transient permanence

2 December 2009

lost in translation?

Filed under: everyday every day — forrestal @ 14:20

Okay, it’s not even a translation.

I noticed some people finding this blog by querying “transient permanence” in a search engine. I would think that it’s an interesting search term for anyone. Out of boredom (from studying, I’m not that free) I decided to Google transient permanence too. And because I have Mandarin and Japanese in the blog, the Google Translate option appears as well.

Out of curiosity I decided to take a look at how they will mangle the stuff.

Some lyrics translation are pretty good at some parts.

But the thing treated all the non-English stuff as Japanese, so the Chinese stuff got weirdly translated.

Like this line: 打包,叉烧饭

It was translated Bao strokes crotch 烧饭

1 December 2009

(un)change

Filed under: ramble babble — forrestal @ 17:20

I wonder who writes the titles for the newsflash area of Yahoo Singapore.

Modified screencap of Yahoo SG 091201 approx 1700hrs

Aside from the usually irrelevant stock pictures they use for most of the articles, I see they are trying to make people read the article. Maybe the Yahoo staff chose to write it this way to attract readers, or the CNA people came up with this.

Either way, I suppose the gahmen will be pleased.

It says Big Changes. And if you read the main article, you might wonder if it’s a very drastic change.

How many people would it affect? Does the campaigning really influence people? Are there enough non-apathetic people who are concerned with the real issues to influence a vote?

A sizeable portion of the electorate are still people who don’t want to rock the boat, so long they have rice on their tables. And we have others who are concerned about property values, and of course that is also linked to upgrading. I don’t blame people for making property a big concern, after all it’s so darned expensive.

Is there a buzz over elections here? When I was in Malaysia, come elections you can really see people supporting the parties, car decals of the party logos on the windsheild (particular for the opposition parties). Will people dare to put up such signs of support. Is there a climate of fear here? I am in the generation that has heard of stories/rumours that your son will be tossed to a tough unit during NS if you vote for the opposition. But then again, this is just a story. After all, the vote is supposed to be confidential.

Big changes. I suppose it’s an illusion.

Just an extra gripe. The point about 0.25 month bonus was splashed across headlines. Even without the bonus, I guess there are many people’s pay who’ll make the average Singaporean’s (with degree and all) look like peanuts.

Unfortunately, not the $600,000 kind of peanut.

// Extra

If you read mrbrown and his column, you will notice that big change is something that won’t come anytime soon.

Maybe a big change will come, the freak change that happens once every 50 years. Except that unlike the flood, we will have to wait 500 years instead of 5.

// Edit

I have changed the screenshot to a smaller one, and pixelated certain portions of it. I don’t enjoy seeing that face (guess who) everytime I see the blog.

for the fun of it..

Filed under: blog admin — forrestal @ 14:46

29 November 2009

once again

Filed under: モノクロ — forrestal @ 20:54

心の雨に傘をくれたのは
あなた一人だった

27 November 2009

still exam

Filed under: campus rumpus, everyday every day, ramble babble — forrestal @ 20:50

Picture by non partizan

Once again the photo was reused from an earlier post. That post had a related topic though.

So PSLE results are out. And we have more indication that it won’t be long before locals will find themselves in the same situation as Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia as far as getting into national universities is concerned.

Heck even when the locals supposedly make up 65%, all the incentives are going elsewhere.

Makes you really want to snap that pink IC in half, except that it’ll cost you to get it replaced.

3 papers down. 2 more to go. Very technical ones. And I’m getting addicted to playing 麻雀大会 on the Wii. I still can’t figure out (and will never remember) the scoring. At least I have a rough idea of the han.

22 November 2009

exams

Filed under: campus rumpus — forrestal @ 21:26

Picture by non-partizan on flickr

Regular readers may recognise the above picture as one I’ve used before sometime in the past couple of months.

Jim probably should write/gripe/emo less now. Exams you see. Already sat for one paper.

Just a quick gripe, why do they bother making announcements about disciplinary action if someone is caught writing after the exam has ended, when they aren’t really looking out for candidates doing that. Every paper without fail I see people scribbling furiously after the time is up. (And I may be biased, but I notice they’re usually not locals). Oh, and in the most recent case, the bugger was right at the front row.

20 November 2009

predictions

Filed under: ramble babble — forrestal @ 00:28

Some well paid person sharing my surname is fond of making predictions, usually about the economy.

I have some of my own, not about the economy though. And I won’t be as optimistic as the people in power would appear to be, or lead you to believe.

In thirty years’ time, there would be no need for any Integration Councils, for 90% of the population are no longer what we term locals now. It may be possible we will need to set up a council to brainwash educate the survivors.

