East.Side.Back.Street

Dear Songjie,

It is almost 4am now as I read your post. I was tired as a duck till I saw your mail which I think deserves much attention. As usual, I hope this reply brings better debate and insight instead of providing a right answer to the solution. I obviously know little in life to give a right answer.

On the question who is a good and who is a bad person, I dont think anyone of us can really judge. As I have said before, a person who is bad to friends may be very good to his parents. As long as he is good to his parents, I believe he at least has a heart. If eventually he resorts to even betraying his closest kins, I think it is hard to justify him having a heart.

Why are you closer to some friends than others? The only thing I can possibly point to is affinty, common shared principles, basic respect and trust. All these gradually built up over time with trust in the person crucial in him ranking either at the top or bottom of the list. As for what Sq has said, sorry to say Sq, I vehemently disagree. I don't think just by asking the question:" How bad or how serious a problem we might face" means we totally disregard the importance of a friend standing by you through periods of doubt and hardship, albeit a minor or even insignificant hardship. Yes, we may face little obstacles in this life (in the eyes of different people) but that should not be justification that going through small obstacles together count for little or nothing. In fact, the commitment to be there and stick together is not something at all easy. (For all those who have tried, they will understand its own difficulty.) If we can't even do the simple things, being there when we need each other at the smallest obstacles, how can we then trust that person to be there at big troughs in life? That commitment and discipline is built up in time, it surely does not come at the snap of the fingers.

Actually Song, to me now things are simple because I know the friends I want to keep and the friends who have proven to me countless time they would be there. I don't see it necessary to complicate matters as to whether the friend I have is good or bad cause life is plainly uncertain. He may change in time (to become a better or worse person), he may not but as long as I put my faith and trust in him, I make the commitment to stay by him. (Of course unless he wants me to leave or does something so drastic the faith and trust is wavered.) No one is perfect but trust and faith in the person is probably the reason why I stick to that person.

Some people meet the best friends they can find but they let them go. Some people never have the chance to meet good friends or friends they have an affinity with, if you want to put it that way. Some people have it all in their hands but they don't know what they want in life and they lose out. All different combinations and we are all capable of falling into each category at some point in time of our lives. Of course if we are taken for granted at some point, we do not necessarily point out immediately that that friend is not deserving cause he did not put in enough effort. if we care or 'love' him enough as a friend, to trust in him enough, we give him chances to prove himself. That trust or blind faith in times of uncertainty is what I think I will hold on to. What about you? I dont think I can go through life distrusting and questioning every kind act my best friends portray towards me. That would be a terrible life to lead I think.

Well I hope if anyone has any things that they are unhappy about please thrash things out unless of course you think your mind is set and are confirmed of your decision. In any case, it is always good to seek a second opinion from a close friend. I have said it many times and I say it again. I am very proud of the friends I have to go through life with and I hope, always hope you guys are with me on this. We can all talk till the cows come home and yet nothing's gonna change unless u decide to put your trust in the person you think deserves it.

Before I left, I said I hope this friendship would be taken to another level. My friendship has definitely blossomed with some and how about yours? How about the level of trust and faith as a group? A penny for your thoughts. I always had faith in all of you and I hope all of you think likewise. In any case, true friends are too rare for us to doubt their very existence.


Best wishes,
Esmond

"A family that eats together stays together."

I've heard this somewhere and have been wanting to post this on the blog for sometime cos I believe in this saying haha.

Had a talk with SQ on the way home from Janet's place. It's about good and bad people. I have been thinking about this for sometime. I have this thinking that there are no good or bad people in this world. What people turn out to be depends a lot on their upbringing, their surroundings and the people they meet, because these are the factors that shape their mindsets. Hence, I tink it is fair to treat people with more equality, because clearly everyone will have chosen to be a good person. Who wants to be hated by everyone and who doesn't want to be loved by everyone? People who have a good character and personality are people I would say, "luckier" than the rest. Because if that "good" person had been put in the shoes of the "bad" person, will he have turned out to be the same, given all the circumstances that he will face? Likewise for the "bad" person? Cos I dun believe that by default, people are borned to be a "good" or "bad" person.

