Have I seen you somewhere?

As cheesy as it sounds, no, this topic is not on pick up lines. Yet I must confess I have heard it more than an umpteen number of times. Before you get any wrong ideas, it's not because I'm in a situation where someone is trying to get to know me romantically. Quite the opposite actually - you see, I've been blessed with quite ordinary looks and I don't mean this in a sarcastic kind of way. 

Usually it would be some business meetings when I'm introducing myself to either some customers or suppliers and I get that remark, "I think I've seen you someplace before...". Though mostly it would have been impossible that our paths could have crossed, yet somehow I've registered myself in their memories. 

In the beginning, it was awkward for me as I struggled through the possibilities of having met the person, much like Doctor Strange frantically cycling through an infinite number of alternate universes to prevent the end of the world in Avengers' Endgame. Sometimes I would wonder for up to a couple of weeks whether I could have met them possibly from work conferences or even through my extended professional network. 

Then it dawned on me that I have the looks of a common man. I could have been mistaken for someone else that looks like me (or rather a good proportion of people with similar looks). I have quite an average height and build, and can easily shop off most stores by getting the M (medium) size. I have normal facial looks that hasn't changed much over the years (according to my long time primary school friend) - looks that could possibly be easy to forget as well as there's no distinct feature that I keep or possess. Yes, I could have been possibly mistaken for someone that they met at a work setting or some random person at a store someplace or even some passerby. 

It really doesn't matter as main thing is they found me familiar and usually thereafter this feeling of familiarity helps me build a better work relationship with them, leading to work getting done more expendiently. In contrast, I have a colleague with a distinct bearded look and usually these same customers and suppliers would try to size him up, dealing with him initially with slight caution and taking a considerable time to get to that same level of familiarity. 

Having normal looks helped me breeze through life. When I was young, I didn't stand out enough in class for the teacher to call on me to read out passages or "volunteer" for activities often. Being 'normal' has helped me escape a lot of the pressures of scrutiny from society. It amuses me when I see how the media is strongly promoting and egging people to be different; to stand out from the rest. I wonder if this inevitably became a societal-created pressure, leading people to question their own identities and likely contributing to higher rates of depression in this world. 

What's wrong about just being entirely yourself, without the desire to say, dye your hair to look different? Strangely as more people start to "tweak" their looks, more and more people somehow will start to converge to look more homogeneous, then that would probably start another neverending cycle of a new, wilder look. It really seems we all suffer from an identity crisis especially as the global population surges into the billions with everyone trying to be unique. 

For me, I'm content being average. In fact, when people ask me if it's because I have ugly looks that I don't upload a profile photo, quite the contrary, is that I have a common look that I feel is rather pointless to upload and possibly distract from the messages that I convey. Nowadays if someone tells me that they've seen me before, I would gladly acknowledge without much further thought, "I'm sure we've met someplace before...", knowing that it bodes well.

How great thou art

Gazing upon the shimmering ground
from the mark the rain has left,
a wave of tranquil ebbs into thy mind.
It is still the darkness of dawn, and
the morning sun has not shone his face.
Little lights from buildings not too distant
reflect like sparkling stars on the wet wide pavement.
The coolness of it all brings relief from the warmer days earlier,
the bustling thoughts in thy mind replaced with emptiness and serenity.
How beautiful the sight of this layer of cleansing water that has blanketed the landscape,
renewing the face of this earth.

Highway to Hell

I have been driving in Singapore for more than 10 years, frequently across the island from west to the east and east to the west, which happens to be about the longest distance to go in a car on this tiny island. When I was learning to drive, I was a little afraid and drove cautiously; sometimes too slow for my driving instructor's liking and he would comment that the main objective to learn driving is to get to your destination quickly (implying if I drove any slower, might be faster taking the public transport, ha!). So when I first got my car, I sped about and it helps the fact that at that time I had worked shift hours, so the roads were empty in the wee hours of the morning and all I wanted was just to get home real fast to sleep. Of course there are times when there's traffic and all I could do was manage an average of 50 km/h journey. I was new to driving and monitored all my drives; the interesting thing I found was that no matter how fast I drove, even on the furthest route, for the same distance, at the very best, the difference was no more than 5 minutes - which is just about the time you spend in the toilet to take a leak or for me, most of it wasted lazing on the couch after a tiring drive. I have a pilot friend who tells me the same thing - even for an airplane to fly from Singapore to Europe, no matter how much faster he pushes the aircraft, at most it only makes a difference of a couple of minutes (and aircraft instrumentation is very precise).

