Personality Disorder Test - Take It!
Disorder | Rating
Paranoid: Low
Schizoid: Low
Schizotypal: Moderate
Antisocial: High
Borderline: Low
Histrionic: High
Narcissistic: High
Avoidant: Low
Dependent: Low
Obsessive-Compulsive: High
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! --
so i score high on being Antisocial, Histrionic, Narcissistic and Obsessive-Compulsive... umm.... that's not good... see the Personality Disorder Information Page for info on these traits... personality disorders.. umm...
Thursday, 5 February 2004
leeches & translations
i have a confession to make..
i brought back 3 leeches from the malaysian jungle... and here they are.. see picture of peter 1, peter 2 and sarah..
yep.. i know it's bizarre.. but before i decided to keep them as pets, i was planning to just show them to folks back home or, if i decided to keep them, to soak them in formaldehyde to preserve the bodies.. but these little creatures have proven to be a lot more hardy and they haven't died even after many days... and since i'm receiving more and more requests from friends to view them, i reckon i have to keep them alive for a while more, so i fed them with fresh chicken liver and they seem quite receptive.. haha.... jokes aside, leeches are really amazing to watch...they can extend their bodies to amaziing lengths (like ten times the regular size) when they move around... they don't seem popular as pets though, cos a search on Google for "leeches + pets" yields zero results.. umm.. still, my classmates were absolutely fascinated, albeit grossed-out by them..
ok, leeches aside, i caught Lost In Translation just now and think it's a brilliant movie indeed. gentle and subtle. absolutely delightful.
just like my leeches. hahahaha....
com'on, be open-minded! leeches can be pets too (as long as you drop the 's' in pest.. 's' being "scepticism"??)
i have a confession to make..
i brought back 3 leeches from the malaysian jungle... and here they are.. see picture of peter 1, peter 2 and sarah..
yep.. i know it's bizarre.. but before i decided to keep them as pets, i was planning to just show them to folks back home or, if i decided to keep them, to soak them in formaldehyde to preserve the bodies.. but these little creatures have proven to be a lot more hardy and they haven't died even after many days... and since i'm receiving more and more requests from friends to view them, i reckon i have to keep them alive for a while more, so i fed them with fresh chicken liver and they seem quite receptive.. haha.... jokes aside, leeches are really amazing to watch...they can extend their bodies to amaziing lengths (like ten times the regular size) when they move around... they don't seem popular as pets though, cos a search on Google for "leeches + pets" yields zero results.. umm.. still, my classmates were absolutely fascinated, albeit grossed-out by them..
ok, leeches aside, i caught Lost In Translation just now and think it's a brilliant movie indeed. gentle and subtle. absolutely delightful.
just like my leeches. hahahaha....
com'on, be open-minded! leeches can be pets too (as long as you drop the 's' in pest.. 's' being "scepticism"??)
Tuesday, 3 February 2004
jungle weekend
pics here
back from 3 days out in the wilderness of the Selai Endau Rompin - Johor National Park
what a fabulous weekend!
our simple wooden jungle huts were surrounded by towering trees, cool freshwater creeks, thundering waterfalls, exotic fungi, strange moths and butterflies, and medicinal plants. we tried out orang asli food, tribal puzzles and blowpipes.. many hours were spent relaxing by or splashing about in the river in the cool shade of the luxuriant forests that lined either bank of the gently flowing creek. at night, we slept with the windows open to the sound of crickets and water and the sweet smell of dew...
other than the pesky and frankly rather vicious leech attacks (of which there were surprisingly plenty) when we did a short trek up to the Takah Tinggi waterfall and even when we pottered around our jungle camp in our flipflops, the place was actually very clean, highly liveable, and (wow!) mosquito-free!
check out digital pictures here (please note: only one of the pictures can be clicked on)
pics here
back from 3 days out in the wilderness of the Selai Endau Rompin - Johor National Park
what a fabulous weekend!
our simple wooden jungle huts were surrounded by towering trees, cool freshwater creeks, thundering waterfalls, exotic fungi, strange moths and butterflies, and medicinal plants. we tried out orang asli food, tribal puzzles and blowpipes.. many hours were spent relaxing by or splashing about in the river in the cool shade of the luxuriant forests that lined either bank of the gently flowing creek. at night, we slept with the windows open to the sound of crickets and water and the sweet smell of dew...
other than the pesky and frankly rather vicious leech attacks (of which there were surprisingly plenty) when we did a short trek up to the Takah Tinggi waterfall and even when we pottered around our jungle camp in our flipflops, the place was actually very clean, highly liveable, and (wow!) mosquito-free!
check out digital pictures here (please note: only one of the pictures can be clicked on)
Saturday, 31 January 2004
Friday, 30 January 2004
'Cap? Pas cap?' ('Game or not?')
taken just ten minutes ago... aren't digital cameras just so cool and convenient??... :)
finally caught French movie "Love Me If You Dare" this afternoon... leaves you thinking about how important fun and playfulness is in any relationship and finding that "soulmate" who connects in that special (even if sometimes crazy) way.. it's a bit idealistic but still, it's hard to find someone who wouldn't be touched by it, even if they are not die-hard romantics.. it's a quirky romance story, if i could put it that way.. great acting too..
seen it yet? if not, go see it! going to finish already!!
taken just ten minutes ago... aren't digital cameras just so cool and convenient??... :)
finally caught French movie "Love Me If You Dare" this afternoon... leaves you thinking about how important fun and playfulness is in any relationship and finding that "soulmate" who connects in that special (even if sometimes crazy) way.. it's a bit idealistic but still, it's hard to find someone who wouldn't be touched by it, even if they are not die-hard romantics.. it's a quirky romance story, if i could put it that way.. great acting too..
seen it yet? if not, go see it! going to finish already!!
Thursday, 29 January 2004
desktop support
inspired by valska's pic of her doggy wrist rest, i took a picture of my cat wrist rest and here it is, on my messy worktable, surrounded by boxes of my mounted slides:
sigh.. so much work and i'm playing away, taking nonsensical pictures... i ought to be scolded.... back to work.. grr..
i can't wait to go to the jungle and hide away.... heh heh.. endau rompin!!
inspired by valska's pic of her doggy wrist rest, i took a picture of my cat wrist rest and here it is, on my messy worktable, surrounded by boxes of my mounted slides:
sigh.. so much work and i'm playing away, taking nonsensical pictures... i ought to be scolded.... back to work.. grr..
i can't wait to go to the jungle and hide away.... heh heh.. endau rompin!!
Not Tonight, Honey. I'm Logging On.
Internet porn is everywhere; even “nice” guys are hooked. So where does that leave their girlfriends?
great read.
non sequitur thought: i've just noticed that a large number (maybe not majority, i hope) of regular bloggers are actually single.. or maybe they just happen to be the blogs i read... gulp.. any correlation between regular blogging and singlehood, anyone??
:p
Internet porn is everywhere; even “nice” guys are hooked. So where does that leave their girlfriends?
great read.
non sequitur thought: i've just noticed that a large number (maybe not majority, i hope) of regular bloggers are actually single.. or maybe they just happen to be the blogs i read... gulp.. any correlation between regular blogging and singlehood, anyone??
:p
a tale of many values
There was once a woman named Mei Ling who was in love with a man named Ah Seng. Ah Seng lived on the shore of a river. Mei Ling lived on the opposite shore of the river. The river, which separated the two lovers, was teeming with man-eating crocodiles. Meil Ling wanted to cross the river to be with Ah Seng. Unfortunately, the bridge had been washed out. So she went to ask John the riverboat captain, to take her across. He said he would be glad to if she would spend the ngiht with him. She promptly refused and went to a friend named Boon Teck to explain her plight. Boon Teck said he did not want to be involved at all in the situation. Mei Ling felt her only alternative was to accept John's terms. She spent the night with him and he fulfilled his promise and took her across the river to Ah Seng.
When she told Ah Seng about what happened, Ah Seng cast her aside. Mei Ling turned to Tom with her tale of woe. Tom then sought out Ah Seng and gave him a good blow that sent him into the river.
Rank the five characters from one to five, one being the person you like the most and five being the person you like least.
Mei Ling, Ah Seng, John, Tom & Boon Teck
after you have done this, deliberate on why you made those choices. it's quite interesting how this little exercise reveals a lot about our personal values, and what we like and dislike most about the behaviour and beliefs of ourselves and others.
so who did you like the most and least?
There was once a woman named Mei Ling who was in love with a man named Ah Seng. Ah Seng lived on the shore of a river. Mei Ling lived on the opposite shore of the river. The river, which separated the two lovers, was teeming with man-eating crocodiles. Meil Ling wanted to cross the river to be with Ah Seng. Unfortunately, the bridge had been washed out. So she went to ask John the riverboat captain, to take her across. He said he would be glad to if she would spend the ngiht with him. She promptly refused and went to a friend named Boon Teck to explain her plight. Boon Teck said he did not want to be involved at all in the situation. Mei Ling felt her only alternative was to accept John's terms. She spent the night with him and he fulfilled his promise and took her across the river to Ah Seng.
When she told Ah Seng about what happened, Ah Seng cast her aside. Mei Ling turned to Tom with her tale of woe. Tom then sought out Ah Seng and gave him a good blow that sent him into the river.
Rank the five characters from one to five, one being the person you like the most and five being the person you like least.
Mei Ling, Ah Seng, John, Tom & Boon Teck
after you have done this, deliberate on why you made those choices. it's quite interesting how this little exercise reveals a lot about our personal values, and what we like and dislike most about the behaviour and beliefs of ourselves and others.
so who did you like the most and least?
the last samurai
"Nearly every set in the film was made from scratch by the production, under Kilvert's careful direction, from the thatched-roof homes of a rural Samurai village to the congested, modern Tokyo thoroughfare; from silk-shaded lamps and rice paper window screens to prop weaponry and period flags. They even made their own trees..."
maybe it was the attention to detail.. maybe it was the brilliant acting by the actors, or the plot, or maybe it was even just because i haven't seen a movie in quite a while.. anyway, i found myself enjoying almost every bit of the last samurai when i watched it this evening... even the pace was just about right (not draggy in the typical pseudo-epic way) and i was touched by several scenes of heroism and honour.. quite cool movie indeed..
go see.
"Nearly every set in the film was made from scratch by the production, under Kilvert's careful direction, from the thatched-roof homes of a rural Samurai village to the congested, modern Tokyo thoroughfare; from silk-shaded lamps and rice paper window screens to prop weaponry and period flags. They even made their own trees..."
maybe it was the attention to detail.. maybe it was the brilliant acting by the actors, or the plot, or maybe it was even just because i haven't seen a movie in quite a while.. anyway, i found myself enjoying almost every bit of the last samurai when i watched it this evening... even the pace was just about right (not draggy in the typical pseudo-epic way) and i was touched by several scenes of heroism and honour.. quite cool movie indeed..
go see.
Wednesday, 28 January 2004
gender stereotypes??
A French teacher was explaining to her College class that in French, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. House is feminine "la maison." Pencil is masculine "le crayon."
A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups - male and female - and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender (la computer) because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later review; and,
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine (le computer) because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and,
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
A French teacher was explaining to her College class that in French, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. House is feminine "la maison." Pencil is masculine "le crayon."
A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups - male and female - and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender (la computer) because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later review; and,
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine (le computer) because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and,
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
Tuesday, 27 January 2004
moral dilemma
one of our lecturers shared with us in class today this real life moral dilemma she faced several years ago while teaching at an all-girls secondary school. One day, she was suddenly approached by one of the girls' mother and told that the latter wanted to withdraw her daughter from the school. It turned out that this 15-year old-girl was actually already 7 months pregnant at that time! And the worse thing was, the "father" of the baby was actually her own stepfather! This was one of those typical all-girls' school where the girls wore pinafores and could hide their figures quite well as long as they did not wear their belts - which would be familiar to you if you came from such a school yourself - i did. in my lecturer's own words: "you can't tell who is pregnant and who is not".
with all the intuitive instincts of her psychology background, my lecturer figured that what really happened was the girl, since she was so young, had probably been raped by her stepfather. Her mother, in order to protect her husband and to hide the shame to the family, was now withdrawing the daughter from the school and was trying to keep everything hush-hush. In fact, the family had already decided to bring up the child as if it was the girl's brother and to keep the secret forever from the child. According to my lecturer, she found herself struggling with whether to report the case and finally decided not to, after pressure from all sides (even the girl herself was willing to hide the truth of what happened). What was most painful was that even the Principal of the school said that "nothing could be done" since everyone was willing to "cover up" on what really happened..
in retrospect, she is no longer sure if she had made the right decision after all. in some ways, she even felt like an "accomplice" to a misdeed..
is the responsibility of the teacher first and foremost to protect and nurture the child, above all else? what could have been done otherwise? umm... difficult situation, huh?
one of our lecturers shared with us in class today this real life moral dilemma she faced several years ago while teaching at an all-girls secondary school. One day, she was suddenly approached by one of the girls' mother and told that the latter wanted to withdraw her daughter from the school. It turned out that this 15-year old-girl was actually already 7 months pregnant at that time! And the worse thing was, the "father" of the baby was actually her own stepfather! This was one of those typical all-girls' school where the girls wore pinafores and could hide their figures quite well as long as they did not wear their belts - which would be familiar to you if you came from such a school yourself - i did. in my lecturer's own words: "you can't tell who is pregnant and who is not".
with all the intuitive instincts of her psychology background, my lecturer figured that what really happened was the girl, since she was so young, had probably been raped by her stepfather. Her mother, in order to protect her husband and to hide the shame to the family, was now withdrawing the daughter from the school and was trying to keep everything hush-hush. In fact, the family had already decided to bring up the child as if it was the girl's brother and to keep the secret forever from the child. According to my lecturer, she found herself struggling with whether to report the case and finally decided not to, after pressure from all sides (even the girl herself was willing to hide the truth of what happened). What was most painful was that even the Principal of the school said that "nothing could be done" since everyone was willing to "cover up" on what really happened..
in retrospect, she is no longer sure if she had made the right decision after all. in some ways, she even felt like an "accomplice" to a misdeed..
is the responsibility of the teacher first and foremost to protect and nurture the child, above all else? what could have been done otherwise? umm... difficult situation, huh?
Sunday, 25 January 2004
Pilot Crew - Globetrotters Alert!
"Arts central has been showing a travel documentary series every thurs 9pm, called "Pilot Guides". They have shown Beijing, Turkey etc. More coming up. Nice footage, and a pretty host."
Their website: http://www.pilotguides.com/tv_shows/pilot_guides
(via email - thanks!)
"Arts central has been showing a travel documentary series every thurs 9pm, called "Pilot Guides". They have shown Beijing, Turkey etc. More coming up. Nice footage, and a pretty host."
Their website: http://www.pilotguides.com/tv_shows/pilot_guides
(via email - thanks!)
