I had moved

The new address is http://shichiseiken.blogspot.com

If you want to re-link, please do so.


Mit freundlichem Gruss und, Heil Schrödingers Katze!

For the love of #@$@

I just think of this, why don't I close every post with

Mit freundlichem Gruss und, Heil Schrödingers Katze!

Why such weird lines? Oh well, I have grown fond of it. So let's begin.

Mit freundlichem Gruss und, Heil Schrödingers Katze!

Germany?

Oh well, my frustration paid off. Recently my parents had given approval to continue my studies in the German land.

My cousin contacted me about it and asked me whether I really want to go there. And my reply was "I'm not very sure yet." Since I will be having a freakishly long holiday, I asked her to register me for German course out there. It will be an efficient use of time, since the local NUS/NTU start in the middle of the year and German University start somewhere in November.

Oh well, I had received the result of that darned exam, except the History paper. Mr Lim have to mark around 360 essays alone, it should had taken him a while.

The Grand Design

"If the theory is confirmed by observation, it will be the successful conclusion of a search going back more than 3000 years. We will have found the grand design."

Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow

Just finished the book yesterday, fresh from the bookshop. Instead of studying for physics, I devoured the book in 3 days. Kinda dull I'd say. Most of the stuff is about the same with their previous book A Briefer History of Time.

Oh well....

I changed the layout and the background using the design function. I'll get my own background later.

Transmutation!

It is about time to revamp the blog, don't you think? Well, it won't come so soon, I'm too lazy to think of a new design and the time to learn using GIMP. Yea, I don't have photoshop for Mac. Probably I'll be changing the address too.

Gundam Fair

Okay, let's talk about some action. Few days back, my friend the Great Izumi, called me to join him visiting the Gundam Fiesta Singapore 2010 at some far far away place. The other end of the island....

There is not much to see beside the evolution of RX-78 from box gundam to a more humanoid one. Oh great, it is foreign to most of us. There are some perfect grade gundam, new products displayed, 1/1 scale RX-78 hand, lazy setting of battle of three kingdom and  the goddamn human size unicorn.

Izumi and the Ninja bought a model and I can't be bothered to buy one, simply no cash to burn and time to spend. Oh great, there is still an MG to construct and my Oh Gundam project.

No pictures! Why? because there is no camera!

Black September

What's up with the terrorist group title?

Oh well, this month Major Helen Choo is bashing us with preliminary exam, oh well, it started since monday though.

The first incoming missile already hit us hard. GP comprehension paper was grossly horrendous, bet that there will be high failure rate.

History? Fuck Gaddis's post-post-revisionist view, it is outta question. FREAKING CONFUSING!

Maths was fun, but too bad it can't be done in leisurely pace.

Physics? Oh fuck it, wasted too much time stoning.

Why do Americans think that the Japanese draw themselves as white?

Taken from Julian Abagond's blog. Abagond is a middle-class, West Indian, New Yorker; he is also a computer programmer who enjoys ancient Greek.  He writes whatever he wants at his blog.  In the borrowed post below, he explains that the question is really “Why do Americans think that the Japanese draw themselves as white?”  Enjoy.

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Why do the Japanese draw themselves as white? You see that especially in manga and anime.
As it turns out, that is an American opinion, not a Japanese one. The Japanese see anime characters as being Japanese. It is Americans who think they are white. Why?  Because to them white is the Default Human Being.

If I draw a stick figure, most Americans will assume that it is a white man. Because to them that is the Default Human Being. For them to think it is a woman I have to add a dress or long hair; for Asian, I have to add slanted eyes; for black, I add kinky hair or brown skin. Etc.

The Other has to be marked. If there are no stereotyped markings of otherness, then white is assumed.

Americans apply this thinking to Japanese drawings. But to the Japanese the Default Human Being is Japanese! So they feel no need to make their characters “look Asian”. They just have to make them look like people and everyone in Japan will assume they are Japanese – no matter how improbable their physical appearance.

You see the same thing in America: After all, why do people think Marge Simpson is white? Look at her skin: it is yellow. Look at her hair: it is a blue Afro. But the Default Human Being thing is so strong that lacking other clear, stereotyped signs of being either black or Asian she defaults to white.

When you think about it there is nothing particularly white about how anime characters look:

• huge round eyes – no one looks like that, not even white people (even though that style of drawing eyes does go back to Betty Boop).
• yellow hair – but they also have blue hair and green hair and all the rest. Therefore hair colour is not about being true to life.
• small noses – compared to the rest of the world whites have long noses that stick out.
• white skin – but many Japanese have skin just as pale and white as most White Americans.

