Old-to-New Band Leaders 2006-to-2007 and a Vid

Our Symphony Band has just completed our leadership renewal process, and the new leaders of 2006/2007 are now in place.
A good friend sent me this vid to view. (Thanks WL. a most amazing vid)
This vid, interestingly, has lots of application lessons concerning teamwork and goals, and so I am going to combine it with my exhortations to the new leaders.

First, the vid. It is most fascinating, and quite therapeutic, just following the entire progress. And there are lessons to be learnt from this vid too...
By the way, it is a commercial. Yup.



Lessons of the Vid:
1) It takes a whole host of preparations to ensure that things do work.
2) Every detail, meticulously screened, prepared and adhered to, is important.
3) Each is an integral part of a team effort. That produces the sleekest successful result.
4) Each portion is but part of the whole process, towards the final goal.

TO THE OLD AND NEW LEADERS OF OUR BAND... some words...

Adieu to the Sec 4s and EXCO/Admin Comm/SLs of 2005/2006.
Thank you for a most dedicated and successful year of leadership of the band. I am sure you will look upon your past year's work with great pride and nostalgia.
It has been great working with you guys too, and thanks to you, the band is now in better shape to take on the future challenges. You have done well, and now it's up to the new leaders you have helped put in place.
So now, it's time to really focus on your prelims and O levels, for that is definitely your sole responsibility now. It's a responsibility to yourself, to your teachers/school, and to your parents.
To the new band leaders for 2006/2007, like we told you guys:
Every one of you is part of the whole team, and each of you have your different roles to play.
You are there for a purpose, each of you.
Always rely on each other. Trust each other.
And in times of dire needs, your roles will carry the band through.
So, now that the baton has been passed to you, do your teachers, your seniors and your band members proud.
What you do is part of a longer plan, towards a long-term goal of the band.
In all things, do it with confidence, daring and sincerity.
'For The Good Of The Band'. One Band, One Sound, One Brotherhood.

Construct your legacy, just like all your senior batches before you.
The Band's future is now yours.

Live Boo-Boo: BBC with the Wrong 'Guy'

BBC had one of the most public and high profile boo-boo in broadcasting history when it had a 'Live' interview with the a Mr Guy Kewney, an IT expert of the industry, only to realise mid-way through the interview with the French accented guy that it's the wrong guy.

View the actual interview broadcasted.

Really funny, esp note his look of horror, and how he valiantly and quite coolly tried to answer the questions fired at him by BBC's consumer editor. His response is like .. OMG... what have I gotten myself in for .... die... ok, still, cannot die.. just have to do it and hope nothing goes wrong ...right, here goes .... wow...
Originally thought to be a cab driver, it seemed that this wrong guy called Guy Goma was a business graduate from Congo at the BBC waiting for a job interview instead. Talk bout a comedy of errors - all coincidental parallels.


View BBC's later damage-control broadcast clip.

BBC trying to spin a docu-story out of this boo-boo and retain some shred of credibility.

Article from BBC News website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4774429.stm

Article from the Daily Mail,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=386136&in_page_id=1770

将进酒 Tang Poem 'And I Toast'

This is a Tang poem which I especially like. It's broad passionate and lyrical lyrics convey a sense of rugged sorrow twinned with an indomitable spirit. Most rousing and stirring poem.

[Chinese poems are quite easy to understand. Understand the individual vocabulary terms first, then link them together and you get the main verse. Imagine the 'yi4jing4', or the spirit and scene.]

