organised chaos

long overdue

2006-12-17T21:39:00.000+08:00

Listening to: the storm outside

As rightly pointed out by Eric, it's been long since I've blogged and with the tagboard down, it was hard to even trace whether anyone else (apart from Eric) had visited since. Really sorry for the lack of diligence on my part.

but guess what? it's been a year since you guys have left the college.. i'm sure that u guys must have settled down into the new chapter of your life pretty well..i understand that some of you are having your holidays now, so do enjoy that break. guys - hang in there yah? just one more yr! (or slightly more for others)

for a moment, i have no inkling what i should blog about. must the torrential rain outside washing out my thoughts.

till another time then :)

preamble to journalism

2006-07-28T21:44:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The All-American Rejects' Move Along

A teacher's job is never easy. Every time you think your students are mature enough, they prove to you otherwise. Sometimes you think they can be trusted, but they come up with all sorts of ridiculous antics. Life is supposed to be simple, but why does Man like to complicate things? I do wonder when my patience will ever run out. That's a scary thought.

Oh okay, I didn't start off wanting to blog about this. But it just came out. Ha. for a moment, I considered deleting.. but never mind, you bunch should be able to empathise? :) So sorry to those who have signed up for teaching as a career, the above pre-amble is not meant to discourage you k?

So ryan asked about my journalism career. Where do I start?
The reasons why I wanted to be a journo were aplenty:
1. I have a cousin who's a journalist. I respected him and his influence helped to make the decision;
2. I thought journalism was cool, glam, and everything a gung-ho person would relish;
3. My uni mates wanted to be journalists too..so we went for the interview together.
4. They said that it was difficult to get into S*H, and so when they offered me a job, I was flattered and just had to say yes. (yah, I know, so self-absorbed)

the career lasted an entire three years. When I decided to leave, my ex-boss said he supported my decision. he said: "You are a good reporter, but you'll have problems becoming the best. Because you lack ruthlessness." For a moment, I didn't know if that was a compliment.

But for three years, I hardly had a social life (outside the newsroom). Life was exciting, hectic and I learnt and changed so much in the short three years. But in the end, I packed up and left. And when asked if I hated the job, that's why I left, the answer's no. I loved my previous job. Really.

But if I started to share stories now, this post will last forever. Another day, perhaps.

ps: peiwen, was it you I saw in college recently? with the streaks in your hair?

my history, my story

2006-07-10T22:33:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Goo Goo Dolls' Iris

After two weeks of non-stop marking, I've finally found time to blog again.
And just as I was wondering what to blog about, Alyssa came to the rescue with her question on the tagboard. So let's see how I'm going to answer this. What was my dream course and job?

Well, as a young child, I dreamt of being a lawyer. The only reason I can remember is because it seemed like a cool job to have. And it involved talking, just my kind of thing. But as I entered secondary school, I soon realised that it wasn't easy being a lawyer. I began to understood how difficult the job could be - esp when dealing with morals. For example, would I defend a person whom I believed was guilty? If I were to agree, would I be able to do a good job? And of course, someone told me that not all lawyers get to work in court. Okay, cool factor cooled off.

In JC, I told myself that getting into Communications Studies would be my dream course. Why? Because I wanted to be a journalist. Then I couldn't get in. Ha :) I wasn't brilliant in Chemistry and a lot of other stuff. So oh well, I entered Arts and Soci in NUS.

Even though FASS wasn't my first choice. I think I had consciously made sure that I was going to enjoy myself in university and still work hard, in order to make up for the lack of As at the A levels. I did work hard at uni and did better than i had ever expected :)

In the end, I still manage my first dream job: a journalist. Actually, at the time of graduation, I toyed with the idea of teaching. But decided that my youth was probably better spent at journalism, cos it seemed a tougher vocation. And today, i'm a teacher.

Sure hope I didn't bore you fellas.
You are at a crossroads that I was at (many) years before.
From this moment on, make sure you will walk on a road that will not leave you any regrets. I wouldn't be able to promise a smooth journey, but if you don't even try, then remember: You'll only be a failure if you choose to give up.

trust me to nag even when telling you my history.

updates

2006-06-14T16:53:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Death Cab for Cutie's I Will Follow You Until The Dark

Now that's a seriously weird name for a band. Doesn't seem to mean a thing, but oh well, there's how things are these days right? What might seem meaningless to some of us, could turn out to be a real hip thing for others.

Well, yes, Eric, I was sick for the past two weeks actually :( you have great insider info though, so who's your spy?!! Anyway, the weather's been cranky here, so I started feeling sick during the last week of school. Took two days of MC that particular week (and u guys should know that I hardly take MCs unless I'm really sick).. and then, just as I thought I was getting better, I decided I needed some sunshine, so I went out cycling. and guess what, it rained on me. So obviously I caught a cold (again!). Colds are horrid horrid things.. but I refused to let it get it my way, so I took my cold with me to my HK trip with my family. Yes, it seemed a little irresponsible of me and I was really freaked out by the HK thermal scan. Was really hoping I didn't turn out red and HK immigration might refuse me entry. But I got through and now I'm back here in Singapore and feeling a whole load better..

so here I am, rambling to you guys.. :)
just one and a half weeks later, it'll be back to school for me. The mid-years are here so there'll be a whole load of marking, waiting for me. Term 3, as we all remember, will usually be another busy busy term.

how about you guys? hey, do email me to give me an update on your life yah? like what've you been busy with now? or what your future holds for u? Just remember to email me at my gmail.com account k?

hope to hear from you guys

It's not a PH today!

2006-05-16T14:34:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The rumbling of the traffic by the road

guess wat? It takes an MC for me to find time to come to this little place to dust the cobwebs off :)

sorry guys, it's just been so terribly busy this term that i haven't quite found time to breathe.

well, my life surrounded boring stuff, sure hope you people are having time to enjoy yourself, to have a little fun now and then.

Anyone thought of me during elections time? heh

See You Soon!

2006-02-27T11:00:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Robbie William's Mr Bojangles

To answer Eric, nope, i've not started on setting a new blog for the new students. First three months..think they're still in a rather lalala mood. Probably will only really start after the mid-years? :)

And so i guess you've all heard, the results will be out on march 1st, wed. see you guys in school k? will be more than glad to see all of you (yes, i mean it) back :)

the hustle and bustle of life

2006-01-29T10:31:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Some random cny song

Now, now, where shall i start with this entry?

well, strange it seems how i manage to find time to blog only when it's a public holiday. that can't be good.. cos it'd mean my next entry may only come by in april!! :P will definitely try to avoid that..

again, thanks for all the tagging :)
one thing that has struck me in the past month is the number of you who have gone to become relief teachers :) reading vanessa's comment brought a smile to my face..and meeting some of you in school.. made me think: "wow.. have i played a part to make teaching look so enjoyable that you guys went to take it up?" yes, the money's pretty good..but as you guys might have realised, the money might not be that easy to earn?

so for those out there who want some tips/insights on being a teacher - well, i've always said that teaching is a tough job. It's one of those jobs that you are not quite allowed to have a bad day. so for example, no matter how upset you feel about your personal matters, you cannot bring those emotions along into the classroom. Simply because the students will not benefit. So teachers have to be rather good actors (tho' i can't act on a real stage) and good managers of their emotions.

if you have to teach the unruly classes of normal (academic) and normal (technical).. i've taught them before.. remember that most of them might have been condemned by their teachers.. so going there to scream and shout at them just wouldn't help. When it comes to these classes, treating them with RESPECT is all what it counts. Once you earn that respect, you would see that they'll try to behave for your sake. It takes time, so be patient.

but is the world of teaching so different from other fields of profession?
suddenly, it strikes me that so many of my students are now in the working world, being exposed to the elements. I've heard complaints of "exploitation" and "mistreatment"..but do hang in there.. i've been through that phase myself.

The world of the school is a protected one, no matter what you think. Though you hated the four walls that seemed to close down on you every single day, it was one which was a comforting environment and one that sought to protect you from harm. now that the walls have disappeared to reveal the world outside, we now miss those times. ..

but what's most important is the values and lessons we have tried to impart to you in those two years... there's nothing we can do to try and make sure that the transition to the "real world" is a seamless one.. but i can only hope the lessons taught and in some way i'd managed to influence you.. for the world may change but you don't have to..

on an another note, have started lessons with my new students.. and erm, yes, unashamedly, i shall say, "i really do miss you guys" :)

Away from Home

2005-12-24T08:12:00.000+08:00

Listening to: the peace and quiet of the morning

once again, let me say thanks to all those who still come by here to find signs of life. sometimes it might seem easier to find life on other planets than this one right? :P

i'm most sorry (so many reasons and excuses that are not worth mentioning) but shout-outs to the guys who've already started NS :)

anyway, i finally took a five day break - away from the hustle and bustle, the madness of Singapore. Part of me really wanted to stay away until xmas was over but family and work commitments didn't allow me. hopefully, next year i get to celebrate xmas overseas :)

but this trip has once again placed me in a pensive mood and i thought i'll share. I was away at krabi, thailand (yes, one of the places that was hit by the tsunami last year). before disaster struck this province last year, i'd heard loads abt it. About how its beauty is relatively untouched, compared to other popular beach resorts like phuket and bali)..about how quiet and slow and relaxed the pace is of life there. perfect for a beach lover and a stressed out person.

so when the opportunity came round for me to visit krabi, i jumped at it.
but in hindsight about how i felt during the trip, i realise i was never truly feeling joy during the trip.

no offence to my travel companions as the company they gave was really enjoyable but i'm referring to the atmosphere and the sense that krabi gave me. no matter how bright the smiles were given to us by the locals, i don't why but i thought i detected a slight sense of sadness.

