Co-op Scoop II

The Forum Co-op has a manga section now. =O slash drool... Suddenly the prospect of moving to Law Faculty doesn't seem all that gloomy anymore, aheheheh. (Huh, still far? I'll worry about that later.)

They were still arranging the shelves, so from a glance it looks like those are the Mandarin editions. Yeah, reading comics is good for language learning. =D (The Forum Co-op mainly serves the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, in case you're wondering about the connection.) Last I checked (years ago, that is) Jap Studies department had original Japanese ones but I didn't recognize most of the titles. Doesn't matter actually, bookstores are hardly my main source of manga, nfu.

It didn't quite dawn on me how close I was to the departure date for the conference until these last two days when a lot of things suddenly cropped up at the last minute. The usual, the usual. -_-0 A little less anxious now that my sister will be staying over tomorrow night so she can see me off early Sunday dawn. My mom told her to, actually =D but still, at times like this it's so nice to have a sibling. Huehuehue.

Being Right or Being Happy

Got this good reminder from Nale. I took liberty to do some minor editing (can't resist =P).


Being Right or Being Happy

Being right or being happy is the choice I face. A line from a popular song "Hurts So Good" comes to mind. That musical refrain grabs my attention as I wrestle with feelings of anger and hurt. Being right feels so good; at the same time it causes much pain.

I can list all the ways in which I have not been treated fairly and have that self-righteous feeling which is satisfying because I like being right. But the price to be paid is mental anguish and it isn't just a one-time price. Like a toothache it remains until something is done about it.

A lifetime of conditioning makes it difficult to see that in every situation, we have a choice of how we act and think. The choice: spend endless hours in anguish as we come up with reason after reason to back up how right we are, or let go of the anguish and see that each person does about as well as s/he can. The universal is that fear, anger, hurt are behind each annoying behavior of another person. Perhaps compassion is the answer.

by Judy Walden


“Look at the weaknesses of others with compassion, not accusation. It's not what they're not doing or should be doing that's the issue. The issue is your own chosen response to the situation and what you should be doing. If you start to think the problem is ‘out there’, stop yourself. That thought is the problem.”
-- Stephen Covey

Coming Soon to a Durian Near You

Found this out from Anton's MSN nickname. He's participating, I think. Didn't manage to catch him online but Google filled in the rest of the details, so here it is.

[Edit 18.07.2006]
Talked to him; yep he's participating with his group, Lada. Come for support! ^__^


[Cross-posted at soracco]

For those who like a cappella, here are some events you might be interested in:

National A Cappella Championships 06 & Vocalapollooza
Thursday, 20 July 2006
6.30 - 9.30pm

A Cappella Youth Concert
Friday, 28 July 2006
7.30 - 9.30pm

Both events are at Esplanade Concourse. Free entry.

More details and related events at SHINE's site.

I plan to go this Thursday; will miss the concert as I'll be out of town the whole of next week.

And oh, some of you might be hearing the oral/SMS/IM version of this ad from me soon. Huhuhuh. Okay then, see you if you'll be there. =)

Untimely Noises

Couldn't stand the noises made by the some of the Singapore Idol studio audiences tonight. 0_0 Noticed this during Paul's performance -- if they really like him shouldn't they listen when he is singing? Excitement and all that, but, timing please. I wouldn't complain about all the noise after the singing is over. Like, here we also want to listen ler.

Thought he looked a little distracted by all the screaming too, but I'm not a fan so I'm not that concerned about that, heeh. But imagine what a waste of voice if it were someone like Mathilda (yeah, wind's blowing on that direction currently).

And I am all for the judges being nice to the contestants, but I think they should stop encouraging them in the manner that kind of implies "the singing wasn't very good but your looks will get you through". I mean, this is a popularity contest and that is only the fact, but it shouldn't be said like it is a good thing...

