Zan - My Blog

Have I seen you somewhere?

2020-10-10T10:12:00.001+08:00

As cheesy as it sounds, no, this topic is not on pick up lines. Yet I must confess I have heard it more than an umpteen number of times. Before you get any wrong ideas, it's not because I'm in a situation where someone is trying to get to know me romantically. Quite the opposite actually - you see, I've been blessed with quite ordinary looks and I don't mean this in a sarcastic kind of way.

Usually it would be some business meetings when I'm introducing myself to either some customers or suppliers and I get that remark, "I think I've seen you someplace before...". Though mostly it would have been impossible that our paths could have crossed, yet somehow I've registered myself in their memories.

In the beginning, it was awkward for me as I struggled through the possibilities of having met the person, much like Doctor Strange frantically cycling through an infinite number of alternate universes to prevent the end of the world in Avengers' Endgame. Sometimes I would wonder for up to a couple of weeks whether I could have met them possibly from work conferences or even through my extended professional network.

Then it dawned on me that I have the looks of a common man. I could have been mistaken for someone else that looks like me (or rather a good proportion of people with similar looks). I have quite an average height and build, and can easily shop off most stores by getting the M (medium) size. I have normal facial looks that hasn't changed much over the years (according to my long time primary school friend) - looks that could possibly be easy to forget as well as there's no distinct feature that I keep or possess. Yes, I could have been possibly mistaken for someone that they met at a work setting or some random person at a store someplace or even some passerby.

It really doesn't matter as main thing is they found me familiar and usually thereafter this feeling of familiarity helps me build a better work relationship with them, leading to work getting done more expendiently. In contrast, I have a colleague with a distinct bearded look and usually these same customers and suppliers would try to size him up, dealing with him initially with slight caution and taking a considerable time to get to that same level of familiarity.

Having normal looks helped me breeze through life. When I was young, I didn't stand out enough in class for the teacher to call on me to read out passages or "volunteer" for activities often. Being 'normal' has helped me escape a lot of the pressures of scrutiny from society. It amuses me when I see how the media is strongly promoting and egging people to be different; to stand out from the rest. I wonder if this inevitably became a societal-created pressure, leading people to question their own identities and likely contributing to higher rates of depression in this world.

What's wrong about just being entirely yourself, without the desire to say, dye your hair to look different? Strangely as more people start to "tweak" their looks, more and more people somehow will start to converge to look more homogeneous, then that would probably start another neverending cycle of a new, wilder look. It really seems we all suffer from an identity crisis especially as the global population surges into the billions with everyone trying to be unique.

For me, I'm content being average. In fact, when people ask me if it's because I have ugly looks that I don't upload a profile photo, quite the contrary, is that I have a common look that I feel is rather pointless to upload and possibly distract from the messages that I convey. Nowadays if someone tells me that they've seen me before, I would gladly acknowledge without much further thought, "I'm sure we've met someplace before...", knowing that it bodes well.

How great thou art

2019-07-09T07:28:00.001+08:00

Gazing upon the shimmering ground
from the mark the rain has left,
a wave of tranquil ebbs into thy mind.
It is still the darkness of dawn, and
the morning sun has not shone his face.
Little lights from buildings not too distant
reflect like sparkling stars on the wet wide pavement.
The coolness of it all brings relief from the warmer days earlier,
the bustling thoughts in thy mind replaced with emptiness and serenity.
How beautiful the sight of this layer of cleansing water that has blanketed the landscape,
renewing the face of this earth.

Highway to Hell

2019-06-10T07:49:00.001+08:00

I have been driving in Singapore for more than 10 years, frequently across the island from west to the east and east to the west, which happens to be about the longest distance to go in a car on this tiny island. When I was learning to drive, I was a little afraid and drove cautiously; sometimes too slow for my driving instructor's liking and he would comment that the main objective to learn driving is to get to your destination quickly (implying if I drove any slower, might be faster taking the public transport, ha!). So when I first got my car, I sped about and it helps the fact that at that time I had worked shift hours, so the roads were empty in the wee hours of the morning and all I wanted was just to get home real fast to sleep. Of course there are times when there's traffic and all I could do was manage an average of 50 km/h journey. I was new to driving and monitored all my drives; the interesting thing I found was that no matter how fast I drove, even on the furthest route, for the same distance, at the very best, the difference was no more than 5 minutes - which is just about the time you spend in the toilet to take a leak or for me, most of it wasted lazing on the couch after a tiring drive. I have a pilot friend who tells me the same thing - even for an airplane to fly from Singapore to Europe, no matter how much faster he pushes the aircraft, at most it only makes a difference of a couple of minutes (and aircraft instrumentation is very precise).

The only real impact to my journey time is whether there's a traffic jam, usually caused by some accident - which brings me to the main point: some people drive so fast and so recklessly that they're just an accident waiting to happen. Their desire to go faster and get ahead of the next vehicle may lead to some getting into an accident; and all that causes is they get miserable and are much more delayed (not only for themselves but others too). Many people know the story of the race between the hare and the tortoise but in actual fact, don't understand or practise the simple logic of slow and steady wins the race! Of course, there's the other extreme of driving too slow till it becomes road hogging which I will not discuss in this post. It seems the people who are in fact amongst the worst drivers in our society, who can't even handle their cars well, are those who believe themselves to be race car driver quality and have expensive cars. Their ego and character drives them to want to speed without care of the immense risk they subject themselves and other road users.

My pilot friend and I just saw another driver speeding and cutting lanes indiscriminately. We really wonder what kind of emergency he was rushing for that can't even wait a couple of minutes; or maybe he really needs to go to the toilet (that's probably the only valid logical reason)? My pilot friend says he got it all figured out, "I know! They're just rushing to go and meet their maker!".

I could do with one less meal

2019-05-27T18:56:00.001+08:00

I could do with one less meal - I really could. As I aged (or a less negative way of saying it is, as I progressed in life), my job evolved to be less physically taxing, that is, it became more office desk-bound. I used to be more physically active early in my career, always excited to learn more by doing more. Not to say that being older, I have lost the passion to learn - I still love learning but the stuff I learn these days require more critical thinking and less running around. My metabolism was much higher when I was younger (also due the more active lifestyle I led) and I ate more. Now that I'm older, I don't really eat as much and sometimes when I eat more (especially during celebrations), I end up growing a tummy which is both unsightly and bad for my health.

My friend who is a nurse, has a physically demanding job of taking care of the sick. Daily she helps patients move from place to place in a hospital - sometimes even lifting them to get into a bed or wheelchair. She attends to their needs, performing clinical tests and ensuring they have their meals and medication. To make matters worse, she is a single mom. When she gets home, she has an aging mother and 2 kids to care for. Being a single mother is tough, she does the housework and ensures that her family has food to eat and their needs are well taken care of. She doesn't compromise and gives so much love to her mother and 2 kids. She always gives them the best that she can offer. Whenever she's off, she would even take them out and give them a nice treat. Even when she's feeling so drained, she would pull herself up from the exhaustion, so that they can all have a good time.

Making ends meet is tough especially with 2 growing kids and a mother who has medical bills to pay. Due to the nature of her job, she sometimes rushes around so much that she skips meals or just munch on a few biscuits and carry on. She treats it like saving money so that she can spend on treats for her family! Here I am spending my money on fancy food that potentially harms my body while someone I know, who really needs the nourishment, is skipping meals due to tight monetary budget. Such is the inequality of life.