Saturday, 24 January 2004
holiday mood extended
something today triggered a realisation in me that it is already almost the end of January and I still haven't started on any of my resolutions yet... and it doesn't look like i'm about to start on them anytime soon as well, what with all the existing projects and all that still remains to be done... grrr... the start of the year is always filled with anxiety... and of cos a lot of lethargy and procrastination too.. sometimes, i get the feeling that i certainly don't seem to be getting better at time management even as i grow older and time becomes more and more scarce...
oh well, anyway, i've got a short trip with the Green Volunteers' Network coming up soon! :) the small group of us (the first time i'm joining them for their activities) are going to Malaysia's second national park, ENDAU ROMPIN NATIONAL PARK this coming Hari Raya Haji weekend to experience the tropical jungle and the Orang Asli way of life. Can't wait! only problem is that i can't decide if i should bring my digital camera or my slr.. umm... definitely not both since i'm trying not to be burdened by my gear this time.. i'm there to have fun! :) this could be the start of (hopefully) some volunteering this year, if time permits, once i get to know this organisation better... see first lah.. must focus this year instead of trying to do a million and one things half-heartedly..
something today triggered a realisation in me that it is already almost the end of January and I still haven't started on any of my resolutions yet... and it doesn't look like i'm about to start on them anytime soon as well, what with all the existing projects and all that still remains to be done... grrr... the start of the year is always filled with anxiety... and of cos a lot of lethargy and procrastination too.. sometimes, i get the feeling that i certainly don't seem to be getting better at time management even as i grow older and time becomes more and more scarce...
oh well, anyway, i've got a short trip with the Green Volunteers' Network coming up soon! :) the small group of us (the first time i'm joining them for their activities) are going to Malaysia's second national park, ENDAU ROMPIN NATIONAL PARK this coming Hari Raya Haji weekend to experience the tropical jungle and the Orang Asli way of life. Can't wait! only problem is that i can't decide if i should bring my digital camera or my slr.. umm... definitely not both since i'm trying not to be burdened by my gear this time.. i'm there to have fun! :) this could be the start of (hopefully) some volunteering this year, if time permits, once i get to know this organisation better... see first lah.. must focus this year instead of trying to do a million and one things half-heartedly..
Friday, 23 January 2004
countries i visited
create your own visited country map
.. takes forever to download the map though...
always looks impressive - even though i visited only the capital of some of these countries, e.g. Tokyo (Japan) and Manila (Philippines), the whole country is still coloured in red.. haha.. makes me feel dishonest.. durrh.... just noticed Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe look temptingly bare.. umm... ..
create your own visited country map
.. takes forever to download the map though...
always looks impressive - even though i visited only the capital of some of these countries, e.g. Tokyo (Japan) and Manila (Philippines), the whole country is still coloured in red.. haha.. makes me feel dishonest.. durrh.... just noticed Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe look temptingly bare.. umm... ..
Thursday, 22 January 2004
fortune smiles on my family..
mum just won the lottery!... see latest Singapore Pools results.... not 1st prize lah! but she's sharing part of her windfall with me and sis! :D
i'm finally going to get my long awaited for.... Akarui 56L Electric Dry Cabinet! now my humble collection of cameras and camera lenses will have a dry home sans silica gel! have been eyeing it in Cathay Photo for over the last two years.. haha.. unbelievable huh?
popping down to the store second thing on Monday! (first thing being classes, of course..) woo hoo! yippee! :D .. hope they still have it in stock..
mum just won the lottery!... see latest Singapore Pools results.... not 1st prize lah! but she's sharing part of her windfall with me and sis! :D
i'm finally going to get my long awaited for.... Akarui 56L Electric Dry Cabinet! now my humble collection of cameras and camera lenses will have a dry home sans silica gel! have been eyeing it in Cathay Photo for over the last two years.. haha.. unbelievable huh?
popping down to the store second thing on Monday! (first thing being classes, of course..) woo hoo! yippee! :D .. hope they still have it in stock..
Happy Lunar New Year Everyone! :)
someone sent me this lovely Happy Lunar New Year link.. click this... it's so cute.. :)
according to my Chinese Astrology fortune telling chart , i am a Green Tiger and am equivalent to Wood. In order to "improve my luck", i have to increase my "deficient element", which is Metal.. amongst the list of things that i supposedly have to take note of are:
1. Winds or air coming from the west are good to you. (that's ok, i live in the western part of Singapore.. haha..)
2. It's good for your well-being to orient your body with your head toward the west while sleeping. (i have to adjust all my furniture in the room??)
3. When arranging the office desk, you should sit facing the west. (umm.. very feng shui.. )
4. A metal bed is good for you. (eee....)
5. Your lucky color is white. (er.. ok..)
6. You should wear white often. (easy to get dirty, no?)
7. You should use a white system (pastel colours) for decorating your house. (no problem.. typical Singapore home.. pastelly..)
8. Driving a white car brings your luck. (no car)
9. Wearing jewelry will bring you luck. (haha.. not in my character though..)
10. It's a good idea to wear golden rings. (gold ring somemore! so obiang!)
11. You will have better luck, if your name has an 'E' sound. (hweeeeeeee...)
12. You will have better luck, if your name is associated with a meaning of metal or gold. (umm.. don't have.. i should call myself Goldie or something?)
13. Spicy food is good for you. (yum yum..)
14. For your health, don't be sad or worry all the time. (sounds logical..)
15. For your health, don't be in dry weather too long. (sounds logical, again..)
16. Take care of your respiratory system - Lungs, Nose and Skin. (this is true..)
17. Take good care of your large intestine too. (burp)
18. A person with higher Metal score is likely to be your good companion. (drop me a note if you are metal, ya? :p)
19. Your job will be easier, if you choose a business something to do with Metal or money. Pertinent jobs include Jewelry store, Mechanics, Transportation, Driver, Judge, Engineer, Electrician, Financial staff, Banker, Stockbroker, Funeral business, Police, Guard, Martial art, Appraiser, Scientist, Machinery, Wood cutter, Automobile, Metal factory or industry
(oops.. wrong job?)
20. Activities: Martial art, Fencing, Shooting, Hunting, Exercise in gym... (martial arts... umm..)
The tiger's fortune for this year 2004 reads:
This is a year to unwind, re-think and reconcile emotions. If you attempt too much activity, initiating risky projects and starting up new business, difficulties could ensue. Best consolidate, plan and prepare. Discover and develop the inner realm of the imagination. The magic of the Monkey will contribute most to the artistic and spiritual side of Tiger. Ambitious nature must show restraint.
wah.... so cheem... anyhow, 2004 will supposedly be a difficult/complex year for Tigers.. brace yourself, my tiger friends! Or, better still, DON'T BE SO SUPERSTITIOUS!!! haha..
someone sent me this lovely Happy Lunar New Year link.. click this... it's so cute.. :)
according to my Chinese Astrology fortune telling chart , i am a Green Tiger and am equivalent to Wood. In order to "improve my luck", i have to increase my "deficient element", which is Metal.. amongst the list of things that i supposedly have to take note of are:
1. Winds or air coming from the west are good to you. (that's ok, i live in the western part of Singapore.. haha..)
2. It's good for your well-being to orient your body with your head toward the west while sleeping. (i have to adjust all my furniture in the room??)
3. When arranging the office desk, you should sit facing the west. (umm.. very feng shui.. )
4. A metal bed is good for you. (eee....)
5. Your lucky color is white. (er.. ok..)
6. You should wear white often. (easy to get dirty, no?)
7. You should use a white system (pastel colours) for decorating your house. (no problem.. typical Singapore home.. pastelly..)
8. Driving a white car brings your luck. (no car)
9. Wearing jewelry will bring you luck. (haha.. not in my character though..)
10. It's a good idea to wear golden rings. (gold ring somemore! so obiang!)
11. You will have better luck, if your name has an 'E' sound. (hweeeeeeee...)
12. You will have better luck, if your name is associated with a meaning of metal or gold. (umm.. don't have.. i should call myself Goldie or something?)
13. Spicy food is good for you. (yum yum..)
14. For your health, don't be sad or worry all the time. (sounds logical..)
15. For your health, don't be in dry weather too long. (sounds logical, again..)
16. Take care of your respiratory system - Lungs, Nose and Skin. (this is true..)
17. Take good care of your large intestine too. (burp)
18. A person with higher Metal score is likely to be your good companion. (drop me a note if you are metal, ya? :p)
19. Your job will be easier, if you choose a business something to do with Metal or money. Pertinent jobs include Jewelry store, Mechanics, Transportation, Driver, Judge, Engineer, Electrician, Financial staff, Banker, Stockbroker, Funeral business, Police, Guard, Martial art, Appraiser, Scientist, Machinery, Wood cutter, Automobile, Metal factory or industry
(oops.. wrong job?)
20. Activities: Martial art, Fencing, Shooting, Hunting, Exercise in gym... (martial arts... umm..)
The tiger's fortune for this year 2004 reads:
This is a year to unwind, re-think and reconcile emotions. If you attempt too much activity, initiating risky projects and starting up new business, difficulties could ensue. Best consolidate, plan and prepare. Discover and develop the inner realm of the imagination. The magic of the Monkey will contribute most to the artistic and spiritual side of Tiger. Ambitious nature must show restraint.
wah.... so cheem... anyhow, 2004 will supposedly be a difficult/complex year for Tigers.. brace yourself, my tiger friends! Or, better still, DON'T BE SO SUPERSTITIOUS!!! haha..
Tuesday, 20 January 2004
Gourmet Hawker Food
with a bit of imagination and a spirit of adventure, friend and i turned our casual alfresco meal at Lau Pa Sat Market tonight into a pseudo-"gourmet" dinner, comprising dishes either one or both of us have never tried before….
instead of:
chicken & beef satay, we decided to order duck & mutton satay
plain mee goreng, we had cockles mee goreng
bbq stingray, we had bbq sotong (ok, i admit this is not exactly an "upgrade".. haha.. )
plain popiah, we had sole fish & crab meat popiah
and i had my two bottles of India's national beer, Kingfisher Premium Lager, well-chilled in the fridge - brought back carefully from New Delhi, to accompany the meal so we didn't have to buy the all-time local favourite Tiger Beer from the beer aunties prowling (no pun intended) around in their blue polo tees, tight skirts and track shoes...
we couldn't find any substitutes for the usual staple bbq chicken wings so we just bought that anyway... as well as teh tarik from the bored teh tarik man who could probably perform his amazing tarik-ing stunt blindfolded after doing the same action a thousand times a night.. this guy is so straight-faced he wouldn't even smile when you greet him!
nothing disappointed.. yum yum.. never knew eating at a hawker centre could be so much fun .. definitely the way to go to eat well and eat cheap in Singapore.. :)
for all the meat we had tonight, i strangely had one random thought mysteriously come into my mind for (i believe) the very first time in my life... that maybe i should try being vegetarian for a while this year.… for a month or two… to detox or something.. umm…. THAT would certainly be a new experience indeed…. :p .. haha.. better not overestimate myself here.. umm...
with a bit of imagination and a spirit of adventure, friend and i turned our casual alfresco meal at Lau Pa Sat Market tonight into a pseudo-"gourmet" dinner, comprising dishes either one or both of us have never tried before….
instead of:
chicken & beef satay, we decided to order duck & mutton satay
plain mee goreng, we had cockles mee goreng
bbq stingray, we had bbq sotong (ok, i admit this is not exactly an "upgrade".. haha.. )
plain popiah, we had sole fish & crab meat popiah
and i had my two bottles of India's national beer, Kingfisher Premium Lager, well-chilled in the fridge - brought back carefully from New Delhi, to accompany the meal so we didn't have to buy the all-time local favourite Tiger Beer from the beer aunties prowling (no pun intended) around in their blue polo tees, tight skirts and track shoes...
we couldn't find any substitutes for the usual staple bbq chicken wings so we just bought that anyway... as well as teh tarik from the bored teh tarik man who could probably perform his amazing tarik-ing stunt blindfolded after doing the same action a thousand times a night.. this guy is so straight-faced he wouldn't even smile when you greet him!
nothing disappointed.. yum yum.. never knew eating at a hawker centre could be so much fun .. definitely the way to go to eat well and eat cheap in Singapore.. :)
for all the meat we had tonight, i strangely had one random thought mysteriously come into my mind for (i believe) the very first time in my life... that maybe i should try being vegetarian for a while this year.… for a month or two… to detox or something.. umm…. THAT would certainly be a new experience indeed…. :p .. haha.. better not overestimate myself here.. umm...
The Decline of Fashion Photography
The Decline of Fashion Photography | An argument in pictures. | By Karen Lehrman
good read.
The Decline of Fashion Photography | An argument in pictures. | By Karen Lehrman
good read.
Monday, 19 January 2004
reflecting on the new year and my coming of age
These past two weeks have been mentally and physically exhausting.. on top of being dreadfully busy getting back into the routine of things (waking up at 6.45am to rush for classes is a lot harder than I thought), and working on the follow-up work from the project in Sikkim, I’m trying to sort out my hundreds of slides from the India trip before I lose my momentum and these colourful little squares end up in dusty little stacks; unseen, unevaluated, unloved…
add that to the fact that the start of the year also sees me (since I’m a early-January baby) coming to the end of the 25-29 age bracket earlier than most of my same-age peers.… yes… it’s the last year I can put a little tick on application/survey/contest forms that indicates that I am in the two-decade plus category.... I know you folks who know me tend to imagine this is not something that will bother me that much.. but even when I met up with some of my good friends in little informal gatherings this past week, one way or other, we always end up discussing it... it’s an unavoidable topic… and, like it or not, the feeling of anxiety starts creeping sneakily into our minds.. we realise (and keep reminding each other sadistically) that it’s the last 365 days or so of our lives before we hit the big 3... the age that most 20-something females (and even the handful of vain males) dread to think about, even if they do not admit it.. it’s like, there’s this list of stuff (personal dreams?) we always thought we would do before we turn 30.. learn a language, master a musical instrument, establish a career, run a marathon, start a business, get rich, get married.... whatever.. and now, finally, there’s only one last year to complete them... suddenly, time is finite.. so so finite..
for me, I know it’s not because I feel the pressure to keep up with the rat race and unaccomplished in that sense… I think I’ve long been left on the “career sidelines” anyway.. or worse still, disqualified....(haha).. still, the desire to use my time well has never felt stronger... In retrospect, last year’s pace was frightfully but pleasantly fast, and (praise God) things turned out on most counts better than I expected, despite a number of unexpected and significant personal changes (including even a career/job change).. by the end of eventful 2003, I felt a small but real tinge of accomplishment, even if it was by my own humble standards.. I guess that’s why I find myself reviewing my 2004 resolutions again and again these past two weeks, wondering if they are good enough to at least “keep up” with those of last year’s... sounds a tad bit silly, huh?..
anyway, point is, I think I’m not ready to start the year yet... thankfully we have CNY just round the corner.. :) … grrr.. I need to hide away for a while and pretend it’s still 2003… umm.. maybe i can swtich to the lunar calendar instead?? :p
These past two weeks have been mentally and physically exhausting.. on top of being dreadfully busy getting back into the routine of things (waking up at 6.45am to rush for classes is a lot harder than I thought), and working on the follow-up work from the project in Sikkim, I’m trying to sort out my hundreds of slides from the India trip before I lose my momentum and these colourful little squares end up in dusty little stacks; unseen, unevaluated, unloved…
add that to the fact that the start of the year also sees me (since I’m a early-January baby) coming to the end of the 25-29 age bracket earlier than most of my same-age peers.… yes… it’s the last year I can put a little tick on application/survey/contest forms that indicates that I am in the two-decade plus category.... I know you folks who know me tend to imagine this is not something that will bother me that much.. but even when I met up with some of my good friends in little informal gatherings this past week, one way or other, we always end up discussing it... it’s an unavoidable topic… and, like it or not, the feeling of anxiety starts creeping sneakily into our minds.. we realise (and keep reminding each other sadistically) that it’s the last 365 days or so of our lives before we hit the big 3... the age that most 20-something females (and even the handful of vain males) dread to think about, even if they do not admit it.. it’s like, there’s this list of stuff (personal dreams?) we always thought we would do before we turn 30.. learn a language, master a musical instrument, establish a career, run a marathon, start a business, get rich, get married.... whatever.. and now, finally, there’s only one last year to complete them... suddenly, time is finite.. so so finite..
for me, I know it’s not because I feel the pressure to keep up with the rat race and unaccomplished in that sense… I think I’ve long been left on the “career sidelines” anyway.. or worse still, disqualified....(haha).. still, the desire to use my time well has never felt stronger... In retrospect, last year’s pace was frightfully but pleasantly fast, and (praise God) things turned out on most counts better than I expected, despite a number of unexpected and significant personal changes (including even a career/job change).. by the end of eventful 2003, I felt a small but real tinge of accomplishment, even if it was by my own humble standards.. I guess that’s why I find myself reviewing my 2004 resolutions again and again these past two weeks, wondering if they are good enough to at least “keep up” with those of last year’s... sounds a tad bit silly, huh?..
