Lessons of Life: part I
An imporatant leisure time activity for me is: retrospection. I like to look back at events in my life, particularly the nasty ones. No, I'm not a sadist. Looking back at such events, I find, teaches me some of the most invaluable lessons I have learnt in my life.
Portions of my blog would be devoted to these "lessons of life", with the hope that when things go wrong I can see through these entries and perhaps guage what went wrong...
"what do you care what other people say of you"
Last year, during our rather sleepy Social Psychology lecture, I learnt the reason behind this statement and a dozen or so of my pains... "We shape our self concept based on what others have to say about us".
Now thats a really dangerous situation.
I realized through a rather unmemorable experience that most people usually bitch more than praise you, so if you were to listen to people you would probably end up feeling like a sore loser with few strengths and more weaknesses.
But I LEARNT that such people are the BIGGEST losers, for their happiness lies not in their own accomplishments but in putting down others, maligning others and all that has to do with these "others". They may have more money than you, much better grades than you, a happy family life..but unfortunately god forgot to teach them that happiness lies inside you..not outside. So they continue to seek it through external means like being unforgiving to people with certain weaknesses and marring their existance.
So if you are feeling let down by SUCH characters..fret not. They may paint a different portrait of you to the world, but would that really alter WHO YOU ARE? Never...so just take such people and their barbs, in your stride.. because truth cannot be shrouded for long. Sooner or later people will notice the REAL you.
Unfortunately for these people, with all their wrong, one time notions...things will not get good because in your improvement lies their downfall.So be it. period.
Disclaimer: The people I speak of are those who I have witnessed in the entire two decade span of my life, not just at one specific time. So this lesson has been replicated several times over and there is no potential for the opposite to be true...

When Things Go Wrong
"Have I not reason to lament what man has made of man"
-W. Wordsworth
Now that newswriting is over, I quite strangely find myself peering at the paper more frequently..testimony to my incredulous knack for turning to stuff at the wrong moment...
But thats not the point...I WILL NEVER MISQUOTE WORDSWORTH....
All this destruction around the world...innocent bystanders: children, women and men finding themselves in the midst of violence and death, stabs my senses. The Straits Times may not publish gory pictures but news coverage on CNN, BBC often shows images of crying babies and bloody bodies. The gore is unbelievable and in the security of my peaceful, undisturbed world, I feel the words of wordsworth (literally words worth) resonating in the fertile soil of my mind.
As if Bush's ambush hadn't been enough, Iraq is now slipping into a civil war. Sri Lanka can't seem to make peace between its civilians and tigers, Lebonon and Israel are in such a sensitive position that the ceasefire may cease anytime, for a fresh spate of bombings and more lives lost. The dawn of the new millenium has just made human life so much more ephemeral and worst of all: the blame rests with us.
People, said Dumbledore in the famed Harry Potter series, tend to pursue just those things that are most dangerous for them: Too much power and too much money. Read: too much. In this pursuit they lose sense of stuff that makes up the bigger picture within which vests their own portrait. Destroying each other just destroys the whole picture...
If your environment is unhealthy, there is disease, deforestation, destitution and death the ultimate price would be paid by you. The suffering you see or worse inflict on others, in most instances comes back to you.
Both religious fiction and real world fact prove my point.
So start today. Help out in your own small way. Instead of wasting away your time slacking to glory: Volunteer: give your time and effort for the bigger societal cause, love those who love you:unconditionally, appreciate things that deserve appreciation..try make those frowning SMILE...
You won't get money, but you'll get self respect. Your act maybe small but it may have big returns. Start ASAP...
We all want things to change for the better, but quoting Gandhi
Be the change you want to see in the world.....

