The Week 10 Adventure Begins

I've decided to make it a habit to try to blog every day. University life is simply too exciting and meaningful to let pass without the faintest computation into some sort of record. I am also planning to record new things I've tried everyday as well as the lessons I've learnt.

Anyway, first things first, a record of what has happened in the not so distant past.

I woke up at 4pm today, having slept at 7am earlier thanks to concert cast retirement party. lol.

Week 9 of Semester 1 is now forever inscribed into the annals of history.

Monday saw me spending an afternoon with Jim Rogers at the University Cultural Center. But before that there was the engineering Innovation Program Class where I went and gave everyone an update, together with Chen Hui, regarding our little umbrella project. We were adviced by Professor Martin to acquire our device materials from a particular shop in town. Anyway, back to JR at UCC. Jim shed many interesting insights and personal views regarding globalization and what we could expect in wake of the current scenario of things. The imminent global financial tsunami, the rising of China, etc. Anyway, some interesting things to note of Jim, he has travelled to over a hundred companies in the span of 3 years and has really seen and observed many things. That feat earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. LoL. The things you can do with money. Among the more memorable insights Jim shared: If you were smart in the 1800s you would move to London, if you were smart in the 1900s you would move to New York, and if you were smart in the 2000s you would move to Asia. Directly after that talk was the MTI-NUS economic forum. Saw Jia Yong and Li Ling as part of the Economic Major student volunteers managing the booth. Anyway, the Economics forum was interesting - not in the way that I could understand but rather the panelists composed of economic experts gave many economic input in an extremely economically jargoned fashion. Left early with Li Ling, missed out on a free meal worthed $20. LoL. Because we valued being on time for Cast practice.

Tuesday, at 2pm attended a workshop organized by the NUS CDTL (Center for the development of teaching and learning) titled Glasser's Choice theory. It was a most illuminating workshop. Met an old fellow Malaysian friend, Heather, and a 2nd Year Bioengineering student from KE7. From the workshop, I learnt about theory of the quality world, and how all our behaviors: Acting, Thinking, Feeling, and physiology, correspond to us trying to fulfill basic human needs. And the items or pictures in our quality world is a subset of the perceived world that is a cumulative product of the interplay between our 5 senses and the objective or "real" world. So then, I came to realize that our quality world's pictures really depend on the things we expose ourselves to in the 'real' world. Exposure in this sense would be the setting where we can take in stimulus of the objective world through our 5 senses. I also learnt about knowledge and value filters that determine what information gets processed and what gets omitted. With that, I came up with some of my own theories as well. lol. Firstly, I theorize that in order for us to best know what can satisfy our needs or in other words in order to have the highest quality pictures in our quality world, we need to expose ourselves to many things, and be willing to try many new and different things. Seen in such a light, it suddenly makes sense! Eureka! The reason why different people have different passions and interest, it is because they have different pictures in their quality world. Which in itself, is limited to the elements in the perceived world, which btw, because is perceived, even the degree to which an item will satisfy a need is also a perceived one based on past experiences or other input. Anyway, with that insight in mind, I decided that I will commit to try trying 10 new items or activities everyday. So that I can impact my perceived world, and in turn allowing me to discover truly quality need fulfilling items for my quality world. At that juncture, it also makes sense that the age old adage of following your heart, do what you like, etc, is very much similar to the behavior of a person, acting in such a way as to fulfill his or her needs. And of course, only when these needs are fulfilled do we feel balanced and contented, and consequently happy. What happens when some people insist on being happy despite not fulfilling their needs? Well, truth is, it does happen. And when it does, people wonder why they are lazy and unmotivated. They then become unhappy. Somehow, they may even convince themselves through ego self defence mechanisms that they are fulfilling all their needs or certain in truth unfulfilled needs in them are actually absent in them. ANYWAY, later during cast we made a spoof of our concert production. Haha, it was absolutely hilarious. Will share the video somewhere someday. =) But all in all, Clara was really nice as she allowed us to just go crazy like that rather than forcing us to practice.

Wednesday- First day of UCC runs. Had to wake up before 9pm. Spent the whole day at UCC. Was quite inspired by Nicholas' strict and professional conduct as stage manager. It meant to me that I had to be professional as well. Went home shagged at night.

Thursday - Second Day of UCC runs. Signed my tuition grant agreement at the MPSH 1. Now I have to work in a Singapore Registered Company for 3 years in order for my tuition grant to be valid. We had to put on make up today for a full run. Make up was ugh, just not my thing. Tried hard to not have make up on my face for too long so as to avoid pimples. But then in the end I guess it worked out fine. I guess the method of cleaning face-applying toner-and then applying moisturizer, does work fine at preventing pimples.

