Dummies Guide to Scrabble

I never knew how to play scrabble, until only recently.

The first round

And this is not some alien language, it is perfect English, just with a minor twist.

It was the customary Xmas dinner at Dz's place with the usual gang. I missed it last year and I heard that it was pretty bad due to my absence, no? =)

So, I made it a point to attend it this time round, as well to make it up for my no show and pathetic contribution to previous pot-luck dinners. (Snacks, mineral water... I am so thoughtful...)




The food was great, because we made it a point to bar DZ, our beloved salad master, from preparing his delicious salad. I don't mean to be... mean but just take a look at this picture and you will get my point. And I'm not putting that picture up here because I don't want anyone to flag my blog for posting questionable content.




After the meal, Dz proceeded to chase his younger bro out of his own room... so that we could renew our rivalry in everyone's (girls included) favourite game, Winning Eleven. It was the usual hilarious fun, but somehow, it paled in comparison to the highlight of the evening, Scrabble.

In its full glory

For a comprehensive definition of all the words above, check out Andrew's blog.

And then, some ingenious photography efforts at a dose of deja vu.





---

I don't really celebrate Christmas but an occasion like this makes it all worth the while.

Melly Christmas!

I thought it would be nice to have a change of background with 2008 coming to a close. And I think it would please a few people out there too. Why don't you guys like smiley faces? Sheesh..

I like the current pic; it evokes a tranquil feel.

Here's wishing everyone a happy Christmas and a wonderful year ahead!

"Do you feel lonely?"

I must have that word written on my face because it felt like the inquirer really wanted to ask me that question.

I'm seldom stumped but I think I was, at that very instant...

Have You Smiled Today?

If not, watch this short movie below. I'm sure it would bring you a wide smile, or maybe even a teardrop or two. Especially apt for the festive occasion ahead!



So, don't be stingy in your compliments of others. Give praise when its due, you'll be a lot happier too!

The Art of Doing Unto Others & The Art of Listening

I find it easy to console, cajole, pacify, condescend, patronize others but it's the exact opposite when I try to apply it to myself.

Well, I guess it's always easier to talk the talk, than to walk the talk. When I am the onlooker and not the one in question, I am able to get my points across and offer a different perspective. And often a much more optimistic one, which somehow always seems to be oblivious to the person in the spotlight.

And I would like to think that I can be a good listener too. At times, I might offer too many an opinion, but at least I bother to inundate you with suggestions and ideas. I do appreciate the importance of simply listening, and not responding though. That is why silence is golden, no?

I've learnt that sometimes when people engage you in a conversation, what they all need is a listening ear. Not your suggestions or feedback, no matter how genuine and heartfelt it is. They just need an avenue to express their frustration, and to get it off their system.

So, open your ears, let them bear their hearts to you, and really listen and observe. Everyone appreciates a listening ear, at least I do. Don't be your opinionated self and try to force your thoughts on others.

Zip your mouth, grin from ear-to-ear, show that friendly and wrinkled arch on your face, as you say,

"I'm all ears..."

Thought of the Day

Money is Not the Most Important Thing in the World.

Love is.

Fortunately, I Love Money!

Ow...

Exam's on Sat and I don't feel an ounce of urgency at all.

Xmas' in 2 weeks and I can't feel a bit of the festive spirit.

2009's in 3 weeks and I.... think I need something different in the year ahead!

想你想得好孤寂 - 邰正宵

从你走后细雨不停
听着雨声夜夜醒到天明
眼角流出无言的泪
是回忆在胸口偷哭泣

痛过想过慢慢看清
外表平静是骗你骗自己
用微笑送你还答应
把祝福给你
忘了问谁收留我的心

当你为了我和他而犹豫
我不该只等待你做决定
如果任性那么一次把你抱紧
也许不会失去你Oh! Oh! Oh!

想你想得好孤寂我想你想得好痛心
向天大声喊爱你
恨我说出口的不到爱的万分之一
到如今还能说给谁听 Oh! Oh! Oh!

想你想得好孤寂我想你想得好痛心
向着远方喊爱你
深深爱一个人根本不该苦苦压抑
一点迟疑一生的悲凄

---

Classic... Another goosebump-inducing song.
Johnson, I know you'll like it..

If you haven't heard this song before, it's the first song on my playlist.

原点，还是终点？

My friend's MSN nick, and I can't help but feel it's somewhat apt.

When you have reached the end, or at least you think you have, is it really the end? The end of one thing, usually signifies the start of something else.

When your work has ended for the day, you start looking forward to the rest of the day with your family or loved ones.

When you are done with your education, you start your career path.

At times, the end and start are mutually exclusive. There has to be an end, before you can see the start.