anyway, point is, I think I’m not ready to start the year yet... thankfully we have CNY just round the corner.. :) … grrr.. I need to hide away for a while and pretend it’s still 2003… umm.. maybe i can swtich to the lunar calendar instead?? :p
Monday, 12 January 2004
la la la.. getting back into the swing of things
umm.. just discovered someone nominated me for the Asia Weblog Awards 2003 (Singapore category) last november... wow.. i'm flattered....
ya, btw, i've put up some of my digital india pics online so you can have a look at some of the stuff i saw... (click on the link under gallery "india 2003") a small selection for the time being.. too many to sort out... i see until i blur.. don't click unless you are on broadband 'cos the files are unimaginably huge!! hahaha.. don't blame me, blame your slow internet connection..hahaha..
first day of NIE today.. i'm trying to run away from all the work that needs to be done but realise that i can run but i can't hide.. (hahahha).. not forever at least.. . in addition to the terror of regular course assignments (cos we don't have exams, so they've come up with another way to torment us..), I've still got a whole bunch of post-expedition tasks to complete from our project to Sikkim (including revamping this 2nd-generation website.. haha) and the deadlines are awfully tight .. worse still, i don't have all my resources yet... (gasping for air..).. never mind, shan't frighten myself further.. let me talk about.. my most interesting module this semester:
Facilitating Sexuality Education in Secondary Schools!
remember how when we were young (primary school?) and the principal separated the boys and girls one day after morning assembly? each group went for a separate talk on the birds and the bees by two different teachers. i don't know what the (usually male PE) teacher told the boys but the girls were told about the female adolescent growing up process and (sudden but always shocking) biological changes to their bodies.. thereafter, we were reminded/warned Never Ever to talk to the boys about anything that we learnt... haha.... anyway, i don't think the kids know that little nowadays with the Internet and all.. the concern now is really whether the information they get (from whatever sources) is accurate or safe.. i do feel kids need to have an avenue to ask questions and receive answers, especially if their parents are awkward about it themselves. my parents never told me anything, so i'm still wondering how i came to having any knowledge at all about the topic .. we didn't have Internet at that time.. and certainly no books for that matter.. peers? umm.. trashy novels?? haha, no, i'm not a fan of Mills and Boons... umm...
oh well, anyway, this will be quite a challenging topic to teach if i'm ever tasked to do so by my school next time.. to me, i feel that the challenge is really about not imposing my own biased values on the students but rather teaching them more universal values such as personal responsibility and respect for others so that they can think for themselves what is right and wrong, and guiding them as much as i can..
yes, spoken like a real teacher.. hahaha.. got to zzz already... (it's much later than what is stated but i faked the time so no one would ask me if i get any sleep at all.. I do, btw.. durrh.. hahaha.. why do i bother...?? i'm nutz..)
umm.. just discovered someone nominated me for the Asia Weblog Awards 2003 (Singapore category) last november... wow.. i'm flattered....
ya, btw, i've put up some of my digital india pics online so you can have a look at some of the stuff i saw... (click on the link under gallery "india 2003") a small selection for the time being.. too many to sort out... i see until i blur.. don't click unless you are on broadband 'cos the files are unimaginably huge!! hahaha.. don't blame me, blame your slow internet connection..hahaha..
first day of NIE today.. i'm trying to run away from all the work that needs to be done but realise that i can run but i can't hide.. (hahahha).. not forever at least.. . in addition to the terror of regular course assignments (cos we don't have exams, so they've come up with another way to torment us..), I've still got a whole bunch of post-expedition tasks to complete from our project to Sikkim (including revamping this 2nd-generation website.. haha) and the deadlines are awfully tight .. worse still, i don't have all my resources yet... (gasping for air..).. never mind, shan't frighten myself further.. let me talk about.. my most interesting module this semester:
Facilitating Sexuality Education in Secondary Schools!
remember how when we were young (primary school?) and the principal separated the boys and girls one day after morning assembly? each group went for a separate talk on the birds and the bees by two different teachers. i don't know what the (usually male PE) teacher told the boys but the girls were told about the female adolescent growing up process and (sudden but always shocking) biological changes to their bodies.. thereafter, we were reminded/warned Never Ever to talk to the boys about anything that we learnt... haha.... anyway, i don't think the kids know that little nowadays with the Internet and all.. the concern now is really whether the information they get (from whatever sources) is accurate or safe.. i do feel kids need to have an avenue to ask questions and receive answers, especially if their parents are awkward about it themselves. my parents never told me anything, so i'm still wondering how i came to having any knowledge at all about the topic .. we didn't have Internet at that time.. and certainly no books for that matter.. peers? umm.. trashy novels?? haha, no, i'm not a fan of Mills and Boons... umm...
oh well, anyway, this will be quite a challenging topic to teach if i'm ever tasked to do so by my school next time.. to me, i feel that the challenge is really about not imposing my own biased values on the students but rather teaching them more universal values such as personal responsibility and respect for others so that they can think for themselves what is right and wrong, and guiding them as much as i can..
yes, spoken like a real teacher.. hahaha.. got to zzz already... (it's much later than what is stated but i faked the time so no one would ask me if i get any sleep at all.. I do, btw.. durrh.. hahaha.. why do i bother...?? i'm nutz..)
Sunday, 11 January 2004
The Sacred Rats of Deshnok Temple
rats enjoying milk from a large wok-like pan at the Deshnok Temple in Bikaner
this was one of my personal highlights - not because i really like rats or anything.. just that this was one place i've always wanted to visit after seeing it featured in a BBC documentary and in some movie i can't remember..
and because we saw this very very rare white rat, we are expected to have "good luck" ... heh heh...
there is even a website for the temple... www.karnimata.com... cool...
rats enjoying milk from a large wok-like pan at the Deshnok Temple in Bikaner
this was one of my personal highlights - not because i really like rats or anything.. just that this was one place i've always wanted to visit after seeing it featured in a BBC documentary and in some movie i can't remember..
and because we saw this very very rare white rat, we are expected to have "good luck" ... heh heh...
there is even a website for the temple... www.karnimata.com... cool...
Saturday, 10 January 2004
till we meet again, Adios India!!
reflections on the India trip
In so many ways, India is a challenge to even the most seasoned of travellers, particularly those who meet it for the very first time. Most of us come from places that are so much less crowded, where something such as privacy and a certain measure of personal space exists, and where animals and people live in existence quite apart from each other. For us, a "no" usually means a "no", a nod means "yes", and toilet business is carried out, as much as possible, in obscure places.
Hence, India is most definitely shocking! No, it is more than that.. India culture and society is also infuriatingly hard to understand and penetrate, difficult to conquer and almost impossible to truly love, especially if you have only seen it for a short while (yes, even 45 days isn't long.. believe me..).. nonetheless, no one who has experienced India can deny that this country is fascinating...
For those willing to be shaken and shocked, to scratch beneath the surface of grime, smog, dried up spit on the walls and pavements, and weeks of uncleared garbage, to look past the outstretched hands of the hordes of beggars, the moth-bitten skins of sacred cows standing in the middle of busy road junctions, the bloodily exposed scalps of emaciated stray dogs, and the devious scams of autorickshaw drivers and mendacious tour guides, and to set aside any biasness that may have built up from listening to one too many horror stories in the past, something special always emerges..
At the end of my 45 days in India, one thing that I can say for sure is.. I can never say anything for sure - not about people, about situations, or whatever.. Indians are both the most highly developed (they almost never ever get angry - read: zero road rage) as well as the least civilised (they spit, pee, poo, puke and drop litter on the street without care) people I've ever met. They are (or appear) highly religious and spiritual (most are vegetarians, throng temples, and amulets and statues of their thousands of deities can be seen everywhere - on themselves, their vehicles, street corners, under trees), yet find absolutely nothing wrong with scamming foreigners on a regular basis (we are walking Rupee signs). They scrub and clean themselves and their own little tiny domains obsessively, yet have no qualms stepping on dung and others' fresh puke and spit on the streets. They are meticulous about money (they never ever miscalculate - we were charged for a dollop of butter on our plates.. grr..) yet spend much of their waking hours sitting around drinking chai and chewing tobacco sold in little silvery packets. They devise the most elaborate scams, yet look at us with naive and innocent big black eyes..
I've only touched the surface of this culture even after more than a month of travelling in this country.. but I?m definitely entranced.. haha.. I guess I'll be back then.. this time speaking Hindi, definitely!
reflections on the India trip
In so many ways, India is a challenge to even the most seasoned of travellers, particularly those who meet it for the very first time. Most of us come from places that are so much less crowded, where something such as privacy and a certain measure of personal space exists, and where animals and people live in existence quite apart from each other. For us, a "no" usually means a "no", a nod means "yes", and toilet business is carried out, as much as possible, in obscure places.
Hence, India is most definitely shocking! No, it is more than that.. India culture and society is also infuriatingly hard to understand and penetrate, difficult to conquer and almost impossible to truly love, especially if you have only seen it for a short while (yes, even 45 days isn't long.. believe me..).. nonetheless, no one who has experienced India can deny that this country is fascinating...
For those willing to be shaken and shocked, to scratch beneath the surface of grime, smog, dried up spit on the walls and pavements, and weeks of uncleared garbage, to look past the outstretched hands of the hordes of beggars, the moth-bitten skins of sacred cows standing in the middle of busy road junctions, the bloodily exposed scalps of emaciated stray dogs, and the devious scams of autorickshaw drivers and mendacious tour guides, and to set aside any biasness that may have built up from listening to one too many horror stories in the past, something special always emerges..
At the end of my 45 days in India, one thing that I can say for sure is.. I can never say anything for sure - not about people, about situations, or whatever.. Indians are both the most highly developed (they almost never ever get angry - read: zero road rage) as well as the least civilised (they spit, pee, poo, puke and drop litter on the street without care) people I've ever met. They are (or appear) highly religious and spiritual (most are vegetarians, throng temples, and amulets and statues of their thousands of deities can be seen everywhere - on themselves, their vehicles, street corners, under trees), yet find absolutely nothing wrong with scamming foreigners on a regular basis (we are walking Rupee signs). They scrub and clean themselves and their own little tiny domains obsessively, yet have no qualms stepping on dung and others' fresh puke and spit on the streets. They are meticulous about money (they never ever miscalculate - we were charged for a dollop of butter on our plates.. grr..) yet spend much of their waking hours sitting around drinking chai and chewing tobacco sold in little silvery packets. They devise the most elaborate scams, yet look at us with naive and innocent big black eyes..
I've only touched the surface of this culture even after more than a month of travelling in this country.. but I?m definitely entranced.. haha.. I guess I'll be back then.. this time speaking Hindi, definitely!
back from India
these are the Sam sand dunes near Jaisalmer.... this pic came out looking like it was taken in the 60s with Lawrence of Arabia in front.. haha.. only have my digital pics for now. i'll show a few more of my digital pics over the next couple of days..
yes, i've returned!!
after 45 days in masala land, i finally have a chance to eat my hainanese chicken rice, my laksa and real vegetables!! you know, the only "veg" they seem to eat in India are potatoes (aloo), mashed up spinach (palak), peas (mutter), beans and tomatoes!! i need kailan and chye sim - the way my mama cooks them!! anyway, came back only this evening cos the plane was delayed for more than 11 hours due to fog...grrr... spent the past few hours washing the grime and dust off everything.. you wouldn't believe the number of pails of murky water i created!!
too tired to blog more now.. you shall hear more of me once i recover from.. err.. jet lag?? hahahah..
these are the Sam sand dunes near Jaisalmer.... this pic came out looking like it was taken in the 60s with Lawrence of Arabia in front.. haha.. only have my digital pics for now. i'll show a few more of my digital pics over the next couple of days..
yes, i've returned!!
after 45 days in masala land, i finally have a chance to eat my hainanese chicken rice, my laksa and real vegetables!! you know, the only "veg" they seem to eat in India are potatoes (aloo), mashed up spinach (palak), peas (mutter), beans and tomatoes!! i need kailan and chye sim - the way my mama cooks them!! anyway, came back only this evening cos the plane was delayed for more than 11 hours due to fog...grrr... spent the past few hours washing the grime and dust off everything.. you wouldn't believe the number of pails of murky water i created!!
too tired to blog more now.. you shall hear more of me once i recover from.. err.. jet lag?? hahahah..
Tuesday, 30 December 2003
Magic Masala
a great merry christmas to all!! (a few days late) perhaps?? how's your plan for the new year countdown?? :)
we'll be heading on to the pretty lake city of udaipur tonight (our final "new" destination before we start on our return leg) and enid (travelmate) and i are definitely going to have beer (indian national beer kingfisher??), my favourite indian dessert gulab jamun (brown sweet glutinous ball soaked in sugar... yummy.. :)), ice cream (if we can find any), maybe tandoori chicken (luxury dish), my fav palak paneer for dinner, hopefully at a nice restaurant overlooking the lake to celebrate the near completion of our great Indian adventure!
stuff we managed to do since the last time i blogged:
- visited the sacred rat temple (managed to get enid to go in though she practically freaked out at the entrance... she even started counting the number of rats to see if there were too many and panicked when she lost count.. strange girl..)
- camel safari to the desert (we saw three camels in the distance.. suspected there were either terrorists or the three wise men.. sat with an excitable Indian family and watched the stars while enjoying beer and curry and gulab jamuns.)
- saw sand dunes ala Sahara desert.. nice.. :)... took back 1 litre of sand.. durrh... hahaha..
- visited two very beautiful cities (Jaisalmer and Jodhpur) with their cobbled streets, quaint shops, and pesky children.
- shopped shopped shopped
that's all for now..
a great merry christmas to all!! (a few days late) perhaps?? how's your plan for the new year countdown?? :)
we'll be heading on to the pretty lake city of udaipur tonight (our final "new" destination before we start on our return leg) and enid (travelmate) and i are definitely going to have beer (indian national beer kingfisher??), my favourite indian dessert gulab jamun (brown sweet glutinous ball soaked in sugar... yummy.. :)), ice cream (if we can find any), maybe tandoori chicken (luxury dish), my fav palak paneer for dinner, hopefully at a nice restaurant overlooking the lake to celebrate the near completion of our great Indian adventure!
stuff we managed to do since the last time i blogged:
- visited the sacred rat temple (managed to get enid to go in though she practically freaked out at the entrance... she even started counting the number of rats to see if there were too many and panicked when she lost count.. strange girl..)
- camel safari to the desert (we saw three camels in the distance.. suspected there were either terrorists or the three wise men.. sat with an excitable Indian family and watched the stars while enjoying beer and curry and gulab jamuns.)
- saw sand dunes ala Sahara desert.. nice.. :)... took back 1 litre of sand.. durrh... hahaha..
- visited two very beautiful cities (Jaisalmer and Jodhpur) with their cobbled streets, quaint shops, and pesky children.
- shopped shopped shopped
that's all for now..
