| H | Healthy |
| W | Wild |
| E | Extreme |
| E | Earthy |
| L | Lively |
| I | Irresistible |
| N | Naive |
| G | Great |
Friday, 28 May 2004
The Day After Tomorrow
we walked out of the cinema last night strangely "spooked" by the show "THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW"...
even though the scenes of devastation and mass destruction were pretty far-fetched (computer graphics lah!), and it is definitely not the first time we see Hollywood wiping out large pieces of the world in incredibly short periods of time - think Godzilla and King Kong -(and surely NOT the first time we see the rest of the world - especially the Asian/ME/African/SAm developing world - looking to the US for solution and wisdom like it's some kind of Saviour - bleah!), the effects were pretty darn good... maybe the best i've seen thus far.. very gripping i have to admit..
i think this show was supposed to trigger us to think about what we would do if the "world were to end tomorrow - or the day after tomorrow?".. but for me at least, i didn't feel the effect of it at all (neither did my sis, who watched it on the same day).. maybe cos this is Hollywood after all and all Hollywood shows have happy endings.. eh? ..haha.. still, it's interesting that they did manage to highlight some real environmental issues, enough to make me and my sis come home to surf the web to read about global warming and becoming carbon neutral citizens..
umm.. how's that gonna reconcile with my desire to buy a car?.. how many trees do i have to plant? or do i have to build a windmill??
we walked out of the cinema last night strangely "spooked" by the show "THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW"...
even though the scenes of devastation and mass destruction were pretty far-fetched (computer graphics lah!), and it is definitely not the first time we see Hollywood wiping out large pieces of the world in incredibly short periods of time - think Godzilla and King Kong -(and surely NOT the first time we see the rest of the world - especially the Asian/ME/African/SAm developing world - looking to the US for solution and wisdom like it's some kind of Saviour - bleah!), the effects were pretty darn good... maybe the best i've seen thus far.. very gripping i have to admit..
i think this show was supposed to trigger us to think about what we would do if the "world were to end tomorrow - or the day after tomorrow?".. but for me at least, i didn't feel the effect of it at all (neither did my sis, who watched it on the same day).. maybe cos this is Hollywood after all and all Hollywood shows have happy endings.. eh? ..haha.. still, it's interesting that they did manage to highlight some real environmental issues, enough to make me and my sis come home to surf the web to read about global warming and becoming carbon neutral citizens..
umm.. how's that gonna reconcile with my desire to buy a car?.. how many trees do i have to plant? or do i have to build a windmill??
Wednesday, 26 May 2004
The Black-and-White World
got this bit of gem from Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Kid Smart Kid" ... i don't know if the story is true or not (as many people have sceptically questioned everything he's written) and it's rather long but i love how much this story strikes a chord with me on what "real intelligence" really is:
"Lessons from Mom and Dad
The number of single-parent families I see today concerns me. Having both a mom and a dad as teachers was important in my development. For example, I was bigger and heavier than most kids, and my mom was always afraid that I would use my size advantage and become a bully. So she really stressed that I develop what people today would call "my feminine side." As I said, she was a very kind, loving person, and she wanted me to also be kind and loving. And I was. One day I came home from the first grade with my report card, and on it the teacher had written, "Robert needs to learn to assert himself more. He reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull [from the story about a big bull that instead of fighting the matador sat down in the ring and smelled the flowers the fans were throwing...coincidentally one of my mom's favorite bedtime stories for me]. All the other boys pick on him and push him around, although Robert is so much bigger than they are."
When my mom read the report card, she was thrilled. When my dad came home and read the same report card, he turned into a raging bull, and not one that smelled the flowers. "What do you mean the other boys push you around? Why do you let them push you around? Are you turning into a wimp?" he said, noticing the comment about my behavior rather than my grades. When I explained to him that I was just listening to Mom's instructions, my dad turned to my mom and said, "Little boys are bullies. Learning how to deal with bullies is important for all kids to learn. If they do not learn how to deal with bullies early in life, they often grow up allowing themselves to be bullied as adults. Learning to be kind is one way of dealing with bullies, but so is pushing back, if and when kindness does not work."
Turning to me, my dad asked, 'And how do you feel when the other boys pick on you?"
Bursting into tears, I said, "I feel terrible. I feel helpless and afraid. I don't want to go to school. I want to fight back, but I also want to be a good boy and do what you and Mom want me to do. I hate being called 'fatty' and 'Dumbo' and being pushed around. What I hate most is just standing there and taking it. I do feel like I am a sissy and a wimp. Even the girls laugh at me because I just stand there and cry."
My dad turned to my mom and glared at her for a moment, letting her know that he did not like what I was learning. "So what do you want to do?" he asked.
"I'd like to hit back," I said. "I know I can beat them. They're just little punks who pick on people, and they like picking on me because I am the biggest in my class. Everyone says don't hit them because I am bigger, but I just hate standing there and taking it. I wish I could do something. They know I won't do anything, so they just keep picking on me in front of everyone else. I'd love to just grab them and punch their lights out."
"Well, don't hit them," my dad said quietly. "But you let them know in whatever way you can that you are not going to be picked on anymore. You are learning a very important lesson in self-respect right now and standing up for your rights. Just don't hit them. Use your mind to find a way to let them know that you will not be picked on anymore."
My crying stopped. I felt much better as I wiped my eyes and found some courage and self-esteem reentering my body. I was now ready to go back to school.
The next day my mom and my dad were called to my school. The teacher and the school principal were very upset. As my mom and dad entered the room, I was sitting in a chair in the corner, splattered with mud. "What happened?" my dad asked as he took his seat.
"Well, I can't say that the boys did not have it coming to them," said the teacher. "But after I wrote you the note on Robert's report card, I knew something would change."
"Did he hit them?" my dad asked with great concern.
"No, he didn't," said the principal. "I watched the whole thing. The boys began teasing him. But this time, Robert asked them to stop instead of just standing there and taking it . . . yet they continued. He patiently asked them to stop three different times, and they just taunted him more. Suddenly Robert went back into the classroom, grabbed the boys' lunch pails, and emptied them into that big mud puddle. As I rushed over from across the lawn, the boys then attacked Robert. They started hitting him, but he did not hit back."
"What did he do?" my dad asked.
"Before I could get there to break it up, Robert grabbed the two boys and pushed them into the same mud puddle. And that is how he got splattered with mud. I sent the other boys home to change their clothes because they were soaking wet."
"But I didn't hit them," I said from my corner.