From young, my grandfather instilled in me the feeling of guilt whenever I wasted food. Now I get the feeling of sadness when I think of my friend and many others that could be like her. Yet it's no hidden truth that there are many affluent people (especially in Singapore) who wouldn't bat an eyelid when splurging on fancy meals only to waste copious amounts of the good stuff when they are served. With the prevalence of social media it gets worse; many people pay good dollar for interesting cuisines that they can boast to others on Instagram or whatever trending platform - whether they truly appreciate the food is another matter. Food has evolved into a vanity.

I am a blessed person who always has nice food to eat; and these days since I know I don't consume as much, I would just order only what I can finish. Sometimes I get the feeling if I could somehow magically transfer my meal to someone in need like my friend, I gladly would. I could do with one less meal - I really could.

Warning Labels

2019-01-28T07:05:00.001+08:00

My friend who designs placards for aircraft interiors was commenting how people in general have gone dumber. Before we continue, some background information: placards on an aircraft are usually decals that contain graphics or words that provide critical information required for regulatory compliance (yes, mandated by aviation law!). They can take the form of indicating where an emergency equipment like a fire extinguisher is located or even be instructional like telling people to stow their tray tables during takeoff, taxi and landing. "There are a lot of placards", so my friend laments, and she even wonders if passengers would even bother to read and understand what the placards are saying especially when a real emergency occurred; "...they'd probably just panic and get themselves killed", was her conclusion.

Just like in an aircraft, there are a lot of placard information in our daily living, a good deal of them are warning labels. One of the most epic warning labels is the one on those disposable coffee cups (used to be styrofoam but these days layered paper cups are more common) which simply reads, "Caution - Hot Beverage". "...you mean to say, if you ordered hot coffee, you won't expect it to be hot and be extra careful?", my friend went on sarcastically. Yet in 1992, a lady actually sued McDonald's for a hot drink that she accidentally spilt on herself! Since then all the cups in public establishments (not just in McDonald's) carried this warning label in some form or another.

In our modern society, people are more connected... to their mobile devices. Many of such people develop self-entitled attitudes; they expect to be served (especially just because they paid for a service) and when things go wrong, they are always quick to point their fingers at other's shortcomings. They need signs or instructions to tell them how to something, else it's your fault that they were not informed properly. As you can see in the earlier example, they would not hesitate to complain or sue when something bad happens. As my friend warns, "generally people will just become so stupid, they will need a sign or instruction to do practically everything including one to tell them how to dress up, brush teeth, feed themselves, use the toilet and so on." By that time, according to my friend's postulation, "they'd be so stupid, it won't be hard to get themselves killed."

Moderates

2019-01-17T23:38:00.001+08:00

Oscar Wilde once said, "Everything in moderation, including moderation". Moderation is indeed the key to good living. I remember helping out in an old folk's home when one of the residents told me how he wished he had enjoyed more good food when he was younger. When he was younger, he was told to save money, so he ate plain food and only in rare occasions, splurged on nice meals. Now in old age and health impaired, even if he had the wealth to afford, the body simply cannot enjoy those food he loves. Then on the other extreme, my ex-colleague who goes out to party every other day, was plagued with painful gout a number of times. Yet after each round of gout when he got better, he would shortly go back to enjoying good food and drinks. He professed a YOLO (you only live once) attitude. A couple of years back he was suddenly stricken by a rare disease where his muscles rapidly degenerated (doctors say he only has a couple more years to live). Some may speculate it could be his diet that brought about the disease but there's no hard evidence for that.

When it comes to diet, there seems to be so many "experts" on the subject. Some say wine is good for your heart, others say any form of alcohol is harmful to your body. Some must have their coffee daily but others totally avoid caffeine due to its drug-like effects. Some are opposed to carbohydrates from staples like rice, noodles and potatoes as it makes them gain weight. However, the carbohydrate deprivation drives them nuts after some time, and they end up consuming even more carbohydrates with a vengeance. Some claim to start every meal with fruits but end up getting diabetic as fructose, commonly found in fruits, is a complex sugar that the body struggles to break down. Media are biggest culprits for spreading food fads that if you view it from a historical context, it all just seems so fickle as one moment something that appears good for your health, at the very next moment is bad for you. Firstly, many people don't realise everyone's body and living conditions are different; for example, eskimos require lots of fish fat in their diet to survive the cold climate but that same diet can't be applied to someone living in tropics. Secondly, whatever we can consume, we should do so in moderation; taking too much of a good stuff will inevitably turn it into a poison; in the opposite manner, restricting your diet (unless required due to a medical condition) will also make your body more susceptible to certain diseases (due to lack of certain nutrients). We should be mindful of what we eat; food that we enjoy, we can definitely consume them in moderate amounts and realise there's no meaning in following food fads.

From a philosophical point of view, moderation can be extended to other aspects of living as well. People who have too one-sided view of anything, from food to religion can be simply branded as extremists. For example, we should work hard in our jobs but when we get to the point of being a workaholic, then we end up losing precious time that could have been spent with loved ones (family and friends); going further, when rest has been sacrificed and health has been harmed, we could end up being sick which is counter-productive. Work is important but it's also important to make time for personal well-being which includes physical health (time for eating, exercising and resting) and mental/social well-being (time for reflection and interaction with loved ones). In other words, work should also be moderated and learning how to set boundaries is important.

There are definitely more areas where moderation should be employed than could be possibly shared here. In life, there's a time to work, a time to play; money should be saved in moderation because when you think about it, money is only useful when spent appropriately. Therefore, having a little enjoyment from time to time is expected as long as it's within your means, remembering that we can't know for certain what tomorrow brings.

Greatness

2019-01-06T17:23:00.001+08:00

What makes a great person? Many people I know aspire to be a great person (which is a good thing) but when asked what defines a great person, all they could rant on are about revolutionary deeds that change the world for better or for worse (good or bad is a matter of perspective as well). They would quote several inspirational figures whom they aspire to be and rave about several exceptional qualities they possess. Yet many of these great people are essentially *normal people (*as in, it could be anyone as great people come from all walks of life and of various characteristics, and it could even be you!) usually born or subjected to certain situations or circumstances in which their actions proved extraordinary. If so, what truly makes a great person? What are the qualities that make greatness? If you looked carefully at the numerous cases, a common quality that these people possess is consistency.

For Apple fans, Steve Jobs can be considered a great person who was very consistent about the look-feel design of Apple products that give them their distinct character. Even Steve himself was very consistent in his wardrobe, choosing frequently to wear his iconic turtleneck. How about Jack Ma from Alibaba, he too was determined and consistent in his approach of managing the company, staying committed to the overall mission and strategy. Some people think action stars like Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan are great people who have inspired many through their shows; both had struggled early in their career but persisted and were consistent to present their own genre of action filming that has left an indelible impact in the industry (and people who were inspired). Sylvester is well known for the never-give-up boxer character, Rocky and one-man-army soldier, Rambo, while Jackie is known for his well-choreographed comedic style of action coupled with real-life death-defying stunts that he does his own. There are certainly too many prolific great people and to a certain measure, too many great companies for that matter, to be mentioned here; but all were consistent in their mission and the way they conducted themselves that it became their brand and discernable character.

