The Spirit of Sport
It is, perhaps, a rather peculiar thing, that i write on the Olympic Games at the end of it all. But like all things, there is a reason for doing so. We have gone through the Games, some of us sharing in the ups and downs, the cheers and screams, some of us just existed through the duration, scarcely aware of its existence. Whatever it may have been, we have all experienced the Games, in all its enormity and grandeur. We have rooted for Ronald Susilo and Li Jiawei, even if some don't regard them as Singaporean. Our spirits rose when Susilo beat world number one Lin Dan (Come on, admit it) and sank as North Korea defeated Li, aggravated ever more by those absurd yelps that put in mind a dog which has just had an encounter with an unsuccessful neutering attempt of the first degree. Yea, i hate you too. You and your little bumpkin country.
Even if unconsciously, i am sure that all of us have felt that sensation of excitement and adrenalin that only sport can arouse. For those who don't know, the Olympics were originally, in a way, designed to prepare Greek soldiers for war a long time ago. Athletics, wrestling, javelin throwing... these were common events at that time, and competitors were expected to excel at it. It is a strange fate then, is it not, that the preparation surpassed the event in importance and greatness? Perhaps not. Sport is the perfect substitute for war, after all. The same desire to dominate is satiated just as effectively, if not better. Such is the power of sport.
"The greatest moment, takes place before the gun even fires, when for a moment, no country is bigger or smaller, greater or lesser. That is the Olympic moment." - Nelson Mandela, in an advertisement for the Games. How so very true. Sport equalizes countries and people better than what dear Karl Marx could have thought of. You never know when the underdog will truimph. That unpredictability makes it all the more exciting, because anything can and will happen. That is what keeps people coming back year after year after year.
"You would not have the essence (of the Games), until you understand, that the greatest muscle, is the heart." - Andrea Bocelli, in another advertisement. Very insightful. Sportsmanship is the key to any sporting event. You can clap for the victors, but you will clap for the losers as well, because at the end of the day, be it a good or a bad show, you are applauding their effort, and not just their results. The competitor that stumbles, but gets back on his feet to complete the race, no matter how hurt he is, gets more applause than the one who actually wins the event. That is true sportsmanship. That is the essence of the Games.
What is it, that makes us cheer with the victorious? What is it, that makes us groan for the shortcomings of others? what is it, that makes us sympathize for the defeated? What is it, that lifts our hearts so high? What is it, that makes us hold our breath in anticipation? What is it, that slows down Time, just for that Olympic moment?
It is that sense of wonderment, that feeling of greatness, that rising tide of ecstasy, that celebration of preserverence, that show of determination...
That, my friends, is the Spirit of Sport.
My Day
It's that time of year again. You spend all your time waiting for it to arrive, and when it does it's suddenly all over. Kind of like a very good sneeze.
I will never fully comprehend the idea behind the birthday. It is nice to feel special for a day, but why stop there? As far as I'm concerned, as long as you can find something about yourself to be proud of, every day is a birthday. Perhaps that is the underlying reason why birthdays do not excite me as much as they used to.
There is a saying, "You learn something new every day." But after a substantial number of days I think the extension "And forget two old things." can be applied. Young people embrace birthdays, adults seem to hate it, and the elderly tend to forget about it. Why do people celebrate birthdays? Could it be a celebration of Life? A declaration of some sort? Or maybe a way of telling others that there are people who do care? Or just a good way to get a treat?
I believe that birthdays are a wake up call. Sometimes people are so engrossed with their daily lives that they need others to remind them to take it easy. At other times it serves as a reorientation point for those who have lost their direction in Life, giving them an opportunity to determine where their goals lie.
And so it has come to this. Here I am at the end of the day, pondering over the day that was mine, and still I have not made my birthday wish. Hmmm... I think I'll make one now. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but you may very well find out soon enough.
And one more thing. Happy birthday to me.
Time
Time. I am short of Time. As usual. All my thought is bent on it, but it's just what i can't get. Every day is an eternal struggle with Time, and every day i lose, all over again. I am sick of it. Yet there is nothing i can do to stop it. Time is my nemesis. Undefeatable. Enduring. Dominating.
