Of Dreams, Passion, Talent, and Opportunities.

Had a mini-debate with Qinglin about the above during lunch today.

Okay, let's start from the beginning. Tershien and I were feeling neglected and ignored because the two people in front of us are probably the most/almost the most popular kids in the Sec 2 cohort. Who are Jasmlne and Qinglin. Urgh. They say hello to almost everyone, or almost everyone says hello to them. Which I'm starting to get used to. Double-urgh. Read entry. So Tershien and I decided to see if the next person who knows all of us will say hello to all of us, or just 'Hi Qinglin, Hi Jasmlne' and neglects us. But well, in the end most of the people said a general hello to all of us.

Then Tershien and I started talking about Jasmine and Qinglin being popular, and Jasmlne being multi-talented. And the whole conversation was about talented/multi-talented juniors etc.

Yea, here's the debate part.

My stand: Chances have to be seized, but at the same time, given by others. What can you seize if nobody even gives you a chance? If you have passion for something, you have to have the chance to be able to learn it/master it. Example, I've wanted to learn the piano since a long time. But without being given the chance, will I be able to learn the skill? Will I be able to master it? No. Yes, you may say that as long as you have the passion and perseverance, you will be able to learn it someday. But when is that someday? Am I going to save every single cent I have, and pay for the lessons myself, and buy a piano? What if you weren't given a chance at all? What if your parents didn't support the whole thing? Are you going to make your parents get angry and sad just because of a piano? No. And when you are given a chance, you will be able to realise if you have the talent for it. It is when you are given the chance to try, to realise your potential (or not), and to really know if you have the passion for something. So my conclusion for this chunk of text is that, chances have to be given before you go for your passion.

Next up, talent. With passion and no talent (especially when it comes to arty-farty stuff like drama and music), you won't achieve much. Yes, most of the time, it's 90% hardwork and probably a 10% talent. But that 10% sometimes does make a difference. If you do not have the 10% talent, you still will have the 10% chance of failing, even with 90% hardwork. And when you fail again and again, even a burning passion can't overcome it. So maybe it's time you try to realise some hidden talent (but still, you need to be given the chance to try!). Negative thinking, but true. Unless you really have that much of a perseverance. But of course, you need to have the 90% hardwork first.

Conclusion:

You need to dream, and then you will have a passion.

With the passion, you need to be given opportunities.

*Passion, dictionary.com definition, a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything: a passion for music.

But passion does not necessarily means you're good at it.

With the opportunities, you will realise if you have the talent.

Okay, to sum up,

Dreams + Opportunities + Talent + Hardwork is required.

I feel so smart for coming up with all these. However, Qinglin strongly believes that as long as you have the passion, just go for it. You make chances. As long as you have the passion and is willing to work hard for it, you will be able to achieve it, whether or not do you have the opportunities given or the talent.

Well, I sort of agree with him too. But I have to admit that I don't have the courage to.

Away from old memories.

Suddenly thought of the friends I had when I was in primary school. Past tense. We no longer contact each other or anything. But that's not the sad part since it was years and years back.

What I find sad is when I know some of them are with bad company now. Not trying to boast or anything, but none of those friends have been in my class ever since we were streamed at P4. They ended up in not-so-good classes, and of course eventually went to different schools. Remembered a few months back when my mum told me that she saw one of those friends of mine, hanging out with some students smoking in their school uniform. Well of course, it's none of my business whether or not are they in bad company since we're no longer close friends. But I still find it a bit sad because nonetheless, they used to be my friends.

All I hope for now is that my good friends now don't do the same. But most probably they won't since I'm like the counsellor in the bunch, and goes around telling them what they should/should not do. Urgh.

On the mountaintop I

Lodge With Me 我行我宿

Yesterday was the sixth episode of this show, and it was of Rui En visiting the guest houses in Japan.

Even though I didn't watch much of the previous episodes with Felicia Chin, but I think hers was pretty good. Because Taiwan is actually a very beautiful place, and the 民宿 there really have this slow-paced thing about them. I want to go Taiwan!

Okay, back to yesterday's episode. I'd say she looked really pretty in the show. But her hosting skills, well, firstly, I don't like hosts who speak Chinese and English in Chinese variety shows. It does makes the whole show more 'Singapore' and makes the hosts more 'Singaporean' and friendly, but the thing is that Rui En hosting with Chinese mixed with English was very 'Rui En'. And for the parts with her talking only (those recorded type), they sounded like they were read right off the script (it was). Very not 'Rui En'. So it became kind of inconsistent.

But the pretty Rui En and the pretty Japan made up for that. Heh.

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Part 1 of 'On the Mountaintop'. Will probably do part 2 which is probably gonna be about my wish of living on the mountaintop or something similar.

Till then!

Don't press refresh

I think the title of this entry is tougue-twisting. If you read it a few times fast enough, I think it's going to sound like "Don't presh raff fresh." Oh whatever.

Just got the know that there's this new template designer on Blogger and it's good. The backgrounds available look great, and I don't really bother to look for a blog skin from blogskins.com already. I used to, but I guess it doesn't really matter that much. So apparently I picked this colourful combinations and I think it looks great too. And it doesn't look so emo too.

This is an utterly lame entry so if you were looking for some entry that makes you realise things about life, nah, not this one.

Talking to Zi Lei

Well, I started talking to myself these few nights.

And I talked and talked and said out loud how I felt, and is feeling.

And then I cried a pail. Of tears.

And in fact, it didn't make me feel better.

All I realised was that these problems are problems.