Looking back in history, the one called Alexander the Great, who hails from Macedonia, was considered great because through a consistent method of military conquest against strong civilisations at that time, he conquered way beyond the Greek shores stretching as far as Egypt to the West and border of India to the East. He employed a consistent military tactic of expanding his army based a formula with elite phalanx as the core, as well as ensuring the conditions including terrain for battles for which this army could be effective in winning. There are many more such great conquerors and military leaders, which may cause some people to frown as it becomes apparent that the term greatness can also apply to heinous deeds involving mass loss of human lives.

To be very objective, greatness could simply be defined by its widespread impact and it seems consistency is a key element. Of course, many of these great deeds are not just the result of one person as there are usually many other unspoken figures in the background that support these great people. Imagine if this inspirational figure was not consistent in his or her direction or methods, then how would these supporters be able to follow the lead and build something great? In many of the examples above, those individuals also displayed other traits like determination and tenacity in carrying out their vision. However, the vision and message had to be firstly, consistent, in order for the determination and effort to be channelled upon. So it seems many people aspire to be great people but fail at the first step of being consistent. Many people are easily swayed and one moment, a certain fad seems to be a hot idea, they flock to it, then something else better comes along and they switch over. They don't seem to identify with anything consistent. Think about what others identify as a consistent quality about you. Maybe for some who are consistently bull-shitting about their great ideas, yes, you could regard them as great too - great liars!

Politic-king

2018-12-18T06:30:00.001+08:00

Every time the word politics is mentioned, it immediately associates with a negative connotation. And indeed the act of playing politics is a dirty game. Citizens around the world see how their nation's leaders wrestle power from opposition parties and even engage in war of words (hopefully not another actual physical war) with other nations. Yet politics is not exclusive to people involved in a political party at a national level. Politics or the act of politicking seems to have pervaded several aspects of our lives.

A bright friend, after graduating from top schools, was offered a job in a prestigious brand company. She excelled in her career and rose through the ranks rapidly. It wasn't a bed of roses and the higher up she went, the more effort she had to deal with the office politics. Writing e-mails to shoot opposing factions within the company, wrestling power from peers in order to push through deadlines to deliver high-impact projects, and much more until it eventually took a toll on her health and her family life. One day she woke up and decided she had enough of this mindless rat race. So she quit her high paying job and went to India to join a Buddhist mission group. She decided that she needed to distance herself from all the world's cruel human politics and focus to discover her own spiritual being and gain back her sanity. She was in this somewhat self-imposed retreat or break for 3 years while her family fully supported her decision as they too couldn't bear to see her in that depressed state from working previously. In these 3 years, being the capable lady that she is, she stepped up to hold certain appointments within the mission group. Then once again politics reared its hideous head. She had tried so hard to avoid politics; innocently thinking that by being in a spiritual organisation, it should help her gain enlightenment and find happiness, but alas no! Members of the group exhibited classic political traits like forming factions and colluding to make life difficult for others, including slandering each other behind their backs. Up to a certain point, she couldn't take it any more and after 3 years, she left and returned to her family in Singapore feeling lost and empty. Life seemed so meaningless and pointless especially when there seems to be no escape from ugly politics. It took her quite a while to finally get back to her feet with the support of family and close friends. She had regained her purpose in life; She paired up with a couple of friends to do a home business which consisted of baking cookies for part profit and part charity. She realised feel good by focusing on her family (she has 2 lovely kids) and giving back to society. She could dictate her own schedule by managing the business around her family and the best part is, the exposure to politics is minimised.

Many strive to avoid environments with politics but given how prevalent it is in modern society, it may be rather impractical. Apart from the usual office politics, I have also seen tussles amongst priests and church ministers. It is such a shame especially in religious organisations (and even charitable volunteer groups) where instead of focusing on serving the greater good, people choose to engage in self-serving activities. For some, politics can even occur in their cliques of "friends". It almost seem like these people have a sadistic nature which gain sick enjoyment from seeing others suffer. So if you can't beat them, should you just join them? Well for a fact, what goes around, does come around. Engaging in politics is like playing with fire, if you're not careful and don't watch your back constantly, you would simply get burnt!

How then can one avoid politics? It's simply not practical to keep avoiding it as much as possible; at some point, you would still need to deal with it in order to accomplish certain deeds or be in position or job that you like. There are ways to manage and navigate through politics. The first step is to be aware that it exists without judging. Be aware of your surroundings and observe people. Don't just shy sway from gatherings and avoid contact with others, as that is akin to an ostrich putting its head in the ground, hoping that politics won't get to you. In addition, don't go start judging and classifying who's the bootlicker or who's the backstabber, etcetera, as that only makes you unduly paranoid.

If you're a leader (includes managers and supervisors), then you definitely have an influence over how much politics will affect the immediate environment. Set clear directions and expectations for the team down to individual level as much as possible, then practise transparency as a policy; that will prevent subterranean activities (on the surface, folks may appear to be cordial but behind backs, misinformation and gossip could be spread). Always address issues by the merit of the deed and not directly attribute them to a particular person e.g. don't say stuff like "so-and-so screwed up our project" and instead focus on constructive feedback like "instead of attempting to get more quotes and delaying the decision process, a decision should have been made based quotes from the few reliable suppliers especially for time-critical parts where long lead times has resulted in the costly delay of the project". On the same note, don't just address negative events, remember to render credit and gratitude where it is due. Being transparent means articulating what things were done well and what were not and how the team can focus to work through issues in a constructive and positive manner instead of focusing on who's fault it is (which happens in many organisations).

If you're just an employee, or a fellow team member, then in a similar way, behave in a transparent manner. Avoid engaging in gossips about how someone did badly or help perpetuate such negativity. Nothing is preventing you from saying thanks to people who have helped you (even to higher-ups) and also voicing your opinion about things that were done well. Don't develop the narrow-minded attitude that it's only reserved for bosses to communicate such stuff; are you implying lower levels can't express simple things like thanks? To avoid being targeted as a scapegoat, always document your work clearly (usually via e-mails these days) and keep your superior updated regularly on your progress. Keep all work-related communication professional without adding feelings into it. If you think about it when it comes to appraisals, if your boss felt you didn't contribute much in the year but if you have it well documented, you could easily dispute it with cold hard evidence. And if you have been following up with your boss throughout the year, then there's no reason for your boss to feel that way in the first place. Some folks feel that's pretty pretentious to blow your own trumpet but what's required is not shameless self-promotion; all you have to do is stick to the facts.

In summary, it's pointless to avoid politics in a broader sense of the word but it can be managed such that it doesn't control your life. If you choose to dabble in it, then like the fire it's analogous to, it can either aid your cause or cause you to get burnt. Whatever it is, hopefully the above can give a good brief insight on the topic.

Absolute Mastery

2018-12-18T06:24:00.001+08:00

Education is important for the development and progess of a nation and as a country, how we manage it is important. Every country has its own education system to meet its specific needs and that of the global community for which every nation is a part of. When Singapore first gained our independence in 1965, we were just a small island nation who had to fend for ourselves amidst stronger neighbouring nations surrounding us, which were blessed with ample natural resources. People (the human resource) are literally all that we have as Singapore has no such natural resources to speak of, nor enough arable land to grow enough food to feed a burgeoning population. Yet even so, the population back then was simply too small to make an impact in the world. We had to find a way to make every individual count. The only way to achieve that was to provide the necessary education, so that people could possibly take on higher-skilled jobs in the newly formed technologically advanced industries that could propel the nation forward. Singapore had to design our own educational framework and curriculum, invite the necessary foreign expertise to coach us and even send delegations overseas to learn. There was much to achieve in a relatively short span of time, given that there was too much stake as well.

