Monday, July 09, 2007

Miss.

Larh.

I miss my work attachment in Hong Kong.

Over there, we really lived it up.

Yes, we worked hard, and came home tired everyday.

But our holidays were genuine holidays, as no work could be taken out of the office.

We looked forward to every weekend, planning in advance all the fun we would have.

We explored old Hong Kong streets and saw all the weird stuff on sale there.

We shopped and shopped, creating (AND fulfilling) enormous shopping lists, spending almost $200 every weekend, all from our salary! And whenever we were tired, we would kick back in the nearest coffee house, sipping coffee and watching all the crazy Hong Kong youth go by.

We explored the area around our office during our flexible and long lunch breaks, sampling quite a lot of Hong Kong food, even finding a laksa stall selling Singapore laksa! (it wasnt that good though)

When Chinese New Year came around, we all went up to Shenzhen to meet our classmates and stay for 3 nights. While there, we trudged throuh pitch-dark streets, watching as locals fired off fireworks bought from street vendors, mesmerised as the shimmering streaks of light coursed into still night, exploding with a vengeful thunder. Never had we been so close to real fireworks. In Singapore, those lame people actually queue 4 hours at Marina Bay just to see some lame fireworks show. Here, you can BUY them for like two dollars a pop -_-.

We also laughed when some fools trying to launch fireworks from their balcony accidently set off a small explosion, right there on the balcony! We heard ambulance sirens a few minutes later.

When our classmates in Shenzhen came down, we spent a day in Hong Kong's Ocean Park. It was not peak period, so the rides had very short queues. It was my first time riding a somersaulting roller coaster! And we took this ride that lifted us up almost 30m into the air before dropping us at freefall! AND we got to see live jellyfish! oh man that was so much fun.

When we went up to Shenzhen another time, we all crashed in their posh company-rented condominiums, watching movies till 3am, playing pranks on each other and having midnight feasts of insanely cheap Chinese street BBQ snacks.

And then it was goodbye. I don't miss the work (haha), but I sure miss the fun we had in a foreign city.

On the flight back to Singapore, my lugugage EXCEEDED the 20kg weight limit by 12kg (!!), while i had to check in ANOTHER bag full of stuff because they said my hand carry lugguage was way too big to bring on board the plane -_-.

There is a time for everything, and work should be purely work, while play should be purely play.

In Singapore, and even in most modern societies today, there is no more leisure time. Everyone works. Bah.

jOhn thought at 4:43 AM

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Mightier the Pen

Out of all the songs I have heard and sang, there is one that still sticks in my head, whose words (once) made me cry and my skin tingle, whenever I encounter it.

It is written in (kinda) outdated English, but contains some very powerful lyrics, unlike the pathetically trivial songs of today.

It's the school song of St. Andrew's, fung when I was a student in primary school, and for 3 months, in JC.


Lives are in the making here,
Hearts are in the waking here,
Mighty undertaking here,
Up and On!

We are arming for the fight,
Pressing on with all our might,
Pluming wings for higher flight,
Up and On!

(CHORUS)

Fair before us lies the way,
Time for work and time for play;
Fill the measure while we may,
Up and On!

Life and time will not delay,
Time is running fast away,
Life is now today, today,
Up and On!

(CHORUS)

Foes in plenty we shall meet,
Hearts courageous scorn defeat;
So we press with eager feet,
Up and On!

Ever onward to the fight,
Ever upward to the Light,
Ever true to GOD and RIGHT,
Up and On!

CHORUS
Up Boys! truest fame
Lies in high endeavour;
Play the game! Keep the flame
Burning brightly ever!


Truly, there is no other composition more capable of exhorting and uplifting a faltering student more than this song.

Look at the lyrics. They are written specifically for a student on the threshold of adulthood, exploring and searching for the meaning of life.
Amongst them lie these doctrines and truths, in order:

-Education awakens the mind and soul, and knowledge is the key to life.

-Life is a constant battle, and we need education to prepare us for it.

-Do not underestimate what you learn in school - it is the culmination of humanity's achievement up until our present day, being imparted to you.

-We've got our whole life ahead of us - use our time wisely; work and play, but do it all for an ultimate purpose.

-Never waste your time; it is impossible to regain.

-Do not be afraid of failure. Though others may mock you, keep your pace and press on towards your goal.

-Ultimately, be righteous and let God lead - He'll carry you through the battle of life.

-"Truest fame lies in high endeavour" - success will entail hard work, and people who would be famous in life take on challenges that no one else dared to.

-"Keep the flame burning brightly ever" - you are heir to a heritage passed on from generation to generation, and every alumni is responsible for receiving this 'flame', adding on to it with his lifetime's works, and then passing it on to future generations.

Run the race, keep the pace. Such is how you should lead your life.

jOhn thought at 4:12 PM