The only real impact to my journey time is whether there's a traffic jam, usually caused by some accident - which brings me to the main point: some people drive so fast and so recklessly that they're just an accident waiting to happen. Their desire to go faster and get ahead of the next vehicle may lead to some getting into an accident; and all that causes is they get miserable and are much more delayed (not only for themselves but others too). Many people know the story of the race between the hare and the tortoise but in actual fact, don't understand or practise the simple logic of slow and steady wins the race! Of course, there's the other extreme of driving too slow till it becomes road hogging which I will not discuss in this post. It seems the people who are in fact amongst the worst drivers in our society, who can't even handle their cars well, are those who believe themselves to be race car driver quality and have expensive cars. Their ego and character drives them to want to speed without care of the immense risk they subject themselves and other road users.

My pilot friend and I just saw another driver speeding and cutting lanes indiscriminately. We really wonder what kind of emergency he was rushing for that can't even wait a couple of minutes; or maybe he really needs to go to the toilet (that's probably the only valid logical reason)? My pilot friend says he got it all figured out, "I know! They're just rushing to go and meet their maker!".

I could do with one less meal

I could do with one less meal - I really could. As I aged (or a less negative way of saying it is, as I progressed in life), my job evolved to be less physically taxing, that is, it became more office desk-bound. I used to be more physically active early in my career, always excited to learn more by doing more. Not to say that being older, I have lost the passion to learn - I still love learning but the stuff I learn these days require more critical thinking and less running around. My metabolism was much higher when I was younger (also due the more active lifestyle I led) and I ate more. Now that I'm older, I don't really eat as much and sometimes when I eat more (especially during celebrations), I end up growing a tummy which is both unsightly and bad for my health.

My friend who is a nurse, has a physically demanding job of taking care of the sick. Daily she helps patients move from place to place in a hospital - sometimes even lifting them to get into a bed or wheelchair. She attends to their needs, performing clinical tests and ensuring they have their meals and medication. To make matters worse, she is a single mom. When she gets home, she has an aging mother and 2 kids to care for. Being a single mother is tough, she does the housework and ensures that her family has food to eat and their needs are well taken care of. She doesn't compromise and gives so much love to her mother and 2 kids. She always gives them the best that she can offer. Whenever she's off, she would even take them out and give them a nice treat. Even when she's feeling so drained, she would pull herself up from the exhaustion, so that they can all have a good time.

Making ends meet is tough especially with 2 growing kids and a mother who has medical bills to pay. Due to the nature of her job, she sometimes rushes around so much that she skips meals or just munch on a few biscuits and carry on. She treats it like saving money so that she can spend on treats for her family! Here I am spending my money on fancy food that potentially harms my body while someone I know, who really needs the nourishment, is skipping meals due to tight monetary budget. Such is the inequality of life.

From young, my grandfather instilled in me the feeling of guilt whenever I wasted food. Now I get the feeling of sadness when I think of my friend and many others that could be like her. Yet it's no hidden truth that there are many affluent people (especially in Singapore) who wouldn't bat an eyelid when splurging on fancy meals only to waste copious amounts of the good stuff when they are served. With the prevalence of social media it gets worse; many people pay good dollar for interesting cuisines that they can boast to others on Instagram or whatever trending platform - whether they truly appreciate the food is another matter. Food has evolved into a vanity.

I am a blessed person who always has nice food to eat; and these days since I know I don't consume as much, I would just order only what I can finish. Sometimes I get the feeling if I could somehow magically transfer my meal to someone in need like my friend, I gladly would. I could do with one less meal - I really could.

Warning Labels

My friend who designs placards for aircraft interiors was commenting how people in general have gone dumber. Before we continue, some background information: placards on an aircraft are usually decals that contain graphics or words that provide critical information required for regulatory compliance (yes, mandated by aviation law!). They can take the form of indicating where an emergency equipment like a fire extinguisher is located or even be instructional like telling people to stow their tray tables during takeoff, taxi and landing. "There are a lot of placards", so my friend laments, and she even wonders if passengers would even bother to read and understand what the placards are saying especially when a real emergency occurred; "...they'd probably just panic and get themselves killed", was her conclusion.