The difference between a good and bad person, however, can be determined over time, as you know the person better. It's whether that person will wan to change when he becomes aware of what is good and bad. It's the effort that you wan to put in to become a better person.

Saying this, I realise that it takes a smart person to know how to be a good person in the first place. Being smart is the first criteria. If you notice all the "bad" people around you, they are mostly people who are not "smart" enough to look further ahead, to know that being "good" and resisting moments of temptation will ultimately bring them more benefits than what they will get now.

So who is a better person? An innocent and at the same time ignorant person who doesn't know what is good or bad but behaves as a good person, or a person who has already gone through the different moulds of society and knows what is good or bad and behaves as a good person? Because the latter clearly has a harder time being a "good" person, as he isn't the innocent/ignorant person who has the "heart" to withstand everything that comes along his path cos he isn't as innocent/ignorant enough as a innocent/ignorant person.

So this brings me to another question. Who should we fear more? A smart bad person who will look like a good person to everyone else or a stupid bad person who clearly is stupid because everyone knows he is bad? If it's the former whom we should be more fearful of, then I tink we should sometimes give the stupid bad people around us more chances, because they are not bad. They are just more unlucky, and at the same time they are not smart to enough to conceal themselves entirely.

Like what I've said earlier, ultimately, I believe that everyone is all learning how to become a "good" person. The smarter ones clearly are the more popular ones now and the more stupid ones are still learning from the smarter ones how to conceal themselves better. Ok, that's a sweeping statement, but is it? The final good people are the ones who have understood and seen the many different facets of life, and still choose the path they strongly believe in, whether it is good or bad. I am contradicting myself now and also realise that I've been going in circles, because up till now I still dunno What is exactly the final good person?

Enough of the good and bad person.

This bad and good person thingy was actualli brought up cos SQ and I spoke about the frens ard us. Wad makes ur best fren ur best fren? Is it fate? Or camaraderie? You have a group of friends around you. You treasure them but at the same time you ask yourself what makes them stand out from the rest? Is the most important factor being that because they will help you when you are in trouble? But honestly like what SQ said wad kinda of deep trouble will you be able to get yourself into? Say if your neighbour who is pleasant and nice needs a kidney transplant suddenly? Most ppl, I believe, will lend a helping hand, although that person isn't his best fren.

Right now, I will say that the frens I treasure most are those whom I feel most at home with. Sincere. Frens who make the effort. Effort.

Sigh. I'm complicating simple things nowadays. =(

Songjie

if a picture paints a thousand word, then why can't i paint you?

hope it capped off a goodnite after a bad dae..

Hey Guys,

I have been back for more than a week now. I sincerely thank all of you for making my integration back home so comfortable.

A year has passed and I have literally worked my ass off. So have all of you. Although plans were made and targets were set, they did not fit into place nicely, inch-perfect. Once again I was taught the lesson that there are no absolutes in life. Yet I know the disappointment I have suffered is never tantamount to the grevious injustice suffered by millions who have to battle cancer, poverty, rape and kidnap every year. I will not give up because I know I must and will be stronger.

I only can thank god for all the love my parents and grandparents have continually showered me with. On top of that, I am always reminded of the most wonderful, best best best friends that I am blessed with. The genuine care and concern, for me, my parents and my brother, in my absence is something that I had never expected and something that I will be eternally grateful for. All I hope for is that someday I can repay the faith and concern you have for me.

You people continually keep me sane, push me through the toughest times and made my flight back home so unbearable because I couldn't wait to see all of your faces. Many of you may not know this but Jacq has been a constant encouragement and is always keeping my abreast of matters back at home. I am glad too that my good friend is being his most comfortable self and being the happy person I always knew him to be. Also for that Jacq, THANK YOU!

