Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time - Gabriel Okara

Once upon a time, son,

they used to laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes: but now they only laugh with their teeth, while their ice-block-cold eyes search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

'Feel at home!' 'Come again!' they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-
for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learned many things, my son I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses – homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say,’Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’:
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been
nice talking to you’, after being bored.

But believe me, son I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!

So show me, son how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.

--------

I don't know what this poem means to you but I think it is really inspiring and reflects the world now. Think about it and reflect what could you have done? If you want, you can comment  your thoughts :)

My Funeral Song? Thinking too far, maybe...

(David Hodges):

Seems so far

that I have gone down this road

Only to find that it ends.

But looking back

There is one thing that I know

I can't make it all alone again.

Cause I'm too weak to stand on my own

But all I need is you.

(Chorus):

So lead me

Guide me

Hold me

Hide me in love

With all that you are

and all that you do.

Hear me

Take me

Mold me

Break me oh God

Just fill all of me

As I fall into you.

Just catch me as I fall

But all this time

I have felt so alone

Losing myself in my despair

With loving arms

You were waiting for me to let go

With every step

You were there.

Cause I'm too weak to stand on my own

But all I need is you

(Chorus):

So lead me

Guide me

Hold me

Hide me in love

With all that you are

and all that you do

Hear me

Take me

Mold me

Break me oh God

Just fill all of me

(Chorus):

Oh my child

How I have longed

for you to come home

Where you belong

All of your life if you could just see

All of my joy when you are here with me

Oh my child

[Together: Amy Lee (David Hodges)]

Lead me (How I have longed)

Guide me (For you to come home)

Hold me (To where you belong)

Hide me in love (All of your life)

With all that you are (If you could just see all of my joy)

And all that you do (When you are here with me)

(Amy Lee)

Hear me

Take me

Mold me

Break me oh God

Just fill all of me

As I fall into you

Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>

Cheating to Learn

Cheating to Learn: How a UCLA professor gamed a game theory midterm

Click for full article:
http://blogs.kcrw.com/whichwayla/2013/04/cheating-to-learn-how-a-ucla-professor-gamed-a-game-theory-midterm

Use of Philosophy

What’s the point in thinking about the unknown based on nothing but a Quesiton? I enjoy more practical and useful stuff. Science helps you understand how life and nature works. Philosophy helps you to...

Nothing

Philosophy doesn’t help you...

Right?

........................

Repetitive history between Humanities and Science

  In Singapore, ever since there was a choice for students to choose to be a Humanities or Science students, majority will flood over to Science and abandon Humanities. Why?

  Common answers are, “Humanities is harder to score!”, “I don’t even get the point of doing Humanities!”, and “I am choosing Science since I am failing Humanities epically.”

  What’s so hard about Humanities and Philosophy?

French Song #2

Mystery

Of us, just transient on the Earth

What did we come for

What's the point

To talk or to be silent

To work, to look for tunes

To tell you

What you've probably already been told

Life is pleasure

Ouhouhouh,

Or sighs

Why are we here

But I do know why

I came for her

For us to fall asleep together,

For her to fly with my wings.

Mm, I'm here for love

It seems

What can I say ?

About being born, then dying,

Never being able to see anything,

Never knowing,

Defeats or victories ?

And over the roof,

The sky, her,

It's the only reason for me, her,

To love dancing at this ball

Under the stars

Music and mystery

But for me, everything's clear

I came for her

For us to wake up together,

For her to fly with my wings.

Mm... Mm...

I'm here for love

It seems

I came for her

I came for her

Mm...

Read more at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/je-suis-venu-pour-elle-i-came-her.html#8TvSQuFzOMcVjcEQ.99

French Song #1

Lying down, the body is dead

For thousands

It's a sleeping man...

Half-full is the amphora

It is half-empty

That we see it effortlessly

Seeing life on the tail-side of the coin,

Oh, Philosophy,

Tell me elegies,

Happiness

Scares me

To have so many desires

And I have a breath in my heart,

Thus,

It's a beautiful day

I'm going to bed

Such a beautiful day

Which is finishing

Makes you want to love

I'm going to bed

To bite eternity

With my mouth wide open

It's a beautiful day

I'm going to bed

Such a beautiful day

Sovereign

Makes you want peace,

To see angels at my feet

But I'm going to bed

To make myself beautiful

Lying down, the body is dead

For thousands

It's a sleeping man...