when some of them mentioned the word "tsunami", there seemed to be a glimpse of a distant look in their eyes. Then i start to wonder: "who might they have lost during the tragedy?" i wanted to know but was too afraid to ask.

life at krabi has apparently changed: certain shopping centres have closed down because of the lack of tourists.. phi phi island, which i'd visited one day (you'd read about it in today's ST's special on the tsunami) is as what is described in the papers: i can't believe that it's the same island my other friends had raved about earlier. As i sat in the boat, nearing phi phi island, i thought it looked like an abandoned island, not a popular beachfront.

but as the trip went on, one of my travel friends remarked: "I can't believe how the water could have come in when this place is so well protected and covered by the neighbouring landscape." i wanted to reply: "I don't know how it must have felt". But minutes on, we think we kinda knew. the weather turned back and we were on rocky speedboats and finally, spent one-and-a-half hours in a boat on choppy waters. i tried to sleep as much as possible, but the friends who were awake told me that they had feared for our lives...

yet, i don't regret this trip as i think thinking on this trip and experiencing the experiences have given me yet another perspective in life. my mum said to me today: "actually, when you guys chose to go to krabi, weren't you afraid?" i told her i wasn't afraid and was glad i went in the end. reading from the papers and seeing and feeling and breathing the air there itself is different.

it's christmas time and while i'm not a christian/catholic, i see xmas as another time for counting my blessings. our life isn't really that difficult. there are so many other basic challenges others have to face, like rebuilding their homes and lives. hopefully, this trip has taught me to not complain abt my life so much. i just hope the singapore lifestyle doesn't snatch this pondering side of me anytime soon....

merry xmas guys :) give thanks for one thing today.

Not Abandoned

2005-12-04T13:22:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Shakira's Don't Bother

no, no, no, this blog hasn't been abandoned.

yes, i know the evidence doesn't do any good for me - especially since i've not posted since a month ago.

so my most sincere apologies :) school hasn't quite ended for me!

but now that school's officially out for you people, i hope everyone's doing good.
You really should enjoy this phase of freedom of yours. relish it. enjoy the moments of "not-doing-anything-and-yet-not-having-to-feel-guilty" :)

but i've been wondering the fate of this blog when the new term starts.
poll:

Q: is such a blog useful? i started the blog only in the later half of your second year. Should I start earlier?

The Night Before

2005-11-09T21:52:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Santana's I'm Feeling You

suddenly, i realised how much significance this particular posting of mine will hold.

so it all comes down to this.

to me, this is the night that you can officially surf the Internet during the exams, and yet your parents wouldn't be able to yell at you. Cos all you need to tell them is this: your gp tutor says it's good to just surf around NEWS SITES on the night before. All in the name of RESEARCH :) Erm, you can read through the newspapers which you've been saving for this special day. but i wouldn't be too bummed out if you can't finish all. just read the past week's news at least?

other stuff you need to do:

1. read through your stuff, including old compres (rem what i said about vocab items, for example)
2. surf the net (news websites, en.wikipedia.org is good too)
3. Write out a checklist of what you need to do before you start the papers. This is a quick revision of the skills you need to apply, and last but not least;
4. SLEEP EARLY (have said this so many times, you need to be fully awake, not half-asleep)

ultimately, do remember that the gp paper is indeed an unpredictable fella. But yet, it doesn't mean we should fear unpredictability. Yes, we've seen so many essay questions and yet, they don't seem to repeat themselves. But are they really all oh-so-different? Truth is, they really aren't. Essentially they are asking about the same issues. So all you need to do is to tailor whatever you already know to the specific question that you're answering.

i should be online on the night before. So if you wanna talk to me, just come online to msn. if you don't have my id, sms me to ask.

you may think it's cliche or i'm just paying lip service. but i believe in each of you. i do.
i'll see you guys bright and eager on fri morning :)

The Pressing Issues

2005-11-01T21:22:00.000+08:00

Listening to: KT Tunstall's Suddenly I See

'The power of the journalist is great, but he is entitled neither respect nor admiration because of that power unless it is used right.' (Theodore Roosevelt)

For all those interested in the topic of media and especially what S'pore's stand is on this issue, then you should have read the excerpt of the speech by SM in today's ST.

Go read the full article for all the details, but let me share the excerpts of excerpts - all extracted from SM's speech :)

1. The media disseminates information, news, analyses and commentaries. It influences and shapes public opinion. Hence ideally, its corporate interests should converge with the core interests of its home country.

2. The media also provides an important channel for the government and national leaders to communicate with the people.

3. Editors and journalists shoulder a heavier moral and social responsibility beyond that of CEOs and executives of other commercial companies.

4. A free press by Western standards does not always lead to a clean and efficient government or contribute to economic freedom and prosperity.

5. In reality, of course, there is no such thing as unfettered press freedom. Even the most liberal-minded person would acknowledge the necessity of some form of regulation or code to ensure responsible reporting.

6. Singapore needs a media model where the players practise press freedom in a responsible way.

7. I do not favour a subservient press. An unthinking press is not good for Singapore. But press freedom must be practised with a larger sense of responsibility and the ability to understand what is in or not in our national interests.

8. Editors need to understand what their larger responsibilities entail and to demand them of their journalists. Editors and journalists must have high personal integrity and sound judgment - people who understand Singapore's uniqueness as a country, our multiracial and multi-religious make-up, vulnerabilities and national goals.

9. News should not be slanted to serve a hidden agenda.

10. Even though Singapore is now more developed and our population better educated, it remains crucial for Singapore to maintain our own unique and tested system of political governance and media model. They have worked well. We should improve them from experience and by learning from others. Accept what has worked and reject what has not, whether they are from the East or West. But we must be bold enough to evolve our own model of a responsible, lively and credible media.

Africa's Problems

2005-10-30T21:05:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Phantom Planet's California

Am getting increasingly interested in Africa and its affairs. You should be too.

1. Let's get this clear - Africa is a continent, not a country :)

2. It's a continent with a total of 53 countries.

3. The poorest continent in the world - poorer than it was 25 years ago - despite receiving over one trillion dollars worth of aid since the 1960s.

4. South Africa is probably the richest country in the continent

5. Among the many causes of Africa's problems: corruption, poor governance, lousy policies, exploitation, internal conflict, diseases, brain drain, lack of education, lack of water..

6. US has been exporting its old PCs to African nations in an attempt to bridge the digital divide. But read about how this is actually detrimental to the environment. PCs and environmental problems? Find out how here.

7. Yet, I heard today that Ghana may have approached Andy Cole to be its coach as it has qualified for the World Cup 2006. But the Ghana Football Association has now denied this news... Can you imagine if it's really true? With poverty in the continent, they can afford to hire EPL players to be coaches?!

Fast Facts

2005-10-23T20:57:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Eve 6's Here's To The Night

announcement: another practice session for paper 2 on 25/10 (Tues) @ 0740 - 1040 @ LT2. The task to be tackled? 2003 A level paper. Download the paper from litespeed if you want to go for the session. same thing, practice, then review session straight after.

this may seem so typical of someone who's in my line, but really, sat and sun's papers entertain and educate (not necessarily in that order) to no end. really. sharing some nuggets here, but go find out more by reading the stuff yourself yah?

fast facts i learnt over the weekend:

1. That we have a Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers.
- Their job is to study ways to keep the older workers in the workforce. Found this out in the article abt ageism in ST on sat (you know what that is?)

2. That females are not just resorting to selling their eggs for money.
- That even young females in our society are selling sex for cash. Read in sun's ST abt how the "consumerism" trend in society is one of the factors blamed for such a phenomenon.

3. That an outright ban on smoking is not going to solve the problem.
- Apparently, they think that smokers listen more to the advice of doctors.

4. That the latest rule on pre-paid handphone cards are a bid against criminals and terrorists.
- Hmm.

5. And finally, liked that article questioning about whether freedom exists for academics here.
- At the end of the article, there wasn't still quite a clear answer....

Not MIA

2005-10-19T18:46:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Eminem's Just Lose It

has it been a week since my last entry? have so many reasons...but too little time to list them all, one by one.

how's everyone doing? :)

btw, think i've been promising people answer schemes too indiscriminately, and being ms scatterbrain, i think i'll have problems fulfilling these promises, so could you kindly email me and let me know what you need? that way, i can keep track of what i've done or have not done.

if you haven't had time to read the papers, do read saturday's ST at least. Really.
'cos if you haven't, you wouldn't have realised that an expert has claimed that Singapore and Malaysia are not safe from earthquakes and tsunamis. not exactly comforting :(

also, did you read in last wed's paper abt how "poor" Singapore's poor really are?

thurs' sked: 0830-0930: wanxin* (with special permission), 0930-1000: john, 1000-1030: peiwen, 1030-1100: aarthi, 1100-1200: xiaohui, adelene, yongxiang, kevin

this is for all those people who still haven't gotten sick of Paper 2 Exercises.

Work Sucks, I Know

2005-10-13T21:58:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Franz Ferdinand's Do You Want To

so many of you are now equipped with the skills to tackle the papers but lack the knowledge. that's why i've been emphasising these days about the continual need to read, research and question. so check out this informative and cool site: www.globalissues.org

facts of the day:
1. mr bush is currently being dogged by accusations of cronyism. rem what cronyism is?
2. China successfully launched their second manned space mission

Words Of The Day

2005-10-12T14:40:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Darkness' I Believe In A Thing Called Love

grad ceremony came and went. so did all of you turn up? :)
thurs' sked for various members of s3a: 0900-1000, 1030-1130, 1130-1230

New question: Has the fuss over blogging in S'pore come to a rest? Me thinks it's only the beginning..

But read what the judge said when he decided to jail those fellas. I found some useful vocab words! :) read till the end to see these words.