Just like in an aircraft, there are a lot of placard information in our daily living, a good deal of them are warning labels. One of the most epic warning labels is the one on those disposable coffee cups (used to be styrofoam but these days layered paper cups are more common) which simply reads, "Caution - Hot Beverage". "...you mean to say, if you ordered hot coffee, you won't expect it to be hot and be extra careful?", my friend went on sarcastically. Yet in 1992, a lady actually sued McDonald's for a hot drink that she accidentally spilt on herself! Since then all the cups in public establishments (not just in McDonald's) carried this warning label in some form or another.

In our modern society, people are more connected... to their mobile devices. Many of such people develop self-entitled attitudes; they expect to be served (especially just because they paid for a service) and when things go wrong, they are always quick to point their fingers at other's shortcomings. They need signs or instructions to tell them how to something, else it's your fault that they were not informed properly. As you can see in the earlier example, they would not hesitate to complain or sue when something bad happens. As my friend warns, "generally people will just become so stupid, they will need a sign or instruction to do practically everything including one to tell them how to dress up, brush teeth, feed themselves, use the toilet and so on." By that time, according to my friend's postulation, "they'd be so stupid, it won't be hard to get themselves killed."

Moderates

Oscar Wilde once said, "Everything in moderation, including moderation". Moderation is indeed the key to good living. I remember helping out in an old folk's home when one of the residents told me how he wished he had enjoyed more good food when he was younger. When he was younger, he was told to save money, so he ate plain food and only in rare occasions, splurged on nice meals. Now in old age and health impaired, even if he had the wealth to afford, the body simply cannot enjoy those food he loves. Then on the other extreme, my ex-colleague who goes out to party every other day, was plagued with painful gout a number of times. Yet after each round of gout when he got better, he would shortly go back to enjoying good food and drinks. He professed a YOLO (you only live once) attitude. A couple of years back he was suddenly stricken by a rare disease where his muscles rapidly degenerated (doctors say he only has a couple more years to live). Some may speculate it could be his diet that brought about the disease but there's no hard evidence for that.

When it comes to diet, there seems to be so many "experts" on the subject. Some say wine is good for your heart, others say any form of alcohol is harmful to your body. Some must have their coffee daily but others totally avoid caffeine due to its drug-like effects. Some are opposed to carbohydrates from staples like rice, noodles and potatoes as it makes them gain weight. However, the carbohydrate deprivation drives them nuts after some time, and they end up consuming even more carbohydrates with a vengeance. Some claim to start every meal with fruits but end up getting diabetic as fructose, commonly found in fruits, is a complex sugar that the body struggles to break down. Media are biggest culprits for spreading food fads that if you view it from a historical context, it all just seems so fickle as one moment something that appears good for your health, at the very next moment is bad for you. Firstly, many people don't realise everyone's body and living conditions are different; for example, eskimos require lots of fish fat in their diet to survive the cold climate but that same diet can't be applied to someone living in tropics. Secondly, whatever we can consume, we should do so in moderation; taking too much of a good stuff will inevitably turn it into a poison; in the opposite manner, restricting your diet (unless required due to a medical condition) will also make your body more susceptible to certain diseases (due to lack of certain nutrients). We should be mindful of what we eat; food that we enjoy, we can definitely consume them in moderate amounts and realise there's no meaning in following food fads.

From a philosophical point of view, moderation can be extended to other aspects of living as well. People who have too one-sided view of anything, from food to religion can be simply branded as extremists. For example, we should work hard in our jobs but when we get to the point of being a workaholic, then we end up losing precious time that could have been spent with loved ones (family and friends); going further, when rest has been sacrificed and health has been harmed, we could end up being sick which is counter-productive. Work is important but it's also important to make time for personal well-being which includes physical health (time for eating, exercising and resting) and mental/social well-being (time for reflection and interaction with loved ones). In other words, work should also be moderated and learning how to set boundaries is important.

There are definitely more areas where moderation should be employed than could be possibly shared here. In life, there's a time to work, a time to play; money should be saved in moderation because when you think about it, money is only useful when spent appropriately. Therefore, having a little enjoyment from time to time is expected as long as it's within your means, remembering that we can't know for certain what tomorrow brings. 

