Just realised that something rather interesting is happening in Singapore, all the debate on being an open society and now the oppo party (not that there is AN oppo party in Sing, but one of them, go find out for yourself which one) is proposing to remove GRCs, fixed racial proportion in HDB flats, even the institution of presidency...their arguments are rather, erm, interesting. Do go to read them to see if they hold water (is there even such an expression??) @ www.straitstimes.com.
Nonetheless, one issue really does address the next. I am glad that the opposition has decided to speak up this time, even printing a manifesto (tried to get it online but they haven't posted it up yet, must be rather interesting to see what they have in mind). Because the fact that they are speaking up and being heard does answer this question: Are we an open society? What is the def of an open society? My dictionary (in my comp, duh, not the one in my brain=)) says that an open society is "a society characterized by a flexible structure, freedom of belief, and wide dissemination of information." (Oxford American dictionary) Looking at this definition, I would say dear Singapore is quite an open society, especially when it comes to the part on a flexible structure...my German boss once said that Singapore is the country who gave meritocracy its name and a good reputation. However, there are limits to the extent of openness any country can develop to, and we probably haven't really reached the prime yet. Then again, there isn't such a thing as a 'prime' or perfection in development of a country, esp in terms of its policies. Many democratic institutions and republics have this way changing/introducing policies bit by bit, step by step to see if it steps on anybody's toes, and if not, continue with it, a little by a little. This concept is called 'Incrementalism'. (BTW i like the German word for it: Durchwursteln, supposed to mean muddling your way through, but it sounds a hell lot like 'sausaging your way through' in German, haha!! Couldn't help laughing silently as my prof used the word)
As for the question of abolishing the institution of presidency since the legislative system is supposed to be a check on the government anyway, I think that is quite a weird argument. In my opinion, the legislation is an institution that upholds the LAW, i.e. rules that are codified in a set legal docs, but WHO is gonna make sure that the rules that are made are in the interests of the pple and not just of the ruling elites? The judges themselves do NOT have the right to make amendments to these laws, or even ADD laws. This is exactly, let me repeat, precisely the function of the president. This is also precisely why countries like Germany still have a president to act as a final control. Of course, most of the time the president doesn't HAVE to reject laws, since they are mostly controlled/amended through the many rewritings and then 3 readings in parliament, or in the case of Germany, mostly decided by the special committees. As for the idea of publishing it all online and letting the people vet them...Who is going to be a constant control then? Is every citizen supposed to log in and read it everyday? Man i rarely even read the news everyday, and you are telling me to vet incoming laws everyday as part of my duty as a citizen? If everyone is such a good citizen, it would be truly a democratic utopia...YET again, do bear in mind that 4 million good citizens have 4 million different very good ideas and viewpoints. Therefore a democracy wouldn't be a democracy then, because it is the 'blurness' of the average citizen that allows the ministers (pple WE voted in) to do their jobs!
It is understandable that they would want to attack the GRCs concept, because of the possibility of gerrymandering. And I would like to repeat, I do like that the oppo is speaking up now and given more space to speak too. The proposal to help the poor people is admittedly very appealing too. However, why not try "sausaging your way through" too? Focus on one thing at a time, proposing such big changes to a structure that took decades to develop and stabilise wouldn't work. Perhaps one thing to consider is to propose bigger working space and flexibility for social workers, to allow them greater freedom in designing the help schemes to the poor, instead of putting them all under one scheme that may be really help them, since diff people have v diff cases.
Maybe that is why an esteemed opp leader gained so much respect, even though he is in oppo. He acts as an 'idea factory', proposing little things that may/may not be accepted by govt, and turns up in another version later on, thus improving the pples' lives in his own way.
Shui3 luo4 shi2 chu1. A drop of water takes a grain of sand away, until an entire rock is dissolved. Big changes can thus be effected, a little at a time.
*Then again, it is easy for me to just think aloud here, instead of really doing things. It must be really hard to be oppo.*
What do you think?