************************************************************************************************

Section 4 of the Sedition Act makes it an offence to, among other things, promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of population here. The Act was last used in 1966 against two Socialist MPs, who accused the People's Action Party government of plotting to murder a political detainee. In his landmark ruling, Senior District Judge Richard Magnus explained why the Act was used, for the first time in nearly 40 years, in the case against Benjamin Koh Song Huat and Nicholas Lim Yew. Here are the key points of his ruling.

'WHILE an offence under section 4(1a) of the Sedition Act is rare, it is necessary for this court to make it clear that such an offence will be met, upon conviction, with a sentence of general deterrence.

Racial and religious hostility feeds on itself. This sentencing approach of general deterrence is because of three main reasons:

The section 4(1a) offence is mala per se (heinous in or of itself);

The especial sensitivity of racial and religious issues in our multicultural society, particularly given our history of the Maria Hertogh incident in the 1950s and the July and September 1964 race riots;

The current domestic and international security climate. The court will therefore be generally inclined towards a custodial sentence for such an offence.

Young Singaporeans, like the accused persons before this court, may have short memories that race and religion are sensitive issues. They must realise that callous and reckless remarks on racial or religious subjects have the potential to cause social disorder, in whatever medium or forum they are expressed. In this case, it is the medium of the Internet and with it, its ubiquitous reach.

The virtual reality of cyberspace is generally unrefereed. But one cannot hide behind the anonymity of cyberspace, as each of the accused has done, to pen diatribes against another race or religion.

The right to propagate an opinion on the Internet is not, and cannot be, an unfettered right. The right of one person's freedom of expression must always be balanced by the right of another's freedom from offence, and tampered by wider public interest considerations.

It is only appropriate social behaviour, independent of any legal duty, of every Singapore citizen and resident to respect the other races in view of our multiracial society.

Each individual living here, irrespective of his racial origin, owes it to himself and to the country to see that nothing is said or done which might incite the people and plunge the country into racial strife and violence. These are basic ground rules...the Sedition Act delineates this red line on the ground.

The two accused persons have crossed the red line by wantonly breaching these ground rules.

Having said that, the court notes that the offending acts by the accused persons were nipped early and contained. The accused took action to reduce the offensiveness of their acts.

On June 19, Benjamin Koh decided to issue an apology and removed the offending material from public access. Nicholas Lim tendered his written apology on Sept 25 and reiterated this apology this afternoon. These are mitigating factors.

Bloggers who still have similar offending remarks are well advised to remove them immediately.

The court however notes that the remarks posted by Benjamin Koh on his blog were particularly vile, to use the words of the learned Deputy Public Prosecutors. Paragraph 10 of the learned DPPs' submission on sentence said: 'He...spewed vulgarities at the Muslim Malay community, derided and mocked their customs and beliefs and profaned their religion. He even compared their religion to Satanism.'

His remarks provoked a widespread and virulent response. They sparked off more than 200 comments, some of which involved the slinging of racial slurs at Chinese and Malays. This is an aggravating factor.

In the case of Nicholas Lim, the learned DPPs say that his comments are less serious than those by Benjamin Koh. This is borne out by a comparison of the offending materials.

The quantum of sentence on each of the accused persons, therefore, varies according to their level of blameworthiness.

The court will not hesitate to impose appropriate salutary and stiffer sentences in future cases.'

************************************************************************************************

Words of the Day:

1. sedition: Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state

2. callous: unfeeling

3. diatribes: bitter, abusive criticism

4. unfettered: not bound by restrictions

5. delineates: draws, traces, marks out

6. wantonly: unrestrained

7. vile: loathsome, disgusting

8. derided: insulted

9. profaned: violated

10. virulent: bitterly hostile or antagonistic

11. quantum: quantity, amount

12. salutary: remedial, designed to have an improvement

Another Paper 2 Exercise

2005-10-10T15:16:00.000+08:00

Listening to: --- (sigh)

as announced today during the science gp lecture, there's a change to the dates and times of the practice sessions:

1. 18/10 (Tues) @ 1010-1310 @ LT1
2. 25/10 (Tues) @ 0740 - 1040 @ LT2

Here's another prelim 2005 paper 2 insert and answerbooklet.

tues' sked: 0830: wanxin, 0900: joanne, 0930: shumin, 1030: kaiwei

shout-out to the s3a guys who signed up for consultation on thurs. can you guys please let me know what are we going to go through? IF there are similar agendas, then let us combine some of the slots k?

Lazy Sunday

2005-10-09T14:29:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Kimberley Locke's Eighth World Wonder

1. gp lectures this week - review on that practice paper u did last week. am almost done with marking and i must say, this is not a good paper. not going to give full blown opinions online, but hmm, i think exam papers can be better set. So don't fret abt the results, i blame this on the way some questions were set. yucky.

2. will put up more practice papers when i get back to my laptop in sch.

3. mon's sked: amanda (1030), 1200 -1310 (zhengyu, ho kong, leslie and zhen cong)

4. k, back to more sharing: have said before that Singapore is one interesting country. Definitely a melting pot - we are greedy at times, wanting all the world's finest ingredients in our pot and at the same time, wanting to retain that special flavour of ours.

read this description of Asian democracy and values in the papers that day and felt it was quite apt, so am sharing it here: strong and effective governance and soft-authoritarianism.

anyone knows what kind of figurative expression the term " soft-authoritarianism" belongs to? :)

A Graduation Without Graduates?

2005-10-06T21:47:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Jann Arden's Insensitive

friday beckons. Cool.

fri's sked should read: melinda, xiaohui+adelene, yongxiang and peiwen (off the top of my head, forgot to take a good look at the schedule before i left today).

anyway, wanted to talk about the grad ceremony next wed. Today, it struck me that you guys might not be turning up at all. Hmm. Might? Who am I kidding, right? I mean, what's the draw of taking that prelim results slip, right? After all, to most of you, that piece of paper is rather non-consequential.

So i asked myeslf why in the world would you people turn up then?
Then i thought: "why does the school even bother to have a grad ceremony?"
Flashback to my college days: hmm..can't even rem whether i had a grad ceremony.

But walking around the staff room these days, and talking to fellow colleagues, i know for a fact that there are teachers out there putting in efforts to make the grad ceremony a memorable one.

i know some teachers who have prepared lil' presents, cards for their students.
Me: "What if these students don't turn up? Then what happens to these presents and cards?"

i know what's going through your mind: " ms chiew's just trying to make us feel guilty and *gasp* she's actually dishing out politically correct information!"

my response: you should know me better.

but i think it'd be a rather sad affair if the turn-out for the grad ceremony is a miserable one. sure, it isn't a bash, but at least, it's a symbol, a gesture from the college, from your tutors, and perhaps, the last chance for you to gather with your class and tutors, in a single space.

your call.
and i repeat, this is NOT propaganda.

Practice Sessions

2005-10-05T20:02:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Keane's Bedshaped

Tomorrow's agenda: Mock Exam for the Science group tmrw during GP lecture.

Thurs' consultation sked: zhiwei and alyssa

One more thing: Some of you would be receiving sms-es (by tmrw) telling you that you'd have to attend two COMPULSORY Paper 2 Practice Sessions. These two-and-a-half hour sessions will include doing the paper and an hour review after.

Now, if you've not been informed by me via sms, and would like to attend these sessions, do download the practice papers via litespeed as the date approaches and just come along.

any questions, please clarify with me.

Details of the two sessions:

Date: 19 Oct (Wed)
Time: 1010 - 1240
Venue: LT2

Date: 26 Oct (Wed)
Time: 0740-1010
Venue: LT2

Writing's On The Wall

2005-10-04T11:01:00.000+08:00

Listening to: ----

Was asked for samples of good essays from the prelims. take a look at these and once again, take these essays in a positive light. not meant to scare.

wed's schedule:
1000: Jinjie, 1030: Kelvin Low, 1100: deshun (guys, any luck you wanna combine? have a feeling i'd be repeating the same stuff to you three)

1200: jacqueline, 1230: gen and jiaying, 1430: wanxin

2005-10-03T22:11:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Simple Plan's God Must Hate Me

The weather's kinda horrid these days.. i call it "flu-inducing" weather.. threatening to rain one minute and then scorching sunshine the next. Only way to beat this weather is water. Not that i'm now dishing out health advice (this is not a one-stop service) but do drink loads of that water. we all need it.

anyway, remember i spoke about how some clinics would pay for women to donate their eggs. Apparently, it's big business in India too. Check this out:

************************************************************************************

Oct 3, 2005
Sale of human eggs is big business in India

MUMBAI - WHEN a 25-year-old professional woman in India was looking for a way to earn some money so she could travel, a friend came up with what sounded like a simple solution.

Ms Mumbai Harsha Singh, the name The Economic Times gave the woman, was told in-vitro fertilisation banks would pay good money for eggs from her ovaries.

'I was told about the risks involved, but the money was tempting,' she told the newspaper. 'So, I took a chance.'

Ms Singh is one of a growing number of young women in India willing to gamble on the risky business to make extra cash, even though it is still considered morally and socially wrong here, the newspaper says. Women also run a risk of some medical complications, such as infection or ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome.

The reason is simple - there is a growing market for it.

Women from more than 70 countries have visited India in the past two years, paying up to 40,000 rupees (S$1,600) to receive an egg donation - far less than it would cost in their own countries. The price for such treatments ranges from 60,000 rupees to 80,000 rupees in India compared to about £40,000 (S$119,680) in Britain.

Mumbai's Jaslok Hospital alone registers around 1,000 new patients a year - up to 100 of them foreigners - for infertility treatment.

Doctors there say: 'Many patients have to depend on egg donors as part of their treatment.'

