December 13, 2025
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The search for greatness November 18, 2011
If you believe in eugenics, you will agree that people are not born equal. Before I further elaborate, let me stress that this is not a racist argument. I don't mean it is right that people are born with varying intelligence and talents, although they are. My argument today focuses on the fact that people are born with different levels of ambition.
Some people aim high, think big; but some people would just not want to have great achievements in their lives. It would be unfair to compare people with different starting points, those with differenet intelligence and family status. But even for people of similar background, some would just want to be a forever mediocre. They have little ambition; fun is the only thing that occupies their tiny brains. Even when they wear grown-up clothes, they act just like little kids, focusing on trivial matters that are confined to a small circle around them, paying little attention to the wider context, like the environment, politics and sufferings around the world. I would still highly appreciate those who, instead of thinking big, focus on personal fulfillment that has the potential to contribute to the overall humanities, like immersing themselves in the arts, science and technology. But who does that these days? No one cares if you aim high. They just think you're a freak who leads a boring life. They won't regard you as a rebel, an insurgent, someone who can make a difference. Because in the eyes of mediocres, only the ordinary exists.
Bizarre world November 14, 2011
It is human nature, or more precisely, human instinct, to seek and only seek happiness. We see examples in our everyday life.
It's consequence of civilization that we all try to hold certain moral values. There are rules that we constant abide by. Some are written strictly as laws, which most people with conscience would follow, as the lowest possible threshold of moral standard they should hold. And then some are agreed by all people without saying, which is where problems arise. It's human nature to seek happiness; yet in the course of seeking happiness we often come to the interface between happiness and immorality. If we're not careful, we cross the junction and do uncivilized acts. Which is more important? To follow our souls or to defend our prestige? No one knows. But since being moral and immoral is not a sharp junction but rather a continuum, people just try to stay in the grey area and enjoy the best of both worlds.
To me, this is still selfish. I'd rather being criticized standing on the moral high ground than crossing the line, for I must make sure what I do is right so that I feel good about myself. Why is this so hard to achieve for others?
HB MK, 80000th November 10, 2011
First, please let me say HB to MK. Well, MK is not a regular reader of is blog, so I'll just be brief here.
There's one thing that deserves celebration even more. MK's bday is his personal triumph, but for Anzyme readers, the 80000th visit this site achieved on Nov 9 is a collective effort, so we have every reason to celebrate. Please let me say a since thanks to all my readers here. I would like to know who's the 80000th though.. Anyone?
Annual dinner, weekend November 6, 2011
I've always thought there's no value going to dental annual dinner; after all, I'm not so fond of the Dental Society. Nevertheless I still went to my final year's annual dinner, partly due to pressure from friends, partly in a bid to support my friends in year 4, who are the organizers of this dinner.
It wasn't that bad. The venue was more spacious than last year's, the food wasn't as bad, the programme was not as demanding and noisy (considering last year when we had lots of games), and, most importantly, I got a prize from lucky draw for the first time in history. I went to annual dinner in year 1 and 4, but never had I got anything from the lucky draw - absolutely nothing, not even a $30 cash prize (which indeed existed). But last Friday night, I got a $150 broadway movie coupon! I'll consider this a big discount of the ticket prize.
While the dinner had not much to enjoy, I did enjoy having a chance to chat with some friends. I didn't take many photos, because, as you all know, I'm not so fond of taking portraits. But there's one photo I'm most excited about - Jen gave me the opportunity to take photo with Apollonian Committee members, past, present and future. More people showed up than I expected. I guess this single photo would make this dinner worth attending.
And what's the best way of calling it a night? Alcohol! Out of nowhere a bottle of whisky popped out and our class shared that bottle of whisky. The intense effect of liquour just elevated our (or at least my) mood and so the night perfectly ended.
* * *
My weekend was spent in a much more subtle manner, yet being still enjoyable. For the first time in years, I didn't have to tutor F.3 Math on weekend, and I could finally have time to do things in a less stressed emotional state. Since the reason that I'm no longer teaching is to save time for studying, I kept that promise to myself and went to PCC to study in the afternoon. It was uneventful, and efficient. I was able to read the whole journal H. Ho recommended, with time to spare. The feeling of being able to finally start studying is good. I should do that more often. And on Sunday morning I also did the same, studying at PCC for three hours. That three hours were probably the most efficient in months. I studied oral cancer, and I feel good about myself. Why is it that people (like my hallmates) have all the mid term now and exam in December but still won't start studying, while I won't have exam until June but I already study so hard? Have they ever thought about equipping themselves to make a dent in the universe?
The grand design November 3, 2011
Stephen Hawking uses the most fundamental physics principles to advocate that there's no such thing as a grand design. His theory is based on quantum physics, and it makes sense because at the beginning, right before the big bang, every single mass within this universe was converged at a very very small point, so small that it was at the quantum scale; therefore what happened right after the big bang (when it was still as small as in the quantum scale) could be explained in quantum physics. In quantum physics, there are multiple possibilities of an event, and so it could be that there had been many attempts of a big bang which failed, until there was one that had the right set of physics in it, which evolved to the world we see today. He believes there was no being who created those rules; rather it's nature which decided that those rules work.
While Stephen Hawking may be correct in explaining the origin of the universe, I still believe everything is planned. Why? Because there're so many things seemingly impossible in life, which, under the right time and circumstances, occur so spontaneously, rapidly and intensely that we're not able to resist. God must be out there and have planned each person's drama. Some people are born comedians, leading happy lives because they always feel good about themselves. Some, like me, are born to live a complex life. Whatever is planned by us, ultimately it has to be approved by God before we execute that plan. Likewise, the most impossible things are still bound to happen should God have written that in the script. This is not a complaint; rather, I am grateful for some of my recent happenings, which gave me confidence that love still exists in this world.
One more thing. Steve has passed away for nearly a month. It's time to move on. But we'll still remember Steve.
November November 2, 2011
It's November. Really? It doesn't feel like November, at least not in terms of weather. Average temperature at noon is above 25C. How November is this? It's more July than November! But let's forget about this..
Life has changed a lot, again, recently. I'm going through more emotional hardships, but I'm also keep experiencing something different. Yes, final year is meant to be different. It's time to sit back and enjoy life.
PS There were (79548-78327) 1221 visits in October, or 40.7 visits per day. That's a good number. Thanks. AND, should anyone become the 80000th visitor, please let me know.
