Life's little snippets

New website

2006-05-19T03:02:00.000+01:00

After the long silence, i've decided to move my blogs to one site.

http://shanglee.com

i'm still tweaking the site a little, but most of all previous posts are there. some are even updated! no prize for those who find it though. ;) please also let me know if there are any broken links!

Remember to update your links!

Can I help you with something else?

2006-05-11T12:17:00.000+01:00

This is a rant (just so you know). My internet connection in Malaysia is not working. The modem seems to be out. A technician was suppose to come round. He arrived on Monday without letting anyone know. Naturally, Murphy's law dictates that no one was at home to "welcome" him and he left a note saying he was there. Does he expect me to be there 24/7 to wait for him?!!...(click here for the rest of the rant)

He left a direct number which I've called several times, nobody answer. Called the customer service centre, and they tried to call him as well. No answer. Told me they'll assign another technician. I asked them when can I expect him/her? They say dunno.

"Just give me a timeframe"

"Sorry, i don't really know"

"Is it going to be days? Weeks? Months?"

"er... just wait for the technician's call" and for the killer statement... "can i help you with something else?"

I was like, you can't even help me with this and you want to help me with something else?!! No !@#$%ing way!! just go !@#$ yourself.. which translated through the phone as "no thanks." and we hung up.

that was since monday. today, i went to a branch they set up near by, and see if I have better luck there. the branch only deal with sales, not servicing. fine. then there's this big poster saying the services they provide. since i'm looking for a web hoster, i thought i ask what's their going rate. i don't actually want them as a hoster given their track record, but i thought i find out the price anyway.

"sorry, we don't do hosting" and what's the big !@#$ing sign behind there for?!!

tm.net or streamyx, if you see this, shame on you! to be fair, the people i spoke to were quite friendly.

Have you seen Water lately?

2006-05-06T01:27:00.000+01:00

The most understated and most valuable... have you seen Water lately?

I was at a fountain similar to this pic (without such a pose!). I sat at a bench right at the bottom of the fountain, facing a wall with waters streaming down it's rough surface. Around me were kids playing with the water - kids climbing up the wall to get to where the fountain was spurting out; a kid trying to force the spurting water down (exercising control over water?); kids kicking and splashing water at each other - kids just generally having fun. Have you had fun with water lately?...(click here for more)

Sitting there was quite a bliss. The sound of the streaming water, although artificial, was still very soothing. And since I was in a low seating area where the surrounding was walled off, all other noise was cut off, except the "music" from the fountain.

I haven't noticed the beauty of water for a while. When I first got back to this part of the world (Singapore being the first stop), I actually ran in the rain! It was out of necessity rather than planned. We didn't have an umbrella with us and we were already very close to home. It felt really good as you crossed the little streams running through the roads. The warm water streaming down your face as you enjoy one of nature's most precious. I fell ill the next day.

Water, as life giving as it is, it's also a common cause of problems. Forget about the Malaysia-Singapore's constant bickering about it, too much of water is bad for you, too little is not good either.

But there's one thing I tend to forget about water - the beauty of it. I'm not talking about the intrinsic beauty of it. It's the beauty it generates in others. Like the joy it brings to kids and the calmness it brings to adults. Just like water's other cousin - snow.

So.. have you notice water lately? Try giving it some of your time the next time you see it. It's all around you if you are struggling to find it! Like the tap you turn on everyday, the glass you drink from everyday, the shower you take everyday (for some people!), the rain you try to avoid everyday. Maybe it'll give you a different perspective on life itself. Just try not to fall sick! But if you do, I recommend a good antidote... drink lots of water!

Categories:

5.30 in the morning...

2006-05-04T02:09:00.000+01:00

It's 5.30am. My watch alarm rang. turned it off. and then my other alarm clock rang, which i have to get up, walk over and switch it off. Time to wake up i guess. Maybe i should try the method of how to get up right away when the alarm clock goes off, as proposed by Steve Pavlina. Or maybe it's just too early. But i've made a "date" with my Tai Ji teacher at 6am.

Fumbling about to get dressed and bring water, I slowly made my way to the MRT station (which is Singapore's equivalent of the London tube, only much better!). I've only got 2 stops to go, so I didn't mind standing, but I was surprised that the MRT is fully seated at this hour, it's not even 6am!

Another culture shock for me I guess. I wonder if i shocked them with me wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts while most of them are in office clothings or school uniforms. I know I didn't (shock them) because most of them had their eyes closed and head drooping. Only those standing were mildly awake. Guess the body needs to do what it needs to do, no matter how strong the mind is!

Categories:

A strange conversation

2006-05-02T02:57:00.000+01:00

We arrived at a Japanese restaurant serving one of those conveyor belt type food (yuck! but the wife likes it, sigh...). Someone came over and the conversation went like this...

waitress: Alakar or buffet?

us: er... we want to sit there..

waitress: A la carte or buffet?

us: oh.. what's the difference? ...(click here for the rest of the conversation)

waitress: (handing us the menus for the different options) here you go. Alacar you can choose this this and this. Buffet is anything on the belt.

wife: can we sit there? (the table has four chairs near the converyor belt)

waitress: Only if you have 4 people during peak hours.

me: is now peak hour? (it's 12pm on saturday, i thought i ask)

waitress: yes

me: ok, we'll sit by the conveyor belt. (and after sitting down...) we'll have a la carte.

waitress: i'll take the menu from you. (after a few seconds...) actually if you're going a la carte you can sit at the 2 person table and we can bring your food to you.

us: (looking at each other in perplex, we stood up) ok.

That was (almost) the exact conversation that took place. After sitting down, I did think why the process for sitting down was SOooo difficult. I just want to sit down and eat! I don't want to understand your whole business process and requirements - like designated sitting area, how you price your food, what are the differences between a la carte and buffet, your peak and non-peak hours etc. Of course I could have answered her first question and probably that might be easier. I was thinking more of "let me sit down and decide", which i think is a perfectly sensible strategy. After all, it's lunch time, i would rather grab a seat first!

If any of you own your own business, or if you have the power to influence or change a business design or decision, please... KEEP THINGS SIMPLE! Remember what you're trying to do. Remember what product and service you're trying to provide. Remember what's the main purpose of the product or service. For example, the purpose of a restaurant is to sit down and eat. Not stand, wait, understand, decide, sit, realise wrong "business" decision, understand, rant, stand, move, sit.

And don't get me started on the food... oh, did i mention i don't like sushi?! ;) just the raw stuff. always doesn't sit well with my tummy. I'll need more of those to build up the immune system.

Categories:

Just park further

2006-04-29T15:32:00.000+01:00

I've recently been quite wary of buffet style food offerings (it's about food again!). With the "eat only what you need" mantra in my mind, buffet style seems to go against the very grain of that mantra. It encourages eating a lot, and you don't care what you eat, just so you eat a lot, or try the lot. If you need further reasons not to go for buffet, it encourages waste because you're paying for excesses which most likely you don't need.

Not convinced? How much of the food does it come out the other end? Certainly not the same amount as that went in! much much less. Now.. the food don't just disappear, they appear elsewhere. My tale of indigestion in Bak Kut Teh has said enough about this.

If you need inspiration to start exercising, maybe this post might help you. Still too difficult? Take the public transport! It'll force you to walk a longer distance to get to where you want. Plus, you're helping the environment by having less cars on the road. You don't even have to contend with the traffic. No more cursing in the car.

If you really need to take your car, just park further. At a grocery store today (a place more affordable than Orchard Road in Singapore!), there were plenty of cars contending with the parking space nearest to the store! Those cars were causing a lot of fumes both inside the car and outside the car, not to mention the congested traffic. Just one row down, there are much more car parking spaces, less cars to contend with, no traffic jam. And it's only one row down! So please, just park further, it'll help walk off the extra food if you did go for a buffet lunch/dinner.

Categories:

A little indulgence

2006-04-28T02:37:00.000+01:00

Nintendo revolution. The new Nintendo console. It's going to change the way games are played. Just as how Brain Age is getting popular because of its unique gaming experience, to test the age of your brain! The trick is to have games that everyone can play, not just the regular gamers, but your aunt, your uncle, your nanny, your grandpa, your grandson... And not just play, but play together.

Hopefully I'll have a job to afford one when it comes out. If only i am as "pretty" as xiaxue to merit an invite to a gadget launch and a free gadget!! (she got a free Creative Zen Vision M as a blogger! envious... )

The new console is going to be called Wii pronounced as We. Check out the website.

Categories:

tech

Another food blog

2006-04-27T04:57:00.000+01:00

Why the obsession over food these days? Choosing the "food" category from the drop down list at the right, i've got 3 food related articles in the past 10 days alone! Must be the sudden drop in food intake that's making me crave for more! Since I can't get enough of it through the mouth, I might as well let it out of the mouth, as words of course!