There will be times you realise that the end doesn't justify the means, but you have to face up to it all the same.

Ending something is never easy...
Embracing a fresh start is, especially when a false dawn awaits...

After such a long time, I still question myself every now and then.

It's been a tough year.

I'm a part time student...

What I've been busy with:


No.. not all profits, but at least I see some money coming in.. =)

说好的幸福呢

你的回話凌亂著 在這個時刻
我想起噴泉旁的白鴿 甜蜜散落了
情緒莫名的拉扯 我還愛你呢
而你斷斷續續唱著歌 假裝沒事了

時間過了 走了 愛情面臨選擇
你冷了 倦了 我哭了
離開時的不快樂 你用卡片手寫著
有些愛只給到這 真的痛了

怎麼了 你累了 說好的 幸福呢
我懂了 不說了 愛淡了 夢遠了
開心與不開心一一細數著 你再不捨
那些愛過的感覺都太深刻 我都還記得

你不等了 說好的 幸福呢
我錯了 淚乾了 放手了 後悔了
只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著 要怎麼停呢

你的回話凌亂著 在這個時刻
我想起噴泉旁的白鴿 甜蜜散落了
情緒莫名的拉扯 我還愛你呢
而你斷斷續續唱著歌 假裝沒事了

時間過了 走了 愛情面臨選擇
你冷了 倦了 我哭了
離開時的不快樂 你用卡片手寫著
有些愛只給到這 真的痛了

怎麼了 你累了 說好的 幸福呢
我懂了 不說了 愛淡了 夢遠了
開心與不開心一一細數著 你再不捨
那些愛過的感覺都太深刻 我都還記得

你不等了 說好的 幸福呢
我錯了 淚乾了 放手了 後悔了
只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著 要怎麼停呢

怎麼了 你累了 說好的 幸福呢
我懂了 不說了 愛淡了 夢遠了 我都還記得
你不等了 說好的 幸福呢
我錯了 淚乾了 放手了 後悔了
只是回憶的音樂盒還旋轉著 要怎麼停呢

Happy Thanksgiving!

Even though we do not celebrate that back in SG, my secondary school has taught me well enough to know that I should always be generous when it comes to gratitude..

Now I know the reason why they make us sing "Give Thanks" back then every Wednesday...

"Give Thanks, to the Holy One.. ~"

Or at least, give thanks to those who deserve it.

Disenchant-ed

For the magic card fanatics, that word basically means,

"Destroy target artifiact or enchantment."

Though I think it should really mean:

"Destroy target hope or belief."

Yawns.

Arigatou gozaimasu

Thanks for all the insightful comments. I've passed them on to my friend. Hopefully, things will change for the better. =)

---

I think I spend way too much time working. I have been in front of the comp since 10+ in the morning, and I am still here now. Can hardly keep my eyes open.

And the thing is, I actually look forward to work.

I look forward to the days when I don't have classes, because I would have the entire day to do my work.

That probably sounds crazy, but honestly, that's how I'm feeling now. I have to admit it's not that healthy though.

I really need some balance in my life.

And some money...

Interesting reads

ROME (AP)—In the latest fashion statement out of Italy, soccer players are dropping their shorts to score goals.

Catania, a team in the country’s top division, unveiled the new look while taking a free kick. The players lined up in a wall and dropped their shorts in an effort to block the goalkeeper’s vision.

Read more: Secret to scoring goals, unveiled!

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I used to think that all pigs love to wallow in mud, till I saw this.

Step aside PCK, I've green boots!

Freaking hilarious and cute!
This pig, or piglet, apparently has a phobia of mud, and hence its thoughtful owners came up with this brilliant idea.

Read more: Pig in boots

Some help/advice/suggestions needed

Because I realise I have got pretty responsive readers, I thought I could seek some advice from you regarding a knotty problem that a friend of mine has. I know this is lengthy, but if you could take some time out to read this, I would appreciate it. =)

Background:
She is a pleasant girl, and a very filial one at that too. Besides having to juggle work, school, tutoring classes, and the occasional outing here and there, she also makes it a point to dedicate a large part of her time to her family, and spending time at home.

On days where she does not have to go to work or class, which is really rare by the way, she makes sure that the household chores are well taken care of, before she even contemplates going out. Many a time, the hectic pace of her life would leave her all drained and catching for breath, while her current balance of work, family, studies threatens to boil over and lose all equilibrium.

Now, if time management was the only issue here, she would be doing just fine. But it's another matter altogether when she has obviously tried her best, but it still falls way short of the lofty expectations that her mum has in place.

Her mum is one who holds dearly to the belief that if you are not at work or class, you should be back home.

Regardless that school is in the western part of Singapore, and home is at the opposite end almost, and travelling takes at least 2 hours.

