sometimes i wonder why i never opted to enter science stream. maths, physics, chemistry and all that whatnot. straight, mug-able subjects. i think i'm the kind of person who's dying to be spoonfed. and that is definitely not part of the humanities. very subjective.


but then there are moments in time when i would realise that i'm thankful for what i have chosen. true, my subjects are not neccesarily subjects which will actually get me a normal job that ensures a stable income or whatever, but they are subjects that will enrich my life, possibly forever. learning literature, history and geography helps to open a person's road to the world beyond. i'm sure i wont remember differentiation or terminal velocity when i'm almost senile, but i'll sure know that volcanoes are captivating and geoffrey chaucer is crazy.


i dont like history. but that is when i have to study it. geography not as bad to mug for. its sad how acadmically inclined we are forced to be. it limits the cultivation of genuine passion in an area of interest. history, if you dont look at it from an academic point of view, is simply beautiful. i love to read up on the french revolution, or on mcCarthyism. and i have a sadistic interest in world war 2. especially of concentration camps and pearl harbor. ;)


but it all stops when we are made to learn the geneva convention or something like. i remember in my first day at history lesson in sec 1, the teacher-i-forgot-the-name was listing the reasons as to why we study history. one of them was to LEARN from the past. learning from past mistakes. as we can see from current events, we are repeating the same mistakes. so what for learn redundant stuff? its the fact that we realise that humans make grave errors, that we inhumanely kill one another, and that the grit, determination and loyalty a man has in his beliefs are the things that matter. but then again, i'm talking about history in the point of view of wars and conflicts that had occured throughout the years. history is more than that i guess. so in a way, my knowledge is still limited, but my scope will be widened over the years.


but the point is, appreciation shouldnt be drilled into our heads. had it not been for theresa lim and her enthusiasm, i probably would have never loved geography. geography is fascinating. you wont be able to go out into the world without appreciating your surroundings. ask erica about it.


walk out in the open, and look out at the sky. the ability to differentiate cirrus clouds from stratus clouds may be redundant to some, yet to others, they can be gratified by the fact that their knowledge bring themselves, primarily, and others, some satisfaction and understanding.


maybe my appreciation for humanities isnt there now. it might be developed later. the humanities cant be learnt from textbooks. like what mr harris said, there may be maths prodigies in oxford at the age of 12, but never for literature. literature can only develop through the maturity and exposure of one to the art.


so i can comfort myself with the knowledge that i'm smarter than maths or science prodigies in oxbridge.


somewhat.


and one thing i know is that geoffrey chaucer is such an irritating twerp.


from gobi:
"War doesn't determine who is right. War determines who is left"


*Craving: to watch pocahontas again!
*Tune: just around the river bend