So many things to say yet words are never enough. All I can say is that the road ahead is long. Set our sights, bask in love and work towards a better future for ourselves and our loved ones. Be happy and healthy all my friends.


Best wishes,
Esmond

*P.S: There will be a field soccer game next Saturday so for all those who do not know, please get ready for the yearly match!

For our future lawyer to see...

The Stella Awards are named after 81 year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonald's (in
NM). That case inspired the Stella Awards for the most frivolous,
ridiculous,successful lawsuits in the United States.

Here are this year's winners:

     5th Place (tie):
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $80,000. by a jury
of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was
running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were
understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving
little toddler was Ms. Robertson's son.

     5th Place (tie):
19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical
expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr.
Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of! the
car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

     5th Place (tie):
Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he
had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get
the garage door to go up since the automatic door opener was
malfunctioning. He couldn't re-enter the house because the door
connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The
family was on vacation, and Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the
garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found, and a large
bag of dry dog food. He sued the homeowner's insurance claiming the
situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed, to the tune of $500,000.
In my opinion this is so outrageous that it should have been 2nd Place!

     4th Place:
Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded $14,500. and
medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door
neighbor's beagle. The beagle wa! s on a chain in its owner's fenced
yard. The award was less than sough t because the jury felt the dog
might have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams who had climbed over the fence into the yard and was shooting it
repeatedly with a pellet gun.

     3rd Place:
A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500. after she slipped on a soft drink
and broke her coccyx (tailbone). The beverage was on the floor because Ms.
Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an
argument.

     2ndPlace:
Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, successfully sued the owner of a
night club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom
window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms.
Walton was trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to
avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge . She was awarded $12,000 and dental
expenses.

     1st Place:
This year's runaway winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.! Mrs. Grazinski purchased a brand new 32-foot Winnebago
motor home. On her first trip home, (from an OU football game), having
driven onto the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left
the driver's seat to go into the back & make herself a sandwich. Not
surprisingly, the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned.
Mrs.Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising her in the owner's
manual that she couldn't actually do this. The jury awarded her $1,750,000.
plus a new motor home. The company actually changed their manuals on the
basis of this suit, just in case there were any other complete morons around.

EVERYBODY!!! this is the reply i got regarding the dive trip. if u guys have a cheaper one then we go for it. just look thru theses figures first.


Hi Yuyee,

Thanks for your interest in the trip!
The trip is available to non-SMU students as well. Non-SMU students will pay the Non-SMUX member price. The cost is as shown below:

Open Water Course (SMUX member): $455
Advanced Open Water Course (SMUX member): $415
Rescue Diver Course (SMUX member): $465
Leisure trip (SMUX member, excluding gear): $265

Open Water Course (Non-SMUX member): $460
Advanced Open Water Course (Non-SMUX member): $420
Rescue Diver Course (Non-SMUX member): $470
Leisure trip ((Non-SMUX member, excluding gear): $270

It will be a a weekend trip departing on the night of 14 July and returning to Singapore on the night of 16th of July. If you sign up with a buddy, you are entitled to a free mask! While stocks last. Do let me know if you're keen. :)

Cheers,
Yen Han
School of Accountancy
Class of 2005
+65 97858959

Hey Guys,

I just finished packing my room so now I am just lying around, trying to find something to do. So I thought, why not blog?

I was talking to Lam on MSN and we discussed on our future plans. So many things seem so uncertain, to both of us. Lam has a bond to serve and I am not sure which field I should get into. Well, I am sure these thoughts have raced through our mind, even for a brief instance. What do I see Song, Sq or Yuyee and the rest in a few years time? How would life be? Would we find pleasure and peace at work, at home and in life in general?

