Life of an intern

I've been having so much fun interning at Jeanny's firm. She has given me so many opportunities to gain practical experience that there are days where I feel like I'm already a practicing lawyer ;)

The past 2 days in court in particular, have been so intense and eventful. From winning a matrimonial hearing to seeing a client get taken away to listening to J Leslie Chew's insightful comparisons between the civil and common law systems (during PTC no less, after learning that counsel have decided to take trial dates after failing to reach an amicable settlement).

I have gained so much in the past 4 weeks and only hope that the next one will be just as brilliant. :')

Viewfinder

The past 500 days in pictures, part one. :')

Oh hello!

It's been a helluva long time!

Haven't had much inspiration... Or motivation, really, to blog in the past year. Although a lot has happened in the last 500 days or so since I last scribbled something down here.

Finishing my first year of law school, making good friends, finally watching Manchester United live at Old Trafford, meeting Jay Brannan, going on an amazing summer trip around Eastern Europe with my bestie, having one of the best summer internships at SH and of course spending time with my family again after 10 months away.

Then there's falling down and struggling to get back on my feet, accepting the need to let certain anchors go, grieving for the loss of loved ones, having my heart broken and learning to appreciate the time it takes for it to heal.

I want to say it has all made me a stronger person but I don't know how true that is. It has certainly made me wiser and more discerning though. Though on a side note, I do fear that someday, this girly heart of mine, with its soft spot for the bad ones, will eventually be the death of me.

There's so much to do. Land law, EU and Criminal seminars.

I shall hopefully be back soon, with a collage of lovely pictures calendaring some of the significant moments of the last 500 days.

Be good, y'all.

x

This heart of mine

It won't ease up.

It's funny, the things that I associate, with the cases that I learn; the things that help me to remember.

This feeling of being so very inadequate.

How difficult is it, to read me? I wear it on my sleeve, which is most unfortunate.

You have gotten under my skin.

Detta är en katastrof,
meaning this is a disaster.

x

Chapter IV

This is how it begins

Hello from Leeds! I've been here for 4 days now and things are starting to settle down. I've explored the uni and city a little, met a couple of new friends and basically familiarising myself with the surroundings. It's been pretty alright and I'm starting to get used to the changes (:

Induction for school starts on Monday and I'm super psyched (: I'm ready to just go ahead and start school now. Just going back in time a little, on my flight here, I caught Soul Surfer and it was such an apt film to start off this new chapter (: It was a true story about a teen surfer called Bethany Hamilton who despite losing her left arm in a shark attack, courageously overcame all odds to become a champion surfer. It was by no means an easy road and tough doesn't even come close to describing it but she soldiered on. There were hurdles along the way of course, heaps of it in massive proportions yet her determination to get back on her board refused to give in. (: 

I've been having nagging doubts of what ifs, will I, can I, because I know that law school's gonna be rough but this film has inspired me a little. Haha. I will have to grit my teeth and see this through. (:

Okay! On a lighter note, here are a couple of pictures from around uni (:

 Business school. Isn't it pretty!

 The new Law building (:

I must say that despite the cranky weather sometimes, Leeds often has amazing skies and you know how much I'm a sucker for them. (:

That's it for now. Swedish phrase before I go,  'Sommaruppehållet är slut nu.' which means the summer break is now over.

Give a shit

that's how it starts.

Give-a-shit. Now that's what we call creative marketing and getting something useful out of this social slang that is sometimes frowned upon ;) The message behind the campaign is quite ingenious though and I agree, that if only everyone gave a shit about something, it'll make everything that much better in it's own little way. I just feel that if you gave a shit about something, it will affect (subconsciously or not) your actions in some way or another. Doesn't matter how small it is, Rome wasn't built in a day nor was it built with one giant slab of stone. So pick a cause, and give a shit. (:

So the 12th of August marked my last day at Legal Aid. It has been an amazing run and I've learnt so much this past year. I am sometimes still quietly amazed at how everything turned out. I  remember going for the interview at Legal Aid hoping for an internship but came out with a job instead. From meeting clients/applicants to court experiences and to drafting tons of legal documents, it has been such a fruitful year and made even more memorable by the colleagues that I had. Nothing else I can say but that I've been truly blessed. (:

