A few days ago I read about the teenager who drowned while trying to swim across a reservoir. Apparently it was reported that teenager's friends sought the help of many people nearby, but no one offered any help, not even the use of the handphone or life buoy! I have been asking myself over the past few days if I would have done the same like those people, ie just stand and watch or would I have done something to save the teenager.
To begin with, I am a swimmer, and I did undergo some survival and lifeguard training many years ago, short of the official lifeguard certification. I have been trained in first aid too, though not very current. So I look like a good candidate to save the drowning teenager? Well, the other people standing by could jolly well be more certified than me. They could be better swimmers or even certified lifeguards! But why was it that no one offered to help?
There would be varying responses to such an incident. What if everyone scrambled to save the teenager and more people drowned? What if the teenager was just having some fun out there and out to fool everyone ashore? What if I took off my personal stuff like wallet and handphone and leave it ashore, then jumped in to save the teenager, only to return to shore and found my stuff stolen? There are many other possible what-ifs. I can't really blame the people for not attempting to save the teenager. It could really be they are all not strong swimmers and have no confidence to save the teenager even if they really want to. If I were there, I believe a lot of struggle will go on inside my mind and I might or might not do anything at all too. It is quite difficult to imagine and think about what I might have done. But I believe there is a high chance that I might do it, after assessing and reasonably satisfied that I would be able to accomplish the task without endangering both our lives.
On a slightly different note, could it be that we have all grown up to be selfish? Well, in Singapore, it seems that we are indirectly brought up to mainly "take care of ourselves". You may say "Hey, how can this be? Each time during a charity show, many millions are raised. So how can you say Singaporeans are generally selfish?" Yeah, nowadays we have at least 4 - 6 charity shows a year raising money for various charitable organisations, and the response from the people seems to be encouraging, with the amounts donated increasing each show. Lets take away the attractive prizes and see if the response will be the same. I will not discuss too much of charity shows in this post, but I want to raise the question that "Are Singaporeans only charitable because there are prizes to be won?" Hmmm, would more people have jumped into the reservoir if there was a car to win for the person who managed to save the teenager? This sounds ridiculous but think about it. Ponder ponder.
I have not personally been tested in this aspect. So I do not know how I will fare when a real situation happened in front of me requiring me to make a swift decision. I only hope I won't be disappointed with myself.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Zzzzzzzzzz
I slept at about 9 pm last night! HA. The moon must have been blue. How often would I be able make myself sleep at that kind of "unearthly" hour? Hmmm, I must have been extremely tired somehow. Even though I slept early, I did not have a fantastic sleep as I woke up in the middle of the night a few times! Haiz. I still feel a little tired when I got up of bed this morning. If only I can sleep soundly for 8 hours ............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Love and Submit
This is an article written by Frances Ong Hock Lin on Today Newspaper on 28 Jun 05 about love and obey. I find the article interesting and thought it could invoke some thoughts from everyone, and so I have posted it here. What do you think?
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Seventeen years ago, my unhappy father walked me down the aisle in a Katong church. He was about to hand over his daughter to a man who eagerly grabbed her arms, as if to make sure the bride would be given away. My father left midway through the ceremony — to drown his sorrows at the famous Marine Parade Satay Stall. But it was my grandfather who had the greatest impact on our marriage.
He told me that people used to marry to fall in love, but that people now fall in love to get married. He saw marriages going up in smoke after the initial passions burned out. He believed that a wedding is only a day, but a marriage is a lifetime. He was match-made to my grandmother, a great cook, and he surmised that she would support him in whatever he did. I have never seen them quarrel.
From her, I learned how to make a husband happy. She saved the best meat for him, and would eat only when he was at the dinner table. Even after slaving the whole day over a hot stove, she would be bathed and powdered when he returned from work. And his slippers and a glass of water were always there to welcome him.
My grandfather, who knew I was an outspoken and stubborn child, worried that having a university education might make it difficult for me to submit to my husband. Growing up in the 1970s, with women fighting for equal rights, I was at first shocked by what he advocated. I fought a good fight at university, debating with my male tutorial mates. At work, I do not believe in the glass ceiling for women, and do not see myself as weaker then men. But it was in the home context that I realised my grandfather's foresight and wisdom.
A marriage is not an equal partnership, where a couple are looking constantly to ensure that everything is divided 50-50. That makes us calculative and mean, and reduces the marriage to a conditional clause: As long as he lives up to his end of the bargain, so will I. Instead of looking for the right person to be our spouse, we have to be the right person for them. We have to give 110 per cent without any conditions or strings attached to the marriage contract — which, hopefully, we enter into with our eyes open. The marriage vow basically says that even if a husband turns out to be a scumbag or a couch potato who cares more for Man U than for his mother-in-law, we still have to accept him.
My husband and I have demanding careers, but when we come home, I give him a sponge bath even if I am tired. I prepare supper, and yes, I do peel prawns for him. I do so without asking for anything in return. He is the head of the household. When it comes to any major decision, his vote counts for 60 per cent, and mine for 40 per cent. My grandfather was right. This is difficult. I find it challenging to submit to my husband. But I discovered that once I learned to obey him, it gave him a greater sense of responsibility, of wanting to take care of the family even more. In addition, when my children see that I obey him, they learn to obey him and respect him as a father.Being the heart of the family, my role is to complement, and not to compete with, his. I never challenge his views in front of others, which would make him feel small, insignificant and disrespected. We try not to fight or quarrel in front of the children. Yes, we have thought of walking out of this marriage many times, but then we remembered that we started out with the belief that divorce was not an option.
We will continue to fight, and our marriage will be a rollercoaster ride. Given a chance, would I walk down the aisle again to the same man? Yes, I would, but this time I would obey him the minute he married me.
The writer, an educator, celebrated her 17th wedding anniversary this month.
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Seventeen years ago, my unhappy father walked me down the aisle in a Katong church. He was about to hand over his daughter to a man who eagerly grabbed her arms, as if to make sure the bride would be given away. My father left midway through the ceremony — to drown his sorrows at the famous Marine Parade Satay Stall. But it was my grandfather who had the greatest impact on our marriage.
He told me that people used to marry to fall in love, but that people now fall in love to get married. He saw marriages going up in smoke after the initial passions burned out. He believed that a wedding is only a day, but a marriage is a lifetime. He was match-made to my grandmother, a great cook, and he surmised that she would support him in whatever he did. I have never seen them quarrel.
From her, I learned how to make a husband happy. She saved the best meat for him, and would eat only when he was at the dinner table. Even after slaving the whole day over a hot stove, she would be bathed and powdered when he returned from work. And his slippers and a glass of water were always there to welcome him.
My grandfather, who knew I was an outspoken and stubborn child, worried that having a university education might make it difficult for me to submit to my husband. Growing up in the 1970s, with women fighting for equal rights, I was at first shocked by what he advocated. I fought a good fight at university, debating with my male tutorial mates. At work, I do not believe in the glass ceiling for women, and do not see myself as weaker then men. But it was in the home context that I realised my grandfather's foresight and wisdom.
A marriage is not an equal partnership, where a couple are looking constantly to ensure that everything is divided 50-50. That makes us calculative and mean, and reduces the marriage to a conditional clause: As long as he lives up to his end of the bargain, so will I. Instead of looking for the right person to be our spouse, we have to be the right person for them. We have to give 110 per cent without any conditions or strings attached to the marriage contract — which, hopefully, we enter into with our eyes open. The marriage vow basically says that even if a husband turns out to be a scumbag or a couch potato who cares more for Man U than for his mother-in-law, we still have to accept him.
