Hard to Think, How to Think

Post-IBer’s thoughts on the IB Part 3

I have not been posting anything recently, and for that, I apologise. *45 degree bow*

 I have been caught up with last minute friend events before everyone jets off for travel and university. Thus, cue all the sleepovers, all-night karaoke sessions, cartoon marathons and food get-togethers.  Coming back from any sort of social event, I always need the rest of the day to sort of re-stabilise and recover so I am in the mood and state for writing, kind of like how we tend to rest and relax on Sundays to be ready for the trials of Monday.

Back to my “Post-IB Thoughts” section, I’ve decided to finish this little series of thoughts off soon, maybe in the next two posts, we’ll see. Too much time spent in the past is not such a good idea; one tends to be more mired within memory as one does so.  Since, I’ve had some form of writer’s block in trying to think up new bits and pieces of my life to post about, I decided to write a post about thinking.

Just hard?

So, I’ve talked about the nature of the IB program, its C.A.S. requirement. Today, I thought I would touch on the Theory of Knowledge Program, another one of the many requirements beyond academics compulsory for graduation.

The Theory of Knowledge, often shortened and known as TOK is a brief but necessary part of the IB program, consisting of short 2-period length classes per week that aims to inspire thought about not what we think but why we think and how we think, aiming to create links between every subject through ways and areas of knowledge and the grade assessed through a presentation of knowledge issues and a prescribed title essay.

Ways of Knowing-Reason, Emotion, Language, Sense Perception (there are a whole lot more now, but let’s stick with the simpler ones)

Areas of Knowledge-The Arts, Mathematics, History, the Human Sciences, the Natural Sciences and Ethics

We, the IB student collective all moan and complain endlessly about TOK, and why would we not. Seemingly needless and endless lessons of just listening to others talk, the teacher not actively teaching like typical classrooms, researching in class and trying to think about thinking, a waste of 2 good free periods.  It is very much that, but what makes the IB worthwhile, is very much shown via Theory of Knowledge.

At the heart, it teaches us to start thinking, instead of mindlessly doing. Not thinking in the normal sense, e.g. thinking of the solution to a math question but thinking for not a result why the process, the journey to one. Sure, you may scoff, but sometimes by focusing on only the solution as many and want to do; we lose sight and limit our possibilities.

Some of what you learn in TOK is perhaps previous knowledge, but what TOK really does is remind you of these principles, making sure we use them, making sure that we do think in all those different ways that we know how but neglect to do so, in order to find the quickest way to the answer and to force us to slow down as we go over each and every process of thought rather than leap to decisions.

Reason≠ Sense...Reason without emotion, perception and language is not reason

TOK is like that, a session where no one accepts anything without question, where truth is a relative subjective concept and definite answers are subject to context, where one can understand that every way of establishing knowledge has its uses and its limitations. That there is no set infallible method that works in every case or in every subject and have the ability to reason critically.

We all know the methods, but when have we actually ever used them? We know that nothing is certain, nothing should be taken for granted and that there is a reason for every existence. But how many times in our lives do we stop to question them? Only when “they” get in our way, and become a necessary obstacle to solve? 

Think on it.

An Unbalanced Life is one not Worth Maintaining

Or how I learnt how to balance my life via High School and the IB...

Post-IBer's thoughts on the IB Part 2 

I don’t know if Astrological signs are right or not. However, I have always thought mine were particularly accurate, even down to the lucky numbers of the month. Selective bias or not, my own star sign-Libra, the scales always served as a marker for my behaviour. I would always take into consideration every aspect, every positive and negative outcome, the opportunity cost when making decisions, small or big, making sure whatever I did had a good balance of everything.

Generally I didn’t have much problem with the issue of “balance” in my own life. However, as the various assignments, exams, university applications, SATs , family obligations and personal fun time started to get jumbled up in my last year of high school and the last and most difficult year of the IB Diploma, I lost sight of this balance. I started focusing only on my academics, neglected, and forgot about my own mental and physical wellbeing. This left me tired, unfocused and altogether grumpy and moody at times. It didn’t take me long to come to the conclusion that I was in such a snit because of my own skewed focus in life.

Conversely and interestingly, enough, the IB despite unbalancing me, was also able to provide and instil some balance in my life and my habits.

The IB has something called C.A.S, a program short for Creativity, Action and Service, where students have to complete a mandatory 150 hours of activities that are in short, any sports, cultural and volunteering work. The activity chosen must have elements of creativity and/or active movement and/or service to the community. You must complete your CAS hours in order to graduate and receive your Diploma, no matter how good your grades are.

So there you have it, a simple hat trick that makes sure we sleep-deprived, study-driven IB kids don’t lose sight of ways to let off steam, maintain our fitness and ensure that we are rewarded spiritually through helping others by playing concertos for rest homes, running, planting trees, choreographing and organising dances and talent shows between our studying.

I’ve recently come to realise that this habit still resides with me even post-IB.

Unconsciously, I’ve been alternating my days with time spent “studying”-writing my blogs and fulfilling various familiar obligations, to my “creativity”-I’ve started sketching again and watching/reading my books and films, my “action” walks and runs with a friend’s dog, and lastly, my “service”-I spent this afternoon teaching 2 Chinese seniors English I ran into at the Library.

