5 Friends Vote

"I vote because I fell in love, and I wanted to matter."
- Neil Patrick Harris


We cannot deny the effect that the media has on us. Whether it's watching an advertisement on television, briefly pausing to glance at a poster while walking on the streets or hearing the DJ talk about something on the radio, in one way or another, we are bound to be affected by them.

Let's refer to the above video. The video was created as a series of public service announcements to encourage the youth of America to vote. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to vote and participate in the upcoming election.

The clear use of the media to send a message out to the masses can be seen from the video. Well, all of us (especially the younger generation) are somewhat influenced by the celebrities we idolize or admire. Imagine seeing your favourite actor/actress on television smiling and persuading you to buy a certain product. A good example would be those skin care and make up ads you frequently see on television; wouldn't you be at least a little swayed by the celebrity in the advertisement's good skin into wanting to purchase that particular brand of skincare endorsed?

In this video, the media is used to create awareness for the importance of voting for the youth of America. Instead of simply airing this PSA on television, the makers decided to put it up for free viewing on YouTube instead. Why? Well, it's pretty obvious how much time youths spend online nowadays. I daresay, they may even spend more time online than sleeping. To most of the youths of America, the Internet is probably their main source of media and are greatly influenced by things they see or read about online. Thus, it was a smart move to air the video on the Internet.

The tactic that the makers of the video went for was really smart. In addition to using celebrities as their spokespeople, they went for 'reverse psychology' instead of the traditional "Please do this - do that" preachy method which probably serves to bore most people.


"Don't Vote. It's Ridiculous! You don't care, I don't care."

"I'm voting because when I was growing up, my father told me that if you don't vote, then you have to shut up."
- Will Smith

In a way, the agenda-setting function of the media was applied in this video too. The important issues of why everyone should vote was addressed such as Darfur, the war in Iraq, education and the economy. Other major issues that were mentioned in the video constantly were the abortion and gay rights issue. Are these necessarily the most pressing or important issues in America and really the main reasons why American citizens should vote? Well, that brings us to how selective the media gatekeepers (people who control what issues to address) are.

Media influences can be good or bad, and in this case, it most definitely is for the greater good. Afterall, why waste your right to vote? Do leave a comment telling me any thoughts you may have about this week's entry (which will be the last by the way)!

Egyptian Culture & Traditions

What exactly is culture? Does culture define who we are and how we live our life? People living in different countries all have their own cultures to follow. I learnt that first hand when I visited Egypt, a country with very different cultures from us sometime back in May this year and it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences in my life.

Before my trip, I had to head down to the travel agency for a briefing on what to expect on the trip, how to prevent myself from getting culture shock once getting there and more. One of the first things that the tour guide told us was of course, the extreme weather there, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 40 degrees. Later, she went on to tell us about how we should dress appropriately there by keeping our shoulders, upper arms and calves covered up at all times. It isn't exactly a sin to wear sleeveless attire or shorts in Egypt but the locals were extremely conservative due to their Muslim beliefs. Thus, it wouldn't be nice to dress in too revealing clothes unless we wouldn't mind getting gawked at while walking around there.

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali

However, it was a MUST to cover ourselves up when entering a mosque. If you happen to be wearing something that is slightly revealing such as a cap sleeve tee shirt, you have to borrow one of their cloaks to "protect your modesty" before entering. It is very important in Islam that the woman is less seductive to a stranger and shows modesty.

An Egyptian woman all covered up.

Another culture which I noticed that the Egyptians had was their love for singing and dancing at parties. During my first 4 days in Egypt, we actually had a leisurely cruise down the Nile and before dinner time, the waiters and workers in the cruise ship would put on a little performance for us using drums and other egyptian instruments. It was quite entertaining actually. Later on, they even made all of us join in as well! Even the waiters at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cairo performed their traditional dance for us before our meal.

Tipping is also a way of life over there in Egypt. It is extremely common to see the locals offering to snap photos with the tourists then asking them unabashedly for tips. My friend and I got the scare of our lives when our horse carriage driver suddenly stopped in the middle of the road while taking us to the temple to ask us for extra tips.

Kalesh - a traditional Egyptian horse carriage

The Sun Temple of Abu Simbel

Apart from the modern Egyptian cultures mentioned above, there are also many interesting ancient Egyptian cultures. One very prominent culture of ancient Egypt is mummification - the preservation of the body after death. Preservation of the body was an essential part of the Ancient Egyptian funerary practice. Without the body, the "ka" could not return to find sustenance, and if the body was decayed or unrecognisable, then the ka would go hungry and the afterlife of the deceased would be jeopardised. Mummification was therefore dedicated to the prevention of decay.

My trip to Egypt was incredible and definitely an eye-opening experience for me. It helped me to see exactly how different the cultures are over there and here in Singapore. Typing this entry right now is already making me miss Egypt so much! Say, how many of you experienced culture shock when visiting a foreign country? Please feel free to comment!

Source: http://www.egyptologyonline.com/mummification.htm

Soulmates never die.

Do you believe in soul mates? That one person you were destined to spend the rest of your life with? The peanut butter to your jelly, the Bonnie to your Clyde or the Lennon to your McCartney? Some people believe that souls are literally made and/or fated to be the mates of each other, or to play certain other important roles in each other's lives.

Maybe it's just me being a total cynic, but I don't really fancy the idea of "soulmates" at all. I'd say... making your relationship with your other half work takes a lot more effort than just the idea of the both of you being "meant to be". That's when the Knapps Model of Relational Development comes in. It describes the progression and development of relationships in 10 stages.

Simply an instant connection with a stranger or "love at first sight" is almost never going to end up in a successful relationship. We need time and effort in building it. In the first five stages of the Knapps Model of Relational Development, it describes exactly how two people meet, get to know each other, become closer to each other and finally legitimizing the relationship through marriage and starting a family together.

What if a relationship meant to last forever fails? Exactly how does one go back to being all alone after losing your apparent soulmate? Differentiating, Circumscribing, Stagnation, Avoiding and Terminating. The five stages for coming apart in the Knapps Model of Relational Development clearly describes the downfall of any relationship.


Let's reference 2 fictional characters' relationship in regards to the model.


Monica and Chandler, from one of my all-time favourite television sitcoms, FRIENDS.

How did their relationship progress from being mere friends to lovers? Chandler began dropping hints that he was interested in Monica during the first season. He genuinely increased his efforts in season 3, but Monica thought he was joking and expressed little interest in a romantic relationship. At Ross and Emily's wedding in London, a somewhat intoxicated Monica and Chandler slept together. After hooking up in London, they both of them decided that they simply couldn't remain just friends anymore.

Stage 1 - Initiating: They first started testing the waters for the possibility of them dating in season 5.

Stage 2 - Experimenting: The both of them were apprehensive at first, but after seeing Monica being asked out on a date by an attractive doctor, Chandler, upon realizing his true feelings for Monica, got jealous and finally decided to go into a proper relationship with her.

Stage 3 - Intensifying: Throughout season 5, Chandler and Monica embarked on a secret relationship and their friends were completely in the dark about it.

Stage 4 - Integrating: Their friends finally find out about their relationship and the both of them officially comes out as a couple.



Stage 5 - Bonding: Monica proposes to chandler at the end of season 6. They get married at the end of season 7 and adopt kids in season 10.


So, what are your thoughts on "soulmates"? I'm sure the die-hard romantics out there would argue that their other halves are somewhere in the world just waiting to be found!