杰克与玫瑰

承诺给得太早，
不理性，是漂浮在爱情海的疯狂。
疯狂是杰克把玫瑰推进海怪的嘴里，
那嘴边挂着爱情。

当玫瑰花一厢情愿地让自己被扔进
爱情的漩涡，是个无底洞。。。。。。

越
陷
越
深

花瓣是负担太重的承诺，
一层又一层地裹着玫瑰的花蕊。

越
陷
越
深

承诺溺毙的惨样，是杰克的理性。
You jump, I jump. Yeah, right!

情灾

住在蕞尔小红点岛国的人个个都渴望天灾带来的
惊险刺激，来得太快，是排山倒海而来得海啸。

来得太快，还没准备好，
措手不及是突如其来的暴风雨，
来得太快。

蠢蠢欲动地想来点惊险
刺激的，最后却裹足
不前。

彷徨。担忧。

你真的愿意住在一个饱受天灾蹂躏的国家里吗？

Applying Sine-Cosine Curve on Luck Thereom on RJC

Before I begin, I urge all of you to re-visit my March 28th entry on the graphical representation of life's ups and downs using the sine and cosine curves.

Click here!

As most JC students would have already realised, as the first half of the academic year draws to a close, Raffles Junior College with the correct concoction of luck, smart moves made in the DSA (Direct-School Admission) warfare and a bit of natural talent from the Raffles families has seen them sweeping about 15 championship titles in the 'A' Division Sporting arena thus far.

Squash, Tennis, Table-tennis, Badminton boys' and girls' Team Champion (that's 8 titles in total), Rugby, Water Polo, Netball, Soccer boys' Team Champion, apparently Hockey boys' and girl' Team Champion and Softball boys' Team Champion. I probably would have left out some obscure sports, but that's besides the point.

15 freaking championships under her belt. Man, I must admit that I am jealous why am I not in RJC to share such glory and enjoy the possible fruits of labour (e.g. half-day or full-day off school).

Fortunately, Victoria Junior College stopped their winning streak this afternoon when their basketball girls' team narrowly beat RJC's team 53-50 to clinch the Basketball Girls' Team Championship title. You guys should be there to see how "devastated" and "appalled" the Rafflesian supporters look when the whistle signifying the end of the match (and hopefully the end of their winning streak) blew, sealing the fate of the RJC's girls' basketball team.

I was there, and instead of adopting a neutral stand, I was rooting for VJC all the while.

Because I just want RJC's winning streak to end.

Call me a sore loser for all you want. I am patriotic. I hate the fact that we are losing every single match this year (especially when all losses are to one and only one institution). I am sure the other JCs feel the same too. RJC robbed ACJC their rugby and tennis boys' championships and the traditional soccer powerhouses VJC and MJC were all trashed by RJC's boys' team. And notoriously they stole the Netball championship from us.

That's why you get AC and VJ students supporting our Tennis' girls during their final game. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and for this afternoon, VJC was my friend.

I am utterly relieved that they have managed to stop RJC's winning streak. At least this shows that RJC has probably ran out of luck. And if you recall my theory of the Sine-Cosine curve on Luck, RJC will therefore, by induction, experience her losing streak until she reaches her lowest point before things pick up again.

To all those demoralised Hwa Chong, AC, and VJ students out there, fret not! RJC's luck is running out! I am certain that they cannot possibly sustain their luck for the remaining sport competitions. Because on the Sine-Cosine curve of Luck, their curve has just reached their maximum value (a turning point), so things will now be going downhill for them! Negative gradient, and becoming more and more negative. All the way until their lowest.

And I forsee that their bad luck streak will continue for quite some time, affecting much of RJC, be it sports or academics. They have reached an all-time high in their school history. And you have learnt the following in your Mathematics lessons:

y = n sin x
y = n cos x

The larger the value of n is, the higher the peak of the curve would be. Similarly, the lower the trough of the cruve would be. For example, when n equals to 10, the highest point would have the value of y=10, while the lowest point would have the value of y=-10.

Applying this to my Theory of Sine-Cosine Curve on Luck, winning 14 championships equates to a very high maximum value on the curve, which in turn would mean that when they fall, they will also fall to an all-time new low.

Maybe their 'A' Levels result would suck. Maybe they would lose Judo, Canoeing, Air Rifle and Track-and-Field championships (though I am very positive that Hwa Chong would win TnF for sure). Maybe next year VJC or MJC will win Soccer, Hwa Chong winning back Netball, Tennis and Water Polo, and AC being recrowned as the 'A' Div rugby champions.

To those non-Rafflesians out there, have faith!!! Lady Luck can't possibly keep similing at them all the time. I am sure she's fair and just! It's your turn next!!

