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Archive for the ‘Fun Stuff’ Category

June Hols are coming!

23 May

All right, so we’re finally onto our last lap of the school term! This week we’ve got Floorball finals today, Soccer finals for both girls AND boys Tuesday, Feeling Fab Wednesday and a half day on Friday! Phew, and that’s on top of rushed lectures and extended tutorials as we try to complete our syllabus in time. Fear not, our patience will be duly rewarded, with JUNE HOLIDAYYSSSS!

Oh and of course, the first issue of this year’s INBOXED! by Subjectif e-newsletter will be sent out too, so keep checking your VJ mail for that.

On another unrelated note, we here at Subjectif will continue to keep you updated with live coverage of the finals happening today and tomorrow on Twitter- your first source of information! Thanks to our followers (more than 370 now!) for interacting with us with your retweets, @replies and own tweets for us to retweet hehe. That’s right, keep following @VJCSubjectif.

Our blog will be having some new updates soon, with a scheduled post on study tips and planning for CT2s/Midyears to make your June hols a productive one!

Till then, NIL SINE LABORE.

 
 

The Singapore Biennale 2011!

22 Mar

The Singapore Biennale has thrown its doors open to visitors once more between 13 March 2011 and 15 May 2011. Themed Open House, the Singapore Biennale 2011 is held at five different sites. Having spent much time during the March Holidays not only visiting some of the sites like Old Kallang Airport and Singapore Art Museum, I can say that there are quite a few treats in store for anyone who is willing to invest an afternoon and some cash, perhaps (five dollars for students at all sites except the free admission at Marina Bay and Old Kallang Airport).

One of the most talked about works is Tatsu Nishi’s The Merlion Hotel— a work that amalgamates the highly public profile of our national icon and the highly private and intimate setting of the hotel room. Nothing beats the enthrallment one feels of setting their eyes on the luxurious décor of the room when the staff on hand throws open the doors for visitors to enter, or of gazing upon the face of the Merlion at the Merlion Park and even being able to touch the 40 year old Shanghai plaster of the Merlion (don’t lean on it too hard though, or try to leave your indelible mark in ink on it!). It’s definitely a visit that one should make even if you are not interested in art to get up close and personal with the Merlion, even it is just for a few minutes. Those seeking to snuggle in bed under the gaping mouth of the statue just for $150 (complete with breakfast from the Fullerton) should hold their horses in disappointment, though—the hotel has been completely booked. Be prepared to wait outside for a while, for the hotel can only hold twenty at a time.

20110322-055531.jpg

Kyungah Ham’s Hiroshima Nagasaki at Old Kallang Airport promises an experience not only pleasing to the eye but also thought provoking—her embroideries hung on the walls of the galleries were commissioned by North Korean factories, containing images subject to the strict censorship of the reclusive North. As a South Korean, this work can be seen as an attempt to communicate across the barbed wires dividing the two nations, with words like ‘I’m Sorry’ and ‘I’m Hurt’, as well as an attempt to create a form of cultural transfer, like introducing South Korean contemporary slang terms to the North Koreans through commissioning the North Koreans to produce them on the embroideries. The work is certainly exquisite, with the burst of bright colours catching one’s eye and the almost photograph like embroideries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings not only drawing one’s attention but also acting as a lasting reminder of the end of the World War that had precipitated the division of the two Koreas.

Another piece worth looking, in my opinion, is A Reasonable Man in a Box by Jill Magid. It is an entirely different experience, based on the controversial interrogation methods of Al Qaeda operatives by placing them in a confinement box after telling them they have placed a scorpion there. The mere mention of this spider can induce hysteria as the imagination of these detainees work frenziedly and furiously. The extent to which the scorpion could be (and in some cases was) a figment of the imagination is explored in this piece—the surprise comes when you visit the box with no preconception of what may happen. For those seeking a auditory delight, Frequency and Volume is a highly interactive work that allows one to tune into the different radio stations with the mere movement of their bodies, a comment on the intimate and immediate relationship we have with the constantly changing media.

There are a lot more out there—so if you’re looking for a rewarding weekend in the drudgery of the school year, head down to the Biennale sites before May 15! And if you want to be even more actively involved, the organizers are still seeking out volunteers to help them out at the sites so visit http://www.singaporebiennale.org/outreach.php for volunteer opportunities!

The Singapore Biennale is also one of the sites for the activities on Arts Day, 30 March at VJC. If you’re lucky enough to get a spot to visit the Old Airport exhibitions, leave us a comment!

Attached Files:

 

Inflection: Open Mic Night 2011

20 Feb
 
 

A Quick Brain Check :)

09 Jul
A Short Neurological
Test

1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3 – Now find the N below. It’s a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you’re far from having a close
relationship with Alzheimer.

Congratulations!


——-

eonvrye taht can raed tihs rsaie yuor hnad.


Only great minds can read this


This is weird, but interesting!

If you can raed this, you hvae a

sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 55

plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod

aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was

rdanieg. The phaonmneal

pweor of the hmuan mnid,

aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at

Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it

dseno’t mtaetr in what oerdr

the ltteres in a word are, the

olny iproamtnt tihng is that the

frsit and last ltteer be in the

rghit pclae. The rset can be a

taotl mses and you can still

raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This

is bcuseae the huamn mnid

deos not raed ervey lteter by

istlef, but the word as a wlohe.

