Use-value

What is the use-value of anything? Why do people ascribe use-values to things that should not bear that? To feel secure? to feel that in life there is a tangible target, a defineable goal?

I think living is not like playing an RPG game.

I didn't ask to be born, i was born. And so i was brought up and so here i am. If there has to be responsibility to my parents and family, i guess to me it's all inborn. I do not have to carry that responsibility because it is there, a part of me. I would not let my family down not when i darn well can do something about it. And i expect that from my parents too. It's a mutually beneficial materialist relationship made palatable with love, care and concern.

But that doesn't mean i've to take my work, employment, pay, responsibilities and all the rest of it as badges of honour. I live for myself and not for putting all these peripherals that add up to sum, a sum that is not Me.

Call me solipsistic, but I feel that in life, that is how the cookie crumbles. If we all steep into materialism, we end up placing use-values on job, employment, friends, family and even the things we see and do. On the subject of jobs and employment... I think if I do love my job it's a bonus, if not, that is how i get cash to eat and to discharge the abovementioned responsibilities. I am chained; we are all by virtue of our existence, but does it mean that we have to go on and love those chains. There is really nothing glamorous about making a living, many people would say. How many believe it really, instead of saying it in a nonchalant way that boosts the use-value of their job? a job that is REALLY important but is modestly understated?

It's not the responsibilities, nor is it the sense of accomplishment when we succeed that is paramount (though accomplishments are important), but perhaps we can do the proverbial "smell the flowers" along the road we call life. A friend once mentioned school-goers should appreciate the school days because working life is heavy, important, it's a living and so on. Term for term, the use-value of education comes to the fore. If a job is important then the education that opens doors to that kind of job should in fact be more important and stressful, being a do-or-die kind of thing. Does it mean the freedom and by implication niceness we have in school ends up being terminated in work? all good things come to an end with work, and with only work as pure pride and joy? Running the logic to the ground, well then life is a pure rat race indeed, starting from birth and ending up with an accounting at the end of how much use-value is accumulated? who are we comparing with?

I am guilty of ascribing use-values too, but i try to look beyond. the mundane has to exist for reality to go on and "normality" to persist. wake up and smell the coffee, and appreciate the coffee and not the brand, the price or the rarity of it. wake up cos you have the sense to smell the coffee, the sight to see the most absurd stuff, and every senses working in unison for one to see beyond the mundane. Today i saw a paper cup on the floor with a face smiling at me and the sun was shining on it in a way which is quite quirkily pretty, and so i saw that. no one will know if i do not tell. and no use-value is ascribed to it. I do hate alot and very deeply (some will know) the people who did me immense wrong and harm Hatred makes me alive, I run on it and it has no real use-value. I just like it. If the fucker I hate ends up dead along bukit timah road, i'll laugh my head off and make a big cuppa to celebrate, though i know he is a nice guy yadda yadda. Life is ugly. Everyone is in some way, even me. What is your poison then, and does it have a use-value? Probably NO. but are you able to negotiate and tell yourself that?

So why love the things that chain us to mundane banality? and not those that fall off the mundane and brings one to realise there is something absurd, random and funny out in a shitty life?

That is how I will live. how about you?

Voices of a Distant Star

What would one do if one's messages takes longer and longer to reach one's love? In the midst of war and interstellar travel, perhaps the only endearing thing is this- that blind faith, hope and love can exist in a world where modern communication fails. Two hearts beat as one. Nice OVA by Makoto Shinkai: Voices of a Distant Star









Enjoy.

Brain-less Fun

Hey Jean. Where is the Redang slideshow huh? I beat you to it. I did MTV ok. No doubt a bit noob and really late but who cares. Got music somemore. Forever sunshiney, forever us man.

PRESENTING NYJC 2002 CLASS OF 1A1 (what is left)... HOT IN REDANG!!!

Full

Well just to post a short one...

This week has been a hellish week! 3 essays due...

But it has been a rather fun week too. Went with Fishee to watch "How to Become Myself" at the Japanese Film Festival. WELL! The female leads are SUPER pretty and have class. And the story is meaningful and humourous. How i wish the Singapore Film project for my module can turn up something like that (yea right).

Rather full now from Seoul Gardens with the A1 gang. Special mention to Mao, thanks for the cool shirt and yea man, take a GOOD break that you deserve and may you find a fulfilling, fun and high-paying job soon.

FREE FOR A WHILE FROM PAPERS AND WORK!!!
yeap. suddenly life looks more hopeful.

Stress.

This is it man. I am bursting with... angst?

Writing an essay on short stories written by angsty female writers is one thing... Trying to wrack my brain and see things from their perspective... and take part in some patriarchal society bashing is another...

Ok. nevermind. Got distracted by two nice clips.

INTRODUCING BRAINLESS, EYE POPPING ACTION and FUN! James Bond and Tokyo Drift!