My husband and I have demanding careers, but when we come home, I give him a sponge bath even if I am tired. I prepare supper, and yes, I do peel prawns for him. I do so without asking for anything in return. He is the head of the household. When it comes to any major decision, his vote counts for 60 per cent, and mine for 40 per cent. My grandfather was right. This is difficult. I find it challenging to submit to my husband. But I discovered that once I learned to obey him, it gave him a greater sense of responsibility, of wanting to take care of the family even more. In addition, when my children see that I obey him, they learn to obey him and respect him as a father.Being the heart of the family, my role is to complement, and not to compete with, his. I never challenge his views in front of others, which would make him feel small, insignificant and disrespected. We try not to fight or quarrel in front of the children. Yes, we have thought of walking out of this marriage many times, but then we remembered that we started out with the belief that divorce was not an option.
We will continue to fight, and our marriage will be a rollercoaster ride. Given a chance, would I walk down the aisle again to the same man? Yes, I would, but this time I would obey him the minute he married me.
The writer, an educator, celebrated her 17th wedding anniversary this month.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Understanding & Communicating
Sometime ago, a bunch of friends did a simple exercise together. We asked each of us to prioritise from a list those things that are important in maintaining a relationship, and not surprisingly Understanding and Communicating came up tops amongst us. It seems that many gurus out there who claim to be "experts" in relationship matters will likely tell you the same thing that communicating and understanding are important in relationships. Yet how often have we fallen into the trap of expecting our partner to understand and communicate when we ourselves refuse to understand and communicate???
Ironical as it sounds. I believe that everyone is unique. I believe that everyone has his/her own character which is inborn in him/her, with a personality that is built up to communicate with the rest of the world. I believe that a person's character does not change, but his/her personality changes or adapts to the circumstances of his/her life. So no two person behave or think exactly alike, not even twins. So when it comes to maintaining a relationship, do we seek first to understand or communicate first to be understood? Hmmm. This sounds like a ostrich and egg question (not chicken and egg as this is a bigger issue?). People say that Asians do not communicate well. I believe this is not true, yet to some extent we know that our society does hamper us in some ways. But I believe each of us are capable to communicate in our own special way. Yet, being so different from each other, we need some level of understanding.
Understanding and communicating are in some ways two very abstract words. To put it simply, I bring in the issue of expectations again. Like I mentioned before in my previous Great Expectations post, everyone of us has expectations. It is the same when it comes to a relationship. We all have expectations of each other, only that some demand less or are more easily satisifed. But do we make our expectations known to our partner? We know what we want but does our partner know what we want? Is it fair to assume that he or she should know. Are we supposed to expect the expectations? Hmmm. I guess not. So shall we start expressing our expectations and letting our needs made known to our partner, and similarly encourage our partner to do the same? Expressing our expectations is communicating, and allowing the process to take place enhances understanding. If you understand the need to express, you will communicate to understand. So the next time before you get angry with your partner for not doing what you expected, take one step back and ask yourself if you have expressed your expectations? Don't always expect him/her to know! It sounds silly but it is real.
Yet the above is usually easier said than done, but that does not absolve us for not doing it. I have learnt this the hard way and am still struggling to manage this aspect of understanding, communicating and expressing my expectations. But I think it is better than not trying at all.
Can this be applied to friendships too? I don't see why not. Perhaps the expectations and level of expectations could be different as compared to a relationship but I believe that as long as it is something to do with two humans engaging each other, it applies. Ponder ponder.
Ironical as it sounds. I believe that everyone is unique. I believe that everyone has his/her own character which is inborn in him/her, with a personality that is built up to communicate with the rest of the world. I believe that a person's character does not change, but his/her personality changes or adapts to the circumstances of his/her life. So no two person behave or think exactly alike, not even twins. So when it comes to maintaining a relationship, do we seek first to understand or communicate first to be understood? Hmmm. This sounds like a ostrich and egg question (not chicken and egg as this is a bigger issue?). People say that Asians do not communicate well. I believe this is not true, yet to some extent we know that our society does hamper us in some ways. But I believe each of us are capable to communicate in our own special way. Yet, being so different from each other, we need some level of understanding.
Understanding and communicating are in some ways two very abstract words. To put it simply, I bring in the issue of expectations again. Like I mentioned before in my previous Great Expectations post, everyone of us has expectations. It is the same when it comes to a relationship. We all have expectations of each other, only that some demand less or are more easily satisifed. But do we make our expectations known to our partner? We know what we want but does our partner know what we want? Is it fair to assume that he or she should know. Are we supposed to expect the expectations? Hmmm. I guess not. So shall we start expressing our expectations and letting our needs made known to our partner, and similarly encourage our partner to do the same? Expressing our expectations is communicating, and allowing the process to take place enhances understanding. If you understand the need to express, you will communicate to understand. So the next time before you get angry with your partner for not doing what you expected, take one step back and ask yourself if you have expressed your expectations? Don't always expect him/her to know! It sounds silly but it is real.
Yet the above is usually easier said than done, but that does not absolve us for not doing it. I have learnt this the hard way and am still struggling to manage this aspect of understanding, communicating and expressing my expectations. But I think it is better than not trying at all.
Can this be applied to friendships too? I don't see why not. Perhaps the expectations and level of expectations could be different as compared to a relationship but I believe that as long as it is something to do with two humans engaging each other, it applies. Ponder ponder.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Mount KK Training at Bukit Timah
A bunch of us went for Mount KK training at Bukit Timah Hill over the weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. We have about 5 weeks to train up our fitness and stamina before our grand conquest. All of us are very familiar with the Bukit Timah tracks as we have done it more than a dozen times during other training sessions. I took some pictures of our training ground along the way and caught some interesting shots.
A portion of Bukit Timah that reminds me of Mount Ophir
A nice red-colored leaf with its veins clearly illuminated by the sun's rays
A cute tiny butterfly with an interesting-looking "tail"
The 184-step stairway - one of the best training grounds
Almost reaching the summit (the sky was very blue that day!)
A portion of Bukit Timah that reminds me of Mount Ophir
A nice red-colored leaf with its veins clearly illuminated by the sun's rays
A cute tiny butterfly with an interesting-looking "tail"
The 184-step stairway - one of the best training grounds
Almost reaching the summit (the sky was very blue that day!)
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Great Expectations!
Expectations? The act of looking forward to the probable occurrence or appearance of, or to consider reasonable or due or to consider obligatory or require. Why expectations? Hmmm. All of us have expectations. If void of expectations, I think life would be tremendously boring with nothing to look forward to. Even if we encounter something that is good beyond description, without expectations, it is just another normal experience, and there is no "WOW" feeling.
When we went for a whale watch in Kaikoura New Zealand, we were expecting to see big whales swimming side by side to the boat. We did see the whales, in fact 3 of them and was considered a good day. But we were very far from the whales, and we could only see a small portion of the back part of the whale (the blowhole and the dorsal fin) and the occasional tail when it flipped to dive into the deep. The whales were not that big too. So in this case our expectations were not met, and we came back from the trip greatly disappointed, having paid quite a big for that trip. Yet, on the same trip while the boat was going back to shore, the captain brought us to see dolphins, and there were plenty of them jumping in and out of the water and swimming next next to the boat. If we had hands long enough, we could have touched them! Our main expectation was on the whales and not the dolphins. So in the end, we were more excited over the dolphins than the whales, and for my case, I have seen many dolphins in the wild before but it was my first time seeing a whale.
The above case is an example of an expectation not being met. This is an expectation for something we were looking forward to the probable occurrence or appearance of. Then how about expectations for your family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and strangers. I am sure the expectation levels for all these different groups of people are varied. For this post, I shall just talk about expectations for our friends.
Friends come in many forms - best friend, good friend, normal friend, "pig and dog" friends etc. Again our expectations would be different for each of these categories of friends. I would think that expectations would be relatively low for "pig and dog" and normal friends, while those for good and best friends would be much higher. But high expectations come with a price. When we expect much, we may either be very happy and assured when expectations are met, or we may be devastated when these expectations are not met. When we expect a lot, we also add stress to those whom we expect from. So in the end, the result may not be something desirable, as your friend whom you have high expectations of, may be so overly stressed that they end up missing your expectations altogther. Yet at the same time, if we do not expect much from the best and good friends, then how did we become such friends in the first place??
