love at 46 years old

sumiko tan, straits times editor, who has resigned to her fate to remain unwed her entire life, has announced just last Saturday that she's getting married!

the wedding bells.. chiming for someone who wrote about a staunch refusal to peel prawns for her future husband..

for years i've followed her columns. if one thing had remain constant, it was her remaining single and lamenting about being left on the shelf, yet celebrating the unbridled freedom that comes with singlehood. she's garnered quite a following of career women in that duration. now she's left all of them in the lurch!

what direction are her columns gonna take from now? is she gonna write about the fuzzy-wuzzy, lovey-dovey, goosebumps-inducing puppy love stuff? exciting!

backyard treasure trove

was digging through my old stuff, and uncovered this gem that laid hidden in the recesses of my drawer all this while. when i was 18 years old, my climbing coach went off to india for 6 months to practice yoga in the high mountains. also, my climbing teacher-in-charge flew off to new zealand to pursue a masters in marine biology. they wrote farewell notes to us, of which the juniors placed inside a cd as memorabilia.

too coincidental to be true?
i'm quite sure both my mentors did it separately without discussing their contents first. yet, both touched on the same topic - religion (my teacher in greater detail), underscoring the all-encompassing role religion plays in people's lives.

the octopus
as a child, the tentacles of religion never snagged me. sure i went to temples, but i didnt believe in the myriad of gods singaporean chinese (taoist/buddhist) generally believed in. i didnt go because i believe that sticking joss sticks into urns would bestow me with whatever i prayed for, but because if i refused, my parents would get really upset. in 10 year-old lingo, that means no toys, sweets, computer games, comics, etc. after doing the sums in my little kiddish brain, it became clear that tolerating an hour of a smoky, hot incense-permeated environment is more bearable than a lifetime of disincentives.

everything i did was uncoloured by religion. i knew about various religions due to the occasional need to fill in some survey forms (of which i put buddhist at the behest of my parents), but these religions didnt affect me in the least bit. when reading the news, i glossed over the parts with religious innuendos. nowadays, i see them screaming out at me. when i made friends, i didnt know, or more accurately, didnt bother what their religions were. i embraced them wholeheartedly as individuals, as opposed to being influenced to erect invisible barriers, as children of any faith are prone to. nowadays, as a result of certain encounters, i am tainted by a rather unhealthy curiosity to know what faiths people align themselves to. am quite disillusioned at the disparity between myself in my youth, when i was innocent and happy, and myself now, as a reserved and skeptical young adult.

namaste!
in coach's note to us, he touched on spirituality. he mentions how yoga is actually not a religion but a way of life. in it he shares with us yogi philosophy, like not gorging yourself (greed is bad) and mediation (reflecting is good). after which he signed off with namaste. i didnt know namaste had such a deep/spiritual meaning behind it. i thought it only meant hello.

the butterfly effect
in teacher's note to us, he shared with us the importance of seizing opportunities, and the consequences of being lazy. i loved his book analogy, about how a certain chapter in your life has great bearing on subsequent ones. i imagine myself perched on the crossroads of life, my soul yanked skywards until a bird's eye view over the various pathways that i might have/should have walked is presented. the paths i shouldnt walk are marked with barbs. the paths i should walk are paved with roses. yeah right.. if only everything is so clear cut. life wouldnt be an adventure then, would it?

the octopus again?!
teacher then launched into an explanation of the theory of irreducible complexity (put forth by micheal behe), arguing how darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is flawed, misusing an over-simplistic analogy on how a child imagines a bicycle evolving into a car to debunk Darwin's theory. in short, he says we need a watchmaker. however, if that watchmaker exists, then he must be blind. if humans were indeed divinely created and given dominion over all manner of fowl and beast and creature, then why did the octopus or great horned owl get wayyyyy superior eyes? why are humans afflicted with a blind spot to his side (making him vulnerable to predation from beast from that angle), whereas the spider is granted with near 360-degree vision?

