the Takara Toy Co's Q-Car is so kawaii!!
and it actually runs! though for only 80 km .. umm.. enough to make it to Joo Chiat for the Black Pepper Crab and back? :p
check out short brief on Straits Times Interactive. it's priced only at US$10,000!
Tuesday, 30 March 2004
Sunday, 28 March 2004
the labelling of economies
it was interesting to read from The Economist that a couple of years ago, "frustrated by the old labels" used to categorise countries in the world, they proposed a new three-way split of the world's economies: paralysed economies (mainly poor ones in Africa); progressing economies (notably China and India, which are growing rapidly); and the paranoid economies (rich economies, such as America, which fear competition from the progressives). these labels didn't really take off, for some reason, but they remain some of the most up-to-date ones i've come across so far.... the old and cliched ones being "developed/developing nations", "industrial/agricultural economies", "first world/third world/second world" etc..
incidentally, i was talking to a friend (visting from overseas, specifically Europe) last night over dinner and she told me that the fear and paranoia that Europe feels about Asia is very real indeed. As the population of Europe shrinks while that of giants like India and China continues to grow, with economies to match, much of Europe wonders about its future, as well as its competitiveness, especially with Asia, particularly China, being termed the "next economic superpower"...
yet, as it is obvious from the ongoing controversy over globalisation, many countries, not just Asian countries such as Singapore, still fret over this so called "cultural dominance" by the Western world, in particular, the worldwide spread and dominance of the American culture ("Americanisation") via the mass media. more often than not, the Western media is seen as reflecting and projecting values that are automatically (and most certainly unfairly) assumed to be negative, including but not limited to those regarding sexual attitudes, lifestyles, family relationships etc.. They are seen not only as a threat to local cultures but also conflict with so-called "traditional values" held near and dear by the older generation.
"outraged intellectuals .. are preoccupied with protecting their cultural industries and institutions from American preponderance, the elite in developing countries are warning against the threat of the homogenization of the world under the auspices of American pop culture or Western consumerism in general. In fact, the war against Americanization of cultures has become the leitmotiv of political parties, pressure groups and intellectuals in many countries around the world." (Source: Fear of US Pop Culture Dominance Drives Anti-Globalization Sentiment By Jerry Tardieu)
personally, my sense is that the flow of culture globally is definitely not a one-way thing: Europe and the US are embracing yoga, taichi and Bollywood movies in as great measure as Asian countries are soaking up Western sitcoms, streetside coffee joints and hamburgers (? Mickey mouse? Powerpuff girls?). At the same time, young people from both sides of the globe are starting to gain a firmer appreciation and sense of identity of who they are - the typical teenager in Singapore, Taiwan or HK probably has a greater knowledge of Jap-pop, 5566 and F4 as they have of US boybands, while the Western teen will have his equivalent in Hollywood stars and all... in so many ways, the culture exchange that is happening isn't bad at all if it does lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of cultures and ways of life vastly different from ours.. in some ways, i really like to think of it as the world finally learning to connect in a real, meaningful and mutually beneficial way..
wish i could explore this issue in greater depth but i think i should go and continue to do my lesson plans.. hah! :)
it was interesting to read from The Economist that a couple of years ago, "frustrated by the old labels" used to categorise countries in the world, they proposed a new three-way split of the world's economies: paralysed economies (mainly poor ones in Africa); progressing economies (notably China and India, which are growing rapidly); and the paranoid economies (rich economies, such as America, which fear competition from the progressives). these labels didn't really take off, for some reason, but they remain some of the most up-to-date ones i've come across so far.... the old and cliched ones being "developed/developing nations", "industrial/agricultural economies", "first world/third world/second world" etc..
incidentally, i was talking to a friend (visting from overseas, specifically Europe) last night over dinner and she told me that the fear and paranoia that Europe feels about Asia is very real indeed. As the population of Europe shrinks while that of giants like India and China continues to grow, with economies to match, much of Europe wonders about its future, as well as its competitiveness, especially with Asia, particularly China, being termed the "next economic superpower"...
yet, as it is obvious from the ongoing controversy over globalisation, many countries, not just Asian countries such as Singapore, still fret over this so called "cultural dominance" by the Western world, in particular, the worldwide spread and dominance of the American culture ("Americanisation") via the mass media. more often than not, the Western media is seen as reflecting and projecting values that are automatically (and most certainly unfairly) assumed to be negative, including but not limited to those regarding sexual attitudes, lifestyles, family relationships etc.. They are seen not only as a threat to local cultures but also conflict with so-called "traditional values" held near and dear by the older generation.
"outraged intellectuals .. are preoccupied with protecting their cultural industries and institutions from American preponderance, the elite in developing countries are warning against the threat of the homogenization of the world under the auspices of American pop culture or Western consumerism in general. In fact, the war against Americanization of cultures has become the leitmotiv of political parties, pressure groups and intellectuals in many countries around the world." (Source: Fear of US Pop Culture Dominance Drives Anti-Globalization Sentiment By Jerry Tardieu)
personally, my sense is that the flow of culture globally is definitely not a one-way thing: Europe and the US are embracing yoga, taichi and Bollywood movies in as great measure as Asian countries are soaking up Western sitcoms, streetside coffee joints and hamburgers (? Mickey mouse? Powerpuff girls?). At the same time, young people from both sides of the globe are starting to gain a firmer appreciation and sense of identity of who they are - the typical teenager in Singapore, Taiwan or HK probably has a greater knowledge of Jap-pop, 5566 and F4 as they have of US boybands, while the Western teen will have his equivalent in Hollywood stars and all... in so many ways, the culture exchange that is happening isn't bad at all if it does lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of cultures and ways of life vastly different from ours.. in some ways, i really like to think of it as the world finally learning to connect in a real, meaningful and mutually beneficial way..
wish i could explore this issue in greater depth but i think i should go and continue to do my lesson plans.. hah! :)
Saturday, 27 March 2004
nose pickers win the battle against discrimination
Ananova - Top doc backs picking your nose and eating it:
err.... bad news for parents?
