It's Been Awhile

The title says it all. I've been away from the blogosphere for quite a long time. Lots have happened since i last blogged- JTRC, block tests and mid-years were the more significant ones. Truthfully, i have no idea what to blog about since i've more or less decided not to blog lengthy, preachy entries. Maybe i'll just rattle on with what's on my mind...

Lately, i've been asked to form a Christian band with my brothers in church. Actually it's more of a merger of musicians from the two bands that played in JTRC. Lester, the drummer, Rachel, the keyboardist and I will be leaving Jacob's Dream to join Jerald and Joel of Revival. Joel plays bass and I think he has rather amazing potential. Yeah... Jerald's gonna drop guitar and take up full-time singing. I like his voice but i think i would want him to continue playing some guitar too. A new name has yet to be decided upon but I see a lot of potential in this band. Especially since every member has had a lot of experience in music. I wonder what would happen to the 5ifth. Cos' i'm considering leaving that band since we're so inactive. However, woe be it that we get a recording gig just after i'm informed of the new band. Also, I feel that i have greater chemistry with my current band. It's the kind of chemistry that cannot be had with another band. Somewhat like being in a relationship i guess, every girl is different. I was torn between the two bands for a while. On one hand i strongly feel that i shouldn't leave my secular band cos' i'd be ditching them. On the other hand, i feel that i should worship and praise God with my guitar in this band. It's a tough decision but i've decided that i'll manage being in both bands for now cos both aren't really into full swing. God will decide for me and i've faith that He'll show me His will.

Studies. That's all that a student's life is about eh? But then again, study is the root word of student after all. In Singapore, studies certainly seem to be everything. After all, our government does leave a huge part of the budget to education. It is so competitive here in singapore, what with everyone comparing grades. Surprisingly though, in mj, we compete to see who can get lower as a joke. My friend recently sarcastically joked that being the lowest takes skill. He said that he wanted to be the lowest so that he'll get special help but he ends up being in the middle still. Mind you, both of us failed chem but are still counted average. Hence the conclusion that being the lowest takes skill. I've always questioned the purpose of our education system. Obviously, it’s so that we'd have a job in the future. However, with the way things are nowadays, singapore being an elitist society, companies only take in the best people. What then happens to those who struck out in terms of studies? Is it fair to them that since they're talents lie not with scholastic abilities that they do not get a stable income? The so-called best are not safe either. Ph.D holders even have difficulty finding jobs. Some of them eventually become teachers for lack of a better vocation. Isn't it saddening to know that they've slogged for over 20 years (including primary education) to not be able to do what they enjoyed studying? Lately, even straight-A students are unable to find a place in the medicine faculty of NUS. Inflation. That's what i'd call it. More and more people are getting A's and so straight-A's are no longer a big deal. In school, teachers incessantly remind us of the bad grades we get in tests, that we'd 'jolly well' buck up if we wanna get into the instituition of our choice.
We are also compared with those who get their A's for tests. "If he can do it, i don't see why you can't". Sounds familiar? I'm sure this line has been replayed so many times in classes. People spend 16 hours a day studying, stopping only to eat or bathe. Life has been degraded to a point of merely taking in information and facts. Is a piece of paper really worth all that? We are losing our sanity as humans, replacing our nerve cells with silicon chips. In exams, we are expected to identify 'types' of questions and print out answers from C:\My Documents\Chemistry\Organic Chem\Alkenes. I'm surprised no one's started clicking while doing work yet. Yes, we honour our parents by working hard in school. Yet, the system digitizes us, desensitising us in the process. Maybe it's good that humans are naturally resistant to change after all. None of us have become robots. Not yet anyway. Sad but true, many singaporeans have switched faiths to 'Certificatism'. We have begun to subconsciously worship grades. Maybe one day the computers/robots will go against the system but i doubt it'll happen. After all, we have been programmed to 'just follow law'. Sure, there are a few 'bugs' around that mess things up but Norton gets things fixed after a while. The latest Windows Vista promises to learn more with less teaching required, working fewer days than before. I wonder if this operating system will work out with all the computers in singapore. But then again, it only works well for Pentium 4 computers. Pentium 3,2 and 1 computers have no choice but to struggle with it. Oh well, that's the way it is, only the best gets the best sometimes. So, have you upgraded your system yet?

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