庆幸卸任

记得有人这么说过，快乐的时光总是过得那么快，所以就叫做“快”乐。

5月18日正式卸任的那一天，我原本以为自己会在这伤感的日子里眼泪会像飞流直下三千尺的瀑布一样稀里哗啦地从眼眶里涌出，结果当天出乎预料地我的情绪竟然是平静地，带有一丝淡淡地庆幸与满足。

就好像在人生的道路上走到了尽头，回头重望自己所走过的路，庆幸自己没有白活了这一生。

银幕上闪过一张张我们在学生理事会的生涯里所拍下的照片，一幕幕我们在理事会所经历的风风雨雨的片段也在脑海里划过。很庆幸我们在制作这影片时能有这么多张照片任君选择，至少这意味着我们在理事会的这一年并没有白白地浪费掉。

光凭这一点，我无怨无悔地卸下我的职务。

卸任后写的第一篇作文，其题目为《韶华莫虚度》，感慨万分。尽管我们以后再也不能窝在那“冬暖夏凉”环境清幽的council room 里聊八卦、做功课、玩游戏，尽管我们再也不能和其他49名同志们一起为了办一场成功的活动而同甘共苦，尽管我们再也不能以学生理事会成员的身份一齐到场为我校的运动员们加油欢呼打气，我仍然庆幸自己卸任了-- 庆幸自己并没有虚度掉、蹉跎掉、浪费掉我在华中第33届学生理事会的每一份每一秒、庆幸我在这一年里在学生理事会里交到了不少知己、庆幸自己成长了。

庆幸我在学生理事会的时光是充实的，就好像吸满了水分的海绵，或像是鼎泰丰皮薄馅多的小笼包一样。

至少当N年后的我回头重望着一幕幕精彩时，我可以骄傲地说自己曾经是华中第33届学生理事会的一分子。

至少我能骄傲地说我不曾后悔参加过学生理事会。

Le Chatelier's Principle

Le Chatelier's Principle states that when any of the conditions affecting the position of a dynamic equilibrium is/are changed, then the position of that equilibrium will shift accordingly to minimise that change.

A buffer solution is one that is able to resist pH changes upon addition of a small amount of acid or base, and the behaviour of such solution is based upon the Le Chatelier's Principle.

Drawing parallel between Chemistry and human behaviour, Le Chatelier's Principle can be found in our daily lives. In fact, much of our behaviour follows the this principle.

We human beings are just like buffer solutions and any changes to our lives are just like the addition of an acid or a base.

When there is a GST hike in Singapore, people were certainly unhappy and complained to the relevant authorities through various means. We resist such change that will affect our daily lives, although the change can be considered insignificant when the benchmark used to measure the impact of the change is changed accordingly. It's merely two percent, as proponents for the change would argue, and that similar taxes in other countries like Australia and Switzerland are much higher. Furthermore, they claim that a GST hike is essential and will only bring benefits to the local economy. Most of us don't buy the story, but as time passes since the government impose the tax on us, the "insignificant change" will now snowball into a "significant change" that we have now gotten used to, as hence we no longer attempt to resist the change, just like how when we keep on adding an acid or base to the buffer solution, the solution no longer works and pH changes will not be minised anymore.

Take another example. When the Ministry of Education make it mandatory for all JC students to take up a contrasting subject in their subject combination, many students (especially those Science students, and espeically so for those who always wanted to take the infamous Triple Science combi) protested. But as time passes and as we go through the new system, we began to get used to taking up a contrasting subject (mostly Economics) and we no longer try to appeal for a reversion to the old system. It's only a minor change to our subject combination -- the subject combi you take in the new system is probably only one subject different than what you would probably take when we are still under the old system, but it has since become a "significant change" as we have gotten used to it, and we now hardly hear anyone whining about not being able to get their Triple Science combi without having to take up H1 Econs.

Or do you still remember the times when people detest and ostracise the second-intakers, wishing that the newly-founded friendships can carry on just like how it did during the first three months? All of us certainly would have resisted the change to our class' dynamics, but as we moved on in our JC life, we began to accept the second-intakers and new frienships are forged.

Human beings are just afriad of changes. It's too easy to choose to remain in your own comfort zone, but it certainly requires a great amount of courage to venture out into the unknown where the environment is certainly going to be vastly different from what you are in now, although eventually we will get used to the conditions of where we are put in despite our initial fear and uneasiness.

Sometimes getting used to a change may not necessarily be a good thing. When too much base is added to an acidic buffer, the solution becomes basic and no longer will it turn damp blue litmus paper red. When you get used to the change, you are no longer what you used to be.

That's what I am most afraid about. The 33rd Council may now be experiencing the pre-Stepping Down syndrome, but I forsee that after we stepped down and that we have each gotten used to life in its normalcy, people will start becoming distant and bonds may be weaken.

I won't blame them if my foresight is correct and I definitely do not have the right to do so, but I would most certainly regret witnessing my predictions coming true.

Like what my classmate Yu Tse always say, we should not be too 执著. If people cannot click, then so be it; if people don't like to go for a particular event, then so be it. Let Nature takies its course, instead of forcefully trying to go against Fate.

And I probably may be one of the first few to get used to school life of wearing the collar pin shaped of the school logo, of not being able to access the Welfare Room as and when you like to purchase snacks, and of not being able to isolate yourself from the densly-populated campus and enjoy a moment of serenity and tranquility in the Council Room.

Afterall, I am a human being whose behaviour is modelled after a buffer solution.