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Random thoughts=)
According to my mom, I just turned 20 yesterday according to the chinese calendar. Eek. Why deprive me of my last few days of being a teenager? =D But truly i miss the mian4 xian4 and the egg in it that mom usually cooks for the birthday boy/girl. I guess I could cook it myself, but it is different, cuz the dish would have been like a present from mom to me.
The Austrian trip reminded me of how lucky i am to have friends at your side. They really make up for my lack of good short-term memory=D But their companionship, just being there for you to share your comments with, to have fun with, to laugh with...is simply precious.
I just fixed a new TV in my room=) Got the TV from Marianne, Angelika's sister, and lugged it home from Nürnberg. Sometimes I really wonder what it is that I have done to deserve such friends. So now I feel as though I have transversed 50 years...from the era of receiving news from the papers and the radio to that of cable TV. Hmm...the joys of living in a small village. When i first switched on the TV, it only showed ONE channel, from Austria. (!!) After pressing some random buttons I realised that I could set channels (Eureka!) For a moment I felt like my dad, the handyman at home. =D
I still haven't truly begun on my work despite having been home for the last two days. Terrible huh.
Am currently reading this book called "The Road Less Travelled" by M Scott Peck. He is good. Would like to quote something from his book: "Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the making of action in spite of fear, the moving out against the resistance engendered by fear into the unknown and into the future." Thus love is about courage too, for any attempt to love includes the risk of being rejected, let down, or abandoned. If one is determined not to risk pain, then he must also do without many things...all that make life alive, meaningful, significant.
"A full life will be full of pain."
He also said sth that makes some sense. The constant reminder of death guides us to make the best use of our time and live life to the fullest. "When we shy away from death, the ever-changing nature of things, we inevitably shy away from life."
=D Just some reflections in the spirit of the new year.
The Austrian trip reminded me of how lucky i am to have friends at your side. They really make up for my lack of good short-term memory=D But their companionship, just being there for you to share your comments with, to have fun with, to laugh with...is simply precious.
I just fixed a new TV in my room=) Got the TV from Marianne, Angelika's sister, and lugged it home from Nürnberg. Sometimes I really wonder what it is that I have done to deserve such friends. So now I feel as though I have transversed 50 years...from the era of receiving news from the papers and the radio to that of cable TV. Hmm...the joys of living in a small village. When i first switched on the TV, it only showed ONE channel, from Austria. (!!) After pressing some random buttons I realised that I could set channels (Eureka!) For a moment I felt like my dad, the handyman at home. =D
I still haven't truly begun on my work despite having been home for the last two days. Terrible huh.
Am currently reading this book called "The Road Less Travelled" by M Scott Peck. He is good. Would like to quote something from his book: "Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the making of action in spite of fear, the moving out against the resistance engendered by fear into the unknown and into the future." Thus love is about courage too, for any attempt to love includes the risk of being rejected, let down, or abandoned. If one is determined not to risk pain, then he must also do without many things...all that make life alive, meaningful, significant.
"A full life will be full of pain."
He also said sth that makes some sense. The constant reminder of death guides us to make the best use of our time and live life to the fullest. "When we shy away from death, the ever-changing nature of things, we inevitably shy away from life."
=D Just some reflections in the spirit of the new year.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Back @ Konstanz!
I just went for a trip to Nuremberg, Salzburg, Vienna and Bratislava. It was wonderful! Great companions, Sam, Zhen and Azman, which made it a great trip despite all the rain and the snow=)
Here are some pics!
Dumpy the little snowman
The three gals
More pics...
And my fav gramma in Germany, Angelika=D She let me ride a horse on Christmas day, a really wonderful surprise!=D
Here are some pics!
Dumpy the little snowman
The three gals
More pics...
And my fav gramma in Germany, Angelika=D She let me ride a horse on Christmas day, a really wonderful surprise!=D
Friday, December 16, 2005
stressed and depressed=(
Sometimes I do wonder if I could have learnt German a little more diligently, or perhaps I should have taken a year of language course again after all...But deep inside I guess I know that it wouldn't have improved my current situation in any way.
