Looking Back...

Almost everyday I used to come home and work on my blog post. But in NYP I can't remember why that habit of mine faded away. I used to joke with my CCA mates that A-Team (Ambassadorial Team, my CCA) rendered my lifeless. But in fact it did the very opposite.

Blogging helped me put an anchor to my identity, reminding me of the journey of my life every time I visited back. I miss blogging and I hope I could come back to it some time soon, though the social pressure of exposed self identity is discouraging me. I have ever been a reticent person and I guess I still am. It is who I am and that quality of me has helped me gain many things (winning poker games with a poker face is one thing but among other things..) it always helped me surprise people. People never really get to know me fully and this is what makes me feel like a spy or a superhero.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”  - Steve Jobs.

Looking backwards, I am glad to have made the decision to come to NYP and join A-Team. NYP offered me one of the best experiences of my life. Getting to know extraordinary, inspiring and aspiring people (classmates, school mates, cca mates, camp mates, lecturers, bookshop aunties, south canteen malay stall aunties and cleaning aunties and the north canteen roti prata man) was just one slice of that experience. There are too many words to describe my journey in NYP after these 3 long years.

At the start of every semester I told myself, "I want this sem to end quickly." Just like that every sem just passed by like a day at the north or south poles. I've always wanted to get out of NYP, not because I hated it or anything but, I always felt that my life would begin after poly, and I wanted to move on to more exciting things. Poly already gave me more of that but I guess I was just more greedy for more good things to come and more struggles to be overcome.

Insight into my Nov in Brisbane

I celebrated Eid Al Adha (Festival of Sacrifice / Hari Raya Haji) with the Brisbane Muslim community. I was invited by some of my friends to their houses for feast. For lunch I visited house of bachelors where we cooked beef together for about 10 people. I spent the afternoon at the company of Muslim friends from all over the world (Europe, Middle East, South Korea and from other parts). I was glad to have been invited for dinner by a Singaporean Malay family who migrated to Australia. It was a long drive to their place which was on the country side of Brisbane beside a horse stable. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see the beautiful scenery surrounding their house.

I had an opportunity for the first time to indulge in the Turkish traditional delight, the Baklava. Also, I was able to put my cooking skills to work when I cooked dinner almost every night. It’s always pasta with different Indian style pasta sauce. It has been a wonderful experience experimenting cooking techniques and new recipes. Sometimes the dish is under cooked, sometimes over cooked, but most of the time, it’s perfect at least to my taste that is. On days I don’t feel like cooking, I drop by at the Indian restaurant which is just a stone’s throw away from my motel. The fact that it is owned by a Singaporean Indian family who migrated to Australia, gives me ideas of opening my own restaurant in future.

I definitely look forward to lunch on weekdays which comprises of a typical routine to the Greek fast food outlet at the university - Souvlaki Hut. In addition to enjoying the Greek delights, I enjoy the casual conversation with the staffs at the outlet, as well. Being a regular at the outlet made me befriend a Columbian lady who practises her English with me. It is a pleasant to have a personal touch to my order when they ask, “Is it your usual?”

I had the opportunity to meet people from all parts of the world – France, Scotland, Sweden, Russia, Colombia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Sudan, Zimbabwe, South Korea and many more. Most notably, the Russian lady who has travelled the world, the South Korean guy who is almost finishing his double degree studies at the age of 20 and the Malaysian women who worked in Italy for many year.

It was warming to have the company of Swedish family for three days at the motel. Their kids made the morning so lively that I didn’t need to set an alarm to wake up. It was an enjoyable moment playing with their kids, Lovisa and Ellie and conversing with them about the Singaporean and Swedish cultures.

Insights into my Oct in Brisbane

Although it has been a rough journey since I arrived at Australia, the past two weeks have been pleasant unprecedented experience. It was difficult to find proper accommodation, it was difficult to find proper food, it was difficult to move around to places, but it is quite a learning experience that has developed my humility and endurance. The long walk up and down the hill, to and fro from my place to UQ has taught me that it is not the muscles that are getting tougher, but in fact it is the heart.

There is not much difference to what I see here than in Singapore; the meeting with copious Singaporeans at where I work, where I eat, and essentially wherever I go makes me feel right at home, and to some extent spoils the whole idea of an overseas experience. Fortunately, the cold weather and beautiful landscapes, and the frequent stroll across the Brisbane River remind me of my distant from home. 

It is irrefutably a different kind of lifestyle here, with the sun rising and setting early, the chill air filled with noises of insects, animals and birds, the clear blue sky in the day and the dark starry night, and the green trees and shrubs covering the sight, the walk with the dog, cat, duck and the swan by the lake; had definitely quenched my appreciation for nature.

Furthermore, although the work here is similar to what I used to do in the past as a freelance web developer working on languages such as PHP and Javascript, it has a twist. I have always wanted to learn about data analysis and the User Agent Data Analysis project has given me opportunity to explore and gain insights of the statistics field. Although, the experience generally feels like working on final year project, the insights of other project members been new and beneficial.

