Forsan et Hæc Olim Meminisse Iuvabit

Some disco tune from the 80s

2008-10-12T19:07:00.001+08:00

杏里 - 悲しみがとまらない

The Would You Have Been a Nazi Test

2008-10-08T23:15:00.000+08:00

Your result for The Would You Have Been a Nazi Test...

Der Kommandant

Achtung! You are 38% brainwashworthy, 41% antitolerant, and 57% blindly patriotic

Opportunistic, patriotic to a fault, and not so fond of people who aren't just like you, you are like a Nazi General. Back in Germany in the 1940's, you would have been at the top of the asshole list. Not for Nazism, necessarily, but for your own sick, twisted values. Then, out of superior intelligence (relative to other Nazis, that is), you would've climbed to the top.

Conclusion: you would have been a Nazi, and most likely would have served them well.

- new test, it rules, take it -
The Terrorism Test

Take The Would You Have Been a Nazi Test at HelloQuizzy

Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test

2008-10-04T18:22:00.000+08:00

Your result for The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test...

The Knight

You scored 39% Cardinal, 41% Monk, 44% Lady, and 65% Knight!

You are the hero. Brave and bold. You are strong and utterly selfless. You are also a pawn to your superiors and will be lucky if you live very long. If you survive the Holy wars you are thrust into you will be praised for your valor and opportunities both romantic and financial will become available to you.

Take The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test at HelloQuizzy

Shocked by students' views

2008-09-26T21:57:00.002+08:00

Shocked by students' views

ZOROASTRIANISM is the 'sign of Zorro'. Islam is when 'their marriages take place in the void deck'. Buddhism is 'about filial piety'.
These were some comments made by youth here on various religions, as found in a study by former Aware president and educator Phyllis Chew.
Shocked by the results, she states unequivocally that Singapore needs to review the teaching of religion in school.
'A lack of knowledge of different faiths is a potentially unstable situation and it might be productive here to rethink what we could do for youth,' says Dr Chew, 55, an English language and literature lecturer at the National Institute of Education.
It was not the only disturbing finding from her study, which involved 2,801 students aged 12 to 18 from six secondary schools. Its aim: To find out the nature of religious switching by adolescents, and how much they know about religions.
While 76 per cent said they were 'tolerant' of other religions, their idea of tolerance was 'not talking about it'.
And while a whopping 92 per cent expressed desire to find out more about other religions, the majority said they would do so from the Internet.
At the same time, Dr Chew found that they switched religions through an emotional process. 'They will usually say things like, 'I've a good feeling (about this religion)' or 'My friends influenced me'.
'So it's not a very rational decision, like what are the pros, what are the cons. It's not very cognitive. The switching process is usually an emotional one.'
This is particularly so as adolescence is a period when self-esteem issues come into play, she adds. 'This is a time when they are trying to find out who they are. They are questioning the values their parents taught them, they are trying to find their place in society.'
What all this shows is the urgent need for a more systematic way for religion to be taught, says Dr Chew.
'What I hope to see is a course on comparative religion studied by all regardless of religious affiliation,' she says.
'This course must be taught by trained, knowledgeable and sympathetic teachers of comparative religion.'
This, she notes, is being done in Britain, where students study a book of all its main faiths, and do a comparative study of their histories, practices and beliefs.
At the same time, Singapore has to learn from its lessons of the 1980s, when Religious Knowledge was introduced in schools in 1984. It was terminated five years later.
Under it, students chose to study only one of the religions offered - which 'leads to polarisation along ethno-religious lines', says Dr Chew.
At the same time, teachers were 'not adequately trained and, in fact, some were overzealous and used it as a springboard to promote their own faiths'.
Today, aspects of religions and cultures are taught informally as part of civics education classes.
But more has to be done, says Dr Chew. 'We don't want youth to feel that the meaning of being tolerant is not to talk about it. And therefore feel that evif I want to find out about religion, I can't even ask my friend, I go to the Internet.
'Now, I don't know whether youths have the skill to sieve through the Internet as to what is factually correct and what is factually wrong.'
Dr Chew was herself a 'switcher' during her adolescence.
While her grandparents were Taoist, her parents converted to Christianity after her mother recovered from an illness.
'But I got very, very disturbed in my teenage years, because my grandmother is Taoist and the Christian priest said my grandmother was not going to heaven,' she recounts.
So the young Phyllis searched for answers. In university, she joined the Buddhist society, the Baha'i society and even checked out the Tamil society to understand more about Hinduism.
In the end, she became a Baha'i as 'it was unequivocal in accepting that all religions worship the same god and so my perennial question - what will happen to my beloved grandmother - was solved.'
But while she made the effort to educate herself about various religions, she is concerned that today's teenagers are not doing the same. This, she worries, may lead to a 'potentially unstable situation in the future because of ignorance'.
'We can be tolerant only if we know what other religions are about, otherwise we are operating in a vacuum. We are like frogs in a well.
'People guard their turf because they are defensive. It's a lack of knowledge, actually.
'If you have knowledge of all the religions, then you can be really more confident and less defensive and this really is what the world needs now.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Sept 12, 2008.

