失街亭，空城计 (The Loss of Jieting and the Empty City Strategem)

街亭(Jieting) a small junction in the tactically important stronghold of Qishan

When Sima Yi fought with Zhuge Liang, Kongming (诸葛亮,字孔明）to defend the Northern Wei, they clashed at Jieting. Not directly though.

They are the best military tacticians of their time. If they are now alive, they should be football managers. Sima Yi would be the equivalent of Jose Mourinho and Kongming would be Rafael Benitez. They are not enemies but have to fight each other because they serve different masters.

When they were fighting at Qishan, Kongming deployed a useless and arrogant general Ma Su at Jieting. Jieting was vey important and if lost, Kongming would have to retreat back to his own kingdom and his camaign would fail. Kongming deployed Ma Su because of Ma Su insisting that he would be good at guarding the place.

Due to Ma Su's arrogance and uselessness he lost Jieting to Sima Yi and Sima Yi pursued Kongming's forces with 150000 men.

Having deployed all his military generals at various places, Kongming at Xicheng (西城) had only a few civil officers left and 2500 soldiers to fend off Sima Yi and his 150000 men.He couldn't have run because sima yi can catch up very easily. Adversity and doom were obviously looming for Kongming.

But he knew that Sima Yi was always suspicious of people. He knew Sima Yi had the strong impression that he is never one to tempt fate or take risks. So kongming opened up ALL the city gates, asked hs men to escort civilians to retreat he himself went up to the city wall,sitting down and strummed the zither, an ancient musical intrument.

When Sima Yi arrived, he didn't understand why Kongming was up to. His generals told him he could rush into the city and capture Kongming since it seems that Kongming is putting up no resistance and has opened all the city gates. But sima yi was suspicious. He didn't think that it was going to be so easy. He thought that kongming was up to something and decided to retreat.

Sima Yi and his 150000 men retreated.

Kongming single handedly fended off 150001 soldiers with just his zither and the empty city.

Later on, people termed this strategy as 空城计 (empty city strategem) and it becomes so famous among the literary educated.

Kongming is so brilliant. However, some people argued that this empty city strategem never ever took place and was elusive (虚无飘缈). It was written in by the author of romance of the three kingdoms.

But this is not just any fiction. It has its point. Even if it is fake it teaches us something important, and that is to remain very calm and fearless during adversity.

The loss of Jieting represents trouble, and kongming fending sima yi off against all odds symbolises the resolve and resource to fight against troubles and problems.

I hope all who read this posting get the point, especially my students. When met with adversity, stay calm and dun be afraid. Just think calmly and logically to come up with a solution to a problem. Only then will you become stronger.

克复中原 (Conquer and recover the Central Plains)

Zhuge Liang(诸葛亮,字孔明), argubly the Greatest Chinese Military Tactician of his time, worked himself to death... Such a clever man...but dun noe how to take care of himself, isn't it ironic?

克复中原(Conquer and recover the Central Plains) was a term coined by him to name his campaign against the Northern Wei Army. Zhuge Liang overworked himself to try and achieve that all because his master, Liu Bei from the House of Han and King of West Shu-Han, entrusted Zhuge Liang with the task at his deathbed.

Though I never see the real Zhuge Liang before, whenever I watch the drama serial on TV, whenever I see the actor looking so tired, so weak so depressed and worried, I feel hundreds of emotions welling up me. Most importantly, I feel very sad.

Just before he died, it is said that he look sadly at his flag that said克服中原and asked the Heavens: 'I can never go to the war front and fight enemies again. Oh you infinite skies, what could be more sad? (悠悠苍天...劣薄于我)' With that and a tear to his face, he died at Wuzhangyuan(五丈原), Qishan,the tactically critical stronghold for his campaign that he had never really succeeded in winning.

To my opinion, it was never his fault. He didn't know. God was in His Heaven.

Sometimes I feel like I want to be like Zhuge Liang (Kongming). I will never match his intelligence and genius tactics. Even if I dun admit to this GEKL will sure say one. But I dun wan to be clever like him. I just want to work myself to death. To die with unfinished work on the table.

Lately I have been very determined to achieve a particular goal. But till now I have met with obstacles and naysayers that were worried that te goal would bring consequences. They manage to hold me back by not supplying me with the money I need. *000 dollars to be exact. The naysayers were my mom and the one person with money to lend me. First it was August delayed to December. I got a feeling my goal will not be materialising at least until next year.