Ananova - Top doc backs picking your nose and eating it:
err.... bad news for parents?
teaching an old dog new tricks
today, while having a large iced lemon tea at KFC and doing some lesson planning at the same time, I was suddenly gripped by this strange and very random fear..
what if i'm an old dog that can't learn new tricks?
according to this article: LiNE Zine - Old Dogs, New Tricks, and a Few Simple Opinions, one way to "move (old dogs) out of their comfort zones .... is to provide a challenging environment to simulate and encourage learning."
but that's exactly what i did to myself!
last year, i put myself in a new and challenging position (in terms of career) and forced myself to learn new tricks so i wouldn't be stuck being a so-called "One Trick Wonder", i.e. "the dog that knows that one amazing trick that pleases everyone, but he just can’t seem to master anything else." (i.e. if i know any amazing tricks at all..haha)
but now, i'm in this phase of self-doubt, fear and uncertainty.. it seems not that easy to pick up all these new "tricks" after all... i'm wondering if these tricks are really difficult to learn, or is it because i'm actually an old dog??? :O
anyway, there is no other way but to succeed... yep.. only one choice.. :|
Ganbatte, Hwee Ling!
today, while having a large iced lemon tea at KFC and doing some lesson planning at the same time, I was suddenly gripped by this strange and very random fear..
what if i'm an old dog that can't learn new tricks?
according to this article: LiNE Zine - Old Dogs, New Tricks, and a Few Simple Opinions, one way to "move (old dogs) out of their comfort zones .... is to provide a challenging environment to simulate and encourage learning."
but that's exactly what i did to myself!
last year, i put myself in a new and challenging position (in terms of career) and forced myself to learn new tricks so i wouldn't be stuck being a so-called "One Trick Wonder", i.e. "the dog that knows that one amazing trick that pleases everyone, but he just can’t seem to master anything else." (i.e. if i know any amazing tricks at all..haha)
but now, i'm in this phase of self-doubt, fear and uncertainty.. it seems not that easy to pick up all these new "tricks" after all... i'm wondering if these tricks are really difficult to learn, or is it because i'm actually an old dog??? :O
anyway, there is no other way but to succeed... yep.. only one choice.. :|
Ganbatte, Hwee Ling!
Friday, 26 March 2004
Wednesday, 24 March 2004
Tuesday, 23 March 2004
habitat news
due to increasing workload, i've been way way too busy to blog properly.. which isn't really much of an issue anyway since I doubt I'll be abe to blog about much else than my lesson plans, stress, coping with stress, stuff I've learnt in my new work environment, people i've met and their impact on me etc.. which i've been discussing to death with people around me anyway..
but check out habitat news - Natural history news for the busy Singaporean - a blogsite of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) - a site i've been religiously following since it was started not long ago by Siva, a.k.a. Otterman, an individual passionate about all things nature, especially in Singapore. If you do recall, he commented once about my pet leeches?.. haha... :p
nonetheless, reading the wonderful stories of "leatherjacket filefish, large cuttlefish, plenty of butterfly fish, nudis, lots of crabs, and 2 cat sharks" off Pulau Hantu, "fantastic viz of incredible 4m (!!!!) - something which I've never experienced in all of the five dives I've done in Singapore to date, 3m long giant Hydroids, flatworm galore, as well as "Otters at Kranji mangroves" and "Hornbills on Kent Ridge" is sure to create much disbelief but also joy to those of us who for a moment are sure to imagine we are reading of a place that is definitely not the concrete jungle we call Singapore..
wonderful news! :) Keep them coming!
due to increasing workload, i've been way way too busy to blog properly.. which isn't really much of an issue anyway since I doubt I'll be abe to blog about much else than my lesson plans, stress, coping with stress, stuff I've learnt in my new work environment, people i've met and their impact on me etc.. which i've been discussing to death with people around me anyway..
but check out habitat news - Natural history news for the busy Singaporean - a blogsite of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) - a site i've been religiously following since it was started not long ago by Siva, a.k.a. Otterman, an individual passionate about all things nature, especially in Singapore. If you do recall, he commented once about my pet leeches?.. haha... :p
nonetheless, reading the wonderful stories of "leatherjacket filefish, large cuttlefish, plenty of butterfly fish, nudis, lots of crabs, and 2 cat sharks" off Pulau Hantu, "fantastic viz of incredible 4m (!!!!) - something which I've never experienced in all of the five dives I've done in Singapore to date, 3m long giant Hydroids, flatworm galore, as well as "Otters at Kranji mangroves" and "Hornbills on Kent Ridge" is sure to create much disbelief but also joy to those of us who for a moment are sure to imagine we are reading of a place that is definitely not the concrete jungle we call Singapore..
wonderful news! :) Keep them coming!
Sunday, 21 March 2004
20-30-40
i've always been a great fan of Sylvia Chang's movies.. and 20-30-40 was no letdown.
a masterpiece. truly.
girls, don't miss it.
i've always been a great fan of Sylvia Chang's movies.. and 20-30-40 was no letdown.
a masterpiece. truly.
girls, don't miss it.
Saturday, 20 March 2004
alternative house parties
i attended a "prata party" last night at someone's place and it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of instant pratas (from NTUC Fairprice) toasted on the spot on buttered hot frying pans, eaten with someone's delicious home-made curry (shiok!) and with tubs of ice-cream. We laughed and talked about everything from keeping leeches as pets, to flawed govt policies, to environmental protection, to a comparison between singapore and UK medical schools and everything irrelevant or otherwise....
Though i'm not a great host myself when it comes to house parties, i do think that, especially as age catches up with me (:O ... ), they can be such a fantastic alternative to eating out at expensive restaurants. for one, they can go on for as long as we want without worrying about waiters giving us that "look".. you know what i mean?
here are some "food-themed" house parties that i've either attended, hosted or thought of hosting before:
- cockles and D24 durian (this one actually took place at my house, with much success.. haha)
- spagetti & selection of wines from DFS
- Still Rd Black Pepper Crab (take-away) plus beer
- Lorong 9 Beef Kway Teow, plus tau hway (take-away)
- Popiah Party
- Sushi Party
- Steamboat Party
- Selection of famous take-away foods we know (e.g. chicken pie from Don Fast East Square, brownie from dunno-where, tau kwa pau from Hock Ann Eating House along Joo Chiat Rd or East Coast Park lagoon food centre, durian puffs from Puteri Mas at No. 475 Joo Chiat Road etc.).. something like that..
- Salads and Smoothies (for those who want to stay lean despite all the feasting)
- Bak Chang (Dumplings) Party
- Mooncake and Chinese tea (which must be accompanied by poetry recital, either self-written, the Tang period kind or the Charles Bukowski type.. shouldn't be fussy.. :p)
parties can be themed with photo viewing and exchange, slide shows, to look (and ooh and ahh) at someone's new baby, to watch VCDs, or just as simple get-togethers.. the idea is that it should be stress-free not just for the people attending (i.e. not too much pot-lucking and coordination) but also for the host (i.e. not too much cooking, cleaning, preparation)...
another "Great Idea from Hwee Ling" ® (hahahhaha...)
ok ok.. just taking a break from work..
i attended a "prata party" last night at someone's place and it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of instant pratas (from NTUC Fairprice) toasted on the spot on buttered hot frying pans, eaten with someone's delicious home-made curry (shiok!) and with tubs of ice-cream. We laughed and talked about everything from keeping leeches as pets, to flawed govt policies, to environmental protection, to a comparison between singapore and UK medical schools and everything irrelevant or otherwise....