Since then, Singapore's educational framework has evolved, though the basic structure is similar to that internationally in order to compete on the global stage. We will not be talking about infant-care or kindergarten (nursery) education as there are a wide variety of programmes out there, where modern day parents jostle over, in the hope that their child can gain a good headstart in life. Starting at age 6, a child would be enrolled in a primary school. Primary education lasts for 6 years and serves as a broad foundation. The curriculum includes basic English language (the common language used in our daily dealings), basic mother tongue language (usually that of your ethnic origin), fundamental mathematics and a general appreciation of the science and arts (to whet your appetite to want to know more). At this age where kids are easily influenced, it is the best time to inculcate important moral values that our nation stand for, including integrity, understanding and embracing diversity of people from different cultures and religious backgrounds to live together peacefully and harmoniously. Many modern day parents (and sadly some teachers too) focus too much on the academics and neglect the moral aspect, expecting the school to take care of it, when they forget that parents are responsible to be the primary educators of their own children (since the tendency is for the kids to mimic their parents' behaviours).

After primary school, the children progress on to secondary school. Secondary education as the name implies, takes the broad education a step further. At this stage, subjects like the languages, mathematics and science will be covered more in-depth. Science will be categorised into topics like physics, chemistry and biology. Humanities like history, geography and literature (that's how they have been classified) will also be introduced. With the new government initiative, there will be a reduction of tests for the primary levels, since at the rate parents push their kids these days, it totally defeats the whole purpose of a primary education when the kids lose interest in learning. However at a secondary level, examinations (especially those that are similar to international standards) are necessary as a means to verify understanding in the subject. Students shouldn't be too averse to examinations and make use of the examinations to test their own proficiency as well as to discover their own interests which will aid them in their career choices.

After secondary education, it starts to get interesting as one moves on to tertiary education. There are those who struggle with written examinations but perform well in certain hands-on skills. The Institute of Technical Education or ITE as it's called provide several specialised professional certificates for technical skills. For someone interested in F&B or hotel industry, SHATEC (Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre) offers the necessary skills and entry into a service industry that builds a vibrant Singapore society. For those in the arts (visual, musical or otherwise), there are a number of good schools to further your craft. There are a number of polytechnics and schools that offer diploma and higher diploma courses (for those already with a base diploma). Diploma courses should maintain their emphasis on practical skills; Singapore's society in general and employers should recognise and value diploma graduates, instead of viewing them as inferior to degree holders. Currently, practical hands-on skills are viewed as somewhat lower level but such jobs requiring these skills actually form the base of sustaining our economy; the resultant shift to rely on foreign labour is detrimental to society in the longer term.

For those who have the aptitude in written academics, then they would choose to enter pre-university (junior colleges) and head on to universities to earn their bachelor's degrees. At a degree level, students will have to grasp fundamental theories and be able to apply them effectively in their field of study. Definitely there are a number of jobs that require such knowledge and understanding including lawyers and certain engineers. There's less emphasis on practicum as compared to a diploma. Majority of jobs that make up society should only require either a degree, a diploma or some professional certificate. Some people may choose to further their education and embark on a master's degree. A lot of people have a misunderstanding that the master's is just an extension of the degree course and is a paper qualification that gives you an edge over someone who only has a degree. Such misguided expectations have inevitably shaped and de-valued the degree. A master's degree, as my professor puts it aptly, is one where it's assumed you already know and are proficient in fundamentally accepted theories from your degree course, such that you can put forth convincing arguments for and against these theories (or even controversial unproven theories) including identifying limitations of their application that can display your mastery of the subject. A lot of master's programs waste a great deal of effort revisiting topics that should have been well understood at a degree level. Last but not least, doctorates shall be discussed. Apart from the clear-cut case of medical doctors, at a doctoral level which is one level deeper of understanding from the master's, one has to come up with a new and original thesis or a significant finding or discovery that can help in the advancement of the scientific community at large. What that simply means is, the master's and doctoral degrees are in general more suited for people who desire to be academics or researchers in their respective fields.

Above is only a very brief overview of the education framework in Singapore (or what it should be). Modern societal norms like bad habits have begun to creep in and corrupt people's mindsets as well as the education system (which have damaging effects in the long run). While education standards in Singapore seem to have improved over the years, one major area of concern is how divergent the mismatch between the education system and the job market has become. Education is more than just a paper chase; it is an essential element in shaping our society for generations to come and we need to ensure it's done right, just as how it was in the beginning. People need to be educated about education; learning that transcends paper qualifications and encompasses human values.

It

2018-12-15T09:03:00.001+08:00

It is possible that if you place some fertilizer, a tree would grow on Melvyn's head.
It is likely to rain today.
It seems to be Diana lived her life like a candle in the wind.
A cat slept on the bonnet of Dominic's car. It is white in colour.
A rare orchid grows out of the pot filled with charcoal. It is a real beauty.
The beach ball is round and it is covered in bright blue stripes.
Rowena has curls in her hair, while Robert only has curls in his moustache.
"It" is contextual and refers to a non-human subject; human subjects are referred to by their espective female / male gender, "her / his" as seen above.
It can refer to animals, plants and inanimate objects. It can be situational.
If that's the case, what is it in the first 3 situations?

Side effects of Kindness

2018-12-12T22:19:00.001+08:00

After a nice chat with a kind hearted friend, on the way home, I heard on the radio a recommendation for a book entitled, "The Five Side Effects of Kindness" written by Dr. David Hamilton. It was so coincidental that the chat we just had was precisely about how her kind heartedness led her to a somewhat miserable predicament. I haven't read the recommended book but do intend to; the book seems to present the positive outcome of being kind (from what I read online review), which was quite frankly, far from what my friend was lamenting about.

Since the time I knew my friend, I have always felt she was kind; as she was always considerate to her friends, sometimes going all the way out just to help them. She would turn up even in the middle of the night and no matter where on the island, she would drive right over just to console a crying friend. Yet despite what she does, that very same friend she helped, would take her for granted and say nasty things to her. And it's not just one friend we are talking about, many of friends seem to be unappreciative of her kindness and usually end up hurting my friend. As if that wasn't enough, she gets similar treatment from her family too. She would fret over where to bring her parents for a nice meal and when they're done, would complain about what a waste of money it is and how she is an incorrigible spendthrift with no bright future. This is beyond just your usual killjoy and it drives my friend nuts to the point of wanting to give up totally to be kind.

I guess everyone has probably experienced something similar where your kindness was met with blatant ungratefulness. If that is a possible side effect of kindness, so is that reason not to be kind? Yet being not kind is not in my friend's nature, even if she had chosen to be nonchalant to the world, then she wouldn't be my friend at all. To a certain extent, we were all born inherently kind and turning to nastiness only destroys our own being (and sanity too). It turns you into something you're not.

Probably what we need to understand is the true nature of kindness in order to learn to manage it. Firstly if you appear helpful and kind, you have inevitably become a magnet for people who are in trouble and need help. Many people fear helping others and shun away from situations to give a hand to the downtrodden. So when the desperate see a light of hope from someone who is willing to help, they will latch on to that hope; some are grateful, while others may start leeching on their benefactor, sometimes sucking them dry like a parasite. What a scary side effect!