But I dun want to wait until next year. When I want to do something, I want to achieve it fast. To show my determination, I told my mom they are not going to stop me anymore. If I have to work myself to death, I will achieve my aim. In their opinion it will always be a selfish wilful thing. But they will never know how important it is to me.

Loving yourself is hard. When you want yourself to be better, people will think you are being selfish. They will love you even less. That's why I want to work myself to death. To make them feel sorrie. To prove that making myself better and feel better is important to me and not just a wilful whim.

Nowadays, whenever I think about all this unhappy things, tears well up uncontrollably. You might think that I am weak or immature. But you will never understand unless you are me. Whenever I tear, I just rub away the tears and pretend that I am happy and everything is fine.

For those who have come to the end of this boring and long posting, thanks for sharing. I couldn't be more grateful...

Love Yourself ( HKT and Philosophies of Life Lesson Two)

I was on the MRT on the night of Mooncake Day. I saw a boy and his family of four. He looked really happy and was playing with his new big toy that his Dad has bought him

The toy was new and big. His dad loves him, I think. Thats why he bought the big toy for his son.

My Dad use to buy toys for me too. When I was younger, it was transformers. When I was older... a bit too old for toys... he bought me Megazord and Dragonzord. Yes, from the then very famous Power Rangers.

I think my Dad loved me too. My mum tells me when I was first born, my father acted as if he received a treasure from God. Haha, he has too good an impression of Him.

My Dad stopped buying things for me. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't love me anymore. People dun have to buy you things to love you...

These days, I never ever receive anymore gifts. Nobody gives me anything, except tissue paper and maybe information for school work. My NUS lecturers are the best. They give me lotsa homework

But I dun need other people to buy things for me or give me anything. With my income these days, I can buy things for myself.

Even when nobody loves me, it doesn't matter. I love myself can already...

Even if other people dun love you never mind. You love yourself can already...

If you love yourself, don't do things to hurt yourself. Dun give up, dun work until you drop dead, dun always feel sad, dun commit suicide, dun stifle your cries whenever you feel like crying...

If even you dun love yourself, who else would love you?

HKT and the Bunch of Pointless Questions

Yesterday was Chinese Mooncake Festival. The Chinese will say '花好月圆' The moon is round and the flowers nice. I dun really feel it but anyway, Happy Mooncake Festival. Dun eat too many mooncakes because you will grow fat. Especially GEKL

Everyday I get people asking me lots of pointless questions...And they are really quite dumb

When I go down to the provision shop to collect my newspaper, the uncle will ask me: Eat already? But the point is that its quite obvious that I am holding a packet of noodles in my hand. So I am like 'Yah hahaha'

Whenever I reach home after my dad, he will ask me: K.T. come back already? And I am like 'yah. okay, if not why would i appear in front of the door house? To try to sell yacult meh?'

Whenever my dad come home after me and see me lying in bed, he would go: K.T. come back already arh? My response would still be the same

Whenever I change and get ready to go out, he would ask: K.T. going out? And den I would be like 'No no, change for fun because I feel good wearing nicely at home'

Of course I don't really respond like that when he asks the pointess questions. I dun say these things because I respect the elderly. My dad is already 63 this year.

But everyday I am continually bug by these pointless questions.

Even my friends in school. Each time I see them, they would go: What are you doing here? Den I would shoot back 'To study and get a degree of course'

My friend point out to me that these people are just trying to strike up conversations and be friendly. I accept the logic here because GekL say I no logic. But like that I can conclude the Asians are not very good conversationalists. Especially the men.

But I am not going to be like that. I will try to become a good conversationalist. Next time i see familiar people i will ask: 'Hi, still alive arh?'

Random Blog Awards: Its damn random yet credible!

Random Blog Awards Best Blog Design: Basu's Sweska Says.
Comments: Her bright displays and fun interactive blog postings, together with a heartwarming overall feel of the blog page, makes people feel just right at home reading her blog. Each time I go on to her blog page, it makes me feel abit light-hearted, almost as if watching a sitcom.

Random Blog Awards Best Blog Posting: GEKXXXX's 'How are you'
Comments: He channeled his emotions through this blog posting appropriately, considering that he is using english and he is a chinese language student. Though the blog posting exudes sadness, he manage to turn certain seemingly sad moments into cute and laughable images. A blog posting that will bring smiles through your tears.

