White to move and win
No using Fritz to cheat please! Post your solution on the tagboard and we'll see if you're right! Finally some interaction with my readers! =)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Just a Little Something
As usual, my poor blog has been relegated to the fate of being ignored for about a month before gaining my precious attention again. This time, however, I have a pretty good excuse- Studying for the Prelims, which importance cannot be stressed enough. Well, I'm bored and tired so here's a little something for those who still bother to visit my humbly blog.
White to move and win
No using Fritz to cheat please! Post your solution on the tagboard and we'll see if you're right! Finally some interaction with my readers! =)
White to move and win
No using Fritz to cheat please! Post your solution on the tagboard and we'll see if you're right! Finally some interaction with my readers! =)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Harry Potter- Brilliancy or Fallacy?
The book we've all been waiting for finally came out on saturday. Yes, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the ultimate finish for the magical (literally and metaphorically) and brilliant book series; and the very same that millions of people queue up outside bookshops at 7am in the morning to get a first peek at.
Most amusingly, the RJC bookshop proceeded to put into place a scheme for collection that varied from any competent bookstore. The "lucky" students who had ordered before April could collect their books from the universal release time of 7am, while those who ordered after April and June would be relegated to 1pm and Monday respectively. This was probably the most ridiculous thing possible as logically speaking, those who had bothered to even place an order would be some bit of a Harry Potter fan, and condemning them to sit backstage while others enthusiastically finished their books within 12 hours would be mere torture. No doubt, my pity is incurred for those who faced this sorry fate. I think they paid even more than me, who purchased the book on the day itself, despite the "GST absorption" (really funny how everyone seems to use the GST absorption as a marketing tool- doesn't seem to be working out really, but then and again the imaginary differences such as the services provided would be a much more significant factor than the meagre price difference.)
Well, the debate- Is The Book a good book? Personally, I would give credit to this most enthralling series which I have read time and again, noneless this last book obscured my attention for no less than 16 hours. However, I agree with the critics that the last book is indeed quite a letdown. I had expected no less than a thousand pages of action packed, hair-raising excitement, whereby Harry learns some of the most advanced magic possible and deals the final blow to his rival Voldemort. Sadly, this was not to be, and it was a comparatively thinner book (compared with previous books) that met my eyes at the bookshop. And within this few pages, there seemed to be huge chunks which made the reader feel uneasy, hoping to move along. For me, this would be the parts where Ron, Harry and Hermione are arguing and quarrelling after finding the 1st Horcrux. I'm sure many will concur, considering the shared sentiments among some of my other avid classmates. (Of course Mr Kok may point out that this is a biased sample, but no matter.) This parts would do much better to be replaced with more action, or mysteries, to give the readers their 50 dollars worth. Apart from this, the ending was also most asthetically unpleasing. As Chloe and Cheryl most fervently commented in class, it makes one seem as if he is reading some cliched fan fic, and this is nearly the worse degradation that one can impose onto JK Rowling. So you can probably gather how ordinary the ending was. Perhaps JK Rowling just wanted to emphasize that the peaceful perfect equilibrum had been reached.
Nevertheless, JK Rowling still has my envy for many things. Firstly, the Escape Scene with 7 Harry Potters. That was most brilliant, in my opinion. The action was top grade, and my heart was pounding fast throughout the first 60 pages? Secondly, she managed to avert the guesses of her fans. Just before the book was published, my brother bought this book giving all the arguments on what would happen in the next book, and one huge argument was that Snape would invariably show his true allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix, playing a huge role in the downfall of the Dark Lord. One appealing theory was that Snape would, at the last moment sacrifice himself, shocking both Harry and Voldemort. If Voldemort kills him, he has fallen into the same trap as before with Lily and that would mean goodbye. Apparently, JK Rowling decided to make things go her way, which people had hardly predicted. Indeed, through the whole book, Snape was depicted as an unrepentant, triumphant Death Eater reigning as Headmaster of Hogwarts, even bring his Death Eater mates in as professors. He wasn't given a chance to redeem himself, and it was only after he died when Harry, and us, realised that he was in fact good, having led Harry to the Gryffindor Sword. This is most unexpected as we would expect Snape to redeem himself, and repay the life bond to James Potter, and his love for Lily. Another character expected to redeem himself in a very useful way was Peter Pettigrew, yet all guesses were averted once again when he died swiftly. Thus is the brilliancy of the writer- showing the unexpected and surprising everyone all.