Though i'm not a great host myself when it comes to house parties, i do think that, especially as age catches up with me (:O ... ), they can be such a fantastic alternative to eating out at expensive restaurants. for one, they can go on for as long as we want without worrying about waiters giving us that "look".. you know what i mean?
here are some "food-themed" house parties that i've either attended, hosted or thought of hosting before:
- cockles and D24 durian (this one actually took place at my house, with much success.. haha)
- spagetti & selection of wines from DFS
- Still Rd Black Pepper Crab (take-away) plus beer
- Lorong 9 Beef Kway Teow, plus tau hway (take-away)
- Popiah Party
- Sushi Party
- Steamboat Party
- Selection of famous take-away foods we know (e.g. chicken pie from Don Fast East Square, brownie from dunno-where, tau kwa pau from Hock Ann Eating House along Joo Chiat Rd or East Coast Park lagoon food centre, durian puffs from Puteri Mas at No. 475 Joo Chiat Road etc.).. something like that..
- Salads and Smoothies (for those who want to stay lean despite all the feasting)
- Bak Chang (Dumplings) Party
- Mooncake and Chinese tea (which must be accompanied by poetry recital, either self-written, the Tang period kind or the Charles Bukowski type.. shouldn't be fussy.. :p)
parties can be themed with photo viewing and exchange, slide shows, to look (and ooh and ahh) at someone's new baby, to watch VCDs, or just as simple get-togethers.. the idea is that it should be stress-free not just for the people attending (i.e. not too much pot-lucking and coordination) but also for the host (i.e. not too much cooking, cleaning, preparation)...
another "Great Idea from Hwee Ling" ® (hahahhaha...)
ok ok.. just taking a break from work..
Friday, 19 March 2004
Which book of the Bible are you?
You Are Romans
almost impossible to read.. what a strange combination of colours to choose for the font and background.. umm....
brought to you by Quizilla (via kungfubaby)
You Are Romans
almost impossible to read.. what a strange combination of colours to choose for the font and background.. umm....
brought to you by Quizilla (via kungfubaby)
Photo journal....
of a spunky Ukrainian girl's ride thru Chernobyl on her 1100cc Kawasaki 18 years after the disaster..
PRIPYAT ghost town (1970-1986)
absolutely fascinating.. straight out of a sci-fi movie.. or a B-grade horror movie ala The Omega Man (1971).. one of my all-time favs..
of a spunky Ukrainian girl's ride thru Chernobyl on her 1100cc Kawasaki 18 years after the disaster..
PRIPYAT ghost town (1970-1986)
absolutely fascinating.. straight out of a sci-fi movie.. or a B-grade horror movie ala The Omega Man (1971).. one of my all-time favs..
Thursday, 18 March 2004
Quotes from Lewis Mumford (1895 - 1990) - US architect & sociologist
The final test of an economic system is not the tons of iron, the tanks of oil, or the miles of textiles it produces: The final test lies in its ultimate products – the sort of men and women it nurtures and the order and beauty and sanity of their communities.
Modern Man is the victim of the very instruments he values most. Every gain in power, every mastery of natural forces, every scientific addition to knowledge, has proved potentially dangerous, because it has not been accompanied by equal gains in self-understanding and self-discipline.
A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.
Forget the damned motor car and build the cities for lovers and friends.
see web and more quotes.
funny how coincidental this is.. was just pondering on the urbanscape and artificial, concrete jungle surrounding me as I was coming home today and i stumbled upon quotes by this famous urban planner minutes ago.. umm..
Modern Man is the victim of the very instruments he values most. Every gain in power, every mastery of natural forces, every scientific addition to knowledge, has proved potentially dangerous, because it has not been accompanied by equal gains in self-understanding and self-discipline.
A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.
Forget the damned motor car and build the cities for lovers and friends.
see web and more quotes.
funny how coincidental this is.. was just pondering on the urbanscape and artificial, concrete jungle surrounding me as I was coming home today and i stumbled upon quotes by this famous urban planner minutes ago.. umm..
metallic beauty
this car has sent my parents into a tizzy... but i admit its really beautiful.. :)
got lots on my mind but have just been way too busy to blog them down.... not that the lack of blogging is so much of a problem in itself.. what is more annoying is that I've found that thoughts are really quite a funny thing... usually, in the course of a day, i'll read, hear or think about something interesting (at least to me) that i know i want to write down, or check up on the Internet or talk to people about.. but then, I'll be too lazy or distracted to scribble it down in my 3x4 notebook (no more PDAs for me! :p)...
but put thoughts aside or ignore them for a while and suddenly, they just vanish.. do our minds really work like computer CPUs? If we forget to click on the "Save" button and turn off our computers, all the memory is "lost"? Or is it like what they say.. something about our day-to-day events being more "RAM" vs "ROM" (Random Access Memory vs. Read Only Memory")??? Or maybe the thoughts just float around in the mass of greymatter in our heads and get lodged somewhere.. Unorganised thoughts = No thoughts so it's as good as not having them there at all! worse still, it ends up "clogging our brains", reducing "brain performance"..
Other random musings:
Can there be memories that are forever inscribed and can never be erased? I mean, like traumas and stuff? What if we try really hard to forget something? Will it backfire and we end up remembering them even better?? Like the file is constantly "in use" and defies deletion... we're talking "closure" here.. haha
Maybe we need to "replace" old/outdated (read: regressive) memories with new ones..
Can there also be things that we are constantly trying to remember but somehow never get "recorded" in our minds no matter how hard we try? Like some kind of blockage..
haha... ok, i'm going nutz.. back to work.. thanks for your time.. :p
this car has sent my parents into a tizzy... but i admit its really beautiful.. :)
got lots on my mind but have just been way too busy to blog them down.... not that the lack of blogging is so much of a problem in itself.. what is more annoying is that I've found that thoughts are really quite a funny thing... usually, in the course of a day, i'll read, hear or think about something interesting (at least to me) that i know i want to write down, or check up on the Internet or talk to people about.. but then, I'll be too lazy or distracted to scribble it down in my 3x4 notebook (no more PDAs for me! :p)...
but put thoughts aside or ignore them for a while and suddenly, they just vanish.. do our minds really work like computer CPUs? If we forget to click on the "Save" button and turn off our computers, all the memory is "lost"? Or is it like what they say.. something about our day-to-day events being more "RAM" vs "ROM" (Random Access Memory vs. Read Only Memory")??? Or maybe the thoughts just float around in the mass of greymatter in our heads and get lodged somewhere.. Unorganised thoughts = No thoughts so it's as good as not having them there at all! worse still, it ends up "clogging our brains", reducing "brain performance"..