Ignorance is bliss. However, not for the academic. Not for the sake of world peace and harmony. One must have knowledge in order to understand and understanding leads to true peace and religious harmony. No man lives alone on his own island. Ignorance is only for the hermit.

A Moral Home for the Aged

2008-08-21T10:52:00.002+08:00

From Constantine Goh, " I saw the Thye Hua Kwan moral home for the disabled. Makes you wonder what an immoral version must be like."

Back to the Future

2008-08-20T11:57:00.002+08:00

This is a photo of the Chinesisches Haus (Chinese House) in Potsdam, Germany. Built by Frederick the Great between 1755 and 1764, this is a classic example of Chinoiserie.

This is an extract of the facebook discussion on the building.

Mr B wrote at 11:05pm
"chinese"?!

Mr C wrote
at 11:13pm
Does it look Chinese to you? This is what the German imagination came up with when they thought of China.

Mr A wrote at 11:33pm
they need to see some movies, pictures or videos of China.

Mr C wrote at 11:50pm
I wish I had taken photos of the statues. They're supposed to be Chinese people, but they're just a bunch of Germans dressed in ridiculous clothing. =P

Mr D wrote at 12:47am
Chinoiserie.

Mr F wrote at 3:43am
yes Chinoiserie was all the rage in France when it first recognized the "people's republic"

Here is a little background info on Mr A. Mr A claims he knows history better than the average guy. However, judging from what he just said, I think he is a plonker with no concept of time.

The only two men I know who have the right to make that same comment would be Dr. Emmett L. Brown from Back to the Future and The Time Traveller from H. G. Wells's The Time Machine.

These two gentlemen, should be able to bring Frederick the Great to a modern cinema and allow him to watch as much Chinese movies. I suggest that Frederick the Great should start with a couple of Bruce Lee films. This should tell him that if he screws up the building one more time, he'll end up like the riffraffs in the film.

Cause or Clause

2008-08-18T00:15:00.003+08:00

An extract of a group of Singaporeans arguing over the picture titled * Singaporeans coming together for a good clause.* on facebook.

Mr Aye wrote at 9:55am yesterday
Clause? Haha... =P

Miss Si wrote at 11:23am yesterday
What is clause? It says in the dictionary: single part in a treaty, law, or contract. i dont understand

Miss Si wrote at 11:26am yesterday
Oh yes, i understand now.

Mr Bee wrote at 11:08pm yesterday
so should be a good cause? or clause?

Mr Aye wrote at 11:13pm yesterday
I give up on the both of you man... LOL.

Miss Si wrote at 2:40pm
It's Clause... it's in the dictionary.

Miss Dee wrote at 5:15pm
cause. for a good cause.

Miss Yee wrote at 5:51pm
aiyo... you all ar super leh ... can fight over the word clause n cause... its still english words mah......

Is it too much to ask that they understand what the !"#@ they are talking about?

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art

2008-08-17T23:05:00.000+08:00

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art--
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

- John Keats

A Strange Dream

2008-08-08T00:04:00.003+08:00

I had a strange dream last night. I dreamt that I went to Shitty Harvest Church. Went into the auditorium and lo and behold, a getai stage complete with smoke, cheap lazer lights, cheesy lyrics and gaudy outfits. And guess what, ~~getai singer~~ pastor ~~Congee~~ Kong Hee and his wife Sun Ho were the singers! Futhermore, the audience around me were sweaty, smelly and they were oggling Sun Ho. Seemed like they were the hungry ghosts.

Weekend! HYU! HYU!