My dad glared at me, put his index finger over his lips indicating that I should shut up, then turned back to the principal and teacher and said, "We will take care of this at home."
The principal and the teacher nodded their heads as the teacher said, "I'm glad I was witness to the whole event developing over the past two months. If I had not known the history leading up to the mud puddle event, I would have reprimanded only Robert. But you may rest assured that I will be having the parents and the other two boys in for counseling also. I do not condone throwing the boys and their lunches into the mud, but I hope now we will see an end to this bullying that has been going on between the boys."
The next day there was a meeting between the two boys and me. We discussed our differences and shook hands. At recess that day, other kids came up to me and shook my hand and patted me on the back. They were congratulating me for standing up to the two bullies who were also picking on them. I thanked them for their congratulations but also said to them, "You should learn to fight your own fights. If you don't, you will go through life being a coward, letting the bullies of the world push you around." My dad would have been proud hearing me repeat his original lecture to me. After that day, the first grade was much more pleasant. I had gained some valuable self-esteem, I gained respect from my class, and the prettiest girl in my class became my girlfriend. But what was more interesting was that the two bullies eventually became my friends. I learned to bring peace by being strong rather than allowing terror and fear to persist because I was weak.
Over the next week, I learned several valuable life lessons from both my mom and dad from this mud puddle incident. The mud puddle incident was a hot topic of discussion at dinner. I learned that in life there is not a right answer or a wrong answer. I learned that in life we tend to make choices, and each choice has a consequence. If we do not like our choice and consequence, then we should look for a new choice with a new consequence. From this mud puddle incident, I learned the importance of being both kind and loving from my mom and being strong and prepared to fight back from my dad. I learned that too much of one or the other, or only one and not the other, can be self-limiting. Just as too much water can drown a plant dying of thirst, we humans in our behavior can often swing too far in one direction or the other. As my dad said the night we got back from the principal's office, "Many people live in a black-and-white world or a right-and-wrong world. Many people would have advised you, 'Never push back,' and still others would have said, 'Push back.' But the key to being successful in life is this: If you must push back, you must know exactly how hard to push back. Knowing exactly how hard to push requires much more intelligence than simply saying, 'Don't push back,' or, 'Push back.'"
My dad would often say, "True intelligence is knowing what is appropriate rather than what is simply right or wrong." As a six-year-old boy, I learned from my mom that I needed to be kind and gentle...but I also learned that I could be too kind and gentle. From my dad I learned to be strong, but I also learned I need to be intelligent and appropriate with my strength. I have often said that a coin has two sides. I have never seen a one-sided coin. But all too often we forget that fact. We often think the side we are on is the only side or the right side. When we do that, we may be smart, we may know our facts, but we also may be limiting our intelligence.
One of my teachers once said, "God gave us a right foot and a left foot. God did not give us a right foot and a wrong foot. Humans make progress by first making a mistake to the right and then making a mistake to the left. People who think they must always be right are like people with only a right foot. They think they are making progress, but they usually wind up going in circles."
I think as a society we need to be more intelligent with our strengths and our weaknesses. We need to learn to operate more intelligently from our feminine side as well as our masculine side. I remember when I was angry with another guy at school back in the 1960s, we would occasionally go behind the gym and fight with our fists. After one or two punches were thrown, we would begin to wrestle and get tired, and then the fight would be over. The worst that ever happened was an occasional torn shirt or bloody nose. We often became friends after the fight was over. Today kids get angry, start thinking in the less intelligent "right and wrong" thinking, break out their guns, and shoot each other...and that goes for both boys and girls. We may be in the Information Age and kids may be more "worldly" than their parents, but we could all learn to be more intelligent with our information and our emotions. As I said, we need to learn from both our moms and our dads, because with so much more information, we need to become more intelligent."
got this bit of gem from Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Kid Smart Kid" ... i don't know if the story is true or not (as many people have sceptically questioned everything he's written) and it's rather long but i love how much this story strikes a chord with me on what "real intelligence" really is:
"Lessons from Mom and Dad
The number of single-parent families I see today concerns me. Having both a mom and a dad as teachers was important in my development. For example, I was bigger and heavier than most kids, and my mom was always afraid that I would use my size advantage and become a bully. So she really stressed that I develop what people today would call "my feminine side." As I said, she was a very kind, loving person, and she wanted me to also be kind and loving. And I was. One day I came home from the first grade with my report card, and on it the teacher had written, "Robert needs to learn to assert himself more. He reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull [from the story about a big bull that instead of fighting the matador sat down in the ring and smelled the flowers the fans were throwing...coincidentally one of my mom's favorite bedtime stories for me]. All the other boys pick on him and push him around, although Robert is so much bigger than they are."
When my mom read the report card, she was thrilled. When my dad came home and read the same report card, he turned into a raging bull, and not one that smelled the flowers. "What do you mean the other boys push you around? Why do you let them push you around? Are you turning into a wimp?" he said, noticing the comment about my behavior rather than my grades. When I explained to him that I was just listening to Mom's instructions, my dad turned to my mom and said, "Little boys are bullies. Learning how to deal with bullies is important for all kids to learn. If they do not learn how to deal with bullies early in life, they often grow up allowing themselves to be bullied as adults. Learning to be kind is one way of dealing with bullies, but so is pushing back, if and when kindness does not work."
Turning to me, my dad asked, 'And how do you feel when the other boys pick on you?"
Bursting into tears, I said, "I feel terrible. I feel helpless and afraid. I don't want to go to school. I want to fight back, but I also want to be a good boy and do what you and Mom want me to do. I hate being called 'fatty' and 'Dumbo' and being pushed around. What I hate most is just standing there and taking it. I do feel like I am a sissy and a wimp. Even the girls laugh at me because I just stand there and cry."
My dad turned to my mom and glared at her for a moment, letting her know that he did not like what I was learning. "So what do you want to do?" he asked.
"I'd like to hit back," I said. "I know I can beat them. They're just little punks who pick on people, and they like picking on me because I am the biggest in my class. Everyone says don't hit them because I am bigger, but I just hate standing there and taking it. I wish I could do something. They know I won't do anything, so they just keep picking on me in front of everyone else. I'd love to just grab them and punch their lights out."
"Well, don't hit them," my dad said quietly. "But you let them know in whatever way you can that you are not going to be picked on anymore. You are learning a very important lesson in self-respect right now and standing up for your rights. Just don't hit them. Use your mind to find a way to let them know that you will not be picked on anymore."
My crying stopped. I felt much better as I wiped my eyes and found some courage and self-esteem reentering my body. I was now ready to go back to school.