Regardless that its a weekend, and the only day of the week where she can finally afford to relax.

Regardless that she has been in the workforce for many years, and is more than mature to think for herself.

Restrictions are not limited to the amount of time she spends outside, but also on the company and the reason. Her mum would question her who is she out with, why is she out, why is she hanging out with this particular person, and the list goes on. If her mum can put a name to the face of the person that she is hanging out with, and it also happens that she does not have a good impression of the guy, she would blatantly voice her disapproval.

When she is back late, her mum would scold her and sometimes, the grammar that she uses is not the most pleasant. Sometimes, it's almost baffling to know that your mum would use this kind of language on you. If you think that is bad, it was even worse a couple of years back, when she had strict curfews imposed.

She's a really strong girl, but sometimes, the poor girl would be so overwhelmed by her mum's overbearing and unreasonable demands that she would just collapse. She has a sister, and the both of them are at their wits end trying to improve this situation.

I've tried to offer my help by doing whatever I could, even though my help is seriously academic. All I can do is to offer my personal suggestions and advice, but it does not really apply to her case. The problem really lies with her mum, and not anything else. Her mum is a housewife, and I figure that is where the entire problem lies. She has no one to talk to while at home, and the only avenue where she can vent her frustration is on her two daughters. She feels bored when no one's at home, so she can't wait for her daughters to come home and accompany her.

Sure, that's only my conjecture, but I do feel pretty strongly that is the underlying reason. So, I'm asking you to offer your much appreciated comments and advice, because she really deserves better.

If you have had any experience, or heard of anything similar, please be generous and contribute your two cents worth. Heck, even if you only had one cent to spare, I would take that too.

Hermit. Me. & The Economics of Friendship

It's been a while since I last made my way out of the house, other than the times I had to go for classes. Today must have been the first time in a few weeks that I actually went to a shopping mall with someone, and took in some fresh, and much needed air. And I rather enjoyed it.

I have come to realise that it takes time for me to warm up to people, and it's something in me since young. Call me shy, call me anti-social, but I guess it's really just me. I'd like to think I'm a friendly guy though... Hmmm, let's just say it's a latent quality, something the casual stranger would not realise in the initial stages.

Place a clam in the fire, and it opens up after the heat radiates through...
I guess I open up, literally, in the same way too. Haha..

I'm mentioning this because it's hard to find someone who you can engage in a meaningful and comfortable conversation all the time. I'm not referring to your ability to converse here, but rather the positive emotions that you derive from such an exchange. Personally, I find meaningful conversations especially engaging.

---

The Economics of Friendship

I have been having this niggling thought lately:

Friendship:
To be expected, or to be maintained?

I always think relationships and friendship require maintenance, and if you can't be bothered, chances are, soon you won't even have to bother anymore. I believe when it comes to friendship, you reap what you sow. And this is totally unlike love, where you can't expect reciprocity if the other person just doesn't like you.

If you don't make it a point to keep the friendship going, it will just fade away. It's really about mutual respect and how much you value him/her. Sure, there are times when you are too busy, but if you can find time to stay online and chat on msn the whole day, you can meet your friend for a simple meal too.

It does not take a genius to differentiate between the truth and an excuse. So don't expect your friend to keep trying his/her luck in asking you out when you just decline/reject her bluntly with your latest trick (excuse) in your book. I know, because I've been guilty of the convenient excuse very often too.

I'm not referring to anyone here, so don't be too sensitive. Just some thoughts from someone who has been at both ends of the equation here. And to quote my own experience, I find it especially hard to take when one has time for everything and everyone else, except me. Is time really the problem here, or is the lack of effort to blame? To be honest, there are times when I have been left disillusioned.

And to add in my favourite quote, "An inconvenient truth, or a convenient excuse?"
Or maybe I am just expecting too much here.

Yawns...

Loyalty Personified

I just had to write something, after reading this tribute to Ryan Giggs on Soccernet.

He's turning 35, and this is his 18th year at the club since he first broke into the first team when he was only 17. I mean, where can you find such a player nowadays? It's all about the money and fame nowadays. Loyalty, and gratitude are all thrown out of the window when you there is so much money at stake.

I might not have started watching football when Giggs first broke into the first team, but I think I managed to see his best years.

Who can forget his mad, grossly hairy, goal celebration when he scored the winner against Arsenal in the FA Cup? Of course, he is remembered for much more than that, but that is one of the moments that made me proud as a Man Utd fan.

From this...

...to this

At his peak, he was virtually peerless. Defenders were often left grasping thin air as he flashed down the left wing time and time again.

Giggs on the left,
Beckham on the right,
Scholes and Keane in the middle,
Yorke and Cole up front..

Those were the times... and to be honest, even till today, that is the team that I like best.