God's ultimate creation:an inside story on what went wrong..
Ok..so I was just wondering..how God must have felt when he created MAN: the ultimate creation. He can fend for himself and even procreate his kind!
GOD MUST HAVE BEEN DAMN EXCITED! Really, considering the exaggerated state of happiness I sink into, whenever I do a relatively mediocre piece of work...he must have been super kicked with his creation of man...considering he started off with..JELLYFISH:!
But in his excitement he made mistakes..as all of us do in that HIGH phase..he must have been so eager to perfect Adam, Eve and their progeny that he over spent his resources..and now he was left with few resources..till the replenishment came...that is the existing people died off and he could re stock...ok..thats gross...but lets continue my story...
So in order to stretch his resources to the best he made an inventory of existing stock in terms of their quantity...
He realised that the essence of man was lacking..there was a dirth of brains, character and beauty(strictly external)...:( sigh..he must have felt really SAD.
Anyways, you always need to make do with what you have...as even god says.."I help those who help themselves"...so now the pieces (men and women) were made to FIT THE BILL literally..so there were people who were ravishing but lacking in brains/character..then there were those who had amazing brains but lacking in character/beauty and there were those who had character but lacked brains/beauty...wah..so sad la...and thats how it is that "nobody can ever have the best of everything"..coz all this cost cutting made god a bit miserly and even after replenishing he continued making men and women this way...ofcourse there were generous instances when people got 2/3 of these ingredients..but most people were a 1...and that continues..
This is just a theory..however I have seen it in fact so often that now I believe it may "hold water"..how about a significance check...hehe

REDEMPTION etc..
So finally my papers are over..was a bit displeased with my performance in advertising..could have done way better..with the definite chance of an A..but heck! Whats gone is gone..I just hope my overall GPA this sem touches a 3..But I can admit that this semester was a rich learning experience for me. I learnt more than I did in any other sem and that would be it for my memoirs from this semester=)
Going onto holidays..I've pledged to myself that I would be more productive and currently my kitty is full of stuff to keep me engrossed for the next month and half: there is my student writer job, swimming lessons (yickes!I'm scared of drowning...), web design practise..I S*** at some things and this happens to be one of them..so why not use the holidays to make myself more pro at it...if not upto standard, music classes and arty routines..haha..Fer..I'm still up for our 'painting-the-orchids' sojourn to the Botanical gardens..basically lotsa stuff to look forward to:)..I am one happy girl at the moment.
Enough of mindless chatter...from now on this blog shall feature some intellectual entries based on my dozen or so readings during these holidays!
See ya!
Meghaa

SIGH..
sorry if that topic sounds stupid..but thats really how I'm feeling right now with all the cramming-for-exams: Media research methods and ADVERTISING...the latter is WORSE.
Media research methods, a module thats a nuisance to most people, is thankfully not the same for me. I like it..yah! go ahead call me WIERD..but really I seem to have grasped its essence..and maybe I could owe it to our lecturer: Ms. Sussane Chan. Maybe its just the FEEL GOOD factor. She was my interviewer, when I got into NP and I guess that always makes things more special..besides during the course of this sem, the good feel just got better..Otherwise who would have thought that I: the perpetual techno cave: could have managed to survive SPSS and that too with flying colours..haha! Sometimes its just support that one needs, to feel more confident about things. Sad to say that it doesn't always come by, so you just need to KNOW how to pave your way.
Wonder why I'm doing everything else except studying..like updating this blog which is SO dimunitive, among the millions out there in Cyber space...OK I think I better get back to studying before my mind starts wondering off again..
Oh oh..just need to add in two more things about my blessings entry (see above)
My parents have been placed as #9 and 10..sad that we sometimes undermine things that are most supreme..so well let me say that they are and will always remain TOP BILL..
#11: The TWO letters I sent, one print and one online, that the ST published!
Cheers
Meg

Sometimes we just need to count our blessings
I have heard this line nearly a zillion times, counting from childhood...and really this ain't a hyperbole.
Now about following it, well...hmmm....I've tried my best. I don't usually take advice for granted, especially when it comes from people I respect. But let me just put it this way, while I'm happy...quite happy, about my life and don't have many regrets..I would say that maybe having too many comforts ain't for good. YOU STOP COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS....or worse still YOU DON'T SEE THE BLESSINGS..
My life had a turning point which really got me following this advice seriously. Even today when I feel let down by moi grades, friends or by myself..*touch wood its rarely*..I do just the same...So now with the exams approaching, grades being distributed (I know many out there fretting over a horrendous ad analysis!)...just count the GOOD moments you've had over this semester and SMILE....
Will wrap up with a list of things..or better still, happenings that I consider blessings..
#1: Mistunderstandings that got resolved
#2: People who I can now consider good friends..
#3: A person I now consider a REALLY good friend: Shaheen, love you yah!
#4: My MM group:Fer, Winnie, Fiz and Cal...thanks a bunch people:)
#5: My MM grades...hopefully the same follows for the rest of the subjects..
#6: For all those who have 'complimented me behind my back'..(haha)..thanks a lot. I feel really happy about it..just a bit 'paiseh'(I'm trying to use singlish for shy) to actually thank you in person..haha
#7: For some teachers who were really swell...
#8: For my newswriting group that produced a really good newspaper and put my story on the cover page:)...that paper will remain with me forever..or lets just say..TILL TIME PERMITS...haha
#9: For my mom who is the BEST COOK in the world and thanks to whom I'm this plump, chubby, SINGLE girl..haha...nonetheless...
#10: For my dad, who can be most annoying at times but who has the best intellect in my knowledge and thanks to whom I stay in a FAB place near town...hahaha...
Will sign off...with that list...btw..its tentative...because new things come up every moment...
Love
Meghaa

