Thursday, November 15, 2007
The last few days went by pretty well. Last Tuesday my cadets at Montfort Sec organised a barbeque and I was pretty impressed by their enthusiasm and spirit in organising and conducting the whole event. More importantly, it clearly showed that the mission Cpt Howard led starting almost two years back to create a united unit with its own identity has definitely been a success. Now very soon he is going to leave the unit to become the head of the training dept in HQ NCDCC. While still remaining my boss (haha), I will definitely miss him in Montfort. I believe I had a great working relationship with him and he was a wonderful OC. I do look forward to working under him in his new position.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Ok I have to admit......I get star struck easily. But today was a fantastic day. Haha. I was given the opportunity to hear one of my favourite politicians, Tony Blair, the former prime minister of Britain, give a speech on the challenges of global governance at NUS today! On top of that, I was even able to ask him a question during the Q&A session after that.
Went with some of the dudes and dudettes from USP to the UCC. I was unfortunately given a 2&3 level ticket, which disappointed me extremely. Aik Heng was the only one among us who had a level 1 ticket. And guess what he did? He exchanged it with me! Can you believe it? Yup, there are still such nice people in the world. I owe you big time Aik!
But the troubles weren't over. I was seated in the last few rows. I was told that unless we have a specific ticket, I couldn't sit in the front. After that, I saw many people holding similar tickets to mine going to the front and seating. It was as if they were being rewarded for coming in late! So I took my stuff, walked out of the hall and came in 'late' too. Haha. Managed to get a seat in the front after that.
After some waiting, The Right Honourable Tony Blair finally entered the hall and after a short introduction by the Dean of the LKY School of Public Policy, Tony Blair finally came to the podium to deliver his speech.
It was, in my opinion, a very enlightening speech. While the themes of globalisation and international cooperation are constantly talked about, he brought in a new perspective saying how institutions need to be built to facilitate global governance, how effective alliances need to be created between countries and how civic societies need to be empowered to act on the global stage.
I was impressed with his take on the Middle east peace process. He talked about how justice needs to be seen to be served. While Israeli security has to be catered for, the Palestinians must also be assured that they will finally be given statehood.
He gave many interesting anecdotes about his time in office, the North Ireland peace process, how he got his first mobile phone after he left office and his first meeting with LKY.
He is a great speaker and very charismatic. And he makes sense. A lot of sense.
I managed to ask him a question. I asked him that despite his calls for global action, are there too many global players in the Middle East peace process and is this causing the peace process to slow down? Another question I asked him was if he believed that the Middle east would achieve peace the same way North Ireland did? That is that the next generation of Irish leaders forgot about the pain of the past and wanted to move on to a new future.
His answer? He doesn't believe that too many players are causing the peace process to halt. He does believe however, that the players that should be doing something aren't doing it and those that wish to exploit the situation are coming in and exploiting it for their own benefits. He says that the necessary players need to step up and play their role. He then discussed the framework in which peace can be achieved.
After hearing him talk about his ideas, I believed that finally, after President Clinton, we now have another person who truly wants peace in the Middle East and has the potential to stop the bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians and bring peace to the region for everyone, regardless of race or religion, to live together in harmony.
In the end I felt what he said at the end of the session was very profound. That leaders should not live in the past if they hope to make a better future.
Got to meet Mr Zainul Abideen Rasheed, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, during the reception after the talk and speak to him about various things.
Overall, it was a great day. :)
Went with some of the dudes and dudettes from USP to the UCC. I was unfortunately given a 2&3 level ticket, which disappointed me extremely. Aik Heng was the only one among us who had a level 1 ticket. And guess what he did? He exchanged it with me! Can you believe it? Yup, there are still such nice people in the world. I owe you big time Aik!
But the troubles weren't over. I was seated in the last few rows. I was told that unless we have a specific ticket, I couldn't sit in the front. After that, I saw many people holding similar tickets to mine going to the front and seating. It was as if they were being rewarded for coming in late! So I took my stuff, walked out of the hall and came in 'late' too. Haha. Managed to get a seat in the front after that.