I think the attitude towards creating an expectation and handling expectations is more important than the actual expectation itself. Of course, having a high expecation met is a nice warm feeling, but when our expectations are not met, how should we handle them? Do we sort things out with the other person that fell short of our expectations or do we just minus points from this person? Either way, if not handled carefully, the end result may be detrimental to the friendship. Personally, I would prefer to talk things out with the other person and find out why the expectations fall short. But I will try to do it in such a way that it does not make the other person think that I am terribly disappointed with the expectations not met. My aim would be to work together to moderate the expectations so that the other person will not feel stressed while I will not get too disappointed. A lot of people insist of having things their own way, saying that life would be very miserable if we cannot be ourselves. When it comes to expectations, I would think moderation would be good.
Enough said, I am sure we have many expectations in life. Sometimes they are met and even exceedingly, while sometimes they fail miserably. I think this adds spice to our lives. It makes life more enriching. If everything is also so nice and smooth sailing, I think that would have been boring too. So what are you expecting today?
When we went for a whale watch in Kaikoura New Zealand, we were expecting to see big whales swimming side by side to the boat. We did see the whales, in fact 3 of them and was considered a good day. But we were very far from the whales, and we could only see a small portion of the back part of the whale (the blowhole and the dorsal fin) and the occasional tail when it flipped to dive into the deep. The whales were not that big too. So in this case our expectations were not met, and we came back from the trip greatly disappointed, having paid quite a big for that trip. Yet, on the same trip while the boat was going back to shore, the captain brought us to see dolphins, and there were plenty of them jumping in and out of the water and swimming next next to the boat. If we had hands long enough, we could have touched them! Our main expectation was on the whales and not the dolphins. So in the end, we were more excited over the dolphins than the whales, and for my case, I have seen many dolphins in the wild before but it was my first time seeing a whale.
The above case is an example of an expectation not being met. This is an expectation for something we were looking forward to the probable occurrence or appearance of. Then how about expectations for your family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and strangers. I am sure the expectation levels for all these different groups of people are varied. For this post, I shall just talk about expectations for our friends.
Friends come in many forms - best friend, good friend, normal friend, "pig and dog" friends etc. Again our expectations would be different for each of these categories of friends. I would think that expectations would be relatively low for "pig and dog" and normal friends, while those for good and best friends would be much higher. But high expectations come with a price. When we expect much, we may either be very happy and assured when expectations are met, or we may be devastated when these expectations are not met. When we expect a lot, we also add stress to those whom we expect from. So in the end, the result may not be something desirable, as your friend whom you have high expectations of, may be so overly stressed that they end up missing your expectations altogther. Yet at the same time, if we do not expect much from the best and good friends, then how did we become such friends in the first place??
I think the attitude towards creating an expectation and handling expectations is more important than the actual expectation itself. Of course, having a high expecation met is a nice warm feeling, but when our expectations are not met, how should we handle them? Do we sort things out with the other person that fell short of our expectations or do we just minus points from this person? Either way, if not handled carefully, the end result may be detrimental to the friendship. Personally, I would prefer to talk things out with the other person and find out why the expectations fall short. But I will try to do it in such a way that it does not make the other person think that I am terribly disappointed with the expectations not met. My aim would be to work together to moderate the expectations so that the other person will not feel stressed while I will not get too disappointed. A lot of people insist of having things their own way, saying that life would be very miserable if we cannot be ourselves. When it comes to expectations, I would think moderation would be good.
Enough said, I am sure we have many expectations in life. Sometimes they are met and even exceedingly, while sometimes they fail miserably. I think this adds spice to our lives. It makes life more enriching. If everything is also so nice and smooth sailing, I think that would have been boring too. So what are you expecting today?
Friday, June 24, 2005
What's so great about Blogging? (Part II)
I have been blogging for over a month now. When I first started out on Friday the 13th of May, I asked "What's so great about blogging?" After 42 days, I ask myself this question again. HA. My answer is kind of different now. I am enjoying it!
All these while I have always loved to write and express myself. A lot of my friends "complained" that I write too much sometimes. In the DiveTrek website that I am helping to maintain, I would usually without fail write a report of a diving or trekking trip that we have just gone for. My report tends to be very detailed and long, and sometimes considered boring by some. These are those who do not enjoy reading or writing. Regardless, how else can we remember a trip, other than pictures and written descriptions by those who bother to pen the details down.
It is similar with blogging but this is my own blog, so in a way I can write anything I want (hmmm....minus those that are of lawsuit potential). Blogging allows me to express myself and share my thoughts into many different aspects of my life with those who bother to read my posts. I do not need to blog everyday, but whenever I have something in my mind that I think is worth sharing, I will blog it. It is also a good place to share some of the nice photos that I have taken through the years.
I believe blogging will stay, and I hope do do it as long as I can. Do you blog too?
All these while I have always loved to write and express myself. A lot of my friends "complained" that I write too much sometimes. In the DiveTrek website that I am helping to maintain, I would usually without fail write a report of a diving or trekking trip that we have just gone for. My report tends to be very detailed and long, and sometimes considered boring by some. These are those who do not enjoy reading or writing. Regardless, how else can we remember a trip, other than pictures and written descriptions by those who bother to pen the details down.
It is similar with blogging but this is my own blog, so in a way I can write anything I want (hmmm....minus those that are of lawsuit potential). Blogging allows me to express myself and share my thoughts into many different aspects of my life with those who bother to read my posts. I do not need to blog everyday, but whenever I have something in my mind that I think is worth sharing, I will blog it. It is also a good place to share some of the nice photos that I have taken through the years.
I believe blogging will stay, and I hope do do it as long as I can. Do you blog too?
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Why be bound by convention?
Some years ago when I was doing a part-time diploma I had a lecturer (I will call him V) who taught us Organisational Behaviour. V was an experienced lecturer who had been at it for more than 20+ years. He was friendly, jovial and did not have a barrier with students. He was not the conventional serious lecturer that you will usually meet. Instead he was always cracking jokes and doing "silly things" just to put his point across, and he did a good job at it. But I remember "ignoring" his jokes and maintained a stern face with my arms folded throughout all his classes. He told me at the end of the course that indeed I was his greatest challenge so far. HA.
After the exams was over, I communicated with V through emails forwarding jokes and funny videos plus other academic exchanges. In one of those emails, V said he found it heartening and encouraging to see me being kind and generous in supporting and assisting my classmates who have been less fortunate in their exams. I remember telling him that while I was willing to help my classmates, my "over-willingness-to-help" brought misunderstandings, uncalled for remarks and even minor disputes, making the process a little disheartening and discouraging. But I added that I will do it to the best of my ability.
V told me subsequently that as a lecturer, he has also wondered if he had extended the boundary of the role. But then he said: "Why be bound by convention?" So he started to define the role more and more his own way, and tried to be a refreshing and timely influence upon the lives of others in whatever way he could. He continued to say that we will always be misunderstood no matter what we do. The more we try to justify ourselves and our actions, the more we will be misunderstood further. And he told me to persevere, and quoted the great role model in Jesus, saying who could have been more misunderstood in His own time? But yet Jesus forgave them for they knew not what they were doing.
Many people come and go in our lives. I have not communicated with V for some time. I wonder how he is doing. I should get in touch with him again. So if you want to do something and you worry that you might be misunderstood. Yet, you know it is something good that you are doing, perhaps just go ahead and do it. Why be bound by convention? Ponder ponder.........
After the exams was over, I communicated with V through emails forwarding jokes and funny videos plus other academic exchanges. In one of those emails, V said he found it heartening and encouraging to see me being kind and generous in supporting and assisting my classmates who have been less fortunate in their exams. I remember telling him that while I was willing to help my classmates, my "over-willingness-to-help" brought misunderstandings, uncalled for remarks and even minor disputes, making the process a little disheartening and discouraging. But I added that I will do it to the best of my ability.