A very unlikely source of food related article came from a book i'm currently reading, Education and Peace by Maria Montessori. She drew an analogy using food with why we don't recognise peace as it is but need to refer peace as the victory after war. She started off saying it's surprising to see the science of war so advanced, and yet there's no such thing as the science of peace (i've read that sentence so many times, it strike me with such resonance...).

Without digressing too much into the war and peace argument (this is about food after all!) it took mankind a very high death toll to realise that the cause of epidemics is not another man (someone to blame, just like in a war), but a disease, caused by none other than mankind's greed - eating too much. That's why the focus has shifted from over indulgence to eating only what's necessary. From eating anything under the sun, to eating hygenically. From racing to the death to racing for life!

So in a way, I carry with me mankind's greed from ancient times. I find myself very grateful to have also carried along the lessons learnt from ancient times, that eating too much will kill you! Please eat sensibly, and remember to exercise.

Categories:

food
society

The good food guide

2006-04-26T12:22:00.000+01:00

After writing how to find good teachers in my Tai Ji blog, I thought i can extend the same logic in looking for good food. So here goes... signs of good food:

A. lots of people eating it
Power of numbers. Lots of people eating it must be good right? Or the chef's marketing technique must be superb!

B. lots of regulars eating it
If people come back for more, it must say something about the food!

C. a diverse lot of people eating them
Different people has different taste. If one particular food can cater to all the different palette out there, it must be really good!

D. it tastes good to you regardless of what others say
The ultimate test, you must like the food. If you don't, what others say don't matter!

E. it sits well with your tummy
This goes without saying...

Categories:

food
guide

Everyone is a changemaker

2006-04-25T01:33:00.000+01:00

I heard a story yesterday which I would like to share with you. I met a principal of a school and chatted with him for a while. I asked him what made him choose to start his school when his first choice was becoming a priest!. His story went like this...

"I was crossing the road at the traffic lights and saw a blind man. I thought of leading the blind man across the road but I said to myself, maybe someone else will do it. The next day, I met the same man wanting to cross the road. So I said to myself, maybe he will feel insulted if I help him. And the same blind man appeared again the next day. Right, (I said to myself), if you're going to help him, help him now. Just because you're there. You don't need to come up with any more excuses.

So he helped him cross the road, and founded a school for the disabled. It was not done immediately, but over the past 5 years, his school has been growing. His school now is training teachers to help and identify students with special needs. Go on to say that everyone of us has a choice to change the society for the better. Inspired by an article in Innovations, I've adapted a title from an article in there... Everyone is a Changemaker.

Categories:

inspire

Search, don't learn

2006-04-24T10:56:00.000+01:00

You may have noticed that my blog page has changed a little bit. I've added another column to show off some of the books I read and also an advertisement column to see if there's actually money to be made here!

I found out that it was quite difficult to do a 3 column page, without learning the programming language required. And guess how I eventually did it? Relentless search!! It's not so much what you know these days, it's whether you know how to look for your answer. I've managed to find a site with the code readily available, just copy and paste. Then there was some bug which I can't quite seem to get rid off. I was scrolling through the code to find the bug, and guess where the solution came from? Searching for it! I wished I would have searched for it earlier, as others already knew about the bug and a solution was already in place.

I've blogged about not requiring the dictionary anymore (see The A to Z song). We don't even need to know the phonetics in the dictionary to find out how to pronounce that particular word. Just search the word and an audio clip will let you know how to pronounce it!

I've known an IT friend who's first call when faced with a PC problem, is to Google it. And an IT specialist might do the same and charge you for it! So the next time you have a problem with your PC, google it first before you call the engineer. You might find the solution quicker than going through the merry-go-round that is the call centre... "Please press 1 if the answer is not here, press 2 if you're not paying for your answer, press 3 to speak to another answering machine..."

Categories:

learn
tech

Money money money

2006-04-22T07:21:00.000+01:00

Reason for me wanting money: to tell me that I can make it. Reason for most people wanting money: to tell others that they can make it. Which camp are you in?

Categories:

money
think

Being idle

2006-04-21T02:08:00.000+01:00

So you want to be idle? To escape from doing the daily grind of what is more commonly known as "work"? Work takes up half of our lives (if not more) and yet it has such negative subtone to it. I normally hear "Oh.. i've got to go to work" and very seldom hear an upbeat version of "Yay! I'm working on Monday!". If work carries such disgust with it, why are we still doing it? Why are we dedicating the best part of our lives to it when we could be doing something else more meaningful?... (think of your answer before you click here for more)

Is money your main reason for working?

I've not been at work for 4 weeks now, and the temptation to look for any job is very big. It's getting bigger everyday because when you're not working, you're spending! I could stay at home all day but staying at home everyday will just drive me nuts. The telly can only keep me occupied for so long before I feel dumber and dumber everyday. Same goes for the internet, you can only surf for so long...

So, all the technology cannot keep me indoors. What about outdoors? Ignoring food, you need money to book courts, to meet people at cafes, to get from A to B, to go to the cinemas. Of course, I can start jogging, which gets me from A to B and I do not need to book a jogging track, but that's besides the point (can you jog all day?!!).

With all these activities, and the bills that's going to come, work is a very serious contender for my time because with work, i'll be able to buy the things I want and pay for the bills. That'll leave me with less time with the indoor and outdoor activities that I really like. Is there really no compromise to this?

The reason I'm resisting temptation to get a job, any job, is that I feel this might be the only time in my life I can get to reassess my work life. In that sense, I consider myself very lucky to have this opportunity to look for something I really want to do, to be able to say "Yay! I'm working now!".

Back to the question of why we're doing work.. is it really for the money? During these weeks when I'm not working, I feel it's actually more of the security of the money that's coming in rather than for the money itself. I feel sad and disappointed to use money as my driver for work, yet money problems are very real. You need work to actually tell you that your life is sorted. Does this feel wrong to you? Work so that you can live?

I want to live and make work work for me, let work be part of my life and not that which drives my life. I'm still on the path of discovery. I hope you'll get your chance to discover your own path as well, the true path. Sometimes, it's just a case of creating your own chances... ;) Good luck to both of us!

Categories:

Eat slowly!

2006-04-20T06:42:00.000+01:00

I've been in Malaysia/Singapore almost 3 weeks having moved from Scotland. Spent most of the first 2 weeks recovering from fever and indigestion. It's like the climate here is rejecting me! Trying to flush me out of the system... Of course, I fought back, using a method inspired by Mahatma Ghandi - abstaining from food. Ok, not that extreme, but I did cut down on my diet.

There were plenty of times that I wanted to eat more than what I've been eating. And to eat the things I want to eat. Doctor said I should stay away from dairy products, spicy food and sour food - which just about remove all the most "interesting" food! It does make me wonder how much do we actually need to eat?...(click here to read more)

I'm lucky that I'm not struggling to get my 3 meals a day. In fact, I can afford to eat more than 3 meals a day, and plenty of sides with them! Being forced to maintain a simpler diet does make me question how much do I actually need to eat everyday?

I don't expend plenty of energy during the day. Now that I'm not working, my brain activity has reduced (which I was told is a significant energy drainer!). As for physical activities, apart from my daily Tai Ji in the morning, I've got the occasional badminton and table tennis in the evenings. Nothing back breaking. So, how much do I really need to eat?

I've been experimenting with less food everyday, just to see how long I can last before hunger hits. I'm actually surprised that I can do with much much less than I used to eat! Almost half as much. Maybe it's the change in climate where a warmer climate does not need that much food to keep the core temperature up.

However, I have to say that most of the reason I eat more than I need is psychological! I don't need the chocolate fudge cake at the end of the meal, that's just too much. I don't need to eat at 11 o'clock at night, just go to bed! And sometimes when I do eat, I choose to eat more than what I intended because of all the temptations placed on the table!

So, I guess I can actually choose to eat less, but my toungue tells me otherwise. I can remove all the temptations on the table, but that'll be just rude to the others around the table. So, torn between heart and logic, is there no solution to this?

Inspired by a book i've read called "Slow", maybe we can slow down our food intake. This will let the tongue savour the taste longer and will also allow the food taken to be fully digested before more is taken in. We are actually allowing the stomach a chance to put up the sign saying "FULL" when it's full, not when it's almost full but a lot more is coming down the throat but got stuck in the digestive traffic.

If you do try this, let me know if it does work. Just don't eat when you're really hungry. Eat at the same time you ate yesterday, the same time as everyday.

Categories:

Starting something new

2006-04-17T14:09:00.000+01:00

Starting something new has its own challenges. My post on Starting to learn Tai Ji might give you some idea on how to go about it. Although it stemmed from my tai ji practice, I think it's probably helpful in anything you're thinking of starting. Do check it out and let me know. :)

Categories:

Bak kut teh

2006-04-16T12:20:00.000+01:00

Food is a BIG thing in Malaysia. Ask anyone about a particular food say "bak kut teh" or "roti canai", and they'll be able to tell you where's the best place for it. Lost for an inspiration? They'll recommend something they like best, or a new place, or food they haven't had for a long time so that they can go join you as well!...(click here for more)

Coming back to food heaven, you just can't resist stuffing yourself. The temptation is everywhere, the taste palette is being expanded, so is the waist line. The exercise I'm trying to do is just insufficient to keep up with the calories intake. No wonder obesity is a problem.