It is tough to contribute to the discussions, even with preparation beforehand, and when I did not have time to prepare stuff beforehand, I can't follow the stuff at all. Perhaps it is just due to the stress from this week, but sometimes I do have doubts about my present capability. It is times like this when you wish that mom was here, so that you would have a leg to cry on, instead of trying to hide your tears while pouring your heart out to a machine in the lib. Enough self-pity. Disgusting.
It has to be the lack of sleep=)
But truly, you wouldn't have chosen this path if you had thought that it would be easy. Good things in life are never easy.
ON a brighter note, I held my presentation on Singapore this Wed and it was good. Touched me to see so many of my classmates and friends in the room, coming to support me/hear about my home. I guessed I realised that this ppt on S'pore was more important to me that I thought: It is not only the homesickness part, but also the part of me that thinks, "hey, you can do something well, give yourself a pat." I know overcoming the language barrier takes time, but does it always take so MUCH time, energy and effort?
Suddenly, I realise all I want for Christmas is to go home.
It is tough to contribute to the discussions, even with preparation beforehand, and when I did not have time to prepare stuff beforehand, I can't follow the stuff at all. Perhaps it is just due to the stress from this week, but sometimes I do have doubts about my present capability. It is times like this when you wish that mom was here, so that you would have a leg to cry on, instead of trying to hide your tears while pouring your heart out to a machine in the lib. Enough self-pity. Disgusting.
It has to be the lack of sleep=)
But truly, you wouldn't have chosen this path if you had thought that it would be easy. Good things in life are never easy.
ON a brighter note, I held my presentation on Singapore this Wed and it was good. Touched me to see so many of my classmates and friends in the room, coming to support me/hear about my home. I guessed I realised that this ppt on S'pore was more important to me that I thought: It is not only the homesickness part, but also the part of me that thinks, "hey, you can do something well, give yourself a pat." I know overcoming the language barrier takes time, but does it always take so MUCH time, energy and effort?
Suddenly, I realise all I want for Christmas is to go home.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
*The truth is out there*
I just recalled a rather funny incident in class on Thursday. My prof for comparative politics was replying to a question I asked in class, and he took quite a long time in answering it, in the meantime, I had another question forming most stubbornly in my head. Thus I raised my hand just as he posed us another question, (to which I haven’t been listening to), and asked if I could pose a question. He said in return, you could ask your question after you have answered mine, which I couldn’t of course! =p Anyway, he answered the question himself (which was a really simple answer, which I could have answered had I been listening), and his answer to my question was, “Write an email to the author, won’t you? He is so unclear on these points.” (!!)
However, I must admit that he is really a great prof. Good in carrying out discussions, making his points clear, etc. His seminars were the first ones in which I ventured to pose questions in my halting German.
Sometimes I do think that being a German is rather advantageous, one does not need to concentrate so hard to understand what others are saying if one was German. (argh.) I regret to say that I am still having difficulties with the language even though I have learning it ever since 7 years ago…(SEVEN entire years! Oh wasted youth!) It is definitely good to be a German in Germany. *What a redundant sentence! *
Another interesting thing that occurred in class discussion today: it concerns the feminist movement. One thing about coming from a modern girls’ school is that one tends to think that one is a feminist even though one hardly understands what feminism is about. In the course of our “Methods” tutorial, we discussed the general view that women should dominate the professorships for research in Feminism, because research in Feminism should would require usage of scientific tools and methods that would be better understood by females. Going by this seemingly innocent assumption, it would then be appropriate to postulate that the field of microbiology should be pursued by microbes. (Hilarious! =)) The truth, and the absolute truth, is NEVER gender-specific. If any tool happens to be more suited to any specific group, that tool is then unreliable, and it would need to be checked by other scientists to see if it is only just an instrument-theory (method of collecting empirical data to act as empirical substantiation for a theory that is to be proved…), how do we know that the evidence we have is not biased by the data-collector himself/herself?