Sometimes humans spend their whole life chasing for things that was never meant to be theirs and in their pursuit they have looked PAST the things that are right before them. For example, family ties, health, happiness and close friendships. Although we have all these important things we must bear in mind and hold close to our hearts, life does not allow us make these the only priority in life, or does it? You know there was once my mum called me from home. I was quite emotional then and I told her:" Mummy, actually all I wanna do is to make all of you (Parents,grandparents and my close friends) proud and to bring honour to the family. I could not have done all these without you and Daddy's support and I need you to constantly remind me of this." And my mom replied that although she is happy that I have all of them in mind but I need to release all these burdens and go out and be the person I can be without any inhibitions, without anything holding me back. Sometimes (actually alot of times) I really question where to draw the line. While freeing yourself of burdens, you need to stay rooted to who you are and what you do them for or you might really lose yourself in this wild goose chase. Do you all understand what I mean?

You know, my blog entries repeatedly speaks of achieving the best for our grades. I am not money-hungry (I hope all of you understand that) but I think things have indeed altered my perspective in life and made me much more realistic and practical. Only when we, as the man of the family, can bring food to the table and to provide good education to the kids can we then say we have 'half-done' our job as a responsible father. Besides our own family which needs our attention, when we eventually move out of our parents home and start our own lifes, we too need to take care of our age-old parents. How can we do all these without a standing in society? How can we do all these without being good at what we are doing?

I just realised I have been playing soccer for almost 12 yrs now. When i was sec 1 & 2, I still remember our class always won the inter-class soccer competition. We had Yihang, Eric Khaw and the like.) I thought I could play football forever then. I was 13 or 14 and Beckham and Giggs and Scholes, they all seem so big and far-fetched. But now I am 22, supposedly at the peak of fitness. The dream of playing for Man utd has long faded and really, how long more can I dribble the ball and run for 2hrs non-stop without having cramps? I think in five years time, my physical condition would take a downturn. Bones start getting a bit frail and I probably cant run the 2.4 like I can now. Then I think, would it matter to me that much then? What would I be thinking of then? I think when I am 27, I would be more concerned about putting food on the table! Haha!

My grandparents are getting really old now. My parents are not getting any younger too. It is really time to take over the reins from our dad. And in another 10-15 yrs time, our career path would take a downturn and we'll be the ones handing over the reins to our kids. Time doesn't wait for anyone really. So, Yuyee/Jacq/Song, continue to motivate each other and strive to be the best accountants in Singapore. Fear no one, and fear nothing. We just have to be who we are and strive for the best. Why should we aim/go for something lesser than what we deserve? I have confidence in three of you and we really owe it to our parents and our family to do well. Ah Kow, I hope too that you focus and do as well as you proved you can while in TPJC. Sq, you have immense talent and the ultimate choice is in your own hands.

NTU guys, Lam/Weixin/Weiqin. Lam, you are always very sure of your decisions and I hope god/buddha continue to give you strength and patience to see through all your decisions, good or bad. Weixin, don't you ever forget all the big plans you told me you have in your heart. Pursue it with all your might. We are all here for you. Er duo, it is time to put all past failures behind you. Start afresh and show your true talents.

Ok, thats about it. I gotta run along now. Sorry for the abrupt stop. Talk to you all soon.


Esmond

Me and a Korean friend (Roy)
Niketown1

Hello everybody,

Hope everyone is fine and good? I went to London with a Korean guy about two days ago. He was good company although London was nothing fantastic really. All the hype I really don't understand why. It's like orchard road times maybe 50 plus times I think, that's really about it. Streets were not very clean and the train station design was not impressive. I honestly don't know what is the big hype about London that some people don't seem to get enough of.

Anyway, the only highlight for me is to visit NIKETOWN. Ok, that was amazing. Four storeys of Nike apparel, big posters. The marketing and advertising was good but at incredible prices too! Haha. There were so many chinese in London. Most pictures are taken of me alone, sorry. I am not being obssessed with myself, just that I went alone, no one to take with me! So, just a glimpse of how London looks like..