2008-07-26T12:44:00.003+08:00

Got up this morning feeling really really tried. Was too lazy to for Japanese class so I skipped it. Spent yesterday evening hanging out with Anthony and Max at the Singapore garden festival. With my new D80 Nikon, recently donated by some philantrophist, Anthony gave me some pointers on how to take good pictures. Anyway, the pictures were really screwed as I was not aware that the camera lens had a polarizing filter attached and the pictures turned out very dim.

Spicy Guacamole flavoured?

2008-07-02T23:06:00.006+08:00

Went to the library to return some books. On the way home, I passed by the mamak store and noticed that they were selling spicy guacamole flavoured Pringles! They were a bit more pricey than your normal flavoured ones. Delicious too I must say. Reminds me of Burt Ward as Robin the boy wonder from the TV series when he says " Holy Guacamole, Batman!"

" Holy Guacamole, Batman!"

It has been a long time.

2008-06-29T22:00:00.002+08:00

It has been a long time since I have written on my blog. Time to start working on it.

"I hate people who need to ask who's going before they can agree... As if my company's not good enough for them." - Unknown.

I'm quite annoyed. It is happening to me when I ask people out or when I organise outings. When will it all end?

My latest acquisition

2008-02-23T00:28:00.002+08:00

I just received my 1962 Roman Missal yesterday! Very pleased with it. HYU HYU!

http://www.baroniuspress.com/book.php?wid=56&bid=4

While fellow Catholics consider me mad for investing $72.50 on a missal that I cannot use. They think that the Tridentine mass is no longer celebrated in Singapore, which is wrong. 3 were celebrated earlier this year by Fr Duncan Wong FSSP.

I shall not bother about what they say and focus on reaping the spiritual benefits in the missal waiting to be discovered.

A boogle of weasels

2008-02-19T23:54:00.003+08:00

I just found out that the collective nouns for a group of weasels include boogle, gang, pack and confusion. How cute. A boogle of weasels. Imagine a boogle of weasels playing boggle.

As for confusion, I wonder how did they ever come out with that. A confusion of weasels? How strange.

T-Shirts

2008-02-08T23:52:00.000+08:00

My cousin wore a tee during the dinner at my auntie’s place. It is a tee with a picture of a film camera. The thing is, my cousin is studying filming at LaSalle and he said the tee represents his future occupation.

Now, if a camera man wears a tee with a picture of a film camera and a chef wears a tee with a picture of a wok or frying pan to represent his occupation,　what does a politician wear then? A backstabbing knife?

Kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer

2008-02-07T11:52:00.000+08:00

I have always wondered, does one kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer during Mass or one must stand during the Eucharistic Prayer. For those who do not know, The Eucharistic Prayer is the part of the Mass after the Sanctus and ends during the Great Amen.

I did a little search on google, and I have gotten my answer. I came across the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM).

This is taken from the second last paragraph from section 43.
In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.

Well, it seems that in the America, you are supposed to kneel throughout the Eucharistic Prayer. I have been to St Ignatius (Singapore) and everyone kneels during the Eucharistic Prayer. However, in my parish, we stand during the Eucharistic prayer. I must ask my priest about the official stand in Singapore.

For those interested in the GIRM, there is the link.

http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/current/GIRM.pdf

Et Spiritus Sancti or Et Spiritui Sancto?

2008-02-06T23:55:00.000+08:00

Recently, due to encouragement from Constantine & gang, I have been trying to memorise basic Latin prayers during my free time. Constantine instructed me to memorise the Sign of the Cross & the Gloria Patri, also known as the minor doxology or the Glory be.

Here is how the Sign of the Cross goes in Latin.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

And the Gloria Patri,

GLORIA PATRI, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

I always get mixed up and say Spirtui Sancto for the Sign of the Cross and Spiritus Sancti for the Gloria Patri. They are so similar, I cannot tell the difference. ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! (ﾟДﾟ )

Back from Peking

2008-01-03T16:29:00.000+08:00

I must apologise for not writing for a long time. I have been very busy after my trip back from Peking. Work and commitments have taken a toll on me. It has been nearly a month since my last post.

Back to the topic on Peking. I must say that I was amazed at the culture and technology of the ancient Chinese. Overall, the trip was enjoyable except that I suffered from a stomach flu and I did not get a chance to go to the summer palace and the Ming tombs. My favourite place in Peking would be the Forbidden city. One must agree that the ancient Chinese have the tenacity to brave the elements and skills to build the Forbidden city.