I did a ppt on the different types of corporate cooperation on Wednesday, all in german, and I think I spoke a full 20 min. *poor classmates of mine! * You could almost hear the rustle of whispers in the beginning of my ppt as some of my classmates (some of them whom I have not got to know personally) asked others where I was from and who I was. I felt immense sympathy for them as I could see their visible struggle to listen and follow my ppt. (argh!) The next time I am doing such a thing again, I am so gonna practise the night before.
I will be doing a ppt presentation on Singapore next Wednesday. Almost everyone who knows me knows of this... I can’t help but be a little nervous. What if I screw it up? Then pple’s impression of my country would be that of a screwed up ppt. :S Now, where has all your confidence gone to, leeting? And I seriously think I am taking on too much this sem, and next week is gonna be the busiest week of my entire life. The ppt, a Klausur for my worst subject, so much catching up work to do, a discussion with my comparative pols professor about the paper I have to write for his module…Why on earth have I taken so many modules in the first place? It is not as if I could finish my studies earlier if I take more. 30 hours of lessons a week. Sometimes I wonder if I am out of my mind.
Most of my ‘extra’ lessons are for German. I do hope to improve by leaps and bounds, or I shall be meek like a cow. Putting lousy rhymes aside, not knowing enough good German does put a serious dampener on spontaneity. Terrible.
However, I must admit that he is really a great prof. Good in carrying out discussions, making his points clear, etc. His seminars were the first ones in which I ventured to pose questions in my halting German.
Sometimes I do think that being a German is rather advantageous, one does not need to concentrate so hard to understand what others are saying if one was German. (argh.) I regret to say that I am still having difficulties with the language even though I have learning it ever since 7 years ago…(SEVEN entire years! Oh wasted youth!) It is definitely good to be a German in Germany. *What a redundant sentence! *
Another interesting thing that occurred in class discussion today: it concerns the feminist movement. One thing about coming from a modern girls’ school is that one tends to think that one is a feminist even though one hardly understands what feminism is about. In the course of our “Methods” tutorial, we discussed the general view that women should dominate the professorships for research in Feminism, because research in Feminism should would require usage of scientific tools and methods that would be better understood by females. Going by this seemingly innocent assumption, it would then be appropriate to postulate that the field of microbiology should be pursued by microbes. (Hilarious! =)) The truth, and the absolute truth, is NEVER gender-specific. If any tool happens to be more suited to any specific group, that tool is then unreliable, and it would need to be checked by other scientists to see if it is only just an instrument-theory (method of collecting empirical data to act as empirical substantiation for a theory that is to be proved…), how do we know that the evidence we have is not biased by the data-collector himself/herself?
I did a ppt on the different types of corporate cooperation on Wednesday, all in german, and I think I spoke a full 20 min. *poor classmates of mine! * You could almost hear the rustle of whispers in the beginning of my ppt as some of my classmates (some of them whom I have not got to know personally) asked others where I was from and who I was. I felt immense sympathy for them as I could see their visible struggle to listen and follow my ppt. (argh!) The next time I am doing such a thing again, I am so gonna practise the night before.
I will be doing a ppt presentation on Singapore next Wednesday. Almost everyone who knows me knows of this... I can’t help but be a little nervous. What if I screw it up? Then pple’s impression of my country would be that of a screwed up ppt. :S Now, where has all your confidence gone to, leeting? And I seriously think I am taking on too much this sem, and next week is gonna be the busiest week of my entire life. The ppt, a Klausur for my worst subject, so much catching up work to do, a discussion with my comparative pols professor about the paper I have to write for his module…Why on earth have I taken so many modules in the first place? It is not as if I could finish my studies earlier if I take more. 30 hours of lessons a week. Sometimes I wonder if I am out of my mind.