The Economics of Relationships (Part Deux)

Because this could very likely be the subject matter of my thesis, I thought it would be good if I could finish it up. Imagine this,:

Dr Lua
PhD in Economics (Love)

Now, that would really look awesome on my CV.

---

So, to continue from where my previous post left off, I shall attempt to dissect the next genre of men when it comes to the society today. If you had missed the first part of this wonderful topic, you can read it here - The Economics of Relationships (Part One)

Meanwhile, I reckon I better touch on this genre before they disappear all too quickly and become extinct. So to start things off:

Genre 2 - Good Men (Subjective demand, Dwindling supply)

Rule Number 1 of Economics: The higher the demand, the higher the supply. Due to the overwhelming demand and success of Genre 1 - Bad Men, it's almost inevitable that just about every guy dreams of entering that realm.

That is the place to be. The group to be in. Utopia, if you like to see it that way.
It's almost similar to the theory that you will only go to Heaven if you convert to a particular religion.

Pardon the drift, but what I'm really saying here is that every religion deserves respect. While you may have different beliefs, you can't force upon your ideas on others.

Back to my point. Like how that old adage goes, "All good things come to an end". And just to show off my brilliant Chinese vocabulary, "夕阳无限好, 只是近黄昏". But in all honesty, this trend simply cannot be avoided.

I say that because that is really how the cookie crumbles.

Think about it, have you seen movies where the good men are surrounded by a bevy of ladies? That only happens with the bad guys. The ones who are all dressed in black suits, have a cigar stuck to their lips, and have one lady on each lap.

If you are a boy who's struggling to combat those raging hormones during puberty, you can be forgiven for turning to the dark side, or rather the more popular side. You are not at fault if you find yourself idolizing a really cool bad guy back in your childhood. Well, I have been guilty of that too. While you might not have a good ending, as with most movies, chances are that you would have had your fair share of fun and died a happy death.

So, what place does a typical good man have in the society now? When he meets a connoisseur, that is. Not everyone knows how to appreciate the good stuff; it takes time and understanding.

It's an acquired taste.

Just like durian, honeysuckle tea, nasi lemak. You either love it, or you hate love it even more.


Disclaimer: This entry was written without any form of malice from the author. If you think you are being mentioned in any part of the article, you are not, unless you are part of the endangered species of good men. The author firmly believes in setting up a conservation campaign for this endangered species before they become extinct, and become just a topic in your secondary school History or Science textbook.

What do you say?

sloth says:
swee...wad the hell did u do with ur blog
sloth says:
its super gay
honest. its saddening to know that my friend of 10 years is gay and has shit taste

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I say: What's wrong with it? I just want everyone to be happy... I thought of using this for a week, but I didnt expect to get such a strong objection that early. Haha.

What say you?

Time for a laugh (if you are a football fan)

Warning: What you are about to see is not for the faint-hearted football fan.
If you are a Spurs fan, I would advise you to leave this page right away.

---

Anyway, I thought I better post this before Spurs play their next game. Read on and you will get what I mean.

Compilation of Spurs jokes:

I met this really kinky girl last night. 'Humiliate me,' she said ... So I bought her a Tottenham shirt

Haringey council has blocked Tottenham's plans to build a new ground on Northumberland Park. A town hall source said: 'We don't mind having a funfair there once a year, but a circus every fortnight is a bit much.'

'I was playing Scrabble and had enough letters to make 'Tottenham Hotspur Football Club'. I was gutted when I found out it was only worth two points.'Tesco are releasing new Oxo cubes in Spurs colours. Customers are told to look out for laughing stocks.

A young boy goes to social services and tells them he has nowhere to live. 'What about your parents?' asks the social worker. 'No, they beat me,' says the boy. 'What about your grandparents?' says the social worker. 'No, they beat me even harder!' says the boy. 'Well ... where do you want to stay then?' replies the social worker. 'Tottenham,' says the boy. 'They don't beat anyone.

What do a toothpick and Tottenham have in common? They both have two points

Juande Ramos, shortly after another training session, comments to the head groundsman at White Hart Lane how impressive the pitch is looking. 'It ought to,' replies the groundsman. 'We put 70 million quid's worth of manure on it every week.'

What does a Spurs fan do after he sees his team win? Turns off the Xbox

After leaving San Siro, Jose Mourinho was asked if he was going to help Spurs get out of their slump. He turned around and said, 'No way, I ain't that special'.

Apparently the entire Tottenham squad have been busy honing their skills playing the computer game Championship Manager. Sadly it seems Juande misunderstood and thinks they want to play for a Championship manager.

Contrary to what you may think, Spurs are the strongest team in the league at the moment. Sure, aren't they holding everyone else up?