Ok, obesity is not the problem, I am the problem. Obesity is just the side effect. Stage 1 - acceptance of problem. I give in to the temptations of food. But my mum always say, don't waste food. Of course, I selectively not waste specific food over others, like chocolate over bitter melon.

Ok, mum's words of wisdom is not wise when applied selectively. Back to Stage 1, acceptance of problem. I can't seem to escape Stage 1, how shall I proceed on to Stage 2 - solving the problem? Incidentally, with one stroke of luck/curse, a solution presented itself which bypassed both Stage 1 and Stage 2 - i'm having food indigestion. Great, just what I need to resist temptations.

Sometimes, we just need something to kick start breaking a particular habit, like eating too much, or exercising too little. We know the signs - expanding waist line, trouble walking up the stairs, trousers not fitting, bragging about how active I once was etc... We see these signs coming as well, yet we choose to ignore them, or procastinate as long as we can, hoping the problem will just go away.

I guess the problems will not go away as what's referred to as problems are actually side effects of the main problem - me. I need to change first before tackling the "problems". The "lucky" ones, like me, will have indigestion, something mild that can't kill you, yet. The unlucky ones will have something they couldn't recover from, e.g. lung cancer from smoking, a stroke, or a fatal heart attack.

So, choose life, and make your own kick-start before something else make it for you!

Categories:

Plugging in

2006-04-10T12:48:00.000+01:00

Things I've taken for granted...

having an internet connection
having a bank account
having a mobile phone
knowing how to get from point A to point B
able to borrow a book from the local library

As I plug into the system one by one, it's only then I realise how important these things are. No internet connection - no email, no blog, no checking how much i've strained the credit card (!). No bank account - might be a good thing. No mobile phone - maybe not that essential (although i've got plenty of people telling me otherwise!). Not knowing how to get from point A to point B... i guess i'll just stay at home then, which is easy on the bank account and the credit card, but no help if i'm just a bummer at home, a bummer with no internet connection! Not able to borrow a book from the local library - BAD!

At least i'm plugging in to an existing household system. Some existing essentials are already plugged in for me, like electricity, gas, water, fridge, pots and pans etc. But i had a hard time finding that Panadol in the middle of the night when you really need it! (still getting use to the weather here...)

Categories:

Missing monday morning blues

2006-03-27T16:53:00.000+01:00

No alarm to give you a fright after the weekend has ended - in fact, the weekend hasn't ended! The usual Monday morning blues are missing. No more thinking "just a few more minutes in bed" to find out that i'm more than an hour late for work! No more staggering to the toilet with the eyes closed. No more rushing about to hunt for that shirt, the same shirt that I should have ironed the night before! No more skipping breakfast, or gobbling down that toast just to make up for lost time. No more burnt tongue trying to swallow that cup of tea. No more speeding past old ladies who are doing 20 miles an hour and hasn't got a care in the world. After all that rushing, the computer at the office seemed to take an eternity to boot up - of course, that's gone as well.

All i had this morning was making breakfast with the wife. Read a few pages of a book, made my way to the bus stop and sat at the top of the double decker bus, enjoying the views as the bus driver took us into Edinburgh city centre.

Shopping on a weekday is great! There are no one there to battle through just to look at the book or CD. The clothes are nicely laid out, still unmolested by the daily patrons. The fitting rooms are empty. No queue for the fitting room or the pay counter. Plus, i don't have to feel that i'm always in the way, like me being in a kitchen.

The weekend may not end for a while, but the feeling is good so far! just hope i don't deplete my semi-retirement funds too soon!

Categories:

life
change

Where opportunity lies

2006-03-25T23:30:00.000Z

Out of clutter, find simplicity.
From discord, find harmony.
In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.

- Albert Einstein

Categories:

Catching up

2006-03-22T11:08:00.000Z

Have you got a mentor? A guide in life that you want to aspire to? Have you got an eye on that manager's position for some time now but you are still unable to fit into that position? Do you feel like you're trying to catch up with that someone just so you can actually BE more like that someone, be it a mentor, a position, a competitor, a friend, someone you love, or even someone you hate? Do you feel tired playing catch up? (click her for more)

A sportsman trains hard so that he can beat that champion who was just faster or stronger the last time. An employee works harder than the next person so that she can reach the next rung on the corporate ladder. A boyfriend spends more time and effort with that someone special so that he can fend off all competition and be the ultimate winner. A friend tries to catch up with another friend with what's going on with her life and find out if they're still on the same wavelength. A parent tries to find out what his son is up to so that he still recognises his son. Does any of these apply to you?

We all find ourselves catching up with someone at some point in life, whether we do it consciously or not. This is sometimes a good thing, as only by trying to catch up will we actually improve ourselves. The flip side of catching up is summed up by a common Chinese proverb - there will always be a higher mountain. Put it differently, will you ever know that you have caught up? by following the exact same path as a predecessor, will you end up at the same point on the mountain? or worse, when you think you've caught up, what if you find yourself climbing the wrong mountain?

I was working late one night when a very senior manager came over and asked about my work. He went on to ask if it was really necessary that i worked late that night (he is a really nice boss!). What I remembered from the conversation with him was an advice he gave me - always choose your battle.

Some battles are worth fighting for. Some are not. Not all battles are meant to be won. Victory for a battle may not mean victory for you.

By playing catch up with someone, you're setting yourself a goal, and that goal post is fixed in your mind. The person may have moved on, but you still cling on to that imaginary goal post. You will battle your way through so that you eventually (and hopefully) end up in a place you want to be.

I think setting up a goal post is important. You have to know where you want to shoot the ball. But we can only use that goal post as a guide, and not as an end. We've heard of the saying "the journey is more important than the goal". I believe the choice of journey is more important than being in any journey. It's not just about enjoying the journey or keeping calm in the journey while battling hard. The journey itself is an important choice. The path will always need to be reassessed according to yourself. Your level of maturity may have changed, your thought process may have changed, your perception of life and the world may have changed, the environment may have changed. You will have to look at your current path and see whether this is still the path you want to walk on.

Remember, you have a choice. You always have a choice. So choose your battle, and don't just play catch up.

Categories:

inspire
life

Little green man

2006-03-20T20:13:00.000Z

Would you wait for the little green man to show before you cross the road? Or would you cross the road regardless of whether the green man is there to take you across?

I witnessed an incident when I was heading back today. 3 girls were crossing the road. 1 of them was already on the other side, and she was frantically screaming her head off asking the other 2 to cross. There were no cars, but the 2 just refused to cross until the green man appeared. There was another round of sounding when they eventually got to the other side. She must be really frustrated. (click here for more)

The 2 that refused to cross sound like sensible people. It is your upbringing that provides you with the patience to actually wait for the green man to appear. I applaud the patience that they have because I would have crossed the road already if I were in their position. I won't be screaming my head off at others who hasn't crossed though. I'm not one of those (or so I hope!) that cars hate because they're crossing at the wrong moment and waited too late. However, how much do you rely on the little green man to cross the road?

If you are one of those who wait for the green man to appear before you cross the road, do you look left and right after the green man appears? Or do you just cross as the green man appears? Not looking both ways before you cross is definitely a dangerous thing to do, even if the light is green. So, why not just judge yourself whether it is safe or not to cross rather than relying on the green man?

The traffic light system exists to protect both drivers and pedestrians, on top of providing a more manageable flow of traffic. The system must work since it is used throughout the world. So why do we still use judgement when crossing the road? Do we not trust the system? Or do we trust ourselves more?

I like to believe that we (some of us anyway) still exercise common sense when crossing the road. The traffic light system is there to guide, but ultimately we are the one walking across. To plagiarise the Matrix, it can only show you the path, you have to walk through it.

Categories:

Hate mail

2006-03-19T19:16:00.000Z

I received a hate mail today, judging my action, or rather inaction of picking up a coke can in my annoying coke can post. I think the reader misunderstood the whole idea of the post, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling receiving such mail, especially when i'm being accused as one of the statistic causing the dirtiness/rubbish everywhere in Malaysia. See the person's comment.

Maybe this is just one of many to come. At least the person is passionate about the environment. Just hope he/she will pick up everything on the street the next time u see him/her!

