Facebook leads to an increase in intellect

Hypothesis: Having a Facebook account is not a distraction, but rather serves to increase the intellectual capacity of the individual.

Examples of success stories of avid FB users: Dugong Cheng Yi'en, Alien Yong Ming Li, Matthew Wee, Josephine Yang, Vincent Song, Kitto, etc.etc. (I will end up naming too many people.)

Possible title: Which Face of the Coin - Distraction or Facilitator? A look at Cyberspace and its impacts on place-making through a study of Facebook

It is believed that Facebook has many cons due to its nature of being an entertainment networking portal. With an ever increasing number of quizzes (grammatically incorrect ones at that) and games to entertain alongside the photo-sharing facilities and constant updates through newsfeed and the Home page, the voyeuristic mind finds its own haven. Facebook is a time-consuming and senseless activity for why are we training every individual to become secret agents at best or the unseen voyeuristic stalker at worst?

No. Facebook may be of the above but it is MORE. It is a portal for online sharing of information and excellent discussions. Links to interesting sites are posted, and even if people don't read it, then share your throughts through a status change. Everyone sees it, everyone knows what is going on in your life. Recently, the dugong quoted from a particular episode on Charmed and it provocated thinking on feminism and sexuality (in attempting to destabilise norms and stereotypes). At other times all the mindless banter actually translates to closer bonding in real life after the initial hi-byes online and seemingly voyeuristic tools that the site has to offer. There are topics for discussion that brings the cyber community into real-life communities. And because of this, neurons get activated to think and to keep up. We enhance brain activity and encourage thinking on our feet, being witty, being critical even in its simplest forms. These stimulate thinking and promotes intellectual development.

Facebook is not a tool for distraction. I "live" on Facebook, being hooked on Bejewelled Blitz once, Pet Society at another time in attempting to beat everyone else's score and the latest, Typing Maniac. I get notifications for certain activities (not all, or my inbox will be bombarded) and leave the page on almost all day long. I may check in once every few minutes when I have more time on hand, or once every hour or with an even greater span of time between consecutive checks. Still, I get my work done. I have an online social presence (and life). And in all honesty at the very times when I have been slogging my life away for my ISM, I lived on FB more than ever. I think other than attesting to it myself, may I also say that everyone who Facebooks has done exceedingly well in exams and also in life (bosses? haha).

A deeper study on the translation of online presence to physical space needs to be done.

Thank you.

Everything is hinged on where my hope lies, and I'm glad that I know what my hope is anchored in; it is the anchor of my life.

Each day I see more things to be thankful for. Yes, it's only to easy to be consumed, to join in, and to conform. It reminds me of the light that I need to be. And it reminds me all the more of how it was never meant to be just "good" or "quite good" but the very best that He had in store for me. I'm getting more assured of it as time passes by and more so knowing how it is required of me to be that light in the workplace. I guess He decided to let me settle in nicely first.

Am truly very grateful for all that has happened and all that I have. God's really awesome. (: And sometimes, being the youngest and newest can be a fairly good thing.

Graduation 2009 - it's all over now.

What would I do with a B.Soc.Sci in Geography?

What is my life going to be?

4 years of college and plenty of knowledge have earned me this lovely degree!

I think there's always so much to say at points like this.

Dearest Mum and Dad, for everything you've given me since I was born - hugs and kisses! You've finally seen me graduate and I hope it was a proud moment for you.

My favourite people in the department! You were the ones who really made me enjoy my stay and taught me so much in the 4 years. I don't have pictures with everyone, so this is just for my select few...

Prof Huang! Ok, I don't need to say anything more after saying so much in the sem that has just passed me by. You're my favourite and will always be heehee. (: Without you, my ISM would have been a total disaster, and I wouldn't have found my interest in gender studies either. Thanks for also teaching me life lessons in ways you probably never knew, and for the encouragement that came throughout the tough times last sem, and for also teaching me about God in many ways, again, probably in ways you never knew. Love much!

Prof Chang - from LRT sem on to my term in the 42nd MC in GeogSoc, New Year's tea at your house etc. You've been a most hospitable prof and you've helped me realise that lessons could be fun, and a more important thing yet - that as and when I give my best, even if it's not perfect, it is good enough. Thanks for the life lessons!

And Dr Powpow! (: For GeogSoc times, urban lessons and also FB and all. And for helping me with those much desired books during 4101A times... You've been a big help and I'm grateful!Many thanks to the other people who came to show me their looooove (:

DEBZ! You is the one who rocks my world and always reminding me of how important it also is to keep my eyes on heaven while studying the earth! Muacks for everything (:

Brian... who helped me think through my thoughts before ISM, and even way before that telling me that despite those trashy grades, it'd be possible to hit that 4.0, and I did. And somehow when I did I was reminded of you telling me that a few years back. Now, I look forward to working with you on our inter-agency stuff!

