Why did the British give up their colonies in the East?

Maybe they were forced to. Or maybe not.

In the case of Singapore, I'm sure we didn't force them then. So why did they give in?

Look at Sri Lanka.

Many of the country's worst problems started right after independence in 1948. Just a few years later was the 1956 Official Language Act, which further worsened the racial divide.

If the British didn't leave, English would still be used as an administrative language. And definitely the link language between races even now.

My opinion was the British shouldn't have left. However, this view may be one-sided because we did not learn what happened before the British left.

This leads me to think about the debate next Friday. It is going to cost me a week of sleep. Thanks to Sin Yee.

I'm in some Environmental (Singapore) debate with Nigel, Jessica, and Qi Hui. We'll be against Qing Hui, Madeline, Melinda, and, Jonathan. We don't know the motion yet.

Nigel volunteered himself. Jessica and Qi Hui weren't the least displeased. I was disappointed. [UPDATE: Jessica was displeased. My error.]

Of all people, why me?

I dislike being in debates. However, I prefer to be part of the audience. MW has also decided the order in which we debate.

It's like she decides everything. Even those from JT were decided in FG.

Sometimes, some people talk too much. Aren't they just too much?

I can't type much right now.

All I can say was Windows crashed while I was typing what was supposed to be here.

And that I'm studying Social Studies now.

PS: C.R.U.E.L (If you figure this out it may benefit you. Those who know, please keep mum!)

My latest fascination is Gareth Gates.

I can't say obsession, well because of its definition. And also my obsession has been Aaron Carter.

(Mrs Wong, aaronick is pronounced air-ren-nick. Not aei-ren-nick. Haha...)

Somehow, I felt that his pics on the official website are cool. But his face shape is "fatter" from the photos from the MTV awards.

He's just cool. And he isn't related to Bill Gates.

PS: Jonathan...

Spring tests. Surprise tests.

For the past 3 spring tests, my predictions were correct.

What predictions?

Well, on the day of the spring tests, or on the days just before them, I felt them coming. The only thing was that I didn't know what was being tested (hey that is psychic if i knew).

Knowing a spring test was coming is one thing. It is quite another to excel in it.

For the first test I "mildly felt" was coming, my workings were generally correct. The problem was my calculator computed incorrect values, causing only the Answer part to be wrong.

The second test, I got a big fat Zero. No big problem here, because I wasn't in the mood to do anything although I felt it coming. Keng Mun somehow got hold of the news as well (apparently from some reliable source) and propagated it.

However, when I received the test paper today, I was able to do it. In green (corrections), of course. That's because I can think clearly today.

Fortunately too. Because there was another spring test today. I felt it, but Jonathan quickly "displaced" my concerns. My "six sense" turned out to be true.

I'm not trying to say I'm psychic (or to Readers' Digest readers as psychotic). I'm just saying, people may choose to believe what they would like to believe, even if there is baseless speculation.

My speculation wasn't that baseless somehow. I just knew it was coming. Somehow.

Mr Yue (our "dearest" fish principal), crapped a lot this morning. About what paying due respects, which was already super-crapped about yesterday.

Then again, the principal of Nan Chiau High [i'm referring to the Secondary school] stepped down after hitting a secondary two girl with a book in full view of other students and a teacher.

The girl was "arrested" for being rowdy and disrupting the class. She has also been disciplined more than 20 times for truancy, being late for school, and being disruptive in class.

So somehow I feel that the hit was justified.

But of course you can argue that girls aren't meant to be hit. It depends, I would say. Not just because I'm a male.

Generally, there's a stereotype that girls are good. Their offences are more petty and certainly do not warrant corporal punishment.

That is wrong. Definitely not every single female is good. There are black sheep. And we have just one here.

I do hope those involved are remorseful. By lodging the police report, they have ruined the plans a good principal has for the school, just because of the impulsiveness of the informant.

However, one may say that hitting a student with a book is plainly wrong. Just because it violated Ministry of Education guidelines?

How about the pornography CD case? In that case, possession of pornographic materials is a serious offence in the eyes of the Singapore law. Therefore, I support the action of reporting it to the police.

As for being hit by a book due to the person's own bad behaviour, will suffice for punishment. However, people do not like being punished, and there's why such a small matter got blown out of proportion.