Half-full is the amphora

It is half-empty

That I still see it

Everything has been said, for in love,

If it's heavy

If the heart is light

Elegies forever

Pleasures, short or long,

Do you see, my love,

I am out of breath

Do you see?

Beautiful

Life is beautiful

Like a wing

That must not be wrinkled

Beautiful

Life is beautiful

But I make myself

Beautiful

Life is beautiful

But mine

A takeaway world

I go into it

And mortal, go away.

It's a beautiful day

I'm going to bed

Such a beautiful day

Which is finishing

Makes you want to love

I'm going to bed

To bite eternity

With my mouth wide open

It's a beautiful day

I'm going to bed

Such a beautiful day

Sovereign

Makes you want peace,

To see angels at my feet

But I'm going to bed

To make myself beautiful

Water Has Memory

Now let's back-track to when I crossed the bridge to the bus stop where I would transfer to one last bus before I reach my school.

I was staring at the rain as I wait for the bus. I saw cars zooming past, and then there were nice little fountains that emerge from the wet surface of the road before disappearing again as another car zoom by. So I wondered about something I read earlier, water has memory. How will water remember our generation? And what about these memories if water runs out? The article is here, and just absorb the knowledge and you've read to the end of this post.

For more information: http://odewire.com/170441/scientists-investigate-water-memory.html

Under my Umbrella, Ella, Ella, Eh, Eh, Eh..

That was a line with credits to Rihanna's Umbrella *points to title" which happen to be what I will talk today. WHAT COINCIDENCE!! (nah.. I planned it this way :P)

So basically I reached school, had my attendence registered and started having a dilemma if I should cross the large field which would take me to my class room the quickest or walk the sheltered way. After all, it was only slightly drizzling. I decided to cross the field.

It is not like I don't have an umbrella, I just did not want to use it. And of course, not using an umbrella took its toll on me.. Kind of.. But I knew I could not back away due to Pride.

Then I saw my Dance Senior, smiling away at me and waving. She was not someone I liked a lot from dance. But I guessed I grew to like her, a lot, that day (since I am writing this on 27th April and it happened on 26 April).

She came over, holding her umbrella and I just unthinkingly walked towards her. She shared her small umbrella with me. Half of me got wet, half of her got wet. Then we saw someone else who did not carry an umbrella. This was what she said,

"Awww.. If my umbrella is bigger I would be able to shelter her too!"

She said that, to a complete stranger in school. Evidently another schoolmate, but of not clear relationship to her.

That made me feel sad. I had an umbrella. She "wasted" her umbrella on me. In fact, erase the quotation marks, She did waste the umbrella on me.

She could have sheltered one more person who needed it, or at least inspire someone else, while I, with my own umbrella, go around helping and inspiring too. Inspiring unintentionally.

It is amazing, that such small actions, so unintentional, can have such a great effect. And I felt guilty afterwards. She even very nicely sheltered me all the way to my block though it would be more convenient if she and I parted ways about 5 metres from my block of classrooms (block J)

Next time, help more people. Do little things that make a great difference. You might not know the difference, but every little thing counts. Sometimes they might be unintentional. But the impact is always there, and as it spreads...

You have changed the world.

the Courage to go

After I alighted from the bus, it was about 0650, which is still quite dark in Singapore. I alighted and I saw the dread of every morning. The overhead bridge that I need to cross to go to the other side of the road where a bus stop is located so I can go to school. It was the fastest way and the only way I can go to school and not be late and get booked.

However, today is a special day. Why, my schoolmate that lives in my neighbourhood did not the take the same bus I did and could not accompany me across. It is not like she could choose, she just had to or she would be late too. 

We were not the best of friends, we often ignore each other and acknowledge each other's presence by walking in front of them. It was not like I am unfriendly, it is just a special type of friendship that formed and evolved.

HOW AM I GOING TO CROSS THE BRIDGE?!?