The next day my mom and my dad were called to my school. The teacher and the school principal were very upset. As my mom and dad entered the room, I was sitting in a chair in the corner, splattered with mud. "What happened?" my dad asked as he took his seat.
"Well, I can't say that the boys did not have it coming to them," said the teacher. "But after I wrote you the note on Robert's report card, I knew something would change."
"Did he hit them?" my dad asked with great concern.
"No, he didn't," said the principal. "I watched the whole thing. The boys began teasing him. But this time, Robert asked them to stop instead of just standing there and taking it . . . yet they continued. He patiently asked them to stop three different times, and they just taunted him more. Suddenly Robert went back into the classroom, grabbed the boys' lunch pails, and emptied them into that big mud puddle. As I rushed over from across the lawn, the boys then attacked Robert. They started hitting him, but he did not hit back."
"What did he do?" my dad asked.
"Before I could get there to break it up, Robert grabbed the two boys and pushed them into the same mud puddle. And that is how he got splattered with mud. I sent the other boys home to change their clothes because they were soaking wet."
"But I didn't hit them," I said from my corner.
My dad glared at me, put his index finger over his lips indicating that I should shut up, then turned back to the principal and teacher and said, "We will take care of this at home."
The principal and the teacher nodded their heads as the teacher said, "I'm glad I was witness to the whole event developing over the past two months. If I had not known the history leading up to the mud puddle event, I would have reprimanded only Robert. But you may rest assured that I will be having the parents and the other two boys in for counseling also. I do not condone throwing the boys and their lunches into the mud, but I hope now we will see an end to this bullying that has been going on between the boys."
The next day there was a meeting between the two boys and me. We discussed our differences and shook hands. At recess that day, other kids came up to me and shook my hand and patted me on the back. They were congratulating me for standing up to the two bullies who were also picking on them. I thanked them for their congratulations but also said to them, "You should learn to fight your own fights. If you don't, you will go through life being a coward, letting the bullies of the world push you around." My dad would have been proud hearing me repeat his original lecture to me. After that day, the first grade was much more pleasant. I had gained some valuable self-esteem, I gained respect from my class, and the prettiest girl in my class became my girlfriend. But what was more interesting was that the two bullies eventually became my friends. I learned to bring peace by being strong rather than allowing terror and fear to persist because I was weak.
Over the next week, I learned several valuable life lessons from both my mom and dad from this mud puddle incident. The mud puddle incident was a hot topic of discussion at dinner. I learned that in life there is not a right answer or a wrong answer. I learned that in life we tend to make choices, and each choice has a consequence. If we do not like our choice and consequence, then we should look for a new choice with a new consequence. From this mud puddle incident, I learned the importance of being both kind and loving from my mom and being strong and prepared to fight back from my dad. I learned that too much of one or the other, or only one and not the other, can be self-limiting. Just as too much water can drown a plant dying of thirst, we humans in our behavior can often swing too far in one direction or the other. As my dad said the night we got back from the principal's office, "Many people live in a black-and-white world or a right-and-wrong world. Many people would have advised you, 'Never push back,' and still others would have said, 'Push back.' But the key to being successful in life is this: If you must push back, you must know exactly how hard to push back. Knowing exactly how hard to push requires much more intelligence than simply saying, 'Don't push back,' or, 'Push back.'"
My dad would often say, "True intelligence is knowing what is appropriate rather than what is simply right or wrong." As a six-year-old boy, I learned from my mom that I needed to be kind and gentle...but I also learned that I could be too kind and gentle. From my dad I learned to be strong, but I also learned I need to be intelligent and appropriate with my strength. I have often said that a coin has two sides. I have never seen a one-sided coin. But all too often we forget that fact. We often think the side we are on is the only side or the right side. When we do that, we may be smart, we may know our facts, but we also may be limiting our intelligence.
One of my teachers once said, "God gave us a right foot and a left foot. God did not give us a right foot and a wrong foot. Humans make progress by first making a mistake to the right and then making a mistake to the left. People who think they must always be right are like people with only a right foot. They think they are making progress, but they usually wind up going in circles."
I think as a society we need to be more intelligent with our strengths and our weaknesses. We need to learn to operate more intelligently from our feminine side as well as our masculine side. I remember when I was angry with another guy at school back in the 1960s, we would occasionally go behind the gym and fight with our fists. After one or two punches were thrown, we would begin to wrestle and get tired, and then the fight would be over. The worst that ever happened was an occasional torn shirt or bloody nose. We often became friends after the fight was over. Today kids get angry, start thinking in the less intelligent "right and wrong" thinking, break out their guns, and shoot each other...and that goes for both boys and girls. We may be in the Information Age and kids may be more "worldly" than their parents, but we could all learn to be more intelligent with our information and our emotions. As I said, we need to learn from both our moms and our dads, because with so much more information, we need to become more intelligent."
Tuesday, 25 May 2004
"I'm getting there. I haven't done all the damage I could do but I've done quite a bit. I'm just over the border into the Evil Zone."
Are you evil? find out at Hilowitz.com
umm... actually, i think i was pretty darn evil in the past.. scary thing is, i was actually quite honest in this test.. grr... but i'm a lot better now.. really...
*imagine me with the innocent look of the kitty in Shrek 2*
.. hahahah... but yes, all thanks to God I'm a much better person now.. :).. i'm sorry if you were one of those people hurt by my past evilness.. but i'm sure you've forgiven me by now..
Saturday, 22 May 2004
The Spirit of Olympism
two days ago, i attended this long and boring talk in school and a mention was made about the "Spirit of Olympism".. since the Olympics are coming, I decided to read up a little about this rather abstract concept and stumbled upon, serendipitously, this wonderful website..
Olympic Spirit
it suddenly dawned on me that ALL that i ever believed in, in terms of personal achievement, global peace, and a world where all can work together and play together in brotherhood can actually be summed up in the single term "Spirit of Olympism"!
Essentially, the Olympic Spirit encompasses:
- the desire to better oneself physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, i.e. individual efforts to conquer distance, time, physics, and self-defeating attitudes.
- the spirit of cooperation, understanding, and unity, i.e. the promotion of world peace, consisting of learning to respect one another's unique qualities, to work for another's success, to partake of one another's wisdom, and to aspire to live together in harmony as members of the human family.
In Detail:
What is Olympism?
Olympism, though new to many, was coined by the originator of the modern Olympic Games, French educator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937):
"Olympism is not a system; it is a state of mind.
