Was contemplating whether to place this on the class blog or on my own but after much deliberation i thot it might interest all of you to know how the sirnorgo competition went.
------------------------------------------------
After much work, our efforts culminated in us being crowned champions. But the gloss was viciously removed from our victory when we were informed that our award would be halved neatly, $ divided into 2 + europe --> exotic asia. Although the award still seems attractive, you must understand that what they have done is in fact, morally and legally wrong considering that it was never made known to us that the judges had the authority to alter the quantum of award in such a cursory fashion. Our displeasure was made known immediately, with us exploring every option available to us, and even the vp wrote to reflect our sadness.
It was to no avail.
Following that we met the GM of the company. We gave our word that we will not disclose the information given. And we will not, due to the fact that we are trustworthy... But i would still like to share the experience, although not the content. It was the experience of having your hands tied, your ideas suppressed, your emotions repressed and your options choked off that was particularly painful. Our options were severely restricted by the fact that we represented the school. However, I must thank him for exposing with absolute clarity, another face of man. The process of evolution is complicated. We evolve from crude simplicity into absolute complexity. Trapped and without room to manouvre.
Trapped in this wicked world...
Scene 1: We were invited into a conference room and offered coffee. The man thought that the office lady did not bring in enough cups. On impulse i wanted to say: 'Mr K, I will not mind sharing with you half my cup of coffee. How do you think of the idea?' But i knew i could not. For it would sour the atmosphere immediately, with him being forced to refuse my kindly offer.
Following that we sat through 15 mins of confidential crap, and i was given a free lesson in the art of 'evasive- speaking'. He followed up by having some stories to serve as subtle warnings, and i think i can share a few of them amongst the entire human race so as to have their toxicity diluted.
Story 1: The life of Mr K [This is just about the opposite of the famous literary piece - The life of Pi]
Once upon a time Mr K was young and naive, starting his glorious career with xxx. He had just come back from yyy and had completed some years of studies. His naivety proved to be threatening. Mr K foolishly wrote to the top echelons of xxx in an effort to push his idea through. Later he received a letter demanding that he meet the executive board, with the executive board having the power to dismiss. Mr K knew his mistake and apologised. He got to keep his job.
Anyone sharp would detect the underlying seismic waves that he was sending out at us with that simple story. I would leave the implications and inferences open. At this point in time i had 2 options. 1 was to respond with another story that could send a mega-tsunami at that creep. The other was to silently but forcefully sidestep the issue. I chose the latter, saying: 'Thankfully our situations are (totally) different.' I would have dearly liked to share my story. My story would not have been so personal and insular. It would be a well known one, one that almost everyone in singapore would have heard of young in their lives.
It would have been the story of modified Pinnochio...
Once upon a time there was a little naughty boy who loved to tell lies. Everytime he told a lie, his nose would shrink by half. For the first time, he comforted himself. He told himself to be gracious and that a smaller nose is better. But then the lies were aplenty. He soon discovered that he had no nose left. ALAS, in this world there are no fairy god mothers to put things right. He was left with no nose forever. He was never normal again.
'Story' 2 [in the form of 2 separate statements]
Mr K says: You know har..... the best school of the day was actually a secondary school?
When we called them to inform them that there was a reduction, they just said ok!
Once again the hidden daggers, and once again the same 2 options. I chose the same option replying: 'The secondary school students must have put down the phone and cried'
Its obvious how much we were being controlled, reduced to responding rather that attacking. I would have liked to counterattack with my own story. I really really would have liked. But i could not... ARGH i could not!!!!
My story would have been:
The story of shark + big fish, small fish and smallest fish
TODAY, smallest fish hatched out of its egg, and entered the world. THe shark saw it... and thought to itself that there was no need to hunt it down so early. Therefore the shark left it alone...
Then small fish came along and saw the shark... It knew that it would be eaten if seen, thus it had to run!! And so it did, utterly fearful and upset, but making no noise so as to safeguard its life
Finally big fish saw the shark... It decided to challenge the terrible shark, knowing perfectly well that it would stand a low chance if it stayed. To increase its chances, it sought the help of the leaders of the shoal that it belonged to, it sought the help of its parents, of any fish! Nevertheless, the shark was too vicious and experienced. It had unrivalled weapons; lethal teeth, supple muscles etc. It was one of the rulers of the sea! Left helpless, big fish had no choice but to run; defeated by the horrendous, horrible, terrible, fat, foolish, crappy, crude, crass hideous, monsterous, unscrupulous sickening shark.
Deep down inside it knew that the story would not be over... In the future when it grew bigger, or when it has made friends with killer whale... The shark would die.
It would be exterminated.
Welcome into this wicked world.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: This work is purely of fiction. Any resemblence to objects, incidences or people in real life is purely coincidental.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ahh... the power of irony....