Mass Comm Magic
So now I shall begin posting my entries on MOI life in Ngee Ann (NP) mass communication a.k.a. Mass comm.
But before I begin in true spirit, let me introduce to any neophytes, my take on this course: Its really the best you can get in Singapore and this is a factual statement.
Two years back, when I came into Sg, new to its education system et al and the only thing I knew was that I wanted to do Mass comm, I researched, and this statement comes from the results of my research.
These days Singapore has a lot of Mass comm options in poly's like Temasek and SP but NP mass comm is the oldest and most comprehensive mass communication course in SINGAPORE.
Our Staff and facilities are among the best you can get and really if you have any semblance of DRIVE in you, you can learn here what you will not learn anywhere else..and PUHLEAZE I'm not being a sychphant, just doing a reality check.
Personally, the thing that really got me impressed was NP's Special admissions exercise. It was the only poly that tested people not on their skills in Maths and science, that you'll not really need in this line, but rather it tested people on writing and GK. This was followed by an interesting interview. Basically it gauged people on their potential in this field and not on their academic standards...Thats why I'm here. Not that I'm non academic...NO..definitely not, for all you know I've been doing rather well for exams...haha...but really these are Mass comm exams not Maths or science...
A 2005 issue of LIME magazine states that NP mass comm "is notoriously difficult to get into"...this keeps it open only to the best and hence many mass commers claim themselves as ELITE..hmm...I guess we can allow ourselves a bit of vanity...=P...Its also GLAMOUROUS..but thats just the way this line is...You may even find yourself in CELEB company!
So if you have THE life and find that GOSSIP is your mannah, Mass comm may just be your thing. But even if you're a simple person...with a passion in life, willingness to work hard, strive and have the creative elements in place...you'll still find a place for yourself here.period. Just need to ignore those whose tongues wobble too much...haha
Its a LIVE soap opera with a plethora of characters. But as I've realised recently: its not all bad. Yes! It can get MEAN...but where do you NOT find such people...the good thing though is that more than mean people, you'll find talented people..and if you get the chance and scratch the surface, you might find people who can really teach you a lot...
Ever since this positive aspect of mass comm has struck me, thanks to a few good people, I've decided to put my writing skills in place and document the positive experiences in mass comm. for future reference.
Will sign off on that positive note..expect optimistic entries, no maligning and gossiping on this blog..period..
Love
Meg

Introductions are never easy..especially for a person like moi, who can WRITE 19 to a dozen on ANYTHING..almost..hehe
But I'd still try and summarize my being in 10 points
#1: Techno cave learning to be techno mod
#2: But will still remain a novice..hehe
#3: Sensitive sentimentalist (you can expect some soapy stuff)
#4: Lover of literature and philosophy
#5: Passionate about music and painting
#6: Always brain before brawn
#7: Committed to people, causes....basically committed
#8: Wierd..some people who have recently realised this..keep mentioning it.."Megha*2..." "ur wierd but the nicely wierd"..haha...
#9: Family>friends>others...
#10: Academically oriented, but still finds herself in the mixed world of Mass comm..haha...and hopefully doing well.
Thats for an intro. If you like what you see, hope to catch you soon....
PS: Nice comments PLEASE...I'm too sentimental to take taunts..if you hate me and wanna bitch till can die..keep it verbal..
With Love
Megha...a.k.a Meg/Megs