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Tuesday, May 31, 2011


I will never, ever believe in you again.

- posted by Daniel Tan,
at 10:13 AM
Monday, May 16, 2011
For those who believe












- posted by Daniel Tan,
at 8:52 AM
Friday, May 13, 2011
Someday we'll know


The night before every match means something to athletes. At least for those who love the game. Some are praying for a good game, some are running scared, some are well prepared, some dont even care, some want to win so badly and some who have already written the game as a lost.
But for me, i spend these nights thanking God for the chance i have to play the game. All because floorball has always been my refuge. Every minute i spend on court is every minute i get to erase a bad memory.
Its funny how before every game, i have the habit of looking up to the stands, even if there is no one there. Maybe i wish there was someone right there supporting me and standing by my side every minute and every second of the game. But for so long now, all i see is empty stands. Even when theres a crowd of people. I guess i will be doing the same tomorrow. At least with the hope of knowing someone will be there someday to see me play. Only then will I get to make someone proud and make all the effort worth it.





- posted by Daniel Tan,
at 11:07 AM
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
One of these days you'll wonder why youre all alone.

My personal statement.


But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.

~1 timothy 1: 8-9

As a pupil in school, I was rebellious, and my rebellious nature got me into a lot of trouble. I often found myself in difficult situations with teachers for constantly voicing out honest opinions. There was this particular teacher whom I thought was picking on me most of the time. I was not the only pupil. It amazed me that some people were able to use their positions of authority, and of power to justify their actions whether or not it was right or wrong. It was then that I realized how important fairness is to innocent people. I want to study law because I can serve the people and also because I enjoy debates and arguments. I want to help people because I believe everyone has a purpose in life and this is mine. Coming from a La Sallian Brothers school, I believe that in life, we should help the lost, last and the least. And I strongly believe that I could help these people with my knowledge of the law.

I wish to study in the United Kingdom because the law programme is challenging in the sense that it is very condensed and focused. I also believe that since Malaysian law is based on English law, it will be advantageous for me to pursue a higher education there. I love the idea of studying in the United Kingdom and relish the thought of soaking up the culture and its rich history too. I wish to excel as a lawyer in the future and I believe that the best way to achieve my goal is to enter a university in the United Kingdom. I believe that exposure to different cultures will enrich my understanding of people and teach me about different social backgrounds and their respective values. I also believe that life away from home will greatly discipline me and this character will better prepare me for life in legal practice.

As a student of A-Level History, Math and Economics, I believe that I am well prepared to study law. I enjoy history; the immense pleasure and knowledge I derive from understanding historical processes has impacted my views on justice. From studying the Russian Revolution, I learnt that the ideas of Karl Marx inspired a group of people who went on to change the course of history but in the process violated human rights and because of that, millions of people suffered. In the name of creating a more equal society, great injustice was done to the people. Math has taught me the value of objectivity and of following logical processes to solve problems. I believe that it is important that the application of the law should maintain a degree of objectivity and logic in decision making. Economics has increased my understanding of the modern world and how economic forces powerfully influence the actions of people and governments. A sound legal framework will minimize the negative externalities of the workings of an economy, for example on the environment.

I have spoken to lawyers who are currently fighting for the rights of the native people in Malaysia and I am very keen to do the same. From my conversations with them, I have a clear picture of what it will be like to study law in the United Kingdom and how law is practiced in real life. My high school is situated just hundred metres from the courthouse. I once went to the courthouse as a mini field trip with my classmates. A short experience, but a memorable one nonetheless.

As testament to my desire to serve the people, I have been to places to help the less fortunate. In recent years, I have been to Battambang, in Cambodia and New Delhi, in India to work with the underprivileged children of the slums. I am a leader of the 'ReachProject', a group of volunteers responsible for teaching and educating underprivileged children. I am currently leading and working with them to help poor children in Penang. We offer them free Math and English classes. My time on this project has taught me how fortunate I am and I wish to give back to society one day. Overall, these experiences have consolidated my desire to involve myself in humanitarian issues.

