I've submitted my resignation for my current job and have finally moved on. It is not without wistfulness that I leave this place as of next week, as there are people and duties that I do not wish to part from as they have helped me towards "actualisation". Since it's time for adios, I might as well be open about my latest job scope as it does not infringe upon confidentiality issues. I assist in Brailling for the visually handicapped in Singapore, namely when a person has virtually lost enough sight and vision to be categorised as blind, I assist in actualising the study material for him or her using the sense of touch through Braille print and tactile diagrams. This past year has been quite a bizzare year such that till now I cannot come up with any appropriate adjective to describe it other than "happening".
There's been a constant debate around the blind community about the impending death of Braille due to the rise of audio technology versus the traditional touch technology of Braille. Here instead of rooting for a particular camp per se, I've like to move into the concept of the "actual" versus "virtual", and using the visually handicapped community as an analogy, apply it across the board towards the relationships between all people. Let's take a look at their definitions.
There's been a constant debate around the blind community about the impending death of Braille due to the rise of audio technology versus the traditional touch technology of Braille. Here instead of rooting for a particular camp per se, I've like to move into the concept of the "actual" versus "virtual", and using the visually handicapped community as an analogy, apply it across the board towards the relationships between all people. Let's take a look at their definitions.
Actual
1. existing in act or fact; real; existing now; present; current
Virtual
1. being such in power, force, or effect, though not actually or expressly such
Upon the lost of sight, the concept of vision to a blind person has become a virtual one. He can be aided by his other senses sound and touch and taste, which in this case are the power and forces still existing to help him have experience something as akin to sight as possible. However the person needs to admit that no matter what, his sight has ceased to exist to a certain degree.
There's often talk going about virtual reality, about how we're moving into a virtual age. Personally, I've very mixed feelings towards phrases like these as they forebode some very "happening" things. With the advancement towards the virtual over the actual through technology, the triangle dilemma of time, quantity and quality has indeed "disappeared", or has it really? I've chatted once with a colleague over this triangle dilemma theory, saying that if the size of the triangle is fixed, there is no way of attaining a joint increase in all three, as in order to move closer towards any end, at least one end will be compromised. I had hypothesied that the best way to resolve this dilemma would be to shrink the actual size of the triangle as much as possible. As we proceed on in this virtual age, the triangle has vanished, or it seems. However, my hypothesis has been to shrink the triangle, not delete it altogether, because frankly this triangle will never cease to exist. In fact, the harrowing thing may be that we have convinced ourselves it has vanished, because we may have unwittingly expanded it size beyond our wildest dreams, or more appropriately, nightmares...
In the specific realm of relationships with others, one has to first and foremost define self, before moving onto relate one's self to another. Without defining, or drawing one's boundaries, this case of no free reins is going to render the concept of relationships into non-existence. How much we bother to define things, indicate the relevance and priority we actually place on it.
I know that this entry is a very abstract one, and I have no clear cut explanations or solutions. They are merely my POVs and if they're unwelcome, please take them in grace as rantings of a mad woman. I'll just end off with this line of my own, drawn from my past year of interactions with the blind community.
Without hearing you, what transpires between us will be silence; without my hand in yours, I'll have no idea on when it is I'm tresspassing, and when it is I'm removed from you; without the guidance of your scent, I'll have no concept of the aroma of relating to you; without the assistance of taste the flavour of our interactions, my life would be bland. You actualise me. Without the sensation of you with me, part of me will cease to exist as I'm in the dark about you...
Upon the lost of sight, the concept of vision to a blind person has become a virtual one. He can be aided by his other senses sound and touch and taste, which in this case are the power and forces still existing to help him have experience something as akin to sight as possible. However the person needs to admit that no matter what, his sight has ceased to exist to a certain degree.
There's often talk going about virtual reality, about how we're moving into a virtual age. Personally, I've very mixed feelings towards phrases like these as they forebode some very "happening" things. With the advancement towards the virtual over the actual through technology, the triangle dilemma of time, quantity and quality has indeed "disappeared", or has it really? I've chatted once with a colleague over this triangle dilemma theory, saying that if the size of the triangle is fixed, there is no way of attaining a joint increase in all three, as in order to move closer towards any end, at least one end will be compromised. I had hypothesied that the best way to resolve this dilemma would be to shrink the actual size of the triangle as much as possible. As we proceed on in this virtual age, the triangle has vanished, or it seems. However, my hypothesis has been to shrink the triangle, not delete it altogether, because frankly this triangle will never cease to exist. In fact, the harrowing thing may be that we have convinced ourselves it has vanished, because we may have unwittingly expanded it size beyond our wildest dreams, or more appropriately, nightmares...
In the specific realm of relationships with others, one has to first and foremost define self, before moving onto relate one's self to another. Without defining, or drawing one's boundaries, this case of no free reins is going to render the concept of relationships into non-existence. How much we bother to define things, indicate the relevance and priority we actually place on it.
I know that this entry is a very abstract one, and I have no clear cut explanations or solutions. They are merely my POVs and if they're unwelcome, please take them in grace as rantings of a mad woman. I'll just end off with this line of my own, drawn from my past year of interactions with the blind community.
Without hearing you, what transpires between us will be silence; without my hand in yours, I'll have no idea on when it is I'm tresspassing, and when it is I'm removed from you; without the guidance of your scent, I'll have no concept of the aroma of relating to you; without the assistance of taste the flavour of our interactions, my life would be bland. You actualise me. Without the sensation of you with me, part of me will cease to exist as I'm in the dark about you...
