Habitica Crossover #1: Introducing how I manage my life using it

(Note: the image above is a combination of screenshots from the original Habitica desktop website. This is not an official promotion for the game, as it is simply an original blog post written by a Habitica user to share how he plays and enjoys the game.) 

What is Habitica?

Habitica is a productivity role-playing game that allows users to create to-dos, dailies and habits to help them get things done and improve their lives. 

There are features such as quests, rewards, equipment, pets and potions in order to provide extrinsic rewards. According to its website, these provide instant gratification that helps users to feel good about getting things done and have more motivation to work. 

There are also features designed with accountability in mind, so that players can stay on track in fulfilling their goals. Players can team up in parties, or join dedicated communities about particular topics, life goals or hobbies that are called guilds. This makes it feel more like a role-playing video game.

My way of playing Habitica

Like most players, I create those normal tasks and habits using Habitica and categorise the important ones using labels. However, I have some ways of using Habitica that are different from many players. 

Habits - they can become part of your motivation system instead of using it for specific tasks

To reward myself for doing well, I can set specific rewards like bonus experience points using positive habits. Likewise, I can penalise myself for undesirable behaviour by setting it as a negative habit. This is because I find myself to be more driven by actual consequences rather than the things I can buy with the gold in the game. In this case, what I use to motivate myself is the actual progress I get in the game - basically the level, health, experience and gold my avatar has - because they represent the amount of time I spent being committed to whatever I want to do in my life. 

Examples of how habits can serve as rewards and punishments 

I have reused this approach in the form of rewards. Asides from using gold to get real-life rewards, I can also use the rewards section to design fines to penalise myself financially for bad behaviour. In this way, there will be a stronger deterrent against skipping my dailies, habits and to-dos. 

Rewards - they should be reserved for something special and not be confused with breaks

This is the most difficult section of Habitica to use well for me, since the only thing it does is to make me poorer in terms of gold. Is it not strange that you still have to purchase rewards with gold which you painstakingly accumulate by checking off your tasks and habits? I mean, I don't see very much of this in real life.

Thankfully, Habitica allows me to set free rewards. Using this, your very productivity can be turned into vouchers that you can redeem for something rewarding!

Also, I have used the rewards section to add additional rules for in-game rewards. For instance, I have set the amount of gold to pay for the taxes and fees before I get equipment or use the drops, which includes pet feed and hatching potions. These will deter me from using in-game rewards so readily since there is a chance that I will be so immersed in it that I will lose my productivity. 

Free rewards and in-game rewards to make the game feel more realistic

Do-it-yourself - achievements and challenges

Since Habitica needs money to run itself, a lot of the good stuff can be pricey. Some even requires gems, which are to be purchased (unless someone else gives you gems) or a subscription.

I was depressed about how basic-looking the things without needing much gold or money are, so I decided to make my own achievements and challenges.

For the challenges, after designing them, I have used Habitica to keep track of what I need to do and give me rewards. Once I am ready to share about my challenge, I will post it under the "Life Challenges" series of this blog. This blog can be an effective medium for me to record my usage of Habitica and what I can do to make it more fun for myself. 

To keep myself more motivated, I tried designing achievement titles and badges for myself. It does help me to stay in the game longer and have the world being mesmerised by the things I came up with myself. However, for now, the badges don't look very nice, so I am considering learning pixel art to make the style of the badges more consistent and to increase the visual appeal of the badges. 

Self-made achievements

Interaction with other players

The most fun thing about Habitica is that you can find communities you like and grow together with other players! 

There was this 'Inspiration Station' guild that I joined because I liked the idea of sharing inspiration for others to feel better about themselves and working hard. But the primary reason why I joined was because of the challenge rewards - I can finally unlock those parts of the games that require gems and make my avatar look better. Until then, I will be working really hard to get the guild leader's attention.

For some of the guilds I joined, such as the 'Life Hackers' guild, it was to get some inspiration on how to be more productive and how to make Habitica more fun. At times, I check out the wikis other than the guilds for inspiration too!

I have also sought help and contributed feedback in guilds and the tavern. I was bursting with pride and joy when I saw my tip on the 'Use Case Spotlights' guild getting featured on the Habitica blog! 

My tip getting featured. And yes, "synitheia" is my username. It is Greek for "habit". Why Greek? Because it sounds deep and it also sounds like a legitimate name.
Link to the post: https://habitica.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/use-case-spotlight-adapting-to-life-changes/

My progress

For now, thanks to the tasks and challenges I am coming up with, as well as the blog I am writing, I can churn out enough work to ensure that I level up every week. I am also having fun trying out as many features of Habitica as possible and be creative in playing the game.

For my future plans, I intend to make this feel more like a role-playing game by creating a world made of pixel-art and have nice storylines to keep me engaged in the game. This was partly why I dabbled in world creation using the Free Frontiers story series in the Story Creation Challenge I set up for myself.

Do keep looking out for the "Habitica" label, and stay tuned for more posts detailing my exciting journeys in Habitica!

The Query #2

The Query

Issue 2 (June 2020)

Here is a round-up of my searches for the past month:

What should I do if my girlfriend disagrees with me? 🔍

Background: There was this small fight between a guy and his female friend about which direction a place is at. Looking at this, I wondered, if a girl asked multiple choice questions and disagreed with my choice, what should I do to avoid falling out with her, yet settle on an outcome that is acceptable by the both of us?

>>> RESULTS >>>

Medium: 5 Things to Do When You and Your Partner Just Can’t Agree 

This article is written from a female's point of view.

1. Express gratitude.
   Why? Remind him that we have agreed on things before and are on the same team. This allows you to approach your new difference in opinion from a place of unity.
   
   
2. Give him space.
   Why? For some, it’s tough to embrace a “team-player” mentality following a disagreement. The disagreement, after all, resulted from the fact that you are unique individuals. Realize the space you’re giving him is space you’re giving yourself. Use it to think about what you’ll do if his initial position doesn’t change.
   
   
3. Re-evaluate the strength of your preference.
   Why? If each other's preferences were so strong that no compromises could be made, it may be time to part ways. It does not make sense for the couple to be together anymore.
   
   
4. Stick to your guns.
   Why? Everyone's identity is based on their own core values. Resentment would only follow if one were to give up their core value in favour for another's.
   
