Elegy 8.6 KVHere lies Sir N.U.S. Cable,
Who went to great lengths
Against the forces of darkness.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Monday, December 07, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Quote of the Day
"were all men always attentive to life, were we constantly to keep in touch with others as well as with ourselves, nothing within us would ever appear as due to the working of strings or springs" Henri Bergson, "The Comic in Situations" trans. Brereton and Rothwell
And quite, quite suddenly, I think I might be beginning to understand Deleuze and Guattari from 19th Century class
And quite, quite suddenly, I think I might be beginning to understand Deleuze and Guattari from 19th Century class
Saturday, October 03, 2009
The Original Letter from Crazy Peoples
This is what happens when you are doing research for essays and you come across this again. Below is a short excerpt which one critic cited and then cheerfully called the author "unmistakeably...a megalomaniac"
William Prynne (1600-1669)
Histrio-mastix.
The players scourge, or, actors tragædie, divided into two parts. Wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers arguments, by the concurring authorities and resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture, That popular stage-playes are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly spectacles, and most pernicious corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intolerable mischiefes to churches, to republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. (the second full-stop here) And that the profession of play-poets, of stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of acting, of beholding academicall enterludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning dancing, dicing, health-drinking, &c. of which the table will informe you.
Observe how the second full-stop is really a technicality, since he goes on to start the next sentence with "And".
William Prynne (1600-1669)
Histrio-mastix.
The players scourge, or, actors tragædie, divided into two parts. Wherein it is largely evidenced, by divers arguments, by the concurring authorities and resolutions of sundry texts of Scripture, That popular stage-playes are sinfull, heathenish, lewde, ungodly spectacles, and most pernicious corruptions; condemned in all ages, as intolerable mischiefes to churches, to republickes, to the manners, mindes, and soules of men. (the second full-stop here) And that the profession of play-poets, of stage-players; together with the penning, acting, and frequenting of stage-playes, are unlawfull, infamous and misbeseeming Christians. All pretences to the contrary are here likewise fully answered; and the unlawfulnes of acting, of beholding academicall enterludes, briefly discussed; besides sundry other particulars concerning dancing, dicing, health-drinking, &c. of which the table will informe you.
Observe how the second full-stop is really a technicality, since he goes on to start the next sentence with "And".
Monday, February 09, 2009
Rosy memories
I suddenly remembered today that back in secondary school, during bio lesson, we once had to draw flowers for the plant reproduction practical lesson. My lab partner, who incidentally is Kappa, is clueless with the pencil, and I ended up drawing her flower for her with a lot of muttering. Most of the grumbling was because, of all the flowers she had to bring, she brought a rose.
A. Rose.
With lots of petals.
I hurriedly drew one for her (hey, it was almost the end of class), and then did one for myself, with what I believed to be slightly more effort. In the end, she got an A+ while I got an A.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A. Rose.
With lots of petals.
I hurriedly drew one for her (hey, it was almost the end of class), and then did one for myself, with what I believed to be slightly more effort. In the end, she got an A+ while I got an A.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Out of the Blue
Yesterday, I went to watch the Science Faculty production of Neil Simon's California Suite. I will admit that it was essentially because it was the Science people putting up a play that induced me to go watch their performance rather than read my John Donne poems. As it were, it probably didn't need much encouragement to part me from my work.
First of all, the sound and the set were gorgeous. This is what you get I suppose, when Barang Barang probably sponsored their wonderful furniture for the hotel suite setting, right down to lights which you could switch on and off on stage. ooh. I feel my hands itch to plan a play all of a sudden.
While the first scene nearly made me leave, if only because the actors lacked chemistry and one of them had a funny accent, the second scene was beyond hilarious - what do you do when you find that after a night of inebriation, a mysterious hooker lying next to you and your wife is coming up the stairs? Hmm...........
It was a good evening, definitely, but there are some things that just didn't gel with me. For one thing, someone ought to have stop the lighting person from switching on the lights onstage abruptly and rapidly in the opening moments in the first scene which did absolutely nothing than to annoy me. I mean, they did not have to click on the spotlight above the telephone when it rang... or leave half the set in semi darkness and then only switch them on mysteriously when something in that section moved or made a sound. They could instead, have left the cast to switch them on, which would look more natural than hotel lights lighting up in an all too obviously non diegetic way. This was also disruptive because in the third scene, the cast were switching on and off the lights themselves, i.e. diegetically.
Mercifully, the production improved tremendously with no more playing of lights and a script that became funnier with the minute. I know it sounds horrid - my lack of faith in the science majors being able to put up a successful performance, but it turned out more than fine. I am impressed with the wardrobe's ability to suss out a proper tux for the third scene (where the hell did they get one?!) and that there were only two people in-charge of the costumes. While I was slightly miffed that Hannah's suit was clearly badly ironed and did not look crisp enough to fit her neurotic personality, I can't really be pointing fingers if only two people are involved in dressing a big cast.