why is childbirth such a trying reproductive process, of which many women brethren, because of hemorrhage, die? the placement of blood vessels within the muscular wall of the uterus is very peculiar. they pass through the muscles themselves and depend totally on muscle contraction to staunch the bleeding that normally occurs after a birth. when the uterine muscle fibers do not contract, most often for unknown reasons, the area where the placenta had attached itself to the uterine wall represents a 20 centimeter diameter (about 8 inches) wound that continues to bleed.

why is it that as men get older, their prostate keeps growing? as it grows, it squeezes the urethra. since urine travels from the bladder through the urethra, the pressure from the enlarged prostate affects bladder control. guys, we cant piss properly because of this! is it some joke that you got the short end of your stick? opps.. i meant *the stick. =p. these are obvious design flaws. i'm sure an omnipotent dude would have known better. i digress..

harry potter?
the point of this post is to share with my readers how religion had already lurked unsuspecting in my teens, yet had no real impact then. it is only until recently that i've been drawn to examine it in greater detail. sometimes, i wish i have a time turner like Hermionie in Harry Potter. then, i can brashly tromp through paths without fear of regret, instead of cautiously treading my toes in still water first.

certain friends wouldnt understand of course. they havent read Harry Potter because their church explicitly disallows it. but i digress again..

a farewell note from my climbing teaching-in-charge when i was 18

Dear Climbers,

The Year 1s asked me if I could write a farewell note for the Year 2 climbers. Of course, this is something I am extremely willing to do and that brings me great pleasure.

Teachers love to do one thing and that is to dispense advice! I submit two for your consideration in this farewell note.

First, I feel that life is like a book with many (related) chapters. Sometimes there is a smooth transition from one chapter to the next; other times, the abrupt change makes your breath catch! Whether you are among the boys (many of whom will be serving NS in the days to come) or among the girls (who will continue on in your academic pursuits), great changes are coming your way. But let’s rewind a bit and look at your situation now…

The chapter about your life in junior college is coming to an end. Yet, the end remains uncertain because of the enormous number of things you can do between now and then. And to a large extent, this ‘end’ then determines the content of the subsequent chapters. Thus, how this chapter ends, has a great consequence.

What’s that? Yes! You’ve guessed it. I am trying to tell you to study hard. But actually, my message goes beyond that – it’s more about making the best of opportunities that come your way. Presented before you, is the opportunity to do well for your ‘A’ levels. What’s that? Well, yes, I agree that doing well for your ‘A’ levels is not everything and certainly, the world is not going to end just because you don’t do well. However, doing well does one very important thing for you – it opens up ‘doors’. In other words, seizing opportunities and making the best of them gives you more opportunities. The result is thus, a widening of options for you. These options are important because they might benefit not only you but also the people around you – such as your family, friends or even a future spouse. Making opportunities work for you opens up new possibilities.

So, time to get down to it! Make some sacrifices and remember that we almost always have to give up something in order to achieve something else more precious. So, please go lock up your X-boxes and tell your friends you will only meet them again after the exams. This is war! You’ve got to set goals, make plans and carry them out. Are you ready for it?

My second piece of advice is harder to write about because it goes beyond exams, opportunities and options. In fact, it goes beyond this life.

Most people believe that a ‘god’, ‘gods’ or a God exists. The remainder of the mankind is made up of people described as ‘atheists’.

Today, much of science is explained in terms of what people call “Darwin’s Theory of Evolution”. Many atheists believe in this theory. While I can’t explain fully what this theory is about in this short note, you can find more information on the Internet or, you can try asking any worthy Biology student among you. To sum it up, Darwin’s theory when taken in its entirety includes the belief that life occurred by chance and that complex organisms (such as ourselves) evolved from simpler ones like unicellular organisms (e.g. an amoeba).