   
5. Act with grace.
   Why? Your partner's position is important to himself too, and should not be undermined. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Don’t lash out. Don’t say things that will undermine the relationship you shared up until this point.

I have problems finding an answer that is written by a male, but I have fortunately come across something that is more neutral, and elucidates the problem of what kind of things couples would find difficulties agreeing on.

Becoming Minimalist: How to Communicate With Your Partner When You Disagree

Do note that this post I am sharing is for married couples who are with each other for a long period of time, but we can learn a thing or two about how to defuse relationship conflicts from this article.

On marital conflicts

John Gottman, one of the leaders in the field of marriage research, has discovered that the majority of marital conflicts are perpetual. They’re continual and repeated. In fact, 69% of all marital problems fall into this category.

There are many areas in a marriage where you’re simply not going to agree. Here are a few:

• One of you wants to have children (or X number of kids), while the other says they’re not ready, or are happy with the current number of kids.
• One of you wants sex far more frequently than the other.
• You want to raise your children Baptist, while your spouse wants them to be raised Catholic.
• Your spouse is lax about housework and rarely does his or her share until you nag, igniting anger.
• One of you is a saver with money and the other is a spender.
• Or one of you wants to work towards a more simple and minimalist type of life and the other doesn’t.

How to communicate with your partner if both of you do not see eye to eye?

1. Respect - this is the important thing that allows you to like each other
   Useful note: “Respect is defined as not trying directly or indirectly to change anyone.” -Thomas Fogarty
   
   
2. Clearly define yourself - doing so means you have a deeper awareness and understanding of your beliefs, wants, needs and desires
   My opinion: the website does not give a clear reason for this, but I think that in a marriage, taking care of your own needs is as important as taking care of your partner. Marriage and love is a two-way thing, and for couples to grow with each other, one needs to have a good understanding of oneself.
   
   
3. Understand the idea of over-functioning and under-functioning - these are positions that we occupy in response to how we do life. None of us is all one way all the time. We over-function in some areas of life and under-function in others. This is determined by what’s important to you and what you value.
   Useful note: by understanding this, you will have more constructive discussions with your partner.
   
   
4. Live by what you hold dear - it means that you can live according to your own integrity and values.
   Useful note: getting into a relationship does not mean you have to lose your own individuality. Couples do not need to be in sync with each other all the time, I think that is more like a scripted act instead of a real relationship.

>>> MY TAKE >>>

Basically, what I will do is to ensure the respect is there and allow my partner to have space to share her thoughts on the subject of disagreement. I will seek with her to find out the solution that best fulfills our needs (with some compromises here and there). However, if the argument is on something trivial like our preferences, I will try my best to understand her position but I will not feel obliged to change my mind.

The interesting thing about this topic is that it is more common than we think, and is not just about marital conflicts, these tips apply for all relationships we have. I will recommend Episodes 10-12 of Sakurasou no Pet Kanojo for some inspiration on how to resolve these relationship conflicts (many of these are caused by misunderstandings).

What are the effects/symptoms of sleep deprivation? 🔍

Background: I tried to have no sleep at all for more than 24 hours on the job. I found out that I had develop sore throat and reddened eyes so I was concerned whether these were caused by the lack of sleep. Understanding the symptoms, together with the short-term and long-term effects of sleep deprivation is important because we will know when we need more time to sleep.

>>> RESULTS >>>

NHS: What happens if I don't sleep?

An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won't harm your health.

After several sleepless nights, the mental effects become more serious. Your brain will fog, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. You'll start to feel down, and may fall asleep during the day. Your risk of injury and accidents at home, work and on the road also increases.

 Johns Hopkins Medicine: The effects of sleep deprivation

Check out their infographic (the effect highlighted is obesity): https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/files/health/infographic_sleepdeprivation.ashx?la=en&hash=BFEC7405D1A13CA192186C797152F475D917A116 

>>> FOR ME? >>>

So, how about my sore throat and reddened tongue?

For the sore throat, it could be due to a small cold I get from having a lowered immunity when I sleep (inferred from the various effects I have searched up. It is a reasonable explanation - though I do not know for sure - since there are many types of colds and many have mild symptoms such as blocked nose. Not having fever does not necessarily mean your body is well)

As for the reddened tongue, it could be due to a lack of saliva contributing to dry mouth, since it could not be caused by any disease for there was not any red lights in my last medical checkup. More information here: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/dry-mouth/dry-mouth-at-night-how-to-relieve-dry-mouth-discomfort-0913 There is no link between dry mouth and sleep deprivation found, so I should not be too worried about that.

But the moral of the story is clear - from ageing brains to ageing skins, a lack of sleep is detrimental to our health. As such, I must get more sleep, and aim to sleep for at least 7 hours every night.

Life Challenges #2: Simplification Challenge | Part 2: Results and reflections

Simplification Challenge

Part 2: Results and Reflections

Results of the challenge

For seven days, I worked hard to find out what aspects of my life can be simplified. I experimented with different ideas, and researched on what makes for a simple life.

I am happy to announce that the results of the challenge can be found here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTSNYKwe6fWOR85xCm-PxQbusrTaPUIrF0BdKwnYl8gLYbvr4R4hznIaDxnJR52hU5DdsofmRq2Ey13/pub

This document is not only a logbook of what I have been through for the seven days, but also contains a list of recommendations for me to be able to lead a simpler life, after collating what I have learnt from the duration of the challenge.

Since these are my personal notes, there may be some terms that are not explained well. If you have any questions concerning that, feel free to drop a comment to seek my clarification.

My reflections on simplicity

I have now thought of simplicity as being the most efficient way of doing things. Before this challenge, I was unsure about the definition of simplicity, and how it would be beneficial to my life. Thanks to this challenge, I can appreciate how much I am lacking in simplicity and how it does wonders to my well-being - I worry less and get more done instead.

This journey has been a difficult one, because my commitments and training left me with little time to work on the research and to try out some of the ideas I have come up with for this challenge. Having to juggle between the different things I wanted to do was frustrating, so I came up with a kind of a weekly roster to help me keep track of the things I am doing. Having a routine to follow can be useful for people who are involved in a lot of commitments and side jobs.

