“TRY, TRy, Try again!

It's the Easter Break. Time to get away from university now. BUT a break is never a break until you have work to complete right? Guess what, ASSIGNMENT MANIA! 

I have 3 assignments due in a space of 12 days and it's driving me, well "crazy"! Gotta get started, gotta get going but it's REALLY hard to get going.

My next milestone will be 25 April 2012 when it's yet another holiday (ANZAC Day) and I can take a break. But I'm not getting too far ahead of myself yet. There's still work to be done. Having done research and more research over the past few days, I cannot help but feel weary.

This semester is kinda weird. I used to have the drive to complete assignments and do well. Nothing's smooth this semester. So when I need the spark to re-ignite my fire, I cannot help but return to a video I first saw a few years back about Nick Vujicic. Truly inspirational and I felt so much better after that!

Source: OfficialNuman

Will never forget this man. He's truly inspirational and one thing he said really kept ringing in my mind:

"You see. I will try 100 times to get up and if I fail 100 times. If I fail and I give up, do you think I'm ever going to get up? NO! But...for as long as I try, there is always that chance of me getting up."

The key is TRY! (Try your best & don't regret not trying!)

Okay, with my drive and spark re-ignited, it's time to get back to work! I hope the same goes for you too if you're in the midst of trying to find back your true self.

“A TITANic Experience.

100 years on...

TITANIC here, TITANIC there. I'd say it's really TITAN(ache) seeing all the tributes pour in. Time flies. Can you imagine that it's Titanic's 100 year anniversary this year since it last sank off the coast? It felt as though it happened just not too long ago. It felt so surreal. Hmm...probably it's all James Cameron's fault!

I can still remember. The year was 1997, not 1912. 1997 was the year Cameron created the blockbuster, Titanic. I was still in primary school back then when I first saw the Titanic's advertisement outside my school. Jack was hugging Rose from behind as they stood aloft at the front of the ship for the "I'm flying, Jack!" moment.

At that point in time, I was curious. Curious to know if this was yet another lovey dovey epic. And turned out, it was! That "I'm flying" moment became etched vividly in the minds of many.

Honestly, I didn't hop onto the bandwagon to watch Titanic initially but eventually relented when my aunt bought the ticket and brought all my cousins together for the movie. Till today, I'm glad that I didn't miss it. In 1997, the cinematography of the film was ahead of its time (not forgetting its gigantic budget), befitting its status as one of the iconic films of all time.

Looking back, Titanic was fondly remembered (for me and many others I suppose). Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" played a huge part. Catchy, poignant and romanticized - the song epitomized all the highs and lows in the film.
  

Celine Dion My Heart Will Go On 

Source: TitanicFan

The set of the Titanic was also on a scale unimaginable whereby the opulence and majesty of the "unsinkable" ship was re-created before our very eyes. I was wowed when I saw the opening shot in the film that showcased the sheer size of the ship.

I remembered coming out of the theatre dreary (probably because it was almost 3 hours long) but worn out by the emotion elicited through the film. Little did I know that after my first time watching the film, I was to return to the theatre another 2 times to re-live the Titanic experience. I was such a huge fan of Titanic that I researched everything on it. I wanted to know the reasons it sank so on and so forth. I've watched numerous documentaries. I even bought the music CD by Celine Dion and also the VCD when the film came out in that format years later.

Well, you can now call me a Titanic buff. When Titanic 3D was released just over the past week, I pondered returning to the cinema to see if the 3D experience lived up to its expectations. I didn't, unfortunately. Although I didn't watch the movie itself, I scoured YouTube whenever I was free just to view the movie again. Similar impact, similar reaction. The movie, while not the real deal, will always remind me about the fragility of life and that complacency is one's biggest enemy.

On this note, we commemorate the lives lost in this maritime disaster but at the same time, be thankful that there were no similar incidents of that scale happening again since 1912. We learnt our lessons and I'm glad we did. RIP Titanic.

Serious stuff aside, I found this spoof of Titanic 3D. And how I wish that 3D can in the future mean touching and feeling everything during the movie. It's hilarious and bold! Enjoy!

 

 Titanic SUPER 3D

Source: PistolShrimps 

“Such is LIFE!