What’s that? Well, yes. I am going to tell you it is not true. What’s that? How can I know for sure since I haven’t been around for the last 200 million years? Well, this can be done by simple reasoning, provided you know something about Darwin’s theory. For the biology students among you, you are already equipped to fully understand what I’ve written below. Oh by the way, Darwin didn’t live long enough to see evolution occurring either but many people believe him anyway.

Here’s the simple reasoning. Evolution takes place slowly. In theory, a significant change in a kind of animal occurs as a result of many accumulated mutations that take place over millions and millions of years. Overtime, the kind of organisms that result would in theory, look very different from its ancestral forms. So, for example, evolutionists say that frog-like animals evolved from fish-like animals by acquiring many useful mutations over a long period of time. Let’s examine this case.

To acquire legs, we are talking about acquiring thousands of useful mutations. Further, these mutations must complement one another in order for the fish-like animals to develop functional legs. But let’s say we have all the time in the world and we believe that one useful mutation remains in those fish-like animals for the next 1 million years or so before the next useful mutation occurs and then the next and so on and so forth, until eventually, functional legs are formed. Sounds possible right? No.

In order for that first useful mutation to remain in the fish-like animal for many generations, it must give some kind of advantage so that the mutant survives better than its peers, thus allowing it to leave more offspring (with similar characteristics). But as you can imagine, one mutation out of thousands required to form functional legs can’t possibly give any kind of advantage. Thus, even if a useful mutation does occur, it will eventually be lost. [You have to read up on Evolution if you don’t understand why I say that it will be lost]

Alternatively, let’s imagine that fish-like animals were to magically acquire legs and a tough skin overnight, allowing them to walk on land. This might be considered a good characteristic – since they are now able to explore the land habitat and perhaps, look for food. Thus, they might become more successful than their peers that are still living in the water. Eventually, they can leave more offspring (also with legs) since they are better off.

Here lies the problem with the theory. In Evolution, the legs could not have been acquired overnight. It takes thousands of mutations to develop functional legs. Further, we know today, that most mutations are in fact, harmful. In humans, mutations commonly cause cancer. This is because mutations are random processes; it is difficult to expect anything useful arising from them.

What I just described is the Principle of Irreducibility. Simply put, complex systems will not function when even a single part is missing. If a part is missing, the system simply doesn’t work and it doesn’t help an organism to have the incomplete system at all. Taking an extreme example to illustrate my point, imagine an eyeball without retina (non-functional). Do you think it could have developed by chance, and be present in a certain kind of animal for a couple of million years before some further mutations occur and the eyeball finally becomes functional? You must think that eyeballs could have developed from simple ones that became more complex over time. Well, that’s what Darwin thought too and it seems logical – at that time.

It was easy at Darwin’s time, to see similarities between a frog and a fish and think that evolution occurred. But today, we deal with things at a molecular level. When you bleed, a series of many proteins that act on one another in a precise sequence allows for the blood to clot. These proteins have to all exist at the same time to work. Having even one protein missing/faulty would result in certain death if one is left bleeding and untreated. Similarly, it is easy for a child, to imagine how a bicycle could have f ‘evolved’ to form a car. But that’s because the child has not understood the complexities of the engine found in the car. The complexity found in organisms suggests that they did no occur by chance but of design. You simply cannot throw a couple of gears in a box, shake the box and hope to get a nice fully-assembled watch, no matter how long you shake the box. You need a watchmaker.

Yes, I watched X-men too but it’s just a movie! By the way, mutations can’t make a Spiderman either. Even if Peter Parker got a mutation, it wouldn’t affect all the cells of his body! He’ll just get cancer and die.
Anyway, here lies the crux of the matter. All you have read implies that life did not occur by chance and what you see around you provides evidence of ‘design’. What’s that? By who? Well, that’s my second piece of advice for you. Find out who it is (if you don’t already know); obviously, it has to be someone incredibly intelligent.

Oh, I forgot to mention one thing. You must be wondering why most of the scientific world still believes in evolution, if such a simple reasoning process allows one to make such an important conclusion against it. Well, the answer is that it’s kind of like a tradition. Many scientists believe it simply because other scientists believe it (you may want to look for this wonderful book at Borders, called “Darwin’s Black Box” by Michael Behe).