After some waiting, The Right Honourable Tony Blair finally entered the hall and after a short introduction by the Dean of the LKY School of Public Policy, Tony Blair finally came to the podium to deliver his speech.
It was, in my opinion, a very enlightening speech. While the themes of globalisation and international cooperation are constantly talked about, he brought in a new perspective saying how institutions need to be built to facilitate global governance, how effective alliances need to be created between countries and how civic societies need to be empowered to act on the global stage.
I was impressed with his take on the Middle east peace process. He talked about how justice needs to be seen to be served. While Israeli security has to be catered for, the Palestinians must also be assured that they will finally be given statehood.
He gave many interesting anecdotes about his time in office, the North Ireland peace process, how he got his first mobile phone after he left office and his first meeting with LKY.
He is a great speaker and very charismatic. And he makes sense. A lot of sense.
I managed to ask him a question. I asked him that despite his calls for global action, are there too many global players in the Middle East peace process and is this causing the peace process to slow down? Another question I asked him was if he believed that the Middle east would achieve peace the same way North Ireland did? That is that the next generation of Irish leaders forgot about the pain of the past and wanted to move on to a new future.
His answer? He doesn't believe that too many players are causing the peace process to halt. He does believe however, that the players that should be doing something aren't doing it and those that wish to exploit the situation are coming in and exploiting it for their own benefits. He says that the necessary players need to step up and play their role. He then discussed the framework in which peace can be achieved.
After hearing him talk about his ideas, I believed that finally, after President Clinton, we now have another person who truly wants peace in the Middle East and has the potential to stop the bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians and bring peace to the region for everyone, regardless of race or religion, to live together in harmony.
In the end I felt what he said at the end of the session was very profound. That leaders should not live in the past if they hope to make a better future.
Got to meet Mr Zainul Abideen Rasheed, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, during the reception after the talk and speak to him about various things.
Overall, it was a great day. :)
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Wow.....my last update was in July....Seriously, I have to do something about my problem with procrastination.
Actually, I don't have a problem with procrastination. In fact, I'm great friends with it! Everytime it rears its big ugly head around the corner, I actually run towards procrastination and embrace it like a long lost brother. Yes, we're so close now, I'm starting to consider procrastination as family.
Yes, you may say that a positive outcome from this is that I've gained a close friend. Yes, I may seem to enjoy life and have no worries. However, in a deep dark corner of my mind, I know life is going to explode. All the things I have abandoned in order to embrace procrastination will one day be too much to fit into that tiny dark corner and the barrier holding it all in will give way and that will be the end of it.
And how exactly will "the end of it" look like? Deadlines passing with no work submitted, feeling lousy because I know I have the potential to do much better but didn't, failing hopelessly in exams because I could've have studied and gotten great marks but didn't, being totally unsuccessful in business because I didn't manage to catch the opportunities when I should have and panadol after panadol tablet to deal with the immense stress of trying to finish work that only I can and need to do.
What can I do? I have to break this parasitic relationship. Procrastination has found a great host in me, a great friend who embraces it. Hoewvwer, I must abandon it. For there is little time left.
Actually, I don't have a problem with procrastination. In fact, I'm great friends with it! Everytime it rears its big ugly head around the corner, I actually run towards procrastination and embrace it like a long lost brother. Yes, we're so close now, I'm starting to consider procrastination as family.
Yes, you may say that a positive outcome from this is that I've gained a close friend. Yes, I may seem to enjoy life and have no worries. However, in a deep dark corner of my mind, I know life is going to explode. All the things I have abandoned in order to embrace procrastination will one day be too much to fit into that tiny dark corner and the barrier holding it all in will give way and that will be the end of it.
And how exactly will "the end of it" look like? Deadlines passing with no work submitted, feeling lousy because I know I have the potential to do much better but didn't, failing hopelessly in exams because I could've have studied and gotten great marks but didn't, being totally unsuccessful in business because I didn't manage to catch the opportunities when I should have and panadol after panadol tablet to deal with the immense stress of trying to finish work that only I can and need to do.
What can I do? I have to break this parasitic relationship. Procrastination has found a great host in me, a great friend who embraces it. Hoewvwer, I must abandon it. For there is little time left.
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