Random Blog Awards Best Entertainment Blog: Rockson's Talk Rock
Comments: As one of my friends put it aptly, crude but fun. Haha. Never has a guy combine current affairs with funniness so appropriately and seamlessly. Smart Blogging makes the world go round.

Random Blog Awards Best Complainer's Blog: Yio's Meine Reise
Comments: You would think that this award goes to me since I complain about anything and evrything. But this is an upset win. Read his latest two postings and you will know what I mean. I have to be fair you know.

Random Blog Awards Best Niche Blog: OGH's A rose by any other name
Comments: Best niche blog. Talks about love all the time. Author insists thats because he is a lovely person. (Shit stirring and comes through my mouth)

Random Blog Awards Best Random Blog: Spirit of Fire's God is in His Heaven... All is right with the world
Comments: Too random. Nobody else should get this prize. Haha

Randomness and Philosophies of Life Lesson One

There was this guy in my class.

He carry the same bag as me. From zinc

The first time i saw I feel like dying. Lucky I got a backup bag... Just in case somebody same design can change. Must buy a new bag now. I decided to get an expensive one so that nobody same design.

Can anyone lend me eight thousand dollars??

Oh this guy with the same bag. He dun have as much money as me. But I saw he has a girlfriend feeding him pandan waffle. The girlfriend was shorter than him, which means very short.

So random. No point.

Oh yah. Was on the bus today. Shuttle service of NUS. I had an empty seat beside me. Suddenly when the bus arrived at arts faculty busstop, a heavy stench floated by me. At the same time I feel an immense pressure crushing me. Couldn't breath at all. I turned around.... and saw a fatso in a yellow shirt sitting next to me. Wah Luh A!!

Great.....I have no problem with fat guys. Please do not enact the inciting law or something like that against me. I do not discriminate fat people. But the guy should have the courtesy of apply some form of perfume to mask his BO. He didn't, and when I kept squirming in my seat to show that I was being crushed, he ignored me, as if crushing me is the right thing to do.

A fellow blogger said we should round up smelly people to kill the aedes mosquito with the smell. He is wrong. The more smelly the more the mosquito like. So should gather these people and feed the mosquito until they die of over consumption. Then concentrate on treating these people can liao. Hahahahaha So random.

Later on the bus, after the fatso dropped off, I heard some girl talking in a very act cute sharp and irritating tone a few seats behind. The whole bus can hear the sound and I tell you, even God will 'dulan' the girl. I feel like turning around and shouting 'Can you f***king shut up?' But i didn't because I feel like I am a pleasant little boy this week.

When I got down, the irrtating noise followed like a persistant fly. I decided to turn around and randomly look. I saw a guy holding the girl's hand. I know the guy. Basu knows, guanh noes and elv knows as well. So does Ridzuan and a whole lot of other people. I pretended not to see him. He is such a nice guy, why he has this irritaing girl as a girlfriend?? This episode taught me a few lifelong philosophies:

1) Love is indeed blind. No worries

2) One man's lover is another's murderer. She is the literal equivalent of a fire alarm. She kills me with her idiotic voice when she speaks loudly

3) Do many good things in your life. Because in the next one, you won't know if you will become blind like my acquaintance here.

4) You might be logical and have good taste about material things in life but when it comes to things that play with the mind and heart, the rules of good taste doesn't apply.

Good luck to my acquaintance. I hope in the MRT or even in other places, the girl won't get silenced.

She should listen and learn from the song 'Silent All These Years' and learn from Tori Amos. Whoops damn random

The Most Important Thing In The World

The most important thing in the world is money

It has become an essential element of survival, next to oxygen and water. Even the water you drink need money because on this sunny island set in the sea called Singapura, our water go through ultra-filtration.

That is why I fight hard to earn lotsa lotsa of money. Because it is simply too important to not
have.

That is why I dun understand why teenagers nowadays dun see the point. They blog, watch movies chase after their favorite stars and worst of all get into relationships that they cannot handle. Everything else except to try and earn money

Yes it may be true that money cannot do everything. But it is also true that without money you cannot do anything, not even the most basic like stay at home and sleep. Because you will get thirsty and need to drink and once you start drinking its money spent.