It is an industry that experts expect to grow by leaps and bounds now that the Indian Council of Medical Research has recommended standard practices for commercial egg donation.

These allow any woman in the country between the age of 21 and 33 to sell her eggs to a third party.

While the practice is outlawed in Western countries such as France and Britain, it is legal in the United States - but the cost is steep.

A human egg in the US costs US$5,000 (S$8,495) to US$6,000 compared to between 20,000 rupees and 40,000 rupees in India.

Also fuelling the growth of the business is the fact that demand far exceeds supply.

So far, it is mostly females from poor families - many of them barely out of their teens - who donate their eggs for money.

Dr Firuza Parikh, an infertility specialist based at Jaslok Hospital and a member of the panel that has been drawing up guidelines, noted that 'there is an opportunity for commercial exploitation'.

She said the group's guidelines will take aim on this: 'This will prevent exploitation of the egg donor and the egg recipient.'

But even the reasons for the growth in the number of women willing to donate their eggs are changing with the times.

Gynaecologist Duru Shah said: 'I can understand when a lady does it to feed her family, but the number of women doing it just to support their lifestyles is a disturbing trend.'

2005-10-03T16:58:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Santana and Michelle Branch's I'm Feeling You

oct 4, tues' consultation slots:

0830: kairong, 0900: gwen, 0930: johnny, 1000: sok fong

Miss Fix-It

2005-10-02T22:54:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Coldplay's Fix You

inspiring song. go check out the lyrics.

read sat's special? on the youths in singapore. thought it was a great place to get examples. interesting to see where youths are gaining ground in areas like the Arts (dance, photography, music)

got some feedback abt the essay outlines..here's what i want to say: These outlines did not come overnight. Some of them are products which only formed its shape in two days. So what i'm saying is this, it's virtually impossible to come up with these points in a space of one-and-a-half hours (yes, even for teachers, it IS difficult)

so while reading the outlines, you shouldn't be saying: "How in the world am I going to come up with all these in so short a time?! I'm DEAD!" (and then collapse by banging your head against the wall, or in defeat on your table)

Instead, you should be reading and saying: "Oh, I didn't know I could say that. Hmm...this is a good point, must remember it... "

the outlines are meant to help you increase your scope. not to scare you.
how useful a thing is depends on how you use it.
get it?

Download Away!

2005-09-30T17:28:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Avril Lavigne's I'm With You

strange thing happened today: while surfing radio channels, discovered two radio channels playing the same song at the same time. coincidence.

To one and all, since tutorials have officially come to an end, you need to surf in here a little more often to check for stuff and announcements k?

P.S: some of you would be selected to come back to college once a week for 3 weeks. Each session will last for two-and-a-half hours. You'd do a paper for the first one-and-a-half hours, after which, the tutors will review the papers. This is NOT THE SAME as the mock exams (due next week). This is a special arrangement. I'd let you guys know via email if you'd been selected.

If you don't hear from me, and would like to pop by for these practice sessions anyway, let me know then.

in other news:

Mon's consultation schedule:

joanne, ruishan, zhengyu and ho kong

As promised:

1. Essay approaches (outlines) for prelims

Some of you have told me that the pick of essay qns aren't appealing. so here's more:

3. Compiled list of essay qns from various jcs (this yr's prelims)
4. Past yr a level gp qns

Paper 2 Goodies

2005-09-29T16:07:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Vertical Horizon's Better When You're Not There

Second post of the day..finally got some of the paper 2s sorted out.

by popular demand: here's one from 2005 (click here and here) and one from 2004 (again, here and here)

practice makes perfect

2005-09-29T15:14:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Gavin DeGraw's I Don't Wanna Be

Wanna write an essay? click here for a fresh pick of questions.

For those who signed up for consultations, if you intend for me to look through your assgts during your slot, do me a favour and hand these up a day before your slot? so i wouldn't take up your precious 30 mins looking through assignments :)

akan datang: full essay outlines for ny's prelim paper 1 & new paper 2 assgt

Choices: Which Would You Choose?

2005-09-27T21:25:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Don and Drew's Uncle Mutton

You could choose:

1. to be miserable, wallow in self-pity and let it swallow you up; OR turn that misery into strength;

2. to be scared and hide in a dark corner and wait for the monsters to go away; OR face the monster and put up a valiant attempt to fight it off (well, at least if you fail in your attempt, you can still be called a hero);

3. to get angry and transform into a fiery monster (notice, i like monsters) OR remember that anger, feel it fade away and walk away, with your head held up high;

4. to be mediocre and turn into a wallflower; OR show the world (and yourself) what you're truly capable of;

5. to just let things take control of you; OR you could take control of things.

oh yah, prelim answer scheme is here (for those who missed out)

How To Book...

2005-09-26T14:14:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Silence of the Staff Room

Consultation schedule's out on the notice board, just outside the staffroom. i've put out five weeks' worth of dates out. They're in the little folder, so if you want any other date, please take the effort to look for the correct piece of paper.

I've put out some do's and don'ts for you to follow, but due to a lack of space, i couldn't really elaborate, so am going to do so online.

1. Each slot is for 30 mins and each student is allowed to sign up for only one slot each day. This will stay unless I feel otherwise.

2. If you want a 1
1. Each slot lasts for 30 mins. Each student is allowed to sign up for only one slot each day - unless I decide you need the extra time.

2. If you want a 1-hour slot, please sign up with 2 more persons.

3. Booking must be done by 12pm of the day before your proposed slot. What this means is that if you want a Tuesday slot. Please book by 12pm of Monday.

I'm doing so this so that i can put up each day's confirmed schedule beforehand.

4. Simliarly, cancellation must be done at least a day in advance. Unless, of course, you suddenly fall sick (touchwood!)

that's all for now :)

The Vitamin They Call "M"

2005-09-25T14:07:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Bon Jovi's Have A Nice Day

5 things I found out about the island's rich-poor "gap" from reading sat's newspapers:

1. There are about 50,000 people with financial assets of over US$1 million (S$1.7 million) in Singapore (this includes the home they in)

2. Over 1 per cent of Singapore's population are millionaires, up 22.4% from last year.

3. Monthly incomes of the poorest 20% of households fell by 3.2% a year between 1998 and 2003.

4. Households in the top 20% earned about 21 times as much as those in the lowest 20% in 2000.

5. Unemployment rates among those 40 and above and those with less education has gone up.

Back In Business

2005-09-22T12:48:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Fish Leong's latest album

sure hope you are enjoying the well-deserved break :)

hate to bring you guys back into reality but here are a few things to remember before you people come back on Monday.

1. week three will run on the usual timetable. This means the usual 2 tutorials + 1 lecture.
this will be the last content/skills official lecture for the term, so i shan't beat around the bush: You'd better turn up!! :)

In this lecture, the tutors will be going through the prelim AQ. You'd find a lecture handout on litespeed, so please download that handout before you attend the lecture. 04a1b, please remind each other about this since yours is the first lecture of the week.

2. tutorials - please bring the question papers to class.

3. ad-hoc consultations will take place next week. Officially, a consultation schedule for week 4 onwards will be put up on the notice board, right outside the staffroom. I'll give more details about do's and don'ts about signing up for consultations in my next post :)

till then, have fun, relax and don't worry about what you can't have control over..

The Fear Factor

2005-09-14T18:29:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Clash's Should I Stay Or Should I Go

It's been an interesting week in the blogosphere. You know that this cyberspace has attained some sort of status when it's featured in the prelim papers (more than one!) and when people actually get arrested for stuff that they say! Which brings me to my lesson about how it's never safe in the cyberworld. Even if you say the blog belongs to you. Ownership counts for nothing on the Internet. Plus, remember the wide accessibility of the Internet...something I say might spread all over the world - all thanks to the copy and paste function! :)

wanted to share some thoughts about one strange emotion: fear. I once said that fear is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a very useful emotion, one that keeps you on your toes and the one emotion that keeps your survival instincts real sharp.

But when you let fear conquer you, it can then be one very scary monster. It'll swallow you up without you realising it. And it's extremely difficult to fight fear once it's conquered you.

We all have our fears and that makes us vulnerable. The question is always this: Should we pay no heed to that voice in the head (that screams: Don't do it!) or do we listen to it religiously?

The thing is, there isn't no absolute answer is there? What's my mantra? Always, always, pay attention to that voice in your head. But don't listen to it blindly. Check if it's an irrational fear or a fear that can keep you safe.

If it's an irrational fear, then just brush it off. If it's one that warrants attention, then do pay attention. But don't ever let it take over you. Do what you can to make use of that fear positively.

Ultimately, we should do all we can to keep ourselves moving in life. Fear can hinder us. But it can also help us progress and make our lives better. Really. Trust me, I should know :)

He Said The World Isn't Round

2005-09-10T13:52:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Bravery's Unconditional

it's a known fact that globalisation has changed the world and there are so many different books out there analysing this phenomenon. One of the most influential ones on this topic is Mr Thomas Fri*dm*n. Am not giving his full name, cos i think he g**gles his own name :)

anyway, this esteemed author was in town recently and i was fortunate enough to attend his lecture. He has a very engaging demeanour and nice style of presentation.

So here's the link where you can watch the lecture online. It's the very first video in the list. Such is the greatness of technology.
*warning though: it is a rather long lecture; but trust me, if you sit through it, you'll surely be enlightened.

strength and faith

2005-09-09T10:43:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication

thanks marcus for that call for people to share their thoughts about my posts :) guess everyone's still shy?

at this point in time, i just wonder if anyone would be interested to read about my thoughts about issues... after all, i know all of u have a million other things on your mind.

mulled over this and wondered what i should say.
Should I plonk some cheesy but inspirational poem/quote/song lyrics to send a message?
Nah..not quite my style..

so i'll put it simply: hang in there guys. We all have our bad days and we'll always question why we go through painful and difficult periods in life. But always remember to find the silver lining in the dark clouds. Look around you and learn to appreciate life, learn to count your blessings.

believe in yourself.. cos i do believe in each of you.

back home

2005-09-09T09:59:00.000+08:00

Listening to: All Saints' Pure Shores

does poverty exist everywhere? sure thing, even in the world's richest country.

