Come Come Paradise

*Edit - Fake. GAWDDAMMIT!!!!

Seriously I want to kill the idiot who invented money; it's becoming an annoying necessity in today's society. Sure, it's a way to trade and all, but if it wasn't for money, we wouldn't be wasting half of our lifetimes just trying to keep up. And it has become an unnatural obsession for many people; leading many to corruption, greed, blah blah blah.

And the examination system... I believe that education is important; but I think that people should study because of personal interest and exploration, and not because we're all pressured to ace every fucking subject in the exams, be "graded" like we're chicken eggs going through quality checks. So what if you suck at history? So what if you weren't built to calculate? So what if you were awarded an "A" in just arts, or physical education? Isn't the examination system a way to see what you're good at, and help you decide what you should pursue? If you get an "A" in science, then you should probably contribute to the world of science. If you get an "A" for geography, then maybe you were meant to be a geologist. If you get an "A" for English, maybe you were meant to tell great stories to the world in the best possible fashion. And if you get an "A" in arts, then maybe you were destined to paint beautiful pictures for the world to appreciate. But today's society generally believes that if you can't ace every subject, you're doomed. It's almost as if the original idea behind having examinations is now forgotten.

All that stupid memorising and pressure to pass the examinations, for what? Theory isn't everything, yet today's education system is almost entirely testing our ability to apply formulae to theory, and not real-world scenarios. Very often, a complex real-world problem is reduced to an equation, and students are expected to solve just the equation and never to understand the whole scenario.

And what about people who have other skills, like music, art, and cooking? Okay so there are courses on those but they're generally classified as things people resort to if they can't do well in studies. But seriously, what is wrong with wanting to pursue art?

My own parents were upset at me when I said I wanted to pursue arts and design, and I ended up hating the university education I went through. Don't get my wrong, I liked my life as a university student, but I was reluctant to learn things that I had no real interest in. What's the use if you don't like what you're about to do for almost the rest of your life? Why should anyone decide for you what to pursue in life? What's wrong with liking something different?

And the worst thing was that I was good at studies. I easily absorbed most of the subjects in school, and because of that, I think that my parents expected me to become a doctor, or an engineer, or an accountant, or (insert occupation with high salary here). So what if I can become a doctor if I want to? So what if I'd make a good engineer? So what if I can balance every balance sheet? I DON'T WANT TO!

And what about those who may not be good in studies, but are good in sports? What about those who are physically gifted? Isn't it nature's plan for the strong and agile to hunt, and for the mentally gifted ones to create, strategise and make better decisions? Wouldn't it be better if we all supported each other in our own unique ways instead of murdering each other in the corporate world? Everyone is gifted in their own way, and I believe that everyone can contribute to the society in their own way.

Since when were we governed by all these ridiculous standards? Is this the cost of civilisation?

• Go on a trip to Bangkok, and travel around Europe.
• Spend more time with my friends and family in Malaysia. And I want to spend more time with my dogs, too.
• Get myself a Mac (waiting for the new Macbooks, to be announced this September).
• Compile a portfolio; both online and printed.
• Create a design blog of some sort with Edo and Ugendran, and use it as my online portfolio.
• Spend more time with my friends and family in Melaka.
• Learn Flash & Dreamweaver.
• Start doing creative works as an individual and a team (with Edo and Ugendran), and get ourselves recognised.
• Print my own T-shirts (not for clients, but for myself).

My biggest hurdles here are saving up for the Macbook and finding the time and motivation to do all that. But I believe that when I finally get my hands on a Macbook, I'll be able to experience the passion I used to have when I was working on my own design projects before I got my job in Singapore.

Getting myself a Macbook may not be on top of my list, but it's probably the pivot point. This is a hurdle I cannot wait to cross. Because I believe my goals lie ahead of it. When I get a Macbook, I can compile a portfolio, create an online portfolio, get people to notice my works, and earn some extra cash, so that I don't have to worry about money anymore.

Upon reaching Malacca, I felt a whole lot better. Even my girlfriend's gastric went away completely, after trying to shake it off for a fortnight. My annoying flu went away overnight, and all that frustration that's been building up from overworking just vanished. Yup. The 10 days off work seems to be worth it already... 10 days of freedom; 10 days away from that dreadful island; 10 days of life.

It's yamcha time!!!

And I still have no idea what Blizzard Entertainment is up to.

Lots of speculations, lots of "clues" that really lead to nothing like the splash screen, the hidden images that form this image, the image filenames (the "Lost" numbers), the formation of a pentagram when the 5 symbols on the splash image are connected, the evil eyes in the splash image, blah blah blah...

I can't wait until they finally make the announcement.

*Edit - It's Diablo III