We lay down in the graveyard, hinged there./Emerald moss growing thickly in the chiseled letters./You’re explaining how trees actually breathe./Green in the names and trees went up to join gray in the sky./Then the gray-green sky came down in breaths to my lips and sipped me

"Postscript"
Seamus Heaney

And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you'll park and capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.

Thank God for poetry at times like this.

After reading the Straits Times for a month, I am now more sure than ever that the bland prose of the Straits Times which merely reports events as they happen while offering only very limited editorial opinion is a large reason for the lack of interest Singaporeans have in government policy.

Apart from obvious self-interested queries, I guess.

I believe am I becoming progressively worse at expressing myself, whether in writing or in speech. Hence the need to blog.

Right, for all those people who have taken A-Level economics, here's an interesting blog post that is most definitely not written by me (yes, this is a disclaimer)

http://worthwhile.typepad.com/worthwhile_canadian_initi/2012/01/why-saving-should-be-banned.html

And yes - why you shouldn't write about Ricardian Equivalence in an essay about Macro Policy. It isn't that simple, and we don't really understand it at A Level. We don't understand it in a simplified, or even simplistic manner. So we just shouldn't write about it.

http://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2012/01/mistakes-and-ideology-in-macroeconomics.html



Keeping in contact with friends is thus far one of the most challenging things I've done in my life. I hope I get better at it. I'm going to be doings this for practically the rest of my life.

Back to reading.

Was fruitful.

A revelation - at least, I think it is one. And time spent with friends.

But in terms of work....not so much.

Still, I don't really regret watching A History of Violence.

And I'm two and a half weeks behind schedule.

Way to go, Joel.

Life is pretty much the same as it was 8 months ago - apart from the fact that we're closer to December than we were. I still have the same problems I wish I had gotten rid off years ago, and some other problems that I haven't been that concerned about have been fixed. Thank God for the latter - and continue to believe for the former.

I'm tired. And I'm kinda tired of certain parts of myself as well. But God is good, as always. And of course, today was a good day with A03A.

Goodnight.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance [...] will arise from another place, [...] And who knows but that you have come to such [...] position for a time such as this? 

Tag please!  Many thanks. =) 

I have this sudden urge to blog. Not exactly to blog, but to put down my memories of 2010 into words, so that I won't forget them.

I think I'm really thinking stereotypically "guy". There are several important episodes, none of which is completely distinct from the others, that have defined my 2010.

The first of which is what I shall term "Economics and Associated Books". I've never read so much in my entire life. I think its a good thing, but I have to remember to keep myself in check. Firstly, I don't have that much time. Secondly, I'm not that good at this kind of thing. The marginal benefit I get from a book is probably far below what other people get - I can't absorb that much. Of course, attention is also drawn to my deficiencies when it comes to literature and poetry. And Essay Writing, of course .

The second is PW. PW was rather interesting in the sense I've never ever had to work so hard for a single thing. The "anality" was absolutely draining - but it's a good experience, one that I have definitely learnt from. One more thing that makes PW important is that we really did make new and good friends through PW. Indeed, but for PW, few of us have that much in common. But PW really did unite us, as a class. I'll never forget that Sunday before the Monday exam, where we all came to school to rehearse and hear each other/comment on each other. Not to mention the climbing through windows, ducking typically Singaporean security guards. At the end, sitting in a little used, windswept alcove on the seventh floor - a tableaux I shall (hopefully) forever remember.

The third is 11A03A. Definitely, we're a unique bunch. "Humanzy" we are, but not really that much. We aren't "arty-farty", but we certainly are not a science class. I'm certainly blessed to have known every single of you - even if I don't know some of you as well as I would like. I remembered thinking this at the start of 2010, and I haven't changed my opinion. I'd just hope we'll grow closer - the periphery needs to grow such that it overreaches the core.

4C naturally holds a special place in my heart. Well, we started off the year with many activities, did plenty of nonsense together. But more specifically, its the people I hang out with, people whose company I enjoy. I'll always remember those LAN parties, the World Cup sessions, and all those other times where 4C came to stand together (like Mt. Ophir). Well, hope I won't lose these people - I won't lose all; some relationships are inevitably made to be mellowed. Arun's asked me to get the guys together for CNY. I'm hopelessly sorry, but there just isn't any time.

The fourth are my overseas experiences. I've equalled my overseas record in 12 months. I've gone to England, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. I've learnt how not to be a worse roommate than I already am, and I've made some new relationships that I'll really cherish. But most of all, I guess it's been an eye-opener, to see how other people live their lives outside of Singapore. Wish I could go back to Reach Cambridge (maybe I'll do some things differently, like not fall ill), but what's done is done.

Lastly, there's God (and my family). God's really kept me - not that things have been going really badly, but more like God has always kept my wayward self aware of Him. And now, I really hope that I'll be able to go past the trivial things that I have always done, get to the real stuff, and actually do what I want to do. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, yes indeed. My family's always been constant, and one of the main reasons why I am who I am. Thank God for them =)

Ah well, my steam has run out. So it's back to econs.

And there's nothing much to say again. It shall simply suffice to say I'm happy school has started again, though not so happy that this is the last year of school.

And again, I'm running outta time.

I wasted too much time today.

Hence this stand-in for a post.

Nothing much interesting happened anyway.