In the blink of an eye, it's now less than a week to departure and just over 2 weeks to the start of school. I was supposed to leave on the 15th but pushed my flight up by a couple of days to give myself slightly more time to settle in (: I, am so.damn.psyched :D Haven't had much time to read up as much as I wanted to though, as I have been helping Monica with the new Frejadesigns site. (Really excited for the launch!) but I'm still catching a few pages everyday and despite English Legal and Constitutional being awfully stiff and boring at times, I still like it. (: (:

Fees have also been fully paid, accommodation settled, registration has all been done and I've even gotten my timetable (: I only have lectures Mondays to Wednesdays! This gives me a bit more flexibility to find a job which I'm glad for since I've been told it's not easy to find one.

SO EXCITED TO FINALLY START LAW SCHOOL! :D

Alright, need to get back to packing.

Swedish word before I go, studenthem which means the dorms or hall of residence (:
Jag kommer att bo i studenthem means I will be living in the dorms.

Hej då!

Frozen strawberries

and bruised knees.

it is the green eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.

Jealousy is such an ugly thing, one emotion that we always find ourselves vulnerable to no matter how old we grow. Sometimes, we try to be the bigger man, to be the better person. We tell ourselves, to just let it go. At the same time, the enviousness makes us stubborn, makes our hands itch to strike back and say, back off.

I hate feeling jealous. It spoils the fun times we've shared.

As time passes, people and priorities change. Standing at a crossroad wherein we both refuse to compromise. I can't see why you don't understand, you can't see why I've got a stick up my arse.

Wrong time, wrong place I guess.

Goodbye now, it's only 36 days to a clean slate.

Swedish word today: avundsjuka which means, jealousy.

Mahalo

You'll be alright.



Had a good talk last night. (: Felt so relieved and comforted that I ended up having the best sleep I've ever had, in the last month or so. (: Woke up real early, feeling goooooood and well-rested. I even got to work early! :D Still coughing a little and my throat's still sore but I, am a happy kid today (:

Sleep, you are so underrated. Heh. On a random note, my new red duvet from Ikea is the best shit ever. (:

Swedish words today:

en säng - bed

en kudde - pillow

en filt - blanket

ett nattduksbord - bedside table

Be good yall.



Pakalolo

It's in the way you say it.

The tragedy of the twin attacks in Norway came as a shock to the world. Famously associated with the land of peace, it's the last place that one would imagine a gunman shooting at innocent kids at a camp. My heart goes out, to the loss of brilliance and innocence in Utøya and Oslo. Våra tankar är hos Norge. ♥

This sense of bone-deep exhaustion and weariness is starting to take it's toll. Hello old friend, it's been awhile since we last met, though I can't say I'm happy to see you again.

Horrid dreams of an alternate reality. I wake feeling like I just ran 10 miles in my sleep. A good night's sleep continues to elude me. Perhaps this is a sign that I should run 10 miles before bed, that might just knock me out.

Coupled with a sense of restlessness that I can't seem to still. Except for that 15 brief minutes in the museum, where I found myself heaving a breath of relief the size of Texas. For that few moments, in a room covered with canvases, I felt peace. I had the urge to fall asleep in there, to the flashing of Van Gogh's Starry Starry night. Wouldn't that be sweet.

50 days to a new start, a new chapter.

Not a word of grievance shall be uttered. I loathe this heavy heart but I refuse to give you the satisfaction of hearing me sigh.

My every fiber, is desperate for a break. It's been a long time coming.

On a brighter note, my visa was officially approved on 21st July. Best birthday, ever (:

Today's mini swedish lesson:
We know that snygg means that someone is handsome, good looking.
Snygga up on the other hand, would mean to clean up or to tidy up.

That is all.

Because

You could always read my silence.

I like how I never have to complete my sentences. I like how I never have to force and choke and spit out my words. I like how he manages to hear my smile and turns my frowns into grins.

It's times like this, that makes me wish.

I know, wishes are for fools.

