http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_332901.html

SINGAPORE'S top male and top female triathletes have been slapped with a competition ban for being caught alone together in a hotel room at the Asian Beach Games in Bali last October. -ST, 1 Feb 2009.

The issue i have with this is not the punishment. There was no question that the two athletes broke the rules. The outcry if any should be against the rule proper rather then the punishment.

And that is my question. What is the rationale for the rule?

Rules are set up to protect people. So if we look at the rule, does it serve to protect a person? It does actually guard the rights of the other people. That is when one girl invites a guy over to the dorm, or vice versa, they maybe other people around her or him that might feel awarkward.

Why did i write this? Because in my Moral Ed class today, we discussed rules, and whether we should explain rationales of the rules to the students. I think we should discuss and have the see the rationale, to try to understand and appreciate. But there are rules that i feel are beyond the ability of students to comprehend and appreciate. In those cases, it is clear that the optimal approach is to trust the teacher.

Teachers are in positions of trust. We should not violate that trust because the parents put their children in our guardianship. The children today more then ever need moral guides and moral adults to observe and learn from. We are that societal guides, to be present to set the tone for the upcoming generation.

Recessions and Ox

These 3 years have something in common:

1985, 1997, 2009.

They are 3 consecutive year of the ox. (Chinese Zodiac has 12 animals, and 12 years make a cycle).

And they were when Singapore had a recession (Channel News Asia, S'pore must be disciplined, not dip into reserves at first signs of trouble, 1/2/2009)

It is even more interesting when you realise what an Ox is. A castrated bull. Poor thing.

But anyway this post is not about castrations and recessions, but it is about something that i have noticed.

There are two questions christian must answer. Who is God, and who are you.

Who makes a person is not his deeds; you can say William is a driver, or a teacher, but that is not him, it is his job, or his passion.

What makes a person is not his misdeeds; you can say that William is a speedster (which I am not). Again that is not him, just his deeds.

What makes a person is more then just what others see. It is the character of the person. It is who the person was made to be. It is yes, the person may be patient and knowledgeable, but those are aspects of him. To know who you are, you need to spend time with yourself.

I think that is something God wants me to know. Who am I. On a quest to verify that the person i really am, is the one i show to people, and the one that God wants me to be, and the one God will use to glorify himself.

Recently, i been under attacked. Felt somehow, i will be a lousy teacher. That i do not know how to teach. That i am useless.

Then I am reminded. I am not here because i am a good teacher. I am not here because i am good at teaching. I am here, because God called me here. I am here because God wants me here. Because he made me to teach to glorify his name. What more can i ask? Nothing more.