In twenty years’ time, there will be 99 ranks in the armed forces, following the Senior Lieutenant-Colonel, we have Lieutenant-Colonel Mentor, Chief Lieutenant-Colonel, Fourth Warrant Officer, Fifth Warrant Officer, Sixth Warrant Officer, Seventh Warrant Officer, Eighth Warrant Officer, Ninth Warrant Officer, Senior Sergeant, Chief Sergeant, Sergeant Mentor, Warrant Officer Mentor, and finally the 4-star rank of General, so that the previous Lieutenant General can hang around with a disgusting pay travelling to other nations’ armies for visits, freeing the valuable time of the current Lieutenent General to think up of more ranks to make it appealing for people to stay.

In ten years’ time, housing blocks will be 60 floors high, cost 60% more than it does now, and the housing loan will take 60 years to repay.

In five years’ time, I would be wandering the streets looking for a job, finding my certificate (assuming I do graduate in one piece, physically and mentally) practically useless because the market is full of degree holders, local and overseas. Just like citizenship, the value of a university degree has been diluted.

In three years’ time, if the world doesn’t end at December there will be a great party to celebrate our “survival”, and a blockbuster movie will be made about it. Meanwhile, researchers and academics will find our next dooms day to be the 13th day of the 13th month of the 13th year of the 3rd millenium. Oh wait. There aren’t 13 months. Why not just push it to January 2014 then.

In two years’ time, the Integration Act will be passed such that any comment that is deemed unfriendly towards foreigners, or xenophobic, will be punishable by law.

In one year’s time, I will see  my basic right as a citizen in a republic not exercised.

In one month’s time, I will be enjoying my holidays.

In one day’s time, I will be sitting for my exam.

In one hour’s time, I will be on my bed reading a textbook.

In one minute’s time, I will click the “Publish” button for this post. Clearly I do not bother vetting the content.

 

not so quick message

Filed under: campus rumpus, everyday every day, words, モノクロ — forrestal @ 00:09

The personal messages/quick messages on Messenger are always interesting. You get amusing comments from the witty people, gripes from those who aren’t too pleased about something, and normal everyday nonsense (Note people, this is when to use the word everyday without the space.)

For some reasons I shall not elaborate on, here are some of the messages I’ve put up for the past few days:

  1. Irrationality makes humans.. human.
  2. Amount of happiness is the extent to which one can deceive oneself.
  3. さよならは別れの言葉じゃなくて 再び会うまでの遠い約束
  4. Share a quick message. What’s the point.
  5. Share a quick message no one will read anyway.

I notice there was no mention of study. Exams start two days from now.

Good luck everyone.

 

// edit

I suddenly recall at one point I had this message:

“why so few modules on mpe”

Well it’s not on preparing for exams too, more like the next semester, assuming I haven’t quit school out of frustration.

17 November 2009

記憶の海

Filed under: words — forrestal @ 17:15

作詞:yozuca*/作曲:岡ナオキ/編曲:岡ナオキ/
歌:yozuca*

繰り返す言葉は今も
あなたへ届くようにと願ってる
いつからか揺らいだ世界
すれ違う想い交差する

星空に願いを大地に祈りを
消えない愛だと誓うの

私だけを私だけを抱きしめて欲しいの
我が侭なその手強く苦しい程に
あなただけをあなただけを求めては生きてる
記憶の海の底にひとり溺れたまま

揺れ動く光りの先に
あなたの背中捜し彷徨う
柔らかなその温もりに
もう一度だけ包まれたい

空は泣いて笑う 土は花と踊る
取り残された「さよなら」

私だけが私だけがあなた守れるのと
声に出せない想い 涙に濡れた
あなたをただあなたをただ信じ続けただけ
記憶の海の中に笑うあなたがいる

触れる頬 重ね合わせた鼓動
優しさに彩られ とけてゆく愛しさ

私だけの私だけのあなたになりますように
輝く星に願いが届くのならば
私はまだここに在ると声が枯れる程に
記憶の海の底であなた求めている

=-=-=-=-=

imeem here. (had some problems using firefox with this. worked fine after switching the tab’s rendering engine to IE)

16 November 2009

voice

Filed under: everyday every day — forrestal @ 14:17

I realise for the past 4-5 days, the number of times I’ve spoken to someone can be counted with one hand. And to two people only, the 老板娘’s at the mart and cafeteria downstairs. I can roughly recall the words:

  1. 打包,叉烧饭
  2. 多少钱?
  3. 一包,猪肉,鱼,菜花
  4. I don’t need a carrier.

For some reason I prefer to speak Mandarin with the cafeteria lady boss, even though it seems like English is her preferred language.

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