I’ve been thinking a lot and I feel like ranting a bit, you know, just to write what’s in my mind right now.

Actually, not really now, I thought and wrote this stuff up during my previous final exam period. Although that has quite long passed, but I think I should publish some of my thoughts in my blog, so…

Anyway, if you happen to be reading this, you might find this post somewhat pointless, I’m sorry but please bear with me!

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Why is everybody so worked up about the final exams?

To get good results? To secure a good job in the future?

This (for now – last) trimester, I boldly withdrew three out of the four core subjects that I am taking, resulting in only one single subject left to be studied for the finals.

Hey, none of them were barred, none of them cancelled. I just wanted to withdraw, so I did!

LOL! Alright, I withdrew the subjects because I’m changing my major next trimester, and the subjects that I dropped are those that are not in the syllabus of the new major.

Just to clarify, I’m NOT changing my course! I’m still doing a Bachelor of Engineering, but merely taking up a different major.

Of course, there are still two other art subjects – Law and Moral – but both of which are absolutely not worrying. In fact, I have a very good record in scoring arts subjects.

My liberty from much studying during this final exam period gave me the opportunity to take a good look at the people around me, the people who study hard everyday in the library, the people who complain and moan in anguish when they find that they’ve made mistakes in their papers…

I’ve experienced this before, the tension of a tremendously difficult paper coming up in seven days, and as it comes closer, you find that you’re less ready, and in panic you come to the realization that more subjects are coming up after this week’s paper, and you just can’t be less prepared for them.

Don’t tell me that it is my problem that I didn’t prepare earlier, or I could’ve concentrated more in lectures and consulted tutors about my problems during tutorials… I know I didn’t, but how would I’ve done?

I mean, if I’m simply not interested in what I’m studying, will that alone effectively doom me from getting the certificate?

Is it so straightforward that anyone must be genuinely interested in his subject to stand a chance in graduating? And the alternative to which is daily forced-studying, swallowing things that are so utterly bitter to his academic taste buds?

And because of the extra effort in studying needed to compensate for his lack of interest in the subject, a person would have to sacrifice a significant portion, if not all, of his private and social life to study things that he knows would be of minute use in his future. In short, it’s either Genuine Interest or A Nerdy Life.

Why, I cannot see any balance, any centre point, between the two. I don’t think there’s anything such as living a life of having both hard studying and remarkable sociability.

The determination to do well in one’s studies inevitably removes most motivations to improve sociability

And the converse is also true – If you strive to improve your social life, you’ll put in effort to improve the enjoyability of your life; And I tell you what:

- preparing for final examinations long before they come,

- putting in every ounce of concentration during lectures teaching about formulas for magnetic flux densities and multiple integrations,

- and pestering tutors about the same boring stuff

… are NOT AT ALL considered ‘enjoyable’ to my mind. >.<

So we extend the theory – If you don’t like the subject that you’re studying, you’ll either be a nerd, or you’ll do terribly in it.

Is it really necessary? Is it really worth it? I mean, is the certificate really worth that much? Is it important enough to justify the untold amounts of stress on the body?

Do employers nowadays really consider your academic transcript to be the most important thing of all? Or is there other things that matter just as much? Such as experience, accountability and perhaps, language proficiency?

What about your working attitude – how sincere are you to your duties, and how important are they to you in return? Are you willing to learn?

Perhaps your interpersonal skills - how much of a team player are you, are you capable of motivating and infecting your co-workers with enthusiasm?

Or maybe your management skills - how do you manage time, perhaps lead a team of people in completing a project?

Oh I dunno, if these skills are equally sought after by employers, then ‘nerds’ and students who are fervently studying every single minute, who simply have no time for soft skills, socialising, or any knowledge beyond their major, are, perhaps, in quite a disadvantage here…

Sigh… Let’s just hope that whatever I choose to do now is not dooming mine, or someone else’s future. I’ll think about that later.

One of the more dramatic events that happened during my five-week absence from James-Chow.com was the official, earth-shattering proclamation that, of all people, Dumbledore is gay.

I’ve always thought that the ‘new’ Dumbledore, the one played by mister Michael Gambon (above), is like, totally ghey.

Bad-tempered, wearing that stupid, permanently annoyed-looking face, and easily losing his composure – if he had any… damn…

I never liked the Dumbledore in the movies ever since good ol’ Richard Harris (below) sadly… er… died.

In any case, being callled ghey by me or anybody else is one thing; but being declared gay by J.K. Rowling herself is… staggering!

So, Albus Dumbledore is homosexual. Since Rowling said it, we’ve got to accept it.

But why didn’t Dombledore openly admit that he was homosexual? Of course, he liked Gellert Grindelwald. It would be extremely difficult for him to admit having dueled and killed his lover.