All the same, a good job to the cast and crew. I loved the show.
First of all, the sound and the set were gorgeous. This is what you get I suppose, when Barang Barang probably sponsored their wonderful furniture for the hotel suite setting, right down to lights which you could switch on and off on stage. ooh. I feel my hands itch to plan a play all of a sudden.
While the first scene nearly made me leave, if only because the actors lacked chemistry and one of them had a funny accent, the second scene was beyond hilarious - what do you do when you find that after a night of inebriation, a mysterious hooker lying next to you and your wife is coming up the stairs? Hmm...........
It was a good evening, definitely, but there are some things that just didn't gel with me. For one thing, someone ought to have stop the lighting person from switching on the lights onstage abruptly and rapidly in the opening moments in the first scene which did absolutely nothing than to annoy me. I mean, they did not have to click on the spotlight above the telephone when it rang... or leave half the set in semi darkness and then only switch them on mysteriously when something in that section moved or made a sound. They could instead, have left the cast to switch them on, which would look more natural than hotel lights lighting up in an all too obviously non diegetic way. This was also disruptive because in the third scene, the cast were switching on and off the lights themselves, i.e. diegetically.
Mercifully, the production improved tremendously with no more playing of lights and a script that became funnier with the minute. I know it sounds horrid - my lack of faith in the science majors being able to put up a successful performance, but it turned out more than fine. I am impressed with the wardrobe's ability to suss out a proper tux for the third scene (where the hell did they get one?!) and that there were only two people in-charge of the costumes. While I was slightly miffed that Hannah's suit was clearly badly ironed and did not look crisp enough to fit her neurotic personality, I can't really be pointing fingers if only two people are involved in dressing a big cast.
All the same, a good job to the cast and crew. I loved the show.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A quick post in the dead of the morning
Woke up feeling all disgruntled about the co-op. How is it that NONE of my psychoanalysis books are in on Tuesday but all sold out on the next day? Obsessing isn't helping but I absolutely refuse to have to photocopy anymore bits from it to tide over my current non-book ownership status. And lvl4000 here I come. Urk.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Meeting Point
Time was away and somewhere else,
There were two glasses and two chairs
And two people with the one pulse
(Somebody stopped the moving stairs)
Time was away and somewhere else.
And they were neither up nor down;
The stream's music did not stop
Flowing through heather, limpid brown,
Although they sat in a coffee shop
And they were neither up nor down.
The bell was silent in the air
Holding its inverted poise -
Between the clang and clang a flower,
A brazen calyx of no noise:
The bell was silent in the air.
The camels crossed the miles of sand
That stretched around the cups and plates;
The desert was their own, they planned
To portion out the stars and dates:
The camels crossed the miles of sand.
Time was away and somewhere else.
The waiter did not come, the clock
Forgot them and the radio waltz
Came out like water from a rock:
Time was away and somewhere else.
Her fingers flicked away the ash
That bloomed again in tropic trees:
Not caring if the markets crash
When they had forests such as these,
Her fingers flicked away the ash.
God or whatever means the Good
Be praised that time can stop like this,
That what the heart has understood
Can verify in the body's peace
God or whatever means the Good.
Time was away and she was here
And life no longer what it was,
The bell was silent in the air
And all the room one glow because
Time was away and she was here.
-- Louis MacNeice
This is a lovely piece of poetry. Makes me wish I was taking Irish Poetry class. Hopefully, there will be next semester.
There were two glasses and two chairs
And two people with the one pulse
(Somebody stopped the moving stairs)
Time was away and somewhere else.
And they were neither up nor down;
The stream's music did not stop
Flowing through heather, limpid brown,
Although they sat in a coffee shop
And they were neither up nor down.
The bell was silent in the air
Holding its inverted poise -
Between the clang and clang a flower,
A brazen calyx of no noise:
The bell was silent in the air.
The camels crossed the miles of sand
That stretched around the cups and plates;
The desert was their own, they planned
To portion out the stars and dates:
The camels crossed the miles of sand.
Time was away and somewhere else.
The waiter did not come, the clock
Forgot them and the radio waltz
Came out like water from a rock:
Time was away and somewhere else.
Her fingers flicked away the ash
That bloomed again in tropic trees:
Not caring if the markets crash
When they had forests such as these,
Her fingers flicked away the ash.
God or whatever means the Good
Be praised that time can stop like this,
That what the heart has understood
Can verify in the body's peace
God or whatever means the Good.
Time was away and she was here
And life no longer what it was,
The bell was silent in the air
And all the room one glow because
Time was away and she was here.