It can permeate a wide variety of modes of expression
and no single race or era can claim to have a monopoly on it.
More than the Games.
Baron de Coubertin's dream was to create in the youth of the world a personal attitude of self worth and dignity that would extend far beyond the formal Olympic Games themselves. His consuming thought was to celebrate the health, values, and athletic talent of youth, to honor the individual athlete, and to unite the communities of the world in peace. It was his hope that through sport, the youth of the world would become better acquainted with the nations and peoples of other countries without regard to sex, race, color, or religious beliefs. Ultimately, this harmonious discipline of body, mind, and spirit helps each person to understand, as Socrates said, "His chief and proper concern: Knowledge of himself and the right way to live."
True Competition.
A second attribute of Olympism is the development the ability to play fair as one plays for fun. As in the ancient Games, animosity and hatred are put aside during the Olympic Games as individual athletes compete against themselves to excel for the pride of their nation.
The Ideals of Olympism.
Baron de Coubertin summarized the Spirit of Olympism in five ideals which were established as a part of the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896. These goals continue to shape the Spirit of Olympism today:
- To help develop better citizens through the building of character that accompanies participation in amateur sports.
- To demonstrate the principles of fair play and good sportsmanship.
- To stimulate interest in fine arts through exhibitions, concerts and demonstrations during the games, and in so doing contribute to a well-rounded life.
- To teach that sports are played for fun and enjoyment.
- To create international friendship and good will that would lead to a happier and more peaceful world.
isn't this just so wonderful? :).. or maybe i'm a dreamer.. if so, yes, i dream of World Peace and i believe that one day, we might just have it.. hopefully in MY lifetime..... i wonder if they will uphold the spirit of "ekecheiria", "the sacred truce" this year...
two days ago, i attended this long and boring talk in school and a mention was made about the "Spirit of Olympism".. since the Olympics are coming, I decided to read up a little about this rather abstract concept and stumbled upon, serendipitously, this wonderful website..
Olympic Spirit
it suddenly dawned on me that ALL that i ever believed in, in terms of personal achievement, global peace, and a world where all can work together and play together in brotherhood can actually be summed up in the single term "Spirit of Olympism"!
Essentially, the Olympic Spirit encompasses:
- the desire to better oneself physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, i.e. individual efforts to conquer distance, time, physics, and self-defeating attitudes.
- the spirit of cooperation, understanding, and unity, i.e. the promotion of world peace, consisting of learning to respect one another's unique qualities, to work for another's success, to partake of one another's wisdom, and to aspire to live together in harmony as members of the human family.
In Detail:
What is Olympism?
Olympism, though new to many, was coined by the originator of the modern Olympic Games, French educator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937):
It can permeate a wide variety of modes of expression
and no single race or era can claim to have a monopoly on it.
More than the Games.
Baron de Coubertin's dream was to create in the youth of the world a personal attitude of self worth and dignity that would extend far beyond the formal Olympic Games themselves. His consuming thought was to celebrate the health, values, and athletic talent of youth, to honor the individual athlete, and to unite the communities of the world in peace. It was his hope that through sport, the youth of the world would become better acquainted with the nations and peoples of other countries without regard to sex, race, color, or religious beliefs. Ultimately, this harmonious discipline of body, mind, and spirit helps each person to understand, as Socrates said, "His chief and proper concern: Knowledge of himself and the right way to live."
True Competition.
A second attribute of Olympism is the development the ability to play fair as one plays for fun. As in the ancient Games, animosity and hatred are put aside during the Olympic Games as individual athletes compete against themselves to excel for the pride of their nation.
The Ideals of Olympism.
Baron de Coubertin summarized the Spirit of Olympism in five ideals which were established as a part of the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896. These goals continue to shape the Spirit of Olympism today:
- To help develop better citizens through the building of character that accompanies participation in amateur sports.
- To demonstrate the principles of fair play and good sportsmanship.
- To stimulate interest in fine arts through exhibitions, concerts and demonstrations during the games, and in so doing contribute to a well-rounded life.
- To teach that sports are played for fun and enjoyment.
- To create international friendship and good will that would lead to a happier and more peaceful world.
isn't this just so wonderful? :).. or maybe i'm a dreamer.. if so, yes, i dream of World Peace and i believe that one day, we might just have it.. hopefully in MY lifetime..... i wonder if they will uphold the spirit of "ekecheiria", "the sacred truce" this year...
Friday, 21 May 2004
which happy bunny are you?
congratulations. you are the "you smell like
butt" bunny. you're brutally honest and
always say whats on your mind.
brought to you by Quizilla
congratulations. you are the "you smell like
butt" bunny. you're brutally honest and
always say whats on your mind.
brought to you by Quizilla
Thursday, 20 May 2004
Yann Martel's Life of Pi
what a marvellous book!
Life of Pi
read it - you owe it to yourself to expand your imagination and the way you view the mysteries of life, God and all there is to our existence....
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."
— Soren Kierkegaard
"The most beautiful thing that we can experience is the mysterious."
— Albert Einstein
as a friend of mine puts it quite aptly.. "This book will make you believe in God".. :p
what a marvellous book!
Life of Pi
read it - you owe it to yourself to expand your imagination and the way you view the mysteries of life, God and all there is to our existence....
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."
— Soren Kierkegaard
"The most beautiful thing that we can experience is the mysterious."
— Albert Einstein
as a friend of mine puts it quite aptly.. "This book will make you believe in God".. :p
Quotes to Encourage A Disheartened Soul
to my dearest friends who are downhearted and feeling sad... this is for you.. it is long but let that be a measure of how much i care for you..
"Attitude is everything. It motivates action, which increases productivity and improves morale, which perpetuates a positive attitude." - Robert Urich
"We can change the world when we change ourselves. And the energy of our consciousness, like the energy of all light, continues into the eternity. When there is light in the soul there will be beauty in the person. When there is beauty in the person there will be harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home there will order in the nation. When there is order in the nation there will be peace in the world." - Chinese Proverb
No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work. - Mother Teresa
We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs. - -- Francois Fenelon
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. - -- Eleanor Roosevelt
You can have anything you want -- if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose. - Abraham Lincoln
Remember that if the opportunities for great deeds should never come, the opportunities for good deeds are renewed day by day. The thing for us to long for is the goodness, not the glory.