3 more weeks before my stint at Legal Aid comes to an end (for now). I foresee endless days of reading, accompanied with coffee annnnnnd cookies. Or them soft pretzels. I can't wait. (:

Thank you, anyway. You, have always been amazing. (:

Summer has set in. ♥

Sunshine, freedom and a little flower.

Right in the eye of summer (: June came and went, then came July; and now it's almost on it's way out! Time has this tendency to fly right by you just when you're trying to savour the best of it huh? It's now just slightly over 50 days to England and I, am fucking psyched. (: I can't wait to get started on assignments and term papers, getting involved in the Innocence project, studying in the library, getting pumped up on caffeine, the cold frost in the early mornings and everything that has to do with being a law student in England. Haha... my tone might change a few weeks into school as I start to grumble about having to wake up at the ass crack of dawn and having to make the long trudge to class, but I'm fairly certain the thrill of reading law will last for a long time to come. ;)

That aside, summer thus far has been pretty awesome (: Our trip to Bangkok and Koh Tao was a blast and we met some cool people too (and lots of crazy english lads :D). Managed to get my Deep Dive and Night Dive certification this time round and clocked another 9 dives in my log book so I must say that I felt pretty damn accomplished. Haha.. It's a pity though that I did not get to see any sharks this time round. Though I did see a couple of huge rays. OH! We saw a ginormous school of barracudas! It was awesome! I managed to spot my favourite yellow box-fish a couple of times too (: With that, I don't know when I'd be able to dive again but I hope I'll be able to make it to PNG in the near future because Paul's pictures look fuckin amazing. Anyway, a few captured moments of our summer trip:

Of fire stunts and pretty sunsets (:

♥

Koh Tao was amaaaazing. For 5 days, we did pretty much nothing but dive, hang out, read, eat, sleep, rinse and repeat. (: Waking up at 630am for the morning dives was an awesome way to start the days and I miss it soooooo damn much already.

The topic of life as a dive instructor came up on a few occasions as we lamented about how awesome it must be, to wake up every morning knowing that you will be doing a job that you love. Yet I thought it must start to feel different, once that hobby becomes an obligation of sorts.. Since with a job, comes responsibilities and rules that you probably never really had to give much thought to when you were just diving for fun. It's like married life, you know. Once the kids (jobs) come, there are just some things that you can no longer freely do, because you have the responsibility to make sure your kids (students) are taken care of. Hah.

Then on our very last night, while talking to sneaky about working as an instructor, his story of going from feeling like the luckiest person in the world to constantly having to reinforce to himself the notion of "Luke! You're so lucky!" made me laugh because while I could totally relate, it also made me think back on a post I had previously wrote, about how sometimes, contentment can so easily become such an inadequate sense of satisfaction. Which, can be seen as a natural progression since we're constantly being exposed to so many different aspects of life that we can't possibly expect our sense of contentment to remain static for an extended period of time. I guess if one were to live life fully, it would then mean that contentment would never suffice?

Right... pardon my ramblings. Anyway!

Audeee and me.

Did my first couple of dives with Audeee and she, is super cool. Haha (:

So after we bid Koh Tao a sad sad sad goodbye, we headed back to Bangkok where Maine and Manda attempted to buy half of Bangkok back with them. There were many moments of "It's only $5! I might as well..." Haha. Though I have to admit that there really were a shit ton of good steals.. If I had not been on a budget, I am pretty sure I would have gone bananas too. (:

Got my visa settled the moment I came back from the trip too! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it gets approved soon. That would be an awesome awesome birthday present ;) and yesss I'm turning 24 in a couple of days! It's a travesty, I am almost a quarter century old now... to think I feel like I just turned 16 yesterday. Haha.

Alright, swedish lesson to end this off.



Summer has set in. II ♥

Lesson in a separate post since Blogger's being lame and randomly cutting my posts. Sorry I know I've been lazy with these lessons :p

I got this from ielanguages, another swedish tutorial site and it's one of those swedish forms that I sometimes tend to get confused with as well so it comes in pretty handy. It has to do with locations and defining movements from one place to another. Here it is:

Many adverbs in Swedish have two distinct forms: one to denote location and one to denote movement to or from a place. Location adverbs answer the question var? where? while movement adverbs answer the question vart? where to?