In the Forbidden city, there is a garden. It is called Qianglong's Garden and I found the garden very delightful and pleasing to the senses. It feels like you are in a Chinese painting. The greenery matches the colours of the red pavilions and white stone paths around the garden. Very picturesque . When I entered one of the pavilions, the confluence of the smell of aging wood used to build the pavilion and the smell of the cold winter breeze; I felt like I've stepped into a different world. The grandeur and extravagance of the garden is completely different from the chaotic and polluted city beyond the walls of the Forbidden city.

That's me in the photo, braving the bitter cold and trying to look cool about it. The picture was taken along a road that leads to a section of the Great Wall of China. The rest of the photos are in my uncle's camera. I shall post more pictures when i get the photos from him.

ホルモン焼き

2007-12-05T21:20:00.000+08:00

ああっ！　おいしいホルモン焼き！　今おなかがすきました。　私の友達はホルモン焼きを知らないから、ホルモン焼の絵は見せています。　シンガポールでホルモン焼きを食べたことがありません。しかしたくさんシンガポール人はブタ内臓を食べることが好きです。シンガポール有名の食べ物、肉骨茶（Bak kut teh, バクテー）の中で、時々ブタ内臓がある。　とにかく、有名のバクテー　レストランを知っています。今週の日曜日、行こうと思います。　写真をとるつもりです！

あの日にかえりたい

2007-12-04T23:56:00.001+08:00

荒井由実

浪漫館横浜Ｐａｒｔ２

2007-11-20T22:18:00.000+08:00

すみません、最近は忙しいです。時間がないので私はブログが書けない。

とにかく、二週間前の土曜日、メンちゃんとグレンさんとマクッスさんとジュンロンさんと私は浪漫館横浜で昼御飯を食べました。豚カツは大好きだから豚カツセットを再度食べた。メンちゃんはおなかがすきました。メンちゃんは大きいセットを食べました。　大きいセットはエビフライと豚カツとフライドチキンがありました！　大きいセットはすごいですね！　大きいセットを食べたい！しかし、お金がありません。

今回、私は写真をとりました。この写真は豚カツセットです。

おいしかった！

Confirmation

2007-11-15T22:01:00.000+08:00

Not the Sacrament of Confirmation but rather I went online to confirm my admission into Singapore Institute of Management University (UniSIM). I will be doing English and Sociology. Yes, I am finally in University. All I have to do now is pay my fees.

The modules I was offered were quite interesting. I had trouble making up my mind on which module to take. In the end, I chose Exploring English and Sociology of Law and Order.

Our Lady of Zeitoun

2007-11-14T20:33:00.000+08:00

Yesterday during RCIA, our group were discussing about Marian apparitions. For the benefit of the Catechumens who are curious knowing more, I have posted some links regarding Our Lady of Zeitoun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitoun_apparitions

Zitoun Gallery

Be sure to check out the Zeitoun webpage, they have a collection of pictures of the apparition.

Eucharistic theology

2007-11-14T19:53:00.001+08:00

Eucharistic theology
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Catholic

You are a Catholic. You believe that the bread and wine are transformed by the priest and become the Body and Blood of Christ. Though the accidents, or appearance, of bread and wine remain, the substance has been changed. The Eucharist remains the Body and Blood of Christ after the celebration, and is reserved in the Tabernacle; Eucharistic devotions are proper. As the whole Christ is present under either species, you partake fully of the Eucharist even if you receive only one.

Orthodox

75%

Catholic

75%

Luther

25%

Calvin

25%

Unitarian

Zwingli

浪漫館横浜

2007-11-11T14:24:00.000+08:00

昨日、マックスくんと私は、浪漫館横浜で晩御飯を食べました。豚カツセットを食べました。マックスくんは豚カツカレーセットを食べました。豚カツ美味しくてやすいですね。来週、浪漫館横浜へ行きたい。写真を取ろうと思います。

Funny Picture

2007-11-08T23:48:00.000+08:00

Express Route

2007-11-05T21:20:00.000+08:00

Constantine was telling me that some people in his church were made catechumen for a day and baptized the next day. Of course for Roman Catholics, we are made to go through a year of Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults　（RCIA）.

