Hey there avid readers,

Sorry i have not been posting for quite awhile. Nothing has been of particular interest and I have been studying quite hard you see. Well, at least more than previously for the latter. So now I have decided to do a quick little post just to let you guys know that this blog is not being abandoned! Nor is it going to end up at the SPCB. [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Blogs] Hah it sounds so much better when its for the animals. :/ Alright, so I just glanced at my teacher's announcement online about the geog test happening next week and even though he is giving us hints so explicitly, the amount of stuff i have to study and regurgitate next monday is pretty horrendous. Its a good thing I spent my entire day going through 3 chapters of geog today... or not. Apparently I simply read through those 3 short chapters and went about with my daily slackerzoid routine.

Next up, I read this email that I got from my friend who moved to Australia a few years ago. Apparently it was a speech some guy gave at a recent NTU convocation ceremony. It was a pretty long speech, so I'll paraphrase for him and give you the gist of it. Generally, he told the graduates: "Don't work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone." Yes, it sounds really.. weird. But hey, after reading it I kinda got his meaning. Heres an excerpt about the part on 'Love Someone'. [Kinda expected of me already eh? To choose this out of the four. Well, regrettably, its not because I'm some loveydovey mushy guy or something but because I felt that this part had much meaning, and it brings with it a new point of view on love.] Go ahead:

The other side of the coin is this: fall in love.

I didn't say 'be loved'. That requires too much compromise. If one changes one's looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone.

Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false. Modern society is anti-love. We've taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It is far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work - the only kind of work that I find palatable.

Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness. In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way. We learn the truth worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul.

Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn't happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.

You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.

You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you.

Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don't, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

Yup so thats about it for today. A nice little post just to keep this blog alive and of course not forgetting to keep you readers alive too. (:

Joshua.