This image shows the roster I follow for all my commitments that I have in my free time. I did this in the form of a checklist in Google Keep, and included emojis to help me add some quick remarks to some of them (for instance, the pin emoji marks what I am working on for the day) since Keep does not offer much customisability for its notes.

This challenge has also helped me learn that the lack of simplicity is caused by a variety of psychological factors, many of which can be found in the list of recommendations (^ link above ^). By recognising them and overcoming them, I can look at things more straightforwardly and be more flexible in my response to different scenarios. For example, I have very little control in the training that I need to do when serving in the military, but instead of wasting my time and energy in trying to futilely reject whatever needs to be done, I can choose the mentality and the effort that I want to put in instead. This kind of mindset brings out the best in me, and allows me to see difficulties in a much more positive and a productive way.

Life Challenges #2: Simplification Challenge | Part 1: Prologue and development

Life Challenge #2 | SimplificationPart 1: Prologue and development

The bridge between positivity and simplicity

“Life is simple but we insist on making it complicated” - Confucius

Two millennia ago, the great sage, Confucius, came up with this insightful statement. Put it into today’s context, it is still as applicable as in ancient times.

This Medium article brings out the essence of the quote nicely: it is not life that is complicated but us who tend to overthink things and make ourselves suffer unnecessarily. [1]

Especially in today’s day and age when humans can do much more with technology, and are less obsessed with survival (a life and death matter, not about how others look at you), we forget that life is inherently simple. [2] Just do what we can to survive, and the rest of the time will be ours.

It is this overthinking and getting frustrated over the smallest things that prevented me from having a positive mindset. Hence, it is only natural for this Simplification Challenge to be a follow-up to the Positivity Challenge.

I learnt the need for simplicity from notebook-making

During the previous weekend (6 June), I realised that I needed to get a new notebook as the one I was currently using ran out of pages. As all stationery stores and supplies shops were still close down amidst the gradual reopening measures for Singapore’s post-Circuit-Breaker period, I decided to make my own notebook.

I gathered all the materials I needed:

• A stack of unused fax invoice papers
• Puncholder
• Scissors
• Clear tape
• File binder (basically a piece of thin metal)
• Ruler
• Plastic sheet
• Wide extendable string
• Cardboard sheets

Basically, as the papers were thick and I assumed I had no sharp cutting materials, I tore out the pages, folded them and cut the pages one by one. This was a very time-consuming process, and the pages turned out to have slightly different dimensions.

Next, I created a page with a whiteboard, which was basically a piece of paper wrapped with a plastic sheet. I wanted to include this to take down reminders and write down lists. However, it was more flimsy than I had anticipated. After that, I cut out a piece of cardboard and folded it into a notebook cover.

I decided to waterproof the notebook because I would be outdoors quite often during training, and I would hate for the notebook to get soaked by the rainwater. To do so, I taped the whole cardboard notebook cover. But before that, I used a black marker to colour the whole cover black, because it would make the notebook more usable outfield (not too eye-catching). It turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

To bind the pages together, I used the puncholder to punch two holes at the top of every page, placed the binder through the holes and bent the ends of the binder poking out so it would not fall out.

I did not do the binding before the taping so that I could remove a page easily when I needed to access it without the rest of the notebook. This was at least less messy than tearing out pages. The removable pages feature was the only thing that turned out good in my notebook.

Originally, I wanted to make a pen holder by cutting out one small piece of the extendable string and tried to attach it to the notebook cover using tape. Normally, it would be best to use a strong adhesive such as glue that could be easily applied here, but when I asked, my mother thought it was too much of a waste, and recommended tying a string around the notebook cover to substitute as a pen holder.

The whole process took me 4 hours. My mother came to check because she wanted to see how my notebook turned out (she first got interested when I wanted to make my own when she could not find any A6-sized ones I requested for in the stores) and she was astonished to see me taking so long. Who wouldn't be?

She was perplexed how something so simple to make can make me spend hours on it. And she demonstrated a method that allowed her to churn out 4 notebooks in half an hour:

1. Measure the size of the paper you want on the first page of the stack, then with a drawing board underneath it, cut through the stack with a penknife.
2. Measure the size of the paper cut out on the cardboard and double the length, then cut it out and fold it over the paper.
3. Place the whole strip of cardboard on the drawing board and tape both sides up.
4. Using a large puncholder, create holes through the stack of paper and the cardboard covering it.
5. Use a binder (metal strip, nylon thread or anything suitable) to bind the cardboard covering and paper together through the holes.

Her way of doing things was much more simplified than the many paragraphs I spent on describing my method. And her end product looked nicer than mine too. This picture makes the difference clear: 

(Left: the notebooks my mother made. Right: the notebook I made.) The difference in quality can be seen in the evenness of the pages and how closely the size of the covering and the stack of pages matched.

The moral of the story

I made several mistakes that made the whole craftwork more complicated than it was necessary.

First, I assumed that the materials I had were the best fit for the job and compromised too much on their suitability. Making assumptions was supposed to make things more efficient [3], but that would only work if they were based on accurate information. It would be better if I had a plan on how best to use my materials and discuss with my parents about whether there would be any alternative materials that were better than what I owned.

Second, I made a fundamental mistake in product design - I tried to cram in too much functionality into one product, until I lost focus of what I wanted to do [4]. My original intent was to have a pocket-sized paper with waterproof backing for me to write down notes, but it sidetracked to adding on trivial things to make my life a bit more convenient when I was writing.

Third: I skimped on the measurements but I realised later that it was one of the most crucial process for the end product to function well [5]. As a result of this sleaziness, which was a consequence of me not making the notebook a simple one, my pages and cover turned out to be uneven. It was so had that when I tried to do the binding, a few pages tore off.

These called for some simplicity to be introduced into my life.

Taking the first step to simplicity: make a statement

Hence, I did up plans for another week-long challenge targeting different aspects of my life that can be simplified. To keep whatever tasks I needed to complete the challenge from becoming too complicated, I decided to make my own simplicity statement which will be the motto for this challenge. This is the statement:

“Think with a purpose. Don't waste time overthinking.”

As I pen down this post, I am already halfway through the challenge. Some of the to-dos are less realistic than I had thought. But these are valuable lessons for me to improve future challenges. Fight on!