Azanmig huh? Yaeh and we

awlyas tghuhot slpeling was

ipmorantt!

So, fellow victorians, you thought that your tests and exams were extremely difficult, and disappointed with your poor performance? Felt as though you are an idiot?

Well, think again :) You are better than what you think, so continue to strive hard!

 
 

What up, fool?

29 Mar

The day of the fools is almost upon us; I bet you’ve had an inkling of some practical joke you’d thought about playing on your friends, or planned a couple of props you were going to dunk on that unsuspecting House member (oops!)…

But I, unashamed to declare my habit, was OCD enough to accidentally participate in a surreptitious full dress rehearsal that (thankfully) went unnoticed.

Laugh all you want, but we’ll see who’s laughing on 1st April.

In fact, it wasn’t meant to be a joke, and it sure wasn’t funny that I’d been coerced (by dystopicutopia nonetheless; here’s a shoutout to my fellow blogger *wink*) into joining her class for a Chemistry tutorial on Atomic Structure during MY double period break.

And so the joke began, as I met with a plethora of fortunate coincidences that saved my skin from going, ‘oh, happy early April fools’!’ to the teacher:

-the usual Chemistry teacher was absent, and a relief teacher (as ignorant of my out-of-place presence as ever) glossed me over like a regular apple in a basket

-someone in the class was absent, so when the pair work began, I managed not to be an invisible third wheel

-I knew a bunch of the people in that class, and they bothered enough (or so little, depending on how you looked at it) not to blow my cover

I’d contemplated my escape route if I’d been found out: I’d pretend to answer a phone call (presumably from a concerned classmate), then jump up and go (in this totally airhead voice), ‘ohmigosh, like what am I doing here? I’ve been in the wrong lesson this whole time?!’ and stomp out:) Thankfully, it didn’t come to that…

Isn’t that a wonderful dress rehearsal for an Oscar-winning performance during an April Fools’?! I shall so do that again this Thurs, only my timetable doesn’t fit, so it doesn’t matter that I’m telling you all of this on the school blog.

And if there’re any copycat pranks, I’d be flattered. :)

 
 

Why is English so difficult?

27 Oct

I don’t normally post these things, but I found this too good to give it a pass.

Some reasons to be grateful if you grew up speaking English:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?
Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, across the ages, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn’t a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

 
1 Comment

Posted in Fun Stuff

 

Fight Terrorism? Don’t Joke!

06 May

Fight Terrorism? Don't Joke!

Here’s a little 50 page long comic strip on how you can play your part in ensuring Singapore remains safe from terrorist attacks. You can downlod the pdf file below:

FIGHT TERRORISM? DON’T JOKE!

 
1 Comment

Posted in Fun Stuff

 

Hello there, stranger

19 Apr

In the light of the weekend coupled with my lack of desire to sleep, I went on my random websurfing spree on Saturday night, and stumbled on Omegle, a site which allows one-on-one chats with a random stranger. Chats are as anonymous as you want them to be – I mean, everyone goes on with the nickname Stranger.

Under my cloak of internet anonymity, I had a rather interesting time talking to various people across the globe. Here are some excerpts.

I decided to conduct a mini social experiment and I typed the generic statement ” You know, when one of us clicks “disconnect,” it’s almost a certainty that we will never speak to one another again. Doesn’t that make this moment special?” (By the way, I got this statement stumbling around the web as well) I spent roughly two hours on Omegle chatting with this opening line and I’ve chosen a few to showcase, completely unedited.

LoverThe Pervert

I lost the file for this so I copied it out onto MS Word.

The Thinker

(We went on to discuss things like utopian visions, fear of communication that resulted in violence)
These might come across as pointless conversations to you, but if you dig deep beneath, you’ll probably come to realise that this is perhaps a microcosm of the community online. The lovers, the haters, the perverts (predators, beware!)  and the philosophical ones with strong moral codes.

Most people on this site are generally superficial – a typical conversation for them starts with hey, asl (short for age-sex-location). About 70% of people think that Singapore is in China, 10% think Singapore is elsewhere (I had someone ask if Singapore was in Africa!). The other 20% are less ignorant. They know it’s in South-East Asia. I suspect some of them used The Power Of The Googlemachine though. At least they tried.

P.S. I really enjoyed the last conversation.

 

Math Made Easy: Library vs Time graph

03 Apr

graph 

 Ever wondered why the library is so packed in the months of March, July, October and November? Here’s a clue: it starts with E and ends with a S (or U). (:

 

 

 

 

Attached Files:

 

The Distraction Machine (and the irony)

30 Mar

I do sincerely believe that i ain’t the only one rushing out my work at this hour of the sunday night.

Sometimes I wonder where did all those hours disappear to. It’s almost surreal how so many hours out of the 24 I am given daily dissipates into thin air, most of which I do not even know where to. This weekend has been full of mysterious disappearance of hours for me, and having piles of work certainly did not help in bettering the situation.

So here I was for the last ? hours, sitting at my computer and doing research for ONE of the many essays that I’m to write. Occasionally I’d take breaks and surf around , and as i was at youtube.com, I came across a short and stupid but interesting video. If you’r wondering how those three words fit to describe one video,click the link below:

The Distraction Machine

And the best irony is that I am obliged to go onto the distraction machine AND use youtube to watch the video.

Have a good week ahead everyone!