Categories:

rant
mail

The sundial, the screwdriver and the ipod

2006-03-19T09:20:00.000Z

I've always wondered what makes the ipod so intuitive to use. It's down to the click-wheel thing isn't it? Where you can turn the volume up by motioning your thumb in a clockwise fashion and volume down in the counter-clockwise direction. Use it to scroll through your list of songs, files, videos etc. Use it to tune your radio, just like you would in one of the older radios where you physically have to turn a dial just that milimeter more to get the station you want. But why clockwise (and not anti-clockwise) for higher volume? Why clockwise for "down" motion? (Click here for more)

The term "clockwise" seems to suggest that it was the measure of time that gave birth to the rotational direction of "clockwise". Suddenly, the toilet bowl flush test came to mind. It's quite commonly known (especially if you've watched THAT episode of The Simpsons) that northern hemisphere toilet bowls will flush in the clockwise direction and the southern hemisphere will flush in anti-clockwise. Could the clockwise direction then be a legacy of the northern hemisphere?

After digging around, I seem to be right. According to Wikipedia, clocks were first built in the northern hemisphere, and they were made to work like sundials. That is why clockwise is as you know it. Why didn't the anti-clockwise direction prevailed as THE standard way clocks tick? Is this just another example of the north-south divide where northern standards are THE standard? Or is it just something which just came stuck just because it's out in the market first, like the QWERTY keyboard.

Well, turned out I was just partially right. The toilet bowl flush direction is a myth! Check this out.

Categories:

tech
ipod

A gift with a difference

2006-03-17T22:23:00.000Z

Do you think mother's day is a scam? It might have started off with good intentions, but now high street shops are loading up with gift ideas to entice you and persuade you that the item they're selling are THE gift for your mum. Plenty of money is spent just to make you walk through their door. Big neon signs are a thing of the past, but the message is still the same - please buy something from us, your mother will love you for it. Do sons and daughters out there actually fall for this? Do the mums out there actually appreciate these trendy gifts, only to see them find their way into a bin within a week? (click here for more)

I certainly didn't dare to say these things as I only thought of my mum and felt like I should get something for her, until a girl told me how much she hated mother's day. She's going to be a mother someday, and yet she actually loath mother's day! If she's got the guts to say it, why not me?! of course, i will never be a mother, but i'm sure this is equally applicable to father's day, valentine's day, christmas day, birthday... in fact, a teacher once told me that birthdays should be a celebration for the mother because it was the pain the mother went through by giving birth to you! Maybe birthday should be mother's day, rather than some random day chosen some time ago.

Maybe, we could put a positive spin to this. Donate to charity and put it in your mother's name. There are so many ways you can do this now. Have you thought of donating a cow? Where someone out there can use it for milk and manure for fertilizer? What about a herd of goats? Where the goats can be "recycled" because they can breed and the offsprings can then be used to help more than one family! Or sponsor a business as suggested by moongster.

So, how about that? make a gift with a difference this time. For mother's day, birthdays, christmas days, valentine days, anniversaries etc. Hopefully the recipient will receive it. If not, well, you've donated. Just remember to not give such a gift to that person again!

Categories:

Why didn't I wear boots?

2006-03-15T08:09:00.000Z

Went to work in my work shoes, shuffling carefully through the snow but still trying to get some speed into it so that I can catch my bus! It wasn't the best experience as the snow was quite thick and my sole is not made for the weather.

I was quite sensible the day before when I went out for a walk in the snow. Had my hiking boots on and they were a joy to walk in, kept my feet nice and warm. Somehow, it just felt wrong to put on my hiking boots for work this morning.

Had the same problem coming back from work. By that time, the snow had turned slushy and it was horrible to walk in. My trousers were soaked from mid-shins down. It's only at this time that I begin to really ask myself, why didn't I wear my boots? (click here for more)

There was so much unconscious resistance that I didn't even consider putting my boots on on a work day. On any other day, I would have put on something sensible just to be prepared for the unpredictable Scottish weather. Has the social conditioning become so strong that it's so difficult to break it, even in the face of common sense?!!

I wonder how much of these excess fat are we carrying due to social conditioning. Similar to body excess fat, social conditioning adds no value at all to our well being but is a burden nevertheless because we're lugging it around, so to speak, by conforming to it. And just like body excess fat, it affects our health!

Can we do away with all the excess fat? Do away with the need to put on a shirt and tie unless you want to? Wear sandals to work just because you feel like it? Better still, can we convert the excess fat into muscle and actually do something that adds value? Like accepting guys who carry handbags? Or accepting girls who choose not to wear a bra?

DECLARATION: I don't personally own a handbag, but I do have a lot of stuff that don't fit in a wallet now, like a mobile phone. It annoys me having it in the pocket because I'm always afraid I might break it. My other pet hate on things in pockets are coins.

Categories:

Something to remember by

2006-03-13T18:38:00.000Z

Had a leaving lunch today at the wonderful Riverhouse restaurant. Had a hard time organising it this morning as i had to find out how many was actually here in the office due to the severe weather! The restaurant actually called to ask the very same question, because they're a bit understaffed, and the parking there was snowed in. I was tempted to not go to the office because I was snowed in too! My car couldn't leave the driveway. I saw the neighbours struggling, so I thought i just catch the bus, only to find out that my usual time of leaving the house is leaning on the "late" side...(click here for more)

Shuffling through the snow quickly while maintaining balance, the temptation was certainly getting stronger to not turn up. It's not everyday that i can say that i'm snowed in and not turn up in the office!! I've got to use that excuse at least once in my life!

The lunch got the better of me. After all, it is MY leaving lunch! I can't just not turn up. As i arrived at the office, I was surprised to see my bank of desks actually full of people. Not that many were caught in the snow.

So the lunch went ahead as scheduled. Had deep fried black pudding to start and a medium done steak for mains. It is my first time for a steak, and the company I was with managed to convince me of having it medium done. Luckily it came medium to well done. Although it did get me curious what does medium done taste like!

As we were having our meal, they started asking me what kind of dishes will I miss most in Scotland. I can't say i'm a big fan of oily deep fried food - once in a while is nice, but not all the time. And then they mentioned dessert. I think that I will miss. Had a lovely creme brulee to finish by the way, and boy was I stuffed! The 3 course was just paving way to a lovely afternoon nap (i wish!)

It was all going well when my manager suddenly looked at me from the other table. Uh oh.. something's going to happen. He walked over and asked if i wanted a speech (for me) in a public place. Of course i said no! And he actually obliged! Surprised as I was, another surprise came along - a gift. The wrapping paper was something from the sixties, but the content was a total surprise. I was expecting an inflatable "something" (don't ask why!), just because it was soft and flexible. It was a Scotland rugby shirt! Definitely something to remember Scotland by.

Categories:

Imagine hitting the wall

2006-03-11T09:43:00.000Z

It's a hall with 5 badminton courts, walled off by concrete except for the viewing glass on one side of the hall - the shortest side of course! Don't think the local council would want to spend that much on a badminton hall!

I was on one of the courts, trying to hit the shuttle all the way to the other side of the court, only to find it falling short of the base line by quite a margin! After several attempts, the coach finally stopped the drill and started us on games. I sat out on the first round, and found myself standing next to the coach...(click here for more)

We started chatting and then he finally said something about my shots. For a "clear" shot, which is the standard term for geting the shuttle from one end of the court to the other end in the highest trajectory you can manage, you need to imagine that you're trying to hit the wall at the far side of the court. For a "smash", don't try to imagine where you're going to smash, but imagine a point beyond the smash point. He called this changing the "thought spot". It's a change in perception rather than changing the technique of the shots.

We have heard of this analogy before e.g. moving the goal post, or shoot for the stars. By aiming higher, we might just hit the target that's within our intended reach. When I was doing my professional exams, I had to aim to score high on every single question just to pass! Now, if only i have some way of reminding myself this everytime i'm on the badminton court.

In the heat of the moment, the thought spot is everywhere! There's no one single spot! Maybe that's the key, to accept your limitations and then change your every single thought spot! My... that's hard... breaking a habit is hard. Changing perception? Can the adult mind change as easily as a child's mind? Since we're on the topic of changing perception, why don't we just imagine we're a child, learning to walk. Yes, that should work. I'm a child! I'm a child! (repeat 10 times)

Categories:

Losing my identity

2006-03-10T08:29:00.000Z

An Irish guy came round yesterday for a friendly chat. Knowing that i'm leaving the country after being here for 9 years, he asked something which I haven't thought of for a while - where's home for you?

The obvious answer will be Malaysia. But...(click here for more), he continued about how he left Ireland to work in a company in York (a small town in England). He was home-sick for the first 2 years and when he finally went back to Ireland, he didn't feel like he's home any longer. Friends moved on. The atmosphere changed. You don't feel belonged any longer. So he went back to York and stayed for another 11 years. But still, he won't call York his home. He's now in Scotland, and he won't call that home either.

Although Ireland-Scotland-England is not that far compared to Malaysia-Scotland, the distance seemed immaterial. You can leave Penang for a life in Kuala Lumpur and still feel the loss of identity. Is this true for you?