As we start examining things especially at the molecular level, something seems very wrong about the theory. What’s that? Is there other evidence that such an intelligent being exists? Yes, and I am glad you asked but I’ll have to direct you to websites listed as follows:

http://www.pblcoc.org/Resources/Apologetics/biblechart.htm

http://www.konig.org/page2.htm

For the Biology students among you, don’t worry; just apply your knowledge as you were taught by your wonderful Biology tutors. You can examine this letter more closely after your exams, if you so wish. But don’t stop asking questions until you find out the answer.

If, in the event, you become convinced that the Theory of Evolution really cannot stand, and that an intelligent being designed and created the universe, you will be put in a spot with new options. At such a time, I recommend the following book and some friends:

Book: Answers to Tough Questions: by Josh McDowell [available at Christian Bookstores, or borrow it from David!]
Friends: Some of your friends already know the answer and they would love to help you. Just ask them.

Phew! That was quite a mouthful! Last, I just want to thank you all for the jokes and good times we shared. I see so much potential in all of you and I am really excited when I think about the many places you will be going and the many things you will be doing with your lives. Remember that I am always an email away.

Warmest regards,
Mr. Tay

a farewell note from my climbing coach when i was 18

Hi everyone!

Having a party? BO JIO?
So how's the food?
Maybe I shouldn't ask…I'm trying hard not to imagine the buffet spread…

Whatever you do, please don't send any pictures of the food, ok?

Kelly and I have been vegetarians for a month now… Being vegetarian in India is quite ok. Everywhere in the streets, only vegetarian food is served anyway. But at the Yoga Institute, they serve only Sattvic food… which is food that is pure, organic and lightly cooked… sounds delicious? Well, first day in school, I was really just putting food in my mouth. Just for survival.

One of Yoga's teachings is that food should be just what you need to put in your body to survive. Eat just enough for your body to function. Full Stop. There should not be any likes or dislikes about it. As long as it's healthy, just eat it. There are Yogis who just eat flowers and meditate their entire life… Hardcore right?? I thought that was quite funny… Haha…

Anyway, I'm beginning to understand Yoga. It’s actually not a religion but a way of life. Yoga is defined as union of the body and soul. It’s not about levitating, putting your foot behind your head, or folding yourself in a suitcase (like what Yat Sau did before…sorry Yat Sau…) The postures called Asanas are just one of the many things a Yogi needs to do, apart from abstinence! The rational is that you should do these 'exercises' and eat these sattvic food to keep you healthy and alert etc, so that you can improve your mental state. You know, just like a climber's mind has to be stronger than his body… Not the other way round…

So, Yoga pursuits can be of many levels… to be simply detached from worldly greed and materialism etc … or to achieve a Divine life. But at the moment, I'm training my mind to stay awake during afternoon classes… btw, our classroom doesn't have tables and chairs. Everyone sits in meditative posture on a straw mat…

So Year Twos are still mugging?? Well, my best wishes to you all again… hope that you can make the best out of this final 'mission' in your college life. Don't think any one of you had been climbing much right? Since Pumpfest, I've not done any climbing either... Don't think I’ll get any chance to climb until December… Well, actually I don't miss climbing much… except that I wish I could do this Yoga course by the cliffs in Spain or France…

I think its good to stay away from an obsession once in a while… It allows me to think about why I like climbing etc. Why I still climb and compete after 13 years… Apart from the beautiful cliffs around the world, one of my greatest motivations is to see my students grow as climbers. I guess teaching climbing is my only way to tell people that there's a world out there to explore... also that with passion, everything is possible.

It was a special moment for Ms Tiew and I to see the drive in every one of you during PumpFest, also that there were so many ex-students competing as well. I was really touched to find out how some of you have become stronger mentally… also to find out that you have treasured the journey more than the outcome. The letters that you wrote were special to me… though I felt like I was reading love letters …

So I really wish that you guys can continue to explore the world through climbing. You know, it's the cheapest way to travel… Hmmm, Batu Caves and Swiss Inn are exceptions… but great memories though.