Most of my ‘extra’ lessons are for German. I do hope to improve by leaps and bounds, or I shall be meek like a cow. Putting lousy rhymes aside, not knowing enough good German does put a serious dampener on spontaneity. Terrible.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
"Aus Sein folgt nicht Sollen"
This is the crucial and all important sentence that we learned in the Methods lecture today. Clumsily translated, it means that, erm..."'Should' does not follow Being", or something like the existence of something does not mean that it should exist. Hmm...let's see if I can put it in more concrete terms. For example, if you do a survey of the pop. and the results happen to correspond to a nice theory that you have formulated, it does not mean that your theory is proven...on the contrary, it proves nothing. This is because no matter how much you try to make your selection of surveyees a fair one, it cannot cover the entire pop, and even if it does, the survey has only taken place in a certain period of time. There are just too many limitations of your expt/survey, and too many factors to consider.
The prof gave a v good example: A man went to his doctor and complained of pains. He proded himself in the shoulder, stomach and hips, "It hurts when I prod here, here, and here!" The doctor said in reply,"You have a broken finger."
And this prof actually licked the replacement batt for his mike today, and used a bamboo pole twice his height for support during the lecture (!!). Theatrics! And he loves to 'insult' the female gender, like saying things like, "Do you know that men in general have bigger brain volumes than females?" (Yeah, gorillas have larger brain mass than men too.)
Anyway, enuff of him and school.
I went to Köln the previous weekend, and it was truly fun to be with Singaporeans and see Xizhen after dunno how many months. (ever since the end of PDC!) That goes to show how busy we all are. =p I can't load the pics though, cuz clever me left my digi cam and earrings at Xizhen's place. =p
I tried to donate blood to the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz but the doc rejected me. She asked if I have slept enough, eaten enough and drunk enough. Of course I haven't, but that is normal for me on a school day anyway, sandwich for lunch, less than 1 L of water, etc. And I had a lecture afterwards. She told me that she couldn't take my blood then, cuz I would 'kip over'. (Which was true, I never knew how my neglectful habits have been weakening my system so much that I slept at lecture today) Afterwards, as I was having dinner, she came over to my table to ask if my lecture was fine, and if I felt ok, and told me that I could always donate at another time. That was so unexpected and pleasant of her to do so! I really have a v great impression of German docs, esp having been examined by 2 of them.
Right, I must read up on the swiss govt system now. No more procrastination!
=)Leeting
P.S Who left a comment on my last entry? Jo?
The prof gave a v good example: A man went to his doctor and complained of pains. He proded himself in the shoulder, stomach and hips, "It hurts when I prod here, here, and here!" The doctor said in reply,"You have a broken finger."
And this prof actually licked the replacement batt for his mike today, and used a bamboo pole twice his height for support during the lecture (!!). Theatrics! And he loves to 'insult' the female gender, like saying things like, "Do you know that men in general have bigger brain volumes than females?" (Yeah, gorillas have larger brain mass than men too.)
Anyway, enuff of him and school.
I went to Köln the previous weekend, and it was truly fun to be with Singaporeans and see Xizhen after dunno how many months. (ever since the end of PDC!) That goes to show how busy we all are. =p I can't load the pics though, cuz clever me left my digi cam and earrings at Xizhen's place. =p
I tried to donate blood to the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz but the doc rejected me. She asked if I have slept enough, eaten enough and drunk enough. Of course I haven't, but that is normal for me on a school day anyway, sandwich for lunch, less than 1 L of water, etc. And I had a lecture afterwards. She told me that she couldn't take my blood then, cuz I would 'kip over'. (Which was true, I never knew how my neglectful habits have been weakening my system so much that I slept at lecture today) Afterwards, as I was having dinner, she came over to my table to ask if my lecture was fine, and if I felt ok, and told me that I could always donate at another time. That was so unexpected and pleasant of her to do so! I really have a v great impression of German docs, esp having been examined by 2 of them.
Right, I must read up on the swiss govt system now. No more procrastination!
=)Leeting
P.S Who left a comment on my last entry? Jo?
Friday, November 04, 2005
Readings!!
