Worn out - don't just involve a few

I am indefinitely exhausted. The past week was a hurry-scurry of events.

Starting it off on a high (literally) tone was the HSBC TreeTop Walk at MacRitchie on 21 January I went with Aaron and his family. Up in the treetops way so high on a shaking suspension bridge, my stomach whirred with acrophobia - thank goodness I had not eaten much beforehand. Hours later while watching Elektra at Golden Village Tampines, I was nearly dozing off from fatigue - the result of lack of sleep contributed as well.

The day after that (22 January) was my paternal grandma's birthday dinner - I had much fun playing hide-and-seek with my little cousins. At least that was not physically as tiring as the day before.

Thursday (27 January) was the Lower Secondary Cross Country Run and I was the official photographer. Not used to waking up early and having stood without sitting for hours, I was extremely tired by late morning when the event ended.

Then comes this week - most of the weekdays of this week were spent lavishly on the PowerPoint I made for my secondary school's 4th Student Council Commendation Service - held today (January 28). Then my computer had to generate some hard disk problems - causing the PowerPoint that I had created - even the back-up copy - to fail to open. Lucky for me I had the 1st draft copy (my 2nd draft was affected) - but that meant I had to re-do most of the PowerPoint all over again. All over again - editing/cropping/resizing of numerous photos and arrangements of almost 60 slides - my final product was completed, edited and revised on the actual day itself (before the Service today).

I guess next week's going to be another rush (according to my Calendar of Agenda in the sidebar to the right). After I collect my 'O' Level Results, I won't be helping out in school so much - well, as my mum puts it - "the school is government-subsidized. They have money to employ workers to work for them." (She's unhappy that ex-students are still needed to come back to help the school.) Which abruptly connotates the statement that "schools should rely on their current students and teachers to do most of the work of the school."

I don't know why, but maybe I shouldn't be showcasing, consciously or sub-consciously, my skills and availability so much - almost every help that I provide to others now relates to either music or Information Technology (more of this). Maybe the school should involve others - which often is the problem, again. I mean, there has got to be at least a number of people in the school that have skills in music and IT; most of them just don't express it or don't want to "get involved". It always has to end up with the teachers and the few same people on which the burden is piled on. And you end up with weary individuals that bear the brunt of reprimand, and on the other hand selfish fellows that just create more and more trouble for these individuals.

Or - maybe I've got to learn - and learn I must - to say "No".

Yet another cyber-spam incident

It seems that some people have nothing better to do than to derive pleasure from the cruelty inflicted upon others - sadism. The incident this time got about because my cousin had a link on her blog - to my blog. Apparently, she was in a feud with her enemy. So it seems that her enemy got someone (or maybe a few) to "spam" her blog - and mine got affected as well (given the link). Adding on to my blog's then "cheena" (chinese) design and use of words, and a photo of mine with a rather prominent moustache (hey, what's so wrong - being a boy!), a war of words ensued on her tagboard...

edwin (nude hot) <- someone impersonating me
i have alot of time to spare, haha! GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!

edwin (nude hot) <- not me again - don't worry it contains no sexual content; i'm not showing it though
hey dearest cousin, i made a nice graphic for you.. must go and see ah!

evon <- replying to the previous comment
you're so NOT my cousin :P you're really pathetic, resorting to using other ppl's identities

edwin <- finally the TRUE me
dun think i dun noe who u r... mr. SADIST... wif all yr stupid pix and stuff... sthu!

samuel and gang <- the sadistic culprits
even if you know me, what can you do? you're just a loser who cant make it to jc and extras about your old secondary school. oh yeah, gung hay fat choy, LOL.

samuel and gang <- the comments continued...
anyway, apparently you're stupid enough not to know what a sadist is. oh, do remember to get a razor to shave off your... moustache, you look like a perv, LOL.

edwin <- the TRUE me again
apparently someone doesn't know that another meaning of sadism is the "deriving of pleasure from cruelty"...-_-"

samuel and gang <- the culprits in their most agonising statement
LOL. My vocabulary is more extensive and accurate than yours, neighborhood school kid. is that applicable here? are you me? do you know if i derive pleasure from cruelty? in reality, i'm just disgusted with the both of you"deriving of pleasure" is not a valid conjunction, so please re-examine your english, "academican". now go shave off your moustache, you loser.

samuel <- don't know where the "gang" went
anyway, evon, nothings being said to you now, no worries, i have no problems with you, actually no real problems with anyone. in fact, i don't even know you, so there.. have fun in mjc! :) i'm just suggesting edwin shave his moustache off:) rofl, thats it:) kthxbey

Evon <- my cousin replying to the previous comment
so lets' bury the hatchet now ok? Though I'd like to add that 'neighbourhood school students' aren't necessarily stupid or losers. Many times they beat ppl from 'branded schools' hands down attitude wise! In the end it's attitude that matters.

And so that's a brief synopsis of what happened - I can't believe some people have so much time in the world to poke fun at other people - but now the matter's settled (I guess), I hope they won't ever EVER pester me again. Sadists.