It does beg the question of what is home? Is where you were born your home? Is home a place where you grew up in? Is home where you spent most of the time working? Is home where you spent most of the time playing? Is home where your love one is? Is home where you finally able to think for yourself and ask these questions?

I like to believe home is wherever I happen to be. Home is an internal state of mind where I'm comfortable with myself wherever I am. Home does not depend on the physical location of the body. It depends on how I respond to that physical location and how I respond to everything in that location, be it people, traffic, social life, work life, transport system etc. I'm home if i'm able to perform tasks consciously and without fear. E.g. i'm home if i'm able to buy groceries even though i don't know the language; i'm home if i'm able to get from one place to another without getting lost.

Can this definition be called home? What's home for you?

Categories:

TV withdrawal symptoms

2006-03-08T20:36:00.000Z

Day minus 1

The signs are there already. The TV man said he's gonna collect the TV today, but we said today is not a good day. Of course, we didn't tell them about Desparate Housewives that was on tonight. So, they're planning to come tomorrow. No more excuses then. Hopefully it doesn't end up in a beach somewhere... but hey, i shouldn't care since i won't be seeing it any longer! Ooooo... the emotions begin... time for a cold shower...

Day 1

I thought the guys might come later, and let me watch the simpsons for the last time. But they came just as simpsons was about to start. So, i had to drop my dinner and unplug the tv. It felt more like unplugging myself from the TV! So i watched the 2 guys unceremoniously lift my TV out of the house. Not even a goodbye (that stupid box!)

And then, the clock starts ticking. Suddenly, there's so much time. I've spent the time quite productively packing my stuff away (after plenty of nagging from "u know who"). I'm amazed how much time i've spent staring at the stupid box. Withdrawal isn't so bad. Or so I say now...

Day 2-4

Time seemed to have increased. I'm early for my usual Friday badminton session. I don't even need to know what time is it now. I helped prepare food. I ate slowly. I am actually reading a book i've put off for ages. The bookmark in the middle of the book hasn't moved for more than a month. I can't believe my life, my timetable, was so dictated by that idiot box. And i dare to call the tv idiot! But the house has definitely gone quieter. No more background noise to contend with. I do have the radio on now. Low tech still has its use!

Categories:

TV
change

You didn't do your overtime until the boss says so

2006-03-06T11:30:00.000Z

I don't know about overtime rules in other places, most likely you might not even get overtime but is expected to work longer hours. For those places with a system of overtime in place, how strictly are they adhered to?

i've heard of one where you get overtime if you work more than 1 hour before or after the 9-5 hours. That is if you work from 8.01 to 5.59, you won't get any overtime, but if you work from 7.59 to 4.59 or 9.01 to 6.01, you'll get your overtime. Having a system in place is to prevent abuse of overtime rules, but some common sense should be at play.

It all comes down to whether the boss trusts that you have done your overtime as claimed. Either he has to be watching you, or someone else reporting to him must have been watching you. Or maybe mere peer pressure will force you to work overtime anyway. How can overtime be policed without such absurd ways of checking put in place? They might as well employ an overtime overseer squad with CCTV in place, sitting in a room, dunking their doughnuts and watching you in their panels after panels of monitor. They will need to strategically put some microphone in place as well, just in case you're just sitting there, chatting away. I guess u might ask, who oversees the overseers... see how absurd the system is?

Is there no way of empowering the staff in such a way that makes the overtime system obsolete?

Categories:

work
rant

Maybe an iPhone?

2006-03-05T18:38:00.000Z

Categories:

tech
idea

Losing my house

2006-03-05T01:08:00.000Z

I've just signed over the deeds to the buyer. That's it, the last straw. Soon, i'll be kicked out of this place. And then, my car will follow, and then my job will follow. Homeless, carless, jobless. Somehow, i feel lighter... (click here for more)

It's strange to suddenly lose all these possessions. The job provides me with money so that i can pay off the debt i owe for my possessions. Such a relationship forces a strong attachment to the job, to maintain that security of money flow. Attachment to the house reinforces the idea that the money flow is important so that i can afford what i want.

With all these attachments disappearing, it's quite a load off. No worries about the next mortgage payment. No worries about being nice in the office and do my work in the office so that I can still keep my job and hopefully keep increasing the pay cheque i receive every month. I can afford to be nasty in the office to people who are nasty to me (although I don't actually do it, but it's nice to know that I have a choice). What I can't afford is the next ipod, or the next mobile phone.

So will you trade your job and your house for that sort of freedom? That sort of peace of mind? Of course, you must know that I'm simply passing the cost of having a roof over my head to my parents (or anyone you choose to stay with). I may not even be able to afford the broadband connection (or the electricity!) to publish this blog! Maybe that's a good thing, so that you won't have to read my blog again to realise I've just wasted another 5 minutes of your time making you read until this very word! ;)

Categories:

Need help packing?

2006-03-04T18:32:00.000Z

I always feel more than adequate to pack my own groceries at the checkout counter. That is, until the last item goes through the "beep" and i need to frantically pack the last few items as they are spun off the conveyor belt, fumble further to get my wallet and some cash from there. All these happening while i try to fend off the impatient eyes gazing at me by the next in line.

Today, the counter boy asked me if I needed help. I only had milk, bread, some cookies (yum!) and eggs. I said I'm ok. I do remember when packing these things used to be a standard service by the supermarket. Just like someone will always be there to pump the petrol into your car. Nowadays, it's all self-service. But what i liked about the situation was how we have actually been given a choice for packing. Or if you're really cynical, how the supermarket has given you the illusion of choice, knowing that you will certainly admit to being more than capable to packing those things yourself.

Kudos to Tescos for having thought of such an ingenious way of empowering customers by reducing staff budget (i.e. not employing someone to pack stuff for you) and yet actually seen to be providing you a helping hand by asking you if you need help packing! It's a win/win/win situation, that is, if you like to be empowered.

So, do you need help packing? Do you prefer someone else pack it for you?

Categories:

The annoying coke can

2006-03-02T07:53:00.000Z

Normal day. Time to go. Found my bus. Head inside. Try to find a quiet seat on the bus. Foot kicked on something, a coke can. Walked ahead. Didn't even give it another thought. And the bus journey begins....(click here for more)

So sleepy. And the head slowly tilt forward, like a fishing rod with a fish on its hook. (i did get a "no fishing" sign in school once, asking me not to fall asleep in class!) Then there's this weird clank. Followed by a gurgle. and a clank. gurgle. clink. gurgle. clank. seems to be in my dream, until i felt a sensation in my foot on the clonk sound. It's the coke can i ignored earlier. And i'm still ignoring it. But it certainly didn't ignore me throughout the bus journey! there goes my sleep...

I was going to pick it up, but think it's dirty/sticky/contents may fall out. Why does no one else pick it up? Maybe for the same reasons i have. Or maybe, it's just none of my business. It's not my coke can. Why should I pick it up? It's not my bus. Why should I clean it? Should the driver be responsible? It's not his bus either. The conductor perhaps? Nope, not his either. Maybe the company should be responsible. But who's "the company"? It's just an entity made up of people working for an objective set by "the company". The company does own the bus though, but the company can't pick up the coke can. Only people can.

Will you pick up the can? Will you pick up anything on the street just so it's a cleaner street? Do you feel compelled to have a clean place to live in or do you feel degraded if you do some cleaning up?

I've chosen not to pick it up on this occasion. Thank goodness my stop is just round the next bend. And just as the bus was turning, the can rolled to me again. If only I can bend it like Beckham and kick the can out the side door. The people around probably won't appreciate the free taste of coke splattering all over them. And you think free stuff is good for you. Nothing is free. People are paid to pick up coke cans. Will you do it for free?

Categories:

I resign

2006-02-28T22:28:00.000Z

I resign,
from the days of 9 to 5,
to the days of 5 to 9.

I resign,
from standing in a single file,
in the freezing cold and the Scottish rain,
to spot the company bus from a mile,
before my patience wane.

I resign,
from waiting for the bus,
the bus with only one life,
there and back it brings us,
there before 9 and back after 5.

I resign,
from the beautiful Scottish Highlands,
to the expansive Scottish lowlands,
from the miles of Scottish lochs,
to deep fried pizzas and Mars bars.

I resign,
from all my possessions,
from the house i stay in,
to the Mini i drive in,
from the bed i lie on,
to the sofa i sleep on.

And finally,
I resign from my company,
to be in a different country.

Categories:

The contenders

2006-02-26T13:15:00.000Z

In pole position, we have the ipod - where all MP3 players are compared to. Ooozes with cool, intuitive to use, and because it's so popular, it's got a lot of support from accessories to hacks. Down side is the one-format only player, where all other formats have to be converted to ipod-friendly format before being able to use. Plus, no radio or recorder (of course, with 30GB of music, why do u still need the radio?!!)