We should all be kind because that's the only sustainable way to maintain our true character and maintain a healthy society in the bigger picture (and not in senseless fear of killing each other). We are not perfect and there are times when we are down and need help from others too. The original definition of kindness is to help others without expectation of reward or in this case, without expectation of being appreciated (and possibly even backstabbed). However, we must remember firstly to be kind to yourself - we must help what is within our capability and if that help starts eating into you, you should refrain from helping further. Be naturally kind, don't be afraid to help strangers too if you're able (if you're timid or vulnerable then don't). And if you sense the person you're helping is taking you for a ride, please take care of yourself and do not get yourself in trouble - there's only so much we all can do. There's absolutely no obligation to help and despite what people think - it's not being selfish. However, also remember the ability to help others is a gift and this gift may be taken away from you if you don't use it.

The Way Forward

2018-12-04T16:23:00.001+08:00

Before I get too far ahead in posting, just wanted to clarify the way forward for the blog. After being around so many years, it would be best to leave this blog as something more timeless in the sense that people can read any article at random regardless of chronology and not feel like it's a waste of their time. This is consistent with the original intent of the blog - to present simple anecdotes about life. There was a period in the blog that shared Youtube videos especially on songs with meaningful lyrics which seem to appeal to many readers. However, looking back at some of these posts, they seem to lack more of an original reflection as the music becomes a distraction. I may edit and delete away the "distracting" parts or for now, let them be. That's the way with this blog, I have edited old posts before to keep them "updated"; something new about the old. Whatever the case, as mentioned about maintaining this blog for posterity sake, the subsequent posts shall be as far as possible original random thoughts; some simple and short; some with artistic fluff; some probably more like a rant. Read if it appeals to you, ditch it if it doesn't; don't go making yourself upset over it. This is not a blog that makes money from reads, neither is it one that is out with an agenda to influence others. Everyone is entitled to their own views.

Should I further my studies?

2018-12-01T13:23:00.001+08:00

Recently as the economy doesn't look too positive, several of my friends in their 30s have considered whether or not to further their studies. Most people would have considered it too at some point in their career life and even fret upon what course to take. Personally I have done a masters degree and understand that it is not an easy decision to make - I mulled on it for 3 years before embarking on it!

Before you plunge right back into studies, you need to understand why do you want to further your education? Most people do it in a hope that they can get a better job or to command a higher salary - yet most don't realise that most masters programmes have a very low ROI (Return on Investment). Masters programmes typically cost between $30k to $50k and upon graduation, most people find themselves getting back similar salaries as their peers who just have a normal degree (albeit the advantage of sometimes edging fellow candidates out during interviews). There are only a few prestigious masters programmes out there, namely certain branded MBAs, that can command a whole different level salary due to their strong alumnus network. Assuming one does get lucky and gets $500 more a month than before the masters, it would still take 100 months or 8+ years to make back the $50k which was invested. With the time and effort spent on the masters (~2 years), you could have done something else to enhance yourself to get that pay increment you wanted in the first place (could be taking on a challenging project or gaining exposure by helping out another department). So you really need to be very practical and manage your own expectations.

After being clear on why you want to further your studies, the next tough question is what course should you take? Depending on why you wanted to further your education, that reason should be the key determinant to the field of study to choose. If you feel you have stagnated in your career and want to try out a totally new industry or field, then the masters is a good entry method. Choose the course that grants you the best chance to land you the job you desire but also bear in mind that the amount of determination required to learn something totally new is going to be immense - be prepared, it's going to be a struggle! If you're looking for something to enhance your position within your career, then look for a course that can complement your core strength or current field, in other words, look for something that can target important skills that you may be lacking or weak in, in order to progress to the next level. Don't ever rush into a masters, you should take time to figure what courses are available out there and whether they are worthwhile and suit your needs.

Part of your consideration would also be the when and how to go about it. Whether to do your studies part-time or full-time really depends firstly on how you can finance the course. Being without salary for a period of 2 years can be painful, but trying to do part-time and juggle your daily job and studies can be nightmarish too - been there, done that. Being without employment for a period of time also breeds the fear of whether you can find gainful employment upon graduation. There's no easy way whichever way you choose, so be mentally prepared. If you're a fresh graduate and want to pursue your masters immediately, then it's probably not advisable as the value of a masters education comes with certain amount of work experience. Imagine what little value can you bring to the table when the rest of your fellow classmates present their wealth of experience during class, then you would be so left out. There are certain masters that you do straight after your degree but typically those are catered for folks pursuing the life of an academic or a researcher. Yet on the other hand, wait till too late in your career, then the inertia to get back to studies may be too great. As it is, a good benchmark would be around the age of 30 for a masters. Whatever it is, you should never rush into a decision and it is especially silly to embark on one just because some of your friends are also doing so.

If you're reading this but actually considering to get your first degree instead of getting a masters as discussed above, then please do it the soonest you can. Not trying to advocate any form of elitism but the way modern Singapore society has been shaped, it would be difficult to survive without a degree which has become a prerequisite to open good opportunities for your career. Above are hopefully some handy tips if you're considering to further your education - good luck!

Hiatus

2018-11-28T07:47:00.001+08:00

Yes, it's almost a 3-year break since the last blog and it was deliberate. In the course of maintaining the blog, a revamp of the overall looks as well as revisit of old posts had been performed. One of the goals was to organise the old posts better and make them more age-less; what that means is to make minor tweaks in old posts - as far as possible to remove dead links (which can be highly irritating) and even edit some text to remove stuff that could make them irrelevant when reading them today. The whole idea was simply such that the blog could be read in random chronological order and each post is a self-encapsulating story (even if they are news related). It is a time-consuming process and will continue to be a work in progress.

Without digressing much further, the explanation of why the hiatus > is during the process of re-reading of the old posts, it was clear that the thoughts from many of the old posts were still relevant even till this day. Some days just prior to the break, a thought would come to mind, and hey, the realisation that it has been blogged before, though it could have been further added upon on and linked back (like a #throwback). But after careful deliberation, it was felt that better to leave it as it is, like some work of art preserved for posterity. That doesn't mean inspiration had run out - how is that even possible when one has so much experiences in the course of life? The decision was simply not to clutter (remember the goal to be organised?).

With that break also came another side-goal to reduce the exposure to electronic devices and to experience the physical world more. It really makes one wonder in this modern society how people have been so glued to their electronic devices; living so deeply in a cyber world that some appear so distanced from their immediate physical surroundings. Nonetheless, the key to any situation is moderation. Random thoughts will just pop up on this blog after the deliberate break.

With the amount of overflowing information on the web (including lots of garbage), you have the choice to read if it appeals to you; and if it doesn't, no need to get flustered, it's just a click away to leave. We were all made a little different and have experienced our lives differently. It has never been the goal of this blog to spew sensational stuff especially if it may be objectionable. In fact, as far as possible, the basic respect of a fellow being is what is being preached here - yet it will be inevitable that certain thoughts wouldn't sit well with certain people. You have the power to decide that for yourself.