**************************************************************************************

UN hits back at US: Report Says Parts of America, Poor as Third World
By: Paul Vallely, The Independent

(edited)

Parts of the United States are as poor as the Third World, according to a shocking United Nations report on global inequality.

Claims that the New Orleans floods have laid bare a growing racial and economic divide in the US have, until now, been rejected by the American political establishment as emotional rhetoric. But yesterday's UN report provides statistical proof that for many - well beyond those affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the great American Dream is an ongoing nightmare.

The annual Human Development Report normally concerns itself with the Third World, but the 2005 edition scrutinises inequalities in health provision inside the US as part of a survey of how inequality worldwide is retarding the eradication of poverty.

It reveals that the infant mortality rate has been rising in the US for the past five years - and is now the same as Malaysia. America's black children are twice as likely as whites to die before their first birthday.

The report is bound to incense the Bush administration as it provides ammunition for critics who have claimed that the fiasco following Hurricane Katrina shows that Washington does not care about poor black Americans. But the 370-page document is critical of American policies towards poverty abroad as well as at home. And, in unusually outspoken language, it accuses the US of having "an overdeveloped military strategy and an under-developed strategy for human security".

"There is an urgent need to develop a collective security framework that goes beyond military responses to terrorism," it continues. " Poverty and social breakdown are core components of the global security threat."

The document, which was written by Kevin Watkins, the former head of research at Oxfam, will be seen as round two in the battle between the UN and the US, which regards the world body as an unnecessary constraint on its strategic interests and actions.

The clash on world poverty centres on the US policy of promoting growth and trade liberalisation on the assumption that this will trickle down to the poor. But this will not stop children dying, the UN says. Growth alone will not reduce poverty so long as the poor are denied full access to health, education and other social provision. Among the world's poor, infant mortality is falling at less than half of the world average. To tackle that means tackling inequality - a message towards which John Bolton and his fellow US neocons are deeply hostile.

India and China, the UN says, have been very successful in wealth creation but have not enabled the poor to share in the process. A rapid decline in child mortality has therefore not materialised. Indeed, when it comes to reducing infant deaths, India has now been overtaken by Bangladesh, which is only growing a third as fast.

Poverty could be halved in just 17 years in Kenya if the poorest people were enabled to double the amount of economic growth they can achieve at present.

Inequality within countries is as stark as the gaps between countries, the UN says. Poverty is not the only issue here. The death rate for girls in India is now 50 per cent higher than for boys. Gender bias means girls are not given the same food as boys and are not taken to clinics as often when they are ill. Foetal scanning has also reduced the number of girls born. The only way to eradicate poverty, it says, is to target inequalities. Unless that is done the Millennium Development Goals will never be met. And 41 million children will die unnecessarily over the next 10 years.

For half a century the US has seen a sustained decline in the number of children who die before their fifth birthday. But since 2000 this trend has been reversed.

Although the US leads the world in healthcare spending - per head of population it spends twice what other rich OECD nations spend on average, 13 per cent of its national income - this high level goes disproportionately on the care of white Americans. It has not been targeted to eradicate large disparities in infant death rates based on race, wealth and state of residence.

The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia

High levels of spending on personal health care reflect America's cutting-edge medical technology and treatment. But the paradox at the heart of the US health system is that, because of inequalities in health financing, countries that spend substantially less than the US have, on average, a healthier population. A baby boy from one of the top 5 per cent richest families in America will live 25 per cent longer than a boy born in the bottom 5 per cent and the infant mortality rate in the US is the same as Malaysia, which has a quarter of America's income.

Blacks in Washington DC have a higher infant death rate than people in the Indian state of Kerala

The health of US citizens is influenced by differences in insurance, income, language and education. Black mothers are twice as likely as white mothers to give birth to a low birthweight baby. And their children are more likely to become ill.

Throughout the US black children are twice as likely to die before their first birthday.

Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely as white Americans to have no health cover

The US is the only wealthy country with no universal health insurance system. Its mix of employer-based private insurance and public coverage does not reach all Americans. More than one in six people of working age lack insurance. One in three families living below the poverty line are uninsured. Just 13 per cent of white Americans are uninsured, compared with 21 per cent of blacks and 34 per cent of Hispanic Americans. Being born into an uninsured household increases the probability of death before the age of one by about 50 per cent.

More than a third of the uninsured say that they went without medical care last year because of cost

Uninsured Americans are less likely to have regular outpatient care, so they are more likely to be admitted to hospital for avoidable health problems.

More than 40 per cent of the uninsured do not have a regular place to receive medical treatment. More than a third say that they or someone in their family went without needed medical care, including prescription drugs, in the past year because they lacked the money to pay.

If the gap in health care between black and white Americans was eliminated it would save nearly 85,000 lives a year. Technological improvements in medicine save about 20,000 lives a year.

Child poverty rates in the United States are now more than 20 per cent

Child poverty is a particularly sensitive indicator for income poverty in rich countries. It is defined as living in a family with an income below 50 per cent of the national average.

The US - with Mexico - has the dubious distinction of seeing its child poverty rates increase to more than 20 per cent. In the UK - which at the end of the 1990s had one of the highest child poverty rates in Europe - the rise in child poverty, by contrast, has been reversed through increases in tax credits and benefits.

my ipod's sick

2005-09-04T23:08:00.000+08:00

Listening to: McFly's I'll Be Ok

nice, cheery, cheesy song to lift our spirits :)

be back in 3 days.

Stopping Traffic

2005-09-02T22:16:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Jet's Look What You've Done

All children below the age of 6 on our island should also be fitted with these.

Blown Away

2005-09-02T22:01:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Blacksmoke Organisation's Herbie (Fully Loaded Remix)

[vanessa: if u're still thinking of vws, u must catch this film! :) ]

anyway, when tuesday ended on me, i wondered for a moment if there'd be an audience for this blog in the next few weeks. And thanks to everyone who tagged... at least i know people still surf in here.

so i guess i should remain responsible and continue to reward those who come in here yah? :)

news of the week has to be hurricane katrina.
a natural disaster that has wrecked so much havoc in unimaginable ways.
Not only are homes and lives lost, this hurricane has again exposed the ugly nature of Man - those who survive are involved in assualt, rape and looting.

With oil refineries being hit, oil prices are now escalating and this will definitely have an impact on the economies of the world.

one thing leads to another...

before today dawns

2005-08-29T22:42:00.000+08:00

Listening to: James Blunt's You're Beautiful

grant them more clarity of mind, more confidence and less insecurities.

The above wish-list is not applicable to all...some more than others.

grant them a good night's rest. and if they've been good children, they should be asleep by now and wouldn't read this till the paper is done.

Keeping The Spirit Alive

2005-08-28T22:57:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Jewel's Standing Still

Things you can do on Monday:

1. Read the papers
2. Read past compre papers and essays (remember the good, throw away the bad)
3. Draw a mind-map for Singapore - collate your thoughts on Singapore in various aspects.
4. Most importantly, sleep early! This, especially, is not a piece of advice, it is an ORDER! :)

Before Breakfast

2005-08-27T09:20:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Corrs' What Can I Do

Keeping my promise to a1b to put out a summary of what transpired during fri's "lecture". so here i go:

1. Planning is important, but picking the right question is even more impt.
after all, do you really want to spend 1 minute picking the question, and 29 mins planning for the wrong one?

For all the cliches, perhaps, remembering to "look before you leap" will do you lots of good.

2. The safest bet- my fave topic. What's there to pick if my fave is right before me?
As if. Don't follow this mantra too blindly. Other factors do matter.

Factor #1:
the keywords.
Do you understand all of them?
Have you noticed all of them?
Can they be defined easily? Or is it too subjective?

Factor #2:
the implication of the qn.
Do you really know what it wants?

Do give every question the light of the day. Make sure you evaluate every qn in your mind before you start planning.

E is for Essay

2005-08-24T20:52:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Eels' Novocaine for the Soul

confirmed venue for friday: ava room. see you at 1010.

reminder: if you have qns, do send them to me earlier? so i can plan my time properly

thanks to calista for letting me know that the link on litespeed for the essay qns has expired. you can find the list of essay qns here.

oh yes, and ms cheryl chan, you're right. It's your prerogative! :)

the evening news

2005-08-23T21:01:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Rooster's Staring At The Sun

please pay heed to these announcements:

1. nyjc prelim 2002 paper is quite a monster of a paper. many of the questions test on figurative language and metaphorical stuff.. if you find it intimidating, you aren't alone. here are the answers, so you can just take a look at how such qns can be answered. if you don't have the time to do the papers posted online, do at least look at the qns and the answers!

2. please check out litespeed for your seating arrangements for tuesday. do so before you go to the venue so that you wouldn't be caught off-guard yah?