But what about the other people? Let’s analyse what would happen if he did:

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Scene: Late at night, Dumbledore assembling a group of his staff and students in his office at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore - “Guys, seriously, I just wanted to tell you all that I’m, err… I’m… gay.”

-

*Stunned silence*

-

Hagrid - “Eh? Yer wha’, Dumbledore?”

McGonagall – Purses her lips and marches out of the room.

Snape – Stares silently at Dumbledore.

Hermione - Gasps violently and drops the books she was holding. “Professor, but… you’re… how come…? But I always thought… Professor?”

Umbridge – “I’m a tolerant woman, Dumbledore, but this is… I’m going to tell Cornelius, I mean, the Minister, and have your order of Merlin removed!”

Dumbledore – “Look, come on… people… Is it really that ba-”

Trelawney – “I… I knew it! The Inner Eye revealed to me… earlier! I… I’ve already seen… sensed something dark… something evil… in this office…”

Draco – Whispers to a stunned Crabb and Goyle: “See, I told you this old man is loosing his marbles, Father told me…”

Harry – Secretly fears the upcoming private lessons with Dumbledore that are usually at night.

Dumbledore – “……”

Gilderoy Lockhart – “That’s OK, Dumbledore! I’m gay too!”

Phineas Nigellus – Snorts and yells: “Preposterous! I wouldn’t have allowed homosexuals in my school during my days!”

Armando Dippet – *Faints*

Dumbledore - “Whatever, whatever, what-ev-errr…”

Harry - “But sir… Professor Dumbledore, the private lessons… I… Can I…?

Hagrid – “But Dumbledore… yer not sayin’… yer… Merlin’s be-”

Umbridge – “Now see here, Dumble-”

Harry – “Professor?”

Dumbledore - “I’m not listening~~! Say whatever you want! Ain’t hearin’ nothing~!”

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If that’s the reaction that he would’ve got, it’s no wonder Dumbledore chose not to disclose his sexual orientation in Hogwarts!

LOL!

Look, this has nothing to do with anti-homosexuality! I’m not ridiculing gays or saying anything about them. They’re totally fine with me.

It’s not homosexuality that’s funny here; instead, it’s the fact that Dumbledore is homosexual that makes it unbelievable! It’s the same incredulity that you experience if you hear that Dumbledore was secretly working for the Russian government as a nuclear scientist!

But why did J.K. Rowling suddenly announce that Dumbledore is gay, without so much of a (rather clear) hint in any of the seven books? I mean, yes, there were ‘hints’ but they could have meant anything.

So my friend and I had a small discussion and we came up with two lame theories on why Rowling announced that Dumbledore is gay, all in a sudden.

Theory 1. Rowling was dared into doing it.

• One day, Rowling and her friends met up in a bar for a drink. When they were drunk, they had a dare contest. Someone dared Rowling to say that Albus Dumbledore is gay, to the media, in front of a crowd of children. Rowling took the dare.

Theory 2. An accidental burst of impatience.

• *This theory was thought of before I read the transcript of the event itself, which proved that this theory is imvalid because Rowling was seen to be extremely patient and was in fact enjoying herself at the occasion*

Anyway, according to our second theory: -

Rowling was being pestered by the audience at Carnegie Hall over trivial, romantic details of the story which are out of the main Harry Potter plot, and irrelevant to the things that she had expected them to ask. “Who does Professor Sprout love?” “No, no, who does Katie Bell like?“”No, wait, who’s Regulus’ girlfriend?”

Rowling: “Alright everyone, like I said, no more love questions, please, OK?”

“No, but, wait – Does Professor Trelawney have a boyfriend?”

Rowling: “Now, please, another question?” *Slightly annoyed*

“Me! Me! Ms. Rowling, does Draco like Hermione? My sister says…”

Rowling: “Ah… No other questions?”

“Ms. Rowling! Ms. Rowling! Does Aberforth like goats? It says on the website…”

Rowling: “Oh… Next!” *Furious*

“Me, seriously! Me! Er… Ms. Rowling, Does Dumbledore have a lover?”

Rowling: “Fine! Dumbledore is GAY! Happy?”

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Something like that…

You can either believe in one of my theories, or you can simply accept the fact that Dumbledore, the old headmaster of Hogwarts, is homosexual. There’s nothing wrong with being gay, but just, next time, try not to fall in love in someone like Gellert Grindelwald, it’s like falling in love with Voldemort.

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Anyway, this is just a joke and a record of the stupid things that I thought of, when I heard that Dumbledore is homosexual. My friends and I had a laugh, but in the end we had to conclude that, once again, Rowling has succeeded in including people (wizards) of many different personalities and in one single novel, and what an incredible story it is.

*I know grammatically, it should be Dumbledore was gay instead of Dumbledore is gay; since he passed away. But I simply like the phrase ‘Dumbledore is Gay’ more, because Dumbledore lives eternally in our memories, or maybe… I like it simply because it sounds rude.*