V told me subsequently that as a lecturer, he has also wondered if he had extended the boundary of the role. But then he said: "Why be bound by convention?" So he started to define the role more and more his own way, and tried to be a refreshing and timely influence upon the lives of others in whatever way he could. He continued to say that we will always be misunderstood no matter what we do. The more we try to justify ourselves and our actions, the more we will be misunderstood further. And he told me to persevere, and quoted the great role model in Jesus, saying who could have been more misunderstood in His own time? But yet Jesus forgave them for they knew not what they were doing.
Many people come and go in our lives. I have not communicated with V for some time. I wonder how he is doing. I should get in touch with him again. So if you want to do something and you worry that you might be misunderstood. Yet, you know it is something good that you are doing, perhaps just go ahead and do it. Why be bound by convention? Ponder ponder.........
Stand and Stare
I remember way back in Secondary One, I had to learn poetry as part of our Literature class. I was very weak in English and Literature then but I was forced to memorise poems by the teacher. One of the poems that still stick in my mind is Leisure by W H Davies. Frankly I did not quite understand what the poem really meant then, even after the teacher has explained many times. I have appended it here for your reading pleasure. I must say that the poem makes a lot of sense to me for some time now.
Leisure - W H Davies
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
I made some friends over the past few years. Most of these friends are simple people. By simple I don't mean they are simple minded. On the contrary, quite a bunch of these friends are people who are very carefree, who are at ease with who they are, who have many aspirations but yet not ambitious, who enjoy the varieties in life, and who are able to sit back and relax and enjoy the good things in life. To others, they may be a bunch of lazy people, who seem to waste their time doing 无聊 (worthless) things. But when you ponder over this poem above, you may start to realise that there is some truth in what WH Davies is saying. In life we do need to take time off to do nothing, to stand and stare : across lakes, over meadows, from atop a mountain, into a stream, out to the ocean, up to the stars, down into the valley, and perhaps top it up with a nice cup of aromatic coffee or a glass of vintage wine. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our hectic life, we all need to stop the earth from rotating and stand and stare!
So when was the last time you stand and stare - not at pretty women and handsome men but at nothing? If you have not done it before, or have not done it for a long time, perhaps it is time for you to time-out and just stand and stare. In Singapore, we may not have lakes and meadows and mountains and valleys for us to stand and stare peacefully, but I am sure you would be able to find many perfect place to do just that. Perhaps tonight look out from your balcony (if you have one) or window, and stare at the stars (hopefully the haze is not too bad tonight :p), or during the weekend go find a place to relax and do nothing, but to stand (sit/lying down is fine too) and stare.
I always try to. Do you?
Leisure - W H Davies
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
I made some friends over the past few years. Most of these friends are simple people. By simple I don't mean they are simple minded. On the contrary, quite a bunch of these friends are people who are very carefree, who are at ease with who they are, who have many aspirations but yet not ambitious, who enjoy the varieties in life, and who are able to sit back and relax and enjoy the good things in life. To others, they may be a bunch of lazy people, who seem to waste their time doing 无聊 (worthless) things. But when you ponder over this poem above, you may start to realise that there is some truth in what WH Davies is saying. In life we do need to take time off to do nothing, to stand and stare : across lakes, over meadows, from atop a mountain, into a stream, out to the ocean, up to the stars, down into the valley, and perhaps top it up with a nice cup of aromatic coffee or a glass of vintage wine. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our hectic life, we all need to stop the earth from rotating and stand and stare!
So when was the last time you stand and stare - not at pretty women and handsome men but at nothing? If you have not done it before, or have not done it for a long time, perhaps it is time for you to time-out and just stand and stare. In Singapore, we may not have lakes and meadows and mountains and valleys for us to stand and stare peacefully, but I am sure you would be able to find many perfect place to do just that. Perhaps tonight look out from your balcony (if you have one) or window, and stare at the stars (hopefully the haze is not too bad tonight :p), or during the weekend go find a place to relax and do nothing, but to stand (sit/lying down is fine too) and stare.
I always try to. Do you?
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Dragonfly
Found this picture in my archive. I was in my car one day wasting my time away and this dragonfly kept flying and hovering in front of my windscreen. Strange. Was it attracted to me or something else? I grabbed my camera, which was with me most of the time, and snapped some shots. I did not have a zoom lens with me at that time, and it was tough trying to capture a flying dragonfly through the windscreen. HA. But I managed to capture this nice shot.
What are you looking at?
What are you looking at?
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Medical Costs High?
I just received a mail from an ex-classmate who has migrated to Australia. She mentioned a few things:
1. Workload here is better than Singapore.
2. Need to pay $28 for medicine regardless of total medical bill
3. Citizens here well taken care by government when they are sick, so worth paying taxes
4. Singapore you pay $2K to $3K a month for dialysis but here it is free plus meal provided during dialysis. Community transport is provided for those without help.
5. Food here is not expensive if you cook.
I am posting this not to imply that life is better there and we should all migrate to Australia. I just want to let you know a little bit more about how things are done in other countries. The issue of "high taxes but welfare state versus lower taxes but high medical bills" has been discussed for decades and everyone will be able to bring out many pros and cons to support either way. So which system is good, no one really knows.
The NKF Cancer Fund will be organising another fund raising event for cancer patients in Singapore. I believe there are many people out there who requires financial help. Medical costs are high in Singapore, and many people are not earning enough to meet daily needs, what more about rising medical costs. So which system is good for Singapore? I somehow just feel that Singapore is not an ideal place for the lower income group of people. Hmmm. Ponder Ponder.
1. Workload here is better than Singapore.
2. Need to pay $28 for medicine regardless of total medical bill
3. Citizens here well taken care by government when they are sick, so worth paying taxes
4. Singapore you pay $2K to $3K a month for dialysis but here it is free plus meal provided during dialysis. Community transport is provided for those without help.
5. Food here is not expensive if you cook.
I am posting this not to imply that life is better there and we should all migrate to Australia. I just want to let you know a little bit more about how things are done in other countries. The issue of "high taxes but welfare state versus lower taxes but high medical bills" has been discussed for decades and everyone will be able to bring out many pros and cons to support either way. So which system is good, no one really knows.
The NKF Cancer Fund will be organising another fund raising event for cancer patients in Singapore. I believe there are many people out there who requires financial help. Medical costs are high in Singapore, and many people are not earning enough to meet daily needs, what more about rising medical costs. So which system is good for Singapore? I somehow just feel that Singapore is not an ideal place for the lower income group of people. Hmmm. Ponder Ponder.
Medicine that may cause breast cancer & heart attack
HA. Saw the news on TV last night mentioning a medical agency in England has done tests and sort of concluded that taking this medicine (picture) may cause breast cancer and heart attack in the long term. Guess why I have a picture of the medicine? I just took this picture a while ago. Remember I have not been feeling well the past 2 weeks? This medicine was prescribed to me by my doctor for my dizziness last week! I have finished all of it except one. Hmmm, I guess 3 days' dosage should not kill me. But I have been feeling lethargic the past week, even though I am supposed to have recovered. Ponder, ponder.....what if I develop ..........?
Medicine I have been taking last week
Disclaimer: The information I have provided is based on what I saw on the news last night and presumably this is the medicine that was flashed on the screen.
Medicine I have been taking last week
Disclaimer: The information I have provided is based on what I saw on the news last night and presumably this is the medicine that was flashed on the screen.
Monday, June 20, 2005
On your mark, get set, Bang!
HA, each time I look at this photo, I smile to myself. The setting of this picture was interesting. The time was about 6 plus am at a place called Bealey in New Zealand. We were up early to watch the sunrise, but the sun did not appear, remaining hidden behind the clouds for some time. When the sun finally got out of the clouds, it cast long shadows on us, which gave us a crazy idea to take our shadows in action, resulting in this cute picture. The camera was in my hand but cannot be seen in the shadow. I am sure my friends who were there with me like this picture too.