                              Location                Movement

in           -             inne                           in

out         -             ute                            ut

 there      -          framme                      fram

 up         -           uppe                         upp

down     -           nere                          ner

here       -            här                           hit

there      -            där                           dit

  away     -           borta                        bort

(at) home -         hemma                       hem

Location adverbs are used with verbs of rest (vara, stå, ligga, sitta, stanna, finnas, bo, trivas) and movement adverbs are used with verbs of motion (gå, komma, fara, resa, åka, flytta, spring, köra, flyga).

For example:
Malin är här. Malin is here.
Malin kommer hit. Malin is coming here.

Mamma stannar hemma. Mother is staying home.
Mamma går hem. Mother is going home.


That is all! (:

100 days.

to England and to Law School (:

So that's how it officially stands, 100 days. I'm pretty sure it's gonna be the longest 100 days of my life. Haha. Anywho, sorry for the lack of updates the past week. It's been a lil dreary and hectic with the combination of work, tuition, attempting to read up on law notes and happenings within the family. My social life has pretty much become non-existent the past month or so. (not that it had been very colorful to begin with. But you get what I mean.)

What's been new? Well, we made history by winning the 19th League cup, that's one. Then we lost the Champions League cup to an exceptional team, that's two. Haha. Broke my heart because I honestly thought we had a good chance there. We started off alright and despite going 1-0 down, Rooney hit back with a stunning goal so hope flared. Yet when the second half started, they played with such exceptional skills and class that the result at the end of the day was really quite inevitable. Well, we tried. I didn't think we tried hard enough, but such is life eh. Gotta take the shit with the roses. (my saying. heh.) We still capped the season with a 19th, so that's something to cheer about (:

I can't wait to catch a live game next season ;)

My visa's been giving me a headache though and I'm really really hoping that all goes well for it. Was supposed to go down to the embassy on the 6th to submit all my docs but there's been a hold up with the school releasing our CAS to us, which is also incidentally the most important documentation required. Hah. So the 6th is a bust. 

Then there's the trouble of having to submit my passport for the duration of the visa application which wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't intending to travel in July....... but Maine's back on the 28th (YAY!) and our summer trip's from 5th to 12th July. So yes.... pretty much fucked on that. If only I could keep to that appointment on the 6th.... then my visa might have been done by the end of June but the school's not cooperating with my plansssssss. Urrgghhhhhhh!! All these coordination is driving me nuts. Hah. 

In other news, very psyched for summer trip (: Can't wait to cliff jump, dive, read on the beach and spend some quality time with the girls before I leave (:

Today's swedish words:

A little lesson on adverbs (:

aldrig - never

alltid - always

antagligen - probably

bara - only

kanske - maybe

inte - not

ofta - often

redan - already

verkligen - really

snart - soon

On the 200th.

Love.

Warning for sappiness ahead.

On my 200th post, I wanted it to be about .... Love.

Not just love in the romantic, makes you wanna twirl and swoon kinda love. But all sorts of love from your mother's, your daddy's, your best friend's, your dog's and everyone else who has been there for you. Because love, is grand (:

My heart's been in a bit of a weird funk recently but love, is still awesome. Even if boys are stupid and we should all throw rocks at them.

I once read the sweetest quote, from Gavin to the boy he loved.

"If you could see yourself just for a day,

you would see how everyone else sees you.

And my god, you are fucking beautiful."

Yes. ♥

Today's swedish phrase:

Du är vacker - which means you are beautiful.

Because right this moment,

I'm just a girl.

The country's in the midst of election fever the past few weeks and the question of one's party of choice never fails to come up in every single conversation. It might be too early to say, but in my constituency, I felt the choice was pretty clear. I have no impression, none whatsoever, of the opposition party. One would have thought that if you're going up against the PM, the least you could do was put up a good fight? Haha. I have to admit that I am not a staunch supporter of any party but neither am I anti-PAP. I simply voted for who I thought could better serve the needs of the constituency/country. In a nutshell, while I understand the arguments brought up by the Opposition, I did not hear any credible solutions to these problems that they found with the current government. It just seems like there was a lot of appeal to populist sentiments. I have to say that I believe and have more faith in PAP's policies, but also strongly believe that they can do so much better . And while there is indeed a need for opposition parties in parliament to act as checks against the PAP, at the end of the day, it's my view that they are still better equipped to run this country. 