Greatness

What makes a great person? Many people I know aspire to be a great person (which is a good thing) but when asked what defines a great person, all they could rant on are about revolutionary deeds that change the world for better or for worse (good or bad is a matter of perspective as well). They would quote several inspirational figures whom they aspire to be and rave about several exceptional qualities they possess. Yet many of these great people are essentially *normal people (*as in, it could be anyone as great people come from all walks of life and of various characteristics, and it could even be you!) usually born or subjected to certain situations or circumstances in which their actions proved extraordinary. If so, what truly makes a great person? What are the qualities that make greatness? If you looked carefully at the numerous cases, a common quality that these people possess is consistency.

For Apple fans, Steve Jobs can be considered a great person who was very consistent about the look-feel design of Apple products that give them their distinct character. Even Steve himself was very consistent in his wardrobe, choosing frequently to wear his iconic turtleneck. How about Jack Ma from Alibaba, he too was determined and consistent in his approach of managing the company, staying committed to the overall mission and strategy. Some people think action stars like Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan are great people who have inspired many through their shows; both had struggled early in their career but persisted and were consistent to present their own genre of action filming that has left an indelible impact in the industry (and people who were inspired). Sylvester is well known for the never-give-up boxer character, Rocky and one-man-army soldier, Rambo, while Jackie is known for his well-choreographed comedic style of action coupled with real-life death-defying stunts that he does his own. There are certainly too many prolific great people and to a certain measure, too many great companies for that matter, to be mentioned here; but all were consistent in their mission and the way they conducted themselves that it became their brand and discernable character.

Looking back in history, the one called Alexander the Great, who hails from Macedonia, was considered great because through a consistent method of military conquest against strong civilisations at that time, he conquered way beyond the Greek shores stretching as far as Egypt to the West and border of India to the East. He employed a consistent military tactic of expanding his army based a formula with elite phalanx as the core, as well as ensuring the conditions including terrain for battles for which this army could be effective in winning. There are many more such great conquerors and military leaders, which may cause some people to frown as it becomes apparent that the term greatness can also apply to heinous deeds involving mass loss of human lives.

To be very objective, greatness could simply be defined by its widespread impact and it seems consistency is a key element. Of course, many of these great deeds are not just the result of one person as there are usually many other unspoken figures in the background that support these great people. Imagine if this inspirational figure was not consistent in his or her direction or methods, then how would these supporters be able to follow the lead and build something great? In many of the examples above, those individuals also displayed other traits like determination and tenacity in carrying out their vision. However, the vision and message had to be firstly, consistent, in order for the determination and effort to be channelled upon. So it seems many people aspire to be great people but fail at the first step of being consistent. Many people are easily swayed and one moment, a certain fad seems to be a hot idea, they flock to it, then something else better comes along and they switch over. They don't seem to identify with anything consistent. Think about what others identify as a consistent quality about you. Maybe for some who are consistently bull-shitting about their great ideas, yes, you could regard them as great too - great liars!

Politic-king

Every time the word politics is mentioned, it immediately associates with a negative connotation. And indeed the act of playing politics is a dirty game. Citizens around the world see how their nation's leaders wrestle power from opposition parties and even engage in war of words (hopefully not another actual physical war) with other nations. Yet politics is not exclusive to people involved in a political party at a national level. Politics or the act of politicking seems to have pervaded several aspects of our lives.

A bright friend, after graduating from top schools, was offered a job in a prestigious brand company. She excelled in her career and rose through the ranks rapidly. It wasn't a bed of roses and the higher up she went, the more effort she had to deal with the office politics. Writing e-mails to shoot opposing factions within the company, wrestling power from peers in order to push through deadlines to deliver high-impact projects, and much more until it eventually took a toll on her health and her family life. One day she woke up and decided she had enough of this mindless rat race. So she quit her high paying job and went to India to join a Buddhist mission group. She decided that she needed to distance herself from all the world's cruel human politics and focus to discover her own spiritual being and gain back her sanity. She was in this somewhat self-imposed retreat or break for 3 years while her family fully supported her decision as they too couldn't bear to see her in that depressed state from working previously. In these 3 years, being the capable lady that she is, she stepped up to hold certain appointments within the mission group. Then once again politics reared its hideous head. She had tried so hard to avoid politics; innocently thinking that by being in a spiritual organisation, it should help her gain enlightenment and find happiness, but alas no! Members of the group exhibited classic political traits like forming factions and colluding to make life difficult for others, including slandering each other behind their backs. Up to a certain point, she couldn't take it any more and after 3 years, she left and returned to her family in Singapore feeling lost and empty. Life seemed so meaningless and pointless especially when there seems to be no escape from ugly politics. It took her quite a while to finally get back to her feet with the support of family and close friends. She had regained her purpose in life; She paired up with a couple of friends to do a home business which consisted of baking cookies for part profit and part charity. She realised feel good by focusing on her family (she has 2 lovely kids) and giving back to society. She could dictate her own schedule by managing the business around her family and the best part is, the exposure to politics is minimised.