将进酒
李白

君不见，黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。
君不见，高堂明镜悲白发，朝如青丝暮成雪。
人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽空对月。
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。
烹羊宰牛且为乐，会须一饮三百杯。
岑夫子，丹丘生，将进酒，君莫停。
与君歌一曲，请君为我侧耳听。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵，但愿长醉不复醒。
古来圣贤皆寂寞，惟有饮者留其名。
陈王昔时宴平乐，斗酒十千恣欢谑。
主人何为言少钱，径须沽取对君酌。
五花马，千金裘，
呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁。

Appreciation:

《将进酒》属古乐府旧题，内容多写宴饮放歌。这首诗作于李白离开长安以后。从诗的主要内容看似乎写的都是及时行乐，看透人生，只愿长醉不愿醒的情感，相当消极。但深入理解李白的内心深处，就会发现李白不是真正消极颓废，而是胸怀伟大的抱负却不能施展，便借酒发泄，以此来排解心中的苦闷，来表现对权贵和世俗的蔑视。但与此同时作者也流露出人生易老及时行乐的消极情绪。全诗气势奔放，语言豪迈，句法明快多变，充分反映了李白放纵不羁的性格与文风。

At Rallies II

A picture of one of the famous rallies by wp which I found on the web. This one was at Ang Mo Kio, which PM Lee said his son attended too. The crowd was simply unbelieveable.

I attended that rally. Having heard so much about the sound and fury of election rallies by the opposition parties, and being so jaded with marking and work, I thought it would be good 'entertainment' of sorts to go for a rally. It was quite easy to find the place - just follow the crowd walking from AMK MRT, and we found ourselves at some blocks of flats (the blocks in the far end of the picture). There was a great sense of awe and occasion as I silently looked down upon the vast expanse of land below, filled with dots and dots of people stretching into the distance. My jaws literally dropped.

I had simply thought, intially, that it would be a great night of excitement and gawking. But it had turned out to be a most profound experience. And it was not just the crowd, but witnessing the passion of fellow Singaporeans, hearing how WP kept stressing on their being pro-Singapore and wanting to help shape the future of Singapore, and pondering about each individual citizen's role in moulding our future Singapore.

I decided to attend the next night's rally at Serangoon Stadium, for a stint of the 'last night rally' effect (never experienced that before), and I was not disappointed. When at the end of the Serangoon rally, the WP led the entire stadium (all filled- stands and field and beyond) in a recitation of the National Pledge, just like National Day itself, a lump came to my throat. This was especially poignant, I felt, as the words were penned by our founding father S. Rajaratname who had just passed away earlier this year, and it represented all the hopes and ideals that all of us Singaporeans strive towards. This must be what the entire election process is about - our common interest in our Nation's collective future. At the end of the day, we are all Singaporean citizens with a common past, common future and common destiny.

Postlude: The famous Hougang WP rally photo that first sparked everyone's curiosity (including mine).

The Wind In The Willows ... according and gaining respect ...

This morning commenced with a most perceptive and insightful devotion by the representative from class 4-9 during flag-raising. He delivered a short but incisive devotion on the theme of 'respect'. I am in total agreement with what he said. In a nutshell, he expounded that respect is to be gained, that respect is a 2-way mutual process, that if you treat someone else with respect, the other person will accord you that same respect. Indeed, how frequent do we find ourselves overly high and mighty, overly confident, that we forget to be humble and sincere when we treat the people around us, whether be it our peers, our subordinates, or our students/children.

With regards to our peers and subordinates, mutual respect is of utmost importance, for that is the basis for a meaningful relationship. Furthermore, everyone would have some point of value or sincerity to contribute, and to simply brush another's opinion aside reeks of condescension and myopic thinking. It will in effect stifle discussion and exchanges that are necessary for better progress. Afterall, no one has the monopoly of wisdom and thought. For progress and development that is meaningful and beneficial, both sides must accord respect to each other.