Nonetheless, I have some nagging questions which I wish to direct to the great author. Firstly, in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", when Harry Potter was visiting the Mirror of Erised for the 3rd time, Dumbledore saw him and talked to him. Question is: How can Dumbledore see him when he's wearing Peverell's Invisibility Cloak, which is stated in Book Seven to be one of the 3 Hallows, which are most invulnerable? This assumption that Harry was wearing it can be supported too, as Dumbledore himself said: "Funny seeing how blind being invisible can make you" or something along those lines. This said, is something flawed? Secondly, as stated in the last book, when Dumbledore died, all the members of the order of the phoenix became secret keepers. As such, why did Voldemort not order Snape to bring the Death Eaters on a tour in Grimmauld's Place instead of stationing people outside? After all, Snape is now at liberty to divulge information, isn't he? Voldemort can hardly be so ignorant as to take the long, hard way out. Thirdly, also mentioned in the ultimate book, traces of underage magic are also linked to the house that it is performed in, i.e. if magic was performed in The Burrow, it would not be detected. Using the same logic, Harry was blamed for Dobby's magic in his uncle's house. However, why then, did the Ministry of Magic not get notice of magic done when the Order of the Phoenix were evacuating Harry out of his house in Book 5- Order of the Phoenix? Or had Dumbledore already informed the Ministry of his men removing Harry to safety?
Well, thats all I have to say on Harry Potter. It has really been a most interesting read, probably even shining greater than the legendary Shakespeare plays. Perhaps it would be studied for Literature in the future. Lucky students!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Exams are Over!
Exams are over!
Joy to the world,
It is over.
Let us be glad and smile!
Its going to last a few weeks,
Until our prelims come...
Oh have fun when you can,
Oh have fun when you can,
Oh have fun, oh have fun, when you now can!
(to be sung to the tune of original Joy to the World)
What else is there to say? I'm happy. Jubilant. Joyous. It was a holiday of misery. Maybe misery would be just a tinge too harsh, but yes, it was indubitably an unpleasant one for me and some others. The "holidays" were merely a deceitful camouflage for the words most unforgettably etched in any student in Singapore from the age of 8 (primary two)- "Mug, Mug, Mug". Indeed, the education system in SG seems to be going way overboard. Little kids who would once been enjoying their blissful childhood are now being dragged to the chain gang of studies. Primary 6 stuff have now advanced to Primary 3, and secondary school curriculum is being incoporated into Primary 6 work. How is this justified? Well, studies is important and does have its merit, but to this extent? It seems most untolerable and unsettling. I say, give the kids time to mature. Books and books and more books is not going to work. There's more to life then just burying one's head in a book which will, according to popular belief, lead to a good job and a happy family in the future. There are other things that will lead to a person "making or breaking" in the society, thinks like emotional intelligence, learning how to socialise, and the like. These are crucial aspects too that are often neglected in the pursuit of pure book knowledge. Sure does explain why some companies would rather accept foreign students- because even if they have a lesser degree, they are able to cooperate better and work as a team!
I've deviated, i realise. Often do get carried away when thinking about issues close to heart. Well, back to the holidays. It was a study break that earned itself the title of "being worse than school term" (Lim Min, 2007). According to the genius forementioned, going back for lessons everyday at weird hours is much more agonising then having a routine school life. This I agree with wholeheartedly. Though one is given the liberty of waking up at 8am or at 12pm, it is such a weight to know that the exams are imminent. Years ago, I had several sleepless nights worrying about how much I had left to cover for my exams. This time, i rested more peacefully (a most welcomed variance), though now I do not know if it was a good thing.
