Why Singapore Idol will NEVER make it.

Why Singapore Idol will NEVER make it? Unless you equate Hady Mirza to say, David Archuleta, Singapore IDOL has never and will never make it big. And thinking about it, David Archuleta’s only runner-up to the all-time global affair, American Idol. And the worth of being Singapore idol – an endorsement with 7-11. Says a lot, right?

And why in my humble opinion, Singapore will never make it? Its because of its ineffectiveness to attract talented individuals to step out, strum the guitars and open their voices to sing.Contestants constantly compete upon popularity and talent seems to be but a secondary criteria for their race in the Idol journey. True enough , an idol has to not only be recognised as a talent but also a pop icon. But with the new move in placed for Singapore Idol 2009, are we totally shifting away from being a talent cum idol show to “Mr or Mrs Pretty Face pageant”. Are we denying talent from even surfacing in such talent shows?

In a new twist this season, “Idol” fans can start voting for their favourites from the start of the show, so expect to see who’s in and who’s out ’Live’ on the same night. (Channel NewsAsia – Saturday, June 6)

With the new implementation(as mentioned above), Singaporeans will start voting right from the start of the show for their favourite idol hopefuls, WITHOUT EVEN HEARING THEM SING yet. In the last two seasons of Singapore Idol, much has been mentioned about talents not being recognised due to their slow accumulating popularity levels.(which in turn is relative to the amount of votes they get from the mass) But the least that we could accept is the opportunity for them to present their talents to attempt to gather this popularity which they may have been lacking. In this season, it seems that Singaporeans don’t even want to hear them sing.

Comparing Singapore Idol with American Idol, one can just stare in shock at the disparities in quality of contestants. Granted a larger talent pool over at the other end of the world, our idol shows cannot exist in the same manner in which their Idol shows are conducted. With the limited talent pool we possess in the music industry, my personal opinion is that public participation in the competition should be left to the last quarters of the idol mania journey. This would allow serious, talented individuals time to showcase their talents , stabilize and gain popularity. This is in contrast to the current platform whereby we see talented guys and girls being voted out right from the start of the show, due to lack of popularity, not talent. Why i compare it with American Idol? This is totally based on the fact that at top 20 in their version of the idol contest, almost each and every contestant is already with the calibre for cutting a studio album. This would mean that votings can take place “prematurely” since all of them somewhat stand in the same league. In Singapore, i guess we all need to take a breather and think through things.

The above discussed is TOTALLY based on the writer’s personal thoughts and in no way should cause any implications thereafter.

Its never enough

Its never enough so stop worrying! These words i keep constantly harping to myself. I’ve been in a situation recently, and its disturbing that more than half the time a day I am worrying about whats to come and what i have to face in the next few years. Just exploring the plans and stuff which constantly surmounts to more stress and worry inevitably. I should just STOP WORRYING and let it go because for all you know, 2012 MAY happen and we all perish beneath the surfaces of mother earth. So no future, and who cares about your paper degree .

And i’ve become so FRUGAL that i cant even recognise myself. Thanks to the #$#$%%$%$ pay thats taking eons to process into my bloody bank account. Now i live on a tuition fees on a weekly basis, no more than $50 a week. Thats miserably not mr koh and its even worse than my days at school when i declared poverty week. BUT, i kinda appreciate money better after going thru this season of beg and borrowing. Money is really evil-ly difficult to win over. And , there are really places STILL selling cheap food. For instance, instead of 3.50 or 4 bucks on lunch(which is considerably cheap in Bugis already), i swarm to the nearby kopitiam everyday without fail for that $2 mixed meat and veggie pack that i take in the office while surfing Facebook and playing Mousehunt. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel so like a poor noooobcakeeeee!!

Honestly, im qutie sick and tired of being poor. maybe it stime to spend. tmr. frrrrigggarrrd

The Highest Earners

Work, work and more work. Life has been pretty much just about working recently, with the night jogs to keeping me somewhat active in times like this. Ha, my colleagues, the older ones, tend to have this impression that i’m not working for money, but just to pass time and gain some insight to working. Thats totally, WRONG. I am here for the money, because i need it for allowances! FULLSTOP. If i’m not in need of money, i’ll be packing my bags to do some voluntary work in Cambodia or something! Ok, i’m not on the verge of being bankrupt , neither do i have to worry about my next meal since there’s always the FMScholarship.(Father Mother Scholarship)Wait, its a MS, father’s not gonna give me a cent anyhow. But i do have to worry about my next shirt to buy. HAHAHA! Argh, and they claim that i’m the type who always splurge in restaurants. Come on! I even save on the $1.30 for a drink at the very pricey Bugis executive district. Their incessant suaning finally reached my threshold and i turned on my sarcastic side to them. Yes, i went to the restaurant(and the smurk on their faces), fast food restaurant. Macdonalds PEOPLE!