Notes:

[1] The Medium article on leading a simple life: https://medium.com/@feeljoy.in/life-is-simple-but-we-insist-on-making-it-complicated-c1e910a13431 

[2] How humans are hardwired for complexity according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: http://www.wearestop.com/2017/04/psychology-simplicity-just-make-things-complex/ 

[3] Why we assume things and how to become better at it (in short, by being open to new possibilities outside of our ‘thinking box’): http://arbingerinstitute.com/BlogDetail?id=80 

 [4] There’s a name for something that has too much functionality such that it was becomes less usable - feature fatigue: https://hbr.org/2006/02/defeating-feature-fatigue 

  

[5] Not knowing better about how something would turn out was one reason why people cut corners. There are more reasons, such as accountability. Find out more here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90264166/this-is-why-your-employees-cut-corners-and-what-to-do-about-it

Anime Review | Weathering With You

A scene from the anime movie, "Weathering with you". Image credits: https://images.app.goo.gl/f5VgJ6NmwAaUXASa7

There might be some spoilers here and there so approach with caution if you have not watched the film.

My first thoughts after watching this movie was that this was a wonderful mix of Japanese folklore and a realistic depiction of the trying years that job-hunting teenagers go through. The story opens with a young boy who came from somewhere suburban and detested the boring, unmeaningful life he once led. He made his way to Tokyo and had a fateful encounter with a middle-aged man who wrote magazines (the boy would eventually work under him). When he parted ways with the man, he went all over the place looking for a job but was told he was not of the legal age for employment. He almost collapsed at a McDonalds outlet when a girl working there, whom he would come to love gave him a hamburger free of charge and saved him from going out cold due to hunger. The rest of the story surrounded the popular legend of the weather maiden and how she would influence the weather.

This highly acclaimed film directed by Makoto Shinkai was well-timed, as the world increasingly experiences the effects of climate change, such as more unpredictable and extreme weather. While we grumble about how whimsical the weather could be and how it would affect our livelihoods, we yearn for certainty and comfort, such as being in a long, passionate relationship as exemplified in this anime. There were many crazy scenes on how the protagonist chased after his lover, which was a stark contrast to the reality check and existential crisis that the film painted at the start.

 While loving someone else with all your heart and soul is admirable, I find that the buildup of romance in this film was too extreme. There was law-breaking, skydiving and war-mongering (using the weather) included in this film. While these rebellious scenes might look really thrilling, their means were too extreme. I am sure having a blissful life is more than two people making love - there would be no point in enjoying life with your lover if you bring down the whole society in the process! But that was the choice made by the protagonist in order to save his lover from the tragic fate of being a weather maiden (which I won't spoil here).

Generally, I quite liked the theme of two worlds - one being the scientific and logical society we are so familiar with (other than the idiosyncrasies we face at times) and the other being the fantasical, legendary world we come across in our myths and stories. This conflict provided the staple for most of the drama in this film.

The animation, colours and music were wonderful, as always from this particular film director. I did not know the sky and a metropolis could be so beautiful (even though the former was mostly blue and the latter was mostly grey). And I could listen the soundtracks for a while day. The songs made me feel that I was speaking my heart out. As an introverted person, this was a really special feeling. Once you listen to "Daijoubu" by RADWIMPS, you might know what I mean.

Overall, this anime was a really good piece of work. It would feel more personal if you watched it on a rainy day.

Life Challenges #1: Positivity Challenge

Introduction to Life Challenges Series

Sometimes, we are so busy with our various commitments that we forget to leave some time to check in with ourselves and improve one aspect of our lives.

Doing the same old routines and work every day is just going to nurture the mentality of getting by with life uneventfully, but that is not a life well lived, for we are shelled up in our own comfort zone, and we do not experience any excitement or growth. [1]

This is why I have been trying to fight back the busyness and trying to set up some challenges for my self-improvement. These challenges usually include soft-skills that will improve my character and increase my well-being. However, the nature of the challenges can evolve in future, in line with my changing needs and the changing environment.

The first challenge: Positivity Challenge

The purpose of this challenge is to encourage me to reframe my thoughts in a more positive and constructive way so as to improve my mental well-being and feel more in control.

Many occurrences are neutral by nature. But as we colour these events with our own emotions and our biases, they will fall into the category of either what we like and what we dislike. The negative category of what we dislike can be self-defeating, as they may be necessary for our growth but our mind is resistant to change. This workings of our inner selves, combined with the negative thoughts that spring out from our interpretations of the events, make many things in life harder and more stressful than they should. [2]

What did I do for this challenge? Everyday, for one week, I wrote about at least one difficulty I faced and tried to apply positive thinking to it. You can see what I have done here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14wnd-KJfQ5_PRE7wcXqDIpqilT8uBHzYlrnN5YY8DRE/edit

Looking back on the challenge

I surprised myself by generating many positive ways to look at an otherwise negative event. It seems like most of the time when I feel depressed or stressed by the negative things in life, it is more likely because my mind does not want to acknowledge positive side of things.

I hope to be able to gather these thoughts and find out their commonalities, which can help me set up a toolbox for helping me to cope with negativity and inject more positive feelings into my life.

References

[1]
https://www.fastcompany.co.za/inspiration/why-challenges-and-problems-are-important-in-life-12411996
[2]
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2013/08/08/518/

Announcement: Delays in publishing of blog articles

For those with a keen eye, you may have noticed that this blog published at least one post a week. However, starting from the first week of June, the timing for the posting of articles on the blog will be different. 

As far as possible, I will try to stick to publishing something weekly, but as I like to prioritise quality above quantity, I may need more time to draft out and do research on my articles.

There are other factors that could cause delays in the publishing of articles, such as what I have experienced this week (first week of June):

• Managing other blogs, such as Vincent Academy, an online space dedicated to the recording of my learning from whatever I have read or watched online.

• Multiple rewards for completing my tasks and goals which I could only clear during the weekends, since I only have that time and the internet access to enjoy watching anime/shows for longer periods of time

• Certain tasks that cropped up out of a sudden need (such as notebook making) can take up quite a lot of my time, leaving me with little time to cook up a blog post

• Formatting issues when I do up my articles which requires some time to resolve

Therefore, the interesting stories will not stop, but they may not come up as regularly at times. Now that I have explained my situation, please continue to watch this space grow and check back again the following week if you see no new posts on this blog.

