Building a Ship

Today was really an overwhelming day of learning something i never expected myself to learn, International Trade. I mean, i plan to enter the field of medicine! Even many of you know that! But why international trade? I don't exactly know, but i would say it was really interesting. Adding on to that, because of the workshop, i skipped oral! Jo Fan, please thank me for that.

Today! I would just like to share about 2 lessons, something, which i realize, after many physics periods.

Lesson 23#:
Humble

Mr Wong KK says, "You must be humble in order to succeed.........."

Yes, i truly agree. I'm sure you do too! Someone once said, attitude determines altitude. So what attitude exactly? Of course it is many types of attitude, but i think the attitude of humbleness is of utmost importance. Why? Unless you are humble, will you actually produce any other characteristics. Because when you are humble, you become willing to learn, and when you are willing to learn, indeed, it will determine your altitude.

Many successful people in today's world started off literally like crap. Too diverse even i can't explain. Still, whatever it may be, they had to be humble in order to be what they are today. Take for example Oprah. I have no doubt she is intelligent and knowledgeable. But every time her show airs, there somehow is always something to learn. Let's scale it down, my school's company, Xpertise advisers, the first few things that they said when they came during the first meeting, was "....let's all learn together...." They are freaking professionals! Some of them are even head of certain departments and divisions! What is there to 'learn together', you most probably know and predict whatever can happen. Yet until now, they really have been learn from us, the way we think, react and conduct. Yes, they are to a certain extent, humble.

Yet, there could be a problem.......

Lesson 24#:
BOASTING about humbleness

huh?

First reaction towards that phrase? Imagine this, trying listening to it over and over again, almost whenever you are in school. Don't you think its so wonderfully contradicting? So powerfully hypocritical?

Let's go back to the top of the post, Mr Wong KK said "You must be humble in order to succeed........." Realize the 'dot dot dot' there? Come, let me finish it for you, and this is literally from his mouth. "You must be humble in order to succeed, just like me. You know last time ah... I was this, i was that, i was hired..... " and starts ranting on how successful he is and how he was invited and hired in all those top professional companies and events.

You teach people to humble and learn? Or do you teach people to be humble and boast about the success?

This hypocritical act as been going on for many years and i truly pity every class taught by him. I urge you people, don't fall into this trap. Yes! be HUMBLE, but please don't freaking boast about it.

Truth must prevail!
Wai Leem

p/s: On a more cooperative note, 4s3. Whoever who reads this, please spread it around. I don't know when, but I am determine to shut his face up. I am determine to tell him, how ironic his words are. But i cannot do it alone. If you agree that he is going off hand, then come and join me! And no, I'm not going against him, I'm going against teachings that are incorrect, teachings that cause people to wonder, teachings that are just wrong. Join me, if you will, my friends.

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Homework continues to pile, activities are continuously increasing despite Easter Rally going off with a blast. I wonder why all these things have to happen, yet i just want it to happen, i like to happen.

Throughout the whole time either going for drama practice, or meetings for YE, I kept asking myself, where does all these activities bring you at the end of the day? What are you going to get out of it? That's where i came to think of this just few seconds ago, which is

Lesson 22#:
Set the FOCUS

If you are a football player, you would aim to win. If you are a student, you aim excellent results. If you are a son, the aim is to be respectful and obedient to your parents. If you are a sales person, the aim is to get customers and sell whatever you need to sell. And the list goes on and on.

So what is the focus?

Focus can be a couple of things, like training for a football match or drama competition, these are all focus for us to achieve our aim, our goal. Yet if you noticed, i wrote "FOCUS' as the title, instead of just "Focus", because when something is bigger, it shows that there can be many focus in different areas, but there must be just one main focus through it all.

Drama cost a lot of precious time, so does YE. I kept thinking and thinking to myself, "in the end, what the main focus, what is it? where will all these lead me? what is there for me at the end of the road?" It was days and weeks just thinking about it right before a sleep. At this point, i THINK i found the answer, though i do not know whether it is an answer in the first place, surely, this is what kept me going on despite tiring hours.