Time is on nobody's side. Because nobody's on Time's side. Everyone's racing against Time, but somehow Time always seems to be winning. So many ways to describe Time, a flowing river sweeping all aside, sand slipping away from your very grasp, a wheel spinning a tale ancient and eternal, defeater of civilisations, rock breaker, king killer, wound healer, the Fourth Dimension, hours, minutes, seconds... The list goes on.
It is, perhaps, because of Time that my predicament exists. The limitation of Time forces a choice, one that i would rather not make. My actions, my thoughts, my decisions, all dictated by the tyranny of Time. Time is an everlasting resource that is in a constant state of shortage. It never stops for anyone or anything. It is one of the few things that can actually elude Man's endless need for subjugation. It is wild, free, untamed, yet unyielding to the demands of Man, hence Man is fascinated by Time. We have racked our brains on how to capture Time, how to manipulate it through technology, so that we may pass through it like a fabric right out of the Universe itself, or journey forwards and backwards like a Time machine. But for all our ingenuity, we can never understand the fact that Time is given, not taken. The allure of the unattainable is just too much of a temptation.
Life and Time are one. Without Time, Life cannot take place. And Time is defined only when there is Life. In essence, Time is a medium for Life. Every moment happens only because there is a passing of Time. It is a gift and a curse. It brings wonders like the Great Pyramids, and leaves us begging for more. But the more we want it, the more it disappears, until at last our need for it grows so great that it consumes us.
A wise man once said, "So do all who wish to see such times, but that is not for us to decide. All we can decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." Wise words. Time is given, not taken. We look for Time in all the wrong places, when all we actually need is just the Time spent looking for it. Time is fascinating. It is always there but never around when you're looking for it. And now, it is Time for me to leave you with your thoughts. It is Time for you to figure out where your Time is. It is Time for everyone to know. It is Time...
Faces
Every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second. I see them. And you see them as well. Question is, do you acknowledge them? I will hazard a 'yes' to that. Because I cannot ignore them, and so can't you. Every waking moment there is one in my face. Heck, my face IS one of them. It is the first thing i see in the morning, when I'm staring into the mirror and wondering "Goodness. Is this me? Doesn't look like me. Wait, it is me. Damn." Such is the ugly face of reality. There. another one. Faces. See them, but don't know them, yet i know what they are. Lost? Enlightenment awaits.
Perhaps monotony is the cause. Day in, day out, same old, same old. Wake up. School happens. Slumber. Perhaps not so for others, where school comes in the form of work. But the principle is sound. And the same monotony applies for any country's pawn in the endless worldwide game of Economic Domination. Not that the game will ever end. But enough digression. In the course of monotony it is inevitable that some paths will cross. Even if it is but for a brief moment, a brief moment repeated an infinite amount of times would still constitute a rooted memory. And every day, the same faces. Faces I know, that i can recall, yet i don't know the person the face belongs to. There is no name there. No identity.
Then there are the other faces. The ones I've met before, were separated from, and by some ironic twisted fate, mashed together again. Faces i remember long ago, with names i can vaguely recall. I wonder if they feel the same about me. Yes, I remember you. The queston is, do you remember me? When our eyes lock gazes what do you do? Turn away? Or give the Knowing Look? Perhaps they don't want to remember me. Whatever. The feeling is mutual.
Finally there is one last face that I must come to terms with.
Papercut by Linkin Park will explain it. The face that is right beneath my skin. The face that everyone has and which no one ever wants to see.The face of the dark side... But if there is one thing about faces that we must all learn, its this: Face your fears, and you will find that they will become much easier to overcome.
The name's Jared. Jared Choy. So what else do you want to know?
I was born a slightly-heavier-than-normal baby boy on the 19th of August, 1987, but I actually gained consciousness when I was about 10. Yes, I'm 21 now, math nuts.
So, about my roots. Let's start from the bottom.
I can't remember my kindergarten, so let's not even go there.
Holy Innocents' Primary School. Mixed feelings about the place. Got some friends I can't seem to remember, and a few I've lost touch with. Hmmm, maybe some day I will look them up. Someday.