Simply, walk towards it, raise you foot, rest on the first step. Raise you other foot, rest it on the second step...

I saw other people hesitating too. The overhead bridge was kind of sheltered. Whatever THEY are afraid of, I am more scared of the supernatural than getting kidnapped or something. Fear of the Unknown.

But something pushed me ahead and I started up the steps of the overhead bridge. Mumbling something to myself that helped me keep my cool.

"If every one, including you, is fearful, then be the courage of others."

And just like that I crossed the road, telling myself to be the courage of others. And as other crossed the bridge too, it was like this "Courage Web" that made every one feel safe, all because someone started the courage rolling.

Even if you are alone, you can do this. Because by doing something you are scared of, you are being the courage of others. Or at least, yourself. You are the courage of yourself. You-ception? 

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Do something that scares you every day."

Don't do things recklessly, but from that, gain experience and live to your fullest.

Raining Driver

It is slightly drizzling outside. I managed to squeeze into the bus (not so much of squeezing, it was quite empty but I want to add some cool stuff and peak the plot?) and gladly found a seat to sit down. I shrugged of my 3kg (or probably more) school bag and my book bag for French and placed them neatly on my lap. So ego, talking about myself only. 

I just kind of admired the nice pelting of the rain against the cool clear glass window. I kind of go bored at staring at the same scenery over and over again since they were what I see every day I go do school and this was probably my 100th time going to school? Probably less.. I don't think that much of time have passed yet.. But I think yes, it's the second school term already, and half through the second term.

Anyway, I kind of got bored and just stared absent-mindedly ahead (you don't say..). Then I saw this old man waiting to alight. The driver peculiarly overshot the bus stop by half, leaving the back half where the passenger is alighting still sheltered by the shelter. And I started to wonder if the bus stop was too small or something. Then I realised that the bus stop was the right length. Then why did the driver overshoot?

So I start to come up with situations that did not occur yet but I hope they would occur.. So this was what I thought of:

It was slightly drizzling outside. The bus stop was half the length of the bus. (no, this  is not Maths). The driver stopped when the head of the bus is sheltered and allowed commuters to board the bus. However, he did not open the back door, where the passengers would alight. The man waiting was angry and impatient and started shouting at the driver. The driver did not have time to respond since 1) he was checking if all the commuters tapped their bus card 2) he knew what he was doing since it was on purpose. When all the commuters have boarded the bus, he moved ahead so the other back of the half of the bus, opened the door, so that the man would not be drenched and catch a cold.

The passenger cursed and stepped out of the bus, swearing, unaware that he was dry.

I know this situation might victimise the driver and villainise (no such word but you get it) the passenger. However, there were probably many other factors. Perhaps the passenger was rushing for time? What if he did not have an umbrella. Even if he had an umbrella, it probably would not be the best solution.

So if you were the driver, what would you do?

Going to School...

So I was on my way to school and it is technically Lesson time when I am writing this on a Sticky since i only have 10% left of batter on my mac and need to survive that throughout the entire school day. I know it doesn't make a difference but writing on a sticky saves me from switching on Wifi so you should remind yourself to do this more often. (sorry... this actually isn't what I wanted to write but someone was peeking so...). What I really want to write is, I don't need to switch on the wifi and thus i can't post this on Blogger right away. Anyway, I don't write a post about such dumb stuff. It's just that this morning I was being very "deep". :P

These are what happened and look forward to posts about them soon?

1) Bus Driver in the Rain

2) Be the Courage

3) Umbrellas

4) The Memory of Water

Look forward lol :P (cutting it short here so that my friends sitting beside me won't be able to see too much stuff at once ;)

Why So Serious?

So I've been posting really really serious stuff and I thought I should lighten the mood a little with a bit of light-hearted things like... Jokes?