------------------------------------------------
After much work, our efforts culminated in us being crowned champions. But the gloss was viciously removed from our victory when we were informed that our award would be halved neatly, $ divided into 2 + europe --> exotic asia. Although the award still seems attractive, you must understand that what they have done is in fact, morally and legally wrong considering that it was never made known to us that the judges had the authority to alter the quantum of award in such a cursory fashion. Our displeasure was made known immediately, with us exploring every option available to us, and even the vp wrote to reflect our sadness.
It was to no avail.
Following that we met the GM of the company. We gave our word that we will not disclose the information given. And we will not, due to the fact that we are trustworthy... But i would still like to share the experience, although not the content. It was the experience of having your hands tied, your ideas suppressed, your emotions repressed and your options choked off that was particularly painful. Our options were severely restricted by the fact that we represented the school. However, I must thank him for exposing with absolute clarity, another face of man. The process of evolution is complicated. We evolve from crude simplicity into absolute complexity. Trapped and without room to manouvre.
Trapped in this wicked world...
Scene 1: We were invited into a conference room and offered coffee. The man thought that the office lady did not bring in enough cups. On impulse i wanted to say: 'Mr K, I will not mind sharing with you half my cup of coffee. How do you think of the idea?' But i knew i could not. For it would sour the atmosphere immediately, with him being forced to refuse my kindly offer.
Following that we sat through 15 mins of confidential crap, and i was given a free lesson in the art of 'evasive- speaking'. He followed up by having some stories to serve as subtle warnings, and i think i can share a few of them amongst the entire human race so as to have their toxicity diluted.
Story 1: The life of Mr K [This is just about the opposite of the famous literary piece - The life of Pi]
Once upon a time Mr K was young and naive, starting his glorious career with xxx. He had just come back from yyy and had completed some years of studies. His naivety proved to be threatening. Mr K foolishly wrote to the top echelons of xxx in an effort to push his idea through. Later he received a letter demanding that he meet the executive board, with the executive board having the power to dismiss. Mr K knew his mistake and apologised. He got to keep his job.
Anyone sharp would detect the underlying seismic waves that he was sending out at us with that simple story. I would leave the implications and inferences open. At this point in time i had 2 options. 1 was to respond with another story that could send a mega-tsunami at that creep. The other was to silently but forcefully sidestep the issue. I chose the latter, saying: 'Thankfully our situations are (totally) different.' I would have dearly liked to share my story. My story would not have been so personal and insular. It would be a well known one, one that almost everyone in singapore would have heard of young in their lives.
It would have been the story of modified Pinnochio...
Once upon a time there was a little naughty boy who loved to tell lies. Everytime he told a lie, his nose would shrink by half. For the first time, he comforted himself. He told himself to be gracious and that a smaller nose is better. But then the lies were aplenty. He soon discovered that he had no nose left. ALAS, in this world there are no fairy god mothers to put things right. He was left with no nose forever. He was never normal again.
'Story' 2 [in the form of 2 separate statements]
Mr K says: You know har..... the best school of the day was actually a secondary school?
When we called them to inform them that there was a reduction, they just said ok!
Once again the hidden daggers, and once again the same 2 options. I chose the same option replying: 'The secondary school students must have put down the phone and cried'
Its obvious how much we were being controlled, reduced to responding rather that attacking. I would have liked to counterattack with my own story. I really really would have liked. But i could not... ARGH i could not!!!!
My story would have been:
The story of shark + big fish, small fish and smallest fish
TODAY, smallest fish hatched out of its egg, and entered the world. THe shark saw it... and thought to itself that there was no need to hunt it down so early. Therefore the shark left it alone...
Then small fish came along and saw the shark... It knew that it would be eaten if seen, thus it had to run!! And so it did, utterly fearful and upset, but making no noise so as to safeguard its life
Finally big fish saw the shark... It decided to challenge the terrible shark, knowing perfectly well that it would stand a low chance if it stayed. To increase its chances, it sought the help of the leaders of the shoal that it belonged to, it sought the help of its parents, of any fish! Nevertheless, the shark was too vicious and experienced. It had unrivalled weapons; lethal teeth, supple muscles etc. It was one of the rulers of the sea! Left helpless, big fish had no choice but to run; defeated by the horrendous, horrible, terrible, fat, foolish, crappy, crude, crass hideous, monsterous, unscrupulous sickening shark.
Deep down inside it knew that the story would not be over... In the future when it grew bigger, or when it has made friends with killer whale... The shark would die.
It would be exterminated.
Welcome into this wicked world.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: This work is purely of fiction. Any resemblence to objects, incidences or people in real life is purely coincidental.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ahh... the power of irony....
0 comment(s):
Post a Comment