Insurgent

In-sur-gent [in-sur-juh nt]

noun
1.
a person who rises in forcible opposition to lawful authority, especially a person who engages in armed resistance to a government or to the execution of its laws; rebel.

   It is said that the hardest of wars are often fought within ourselves. It's a hard- press idea that if you turn away from the crowd and chase your dreams, you will find yourself walking alone. It would be optimistic to think that successful people walked on the road less travelled. Nonetheless, the idea still stands - you would be left out if you do not follow the trend, whether if it is right or wrong. So this is insurgent, in a smaller scale. There is no laws broken, only differential perspectives. It's not a rebellion to the government, but rather to the common ideology of the majority today. And most certainly there is no arms nor physical hurt involved, only discriminations.

  
   It has been a month since I've updated this blog and this is the first thing that comes into my mind when I started typing (well, most probably because I've been reading Insurgent, the sequel to that Divergent book I've talked about before). As usual, life is moving on. If there's anything worth updating about, it would be about my upcoming A' levels in November. Yes, I'm taking the exams after paying $750 to the board and officially part of the 2013 batch. I'm going to take a second shot at this in hope to better my grade after that lacklustre performance back in 2011. But every battle has it's struggles, and mine came early. I almost had to drop the idea of taking the exams after an unexpected cut in my income last month. But thank God for giving me some alternative to pay up the remainder of the fees. Then came the subjects. The Physics subject required a paper 5 - The practical paper. And without recent experience in lab work, no access to a lab, reliable Mr Ng not replying my text and  high fees for a private school course in SPA, I'm quickly running out of options. On top of it all, my whole exam, including the other subjects, hinged on the Physics paper as it is my worse grade in the previous exam back then in 2011. Yup, there was that insiders information (Thanks Chan JY!) that you are able to combine 2 exam results in terms of their grades to form a new result, provided that you score a minimum of C for GP and PW. But, if my Physics grade still falter, it just negates my whole score altogether. And I can't go to that Earth Science interview with a D in hand. I must find a way out, before October.

   As for camp, well everything has been mundane except for the unseen divide within our seemingly united rota. And guess what, I'm in the middle of that divide (talk about divergence). A part of them want to live their life - drinking, clubbing, women and the likes. Another part of them are ostracised for various reason - being smelly, studious, quiet or maybe just weird. There is that unseen dissent between each other that I know of but it isn't said out loud. Nonetheless, the rota worked well as a whole together and I can't ask for anything better.

 So what else have I left out? Yes, recently I've met up with Cel (and I'm going to meet her again today) for some TCS (only for those who know what it meant) and help for my Geography. That is where I've found out further about the clique and how it have been going. Nope, I didn't asked about YY because I do not want the conversation to turn awkward. Anyway it's better that way to preserve the friendship that we have. And on another day, I bumped into Adilah (better called as a mutual friend of Cel, YY and the rest of that clique) and found out further about how is everybody's doing. Apparently she became a part-time teacher, something everybody's been doing to find extra income. Then it was Harith that I've bumped into. That's when I found out about the gravity of the situation I'm in. I'm not the only one interested in this Earth Science course in NTU, and I have to expect competition from more people than I expected. So much for unfair advantage.

   So alright, keeping with the tradition, I'll be discussing about GP now. So here's another essay done by me for the 2010 A' levels AQ. And it's all about food :-

From the 2010 Cambridge GP A’ Levels :

11)In this article, Patricia O’ Sullivan describes some current issues around the subject of food. How applicable do you find her observations to yourself and your own society?

   Based on her observations of the current issued that are revolving around the subject of food, I find it largely applicable to my society.

   Patricia asserted that more women are now entering the workforce and no longer feel obligated by custom or culture to cook at home, hence increasing spendings on takeaways. The increase in the number of women in the workforce has led to the burden of domestic labour, such as cooking, to fall thus leading to them finding other alternatives such as pre-prepared meals for food. It’s relevance is seen in my society as more and more working moms are resorting to takeaways to feed their families. The increase in socio-economic status of women had allowed them to be more educated thus making it easier to get jobs, particularly in the service sector. Due to the long working hours and commitment at work, they could not find time or find it rather unproductive for them to return home to cook for their families. Inevitably, they have to buy takeaways for their families instead. In Singapore, the percentage of women in the workforce was at a 56.5 % high in 2011, with about 15 % of this number representing women holding professional and managerial positions. his is coupled with the increase in food and beverages outlets, such as 7-11 stores which can be found at every road in Singapore and coffee shops that can be found under many HDB blocks. This shows that food is getting more easily available outside hence negating the need for home-cooked food, Hence Patricia’s views in this matter reflects the trend in my society today.