So these are philosophy jokes.. Kind of.. Please do not write an essay to counter it. Though if you have the time, I don't mind seeing them commented since it probably would be fun to read. Just don't overthink since it might ruin the joke and this is not meant to be serious :)

Hope those are fun :) And just because I feel like being irritating, I am ending off with a very very weird thing even I don't understand :P (and I am assuming it is very serious too) If you understand, please do comment and tell me. Cuz even a budding philosophy like me don't get it (let's just put it this way)

Original links: 

1) http://broodsphilosophy.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/telljokes.png

2) http://profron.net/ofiles/2008/09/do_philosophy.jpg

3) http://stevepetersen.net/personal/fodor-frayn-wittgenstein.png 

So I am Assuming.. Thanks a LOT

After all I've done for you, all the pain I shared with you, all the while I tried to make a difference. What I get is no thanks but "Urgh.. Stop assuming."? Even if I have done nothing but do harm, I do not deserve to be treated this way. I helped you. I fret over you. I care for you. I have done so many things for you, still doing, and you don't appreciate...

I would love to say all these in your face but you would just feel depressed again. Can't you see my sacrifices? If it hurt that much to be my friend then just tell me already. I had contemplated over the idea of leaving you. I used to be so much happier. I have many other friends who loved to get my attention but I just devoted them to you because I know you would need it more than they do.

You need me more than I need you.

Admit it.

But I am just assuming right?

Maybe you would live a lot better without me in your life. If so, what's the sad face when you thought I would just ignore you?
Lies?
Façade?
I am so insecure right now I had no idea what's truth. However, please appreciate my effort when I try to help.

The councillor said she could not help you after 5 minutes. I do not want to say that ever. I am not giving up as long as you give me the chance to. Maybe I am just overly sensitive.

Can't you see it?!?!

I am coming up with excuses on your behalf because this friendship between us is unconditional. But I would love for a little acknowledgement.

Unless I am assuming again? Huh.. Assumptions.
If assuming makes me happy, I will live in them. Because they are what makes me, and at least I think of solutions to cheer myself up. I am proactive.

And most of all, I show gratitude and am thankful.

Defining Philopsophy

I was talking to this highly irritating yet brain stimulating guy about what is Philosophy and somehow, it sounds closely similar to Science. However, Philosophy is not Science. It is perhaps a science but not Science in terms of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. 

  And I am faced with a challenge: 

  Define Philosophy. 

  Unfortunately, I stuck and confused.

-----

So I am going to ask this really straight-forward question about Philosophy. Philosophy is thinking and asking questions about the unknown. It differs from Science as Science is asking questions about the known and hypothesising one that. That’s why you can say Science is more definite as there will be this “must” and “constant” unlike philosophy which purely dwells in the unknown.

Philosophy needs to be deduced based on almost nothing which allows Philosophy to accommodate all kinds of theories. Science has laws, there are certain rules and guidelines it abides by. Philosophy has no laws. It is fundamentally the simple act of thinking. It is not thinking out of the box since there is not “box” in the first place. There is probably no end to Philosophy. There will not be an ending position where Philosophy stops. Since there is nothing to prove philosophy, it basically thinking and listening to the soul within and wondering around this one basic guideline, which is the Question. 

Science is thinking within this “box” which has holes at certain points and stretching beyond through the holes. In the end, complete Science will probably be a box, where every works within it. Science brings order. 

Both Science and Philosophy ask questions, deduce, interpret. These are the similarities. However, to define Philosophy is already quite “Science-y” since Philosophy can’t be defined. To think What is Philosophy, is Philosophy. However, to simplify things for our neurons, we try to define Philosophy in “Science” terms. And we define Philosophy based on the process. 

So what is Philosophy? That will be worth pilosophising over.

Invisible Loneliness

Fly away.. Fly away..

My blog design

Birds flying

A Paper crane

Fly

Fly away,

crane

Why don't you fly away?

Why don't you leave already?

why not...

  Ok now, I was just thinking of that when I saw a paper crane picture after looking at my blog, which makes me think of a song by Hatsune Miku - Hirai Hirai (Flutter Flutter). The song fits the ambience. The "poem" is a hypothetical situation. I was just thinking. And maybe you should too. :)

For lyrics, see:
http://www.animelyrics.com/doujin/vocaloid/hirarihirari.htm

Births and Deaths...

So the world isn't all sunshines and rainbows. There's rain and hailstorm and bombings in Boston. Of course, there are deaths in Africa, discrimination, pride and prejudice. So why? Why are we still on this Earth and living? Because clearly we are not only living. We are dying too. You don't live without dying. Every second you "live" is every second you get closer to your "death" and thus one second "died".
So if the meaning of living is to die, what's the point of living?