A man was found dead floating in the Thames, wearing a blond wig, full make-up, bra, knickers, suspenders and a Spurs shirt. Before informing the next of kin the police removed the Spurs shirt to save the family embarrassment.

What would an improved version of Spurs be called? Newcastle United.

Did you hear that Juande Ramos was clocked doing 169mph on the M1 coming back from Stoke? Apparently he was just so desperate for three points.

Is it just me or are Spurs the team to beat this season? Everyone's at it.

When a groggy Vedran Corluka regained consciousness in the ambulance leaving the Britannia Stadium on Sunday he asked medical staff who he was. On being told he played football for Tottenham Hotspur he lapsed into a coma.

The Numbers game

Spent the past week preparing for my paper yesterday morning, and I'm glad its finally over. I think Math has never been my strength (except than in Primary school). Give me business terminology any day over the technical and headache-inducing numbers and graphs.

Add to the fact that I've not touched differentiation, integration, and quadratic functions since sec school, you can imagine my agony when studying for this module. Sure, this is kind of like a fundamental course only, but it took me some time to reconcile all the concepts.

Anyway, its over now and ironically, I'm feeling pretty confident about the module. Hope my confidence is not misplaced though!

---

Talking about work, because of the obscurity of the nature of my work, it's hard for others to understand what I am doing, or am I even doing anything at all. It's not like I have to care about what they think, but sometimes I do try to explain to them that I am actually spending a lot of my time working, NOT slacking.

Sometimes, I have to realign my mindset and convince myself that the only one who I need to convince is me and me alone. I really should be past thinking about the opinions of external parties and just keep working.

I've now got a nice week bar distraction before the next school term starts again. Let's see what I can come up with.

Cheerios. :)

Time Management or Self Management?

If you are disorganized, out of order, easily distracted, and feel like you need to manage your time life much better, I recommend you take the next 30 mins and watch this video.

Wake Up Productive - Time Management

I did, and I would like to think it was pretty useful. To quote something from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:

“Time Management” is actually a misnomer, time passes without regard to what we do. We can never manage it. The only thing we can manage is ourself. But the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves, hence Self Management.

I know most of you would probably be too busy to check out the video, so being the ever Mr Nice (I have to live up to my name), I shall attempt to sum it up for you.

The video touches on the distractions that you and I are most likely to face or have faced day in, day out. And surprise surprise, one of the biggest distractions mentioned in the video is Multi-tasking.


Multi-tasking? Isn't that supposed to improve efficiency and show everyone just how well your brain can function and do different tasks simultaneously? Of course, a certain extent of multi-tasking is definitely essential, but probably not excessively. Turns out that multi-tasking actually lowers your IQ more than smoking marijuana. Well, not that I truly believe that, but it does make some sense. When you multi-task, you are not doing two things at once, but just switching back and forth.

Ahhh, some vindication for the fact that someone once commented I can't multitask. Phew.
So, focus on just one thing at one time. It is that much more efficient.

Other distractions mentioned in the video include:

• Email
• Handphone
• Facebook or (insert-latest-fad-here)

Stay on one path.
Don't do too many things at one time.
Start a project, finish it, then move on to the next.
Most people give up way too early, usually at the first indication of failure.
Do whatever it takes, however long it takes, till you see the first signs of success.

The video then went on to talk about the techniques to improve focus, and efficiency.
One tip that I find especially useful is "Clean Focus".

Work in focus blocks of uninterrupted time, with a minimum of two hours. During that period, do not allow yourself to be distracted. Sit down, start working, and continue working. Even before this video, I personally find that I'm most productive when I get started on work and block myself out from any external distraction. I'm guessing it should work for you too.

There are other stuff, but I'm not gonna bore you with that. Watch it if you are interested, or you could ask me and I can have the summary sent to you.

---

Meanwhile, this is what I use for my online persona.
Looks great, no?
Yes yes the name, I'm not that creative so I decided to go for the name that QY gave me. I think that's how I will look say 30 years down the road!

The Economics of Relationships

Amidst all the negative financial gloom around the entire world, I reckon it's apt to talk about something refreshing, aside from all the shares jaw-dropping headlines in the papers almost everyday.

So, I'm going to talk about the economics of relationships.

Economics, basically refers to the supply and demand of goods in the market, and the positive relationship between demand and supply, i.e. the higher the demand, the higher the supply. (I apologize for the substandard definition if it irks any of you economists out there.)


So, how does economics play its part in the matter that has created so many blockbuster movies and songs ever since the start of civilization? Because many have commented that my posts are too long and boring, I shall try to limit my entry to a minimum by only focusing on one side of the equation.

When it comes to the economics of relationships, demand equates to how guys are sought after by ladies, while supply refers to how many of such guys that are available in the market.