Many strive to avoid environments with politics but given how prevalent it is in modern society, it may be rather impractical. Apart from the usual office politics, I have also seen tussles amongst priests and church ministers. It is such a shame especially in religious organisations (and even charitable volunteer groups) where instead of focusing on serving the greater good, people choose to engage in self-serving activities. For some, politics can even occur in their cliques of "friends". It almost seem like these people have a sadistic nature which gain sick enjoyment from seeing others suffer. So if you can't beat them, should you just join them? Well for a fact, what goes around, does come around. Engaging in politics is like playing with fire, if you're not careful and don't watch your back constantly, you would simply get burnt!

How then can one avoid politics? It's simply not practical to keep avoiding it as much as possible; at some point, you would still need to deal with it in order to accomplish certain deeds or be in position or job that you like. There are ways to manage and navigate through politics. The first step is to be aware that it exists without judging. Be aware of your surroundings and observe people. Don't just shy sway from gatherings and avoid contact with others, as that is akin to an ostrich putting its head in the ground, hoping that politics won't get to you. In addition, don't go start judging and classifying who's the bootlicker or who's the backstabber, etcetera, as that only makes you unduly paranoid.

If you're a leader (includes managers and supervisors), then you definitely have an influence over how much politics will affect the immediate environment. Set clear directions and expectations for the team down to individual level as much as possible, then practise transparency as a policy; that will prevent subterranean activities (on the surface, folks may appear to be cordial but behind backs, misinformation and gossip could be spread). Always address issues by the merit of the deed and not directly attribute them to a particular person e.g. don't say stuff like "so-and-so screwed up our project" and instead focus on constructive feedback like "instead of attempting to get more quotes and delaying the decision process, a decision should have been made based quotes from the few reliable suppliers especially for time-critical parts where long lead times has resulted in the costly delay of the project". On the same note, don't just address negative events, remember to render credit and gratitude where it is due. Being transparent means articulating what things were done well and what were not and how the team can focus to work through issues in a constructive and positive manner instead of focusing on who's fault it is (which happens in many organisations).

If you're just an employee, or a fellow team member, then in a similar way, behave in a transparent manner. Avoid engaging in gossips about how someone did badly or help perpetuate such negativity. Nothing is preventing you from saying thanks to people who have helped you (even to higher-ups) and also voicing your opinion about things that were done well. Don't develop the narrow-minded attitude that it's only reserved for bosses to communicate such stuff; are you implying lower levels can't express simple things like thanks? To avoid being targeted as a scapegoat, always document your work clearly (usually via e-mails these days) and keep your superior updated regularly on your progress. Keep all work-related communication professional without adding feelings into it. If you think about it when it comes to appraisals, if your boss felt you didn't contribute much in the year but if you have it well documented, you could easily dispute it with cold hard evidence. And if you have been following up with your boss throughout the year, then there's no reason for your boss to feel that way in the first place. Some folks feel that's pretty pretentious to blow your own trumpet but what's required is not shameless self-promotion; all you have to do is stick to the facts.

In summary, it's pointless to avoid politics in a broader sense of the word but it can be managed such that it doesn't control your life. If you choose to dabble in it, then like the fire it's analogous to, it can either aid your cause or cause you to get burnt. Whatever it is, hopefully the above can give a good brief insight on the topic.

