Dear TomHa,
What an exhausting weekend, although I do not seriously think that I had done much things. Haha. Well, finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday (at Borders. $40.60 is just too much) and I must say that it is really much much better than its predecessor, the Order of Phoenix, which portrayed the protagonist as more of a spoilt, whiny and arrogant brat than The One of the wozarding community. Beware.. Spoliers ahead. Somehow died, or rather, D died, which is rather sad, going by the events that had occurred these few weeks and that they were rather associated with me. No matter. Potter became rather powerful, coupled with the fact that he had associated himself with some rather powerful dark spells invented by the Half-Blood Prince who happened to be the "teacher he had hated most in his term in Hogwarts." However, what that had actually left me feeling rather appalled was how liberal the wizarding community actually was. Ron apparently found himself a girlfriend with an apparent ease (to spite hermione and to prove that he knows how to kiss to his sister) that just filled me so much disgust. Lucky them...

Anyway, after finishing my read at Borders, I set out for a walk along Orchard Road, jostling my way through the bustling crowds to Plaza Singapura where 190 had always been rather empty and I could sit my way home. Along the way, was contemplating how I was to write this entry, whining about how lonely and apparently how unsociable I am when I got picked out from the crowd by my secondary school classmates who were with their Junior College friends and were going to meet their upper secondary classmates. Complicated ar? No matter, decided that I was really feeling rather hungry and joined them for supper, at subway, where I solemnly swear makes nasty tasting sandwiches. Walking with them just means that at the end of the day, my displacement will be 0 many many times over. No matter. It is always good to have company in a lonesome night where the moon is so obscured by the looming red clouds. Made many super lame jokes. Guessed those whom I newly met weren't taking it rather well. Well, what to do, was really on form yesternight. Then, they decided to go for a spin in my classmates' car which I gladly obliged. Realised that I can really become a taxi driver should I ever get retrenched or what. My knowledge of the roads was rather, hmm, how should I say it, extensive. Reached home at around 2.30am. Goofed around, slept at 4.

Hoisted myself out of bed at 8 and made my way for the Civil Defense Volunteering course, where I learnt some first aid which is quite elementary and some firefighting, which is, er, not the most exciting of things. Had free buffet. Perhaps that was why I did not enjoy the 拉面 later. Then, like always, doing what I and perhaps every of my friend that I know well do best, goofed around and joked around and like always, I am always the one who get 鸟. Hmmm... Perhaps I am too nice. Ha, had my first coffee bean since A's. Felt rather high after all the caffeine.

Been thinking a lot about the London bombings these few days. Yes, it is a very tragic event to happen to a place which I really want to go 7 years later (started saving already, and hopefully, can get a partner to go with me??! Haha). No matter about the Olymipics, which by itself is a rather 'future' thing, but what that really bothers me is the lack of press release that actually dwell into why those terrorrists actually contemplated to even think of such hideous acts of violence in the first place? Was it an ideological thing? Or was it just another sort of sadistic act of revenge on those who are apparently richer at the expense of someone else getting poorer? Looking back, could still remember that particular geopolitics lecture which actually dwelled into the minds of these terrorists. Not that the lecturers agree with what those people are doing, but somehow, the lecture stuck with me. It talked about the Israel and Palestinian conflict (again). Israel, with all the backing from USA was much much superior militarily than the Palestinians who were by and large, AK-47 wielding peasants. Knowing that going head-on with the Israelis can only mean instant defeat, the Palestinians set about commiting acts of violence in the form of suicide bombings and random acts of terrorism to exert their stand on this long standing feud. Hence, Sharon build a security barrier that is just another of those barrier that sets about to encroach on Palestinian land, much much beyond the assumably agreed Green Line border. Naturally, the Arabs were incessed with this move by the Jews but the barrier of high walls with tanks and big weapons guarding it proved to be a much formidable opponent. Acts of terrorism dropped but however, can you sya the same thing about the oppression faced by the much poorer arabs living behind the walls where some of their basic amenities like the hospitals and markets lie behind the wall, on the land which was formerly agreed by their leaders to be theirs. There was this feature on this terrorist who was the elder son of this lady who, though pregnant, was denied entry to the hospital on the other side due to her lack of papers. She was forced to stay behind, denied of the amenities to ease her delivery of a new life into a rather troubled and violent world. Yes, the Israeli Army was cruel and never realised that such acts would only serve to offer more recruits to the terrorists network. Yes, the son became a terrorist and blew himself and dozens more up in a bus during a prime time weekday in Israeli land. But could we really blame him? Was he being morally or mentally unsound to have done all those acts of unforgiveness? I doubt... The Jews on the other hand, being homeless after WWII, were given a land in the form of Israel, were, however, oppressed by the surrounding Arab states and fought back with a formidable ally-The USA, in the six-day war to beat those states soundly and then they became the oppressor, in revenge for how they were treated. Were they right then? Again I doubt.

2 wrongs does not make 1 right. However, before we call for the heads of those terrorist, shouldn't we be trying to understand what propelled them into these violent insanity? The Londoners affected were tragic and my heart goes out to them. But before the rich goes on another culling of the maligned, can't we at least spare some moments of serious consideration for what went on in the minds of those terrorists? Do not turn them into villains without first looking into the matter deeply with some sympathy. Perhaps last week's Newsweek or newspapers had looked into what I had said. I hadn't looked at them. But then again, look at the whole picture before passing judjment. I never believed that man's basic instinct was to kill.