UPDATE: Due to limited functionality on my phone, for articles of a new series, I may post the content first and add in the banner later.

Kaleidoscope #3 | May Stories (Part 3)

#3: May Stories (Part 3)

Recently, on my social media feed, I have been seeing more opinions surrounding Singapore's responses to Covid-19 and how Covid-19 has impacted to our lives. Looks like the virus is still pretty viral in our social media platforms. 

As much as I want to quickly drop the topic of the coronavirus, it still serves as the context for most of our discussions and lives nowadays, so I will inevitably still be touching on it. Gone were the days of Donald Trump dominating the news headlines when the whole world has a crisis to tackle. But the coronavirus which replaced him in the position for the hottest news was not much better.

So on with the stories that I read up recently...

Commentaries by university professors on Singapore's responses to Covid-19

Within the last week, a very interesting discussion about the Singapore government's responses to the pandemic made by 2 local university professors had been shared and commented on by some of my friends who are studying / working in local universities. Even though the accuracy of the facts were very inconsistent (since errors with the statistics and political motivations coming into the picture), we could see that there were two distinct sides: whether someone disapproves or approves of the government's responses to the crisis.

I append the posts of these two gentlemen here:

I think it is very encouraging that academics are taking the lead to get everyone to reflect on what the government had done well in managing a crisis. I also learnt quite a bit on critique skills while reading on their posts and the comments.

After going through both of their opinions, I am more in agreement with the view that the government has managed the pandemic reasonably well. To show this, I will expand upon the two main issues that were covered by the writers: the decision to mask on, and the management of foreign workers.

With regards to the mask problem, the initial decision to not have the general population put on masks was out of concern for the sustainability of the stock of masks and the availability of information on Covid-19. It was easy to see that there would be a shortage in the global supply of masks, and Singapore did not have the resources nor the equipment to be able to produce masks independently, since there was not much demand for it before Covid-19 became a pandemic for this to be feasible economically. Singapore is in a tight spot because the external sector it relies on to drive most of her economic growth is falling apart, and Singapore will also need to control her spending in order to rebuild her own economy for the post-pandemic world. Until then, masks did not seem very high up on the priority list. The lack of information on the coronavirus also meant that many were ignorant of asymptomatic cases and how easily transmissible the virus was. As such, it would only make sense that the masks were reserved for healthcare workers and those who were sick and really needed it.

To be fair, the government did communicate the mask issue to the masses eventually, and ramped up on production. And amidst this crisis, it would be difficult to come clean entirely about the masks because any irresponsible proclamations made about it could cause undue alarm and influence the willingness of suppliers to produce the masks for us. With all these people-management at play and limited resources, the government would be forced to prioritise its efforts in order to contain the spread of Covid-19. In this case, it meant missing out a few months of not wearing masks and focus its efforts on quarantining existing patients of the virus, most of whom came from overseas.

More fundamentally than the mask issue, the government did well in communicating its plans with the people and is as transparent as it could possibly be. This excellent communication was lauded by the international community. But we err, for we are all human, and the same goes for governments. In February, when the DORSCON level was raised to orange, many Singaporeans mistook it as some sort of alarm for the virus or something indicative of a lock-down and went on panic buying. Internationally, this incident made a dent on Singapore's generally positive image. Also, this brought out the larger problem of gaps in communication and mental care. Singapore emerged out of that incident stronger. The various communication platforms rolled out, infomercials to spread awareness of Covid-19, responsible coverage by the media to help people make sense and cope with the information and people generally being more helpful toward one another, showed that Singaporeans, along with their government, had the capacity to bounce back from failures and learn from their mistakes. As such, we cannot demean the government's efforts to deal with the pandemic just because of a few failures.

To me, the issue here is not about how transparent any organisation is, but how maturely and intelligently the masses could handle the information regarding the pandemic. In a crisis response, information is extremely valuable, but making a lot of information accessible to everyone at once may not necessarily help in the response as information is not always translated to constructive action.

Next, moving on to the responses to the pandemic involving foreign workers. How Singapore handles foreign workers in dealing with the coronavirus crisis was generally seen as a weakness in the country's overall response framework to the pandemic.

I think Professor Ben Leong's analysis of the root cause of the large number of Covid-19 cases in foreign workers is quite cogent. According to him, Singapore's limited testing capacity is to blame. And this is true. Many cases, especially asymptomatic ones, have not been uncovered in time due to the lack of testing kits in Singapore. Meanwhile, other countries who have undergone massive testing, such as South Korea, had yielded results in containing the virus.

Some people might be inclined to blame the government and the reigning political party for the state the foreign workers were in now. Though I agree with views pertaining to more regulation, oversight and mutual support by the various stakeholders in terms of improving the workers' living conditions, it is unfair to criticise the government for neglecting foreign workers because of any kind of selfish reason. Managing foreign workers is no easy feat, especially when one-fifth of Singapore's population are made up of them. Much of the management was delegated to their employers, who unfortunately have to worry much about the costs of accommodating them as they try to keep up with the standards. We are talking about livelihoods here. Many of them have jobs that could not be worked on at home, unlike most of the local population, and they do not have the means of providing for themselves.

In general, I find that much of the issues surrounding Singapore's responses to the coronavirus was mostly due to the lack of measures targeted at the asymptomatic disease carriers. A disease like this was unprecedented and we could not rely on the same playbook we used for previous pandemics. I think Singapore really shone in terms of its comprehensive and methodical measures to deal with the pandemic, the outpouring of support and sharing of information between the government and the community, as well as the ability to rectify mistakes quickly. This is why I am proud of how Singapore handled the coronavirus crisis.

2020 Series | Part 2: Basic Military Training

PART 2: Basic Military Training (BMT)

Basic Military Training is the most disruptive thing that has happened to my life. I mean, I had to be away from home to undergo training on Pulau Tekong, an offshore island that is geographically closer to Malaysia than it is to Singapore, and the transportation there was quite inconvenient - I had to switch trains, catch the bus to the ferry terminal and board the ferry bringing us there. The training was so hectic that I barely had enough time to take a shower, much less use my phone. Even when I am outside of camp, I would still be required to prepare for the upcoming training for the next week. Despite all my grievances, I would say that this training had been a life-changing journey for me. Not only was it a process of self-discovery, I also got to appreciate more about the importance of defending Singapore.