Absolute Mastery

Education is important for the development and progess of a nation and as a country, how we manage it is important. Every country has its own education system to meet its specific needs and that of the global community for which every nation is a part of. When Singapore first gained our independence in 1965, we were just a small island nation who had to fend for ourselves amidst stronger neighbouring nations surrounding us, which were blessed with ample natural resources. People (the human resource) are literally all that we have as Singapore has no such natural resources to speak of, nor enough arable land to grow enough food to feed a burgeoning population. Yet even so, the population back then was simply too small to make an impact in the world. We had to find a way to make every individual count. The only way to achieve that was to provide the necessary education, so that people could possibly take on higher-skilled jobs in the newly formed technologically advanced industries that could propel the nation forward. Singapore had to design our own educational framework and curriculum, invite the necessary foreign expertise to coach us and even send delegations overseas to learn. There was much to achieve in a relatively short span of time, given that there was too much stake as well.

Since then, Singapore's educational framework has evolved, though the basic structure is similar to that internationally in order to compete on the global stage. We will not be talking about infant-care or kindergarten (nursery) education as there are a wide variety of programmes out there, where modern day parents jostle over, in the hope that their child can gain a good headstart in life. Starting at age 6, a child would be enrolled in a primary school. Primary education lasts for 6 years and serves as a broad foundation. The curriculum includes basic English language (the common language used in our daily dealings), basic mother tongue language (usually that of your ethnic origin), fundamental mathematics and a general appreciation of the science and arts (to whet your appetite to want to know more). At this age where kids are easily influenced, it is the best time to inculcate important moral values that our nation stand for, including integrity, understanding and embracing diversity of people from different cultures and religious backgrounds to live together peacefully and harmoniously. Many modern day parents (and sadly some teachers too) focus too much on the academics and neglect the moral aspect, expecting the school to take care of it, when they forget that parents are responsible to be the primary educators of their own children (since the tendency is for the kids to mimic their parents' behaviours).

After primary school, the children progress on to secondary school. Secondary education as the name implies, takes the broad education a step further. At this stage, subjects like the languages, mathematics and science will be covered more in-depth. Science will be categorised into topics like physics, chemistry and biology. Humanities like history, geography and literature (that's how they have been classified) will also be introduced. With the new government initiative, there will be a reduction of tests for the primary levels, since at the rate parents push their kids these days, it totally defeats the whole purpose of a primary education when the kids lose interest in learning. However at a secondary level, examinations (especially those that are similar to international standards) are necessary as a means to verify understanding in the subject. Students shouldn't be too averse to examinations and make use of the examinations to test their own proficiency as well as to discover their own interests which will aid them in their career choices.

After secondary education, it starts to get interesting as one moves on to tertiary education. There are those who struggle with written examinations but perform well in certain hands-on skills. The Institute of Technical Education or ITE as it's called provide several specialised professional certificates for technical skills. For someone interested in F&B or hotel industry, SHATEC (Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre) offers the necessary skills and entry into a service industry that builds a vibrant Singapore society. For those in the arts (visual, musical or otherwise), there are a number of good schools to further your craft. There are a number of polytechnics and schools that offer diploma and higher diploma courses (for those already with a base diploma). Diploma courses should maintain their emphasis on practical skills; Singapore's society in general and employers should recognise and value diploma graduates, instead of viewing them as inferior to degree holders. Currently, practical hands-on skills are viewed as somewhat lower level but such jobs requiring these skills actually form the base of sustaining our economy; the resultant shift to rely on foreign labour is detrimental to society in the longer term.

For those who have the aptitude in written academics, then they would choose to enter pre-university (junior colleges) and head on to universities to earn their bachelor's degrees. At a degree level, students will have to grasp fundamental theories and be able to apply them effectively in their field of study. Definitely there are a number of jobs that require such knowledge and understanding including lawyers and certain engineers. There's less emphasis on practicum as compared to a diploma. Majority of jobs that make up society should only require either a degree, a diploma or some professional certificate. Some people may choose to further their education and embark on a master's degree. A lot of people have a misunderstanding that the master's is just an extension of the degree course and is a paper qualification that gives you an edge over someone who only has a degree. Such misguided expectations have inevitably shaped and de-valued the degree. A master's degree, as my professor puts it aptly, is one where it's assumed you already know and are proficient in fundamentally accepted theories from your degree course, such that you can put forth convincing arguments for and against these theories (or even controversial unproven theories) including identifying limitations of their application that can display your mastery of the subject. A lot of master's programs waste a great deal of effort revisiting topics that should have been well understood at a degree level. Last but not least, doctorates shall be discussed. Apart from the clear-cut case of medical doctors, at a doctoral level which is one level deeper of understanding from the master's, one has to come up with a new and original thesis or a significant finding or discovery that can help in the advancement of the scientific community at large. What that simply means is, the master's and doctoral degrees are in general more suited for people who desire to be academics or researchers in their respective fields.