The exams were, to say the least, horrible. I went in rather prepared and confident for Economics, having mastered to some level the skills of case study. Nevertheless, I fell prey to my largest enemy yet again- Time trouble. Somehow it always crosses my path, perhaps it is pre-destined. I planned before my paper how much time to spend on each question- 1min 40 for every mark. Nonetheless, I overspent on the first two questions, being engrossed in spilling my knowledge on oligopolies. And as the story usually goes, I'm left with a few minutes for the last important question in the case study. It was really a disaster. I answered it without reference to the passage, assuming it to be a knowledged based question, which after the paper, was found to be completely mistaken. Chemistry followed, with even worse results. I got hit hard by the Organic Chem question, and all my confidence soon left me. It was as if my balloon-like ego had been deflated. Blanking out, I forgot that HCOOH was an acid too, and this grave mistake coupled with my incompetent knowledge of "brick red precipitate formed by HCOOH with Fehling's Solution" lost me the huge chunk. Not a bit better was Periodicity, where I blundered like a patzer. Then came Maths. The first few questions seemed hard, and I was much relieved when i flipped to the third page of probability questions. "I'm going to pass!", I thought. But, fate was just bent on having the last laugh. I omitted the last question due to pure carelessness, never even seeing it. To think I was pondering why there seemed so much time left! Sigh, ain't I to be pitied?
Well at least it is over. I have put my worries on one side for the time being. Once school resumes on tuesday, I will be a changed person. I will be as serious as can be. The A Levels Examination is not to be trifled with. I will study hard and overcome all barriers. My plans of acheiving 4 As together with Xh must not fail. This said, I can still rest now! for 2 more days! =)
About Chess, it does seem quite weird not to be planning activities for Chess Club like I have gotten used to doing. Indeed, I seem to be playing much less than before after taking up the role of Chairman in RI Chess Club, and consequently RJ. Most of my time I devoted to new initiatives, even having planned some lessons outlines for the club (sadly most of the time when i gave out homework I never saw it returned)! As such, I really feel a sense of reminiscence now that I'm distanced from the club. Its as though one meaning of life seems to have dwindled. Guess this feelings comes with attachment.
I miss the times spent giving simuls or playing blitz games during training. I remember complaining last year about the meagre attendance of 6 or 7 every week? I tried to do something, something to make everyone more enthusiastic and attain the maximum capacity of 10 every week, but to no avail. You might think, surely you don't miss THOSE times? Well, you're right. Haha, bet you thought I was going to say I do. However, even with the horrible attendance, I still miss some things. For example, last year after everyone disappeared terribly fast before 5 or 6, Brandon, Xiu Huan and I would stay behind and play blitz all the way until 8 plus. No, it isn't that great having so little company but I must say I was happy of those times. Then it grew. Like the beanstalk in Jack and the beanstalk. Maybe not to that logarithamic extent, but some. The intake this year came as quite a relief, as those expected to join joined, and proved my calculations of numbers the year before correct. As usual, there were the some who came, left their names, and then missed all the subsequent trainings. But that was expected. I was glad to have just the few "fervently anticipated" enthusiastic ones left. In this expected list included Brandon, Mark, Fang Jin, Kean Yung and Christian from RI, Hanyu, Samantha, Deng Ying, Shuyi and Shu Min from RGS, and Jeslin and Suzanna, the two all- time chessers who would have given me a heart attack if they had not joined. All the above were real chess enthusiasts, especially the RI people, as even though they might not be in the upper echleons of the chess world, they seldom missed a training and enjoyed themselves thoroughly simply playing friendly games in their free time. I must say, they take after my own heart. Even in RI Chess Club, I was comforted by their presence as in my sec 4 year, there wasn't the barrage of new FMs (Dominic Lo and Daryl Wong etc). In my reign as King of the RI chess club, there was merely from sec 3 the few people named above, from sec 2 weixing and from sec 1 Jarred Neubronner, Shawn Sim and Bryan Tsui. Situation doesn't seem much different from RJ, does it? Then and again, there are a lot of people who turn up from time to time, but that doesn't often prove a consolation, as they would most likely just be sitting ducks, if I may use the term. So, I enjoyed their company. Looking back, I felt no less attached to RI Chess Club too, going back on a weekly basis in my J1 years to join them for training before turning up for RJ's own training with the same trainer- Ashot Nadanian.