I also enjoy playing the piano, photography and sports like floorball and football. Through music, I have learned that discipline and commitment can produce works of immense beauty. I have completed the Grade 8 level for the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal School of Music) music course and reached the Grade 5 level for the Yamaha School of Music programme. Besides that, I am captain of my school's football team and represent the State of Penang in floorball as a member of the state team. I am also proud to have completed a half marathon in the year 2010, apart from many other running events. I recently won first prize for a national level photography competition as its youngest contestant. I was also the youngest ever elected patrol leader for my high school Scouts troop throughout its 159 years of rich history. To some, all these are merely achievements, but to me, all these have taught me that I can overcome hardship and hurdles if we tell ourselves in the words of President Barack Obama, "Yes we can".

Am I prepared to study law? Yes, I believe I am. I am a fast learner. Another of my traits is that I am able to connect with people from diverse social backgrounds. My work with the underprivileged children bears testament to this. I am adventurous and I am willing to venture by myself to foreign lands whose languages I do not speak. To some, these are setbacks, to me, another hurdle to overcome if you truly believe in what you want to do in life and what needs to be done to reach that goal. I know that studying law is not easy because it is full of pressure. It takes courage and I have it, because in the words of Ernest Hemingway, "courage is grace under pressure".



- posted by Daniel Tan,
at 6:07 AM
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Dont look back in anger

Five years ago, on valentines day, my uncle was lying in bed at the hospital. At that moment, i never knew that it was the last chance to ever get to see my uncle. I chose to spend time with the person i used to love and i even bought her a mug as a gift. Today, 5 years later, she has left without a reason and all that is left with me is the regret that i should have been there with my uncle. We all have regrets and that is mine.

Take a good look at the picture above. What do you see? A crowd of people? Faces? Magnitude? Well i see stories. And behind every face, behind every exterior and behind every emotion, lies a story, most of them untold. Most of them shared with loved ones and, the saddest thing, most of them told, to the wrong people or some may say, the people that could have been. What is your story? We all see the world differently and we all have different stories. But as long as i have lived, i believe those stories mean nothing, if there is no one you can share them with.

Sometimes in life, we see the things that we dont want to see. We go through the things that we dont want to go through. As humans, we dread every tear and heartache, and the most hurtful thing, watching the person you love with someone else. Its funny, how, in crowd of people, possibly millions, only one have the power to haunt you, and bring you to tears. Its funny how the hardest thing to do, is to let go.
Sometimes we built a wall to guard our hearts against the pain and hurt. Why then do those walls fall? Why then do we still feel hurt

My eyes have seen many things over the past 19 years. Like how they saw emptiness in a crowd full of people. Like how they never again saw another birthday cake with candles for 7 years. Like how they saw the person i used to love leave for another person. My heart? Well, i was called a useless son on my 15th birthday, slept in the lobby of a hotel because i had nowhere to go, beaten up by the roadside, cut myself, begged for money from strangers so that i can buy a reload card for someone who did not appreciate it even when i did not have enough money even for myself to buy food at school during break, been called shorty for millions of times, never been surprised for my birthday, stood alone when everyone turned their back on me, lost the best of friends, betrayed by someone i trusted time and time again while i was away in Cambodia, and continued to play floorball while the person i used to love showed up with another guy at the stadium. Maybe what i went through was not as bad as many people out there, but it was enough for me to drive me to the depths of the worst a person could be.

Today i stand here with a story to tell. And my story is not about how sad, angry and hurt i used to be. My story is that every tear will turn to armor, every pain and heartache will be lessons, every bad day is a reminder of the good days you are about to have, every fake smile will turn to real smiles, and for every person that leaves our lives, there is another that will come. Today i stand here not saying that i have changed or that i am fully recovered, i stand here today as someone who is willing to try to let go of the things that were never meant to be, and the past. I have learnt that in life, nobody can hurt you unless you give them the permission to do so. I have also learnt that, in every moment of anger, sadness and pain, that a smile would not be able to make things better, but it will help us dance gracefully through the tempests of the world. Because, sometimes, the only way out is through. Today i stand here and make a promise to myself, to never hurt the people that hurt me. Especially the ones that i used to love.

We never stop to think how much our lives can change if we had enough courage to pull out a smile in moments of anger and pain. But today, whoever you are, as you are reading this, learn to smile, love and let go of the past. All because life is too short for regrets.

This post is dedicated to my uncle.
Ong Cheng Ho
1939-2007





- posted by Daniel Tan,
at 8:50 AM