Well, whichever party eventually comes into power, let's hope that improving the financial standings of the working folks and closing the widening chasm between rich and poor are some of the top few priorities.

On an entirely different note, it's 17 weeks to law school, to England, to a new chapter (: While I am extremely psyched for school, I am also very ... afraid. I know I shouldn't be and I'm in the process of overcoming this hurdle, but it's slow coming. Haha.. Anyway, I just bought my first 3 law texts for school yesterday! Interesting stuff and can't wait to get down to it once it arrives (: 

I think this change is gonna be good for me. Not just because I'm going to finally be able to do what I have been gunning for all these years, but also because I feel like it's a break that I desperately need. A time to be a lot more independent, to really stand on my own two feet. And for that, I'm excited. (:

One another note, it would also be good for me to meet new people. To let my heart be at ease, to concentrate on my studies, and not get sucked back into this mess that we sometimes call a casual...ship. Especially in the last few weeks where things between us have been swinging from one end to the other with barely time for me to catch hold of what's happening. You've been throwing me curveballs one after the next and while I threw some good ones back, I can't catch up. 

I woke up one Wednesday morning and wished so very hard, that things between us weren't so complicated. It kills the butterflies that I like, so very much, and it makes my insides clench and hurt. You asked me a question and I couldn't give you an answer. You wanted to know why but I said goodnight. I'm afraid to tell you what I really want because I somehow know that you'd only turn and run. I guess I've always known that at the end of the day, I'll never be what you really want. I would rather not take the risk of whatever it is that we have, falling apart. I would rather later, than sooner.

I wish there were a rulebook for intimacy. Some kind of guide to tell you when you've crossed the line. It would be nice if you could see it coming, and I don't know how you fit it on a map. You take it where you can get it, and keep it as long as you can. And as for rules, maybe there are none. Maybe the rules of intimacy are something you have to define for yourself.

Today's swedish phrase is a mushy one. Haha.

I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.

Jag är bara en flicka, som står framför en pojke och ber honom att älska henne.

The Royalties.

Grandeur.

In light of the upcoming Royal Nuptials, I thought it fitting to have a few pretty pictures! :D There's not much before the wedding commences, so have a look at the Swedish Royal Wedding that took place also fairly recently, in June 2010. Having been into the Royal Palace in Stockholm, I have to say that it was breathtakingly grand and majestic. I remember discussing with Maine that gorgeously painted ceilings must be the first sign of ... opulence. Heh.

 Outside the Swedish Royal Palace

 Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling

Prince Carl and his sister, Princess Madeline. Prince Carl is absolutely .... mmhmmm.

As the wedding approaches in England, the entire nation seems to be involved in its preparations; and London is an amazing city. I can only imagine the festive atmosphere and the excitement of being there :D

 Union Flags out on Regent Street. So pretty!

Members of the Household, outside Buckingham Palace

and the newest Royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton. She, is gorgeousss (:



No Swedish words today! Taking a royal vacaayy (:



Shaaaake it.

Heads up!

Watch our Chaplin moves. It was a fun picnic at the Barrage (: With pretty pretty views of wayyyyy too many kites in the skies, against the setting sun. It became overcast fairly soon though but the rain held off (:

On Friday, I pretty much feasted throughout the day -_-' Dim sum for breakfast with the folks and then Pizza dinner at Da Paolo's with Monica and Steve. Followed by Tarte Citron Meringue for dessert. Sinfully awesome but it was tooo yummy (:

I absolutely lovee lemon tarts. ♥

On Saturday it was the picnic at the Barrage in the evening, followed by poker at Jason's. I lasted about 3 hours before going broke this time. Not too shabby. ;)

On Sunday, I slept all the way till 3pm cause my eye was having a bad day and I felt like I was coming down with the flu.. Then I met Simon and Timothy for 'Source Code', which was fairly good! But it sorta reminded me a little of Phonebooth, because of the looping scenes and how the movie played out in pretty much one location. Haha. The boys had their first Singapore Sling before we met Marie for dinner - Tatsu Teppanyaki at Chijmes. It was actually my first time having proper teppanyaki and I gotta say it was preetttyy awesome. (:

So it has been a very nice long weekend and now I'm home, and... it's definite - I have succumbed to the viruses in me. I hope I'll be well enough for work tomorrow.