Then on to Zhonghua Secondary School. Most who didn't go there are probably wondering "huh? Where is that?". A little doubtful about the teachers, but I have no regrets about the friends I made there. Whenever I think about that, I still think it's more perfect than I could have ever hoped for. And it's in Serangoon, for those still wondering.
Temasek Junior College. Not what I expected JC life to be, but then again, nothing is ever what you expect it to be. I'm was in a nice class, but a weird subject combination. Physics, Maths, Econs, F Maths. Finally dropped F Maths. I have a strong suspicion the tutors there either try to ignore me or they just plain hate me. Maybe because I'm quiet... Yeah, it's the quiet ones that you should worry about.
After a few months of not doing one single thing of self-redeeming value, I found myself in Pasir Ris Camp, beginning my NS life on the path to a red beret. Even now, I still cannot figure out how I got chosen in the first place. And I'm sure many of you are wondering the same thing too.
I went on to call "Hell"don Camp my home for the remainder of my NS life, enduring through what will always be the most traumatic/excruciating/devastating experiences of my life.
Having found myself in one piece after my NS stint, I currently spend my time at home doing anything and everything NOT related to NS in ANY way(Ok mostly playing WOW, but I still do other stuff). At least not until reservist which is thankfully still not so near.
Decdud@hotmail.com is my default email. But I do have a gmail and yahoo account too, for those who never want a reply from me.
I'm a Christian. And I don't really care to count about how many ways you can worship God. Anglican, evangelist, presbyterian, catholic, protestant, whatever. See this face? It can't be bothered. Don't ask "oh, what type of Christian are you?". I'm a Christian, plain and simple. 'Nuff said.
Interests.
Playing computer games. Any kind. As long as it isn't sports.
Rock climbing. The thinking man's sport. Which is why I like it.
Listening to music. Good music, mind you. Not just any old thing.
Thinking. About all kinds of stuff. And I mean all kinds of stuff.
Reading. Whenever I can afford the time.
Movies. Again, good movies. The criteria for a movie is a plot, not a bunch of senseless people locking themselves in a house for senseless slaughter. That's a sequence of sad events, not a plot.
Anime. I'll watch it as long as it's nice. They actually contain quite a lot of interesting moral issues.
Blogging. Whenever I've got my thoughts organised enough.
Favourite movies. I'm a sucker for sequels.
Lord of the Rings. All 3 movies.
Star Wars. All 6 of them.
Harry Potter. 4 so far.
The Matrix. All 3 as well.
X Men. 3 so far.
Spiderman. Also 2 so far.
Jurassic Park. All 3.
Pirates of the Caribbean. 2 so far.
Anything from M. Night. Shyamalan. Now here's someone who knows how to write a good horror movie.
Got a few more nice movies that i cannot remember currently. I'll add them when I do.
Welcome, to my humble abode.
Before you continue, there are some things you should know. A disclaimer, if you may.
I am by no means an ordinary blogger, of which some would consider to be... eccentric.
'Eccentric' is just a nicer way of saying that I am, admittedly, quite disturbed.
'Why?', you may ask. Most people suffice with telling you about their day.
But I have no interest in telling you about what flavour ice cream I had for lunch, or how many chicks I saw today, or how angry I was when so and so said this and that.
Do not expect bite-sized nibblets that you can read in 3 seconds. Think long. Yes, essay style.
Do not expect to find pictures of me on this blog.
Do not ask me when I am going to update my blog.
I will update it in my own time.
I like keeping people in suspense anyway.
Do not always expect bright and cheery messages of peace and love.
I am not so optimistic.
I also tend to get a bit of depression every now and then.
Most of what I blog require deeper understandings of how this world works.
More specifically, the human aspect of Life.
But, I am not a know-it-all.
Nor do I pretend to be one.
I am merely sharing with you an alternative point of view.
If you feel otherwise, I respect your individual perspective.
And applaud your second thoughts on questioning what you read.
My aim in creating this blog is to give you an insight into the human mind.
Be it for better.
Or worse.
Bearing these in mind, should you still wish to continue,
Click on the pictures to navigate.
Feel free to contact me at decdud@hotmail.com if you wish to participate in some intellectual conversation.
Or if you want to send me hate mail.