NYP Ambassadorial Team 2011 Promotional Slides

Thanks for watching. =D

Aspiration & Inspiration OR Perfectionist & Control Freak

Issues discussed here are assumed at the minimal level of Control Freak-ism & Perfectionism, not the extreme levels. It does not discuss the issues herein at technical scientific details but rather it takes a quasi philosophical view point.

Almost every one at one point of their life time has portrayed those characteristics.

Control Freak-ism

In psychology-related slang, control freak is a derogatory term for a person who attempts to dictate how everything around them is done.

Perfectionism

In ethics and value theory, perfectionism is the persistence of will in obtaining the optimal quality of spiritual, mental, physical, and material being.

In the context below, "a person", "the person" and/or "he", is not referring to a particular individual but an idea of a human being with seemingly normal characteristics.

What happens when a Control Freak is also a Perfectionist?
To my believe it creates a person who aspires (perfectionism) and inspires (control freak-ism) others.

Assuming that the claim above is true, then to aspire & inspire is wrong or at the least to aspire & inspire at higher magnitude is wrong.

So, now lets see how aspiration links to perfectionism. A person who aspires has high hopes for himself. It is just a way he is wired. He has high expectations of himself. To him, professionalism, efficiency, standards, are some of the significant characteristics. He wants the things related to him are around him to have such characteristics. For instance, a task that someone does for him has to meet his expectations or else it is as good as useless. As the person aspires and eventually see that his aspiration are accomplished then, moves forward and raises the level of his aspirations. Ultimately, he aspires to be perfect. Although it is irrefutable that no one can be perfect, high aspirations aspires the person to be at his very best or better than others. It motivates him to work at his optimal potential.

A control freak, assuming that he has good capabilities, wants to inspire others. The reason is simple. "I'm good at this, why not you learn from me and be as good as me." That is where we say, "He want's it the way he wants.". When he neglects the opinion & suggestions of others, that's a different issue and a whole new different level of control freak-ism. But, assuming that he is a person who values others' opinions then, he is the one who is truly inspiring. He may disregard others' opinions if they are not good enough. But today's democratic society may seem to think other wise; that an opinion is an opinion that needs to be considered regardless of it's relevance or value (This is another issue).

NOTE: I do not what to conclude this post.
DISCLAIMER: I have not made any claims, or opinion in this post, but are merely a subset of my ideas. I wrote this post in the context of ASSUMING to encompass the above mentioned opinions or believes. I may are may not agree with the idea or issue discussed above and I kindly request the reader not to make any conclusion or judgement on this post.

Thank you.

S.P.I.R.I.T

~ Horse ~

It is selfless, it puts the safety of it's rider before it in the battle field.

It shows professionalism in it's service to it's rider while running to its maximum potential in a race.

It shows it's character in it's expression and does so with integrity.

It bows it's head down in humility and respect, and follows what it's master commands.

It takes initiative to learn the route, so as to bring the rider to his destination even without his maneuvering.

It portrays it's capability in team work when it works together with it's rider in the race or the battle field.

The spirit of the horse.

• Selfless
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Respect
• Initiative
• Team work

Credits: Baidura, President, NYP Ambassadorial Team

Water In A Perspective

You might be surprised to hear me say that I am fascinated by how water flows. Yes, I'm fascinated by it not once, not twice but every time I look at a stream of water flow, it doesn't fail to catch my attention.

While many others spend their time talking to their friends, smoking, walking to and fro while waiting for their bus at the NYP Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 exit bus stop, I spend it to my believe - productively. While filled with all kind of thoughts about the day or the next day while going home, waiting at the bus stop, I feel it pleasant to look at the drainage channel there and admire the flowing water. The look at it removes all the buzzing thoughts in my mind. It is kind of like the water told my thoughts to flow away.

Have you ever seen a drainage channel. It is an ingenious architectural design. You know, the Romans were one of the first to invent the channel. They called it aquaducts. They digged through a mountain to get water from a river to their city. If you see the modern channels, I mean the ones in Singapore, they try as much as possible to ensure the flow of water in one direction. You will always see water flowing down the stepped path of the channel. I particularly enjoy watching rain water gush down the channel on a very rainy day. On the sunny occasions, the water glitters under the Sun. You can see it bringing whatever that floats on it to it's destiny - a leave, cigarette butt, news paper.

It is a unique characteristic of water to flow. Ya, all liquid flow coz they have indefinite shape. But for water to flow, is sheer humility. Water, the simple significance of it - it is essential to life. Yet while all those or whatever living thing that depend on it can move to search for it. Water could have just stayed put and let others come to it. It's selfless characteristic is evident in it's humility - it goes to those who depend on it although they can come to it. Water is so clear, it is full of integrity - it hides nothing but the "crying" fish. It is so adaptive & unbaised, it takes the colour of those around it.