Besides, that is not how the Japanese draw white or even Chinese people. The otherness of foreigners is clearly marked by physical stereotypes – just as Americans do with people of colour. In anime White Americans are stereotyped as having yellow hair, blue eyes and a long or big nose:

Gone are the big round eyes and the strange hair colours. Because those things have nothing to do with whiteness.

Note that the Japanese drop the markings of otherness if the action is set in a foreign land, like China or America. In that case the characters are drawn in the regular anime style. Because for that story the Default Human Being is understood.

Some Americans, even some scholars, will argue against this view of anime. They want to think the Japanese worship America or worship whiteness and use anime to prove it.  But they seem to be driven more by their own racism and nationalism than anything else.

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All images are from Google images; Abagond retains no rights.

And what the japanese said?

It’s because it looks cool!

Their skin is just because they aren’t using any colouring or toning.

It’s because they are recognising the beauty of blonde hair and blue eyes.

Because if they were drawn by westerners even a 12-year-old would come out looking macho!

Those damn foreigners love fussing over this stuff, don’t they? Who cares about race or whatever, it’s anime.

I get the impression keeping things simple like that helps when exporting to the states…

But there aren’t any of those crew-cut beefcakes Americans love?

They look western? I think the style looks to be uniquely Japanese…

I live in Canada – what the Canadians are always asking me is why anime characters have no noses?

It looks pretty bad with too much nose detail – normally they just leave a shadow underneath.

What do they want? Bucktoothed bespectacled Japanese with glasses?

Westerners who come out in anime always look totally different to the main characters, don’t they?

Were there westerners with pink and green hair now?

The video version:



That video says it all…

Anime characters don’t look like any real race. Anyone with eyes that big is an alien for sure…

I think the men are done in western style (with narrow faces and deeply pronounced features) whilst the women are Asian (round faces and shallow features).

But aren’t they just emphasising the differences between the sexes?

The “pale skin” Japanese like is “the pale skin of Japanese,” not the pales skin of whites.

Who cares whether they’re white or black, it doesn’t matter. But it really is rather characteristic of Japanese manga and games to insist on trotting out an obviously Japanese guy with a katana into an otherwise fantastic setting…

Yanks going on about race need to go and look at Strike Witches – the Japanese are all flat-chested little weasels.

Japanese don’t care about race like that – if it were American you’d have to include a bunch of different races or be accused of discrimination. Those guys are the ones who are abnormal.

There are a lot of titles with obvious western settings and obviously western characters, but there are also lots with Japanese settings and characters.

Honestly, those guys think too highly of themselves! I don’t see any anime full of fat people!

What they mean to say is that anime characters don’t look like how they think Asians should look.

I’d understand if they were talking about games – you hardly see any Japanese names there.

To think they look white just shows the conceitedness of westerners.

Beauty = white people. So inevitably manga full of beautiful people have to be full of white looking people. In the end they end up full of Japanese who don’t look Japanese.

Most Japanese do believe in the superiority of the west. They masochistically think Japanese things are ugly in comparison.

How presumptuous of them to say they look like whites!

It’s just so you can easily tell characters apart. Don’t think about it too hard.

I don't feel like posting this, but....

I'll just be honest. There is this one girl whom I fancy. I met her around a year back during the days we are doing the same thing together. She is one of those few whom I can talk freely with. She is rather weird and eccentric, sometimes a bit pushy. At first I take her as a younger sister but somehow I grow to care more about her. She told me about her problems and I told her mine. She asked for advice and I give my best answer. Don't ask me who she is, cause I won't tell.

Leave it to Dag

I wish I can say that. Exam is around the corner and I have not prepared enough.

Never mind about it, there is still little hope. To rush for the last battle.

I'm back!

Wow, it have been one month. SA2 is over and the result is quite bad for me. GP was the worst ever. My essay structure was a wreck, the same with history. I'm kinda amused when Mr. Paolo said that I wrote the essay like a historian, too descriptive and the length of the essay was OVERKILL. 3 SHEET OF PAPER!

Märchen

Thanks to JYan, I was reminded that I used to think of organizing a class band before. But alas, there is lack of interest and the plan is never realised. Oh well, if I ever get it done with someone else these few song will be what I would like to try.

Hikari -from Kingdom Hearts
Passion -from Kingdom Hearts II
Kaze no Toori Michi -from My Neighbour Totoro (Thanks to MY for introducing me to the piece)
Dango Daikazoku -from Clannad (it was planned to be played with Abe)

Beat the drums!