In my first few weeks of training, everything seemed so difficult to me. 

I could recall vividly about the in-processing procedures. There were many items that were issued to each of us, most of which I could not name. Although there were commanders to help me, I had trouble finding what I was asked for as it took me some time to understand the names and the usage for the items. I felt that I was peering at an alien civilisation, with many weird objects that I had never encountered in my daily life. I had to put my own personal bag (or civilian bag) neatly with the rest, carry the extremely heavy bags of issued equipment and items upstairs where the company bunks are located and finish up checking on them. Thereafter, there was a survey before dinner time. During this process, I was so dehydrated that I felt my strength draining out of me, yet I could not muster the courage to ask for the usage of the water dispenser, since I would feel really guilty for troubling others over my own needs.

I was unable to catch up with some of the training, especially on the weapon handling. There were so many things that I got unfamiliar with that I panicked during the lesson and could not understand a thing that was going on. There were commanders and section mates living in the same bunk as me to help me out, but I was not relieved by their assistance because I was too used to working alone. I realised that I had selective listening and was afraid to approach others for help. These were communication issues that would haunt me for the rest of my BMT.

I did not know what to do. My section commander was so nice that my whole section agreed not to do anything to infuriate him. All of my section but me seemed to know exactly what to do, but here I was stuck in my own world, struggling to come out of my shell. Many people were frustrated with me being unable to come to terms with what I did not know and what I disliked. Soon, I started to doubt myself. With the simplest of tasks like putting on a uniform, folding clothes and carrying a bag, I had to go through the motion many times before I was confident of doing them. Otherwise, I would just blank out and make many stupid mistakes. Sometimes, I even wondered whether I had a childhood that was too sheltered, or I had some sort of mental problem.

The way most people started off their conversations with me was, "Are you okay?" To some, this question could sound comforting, but to me, it was an affirmation that something was wrong with me and it made me depressed. I could not blame them for asking me that question. Usually, any sort of fatigue or exasperation would show through my face. My face could not lie, whenever I felt that I could not go on anymore, I looked like I really wanted to die. It must have been painful to look at me being like that.

I think my mindset made things unnecessarily difficult for me. Training was supposed to be tough, but instead of showing any determination of completing it, my mind was full of self-defeating thoughts like, "This is too difficult." "Impossible, that can't work." "No, no, I won't be able to do this..." "What? I cannot understand. Help!" These thoughts made me lost my drive to face my mistakes and strive to be a better person. Thankfully, I had buddies, mentors, commanders and officers being patient with me, encouraging me on and giving me advice on how to break out of any dismal situation I found myself to be in.

I did not have a strong mind, and my physical body was breaking down as well. Booking out of camp became extremely important to me as it was a time when I could rest and recover. I got abrasions, bruises, cuts, ankle sprains, heat rash, throat infection and sores... Most of the injuries were minor enough to be healed within a few days, but the throat infection had me go through one week of medication, and the sprain caused me to be excused from running, marching and jumping for 5 days. And during training, I usually had problems with the equipment and the heat. Whenever I march with long distances with a helmet on, I would start to feel light-headed and feverish, and I would be sweating so much that I could not pass urine for more than half a day.

My lack of leg strength was a weakness in me, and my legs never failed to get sores after each book out before the weekend. My legs got so beaten up after the 24 km route march, the final strenuous activity in BMT, I could not even stand for long for any kind of parade, hence I could only join the later half of the passing-out parade. Most of the training for the parade I have done before that were wasted as my body was not in a condition to be able to deliver the standards required from me on the actual run.

Luckily, it was not all despair and depression during BMT. I had my fair share of fun moments and memories. 

I would remember fondly of my days shooting rounds to my hearts content when I acted as the enemy during the group battle course, the performances that were put on to commemorate significant events such as Chinese New Year and the end of the BMT training, as well as all the weird and funny questions during the engagement we had with the officers. I also could not forget how people were nice to me, giving me snacks and looking out for my health. I should treasure these memories and use them to help me feel positive and stronger when moving forward with my National Service journey. These experiences made me feel that I would give my all to bear arms so that I could protect the smiles of others.

It was mostly about me ranting and a bit of sharing of my experiences during BMT for this post, but I really want to drive home the importance of learning from my mistakes. Keeping an open mind toward any new challenges, interacting with people and remembering the reason for all the difficulties I went through was what I failed to do as a recruit. Without them, it would be just as difficult to make it through BMT as it is for the rest of my life.

My officers said that there is no running away from the 2 years of National Service being in the military, but how well spent these 2 years would be is entirely up to me. How very true.

UPDATE: Came across this blog post shortly after reading this and I found it to be quite helpful in tackling my problems. Usually, many of the negative emotions we feel stem from being unprepared for many situations and the self-deceit that we put ourselves through just to forget about how difficult the world can just be. This morning ritual described in the post can help us cope with that negativity. Cheers!

https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2020/04/pandemic-ritual/

Commemorating Hari Raya Puasa - looking back at my growth

Hari Raya Aidilfitri, or also known as Hari Raya Puasa, is an occasion that is celebrated by the Muslim community in Singapore.

Well-wishes have been streaming in from Singapore's leaders.

"Strengthen family bonds virtually, stay connected to enjoy festive activities together, yet in the comfort of our own homes. Stay safe, so that we can all look forward to better celebrations ahead,"
~ Mdm Halimah Yacob (President of Singapore)

 "...draw strength from one another during this difficult but festive period."
~ Mr Lee Hsien Loong (Prime Minister of Singapore)

"Like you, I am sad too, as we are not able to visit our loved ones, especially parents, grandparents, and elderly relatives,"
~ Mr Masagos Zulkifli (Minister-in-charge for Muslim Affairs, also Minister for the Environment and Water Resources)  

Amidst the Circuit Breaker period in Singapore, Singaporean Muslims would be unable to visit their families to offer well-wishes and goodies, or go to mosques for prayers. However, life still goes on, and they are sure to be carrying out the festivities in the virtual space.

For me, I will be celebrating this year's Hari Raya Puasa by joining in the spirit of forgiveness and reflection that is included in this day. I will pause for a moment and consolidate all the reflections I have done over the past few months, and re-organise them into something actionable for me to improve myself.