3. no lecture on Friday for s1e and s3a
as mentioned, i'm supposed to have a lesson to make up for the loss of a lecture
tentatively, i intend to meet these two classes at 1010. venue should be ava rm (let me try and book the venue first)

wat's going on? will do paper 1 stuff. likely to be revision..plus perhaps analysis of a few qns.. if you have that long list of essay qns (compiled from all prelim papers last yr) and have an essay qn you'd like me to talk abt, just let me know either personally or online. if you've got qns about the papers, please come armed with these qns

a1b - you're more than welcome to attend this extra freebie if you'd like. we'll just have a huge combined lecture

4. updated consultation schedule
three more days to this week.. schedule already rather packed. apologise for loss of wed and fri afternoons (on course on these afternoons). apologise for having to shorten these consultations into half-hour slots.. cos i'm trying to see as many people as possible! :)

study leave on monday IS confirmed. so if you want, you can come by on monday if you really want to :) let me know though..don't turn up and spring a surprise on me k?

the speech of the year

2005-08-23T13:04:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Electrico's Runaway

Pleasantly surprised to know that many spent sunday night catching what to some, may be the most important speech of the year. Well, for Singaporeans at least.

sure hope that as you listened, thoughts ran through your mind. Hopefully, it wasn't: "Oh please, when is he going to stop?"

this year, i must say, it was a speech with a difference. Yes, the content's usually the same. A round-up of the year and what lies ahead. Packages or plans to help Singaporeans... and as usual, a birthday wish. A wish for a special kind of country.

I was impressed with the way the speech was delivered. There were film clips and slideshows. Rather IT-savvy, don't you think? even my mum commented that he's a rather hands-on guy.

For those who didn't manage to catch the full speech, you can check it out here. All thanks to mr seah, who does NE in our college :)

remember, this is a good chance to get a review of our country :)

please, sir, can i have some more?

2005-08-17T21:22:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Growling Of My Stomach...

answers for the following compres:

a. poverty and
b. verbal culture vs visual culture

for those who have not attempted ANY of the above and would like to try out a compre, please do this one instead! This is the prelim paper for 2002.

try it out today :)

beauty is only skin deep

2005-08-16T21:00:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Train's When I Look To The Sky

and so i said it was difficult to prove obsession. But it is definitely true that the importance placed on looks by this generation is getting increasingly higher...

read abt how a 9-year-old boy went for surgery to get double eyelids! makes you think right? what were YOU doing at the age of 9? Did you understand the concept of double eyelids back then?

so how has the world changed? we talk about superficiality.. but isn't it scary that the superficial world can start at the ripe old age of 9?

if i were the reporter, i'd go out of my way to track down this 9-year-old to take a pix of his newly-minted double eyelids :P

***************************************************************************************************

More teens turn to nip and tuck for better looks

By Liaw Wy-Cin

FOR a growing number of teens, their looks just don't cut it anymore.

And so they're heading to plastic surgeons for a nip and tuck.

In the past five years, the number of teens undergoing cosmetic surgery has doubled, said 12 of the 20 plastic surgeons canvassed by The Straits Times.

Each of the 12 surgeons saw between 20 and 200 teens last year, representing an increase of about 10 to 30 per cent a year since 1999. Singapore General Hospital alone takes in about 150 teenagers for aesthetic surgery annually.

The operations are sometimes gifts from the parents, who believe it will enhance their children's chances in life. Breast augmentation is a popular 16th birthday gift, said Dr Woffles Wu, consultant aesthetic plastic surgeon with Woffles Wu Aesthetic Surgery and Laser Centre.

Support from parents is key, because surgery for patients below 21 requires their consent - and because the procedures don't come cheap.

The most popular operation - double eyelid surgery - costs between $1,600 and $5,000. Nose jobs cost $5,300 to $12,000; chin augmentation $5,000 to $6,000; breast augmentation $15,000 to $16,000; liposuction $6,000 to $15,000 per area; acne treatment $1,000 to $2,000 for oral medication and about $12,000 for more complex treatments to remove scars.

Medisave funds may not be used as these procedures are not considered 'medical'. Parents, however, are willing to fork out the cash.

However, not all are affluent and some have to save up for a long time, just as they might for a coveted designer bag, said Dr Martin Huang, consultant plastic surgeon at The Cosmetic Surgery Clinic.

Some of his patients are in their mid-teens - and one boy was just nine years old. He came in to get a pair of double eyelids, like most of the other young patients.

Some parents are even more eager than their children for such 'self-improvement' procedures, said Dr Huang. Often, these parents, usually the mothers, have had cosmetic surgery done themselves.

Most youngsters start off with double eyelid surgery and may return for other procedures when they are older, said Dr Hong Soo Wan, a plastic surgeon at Cosmetic Specialist Centre.

Doctors attribute the rising trend of teen cosmetic surgery to the Internet and media, including glamorous makeover shows. Also, advances in medical science and technology have made plastic surgery simpler and less invasive and have shortened the recovery time.

'There is a destigmatisation or even the glamorisation of cosmetic surgery. It has now even become a spectator sport,' said Dr Seah Chee Seng, a plastic surgeon in private practice.

One mother, who had double eyelid surgery done, took her 15-year-old daughter to see Dr Seah for the same procedure.

'The girl was very happy about it and told all her classmates. It is likely that her younger sister will do the same procedure when she's older,' said Dr Seah, who practises at Plastic Surgery Associates and Sinova Medical Centre.

Associate Professor Paulin Tay-Straughan, deputy head of the sociology department at the National University of Singapore, thinks popular culture and the influence of the media have fuelled the spike in cosmetic surgery among teens.

All this tends to have a psychological impact on youngsters.

Dr Brian Yeo, consultant psychiatrist at Mt Elizabeth Medical Centre, occasionally sees patients referred by plastic surgeons who suspect they may have psychological problems.

'Cosmetic surgery is becoming so common and accepted now, the fear is that a social divide may be created between those who can afford cosmetic surgery and those who can't,' said Dr Yeo.

Having cosmetic surgery done too early in life may also cause physical problems later, warns Dr Rexon Ngim, a consultant plastic surgeon with Aesthetic Plastic Reconstructive Surgery.

As the body is still growing and changing, the surgically enhanced parts may become out of sync with the rest of the face or body, he said.

It might be better to wait until the body, and the mind, has grown up.

the doctor is in

2005-08-13T13:31:00.000+08:00

Listening to: The Click Five's Just The Girl (what a strange band name)

given how scatter-brained i can sometimes be, i've put up my consultation schedule here for this coming week. if you'd like come by and visit me too, please check the available time slots (the empty ones, of course) and double-check with me please.

siew tee and vanessa: i know we've arranged to have consultation on wed but i found out that i have cca that day. so let me check on monday if i can work something out. so hang in there.

Advanced booking for Week 9 can start now

count your blessings.. i've counted mine

2005-08-13T13:20:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Five for Fighting's Superman (It's Not Easy)

red alert (again): check your mailboxes please. for people, who still can't get stuff frm me, let me know. may just post it up here then.

This has been a rather strange week for me. on the day of national day, a "bug" struck me. my friend calls it the "new year bug".. so what does this bug do? well, it's that kind of bug that makes you count your blessings, to ponder about your life..

woke up that morning, feeling strange but blessed. So i decided to tell some of my friends.. say thank you for being my friend. you should try that too.. makes you feel good and definitely, brightens up another person's day. Us Asians are just so shy that we feel uncomfortable just even telling our friends "thank you for being my friend"..and that's one trait we should get rid of.

This morning, read another article that reminded me of the need to count our blessings. Yes, please flip through the saturday special on the biopolis (S&T again!).. that will give you some insight about the progress of Singapore in terms of scientific advancement.

But here's the article i wanted to share specifically:
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Africa in the grip of a vast 'hunger belt'

WASHINGTON - WITH attention on food shortages in Niger, aid agencies say a vast 'hunger belt' is stretching across Africa. All across the continent - from Niger in the centre to Somalia on the Indian Ocean seaboard - people are starving.

Latest reports from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network say more than 20 million people are at risk from food shortages.

The Famine Early Warning network, made up of a variety of aid agencies including the aid arm of the US government, USAid, says no fewer than seven African states face food emergencies.

These are mostly on the fringes of the Sahara desert and stretch from Niger, through Chad and Sudan, to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

One factor unites most of the people at risk across Africa.

They rely overwhelmingly on rain-fed or flood-plain agriculture and have little access to irrigated fields. So, when rains are erratic or fail, it is a disaster.

It is also no coincidence that most of the worst-affected countries are on the edge of the Sahara. The desert is advancing and soils are being eroded.

The only long-term answer to this situation, aid workers say, is massive investment, including the productive harnessing of rivers like the Niger and the Nile. This investment will need to be guaranteed over many years.

The picture is mixed within the countries affected.

The largest number of people at risk in a single state is in Ethiopia, where some 10 million people are said to be facing food shortages. But in some parts of Ethiopia an ambitious government plan to provide a safety net for poor people is beginning to bear fruit.

Within Sudan, the country's south is most at risk. The end of the war there has paradoxically made the situation more difficult, with refugees returning home and putting land under pressure.

The seventh country facing a food emergency, according to the Famine Early Warning network, is Zimbabwe. Aid workers say the recent clearances of urban dwellers have created pressure on rural land as townspeople are forced to settle elsewhere.

The slum clearances came on top of the problems caused by President Robert Mugabe's land reforms.

These illustrate another side of the complex agricultural problems facing Africa. Giving mechanised, irrigated farms to subsistence farmers will not necessarily improve food security because the farmers are still dependent on rainfall if they lack the money to maintain the irrigation systems. -- NEW YORK TIMES

let's see if this works

2005-08-10T22:39:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Sugar Ray's Fly

Click here for the answer to aq and vocab (medical ethics)!

tag or comment to let me know if it's working please!

happy national day!

2005-08-09T10:04:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Kit Chan's Home

on a day like today, it'll be good to take stock of this country that we live in. The characteristics of the country, the people who live in it.