Because the point of dying is to live too.

Today's my father's birthday. I gave him a present and will savour the cake my mom bought soon. But I was startled with the news of the death of Singaporean artiste Huang Wen Yong. He died on Saturday. Today's Sunday. Today's when I celebrate my father's birthday. And just yesterday, a celebrated artiste died. Not long ago, many other people died in Boston and Africa.

Birth and Deaths.

I watched a VSauce video on YouTube about Why Did the  Chicken Cross the Road (to see the video click here). This is a very common and cliché joke, or antijoke for that matter. But why does he want to cross the road? After all, the road is pretty dangerous for the chicken right? But maybe because the chicken was sad. Maybe the chicken wanted to get to the other side.

Whichever, the world is sad. Humans are cruel. We prejudice against others (and it just happened I was reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen last night). We drain Earth's resources. I have often told others. If the entire human race just die out, the world would probably be a better place. However, maybe not. After all, there would be ecological imbalance. However, we are doing more harm than good now anyway.

And this reminded me of a very nice video done by Andy Sun on Youtube (click here). There are many other good things in life too. There are people who care for you. There are your parents. There are trees and flowers for you to appreciate. And there is change you can make. There are changeS. The world needs you.

I am a very emotionally unstable person. I often cry myself to sleep due to one reason or another that it has become so common I got used to it already. But I have friends who cheered me on. True friends or not, they made an effort to cheer me up when they could spend it making fun of me. Even if there are people who don't understand, you cannot expect everybody to understand. However, the fact that they made an effort to understand makes a whole lot of difference. It is not the product of understanding that matters. It is the purpose to understand.

Be happy there are people who listen. People who care, somewhere out there. Live your life to your fullest and not just survive.

Because the world isn't just about deaths. There are birthdays. There are births. There are smiles. There is sunshine. There are rainbows. Without pain, how can we appreciate the beauty of life? There are food. There is yourself. YOU make this world special.

You Must Be Awesome If You Are Reading This

It will shock me to know that you are reading this already because if you are reading this, you are either a very diehard fan of me (who read any future posts-to-be above and scrolled to the first post) or a very updated person who gets notified of every new blog since i just started this blog.

I think no blog is complete without a nice grand welcome, so WELCOME TO MY BLOG "For Sanity's Sake". As the name suggests, this blog is for me to keep sane and find a place to pour out my heart and soul and whatever's in between to people who might or might not know me but would not know it's me.

However, now that you are here, I can't really be complaining. I am just glad you actually bothered to read this (and just if this is the author being forever alone reading her own post, it's fine, you're awesome to be surviving till now), and bothered to care about some unknown yet known person. Now, I know I am talking in very complicated terms (not really actually.. just complicated and crooked logic that works fine though the sentences are long) but that's how I am, actually.
My Facebook chat statistics show that 7 people I have chatted with said that it is hard talking to me because they always get confused. 7 people and counting. So while you are probably stunned and dumbfounded by such sophistication of communication (just trying to make myself feel better, lol), get used to it. This will help you understand more and more people.

I look at the chunk I just wrote and suddenly reminded myself of Summly, the app that was recently bought by Yahoo. You can google Summly if you want but i am not doing any advertising here. I am just saying that what I am saying is totally non-Summly fashion.

And if you haven't realised, i jump topics quite quickly with a meagre link that I will consider sufficient since any link can allow you to move from one topic to the next regardless of how weak or thin the bridge is. And yes, I like analogies and metaphors and whatever other figures of speech you can think of.

You will get to know me more and more and with Hilda Taba and inductive reasoning, you will soon be able to understand my personality more without me spoonfeeding you. You can have your own interpretation and understanding, personalised and customised. FOR FREE!

Now, that doesn't really make sense too, but it came naturally and I, who appreciates all possibilities and combinations and whatever-you-want-to-call-it's, just write everything I think of down here.
With flourish, I end my introduction, and may you visit again soon.


Yours Sincerely,
TrulyFree12