Hope you're enjoying the party. Now is your turn to demand a free buffet spread right?

Ok, take care. Thanks for the farewell flip cards. We really liked it.

Namaste.
(Which means:
the soul within me, bows down to the soul within you…)

Enjoy the party,
Philip.

atypical sunday

a practicing Tibetan Buddhism monk of 16 years chatted me up on facebook this morning, providing further affirmation that my little note has been making its rounds around the internet. here i must take pains to clarify that i never meant for my letter to be an internet sensation. my intention was to share a story of heartbreak/grief/sadness, and i went through great efforts (editing and re-editing it) to maintain a civil tone. if anyone thinks that the version 10-something they are currently reading is harsh, they should have seen version 1, which was written in throes of agony.

anyways, he congratulated me for my 'highly impressive piece of rebuttal'. he shared with me how he thinks some bible literalists are actually insecure and deeply irrational, hence resort to emotionally-charged responses to counter perfectly reasonable writings. "it's like a child believing in santa claus, he'll just throw tantrums when told that santa's not real", he says.

I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from religious indoctrination received in youth. (Albert Einstein)

They made a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant an accidental human life is in it, that seems most impossible. There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works. (Stephen Hawking)

The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity -- in all this vastness -- there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known. (Carl Sagan)

the last quote there by carl sagan is one of my personal favourites. i think nobody puts across this point, of how minuscule we are and how unlikely it is that a personal god will hear a person's prayers from the dot of a dot in the cosmic universe, better than him. i shared with my friend these quotes.

i took this chance to ask him some nagging questions i have of the Buddhism faith.

why is it that although Buddha has taught in his teachings that he is no god, but simply an enlightened being, yet Buddhists still pray to his hair, tooth, nail, etc?
he told me that these are acts of veneration. it is one of the devotional aspects of the tradition, not a must do.

i countered with another question. i dont understand why certain Singaporeans call themselves Buddhist, yet pray to Buddha for lucky 4D numbers or to protect them from bad luck.
his reply: those Buddhists you have come across are not real Buddhists. Buddhism is a very tolerant and open religion, readily assimilating itself into local cultures. which is why images depicting Buddha all look different when you compare images that are from China/Japan/Tibet/Sri Lanka. where Buddhism spread, many cultures and local people embrace it without dumping their previous beliefs. however embracing it does not equate becoming a true Buddhist. just like majority of the Chinese folk in Singapore may call themselves Taoists, but are in fact animists, in that they worship whatever comes their way without understanding the true principles of Taoism. likewise, many half-past six Buddhists in Singapore believe in charms, amulets etc. in fact I wouldn't even call them Buddhists by virtue of them worshipping Buddha's image.

how similar it is to the Christian faith then, for the top echelons of both the two faiths believe in something radically different from their flocks! top Christian scholars have seen the evidence for evolution and embrace it, but the typical Christian layman activist tries to force creationism into American textbooks. enlightened Buddhist monks do not believe in any form of ancestor worship, but their average temple-goers still practice it fervently. amusing.

giving back to the climbing community

musings from the edge

ben started a climbing blog and promptly arrowed Tim and myself to be editors. here's your account and your password. thanks! sheesh.. how to turn down the man like that? the aim of the blog is to engage the climbing community in singapore, and get them to reflect/think critically/have their say. put several hours of effort into discussions and mulling over what to write. from beginning with nothing, to at least having some semblance of a plan now, things are looking up. in my first contribution, i touched on the concept of a 'project' and penned my opinions. these opinions are based on my experiences, gathered as a result of pursuing excellence in the sport for close to 7 years. no doubt, my experience pales in comparison against those of veteran climbers - that much i readily admit. will be most honored if a veteran climber steps forth to rectify any misconceptions, which i may have the misfortune to be afflicted with. overall, i hope i didnt do too badly =x

seeing it was the first topic, i wrote a safe, docile post - nothing too controversial. incidentally, i looked through another article due to be published in the future and almost had an heart attack. the piece was brutally honest, and certainly will affect the sensibilities of certain climbers. this editor job is a turning out to be quite a biatch. dont want to cramp the style of other contributors, yet reluctant to place my head on the chopping board and incur the backlash of readers. no rest for the weary..