Other random musings:
Can there be memories that are forever inscribed and can never be erased? I mean, like traumas and stuff? What if we try really hard to forget something? Will it backfire and we end up remembering them even better?? Like the file is constantly "in use" and defies deletion... we're talking "closure" here.. haha
Maybe we need to "replace" old/outdated (read: regressive) memories with new ones..
Can there also be things that we are constantly trying to remember but somehow never get "recorded" in our minds no matter how hard we try? Like some kind of blockage..
haha... ok, i'm going nutz.. back to work.. thanks for your time.. :p
Wednesday, 17 March 2004
the movie i can't wait to watch!
The Passion of the Christ : official movie site
read also: Civilization Watch - February 29, 2004 - The Passion of the Christ -- Three Reviews and a Letter - The Ornery American
The Passion of the Christ : official movie site
read also: Civilization Watch - February 29, 2004 - The Passion of the Christ -- Three Reviews and a Letter - The Ornery American
Tuesday, 16 March 2004
Till Pixels Do Us Part
When he wasn't snapping pictures, he was uploading them. When he wasn't uploading, he was editing. When he wasn't editing, he was enhancing. He became a devotee of Photoshop. And Photoshop became his mistress."
lamentations of a wife whose husband was and is obsessed with digital photography.. really funny.. :p .. incidentally,he`s got an exhibition of his photos this month in a gallery in California...
how cool is that! :)
When he wasn't snapping pictures, he was uploading them. When he wasn't uploading, he was editing. When he wasn't editing, he was enhancing. He became a devotee of Photoshop. And Photoshop became his mistress."
lamentations of a wife whose husband was and is obsessed with digital photography.. really funny.. :p .. incidentally,he`s got an exhibition of his photos this month in a gallery in California...
how cool is that! :)
Dolphins sighted off St John's Islands
click on Habitatnews for more information on this astounding and delightful discovery!! this proves that there is certainly much nature in Singapore to be conserved and protected! Hooray! :)
click on Habitatnews for more information on this astounding and delightful discovery!! this proves that there is certainly much nature in Singapore to be conserved and protected! Hooray! :)
Monday, 15 March 2004
Tasks that Make Life Worthwhile
Take time to dream
It hitches your soul to the stars.
Take time to worship
It is the highway of reverence and
washes the dust of earth from your eyes.
Take time for health
It is the true treasure of life.
Take time to laugh
It is the music of the soul.
Take time to think
It is the source of power.
Take time to play
It is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to read
It is the fountain of wisdom.
Take time to pray
It is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to love and be loved
It is a God-given privilege.
Take time to be friendly
It is the road to happiness
Take time to give
It is too short a day to be selfish
Take time to work
It is the price of success.
-- Author Unknown
In all our mindless busy-ness, getting our priorities right becomes more important than ever. David McNally calls this the "enlightened attitude towards the scheduling of our daily lives." A timely reading of his book "Even Eagles Need A Push" was just what I needed to remind me to keep a positive attitude in life, and to regard life as "an adventure where the rewards are in the risks and the pleasure in responding to the challenge"... here's leaving you will this lovely story from the book to remind you that you were, like me, made to soar... and of course, to lead carefree lives free from worry and care..
EVEN EAGLES NEED A PUSH
The Eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her persistent nudging.
"Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?" She thought. This ageless question was still unanswered for her.
As in the tradition of the species, her nest was located on the shelf of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings of each child. "It is possible that this time it will not work!" she thought. Despite her fear, the eagle knew it was time. Her parental mission was all but complete. There remained one final task-the PUSH.
The Eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered their wings, there was no purpose in their lives.
"Until they learned how to SOAR they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been born an EAGLE."
The PUSH was the greatest gift she had to offer. IT WAS HER SUPREME ACT OF LOVE. So one by one she pushed them, and THEY FLEW!!
Like the EAGLE, we don't know where the push will send us, but without it we wouldn't have the opportunity to grow and SOAR.
Take time to dream
It hitches your soul to the stars.
Take time to worship
It is the highway of reverence and
washes the dust of earth from your eyes.
Take time for health
It is the true treasure of life.
Take time to laugh
It is the music of the soul.
Take time to think
It is the source of power.
Take time to play
It is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to read
It is the fountain of wisdom.
Take time to pray
It is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to love and be loved
It is a God-given privilege.
Take time to be friendly
It is the road to happiness
Take time to give
It is too short a day to be selfish
Take time to work
It is the price of success.
-- Author Unknown
In all our mindless busy-ness, getting our priorities right becomes more important than ever. David McNally calls this the "enlightened attitude towards the scheduling of our daily lives." A timely reading of his book "Even Eagles Need A Push" was just what I needed to remind me to keep a positive attitude in life, and to regard life as "an adventure where the rewards are in the risks and the pleasure in responding to the challenge"... here's leaving you will this lovely story from the book to remind you that you were, like me, made to soar... and of course, to lead carefree lives free from worry and care..
EVEN EAGLES NEED A PUSH
The Eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her persistent nudging.
"Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?" She thought. This ageless question was still unanswered for her.
As in the tradition of the species, her nest was located on the shelf of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings of each child. "It is possible that this time it will not work!" she thought. Despite her fear, the eagle knew it was time. Her parental mission was all but complete. There remained one final task-the PUSH.
The Eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered their wings, there was no purpose in their lives.
"Until they learned how to SOAR they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been born an EAGLE."
The PUSH was the greatest gift she had to offer. IT WAS HER SUPREME ACT OF LOVE. So one by one she pushed them, and THEY FLEW!!
Like the EAGLE, we don't know where the push will send us, but without it we wouldn't have the opportunity to grow and SOAR.
Sunday, 14 March 2004
Saturday, 13 March 2004
You are a forest shadow. Your essence is that of
the tree or beast that casts you upon the
earth. You feel a purpose to be in balance
with the cycles of life and are wise and
beautiful in your submission to the justice of
Mother Nature. You are peaceful in nature and,
though you feel small, your spirit is precious,
strong, and mighty as the (green) forces with
which it is affiliated.