To my favourite (and only) fishie (and Uncle Tan in the background), no more skipping days outside Sri Pat but one day we shall find a chance to do that again.

My dearest Mingli the alien friend (and fishie in the background... is this a trend) - nvm that you weren't around in the last six months. I is glad there was still MSN and Gchat to keep us talking to one another! I love you muchly!

And to all of you dearies. Sorry I was so hard to catch! Can't help being popular ;) Haha, I'm kidding. I really appreciated all of you coming down (: Beautiful People forever!
Of course, many a thanks to the 42nd MC who came down as well. 2 years ago we were strangers embarking on a crazy adventure and I'm glad that for the most of it, we're all fairly fast friends now. Been my pleasure to have met and known all of you.

Of course, there'd be all my classmates to thank but I'd save that for another time. Yup, so that's my thanks as a fresh graduate. I miss my honours class rather dearly now and would love to see everyone again. But now, things would be different and I guess, it's time to sing another of Ave Q's songs...

I wish I could go back to college - in college you know who you are...Sitting in the computer lab, 4am before the final paper is due, cursing the world that you didn't start sooner and seeing the rest of the class there too!

Again I say, it was good while it lasted. Goodbye NUS, fare ye well my dearest classmates. You were the best time in my life. (:

Honestly, I still fail to comprehend why it always boils down to this.

Expectations are just going to end up being a tool for judgemental purposes.

Enough said.

It's like...

I know I really want to go to the UK to do my postgrad, but I got struck by a (not-so) sudden thought of going to Canada, to UBC, to study migration under David Ley, Dan Hiebert or Geraldine Pratt, assuming any of them would take me in. That, would be academic heaven! Oh my......

I shall carry on exploring that route.

In the meantime, work continues. Like, y'know, the norm.

It's been four weeks and a pretty amazing start to my new phase of life as a working adult thrown into the working arena. Prior to this, I never thought adjusting would be easy, nor did I expect to things to turn out the way that they did. It was a whirlwind of events and time gone by and it's really time to take stock and give thanks for the many things that have indeed crossed my path because these are the things/people who have shaped my life in this new phase and will continue to do so.

Perhaps for starters I do need to admit that one thing working life cannot give is the liberty that we had as students. It's not just the freedom of time and the luxury of doing what I want as and when I want, but more so the responsibilities that are laden with "work" now than they were in the past when tied down to academic assignments. If I didn't feel like putting in effort, I could get away with just a bad grade. If I put in effort (granted, and the prof liked it), I'd get a good grade. The former is no longer an option for fear of jeopardising my career, especially with where I am at this point.

I'm deeply thankful for the colleagues around me who've been all too kind and nice to make me feel welcome in my office, to the point that I feel I've been around forever and not just a month. I guess this ties in with how time flies, and when A asked me whether it's a good or bad thing, I couldn't give an answer. Actually, I think it's neither. So long as it's enjoyable, it's good enough for the moment. And yes, many lovely surprises came with sitting in the meeting room (and still sitting till goodness knows when, though promised mid-July as of now) with The Bull and the PermTern. Now, the PermTern's gone and more interns will be coming in... the dynamics will change.

It's really been great and am still learning to deal with the way things work because they tend to go against my usual practices of doing things early and continued refining. In other cases, it's learning to deal with the unpredictability of situations and needing to balance out work and other aspects of life. That has gotten way tougher than I thought it would ever be. This is something I've got to take charge of so ministry doesn't suffer and it already is! Thank God there are people holding the fort.

It's really been great and am still learning to deal with the way things work because they tend to go against my usual practices of doing things early and continued refining. In other cases, it's learning to deal with the unpredictability of situations and needing to balance out work and other aspects of life. That has gotten way tougher than I thought it would ever be. This is something I've got to take charge of so ministry doesn't suffer and it already is! Thank God there are people holding the fort.

Not too sure how things will work out, but will continue to walk on in faith.

I very strangely like these heart-stopping moments.

At least for now, working actually brings way more excitement than school did. I wonder how long it'll last.

But now, I just wish for some peace for tomorrow. The adrenaline junkie needs her break or else the graph that Kenneth drew for her today would translate into reality.

The Decadent Den's (never-ending) To Do List.

Aloy had many stuff. Kenneth took a teensy weensy portion of the board. And under my name, he wrote, "no time to write".