We have a professor in our course for Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (d.translation methods of empirical social research), who is absolutely hilarious in his lectures. My other classmates don't find it so great though...let me give you an idea of things he said in class...(translation using 'agaration')
(at 8.00am)
"It is great to be young, isn't it? You find it tough to wake up in the morning...not like us, when you wake up really early easily and think, man, you are dead."
(when trying to illustrate the ineffectiveness of case studies as a scientific method)
"Can you imagine if physics had used case studies as a scientific method?" He imitates a scientist holding a stone. "Yeah, this is a stone. Oh look, that is a stone too! This stone falls. The other stone does too! And THERE is another stone!"
And the thing is that, he tells all these without giving as much of a giggle. And there would be intervals when he has had too much of himself, and he would burst out laughing, holding the podium to support himself. An interesting character, huh?
I must admit that I am understanding more in class, yet fearing more to speak out. My German seems to get worse with each coming day...ironic huh? There are even times when I break out in English. Terrible.
On a brighter note, I went to Ruth's place to celebrate the end of her zwischenprüfung recently. V V nice=) I love visits to her place, she makes you feel totally at home. Though I must admit that I feel kinda guilty letting her cook and wash and all=( Ruth, if you are reading this, must come visit Konstanz and let me do the washing and cooking yah? =)
Rachel, Sam, Yuhan, Me (I look the coldest huh?)
That's Ruth in the centre of the pic. Rachel, Ruth, Yuhan (from left to right)
Right, I have got 110 pages of political readings (in german!) to get through by end of this weekend. Not including extra readings we have to do to revise what we have 'learnt'. Frankly I feel that I know too little, that's why the learning is coming rather slowly for me. Bleah. Oh yeah, to illustrate how little I know about German Politics, when Münterfering stepped down suddenly as party head, I didn't even know what significance that had. (?!) But I must admit that they solved the crisis rather quickly (this means they worked on All Saints' Day! Gasp!)
Oops. Not that I don't have much faith in the Bürokratie, but the thing is that things always run so slowly for me. It seems to be just ME. My classmates don't have that problem, never.
(at 8.00am)
"It is great to be young, isn't it? You find it tough to wake up in the morning...not like us, when you wake up really early easily and think, man, you are dead."
(when trying to illustrate the ineffectiveness of case studies as a scientific method)
"Can you imagine if physics had used case studies as a scientific method?" He imitates a scientist holding a stone. "Yeah, this is a stone. Oh look, that is a stone too! This stone falls. The other stone does too! And THERE is another stone!"
And the thing is that, he tells all these without giving as much of a giggle. And there would be intervals when he has had too much of himself, and he would burst out laughing, holding the podium to support himself. An interesting character, huh?
I must admit that I am understanding more in class, yet fearing more to speak out. My German seems to get worse with each coming day...ironic huh? There are even times when I break out in English. Terrible.
On a brighter note, I went to Ruth's place to celebrate the end of her zwischenprüfung recently. V V nice=) I love visits to her place, she makes you feel totally at home. Though I must admit that I feel kinda guilty letting her cook and wash and all=( Ruth, if you are reading this, must come visit Konstanz and let me do the washing and cooking yah? =)
Rachel, Sam, Yuhan, Me (I look the coldest huh?)
That's Ruth in the centre of the pic. Rachel, Ruth, Yuhan (from left to right)
Right, I have got 110 pages of political readings (in german!) to get through by end of this weekend. Not including extra readings we have to do to revise what we have 'learnt'. Frankly I feel that I know too little, that's why the learning is coming rather slowly for me. Bleah. Oh yeah, to illustrate how little I know about German Politics, when Münterfering stepped down suddenly as party head, I didn't even know what significance that had. (?!) But I must admit that they solved the crisis rather quickly (this means they worked on All Saints' Day! Gasp!)
Oops. Not that I don't have much faith in the Bürokratie, but the thing is that things always run so slowly for me. It seems to be just ME. My classmates don't have that problem, never.
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