Of course, like any other good in the market, guys come in varying sizes and quality. They range from tall to short, obese to anorexic, rags to riches, dashing to geeky, chubby to sunken (yes I just had to include this), outgoing to reserved, talkative to quiet, blah blah blah... And because of the difference that comes with each and every guy, that is what constitutes the demand for each genre.

Actually, I had wanted to title this post as "All men are bad", and also in relation to my previous blog entry. Lately, I've had many conversations with people around me and they all seem to have a common denominator in them, and which brings me to the first genre.

Genre 1 - Bad Men (High demand, Subjective supply)

Sometimes, you can't explain logic when it comes to love. If not, how else can you explain that ladies are attracted to the bad men? I met up with my friend today and he must be one of the nicest guys around. But, as nice as he is, the karma does not translate to success in his relationship. I felt so compelled to tell him that infamous but cliched phrase,

男人不坏，女人不爱 (When the men aren't bad, the women ain't gonna like)

And I heard another heart-wrenching story from my mum just now in the evening about a woman who is not having the happiest of marriages. Her husband is probably the biggest jerk around that you can find. He contributes a big fat zero to the household income, and spends his whole time playing golf. He does not even give a single cent to his parents, and the wife does all that. Yet, she persists on and I suspect she still loves her husband very much too.

Love is blind, and the definition doesn't get better with that.

So my point is, times have changed. Bad men are the ones in demand now. In strict economic terms, it's almost like a monopoly, and I forsee it becoming monopolistic in time to come.

Good men are passe, and my advice to you good guys out there who would like to get attached: Be bad, or be left on the shelves.


Disclaimer: Despite the author's disappointing realization that the degree of nice-ness and luck in love could possibly be related inversely, this post does not waver the author's belief of being Mr Nice at all.

I think...

..being incessantly good gets you nowhere.

Thought of the moment

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

An unexplained phenomenon

Some things just cannot be explained in words.

I know its hard to understand, especially among the ladies.. That's why we are from Mars, and not Venus.

It's like shopping - the men just don't get it...

: )

Thanks everyone for your concern, I'm fine. =)

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On a lighter note, I just received my first cheque from ClickBank today.


It's a great feeling to open up your mail and you see your first cheque sitting pretty in an envelope. If only all that was profit... I think I'm suffering from a bout of analysis paralysis. Been reading up too much and having so much information that I delayed putting them into practical work. To quote my previous entry, “Knowledge is of no value, unless you put it into practice.”
I'm sure many of us are guilty of that, and I'm not gonna make any excuses either.

Time to get my hands dirty and start working on it! At least, I enjoy my current work.

I have been pretty caught up lately to get down to any productive work. Been shuffling between home, going to the wake and a bit of revision here and there.

Welcome distractions come in the form of City Plaza - The ultimate haven for women's shopping, Coffee Bean, supper, mahjong, Hull's amazing climb up the table...

A Touch of Death

I was awakened this morning by my mum with news that my Ah Gong had passed away. It was shocking, but not too unexpected. Our whole family had gone down to visit him at the nursing home yesterday and he showed signs that were out of the norm. He had been unconscious for all the time since he was admitted to the nursing home, but yesterday, it felt like he was trying to say something.

He had deep breaths and my mum said he was sighing and groaning in pain. Maybe it was fated that our whole family had gone down yesterday and at least saw him for the last time.

Somehow, after the visit, I had been thinking about this. When death nears, it seems like people around have this psychic ability to sense it.

Do cherish your grandparents when they are around. I've seen mine all depart. You get to choose your friends, and almost every other thing in the world, but when it comes to family, you only have just those few.

Anyway, I'm fine.

www.meat.org

The Web Site the Meat Industry Doesn't Want You to See
www.meat.org

A Touch of Fate

I just came back from lunch with my mum, and it must have been one of the most meaningful lunches I have had in a while.

We were looking for seats and there were not any around. In the end, we had to share a table with an old lady. And it was precisely this old lady who made this lunch so memorable.

Dressed in a floral top, you would be forgiven for thinking she is just like the typical 50 - 60 year old auntie you see in the coffeeshop. With a bowl of kway chap in front of her, it just about completed the initial, insignificant impression.

But once she spoke, you could sense something different about her. Her language, and level of wit was not something you would witness from any ordinary old folk. She asked if I'm studying or working and proceeded to say that she's currently lecturing in NUS, and sometimes crossing over to SIM, if the need arises.

She went on to say that she was headhunted, and was sort of affiliated with our Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. She holds 4 degrees, and only moved over from Canada in Aug 08.