A balance of every aspect in life means that we are in control of our lives, not vice versa, where the aspect-studying, family expectations control us instead. I don’t know if I can maintain this philosophy and balance in university and beyond, but I don’t expect always to. We will all experience upheaval of some sort that will tip the scales one way or the other but at least I am assured that I can rebalance the scales.

As I read somewhere once, a life needs to be lived with everything in moderation, and isn’t that what balance is?

The Inquisitive IB Student?

Post-IBer's thoughts on the IB Part 1

"The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” (www.ibo.org/mission/)

I decided to try to do something new today. I felt like the film and TV musing can get a little depressing and serious-it being so far removed from daily life at times, so I’ve decided to focus back and talk about something I am more involved in-High School. Therefore, with this new arrangement, I will still keep the TV/film musings going but add more of my own personal life and maybe some free verse in the future, we will see. J

With any re-telling of the bits of life, it would make sense to go chronologically, so here we go…

Yes, those who know me and read will know that I moaned, complained, whined and cursed at it regularly for the whole 3 years I suffered under it, one year of Pre-ib and two years of the IB Diploma.

God, I Love Tumblr! 

Now looking back at the mission statement of the IBO (Internal Baccalaureate Organisation) sourced from its website, (never fear IB I did reference it is after all one of the things drummed into you by teachers and the IB coordinator), I think back and wonder if I really did become that person, through my education.

Before, I start jabbering on about whether I am that student or not and whether it was worth it, let me give a short run-down about the IB Diploma:

It is a 6 subject-course for the last 3 years of high school, where by each student or candidate as we call them must take 2 languages, Mathematics, one humanities/social science and one science, with the option to take another subject from the previous groups or take one in the arts. In addition, you have an extended essay (self-directed 4000 word essay), Theory of Knowledge-how and why we think and Creativity.Action.Service hours (volunteering) for 150 hrs minimum.

After completing all of that, I started thinking was it all worth it, the money, effort, time, sweat and tears spent for just one piece of pretty paper. I guess, the only way to answer that is through a series of self-posed questions, for today, I thought I would focus on being an inquisitive learner.

What does it mean to be an inquirer? Perhaps, I’ve already answered this question by asking it. Humour aside, I took some time to think about whether I had an inquirer within me.

IB has taught me not to only ask questions, but also to teach me how and in what ways to ask any questions.

Let me expand on this. Coming from an Asian culture, and I would say Chinese more so, we’ve been taught from a young age to defer and respect our elders, following the well-worn and often true adage and formula of Age=(More Experience)=Wisdom. Indeed, this is often if not always true, wisdom is gathered via the school of life not via academia. However, an unfortunate side effect is that we, the young ones are quickly shot down or encouraged and persuaded that we aren’t able, right or a mix of both to question authority-those “uncles” and “aunties” and grandparents.

So, I was taught never or rarely to voice my opinion over others and that to question others meant a challenge of sorts. Living and growing up in a foreign world where, the opposite philosophy lived, it took awhile to get used to. IB was able to coax this inquisitive side out of me by making class participation compulsory and part of our grade thereby making “asking questions” necessary.

Nevertheless, when you begin to think about this more clearly, asking questions isn’t enough. Anyone can ask questions, right?

Yes…… and no.

Gathering the courage and confidence to ask questions in front of a class of 10, 20 or more is the first step. What makes a true inquirer and not just merely a questioner is that of the way I was guided to ask a question. To go from broad to narrow and then to narrow again, as a way of introducing the topic to the audience, drawing focus to certain areas and then leave the audience with and open ending-a chance for thought and reflection to continue on from the topic areas. To formulate questions that wouldn’t just yield yes or no closed answers but yet weren’t so open that the answer was vague and unfocused.

Perhaps, here an example would serve best. For each subject, we had a self-direct investigation and essay, directed by our own questions. E.g. English Literature

Draft 1: The symbolism of the mad and insane in Ward No. 6
Draft 2: To what extent are insanity and delusions a sign of societal constriction in Ward No. 6
Draft 3: The Role of Sickness, Lunacy and Death in Ward No. 6 To what extent to they serve as Chekhov’s mouthpiece for social and political criticism.

So there you have it, I may not always be an excellent inquirer but at least I have learnt the hows and the whys of it because of the IB.

The Grand Illusion Hotel

Thoughts on "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

I took some time to wade through my exhausting collection of film and television collections the other day. What I found when I tried to start organising them was that when I changed one of the toolbar options to ‘Most Played’, Wes Anderson’s work had the most appearances in my Top 10.

It was definitely a delightful surprise, like all Wes Anderson films are-grandiose humour and overblown yet dream-like intricate sets and characters with quaint quirks all with a sophisticated aesthetic veneer and dialogue.  When you walk away from one of his films, you leave with a light-hearted joy and one of those little half-smiles that will surface time and time again when you think back to one memorable scene or another. It was with his latest and 8^th feature film-The Grand Budapest Hotel that I choose to base my words today on.