Young people shouldn't spend their time looking for girlfrenz or boyfrens. What good will it do if you had a partnerat a tender age? So that you 2 can wallow in pity together or even starve to death together? Partners at a young age when you are unestablished will prove a hindrance. You are not going to marry each other. Not even when at this point of time you are absolutely sure once you are of legal age you will marry your so called loved one and have babies. When you spend time together, money is spent on food, movies and entertainment. And nowadays, very few girls would want to just stay at home and stare at the wall. Also, the guy has to pay for the meals and tickets whenever they are together. All these will prove an economic hindrance and an obstacle to progress. Besides, are you willing to let your girlfriend eat hawker food all the time? Even if she is willing to, you shouldn't because love changes and after that they will 'kaobei' after you all seperate.

People waste their time looking for the perfect love and the most romantic romance but it doesn't always work out and then they spend the next half of their lives worrying themselves to death over our state of uncomfortability and sometimes poverty..... By then, probably its too late to rise to riches

My advice to all young people is to establish your financial abilities first. When you are strong economically, you can do a lot of things. Many people will pay attention to you. Many people will want to try associate themselves with you. You won't have to worry about having no friends but more of who is true to you. Why ruin your own life? Youths who spend most of their time attracting and getting attracted... they are rather weak.

My mom and I quarrel very often over money and everytime I quarrel, I become increasingly sure that I wouldn't want my child to come to this world to suffer. Of course he must learn the importance of money and hard work when he is young and immpressionable. But when he is older and requires money for certain important things, it would be good that the parents are able to provide him....... To have no money yet have children is stupid. The maintainence costs are so high... even higher than keeping a mistress.

See the importance of money.... I hope you do... because if you don't, den it is just too bad for you.

The Fat, Ugly and the Noisy (M18: Traces of Expletives used)

I was actually planning to blog regularly. But was working like a dog for the past week as all my students were having prelim preparations so didn't have the chance to blog. For those who missed me, I offer my sincere apologies. Haha

I was pretty sure that I had the most fustrating and annoying tutorial session on last Fri eversince I stepped into NUS.

There was this stupid fatso in my microbiology tutorial. He was quite fat... but i have no problem with fat pple... that is until they get really noisy. They really should keep quiet or else they invite pple to attack them verbally.

The tutor posed some difficult and challenging questions to us. I was pretty sure I have the answers to them but I didn't want to voice out because I thought there was nothing to show off abt. I felt that tutorial lessons were for you to hear what extra things the tutor have to point out to you and also clear you doubts. Otherwise you shld just god-damn keep quiet.

However, this fatso, unfortunately, also had the answers to the question like me. But the difference was tha instead of being humble like me, he just shooting off and telling the class all that he know... ALL THE TIME. And that was not the worst part. He was sitting on this stool (poor stool) which had long-short legs. So he kept swaying about, shooting off his mouth and also had this 'he thinks he's damn good smile' on his face. When the tutor corrected him sometimes, he displayed this sissy smile which ah bengs had one word to describe: 'Kiam Pah' (invites people to clobber him)

Not only that, as he swayed on the poor stool, the 'spare tyre' of fat around his waist kept floating from one side to another. I could almost hear the blub blub sound of the lipids. He was wearing a bright yellow tee and i thought it made him look like an overgrown banana. Lucky he had common sense not to wear red otherwise he would be the perfect literal big fat 'angbow'

When the tutor started to do demonstrations, he still refused to give it a rest. While the tutor was talking, he went on and on by the side to whoever wanted to listen. The best part was, the others seemed quite impressed with his extensive knowledge and this gave him more encouragement. Ignorant people are always impressed, aren't they?

I had some sort of sweet revenge halfway when we had to take the lift. NUS lifts sound the buzzer when they are overloaded. Guess wat?? Because he went in first, only 5 more pple could go in. The tutor still commented insensitively that one of them must be really big sized. Hahahahahahahaha!

When we were walking about, some idiots from the group listen to him about how he gained this extensive knowledge. It seems he went some foreign country and did a course. I thought that they should read the god-damn textbook and that would be more than sufficient. Later, he showed us the textbook that he used. By then I was damn 'dulan' already so after that, I went to buy another textbook which was better.

I wanted to show him that storage capacity isn't everything, both in the brain and around the waist. I think what counts more is massive spending abilities. Haha

Later that evening, when I was taking the train home, some girl was talking in a very irritating tone behind me to her friend. She was telling her friend how her NSF boyfriend gave her his only house keys and then she went on to analyse that her boyfriend loves her very much to have done that. I was curious to find out what she look like to have a boy NSF to give her his only house keys.