for those whose curiosity i managed to pique, do take a peek at www.sgclimb.com/edged. any comments/insights/constructive criticisms will be much appreciated =)

DYNO articles

also doing up some articles for the latest edition of DYNO. got the opportunity to interview some of the giants in the climbing scene here. the subject is regarding work/life/climbing balance - a topic close to my heart. having started an intern position at some company here, i've a first hand experience at how (mentally and physically) draining a 9-6 job can be. so far, i'm inspired at my interviewees' replies. attempting to bring out my sense of wonder at their candor, sincerity and down-to-earth attitudes.

to do the subject justice and to inspire the younger generation to walk in their footsteps of their giants, this mandate i gladly choose to shoulder.

facebook mail cont. (from a christian passer-by)

Hello, I read this note of yours. I ain't anybody you know but I happen to view your writings via multiple links on facebook.

Just want you to know that i'm in awe of your writing. the style you use, you certainly deserve to have your opinion expressed. I couldnt sense any hate; only heartbreak. Please continue to do what you're doing and there are people like me who will take interest in reading. Please, disregard those intruders and keyboard warriors.

That was dated February so a few months have passed, I really hope you've gotten over her. So sorry to have read about such a situation. My heart goes out to you. Really. That's my whole purpose. To empathize with you.

I would just say be strong, the next one that comes along will be a better one. I cannot fully relate to you but i definitely feel your anguish. Wanna say that many Christians' approaches to things and peoples around them are to hopelessly bad. I cannot judge whoever because I have no idea.

We all look back on things of the past and almost certainly smile about folly or fondness. I see capability in you and admire your enduring personality. Your future is up to you to carve. Go ahead find a better one, earn lots of money and enjoy your golden years to come. I'm sure you have a wide pick of fishes in the sea.

-concerned passerby.

Musings in June

earlier in the day, my aunt's financial adviser had some free movie tickets to the Prince of Persia. lets call her Amy (not her real name). Amy invited my aunt and i tagged along. we were joined by Amy's husband, Bob (not his real name).

being ever inquisitive, i struck up a conversation. they are a young couple, with 2 children aged two and six. like all parents, Amy and Bob want the best for their children. Bob is a stay-home dad in charge of bringing up the children plus assisting Amy in the technical aspect of the business. i think they wanted a third-person perspective, because they asked me about my background, and my opinion on how children should be brought up.

i shared with them how strict my parents were with me as i was younger. for example, if i scored 94/100 for a math paper, they would cane me 6 times. Amy and Bob were flabbergasted. i shared with them how i think that a child should be motivated using a balanced approach - carrot and stick. the kids of today are very smart. after watching jack neo's "i'm not stupid" movies, they know how to use the stigma associated with punishing your child as generated by the movie. some of them can blatantly tell their parents how they are facing a lot of stress at school/cannot withstand the pressure cooker environment when they actually arent putting in much effort. of course, we should be on guard against such children and not be led around by the nose.

we discussed a whole range of topics. they shared with me their job experiences (Bob was previously an army regular). all in all, it was a pleasant conversation until.. the sticking point.

at one point, Bob went: i am quite impressed with you. you are a person with a lot of positive values. are you a christian?

Me: erm.. hmmmm.. ahhhh..

Amy and Bob: *smile expectantly*

Me: this is a tricky question. are you sure you want to hear my answer?