Okay, back to the present. Kean Yung left us to join Bridge, which many have termed as being "poached". I believed it to be quite a pity, and never stopped messaging Kean Yung our training times and venues until I relinguished my post recently to the new, bright and cheerful new Exco. Deng Ying too pursuited her highly priority of councillor, and I sincerely wish her all the best. With this losses came some additions too. Gabriel Leow, Wai Chuan as well as Zhou Chen were some new faces which I got accustomed to seeing. It was most pleasing to get to interact with them and know them! But as the saying goes, you hurt more when you lose the things you love. Well, it's not to say that I can't go back and have fun with the gang, but its different now! Just feel this weirdness coming along. But i promise, I'll join you all for trainings still! And I wish you all the best!
Also, I realised something about myself- Its difficult for me to trust people to doing things that I take really seriously. Through the last year, even when Michelle could have done something herself, I wanted a last look. I don't fully comprehend why this sense of insecurity emerges, but it does. I wouldn't feel at ease until I had confirmed that it was all right. Same thing this year, with the CIP. I had allocated the jobs- RI to do tactics, Waichuan and Mark to do the Beginners Portion, and Jeslin and myself to do the Intermediate Portion (which turned out more like stuff our own club can use!!!). But that was not the end of it. I ended up taking dozens of hours to edit the other parts until they were relatively flawless. This isn't meant to be a lament, or a complain of shabby work, but its just a discovery about myself. On hindsight, even contacting members for training, I did personally! Guess I got to change this, and show more confidence in others. That's what group work is for, isn't it?
Well, back to the point, I felt surprisingly at ease this year when I passed on the baton to Jeslin, Hanyu and Mark, with Suz playing a big role too. At first there were some tensions, some unhapiness over why certain people were instead of others, and I got really worried. On the personal emotional side, I understood the disappointment felt, especially Shuyi who in my opinion, had been really helpful in the course of the year. (Gave her a call to explain things, and hope they did. Glad to see she's as cheerful now as before and hope that she'll be given opportunities to prove her worth too!) On the more professional side, I was worried about whether it would work, considering the discontent of the parties.
Well, as of now, 10.04pm of 30 June 2007, I must say i am most pleased with the way things are coming along! I can't help but want to congratulate the new Exco, especially Jeslin, for making Chess Club more enthusiastic than I have ever seen it! Holiday trainings I have been too have never had half of full attendance before! And meeting up of the exco in their own free time right after exams is most commendable! Keep up the good word folks! And keep me updated with your activities so I can join you all in the fun! I'm really happy to see all this progress and can finally put down this burden! Make sure you all carry on well next year! Oh and I am hereby tendering my services as Chess Coach at the meagre fee of dinner! Just joking, haha, but yes to the person who's so eager to read my blog I have something practical that can be useful in tournament play that I wouldn't mind sharing with the club! It's not directly a lecture requiring a demo board, but it definitely covers some practical aspects that can come in handy!
There goes. He who has not blogged for ages has created an anomaly. The Blog is not over. No death anniversary. Signing off.
Joy to the world,
It is over.
Let us be glad and smile!
Its going to last a few weeks,
Until our prelims come...
Oh have fun when you can,
Oh have fun when you can,
Oh have fun, oh have fun, when you now can!
(to be sung to the tune of original Joy to the World)
What else is there to say? I'm happy. Jubilant. Joyous. It was a holiday of misery. Maybe misery would be just a tinge too harsh, but yes, it was indubitably an unpleasant one for me and some others. The "holidays" were merely a deceitful camouflage for the words most unforgettably etched in any student in Singapore from the age of 8 (primary two)- "Mug, Mug, Mug". Indeed, the education system in SG seems to be going way overboard. Little kids who would once been enjoying their blissful childhood are now being dragged to the chain gang of studies. Primary 6 stuff have now advanced to Primary 3, and secondary school curriculum is being incoporated into Primary 6 work. How is this justified? Well, studies is important and does have its merit, but to this extent? It seems most untolerable and unsettling. I say, give the kids time to mature. Books and books and more books is not going to work. There's more to life then just burying one's head in a book which will, according to popular belief, lead to a good job and a happy family in the future. There are other things that will lead to a person "making or breaking" in the society, thinks like emotional intelligence, learning how to socialise, and the like. These are crucial aspects too that are often neglected in the pursuit of pure book knowledge. Sure does explain why some companies would rather accept foreign students- because even if they have a lesser degree, they are able to cooperate better and work as a team!