Modern Prose

2018-11-27T20:33:00.001+08:00

Who is to determine what makes good poetry?
Some meaningful lyrics of songs that do not rhyme seem to sound poetic,
especially when it sings to and from the heart.
Yes, maybe in literature we need rules to govern what defines a poem.
But for a layman who has not studied literature,
who is to say that one cannot appreciate the literary art?
The written word was never meant to be exclusive, and majority of this world are the lay people audience.
Words when expressed in its various forms begs to reach out and find appeal to those who could resonate with it.
The writer knows that one's time will come to end but one's work once released could continue to reach out beyond one's time.
If a work was meant to reach out as far as time could carry it,
who is to know if it could stand the test of evolution of human tastes and understanding?
Nonetheless, let it be released!
There's no benefit in damming the floods inspiration in when it's bursting to get out.
Who cares if someone else gets it?
Yet usually somewhere, somehow another soul resonates.
These sentences may not be considered as poetry;
nobody knows if they could even inspire a song;
yet it could sing like a poem to one whom it flows with.

If the love fits

2015-07-13T14:40:00.000+08:00

Many singles fret over love relationship and many of them wonder if perhaps what they are asking for is wrong? It is not uncommon to see how some relationships can turn out to be so disastrous these days and perhaps it is this worrisome trend that is putting them off? Just recently I read that going on dates to meet that special someone is like shopping for shoes. You may find a shoe with an attractive design that catches your eye - or maybe even one that you feel is like a match made in heaven, but lo and behold, the salesperson informs you that it is not available in your size. So what do you do? Do you try on the smaller size and hope that it grows on you - that is like what some people have done being in a relationship that hurts constantly - some are able to endure it (maybe it doesn't hurt that much?) while others call it quits after some time and discard the shoe, no matter how good it looks in the beginning. Or perhaps after being informed by the salesperson, you would just continue to "shop" and hoping that maybe you might stumble upon something better? What if you decided on something less attractive but fits comfortably? Would you still have lingering thoughts about how that shoe that caught your eye would have been perfect if it had your size? Would you say to yourself, okay no choice I will just "settle" for this which is something less? Or would you be happy that it is still something you like and better still it fits perfectly? Or maybe as a last possibility, say hey there's no perfect shoe for you and settle for none?

Maybe that is what Leslie Pearl was trying to say in her song,
If the love fits, wear it baby
And if it feels good, put it on
And if it looks right then just maybe
This love we have is where you belong

Whatever it is, it is your choice, but don't forget that being in a relationship takes two to tango.

Right frequency

2015-07-07T15:34:00.000+08:00

While attending a close friend's wedding dinner, I was seated with one of my friend's colleague who works in an aircraft radio workshop (which does repair and maintenance on aircraft radio and communications components). He was telling us that amongst the entire aircraft maintenance facility, the radio workshop was the most "productive" when it came to love relationships as there were already five married couples from the workshop alone. So inevitably he and his colleagues would gossip (oops, I meant "discuss") over lunch in the canteen to explain this phenomenon. They came to the conclusion that it was due to the nature of the job - as while fixing up aircraft radio components, the staff had to sit at workbenches beside each other all day long, thus giving Cupid (the mythical God of love, often depicted as a baby-like angel with a bow and arrow) the chance to aim his arrow properly and bring the couple together! In other workshops and other job functions, the staff would be so busy running around the facility, rushing to meet unhumanly deadlines that Cupid would find it hard to get a good aim. In some cases, Cupid misses and even hit the wrong targets, ha! So the moral of the story turns out to be if you want to find love, don't always be rushing around as in the worst case, Cupid might miss and you might end up loving the wrong person! All of us at the dinner table felt enlightened after the story as it all seemed to make sense... in any case, it does have some logic to it.

Hammie

2015-06-13T17:16:00.001+08:00

There is this special bond between humans and animals (yes, some people regard humans as animals as well); this can be seen especially when one keeps pets. My parents are opposed to having pets in the house but life is full of twists and one pet made its way to my home - this is the story of that special pet:

I used to help look after hamsters in the bunk during my National Service together with another of my bunk mate. We were the ones who bought all the stuff and gave them the care. After National Service, that bunk mate continued to look after a couple of hamsters in his university hostel room while I had that no-pet-rule in my home. However, when it came to graduation, my bunk mate had to vacate his hostel room and bring his hamsters back to his home. At that time, he had 3 hamsters, of which one was perpetually being bullied by the other 2 and thus he had to frequently separate that poor hamster into a separate small container while the other 2 enjoyed a huge cage he had bought. Knowing that hamsters recognise each other by smell, he tried all means including bathing all of them and returning them back into the cage - but it didn't work. Now that he had to bring them home, he realised he had only enough space in his room for that one big cage for the 2 and no place for that ostracised hamster. So he asked around who could adopt but there were no takers. I had helped him move his stuff from his hostel room back to his home in batches and being quite desperate he asked if I could look after the poor hamster for a week while he looked for someone to adopt. Despite the taboo at home, I somehow agreed and carried the small container with that little innocent looking hamster back to my home.

It was no surprise for me when my mother exclaimed at the sight of the hamster but I explained to my mother that it was only for a week and already I too was asking around for someone to adopt the hamster. Being rather unimaginative, I just called that little pearl white hamster Hammie. I couldn't stand seeing him in such a tiny container and took a large unused cardboard box converted it into his temporary home, put his food in a little dish in a corner, hung his water bottle at one end. Hammie was a very gentle and shy hamster who was rather curious. When I carried him into his new temporary home, he did not struggle nor attempt to bite me. He was so happy to explore his spacious abode. Whenever my parents peered into the box, he would stand on his hind legs and peer back with his cute beady eyes - my parents immediately fell in love with him. Before I knew it when I was not around, my parents bought food and stuff for him and when I told them it was only temporary, they simply replied that the stuff could be handed over to the new owner. Anyone who knows hamsters would know they bite but Hammie was very friendly and would let my parents pat and stroke him - maybe his meek nature was the reason why he was bullied in the first place.

One week passed without any luck and I wondered how I would break the news to my parents. Surprisingly, there wasn't any resistance at all when I told them I needed another week. The only condition was to get a proper cage for him which I gladly did over the weekend and shopped for a nice big cage (bigger than his other 2 friends) with a cool wheel and even a mezzanine sleeping level. Gosh I even bought nice sleeping hay to line the cage. My parents bought him some treats and a new water bottle. In the day, he would play in the box in the living room and at night, I would carry him into his new cage which I brought to my room. Despite sometimes being quite poofed after work, I would religiously clean his home, top up his food and water - sometimes my dad would help. Hammie was quite clean and hardly made a mess. He was fussy too with food and soon I knew what he loved to eat including his favourite plump sunflower seeds which sometimes he ate out of my fingers. Hammie was like a perfect child and despite the additional work to do, he brought immense joy to my family. After that week, we decided not to look for new owners and from a somewhat originally orphaned status, Hammie now emerged to be the prince of my household and as time went by, he was showered with more stuff and gifts from my family.

When Hammie passed away a little more than 3 years later, my mother was so upset and the no-pet-rule was restored again as she could not bear another heartache. Having a pet is like looking after a child, and it takes commitment - so I do agree how organisations like SPCA are trying to reach out to would-be owners to mindful of the obligations before irresponsibly abandoning their pets. The only consolation my parents and I had was at least we gave Hammie all we could while he was in this world, and he passed away peacefully from old age.

