Let's go

The game is on.

So much for false impressions, looks like there's some wake up call on the way?

Why it's good to urinate often

Through urination, you will lose 2% of your body's heat. 
By entropy law, dS = dQ/T

Since you can assume that your body's temperature is essentially the same at 310.05K, it means that you will experience dS < 0

dS < 0   MEANS you are LESS disordered!
Less disordered MEANS you can think better, and study better, and be less confused with life.

Hence to maintain one's sanity during this exam period, please go and urinate more.

Actually I'm kinda sick and spamming water to keep my perpetually thirsty throat satiated. All the water must go somewhere right? :P

Friends are for

that's what friends are for, motivate each other to waste time .. so that we will feel more urgent to complete our work when we are done with wasting time

History repeats itself

The phrase "History repeats itself" is one that is so well-known.

Yet many at times, we sincerely hope that our past don't catch up with us, yet there have been so many occasions where we simply can't let bygones be bygones, either that or our actions and decisions then would sneakily creep back up on us and haunt us once more in our present lives.

It can be a bittersweet experience, especially when you take a step back and see how the events in your life unfold. It can be even comical, hilarious or insanely funny how u seem to be never able to escape from anything, if anything at all.

Or maybe it's just us forming links between two seemingly related but actually just coincidental events.

But what's more pertinent is how you handle your past. Wise words dictate using the past to work on the future. That works sometimes, but when we do not want to relive our memories, how do we actually detach ourselves from the past?

On Being Wrong: Clear Communication, Willingness to Step Back and Disclosed Intentions

Key takeaway
We usually make this 3 assumptions of people who disagree with us:
1. The ignorance assumption : The person is ignorant
and if we find out the person has the same facts as us
2. The idiocy assumption : The person is just plain stupid to understand the facts
and if we find out the person is not such an idiot after all

3. The evil assumption : The person has secret underlying motives


Wrong or right is all about the matter of perspectives, and see who is able to "argue" or "debate" and present more convincing and reasonable arguments. Usually between 2 reasonable and logical (I would like to clarify that tending to emotional aspects is itself a logical act too) parties matters would be clarified quickly and amiably.

This is when factors such as obstinacy, misunderstanding and undisclosed intentions mess things up, resulting in heated arguments and cold war. And both side would harbour those negative thoughts about the other party (that he is such an idiot) and him/herself (why won't people listen to me).


Time to practice clear communication, willingness to step back, and disclose my intentions.

Now I know why you decide to join HOCC/Hall Dance for 2 years

"Now I know why you decide to join HOCC/Hall Dance for 2 years" - Guo Wen

Immense pride, with that feeling "I feel you bro" convulsing throughout me. And this gladness to have another person be on the same page as I (and the rest) am.

From the spectated to the spectating, it is a different experience.

If you haven't been spectated before, spectating would only mean a certain thing. There's only so much you can comprehend and understand to the statement: "They have worked so hard for this performance". But once you have gone through the experience and then sit in the audience seat would you be fully aware of what goes behind the scene. The long arduous training for that 5-10 minutes of showtime.

The blood (hopefully no literal blood) and sweat spent in the times culminating to the performance itself is a challenge by itself. But nonetheless victory is sweet, when you reached the realisation that you have conquered all those seemingly endless trainings leading to late nights unwillingly burnt and homework dreadfully left undone.

But this is not only limited to dance.

Many at times, such huge events are like stories and movies. You spend a significant amount of time and effort building up to the climax, which only spans a fraction of the total amount of time/effort spent in the entire storyline. We can read like 10 chapters of build-up before the protagonist finally faces the antagonist and engage in an epic duel that last 1-2 chapters before your page says "The End".

But this is what makes life interesting. We need not always have interesting things everyday, but we should have interesting things to work towards to. Isn't that what we look forward to in life?