Oh yes, the scenery there is very nice too :)
On your mark, get set, Bang!
Oh yes, the scenery there is very nice too :)
On your mark, get set, Bang!
What animal is this?
I was browsing some of my pix and came across this pix taken at Monterey Bay, California. This animal was running in and out of its burrow apparently being attracted by a few of us who were standing nearby watching the waves beating on the rocks. I have been trying to figure out what this animal is but to no avail. Can anyone out there help me? It does look a little like a rat, but this guy was huge (about 40 cm/16'' in length) and fierce too.
Can anyone tell me what animal this is?
Can anyone tell me what animal this is?
Kicking Start Mount KK Training
My trip to Mount Kota Kinabalu (KK) has been confirmed for some time already. A few of the team members were having exams right up to the middle of Jun and so collective training could not really start. To delay things further, 2 other team members (including me) have been down with flu and other medical problems and have not fully recovered. But we only have about 6 weeks left before we embark on our conquest. We had 6 weeks to train for our Mount Ophir trip, and that was more or less sufficient. Mount KK is quite different from Mount Ophir. Although it seems to be an easier trek, the overall distance is much longer, and the mountain is at least 3.5 times higher. The air up at Mount KK will be thinner and it may cause breathing problems for some, although most people have made it without major problems so far. But no matter what, the team members have to tune up our bodies and condition ourselves for the challenge.
A few decided to kick start the training at Bukit Timah Hill yesterday morning. We originally planned to join the Singapore Adventurers Club to do a trek from Jalan Kayu to Yio Chu Kang, but decided against it because it was starting a little too early and most of us needed more rest. Arriving at Bukit Timah Hill at almost 10 am, we proceeded on our regular trekking route which we took while training for the Ophir trip. For me, I felt that my body was telling me I was still not very up to it as I have not fully recovered. One other member was feeling the same way too. We agreed to go on a slow pace and treat the session as a warm-up instead. Half way, we split into two groups with two of them proceeding directly to the summit through "short cuts" while the rest of us proceeded on the usual paths. We arrived at the summit more than an hour later, feeling a little tired.
Well, as it is, I feel that it is not a very good sign for us. Our minds are still not very set to condition our bodies. But we know we've got to do it or we would not enjoy the trek up Mount KK. We agreed to get officially started next weekend, with a plan for rigourous short trainings on Saturday and longer trek trainings on Sundays. So my weekends would be occupied with trainings and occasional classes for the next 6 weeks. It feels good to be fit, so I am not complaining about the training. I want to keep myself fit at least for the next 10 to 20 years so that I can conquer more mountains and enjoy more physical activities. I already have Nepal and Mount Kilimanjaro on my "To conquer" list, and hope to fulfil them within the next 3 years or so. Meanwhile, Mount KK awaits us.
A few decided to kick start the training at Bukit Timah Hill yesterday morning. We originally planned to join the Singapore Adventurers Club to do a trek from Jalan Kayu to Yio Chu Kang, but decided against it because it was starting a little too early and most of us needed more rest. Arriving at Bukit Timah Hill at almost 10 am, we proceeded on our regular trekking route which we took while training for the Ophir trip. For me, I felt that my body was telling me I was still not very up to it as I have not fully recovered. One other member was feeling the same way too. We agreed to go on a slow pace and treat the session as a warm-up instead. Half way, we split into two groups with two of them proceeding directly to the summit through "short cuts" while the rest of us proceeded on the usual paths. We arrived at the summit more than an hour later, feeling a little tired.
Well, as it is, I feel that it is not a very good sign for us. Our minds are still not very set to condition our bodies. But we know we've got to do it or we would not enjoy the trek up Mount KK. We agreed to get officially started next weekend, with a plan for rigourous short trainings on Saturday and longer trek trainings on Sundays. So my weekends would be occupied with trainings and occasional classes for the next 6 weeks. It feels good to be fit, so I am not complaining about the training. I want to keep myself fit at least for the next 10 to 20 years so that I can conquer more mountains and enjoy more physical activities. I already have Nepal and Mount Kilimanjaro on my "To conquer" list, and hope to fulfil them within the next 3 years or so. Meanwhile, Mount KK awaits us.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Pix too large
HA. Some of my friends told me that my pictures are too large. They recommended me to upload smaller pictures. Guess they might be right. I will moderate the picture sizes accordingly. I want to thank those people who has dropped by my blog and appreciate the photos that I have taken. I will continue to upload some of those photos that I think are worth sharing.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Sunrise & Sunset
Being an avid photographer, I like to watch and capture pictures of sunrises and sunsets. Each has its own beauty and charm, and no two sunrises or sunsets are the same. You might not have time to watch the sunrise, since you would have to wake up very early in the morning to catch it. But I am sure you have seen many sunsets, or at least seen the dusk twilight - the sun's rays reflected through the clouds after the sun has set and is below the horizon. I personally like the look of sunsets better, from the visual point of view. The colours exuded from the sun's setting rays through the clouds can be of diverse colours of pink, purple, orange, yellow, magenta, red, fiery etc. I simply love to take sunset pictures. Sunrises, on the other hand, gives me a different kind of feeling. A sunrise signifies the dawn of a brand new day. It gives me the assurance that God has granted me to see another sunrise yet another time. Watching the sun slowly rising from the horizon gives me a sense of anticipation and fills my heart with hope that I will see a perfect sunrise.
Another thing I noticed about sunrises and sunsets is that the process can take very long. Hmmm, why do I say that? In order not to miss a good sunrise, I will usually be there much earlier than the actual rise time. I will choose the best spot and with my camera ready on my tripod. The wait will seem very long. Bit by bit the clouds brighten up. The sun's reflected rays start to shine through the clouds. Then the top arc of the golden egg yolk appears, slowly above the horizon. It inches up a little at a time, and suddenly the whole golden egg yolk breaks out of the hozizon or cloud and there you have it - the perfect sunrise. It is the reverse for sunsets, but the feeling can be similar, though sunset signifies the end of a perfect day (was it? HA).
Have you watched the sun rise or set recently? Perhaps you should try it. Watch it with your family (if they are crazy enough to wake up early), or watch it with a loved one. I am sure they will like it, and so would you. There are times when we simply need to escape from the hustle and bustle of our hectic life to go watch the sun rise and set. Have you also wondered how sunrises and sunsets come about? Are they the works of someone? Ponder Ponder........
I share with you some pictures of sunrises and sunsets I have taken over the years. I have more, but I will reserve them for other occasions :)
Sunrise viewed at Pasir Ris Park with anglers in the foreground - taken on 1 Jan 2004
Sunrise viewed through tress while almost reaching the summit of Mount Ophir - taken in May 2005
Sunset view from West Coast Park on the first day of CNY 04
Dusk Twilight above a lake in Switzerland - 2002
Another thing I noticed about sunrises and sunsets is that the process can take very long. Hmmm, why do I say that? In order not to miss a good sunrise, I will usually be there much earlier than the actual rise time. I will choose the best spot and with my camera ready on my tripod. The wait will seem very long. Bit by bit the clouds brighten up. The sun's reflected rays start to shine through the clouds. Then the top arc of the golden egg yolk appears, slowly above the horizon. It inches up a little at a time, and suddenly the whole golden egg yolk breaks out of the hozizon or cloud and there you have it - the perfect sunrise. It is the reverse for sunsets, but the feeling can be similar, though sunset signifies the end of a perfect day (was it? HA).
Have you watched the sun rise or set recently? Perhaps you should try it. Watch it with your family (if they are crazy enough to wake up early), or watch it with a loved one. I am sure they will like it, and so would you. There are times when we simply need to escape from the hustle and bustle of our hectic life to go watch the sun rise and set. Have you also wondered how sunrises and sunsets come about? Are they the works of someone? Ponder Ponder........