Swedish word - sjuk
Which means, ill. So, Hon är sjuk would mean, she is ill.

A little on body parts

ögon - eyes

näsa - nose

mun - mouth

tunga - tongue

öron - ears

kinder (pronounced shinder) - cheeks

benen - legs

Revenge or Redemption.

A snippet from last week's Min Law that I found particularly interesting, especially the opinion piece by an anonymous student on his view of the Mandatory Death Penalty.

Reactions to Yong Vui Kong’s appeal verdict

The Online Citizen (5 Apr) published a joint statement by Think Centre and Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign (SADPC) on Yong Vui Kong’s appeal verdict. Think Center and SADPC said they found the verdict “highly disappointing” and “daunting” that President Nathan had no apparent right to decide against the advice of the Cabinet regarding the granting of clemency appeals. There was no value in the state execution of Yong, they said, and the reason there were still drug mules entering Singapore proved that the mandatory death penalty (MDP) had failed to serve as a deterrent. They also stated that the Singapore government actively advocates chances to be given to former convicts and to help them rejoin the society under the Yellow Ribbon Project, and they did not see how it could not be extended to Yong and the other drug mules who were mostly marginalised youths led astray. 

The statement called for the government to heed the call of its young citizens and people in the world who were moving towards more humane ways to deal with non-violent crimes, rather than imposing the MDP for drug mules. It noted that the UN General Assembly had called on member states to establish a moratorium on executions as a step toward the abolition of the death penalty, and that a total of 109 countries voted in favour of the resolution, while 35 countries voted against and 41 abstained. 

The statement concluded by calling for the government to declare an immediate moratorium on all death sentences and to commute Yong’s sentence. The Online Citizen (5 Apr) also republished an appeal by SDP’s Vincent Wijeysingha last November for clemency for Yong.

Separately, Temasek Review (5 Apr) carried an opinion piece on the mandatory death penalty (MDP). The author acknowledged the differences between Singapore and other countries, and stated that he was not trying to get Singapore to emulate our Western counterparts, particularly in Europe, where almost all of the countries had abolished the death penalty. However, he cited, among other reasons, the multitude of alternatives to the gallows that the government could consider, such as tougher or multiple life sentences or caning. He argued that the MDP was not an effective deterrent, as some would-be offenders did not even know that the MDP was being implemented in Singapore.

To be honest, I find this a classic example of a grey area. Both sides of the camp have their own valid reasons behind their arguments. To those who are for capital punishment, a large part of their resolve seemed to stem from the MDP being a deterrence and the whole notion of "an eye for an eye" (in cases where victims are involved.) To them, the rationale was simple: if you had done something wrong, then you have to pay the price, and in this case, we have made it clear that the price is your life. They don't accept the argument that it is not fair for only the runners of the drug lords to bear the brunt of the punishment (in cases of drug-trafficking) when some of them were not even aware of the death penalty to begin with. I guess to them, ignorance is a flimsy excuse. 

However, who are we to judge? Normal people living our normal lives, with no clue how these runners fell into the situation of being the pawns of drug lords. It could have been desperation, it could also have been the thrill; yet whatever the circumstances, I still find myself decidedly uncomfortable at the notion of playing God. Who gave anyone the right to end a life that wasn't theirs to begin with? One can then throw it back and say, then who gave the accused the right to take the life that was not his to begin with? Shouldn't he be punished for it? No doubt, but does that have to mean his life for the one he took - This justification of "an eye for an eye" in cases where there are victims involved also makes me uncomfortable... because haven't we always been taught, that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind?