When I turned, I felt my shit stirring and thought that my shit wanted to come from behind through my mouth. There and then, I made two conclusions: Love is indeed blind and boys are immature nowadays.

Ugly girls talking abt love? Shouldn't they be talking about the lack of it??

Disclaimer: None of my friends and students are considered fat, ugly or noisy to me. I was not trying to hint at someone or talk about any of my related. This posting is purely on the two encounters I have and my feelings and opinions. Please do not sue, even GEK and SAR

The most unfortunate person in the world

I am beginning to feel that i am the most unfortunate person in the world.

Nothing I do these days seem to go right.....

First of all the superstar that i wanted didn't even go into the grand finals (okay i hear the 'boos' and the sighs. I think i should give it a rest)

Secondly, my notebook application didn't go smoothly. I entered my guarantor's birthdate wrongly causing my application to be rejected and I had to correct it. In the end as I see people happily lugging home their new equipment i was still holding on to the errorised application forms. Sigh

Third, my debit card application didn't go correctly. They send the letter over saying my account is still thumbprint operated asking me to change first. Till now i am still waiting for the stupid debit card to come. Oh by the way, it is the visa mini one.

Finally came the last straw to let me draw the conclusion. I was doing my first organic chem experiment practical the other day...I was faster than a lot of people. I was accurate in my execution of procedures. I got the yield that I wanted. I was feeling so confident of myself and was proud that all though it has been 2 years since i last did pract i managed extremely well.

Then... it happened. As i was taking my crystals to dry under the UV lamp, I walked by a wretched fan which was blowing very strongly. My crystals were all on the filter paper and then the fan blew most of it onto the group. At that point of time i really felt my eyes widened and my heart sank like stones. I was not sure if a large contorted sound escaped me. Something that sounds like a sharp 'OH'

At that point i had to try and salvage my crystals. So as i squatted that, picking up my crystals, I felt people staring and secretly laughing at me behind my sad drooping back. If there was a 'most unfortunate person in the world contest', I would do top honours. I wouldn't say i would win it because GEKL and WL will say there are more unfortunate people than me.(Basu, stop laughing) But i will do top honours.

God was definitely in His Heaven when I was doing my experiment. He does it whenever I did something important. Sigh!

A lonely voice lost in the society of the 'blind' and 'aged'

Today Singapore chose its superstar. Fantastic choice...to laugh at.

When I was watching the finals programme, they showed some people interviewed on the streets, on Waterloo Street, no less. There was this auntie in her late 30s to early 40s, saying that she admired TWL having so much courage to sing competitively although he is blind. She hoped that he would win. (I hoped she's happy now that she got her wish.) Lots of other aunties and uncles also supported him. This coupled with the fact that TWL likes to sing his songs old-fashionedly, as commented by the judges, informs me that he appeals to the older demographic of the S'pore population. It is the same older demographic that probably swung the vote.

This is a blind and ignorant demographic as well. The real superstar need to have real charisma, charm, taste and marketibilty because he is going to represent us in foreign lands that are the bigger markets. The lower the quality of the star, the poorer it reflects on our taste. Steph Sun, JJ, Tanya Chua and Wang Yida are great examples of absolute superstars. TWL is not. These old people, not understanding the market, overwhelmed and blinded by their emotions and sympathy, voted bad taste to reign. This must be some kind of joke.

It also goes to show one thing... The aging population problem is getting very serious. No wonder the govt is so intend for us to have more babies.

Its okay Kelly. Billy Koh says no matter what tactic you use, win means win. But winning the competition isn't everything. Steph Sun, JJ, Tanya Chua didn't make it because they won some competition. Like they say, the competition ended yet the road of stardom just began. For your competitor, it will be ending soon, unless he wants to be like Zoe Tay jiejie, famous only in Singapore.

My lecturer sprung a surprise on us the other day by asking if we watched the superstar programme. She says she doesn't watch because she doesn't like the way Singaporeans choose their idols. Haha, at this point of time I would have to say...Great minds think alike

Oh btw, the winner of Taiwan's version of Idol competition (偶像大胜战） disappeared after winning, never to be seen again. Jolin Tsai is so famous. Competitions are nothing, if not great TV programmes.