   However, some of Patricia’s views does not correlates with the current trend in my society. She argued that the spread of multinational brands such as fast-food outlets threatens local long-established businesses and that culinary diversity is diminished. This would mean that the increase in international restaurants and outlets in a country would threaten the business of local establishment, thus pulling customers away from them and forcing them to close down. This is not the situation faced in Singapore. Local restaurants and eateries are still as popular and buzzing with customers everyday. This is mainly due to the strong cultural ties between my people and the traditional food served by such eateries. Personally, meals such as Laksa and Chicken Rice in Singapore brings back memories of the old Singapore, where pushcarts and mini stalls selling such delicacies are a common sight. In addition, the society today including Singapore are more health conscious and wary about what they eat. Fast-food outlets, such as McDonalds and KFC, have been proven time and again to be unhealthy in terms of the way they the food is cooked and the ingredients used. Hence, more Singaporeans are turning to better alternatives such as local eateries for more healthier dishes. On top of that, in my opinion, Singaporeans may find it boring to always have fast-food for meals as they crave for variety in the food they eat. Thus, Patricia’s views may not necessarily be the case seen in Singapore.

   So there isn't any comment left by Arif yet and I'd still need to refine this essay. But for now, it seems like it is improving bit by bit. The next post would feature my first argumentative essay practice. But for now, this should suffice.

   So till the next time that I'll update this blog. I'm still waiting for that 3rd book in the Divergent series - Allegiance. What would happen after Tris, Tobias and the rest of the factionless, Candor and Dauntless survivors saw that video? A revelation that Jeanine Matthews was willing to kill for to protect; that the Abnegations was willing to sacrifice for. Why? (Just read the book to find out more hor..). I'll leave you with my favourite song of the moment, and I'm addicted to it already. Maybe it just fits in to the title. Hmm.. ^^

Freedom

  

   So as promised, I'm trying to find more time to update this mouldy blog. The recent weeks had been tiresome for me - juggling NS, being a tutor and a tutee at the same time, studying for the Big One again, handling my CSO's and probation, handling my family's finances and finding time for myself. Yeah, even though I'm aided with a time management book, half the time I just couldn't muster enough energy to complete all the tasks I've set out to do (talk about having such an apt title for this post). Even now that it's 4 a.m and I should be sleeping  but guess whose studying? Nevermind that, let's start off with some updates.

   Studies have been a worrying issue for me as I've been slowing down in terms of my revisions through the weeks. It's the middle of April and I've only 6+ months to make this work. Maybe I should kick it up a notch now but the fear of going into a burnout struck me. I do not want to repeat the same technical mistake that I've done last 2 years ago at the Big One. I should just stick to my plans of shifting my gears only after June..

   With hard work inevitably comes some of it's rewards. And thank God I've finally have some financial space to get some stuff for myself and for my family such as bags. watches, books and certain other things that I've previously neglected. All that I'm hoping now is that my mom would join in the bandwagon and get a job soon. It would certainly ease my burden much more.

   As for Swan, he took the decision to head back to Brunei with his dad and pursue his studies there. He is one of the many examples out there, proving that love is a losing game. With every stab to the heart, regardless the heart is mine or others, I've grown colder towards women. No, it's not that I'm going gay nor I've lost taste in women. It's just that I couldn't trust them any further. Maybe my mentality that I'll be bringing forward to uni, somewhere in 2014 (so long to ORD la!!), is that women are good as acquaintances and great as friends, but never as lovers. I can never bring myself to trust them completely anymore.

   So that's it for my side. As promised (for myself to be exact), GP...

   An essay was recently written by me as a second attempt to the AQ, and it was fortunately better. This question deals with the idea of freedom, a very interesting topic as a whole :-

   

From the 2006 Cambridge GP A’ Levels :

11) In the final sentence, the author writes that by giving up all claims to individual freedom, we will discover the best way to achieve it. How far do you agree with his view? How free do you want to be? In giving your views, explain where and why you agree or disagree with the author.

  I agree to a large extent with the author’s view on giving up all claims to individual freedom to find the best way to achieve it. The author asserts that individuals from all communities had recognized that personal liberty can only be achieved if the government is able enough to guarantee it for all. This means that people have realized that the only way to obtain individual freedom is to give some of their freedom away to the state to safeguard it. I do have to agree to a large extent with his assertion as without our state, our personal freedom can be easily taken away by other parties, be it with other people or other foreign powers. In my opinion, our personal freedom encompasses many aspects and one main aspect of it is safety and security. With the threat of crimes in Singapore and the rampant terrorist activities and attacks in other countries worldwide, the state plays an important role in safeguarding our lives and the peace through its military and strict laws. However, it can be argued that the author’s assertion has its limitations. Not everyone agrees and is willing to give up some or all of their freedoms to the state. This is because the government may misuse it by creating laws and policies that will just further restrict the freedom of its people. This is evident from the massive demonstrations and rallies made by such people. One example of this is the demonstration that took place at the Speakers Corner in my country recently. More than 4000 people attended the rally, protesting the decision of the government to approve the Population White Paper, which projects the population to grow by 30% to 6.9 million in 2030, with half of it comprises immigrants. This is also seen in many other countries where people rallied through the streets protesting against the government due to its poor policy making. Then again, I still do agree to a large extent with the author’s views.