What Kind of Shadow Are You? (with gorgeous pics)
brought to you by Quizilla
Thursday, 11 March 2004
handling stray thoughts
going through one of my most traumatic and stressful period of Unconscious Incompetence in my living memory.... this is bad.. really bad... my head's already chock-full of self-doubt, fear and anxiety and then my mom just added to it by saying something totally tactless.. but something that struck to the core of my fears and stress.. .. i guess it was a totally innocent question on her part, off the top of her head but that sent me free-spinning into a total mental rollercoaster.... pms? umm.. i don't know.....
i'm blasting music through my earphones to try and drown out my thoughts... i'm tapping my fingers to help in the distraction.... i'm watching my fingers moving to add to the sensory overload... i'm twirling my mouse cursor on the computer screen so i can have other things to look at while i watch the computer screen... maybe i should drink raw lemon juice... or stab myself in the arm with a pencil or something...
oh damn! I'm so stressed!!!! :,(
i need to retreat to a natural sanctuary.... urggh!!!!!
going through one of my most traumatic and stressful period of Unconscious Incompetence in my living memory.... this is bad.. really bad... my head's already chock-full of self-doubt, fear and anxiety and then my mom just added to it by saying something totally tactless.. but something that struck to the core of my fears and stress.. .. i guess it was a totally innocent question on her part, off the top of her head but that sent me free-spinning into a total mental rollercoaster.... pms? umm.. i don't know.....
i'm blasting music through my earphones to try and drown out my thoughts... i'm tapping my fingers to help in the distraction.... i'm watching my fingers moving to add to the sensory overload... i'm twirling my mouse cursor on the computer screen so i can have other things to look at while i watch the computer screen... maybe i should drink raw lemon juice... or stab myself in the arm with a pencil or something...
oh damn! I'm so stressed!!!! :,(
i need to retreat to a natural sanctuary.... urggh!!!!!
Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Classic '80s Games
wow! i so miss playing these 80s computer games!!! highly pixellated and all that...
I remember having a bunch of them on my very first green monitor Commodore 64 computer!
These games came in all these giant 5 1/4" really fragile floppies!!
My second computer was an XT my parents bought for me when i was 13 and the third and fourth (?) i can't remember... definitely some early non-Pentium computers.. I think the computer I have now must be the fifth or something.. umm... lost count after a while.. :p
anyway, i wish i kept the first one! would have made it into the IT museum for sure! but then, i will be such a karang guni (rag and bone) collector.. haha....
(via filterpaper)
wow! i so miss playing these 80s computer games!!! highly pixellated and all that...
I remember having a bunch of them on my very first green monitor Commodore 64 computer!
These games came in all these giant 5 1/4" really fragile floppies!!
My second computer was an XT my parents bought for me when i was 13 and the third and fourth (?) i can't remember... definitely some early non-Pentium computers.. I think the computer I have now must be the fifth or something.. umm... lost count after a while.. :p
anyway, i wish i kept the first one! would have made it into the IT museum for sure! but then, i will be such a karang guni (rag and bone) collector.. haha....
(via filterpaper)
new tagboard
hey look over there on the right column!! ---------------->
i've got a new post-it board!
tell me something! anything! blah blah blah... you can even use smilies - :), :-), :(, :-(, :|, :-|, :D, :-D, ;), ;-) ...
Talk to me, tell me your name
You blow me off like it's all the same
You lit a fuse, and now I'm ticking away
Like a bomb... yeah baby ......
hahaha.. look what teaching can do to me...... HHHEEEEELPPPPP!!!!!
hey look over there on the right column!! ---------------->
i've got a new post-it board!
tell me something! anything! blah blah blah... you can even use smilies - :), :-), :(, :-(, :|, :-|, :D, :-D, ;), ;-) ...
Talk to me, tell me your name
You blow me off like it's all the same
You lit a fuse, and now I'm ticking away
Like a bomb... yeah baby ......
hahaha.. look what teaching can do to me...... HHHEEEEELPPPPP!!!!!
Tuesday, 9 March 2004
teaching
This child whose life
I touch with mine
Is like a piece of clay
I take his gentle will in hand
And shape it day by day.
Maybe, teaching really is the "last noble profession".... (no offense to anyone out there who believes his/her profession is also highly noble) ... via email from my classmate who is also out there "in the fields" now....
To all teachers out there: let's cherish this chance we have to make a real difference to the world.. :)
I touch with mine
Is like a piece of clay
I take his gentle will in hand
And shape it day by day.
Maybe, teaching really is the "last noble profession".... (no offense to anyone out there who believes his/her profession is also highly noble) ... via email from my classmate who is also out there "in the fields" now....
To all teachers out there: let's cherish this chance we have to make a real difference to the world.. :)
Take life at a slower pace
by Whitney Stock
I found this from The Snapper:
"What is wrong with the people today? Why are we always in such a rush? Sometimes it seems I am rushing my life away. When I finally stop to take a breath I realize I am missing all the little things.
Everyone knows what I am talking about. We constantly hear ourselves say, “I cannot wait until the end of the week,” or “I cannot wait until the end of the year.” There is constantly something we cannot wait for. In the end, when we look back, we are going to realize we have wished our lives away.
I have realized that in all my rushing I have missed so much. I have always wanted to live my life and look back and have no regrets, but I do have them. I lost someone very close to me not so long ago. After she passed away, I realized how much time I could have spent with her if I was not always on the go. If I had it to do over again I would not have been too busy to have lunch to talk on the phone or to just sit around the house and veg out.
I would have spent more time just wasting time with her, instead of just rushing out the door. It seems that all I wish for now is to just have one more day with her, because I realized all the days I wasted, not taking the time to care. I will always regret missing the time I could have spent with her. If I just had stopped rushing, I would have seen that I could have gained so much.
In the midst of our busy everyday lives, we need to stop and look around us. It is the little things that are important, and it seems those are the things that we are constantly missing.
Think of all the things you could do if you were not always in such a rush. Think of all the little things that you would not be missing if you just slowed down.
You need to appreciate the time you have with the people you care about today, not when it’s too late. Do not wait, do not put it off until tomorrow, tell them and show them today that you care.
I heard once, “Even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat.” So think about it, what could you do if you were not always in such a rush?"
I found this article online after I absentmindedly keyed in "Pace of Life" in Google just now.. I don't even remember why I did that.... maybe it was because I'm still subconsciously frazzled by the health scare my sister had yesterday when she almost fainted after spraining her back badly the day before. After lunch, she turned all pale and started seeing flashes of white. I wasn't at home at that time and didn't get to know about it till much later. However, she had to be sent to the hospital as "all colour had drained from her face" and she turned ghostly white and couldn't even stand up. When I finally got home in the evening (thankfully she had returned and was better and resting), I spent the evening deep in thoughts....
