Pardon for the lack of updates. As usual, not much events happening recently that seemed interesting enough to be posted here.

Chinese New Year is becoming like a rountine, so I am not exactly excited to blog about it. After all its always house visiting followed by mahjong, eat, poker, eat, eat, sleep, eat. What is special this year is Recess week is the same week! Omg I hate it when I gotta study for mid terms and do essays when its the festive mood.

Its time to study for emotions mid terms, and also to finish up on the video project as well as a very weird "blind date" tutorial project. haha. Anyway, I am so contemplating whether to sign up for YOUTHSlead 2010. Seriously tempted to get this cool experience (recommended by huihui) but I wonder whether I have the time to commit.

Let me go sleep over it. Its surfing this weekend again =)

p.s I like the powerpoints lots.

My first time taking over the class. Super nervous in the beginning but I gradually got the hang of it.

Fortunately the students seemed manageable. Or was it because of the fact that I used "Mr Heng" aka "Mr Tan number 2" ?? haha.

Anyway we started with watching the second part of the movie of "Akeelah and the bee" for the 1st hour. Our second activity was a variant of the spelling bee competition. We split the students into 4 groups and each group has to memorise 4 list of words within 20mins. We also asked each group to think of a word to be used to test the others in the bonus round later.The game started with each member going up at least once in each round to answer the spelling. Correct answer will get 1 point. After that the next member go up and answer and this continues for 2 rounds. At the last round, each group can send a representative to go up to spell the word that another group has written down. Each correct answer will get 2 points. The word that other groups have written is not listed in the word list, as such it requires the person to really break up the words and spell them out.

First session for the new year and it's great that it all went smoothly =)

Don't really like to ramble about the daily activities on my blog, but I am seriously super sian.

Why do the prof want to put the mid term test immediately after recess week?? And why did the school have to put the recess week together with the chinese new year week?? Why does everyone get to go out and I gotta stay at home and mug for the test??

Oh well. Such rambling doesn't really solve anything. End of post. Now its back to mugging.

That's why I still choose Yale to NUS (If I have the choice).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGn3-RW8Ajk

Of course that is not a sign that NUS is bad in anyway. I am still glad that I made it here. University is still the best years of my life. We have cca cultures, hall culture, but it seems we still lack that NUS spirit. I can't really grapple what it is. Maybe because it is not distinctive enough.

That sparkle in the eye whenever the school is mentioned. I can't seem to feel it. But nevertheless, its a cool video. haha

Actually I don't know what else to say. I don't know whether to blog this out or not. But oh well.

We came.
We trained.
We tried.
But sometimes effort does not equate result.
I'm sorry.

Even if it is only by just 1 point.

Is there such a thing as a permanent group?

I don't really have an answer. After all that has happened the past few days, I really pondered over this question hard. It started out with the question as to why people join groups?

It seems that people join groups for a variety of reasons, such as for social support in times of need, to focus on a collective task, for companionship, for prestige, and all sorts of reason. And as I wondered more about what constitues an essence of a group, it appears I can't really think of any (of course this is restricted to my own perspective as usual).

What I feel is that people join group for a reason (they can't decide to join anyone for no reason at all), and the group is supposed to be the gel to achieve the person's agenda. So when...

1) one does not feels affilated to a group,
2) the different members have different agendas,
3) the task is completed
4) the well-liked member decide to leave the group

there seems to be nothing left for that can keep the group together. Or is there something that I missed out? because if everything can be so rationally understood, then my eventual conclusion will be that one does not need a permanent group after all.

Take for example, you join a group because you feel affilated and that you have a common goal. But when the goal is completed or the affilation disappears (for a variety of reason eg. conflicts, well-liked member left etc) Will you still remain in the group?

I joined windsurfing because of all the members that I got to know then. But when these people graduate, there is not much motivation to want to continue to be in the group, especially if I don't know anyone at all. As much as I put in so much effort all this while, one day I realise I will end up leaving the group too. So why should I put in effort for something that will be gone?

Using the example of family, the parents are the one who keep the "group" together. But one day they leave, will the essence of the group remains? This point shows that when members of a group leaves, the group will eventually disappear.

So in the end, can there ever be a permanent "group" where I can really anchor myself to?