If you're clearly in the wrong, and got punished, accept it. If you got maligned, report it.

I remember a Changkat Primary teacher drew using lipstick on students' faces as punishment. It was reported to the MOE and to the newspaper. All was done was a stern warning from the education ministry and a small article in the local chinese newspaper. End of story.

There are many perspectives to this matter. This is my stand, and whether it is a strong one at that, lies in your eyes.

PS: I support him. Despite him reminding me of Chung Cheng (Branch)'s somewhat boastful principal, I shall not be judgemental.

PPS: Dear little immature girl and relative of hers. Your rash action has caused irreversible damage to the principal and the good name of the school. Shouldn't you both be punished as well? Offence: Tarnishing the name of a school. If students are given a second chance, why can't principals be? We are all humans.

Song: Try
Written by: Nelly Furtado
Sung by: Nelly Furtado

(wow! she writes every song for her album!)


All I know
Is everything is not as it's sold
But the more I grow the less I know

And I have lived so many lives
Though I'm not old
And the more I see, the less I grow
The fewer the seeds the more I sow

Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try

Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try

I wish I hadn't see all of the realness
And all the real people are really not real at all

The more I learn the more I cry
As I say goodbye to a way of life
I thought I had designed for me

Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try

Then I see you standing there
Wanting more from me
And all I can do is try
Try

All of the moments that already passed
We'll try to go back and make them last
All of the things we want each other to be
We never will be, we never will be

And that's wonderful, and that's life
And that's you, baby
This is me, baby
And we are, we are, we are, we are

Free
In our love
We are free in our love

Link: Nelly Furtado BandBuilder Player

Issue 2 - 23 Apr 03


1. Aaron Carter to act as Kid in Fat Albert

Aaron Carter will be acting as the character Kid in the movie Fat Albert. Small role. However, it is his movie debut.

This will be released around 24-25 December 2004. (U.S.)

Guess I'll definitely be catching it. Provided it comes over here. Eunice... wink wink...

Links
ComingSoon.net Film Database
Movies.com Pre-Release Buzz
MTV.com - News - Aaron Carter Joins 'Fat Albert' Cast; Costumes Unveiled


2. AC seen leaving club with date

Aaron Carter was seen with his date (Heather?) leaving the Gate Night Club in LA last Friday (16 Apr 04).

They were holding hands while waiting for their car at the Gate Night Club in West Hollywood, California.

(Note that the two locations conflict; at publish time I was unable to confirm it.)

Pictures which speak more than thousand words
1 2 3


3. Aaron and Nick shopping in LA

Aaron and Nick Carter were seen shopping in LA. They also went to a restaurant called "Louise's Trattoria".

Unfortunately no pictures were available; they were broken images.

For the Friday Roundup. Again.

I was walking home today, and was walking past Changkat Primary, which looked ready. I mean, most of it ready. But not ready for habitation yet.

So I was walking and expecting to see the usual "closed gates" and construction work going on. However, my eyes were confronted with a crack on the road separating the school compound and the outside world.

And it reminded me of the Nicoll Highway bridge collapse.

PS:
I bought Nelly Furtado's Folklore today. An eye-search for Aaron Carter's Live in Concert was to no avail.

As for Nelly Furtado (I always refer to her in full so as to prevent ambiguity i.e. Nelly), I was attracted mainly due to Try. Excellent song. Or at least for now.

OW.

I've this ulcer in my mouth for the past few days. Since that -_- Sports Meet.

Looks like a mini crater.

Strangely, the only times it didn't hurt was during PE and Oral today.

PE... coz of the endorphins the body releases. To create a feel-good factor. Obviously if the body wants me to feel good, I must not be able to feel my ulcer.

Oral... coz the body was busy being nervous. The brain had other things to worry about, and the importance/urgency of the ulcer pain seemingly paled in comparison.

By the way, if missing the tutorial on Mass Media is a great loss, we should gang up and sue that ****ing chinese HOD. She even dared to scold us for coming late and not taking the oral exam seriously, when she didn't know that we (all of us) had lessons and had to go directly to the auditorium.

Some people are plain ignorant. Others are simply worth exterminating.