For a relatively long time, I'd been so absorbed in what I was doing that I became stressed, irritable, and impatient with the people around me. Sadly speaking, it had been about me, me, me. I wanted to sort out all the insecurities and stresses in my life until I was ready to go out into the world and smile again. Soon enough, I stopped caring about the people around me. I wanted to run the rat race again, or at least to prove that I was still in for the running..
but now i'm starting to ask myself again: Is all the sacrifice worth it? Was everything supposed to be so stressful? Or was it supposed to be enjoyable and carefree? Challenging, yes, but endlessly hair-losingly stressful? No, I don't think so...
I think it's time to re-evaluate my priorities, before it's too late.... :|
a related article: Modern pace of life: is it killing us off?
by Whitney Stock
I found this from The Snapper:
"What is wrong with the people today? Why are we always in such a rush? Sometimes it seems I am rushing my life away. When I finally stop to take a breath I realize I am missing all the little things.
Everyone knows what I am talking about. We constantly hear ourselves say, “I cannot wait until the end of the week,” or “I cannot wait until the end of the year.” There is constantly something we cannot wait for. In the end, when we look back, we are going to realize we have wished our lives away.
I have realized that in all my rushing I have missed so much. I have always wanted to live my life and look back and have no regrets, but I do have them. I lost someone very close to me not so long ago. After she passed away, I realized how much time I could have spent with her if I was not always on the go. If I had it to do over again I would not have been too busy to have lunch to talk on the phone or to just sit around the house and veg out.
I would have spent more time just wasting time with her, instead of just rushing out the door. It seems that all I wish for now is to just have one more day with her, because I realized all the days I wasted, not taking the time to care. I will always regret missing the time I could have spent with her. If I just had stopped rushing, I would have seen that I could have gained so much.
In the midst of our busy everyday lives, we need to stop and look around us. It is the little things that are important, and it seems those are the things that we are constantly missing.
Think of all the things you could do if you were not always in such a rush. Think of all the little things that you would not be missing if you just slowed down.
You need to appreciate the time you have with the people you care about today, not when it’s too late. Do not wait, do not put it off until tomorrow, tell them and show them today that you care.
I heard once, “Even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat.” So think about it, what could you do if you were not always in such a rush?"
I found this article online after I absentmindedly keyed in "Pace of Life" in Google just now.. I don't even remember why I did that.... maybe it was because I'm still subconsciously frazzled by the health scare my sister had yesterday when she almost fainted after spraining her back badly the day before. After lunch, she turned all pale and started seeing flashes of white. I wasn't at home at that time and didn't get to know about it till much later. However, she had to be sent to the hospital as "all colour had drained from her face" and she turned ghostly white and couldn't even stand up. When I finally got home in the evening (thankfully she had returned and was better and resting), I spent the evening deep in thoughts....
For a relatively long time, I'd been so absorbed in what I was doing that I became stressed, irritable, and impatient with the people around me. Sadly speaking, it had been about me, me, me. I wanted to sort out all the insecurities and stresses in my life until I was ready to go out into the world and smile again. Soon enough, I stopped caring about the people around me. I wanted to run the rat race again, or at least to prove that I was still in for the running..
but now i'm starting to ask myself again: Is all the sacrifice worth it? Was everything supposed to be so stressful? Or was it supposed to be enjoyable and carefree? Challenging, yes, but endlessly hair-losingly stressful? No, I don't think so...
I think it's time to re-evaluate my priorities, before it's too late.... :|
a related article: Modern pace of life: is it killing us off?
Monday, 8 March 2004
International Women's Day - 8 March 2004
International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. Established in 1977 by the United Nations, this special day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made to advance women's equality, to assess the challenges facing women in contemporary society, to consider future steps to enhance the status of women and, of course, to celebrate the gains made in these areas.
It's a day to honour women! Let's celebrate, sisters! :)
links:
- International Women's Day Website
- United Nations History of International Women's Day
- United Nation's Cyberschoolbus
International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. Established in 1977 by the United Nations, this special day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made to advance women's equality, to assess the challenges facing women in contemporary society, to consider future steps to enhance the status of women and, of course, to celebrate the gains made in these areas.
It's a day to honour women! Let's celebrate, sisters! :)
links:
- International Women's Day Website
- United Nations History of International Women's Day
- United Nation's Cyberschoolbus
Sunday, 7 March 2004
tested and proven
music on my blog can be a bane, till i figure out how to do it properly.. . so i'm taking it out at least for now..
but it was fun while it lasted.. haha..
for those who missed it, just imagine it's like music suddenly playing when you come to my site... it's a bit of a shock, really... when you least expect it..
thanks for the tips, michs!!
music on my blog can be a bane, till i figure out how to do it properly.. . so i'm taking it out at least for now..
but it was fun while it lasted.. haha..
for those who missed it, just imagine it's like music suddenly playing when you come to my site... it's a bit of a shock, really... when you least expect it..
thanks for the tips, michs!!
Saturday, 6 March 2004
Word of the Day for Saturday March 6, 2004
pettifogger \PET-ee-fog-ur\, noun:
1. A petty, unscrupulous lawyer; a shyster.
2. A person who quibbles over trivia.
A more respectable-looking individual was never seen; he really looked what he was, a gentleman of the law -- there was nothing of the pettifogger about him.
--George Borrow, [1]Lavengro
The nitpickers, the whiners, the pettifoggers are everywhere.
--Bill Kraus, "Without Health Care Reform, Forget It," Capital Times, December 15, 1993
The case... opened my eyes to a problem that doesn't get half the ink lavished on unprincipled pettifoggers but is arguably twice as important.
--Max Boot, [2]Out of Order
_________________________________________________________
Pettifogger is probably from petty + obsolete fogger, "pettifogger."
pettifogger \PET-ee-fog-ur\, noun:
1. A petty, unscrupulous lawyer; a shyster.
2. A person who quibbles over trivia.
A more respectable-looking individual was never seen; he really looked what he was, a gentleman of the law -- there was nothing of the pettifogger about him.
--George Borrow, [1]Lavengro
The nitpickers, the whiners, the pettifoggers are everywhere.
--Bill Kraus, "Without Health Care Reform, Forget It," Capital Times, December 15, 1993
The case... opened my eyes to a problem that doesn't get half the ink lavished on unprincipled pettifoggers but is arguably twice as important.