-- Louis MacNeice
This is a lovely piece of poetry. Makes me wish I was taking Irish Poetry class. Hopefully, there will be next semester.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Dream reads
Right. As some of you know, I've been reading ahead for one of my lit modules, and that book (Middlemarch) unfortunately, is thick, and while not exactly boring, is not exactly engrossing either. My life is being ruined by the Internet age. In any case, this book is suspected as being the first book to be covered during lectures, hence it being read ahead. Also, as to how badly this book is affecting me, I started having weird dreams about it last night, which essentially consisted of how the reading ahead was a futile attempt at getting ahead because, in my dream, Middlemarch isn't even the first, or second book on the lecture list but the 3rd, or the middle of the lecture schedule. As if that wasn't enough, a check with the ivle workbin showed that Eliot will only be covered after the term break, and as such, I doubt if I would even remember who is who and what is what in the book by then. Bleah. Wasted effort for now. I am better off going to refresh my memory of reading Alice in Wonderland...
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Whatever happened to the other modules??
I can't believe I have a paltry FIVE core modules to choose from for the coming semester. That list had better be incomplete. And I wouldn't even be complaining if not for the fact that two of modules that I want to do already clash. Arggh!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Murphy's
Ruined my aunt's comp trying to email MOE. What luck eh. The thing black screened.
Oh, and left-handers rejoice! The (possibly) ONLY left-handed mouse in NUS can be found on the left-hand side of the library, that is, if you enter from the Quiet Study Area side...
Oh, and left-handers rejoice! The (possibly) ONLY left-handed mouse in NUS can be found on the left-hand side of the library, that is, if you enter from the Quiet Study Area side...
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Dissatisifaction
Is a hard thing to cure.
It's not something chocolate, hot tea with lemon, or a hug can fix.
It's not something the doctors can operate on.
It's not something that will go away by itself.
I think I need a sabbatical even if it isn't the seventh semester yet.
I think I need to climb Mt Kinabalu. And then live in a wooden hut for a month with the birds and monkeys and caterpillars and consuming only fruits and vegetables everyday. Up high, there aren't any mosquitos, so I think I would actually get some meditation done, unless there are flies of course.
And maybe I'll come home satisfied.
It's not something chocolate, hot tea with lemon, or a hug can fix.
It's not something the doctors can operate on.
It's not something that will go away by itself.
I think I need a sabbatical even if it isn't the seventh semester yet.
I think I need to climb Mt Kinabalu. And then live in a wooden hut for a month with the birds and monkeys and caterpillars and consuming only fruits and vegetables everyday. Up high, there aren't any mosquitos, so I think I would actually get some meditation done, unless there are flies of course.
And maybe I'll come home satisfied.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
When Skool happens
The Skool Survivor Scheme
An Easy Guide to Follow and Adhere by
Being the unique and utterly useless treatise on subjects of mild interest
By MsF
First and most obvious thing: Your Bag: Always bring one with you. You never know when piles of textbooks would suddenly drop in on you, and a bag is always handy for such circumstances. You don't actually want to be seen lugging these evil creatures about do you? Therefore, for the 1st week, and I mean the first 7 schooling days, a big bag. After that, you don't want to be seen with the mother of evil creatures - the unsightly big bag do you?
Second and of secondary importance: Shoes: Comfort is important, but then so is newness. New shoes, are bought for not only comfort, but also speed and infinite stairs.
Third, which is not so much 3rd as in conjunction (in anticipation of murphy's law), or as is most often the case, followed by: plasters: Tucked in said big bag / underneath demonic new shoes / jeans pockets
Four, for: Fun (last chance, really)
Fifth: The Essential Element: A notebook. Electronic or otherwise. Remember to get it updated, change your passwords, especially if they have expired...
Sixth, and final, which is for Patience, for getting down to here, you don't quite need the advice, but still, be patient with the new, the unwelcome, the housekeeping and general sense of getting down to slaving away.
An Easy Guide to Follow and Adhere by
Being the unique and utterly useless treatise on subjects of mild interest
By MsF
First and most obvious thing: Your Bag: Always bring one with you. You never know when piles of textbooks would suddenly drop in on you, and a bag is always handy for such circumstances. You don't actually want to be seen lugging these evil creatures about do you? Therefore, for the 1st week, and I mean the first 7 schooling days, a big bag. After that, you don't want to be seen with the mother of evil creatures - the unsightly big bag do you?
Second and of secondary importance: Shoes: Comfort is important, but then so is newness. New shoes, are bought for not only comfort, but also speed and infinite stairs.
Third, which is not so much 3rd as in conjunction (in anticipation of murphy's law), or as is most often the case, followed by: plasters: Tucked in said big bag / underneath demonic new shoes / jeans pockets
Four, for: Fun (last chance, really)
Fifth: The Essential Element: A notebook. Electronic or otherwise. Remember to get it updated, change your passwords, especially if they have expired...