I have actually wanted to do the consolidation sooner, but I had always forgot about it when I was at home, so this time, let me do it well, and make the consolidation a habit. I believe that much can be learned by understanding my mistakes, my strengths and my goals. All these will help me to become a better person.

Should you be curious about how I do my reflections, each reflection has four components:

1. Positive aspect - what good things have I done?
2. Negative aspect - what mistakes did I make?
3. Gratefulness - what can I be thankful for?
4. Target - what should I improve on for next time?

I did not come up with these components at random. These are drawn from my experiences with cognitive behavioural therapy when I was using the Youper app to help with my emotional and goals management.

Habitica Revival

Here is what my Habitica looks like!

From this post onward, I am going to start posting more about what I am doing in real-life, instead of just exploring and creating new stories! Anyway, back to the subject of this post, I am returning to Habitica for the first time in 2020.

For now, I have included some habits, dailies and to-dos, plus an entire incentive system (with my own customised achievements I designed myself included in my profile details) to make the most out of this gamified productivity application.

This is still a developing story, but I am sharing about this first so that anyone who views my blog will have an idea of what I am up to recently. I will cover more details about how I use Habitica in a new series dedicated to this game.

Anime Review | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Original picture credits: http://shanabrian.com/

Before writing this post, I did some research online to get a second opinion of what other anime fans think about this anime. I was surprised to see that the opinions were quite mixed and divided, despite the fact that this anime enjoyed immense popularity.

With that being said, I will try my best to write something that does not overlap with the other reviews out there. For me, I just watch an anime as a form of recreation, and I am not a hardcore anime fan, so I do not know much about the technical aspects of anime production. My opinions are as good as any person you find randomly on a street, so do not expect too much of this post.

Rather than focusing on how this anime fared in comparison to other works or whether someone should watch this anime, I will emphasise on what I learnt from it and what I enjoyed while watching this anime.

The Visuals

The animation and the colouring looked way, way more stunning than a fireworks show. The movements were bursting with action, and reflected the characters personality well. I have never realised so much information can be expressed by a single movement or a single frame in the anime. It made me understand "a picture is worth a thousand words" all over again.

The smallest, subtlest details, from the patterns used in the clothing and buildings, to the different shades and tones of colours that were masterfully applied in the anime, had a great impact on the overall visual effect. They could even help to express the feelings of the author or the artist, be it the fierceness of one's anger, or how dazzlingly brightness of a city. I learnt to be able to appreciate that the smallest details of life play a big part in a person's success, because when these details add up, they could elevate the performance of a person entirely. Putting in more effort for the details is definitely not a waste.

Many of the graphics in the anime have a purpose too. They communicate the time, location and the culture of the various story arcs in this anime. It allows the audience to learn more about Japanese culture, folklore and history, giving the story more meaning and making the anime more memorable.

The Music

There are a lot of earworms in this anime. Even though it had been a few weeks since I completed watching the anime, I could still remember how the background music, the opening and closing music sounded like. The amount of effort put into creating these beautiful melodies must have been unimaginable.

One thing I liked about the music was how it incorporated traditional and modern elements. Respecting tradition and bringing it to life via innovative ways such as combining it with modern music to bring a refreshing experience is something that other cultures can seek to emulate. In this way, tradition can preserve its original flavour and still remain relevant enough to be passed down to future generations.

The Morals

The character development in this anime received quite a bit of criticism, but I am not critical of it. I still liked the straightforward and pure personality that the characters in this anime present. To me, what stands out the best in this anime, beyond its highly acclaimed audiovisual effects, is the traditional morals that it promotes through the storylines of every character.

In the beginning, the values of filial piety and industriousness are shown when the main character, Tanjiro Kamado, works hard to sell charcoal for a living to support his family when he was still in his teenage years. The job involves chopping down trees, as well as travelling up and down the mountain he lives in - all of which are extremely physically exhausting. Yet he persists so that his family could get by and be able to live under decent conditions. Later in the anime, industriousness is also demonstrated when Zenitsu only mastered one form of thunder breathing by putting in much effort for his training, but it was powerful enough to beat up demons, proving that anyone can become great by giving their all even at a single thing.

The value that is expressed the most in this anime is the kinship between Tanjiro and his family, especially the acts of kinship displayed with his only surviving family - Nezuko, albeit her being turned into a demon. Tanjiro never gave up on his sister when she turned into a human, and gave everything he had in search of a cure to turn her back into a human, even though most Demon Slayers would not have hesitated to kill her. 

Familial bonds and love were also demonstrated through the backstory of various demons. The story of the "Spider Demons" family in this anime proved that familial bonds could not be gained through fear and subjugation, but by unconditional love and trust toward one's family members. Nowadays, many families are fractured, separated and twisted. Such values are sorely needed to improve the dismal state of families in many places around the world.

Other values expressed in this anime would include respect and gratitude for others. Some humans tried to turn into a demon because their work was disrespected by others and fell into despair. On the other hand, Tanjiro exemplified this value well by not looking down at anyone, including demons. Instead of simply killing demons, he was actively trying to understand the motivations behind their heinous acts and help them overcome their troubles, going as far as to offer them a kind act in their final moments in life. As for gratitude, Zenitsu became a demon slayer because an old man helped him pay off his debts caused by falling for a scam by a woman. Zenitsu wanted to work for him to repay the debt, despite whining a lot about the old man's training.

It is not hard to spot references to these traditional values which had been honoured by millennia in much of Asia. Many of these values come from Confucianism, a philosophy that heavily influenced the politics, society, economics and culture of East Asian countries. Unfortunately, Confucianism did not sell off as well as the American Ideals which were widely known through popular media. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba provides a promising future to which these Asian values and beliefs can be more widely known and understood by people around the world.

The Query #1

ISSUE NO. 1 - 3 searches made

  

What is "The Query"?

It is a new series of posts about the Google searches I make in my every day life to help me make better decisions and to overcome difficulties. There are many tips to be gained from just a search. I will collect the results of these searches so that it will be convenient to access them in future when I (or any of the readers) am met with a similar problem.

DISCLAIMER: There is no warranty about the completeness, accuracy and reliability for the information provided, since they are results yielded from Google searches. Any action you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, and no liability will be accepted for any losses and damages in connection with the use of this website.

