Book of the (Rabbit) Year of the Day: Watership Down.

Wed, 2 Feb 2011
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Rawr!

So there was a Lunar New Year performance in school today, and something that one of the emcees (Dilys) said made me recall a memory from a long time ago.

I can’t remember what her exact line was, but it had to do with rabbits – it being the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese Lunar calendar.

In any case, the thing that came to mind was… Watership Down!

Is that a duck or a rabbit?

Yes, ladies and gents: since this is a Rabbit year and this is one of my most favourite books of all time, you must read Watership Down.

I’m not too sure why it left such an impact on me, but from what I remember of my callous and misspent youth, I read the text when I was much younger and more impressionable.

This, along with the fact that I practically devoured almost all of Stephen King’s books before I entered Primary Six, is why I turned out the way I am today.

I kid. (But I’m serious about the reading Stephen King bit.)

Jokes aside, Watership Down is a really great book that is not for the faint-hearted, as you can see from the screenshot from the film which is right at the top of this post.

But besides violence and gore, there’s also romance, religion, ethics, etc. – in other words, there’s something for everyone (except the Goths).

So make sure you read the book, even if it’s the only book you read this year. Then, and only then, will you be able to say that you have led a fulfilling life.

Or, at least, until I say so,

Happy Lunar New Year!

"My heart has joined the Thousand" tattoo.

What’s so significant about having a place to stand?

Sun, 9 Jan 2011
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This is a question from Formspring that deserves a blog post to itself, much like the one about the point of learning literature.

For context, I often use the line “All I need is a place to stand” in the About Me portions of my social networking pages.

The question of “What’s so significant about having a place to stand?” comes from a student who wants to know why I place so much importance on the above-mentioned phrase.

Before I explain, though, I’d like all of you to read the following pages before coming back here:

Now, Archimedes was a mathematician who is believed to have said, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth”.

This is with reference to the law of the lever, where one can use a small effort to move a great load, so long as the distance between the effort and the fulcrum is sufficiently longer than that between the load and the fulcrum.

However, we can also interpret “move” as a metaphor to mean ‘affect in an inspirational manner’ – something which Archimedes’s findings have done for the world.

Therefore, I am leveraging on (pun intended) Archimedes’s metaphor to explain my own ambitions in life; ideally, I’d like to do what Archimedes has done and change the world with a small idea one day.

Before I can do that, however, I need to find a niche or an area in which I can make a difference. Once I find this niche/area, I know I’ll be good to go.

Hence, “[a]ll I need is a place to stand”.

TL;DR: Don’t be a lazy shit – just read the damn post.

Alternative measures needed to curb motorcycle fatalities.

Mon, 8 Nov 2010
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Dear Madam/Sir,

I REFER to Mr Peter Heng’s letter (“Act tough to curb motorcycle fatalities”, Nov 3).

I acknowledge that speeding motorcyclists and reckless riders have contributed to the high fatality rate for motorcyclists on Singapore roads.

As with any issue, however, it takes two hands to clap.

Dangerous driving is also a major factor in the deaths of motorcyclists on the road.

I have been a rider for six years and have both seen and experienced two main instances of dangerous driving that have resulted in accidents:

  • Intimidation, where lorries and buses tailgate riders unnecessarily e.g. when riders are already in the leftmost lane, and
  • Callousness, where cars cut into lanes of riders at exceedingly fast speeds and at angles which are too close for comfort.

Unfortunately, motorcyclists have no means of redress or protection from these actions.

Mr Heng’s suggestions might also exacerbate the current situation, as motorcyclists will then be deprived of a degree of speed to escape from their tormentors.

To address the root causes of the problem, I would like to propose the following measures instead:

  • Courtesy campaigns by the Traffic Police to remind road-users to share the road in a friendly and respectful manner,
  • Motorcycle lanes, if the Land Transport Authority will consider this, to protect riders from drivers,
  • A hotline for motorcyclists to report dangerous drivers, where the Traffic Police can then take action against deviant behaviour, and
  • Driving re-education classes conducted by the Traffic Police for errant road-users, who will have to watch videos of fatal road accidents to remind them of the sanctity of life.

I will be happy to partner the agencies I have mentioned in working together for a safer and death-free road experience for all.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Laremy LEE (Mr)

(Published as “Don’t blame just (sic) motorcyclists” on 8 Nov 2010 in the Straits Times Forum Online.)