Monday, 22 December 2003
Desert Land Story
It turns out that Indians in India are every bit as kiasu as Singaporeans.. or maybe even more so..
we took this full-day tour of the pink city of Jaipur today, which covered all of these ten touristy attractions (something which i usually hate to do...) somehow, package travel to me feels a lot like i'm being herded around like cattle.. grr.. give me independent travel anytime!.. . anyway, have to admit it saved us a mighty lot of time and gave us a certain amount of immunity against touts, cheats and indian ah bengs for a day.. haha... anyway, managed to see the amazing Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) in the old city of Jaipur - it's this flat pink building with more than 900 windows! pretty cool..
anyway, we realised that the day tour was filled 90% by these rich Indians from other parts of India, with their suits, expensive looking punjabi dresses, dangling jewellery, well-clad children and all.. however, their behaviour was pretty obnoxious.. we spent pretty much the whole day being pushed and shoved around by them in every place we went to. Indians appear to have no sense of personal space. In a positive way, it means that they are not shy in approaching us to talk. They were usually chatty and friendly and extremely curious. But negatively speaking, even now, there's this guy standing behind me.. grr... it seems that there's constantly someone looking over our shoulders.. this is probably how they can survive in a country with a billion people.. gulp...
after this big city, we'll head to a smaller city tomorrow, Jhunjhunu, to look at wall drawings from long ago and hopefully spend Christmas in the desert in the town of Bikaner afterwards.. maybe we may even see the 3 wise men??? hahaha.. the town of Bikaner has a temple of sacred rats which i'm still trying to persuade my travelmate to go with me to... Seems like they'll even run over our feet when we are inside.. heh heh.. so fun!! :p what a story to tell the grandchildren..
ok, enough updates for now.. till i find another cybercafe in the land of masala! take care and keep healthy!!
oh ya, btw, this is.. err.. Day 27 of my 45 day Great India Adventure.. be back on the 9th Jan (yep, a day after my birthday.. :p), just in case my friends need to know that.. tata!
It turns out that Indians in India are every bit as kiasu as Singaporeans.. or maybe even more so..
we took this full-day tour of the pink city of Jaipur today, which covered all of these ten touristy attractions (something which i usually hate to do...) somehow, package travel to me feels a lot like i'm being herded around like cattle.. grr.. give me independent travel anytime!.. . anyway, have to admit it saved us a mighty lot of time and gave us a certain amount of immunity against touts, cheats and indian ah bengs for a day.. haha... anyway, managed to see the amazing Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) in the old city of Jaipur - it's this flat pink building with more than 900 windows! pretty cool..
anyway, we realised that the day tour was filled 90% by these rich Indians from other parts of India, with their suits, expensive looking punjabi dresses, dangling jewellery, well-clad children and all.. however, their behaviour was pretty obnoxious.. we spent pretty much the whole day being pushed and shoved around by them in every place we went to. Indians appear to have no sense of personal space. In a positive way, it means that they are not shy in approaching us to talk. They were usually chatty and friendly and extremely curious. But negatively speaking, even now, there's this guy standing behind me.. grr... it seems that there's constantly someone looking over our shoulders.. this is probably how they can survive in a country with a billion people.. gulp...
after this big city, we'll head to a smaller city tomorrow, Jhunjhunu, to look at wall drawings from long ago and hopefully spend Christmas in the desert in the town of Bikaner afterwards.. maybe we may even see the 3 wise men??? hahaha.. the town of Bikaner has a temple of sacred rats which i'm still trying to persuade my travelmate to go with me to... Seems like they'll even run over our feet when we are inside.. heh heh.. so fun!! :p what a story to tell the grandchildren..
ok, enough updates for now.. till i find another cybercafe in the land of masala! take care and keep healthy!!
oh ya, btw, this is.. err.. Day 27 of my 45 day Great India Adventure.. be back on the 9th Jan (yep, a day after my birthday.. :p), just in case my friends need to know that.. tata!
Saturday, 20 December 2003
India Odyssey
i'm convinced India is only for the very brave... or the very insane..
for one, Delhi is one incredibly crowded place.. there's people EVERYWHERE!! and cattle, auto-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, fruit sellers, masala tea stalls and people trying to sell us saris and shawls.. the constant cacophony rings in our minds even when we go to bed at night... the number of touts who are trying to rip us off in a million and one truly imaginative ways makes it really hard for any traveller trying to travel independently to believe in anyone here at all..
but anyway, we've seen Taj Mahal! Yippee! And i tell you, it has to be seen to be believed - solid marble .. it's really beautiful.. besides, it's an oasis in the desert of touts, postcard salesmen and argggh!! never mind.. got to shut them off ... we've started telling anyone hassling us that we are from Sundaland (so we can stop them saying we are from Japan) and a few of them actually reply "oh Sundaland! Yes, we have many tourists from Sundaland!" ???? these people are unbelievable!!
after surviving Delhi and Agra with our souls and minds intact, my travel mate and I are finally venturing into Rajasthan, the land of colour, architecture and deserts. Today, we visited the UN Heritage Wildlife Reserve Keoladeo Ghana National Park near this dusty town called Bharatpur and saw the most amazing population of storks, egrets, kingfishers and numerous other bird species. A day away from people.. what a relief..
check out the fiesty entries on my travel mate's blog - i'm not missing Singapore as much as she is though.. heh heh.. may spend New Year's Eve in the Thar Desert... see first..
okee, will update again when i can.. take care all!!
i'm convinced India is only for the very brave... or the very insane..
for one, Delhi is one incredibly crowded place.. there's people EVERYWHERE!! and cattle, auto-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, fruit sellers, masala tea stalls and people trying to sell us saris and shawls.. the constant cacophony rings in our minds even when we go to bed at night... the number of touts who are trying to rip us off in a million and one truly imaginative ways makes it really hard for any traveller trying to travel independently to believe in anyone here at all..
but anyway, we've seen Taj Mahal! Yippee! And i tell you, it has to be seen to be believed - solid marble .. it's really beautiful.. besides, it's an oasis in the desert of touts, postcard salesmen and argggh!! never mind.. got to shut them off ... we've started telling anyone hassling us that we are from Sundaland (so we can stop them saying we are from Japan) and a few of them actually reply "oh Sundaland! Yes, we have many tourists from Sundaland!" ???? these people are unbelievable!!
after surviving Delhi and Agra with our souls and minds intact, my travel mate and I are finally venturing into Rajasthan, the land of colour, architecture and deserts. Today, we visited the UN Heritage Wildlife Reserve Keoladeo Ghana National Park near this dusty town called Bharatpur and saw the most amazing population of storks, egrets, kingfishers and numerous other bird species. A day away from people.. what a relief..
check out the fiesty entries on my travel mate's blog - i'm not missing Singapore as much as she is though.. heh heh.. may spend New Year's Eve in the Thar Desert... see first..
okee, will update again when i can.. take care all!!
Saturday, 13 December 2003
Hello from Sikkim
i've seen the world's third highest peak Kangchendzonga after trekking 5 days through some of the lushest temperate rainforests i've ever seen.
i've been through temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to -10 degrees celsius, camping out in tents surrounded by dogs, yaks and horses.
the snowy Himalayas from Sikkim are stunning. the children of Sikkim look Tibetan and are extremely adorable and trusting. the village is peaceful and we've so far attended one funeral and one wedding. from the scenary here, i'm beginning to believe that this could indeed be the Shangri-la that the world has long been searching for. Photos will never do this place justice...
we're done with our project helping the folks at the Conservation Committee with compiling information and taking photographs and will begin to help them to build their website in a while to come to show the world what this place offers..
my knees and thighs are still aching from all the climbing.
i'm overdosing on puri, masala tea and dhal.
wish to say more but the internet connection is way too slow...
all else, i'm fine and will begin the second leg of my trip through Rajasthan in 2 days time. can't wait! :)
missing all and will write again soon as i can. love you all!
i've seen the world's third highest peak Kangchendzonga after trekking 5 days through some of the lushest temperate rainforests i've ever seen.
i've been through temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to -10 degrees celsius, camping out in tents surrounded by dogs, yaks and horses.
the snowy Himalayas from Sikkim are stunning. the children of Sikkim look Tibetan and are extremely adorable and trusting. the village is peaceful and we've so far attended one funeral and one wedding. from the scenary here, i'm beginning to believe that this could indeed be the Shangri-la that the world has long been searching for. Photos will never do this place justice...
we're done with our project helping the folks at the Conservation Committee with compiling information and taking photographs and will begin to help them to build their website in a while to come to show the world what this place offers..
my knees and thighs are still aching from all the climbing.
i'm overdosing on puri, masala tea and dhal.
wish to say more but the internet connection is way too slow...
all else, i'm fine and will begin the second leg of my trip through Rajasthan in 2 days time. can't wait! :)
missing all and will write again soon as i can. love you all!
Tuesday, 25 November 2003
Learning to see
Here's the National Geographic report on their death, as well as an eulogy from a fellow photographer..
what a great perspective to ponder upon, both on photography and life, just before my trip to the beautiful country of India! :)
Lastingly successful art triggers audience responses that are ready to happen in the culture as a whole. Regardless of how perfectly a photographer's work renders a subject, it is bound to fail unless it strikes that chord that elicits a common emotional and visual response.
It is this very assumption - that seeing is a singular truth - that gets us into trouble. We learn lots of ways to adjust our cameras without giving much attention to how to adjust the way we see.
by Galen Rowell
Here's the National Geographic report on their death, as well as an eulogy from a fellow photographer..
what a great perspective to ponder upon, both on photography and life, just before my trip to the beautiful country of India! :)
Sunday, 23 November 2003
"i had to eat it all up before i could take pictures"
next month's issue of Grain will feature another one of my photographic efforts, this time with a cheezels pinhole camera, which i worked on today since it was bright and sunny (for a change)...
this is a view of the very cluttered storeroom in my house, converted into a temporary darkroom to load my camera and to develop and dry my negatives.. see the various trays on the lower shelf for the developer, the fixer and the water..
and here are some of my humble results from just now, hung up to dry.. me, me and more of me..
using my home storeroom as a darkroom was an extremely precarious endeavour... halfway through loading my pinhole cam, my dad suddenly opened the door because the karang guni man came by and he wanted to sell away part of the stack of newspapers stored there. gulp! almost exposed my whole box of paper film! And the noxious fumes from the photochemicals had nowhere to go and almost suffocated me.... headache ah... And lastly, going up and down my block of flats with a stopwatch, a cheezels container, a polartec fleece jacket to provide extra protection to the camera and a Random House English Dictionary to stabilise the flimsy contraption got me more than my fair share of curious stares from my kaypoh neighbours..
check out next month's issue of Grain for more details of my pinhole adventure...
next month's issue of Grain will feature another one of my photographic efforts, this time with a cheezels pinhole camera, which i worked on today since it was bright and sunny (for a change)...
this is a view of the very cluttered storeroom in my house, converted into a temporary darkroom to load my camera and to develop and dry my negatives.. see the various trays on the lower shelf for the developer, the fixer and the water..
and here are some of my humble results from just now, hung up to dry.. me, me and more of me..
using my home storeroom as a darkroom was an extremely precarious endeavour... halfway through loading my pinhole cam, my dad suddenly opened the door because the karang guni man came by and he wanted to sell away part of the stack of newspapers stored there. gulp! almost exposed my whole box of paper film! And the noxious fumes from the photochemicals had nowhere to go and almost suffocated me.... headache ah... And lastly, going up and down my block of flats with a stopwatch, a cheezels container, a polartec fleece jacket to provide extra protection to the camera and a Random House English Dictionary to stabilise the flimsy contraption got me more than my fair share of curious stares from my kaypoh neighbours..
check out next month's issue of Grain for more details of my pinhole adventure...
Saturday, 22 November 2003
trip preparations
Preparing for the trip over these past two days has been fun but really exhausting...
We started from 9am yesterday with an hour-long Basic Hindi lesson to equip the group to interact better with the locals once we arrive (actually, Nepalese is probably more relevant but of course no one in the group knows that, so we settled for Hindi instead). As a somewhat regular traveler, I’ve always found the following to be the most essential phrases/words to master before every trip (the one next to it is the Hindi equivalent)
Hello – namaste
Thank you – thanwaad
How much? – kitna hua?
Too Expensive! – bahut mehengaa hai
Cheaper please! – kaam karo!
Where is …? – kahan hai? (I think this is for places)
Where? – kab? (I think this is for things)
What? – kya?
Yes – haa
No - nahii
Food – khaana
The bill please – paaise kitne hue/bil dena (informal)
I – mein
You – aap
What is your name? – tumhara naam kya hai?
May I take a photograph? – kya mein ek photo le sakta hoon?
I don’t understand – mujhe samjh mein nahin aaaya
Please stop – kripa ruko
Please hurry – kripa jaldi karo
How far is? – kitne door hai?
Does this bus go to..? – kya yeh bus jaati hai…?
That was followed by an informative talk by a somewhat well known professional photojournalist John Gerard Cosgrove who shared on the tips and tricks to taking great photographs..
“To snap great shots, says JOHN COSGROVE, stop and take a moment to observe - and change the camera modes to suit the situation.”
He spoke about shooting images that “tell an experience” and looking at what’s happening in as many ways as possible. He also suggested taking more pictures, changing the white balance in the camera, changing to a vertical shooting mode occasionally, and looking through the camera to view the world (as a means of searching for something to focus on in an image).
Great tips indeed! As my little contribution to the world of photography, I’ve also personally put up, only very recently, my own version of a Basic Photography Course (Photography 101) on the web – take a look! It’s free! :)
This was followed by a short crash course on First Aid, the dangers of trekking at high altitude (Acute Mountain Sickness & Hypothermia) and necessary health precautions we have to take. Due to the lack of meat in Sikkim, it seems like we are looking at a 3-week diet made up of mainly potatoes, rice, eggs and whatever local veges they have.. gulp.. not that I am too much of a meat-eater myself, but umm.. this COULD be a challenge.. :p someone is even thinking of bringing up 2kg of bak kwa (bbq meat). Maybe I should bring up some strips of beef jerky just in case..
Rushed out after that to catch up with a friend I haven’t seen for more than a year since she gave birth to a cute little boy. she complaint aloud that life had come to a standstill since she got married and gave birth. She and her hubby have stopped going out and even their conversations revolve around little more than daily worries and issues nowadays rather than about each other. Marriage sounds rather dreadful. But I shan’t comment further..
At 6, i grabbed a shuttle bus to travel back to NIE for the opening of a solo art exhibition by (definitely up-and-coming) artist Namiko Chan. On exhibition were 50 portraits in oil of people she knows personally, including a couple of nudes, two self-portraits, some done in realistic style and others impressionistic. The varierty of styles was impressive - take a look here at some of her works. An exhibition exclusively on portraits (let alone an artist who concentrates on portraits) is rare indeed.. i know NTU's a little far away (who goes to Boon Lay anyway??) but i think the trip's worth it, anway....
Ended the evening going to a charity bash at Chinablack to raise funds for our four Youth Expedition Projects to Sikkim and Vietnam. Haven't clubbed for the longest time and was surprised that some popular 80s stuff from "my time" are still popular today (I find that somewhat eeky, for some reason) as well as the crappiness of some of the new popular songs (i.e. the ones that make the audience scream in senseless hysteria when they come on).. umm.. i'm getting old..
oh dear, i've only described yesterday.. i'll describe today tomorrow.. zzzz.. need sleep..
Preparing for the trip over these past two days has been fun but really exhausting...
We started from 9am yesterday with an hour-long Basic Hindi lesson to equip the group to interact better with the locals once we arrive (actually, Nepalese is probably more relevant but of course no one in the group knows that, so we settled for Hindi instead). As a somewhat regular traveler, I’ve always found the following to be the most essential phrases/words to master before every trip (the one next to it is the Hindi equivalent)
Hello – namaste
Thank you – thanwaad
How much? – kitna hua?
Too Expensive! – bahut mehengaa hai
Cheaper please! – kaam karo!
Where is …? – kahan hai? (I think this is for places)
Where? – kab? (I think this is for things)
What? – kya?
Yes – haa
No - nahii
Food – khaana
The bill please – paaise kitne hue/bil dena (informal)
I – mein
You – aap
What is your name? – tumhara naam kya hai?
May I take a photograph? – kya mein ek photo le sakta hoon?
I don’t understand – mujhe samjh mein nahin aaaya
Please stop – kripa ruko
Please hurry – kripa jaldi karo
How far is? – kitne door hai?