But still, I am sure on hindsight I would feel a sense of pity when I look back and see how frinedships are forged,and then diluted.

Changes suck.

5 Reasons Why I Am Dissatisfied with the School Admin.

1. They spent money at the wrong places.

They spent $2,700 on an erroneous height-and-weight scale that incorrectly adds unnecessary mass to students and shorten everyone by removing 2cm from the expected height.

They are willing to spend $3,000 to rush out a cheering banner within 3 days which certainly will not be well-liked by the student population and will certainly be deemed as embarassing and uncool by the athletes and supporters.

But they are unwilling to sepnd $1,600 on printing a set of couplets for Chinese New Year celebrations 2007, which will certainly make the atmosphere more celebratory and make CNY more memorable to the current batch of students.

And they are also unwilling to fork out money to renovate the toilets in Hwa Chong, which has bad ventilation, rusty faucets, urinals that are too short for the convenience of many boys and black wall tiles that make the place seems dirty.

2. School admin is overly-conservative

What's wrong with a banner that says “称霸”? What's wrong with having banners that have messages that go along the lines of "We're going to win"? Such banners are essential to boost the morale and spirits of not only the athletes, but also the supporters who will be cheering for the athletes.

Banners with "mild" messages like "加油！”， or worse still, words from our school motto (like "J-TIGER"), will not only turn off our supporters and athletes, but will also make them feel embarassed because they are uncool and makes them feel weak. Banners need words that are impactful and powerful so that fighting spirit can be instilled into both supporters and athletes.

3. Our dear CEO/Principal has his own private toilet.

This is according to one teacher whom I shall not named. I bet most of you do not know about this fact. Why is there a need to reward our principal with such luxury? The current Hwa Chong student population stands at apporximately 2,000 across 2 levels. Assuming that the gender ratio is balanced, we'll have 1,000 students for each gender. The most commonly used toilets are those along the wings. There are two toilets for each gender at the right wing, and 3 toilets for each gender at the left wing. So, 1000 students share 5 toilets, do your math and you can conclude that Hwa Chong students do not readily have access to toilets because 200 of us share 1 toilet.

On the other hand, Mr Ang's toilet only serves the needs of one person.

Shouldn't money be spent on improving the welfare of the student population?

4. They suggested that there should be a common and standardised theme for Orientation and Open House

How ignorant! The nature of the two events are of vastly different nature and you obviously cannot use the same theme for the two events! Using the same theory, does it mean that we have to standardise the theme for both MAF and CNY every year? And do they even consider the repercussions of having the same theme for both Open House and Orientation? The general public, the alumni and the freshmen who have been to Open House would unanimously agree that the school lacks creativity and hence would resort to recycling themes. Do you think you want to portray such an image to the general public?

5. Students are required to pay the postage for the school to mail their result slips to their parents

To think that Hwa Chong constantly claims that it is a world-class, premier institution that is equipped with world-class facilities (how ironic when you look at the standards of our toilets) and world-class resources, but they cannot even provide a simple service of mailing the results to us for free?

It is not that I am being a miser and feel the pinch of forking out that mere 23 cents for postage, but shouldn't a world-class institution take the initiative to mail it to us for free? In any case, it's just a mere 23 cents for each students, multiplied it by the entire cohort of 2,000, it would cost about $460 only. Does that mean that the school cannot afford to fork out $460 for this? Or are they too stingy to do so?

Furthermore, the mailing of result slips is not a suggestion made by parents or the students. It's an (unnecessary and uncalled-for) initiative imposed to us by the school administration. The brigade claims that the students are not trustworthy enough for the school to trust them to let their parents see the result slips. What world-class institution does that make of Hwa Chong when Hwa Chong cannot even (learn to) trust your own students?

Furthermore, Hwa Chong impose this system onto the student population, and indirectly onto the students' families without their consent, what world-class institution does that make of Hwa Chong if democracy does not even exist in this cosmopolitan campus?

All these distrust and subservience, Hwa Chong is now no different from a miniature replica of the tiny nation more popularly known as "the little red dot" under the regime of His Majesty LKY. Or perhaps, the situation here is even parallel to that of the current North Korea, where people are oppressed and dissent is in the air.

**********

To conclude, in order for Hwa Chong to maintain her appeal, it must first learn to be less complacent and learn to listen to voices of the fundamental building blocks of the school's culture, history, warmth, vibrancy and ultimately, the Hwa Chong family -- the students. If the school continues to adopt the mentality that "students nowadays are just too spoilt and we should not give in to them, in any case, should they choose to leave the school there will always be people wanting to enter the college", Hwa Chong is doomed and certainly set on an irreversible path to self-destruction.

Hwa Chong, you better wake up your ideas!!

Where Were You?

Where were you when we were cheering our lungs out for our respective faculties and for our school?

Where were you when we were slogging like mad trying to sell 238 cans of drinks that we have bought?

Where were you when the programmes for Orientation 2007 has to be planned and finalised?

Where were you?

Busy? Who isn't?

Mugging? Who wouldn't want to?

Where were you?