Sunday, March 30, 2008

My siblings gave me my first 20th birthday present and it turned out to be Barack Obama's autobiography The Audacity of Hope ! My whole family knows I'm an Obama girl, supporting him all the way till he becomes the 44th President of America!!!!

I can't get to lay my hands on the book, but I've got to finish my project. With the big fat 20 looming in the background, it feels like the start of a new leg in life.

More running to do. Pants..

Posted by jieyi at 10:35 PM

Friday, March 21, 2008

On politics and race

It is time to digress away from all the personal thoughts that I had expressed previously and into an area of interest for me - politics.

I had just heard and read one of the best speeches, I could claim, in the 21st century. Illinois senator Barack Obama's latest speech has been absolutely inspiring for me. It was in Philadelphia that he gave his speech in response to the recent controversy about his former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Reverend Wright had incited racial/hate remarks during his sermons that threatens Obama's campaign.

In his speech, Obama addresses racial issues, something that many politicians would avoid, because it is tricky. And it is because of its trickiness that makes me want to applaud his courage and strength in attempting to tackle this seemingly insurmountable task. America is a nation that is deeply racist, divided and diverse, but there are people like Obama who want to heal such divisions. Beyond economic problems, foreign relations, health care and employment, there is a political candidate in our modern times who is acknowledging the deep racial divide half way through his political campaign.

He did not blame his pastor nor bigoted whites. He did not blame Americans for their institutionalizing discrimination against the Blacks. It was not a blame game as many politicians are always playing. He knows the problem, and expresses his desire to heal the rift, the deep gap in between your race and my race, between us and them, because of his love for his country. He is asking Americans to stand up and face this endemic problem that has never left the country. His speech is timeless, just like JFK and Martin Luther King. And my favourite sentence from him:

It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.

Asian countries should take a leaf out of American's book. For us, race is also a problem plaguing the region. Just to quote a few examples: Indonesian Chinese are not allowed to register their own surnames in their official identity cards, the Muslims in Southern Thailand are institutionally discriminated and many more.

And from myself to Singapore: If race is a very important issue in Singapore, and must be dealt with care and sensitivity, all the more that it should be discussed openly and freely. If engaging in racial topics are only appropriate when the government permits, we are not inevitably not going to progress towards a truly harmonious society. Personally, I have never understood why are we divided along the lines of CIMO (Chinese-Indian-Malay-Others). So who are the OTHERS? Do we want to be a divisive society that emphasizes on our racial differences, or do we want to work towards a united Singapore society. If the government is unwilling to be more open about racial topics, deeming it as something taboo, the division will run deep and ultimately cause fractions in our country. (Ops, I don't really know if this is considered racist, because I do not want to be convicted as the next 'racists blogger' under the seditious act. If anyone thinks this is, please warn me! But this is definitely my own personal reflection)

Obama is truly very very inspirational. He is my hero.

Posted by jieyi at 11:33 PM

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

I think I such a fool!!!!!

Why waste the money to apply for that!!!!

Jie Yi is such a silly silly silly donkey!!!

I know that I will regret what I am doing right now, to plunge money down this abyss.

But I am more afraid of regretting the fact that I did not try hard enough.

Oh my gosh, I am in such a contradictory position. SEE JIE YI, that is all that you are going to waste your time and effort on. NO MORE THAN THIS LIMIT. IT'S TOO MUCH.

Posted by jieyi at 11:49 PM

Sometimes, you know that it is wrong for you to continue on taking this path. Yes, you know that it is WRONG to sink you money in something that has extremely low returns and probably would fail. I am such a stubborn girl, refusing to stop trying. Trying is really tough, especially when you try really hard but end up with nothing. I know I need to pull the hand brakes, but only after this try. Just let me be willful and a money waster this time.

Just one more time.

Posted by jieyi at 12:32 PM

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Hello everybody,

Please ignore what I had been saying for the past few months.

It was all a farce.

In fact just some nonsense that I had sprouted to lie everyone.

WHAM

Posted by jieyi at 11:04 PM

Friday, March 07, 2008

I feel really good right now because I think I do need some encouragements.

Zinzan® says:
i hope and i want u to go to UNC
Zinzan® says:
u will show me around and bring me to a basketball game will u?
jie[cherrios] - best bet: UNC. says:
definitely!!!!

And to Choy!
And to Mr Kwa too!

There are so many possibilities out there. Maybe a lot of times, it is just how much we really want to make things happen.