Next, we have the contender from Singapore. Sleek, smooth and with a better video quality than ipod, it's coming in strong from all sides. It's got the same brain power (30GB hard disk), and does not discriminate among audio and video formats, well, except against ipod's and sony's format. Plus, it's got radio and voice recorder functionality! The controls are less intuitive compared to an ipod, and it's just not as cool as an ipod. It's also slightly more expensive.

And finally, we have the contender from Japan. No colour screen, no identity crisis, no fuss. Just shows basic information about the music, and does what it's suppose to be - an MP3 player and nothing else. Have a whopping 50 hours battery life, making this the clear marathon winner. It's got the same discriminatory treatment against other formats, and apparently the software is not quite up to scratch compared to iTunes - the ipod's format.

So, who do you think will be the winner in this line up?

Categories:

tech
rant

Lead or be led?

2006-02-23T12:57:00.000Z

My dad once asked me this question when i was very young.

And my dad never said anything on this matter again. I think secretly... (click here for more), he's still hoping i'd be a world leader some day, or at least be some senior manager of a large company. He has big plans. I have a different plan.

I suppose most parents will want to be proud of their children. They want to show off their offspring in the best light. This is certainly true in chinese communities where a son going to Harvard is just like buying the first Mercedes, whether or not your business is a success. It is the glow they're after. (and by the way, it has to be a Merc for some quirky reason!)

So, do you want to lead or be led? Is this a choice of one or the other? is there no middle ground where you can choose not to lead or be led?

The "lead or be led" question has been popping up throughout my life, taking one form or another but always manage to make an appearance (can I use the word omnipresent here?). In school, possibly because I was braver then, and got some good grades, I landed myself in some sort of leadership positions. class monitor? head-prefect? i don't know how i got myself into these things, and i still don't! nevertheless, they did happen. And when i got to secondary school, the courage to speak up dwindled and so has my grades. Naturally (by society's measure!), the leadership positions became non-existent.

And I see this happening in work life again. Vocal people will tend to fill up the management positions. Also, the more certificates you have hanging on the wall, the more likely you'd be in a management role.

Because of the social value the current society places on management roles, we have come to regard being in management roles as a goal in itself, without realising what being in management roles actually mean. The most consistent job description I can come up with for a manager is... "tell your managees exactly what to do". Using a job description like that, it is no wonder that managers often feel to have god-like power, controlling the work life of their managees. And managees will often feel like a child, the "can't do this, can't do that" mentality.

Is there no system where the balance of power is shifted? Where the managees have the ability to fire the managers as much as the managers have the ability to fire them? A system like this should promote more respect among managers and managees. It'll treat everyone like adults. It'll remove (or at least reduce) all the childish spats that go on in the adult world.

So... lead or be led? I want to believe in a third way. I want to believe, instead of not lead and not be led, a more positive way is to lead AND be led, concurrently. Leaders should try to give up the "do this for me" attitude and promote a more "what happens if we do this" (note the 'me' and the 'we'). Others should take up more leadership roles. Afterall, you are the only true leader of yourself. Everyone else is a guide.

Technology has given the opportunity for leaders of the world (that's you and me!) a place where we can share our leadership qualities. I am able to blog this and let you know what i think. Others join in online forums and bring companies to keel. There's also Google who because of the leadership in all of us, able to provide a search engine that's useful to all of us (minus the recent China-Google censorship).

So, technology has given rise to a collective wisdom where everyone is a leader. Maybe we can learn from what technology has given us, and apply the same "system" in our work and daily lives. To lead or be led? You decide! To quote my favourite cartoon (at one point!), the power, is yours.

Categories:

Change is in the air...

2006-02-21T22:19:00.000Z

I'm undergoing a change in my life pretty soon. No change in physical appearance (can't afford it!) but i'm going to need to adapt to a new life soon.. or should I say old life? I'm sure going to miss UK... scared? u bet i am! any word of advice?

Categories:

Square maggi in a round pot

2006-02-20T10:23:00.000Z

At this day and age, i thought we would have solved this problem... but NO!! I still can't fit my square maggi noodle into my round pot. Ok, a bigger pot might get round this problem, but that will be too much water! Am i just being square? why can't the noodle be round? wastage? or why can't the pot be square? just make a square pot that can fit most noodles. I'm sure the students and the lazy bunch of us will appreciate it. Come on, it's the most frequently made meal!! Or is it just me?

Categories:

The A to Z song

2006-02-18T22:21:00.000Z

When was the last time you tried to remember the order of A to Z? Remember the song you were taught when you were young? Or how your mum or your teacher try to make you remember what comes after the letter P?

I thought i refresh this blog site a bit just for a change. When updating the list of blogs, i thought it was a good idea to list them by A-Z. I didn't think I would find recalling A to Z can be difficult! I wouldn't want to go back to the primary school years again!

But it does remind me of how little do we use the order of A to Z anymore. You don't need to search for a book by A to Z. Just type the book into the search engine and it'll let you know where it is, or the helpful librarian will tell you where the book is. You don't have to go through a list to find what you're looking for. Just search for it and it'll appear. Want to know the meaning of a word you haven't come across before? Forget about the dictionary. Just type the word into an online dictionary and voila, out pops the meaning, and even how to pronounce it!

Will we one day forget the order of A to Z? Just like how we could one day forget how to write again? What about other common activities like driving. Will we forget how to drive one day? Is this the natural evolution of the age of information, where collectively we have a lot of information, but individually we lack information? Are we going to let technology substitute our daily activities, so much so that we have to ask technology how to do a certain thing? like typing into google "What is the order of A to Z?"

Categories:

think

Alcohol can be good for you

2006-02-15T19:29:00.000Z

I'd never imagine i would write something positive about alcohol. Nevermind the "one glass of red wine a day is good for you". Alcohol seems to have a very bad reputation. You get addiction, under-aged drinking, vandalism etc. The "good" side of alcohol is being seen as sociable, able-to-hold-a-drink-is-cool, entertaining clients whom may bring in lots of money for your business.

Because i didn't want to conform to norm, i've chosen not to drink alcohol. ok, i don't like the taste, apart from some red wine and a recent palatte addition - rose (pronounced row-say?). However, very recently, i got very drunk (for my standards!). My head was spinning and felt really heavy everytime i stood up and try to make my way to the toilet. I did really silly things (don't ask! i can't remember... i was told.. ;).

Amidst all the confusion, i actually really enjoyed myself. I haven't felt so happy for a very long time. Maybe it's the company. Maybe it's the atmosphere. But the most surprising positive effect of this alcohol is the improved relationship among us. The company were people I haven't seen for a very long time. Somehow, going out together like this brought us closer together. Or maybe it's just me!

p/s: For those who're interested, there is a device who you can use against young drinkers, or anyone below 25 in general. You can use this device if the under 25s annoy you in general! The device is called a Mosquito. It emits a high frequency which the over 25s can't hear due to the natural ageing of the human hearing. Check this out!

Categories:

Going once, going twice...

2006-02-05T18:20:00.000Z

I was at an auction today, for fun and hopefully to bag a deal as well! i've never been to an auction selling electronics before. To give you an example of what they're selling... XBOX 360 (!!), plasma screens, LCDs, laptops, ipods (older ones), PS2, PSP, mobile phones... someone actually got a laptop, ipod, PSP, mobile phone... for £50!

The auctioneer is really amazing. Playing with the psychology of the audience. He can sense the mood of the crowd, and he tries to entice everyone with each auction. He also forms opinion on everyone with each auction. He's got the momentum going so well, everyone was listening, waiting to raise their hand up for the next auction, including myself!

Then came the unexpected... an old man collapsed on the floor. I think the room was probably too warm. No one really knew what was happening as the man fell right in front of the auctioneer, literally under the nose of the auctioneer. Even the auctioneer thought the old man slipped and fell. The fall was slightly more serious. The old man couldn't get up.

Someone called out to ask for a mobile phone to call the ambulance. Others (me included) tried to contact the hotel staff (the event was held in a hotel). By the time i got back from reception, there were several people crowding round the poor man already. One of the hotel staff was holding what i think is a procedures folder! I'm not sure if that's a promising sign or not. Following good procedures is great, but if you have to pull out a folder in an emergency, i don't think that's promising at all? Are we so reliant on written procedures that we can't exercise common sense?

Anyway, the auctioneer's assistant tried to move the poor man away, against the advice of the hotel first aiders there. He got shouted at by another woman. She shouted something which had a sub-tone of "it's someone's life at stake here, it's not always about business".

Needless to say, the auctioneer ended the auction. He lost the mood of the crowd, he lost motivation to go on. I guess he hope to cut his losses by ending early.