I believe, the my focus here, sorry, i mean FOCUS here, is always God, it has to be Him. What compels me so much? I mean, to be honest, really. "The joy of the Lord is my strength" taken from the bible, is no doubt true. Tired, surely! But i never failed to be sadden and downcast before the Lord, because i know that my strength is from him. It has to be. Someone asked me one day, "How do you manage to still stay so alive? so energetic? despite having so many activities here and there, adding on to that, homework too!" I looked up into the sky, knowing it has to be Him, my Lord, my God, my Friend, my Father.

God can provide this inner strength not just when we are physically tired, but also when we are spiritually downcast. Few months back, someone also asked me, "why does your life seem to be perfect, when others are having family issues, some are smoking, stealing, etc.. why?" I tell you, my parents do argue, i do have intentions to take things which are not mine, but what carries me on? It is that inner strength, to me, that says no to stealing, to smoking. That inner strength that withstands any attacks from the devil, inner strength that can help you stand tall and firm, despite a tough time coming through.

I tell today guys and girls, there is literally no one who can provide you that kind of strength, that kind of spirit of energy. I'm glad i know about it, do you want to?

So back to the lesson, my main focus is that since God gave me strength, i shall use what i have learnt and experience for his glory. Example, i can maybe act in a drama play for church. or maybe after learning marketing techniques, i can come out with ideas to promote community service events and such. This is my FOCUS, that God is and will always be in the centre of my doing.

now, i can't keep talking, i have to ask, What Is Your FOCUS Friends?

Love,
Wai Leem

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Yes, indeed it is tragic. Firstly, for himself, Dr Faustus. Secondly, also for ALL the faithful actors and actresses, who spent all their precious time working on the drama.

For 2 weeks in a row, 15 cast have been working hard to produce a drama play for an inter school competition. The team consisted of Form 5 (Rayelene, Shiau Ling), Form 4 (Ray Aun, Yee Teng, Fareen and I), Form 3 (Ti Lun, Hui Xin, June, Benjamin, Jia Jie, Zhi Wei, Wei Xuan, Joel and Re Gin) Unsure of what the real outcome might be, we were determined to win this, somewhat or rather.

I can't exactly remember when practice ever started, but almost everyday was an intensive training for us. It was challenging for me, because i have never particularly done any drama with such intensity, but i never gave up, none of us did. This was the tragical part for us, at least me, because everyday i wouldn't be in class, which means that anything learnt or studied, i would have to do it all by myself, it isn't that easy. But practice itself isn't tragic, because it was indeed fun, when everyone is together, the fun, laughter and joy shared among each other.

Well, for those who don't know the story "The Tragic History of Dr. Faustus", mainly is about this learnt and intelligent man, called Faustus, Dr. Faustus, who believes he has learnt everything and thinks he is the best of all. He then decides to summon the devil, using his "mighty knowledge and powers". He manages to, but realizes that apparently, Lucifer is greater than him, yet all he wanted was fun and pleasure, he agrees to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for 24 years of fun and pleasure. Being the "idiot" that he is, he was given 7 gods and goddesses (Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Greed, Envy, Wrath and Pride). After 24 years, Dr Faustus has become weak and feeble, because he has all kinds of diseases (Gluttony) he was lazy and lost everything (Sloth) lost all his friends (Pride, Greed and Envy) Stressed (Wrath) and i guessed STD (Lust). Already 24 years have passed, as agreed, Lucifer with 7 gods and goddesses went to take his soul. There he begs and begs but a deal is a deal, he dies in the end. The author of this book, Christopher Marlow, said that "All things in heaven and earth are wonders, but the greatest wonder is man's freedom to choose between good and evil" and "Make a wise choice in life, for there true joy in life" (or something like that) Indeed a very morally induced play on a small yet big topic, about the freedom to choose. what have you chosen in life? <--- (this post is coming soon!)

So i actually started writing this post on Wednesday, a day before the competition, then i was too tired, and i also suddenly thought that i should write this after the competition, so that i also can tell you'll the results!

Thursday was the day of the competition, it was competed by 8 schools. We were the second. Before we started, my team went to take the stage, we all prayed, with I leading it. Yes everyone had different religions, but for the moment, we were like one body, one man, doing this. So i prayed and everyone agreed. We then took the stage and stunned the crowd with what we got.