Above is only a very brief overview of the education framework in Singapore (or what it should be). Modern societal norms like bad habits have begun to creep in and corrupt people's mindsets as well as the education system (which have damaging effects in the long run). While education standards in Singapore seem to have improved over the years, one major area of concern is how divergent the mismatch between the education system and the job market has become. Education is more than just a paper chase; it is an essential element in shaping our society for generations to come and we need to ensure it's done right, just as how it was in the beginning. People need to be educated about education; learning that transcends paper qualifications and encompasses human values.

It

It is possible that if you place some fertilizer, a tree would grow on Melvyn's head.
It is likely to rain today.
It seems to be Diana lived her life like a candle in the wind.
A cat slept on the bonnet of Dominic's car. It is white in colour.
A rare orchid grows out of the pot filled with charcoal. It is a real beauty.
The beach ball is round and it is covered in bright blue stripes.
Rowena has curls in her hair, while Robert only has curls in his moustache.
"It" is contextual and refers to a non-human subject; human subjects are referred to by their espective female / male gender, "her / his" as seen above.
It can refer to animals, plants and inanimate objects. It can be situational.
If that's the case, what is it in the first 3 situations?

Side effects of Kindness

After a nice chat with a kind hearted friend, on the way home, I heard on the radio a recommendation for a book entitled, "The Five Side Effects of Kindness" written by Dr. David Hamilton. It was so coincidental that the chat we just had was precisely about how her kind heartedness led her to a somewhat miserable predicament. I haven't read the recommended book but do intend to; the book seems to present the positive outcome of being kind (from what I read online review), which was quite frankly, far from what my friend was lamenting about.

Since the time I knew my friend, I have always felt she was kind; as she was always considerate to her friends, sometimes going all the way out just to help them. She would turn up even in the middle of the night and no matter where on the island, she would drive right over just to console a crying friend. Yet despite what she does, that very same friend she helped, would take her for granted and say nasty things to her. And it's not just one friend we are talking about, many of friends seem to be unappreciative of her kindness and usually end up hurting my friend. As if that wasn't enough, she gets similar treatment from her family too. She would fret over where to bring her parents for a nice meal and when they're done, would complain about what a waste of money it is and how she is an incorrigible spendthrift with no bright future. This is beyond just your usual killjoy and it drives my friend nuts to the point of wanting to give up totally to be kind.

I guess everyone has probably experienced something similar where your kindness was met with blatant ungratefulness. If that is a possible side effect of kindness, so is that reason not to be kind? Yet being not kind is not in my friend's nature, even if she had chosen to be nonchalant to the world, then she wouldn't be my friend at all. To a certain extent, we were all born inherently kind and turning to nastiness only destroys our own being (and sanity too). It turns you into something you're not.

Probably what we need to understand is the true nature of kindness in order to learn to manage it. Firstly if you appear helpful and kind, you have inevitably become a magnet for people who are in trouble and need help. Many people fear helping others and shun away from situations to give a hand to the downtrodden. So when the desperate see a light of hope from someone who is willing to help, they will latch on to that hope; some are grateful, while others may start leeching on their benefactor, sometimes sucking them dry like a parasite. What a scary side effect!

We should all be kind because that's the only sustainable way to maintain our true character and maintain a healthy society in the bigger picture (and not in senseless fear of killing each other). We are not perfect and there are times when we are down and need help from others too. The original definition of kindness is to help others without expectation of reward or in this case, without expectation of being appreciated (and possibly even backstabbed). However, we must remember firstly to be kind to yourself - we must help what is within our capability and if that help starts eating into you, you should refrain from helping further. Be naturally kind, don't be afraid to help strangers too if you're able (if you're timid or vulnerable then don't). And if you sense the person you're helping is taking you for a ride, please take care of yourself and do not get yourself in trouble - there's only so much we all can do. There's absolutely no obligation to help and despite what people think - it's not being selfish. However, also remember the ability to help others is a gift and this gift may be taken away from you if you don't use it.