Please don't call it a "small little red dot" anymore.. very cliche.. not original when the entire cohort in singapore calls it that!

do take a look at the supplement that came with your newspaper too.. all the stuff about singapore. Erm, yah, okay, maybe it isn't that useful for GP knowing who the prettiest hawker is in singapore, but learn to sieve and pick useful info - for example, you can read the piece about the progress of the arts here.

in other news: did anyone read ST's saturday special? Very apt for the compre we just did.
it was a feature on beauty. Do take a quick read or at least flip through that yah?
which reminds me to say that the saturday specials are turning out to be rather interesting.. i actually wonder every saturday morning what they're up to next!

bundle of joy

2005-08-09T10:00:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Gwen Stefani's Cool

pictures to liven up this place. meet megan, my niece of a month-old..

one trick in the bag

2005-08-05T18:12:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Sweet Sensation's If Wishes Came True (yikes, so retro)

red alert: please check litespeed or your mailboxes for the answer to vocab and aq (medical ethics).

so i said i can't imagine who in the world would run against the current candidate..and in the morning, wham! there is the picture of one fella who's actually interested..oh boy.. now i wonder about my saturday.. will i really have to go on duty? but looking at this candidate's credentials, it does seem as if he's good to go! unless of course, some deep dark secret pops by from now till then, if not, yes, we might just have our pr*sidential el*ction soon..

thought i'll share some ideas about the article some of us read during the reading programme. Oft-asked question: So how do we do well in AQ?

Here's one trick (out of many): Don't just repeat or rehash what the passage says. So for example, the main e.g used in that article was about how our entrepreneurs actually lack the entrepreneurial spirit. The usual response: "yes, yes, it's true! we do not know the true meaning of entrepreneurship. True-blue entrepreneurs do not fear risk, they do not need any safety net from the government"..etc

Instead, you could say: It's true our govt has inculcated a mentality where we do not really dare to take risks. (then you can say smthing about entrepreneurship and continue with...) This can also be seen in our education system - though we are encouraged to think critically, we prefer to go with the tried and tested..

my point is that you should try and use examples outside the passage. That's what they mean when they say they'd like original material.

yes, children have rights too

2005-08-04T21:44:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Green Day's Wake Me Up When September Ends

Now i wonder why ed thinks i'm religious... cos i said i found corrinne may's music inspiring? lyrics are just words..they appeal to each of us differently because we all have different experiences... so one song may mean one thing to you, but another to me..

news of the day: pr*sidential ele*tions coming up soon. and as you guys know, i may have to go on duty on that day. well, i wonder who the world would actually think of running up the current candidate. oh well, we can only wait with bated breath for that day to come along.

Found this link on someone else's blog...if you're interested in children's rights, do take a read here. So far, only two countries in the world have not signed the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Guess who?

letters to the press

2005-08-03T21:00:00.000+08:00

Listening to: Corrinne May's Everything In Its Time

have you listened to this album of hers yet? rather inspiring, i must say. everyone needs a little music in their lives.. try corrinne may's music on a quiet night. If you find that your mind races too often for your own liking, and thus, makes it difficult to sleep, close your eyes to her music. It works :)

anyway, read two letters in ST Forum Page, the first is about how "a little word can make a lot of difference" (hope you guys appreciate the humour in it) and the second is a little more serious: about religion (you may not agree with the views but you can ask if his points are valid :) enjoy!

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Letter #1: Koh Yoong Liat

THE notice at the entrance of the multi-storey carpark beside Junction 8 Shopping Centre (BE 23) and the one in the Empress Road Market and Food Centre carpark (FR3M) indicate respective ly the number of parking spaces available as 'Lots available...' and 'Vacant lots...'

In the multi-storey carpark in Farrer Road at 2 Empress Road and 4 Queen's Road (BU FR2C/FR2S), the following notice is displayed on the wall: 'Carpark lot Nos 192 to 228...'

At Deck 1B of the same carpark, the notice on the wall reads: 'Hourly parking lots located from Deck 1A to 2A and 4B to 5B'.

The word 'lot' is found not only in these carparks but also in many others in Singapore.

At the same carpark in Queen's Road, a police notice displayed on the parapet wall reads as follows: 'Park your bicycle in a lot and secure with a lock.'

The word 'lot' in these examples has been used wrongly by many Singaporeans to mean 'parking space'.

However, the word actually refers to a piece of land reserved for a particular purpose, for example, to build houses or park cars.

It does not refer to a particular space to park a vehicle. In fact, 'lot' means 'carpark' in American English.

I would be grateful if the authorities could rectify the error by substituting the word 'space' for 'lot' in all carparks where the wrong word is found.

As many Singaporeans think the word 'lot' means 'parking space', it is important to correct this misconception as soon as possible.

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Letter #2: From Nigel Hee Dewen (edited)

I feel that being born into a religious family does not necessitate the child taking after the same religion. To insist on such would be to infringe on the fundamental rights of freedom accrued to all by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which advocates: '...the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear...

'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, this right includes the freedom to change his religion or belief...'

Why should the child take up the parents' religion? Is a child of suitable age not able to make an informed choice? By insisting on it, are the parents not violating the basic rights that are accrued to all?

Religion is not something that you are born into; it is something that you choose to be involved in.

In response to Mr Ong: Why allow yourself to be restrained by tradition? The decision towards higher education should be made of your own free will.

I agree with Mr Mohamad Ridwan that family should come before money.

But God before family? No matter what miracles that God can or has performed, he does not bring money home for your children's allowances. He does not provide in this material life - which is where we are.

In the article, 'Reaping a rich harvest of converts', it was mentioned that new churches have employed methods similar to modern marketing campaigns.

Mr Matthew Kang of New Creation Church says that 'such elements draw younger people' but insists that otherwise, 'we do nothing to recruit members'.

One can say the same thing of any marketing campaign to sell cellphones. These methods are but glamorous marketing tactics masked in religion. Why do we need to resort to these measures to draw the younger crowd?

Furthermore, why should the Government consider religious beliefs when it comes to making policies?

The usual argument would be that allowing gambling here would open the doors to other sins or crimes. There is no direct causal link between them. The existence of one does not necessarily imply the existence of the other.

Mixing religion and politics is a touchy issue - much like balancing a bottle of nitroglycerin on the tip of a sword. Why complicate things by trying to tap-dance at the same time?

My question concerning the issue of God is similar to that of Mr Esmond Chng, albeit with a twist: How much suffering is enough?

This question is not new, and it may be of interest to note that the Archbishop of Canterbury recently said he had questioned his own faith in God.

We cannot prove - nor disprove - the existence of God. It may be best to wield Occam's Razor here, and cut away the unneeded parts: There is no need for God.

tuesday's ramblings

2005-08-02T22:41:00.000+08:00

oh great. the tag board's working again. was just going to get rid of this one when it miraculously appeared again!

anyway, please hang in there for the vocab and aq answers - will sent them out by email by friday (cross my fingers). also just a gentle reminder to all that we'll be doing one more class assignment (P2) this week.. i'll get them marked over the holiday break and we'll go through them after national day hols. know you guys are getting sick of P2, but hang in there yah? :)

weather's been really cranky these days.. just like all of our moods, i'm sure.

here's my sharing for the day: Terror in the world can take on many forms - it doesn't always have to be in the shape of a bomb.

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Another Face of Terror

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: July 31, 2005

Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, is supposed to be our valued ally in the war on terrorism. But terror takes many forms, not all of them hijacked airplanes or bombed subways.

For the vast majority of humans, terror comes in more mundane ways - like the violent hands that woke Dr. Shazia Khalid as she lay sleeping in her bed, and the abuse she's suffered at the hands of Mr. Musharraf's government ever since.

I mentioned Dr. Shazia briefly in June when I wrote about General Musharraf's quasi-kidnapping and house arrest of Mukhtaran Bibi - the Pakistani rape victim who used compensation money to open schools and start a women's aid group. But at that time Dr. Shazia was still too terrified to speak out.

Now, for the first time, Dr. Shazia has agreed to tell her full story, even though this will put herself and her loved ones at risk. Her tale is simultaneously an indictment of General Musharraf's duplicity, a window into the debasement that is the lot of women in much of the world - and a modern love story.

Dr. Shazia, now 32, took a job by herself two years ago as a doctor at a Pakistan Petroleum plant in the wild Pakistani region of Baluchistan, after Pakistan Petroleum also promised a job for her husband there (that job never materialized). Dr. Shazia's family worried about her safety, but her residence was in a guarded compound and she felt strongly that the women in that region needed access to a female physician.

Then on Jan. 2, Dr. Shazia woke up in the middle of the night, and at first she thought she was having a nightmare. "But this person was really pulling hard on my hair, and then he started pressing on my throat so I couldn't breathe. ... He tied the telephone cord around my throat. I resisted and struggled, and he beat me on the head with the telephone receiver. When I tried to scream, he said, 'Shut up - there's a man standing outside named Amjad, and he's got kerosene. If you scream, I'll take it and burn you alive.' ... Then he took my prayer scarf and he blindfolded me with it, and he took the telephone cord and tied my wrists, and he laid me down on the bed. I tried hard to fight but he raped me."

The man spent the night in her room, beating her, casually watching television, raping her again and boasting about his powerful connections. A 35-page confidential report by a tribunal describes Dr. Shazia tumbling into the nurse's quarters that morning: "semiconscious ... with a swelling on her forehead and bleeding from nose and ear." Officials of Pakistan Petroleum rushed over and took decisive action.

"They told me to be quiet and not to tell anybody because it would ruin my reputation," Dr. Shazia remembers. One official warned that if she reported the crime, she could be arrested.

That was a genuine risk. Under Pakistan's hudood laws, a woman who reports that she has been raped is liable to be arrested for adultery or fornication - since she admits to sex outside of marriage - unless she can provide four male eyewitnesses to the rape.

Dr. Shazia wasn't sure she dared to report the crime, but she begged for permission to contact her family. So, she says, officials drugged her into a stupor and then confined her in a psychiatric hospital in Karachi.