I can still vividly remember switching on my laptop on Sunday morning and seeing my Twitter/ Facebook feed being flooded about news related to Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba. Curious? I went about my daily reading on all the footballing news sites, trawling and hoping to find out what happened.

Bad news! Muamba collapsed on the pitch due to heart failure. It came as a surprise to me and everyone else too I suppose. A footballer in the pink of his health whose fitness is constantly under the watchful eye of Bolton's advanced medical science team = Collapsed? SHOCKING!

FA Cup: Tottenham VS Bolton (17 March 2012)
Source: SkyV1deos

In recent years, there have been a spate of heart failure incidents in the footballing fraternity. Suddenly a few names come to mind. Think Espanyol's captain Daniel Jarque? Think Sevilla's Antonio Puerta? The latest incident involving Muamba has once again cast the spotlight on football and its sports science regulatory framework. Critics such as Roberto Mancini have questioned whether the number of medical procedures in England are rigorous enough (*See Article). Somehow when all the incidents are put together, it seems that there is an underlying trend which I cannot much pick out why.

Then again. How can one pin blame on the medical tests? True enough, they can be improved upon but there is no one system that is full-proof. Even the best cardiologists admit that some signs of heart failure are hard to pick up and when they strike, can be sudden and deadly. So what can we do now? I surmise that the only thing to do is to shore up our medical procedures and see if there are any loopholes that need to be plugged.

Amidst the doom and gloom, there is nonetheless a silver lining or quite a few I must admit. Thankfully, Muamba is now in a stable condition and recovering well in hospital. The manner in which the world (footballing fraternity) united as one to support Muamba was also touching. The solidarity and concern showered upon Muamba by Bolton's manager Owen Coyle and club captain Kevin Davies are bright spots for football. Significantly, lessons learnt from Petr Cech's accident against Reading in 2006 (*See Article) helped to prevent another catastrophe last Sunday.

Now ringing a message closer to heart, I cannot help but relate Muamba's incident to a fellow secondary schoolmate of mine. Having met up recently with my secondary schoolmates in Melbourne, I was thrown a bombshell. I was told that our fellow batchmate (whom I met not so long ago when we had a gathering in Melbourne) has just passed away.

From what?

Well you guessed it, heart failure!

My heart was wrenched in pain for I truly appreciated the unpredictability of life. My friend, Jia Wei has always been healthy and bubbly. To see him collapse and pass away so suddenly is really hard to take for everyone, much more his family and girlfriend. Looking at his Facebook page, I was inundated by the flurry of condolences and was totally lost for words. I didn't know what to post on his FB wall where his account is now managed by his grieving girlfriend.

Such is life isn't it? So sudden. So unpredictable. When we last met, we thought we will meet again but unfortunately not. I've learnt from this episode that one should just live life to its fullest and appreciate everyone around us while we can. We never know when, how or what will happen next. We can only hope for the best!

As of now, I dedicate this post to my fellow secondary schoolmate, Jia Wei. You had a promising life upon graduation but all was not meant to be. Nonetheless, I believe you will receive the blessings wherever you are you will live in our hearts forever!

Screenshot of The New Paper article "They died at play" (29 February 2012)
For full article, visit: http://www.tnp.sg/content/they-died-play

GET WELL SOON, MUAMBA
&

REST IN PEACE, JIA WEI (1988-2012)

“R.I.P. Newspaper?

It seems that everything is written in the stars. Or is it? The death knell of newspapers has been sounded. Declining circulation numbers globally. Advertisers taking flight from the once-dependable newspaper platform for the greener pastures of the online world. 

So the question(s) on everyone's mind now goes like this: 

Is the Internet responsible for killing the newspaper?

For me, I'd prefer to defend the much maligned Internet and boldly say that the Internet is not reponsible. As aptly summed up by Carl Bernstein (The Watergate reporter), the newspapers' decline started long before the advent of the Internet. Tabloidization from the Murdoch press cheapened journalism and threw journalistic ethics to the wind. Moreover, the newspapers' complacency about its "iron rice bowl" also contributed to its current malaise. The inability of newspapers to keep up with change is no fault of the Internet. 

This begs the next question:
Will the newspaper really die?