Categories:

rant

A-Z of Bloggers

2006-02-04T21:07:00.000Z

Categories:

blog

Writing vs typing

2006-01-29T01:20:00.000Z

I think the last time i've written anything substantial using my hand was during the 3-hour exam i did last year. Most of the stuff i have now is typed. My emails, work reports, this blog! I wonder if we're starting to lose the tactile feeling of writing by hand. We still inherit the word "writing" though. I don't call what i'm typing now my "typing". I still call it my "writing". Maybe, the very word "write" may become obsolete in a few decades. However, we can be quite stubborn to stick to things that have become a habit. I might still call all my typewritten text my writing 40 years down the line. Just as we still inherit the queer QWERTY keyboard. There is no reason why 'e' has to be so far away from the middle when it's being used so often!

However, do we lose something by not writing? Does the tactile feeling of writing actually transmit any additional knowledge about myself that i'm missing by typing? Certainly, through typing, i find myself able to express quicker. The thoughts that's flying out will just emerge through my fingers. Writing hasn't been that quick for me. I've never considered my handwriting fast enough to dictate what i have in mind. Typing gives me a much quicker outlet, which in turn allows my thoughts to flow more naturally.

And the best part about typing... is that DELETE button (or backspace, depending on which one you use). It's such an amazing function. There's no fuss about running out of the delete button. No erasing the paper until you bore a hole into the paper. No messy trails of eraser bits. Do these bits even have a name?

The question remains though... do we lose something by not writing with your hand? I've certainly found my handwriting to look horrible. I had to jot down some quick message on a piece of paper recently, and i realised that they're just what a 3 year old kid will write! Probably i can write with my left hand, and you won't be able to tell the difference! (I'm a dominant right, if you haven't guessed that.)

so, one thing we lose is the beauty of handwriting. The accomplished writer (i.e. anyone who writes a lot) will have a more congruent handwriting than the amateur. Is beauty important? Why do we recognise beauty when we see it? This is probably an entire topic on itself. But focusing on handwriting itself, maybe the beauty tells us something else about the writer than the mere meaning of the words written. Just like body language. The body actually conveys 80% (ok, the majority) of the message of the words spoken. (i've read/heard it somewhere, so don't quote me on the statistic!) So, can this be true also of handwriting?

Without going into typography analysis (or i think that's what they're called), i believe writing actually tells the writer something rather than the reader. The reader may interpret the handwriting, but the writer will benefit from the message. The art of handwriting will help the writer to grow as a person. By learning how to write, you learn more about life itself. You learn that every stroke matters. You learn that each stroke will build from the previous one. You learn that sometimes you like to write freely (scribbles) and sometimes you like a more rigid handwriting. You learn that you couldn't write as fast as your thoughts, so you have to choose your words carefully, giving you space to think.

So, i urge myself as much as i urge you. Continue writing. You never know when you'll need to pick up that pencil to write an important message down. You never know that when you write "I miss you" in your own handwriting, you'll actually pass on an important message that may change your life, and someone else's!

Categories:

write
life

Life's little snippets

2006-01-29T00:44:00.000Z

It's been a while since i've last posted, 11 days to be exact! I find it difficult to find the inspiration to write the things i want to write.

When i started this blog, my theme was to concentrate on life's little things, to remind me of the smallest things that happen when i'm busy with life itself. I want to remember the beauty of the littlest things, and not to be consumed by the more superficial beauty that's handed down by corporations. I want to be reminded that there's beauty in the dullest of things e.g. the bench i sat on with that special someone, the pavement i fell on which cause me some embarassment to the neighbours, not to mention some dead skin!

I feel that the littlest things normally have the most important message, a message that'll guide me good and guide me far in life. And if we choose to ignore these messages, we will choose to ignore life itself. I want to be reminded that the little things matter. Possibly to remind myself that although i'm a very small part of this world, i alone can make all the difference. I only need to believe enough in that commitment.

I guess i'm starting to realise that to pick up on the little things is a skill itself. It's difficult!! You have to be able to take the proverbial "step back" at each step. You have to be doing the things you're doing and yet be removed from it all at the same time so that you can actually see what you're doing, as if you're seeing yourself through someone else's eye.

My confidence wavered. i took short cuts. I put snippets of other people's views into my blog. I hope that'll generate more interest for my readers. But i don't feel good with what i write. And then i came across this person's blog . It reminds me of the importance of writing something original, writing something of value. I feel a new lease of life.

Hopefully, in this new year at least, i will remember to remind both myself and my readers of what's important in life. and with that, i wish everyone a Happy Woof Year! (it's the year of the dog in the chinese calendar!)

Categories:

inspire
life

Why nobody reads your blog

2006-01-18T20:03:00.000Z

Found this top 10 reasons why nobody reads your blog. And guess what's the number 1 reason? I'm not a good looking female who likes posting naked pictures of herself. Damn... (Warning.. website not suitable for workplace!)

Categories:

rant

Maths is sexy!

2006-01-15T01:22:00.000Z

well.. it won't get you your next date (or will it?) but maths seem to be suddenly in demand again! google is an example, but see this article Math will Rock Your World for more examples.

Categories:

math

Who says you can't earn your million?

2006-01-14T15:14:00.000Z

This might be stale news now.. but check out this guy who set up the million dollar homepage! He's just a 21 year old, looking to finance his university studies. He ended up being sort of a celebrity answering interviews all over the world. And of course, he earned his $1m.. selling a pixel of advertising space for $1 each... 1 million pixels sold in total. Who says you can't earn your million?!! you just need to have a really bright idea. time for me to go into my idea factory (i.e. sleep!)

Categories:

work

Equal opportunity

2006-01-08T21:02:00.000Z

For the very first time, i saw a black mannequin today, together with black hair. talk about equal opportunities! it has extended to mannequins now. maybe we'll see other races soon. or am i just in the wrong shops?

talking about equal opportunities, a doorman at Ralph Lauren rejected to open the door for us when we were walking into the shop in Italy. When we were approaching, the doorman just walked away after seeing us. We got so annoyed that we didn't even bother going in. i guess u can put an equal opportunity mannequin in a shop, but u can't put an equal opportunity eye in a person.

Categories:

society

Inner voices

2006-01-07T11:24:00.000Z

Another round of badminton yesterday. the first after the festive seasons... actually it's the first of any exercise! really felt like i was lugging a big lump of fat around the court yesterday. i was literally sliding all over the court.. it might be the shoes or the fact that fat is slippery...

anyway, came back with a tub of KFC (after all that exercise.. i know!) and had a quiet night in with a movie - Wimbledon. It's about tennis (obviously!) and it's about love (hollywood had to appeal to the masses apparently, not just tennis fans!). the interesting bits were actually the bonus features on the DVD. they had a tennis consultant (for those of u who knows tennis.. Pat Cash). he had to train the actors and actresses to play Wimbledon-level tennis in 4 months! there were a lot of CGI, so the training focused on getting them to "look" the part.

then came some interesting ideas that these professional tennis players talk about - the inner voices. this actually featured throughout the movie but i didn't realise it. it just felt like another movie with someone narrating in the background. John McEnroe was there as well (remember him? the obnoxious tennis player?). They talk about how the smallest things that happen can cripple your game e.g. strings break, bad eye contact with someone, shoe laces untied (tennis players are very superstitiuos apparently!). they'll plant a seed of doubt in you and that's all it takes to win or lose a game. it'll trigger the incessant inner voices, battling it out in your head - "i'm tired", "my back hurts", "my ankle hurts", "why am i not winning this guy" etc.. and before u know it, you've lost the game.

hey, i just came back from badminton, and all these did happen! the incessant inner voices... i didn't realise i was talking to myself THAT MUCH! maybe there's a way to drown out all those voices.. i'm sure you've heard of phrases like "in the zone", "on fire".. i think that's being able to drown out the voices, the doubts. i think that's the level to aspire to! now, i'll just need to get a good racquet, good shoes, good t-shirt etc.. i'm still blaming the tools if u haven't noticed!

Categories:

Nice trip

2006-01-04T19:11:00.000Z

It's sub-zero outside, everything's frozen, and that includes my reflexes... had a nice "trip" down the pavement outside my house. (what's me and accidents!) anyway, i realised that i haven't fallen and hurt myself for ages. maybe we should fall once in a while, so that we know that we're still human. vulnerable to the little things that defines us as human. maybe falling is good so that we can learn from them. now.. what did i learn from my fall... wear proper shoes if u have to go out? watch where you're going? only step forward if you're balanced? maybe i should just bring out the trash when it's light, not dark!!

Categories:

think
life

Bangun pagi, gosok gigi

2005-12-31T23:10:00.000Z

Got a "thumb incident" today by clipping my thumb on the side of the door (the side with the hinges!). somehow, it reminded me of the song by black eye peas. just substitute "the hump" with "the thumb"..

anyway, i had to use my left hand to brush my teeth for the moment. it's such a bizarre experience. the left hand just has no clue what to do. so it tries to mimic the right hand with the up-down and the side-to-side movement. it got so difficult that the head starts bobbing up-down/side-to-side to sync with the hand movement to compensate for the lack of strength. if all this sounds too technical... it all happened unconciously! i found it funny at first, but surprised as well at the body's response. we should really trust our body more...