Amy and Bob: *smile awkwardly*

funny how to them, a person with positive values must be christian. it is as if they think their holy book to be the source of all morals. interestingly, the first 3 commandments of Moses' tablet had nothing to do with morals. which part of you shall have no gods before me, you shall not make wrongful use of the name of your god, or remember the sabbath and keep it holy teaches you anything about morals? from these 3 lines, parallels between a petty, jealous, dogma-touting and bigotry-spouting tyrant can be easily drawn.. the other 7 commandments can also easily be condensed into the golden rule. so much for the 10 commandments being the definitive source of morals in this world.

in another gaffe,

Amy: the bible is the best guide there is to bringing up my children. everything that i need to teach my child, the bible has.

Me: *smile politely*

deep inside, i smirked an incredulous what?! are you sure you have read the bible in its entirety? perhaps they glossed over the more nasty Levicticus or Numbers passages advocating genocide, slavery, discrimination and what not. they're lucky i wasn't in a particularly combative mood today.

overall, they were decent, pleasant and hardworking people. but i was hurt (love to employ the same pathos arguments often used against me) at how they asked the 'are you christian?' question. after not providing a conclusive 'yes' reply, i could almost see their erecting of invisible barriers between us. they appear to systematically refuse to connect on a deeper level with someone outside their group. this in-group versus out-group mentality is very damaging for social relations and runs counter to the cosmopolitanism of our country. not being aligned to any particular faith does not make me less of a person. this is especially so for a faith so intolerant and dogmatic.

in another similar case, i was having a perfectly happy conversation with my colleague at work until she asked if i were a christian (why does this always happen to me?). it is as if i am some christian magnet or something. after i didnt provide the reply she wanted, i could instantaneously feel a chill emanating from her.

maybe next time i should launch the first strike. perhaps i should go up to a christian and go are you a rock-climber? or are you a mathematician? or are you 23 years old? and instantly discriminate anybody whose fault is simply just being different. hurt me so deep (yay used it again!). too bad, because unless i remember wrongly, Jesus taught his disciples not to judge others. have the lessons been lost along the way? seems that poking little boys' asses, excommunicating nuns who decide for abortion to save a pregnant mothers life and discriminating against non-christians, among others, have taken center-stage lately, as opposed to living a life of frugality or spreading love and compassion.

in the movie there was a scene whereby the main female character chided the male lead. dont do that the gods will be angry. the male lead replied, yeah. your gods, not mine. i wonder what Amy and Bob must be thinking when they watched the film.

The Strait's Times 2/6/10 article

THINK-TANK
Pray, let's just live and let live

By Lee Wei Ling

LAST Friday was Vesak Day, when Buddhists celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death (or passing on to Nirvana) of Buddha.

When asked about my religion, I classify myself as an atheist who tries to live by the principles of Buddha. Whether the written record of his teachings conforms accurately with his words can never be known for sure. For example, whether Buddha specifically approved of the notion of reincarnation, or whether Buddhism tacitly accepted the then prevalent belief, I am not sure. I myself see no clear scientific evidence for reincarnation.

What seems certain is that Buddha denied he was God. But the now accepted practice of praying to Buddha - or his relics such as his hair, tooth, nails, etc - for things that he taught would bring suffering, began not too long after his demise.

Most people find the notion of a set of rules unattached to a central human-like figure inadequate for the purposes of consolation. The god of Abraham is a human-like supernatural being - all-powerful, all-knowing and all-benevolent. But while humans are made in his image, he specifically prohibits those who believe in him to visualise him concretely. The need to have a concrete figure to turn to is nevertheless present in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, with believers turning to the Virgin Mary as well as a host of saints to intercede on their behalf.

Islam prohibits the representation of the Prophet. In September 2005, Danish newspaper The Jyllands-Posten published cartoons depicting the Prophet. Muslims everywhere objected and some of the protests escalated into violence (resulting in a total of more than 100 deaths).

Judaism also disallows any representation of God. As Judaism is not a proselytising religion, there has been no recent episode of widespread violence when the stricture is contravened.