Of Form and Substance

2015-06-08T20:38:00.000+08:00

When I was serving my National Service, our Officer-in-Command (OC) shared with us about "form" and "substance". Form referred to one's outward appearance to others or simply how others perceive oneself. It includes one's dressing (e.g. if one dresses sloppily or too casual, then others will not treat one seriously) as well as one's behaviour (e.g. if one sulks most of the time, then others will perceive one as a negative person). Substance, on the other hand, refers to one's innate ability including one's skill and knowledge. The way our society seems to generally work or actually how most companies seem to operate is people with high form usually get promoted and rise up the ranks fast. These people usually do not have much substance but due to how the bosses perhaps perceive them. It could possibly be because they are more vocal and visible to management that there is some form of recognition as compared to perhaps a hard but silent worker who toils away in the background without being noticed by the higher-ups. Such is the reality of life that perhaps someone reading this would immediately jump onto the bandwagon of developing form rather than useless substance. And there are so many avenues for that - most of the so-called self-help gurus out there can't wait to get you on their "life-changing" programmes that tell you how to be more confident, how to network and the list goes on. The media promotes such people too and make celebrities of people who are on the fast-track - headlines like the youngest CEO, etc have become so attractive. But wait - is substance really that useless and form is really what gets you through life? The truth is hardly anyone tells you that if one only has form or rise up the ranks mainly through form alone, then the cliche "the higher you climb, the harder you fall" applies. Without the necessary substance to back one up, a person with high form but little or no substance will have to rely on people with the substance - but people with the substance can one day bite back.

If the above is true, then it may be quite a dilemma. Having more than a decade of working experience, whenever young people ask me for career advice, I would share with them this: In life, we need to have a balance of both form and substance. For certain careers like marketing and sales, then perhaps more form is required. However for technical trades, then perhaps more substance is required. The tendency for those pursuing technical trades is that they may become too engrossed in developing substance that sometimes they may neglect the communication with others and for some, even neglecting their outward appearance (by dressing too unprofessional) and even behaviour. Some behave very reclusive but truly it is not beneficial to be too extreme as it will not hurt to every now and then, come out their shells (or cave for that matter) and mingle with colleagues and bosses. Of course some people may outright proclaim it is not in their character to be a social butterfly but the idea is not to be too extreme in this aspect either - don't do something that is totally out of one's character, everyone has an innate ability to make friends, it doesn't have to be fancy, start with a simple "how are you doing?" - a lot of people forget there is a lot of learning too by interacting with others. When one is fresh in their careers, in fact, one should focus more on developing substance especially for those in the technical field - I'll explain more in a bit. Young people these days who under the influence of the media or their peers (or even their educators) have a tendency to want to pursue the fast-track in life. However this kind of thinking is detrimental to the long term career growth. Imagine someone who has probably fast-track into, let's say, a senior engineer position but for example, when a junior engineer asks a lower-level question but because this person has not managed to gain the relevant experience to answer; being in a senior position would be too embarassed to admit not to know the answer but then again too embarassed to ask even someone else to try to learn. I've seen it happen all too often - people who rise fast but didn't have the necessary time to gain the necessary knowledge and exposure (or simply known as experience), have become stuck as there is practically no way for them to go back in time to pick up such skills or knowledge due to their current level and people's expectations of them. A lot of junior people forget that there is an advantage of being junior - one can afford to make mistakes and be forgiven. As such it is pointless to pursue higher level sounding job titles in a hurry and thereby should focus on developing the necessary skills and experience so that when actually in the higher position, one would have already been well-prepared to handle the obligations. While I can't dictate what are their ultimate choices in life, I guess it should be some useful food for thought for the young people - hopefully they can make better informed decisions for their careers.

The Story of Motorcycles and Cars

2015-06-06T10:25:00.000+08:00

This is the story of motorcycles and how I got my driving license:

When I was studying in the university, I decided I should learn how to ride a motorcycle as I found a good deal for a cheap secondhand scooter. What strongly inspired me to do that was if I rode to university from home, the journey would probably take me a little more than 15 minutes given the proximity of my home - however, if I took the public transport, it would take me at least an hour - sometimes it even takes me an hour and a half due to the crowd going into the school during peak periods! Yes, I know some will wonder how that is possible given that Singapore claims to have a world-class transport system but I guess most Singaporeans already know how true that claim is - nonetheless this topic will not be discussed here. So I got about enquiring and even picked up a registration form and brochure from the driving school. By some strange fate the very next day, my mum found the form and brochure on my desk (despite being stashed under some books) and gave me hell. She would scream at me every day from then on for me to give up the notion of getting a motorcycle license, and I would just silently oblige with the hidden intention to learn without her knowledge after the screaming phase had blown over. She somehow knew my intention and after 2 weeks, she directed her screaming to my dad, urging him to sponsor me to learn driving instead. I lamented that it was pointless for me to learn driving as there was no way I could afford a car (even a secondhand one). However, both my dad and I could sense how determined she was and eventually both of us relented - that I was how I ended up learning to drive instead.

Since I was sponsored by my dad, I decided to get a good instructor from the driving school but unfortunately I didn't pass on my first attempt despite not getting any demerit points from driving in the circuit. During my first driving test, I was on a filter lane waiting to drive off and it was all because some scooter decided to beat the red traffic light at that junction that the tester stepped on the brake of the car and in an instant, the test was deemed an immediate failure. It was already a red traffic light and the junction was clear, so I was about the drive off after waiting near the mouth of the filter lane but some law-breaking scooter decided to beat the red traffic light, making a high speed wide right turn at the junction towards the mouth of the filter lane where I had already been forced to stop as the tester had his foot on the brake. There was at least a good half a minute before the scooter would pass the bonnet of my car and the deep rage within me almost tempted me to press the car horn real hard when the scooter passed me by - that should really jolt that irresponsible dangerous bugger and probably even cause him to crash horribly! Like a predator I waited... heck what did it matter after all the fate of the test was sealed... yet I really had to suppress my burning rage and let that law-breaker passed me by without event before grudgingly driving back to the centre and accepting the results unwillingly. I felt miserable after spending my father's money and failing in such a manner. So after picking myself up (I prayed that for his own sake that scooter rider better not ride so dangerously in future or one day his dangerous riding will catch up with him), I informed my dad that I would pay for the additional driving lessons as well as for my second driving test attempt. The second test went by pretty uneventful and I passed the entire test with only a mere 3 demerit points for failing to check one of the blind spots.

So I continued to take the less-than-efficient public transport for my entire university life. It wasn't till after some years of working before I could eventually afford a car. It was only after I had really started driving before I realised how right my mum was - about how dangerous it was to ride a motorcycle. All my friends who rode motorcycles (yes, every single one) at some point in time, have gotten into an accident before (but of varying severity). When I was in junior college, one of my classmates almost lost his life after slamming face-first into a lorry. His whole body and face were so badly injured, he couldn't take his A-levels examinations that year and had to take it the subsequent year. Recently a colleague of mine didn't know what had happened as the next thing he could remember, he had already woken up in a hospital - apparently according to the traffic police report, some witnesses said his motorcycle had skidded, rendering him unconscious and someone called the ambulance. He was probably lucky that he is still alive though suffering from multiple minor injuries. When I drive, I can see how easy it is for a motorcycle to get into an accident, especially with all dangerous weaving in and out and between vehicles. Recently a lot of bad driving behaviour on the roads is not helping the situation at all. There is very limited protection when riding and risk of having severe injuries is high. Now looking back I guess my mum had the best of intentions and a valid concern.