At the other end of the spectrum, they believe that the MDP has not been working well enough as a deterrence to justify its implementation. It is felt that this penalty fails to nip the problem in its bud. To them, life is too sacred and preserving life should always be the first priority. It is felt that there are alternatives such as harsher sentences, harsher rehabilitation processes and even caning/whipping. This is when people cringe and say, "Caning? But that is so barbaric." Are they then suggesting that the taking of another's life is humane? I don't deny that the act of caning is honestly quite boorish and uncivilised even, but you know what they say about a rock and a hard place ;) I agree with the opinion, that "wounds heal but a life once taken can never be returned, it is final."

Yet, going back to the other end, there is the issue of cost of life imprisonment. It might seem tasteless, to put cost against a life, but unfortunately, it is a very real problem. They argue that while the MDP has not been entirely all-encompassing in its effect of deterrence, it has nevertheless helped to curb numbers. It is why Singapore is so well-known for its safety - a comfort that has our harsh laws to thank. Imprisonment and rehabilitation might work, but for how long? If people grow to not fear the penalty of imprisonment, it will only bring about problems that we are currently seeing in the UK - a growing number of inmates increasing costs and whose expenses are borned largely by taxpayers.
 

I pause at this juncture because I came to realise that a common rebuttal from both sides is this:  

Put yourself in their shoes.

One side says, put yourself in the shoes of the family of the victim - wouldn't you want justice to be served? He took the life of your loved one. Are you really willing to let him continue living his? How is that fair?

Then the other side also says, put yourself in the shoes of the family of the accused - wouldn't you hope that he would have a second chance? Wouldn't you beg and plead and pray that instead of taking his life, he is given the chance to show remorse, to rehabilitate, to turn over a new leaf?
 

How is one supposed to choose a side? I'm still muddling my way through this grey area and at present, find it extremely tough to agree wholeheartedly with one camp.

I know it's really difficult not to have double standards... because there are indeed some awfully heinous crimes that truly deserve the death penalty. It takes a really really big heart, to be able to be, well, the bigger man. But I'd like to draw your attention to the speech given by Matthew Shepard's father at his trial, way back in 1999. That speech gave me the shivers when I first read it, because it rang true, of courage and moving on. It also gave me pause, to consider the notion that life imprisonment can indeed be worse than death.

I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney. However, this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy. To use this as the first step in my own closure about losing Matt. Mr. McKinney, I am not doing this because of your family. I am definitely not doing this because of the crass and unwarranted pressures put on by the religious community. If anything, that hardens my resolve to see you die. Mr. McKinney, I’m going to grant you life, as hard as that is for me to do, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, or the Fourth of July, remember that Matt isn’t. Every time that you wake up in that prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. Every time that you see your cell mate, remember that you had a choice, and now you are living that choice. You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it.

Today's Swedish words are:

Fängelse - Prison

Bestraffning - Punishment/Penalty

Live fully

and you'll have no fear of death.

Penning from an internet cafe here in Penang, Malaysia. (Wi-fi is pretty much non-existent.) Flew back here this weekend as relatives from my paternal side gathered to accompany Grandma on her final stretch. It's been pretty melancholy the last day but still interjected with sporadic laughter as Grandma tried to speak to all her children and grandchildren. We're not particularly close to the paternal side of the family, coming back to visit maybe once or twice every two years during the Chinese New Year; but there's still a connection that's difficult to put into words. Grandma used to come visit us in Singapore too, a couple of years back, before she fell ill. I remember how well she could cook and having her with my Grandma from mom's side together always meant quite a delicious feast (:

I never knew how difficult it was, to watch a loved one suffering from an illness, coughing their lungs out and groaning in pain. It was the sense of helplessness as one stood by, not being able to do anything at all to relieve the pain, that was hard to handle - because all you can do is hold her hand, and be there for her.

The idea of death scares me. I know people say to just live life fully and if death comes, let it come. Yet there's only so much you can accomplish in a day right, you always always want to do more ;] We never know when the reaper's gonna come and cut us short.. As the saying also goes, we always fear what we don't understand, what we don't know. So.... what then? Guess it just comes full circle doesn't it. - Live fully, and you'll have no   minimal fear of death. Haha.. at the very least, you know you lived to your fullest potential and you went out with a bang (no pun intended).