Does this bus go to..? – kya yeh bus jaati hai…?
That was followed by an informative talk by a somewhat well known professional photojournalist John Gerard Cosgrove who shared on the tips and tricks to taking great photographs..
“To snap great shots, says JOHN COSGROVE, stop and take a moment to observe - and change the camera modes to suit the situation.”
He spoke about shooting images that “tell an experience” and looking at what’s happening in as many ways as possible. He also suggested taking more pictures, changing the white balance in the camera, changing to a vertical shooting mode occasionally, and looking through the camera to view the world (as a means of searching for something to focus on in an image).
Great tips indeed! As my little contribution to the world of photography, I’ve also personally put up, only very recently, my own version of a Basic Photography Course (Photography 101) on the web – take a look! It’s free! :)
This was followed by a short crash course on First Aid, the dangers of trekking at high altitude (Acute Mountain Sickness & Hypothermia) and necessary health precautions we have to take. Due to the lack of meat in Sikkim, it seems like we are looking at a 3-week diet made up of mainly potatoes, rice, eggs and whatever local veges they have.. gulp.. not that I am too much of a meat-eater myself, but umm.. this COULD be a challenge.. :p someone is even thinking of bringing up 2kg of bak kwa (bbq meat). Maybe I should bring up some strips of beef jerky just in case..
Rushed out after that to catch up with a friend I haven’t seen for more than a year since she gave birth to a cute little boy. she complaint aloud that life had come to a standstill since she got married and gave birth. She and her hubby have stopped going out and even their conversations revolve around little more than daily worries and issues nowadays rather than about each other. Marriage sounds rather dreadful. But I shan’t comment further..
At 6, i grabbed a shuttle bus to travel back to NIE for the opening of a solo art exhibition by (definitely up-and-coming) artist Namiko Chan. On exhibition were 50 portraits in oil of people she knows personally, including a couple of nudes, two self-portraits, some done in realistic style and others impressionistic. The varierty of styles was impressive - take a look here at some of her works. An exhibition exclusively on portraits (let alone an artist who concentrates on portraits) is rare indeed.. i know NTU's a little far away (who goes to Boon Lay anyway??) but i think the trip's worth it, anway....
Ended the evening going to a charity bash at Chinablack to raise funds for our four Youth Expedition Projects to Sikkim and Vietnam. Haven't clubbed for the longest time and was surprised that some popular 80s stuff from "my time" are still popular today (I find that somewhat eeky, for some reason) as well as the crappiness of some of the new popular songs (i.e. the ones that make the audience scream in senseless hysteria when they come on).. umm.. i'm getting old..
oh dear, i've only described yesterday.. i'll describe today tomorrow.. zzzz.. need sleep..
Friday, 21 November 2003
more shopping
bought another nifty travel thing to compact my warm clothings so they don't take up too much space in my haversack.. $15+
Pack-Mate Packing System
- Saves Space
- Reusable
- Waterproof - Odourproof
i think it's so cool.... :)
bought another nifty travel thing to compact my warm clothings so they don't take up too much space in my haversack.. $15+
Pack-Mate Packing System
- Saves Space
- Reusable
- Waterproof - Odourproof
i think it's so cool.... :)
Thursday, 20 November 2003
thrills spills chills
reverse bungee jumping comes to singapore...
i was asked by a friend last night if i will try it out.. it's a bit steep (price-wise) but looks like fun so i'm game for it as long as i can find some company.. haha.. anyone game for this? maybe next year.. dunno...
i tried something similar known as the SkyCoaster while i was work/travelling in the US some 7 years back .. the skycoaster is "bungee, skydiving, and hang-gliding all in one ... a 150 foot high hanggliding-skydiving simulator that reaches speeds up to 70 mph before catching you less than 6 feet from the ground .... uses ultra-strong steel cables and professional hanggliding harnesses. You pull your own ripcord whenever you are ready!"... it looks a bit like this... the scary part is you have to pull the ripcord to let yourself fall.. one could technically be stuck up there for hours!
the feeling of free-falling is pretty scary.. (i do have a slight fear of heights).. had my experience captured on video tape but i think it doesn't play anymore..so sad.. nonetheless, i think it isn't as scary as being stuck on some rubber band and being tossed around.. eeks.. will see.. sounds a bit frivolous though...
reverse bungee jumping comes to singapore...
i was asked by a friend last night if i will try it out.. it's a bit steep (price-wise) but looks like fun so i'm game for it as long as i can find some company.. haha.. anyone game for this? maybe next year.. dunno...
i tried something similar known as the SkyCoaster while i was work/travelling in the US some 7 years back .. the skycoaster is "bungee, skydiving, and hang-gliding all in one ... a 150 foot high hanggliding-skydiving simulator that reaches speeds up to 70 mph before catching you less than 6 feet from the ground .... uses ultra-strong steel cables and professional hanggliding harnesses. You pull your own ripcord whenever you are ready!"... it looks a bit like this... the scary part is you have to pull the ripcord to let yourself fall.. one could technically be stuck up there for hours!
the feeling of free-falling is pretty scary.. (i do have a slight fear of heights).. had my experience captured on video tape but i think it doesn't play anymore..so sad.. nonetheless, i think it isn't as scary as being stuck on some rubber band and being tossed around.. eeks.. will see.. sounds a bit frivolous though...
packing them like sardines
my untidy little pile on the floor has grown into an unacceptable, monstrously huge and plainly ugly heap.. my mom's sure to yell at me in a while.. but what to do what to do.. so many things to pack for the trip and it's next Wed! laying them out now, i wonder if they will all fit into my backpack...
went out and bought this today... excellent for nite time reading, for writing my journal, and emergency trips to the toilet..
Petzl Lamps - TIKKA / ZIPKA - TIKKA PLUS
and this (cos my hands get real cold)..
Outdoor Designs Fuji Gloves
and a super cheap but excellent quality (fake?? umm.. looks real leh..) this from the funky flea market along Rochor Rd
30x25 dcf Tasco Binoculars
as well as a heat pack (only one, for a "Life and Death" emergency.. touchwood! :O) and a foam mat for $3.50 from the army market on Beach Rd (this place is amazing..)..
i have no money left after this, apart from what i have set aside to pay for my 20 rolls of Provia 100 slide film... so i've resorted to begging, borrowing and err.. ya, begging and borrowing (haha.. no, i am not stealing. nope! *see my halo*haha) the rest of the stuff.. so far, through the charity of others, i have secured the following:
a 65l backpack, Leki walking stick (heh heh, my monopod too!), a set of trekking long johns (super important!! wicks the sweat away too!), some more warm fleece tops, fleece pants, a windbreaker (with some strange corporate logo on it), some rolls of Sensia slide film, a journal (nice present!!), glove liners, woollen socks, woollen head gear.....
and i still have my barang barang from the previous trips.. phew.. sleeping bag (not sure if it is warm enough), toiletry bag, camera bag (umm.. too many bags??), money belt, locks and chain, compass, trekking boots, sandals etc..... saves me a bundle buying new stuff.. just need to get extra toiletries, some stationery and maybe spare batteries and i should be ok... :) .. now i'm really getting into the mood for the trip.. heh heh... i love getting ready for trips.. do give me some suggestions if you think i may have left something important out..
hey, look at these "Made-in-China"- looking sleeping bags!! hahaha.. they really look like the patchwork quilts your grandma made for you when you were a kid! hahaha.. pretty cool actually..
wah... so late already.. better go and sleep...
my untidy little pile on the floor has grown into an unacceptable, monstrously huge and plainly ugly heap.. my mom's sure to yell at me in a while.. but what to do what to do.. so many things to pack for the trip and it's next Wed! laying them out now, i wonder if they will all fit into my backpack...
went out and bought this today... excellent for nite time reading, for writing my journal, and emergency trips to the toilet..
Petzl Lamps - TIKKA / ZIPKA - TIKKA PLUS
and this (cos my hands get real cold)..
Outdoor Designs Fuji Gloves
and a super cheap but excellent quality (fake?? umm.. looks real leh..) this from the funky flea market along Rochor Rd
30x25 dcf Tasco Binoculars
as well as a heat pack (only one, for a "Life and Death" emergency.. touchwood! :O) and a foam mat for $3.50 from the army market on Beach Rd (this place is amazing..)..
i have no money left after this, apart from what i have set aside to pay for my 20 rolls of Provia 100 slide film... so i've resorted to begging, borrowing and err.. ya, begging and borrowing (haha.. no, i am not stealing. nope! *see my halo*haha) the rest of the stuff.. so far, through the charity of others, i have secured the following:
a 65l backpack, Leki walking stick (heh heh, my monopod too!), a set of trekking long johns (super important!! wicks the sweat away too!), some more warm fleece tops, fleece pants, a windbreaker (with some strange corporate logo on it), some rolls of Sensia slide film, a journal (nice present!!), glove liners, woollen socks, woollen head gear.....
and i still have my barang barang from the previous trips.. phew.. sleeping bag (not sure if it is warm enough), toiletry bag, camera bag (umm.. too many bags??), money belt, locks and chain, compass, trekking boots, sandals etc..... saves me a bundle buying new stuff.. just need to get extra toiletries, some stationery and maybe spare batteries and i should be ok... :) .. now i'm really getting into the mood for the trip.. heh heh... i love getting ready for trips.. do give me some suggestions if you think i may have left something important out..
hey, look at these "Made-in-China"- looking sleeping bags!! hahaha.. they really look like the patchwork quilts your grandma made for you when you were a kid! hahaha.. pretty cool actually..
wah... so late already.. better go and sleep...
Wednesday, 19 November 2003
13 Month Bonus ?
> Why is there a 13 month bonus when its really isn't a bonus? The mystery
> is finally revealed!
> When the British were in Singapore, they were being paid weekly & they
> argued that Singaporeans were actually being cheated into believing that
> the 13th month pay is a bonus.
> Singaporeans are being paid monthly which is equivalent to 4 weeks pay coz
> there are 4 weeks in a month.
> As the British were paid weekly, it worked out to the same.
> You see, there are 7 days in a week. 4 weeks in a month. 12 months in a
> year. Then 12 months should work out to 48 weeks only. But 1 year worked
> out to 52 weeks!!! Hence the 13th month is your own pay (not bonus??!!).
> So, the British argued that there is in fact no bonus at all??? It is a
> very simple calculation that stunned many!!!!
> BON! US ??? What bonus??? ... ;o!!!
(via email)
> Why is there a 13 month bonus when its really isn't a bonus? The mystery
> is finally revealed!
> When the British were in Singapore, they were being paid weekly & they
> argued that Singaporeans were actually being cheated into believing that
> the 13th month pay is a bonus.
> Singaporeans are being paid monthly which is equivalent to 4 weeks pay coz
> there are 4 weeks in a month.
> As the British were paid weekly, it worked out to the same.
> You see, there are 7 days in a week. 4 weeks in a month. 12 months in a
> year. Then 12 months should work out to 48 weeks only. But 1 year worked
> out to 52 weeks!!! Hence the 13th month is your own pay (not bonus??!!).
> So, the British argued that there is in fact no bonus at all??? It is a
> very simple calculation that stunned many!!!!
> BON! US ??? What bonus??? ... ;o!!!
(via email)
Tuesday, 18 November 2003
Durio zibethinus
this just came home. yummy...
i'm still amazed at how ugly durian seeds actually look up close, especially now that we see them more often than not packed in ugly styrofoam boxes rather than still in their neat little rows in thorny green shells.
quoting from a book written by a friend:
"Thai International Airlines made a research among their passengers to find out how different nationalities describe and view the taste. The French, the Italians and the Spaniards love it, some even saying that it tastes like cream and brandy. Others describe it as an exotic sweet cheese with liquor. However, many tourists were revolted by the smell. Nonetheless, all who have eaten it agree on the aphrodisiac effect...."
umm... could this be the basis behind the Indonesian saying that goes:
"When the durian comes down, the sarongs come up." ?
hahhahaha..
and from this site: Comment on Durian: Host for mealybugs.
.. durrh... oh well, nothing beats a good night out with friends just eating durians and sipping coconut juice.. yummy...
this just came home. yummy...
i'm still amazed at how ugly durian seeds actually look up close, especially now that we see them more often than not packed in ugly styrofoam boxes rather than still in their neat little rows in thorny green shells.
quoting from a book written by a friend:
"Thai International Airlines made a research among their passengers to find out how different nationalities describe and view the taste. The French, the Italians and the Spaniards love it, some even saying that it tastes like cream and brandy. Others describe it as an exotic sweet cheese with liquor. However, many tourists were revolted by the smell. Nonetheless, all who have eaten it agree on the aphrodisiac effect...."
umm... could this be the basis behind the Indonesian saying that goes:
"When the durian comes down, the sarongs come up." ?
hahhahaha..
and from this site: Comment on Durian: Host for mealybugs.
.. durrh... oh well, nothing beats a good night out with friends just eating durians and sipping coconut juice.. yummy...
Monday, 17 November 2003
"Heartlands" PHOTO EXHIBITION
i swung by to Yew Tee CC yesterday evening to see this interesting Heartlands Black and White Photo Exhibition by five local photographers. The styles and areas of focus were varied and some of the works were really quite impressive. You can see samples of their works here.
was already quiet by the time i went down last night and i could take my time to look at the exhibits slowly without jostling with the crowd.. but i just realised they have two interesting talks this coming Saturday on Travel Photography (by Lee Gim Lay - on Tibet - 1.30 - 2.30pm) and Traditional Black and White Developing and Printing (by Desmond Kwan - 3 -5pm) - see details here
looks like i may go down again after all.. wah.. so far... :( ... who lives in Yew Tee anyway??
Details
Venue: Yew Tee Community Club, 4th storey
Period of exhibition: 15 November - 23 November 2003
Time: Weekdays 11 am to 9.30 pm, Weekends 10 am to 9.30 pm
Admission: Free!
i swung by to Yew Tee CC yesterday evening to see this interesting Heartlands Black and White Photo Exhibition by five local photographers. The styles and areas of focus were varied and some of the works were really quite impressive. You can see samples of their works here.
was already quiet by the time i went down last night and i could take my time to look at the exhibits slowly without jostling with the crowd.. but i just realised they have two interesting talks this coming Saturday on Travel Photography (by Lee Gim Lay - on Tibet - 1.30 - 2.30pm) and Traditional Black and White Developing and Printing (by Desmond Kwan - 3 -5pm) - see details here
looks like i may go down again after all.. wah.. so far... :( ... who lives in Yew Tee anyway??
Details
Venue: Yew Tee Community Club, 4th storey
Period of exhibition: 15 November - 23 November 2003
Time: Weekdays 11 am to 9.30 pm, Weekends 10 am to 9.30 pm
Admission: Free!
Sunday, 16 November 2003
Great Singapore Duck Race 2003
i searched long and hard amongst the sea of duckie faces...
at last i saw my little warrior! all by himself, trudging along.. umm.. he looks a little tired..
more pics from the Race Day...
i searched long and hard amongst the sea of duckie faces...
at last i saw my little warrior! all by himself, trudging along.. umm.. he looks a little tired..
more pics from the Race Day...
Life, work and its myriad responsibilities
The public forum I attended yesterday – “The Chek Jawa story, its lessons and applications story” was indeed humbling. On the panel were the following folks:
Dr Chua Ee Kiam, is a photographer and author of many natural history books on Singapore including Chek Jawa - Discovering Singapore's Biodiversity. He has spoken tirelessly to individuals, groups and grassroots organisations about connecting to Chek Jawa as a Singaporean and subsequently as a Chek Jawa guide and an instructor in guide training workshops. http://www.simplygreen.com.sg - you can find his coffee-table photography books in Kinokuniya and Borders.