You could see how friendly she was as she knew almost everyone in the coffeeshop, from the drinks auntie to the wanton mee owner. Considering that she stays in Pasir Panjang and this is a coffeeshop located in Bedok, and the fact she has been here for less than 2 months, I think it's pretty remarkable. I felt compelled to tell her that even though I've stayed her for all my life, she knows all these people better than I do.

The last time she came to Singapore was more than 10 years back, and one particular change she had observed was our culture.

"Singaporeans are hostile, and unfriendly."

To which I find myself smiling and nodding in agreement. Actually, I think we are adverse to novelty, i.e. strangers.

Since young, our parents have never failed to drill the idea into us that we are not to talk and be friendly to strangers. And being the ever obedient children that we are, we followed the teaching even till today. So, maybe we can be forgiven for our hostility towards strangers. After all, it's almost innate!

But in all seriousness (I'm not really a fan of The Joker), we do have some way to go before becoming a gracious society. I remember SM Lee Kuan Yew once said he would not live to see a gracious Singapore. When I first read that, I think I flashed the same wide grin as what I did just now at the coffeeshop. Haha.

She went on to talk about respect for the elderly, and the lack of it from young people nowadays. And the next thing she commented was very true as well.

这里的老人家可以分为三种：

１）等天亮
２）等儿孙回家
３）等死

For the benefit of the Chinese illiterate readers -
Old people here can be classified into 3 categories - waiting for daybreak, waiting for children and grandchildren, and waiting for death.

Of course that does not apply to every old person, but it's just general speak. Personally, I think it's the general mindset of old people in our society and how they are perceived by the rest of us. Add to the fact that we are a rapidly ageing population, I sure hope that public perception changes and more importantly, the role that greying members have to play. She quoted Japan as an example.

When she was there, old couples were holding hands and distributing newspapers in the park. It's a well known fact that Japan has an ageing population and I think the scenario quoted above did not happen by chance. I'm sure it took education and much time to bring about such an environment, and I hope our society will embrace that sooner than later.

And then, she revealed that she actually came from one of the wealthiest families in Hongkong. Home is at Happy Valley, one of Hong Kong's highest class residential areas. Her grandfather is a friend of Li Ka Shing, and she could have jolly well chose not to work her entire life. Even though she comes from a good background, she did not come across as arrogrant at all. She was humble throughout the conversation and if anything, was very amiable.

One last thing that she had brought up was that of education. Study what you like, and study for the knowledge. A degree is the basic minimum nowadays, and we should never stop learning. Get a degree, go out to get a job, then get a Master's.

And finally, two quotes for you to chew on:

"Information is NOT knowledge."
“Knowledge is of no value, unless you put it into practice.”

Of humour and the like...

Are you someone who brings smiles to people around you or are you one who has a smile affixed the whole time?

I like to be the former, but maybe I am a bit of both, or at least according to my polytechnic lecturer who recognized me as the guy with the perpetual smile.

I think I enjoy making people laugh.
Humour, and its different forms - Self deprecatory, satire, conundrum, exaggeration, wordplay, repartee, blah blah...

A friend once commented I have a wry sense of humour, or humour with a twist. I think my brand of humour applies only when I warm up to people, which could take time as I'm a slow cooker (according to Mr Johnson). I don't usually talk much when among relative strangers, it just doesn't work for me. And I sort of reciprocate more when I'm approached; that's when I actually pay attention.

That very much applies to my relationship too. The times when I develop some sort of attraction to the opposite sex (duh), they always happen when I get approached, or rather get paid special attention. Thinking back, I think that is oh so true.. I'm not one who believes in love at first sight, however unromantic that may be. Mine probably looks more like....

Love... after I'm sighted...

Haha.

Happy birthday..s

... to my dad and my bro, whose birthdays fall on 29 and 30th Sept respectively.

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Yesterday after night class,

我：爸，生日快乐。

爸：*笑着说*
你们都那么懂事，我一定快乐。

Not that I think I am sensible, but just another thought on what defines happiness.

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

Are we only enlightened when we see death in our eyes?

Heard of Randy Pausch before?
I hadn't too, until a few days back.
He was a dying professor who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and had only a few months left to live. He died on July 25th 2008, but not before he had inspired millions with his last lecture.

I took time out and watched this inspirational video about him giving his last lecture and left feeling pretty much overwhelmed by the lessons that lie within his 76 minute speech. Don't hear it from me, because I will not do his awesome speech any justice at all.

See and hear it yourself, and I'm sure you will agree with the simple and yet utterly true issues that he mentioned in his lecture.

I would say the first 30 and last 15 mins hold the gist of the entire video, so you could just view those parts if it does not engage you. Or, you could view the shortened version of the lecture, but it just contains partial excerpts, and not everything.