On a brighter note, 79 days to the BFF's return! (: Rooooobbban's also coming back this July. I must remember to request Fanta-free. Haha. I've also booked my flight for England!!! (: Managed to get it preeetty cheap since it's 5 months early ;) Have I mentioned that I can't wait to start school? Because I am! (That's prolly gonna change 3 months into school...... but you know ;] )

My time's almost up and god this internet cafe is awesome. I'm accompanied by teens playing DOA and random shouts of hokkien vulgarities every 2-3 minutes. I feel like my ears need to be soaped out. Haha. 

Blairite

Overshadowed.

Random snippet of the day: I met a woman who wanted to divorce her husband because he was annoying. When asked to elaborate, she said he talked too much. In fact, he wouldn't stop talking. Mmhmm.

Hearing bits and pieces of updates on the budget speech - Budget for growth, yet borrowing has spiked and inflation continues to soarrrrr. Seems like it's only a matter of time now before BoE increases interest rates too. Best to get my pounds, stat. Don't wanna be paying triple for my school fees during my 2nd year!

You know, speaking of the Brits, I've alwaysss had a soft spot for Tony Blair. Haha. I was so sad when he had to step down as Prime Minister! I remember first seeing him on BBC giving a Labour speech and thinking, "There's something about this guy...". He spoke, not in a flat and serious monotone that you often hear politicians speak in, but with a charisma that drew you in and made you want to sit your ass down and listen. Then I discovered the PMQs and it was like finding my own secret stash of weed that I could indulge in whenever I wanted. The manner in which he handled himself during these weekly sessions was honestly something to behold - the heat generated during these forums could get really intense but he always handled it with such ease and grace.

In his 10 years as Prime Minister, while he might not have lived up to everyone's expectations, I thought he did a fairly awesome job, from increasing public spending on health and education, independence to BoE, his role in climate change, to his work in Northern Ireland. Yet whenever one speaks of Blair now, people always think of the war in Iraq - a blemish that has tainted his stint as the longest serving Labour PM. Once he decided to stand by the US and enter the war, there was no turning back. When no weapons were eventually found, he lost the public trust that he had painstakingly gained through his years in office, just like that. The post-Iraq heat resulted in an anti-Blair rage that eventually played a huge role in his stepping down. Despite the protests and calls that he should be tried as a war-criminal, he never backed down or apologised for the decision he made though. To the critics, he said,

"I know there's a bit of us that would like me to do a Hugh Grant in "Love Actually" and tell America where to get off. But the difference between a good film and real life is that in real life there's the next day, the next year, the next lifetime to contemplate the ruinous consequences of easy applause."

Despite the outcome in Iraq, one thing can't be denied - that Blair had served his country well. He wasn't perfect, but he had done well. Unlike Bush, he was articulate and charismatic and unlike many other politicians (who shall not be named) he was also a family man with a strong moral streak (I know many would beg to differ, but it's my blog damnit.). In his resignation speech, he summed up,

"Politics may be the art of the possible but, at least in life, give the impossible a go. So, of course, the vision is painted in the colors of the rainbow, and the reality is sketched in the duller tones of black, white, and gray. But I ask you to accept one thing - hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong. That's your call. But believe one thing if nothing else - I did what I thought was right for our country."

Having already left office for 4 years, he remains fairly active in the scene. While he didn't get the coveted role as President of the EC, he became more involved in the Mid-East region and also his Faith Foundation. He has certainly left some decent sized shoes to fill for the tag-team of Cameron/Clegg. It has been a bit of a bumpy beginning and the jury's still out on this coalition.

PS: Blair was a lawyer too!

Swedish word:

Juridik - justice/law

Rättshjälp - legal aid

Leva på min egen - to live on my own

Turning the other cheek,

I've yet to learn.

I hate the way he thinks he's always right.
I hate the way he carries himself.
I hate the pedestal he puts himself on.
I hate that he judges without really knowing me.
In fact, I hate that he knows nothing about me.
I hate the things that he once did.
I hate the hold he has over them.
I hate that they take his word as gold.
I hate the fact that I hate him.
I hate that he even made me feel hate at all.