One thing i really learnt about working life is that a suitable job is really important. Each day i come to work and already, the Financial executives have started their day with a piece of bread on one hand, and their hands on the mouse on the other. During lunchtime, they gather around their work stations with a lunchbox, finish it fast and back to the desk. The day ends at 6 for me, and guess what, they are still heavily engaged with work! It repeats and never was there a day whereby i left after them or came before them. Well paid, YES. They are well-paid. In fact, people in the Finance dept are one of the best salaried executives in the office. They look the smartest , have degrees in accountancy, double degrees, bla bla bla but sometimes i wonder if they are really satisfied with their jobs. I really applaud them if they are. It takes not only tolerance to do such jobs. (Trust me, regardless of how high your tolerance level,it depletes with time) Yet this experience serves as a great insight to me and really gave me a clearer picture of my future.

Exhausted

I’m so exhausted, i hate the need for money. If there wasn’t , i wont be doing this!
I barely have the time to rest and relax at home! After work, give tuition and now i’m back and after a bath, i’m almost ready to turn to bed coz my eyelids are automatically shutting down. Sooo tiring and another tiring day awaits in less den 8 hrs 10 hours.

Maliciously Funny

Sometimes i wonder why people just don’t see in good light the progress, success or goals of others. Just because they have different goals, that makes my goal a joke is it? I’m starting to grasp hold of the theory. The theory of just pursuing what you like , regardless of what others think. Come to think of it, nothing we do makes us good if our neighbours are bent on their own ideas or if they don’t respect our lives.

So whether or not your some top notch scholar, or a farmer in the service, people still won’t ’see you up’ because SOMEHOW they will find fault with whatever you do. If your a PSC scholar, they tell you so what? You will have a miserable pay compared to your peers in the private sector and you don’t 100% get into management levels if you suck at your work performance. Than if you take up some award, they say you are stupid to be conned by them and laugh at us when they think we may break the bond.Than if you don’t take any, the scholars will condescend you and think your not in my league. Its funny how the world works, and how so many people can say so many different things to make everything eventually, STUPID to do.And its amazing how some people can say this inspite of their own perils.

I am saying all these because i’ve been somehow mocked at by a colleague in my office. I would say he is most probably in his mid- thirties and he was once in the government sector, dealing with bond-breakers. So he came up with the joke to ridicule me for taking up a bond and made a whole deal out of me breaking my bond. And he went on laughing and counting figures of the bond breaking, and how much i actually benefit from it. Seriously, what the heck is wrong with these people. Not everyone take things in accordance to monetary gains. Yes, i did consider it as one of my deciding factor, but come on lah, you shouldnt even be looking at a bond if you have any thoughts that you may strongly want to break it. And just because he has seen many bond breakers doesn’t mean i am potentially one too. The funnniest and greatest irony of the conversation is his plight though. He is in his mid-thirties doing a TEMP job, earning the SAME pay as me . Wonderful, how can someone have such great ego and esteem to be able to condemn someone else when he should be thinking about how to pay the bills next month!

So its decided.

Oh great! I’ve finally made up my mind regarding my direction for the few years. Recently, i’ve been offered the MOE Teaching Award and i’ve been weighing out my options my goals and stuff. I didn’t want to make a wrong choice that could possibly lead to me breaking the bond or feeling unhappy with each day of my working life in future. I know its not something to hoo-haa about, considering quite a number of people actually manage to get this scholarship/award despite them calling it ‘competitive’, but really, i should be grateful! Its not like i performed exceptionally well or whatever to begin with. Anything above mine would be a PSC category kind of thing, and fat hope. I never ever, trust me , ever thought of getting a scholarship or study award. That was partially why i was also pretty much calm about ‘A’ levels, just hoping to get a decent grade to make it to somewhere i want in university.
Besides,it all seemed easy only because i prayed about the matter and God was on my side! I should have known that there are people with better scores that have failed for three times consecutively!

Some issues that have been bothering me include the possible prospect problem, financial issues, passion, work preference and expectations.
Weighing them all into making a decision, i decided to go ahead with it .

If all goes well, i will be entering NUS and major in History. Finishing my honours year(hopefully), i will be required to get a Post Graduate diploma in Education from NIE(1 year). And surprisingly be paid while doing that as a graduate. Then, work in a secondary or junior college as a teacher for 2.5-3 years. After that if nothing goes wrong i will continue with the education sector hopefully if i do well and if there are prospects for me to further invest my time in. Maybe even further study under a postgraduate scheme for a Masters. If the education realm fails me or should i fail them , i would use my savings(since i wont be in any debt) to start up my own cafe.(which surprisingly has been one of my personal goals at retirement)

Here goes Mr Koh!