Addiction & Science Fiction

2015-06-03T21:57:00.001+08:00

A zoologist friend was on the train with me some time ago and was explaining the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin. The theory and its numerous variations by other scientists, which is still being debated upon till today, suggests that humans evolved through natural selection - or commonly known as survival of the fittest. Back then, good hunting skills was essential for survival but now as both of us were staring at the other commuters on the train, it would probably be good online skills? The most apt chinese term to describe that scene was "低头族" (which directly translates to "lowered head generation") as almost everyone was peering down, busy on their mobile devices (some on their mobile phones, while others on their tablet devices), seemingly quite detached from their immediate surroundings, engaged in some online world. Just like the way aliens have been depicted in many science fiction novels and movies, my friend postulated that the future generation of humans will evolve such that the head will be bigger than the body (due to more use of the brain and less use of the physical body). Thus perhaps all those alien sightings could be a glimpse into the future or the future human visiting the present which has already past via some time machine? With the way so many of us, especially the future generation, are so addicted to their mobile devices and the online world, who can really tell? Both my friend and I had a good chuckle while having that conversation, as the other commuters on board seemed unaware of us.

quod scripsi, scripsi

2015-06-01T16:12:00.001+08:00

The title is the famous latin quote (meaning what I have written, I have written) from the Bible (John 19:22) of Pontius Pilate when the chief priests protested when he wrote "iesus nazarenus rex iudaeorum" (which meant Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews) before Jesus was brought out to be crucified. I was going through some of the past blog entries since the beginning - at a time when the idea of blogging was new and slowly as time passed, new platforms of social media were introduced. Up to the point when I had taken a deliberate break from blogging, I have been contemplating the fate of this blog. Some years before 2011, I had experimented embedding Youtube videos but in case, you were wondering, I have begun removing the videos from past entries as some led to dead links and simply because I decided that for the blog to continue its existence, it shall return to its roots of just being pure words. Just prior to the break, I had experimented with Twitter but it definitely didn't suit my style as it's really just random anecdotes that do not qualify themselves well enough i.e. giving a somewhat incomplete picture.

So why the sudden revival of the blog? What has happened since then? It makes more chronological sense to answer the second question first: I took a break off blogging as I was pursuing a Masters degree. Though I had graduated long ago, it seemed more appropriate to observe the evolution of social media especially in Singapore - many companies began engaging customers on social media platforms, many customers similarly responded on this same media, some people formed organisations on these platforms too (there are those that are full time Youtube content providers and bloggers too!). So much had evolved and indeed the Internet has become an essential part of modern day people. There are friends who tell me sometimes all they hope to look for are a few nice articles about life that they can relate to instead of all the popularised virtual insanity out there. Recently a close friend even shared with me about how the power of story-telling is making its way to be a must-have course for executive leadership. It's no surprise how the art of story-telling is powerful tool of communicating ideas or concepts and has been the way Jesus and even Buddha shared the knowledge of the world via such methodology. As I age through life, many younger people have approached me for advice and whenever I shared my own life experience, they could better relate and understand. Maybe if I shared them on this blog, someone else could relate to them too? Okay, in case if you haven't noticed I have answered the first question as well. Thank you for reading!

Meaning of Life

2012-12-12T22:29:00.000+08:00

One of the old wive's tales you get to hear from old folks especially when you volunteer at an old folks' home like I do is that to know the age that you will die naturally by observing how old before your grandparents expired (of natural causes). For example, my grandfather passed away (peacefully) shortly after crossing age 70 and thus by now, I have crossed my mid-way mark in my journey of life (so I guess that means I'm going through a mid-life crisis?!). Some of my friends have grandparents that live beyond 90 and thus would have to plan for a longer journey, ha! Yet the truth is life is more fragile than we know it. Just today, my colleague was sharing about how her cousin who was in her mid-30s was diagnosed with lung cancer, passed away suddenly leaving behind 3 kids to her distraught husband, although she didn't smoke nor had any history of poor health (or at least not to the knowledge of my colleague). To put in a morbid blunt manner, there are so many ways to die or one could end up dead, be it via some freak accident or illness or God knows what. Where there is life, there will be death. While many of us can acknowledge this fact, how many of us actually realise the brevity of it all?

Being rather inquisitive since young, I have long pondered about the meaning of life - but that doesn't mean I have a definite answer; just like you who are reading now, we're probably still figuring it out as we journey in this mortal life. Yet here I am sharing what I know - any believer in God or a higher being will typically accept that life is a gift. I often wonder as many people get caught up to be "successful" in life, what does "being successful in life" mean? So does that mean you can possibly be a "failure" in life? Even more curious is who is the judge of it all if that is the case? If we acknowledge the first paragraph of this blog entry, then life in itself is uncertain, so despite all that we can plan, perhaps there could some divine will or destiny already laid out for us? Not to be fatalistic but these are all questions that probably crossed our mind at some point in time as we ponder the meaning of our mortal existence. So do we go on pondering deeper and deeper like what some of the ancient Greek philosophers did - will we eventualy get a definite answer? Probably at some point, we might just accept that life is indeed a gift and it is what we make of it - probably more meaningful to focus on making the best of it (whilst it lasts!); just like a common saying goes, "life is not a destination but a journey". As I make my own journey in life, I have discovered that perhaps everyone's meaning in life could be different; I feel I have been giving meaning to my own existence in my own way through the things I do (and choose not to do) - maybe that principle also applies to everyone else? Who knows?

Stressful Singapore?

2011-11-06T07:53:00.001+08:00

Has Singapore really become such a stressful place to live in?

The following are the news reports:
Nov 5: Body of a Chinese man was found in Bedok Reservoir on Saturday morning. This is the 6th body to be found in Bedok Reservoir since June this year.
Nov 2: A 26-year-old Vietnamese woman (Truong Thi Ngoh Anh) was found dead at the foot of a block in Woodlands early Wednesday morning, nearly 6 months after a corpse was discovered in a water tank of the same block. She is believed to have fallen to her death from the 6th story of block 686B Woodlands Street 73.
Oct 25: Body of a Chinese woman in her late 50s dressed in a red was found floating in Bedok Reservoir on Tuesday morning.
Oct 10: Body of a 33-year-old Indian construction worker was found in Bedok Reservoir on Monday morning.
Sep 22: The bodies of a 32-year-old young woman and her 3-year-old son (Tan Sze Sze and her son Jerald Chin Le Hui) were found by the shoreline of Bedok Reservoir on Thursday morning. Both were dressed in red.
Jun 20: The decomposed lower body of a 23-year-old Chinese national (Lin Xiao) was found in Bedok Reservoir.

If you're stressed, have desserts! As desserts are spelt the reverse of 'stressed’.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

2011-11-03T23:22:00.003+08:00

Don't you feel as if every now and then, life seems to get you down; and sometimes you feel as if you have hit rock bottom that you fear you'll never get out of it? Well at times like this, since it can't possibly get any worse, there's nothing to lose when you look on the bright side of life.

From the film Monty Python's Life of Brian, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Some things in life are bad, they can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle and this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life ~whistle~
Always look on the light side of life ~whistle~

If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

For life is quite absurd and death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show, keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

(See also: Donkey)