Mr Joseph Lai brought Chek Jawa to the attention of many for the first time. He galvanised volunteers and found expert help to execute a study of biodiversity at Chek Jawa, submitting a well-researched document as feedback to the government. He is now committed on a solo bike trip around Singapore until 2012 - the year until when Chek Jawa is reprieved from reclamation. http://www.eart-h.com/ - very philosophical guy.
Mr N. Sivasothi (Research Officer, NUS Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research) conducted a series of research collection trips and submitted the results to government. He then coordinated a series of public education field trips to Chek Jawa, which resulted in a public feedback document to the government. The Museum relied heavily on volunteer help and the internet. http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/ - calls himself the "scruffy guy" and "murderer".
Dr Geh Min (President of Nature Society (Singapore) worked behind the scenes by dropping a word in every ear she came across, often senior figures that she had access to. As Singapore’s oldest NGO, NSS has adopted a more consultative approach where it constantly seeks to represent and balance the diversity of independent attitudes in its advocacy of nature conservation. http://www.nss.org.sg/ - she impressed me with her ability to see both sides of the "conservation story".
They spoke fast, hard and with great commitment, yet belittled their personal individual contributions to the tremendous work they had done. From them, we gained insight into the challenges that face nature conservationists in Singapore, particularly from a government which consists of a mix of hard-headed pragmatists but also “closet environmentalists”. One message that stood out tremendously for me was Joseph Lai’s almost Zen-like philosophy about the importance of the ‘Individual’ in the saving of nature. To him, saving nature was not merely a “responsibility”, but also an “expression” of our deep regard for ‘Nature’ as an abstract notion.
Another great thing was, I also got to meet Ria Tan (http://www.wildsingapore.com), whose amazing close-up photographs of sea stars and soft corals first inspired me to go down to Chek Jawa to take a look myself. This photographer was nuts enough to troop down to these muddy swampy areas at 2 to 3 am many nights all by herself to photograph what she felt was the last of Singapore’s wildlife, to share with others so that “when these places disappear, there will be others to cry with her”. See her other journal on Sungei Buloh here. she's an incredibly inspiring individual.
When we are able to transcend our mundane daily existence and view our life and work with “new eyes”, to see how we fit into the whole “scheme of things” beyond just working for our next pay check, that’s when we will truly find our purpose and meaning in life and develop the morality to live life in the right way. Some thoughts after chatting with a friend online last night and after listening to BBC just now on the responsibility of the media to highlight social concerns and issues.
The events of this weekend are proving to be tremendously rewarding.
The public forum I attended yesterday – “The Chek Jawa story, its lessons and applications story” was indeed humbling. On the panel were the following folks:
Dr Chua Ee Kiam, is a photographer and author of many natural history books on Singapore including Chek Jawa - Discovering Singapore's Biodiversity. He has spoken tirelessly to individuals, groups and grassroots organisations about connecting to Chek Jawa as a Singaporean and subsequently as a Chek Jawa guide and an instructor in guide training workshops. http://www.simplygreen.com.sg - you can find his coffee-table photography books in Kinokuniya and Borders.
Mr Joseph Lai brought Chek Jawa to the attention of many for the first time. He galvanised volunteers and found expert help to execute a study of biodiversity at Chek Jawa, submitting a well-researched document as feedback to the government. He is now committed on a solo bike trip around Singapore until 2012 - the year until when Chek Jawa is reprieved from reclamation. http://www.eart-h.com/ - very philosophical guy.
Mr N. Sivasothi (Research Officer, NUS Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research) conducted a series of research collection trips and submitted the results to government. He then coordinated a series of public education field trips to Chek Jawa, which resulted in a public feedback document to the government. The Museum relied heavily on volunteer help and the internet. http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/ - calls himself the "scruffy guy" and "murderer".
Dr Geh Min (President of Nature Society (Singapore) worked behind the scenes by dropping a word in every ear she came across, often senior figures that she had access to. As Singapore’s oldest NGO, NSS has adopted a more consultative approach where it constantly seeks to represent and balance the diversity of independent attitudes in its advocacy of nature conservation. http://www.nss.org.sg/ - she impressed me with her ability to see both sides of the "conservation story".
They spoke fast, hard and with great commitment, yet belittled their personal individual contributions to the tremendous work they had done. From them, we gained insight into the challenges that face nature conservationists in Singapore, particularly from a government which consists of a mix of hard-headed pragmatists but also “closet environmentalists”. One message that stood out tremendously for me was Joseph Lai’s almost Zen-like philosophy about the importance of the ‘Individual’ in the saving of nature. To him, saving nature was not merely a “responsibility”, but also an “expression” of our deep regard for ‘Nature’ as an abstract notion.
Another great thing was, I also got to meet Ria Tan (http://www.wildsingapore.com), whose amazing close-up photographs of sea stars and soft corals first inspired me to go down to Chek Jawa to take a look myself. This photographer was nuts enough to troop down to these muddy swampy areas at 2 to 3 am many nights all by herself to photograph what she felt was the last of Singapore’s wildlife, to share with others so that “when these places disappear, there will be others to cry with her”. See her other journal on Sungei Buloh here. she's an incredibly inspiring individual.
When we are able to transcend our mundane daily existence and view our life and work with “new eyes”, to see how we fit into the whole “scheme of things” beyond just working for our next pay check, that’s when we will truly find our purpose and meaning in life and develop the morality to live life in the right way. Some thoughts after chatting with a friend online last night and after listening to BBC just now on the responsibility of the media to highlight social concerns and issues.
The events of this weekend are proving to be tremendously rewarding.
Thursday, 13 November 2003
busy weekend ahead
this weekend is beginning to look like it could be potentially (gulp!) stressful... (taboo word!)
amongst the various social, personal and work obligations on my calender includes:
1. Going down to the Singapore River on Sunday @ 3.30pm to cheer OrenDuckieX (my newly-named brave little duckie) on in the Annual Singapore Duck Race. I've promised DuckieX my moral support .. hope he (yes, it's a male) helps me to win my Hyundai 1.3 .. heh heh... remember ID: 093551.. go Duckie go!
2. Swing by for the launch of the "Heartlands" PHOTO EXHIBITION at Yew Tee Community Club, 4th storey at 4 pm on Sat (Period of exhibition: 15 November - 23 November 2003 Time: Weekdays 11 am to 9.30 pm, Weekends 10 am to 9.30 pm) where a fren is going to speak. This exhibition is about Singapore, photographed using different techniques by five local photographers.. Should be really cool to meet fellow local photographers and hopefully to pick up a couple of photo tips! :)
3. Going down to the Singapore International Foundation office at Park Mall on Sat afternoon (oh no, clashes with previous event!) to attend a forum on Chek Jawa as part of our Youth Expedition Project preparation.. can imagine how amazing it will be to meet the folks who fought for the preservation of Chek Jawa.. Those who dared to believe their actions would make a difference (unlike 99% of Singaporeans I know who would have said "Aiyah, once the Govt has decided on something, there is NOTHING you can do about it..").. To me, these folks possess the spirit which would make Singapore a great place to be in..
4. Makan Fest on Sat night to learn Hindi (beyond “Namaste!” i.e. hello) and to bond with the whole team going to Sikkim. Actually feeling rather excited as trip looms ahead.. wow, less than two weeks to go.. Confirmed date of departure: 26 Nov. currently feeling: totally unprepared! *turns to look at camera gear and backpacking stuff sitting in untidy little piles on the floor and shakes head*
5. Photography workshop with veteran local photographer Mr John Arifin on Sunday?? Not confirmed yet but heard the courses he has conducted so far are really good!! See first lah.. trouble confirming this one..
i think something's bound to have to give way.. grr.. and i was still hoping to go down to the Natas Travel Fair @ Suntec.. haha.. too much stuff too little time..
Other Updates
Grain Magazine (Singapore's newest and coolest asia photo magazine) is online and will (i think) be out in the newsstands and bookstores from next week!
Watch out for my contribution on Patagonia in the first issue!! :)
go support!! it's a great magazine and definitely great value at only S$6!!
this weekend is beginning to look like it could be potentially (gulp!) stressful... (taboo word!)
amongst the various social, personal and work obligations on my calender includes:
1. Going down to the Singapore River on Sunday @ 3.30pm to cheer OrenDuckieX (my newly-named brave little duckie) on in the Annual Singapore Duck Race. I've promised DuckieX my moral support .. hope he (yes, it's a male) helps me to win my Hyundai 1.3 .. heh heh... remember ID: 093551.. go Duckie go!
2. Swing by for the launch of the "Heartlands" PHOTO EXHIBITION at Yew Tee Community Club, 4th storey at 4 pm on Sat (Period of exhibition: 15 November - 23 November 2003 Time: Weekdays 11 am to 9.30 pm, Weekends 10 am to 9.30 pm) where a fren is going to speak. This exhibition is about Singapore, photographed using different techniques by five local photographers.. Should be really cool to meet fellow local photographers and hopefully to pick up a couple of photo tips! :)
3. Going down to the Singapore International Foundation office at Park Mall on Sat afternoon (oh no, clashes with previous event!) to attend a forum on Chek Jawa as part of our Youth Expedition Project preparation.. can imagine how amazing it will be to meet the folks who fought for the preservation of Chek Jawa.. Those who dared to believe their actions would make a difference (unlike 99% of Singaporeans I know who would have said "Aiyah, once the Govt has decided on something, there is NOTHING you can do about it..").. To me, these folks possess the spirit which would make Singapore a great place to be in..
4. Makan Fest on Sat night to learn Hindi (beyond “Namaste!” i.e. hello) and to bond with the whole team going to Sikkim. Actually feeling rather excited as trip looms ahead.. wow, less than two weeks to go.. Confirmed date of departure: 26 Nov. currently feeling: totally unprepared! *turns to look at camera gear and backpacking stuff sitting in untidy little piles on the floor and shakes head*
5. Photography workshop with veteran local photographer Mr John Arifin on Sunday?? Not confirmed yet but heard the courses he has conducted so far are really good!! See first lah.. trouble confirming this one..
i think something's bound to have to give way.. grr.. and i was still hoping to go down to the Natas Travel Fair @ Suntec.. haha.. too much stuff too little time..
Other Updates
Grain Magazine (Singapore's newest and coolest asia photo magazine) is online and will (i think) be out in the newsstands and bookstores from next week!
Watch out for my contribution on Patagonia in the first issue!! :)
go support!! it's a great magazine and definitely great value at only S$6!!
Wednesday, 12 November 2003
the amazing bumblebee
wow, this is a pretty amazing bit of trivia (via WT):
The mass of a bumblebee's body exceeds the lift which can be created by their wing surface. There is no explanation for the physics of how they fly. The bumblebee flies anyway. Perhaps the bumblebee has no language for the word "NO"
doesn't this tell us a lot about self-belief?? wow!
btw, i just found out Josh Groban has a new album > Closer < that is even more amazing than his first (which was already very good) and you can actually listen to it on his website!!
wow, this is a pretty amazing bit of trivia (via WT):
The mass of a bumblebee's body exceeds the lift which can be created by their wing surface. There is no explanation for the physics of how they fly. The bumblebee flies anyway. Perhaps the bumblebee has no language for the word "NO"
doesn't this tell us a lot about self-belief?? wow!
btw, i just found out Josh Groban has a new album > Closer < that is even more amazing than his first (which was already very good) and you can actually listen to it on his website!!
Fulfilling Our Destiny
from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
"Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny."
" To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And, when u want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
fake lunar eclipse
my sister told me that i shouldn't try to pass this off an a lunar eclipse. reason being, it looks clearly more like a "half-moon".. in a real lunar eclipse (like the one that just passed us by on Nov 9 - see amazing time lapse pics here) - the darkened part is "the other way round" - concave? convex?)
oh well, hahaa..
my sister told me that i shouldn't try to pass this off an a lunar eclipse. reason being, it looks clearly more like a "half-moon".. in a real lunar eclipse (like the one that just passed us by on Nov 9 - see amazing time lapse pics here) - the darkened part is "the other way round" - concave? convex?)
oh well, hahaa..
personal mastery
Parents can be such a pain at times.. sat down with my parents for lunch just now (a once-in-a-blue-moon phenomena - since we hardly have meals together) and my mum and I started having this ridiculous (almost usual) squabble over something that was so trivial that i cannot recall even a bit of it now...
normally, i would have just stood up and gone off to sulk in a corner for a while to cool things down (i've long given up face-to-face confrontations knowing how clearly fruitless, and potentially explosive and senseless they can become). Either that or i would have just remained there and tried my best to block out what she was saying with loud humming noises in my head (..it works, believe me - this is one of my secret weapons against insults..). However, the words of Scroll II of Og Mandino's The Greatest Secret In The World was still in my head, having just read it randomly this morning... it said:
"I will greet this day with love in my heart.
I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge." (see whole passage here)
Although i was still feeling rather sore (believe me, i was feeling really really annoyed) , i started to consider if there was any way i could possibly make the situation better, much as i didn't think it was my fault at all.. and i suddenly thought how surprised my mother would be if i started showing her that i cared instead (even if i didn't feel like that at the moment) and helped her to do some housework and to wash the dishes in the sink.. and besides, i could get out of the tense situation and we would be out of each other's faces too, at least for a while....
and it worked!
She came into the kitchen, surprised by the washed dishes, and her voice immediately softened. She said, "oh, why don't you just go out and have lunch first. I can do the dishes later. I don't need you to do them".. and the tense situation immediately dispersed..
rather trivial incident but it felt good.. it felt like some kind of personal mastery for me.. .. oh well.. :)
Parents can be such a pain at times.. sat down with my parents for lunch just now (a once-in-a-blue-moon phenomena - since we hardly have meals together) and my mum and I started having this ridiculous (almost usual) squabble over something that was so trivial that i cannot recall even a bit of it now...
normally, i would have just stood up and gone off to sulk in a corner for a while to cool things down (i've long given up face-to-face confrontations knowing how clearly fruitless, and potentially explosive and senseless they can become). Either that or i would have just remained there and tried my best to block out what she was saying with loud humming noises in my head (..it works, believe me - this is one of my secret weapons against insults..). However, the words of Scroll II of Og Mandino's The Greatest Secret In The World was still in my head, having just read it randomly this morning... it said:
"I will greet this day with love in my heart.
I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge." (see whole passage here)
Although i was still feeling rather sore (believe me, i was feeling really really annoyed) , i started to consider if there was any way i could possibly make the situation better, much as i didn't think it was my fault at all.. and i suddenly thought how surprised my mother would be if i started showing her that i cared instead (even if i didn't feel like that at the moment) and helped her to do some housework and to wash the dishes in the sink.. and besides, i could get out of the tense situation and we would be out of each other's faces too, at least for a while....
and it worked!
She came into the kitchen, surprised by the washed dishes, and her voice immediately softened. She said, "oh, why don't you just go out and have lunch first. I can do the dishes later. I don't need you to do them".. and the tense situation immediately dispersed..
rather trivial incident but it felt good.. it felt like some kind of personal mastery for me.. .. oh well.. :)
Tuesday, 11 November 2003
bbq
for personal record: my first bbq in eons.. details here..
pics here -> bbq @ east coast pit 33 - 10 Nov 2003
i'm NOT in the pics.. no need to search...hahaha..
for personal record: my first bbq in eons.. details here..
pics here -> bbq @ east coast pit 33 - 10 Nov 2003
i'm NOT in the pics.. no need to search...hahaha..
Life Lesson: The Wristwatch Concept of Life
When a doctor tells people that they have a terminal illness, their feelings about time become intense. Suddenly they fear there’s not enough of it. Here’s another of life’s contradictions: moving from abstract to real, you see your time as limited for the first time. But does any doctor really know when someone has six month? No matter what we know about the average length of survival, you cannot know when you will die. You have to grapple with the reality of not knowing. Sometimes the lesson becomes clear. Standing at the edge of life, you want to know how much time you have left, but you realize that you have never known. In looking at the lives and deaths of others we often say that people died before their time. We feel their lives were incomplete, but there are only two requirements for a complete life: birth and death. In fact, we rarely pronounce a life complete unless the person lived to be ninety-five years old and had a great life. Otherwise, we proclaim the death premature.