AGAIN!

Again, good news ! Beaten another round of interviews and got my job! Oh man, i’m getting slightly better at interviews i must say. God’s grace of course! And i got my tuition assignments to sustain me in university too!
Superb Hurray!

I agree, He definitely knows when is the best time for everything. Everything in its place.

Facebook

The bad thing and weird thing about facebook is that if you add an acquaintance, you will feel super awkward if you meet him or her in face somewhere along the streets What i mean by an acquaintance is like someone you met up with once or twice maybe due to an event or whatever and you’re not that close, possibly not even a hi-bye friend yet, yet we’re connected by facebook. So when you see this person in town, you don’t know if he or she is going to recognise you, and whether you should take the initiative to say hi.

That is why most of the time i don’t really say hi, even if its to a hi-bye friend. HAHA. But most of the time, the other party is as dao. So i guess its normal!

Just for thought.

Simple Confessions

I am home!(abit delay on this) These are some editted pictures that i took from my trip and my thoughts on them for random , casual keeps.

 I am thankful i walk in the streets , free and safe from the unexpectable crimes of the world.

I am thankful I have the opportunity to a decent education.

 I am thankful I experience life as a colourful dream, and not have to paint a colourful dream for my life.

 I am thankful I worry about whether the next meal is nice, rather than worry about whether its safe.

 I am thankful I had a childhood playing toys, computer games and making pretty friends.

 I am thankful for the water i have in the comforts of my home.

 I am thankful for a living God.

 I am thankful she had shoes.

 I am thankful for my own set of traditions and cultures.

 I am thankful I can be myself and not live dishonestly in disguised.

 I am thankful for a good government.

 I am thankful for dustbins.

 I am thankful i have a home.

 I am thankful for life, as it is.

 I am thankful for God’s wonders in this world.

 I am thankful for all the memories i ever had since.

Namaste

Namaste! I will be heading to Kathmandu, Nepal tomorrow for some nice budget trekking holiday with Chun Yong my bmt mate. We bicker alot so its going to be amazing how we finally put our brains and temper together to make it a nice backpack date holiday. Travelling is seriously my greatest hobby and to find people to go with me is a chore because everyone simply have their own ideal holidays, not to mention ..almost none want to go to Nepal. And travelling together with your friends can be a real bitch because there are bound to be conflict of interest and stuff but its how we handle it that reflects the success of the trip!

I will be on silkair.(Yay, finally no more budget airline!!) Not that its a fantastic airline to travel with but , i guess its good enough yeaks?! In case of anything, i will post my flight details here. In case something bad happens when i meet a maoist rebel on the way , or something..at least the media can find my blog and dig some information lol!SIN->KTM.  Tue  170309 0910 hrs .   Tue 170309 1205 hrs.

KTM->SIN. Thu 260309 1305 hrs .   Thu 260309 2015 hrs .

Planning the entire trip ourselves has been exciting and superbly enriching but also very tiring and troublesome. In fact, getting ourself self-sufficient for the trekking and trip was even more tiring, particularly so for a extremely cautious traveller like me. They say i’m kiasu but i think there is definitely no right or wrong to be kiasu when your travelling, especially to a remote and ‘exotic’ country like Nepal on ourselves. There is nothing to lose to be more careful , in my humble opinion that is. So i go down on the finest details like medication , sanitizers to stuff like small change and speaking to embassy representatives on various political issues and stuff…I’m quite looking forward to the trip tho i am pretty much unconfident! But WHO cares!

I finally ORDed. But somehow or rather, i don’t feel like talking much about it anyway. Life still goes on, or rather, life just starts to move again from the long halt that took place ever since i lost my hair. All i can say is i appreciate the people who have helped me in a way or another to finish this phase properly. I’ve made great friends . Playing aunt agony and always bickering with my section mates like zhiyuan , hien fhong.. Bitching and just lazing around with hsien wei , kok loong and tonnes of other mec guys like xien wen & misso. These are times i will definitely miss a lot. And also, royce- one of the few people i can hardly imagine myself making friends with initially. Sometimes i wish i just knew these people in the outside world, maybe it could have been more enjoyable! Ok wait, but maybe we wouldn’t be as close if we were in the outside world. Rights?

And i only felt the happiness and freedom of being a Civilian today. When i woke up to a rainy morning, skies cleared for my day out with berms and slippers and a backpack. From the moment i left the house, till the moment i flagged the bus, got up the bus, tapped my ez-link, took a sit and enjoyed the aircon-bus…and i think to myself..what a wonderful world… lol.