It is about time to get everything done. The clock it ticking fast, the battle is coming soon.

I had told dad that I might need to take SAT to apply for overseas university as most of them require the SAT as reference. Dad simply told me to give it a shot.

This might be the green light. It is about time to ask for recommendation letters from my teachers and obviously one from the dean or other college officer.

I'm not sure about applying to American University. It is simply because of the security factor. I'm scared about another shoot-out in the University.

SAT, is it a necessity?

I did some research on German University yesterday and found one particular university quite appealing. It is Jacobs University Bremen. Unlike most German University, this university is fully international, meaning that most of the academic activity is done in English. Well, there is no German proficiency requirement imposed by this university. One of their 3 year undergraduate programme is quite appealing. Earth and Space Science. However, the university is asking for American SAT.

I'm not sure whether I should take the American SAT. When I told big sis about it, she told me to drop the idea. Thinking about it SAT might be able to be used as a mean of retreat, in case plan B failed again. I have no intention to stay in Singapore anyway. I hate the elitist system where everything is about grades. It seems that I need to talk about it with Mr Yeo once the college re-open.

I don't really care about university ranking now. Since the rank is determined by mostly what is related with graduate programmes such as research, facilities and the achievement of the staffs. Since big-name professors are very unlikely to teach undergraduates, it is pointless to fight for it. As long as the undergraduate degree is recognised worldwide, it is enough.

翠岭夜韵

CO concert was not that bad, it is much better than bleak prediction JY prophesied. It went well, except the guest performance of Hu Ensemble which sound terribly boring. Shayne's performance was quite disappointing, it was rather boring. Perhaps I was too far to listen to the piece properly. Jia Xiang did a good job with his acting. His act really entertain the audience. There is only a couple of senior who turn up, the usual 06-07 gang and some 08 batch.

Europa?

I have been thinking for a while, how my future should be drafted. Even though Dad had given me some signs that he won't intervene much, it still cast me some doubts whether I'd like to do what I'm about set to do. There is something big that keep bugging me. In the field of science, there are more than 1 aspect that I'm interested in. Mainly biology, physics and mathematics. As I'm supposed to note, I have increasing interest in evolutionary biology, thanks to Izumi for introducing me to the topic. Astronomy is something that I'm already been interested in since I'm a little kid. Mathematics as everyone had said, is the most important aspect of science. I had read several books and found out that the current scientific advance rely heavily on mathematics. So far, I can only find one course that dare to combine such outrageous combination, something that is extremely tough to sneak in. Cambridge! I have been thinking of applying for UK University all this while as it is less a hassle compared with German University since I don't need to learn a new language to enter. I already had the required language qualification which is basically my O Level.

I dunno what to decide whether it is worth a try to apply for this course nor what to choose if it fails. There is not many university that allows combination between evolutionary biology and physical & mathematical science. Perhaps I'll have to abandon my interest in biology.

I just find out quite recently that Dr Richard Dawkins no longer teach at Oxford. His name is not in the list at all. Did he stop teaching and went into retirement instead? It would be great if I have the chance to meet him and ask him some question.

Project Euler

Quite recently, I stumbled upon this so called Project Euler, named after famed German Mathematician. It is a collection of challenging mathematical questions.
Here is the description from the website:

Project Euler is a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve. Although mathematics will help you arrive at elegant and efficient methods, the use of a computer and programming skills will be required to solve most problems.

The motivation for starting Project Euler, and its continuation, is to provide a platform for the inquiring mind to delve into unfamiliar areas and learn new concepts in a fun and recreational context.

Good luck in trying some of the questions XD

About Relativity

Quite recently I stumbled upon similar rhythmic lines describing Theory of Relativity, mainly from the book Hyperspace and A Briefer History of Time.

There was a lady of Wright.

Who traveled much faster than light.

She departed when the sky is bright.

And returned on the previous night.

Since the source are not identical, I changed it to this, without changing much of the meaning behind it.

Life goes on

Yesterday was a blast, at least not for my wallet. 08S09 peeps were as usual, the only downside is we do not have much topic to talk about. No anime, not much games, no educational debate. Almost the entire thing was dominated by NS, NS and NS. We had sushi for our lunch and unfortunately someone forget to pay me money. Hey people, I still waiting for the cash.

The movie was so so, not as exciting as the title suggest. After the movie, I went to Kinokuniya to buy some books (Broca's Brain written by Carl Sagan and another book on theory of relativity). You guys should had known why I bought those books. XD