- F.W. Faber
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting. - Elizabeth Bibesco
I searched through rebellion, drugs, diets, mysticism, religions, intellectualism and much more, only to begin to find that truth is basically simple - and feels good, clean and right. - Chick Corea
The measure of a man is what happens when nothing works and you got the guts to go on. - Tex Cobb, boxer and actor
When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take - choose the bolder. - W.J. Slim
To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man's life. - T.S. Eliot
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. - Sir Winston Churchill
Nature does not bestow virtue; to be good is an art. - Seneca
When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: the work is good, the product of a master craftsman. - -- La Bruyere
My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack. - Marshall Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), supreme commander of allied forces in 1918.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - American poet Robert Frost (1875-1963)
I believe with all my heart that civilization has produced nothing finer than a man or woman who thinks and practices true tolerance. - -- Frank Knox
We are fallible. We certainly haven't attained perfection. But we can strive for it, and the virtue is in the striving. - Carlos P. Romulo
The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. - William Wordsworth
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. - Henry Ford
Because of my title I was the first to enter here. I shall be the last to go out. - Duchesse d'Alencon, refusing help during a fire
A friend is one who sees through you and still enjoys the view. - Wilma Askinas
Never mind what others do; do better than yourself, beat your own record from day to day, and you are a success. - William J. H. Boetcker
Physical courage, which despises all danger, will make a man brave in one way; and moral courage, which despises all opinion, will make a man brave in another. - -- Charles Caleb Colton
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. - English proverb
Most true happiness comes from one's inner life, from the disposition of the mind and soul. Admittedly, a good inner life is hard to achieve, especially in these trying times. It takes reflection and contemplation and self-discipline. - W. L. Shirer
Our real duty is always found running in the direction of our worthiest desires. - Randolph Bourne
Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own. - Johann von Goethe
No man is a failure who is enjoying life. - William Feather
We come into this world crying while all around us are smiling. May we so live that we go out of this world smiling while everybody around us is weeping. - - Persian proverb
Trials, temptations, disappointments -- all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before. - James Buckham
Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given. - Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) Russian dramatist and writer
The various religions are like different roads converging on the same point. What difference does it make if we follow different routes, provided we arrive at the same destination. - -- Mahatma Gandhi
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. - -- Chinese proverb
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it. - -- Vince Lombardi
Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought.
Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power. - Lord Alfred Tennyson
To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals - that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him. - Honore De Balzac
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. - Helen Keller
Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. - -- Phillips Brooks
That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end. - --Lise Hand, describing Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, who was killed as a result of her investigations of Irish organized crime.
I find that it is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our comfort. - Elizabeth T. King
No pleasure philosophy, no sensuality, no place nor power, no material success can for a moment give such inner satisfaction as the sense of living for good purposes, for maintenance of integrity, for the preservation of self-approval. - Minot Simons
Our greatest happiness in life does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits. - Thomas Jefferson
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims. - Harriet Woods
The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does. - Confucius
Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity. - Paul Goodman
A day dawns, quite like other days; in it, a single hour comes, quite like other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us. - Maltbie Babcock
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself - and be lenient to everybody else. - - Henry Ward Beecher
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame. - Alexander Pope
The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper. - Aristotle
The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. - Charles Du Bos
Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life. - Ann Landers
When we associate with the virtuous we form ourselves in imitation of their virtues, or at least lose, every day, something of our faults. - Agapet
Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much. - Erastus Wiman
Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not. - Henry Fielding
We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs. - Francois Fenelon
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - William Morrow
Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. - Phillips Brooks
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for? - Robert Browning
‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. - Thomas Paine
a parting gift that you leave with malice will follow you through life
Man's greatest actions are performed in minor struggles. Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes - obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes. - Victor Hugo
to my dearest friends who are downhearted and feeling sad... this is for you.. it is long but let that be a measure of how much i care for you..
"Attitude is everything. It motivates action, which increases productivity and improves morale, which perpetuates a positive attitude." - Robert Urich
"We can change the world when we change ourselves. And the energy of our consciousness, like the energy of all light, continues into the eternity. When there is light in the soul there will be beauty in the person. When there is beauty in the person there will be harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home there will order in the nation. When there is order in the nation there will be peace in the world." - Chinese Proverb
No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work. - Mother Teresa
We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs. - -- Francois Fenelon
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. - -- Eleanor Roosevelt
You can have anything you want -- if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose. - Abraham Lincoln
Remember that if the opportunities for great deeds should never come, the opportunities for good deeds are renewed day by day. The thing for us to long for is the goodness, not the glory.
- F.W. Faber
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting. - Elizabeth Bibesco
I searched through rebellion, drugs, diets, mysticism, religions, intellectualism and much more, only to begin to find that truth is basically simple - and feels good, clean and right. - Chick Corea
The measure of a man is what happens when nothing works and you got the guts to go on. - Tex Cobb, boxer and actor
When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take - choose the bolder. - W.J. Slim
To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man's life. - T.S. Eliot
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. - Sir Winston Churchill
Nature does not bestow virtue; to be good is an art. - Seneca
When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: the work is good, the product of a master craftsman. - -- La Bruyere
My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack. - Marshall Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929), supreme commander of allied forces in 1918.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - American poet Robert Frost (1875-1963)
I believe with all my heart that civilization has produced nothing finer than a man or woman who thinks and practices true tolerance. - -- Frank Knox
We are fallible. We certainly haven't attained perfection. But we can strive for it, and the virtue is in the striving. - Carlos P. Romulo
The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. - William Wordsworth
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. - Henry Ford
Because of my title I was the first to enter here. I shall be the last to go out. - Duchesse d'Alencon, refusing help during a fire
A friend is one who sees through you and still enjoys the view. - Wilma Askinas
Never mind what others do; do better than yourself, beat your own record from day to day, and you are a success. - William J. H. Boetcker
Physical courage, which despises all danger, will make a man brave in one way; and moral courage, which despises all opinion, will make a man brave in another. - -- Charles Caleb Colton
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. - English proverb
Most true happiness comes from one's inner life, from the disposition of the mind and soul. Admittedly, a good inner life is hard to achieve, especially in these trying times. It takes reflection and contemplation and self-discipline. - W. L. Shirer
Our real duty is always found running in the direction of our worthiest desires. - Randolph Bourne
Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own. - Johann von Goethe
No man is a failure who is enjoying life. - William Feather
We come into this world crying while all around us are smiling. May we so live that we go out of this world smiling while everybody around us is weeping. - - Persian proverb
Trials, temptations, disappointments -- all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before. - James Buckham
Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given. - Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) Russian dramatist and writer
The various religions are like different roads converging on the same point. What difference does it make if we follow different routes, provided we arrive at the same destination. - -- Mahatma Gandhi
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. - -- Chinese proverb
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it. - -- Vince Lombardi
Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought.
Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power. - Lord Alfred Tennyson
To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals - that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him. - Honore De Balzac
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. - Helen Keller
Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. - -- Phillips Brooks
That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end. - --Lise Hand, describing Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, who was killed as a result of her investigations of Irish organized crime.
I find that it is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our comfort. - Elizabeth T. King
No pleasure philosophy, no sensuality, no place nor power, no material success can for a moment give such inner satisfaction as the sense of living for good purposes, for maintenance of integrity, for the preservation of self-approval. - Minot Simons
Our greatest happiness in life does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits. - Thomas Jefferson
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims. - Harriet Woods
The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does. - Confucius
Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity. - Paul Goodman
A day dawns, quite like other days; in it, a single hour comes, quite like other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us. - Maltbie Babcock
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself - and be lenient to everybody else. - - Henry Ward Beecher
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame. - Alexander Pope
The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper. - Aristotle
The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. - Charles Du Bos
Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life. - Ann Landers
When we associate with the virtuous we form ourselves in imitation of their virtues, or at least lose, every day, something of our faults. - Agapet
Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much. - Erastus Wiman
Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not. - Henry Fielding
We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs. - Francois Fenelon
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - William Morrow
Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process. - Phillips Brooks
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for? - Robert Browning
‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. - Thomas Paine
a parting gift that you leave with malice will follow you through life
Man's greatest actions are performed in minor struggles. Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes - obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes. - Victor Hugo
Tuesday, 18 May 2004
of nude bodies and tissue chopes
Kai and I had a blast yesterday at Studio Miu (in Taka 4th floor) charcoal sketching a rather fine male specimen ... erhm.. haha.. for those a little disappointed at the lack of detail on the ... er.. private parts.. trust me, it's darn difficult to draw it when the model is looking right straight at you.. haha.. oh well.. guess you just have to imagine it?? hahahaha
it's great connecting with my creative side again..:).. sometimes, with all the rigours and demands of daily life, finding that little bit of time to nurture what little artistic talent we have becomes so difficult.. a fantastic 3 hours just letting my hand, grasping a sticklike piece of willow charcoal, glide intuitively over sheet after sheet of newsprint paper, under the wondrous guidance of master artist Teguh Ostenrik.. i cannot conceive of greater joy.. :)..
Update: Just a point of interest.. is anyone out there willing to volunteer to pose for my friend and I to sketch?? We are desperate for more practice!! hahahaha..
on another note, here's an evidence of tissue choping* i witnessed at Ikea yesterday while I was there for kopi...
according to my friend, this is a purely singaporean phenomenon.. how embarrassing.. :|... i almost took a piece to wipe my mouth.. haha..
*chope - (verb) local slang meaning "to reserve". Example: It's free seating at the concert, we need to get there early to chope seats for our group.
Kai and I had a blast yesterday at Studio Miu (in Taka 4th floor) charcoal sketching a rather fine male specimen ... erhm.. haha.. for those a little disappointed at the lack of detail on the ... er.. private parts.. trust me, it's darn difficult to draw it when the model is looking right straight at you.. haha.. oh well.. guess you just have to imagine it?? hahahaha
it's great connecting with my creative side again..:).. sometimes, with all the rigours and demands of daily life, finding that little bit of time to nurture what little artistic talent we have becomes so difficult.. a fantastic 3 hours just letting my hand, grasping a sticklike piece of willow charcoal, glide intuitively over sheet after sheet of newsprint paper, under the wondrous guidance of master artist Teguh Ostenrik.. i cannot conceive of greater joy.. :)..
Update: Just a point of interest.. is anyone out there willing to volunteer to pose for my friend and I to sketch?? We are desperate for more practice!! hahahaha..
on another note, here's an evidence of tissue choping* i witnessed at Ikea yesterday while I was there for kopi...
according to my friend, this is a purely singaporean phenomenon.. how embarrassing.. :|... i almost took a piece to wipe my mouth.. haha..
*chope - (verb) local slang meaning "to reserve". Example: It's free seating at the concert, we need to get there early to chope seats for our group.
Monday, 17 May 2004
Sunday, 16 May 2004
life's myriad possibilities
dad suggested that i take up Taichi (Yang style) at the community centre.
mum thinks i should join her and her "auntie" friends for line dancing (gulp!.. imagine cowboy hats and leather boots.. yeeehah!)
kai says we should join the figure sketching classes at Studio Miu at Taka, taught by famous Indonesian sculptor Teguh Ostenrik... we will sketch.. nudes!! :D ..
another good pal says i should join either the ultra cool Exotic Dancing (for ladies only) or Salsa lessons at Attitude Dance Studio that she attended recently.. Very popular classes taught by this very sexy friend of mine - Linna - who appeared in the Sunday Times recently! I've got such cool friends.. erhmmm.. :p
this holiday is chock full of possibilities! .. and i still have to find time to study my Spanish, work out at the gym, and spend time with people who matter to me.. :)
anyway, managed to sort out troubling eye infection (thanks to wonderful docs at Eye Clinic NUH) and straight after, i was hit by a short bout of cough-flu that seemed to have affected everyone else before that.. guess i was weakened by my string of visits to the hospital.. oh well, thank God my health has recovered more or less.. my advice to everyone?
Drink more water and eat more fruits... :p
Life is good.. :) I feel so blessed.. i can't help but smile..
dad suggested that i take up Taichi (Yang style) at the community centre.
mum thinks i should join her and her "auntie" friends for line dancing (gulp!.. imagine cowboy hats and leather boots.. yeeehah!)
kai says we should join the figure sketching classes at Studio Miu at Taka, taught by famous Indonesian sculptor Teguh Ostenrik... we will sketch.. nudes!! :D ..
another good pal says i should join either the ultra cool Exotic Dancing (for ladies only) or Salsa lessons at Attitude Dance Studio that she attended recently.. Very popular classes taught by this very sexy friend of mine - Linna - who appeared in the Sunday Times recently! I've got such cool friends.. erhmmm.. :p
this holiday is chock full of possibilities! .. and i still have to find time to study my Spanish, work out at the gym, and spend time with people who matter to me.. :)
anyway, managed to sort out troubling eye infection (thanks to wonderful docs at Eye Clinic NUH) and straight after, i was hit by a short bout of cough-flu that seemed to have affected everyone else before that.. guess i was weakened by my string of visits to the hospital.. oh well, thank God my health has recovered more or less.. my advice to everyone?