I share with you some pictures of sunrises and sunsets I have taken over the years. I have more, but I will reserve them for other occasions :)
Sunrise viewed at Pasir Ris Park with anglers in the foreground - taken on 1 Jan 2004
Sunrise viewed through tress while almost reaching the summit of Mount Ophir - taken in May 2005
Sunset view from West Coast Park on the first day of CNY 04
Dusk Twilight above a lake in Switzerland - 2002
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Get well soon!
I have been down presumably with a viral infection for the past 10 days or so, and am slowly recovering from it. I hope to get well sooner so that I can get back to my regular exercise routine. To help in my swifter recovery, I present myself with a nice "butterfly-on-flower" picture to brighten up the day. HA.
Let me relieve you of your nectar retention problem!
Let me relieve you of your nectar retention problem!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Animal Pix
Once in a while, I will browse the thousands of digital pictures I have taken so far, and came across some of these interesting shots. I want to share them with you. They are not the best shots in the world, but I like them. I will periodically post some of the photos that I like, so this post would not be the last. The following 3 pictures were taken of animals at the Singapore Zoo last year. I was there with a bunch of DiveTrek friends and we had a great time.
Go away you stinking flies!
You watching me? I watching you too!
You'll never know what I am thinking about!
Hope you like these pictures.
Go away you stinking flies!
You watching me? I watching you too!
You'll never know what I am thinking about!
Hope you like these pictures.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Visit to the doctor
HA. Finally went to see the doctor today. I have been feeling unwell since last week and all the self medication of panadol and cold pills have not really worked. I still went to the office this morning as I was expecting an overseas distributor to come to the office for a meeting. The meeting ended at 12 plus and I quickly left the office for the central to my regular clinic. I could not find a parking lot and finally had to park illegally. By then the time was 1 pm and the clinic was closed! I decided to try the other clinic near my house. It was closed too, and would only open at 2 pm. I went to the coffee shop for a quick lunch and waited for the clinic to open.
The session with the doctor was normal. He asked me all the typical questions related to my condition. Then he asked me: "You still staying near here?" "You married?" "How long?" "Got kids?" "Working as what?" "Ever thought of working overseas?" HA, a medical consultation has turned out to be an interview? HA. He went on to say that I should save for my old age, especially for medical fees, as the medical costs in Singapore is very high compared to other countries. He wondered why the same medicine in Singapore costs so much more than in Malaysia. A good question indeed? Perhaps the difference in costs reflect the different cost of living between the two countries.
One of my friends told me he would like to retire in the outskirts of KL, quoting that cost of living there would be relatively lower, and yet they could be near to the buzz of city life in the capital. Hey, I just checked out the CPF website a few days ago and thought I read that you would only be able to withdraw all your CPF if you are no longer staying in Singapore or West Malaysia! But that's another issue altogether. I better tell my friend about it. HA.
So even a visit to the doctor can be an interesting experience. Besides getting my medical condition diagnosed, you can also go through an interview and get a little insight into medical costs? So the next time you visit your doctor, see if it was as interesting as mine. HA
The session with the doctor was normal. He asked me all the typical questions related to my condition. Then he asked me: "You still staying near here?" "You married?" "How long?" "Got kids?" "Working as what?" "Ever thought of working overseas?" HA, a medical consultation has turned out to be an interview? HA. He went on to say that I should save for my old age, especially for medical fees, as the medical costs in Singapore is very high compared to other countries. He wondered why the same medicine in Singapore costs so much more than in Malaysia. A good question indeed? Perhaps the difference in costs reflect the different cost of living between the two countries.
One of my friends told me he would like to retire in the outskirts of KL, quoting that cost of living there would be relatively lower, and yet they could be near to the buzz of city life in the capital. Hey, I just checked out the CPF website a few days ago and thought I read that you would only be able to withdraw all your CPF if you are no longer staying in Singapore or West Malaysia! But that's another issue altogether. I better tell my friend about it. HA.
So even a visit to the doctor can be an interesting experience. Besides getting my medical condition diagnosed, you can also go through an interview and get a little insight into medical costs? So the next time you visit your doctor, see if it was as interesting as mine. HA
Life is short - JUST DO IT
Read the news this morning that a 29-year-old PE teacher died of heart attack after his regular jog. Apparently after finishing his 10-run around his estate, he suddenly fainted and went into convulsions. He was brought to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he died. A post mortem confirmed he had heart attack. In April, a 26-year-old IT analyst died during a lunch-hour workout in a gym.
Whenever I read such news, it always brings to mind how fragile our lives can be. No one knows exactly when we would go. Only God knows. While it is true that there seem to be things like we can do to take care of ourselves, like eating, sleeping and exercising right, we do know that some of the healthier and fitter ones are not "spared". One of my classmates died while swimming out at sea in Australia this year. The waves were too strong for him, even though he was a strong swimmer. Another classmate passed away years ago just after we left university, from leukemia.
But yet, all is not lost. There is no need to be pessimistic about the whole issue. Lets pick ourselves up and move on. With ups and downs, our lives become exciting. Imagine everything is the same throughout our lives. I was telling some friends to imagine if our lives were liken to batteries. When the battery power runs out, it is dead, and so would the human, just that perhaps we have a longer battery life. Hey, but how about rechargeable batteries? Well, in some ways we are already behaving like rechargeable batteries. These batteries also have a life span. When the power runs low, we recharge, much like when we sleep or try to recover from an illness. Then we are up and running again, till the next recharge, or when the life span is up.
Many a times we talk about the process being more important than the result itself. So while we are still alive and kicking, lets make best use of our time here on earth. I remembered sending out a mail to some friends telling them about my friend who drowned at sea. My question to them was "Life is short and sometimes our decisions/actions may result in something undesirable. So is this contrary to the 'Just Do It' attitude???????" I received varying replies but one message was clear though. "Every decision involves a risk. Will you regret if you give up the chance to try?" "Since life is short, why think so much now when we might regret later that we did not do it, provided you are able to assess the risk involved...."
For me, I assess the risk involved in almost everything I do. My risk threshold will usually depend on my physical and mental condition at that moment. But I must admit that sometimes my threshold gets way too high
. I once swam far out to sea against the big waves in Hawaii, in order to overcome the fear of the sea. I plunged into the cold fast flowing Dart River while in New Zealand, and sat on the bridge above the Kawarau River to watch other people peform their bungy jumping stunts. Yes, these were some of the risky things I have done before, and God has been merciful to allow me to return safely from each risky (or stupid to some) thing that I do.
So if you ask if I would do any of those crazy things again, I guess my answer would still be a YES. Sometimes we do things in order to show that we dare, or to impress or to prove something. For me most of the time, I do it because I simply want to. So "JUST DO IT"!
Whenever I read such news, it always brings to mind how fragile our lives can be. No one knows exactly when we would go. Only God knows. While it is true that there seem to be things like we can do to take care of ourselves, like eating, sleeping and exercising right, we do know that some of the healthier and fitter ones are not "spared". One of my classmates died while swimming out at sea in Australia this year. The waves were too strong for him, even though he was a strong swimmer. Another classmate passed away years ago just after we left university, from leukemia.
But yet, all is not lost. There is no need to be pessimistic about the whole issue. Lets pick ourselves up and move on. With ups and downs, our lives become exciting. Imagine everything is the same throughout our lives. I was telling some friends to imagine if our lives were liken to batteries. When the battery power runs out, it is dead, and so would the human, just that perhaps we have a longer battery life. Hey, but how about rechargeable batteries? Well, in some ways we are already behaving like rechargeable batteries. These batteries also have a life span. When the power runs low, we recharge, much like when we sleep or try to recover from an illness. Then we are up and running again, till the next recharge, or when the life span is up.
Many a times we talk about the process being more important than the result itself. So while we are still alive and kicking, lets make best use of our time here on earth. I remembered sending out a mail to some friends telling them about my friend who drowned at sea. My question to them was "Life is short and sometimes our decisions/actions may result in something undesirable. So is this contrary to the 'Just Do It' attitude???????" I received varying replies but one message was clear though. "Every decision involves a risk. Will you regret if you give up the chance to try?" "Since life is short, why think so much now when we might regret later that we did not do it, provided you are able to assess the risk involved...."