I can't predict the future and no one can. What I can say is that I am cautiously optimistic about the fortunes of newspapers. Maybe the material aspect of print publication will die but the legacy of journalism will live on. News agencies remain the pillar of society, ensuring quality and credibility of information. Until we are able to find an alternative that can filter the mass of information online, news outlets remain important. What's more, if news agencies are willing to throw everything they've got and fight to stay relevant, I see hope for their survival. 

Academics, journalists and everyone else are still debating how newspapers can stay relevant. Will it be crowd-sourcing? Paywalls or whatever not? There's no fixed formula of success. However, as long as newspapers find a way to monetize and profit from their product, they CAN survive.

Recently chanced upon The Guardian's advertisement about the Three Little Pigs. The video struck me and really caught my attention. Reason? Never have news outlets been so enthusiastic about change. Never have news outlets adopted such an open door policy to their news reporting. It is a refreshing idea and I commend The Guardian for it!

 Source: TheGuardian

At the end of the day, newspapers have to stay relevant. Failure to do so will lead to their demise. No one can say these new initiatives will fail or succeed. Only time will tell. Deep down in my heart, I do hope the institution of journalism will continue to thrive, fingers crossed. 

“What's up, Kony?

Type in "Kony 2012" into your Google search & tada, you're bound to get a flurry of news stories. More importantly, you won't miss the now famous YouTube video produced by Invisible Children. This video first appeared on my Facebook newsfeed on 07 March. I was curious because so many of my peers were sharing that video.

 Source: invisiblechildreninc

So I followed suit and clicked the link to the YouTube video. From then onwards, I was entrenched! Entrenched in the spiraling circle of media attention. Sucked in by the atrocities shown in the video, I watched it through with the hope of understanding the situation. As most of you would most probably know about the video, I shall not dwell much on the issues therein.

The Kony 2012 saga has illustrated the impact of social media in spreading a cause. You just need someone to start it off and it will grow from there. BUT not every issue has this potential to grow. It must be similar to Kony 2012, tugging at the heartstrings of youths believing that they can stand up and induce action. It sorta gave youths a form of empowerment, a form of solidarity and a form of empathy for the plight of the Ugandan children.

However, things are not that simple. If it were that easy to foster change simply by generating publicity, many social movements would have succeeded in the years gone by. In fact, rather than being a beneficial phenomenon, I'm inclined to believe that the increased publicity of Kony has further endangered the lives of the African kids. Who in the world will want such infamy? Kony might just be angered to do just what the video seeks to stop. It is naive on our part and Invisible Children's part to think that they are "saving" lives through participation in this PR exercise. 

The world of politics is far more complicated. Political will is essential on the part of the international community to effect change in Africa. But Africa is a hotbed of problems and with the US tied up in Afghanistan and Iraq, do you really think there's a chance of a regime change in Uganda? Not likely. There's no incentive for the Americans to take such a big risk in Africa. And if the world's big brother says no, its allies will also follow suit.

Moving to the motivations of the campaign, I am a sceptic. I am sceptical of Invisible Children's intentions. Are they trying to drum up publicity for their organisation and indirectly garner donations to line their pockets with? Will the money really get to the people in need of it most? I doubt so, having seen the corruptible/greedy nature of human beings coupled with the "success" of foreign aid in the background.

In my opinion, the only way of ensuring real change is to stand in their situation and help build up an educated class in Africa. With education, people will then have the means to manage their own country and envision ways to better their lives. Admittedly, my suggestion might seem impractical but I truly believe that education is the way out of poverty.

Guess the quote that I submitted to The New Paper best sums up my overall feelings towards the Kony 2012 saga:

The New Paper (10 March 2012)

“Know me. Know me not.

Another new school year has arrived. Once again, the hallways lining the University and the expansive lawns are flooded by "freshies" or first-year undergrads trying to find their way around campus. You know that, don't you? It's the funny look on their faces that I once had, totally lost but awed by my surroundings. Asking for directions from their seniors and carrying the Student Diary around as though it were a special compass.

Oh thankfully, I've passed that stage. Nowadays, I can whizz in and out of campus without even me realizing I'm in school or not. In fact, now I'm at the stage of "Know me, Know me not". Well, it's the case of walking around campus and seeing familiar faces whom even I myself can't be sure I know them.