Friday - Concert day! Nervous like Hell. Could feel that everyone tried hard. Audience were a sadistic bunch according to Chee Chung, laughing at the most lol 'unlaughable' things. Anyway, I felt that Ryan saved the day with his Sissy portrayal of Wilkins. Immaculate. lol. Anyway, was a bit irked at a certain someone who was kinda AA. Does bring remeniscience of how I normally respond to such people. Mmm. Johnathan was playing with a cat and I sort of picked up 1 or 2 cat playing skills from him.

Saturday - Concert day 2! This time around, I think I gave my best performance. Anyway, long story short. I didn't really study for week 9. Yikes.

New things I've tried today:
1. Read for fun for 10 minutes - I read the World is Flat for 10 mintues, but got so hooked that I couldn't stop, and 10 minutes really isn't enough. Especially when there's distraction from my chatting with my room mate, and then I also realized that the limit of 10 minutes was not enforced because there was no reason for me to confine myself to just 10 minutes. So I found that at times people will only employ limits if there is a need for such limits. Just like the employment of hand rails at high altitude places, a limit of movement, for the sake of safety. I also learnt that distractions kill schedules and that focus is key. In addition, I also learnt that people work best when challenged. As I was reading, I realized that I have a level of comprehension and speed that was satisfactory comparable to that of reading at a bookstore. I came to discover from here that trying to accomplish something or getting it done as soon as possible is a great motivation. But ultimately, the powerful message of the world is flat from my reading today was that you're just one degree away from anyone and anything! Too many young people are just waiting for the corporate recruiters who come on campus to sit down and offer them a job which changes the world, we shouldn't wait for the recruiter from HR, but rather we should go get the necessary money and resources and buy the plane ticket for oneself. I was also inspired to harness the power of the internet to reach other people of similar interest or passion for collaboration. Oh, just thinking about it excites me to no end! hahaha. Next, I was also exposed to the idea that it is important to get feedback from everyone in a process in order to cope well with change. If applied this principle to real life, that would mean getting feedback from everyone in life, studies, etc, to constantly monitor progress. Another interesting thing I learnt: to effect big change, one just needs to get big powers to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. lol. *** This reading habit is great! I should continue it. This thing never even existed in my perceived world before this. Imagine the sheer number of great things in the 'real' objective world that have not even entered my perceived world or consciousness, there is much exploration to be done! much ground to be covered!

2. Tried reading an Economic's Text Book - After being piqued by "The World is Flat" I decided to read Jen Sern's Econs Text. Wow! I found it totally really interesting! That's it! The concepts, make great sense, and economics being the science of decision making, which is a skill that I currently need to develop... is so timely! I am seriously considering getting a degree in economics now. :D. This has led me to consider either changing course to FASS or continueing with engineering and doubling with economics. There's also a chance of me having to pay lower tuition fees if my home faculty is Arts. LOL. Anyway, this brings me back to the time when I read Freakonomics to try to inculcate interest of Economics in myself but didn't quite work. I guess inculcation doesn't really work. One needs to be exposed to an element naturally and be allowed to evaluate a subject with candor. Also, this brought me to the thought of thinking. If Economics was such a great subject, why wouldn't my roomie share this with me? If I hadn't ask to have a look at it I would have never had discovered it. I guess it's not that my roomie is hogging resources but rather, there is no reason for a certain action. It doesn't fulfill any of his needs. So there wasn't a need to. Which brings us to the platform thought... that all of us have different needs corresponding to the images in our quality world. Hence it would be grotesquely inaccurate to to think that certain specific needs of one person are present in all others. For example, the need to impress others may be a need in some people, including myself occasionally, but it certainly isn't for everyone. In fact, at the this juncture, corresponding to my earlier insight, it is more important to impress YOURSELF than to impress OTHERS. This insight sort of resonates with a Nietzsche aphorism: The noble soul has reverence for itself? Of course, the soul needs to impress itself before any reverence can happen? Hmm. Perhaps I should try this tomorrow... This should correspond to the need of esteem as part of the need for power.

3. photoshop.com - discovered when JR my project director sent some Harvard CEF photos to me. Wow, amazing web platform for image sharing! Even nicer than facebook! When I viewed the images of Alvin's Bukit Tabur pictures in slide show mode, it really felt like I was in the moment itself because the slideshow featured a nifty back to back showcase of pictures.

4. Blog everyday as a way of recording lessons learnt. - What I'm doing now.

5. Try method of working non stop and pausing on to do other stuff like chores - What I'm going to do soon.

So there! it seems I managed to try 5 new things today. Wow, What an impact it has already made! Can't wait to try more stuff!