① SEARCHED: How to enjoy doing things I dislike?


Lifehack: How to Enjoy What You Are Doing No Matter What
The ability to do well on things you don’t like is essential for success. It makes you perform consistently well no matter what. Such consistent performance will make you stand out among your peers. Here are some tips to do that:

1. Look at the long-term benefit
2. Find what you can learn from it. If you really can’t find any, at least the experience teaches you to be persistent in any situation. That’s a valuable lesson in itself.
3. Think of doing it for someone you love
4. Enjoy the interaction with the people
5. Think and say something positive
6. Gather with passionate people. Their passion would be contagious. They will give you the energy to stay positive and even enjoy what you are doing.

Medium: How to Enjoy what you Hate to do
Change your have-to-s to get-to-s by:

1. Framing the situation differently (see it as a game, a way of improving yourself, etc.)
2. Project forward and think of the reason for doing this
3. Relate to other realities. Someone out there may be having it worse than you, so do not complain

Additional points from WikiHow: How to Do Something You Don't Like

• Don't be too harsh on yourself. Of course, try to see where you can improve, but excessively high standards are just counterproductive. 
• Reward yourself
• Let it all out - release your stress and emotions
• Finding enjoyment - can play music and move according to the beat.

② SEARCHED: How to adjust to new environments?

Huffington Post: 10 Tips for Adjusting to New Surroundings

1. Research on the environment - the place, the people, its values, etc.
2. Personal branding. Decide what three qualities you want to be known for.
3. Be polite to everyone. The courtesy you show will pay you back with rich rewards.
4. Ask for tips if no one is going to bring you around the place. Others may be uncertain about you or have forgotten what it felt like to be new in the place. A little reminder you do not know the way around can elicit warmth and support.
5. Listen for opportunities to connect and share the relevant information about yourself to build rapport with others.
6. Do not take anything personally for the first few weeks. People do not know you well enough to dislike you, so give them the benefit of the doubt.
7. If someone said something that is too insensitive to ignore, speak up to show your concern. But it is wise to keep cool and give others the benefit of the doubt, since you might have made the same mistake.
8. Try to speak at the same volume as those in your new environment. Studies show that people respond best to others who speak at the same volume as themselves.
9. Get out and explore the place. Once you know the environment better, you will be more comfortable with it.
10. Adjusting to a new environment can be stressful, so take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat well and exercise. 

Youth Time: Adapting to New Surroundings: Psychologist Tips and Stories of Three Students

1. Stay positive. A new environment can give expose you to new cultures, which help you to be more flexible.
2. Prepare yourself and be a ready for a shock, since the new environment can be drastically different from what you are comfortable with.
3. Change some of your habits, and try to see it as an interesting experience.
4. Do not expect too much.
5. Do not be in a hurry, as adjustment takes some time.
6. Follow your individual way of adjustment. Try to do again what helped you to adapt to a new situation more easily.
7. Have someone next to you and surround yourself with new people. You will be able to learn more about the new environment and get used to it more quickly. 
8. Do not think about your home and compare between that and your new environment. That is not going to help you with your adjustment.
9. Be yourself, then you can venture out of your comfort zone and not be afraid of new things.

③ SEARCHED: Tips to speed up recovery from sores and injuries.

Mueller Sports Medicine: 10 Useful Techniques to Heal Your Sports Injury Faster

1. Get more sleep
2. Eat more protein
3. Green tea ointment
4. Hydration
5. Staged injury protection and braces
6. Do moderate amount of light cardio throughout the week. Simply getting your blood pumping with the intensity-equivalent of a brisk walk can boost your immune system and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
7. Maintain skin moisture
8. Temperature - If your injury is swelling, make sure to treat it with ice or cold packs for 10-30 minutes about every two hours combined with compression and elevation. This will reduce swelling and pain at the same time. Once the swelling stops, treat with heat. This will promote blood flow, faster healing, and help the internal tissue to relax during the healing process.
9. Do everything you can to stay loose and properly stretched while you heal.
10. Leave it alone

Active: 17 Proven Ways to Speed Muscle Recovery (points that overlap with the above will be omitted)

• Listen to relaxing tunes can aid in exercise recovery. Slow-tempo songs can lower blood pressure and heart rate more quickly after exercise.
• Drink chocolate milk for the protein and carbohydrates
• Try tart cherry juice. 
• Cut back on the alcohol
• Foam-rolling to prevent knots and muscle imbalance
• Get a massage to remove scar tissue and reduce stiffness associated with muscle repair
• Try compression garments
• Take a cold bath, as it could significantly reduce soreness and inflammation for up to 24 hours after exercise.
• Try anti-inflammatories unless you want to build muscle

Additional reading

The above tips are different kind of techniques for muscle recovery. To understand the theory behind these tips and how to use them well, visit: https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/post-workout-muscle-recovery-how-why-let-your-muscles-heal/#whatsbestforyou

New Blog Mascot!

Hello, I am Rumia the Seedling.

Rumia is the official mascot for Dear Vincent,. It is modeled after a seedling to symbolise this blog's new beginnings of building up a repertoire of content series to continually engage readers from around Singapore and the world.

The name Rumia came from the Polynesian legend of creation. In the legend, Rumia was the shell that held space for the light of the universe to be born. It can be interpreted as a cosmic egg that nurtured the origins of the universe. This name is chosen to represent this seedling as it reflects the role of the seedling as the origin of something much bigger, such as a tall tree. Here, the seedling represents the hope for growth and transformation for this blog.

The shape of the seed resembles a heart shape (tilt your head towards the left to see the shape clearly), which is a testament to how much this blog's author has poured his heart into to create quality content. Asides from the face, the young tender stem and leaves helps Rumia to provide a greater range of expressions.

Rumia enjoys listening to uplifting stories, which are its source of nutrients. It also requires a lot of sunshine (= viewership) and water (= Vincent's blog posts) to help it grow. It is a hyperactive seedling that overcame its biological limits to be able to move from place to place via bouncing on the bottom of the seed or using its stem to grab onto objects like a monkey's tail.

Rumia will make its occasional appearance in future blog posts to share some of his feelings on the subject matter of the post. It looks forward to seeing you again soon.