Anyway good job to those who danced their hearts out today. May you taste that bittersweet liberation from dance. (Ji Inn, Guo Wen, Nisha, Daniel, Agnes, Mong, Jerald, Jun Jie, Jia Hui, Wei Ming) Probably only 1 or 2 would read this, but that's fine (: support need not be broadcasted

Succinct rants

Communication is still key in whatever we do. Misunderstandings lead to presumptions lead to unnecessary conflict and chaos.
Have been experiencing this several times these few days, or maybe I am now more aware of this problem.


Self motivation: the resilience to push on despite external pressure or lack of support/recognition. I can't find any scenario in which my resilience was pushed beyond its limits - have I been living in a comfort zone?
Why should we bother in things that people don't? Self-worth? Self-improvement? Sometimes the person you have to impress is yourself.


Inspiration. We seek inspiration from each other as extrinsic motivation: "If he/she can do it, so can I" or "I want prove to XXX that I can do YYY". When there is lack of inspiration in the relationship, that's when it can go downhill as there is nothing to keep the relationship alive. Without inspiration, there's only the mundane rambling of life, no spark of yearning or drive to get better.


I remember reading a post (I think by Sean or Jia jun) that making oneself busy actually helps improve our time management skills because time is now a scarce resource, hence we are forced to utilise time well (this comes with a price that you sometimes cannot afford to be "spontaneous"). Now that I am "free", am I spending time as I should be? Maybe I should start making some plans for the examinations. Have to attain that score that I so desire, which sadly isn't translating into action.


I have been blessed to be given this semester to "chill out". I definitely have much more advantage in terms of "pre-knowledge", but I think I am getting too arrogant. Should exploit this advantage to explore more than I could in past semesters.

Communication

1. Don't expect mind readers
2. Don't expect to mind read
3. Clarify when in doubt, but maintain respect for each other - hence no flaming
4. Repeat step 3 until you are absolutely sure

So relieved today, at the cost of realizing how misunderstanding I was.
But what you do does not necessarily show what you think.


End of the day, communication and being adaptable. You need not change who you are, but you can adapt to the situation.

New Project

We always point flaws of others, but we almost rarely tell them directly.

Heard this recently, and that set me into a thinking spiral: Why does this happens?

But fundamentally, even if there are flaws, what if we were simply ranting? Are we given this right to impose what we deem as correct upon others? Or do we, as friends and loved ones being 旁观者清 are able to see these "flaws" and hence rightfully point out in hope that the said person is able to grow and aware of the mistakes?

What things classify as mistakes, flaws, or simply idiosyncrasies?

Assume the above mentioned are cleared (meaning the "flaws" are pointed out with well-intention and they are objective and well-reasoned), why do we not tell people directly as often as telling everyone else but the person in particular?

Here are two main reasons: 1. Afraid of hurting feelings. 2. Afraid of ruining relationships.

But the underlying reason would probably be:
1. Fear of misunderstanding the person
2. Fear of backlash
3. We might want to "wait and see" and see if this flaw might actually be problematic or one-off situation

And when we do decide to tell the person about the flaw, we end up trying to be diplomatic and beat about the bush (or bushes).

Why then? Afraid the person can't take it? That's probably one of my greatest reasons for withholding my comments. Good thing is, as I type, things get clearer. 

It depends on how close you are to the person, but we should also take note that each other has the duty to not quickly jump to conclusions.
Pointing out flaws, in fact, do good to you. Failures are in fact the personification of "flaws" being thrown at you. Learn to take the criticisms, and then face it.
I think we assume too much that our friends have weak fragile hearts and our relationships are as brittle as glass, and hence try not to shake the boat.

What we can do is, when we point out the flaw, we should be objective and have proper reasons. And then offer to understand the other person's point of view. And let the other person decide whether to change or not.


My other project for re-connecting with people succeeded to a small extent last year. This time I shall recommence it once my HOCC (dance) ends, an activity that consumes so much of my time the return might not be that good....?

And this time, I am opening the doors, to discuss whatever is said earlier. Well I have already been opening doors... I shall market it again.
Hope to hear from you dear reader!