--Max Boot, [2]Out of Order
_________________________________________________________
Pettifogger is probably from petty + obsolete fogger, "pettifogger."
The Story of Your Life
'When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men.' - Jelaluddin Rumi
I walked out of master story-teller Tim Burton’s Big Fish yesterday feeling light-hearted and yet thoughtful, reminded in the two hours of the beauty of human existence, the richness of life’s possibilities, and the magical art of good storytelling..
Doubtless to say, whether subconsciously or otherwise, our lives are constantly surrounded by “bad stories” such as gossips, scandals, wars, fighting and lies, so much so that we forget that there are good real life stories to be told as well… even our own stories… We escape to the cinemas, eager to pay good money to watch endless movies churned out by Hollywood showing “everlasting love”, “one man saves the world” etc, so we can forget the real world for a while.. Yet, all the while, we firmly keep in our minds that these are but tall tales that are meant to entertain, nothing more… after all, wouldn’t it be “terrible” if we suddenly started to believe life could be “more than just the way things are now”? Wouldn’t it mean “uncertainty, self-doubt, fear?” or worse still, discontent with our lives and what we are blessed with?”.. So we shun these thoughts as quickly as they arise and carry on with existence the way we always knew how.. mundane but safe…
Yet, incidentally, after I read the story of the woman doctor who won the Young Woman Achiever Award for 2003 (in today’s Straits Times) for her voluntary medical work around the world, I was more than ever convinced life is an adventure to be lived, a story to be written and told, both to entertain and to inspire... in fact, making sure that our lives are stories worth tellng isn't just something we can hope for.. it's an absolute "must"...
As Mandy Aftel questions in one of my favourite self-help books, “The Story of Your Life”, “Every life is a story… Is your life a page-turner? A yawner? A clichéd story you’re tired of repeating?” She reminds us that “even ordinary lives have the elements of great literature, and we can revise trite or destructive story lines to craft a new narrative of courage, fulfillment and imagination.” Throughout the book, she suggests that the story of our lives doesn’t have to read like bad novels, filled with guilt, anger and hopelessness that “limit our understanding of the past and close off possibilities for the future”…
I wouldn’t say that everything that happens in our lives is within our control.. (and thankfully, that is the way!) But I do know, as well as anyone of us out there, that our decisions and our choices can make or break the possibility of our lives turning out to be more than just boring narratives or worse still, personal recounts with few elements of interest. Looking at our lives from the perspective of “story-telling” is actually nothing new… Remember how you once thought to yourself, as you were deciding whether to do something that required you to step out of your comfort zone, or to just “stay safe and give the experience a miss” and in the end, the deciding factor that won you over to courageously take the “road less traveled” was, amusingly, the simple thought that it’ll be a “good story to tell your grandchildren?” We all want to leave behind stories we can tell, not just mere recounts.
So we have two points here:
- How to retell our own stories, but with colour, action and imagination.
- How to create an “artful existence”, full of the richness of experience, complexity, insight, and excitement of a great novel
Writing our lives as fairytales...
Wouldn’t that be fun? :)
'When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men.' - Jelaluddin Rumi
I walked out of master story-teller Tim Burton’s Big Fish yesterday feeling light-hearted and yet thoughtful, reminded in the two hours of the beauty of human existence, the richness of life’s possibilities, and the magical art of good storytelling..
Doubtless to say, whether subconsciously or otherwise, our lives are constantly surrounded by “bad stories” such as gossips, scandals, wars, fighting and lies, so much so that we forget that there are good real life stories to be told as well… even our own stories… We escape to the cinemas, eager to pay good money to watch endless movies churned out by Hollywood showing “everlasting love”, “one man saves the world” etc, so we can forget the real world for a while.. Yet, all the while, we firmly keep in our minds that these are but tall tales that are meant to entertain, nothing more… after all, wouldn’t it be “terrible” if we suddenly started to believe life could be “more than just the way things are now”? Wouldn’t it mean “uncertainty, self-doubt, fear?” or worse still, discontent with our lives and what we are blessed with?”.. So we shun these thoughts as quickly as they arise and carry on with existence the way we always knew how.. mundane but safe…
Yet, incidentally, after I read the story of the woman doctor who won the Young Woman Achiever Award for 2003 (in today’s Straits Times) for her voluntary medical work around the world, I was more than ever convinced life is an adventure to be lived, a story to be written and told, both to entertain and to inspire... in fact, making sure that our lives are stories worth tellng isn't just something we can hope for.. it's an absolute "must"...
As Mandy Aftel questions in one of my favourite self-help books, “The Story of Your Life”, “Every life is a story… Is your life a page-turner? A yawner? A clichéd story you’re tired of repeating?” She reminds us that “even ordinary lives have the elements of great literature, and we can revise trite or destructive story lines to craft a new narrative of courage, fulfillment and imagination.” Throughout the book, she suggests that the story of our lives doesn’t have to read like bad novels, filled with guilt, anger and hopelessness that “limit our understanding of the past and close off possibilities for the future”…
I wouldn’t say that everything that happens in our lives is within our control.. (and thankfully, that is the way!) But I do know, as well as anyone of us out there, that our decisions and our choices can make or break the possibility of our lives turning out to be more than just boring narratives or worse still, personal recounts with few elements of interest. Looking at our lives from the perspective of “story-telling” is actually nothing new… Remember how you once thought to yourself, as you were deciding whether to do something that required you to step out of your comfort zone, or to just “stay safe and give the experience a miss” and in the end, the deciding factor that won you over to courageously take the “road less traveled” was, amusingly, the simple thought that it’ll be a “good story to tell your grandchildren?” We all want to leave behind stories we can tell, not just mere recounts.
So we have two points here:
- How to retell our own stories, but with colour, action and imagination.
- How to create an “artful existence”, full of the richness of experience, complexity, insight, and excitement of a great novel
Writing our lives as fairytales...
Wouldn’t that be fun? :)
Friday, 5 March 2004
How Do You Get To Heaven? (via email)
I was testing the children in my Sunday school class to see
if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.
I asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big
garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would
that get me into Heaven?"
"NO!" the children answered.
"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and
kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?"
Again, the answer was, "NO!"
By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun!
"Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to
all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me
into Heaven?" I asked them again.
Again, they all answered, "NO!"
I was just bursting with pride for them.
Well, I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"
scroll down...............
A five-year-old boy shouted out,
"YOU GOTTA BE DEAD."
I was testing the children in my Sunday school class to see
if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.
I asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big
garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would
that get me into Heaven?"
"NO!" the children answered.
"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and
kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?"