I've deviated, i realise. Often do get carried away when thinking about issues close to heart. Well, back to the holidays. It was a study break that earned itself the title of "being worse than school term" (Lim Min, 2007). According to the genius forementioned, going back for lessons everyday at weird hours is much more agonising then having a routine school life. This I agree with wholeheartedly. Though one is given the liberty of waking up at 8am or at 12pm, it is such a weight to know that the exams are imminent. Years ago, I had several sleepless nights worrying about how much I had left to cover for my exams. This time, i rested more peacefully (a most welcomed variance), though now I do not know if it was a good thing.
The exams were, to say the least, horrible. I went in rather prepared and confident for Economics, having mastered to some level the skills of case study. Nevertheless, I fell prey to my largest enemy yet again- Time trouble. Somehow it always crosses my path, perhaps it is pre-destined. I planned before my paper how much time to spend on each question- 1min 40 for every mark. Nonetheless, I overspent on the first two questions, being engrossed in spilling my knowledge on oligopolies. And as the story usually goes, I'm left with a few minutes for the last important question in the case study. It was really a disaster. I answered it without reference to the passage, assuming it to be a knowledged based question, which after the paper, was found to be completely mistaken. Chemistry followed, with even worse results. I got hit hard by the Organic Chem question, and all my confidence soon left me. It was as if my balloon-like ego had been deflated. Blanking out, I forgot that HCOOH was an acid too, and this grave mistake coupled with my incompetent knowledge of "brick red precipitate formed by HCOOH with Fehling's Solution" lost me the huge chunk. Not a bit better was Periodicity, where I blundered like a patzer. Then came Maths. The first few questions seemed hard, and I was much relieved when i flipped to the third page of probability questions. "I'm going to pass!", I thought. But, fate was just bent on having the last laugh. I omitted the last question due to pure carelessness, never even seeing it. To think I was pondering why there seemed so much time left! Sigh, ain't I to be pitied?
Well at least it is over. I have put my worries on one side for the time being. Once school resumes on tuesday, I will be a changed person. I will be as serious as can be. The A Levels Examination is not to be trifled with. I will study hard and overcome all barriers. My plans of acheiving 4 As together with Xh must not fail. This said, I can still rest now! for 2 more days! =)
About Chess, it does seem quite weird not to be planning activities for Chess Club like I have gotten used to doing. Indeed, I seem to be playing much less than before after taking up the role of Chairman in RI Chess Club, and consequently RJ. Most of my time I devoted to new initiatives, even having planned some lessons outlines for the club (sadly most of the time when i gave out homework I never saw it returned)! As such, I really feel a sense of reminiscence now that I'm distanced from the club. Its as though one meaning of life seems to have dwindled. Guess this feelings comes with attachment.