I have just returned from Tokyo where I visited Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. I was amused by the practice of buying pieces of paper which purportedly foretell one's future. If the prophesy is considered unlucky, the piece of paper can be tied to a wooden frame erected just beside the shop selling these pieces of paper. By doing so, the bad luck can evidently be 'left behind'. Such shops can be found at both Shinto and Buddhist shrines. I got one piece from a Shinto shrine and another from a Buddhist. Both were 'lucky'.

I also saw little wooden pieces hanging on wooden frames carrying written wishes for various things, worldly or otherwise, such as success in exams, good health, wealth, etc. This practice is not very different from what happens in many of our Buddhist and Taoist temples.

It is also not dissimilar to the practice of many Singaporeans who copy the licence numbers of cars involved in accidents, or make up some 'lucky' number derived from a significant date, to be used in betting. And some Singaporeans give thanks to the source of such a 'lucky' number.

For example, apparently the date when Huang Na, an eight-year-old girl from China, was cruelly murdered, won many punters prize money. In gratitude, some of this prize money was 'donated' to Huang Na's mother. The total sum received by the mother was several hundreds of thousand of dollars, enough to build a three-storey house in Huang Na's home town.

Karl Marx is reported to have said that 'religion is the opiate of the masses'. His actual words were more sympathetic: 'Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness.'

What Marx is saying is that religion creates illusory, compensatory fantasies for the poor. Economic realities prevent them from finding happiness in this life, but religion tells them that this is OK since they will find true happiness in the next life.

People are in distress, he acknowledges, and religion provides them with solace - just as people who are physically injured receive relief from opiates. One might rephrase Marx thus: 'Religion is an analgesic (painkiller).' It must have some survival benefit since all human societies have religions of some kind. Whether or not one can look down on 'pagan' religions, I would venture to say 'no'.

The two major Japanese religions created works of great beauty as well as instigated horrendously cruel acts during World War II. Perhaps Shintoism was twisted to brainwash Japanese. Their willingness to die for the then emperor-god, Hirohito, is mimicked today by the jihadist suicide terrorists.

Whether a belief in the supernatural constitutes a superstition or a religion may be arbitrary. On the whole, superstitious beliefs that are more organised are considered religions. I hope I have not antagonised any of my readers who are believers. I will admit that it is as difficult to prove my atheist beliefs are true as it is to prove religious beliefs are true. With those caveats, I would emphasise that all religions encourage us to do good. Let us be tolerant of all religious practices that do not encourage us to maim or kill or otherwise harm each other; live and let live.

The writer is director of the National Neuroscience Institute. Think-Tank is a weekly column rotated among eight leading figures in Singapore's tertiary and research institutions.

a little too gay for my liking (cont)

on a more serious note, i've been friends with bernard for 7 years and counting now. all these while he's been patient, always ready to lend a listening ear, and remain stoic and silent while i banter on and on about mundane things that hold little interest to him. he's more pragmatic - gunning for that 5 digit monthly salary (of which he's giving me a cut), whereas i'm more idealistic - cooped up in a dreamy-headed contemplation of life's issues.

as i grow older, the qualities of a person that used to be endearing to me, e.g. cool to hang around with, having all the latest boy toys (for a guy) or pretty face/big boobs/tight ass (for a girl, NO i'm not shallow) have all lost their appeal. what i hold close to my heart now are people who cherish their relationship with others, who remain steadfast in their friendship, and dont break my heart.

although i sucked big time at this comp (only touched 7 tiles - possibly my worst record so far), i must say that i had LOADS of fun competing in it with him. shoulder to shoulder, as a peer. one who understands how hard it is to juggle the demands of school, work and climbing.

ahh the nostalgia.. those days spent training and competing together back in tj. our pre-comp ritual of thrash-talking each other and post-comp analysis of each and every move and how we could have done it better.. little wonder then, that we do the exact same sequences for our routes. am glad how some things dont ever change.

thank you bernard. for being always there, always dependable. let the good times roll..