Beethoven was “only” fifty-seven when he died, yet his accomplishments were tremendous. Joan of Arc was not even twenty when her life was taken, yet she is remembered and venerated today. John F. Kennedy Jr. died with his wife and sister-in-law at age thirty-eight. He never held an elected office, yet he was more loved than many of the US presidents. Were any of these lives incomplete? This question takes us back to the wristwatch concept of life, by which everything is measured and judged artificially. But we don’t know what lessons others are supposed to learn, we don’t know who they were supposed to be or how much they were supposed to have. As hard as it may be to accept, the reality is that we don’t die before our time. When we die, it is our time.
Our challenge is to fully experience this moment – and it’s a great challenge. To know that this instance contains all the possibilities for happiness and love and not lose these possibilities in expectation of what the future should look like.
by David Kessler from: Life Lessons
from Tuesdays with Morrie comes a similar message: "Fear of aging reflects unsatisfied and unfulfilled lives, lives that haven't found meaning"
When a doctor tells people that they have a terminal illness, their feelings about time become intense. Suddenly they fear there’s not enough of it. Here’s another of life’s contradictions: moving from abstract to real, you see your time as limited for the first time. But does any doctor really know when someone has six month? No matter what we know about the average length of survival, you cannot know when you will die. You have to grapple with the reality of not knowing. Sometimes the lesson becomes clear. Standing at the edge of life, you want to know how much time you have left, but you realize that you have never known. In looking at the lives and deaths of others we often say that people died before their time. We feel their lives were incomplete, but there are only two requirements for a complete life: birth and death. In fact, we rarely pronounce a life complete unless the person lived to be ninety-five years old and had a great life. Otherwise, we proclaim the death premature.
Beethoven was “only” fifty-seven when he died, yet his accomplishments were tremendous. Joan of Arc was not even twenty when her life was taken, yet she is remembered and venerated today. John F. Kennedy Jr. died with his wife and sister-in-law at age thirty-eight. He never held an elected office, yet he was more loved than many of the US presidents. Were any of these lives incomplete? This question takes us back to the wristwatch concept of life, by which everything is measured and judged artificially. But we don’t know what lessons others are supposed to learn, we don’t know who they were supposed to be or how much they were supposed to have. As hard as it may be to accept, the reality is that we don’t die before our time. When we die, it is our time.
Our challenge is to fully experience this moment – and it’s a great challenge. To know that this instance contains all the possibilities for happiness and love and not lose these possibilities in expectation of what the future should look like.
by David Kessler from: Life Lessons
from Tuesdays with Morrie comes a similar message: "Fear of aging reflects unsatisfied and unfulfilled lives, lives that haven't found meaning"
Monday, 10 November 2003
My Wages
I bargained with Life for a penny
And life would pay no more
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store
For life is a just employer
He gives you what you ask
But once you have set the wages
Why, you must bear the task
I worked for a menial's hire
Only to learn dismayed
That any wage I had asked of life
Life would have willing paid.
-- Jessie B. Rittenhouse
Life Lesson: it's about what you put in and what you get out..
I bargained with Life for a penny
And life would pay no more
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store
For life is a just employer
He gives you what you ask
But once you have set the wages
Why, you must bear the task
I worked for a menial's hire
Only to learn dismayed
That any wage I had asked of life
Life would have willing paid.
-- Jessie B. Rittenhouse
Life Lesson: it's about what you put in and what you get out..
Sunday, 9 November 2003
Past Life Analysis
"Your past life diagnosis:
I don't know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation. You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Ireland around the year 1800. Your profession was that of a seaman, dealer, businessman or broker.
Your brief psychological profile in your past life: Bohemian personality, mysterious, highly gifted, capable to understand ancient books. With a magician's abilities, you could have been a servant of dark forces.
The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation: Your task is to learn, to love and to trust the universe. You are bound to think, study, reflect, and to develop inner wisdom.
Do you remember now?"
(via BadPuppie)
i was a MAN in my past life??
"Your past life diagnosis:
I don't know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation. You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Ireland around the year 1800. Your profession was that of a seaman, dealer, businessman or broker.
Your brief psychological profile in your past life: Bohemian personality, mysterious, highly gifted, capable to understand ancient books. With a magician's abilities, you could have been a servant of dark forces.
The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation: Your task is to learn, to love and to trust the universe. You are bound to think, study, reflect, and to develop inner wisdom.
Do you remember now?"
(via BadPuppie)
i was a MAN in my past life??
kick-ass babe
was just reading a biography of Lucy Liu on the web and it says:
"Her success was partly due to her fluency in Mandarin, and also because of her practice of Kali-Eskrima-Silat, an Indonesian martial art with crude forms of knife and sword fighting. Obviously, her language skills and martial arts are only one aspect of all her skills. Her theater credits include Numb, Redwood Curtain and M. Butterfly. She is also a member of the Met Theater Development Ensemble.
Liu is also a gifted artist; her work first appeared at the Cast Iron Gallery in SoHo in the early eighties. In 1993, she received an art grant to study art in China. She exhibited a mix of media photography, ceramics, paints, wood collages and papers on her chronicled experiences, in Venice, CA.
Liu is also a fearless athlete; she practices rock climbing, skiing and horseback riding. She experienced a few bad falls, first from her horse and then from her bicycle. These injuries didn't stop her from wanting to buy a motorcycle and from taking up snowboarding. She is also an accomplished accordion player, having been taught The Bak Gwi Plunder by the same teacher as Greg Germann, and surprisingly they now drag their accordions to work and jam between sets."
wow! talk about multi-talented! pretty inspiring.. heheh..
non-sequitur pic:
was just reading a biography of Lucy Liu on the web and it says:
"Her success was partly due to her fluency in Mandarin, and also because of her practice of Kali-Eskrima-Silat, an Indonesian martial art with crude forms of knife and sword fighting. Obviously, her language skills and martial arts are only one aspect of all her skills. Her theater credits include Numb, Redwood Curtain and M. Butterfly. She is also a member of the Met Theater Development Ensemble.
Liu is also a gifted artist; her work first appeared at the Cast Iron Gallery in SoHo in the early eighties. In 1993, she received an art grant to study art in China. She exhibited a mix of media photography, ceramics, paints, wood collages and papers on her chronicled experiences, in Venice, CA.
Liu is also a fearless athlete; she practices rock climbing, skiing and horseback riding. She experienced a few bad falls, first from her horse and then from her bicycle. These injuries didn't stop her from wanting to buy a motorcycle and from taking up snowboarding. She is also an accomplished accordion player, having been taught The Bak Gwi Plunder by the same teacher as Greg Germann, and surprisingly they now drag their accordions to work and jam between sets."
wow! talk about multi-talented! pretty inspiring.. heheh..
non-sequitur pic:
Saturday, 8 November 2003
st andrew’s cathedral
i've recently been introduced to this (i think) newly-coined photographic term "eco-porn", which famous nature photographer Galen Rowell describes as "saccharine, overly idealized (and manipulated) commercial scenics that were not representative of the natural world they supposedly depicted" … these photographs are “glamour shots that in some way debase the natural world…. flash-filled, colour-filtered, posed, stagnant photography in certain calendars, greeting cards, posters, advertisements, and on television. These images serve to distance people from nature."
nature photography, in his opinion, has reached a “plateau” in its development, in contrast to other fields such as fashion and journalistic photography, where new styles and approaches were still constantly developed. nature photographs were clichéd, postcard-pretty, with little thought put into them except to take that “perfect-looking picture”
This set me thinking.. Indeed, I’ve been guilty, myself, of having taken hundreds of pictures in the past just because they are “oh so pretty!”.. Rowell's approach to capturing a "wow" photograph is certainly worth learning from:
"When something struck his eye, he wanted to understand that attraction more fully. He would look at that object of interest from every angle and distance possible. And the final "keeper" photo may well have been very different from his original instinct because he examined the situation with an open and inquiring mind, and a methodical approach to exploiting the opportunity. "
personally, of late, i've realized the importance of reinventing my approach in order to improve my own photography, as well as, more importantly, to bring my enthusiasm and passion for this love of mine to a higher level.. To share my newly-discovered approach, it is this: More than just making sure the picture is sharp or well-exposed, it is more critical to first understand the "mood" and "story", or the so-called "experience" i want to communicate via the image – be it humour, awe, mystery etc before deciding if the photograph is worth taking after all.. I’ve realized that photography is about communicating a personal unique view of the world at a specific moment at a specific place.. if there is no "story" to tell, the photograph may be "pretty" but "uninteresting"..
In the same way that Elie Wiesel, who survived the Holocaust and later won the Nobel Peace Prize said, "Not to transmit an experience is to betray it", this approach is certainly not as easy as just spotting a potential photograph and snapping it in the prettiest way possible, but I believe something like that will surely be hugely rewarding for any photographer.
Just some thoughts and a bit of a ramble. this discourse is, of course, a bit shallow at the moment, I must admit.. i'll give it a little more thought and see if i can make it more "concrete" and meaningful...
i've recently been introduced to this (i think) newly-coined photographic term "eco-porn", which famous nature photographer Galen Rowell describes as "saccharine, overly idealized (and manipulated) commercial scenics that were not representative of the natural world they supposedly depicted" … these photographs are “glamour shots that in some way debase the natural world…. flash-filled, colour-filtered, posed, stagnant photography in certain calendars, greeting cards, posters, advertisements, and on television. These images serve to distance people from nature."
nature photography, in his opinion, has reached a “plateau” in its development, in contrast to other fields such as fashion and journalistic photography, where new styles and approaches were still constantly developed. nature photographs were clichéd, postcard-pretty, with little thought put into them except to take that “perfect-looking picture”
This set me thinking.. Indeed, I’ve been guilty, myself, of having taken hundreds of pictures in the past just because they are “oh so pretty!”.. Rowell's approach to capturing a "wow" photograph is certainly worth learning from:
"When something struck his eye, he wanted to understand that attraction more fully. He would look at that object of interest from every angle and distance possible. And the final "keeper" photo may well have been very different from his original instinct because he examined the situation with an open and inquiring mind, and a methodical approach to exploiting the opportunity. "
personally, of late, i've realized the importance of reinventing my approach in order to improve my own photography, as well as, more importantly, to bring my enthusiasm and passion for this love of mine to a higher level.. To share my newly-discovered approach, it is this: More than just making sure the picture is sharp or well-exposed, it is more critical to first understand the "mood" and "story", or the so-called "experience" i want to communicate via the image – be it humour, awe, mystery etc before deciding if the photograph is worth taking after all.. I’ve realized that photography is about communicating a personal unique view of the world at a specific moment at a specific place.. if there is no "story" to tell, the photograph may be "pretty" but "uninteresting"..
In the same way that Elie Wiesel, who survived the Holocaust and later won the Nobel Peace Prize said, "Not to transmit an experience is to betray it", this approach is certainly not as easy as just spotting a potential photograph and snapping it in the prettiest way possible, but I believe something like that will surely be hugely rewarding for any photographer.
Just some thoughts and a bit of a ramble. this discourse is, of course, a bit shallow at the moment, I must admit.. i'll give it a little more thought and see if i can make it more "concrete" and meaningful...
Friday, 7 November 2003
looking at the moon
check out my first ever moon photo.. :)
see a bigger one here... the surface of the moon is patchy, reminding me of the skins of black-and-white cows.. hahaha..
i've decided that one of my new year's resolutions for 2004 will include getting myself started in Black & White Photography... either join a course or just start seriously experimenting..
anyone care to join me? :)
check out my first ever moon photo.. :)
see a bigger one here... the surface of the moon is patchy, reminding me of the skins of black-and-white cows.. hahaha..
i've decided that one of my new year's resolutions for 2004 will include getting myself started in Black & White Photography... either join a course or just start seriously experimenting..
anyone care to join me? :)
topics to (not) write about
got this via Michelle F10, who's taking her 'O' levels exams now... The 'O' Levels English Language Paper 1 Questions
these essay/composition questions are, in my opinion, pretty darn bad... i wonder what kind of creativity they will actually allow.. besides, they sound pretty convoluted and are totally uninspiring.. i can imagine myself getting into a writer's block in the middle of the exams..
i half suspect they are written up by the same people who wrote the themes for the Canon Photo Marathon..
hahhaha..
got this via Michelle F10, who's taking her 'O' levels exams now... The 'O' Levels English Language Paper 1 Questions
these essay/composition questions are, in my opinion, pretty darn bad... i wonder what kind of creativity they will actually allow.. besides, they sound pretty convoluted and are totally uninspiring.. i can imagine myself getting into a writer's block in the middle of the exams..
i half suspect they are written up by the same people who wrote the themes for the Canon Photo Marathon..
hahhaha..
Thursday, 6 November 2003
lame jokes to start off your day
Legally Blond
A blonde calls across the river to a blonde on the other bank,
"How can I get to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river then shouts back,
"You ARE on the other side!"
Escaped Midget
Q: What do you call a psychic midget who just escaped from jail?
A: A small medium at large.
Legally Blond
A blonde calls across the river to a blonde on the other bank,
"How can I get to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river then shouts back,
"You ARE on the other side!"
Escaped Midget
Q: What do you call a psychic midget who just escaped from jail?
A: A small medium at large.
Men & Women
"There are no frigid women; there are only men with no experience."
Gregorio Maranon
trust me, i'm not a feminist.. haha.. i'm just writing a cool quote i found.. anyway, Dr Gregorio Maranon is a guy himself..
"There are no frigid women; there are only men with no experience."
Gregorio Maranon
trust me, i'm not a feminist.. haha.. i'm just writing a cool quote i found.. anyway, Dr Gregorio Maranon is a guy himself..
hotel soap saga
have you read this before?
Hotel Soap Saga
it's really really funny.. reminds me of the Swissotel hotel story on Karen's blog.. haha
i think service people are really strange sometimes.. a friend of mine missed a flight recently 'cos his luggage was "overweight" and the service counter people sent him on a wild goose chase all over the airport, refusing to help him solve his problem... in the last 5 minutes, they just said with a (so he claims) evil smirk:
"oh, too late already.. the gates are closed"...
cruel huh?? oh well..
have you read this before?
Hotel Soap Saga
it's really really funny.. reminds me of the Swissotel hotel story on Karen's blog.. haha
i think service people are really strange sometimes.. a friend of mine missed a flight recently 'cos his luggage was "overweight" and the service counter people sent him on a wild goose chase all over the airport, refusing to help him solve his problem... in the last 5 minutes, they just said with a (so he claims) evil smirk:
"oh, too late already.. the gates are closed"...
cruel huh?? oh well..
Wednesday, 5 November 2003
A real life hypochondriac speaks...
i don't know when and i don't know how.. but midway through this year, i suddenly became a hypochondriac.. this is something i would normally have been shy to talk about.. umm.. am i making this sound like a coming-out-of-the-closet thing??? haha....
last night, for example, i was sure i had tooth decay.
[][][][]~[] - Ascii-art of row of teeth with a missing tooth..
i was fussing over this annoying ulcer on my gums when i realised these jumbo-sized (ok, i exaggerate..) bits of solid white stuff falling off the surface of one of my back teeth. i gasped, convinced that that particular tooth was disintegrating! in retrospect, i guess tooth decay would normally be accompanied by a certain amount of pain or swelling or something, right? .. anyway, at that time, nothing was going to convince me otherwise.. I WAS SURE I HAD TOOTH DECAY!!
it really freaked me out, considering i've never had dental problems all these years of my life (i didn't even extract any of my wisdom teeth!), and my long trip was coming up, so this was certainly not a welcome thing at all.. i think i even slept badly last night because of this!
anyway, it turned out, after my visit to the dentist this morning, that it was just a bad case of tartar build-up cos i haven't been to the dentist for a while..:p.. phew! .. those white bits were tartar.. grr... gross...
anyway, back to my hypochondria story.. so i kinda recalled all the minor "calamities" i had this year and realised that i thrice thought i had cancer, once believed i had kidney disease, briefly thought i will lose one eye, numerous times thought i had appendicitis and last but not least, thought i had tooth decay yesterday..
sigh...
i don't know when and i don't know how.. but midway through this year, i suddenly became a hypochondriac.. this is something i would normally have been shy to talk about.. umm.. am i making this sound like a coming-out-of-the-closet thing??? haha....
last night, for example, i was sure i had tooth decay.