  

  The author debates that equality may contradict liberty if we allow unrestricted liberty for the strong and wealthy to obtain unfair gains for themselves, and that fraternity solves the contradiction instead. This would mean that liberty would clash with equality when too much freedom is given to the strong hence giving unequal opportunities to the weak. However, if people truly cared for each other like siblings do, the wealthy would not hesitate to share their profits with the poor and elect rulers who will tax their money to give a fair chance to everybody else. I do agree to a large extent with his view as people are able to compromise their freedom with one another to level the playing field if they sincerely cared for each other. In my opinion, if we really care for someone, we would want to see them succeed just as much as we would. It may be true in the world today that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer due to unequal opportunities. This is clearly seen in many developed countries like USA where income inequalities still exist. However, I still believe that just as much as we demand our freedom to pursue our dreams, inevitably pursuing wealth, we are still able to give way to the less fortunate to pursue their dreams as well. This is shown by the significant increase in donations and contributions made by Singaporeans to donation agencies such as Ren Ci and the Community Chest and self-help groups like SINDA and Mendaki, all in the effort to provide and improve the lives of the weak, poor and less fortunate. Hence I do have to subscribe to the author’s view to a large extent.

Comments were made by Arif, summarised in my perspective :-

• Grammar was intact - a good point to note
• Explanations should be more direct to the point in focus
• Good points should be backed up with apt examples
• Avoid using exaggerated words (ie. rampant, like siblings do.. , level the playing field)
• Rule - Idea towards example, Point to evidence
• Avoid giving sharp turns and using a double counter-argument (ie. Then again?!)
• Avoid using statements that may be too personal
• Try to back up points with stats rather than using that "significant increase" move time and again.
• Please use the author's name hor...

With that idea of freedom in mind, the most obvious point is sometimes overlooked. Geoffrey Cobley allegedly claims that "by giving up all claims to individual freedom, we will discover the best way to achieve it". Notice the hint of absoluteness when the author uses the words "all" and "will". He displayed the idea that every single claim to liberty should be revoked to achieve liberty in the first place. And he was so sure about it. This is a point that we can argue against. Does giving up all of your freedom a good idea? How sure are we that it is the only way to achieve liberty in the first place? Be that as it may, where does the line between rights and freedom drawn? This is a good set-piece for a great argument to be put forward. (Thanks to Arif for pointing this bit out.. :D )

N.B :- Speaking of freedom, the trailer for THG's Catching Fire is finally out!! I just can't wait for the movie to be released in November (which would also mean that I've got only 6 more months to my ORD Ohh!!). Every revolution begins with a spark... ;)

Fall from grace

   I don't know how to start up this blog anymore, and it's been two months ever since I last touched this blog. I've simply grew tired of updating about my life down here whereas I can live it. But then sometimes, when you just can find that time and space (and boredom too), you are still able to do some things at the sidelines. So, it took me some time off my sleep, some Ed Sheeran songs playing at the background and some inspiration to refresh my blog.

   Life updates. Hmm.. there's nothing much to update about emotionally. But the situation's getting much better now with the financial grants being approved, 2 tutees in the bag for some extra income and my rank pay getting it's well deserved increase by July. As for my studies, it's improving gradually with more practices being done on all my subjects across the board. I've already submitted the application for a second shot at the A's this November. Many had actually second guessed me going through with this "insane" move, but I have only myself to believe this time round. And it does not help when see your fellow friend falling from grace in the recent A' level results.

   Swan had been confident about scoring well this time round for the A's, if not at least getting into a uni this time round. What more choice does he have, after repeating 1 more year of junior college? Well I knew that he had fallen once after that fiasco with Kylie (What do you expect? She is naturally a flirt anyway..). But, never did I expect him to fall again, this time thanks to Lynn. I'd already knew he had a thing for her but I was sure that he wouldn't put his studies into jeopardy again this time round. But it was already inevitable. Many of the guys actually confessed seeing him putting everything he's got for the exams. But in the end, it was him storming out of the hall barely seconds after he's got the results (not to mention the double blow after seeing Lynn coming to the results with her boyfriend. Yes, her boyfriend...). His grades - C,D,E,E,C. What caught me by surprise was the fact that he scored an "E" for his GP, whereas his proficiency in GP were far superior than mine. So his only ways out? SAT in the Brunei with his Dad or going into the military and dying at the front-line. What scares me the most is the idea that I could also wind up like him if I failed again this time. Oh boy...

   On the other hand (and the side of the hall too), it was Celine celebrating her success in getting some good grades in the exams (Yah, YY was there but f**k care about her ah...) and even better my grade for Geography - A. So maybe there's hope for humanity afterall...

   So there are many other things that had happened like my up rank for the first time, guys ORDing and the roller-coaster ride of my life. And here we are in April, 1/4 of the year gone. With only 7 months left before the repeat of the A's, the plans and formations had been set. Study plans had been constructed and equipment are set in place. I am not going down this time round, Insyallah. And yup, till my next update. :))

P.S : If there's one song I can give to you Swan, it would be this. Hope you never read this blog lololol!!! :P