Enjoy!

How to Die in the Army (when gf dumps you)

Well, since Weixian was so nice as to point my attention to a rather nice podcast by mr brown , i shall share a little on the topic on how to die in the army in the event your girlfriend dumps you. Based on a real life account.

Letter to a Suicidal Soldier:

Dear Soldier,

Once upon a blue baboon, an ex-RJcian (ex-CHS) tried to commit suicide while he was in the army. Some armour unit. Now some things for said guy to note ah... and for you all budding suicidal soliders out there. Don't say yea older sergeant never share with you...

1) If you want to die in camp, do not call the girl and ask how many pills to eat to KO. Just eat everything you have, to be sure. Panadols do not kill my dear smart friend, at most you get kidney failure and become the poster boy for a joint IMH-NKF charity show if there is one in the future.

2) Do not call and cry and tell the whole world you wanna commit suicide. Walking around the carpark or some deserted garage doesn't point to the fact that you wanna die, just the fact that you don't want people to see you cry like a guniang. Nobody drives a Bionix at night, even if they do, which driver wanna run you down? So beat it already.

3) Do not hang up the phone time and time again. Try suiciding with good manners. Tell said guy a little secret... It may really be the DO calling you you know? Like for example it could be yea olde ORDed sergeant here who called people to come looking for you high and low?

4) Have some decency to admit you sorta slept in the DO room cos the officer was scared you may just die... of crying, if not shame. Two choose one.

So Dear fellow Sergeant, having been foiled of a tremendous effort at trying to die, why not just really die? Pills, tears, shame and all won't kill you. Why not try jumping out of your house window? (maybe it's only two stories, but land head first!).

WELL it may be old news, but what the hell, ye olde sergeant here really regretted persuading a friend not to go down and personally start some formal charges. Sia suay. Said guy is now happily out, roaming the world and getting his ass to UK for studies. I've seen many perceived 'lower class' hokkien pengs with more guts than you...

So kids, if you want to die in camp, remember what to do ok?

Or you can just bring a rifle to orchard road during guard duty...

Best of Luck!
YE OLDE 3SG (NS) HUANG

TADA

Alrite. Went to the nuStudio film screening on wed. 3 short films which are quite quirky and entertaining. The 2 friends with me were more than interesting too. Ate at Holland.

"Essential Brew"

One day i'll look like this... Ok TRY to spot the similarity...


At least the shirt's similar. A first staggering step. Now perhaps i won't try to shave and always look dazed and wistful...

Ok enough of dreaming.

Nice Advert for Mac



Good night!

Japanese Films

Well Japanese films rarely get recognition in Singapore. It took a few modules in film studies to open my eyes to the lyrical beauty, simple and natural style of Japanese cinema.

Japanese Film Fest 07 is here... I'm going to a couple of screenings and i definitely do not mind any company.

Most of the films are free, but for the payable screenings at 11 bucks per film (bit steep huh), see here.

3 'payable' films i hope to catch are (taken from the webby, link's above):

How to Become Myself (PG), 20 Sep 07, Thu, 7.30pm

A story of how two girls struggle to define their individual identities in modern Japanese society. "[Director Ichikawa Jun] has a keen eye for the moments of truth or flashes of beauty that suggest a larger, transcendent reality."

Life can be so Wonderful (M18), 23 Sep 07, Sunday, 4.30pm

5 stories of solitude and melancholy which capture the quiet beauty of everyday life in Japan - an aging nude model, an alcoholic, a young woman's ambivalence, an astronomer and his girlfriend's pregnancy, and a lonely travel agent.

Moon & Cherry (R21), 23 Sep 07, Sunday, 7.30pm

A sassy movie about a student who joins his university's obscure erotic writing club, and ventures into a game of sexual cat and mouse with the only female member, who is really using him to aid her writing. "Noriko Eguchi, one of the most remarkable and exceptional actresses that Japanese cinema has had the privilege to entertain in years."

If there be any interest in the above three, i know japanese arthouse is not for everyone, contact me asap so i can book and we go together okay...kaaaay...kaaayyy (echoes into nothingness)

Lost n Found

These few days i've been staring either into air, at the tutor or at PMS-sy writing...

Nothing much to talk about, much less show on the blog...

BUT today i had some interesting company. Took part in some amazing race, courtesy of Liangyi. It was madness running from serangoon, to amk, to bishan, to tpy and then finally to macritchie and back to serangoon... Tiring but fun. We got into a pseudo-tie with another group. First (tied and then later second-ed) in the race ok. Bunch of old folks and we can get first (the other group were pri and sec sch girls...) Like i said, LY, it's the brotherhood, fraternity and universal love that counts right? Pictures later.

Great fun in all. Random stuff are indeed fun.

Oh ya. For people who love the 881 song, and of cos dedicated to the bunch of mad crap people i ran around with today...FRATERNITY REMEMBER?