Once a Hildan, ALWAYS a Hildan

I've just come back from Hildan Torch, a major event held by my secondary school to formally welcome the new cohort of Secondary One students into the Hildan family. It's so called because the highlight of the event consists of the students passing lighted candles to each other, in turn lighting their own candles placed in mini candleholders. This symbolises the passing of the "Hildan flame" - that the tradition and values of St. Hilda's will remain with them for always.

It's kind of a nostalgic experience helping out in the event by playing the piano along to a spirited rendition of the song "Welcome To The Family", performed by the student councillors and several of us ex-students of the school (Adeline, Joy and I). Being the third time the event was held, and I having helped out in the previous two years, it was nostalgic to once again feel the warmth of not only the song but also the welcome into the Hildan family.

For those who don't know yet, I'm currently waiting for my 'O' Level results (I'm not in the 1st 3 months JC programme) - so instead of slacking my brain out at home or getting myself addicted to some online games, I might as well have spent the time usefully (which I did). So now I'm helping out in the major (and some minor) events of the school (which you can see under the "Calendar of Agenda" in the sidebar to the right).

As they say, once a Hildan - always a Hildan - well, maybe not for everybody - but at least I'll have the chance to relive the good times I've had in the past four years, with the Student Council, with my schoolmates, with the teachers - with the Hildan family.

Inconsiderate neighbourhood schools?

A copy of this letter has been sent to Springfield Secondary School.

It is with great disparity that this matter has to be brought to light. Other residents that live near (or even next to) neighbourhood schools may share my sentiments - that some (definitely not all) neighbourhood schools are insensitive to the presence of a residential community around them.

My experience with Springfield Secondary, a neighbourhood school in Tampines West, is one that has persisted for months. On weekdays, when co-curricular activities (CCAs) are carried out, it is understandable if the noise level occasionally surpasses an acceptable limit. However, the school band, particularly, has played a significant role in contributing to the noise level with the cacophony of sounds the different instruments produce. Moreover, the incessant din of drumming that increases in tempo and varies in rhythm aggravates the irritation the noise causes.

Perhaps the school can lessen the noise level produced by the band by confining most of its practices inside enclosed spaces instead of in the open air. Due to the school's close proximity to the surrounding housing estates on one end and having a large open space on the other, sound gets amplified from the open spaces to the nearby housing blocks.

The situation climaxed early last Saturday morning (8 January) at around 6.30am when the cheers of students and the thunderous melodies of the band playing awaked me. The noise level was so extreme even for me, ten floors up in one of the housing blocks next to the school - how much louder can you imagine it is inside the school? Besides, did they have to start practising (or performing) so early in the morning? Are they incognizant of the fact that there are babies that need to rest and many other residents that are still asleep? Interaction with the residents in my block has revealed that I was not the only one affected by this incident.

By noon, most of the hubbub had ceased. In this case, wouldn't it have been wiser to schedule the practices to begin a bit later in the day so as not to affect us residents?

In the Parliamentary Reply on 19 October 2004, which covered the issue of the 5-Day Work Week, it was mentioned, "Schools will look on Saturday as an opportunity for students to engage in unstructured activities, to reflect and to pursue their interests. Schools will also hold CCAs on weekends where necessary." Nevertheless, the execution of CCAs should not result in the peacefulness of the vicinity being compromised.

Are the teachers-in-charge of the CCAs are either ignorant or inconsiderate towards the residents living nearby? It is time for the school to maintain an acceptable noise level and withhold noisy activities in the wee hours of the morning if it does not want more complaints from the public in future.

Change of Direction in 2005

My first post (this one) in 2005 finally appeared. Just one resolution, one hope - that aid will reach the remaining survivors of the recent tidal wave tragedy quickly so that no more lives may be lost.

I will be changing the "direction" of my blog in the months to come. To start off, in order to flow along with the uprising blogging trend worldwide - I have decided to change the content of my blog beginning this year to include more personal in-depth information and day-to-day reviews about myself. This will especially apply to my posts, since a blog, after all, is an "online diary/journal" - but mine looks more like a personal website.

Secondly, I will try to impersonate a "friendlier" tone of writing which will make my posts more user-friendly in a way.

Thirdly, a calendar of events that I will be involved in - in the near future - will be put up. The events may include my friends' birthdays and important appointments.

Even so, the quality of my posts (especially in language, grammar, vocabulary and spelling) will not be changed. I will still have a variable header image (changes from time to time) and of course, the right song for the right occasion playing in the background (also variable). My tag-board will still remain and so will the links, graphics and thumbnailed photos in the sidebar.

As always, thanks to you, the viewer for taking your time to view my blog - such that the number of hits have ballooned to 1,500 since June 1 last year. My half a year of blogging so far have been a great way to store my memories and times of my life online for posterity.

And if you ever want to return to my blog in future, just access my shortened domain (http://www.niwdehot.tk) or search for "Edwin Toh" (me) at any major search engine, which will give my address among its first few results.