Taman Sea also an amazing performance, more than what i had expected. They indeed good, there is no question to that. The others, not to say that they weren't good, but surely, they still have a lot to work on. Either because they are new, or they lack a good teacher to guide them. We had an advantage, Mr Williams is indeed very good, with very high expectations, without him, we wouldn't have gone anywhere.

When results were announced, we, the team was holding hands together, again the sign of unity and strength.

MC : For the third place, Team number (i forgot) from the school Assunta! Next we have team number...... 2, from the school Taman Sea! Now, the moment we have all been waiting for, the first place...... It is... The tragic history of Dr. Faustus! played by Catholic High School!

There is no words that could express how glad we were, it was amazing, that moment was amazing, simply spectacular. We did it, we really did. WOW-ness indeed.

I believe this isn't the end, most of all, Thank You Jesus, you were indeed there when we did it, Thank you. Help all of us to continue trusting you and putting you first.

For now, the cast and crew!
Dr. Faustus - Zi-Yi (Joel)
Mephistopheles - Ray Aun (Raymond)
Good Angel - Rayelene
Gluttony - Shiau Ling (Sherly)
Sloth - Wai Leem (Wai Leam)
Lust - Fareen & Yee Teng (Rachel)
Greed - Hui Xin (Helen)
Envy - June
Wrath - Benjamin
Pride - Re Gin (Esther)
Lucifer - Ti Lun (Dylan)
Drummers - Jia Jie (Jason) & Zhi Wei (Johnson)
Narrator - Wei Xuan (Dow)

(names in braket) <--- The names that Mr Williams called them.

So in the end, from partly tragical training and pressuring teacher, it paid off, to be an excitement for everyone. We will do it the next round, we can do it, we will make it! I believe we can.

Love,
Wai Leem

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Surprisingly, it didn't meet my standards, i guess it was because too many people said that it was so GOOD, adding on to that, winning 8 Oscars, indeed, my expectations went flying high. But all in all, yes, indeed it was a very touching show.

I still wonder how lucky he was, being asked questions that he faced throughout his life. Yet, it showed the different kinds of society present in our world. The rich, the poor, and the ones you can't even imagine of. The story mainly revolves around 2 kids, Salim Malik and Jamal Malik, 2 brothers who loses their parents had a very young age, because of religious tolerance between the Indian Muslims and the Hindus. They manage to escape the attack and ran off, not exactly knowing where they will end up. They somehow managed to find a shelter, at this point, there was a girl named Latika who was with them. Jamal cared for her, Salim always tried to avoid her. Soon, they were found by a group of people, who so called from orphanage homes. Yet they just want talents, kids who can sing of dance, then after that, they will be exploited, left out in the streets to beg for money. Salim found out their dirty intent, and planned an escape with Jamal. His plan succeeded and both ran for their lives, and manage to hop onto a train which left that area. For couple of years, they lived by stealing food from the train, and selling stolen goods. This kept going on until, they were finally thrown off a train. They somehow, *mysteriously* feel off the train and landed in Taj Mahal. They turned out to be fake tourist guides and likewise, steal other people's things and resell it in the nearby market. To cut a long story short, they manage to find Latika, at the same time, once again meeting the orphan exploiter. Salim pulls out a gun and shoots him, and Salim, Jamal and Latika runs away. Jamal is kicked out of the house, and again, they are seperated. Jamal grows up, working in different places, doing different jobs. Yet, all he really wanted to do was to find Latika back. Finally, he does, but he cannot see her because she was with a gang, by force. So realizing that there is a competition called "who wants to be a millionaire", which was also widely watched, he decided to join, with one purpose, so that Latika can see him.

This was how the title got its name, He was from the lower than poverty society, yet, he became a millionaire, through another *mysteriously* interesting questions, that somehow, all the answers he has faced in his life before. The questions and answers were all life experiences.

What this show really shown to me was that how 2 different guys, brothers in fact, can grow up to become 2 different personalities, to different outcomes. Jamal's other brother, Salim, worked with a gang and earn a lot of money, but in the end was killed for betraying them. Both Jamal and Salim had money, but both, had 2 outstanding reasons. Then again, what i saw, was that they both have a passion. The main question is, what was their passion? It was that slight difference which gave the distinct outcome. Indeed, the past creates present, the choices we make, the passion we have, decides how our future becomes.

Yes, indeed a good show, a show not to be neglected.

Love,
Wai Leem

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