I have just discovered a way to bypass the RCIA and become Catholic in a short time. One must start his journey in the Eastern Orthodox Church in Singapore. Constantine explicitly mentioned that the process of being a catechumen for a day only happens in Singapore. Make yourself be known to the Priest and the community. Pop in for Divine Liturgy every week without fail for 2 months and then express your desire to become Orthodox.

Economia will be given to you. After your baptism in the Orthodox Church, fly down to Perth. The nearest Eastern Catholic Church is in Perth. Go for Confession and receive Communion. And there you have it, you are Catholic now and being Catholic means you can receive Communion in any Catholic Church. Roman or Eastern.

However, these are the rantings of a mad man and should not be taken seriously.

コンスタンティンさんの誕生日

2007-11-04T22:04:00.000+08:00

昨日はコンスタンティンさんの誕生日。　しかし、私は風邪を引きました。　コンスタンティンさんの誕生日パーティーが行けませんでした。　残念ですね。

今日はちょっと元気になりました。　コンスタンティンさんを会いました。私達の友達、ケネスさんはも行きました。　三人男はピザプレイスへ行きました。　ピザプレイスのピザはうまかったですね。　ニューヨークスタイルのピザを食べたん。

食べました後、ケネスさんはミーサに行かなければならない。　それから、ケネスさんは教会へ行きました。　コンスタンティンさんと私は買い物をしました。　楽しかったですね。

Dogs Pretending to be Mutton and Veal?

2007-11-04T13:11:00.000+08:00

http://www.mnweekly.ru/news/20071101/55286439.html

The animals were sick and the cooks simply chopped off the dogs' heads, flayed them and stripped the carcasses in the kitchen. Imagine people eating the meat, thinking that it was mutton and veal. Good grief!

死者の日おめでとう

2007-11-01T23:59:00.000+08:00

きのうは諸聖人の日です。　ミーサに行かなければならないので、きのは忙しいでした！

教会で吉川さんを会いました。吉川さんが手話をわかるので、耳の聞こえない人々を助けてあげました。よかったですね！

今日は死者の日です。　グレゴリオ聖歌のミーサに行こうと思います。　仕事を終わってから、教会へ行きます。死者のために祈ります！

Nemo Sushi!

2007-10-31T22:35:00.000+08:00

Bon Appétit

Fated to Happen?

2007-10-31T20:47:00.000+08:00

When bad things happen, we often hear people saying that it is fated to happen and it is God’s will. Well, I do not believe in fate. I most certainly do not believe that it is God’s will either. God wills it that mankind be good and virtuous. Does it happen? Is the whole world good and virtuous?

When bad things happen to me, I believe that it is the result of my actions or the actions of others. Take for example, when a person gets knocked down by a car, it is either, a person making a bad choice of not making sure that the road is clear of incoming vehicles or the driver made his choice to speed.

If the above example is not good enough, I have another one to share. A person dies from a flower pot falling on his head. Would that be fated or God’s will?

Well, I believe that it was the person’s choice to stand at that position where the flower pot would land. Surely he did not know that the flower pot was going to land on that spot, but he made the choice of standing at that spot.

We often seem to forget that we are making choices at every second of our lives, even for the minutest of things. Every decision that we make will determine what happens to us and the people around us.

Cherry Blossoms in Autumn?

2007-10-29T19:32:00.000+08:00

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200710290048.html

According to the article, the unseasonable blooming would affect next spring's cherry blossom viewing as the trees will not produce flowers again.

I guess those going to Japan next year for cherry blossom viewing can postpone their trip.

Doing Things the Right Way.

2007-10-28T10:51:00.000+08:00

I have always believed that if you want to do something, do it the right way and not change it to suit yourself.

For example, genuflecting in church. I have noticed that some people genuflect with their left knee. Of course feeling the need to educate the ignorant, I tell them that they must genuflect on their right knee instead. The reason being that if you genuflect before your earthly ruler, you do it with your left knee. But of course God is our heavenly ruler, which is why; it is only right and proper to genuflect with your right knee.

The problem comes when one of these ignorant people tell you off by saying, " Does it really matter? God looks at our hearts and not at our actions."

It really goes to show that they are not bothered. Even a simple act of genuflecting, they are not bothered to learn it the right way. Then of course I might want to ask them, why you would bother to genuflect in the first place.

My First Post

2007-10-27T23:03:00.000+08:00

I found this rather funny. Hope you guys love it too!