess I'll need to work hard on it that's all. And the D&D camp requires us to go back to school for 5 days. Not to have any fun, but to grind on studying. Maybe there's sweetness in the bitterness.

And I'm hunting for a Logitech Momo. Hope to get it soon. =)

Currently back on blogging. But I'm not going to be constantly updating it, maybe once every full moon? Ok, I'm quite cold nowadays, in a sense. So this place will feel quite cold with all my silly rants, so please bear with me. =)

Been busy with the mid-year examinations. Totally unprepared for it... Maybe its for us to examine how good we can do whilst not studying for it? End results will always be disastrous, so its time to buck up already. Preliminaries is approaching as soon as you think 6 minutes is long to wait for a MRT.

Also, the General Elections just concluded recently... PAP back into the government body. Not that I dislike them, but I feel its beneficial to have about 15-20 out of the 84 seats in Parliament to be opposition members. Reason being that policies introduced by PAP can undergo a deeper level of stringency by opposition questioning the points that can make the policy/bill even better.

In my area, there's a new face serving here, pretty young to be a politician at 29. What's the deal? We already have a 27-year-old in Parliament right? *smile* Has it advantages though, like how I sent an email to him and feedback-ed on the poor transport system in my area. I've noticed people commenting on this constituency's facebook page on how they will be drenched when walking home from the MRT Station. All this would be lessened if trunk bus services had been introduced right? I've been around this place for close to 16 years, although I must say a lot of improvements had been made such as the introduction of Yew Tee Point, more condominiums etc. But 1 thing that remained the damn same is the transport. There were 301, 302, 305 and 307 about 14 years ago. Now? Only 302 and 307 remains, taking away 2 other feeder services. And the only way to get out of this suburban area? By train. So no matter how many trains LTA is going to roll out during peak hours, what use is it going to serve?

Of course, if my stand is not backed by other residents, my small little puny 'voice' might not be heard. However, I got a reply from him on how he will be working will relevant agencies on this. Hope I'll finally be able to hop on a trunk bus service right at my doorstep within 5 years or else.... =)