Then, as for our students/children, we always remind ourselves to know how to strike a balance. For me personally, I set high expectations for my students with regards to values, morals, behaviour and attitude. Yet, it does not simply imply an unthinking and clumsy hollering at my students who err. Of course, when I used to have lower secondary music students, I would be the draconian disciplinarian. I am sure they all remember those afternoons when entire lines of sec 1 students would have to face the pillars and walls, or to sing to the flower pots, so as to instill a sense of propriety and self-discipline in them. But generally, I prefer to treat my upper secondary students as responsible thinking young adults, which they afterall are. I have found over the years that our students will be what we treat them to be. If we treat our upper secondary students as dignified individuals, they will respond accordingly as such. If we treat them as intelligent capable leaders, they will also strive to be such. But if we treat them as potential antagonists and problems, they will also self-deteriorate accordingly. This is frankly natural social behaviour and personal psychology.

I have always found it more effective, fulfilling and enjoyable treating my upper secondary students as dignified responsible young adults, and to hold intellectual discourse with them. And our students are intelligent and great individuals. They have always been respectful to us, friendly, and highly engaging. Of course, for the few recalcitrant ones, or for those who really need a good shelling that is necessary for their own life betterment, I would not hesitate to do so too. Afterall, that is what education is about - to mould our wards into dignified and highly capable young men with a true self-respect and confidence, tempered with the necessary humilty.

I do wish to see more of this sense of dignity and mutual respect in our nation today. The day our nation and those who are in position to manage and influence stop according respect to each other and to others, it will be the tearing-up of our social compact and our social fabric.

At Rallies

I have an admission to make ...

Tons of scripts are awaiting me to mark
Prelims scripts
I could have spent these few evenings devouring the scripts...
Yet I did not
I was at the rallies

YES ... I was actually attending election rallies!

Well, I figured that the scripts can wait, for I can always catch up with them through my own management of hours. The rallies, however, are immediate, instant, and once missed will not return.

And the rallies this year are worth the time. Every bit of it. For I witnessed fiery passion in the speakers and the supporters and audience, I witnessed breathtaking persuasive rhetoric and incisive arguments, and I witnessed the beginnings of a next phase in our nation's electoral development.

The rallies were at times thought-provoking lectures, and at times carnival fiestas. Indeed, the crowds that descended upon the rally sites caused long massive jams, and the blaring cheering and flag-waving audience was a phenomenon to behold. And have you ever witnessed a studium fully packed with people on the field, on the tracks, on the stands, and then outside the stadium looking in from the fences or standing at the next buildings beyond? How many people would that be? Or trying to squeeze one's way into the never-ending sea of people, and then trying to tip-toe to see the stage and speaker, who looked just like a tiny speck in the distance. And all these while standing on muddy soggy grass and ground. Then, there were mobile network jams (and mainly for my network operator) - trying to call/sms unsuccessfully for the entire duration of the 3-hour rally (using so much power that my phone battery bar indicator went from green to orange in the process - a never-before phenomena), and thereafter having to keep walking to get to a decent transport place ... and people are willing to brave all that.

Frankly, the rallies this year are significant. There are now the faint inklings of the beginnings of a more mature and qualified candidature outside of the ruling party. The control and exercise of tone, language and rhetoric by the non-ruling party candidates are impressive this round. Wit, dignity, composure and intellect were all evident and well utilised in strongly passionate and persuasive speeches. Most thankfully, empty low-level rantings and ravings are generally absent in the more respectable parties - this augurs well for an hnourable and dignified electoral process.

Then, there was a large proportion of young working adults and, surprise of surprises, a sizeable turnout of JC students at the rallies. There is a clear awakening in interest in the nation's future amongst the next generation. They are the beginnings of a young intelligensia. Perhaps, social studies and national education have fulfilled their functions well afterall - getting the students interested and challenged in thinking about crucial themes in human societies/civilisations, and applying them to broad national and international issues and concerns.

I feel a re-awakening in the nation, and I feel a re-awakening in me.

It was indeed time well spent.

Other online takes on the NYTimes American Idol Article

Came across this...

Apparently, many online readers of the NYTimes article on American Idol have written their own reviews and comments about it. Great to take a look at their views:
http://www.technorati.com/search/www.nytimes.com/2006/04/30/business/yourmoney/30idol.html