I miss the times spent giving simuls or playing blitz games during training. I remember complaining last year about the meagre attendance of 6 or 7 every week? I tried to do something, something to make everyone more enthusiastic and attain the maximum capacity of 10 every week, but to no avail. You might think, surely you don't miss THOSE times? Well, you're right. Haha, bet you thought I was going to say I do. However, even with the horrible attendance, I still miss some things. For example, last year after everyone disappeared terribly fast before 5 or 6, Brandon, Xiu Huan and I would stay behind and play blitz all the way until 8 plus. No, it isn't that great having so little company but I must say I was happy of those times. Then it grew. Like the beanstalk in Jack and the beanstalk. Maybe not to that logarithamic extent, but some. The intake this year came as quite a relief, as those expected to join joined, and proved my calculations of numbers the year before correct. As usual, there were the some who came, left their names, and then missed all the subsequent trainings. But that was expected. I was glad to have just the few "fervently anticipated" enthusiastic ones left. In this expected list included Brandon, Mark, Fang Jin, Kean Yung and Christian from RI, Hanyu, Samantha, Deng Ying, Shuyi and Shu Min from RGS, and Jeslin and Suzanna, the two all- time chessers who would have given me a heart attack if they had not joined. All the above were real chess enthusiasts, especially the RI people, as even though they might not be in the upper echleons of the chess world, they seldom missed a training and enjoyed themselves thoroughly simply playing friendly games in their free time. I must say, they take after my own heart. Even in RI Chess Club, I was comforted by their presence as in my sec 4 year, there wasn't the barrage of new FMs (Dominic Lo and Daryl Wong etc). In my reign as King of the RI chess club, there was merely from sec 3 the few people named above, from sec 2 weixing and from sec 1 Jarred Neubronner, Shawn Sim and Bryan Tsui. Situation doesn't seem much different from RJ, does it? Then and again, there are a lot of people who turn up from time to time, but that doesn't often prove a consolation, as they would most likely just be sitting ducks, if I may use the term. So, I enjoyed their company. Looking back, I felt no less attached to RI Chess Club too, going back on a weekly basis in my J1 years to join them for training before turning up for RJ's own training with the same trainer- Ashot Nadanian.
Okay, back to the present. Kean Yung left us to join Bridge, which many have termed as being "poached". I believed it to be quite a pity, and never stopped messaging Kean Yung our training times and venues until I relinguished my post recently to the new, bright and cheerful new Exco. Deng Ying too pursuited her highly priority of councillor, and I sincerely wish her all the best. With this losses came some additions too. Gabriel Leow, Wai Chuan as well as Zhou Chen were some new faces which I got accustomed to seeing. It was most pleasing to get to interact with them and know them! But as the saying goes, you hurt more when you lose the things you love. Well, it's not to say that I can't go back and have fun with the gang, but its different now! Just feel this weirdness coming along. But i promise, I'll join you all for trainings still! And I wish you all the best!
Also, I realised something about myself- Its difficult for me to trust people to doing things that I take really seriously. Through the last year, even when Michelle could have done something herself, I wanted a last look. I don't fully comprehend why this sense of insecurity emerges, but it does. I wouldn't feel at ease until I had confirmed that it was all right. Same thing this year, with the CIP. I had allocated the jobs- RI to do tactics, Waichuan and Mark to do the Beginners Portion, and Jeslin and myself to do the Intermediate Portion (which turned out more like stuff our own club can use!!!). But that was not the end of it. I ended up taking dozens of hours to edit the other parts until they were relatively flawless. This isn't meant to be a lament, or a complain of shabby work, but its just a discovery about myself. On hindsight, even contacting members for training, I did personally! Guess I got to change this, and show more confidence in others. That's what group work is for, isn't it?
Well, back to the point, I felt surprisingly at ease this year when I passed on the baton to Jeslin, Hanyu and Mark, with Suz playing a big role too. At first there were some tensions, some unhapiness over why certain people were instead of others, and I got really worried. On the personal emotional side, I understood the disappointment felt, especially Shuyi who in my opinion, had been really helpful in the course of the year. (Gave her a call to explain things, and hope they did. Glad to see she's as cheerful now as before and hope that she'll be given opportunities to prove her worth too!) On the more professional side, I was worried about whether it would work, considering the discontent of the parties.
Well, as of now, 10.04pm of 30 June 2007, I must say i am most pleased with the way things are coming along! I can't help but want to congratulate the new Exco, especially Jeslin, for making Chess Club more enthusiastic than I have ever seen it! Holiday trainings I have been too have never had half of full attendance before! And meeting up of the exco in their own free time right after exams is most commendable! Keep up the good word folks! And keep me updated with your activities so I can join you all in the fun! I'm really happy to see all this progress and can finally put down this burden! Make sure you all carry on well next year! Oh and I am hereby tendering my services as Chess Coach at the meagre fee of dinner! Just joking, haha, but yes to the person who's so eager to read my blog I have something practical that can be useful in tournament play that I wouldn't mind sharing with the club! It's not directly a lecture requiring a demo board, but it definitely covers some practical aspects that can come in handy!
There goes. He who has not blogged for ages has created an anomaly. The Blog is not over. No death anniversary. Signing off.
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