Here is the plot from Empire.com: An author recalls a visit he made in the ‘60s to what was once one of Europe’s most luxurious hotels. There, the young author meets its owner, Mr. Moustafa, who tells how he came to inherit the building from M. Gustave.

One of the themes present in the film, is that fading world of gentility and culture giving way to one of brutish crudeness represented by the violence of the Fascist troops.  In this, I was perhaps reminded back to my own selfsame desire for the illusion of high school to stay with me in my first post.

M. Gustave: You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. Indeed that is what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant... oh, fuck it!

It is within all of us, I think, for some little part at least, that thinks and regards society as a collections of blunt uncultured brutes that cares little for what truly matters in life.

Or not?

I am told I assume and presume too much for my own good, extrapolating my own views onto others as I argue.

As the movie moves on, we realise that M. Gustave’s world is one that is quickly fading and being taken over by a new world order one that strips away the grandeur and refined elegance to simplicity and monochromes of colour-in attention-seeking orange and yellow.  He maintains the hotel as the solid illusion of his civilization.

I can see why he and others would want to maintain an illusion of sorts, *hint hint* Blanche DuBois. It is because we all have a need to believe in them. No, I don’t believe all life is an illusion, but there are moments when we must delude ourselves or a section of our lives for namely personal and psychological reasons-for hope.

The great part of these self-created illusions is that they can also be self-fulfilling. When one gets oneself into believing in the illusion that you can master a certain thing well, one will very often also learn to master it with due time. This can happen, even if in the beginning one could just be flying without wings, We are often kept afloat just by an illusion. Losing these illusions could again easily lead into desperation and despair. However, even most of the time we just need to fool ourselves up to some point. If we would really know the true limits of our understanding, expertise and knowledge, we would not dare do anything demanding.

Happily all of the people live in the same kind of bubbles of illusion. We do live in a world of commonly build illusions. We think that the other people do have the necessary understanding, expertise and knowledge that we deep down always will suspect that we are lacking ourselves. Similarly other people do trust us in a similar way, mainly because nobody ever reveals their real self-doubts to others.

One could say that it is a really good thing that the true state of things is never revealed to us. Maintaining the common illusion of understanding, expertise and knowledge keeps us safe from despairing on the fact with how little true understanding, expertise and knowledge the world is really run on.

 It brings me to the virtue of honesty, maybe something I will talk about next time. But here I leave with Zero’s words.

Mr. Moustafa: To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it - but, I will say: he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvellous grace!

Leaving the Old… Embracing the New…

Leaving the Old… Embracing the New…

I’ve graduated high school.

The thought should be welcoming, liberating as I have finally escaped the cushioned confinements of scholastic rigour and the miseries of the IB-International Baccalaureate, into real life!

Non?

No.

Sitting here now, before my laptop, reflecting and reminiscing back to my high school life I am confronted by how brief it all was. Truthfully, I miss the scheduled timetables and exams, of knowing when, where and what I had to do and how to do so. I miss the structure and security of school where I had a purpose, a goal to reach for and accomplish tasks to complete and tick off.

Now, with the holidays around me I have none of the above. Instead, I am faced with days filled with free time to do as I please, it is definitely a bit unsettling yet two weeks into my post-high school life I’ve come to realise something.

It’s weird though, because I’ve also only been “free” for two weeks. However short the time may be, it has brought about a series of reflections that, if I were a high school student struggling through the excruciating last year or any year for that matter, I would want to know.

I’ve realised that leaving high school is not easy, but it will be the easiest of all departures.  Leaving high school will be yours and my own first step away and beyond. We will have to leave many things, people and places behind in our lives, be it school, university, family, work, loved ones and lastly life itself. This is only the first marker in the long line of future departures in life.

I would say leaving high school is not just freedom.

The period between high school and university is a time for reflection and thought.

It’s funny: two months ago I had envisioned myself in a brand new world of freedom and opportunity, a place to try new things and be crazy, wild, a place where the hobbies of a childhood fantasy would finally re-flourish after being brutally crushed by the impossible demands of high school life.  So eager for this to happen, I engaged myself in all sorts of social activity-visiting old friends at my previous schools, organising brunches, movie dates, exercising, and going on a movie and TV binge-watching spree.

However, time and reality prevailed. Once this flurry of activity settled down I had time for thought. With many of my friends going back home overseas I realised I had to find my purpose, create my own structure as the list of activities were whittled down. For me, my sense of “structure” as opposed to holiday “limbo” was to find my own purpose. Therefore, I set off to satisfy my desires for my one great love, reading the great and little known classics.

So, take some time to think back on your fondest memories with friends and teachers. And then seal them away, not to forget them but to realise that to move on, to be truly ready and prepared for university and to open yourself for new experiences, I realised I had to accept closure on certain parts of my life. Go back and visit your teachers, say goodbye and take a walk around the campus.  

Finally, it’s a statement of adulthood, a realisation that you’re fit enough to tackle what exists in the real world, as opposed to the candy-floss flavoured fantasy you created 15 years ago.

If you are like me and struggle with some of these problems, this question from my mother might help:

“When you become an ambassador, are you really going to worry about leaving high school everyday?”