During our course of studies, we have learnt many things. While it is always good to be knowledgeable, not all the things that we came across are relevant to us in our lives. And what’s interesting is that we usually forget what we have learnt once we lose touch of them. For example, how many of you are able to remember every significant date from your history classes (for those of you who have taken history lessons)? Or how many of you are still able to remember all the equations in your chemistry classes? 

So, what is important in our learning process is not to gather as much information as possible in our lifetime, because we usually do not use most of them. Try reading today’s newspaper from front to back and see if you can remember the details of every news articles that you have read ten weeks down the road. You probably can’t, and you won’t need to.  So, what is important in our learning process then? It’s actually to convert what you have read (that is, data) to something that you understand (that is, information) before finding ways to make use of the information to your advantage. That is, turning information into insights.

But how do you turn information into insights? This is what the bulk of this article is about.  Well, you can do this by making the effort to relate everything that you have learnt to your lives. Of course, when it comes to the media, there are some knowledge that is either irrelevant (such as the announcement by the media on an upcoming conference for engineers. Why do you want to know that if you are not an engineer and have no use of such information for anyone? ), redundant (such as an article on the convergence of digital technology. Well, you have known this already, yes?) or short-term (such as a publicity on a car exhibition tomorrow. Such information is useless since the occurrence is not long-term, and this is especially so when you have absolutely no interest in the event). 

It is important to note that the media caters to a large group of readers, which differs greatly in terms of demographic and psychographic profiles. Hence, not all the information that is provided by the media is related or even useful to us. We need to sift out the relevant content for ourselves, else it will be a matter of time before we suffer from information overload.

So relating the things that you have learnt to your lives is crucial, since these are often the things that you will remember for a long time. If you do not believe this, just think of the most memorable scene and/or character in a movie that you have watched. You will not be able to remember every single detail of it but rather, certain snippets will stand out. Examine these snippets and you will realise that the reason that you find these moments/person memorable is because you can relate to it in some way. Maybe it’s the humour, or maybe it’s the emotion(s) that you have experienced when watching the film that reflects how you feel in your real life, or maybe it’s the fact that you are able to relate to the characteristics of the lead character(s) in some ways that are similar to your own.

Therefore, it will be good if all of you are able to relate what you have learnt in class to your lives. Try to see if you are able to apply what you have learnt in the classroom to your own lives. This is because when to comes to acquiring knowledge, its application is equally if not more important.

Whatever you are able to relate to, you will remember it for a long time.

There are many movies that we watch for entertainment but there are few movies which contain moral or philosophical messages. Therefore, it is always good when a meaningful film comes along once in a while, of which “The Forbidden Kingdom” is among them.

Having watched the movie over the weekend, I will like to bring out some meaningful lessons that can be learnt (Please read these only if you have watched the movie or if you do not mind knowing some details about the movie, including the ending):

• Forgiveness: In a particular scene, the Silent Monk (Jet Li) told Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei) that vengeance has a way of rebounding upon oneself when the latter said that she wishes to kill the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou) to avenge her parents’ deaths.  This advice is meaningful since when we examine any conflict in the world, the primary causes can be found in having the intentions of payback. It’s only through forgiveness that reconciliation and goodwill are possible.

• Determination: In the film, a group of individuals try their very best to return a treasure to the rightful owner in the face of adversity and challenges. Besides honesty, determination is highlighted as a positive quality to have in life. Indeed, every success that we have in life can be attributed to the determination that we put in in the face of obstacles. This fact is further reinforced by the rigorous training undergone by the male lead Jason Tripitikas (whose name pays a tribute to the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West) where Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) told Jason that pain always come before pleasure.

• Kung Fu: In the film, the term “Kung Fu” is defined as something that someone is good at. It is not confined within the realm of martial arts but in all aspects of life. For example, good writers who are able to evoke the emotions of their readers have “kung fu”. Carpenters who are able to produce a durable cupboard have “kung fu”. Business professions with excellent business acumens who are able to expand their businesses globally have “kung fu”. It can be said that our strengths are all “kung fu” in its various forms. Besides breaking the conventional definition of “kung fu”, this realisation has also enabled us to know that each of us have our own strengths and talents.

• Timing: When Lu Yan was seriously wounded in a battle, Jason wanted to snatch the antidote from the Jade Warlord immediately. However, he was stopped by the Silent Monk who advice him to wait two more nights since timing is very important. This is a very insightful message since timing is crucial to success in life. For example, we do not approach our friends for a favour if they are in a bad mood. We do not jog outdoor if we know that an impending storm is brewing. And we do not leave our houses late if we know that we will be late for school.

• Mortality versus Immortality: In the film, this issue is explored in great detail. Golden Sparrow died in her attempt to avenge her parent’s deaths. However, Jason met her again in another world. This leads the audience to think about human’s existence. When a person is gone, is he or she really gone? And having drank the potion of immortality, Lu Yan, survived throughout the ages, aging over the years but never dying.  This leaves the audience wondering if immortality is a blessing or a curse.