Categories:

think
mind

Winter wonderland

2005-12-30T21:38:00.000Z

Well, not exactly winter wonderland. It's my backyard, starring the lonely bike which i have not used since uni days, and the BBQ-set-wannabe, also known as "the stack of bricks". Maybe i should set my new year resolutions as:

1. ride my bike again
2. build the BBQ set - properly!

Categories:

home
rant

How not to cook

2005-12-30T00:57:00.000Z

I was in the kitchen trying to make a meal, or rather the wife was in there first making a meal (i was only trying...). I find myself getting in the way all the time. I just told her that i should just leave the kitchen and let her get on. I can always help clean up later. Naturally, she wasn't convinced. So i told her about my shopping routine whenever we are in the women's section. It goes something like this...

Everytime i waited for her while she was in the changing room, i find myself standing at the wrong place. and the thing is, everywhere i stand is ALWAYS the wrong place to stand. There will be someone who wants to look at the shoe in front of me, so i move to the bag section, and there's someone trying to grab a bag which was obviously beyond her reach with me there, so i move to the dress section. and of course, someone will just try to squeeze in front of me to get that particular dress right at that time. the process becomes worse when i'm in the lingerie section. I sometimes stare at them not because i was looking at them, but i'm in deep thought about something else.. totally unrelated to lingerie of course! but u get that strange look that stares back at u to say "move away u pervie... i need to try on that bra"...

she laughed and totally bought the story. i'm off the hook for cooking!! for this meal anyway. now, i just need something fresh for tommorrow, and the day after, and the day after that....

Categories:

MBA and life?

2005-12-27T00:42:00.000Z

It's been a while since i've last posted. I've been troubled with THE question lately.. what to do with life.. and apparently u can do a course on it! offered after milking every cent of your worth, by none other than the revered Harvard Business School. An unlikely candidate for such a course? see an article by the Financial Times in Money and morals clash.

I doubt i'm going to spend more than $100k on the course, and seriously doubt that they'll even consider my application, but to find such a question posed by such a prestigious business school has its consolation. It does remind us that whatever we do in life, this basic question will always challenge us. We may stand up to its challenge, or let it pass us by without putting up a fight. but the question will remain. the question is as certain as death itself. in the face of death, everyone is the same. race, culture, language, religion, will be humbled by it. just look at the diversity of the people mourning after the tsunami victims on its first anniversary.

my.. such a gloomy outlook on the year ahead. and i thought going out shopping before christmas may get me into the festive mood.. until i picked up the book "Before you quit your job"... i haven't had the courage to read the book yet.. i've got a week of holidays ahead of me to read it. this will be such an "interesting" holiday season...

Of course, i will not impose such negativity on my readers, so i sincerely wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Categories:

Porsche vs Rolex

2005-12-11T12:21:00.000Z

What happens if you scratch your Rolex watch on your Porsche? Which one pains u more? the repair bill on your Porsche or the that on the Rolex?

Personally, i wouldn't own a Rolex because they're just hideously ugly and the minor fact that they're just too expensive.. as for Porsche, i know someone who owns a Boxter and he worries all the time about it. The usual worries are how people open doors and may scratch the sides of it, by not having a big enough garage for it and hence had to pad up the sides of the garage so that the door wouldn't hit the walls. always had to worry about where the car is parked... is owning something so valuable in monetary terms worth all the energy expended on keeping it valuable?

i value books, sometimes a bit too much on the physical condition. i justify it by the following rationale... books teach me something and so in return, i should look after the book out of respect for the knowledge it brought me. will this rationale work for cars? ipods? am i focusing too much on the physical side than on the functional side?

what do you value? and do u feel u do silly things just to preserve that value a little bit longer?

Categories:

think

Living without chewing gums?

2005-12-05T02:22:00.000Z

Have u ever imagine life without chewing gums? It's not exactly something you need. I don't think i'd ever dream of chewing a gum before chewing-gum-years. I don't think i'll say..."wouldn't it be nice if i can chew something in my mouth while i'm walking down the street. i'll be so cool!" i guess if i did have to chew something for a long time, i would worry that it might just decay in my mouth!! so why do chewing gums exist?

there are plenty of other such things... for example, would u ever dream of having a post-it note? do u ever have days that a thought just appeared in your head and said.. "wish i could have a post-it note"??!! but these things exist and actually change our lives! so much so that Singapore has a law against the existence of chewing gums!

now, if only i can surpress the urge to get an ipod... i've never thought of wanting a hard disk that u can lug around, with wires coming off it so that i can stick 2 ends of them into my ears for hours on end to keep me entertained, but it just looks amazing! i guess i'm just a sucker for these things. things that u don't really need but just have to get it... like chocolate... yumm.. i would actually argue that i NEED chocolate.. keeps me happy.. :D until my next hit that is!

Categories:

life
think

Chop chop!

2005-11-27T17:32:00.000Z

Do you blink when you chop something? say a chicken or pork ribs? (sorry to all the vegans out there!) u know, things which require some strength to get through and it's easier by sending that chopper all the way from the top? of course, the second chop may not be where the first chop landed, but u get there in the end. that stubborn bit of tendon will finally give way...

but i tend to blink just before the chopper impacts (or during impact.. it's difficult to tell). it's sort of a reaction to fear, fear of loud noise? fear that the chopper might land wrongly.. (dread to think!) it's difficult not to blink, for me anyway. i've tried (really hard!) by keeping my eyes wide open. i think the wifey is scared more of the wide-opened eyes than the fact that i'm holding a chopper. in any case, it will be good if i can keep the eyes open to see where i'm chopping. any ideas?

of course, i would rather have my eyes closed all the way with an onion. or maybe goggles help. has anyone tried that?

Categories:

kitchen
mind

The HIGHS and lows of playing games

2005-11-23T20:12:00.000Z

why is the urge to win so strong? is winning a game everything? to some, it is. when i come back from a game of, say badminton, the common question from others is... "Did you win?"

i think winning is good. it gives u a good feeling. what feeling is that, i'm not sure. is it a superior feeling? is it because you've shown that you're the better player? or was that your boss you're trying to beat just because u feel surpressed at work... (i don't play any games with my boss thankfully! i'll be trying hard to let him win!!) whatever the feeling is, i guess it's just a sense of satisfaction.

we don't think of these things after the game. if you lose, you feel bad. if you win, you feel good. end of story. but i have been dwelling deeper into why i feel the way i feel. i don't feel good when i win. i feel best when i was able to conquer my inner demons, winning or losing.

i can get really frustrated if i can't execute a shot. was i not patient enough? was i not fast enough? was i just not good enoungh? actually, none of those matters. it doesn't matter that you're not good or fast enough. you can always compensate by really knowing where your limitations are and work on your strengths. but when it comes to a game, i falter because i do not have that extra edge, that extra strength to hold on just that bit longer.

if only there's a way to remind yourself just to hold out that bit longer... it makes all the difference! i think the same concept applies to life, love and everything else that's worth doing... by holding on that bit longer...

Categories:

sport
mind

Bonsai & the BIG boys

2005-11-20T19:29:00.000Z

Bonsai, the art of cultivating a tree in a small pot. What has this got to do with the big boys? by that i mean large corporations!

I don't myself grow anything green. i've even had a cactus died in my house! i guess that sums up the traces of any green genes i have in my DNA make up... (i do remind myself that they could be dormant, until maybe the next generation... can't really see myself mutating in my life time!) but speaking to a friend this morning, due to the outgrowth of the only plant he displays in a non-plant related shop, he had to change his pot. He also made a passing comment on how you need to shape the plant when it's young such that it doesn't outgrow the pot easily, or rather, make full use of the space in the existing pot.

His comment somehow reminds me of bonsai, how people painstakingly mould the plant into a shape. Initially, the owner of the bonsai (let's call this person the bonsaier for simplicity) has to let it grow and see what kind of shape it'll take. When the growth is to a certain level, the bonsaier will have to mould it with some support (wire frames come to mind!) and trim it now and again to keep that mould. If the bonsaier allows the plant to grow on past a threshold level without any intervention, it could easily outgrow its existing environment.

A large corporation will also need to grow its staff from before a certain threshold level, the infancy stage. A free reign although promotes flexibility and creativity, if undisciplined, will just be wasted and discarded, causing frustration on both the corporation and the employee. The corporation will think it has wasted all the resources on the employee, and the employee will think that all his/her creative energy has been let out in all directions, but nothing comes out on the other end.

So if you ever think of being frustrated as an employee, don't fight discipline as though it restricts who you actually want to be. Think of it as a focus for your creative energies. Suddenly, all your creative energy will seem to flow like the river.

If you're the boss... just think of the bonsai.

Categories: