makers, keepers

On my morning commute the past week I've been reading the Tangent's latest issue of its journal on "The Makers and Keepers of History".

The short essays by historians and researchers describing their experiences of trying to access documents, archives and memories are humbling. Some are fairly straightforward accounts of the difficulties of getting government agencies to allow access to their files and archives. Most of these experiences have been negative. The descriptions are matter-a-fact, but the reader can sense the frustration or is invited to wonder at the suspicion and the impenetrability of a "no". Others are more personal accounts of interviews, chance encounters and the politics of documenting. These are stories of relationships forged, grown.

Who are the "makers" of history? The larger-than-life politician or the many individuals who collectively lend power or privately shape lives; the government archivist or the historian? And are the makers of history themselves "keepers", a repository or a self-appointed/state-authorised gatekeeper? Where is history indeed situated?

These questions distracted me from the marching feet, anxious glances at the time and bodies trying to stake their space in the cabins of the morning train. Besides, there have other makers and keepers I encountered the past week -

Another kind of makers

J and I have always lamented the lack of appreciation on this island for craft, for the ability to make things, for work and jobs that cannot be done behind a desk or in a boardroom.

In this month's issue of I.D., sociologist Richard Sennett makes a more eloquent advocacy for connecting the head and hand.


A stranger kind of keepers

In Pa J's house are several canaries, "putehs", a pair of parakeets, a grey parrot, and a fish tank that used to be home to 9 red fishes with fat lips. The birds are still caged up, but after Ma J passed away, the fishes were given away. Instead, the fish tank now houses a 10-inch arowana. One of J's many brothers, the keeper of the birds, had bought the fish to improve Pa J's luck at 4D.

Bro J: How, what do you think of the fish? Can you spot the difference after so many weeks?
Y: er ... yah, it seems to have grown.
Bro J: What else?
Y: Er... it's scales are getting less red now. This kind of fish not supposed to be red, right?
Brok J: [looking slightly worried] Is it? No lah, actually this kind of fish can be red also. You can't see the difference ah?
Y: ... [attempts to look more closely at the trapped creature]
Bro J: Eh, eh, I tell you? [lowers his voice to a whisper] But I tell you, here. Come, don't stand there...
Y: Huh, why?
Bro J: [continues to whisper] the fish is very sensitive one, it is very pan tang (trans: superstitious), so better don't let it hear what we are saying...

J's side of the family never ceases to amaze.

the happy birthday days

The day after blocks came conveniently as a holiday for all of us ^^
For some others. This day proved even more special and significant

So papa mama nuer yanqi went early in the morning to a land quite far away to deliver breakfast to the birthday girl, who was being tortured as we "bundled" with the maid to discriminate lisyn by not serving breakfast at home.



Must be famished! Was about 10am ^^



Time past quickly. Shuzong left and in came Prof Mok and assistant Timtay
Calling for Canadian Pizza.



We played some (pokemon) monopoly.



Slacked around here and there while some others in the background played Neopets?!



There was a pretty nice card made for our bday girl (:



Sang the Bday song ^^



Cut cake. And eat. Duh XD

And thats about it. Haha

Ok now that the official report is over.
Lets go on to the. Not so official stuff. hehe ~



How about. Papa buying some toto. Hehe.



Or some. Sleeping. Hehe.

Ah but then. sleeping is very normal aint it not?



How about some. Threesome... sleeping. HEHE ~



Add in some tossing. groping. whatever u call. Get the idea? =p

And if its not enough for our dearest avid 6v readers.
Check out an exclusive. Gotta catch em all. RED HANDED.
WITH A VIDEO XDDDDDD



That was some fun.

Such a special day. Surely it was more than just a. normal birthday for some. for the rest of us, we shared loads of fun too.

So next time. Why dont you tag along too?
Dont stay at home. Dont be myopic and look short term. like hide in the car and mug for promos. and always say. load up. no time to lose.
I wonder who ah.

Yepp. Look longterm! This kind of bonds. Be it sigma bonds. or pi bonds. We probably wont forget for our lives.
At least not for me ^^

PS Sorry for those not shot by me. like shuzong who went off early.

all for love

loving lines. photo by J, improvisation by Y

Ah, the school holidays have just ended for the young ones, but it's obvious they've been getting all inspired, declaring their love on the walls with limited rhyme and very neat handwriting.

For me, there's been no drawings, no daydreams, no stories. Most of the time outside of the office (save for the reading on the morning commute), I've been just feeling strangely tired.

Friends, if you are also contemplating a change from corporate serfdom, tym tempts and educates you on being freelance, footloose.

So good to be over

The worst times are over. we are saved again!

Just a week before our blocks. we had much fun skating



Tie your shoes!



Our photo together at the skating ring! XD

soon the fun times ended. the frustrating times began



Some of us were in deep concentration



Some of us memorised the dictionary before GP..



Some were totally emo and lost their heads

And yet.. some of us just.. couldnt be bothered?



Ahaha retarded! Of course dont need care! WE'd be shocked if u did anyway



Check out this smile. Simply. Totally. Like a mugger's confidence smile. No problem tongzi! No stress.



In contrast to this. sian la exams no fun at all look. always AAAAAA. this one not any diff.

Whatever you felt, its over! Now its time for us to feel the same. Rejoice!



Of course there are the tired. Who needs some rest after prolonged mugging.



And the we need to discuss answers out of curiosity to know whether we deducted some 40 marks.



Hey. These 2 guys are acting oddly



They seem to be planning something. BIG. Shocking the world.



And when asked of the great plans, prof mok merely answered with a smile.

So whats up next for 6v. Its in for you to find out.
Lets have some earth shaking outing soon!!

hey guys! :D

blocks are coming in 1.5 days! :/

even if you have or haven't studied, they are here :/ can't change that fact! D:

So in these 2 days or so, PIA okay! give it all you've got! if you're reading this,you shouldn't be! HAA GO MUG PLS (:

jiayou alright! Let's do our best!

<3333333 mama

At the end of the world.

At the lonely corners of the world,
where the sun's warmth never survived.

Figures in solitude is ever more so prominent.


And even the valiant cowers in the face of loneliness.


Not all hope is lost for love,


And joy,


Will exist amidst every winter.


Love is not about how many times you hurt yourself when falling but how many times someone is there to hold you back, to support you when you are in need.


Joy is not about the number of fortunate events that happened in your life but the number of times you bravely stood up to confront the impending onslaught of darkness and misfortune.


Success is not how many times you appear in the foreground but how many times you nobly recede into the background so that someone else can recieve their share of the spotlight.


Ultimately, life is not about how cold the environment is but rather how much warmth you can inject into other people's hearts. This is what makes life worth living for.

-ArAiriEz

6V outing!

only 8 of us went :0 hahaha but it was quite fun. :D

THIS IS YANQI!

ALAS. FALLING DOWN IS NOT DEFEAT

Alas, I am dumbfounded by gygi's post (: Haha. ZHAI. I CANNOT WIN THIS DEBATE! ):

BUT WHO CARES HAHAHA! JUST GO FOR CLS OUTING LAH!!!!!!!!! X)

Mama shall leave you guys with the following inspirational quotes:
1. Falling down is not defeat...defeat is when your refuse to get up.

Link: So what if you fall down! Only when you fall down at the rink can you understand the pain of falling down! The next time, you know how to pick urself up and MOVE ON! :D

2. The failure is not in falling down, its in STAYING DOWN.

Link: Fall then fall lah (: not the end of the world. 6V will be there to pick you up! HAHA actl this isnt related to the quote at all but who rly cares =P

3. Better to climb SKATE and fall, than never strive SKATE at all

link: do you wanna forever not skate and not learn to skate?

Do you want ur kids to go, mama/papa, can u go skate with meeee?

and you have no choice but to reply: im sorry cannot. stay home and study.

and u turn away thinking, DARN, this wouldnt have happened if i had gone 6V OUTING 15 JUNE 2008 JEC ENTRANCE 950am!!!!!!!

Lastly the most powderful one:

If you think you can, you can.

DONT DOUBT URSELF. maybe you're a natural on the ice. you nvr know. be the one to step out of ur comfort zone and challenge urself.

then this june hols wont be rmbered just as " the june hols i mugged away for BLOCK TESTs" , but ..

" THE JUNE HOLIDAYS I DISCOVERED THE REASON FOR MY BEING."

CMON people. u know u wanna go. GOGOGOGO!!!!!

again,

meet 9.50am JEC entrance (: this sunday. 15/6/08 (: its a date :D

<3
mamamamamamaa!!!!!!!!!!!!

regina blogs: neh neh ni poo poo

michelle kwan has her times too.











in a moment of anger, see what she's doing! trying to spoil her skates to show how much she dislikes skating!


----------------------------------------------
deja vu...double S

COME COME

HEY DUDES.

CLASS OUTING AH.

THIS SUNDAY AH.

GO AH.

*swings arms*

haha i havent said this in a long time.

venue: JE
meeting time: 9.50 AM (edits from pm, THANKS JINLONG JIE JIE <3!)
meeting venue: entrance of JEC
bringables: approx 20 bucks
agenda: look at mgrps nick.

HAHA. FIRST CLASS OUTING OF JUNE. It's father's day, but this won't take up too much of ur time (:

just go okay! HAHA (: spread this msg like wildfire!

in response to gygi's post,

TRY. If you fall, try try again.

This is how we learn! This is how we bond (: AS ONE 6V! :D

and hey look on the bright side:



see this beautiful ice skater. michelle kwan. haha. sporean, who discovered her love for ice skating at JE also. so aiyaa. let's just give it a shot. its DAMN fun ((((:

come come come! let jinlong/annie/yanqi know ur attendance ASAP pls!

<3 mama

regina blogs: I V K

roar! very sian very sian very sian! why nobody updates?!

i heard from members of 08s6v that there will be a erm outing/gathering/farewell party? this father's day.

and according to members, it is aeeseul seulkaeting. WHYYYYYY!!!!!
why not?
'cause ice skating is dangerous.

IT KILLS!

kills you like this

by the *click* of mr aeeseul seulkaeting's fingers, you're dead.

okay, if that's not scary enough, how about this alternative,

yukk. i hate blue.


okay. that's how he kills, but let's take a look at substantial evidences of why he is dangerous.


oww

ah

closeup

owj. okay kidding. i mean ouch

fall fall liao nvm, so unglam somemore.

okay i'm sorry, this fall quite stylish.

see how miserable these poor kids are... NO, THEY ARE NOT LAUGHING. because i say so.

anticipate that thud.


see,

non-professionals are not as skillful than professionals.
even profesisonals fall.
.:. you, non-professionals will surely fall.

Nope, there's no missing premise i insist.


now, now, let's take alook on the other side of fuji ice skating rink. yes! Kbox! a place for family fun!


with food!

now, now see, the penguin doesn't die in kbox. it looks happy coz it is.

he sings

she sings

they can even do it together!

k-ing allows you to kick your leg up high and not fall at all!

see the halo?


that's about all i wanna say.
cheers.

p.s. : i may not be going. HAHAHAHA

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