Speaking about noises and judges, it's also quite amusing that Ken has to shush the audience everytime it's his turn to comment. Would have suspected they deliberately do that, but it happens to Jacintha too only she just waits them out, so I guess it is just that short-attention-span thing.

Ah, haven't meant this to be so bashing. Haha. =P Feeling like this is talking behind people's backs, so maybe I should stop being lazy and go find the feedback channel on that site one of these days. =P

Heaven on Earth

We are actually quite lucky here in Singapore to have a lot of greeneries.

With the amount of work stress in our Singaporean air, most of us seemingly:

(1) are really stressed,

(2) are under the psychological suggestion that we are stressed, or

(3) kiasu-ly think that we too are stressed.

I pretty much do what I want to do these days, any time I want to do them. So in terms of work, I'm quite a slacker. Still from time to time I

(4) get stressed thinking that I'm not working as hard as I should.

Pretty stupid, huh.

So I'm also one of those people who dream of how nice it is to be somewhere far away from here, for a week or a month, gazing at peaceful sceneries with no care at all.

But I gazed out the bus window this morning and saw the lines of trees and clouds in the background (yeah, yeah, I'm romantic like that) and thought, well, it was beautiful enough from where I was sitting. Like, how come I've been passing up being treated to such views every morning?

Eka and I have often had this talk about whether we should have more ambitions than we currently do (i.e. not much at all) and whether that is the right kind of life attitude. I tend to think contentment is the way to happiness, but even that is kind of tricky, that is, contentment can be an excuse not to put in more effort, and being content doesn't mean not trying for the better.

Someone has this very true saying:

"The challenge of life is to appreciate everything and attach yourself to nothing."

In the same light, can we be content with what we are and keep trying for the better without being attached to what we are trying to achieve?

My first reaction is to discard that as idealistic, but a wise friend once said, "So it's utopia, but that's what it's there for -- something to work towards."

So yo, I guess I've got work to do, more than those I do for my paycheck. And I guess I have those clouds and trees to keep me from stressing over it, too. Just as long as I remember to look.

Cardiogram

Say, I was a different person yesterday.
Much more open.
Much more sentimental.

Say, I was a different person this morning.
Not this serious.
Not this hesitant.

Say, I would be yet another tomorrow.
Much more thoughtful.
Much more carefree.

Say, you and I and everyone else
are like this.

Say, we in ourselves and to one another
make it so.

Co-op Scoop

Ever the impulsive shopper, I got Tuesdays with Morrie from the co-op when I went there to get some biscuits today. The food is for morning consumption (am taking a break from Sunshine White Bread for now) and the book is for bus ride consumption. When I'm finished you guys can borrow it. ^_^ (Erm, the book la, not the food.) I bought the author's second book The Five People You Met In Heaven during promotional sale and I liked it, hence I think I can safely recommend Morrie even before reading it.

The Science Co-op is having a minor renovation. I'm planning to sell some old computing textbooks through BuyBack Asia and thought I'd check out the prices while I was there, but was having trouble locating them due to the renovation. Hmm. School of Computing can actually get their own co-op, then they can relocate the whole PC section there too. Ya know, shift some attention over here from the Forum Headquarters. Just a thought without considering land and campus resources etc etc, so ignore me.

Spotted Pocky there and immediately thought of X's Yuzuriha. Oh dear. Second thought was the temptation to buy it. I ended up getting its spin-off instead since it proclaimed more milligrams and less cents. I mean, I bought the snack for ingestive, not fanatic reasons, so a different brand is okay.

The boys ahead of me at the cashier and the girl behind me, they were all getting candies-and-family -- maybe study snacks for the special term, and not my business really. In the spirit of the occasion I thought mine wasn't that far off, but the book made a weird combination. Co-op people know not to be wasteful so they ask politely if you'd want a carrier when the purchase is negligible. That's nice to know. They have such nice thick plastic bags too.

This entry is deteriorating fast, isn't it. And I had to check the spelling in the dictionary too. Duh.

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(8) Currently learning:

Steps - I Know Him So Well