Drink more water and eat more fruits... :p
Life is good.. :) I feel so blessed.. i can't help but smile..
Wednesday, 12 May 2004
Which Earth Angel Are You?
Elemental
Often described as "a breath of fresh air", that my friend is exactly what you are. Your soul is of the powerful and ethereal family of the elemental spirits. With your impish charm and striking sense of humor and optimisim, you are constantly surrounded by friends and admirers, many of whom watch you from afar, beguiled by your magnetic personality and wit, but too shy to approach you. People of your origin often find themselves in the entertainment industry, as they love to make people laugh and feel better about life. You are most likely fascinated by the origin of fairies, elves and other magical beings, and feel a sense of inexplicable clarity when you watch such movies as Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings. You live for your dreams and most likely your closest friends are other Elementals and Wise Ones, the reincarnated witches and wizards you worked alongside in a past life. You love animals and nature and are greatly angered at man's abuse of it. You hide your anguish behind a beautiful smile and dazzling eyes. Don't let the world's drudgery weigh your wings down, as the human race is counting on you for its sense of morale and hope, which is forever being tested. Stay true to yourself, and one day it will all come together.
how flattering..
brought to you by Quizilla (via Kai)
Elemental
Often described as "a breath of fresh air", that my friend is exactly what you are. Your soul is of the powerful and ethereal family of the elemental spirits. With your impish charm and striking sense of humor and optimisim, you are constantly surrounded by friends and admirers, many of whom watch you from afar, beguiled by your magnetic personality and wit, but too shy to approach you. People of your origin often find themselves in the entertainment industry, as they love to make people laugh and feel better about life. You are most likely fascinated by the origin of fairies, elves and other magical beings, and feel a sense of inexplicable clarity when you watch such movies as Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings. You live for your dreams and most likely your closest friends are other Elementals and Wise Ones, the reincarnated witches and wizards you worked alongside in a past life. You love animals and nature and are greatly angered at man's abuse of it. You hide your anguish behind a beautiful smile and dazzling eyes. Don't let the world's drudgery weigh your wings down, as the human race is counting on you for its sense of morale and hope, which is forever being tested. Stay true to yourself, and one day it will all come together.
how flattering..
brought to you by Quizilla (via Kai)
Tuesday, 11 May 2004
Timewasting Quiz (from someone’s blog)
1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:
telling others how to succeed. But along with my partners, in (from the book “A Millionaire’s Notebook: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Success)
2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
My Cambridge Soundworks speaker.
3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Some Korean drama thing my mum was watching… not very interesting..
4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what time it is:
12.00 pm
5: Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?:
11.55 am. I have psychic perception!!
6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?:
The sound of the fan.. it’s been a hot day..
7: When did you last step outside? what were you doing?
Slightly before 9am. I went to the hospital to check out my eye (again..)… stupid infection is back.. grrr.. but I’m positive this time.. it’s not getting better but it certainly isn’t getting worse..
8: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?
ST Interactive.
9: What are you wearing?
”Home clothes”: a 2001 Terry Fox Run t-shirt and beach shorts… relaxed..
10: Did you dream last night?
No.. I reckon I was so comatose from fatigue my capacity to dream failed on me.. .
11: When did you last laugh?
About 5 minutes ago… fooling around with my sister and a stuffed toy.. haha… I laugh all the time..
12: What is on the walls of the room you are in?
A gouache on cheese cloth painting by some Chinese artist I bought a couple of years back from Raffles City
13: Seen anything weird lately?
Yes, yam mochis. My sis just gave one to me. It’s quite nice.
14: What do you think of this quiz?
I think it’s silly and timewasting.
15: What is the last film you saw?
Facing Window, by Ferzen Ozpetek.
16: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
A sea-facing studio apartment. Then I’ll buy a Peugeot 206 to park below it.
17: Tell me something about you that I don't know:
Sometimes, I’m just pretending to be smart when I’m really not.. haha...
18: If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
I’ll make everyone more tolerant and accepting of others' differences.
19: Do you like to dance?
Yes… but I’m not that good..
20: George Bush:
I don’t like him. He is belligerent.
21: Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
umm… I don’t know... probably something really unusual but not embarrassing
21: Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
umm… I don’t know too...
22: Would you ever consider living abroad?
definitely… so far, the places I like are London, Australia, Brazil.. even Japan.. umm.. probably not the US.. I don’t’ mind trying out China…
23: What is the name of your closest neighbour?
actually, I don’t know my neighbours at all though we smile politely at each other every time we happen to synchronise opening our front doors..
1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:
telling others how to succeed. But along with my partners, in (from the book “A Millionaire’s Notebook: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Success)
2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
My Cambridge Soundworks speaker.
3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Some Korean drama thing my mum was watching… not very interesting..
4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what time it is:
12.00 pm
5: Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?:
11.55 am. I have psychic perception!!
6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?:
The sound of the fan.. it’s been a hot day..
7: When did you last step outside? what were you doing?
Slightly before 9am. I went to the hospital to check out my eye (again..)… stupid infection is back.. grrr.. but I’m positive this time.. it’s not getting better but it certainly isn’t getting worse..
8: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?
ST Interactive.
9: What are you wearing?
”Home clothes”: a 2001 Terry Fox Run t-shirt and beach shorts… relaxed..
10: Did you dream last night?
No.. I reckon I was so comatose from fatigue my capacity to dream failed on me.. .
11: When did you last laugh?
About 5 minutes ago… fooling around with my sister and a stuffed toy.. haha… I laugh all the time..
12: What is on the walls of the room you are in?
A gouache on cheese cloth painting by some Chinese artist I bought a couple of years back from Raffles City
13: Seen anything weird lately?
Yes, yam mochis. My sis just gave one to me. It’s quite nice.
14: What do you think of this quiz?
I think it’s silly and timewasting.
15: What is the last film you saw?
Facing Window, by Ferzen Ozpetek.
16: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
A sea-facing studio apartment. Then I’ll buy a Peugeot 206 to park below it.
17: Tell me something about you that I don't know:
Sometimes, I’m just pretending to be smart when I’m really not.. haha...
18: If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
I’ll make everyone more tolerant and accepting of others' differences.
19: Do you like to dance?
Yes… but I’m not that good..
20: George Bush:
I don’t like him. He is belligerent.
21: Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
umm… I don’t know... probably something really unusual but not embarrassing
21: Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
umm… I don’t know too...
22: Would you ever consider living abroad?
definitely… so far, the places I like are London, Australia, Brazil.. even Japan.. umm.. probably not the US.. I don’t’ mind trying out China…
23: What is the name of your closest neighbour?
actually, I don’t know my neighbours at all though we smile politely at each other every time we happen to synchronise opening our front doors..