For me, I assess the risk involved in almost everything I do. My risk threshold will usually depend on my physical and mental condition at that moment. But I must admit that sometimes my threshold gets way too high
. I once swam far out to sea against the big waves in Hawaii, in order to overcome the fear of the sea. I plunged into the cold fast flowing Dart River while in New Zealand, and sat on the bridge above the Kawarau River to watch other people peform their bungy jumping stunts. Yes, these were some of the risky things I have done before, and God has been merciful to allow me to return safely from each risky (or stupid to some) thing that I do.So if you ask if I would do any of those crazy things again, I guess my answer would still be a YES. Sometimes we do things in order to show that we dare, or to impress or to prove something. For me most of the time, I do it because I simply want to. So "JUST DO IT"!
Friday, June 10, 2005
Mount Ophir 2005 FlipBook
I have finally completed the Mount Ophir FlipBook. This FlipBook is created using a program called FlipPublisher and to view it online, you would need a viewer called the FlipViewer.
To read my Ophir FlipBook, simply click here. If you do not already have the FlipViewer program installed in your computer, the process will automatically download and install the program for you. and thereafter the FlipBook will be automatically opened. The time taken for the whole process may take a few minutes, depending on your connection speed. You might need a little patience to view the FlipBook. Try it out and let me know if you encounter any problems.
Once the FlipBook opens, click anywhere on the page to flip from page to page. The FlipBook contains text, images, music and bookmarks etc.
Hope you enjoy my "flipping" Mount Ophir FlipBook!
To read my Ophir FlipBook, simply click here. If you do not already have the FlipViewer program installed in your computer, the process will automatically download and install the program for you. and thereafter the FlipBook will be automatically opened. The time taken for the whole process may take a few minutes, depending on your connection speed. You might need a little patience to view the FlipBook. Try it out and let me know if you encounter any problems.
Once the FlipBook opens, click anywhere on the page to flip from page to page. The FlipBook contains text, images, music and bookmarks etc.
Hope you enjoy my "flipping" Mount Ophir FlipBook!
FlipBook
Did not blog for the past few days as I kept having headaches. HA. I was also spending time in between to create a FlipBook of my recent trip to Mount Ophir. What is a FlipBook, you may ask? Simply put, a FlipBook is a an electronic book that has 3-D flipping pages. It can be a photo album, a magazine or catalogue etc. It flips like a real book but with the added advantage of multimedia elements as compared to the real thing. Well, a picture will tell a thousand words. I am in the process of getting the FlipBook done up and uploaded. I will post the link up when it is ready.
If you want to know more about what a FlipBook is, and want to know how to create FlipBooks, you can visit www.flipalbum.com or www.flipviewer.com
If you want to know more about what a FlipBook is, and want to know how to create FlipBooks, you can visit www.flipalbum.com or www.flipviewer.com
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Mountain Scenery
Just added a nice mountain scenery top bar to my blog site. This picture was taken when I was in holiday at New Zealand last year. If I am not mistaken, it is the Fyffe Mountain Range along the eastern coast of the South Island. I took the picture when we were out at sea for our whale watch cruise. The weather was fantastic that day and the scenery of the mountains observed out from sea was simply breathtaking beyond words. Together with the beautiful clouds hovering over the mountain, it was really a great view.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Exam "Fever" (pun intended)
I woke up this morning with my body aching all over. I wasn't going to work today as I was due to take a Maths Exam at 10 am. I felt that I was running a slight fever. Oh no, what a great timing! How am I going to take the exam in that condition? I struggled to get myself ready. I have arranged to pick up two classmates along the way, and so had to stick to the schedule.
I picked up my classmates and arrived at the school canteen about an hour ahead of time. I had no appetite but managed to force myself to gobble down a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I popped two panadols too. The time ticked away. 10 am came, and it was time for the exam. My back felt like it was going to break!
It was a sluggish start to the exam. I felt that my engine was not cranking very well. I was about one-third my usual speed for a Maths paper. I was even stucked at Question 1! "Oh no, my mind is not working very well", I thought to myself. I took a few seconds to relax and let the engine crank up slowly. I would have normally completed the paper in about 1 hour 15 mins, but I was still in there after 105 min! And the back was still aching terribly. But I was almost done, phew. I completed the paper in almost 2 hours this time, my slowest Maths paper ever. HA. But I am glad it was over. I am still feeling warm as I type.
Since I have at least an hour to wait for my classmates to finish the exam before going out for lunch together, I thought I might as well update my blog :)
I picked up my classmates and arrived at the school canteen about an hour ahead of time. I had no appetite but managed to force myself to gobble down a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I popped two panadols too. The time ticked away. 10 am came, and it was time for the exam. My back felt like it was going to break!
It was a sluggish start to the exam. I felt that my engine was not cranking very well. I was about one-third my usual speed for a Maths paper. I was even stucked at Question 1! "Oh no, my mind is not working very well", I thought to myself. I took a few seconds to relax and let the engine crank up slowly. I would have normally completed the paper in about 1 hour 15 mins, but I was still in there after 105 min! And the back was still aching terribly. But I was almost done, phew. I completed the paper in almost 2 hours this time, my slowest Maths paper ever. HA. But I am glad it was over. I am still feeling warm as I type.
Since I have at least an hour to wait for my classmates to finish the exam before going out for lunch together, I thought I might as well update my blog :)
Blog Layout Problem
HA. I did not realise that my blog's layout was not displaying properly on IE. You see, I have switched to using Firefox for a while now, and it looked ok on it, but with IE, the layout was out. But I believe I have fixed it somehow. The look and feel is a little different, but guess I will continue to improve it as I move along.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Poems
A few of my DiveTrek friends were talking about making a T-shirt for our Mt KK trip in Aug and one of them suggested we print a poem on the T-shirt for a change. We quickly came up with some short four-liners and even funny chinese ones too.
Tall and majestic you are
Beautiful from afar
Up the summit I go
To witness the sun of gold
Far far away up the sky so high
Oh, the summit is almost in sight
Climb climb climb I must
To plant the victory flag at last
We came we saw we conquered
The mountain with such grandeur
With spirits lifted up high
Oh....a great achievement in life
From Singapore to majestic KK we went
To scale the Mount not everyone can
Fears conquered and spirtis lifted up high
We've achieved something great in life
Tall and majestic you are
Beautiful from afar
Up the summit I go
To witness the sun of gold
Far far away up the sky so high
Oh, the summit is almost in sight
Climb climb climb I must
To plant the victory flag at last
We came we saw we conquered
The mountain with such grandeur
With spirits lifted up high
Oh....a great achievement in life
From Singapore to majestic KK we went
To scale the Mount not everyone can
Fears conquered and spirtis lifted up high
We've achieved something great in life
遠遠高山一大座
藍天白雲真不錯
一步一步往上爬
上了山頂喝祿茶
高山雖然高
可是我們不會被難倒
衝破萬丛難
我們一定會到達
爬山有甚麼好
祿茶有甚麼妙
還不如在家睡大覺
Pharmacy
I was planning to go "shopping" for my regular prescription medicines at Guardian. So when lunch time came, I decided to check up the phone number of the usual outlet at Serangoon Gardens. I tried the Internet Yellow Pages, but could not find the number. Then I remembered I was never able to find the number the last time round too. I managed to get their HQ number and called them. A lady at the other end told me "No such outlet!" What? I have been going to that outlet for almost 3 years and she told me no such outlet? After a while she gave me a number to call, which I half suspected is not the right number. True enough, the line was engaged all the time. It was confirmed later the number was for the Sembawang outlet!???????