"They wanted to declare me crazy," Dr. Shazia said bitterly. "That's why they shifted me to a hospital for crazy people."

Dr. Shazia's husband, Khalid Aman, was working as an engineer in Libya, but he finally was notified and rushed back 11 days later. Dr. Shazia, by then freed, couldn't face him, but he comforted her, told her that she had done nothing wrong, and insisted that they report the rape to the police so that the criminal could be caught.

That was, perhaps, naïve, particularly because there were rumors that the police had identified the rapist as a senior army officer and were covering up for him.

"When I treat rape victims, I tell the girls not to go to the police," Dr. Shershah Syed, a prominent gynecologist in Karachi, told me. "Because if she goes to the police, the police will rape her."

That's the way the world works for anyone unfortunate enough to be born female in much of the world. In my next column, on Tuesday, I'll tell how our ally, General Musharraf, then inflicted a new round of terrorism on Dr. Shazia.

women in power

2005-07-30T15:41:00.000+08:00

finally, a new day begins. Signifies a new beginning for all.

ed: well, i guess this isn't going to be ur usual kind of blog - it'd serve to inform, entertain and hopefully educate? sounds like a familiar motto? :)

aarthi: now you can finally understand that your tutor's actually rather complex? love oxymorons to bits :)
Life is actually simple, it's us Man who make it complex. So it's either up to you to make the complex simple, or just learn to embrace the complexity. Some of us try so hard to keep meaning while others are quite willing to throw it away at every opportunity. Like I've said before: too much negativity in the world these days.. let us not contribute as well.

to all out there, if you would like to post an entry, not just tag... let me know yah??

read this today...thought it'd be good to know who the women in power around the world are! If you want the full list, go check out p42-43 of ST today.

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July 30, 2005

Women power

NEW YORK - US SECRETARY of State Condoleezza Rice is the world's most powerful woman, beating a host of presidents, celebrities and chief executives to top Forbes magazine's global ranking of feminine clout.

The list was Forbes' second ranking of the world's 100 most powerful women and left Dr Rice two-for-two, having topped the 2004 version as US national security adviser.

Ms Elizabeth MacDonald, senior editor at Forbes, cited Dr Rice for 'reinvigorating the role of Secretary of State with a form of diplomatic activism that we haven't seen in a while'.

Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi is runner-up for the second year in a row, the highest-ranked among nine Asians on the annual list.

The chief executive and executive director of Singapore's Temasek Holdings, Ms Ho Ching, is in 30th position.

Former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, No. 8 on the list last year, not only lost her top 10 position but fell out of the rankings altogether following her failed re-election bid.

A similar fate befell India's ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, who was deemed the third most powerful woman last year but could not make it to the top 100 a year later.

There was better news, for now at least, for beleaguered Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, who jumped five places to take the No. 4 ranking this year, behind newcomer Yulia Tymoshenko, the Ukrainian Prime Minister who made her debut in third position.

The highest-ranking businesswoman on the list was Ms Margaret Whitman, the chief executive of the wildly successful Internet auction site eBay, who was in fifth position, ahead of Xerox chief executive Anne Mulcahy.

US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, who last month topped the Forbes list of most powerful celebrities, broke into the all-women top 10 at No. 9 - a huge leap from her 62nd ranking last year.

Rounding out the top 10 was Mrs Melinda Gates, wife of billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates and co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Forbes rankings are based on a composite of visibility - measured by press citations - and economic impact.

The latter reflects three things: status (a prime minister is more powerful than a senator); the size of the economic sphere over which the person holds sway; and a multiplier that aims to make different economic yardsticks comparable.

A politician, for example, is assigned a gross national product number but a low multiplier, while an executive is assigned a company's assets but gets a high multiplier.

'We wanted to find women who had both global economic impact and cultural impact,' Ms MacDonald said.

She added that one 'disturbing trend' identified by Forbes researchers was the continued disparity in salaries between female and male executives.

'When the Wall Street Journal coined the term 'glass ceiling' in 1985, women only earned two-thirds of men's salaries,' Ms MacDonald said.

'Now it's about 75 per cent. That's an improvement that's working at a glacial pace.' -- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

and life ends.

2005-07-27T22:53:00.000+08:00

strange how some things work out.. The whole week I've been talking about life, death, and how it's illegal to take one's life away even if it's yours.

then i find out about how someone i know took a life away - her own.

too much hate going around in the world, too much negative energy going around.
there are just so many other things to worry about, yet at the same time, so many things to cherish and treasure.

suddenly, everything that seemed such a big deal earlier seems so insignificant, when compared to life itself.

life begins..life stops

2005-07-27T20:30:00.000+08:00

In line with the discussion this week on 'life'..here's something to ponder on: when does life stop then?

one thing to be curious about: Singapore's Human Organ Transplantation Act.

************************************************************************************

Feb 3, 2003
Brain dead: Is it the same as 'really dead'?

LUCKILY for Miss Tanya Liu, she was declared dead in a country with an opt-in organ donation programme.

Otherwise she might be buried by now and her organs working away in other people's bodies.

Instead, the Taiwanese newscaster, declared brain dead by London doctors after she was injured severely in a train crash in May last year, was moved at the insistence of her family to a hospital in Beijing.

There, herbal remedies and electrical stimulation of her brain saw her regain consciousness three months later.

It made the news everywhere.

The proposal to make brain death the legal criterion for harvesting organs here has made some people uneasy, especially when stories like Miss Liu's suggest that a person is not necessarily dead when her brain is dead.

But brain death is the legal standard used in most nations for organ transplants.

Japan, for example, adopted it in 1997, and Singapore is considering working it into amendments to the Human Organ Transplant Act.

Now, the Act authorises kidneys to be removed from non-Muslim accident victims who have not opted out.

The proposed amendments are to expand, first, the list of organs to include the liver, heart and corneas and, secondly, the pool of potential donors to people certified as 'brain dead'.

The concept of brain death, while widely used, is not universally accepted.

It was first mooted by the Harvard Medical School in 1968 to enable doctors to harvest organs for transplantation.

If the brain is no longer able to coordinate all the systems in the body, such that the person cannot breathe on his own, maintain the heart beat and blood circulation spontaneously, and remain conscious, can you say he is still alive?

The Harvard doctors listed six criteria to establish brain death but left this question unanswered to this day.

Despite the Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan's reassuring comment made to reporters recently - 'There is very scientific and medical criteria to determine brain death' - the question remains whether people are really dead if they are brain dead.

After all, we are talking about warm, pink bodies in whom hearts continue to beat. In fact, for brain-dead organ donors, the life-support machine is left on so the heart continues to beat and pump blood through organs.

In 1997, the CBS television show, 60 Minutes, aired a story entitled, Not Quite Dead, about how brain-dead persons could be kept alive for surprisingly long periods.

It had been an article of faith that brain death would lead to the heart stopping despite all treatment.

In fact, persons declared brain dead are known to have hearts that continue to beat on their own. A study of 155 persons with no electrical activity or blood flow in the brain - whole brain death - revealed that 80 survived two weeks, 44 four weeks, 20 two months, seven six months, and four longer than one year.

The longest-known survivor was declared brain dead at four from meningitis.

Scans show that his brain has liquefied. Today, the 20-year-old American is still comatose but, without question, alive.

That the issue remains unsettled is evident from the fact that in the United States, the whole brain must stop functioning to diagnose brain death whereas, in Britain, brain-stem death is enough.

The brain stem is the lower part of the brain that connects the cerebral hemispheres in the skull to the spinal cord in the backbone; it controls breathing, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure and how we stay awake.

The definition of death becomes an issue only because of organ transplantation.

If doctors wait until the heart stops beating before they harvest organs, they must race against the clock to transplant them before they become unviable.

How long to wait after the heart stops before declaring a person truly dead?

There are no answers in medical texts, which never had to deal with this before.

After 60 Minutes aired the episode, the US government asked the Institute of Medicine to look for an answer.

The prestigious non-profit group concluded that it was virtually certain that the heart would not restart on its own after five minutes although there were 'no scientific studies to allow a definite conclusion. (On this, there is a) lack of scientific certainty'.

After all, the ticker can - even after five minutes - be kicked back into life with a defibrillator; the resuscitated person may even come back with some brain function intact.

BETTER GUIDELINE FOR ORGAN REMOVAL?

THERE is no question that transplantations save lives but policy-makers owe it to would-be donors to define death plainly, especially in Singapore's opt-out system.

In opt-in systems where people have to pledge to be donors, many resist signing up precisely because of the uncertainty over brain death.

Plainly, 'as good as dead' isn't quite the same as 'really dead', and we must not sidestep the issue by declaring would-be donors dead too soon.

It may indeed be good policy to permit organ removal after five minutes - or to follow some better guideline - but, first, we must engage in the appropriate debate, not dismiss doubts and fears in a cavalier fashion.

at the beginning

2005-07-26T12:24:00.000+08:00

For a long time now, I've been playing with the idea of using this medium to complement what I do in the classroom. Often, there just doesn't seem to be enough time for everything...

So here I am. Once again, trying my luck to see how far this can really go, especially in a period of time when time seems so limited..

For a start, I'll be posting articles as regularly as possible..stuff that I think we need to know, and as usual, hopefully those will serve as a springboard, to spark your curiosity, such that you'd go find out more yourself.

Apart from that, it'll be great if this could turn into a place where you'll

1. feel free to express yourselves (though good manners appreciated here);
2. feel comfortable to ask the questions you haven't had time to ask;
3. or simply share your views on anything..

Finally, though my main concern is for GP, this will also be a place for me and you to share almost anything and everything...

if you wanna post too, just join me here in cyberspace, won't you?