Sixth, and final, which is for Patience, for getting down to here, you don't quite need the advice, but still, be patient with the new, the unwelcome, the housekeeping and general sense of getting down to slaving away.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Whoop
I had something to say here... I can't remember what. So.. what you'll get instead a nice little happy post about how my exams end tomorrow. Or maybe, that is what I wanted to say.. really, about from gloating that I get free preview tickets to watch Vexille next week.
Greedy me wonders greviously why we don't get free preview tickets to Stardust, or The Golden Compass, or rather, when I want to watch something, it's the exams... or essays. Still, am super happy. I only hope it doesn't rain tomorrow, because if it does it totally ruins my plans...
This, people, seems to be the beginning of a beautiful holiday
Greedy me wonders greviously why we don't get free preview tickets to Stardust, or The Golden Compass, or rather, when I want to watch something, it's the exams... or essays. Still, am super happy. I only hope it doesn't rain tomorrow, because if it does it totally ruins my plans...
This, people, seems to be the beginning of a beautiful holiday
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Inundated
Do I wake or sleep?
The past week has been nightmarish really. Will turn into a paper eating zombie at this rate. Well, actually I've one more essay to go, but I guess that can be ignored for now. Am dead tired... But I guess that waking up at 7 says something about being tired but having a damned essay to do. Alrighty, enough with the complaints. But then, it seems like all I have to do are essays. Or reading. Or more essays. This isn't a complaint, its more like a sigh of resignation. But still, the weather hs been lovely, and I can't say I'm not relieved that it hasn't been baking hot, but nice and cool. There's nothing like waking at five AND having to endure bloody heat...
Had a muffin for breakfast, and now i kinda realised that I ate a piece of the wrapping to boot... Hmm. Paper zombie?
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Irrelevent Post
Hmm. So life continues on, without stopping (as usual) for a breather, while I sit back and admire the lovely mess I've created. Went back to school yesterday, forgetting it was a public holiday, and naturally, everything was closed, my readings stuck behind the wretched glass wall... No matter, I suppose, so I went back home, and scowled at the review I was supposed to be writing, while simultaneously planning this other essay I've got... the one of many other essays to come, but I needn't complain. I forsee all-nighters in the not too distant future. And I haven't finished reading Jane Eyre. And I have a presentation on it.
I do wish I can cough up 10 page research papers in a day... I hear you have to do something similar if you want your PhD... Incidentally, PhD; I don't know how many of you actually know, but it doesn't mean Permanent Head Damage as many of us know it as, but A Doctor in Philosophy. Weird, especially when there actually ARE doctors of Philosophy out there... i.e. the profs at the Philo Dept (where else).
Right then, back to my point about writing essays fast. I really don't have all day to sit around waiting to be inspired, but it happens, and I glaze over the essay/review/write-up/report/proposal/research paper and half the day is gone. Talk about time passing...
I do wish I can cough up 10 page research papers in a day... I hear you have to do something similar if you want your PhD... Incidentally, PhD; I don't know how many of you actually know, but it doesn't mean Permanent Head Damage as many of us know it as, but A Doctor in Philosophy. Weird, especially when there actually ARE doctors of Philosophy out there... i.e. the profs at the Philo Dept (where else).
Right then, back to my point about writing essays fast. I really don't have all day to sit around waiting to be inspired, but it happens, and I glaze over the essay/review/write-up/report/proposal/research paper and half the day is gone. Talk about time passing...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Where do I start?
I could start by burning all my books. And papers. Yes. In particular those. There's too much of them.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Small Things
Having decided finally what topic I want to do for my Japanese film paper (hail all Ghibli fans), am feeling much better. The vague sense of anxiety which has plagued me for the last two weeks is over (for now), and I can move on to other matters that as time passes, become even more and more pressing, thanks to time's ability to move forward without you noticing. This means datelines loom forever closer, even as I space out thinking of smart things to say in my ultra smart Romanticism class, whom some are already marked out for not being appreciators of Coleridge. Mwahahahaha. The reason that I'm wrecking things to say are twofold:
One, which is also the most pertinent, is that my CA grade depends on it, and Two, because umm. come on, one must defend what one likes even at the great risk of looking stupid. Then again, I am not sure I like critiquing what I like in the first place... I mean, I'm not even sure I like doing lit this way, which is to say, critiquing it. I feel like I'm not up to it, not to mention, these are great writers. How the hell do you criticise them and where do you start???
Life is beautiful.
One, which is also the most pertinent, is that my CA grade depends on it, and Two, because umm. come on, one must defend what one likes even at the great risk of looking stupid. Then again, I am not sure I like critiquing what I like in the first place... I mean, I'm not even sure I like doing lit this way, which is to say, critiquing it. I feel like I'm not up to it, not to mention, these are great writers. How the hell do you criticise them and where do you start???
Life is beautiful.
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