[][][][]~[] - Ascii-art of row of teeth with a missing tooth..
i was fussing over this annoying ulcer on my gums when i realised these jumbo-sized (ok, i exaggerate..) bits of solid white stuff falling off the surface of one of my back teeth. i gasped, convinced that that particular tooth was disintegrating! in retrospect, i guess tooth decay would normally be accompanied by a certain amount of pain or swelling or something, right? .. anyway, at that time, nothing was going to convince me otherwise.. I WAS SURE I HAD TOOTH DECAY!!
it really freaked me out, considering i've never had dental problems all these years of my life (i didn't even extract any of my wisdom teeth!), and my long trip was coming up, so this was certainly not a welcome thing at all.. i think i even slept badly last night because of this!
anyway, it turned out, after my visit to the dentist this morning, that it was just a bad case of tartar build-up cos i haven't been to the dentist for a while..:p.. phew! .. those white bits were tartar.. grr... gross...
anyway, back to my hypochondria story.. so i kinda recalled all the minor "calamities" i had this year and realised that i thrice thought i had cancer, once believed i had kidney disease, briefly thought i will lose one eye, numerous times thought i had appendicitis and last but not least, thought i had tooth decay yesterday..
sigh...
From the "Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death."
try this simple diagnostic test:
Reach into your pocket or purse. Feel for a coin. Don't take it out,
just explore its surfaces with your fingertips. Can you tell which side is
heads and which is tails? You should be able to. This is called "stereognosis,"
and it is a basic test of the functioning of the parietal lobes of the brain.
Failure to distinguish heads from tails can sometimes herald the presence
of a parietal lobe tumour or an oncoming stroke.
Note: This is taken from a humour book.. don't take it too seriously... :p
try this simple diagnostic test:
Reach into your pocket or purse. Feel for a coin. Don't take it out,
just explore its surfaces with your fingertips. Can you tell which side is
heads and which is tails? You should be able to. This is called "stereognosis,"
and it is a basic test of the functioning of the parietal lobes of the brain.
Failure to distinguish heads from tails can sometimes herald the presence
of a parietal lobe tumour or an oncoming stroke.
Note: This is taken from a humour book.. don't take it too seriously... :p
Tuesday, 4 November 2003
15
urged by our Educational Psychology lecturer (who herself is a counsellor for wayward teenagers), a small group of us trainee teachers (sometimes called teacher trainees - whatever..) trooped down to the cinema this afternoon to watch 15, hoping to catch a glimpse of the secret life of the juvenile delinquents we may possibly (gulp!) encounter when we eventually go out into the classrooms..
Roystan Tan has certainly got a brilliant piece of work here.
More than just a glimpse, I felt that we were given a chance to have a pretty good look into the dark (yet colourful), confused, purposeless and directionless existence of these troubled teenagers. I particularly liked the cleverly juxtaposed random scenes of what could have caused their waywardness (a father swearing in hokkien in the background whose face we are never shown, a mention of a mother with many "boyfriends" etc), the touch of realistic (albeit risque) humour, grainy lomo-nesque flashbacks, exaggerated actions and the occassional scene shot in a manner seemingly adapted from genres which would be familiar to these teenagers (e.g. wuxia - chinese martial arts - comics, taxi driver lingo, J-Pop etc)
it was a sad and realistic look at a "sub-culture" left behind by mainstream society, which few of us would ever come close to understanding and empathising with.. in fact, our own prejudices were shown through the typical irritated and disgusted reactions of the "aunties" in the show...
from my (no doubt privileged) personal encounter with some of these heavily-tattooed teens several years ago (no, i wasn't an "Ah Lian"* myself... trust me.. :p), I learnt that most of them were really very much like the rest of us, looking for the same things in life - Love, Acceptance, Friendship, Meaning & Purpose, & A Better Life.. but unlike for us, these dreams were far far away for them, always remaining elusive.. Eventually, many of these teens stop believing in their dreams.. sometimes, they stop believing in Life altogether too..
I don't know what I will be able to do if ever i'm presented with the opportunity/challenge of dealing with one or more of these troubled kids..
By the grace of God, hope I'll have the wisdom then to know the right thing to do...
here's a spoiler-less review
*You'll have to find the characteristics of an Ah Lian here .. i just found that i couldn't quite define one.. :p
urged by our Educational Psychology lecturer (who herself is a counsellor for wayward teenagers), a small group of us trainee teachers (sometimes called teacher trainees - whatever..) trooped down to the cinema this afternoon to watch 15, hoping to catch a glimpse of the secret life of the juvenile delinquents we may possibly (gulp!) encounter when we eventually go out into the classrooms..
Roystan Tan has certainly got a brilliant piece of work here.
More than just a glimpse, I felt that we were given a chance to have a pretty good look into the dark (yet colourful), confused, purposeless and directionless existence of these troubled teenagers. I particularly liked the cleverly juxtaposed random scenes of what could have caused their waywardness (a father swearing in hokkien in the background whose face we are never shown, a mention of a mother with many "boyfriends" etc), the touch of realistic (albeit risque) humour, grainy lomo-nesque flashbacks, exaggerated actions and the occassional scene shot in a manner seemingly adapted from genres which would be familiar to these teenagers (e.g. wuxia - chinese martial arts - comics, taxi driver lingo, J-Pop etc)
it was a sad and realistic look at a "sub-culture" left behind by mainstream society, which few of us would ever come close to understanding and empathising with.. in fact, our own prejudices were shown through the typical irritated and disgusted reactions of the "aunties" in the show...
from my (no doubt privileged) personal encounter with some of these heavily-tattooed teens several years ago (no, i wasn't an "Ah Lian"* myself... trust me.. :p), I learnt that most of them were really very much like the rest of us, looking for the same things in life - Love, Acceptance, Friendship, Meaning & Purpose, & A Better Life.. but unlike for us, these dreams were far far away for them, always remaining elusive.. Eventually, many of these teens stop believing in their dreams.. sometimes, they stop believing in Life altogether too..
I don't know what I will be able to do if ever i'm presented with the opportunity/challenge of dealing with one or more of these troubled kids..
By the grace of God, hope I'll have the wisdom then to know the right thing to do...
here's a spoiler-less review
*You'll have to find the characteristics of an Ah Lian here .. i just found that i couldn't quite define one.. :p
misplaced resources?
this is the sort of thing i hate to read in the morning...
News - Congress OKs US$87.5B for Iraq, Afghanistan... and "the bill includes $64.7 billion for U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. "
it stumps me, particularly when it is juxtaposed against the knowledge in my brain that:
"...we would be able to eradicate world poverty with merely 1 % of the world’s income." and that the world is now dangerously short of meeting the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals for "universal primary education, halving world poverty, and reducing child deaths by two-thirds..and a whole list more.."
what's happening? :( so much suffering already and yet they add more...
here's a good article on "How to Eradicate Terrorism by Fighting Poverty"
why haven't the leaders in power realised that terrorism isn't going to go away just by killing the so-called "terrorists"?...
this is the sort of thing i hate to read in the morning...
News - Congress OKs US$87.5B for Iraq, Afghanistan... and "the bill includes $64.7 billion for U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. "
it stumps me, particularly when it is juxtaposed against the knowledge in my brain that:
"...we would be able to eradicate world poverty with merely 1 % of the world’s income." and that the world is now dangerously short of meeting the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals for "universal primary education, halving world poverty, and reducing child deaths by two-thirds..and a whole list more.."
what's happening? :( so much suffering already and yet they add more...
here's a good article on "How to Eradicate Terrorism by Fighting Poverty"
why haven't the leaders in power realised that terrorism isn't going to go away just by killing the so-called "terrorists"?...
Monday, 3 November 2003
Quotes On Marriage
Katharine Hepburn :
Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.
Katharine Hepburn:
If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married.
Friedrich Nietzsche:
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
Harriet Martineau:
Any one must see at a glance that if men and women marry those whom they do not love, they must love those whom they do not marry.
Joyce Brothers:
My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce.
Oscar Wilde:
Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
Samuel Johnson:
Marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.
Socrates:
My advice to you is to get married. If you find a good wife, you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher.
from this wonderful site of quotes
hahahaha... :D ... me a cynic?? no.. ... WHAT gave you THAT idea??? :O
Katharine Hepburn :
Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.
Katharine Hepburn:
If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married.
Friedrich Nietzsche:
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
Harriet Martineau:
Any one must see at a glance that if men and women marry those whom they do not love, they must love those whom they do not marry.
Joyce Brothers:
My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce.
Oscar Wilde:
Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
Samuel Johnson:
Marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.
Socrates:
My advice to you is to get married. If you find a good wife, you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher.
from this wonderful site of quotes
hahahaha... :D ... me a cynic?? no.. ... WHAT gave you THAT idea??? :O
Sunday, 2 November 2003
Exercising Chicken
i think i am a really strange person..
you know what i did while i was watching this Exercising Chicken website i got via photokalia??
i started thinking that these were perhaps real exercises cos i believe someone had to be demonstrating them while the webdesigner was creating the images..
so i .... STARTED FOLLOWING THE CHICKEN'S MOVEMENTS!! :D hahahahaha..
anyway, it's quite fun.. you should try it too.. i think you have been surfing the net for too long.. just don't let your family members think you are nutz..
Try it!!!
i think i am a really strange person..
you know what i did while i was watching this Exercising Chicken website i got via photokalia??
i started thinking that these were perhaps real exercises cos i believe someone had to be demonstrating them while the webdesigner was creating the images..
so i .... STARTED FOLLOWING THE CHICKEN'S MOVEMENTS!! :D hahahahaha..
anyway, it's quite fun.. you should try it too.. i think you have been surfing the net for too long.. just don't let your family members think you are nutz..
Try it!!!
Weight Watchers
i found an old weighing machine (a relic from the 70s/early 80s i bet!) around the tanjong pagar area yesterday and couldn't resist getting on it. it's one of those that gives your weight and tells your fortune all-in-one.... see a pic of the little cardboard card that it dispensed..
not that i am crazy about the fortune-telling bit (actually, i hate to have my future told.. 'cos it takes away the excitement of knowing what's coming up?? :p... haha... actually, on a serious and honest note, it's cos i DO trust "HIM who holds the future".. :) ... i don't even read horoscopes...) anyway, think those machines are way cool.. they're in the league of juke boxes... old, crummy, stained and cool... :)
on a related note, i was shocked to read, from this article "Obesity Not Fattening Fitness Firms" that obesity is now an EPIDEMIC in the US with "nearly two-thirds of the population now overweight"!!! grr.. imagine walking on the streets and seeing 2 out of 3 people oozing fats from their sides.... oh dear...
for the rest of us, we are allowed to read this: In Praise of Chocolate.. :p
i found an old weighing machine (a relic from the 70s/early 80s i bet!) around the tanjong pagar area yesterday and couldn't resist getting on it. it's one of those that gives your weight and tells your fortune all-in-one.... see a pic of the little cardboard card that it dispensed..
not that i am crazy about the fortune-telling bit (actually, i hate to have my future told.. 'cos it takes away the excitement of knowing what's coming up?? :p... haha... actually, on a serious and honest note, it's cos i DO trust "HIM who holds the future".. :) ... i don't even read horoscopes...) anyway, think those machines are way cool.. they're in the league of juke boxes... old, crummy, stained and cool... :)
on a related note, i was shocked to read, from this article "Obesity Not Fattening Fitness Firms" that obesity is now an EPIDEMIC in the US with "nearly two-thirds of the population now overweight"!!! grr.. imagine walking on the streets and seeing 2 out of 3 people oozing fats from their sides.... oh dear...
for the rest of us, we are allowed to read this: In Praise of Chocolate.. :p
aurora borealis
the Northern Lights is something i wanna see at least once in my life..
Photos
More Photos
amazing huh?.. :)
the Northern Lights is something i wanna see at least once in my life..
Photos
More Photos
amazing huh?.. :)
bright and yellow
ho ho!
ain't this layout bright and cheery!! :D
woo hoo!! first change in 2 years 3 months!!! hahahah
no more drab and pastelly!! no more #c9c994!!
ho ho!
ain't this layout bright and cheery!! :D
woo hoo!! first change in 2 years 3 months!!! hahahah
no more drab and pastelly!! no more #c9c994!!
Saturday, 1 November 2003
If I'd Known Then What I Know Now
got this bit of self-help gem from J. R. Parrish's book:
Your future will depend on your answers to these questions:
- Will you listen to those who have been where you're going?
- Will you study/work hard and truly do your best?
- Will you date the right people and for the right reasons?
- Will you keep a good and positive attitude?
- Will you form good habits?
- Will you control your thinking?
According to Parrish, there are three keys to success and contentment in life. They are:
1. Knowing that the greatest need of everyone after food, clothing and shelter is the need to feel important. Eighty percent of failure is inability to deal effectively with people, not inability to do the job. If you make other people feel important, success will follow.
2. Accepting the "Better World Theory," which says if you want a better life for yourself, it's up to you to make it happen. By acknowledging this fact, you stop blaming others and realize that you are where you are in life because of your own choices. Your motto should become "If it's to be, it's up to me." When you eliminate blame from your life, you also eliminate anger, because all anger distills down to blame.
3. Realizing your success or failure is determined largely by your habits. Bad habits invite failure, but good habits unlock the door to success and happiness.
i've only flipped through it briefly but i think it's hard to disagree with stuff like that.. pretty good book i think.. you can borrow it from the Library@Orchard once my sis and I return it..
got this bit of self-help gem from J. R. Parrish's book:
Your future will depend on your answers to these questions:
- Will you listen to those who have been where you're going?
- Will you study/work hard and truly do your best?
- Will you date the right people and for the right reasons?
- Will you keep a good and positive attitude?
- Will you form good habits?
- Will you control your thinking?
According to Parrish, there are three keys to success and contentment in life. They are:
1. Knowing that the greatest need of everyone after food, clothing and shelter is the need to feel important. Eighty percent of failure is inability to deal effectively with people, not inability to do the job. If you make other people feel important, success will follow.
2. Accepting the "Better World Theory," which says if you want a better life for yourself, it's up to you to make it happen. By acknowledging this fact, you stop blaming others and realize that you are where you are in life because of your own choices. Your motto should become "If it's to be, it's up to me." When you eliminate blame from your life, you also eliminate anger, because all anger distills down to blame.
3. Realizing your success or failure is determined largely by your habits. Bad habits invite failure, but good habits unlock the door to success and happiness.
i've only flipped through it briefly but i think it's hard to disagree with stuff like that.. pretty good book i think.. you can borrow it from the Library@Orchard once my sis and I return it..
midnite surfing..
these marathon monks of mount hiei are really strange... this site gives even more details..
"Tendai Buddhist tradition dictates that if Kakudo (name of one of the monks) does not complete his prescribed marathon runs and walks, and all the accompanying tasks, he must take his own life by either hanging or disemboweling himself. "
:O
these marathon monks of mount hiei are really strange... this site gives even more details..
"Tendai Buddhist tradition dictates that if Kakudo (name of one of the monks) does not complete his prescribed marathon runs and walks, and all the accompanying tasks, he must take his own life by either hanging or disemboweling himself. "
:O
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