The awkward scene. Yes, it happened to me before and yet again this Semester. Was in the hallways of the Old Arts building on Tuesday, then came this girl strolling down with her reading packs in hand. Faced down looking at her iPhone, she resembled a tutorial mate of mine whom I knew in Year 1. I wasn't sure, so I kept looking, kept looking. Just when I was approximately an arms-length away from her, my senses somehow told me that it was her. So my hands went up into a waving position and I said, "Hi!" with a tinge of reservation. She looked up and gave me a weird stare - the "Do I know you?" stare. An awkward silence preceeded. I could not help but hastened my footsteps and quickly exited the building.

That was so embarrassing! I was certain it was her but she just couldn't recognize me for some reason. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe that was the doppelganger of the person I had in mind. An Australian classmate of mine once quipped that he found all Asians looked pretty much the same. I had similar sentiments of Caucasians too. Till now, I still don't know if I was right that day.

Had a Media & Communications tutorial this week. My only one in fact. Similarly, there were familiar faces in the classroom because I think we met each other before in Year 1. So the usual introduction and ice-breaking stuff came and gone. When we started to break into groups for discussions, the ice really broke and I was right, FINALLY! Yes, some of them were in my class before and thankfully I did raise the question to confirm my doubts.

At the end of the day, there's always this awkward "Know me, Know me not" kind of thing going on every semester. It never stops. Although misunderstandings do occur, there will be times that one is right. I've learnt that when in doubt, just ask and don't be worried that one is trying to chat the other person up. It's just basic courtesy to acknowledge someone's existence isn't it?

Having said that, I am also guilty of not saying "Hi" many atimes simply because we don't meet often and I cannot ascertain if the person was you. So my dear friends, if I do bump into you on campus or in the streets and forget to say "Hi", my heartfelt apologies go out to you.

On a side note, I finally met my Aussie classmates whom I knew from my Media Writing class (last semester) today. In fact, a majority of us are now part of the newly formed Media and Communcations Student Society (MaCSS). Looking forward to see more of them in our next MaCSS meet-up and exchange pointers on our internship experiences/media knowledge.

The MaCSS First Year Guide 2012
Photo Courtesy of MaCSS Facebook Page

Fyi, a quote of mine was featured in the MaCSS' First Year Guide that was given out during Orientation. YAY, very honoured!

I thought the guide was meticulously crafted and contained all the useful information needed by Media and Communcations students. Well done by the MaCSS committee especially Ayeesha, MaCSS' President who has been so passionate in all that she does. May MaCCS continue to grow from strength to strength under her leadership:)!

For now, it's back to the usual networking with my fellow countrymen and catching up with friends over this weekend before the rumble and tumble of academic work sets in. Before I forget, here's a warm welcome to all FIRST YEARS to the University of Melbourne; and have an enjoyable educational journey in Australia's Number 1 University:) CHEERS!

“Top Shots: Version (2)

- Singapore Airshow 2012 -

FACE - OFF

The Royal Malaysian Air Force's MIG-29N coming face to face
with me. This versatile fighter jet is a fourth-generation aircraft
designed by the Soviet Union and is often a match for similar
aircraft in the American stable such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

UFO ALERT

The United States Air Force's Boeing E-3B Sentry is an
Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
It is characterized by a distinctive radar dome that resembles
a UFO and is conceived from the Boeing 707.

BIG HEADED, BIG BELLY

The United States Air Force's Boeing KC-135R is a refuelling tanker,
befitting its huge size and ability to carry loads of fuel. It is the lifeline
of many fighter jets thirsty for a boost while in mid-air.

FAN ME UP

If only this gigantic propeller blade of the Bombardier Q400
were functioning that day, I won't be perspiring with bucket loads
of sweat.

HEAR ME ROAR

The engine of the Airbus ACJ 318 Corporate Jet giving me
a thunderous welcome. And believe me, staring at the engine as
it spins can really make my head spin after a while.

SPIDER, SPIDER ON THE WALL

This machine is the Spyder-SR Air Defence System of the
Singapore Armed Forces. Just like its namesake, it swoops
down on aerial targets as efficiently as a web.

EAGLE - EYED

The Boeing F-15SG Eagle is an all-weather multi-role fighter
aircraft. Fitted with a state-of-the-art cockpit and avionics, it is
in a league of its own when it comes to air-to-air combat.
This bird has the ability to hit a top speed of 2.5 Mach.

All the photographs are taken by the author
during his trip to the Singapore Airshow 2012.

***