I decided to just proceed to the Serangoon Gardens outlet. When I stepped into the pharmacy, I saw a sign saying "Pharmacist not on duty!" Aiyoh. I came all the way for nothing. If they had given me the right number to call, I would not have gone all the way there. OK, never mind. I went to the nearby coffee shop for lunch. The fried kway teow uncle took quite long to fry the kway teow, and it wasn't nice at all.
Should I go back to the office, or should I proceed to Hougang? OK. Go. Reached there in a couple of minutes and another sign says "Pharmacist back at 2 pm!" It was only 1.15 pm? Wait? No way. Off I went and zoomed back to office. I went to check the phone numbers again. This time I went for the hard copy yellow pages. The whole list of outlets was there. I copied a few numbers and called the outlet for Toa Payoh Central. "Duuuuuuuu, sorry this number is not in use........!!!!!!" I had to call the HQ again and this time asked them for the Toa Payoh outlet number. I also asked for a website but they told me Guardian has no website. Too bad. I called the number and the lady at the other end said "This is not the pharmacy, you need to call another number........" I finally called the other number and told them which medicine I needed "Sorry, we don't carry this medicine..." I almost fainted.
OK. I know not all Guardian outlets carry the same medicines. That's why I have been going back to the Serangoon Gardens outlet as they have all the medicines I need. I usually go on Saturdays, but I would not be free for the whole day tomorrow. Haiz. Too bad for me. This pharmacy thingy has given me headache every two months when the medicines run out. Guess I never learnt to note down the phone numbers somewhere. I will store them in my handphone right now in case I forget them again.
I was hoping to provide feedback to Guardian electronically but just could not find the right website or email. One day I will fill up the physical feedback form. Enough whining for now.
HA - in case you are wondering why I need to buy medication every two months. It's for my MOM!
I decided to just proceed to the Serangoon Gardens outlet. When I stepped into the pharmacy, I saw a sign saying "Pharmacist not on duty!" Aiyoh. I came all the way for nothing. If they had given me the right number to call, I would not have gone all the way there. OK, never mind. I went to the nearby coffee shop for lunch. The fried kway teow uncle took quite long to fry the kway teow, and it wasn't nice at all.
Should I go back to the office, or should I proceed to Hougang? OK. Go. Reached there in a couple of minutes and another sign says "Pharmacist back at 2 pm!" It was only 1.15 pm? Wait? No way. Off I went and zoomed back to office. I went to check the phone numbers again. This time I went for the hard copy yellow pages. The whole list of outlets was there. I copied a few numbers and called the outlet for Toa Payoh Central. "Duuuuuuuu, sorry this number is not in use........!!!!!!" I had to call the HQ again and this time asked them for the Toa Payoh outlet number. I also asked for a website but they told me Guardian has no website. Too bad. I called the number and the lady at the other end said "This is not the pharmacy, you need to call another number........" I finally called the other number and told them which medicine I needed "Sorry, we don't carry this medicine..." I almost fainted.
OK. I know not all Guardian outlets carry the same medicines. That's why I have been going back to the Serangoon Gardens outlet as they have all the medicines I need. I usually go on Saturdays, but I would not be free for the whole day tomorrow. Haiz. Too bad for me. This pharmacy thingy has given me headache every two months when the medicines run out. Guess I never learnt to note down the phone numbers somewhere. I will store them in my handphone right now in case I forget them again.
I was hoping to provide feedback to Guardian electronically but just could not find the right website or email. One day I will fill up the physical feedback form. Enough whining for now.
HA - in case you are wondering why I need to buy medication every two months. It's for my MOM!
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Executive MBA
News reported that the University of Nevada Las Vegas will set up its Asian campus in Singapore by next September! Wow. UNLV says that from September 2006, it expects to take in 200 students for its two-year undergraduate programme. It will enrol another 50 for the executive MBA programme.
Apparently the Dean said "The courses that they take have a lot of finance, quantitative analysis, human resources management, marketing, etc. They get a wonderful broad-based degree." And while there's a gaming component in the programme, those who want a career as a croupier should look elsewhere. A casino laboratory will be part of the campus - but the focus will be strictly on management.
I think I better prepare myself to be one of the first 50 students to enrol for the executive MBA programme. More good years for Singapore!
Apparently the Dean said "The courses that they take have a lot of finance, quantitative analysis, human resources management, marketing, etc. They get a wonderful broad-based degree." And while there's a gaming component in the programme, those who want a career as a croupier should look elsewhere. A casino laboratory will be part of the campus - but the focus will be strictly on management.
I think I better prepare myself to be one of the first 50 students to enrol for the executive MBA programme. More good years for Singapore!
Bonus?
Civil servants will get a 0.4 month mid-year bonus and workers earning less than $1,200 will get an additional one time payout of $200. The figure of 0.4 month was selected to reflect the economy's moderate 2.5 per cent growth in the first quarter and the likelihood that overall growth this year will range between 2.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent. Hmmm, so is this good news or what?
Bonus? What is that? Well, I believe the civil service and the profitable companies can afford to pay their employees good bonuses, but really how many companies are able to do so? Anyone has the figures? Somehow this term sounds very alien to me. I wonder why?
So are we heading for more good years ahead?
Bonus? What is that? Well, I believe the civil service and the profitable companies can afford to pay their employees good bonuses, but really how many companies are able to do so? Anyone has the figures? Somehow this term sounds very alien to me. I wonder why?
So are we heading for more good years ahead?
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Jams
Just read from one of LTA's recent press release that they will implement ERP along the Northbound CTE from 1 Aug 05! Apparently they are going to put up a new ERP gantry between PIE and Braddell Road 
So now the government also wants to make people pay ERP to go home??????? 
Yes, it is true that there are always jams along the northbound CTE in the evening, but did anyone really ask why the jams are there? Too many cars? Or something wrong with the road design? Would we solve the problem by plonking an ERP gantry there? Would the jams reduce? Or would it be a case where people look for alternatives for a while and then decided that it is not worth the trouble, and end up paying and jamming up the CTE again? Only time can tell, and you probably won't need too long to find out.
Every morning when I leave home for work, the main road passing my estate is usually jammed. I detour and take another main road, which is also quite jammed. Then I further detour to other smaller roads and sometimes certain roads along the way are jammed as well! So the only solution is to sell my car and take public transport? But they just increased the bus/MRT fees too! Haiz..... Ooops, don't tell me they are going to plonk an ERP gantry just outside my house? 
So now the government also wants to make people pay ERP to go home??????? Yes, it is true that there are always jams along the northbound CTE in the evening, but did anyone really ask why the jams are there? Too many cars? Or something wrong with the road design? Would we solve the problem by plonking an ERP gantry there? Would the jams reduce? Or would it be a case where people look for alternatives for a while and then decided that it is not worth the trouble, and end up paying and jamming up the CTE again? Only time can tell, and you probably won't need too long to find out.Every morning when I leave home for work, the main road passing my estate is usually jammed. I detour and take another main road, which is also quite jammed. Then I further detour to other smaller roads and sometimes certain roads along the way are jammed as well!
So the only solution is to sell my car and take public transport? But they just increased the bus/MRT fees too! Haiz..... Ooops, don't tell me they are going to plonk an ERP gantry just outside my house?
Schizophrenic Half?
Early this morning, my dad asked me if something belongs to me. I was scratching my head wondering what he meant. He then passed me a chinese newspaper cutting which was an article about the bombing of a theatre which happened last week in India. But what has the bombing got to do with me? HA. Then I noticed the journalist or the contributor of that article. He had the exact same chinese name as me! 
Whoa, could it be my schizophrenic half who wrote the story? 
Hmmm.... I better investigate into this.
Some of my friends do joke about me having many "personalities". I wonder if it is true. How is it like to have multiple personalities? Anyone out there with this problem? Care to share?
Whoa, could it be my schizophrenic half who wrote the story? Hmmm.... I better investigate into this.Some of my friends do joke about me having many "personalities". I wonder if it is true. How is it like to have multiple personalities? Anyone out there with this problem? Care to share?
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