He talked about our childhood dreams, and if you take some time and reflect upon, I think that is the time when we all really dared to dream big. When you hold no fear, and when you are every bit of an intrepid explorer.

Somehow, I can't help but feel its uncannily similar to the book, The Alchemist, even though I'm only halfway through reading it. They both talk about having dreams when we were young, but somehow when we grow up, the dreams dissipate, dilute, and we are led to believe that the dreams are impractical and impossible.

In the video, Randy shared his childhood dreams with everyone, and how he went about achieving them. He realized most of them, and even for those that got away, he benefited much from the process, something which he defines as the "head fake" in the video.

When Randy Pausch talks about the head fake, he's talking about football. When he was a child, he wanted to play in the NFL. He had other dreams too like being in zero gravity, being like Captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals at the amusement park and being an imagineer at Disney. But, being in football taught him so much more than just the three point stance or how to read a play. Football teaches players things like, "Teamwork, Sportsmanship, Perseverance...etc." That's the head fake. Kids go into something like football because they enjoy it. But, they get out of it life's lessons that they will carry with them once their days of playing football are over.

At the end of the lecture, Pausch posed a final question to the audience.

“Have you figured out the head-fake?” he asked.

A ‘head-fake,’ he explained earlier, occurs when someone is taught a deeper lesson under the pretense of learning something simple — when a high school football player learns determination, teamwork, and perseverance while seeming to learn a proper three-point stance, for instance.

Give up?

“It’s not about how to achieve your dreams,” Pausch said. “It’s about how to lead your life.”

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I was impressed by the way he spoke, the insight he provided, and the optimism and mindset he had, even when facing death. He was charismatic and earnest, and I felt it.

To say that was a brilliant lecture would be too massive an understatement. I had noticed the way he spoke too. You do not have to keep speaking to engage the audience. Sometimes, momentary pauses and lowering of tones will do so much more to get your point across.

He shared tons of invaluable advice, and to sum it all up for you:


*Experience is what you get when you didnt get what you wanted.

*Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.

* Loyalty is a two-way street.

* Never give up.

* You get people to help you by telling the truth. Being earnest. I'll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short term. Earnest is long term.

* Apologize when you screw up and focus on other people, not on yourself.

* Get a feedback loop and listen to it. ... Anybody can get chewed out. It's the rare person who says, oh my god, you were right. ... When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it.

* Show gratitude.

* Don't complain. Just work harder.

* Be good at something, it makes you valuable.

* Work hard.

* Find the best in everybody. ... No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side; just keep waiting, it will come out.

* And be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.


Source:

AC - Life Lessons and the Randy Pausch Head Fake Theory
The Tartan - Randy Pausch: How to achieve your dreams
Excerpts from Dr. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
Wikipedia - Randy Pausch

Me.

I'm good.

Ask me and I just might tell you how I did it.

Genting 08

I'm beginning to take an interest in photography. I think I'll probably get a SLR camera when I have some cash to spend. Haha.

Meanwhile, Genting pics taken from my ever reliable Sony Ericsson K810i.

On the bus to Genting

Knocked out

Yes, that's our colourful hotel

Day 1 was pretty much just loitering around First World and trying our luck (not much) at the casino. The late nights before the trip for many of them and the long bus ride must have drained us all. Only saving grace was, there was a pretty angel (quote Mr Wang) on the same bus as us.

Day 2 - Theme Park

Crazy Brave guy and his ice-cream


What extreme coldness can do to you


Here we go!

Earning karma, as KY puts it.

I swear I didn't take this with the couple in mind!

I missed this - I didn't want to be screwed!

Who else has his arms raised?

I'm at the 3rd row from the back

The most exciting ride, according to them

Who needs changing rooms when you have phone booths!


轻轻的我走了/正如我轻轻的来，
我轻轻地招手/作别西天的云彩。
Quietly I wave good-bye
To the rosy clouds in the western sky.

Yes, the last caption was because according to those who took that ride, it was so high up that they could get a piece of the clouds and sky. Which brings me back to my faint Chinese Literature roots, and one of the few proses that I still recall.

Where we had our dinner

The boss of the night

Happy birthday to me!

Anyway, when I said I didn't really enjoy the trip, I had meant that Genting in general was not the best place to go. I think ultimately, its draw is still the casino and nothing else there is worth looking forward to. Well, but I guess it's worth it when everyone else seemed to enjoy the trip much.

I did enjoy the fresh air, the carefree life, and the company. Going down to Starbucks at 5am in the morning, surfing the net, chilling out. I prefer overseas trips to be not hectic, and not plagued by fatigue. I find it a chore when I rush around just for the sake of making full use of the limited time there. Do we not go overseas to enjoy ourselves and to break away from the own hectic pace of our society?

Ahhh, one man's freedom is another's imprisonment!