Fool.com: I Am Beyond Super Sized
"Spurlock goes berserk, eating nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days straight, and apparently he paid the price, putting on 25 pounds and generally doing some bad things to his body. That sounds plausible, but who in their right mind would eat cheeseburgers every day for a month? We have to take a little personal responsibility for our actions. If we don't, there's a price to pay for living high off the Quarter-Pounder. We put on weight, our arteries harden, we develop heart disease. Give McDonald's a break. Its biggest crime is giving the people what they want. "
(read the rest of the article*)
writer Bob Bobala is convinced that the documentary film by Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me, decrying the evils of McDonald's, will not cause the public to react negatively to the company - Afterall, who doesn't know fastfood isn't exactly what you will call a healthy diet??
sometimes, i really can't help but think that the Americans come across looking rather silly ....
*from Motley Fool - one of my all time fave sites for investing stuff, aimed at the man/woman-in-the-street... go check it out, fren.. :)
"Spurlock goes berserk, eating nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days straight, and apparently he paid the price, putting on 25 pounds and generally doing some bad things to his body. That sounds plausible, but who in their right mind would eat cheeseburgers every day for a month? We have to take a little personal responsibility for our actions. If we don't, there's a price to pay for living high off the Quarter-Pounder. We put on weight, our arteries harden, we develop heart disease. Give McDonald's a break. Its biggest crime is giving the people what they want. "
(read the rest of the article*)
writer Bob Bobala is convinced that the documentary film by Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me, decrying the evils of McDonald's, will not cause the public to react negatively to the company - Afterall, who doesn't know fastfood isn't exactly what you will call a healthy diet??
sometimes, i really can't help but think that the Americans come across looking rather silly ....
*from Motley Fool - one of my all time fave sites for investing stuff, aimed at the man/woman-in-the-street... go check it out, fren.. :)
Monday, 10 May 2004
Facing Window (La Finestra di Fronte)
a line from the movie by director Ferzen Ozpetek said something like...
"If you want a better world, you must demand it..
You must not just dream of it.."
i could write tonnes about this lovely Italian movie but i'll just say that this one line stuck with me..
life.. to fill it with regrets?.. or hopes?.. or dreams?...
... how much would it take for me to achieve a better world.. for myself...? do i see a better world with less hate, suffering, selfishness and senseless discrimination...? more tolerance, openness..?
do YOU see a better world? what does YOUR better world look like?
a line from the movie by director Ferzen Ozpetek said something like...
"If you want a better world, you must demand it..
You must not just dream of it.."
i could write tonnes about this lovely Italian movie but i'll just say that this one line stuck with me..
life.. to fill it with regrets?.. or hopes?.. or dreams?...
... how much would it take for me to achieve a better world.. for myself...? do i see a better world with less hate, suffering, selfishness and senseless discrimination...? more tolerance, openness..?
do YOU see a better world? what does YOUR better world look like?
Friday, 7 May 2004
the holidays beckon...
grrr.... my somewhat gruelling (i don't exaggerate..) ten weeks of teaching practice has finally come to an end..!!
ten weeks of lesson planning, observations, reflections and waking up early to take pictures of stunning sunrises (plural?) before rushing to school.... ten weeks of singing the National Anthem and saying the National Pledge... ten weeks of mingling with angsty 17, 18 year olds in the throes of growing up and entering the adult world but who are not quite there yet ... ten weeks of canteen food... ten weeks of chalk dust and whiteboard marker stained hands...
for now, we shall not see anymore lovely sunrise at hweeling.blogspot.com for a while... waking up early will now mean waking up at 7am at most... hopefully, we can get to see more lovely sunsets overlooking even more lovely places instead.... heh heh.. i'm dreaming of a nice holiday... just sitting there, with a book, good company, a drink by my side, having good conversations... ok, you get the drift.. :) ... hopefully, i can use this month to brush up on some language skills, my photography, do some sketching or painting, start working on putting my India photo album together into something decent, work out at the gym....
got two classes of my students to give me written feedback today and was surprised most actually found me ok.. phew.. ok, not that i was perfect.. got a bunch of constructive feedback that i must definitely work on.. like talking a bit too fast.. and not being entirely clear in my explanations.. . i've actually been told by my supervisor that i ask rhetorical questions in class.. Rhetorical questions?? haha... imagine being asked a rhetorical question by your teacher who then pauses, stares at you and expects an answer.. hahaha..
but a few actually like my voice.. haha.. erhm... :).. that's quite a compliment.. shows that at least i don't sound like some comic character.. or have a particularly piercing or jarring voice... a few find me too serious and firm, a few find me too lax.. umm...
will sit at a cafe and ponder on what they say..
grrr.... my somewhat gruelling (i don't exaggerate..) ten weeks of teaching practice has finally come to an end..!!
ten weeks of lesson planning, observations, reflections and waking up early to take pictures of stunning sunrises (plural?) before rushing to school.... ten weeks of singing the National Anthem and saying the National Pledge... ten weeks of mingling with angsty 17, 18 year olds in the throes of growing up and entering the adult world but who are not quite there yet ... ten weeks of canteen food... ten weeks of chalk dust and whiteboard marker stained hands...
for now, we shall not see anymore lovely sunrise at hweeling.blogspot.com for a while... waking up early will now mean waking up at 7am at most... hopefully, we can get to see more lovely sunsets overlooking even more lovely places instead.... heh heh.. i'm dreaming of a nice holiday... just sitting there, with a book, good company, a drink by my side, having good conversations... ok, you get the drift.. :) ... hopefully, i can use this month to brush up on some language skills, my photography, do some sketching or painting, start working on putting my India photo album together into something decent, work out at the gym....
got two classes of my students to give me written feedback today and was surprised most actually found me ok.. phew.. ok, not that i was perfect.. got a bunch of constructive feedback that i must definitely work on.. like talking a bit too fast.. and not being entirely clear in my explanations.. . i've actually been told by my supervisor that i ask rhetorical questions in class.. Rhetorical questions?? haha... imagine being asked a rhetorical question by your teacher who then pauses, stares at you and expects an answer.. hahaha..
but a few actually like my voice.. haha.. erhm... :).. that's quite a compliment.. shows that at least i don't sound like some comic character.. or have a particularly piercing or jarring voice... a few find me too serious and firm, a few find me too lax.. umm...
will sit at a cafe and ponder on what they say..
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