Again, the answer was, "NO!"
By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun!
"Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to
all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me
into Heaven?" I asked them again.
Again, they all answered, "NO!"
I was just bursting with pride for them.
Well, I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"
scroll down...............
A five-year-old boy shouted out,
"YOU GOTTA BE DEAD."
Thursday, 4 March 2004
dive season looms..
aiyah.. the dive season is here again ... i wanna go diving...
i want to see whale sharks, manta rays and all things big and beautiful and small and wonderful underwater...
:(
dunno whether got time anot... :(
aiyah.. the dive season is here again ... i wanna go diving...
i want to see whale sharks, manta rays and all things big and beautiful and small and wonderful underwater...
:(
dunno whether got time anot... :(
Wednesday, 3 March 2004
No Pants Day
more such random stuff:
1. A 17-year-old boy jumped out of a second-floor window at Miami Beach High last week after betting his teacher he was strong enough to do it and not get hurt...
2. cartoon maggots... it's Korean and really cute.. but it does contain..err... comic poo... turn UP or DOWN the volume depending on where you are (i.e. home or office..)
3. Court orders mother to not expose child to "homophobic" religious upbringing ... just when you thought you could teach your kids anything..
4. see strange creatures of the deep.. including the long nose chimaera pup
5. and goody... "The Disney Company has signed a deal to co-finance and distribute a new film of CS Lewis's children's classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. "
6. and did you know that M&Ms come in some 21 different colours??
surfing the web.. that's the way i relax and unwind.. just in case you need to know..
more such random stuff:
1. A 17-year-old boy jumped out of a second-floor window at Miami Beach High last week after betting his teacher he was strong enough to do it and not get hurt...
2. cartoon maggots... it's Korean and really cute.. but it does contain..err... comic poo... turn UP or DOWN the volume depending on where you are (i.e. home or office..)
3. Court orders mother to not expose child to "homophobic" religious upbringing ... just when you thought you could teach your kids anything..
4. see strange creatures of the deep.. including the long nose chimaera pup
5. and goody... "The Disney Company has signed a deal to co-finance and distribute a new film of CS Lewis's children's classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. "
6. and did you know that M&Ms come in some 21 different colours??
surfing the web.. that's the way i relax and unwind.. just in case you need to know..
Tuesday, 2 March 2004
so I belong to that 0.02% of all web users...
CNN.com - Study: Very few bloggers on Net - Mar. 1, 2004: "NEW YORK (AP) -- Despite the potential of turning every Internet user into a publisher, relatively few have created Web journals called blogs and even fewer do so with regularity, a new study finds. "
"Weblogs/Blogs
In this survey, we found that a mere 2% of Internet users in this survey reported writing a weblog or online diary. Earlier surveys and a follow up check in early 2004 indicate that between 2% and 7% of Internet users publish a ‘blog. Within this tiny group, only about 10% report updating their blog daily. Most weblog writers update their blogs once a week or less often.
Even though only a small number of Internet users are writing blogs, a slightly larger number of Net users are visiting them. Eleven percent of Internet users report visiting blogs written by others. And of these blog readers, a third report posting to or commenting on the blog entries that they have read.
Blog readers most frequently visit the online diaries of friends (56% have done so), strangers (46% have visited the blogs of people they have never met) and family members (a quarter report visiting family blogs). "
see detailed report by Pew Internet and American Life
CNN.com - Study: Very few bloggers on Net - Mar. 1, 2004: "NEW YORK (AP) -- Despite the potential of turning every Internet user into a publisher, relatively few have created Web journals called blogs and even fewer do so with regularity, a new study finds. "
"Weblogs/Blogs
In this survey, we found that a mere 2% of Internet users in this survey reported writing a weblog or online diary. Earlier surveys and a follow up check in early 2004 indicate that between 2% and 7% of Internet users publish a ‘blog. Within this tiny group, only about 10% report updating their blog daily. Most weblog writers update their blogs once a week or less often.
Even though only a small number of Internet users are writing blogs, a slightly larger number of Net users are visiting them. Eleven percent of Internet users report visiting blogs written by others. And of these blog readers, a third report posting to or commenting on the blog entries that they have read.
Blog readers most frequently visit the online diaries of friends (56% have done so), strangers (46% have visited the blogs of people they have never met) and family members (a quarter report visiting family blogs). "
see detailed report by Pew Internet and American Life
Monday, 1 March 2004
Beware the Kalends of March
>> Interview With God
not the first time i'm receiving this via email but it's still nice everytime i see it.. thanks! :)
thus begins my first week of Teaching Practice with a week of intense observation followed by 8 weeks of teaching. as i wring my hands in a mix of mild anxiety and great anticipation, i have to constantly remind myself why i decided to go into this line in the first place and what i hope to achieve, which is not all that easy when everything seems so overwhelming at first..
all those eager faces keen to clear their doubts and confusions.. looking to their teacher, the seeming source of all knowledge and wisdom, backed no doubt by experience but also loads of hidden preparation work and hours of tireless thinking...
i'm suddenly feeling that rush of gratitude to my own teachers for having worked that hard in the past to make sure we learn something from every class we go to.. but also gripped by a mild fear that i cannot live up to the expectations of this vocation...
teaching... never been in a job that keeps asking me why i want to do it in the first place.. for the millionth time, i got another list of questions from my supervisor, among them one asking us "Why do you want to be a teacher?"... *ponder*
seems like today's the big day that Terence is launching his megaproject United Artist Network as well.... take a look... it's quite impressive... :)
>> Interview With God
not the first time i'm receiving this via email but it's still nice everytime i see it.. thanks! :)
thus begins my first week of Teaching Practice with a week of intense observation followed by 8 weeks of teaching. as i wring my hands in a mix of mild anxiety and great anticipation, i have to constantly remind myself why i decided to go into this line in the first place and what i hope to achieve, which is not all that easy when everything seems so overwhelming at first..
all those eager faces keen to clear their doubts and confusions.. looking to their teacher, the seeming source of all knowledge and wisdom, backed no doubt by experience but also loads of hidden preparation work and hours of tireless thinking...
i'm suddenly feeling that rush of gratitude to my own teachers for having worked that hard in the past to make sure we learn something from every class we go to.. but also gripped by a mild fear that i cannot live up to the expectations of this vocation...
teaching... never been in a job that keeps asking me why i want to do it in the first place.. for the millionth time, i got another list of questions from my supervisor, among them one asking us "Why do you want to be a teacher?"... *ponder*
seems like today's the big day that Terence is launching his megaproject United Artist Network as well.... take a look... it's quite impressive... :)
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