Post 124 Audience clapping
Audience clapping is a sign of appreciation and encouragement for speakers, musicians, dancers, stage performers, sportsmen, athletes, or field games players. However I wish to comment on audience clapping at concerts given by musicians like pianists, violinists, and also by orchestras.
When a pianist is playing a concerto and in between movements, some audience may think it has ended and starts to clap as if they are attending a pop concert. This is lacking in etiquette and perhaps just ignorance on the part of first time goers to such concert. Their clapping at the wrong time reflects their shallow knowledge in music appreciation. Obviously that would have spoilt the enjoyment of educated audience who know not to clap during a pause between movements.
Music appreciation on classical pieces involves the understanding of the composers, their background and style of plays. Classical symphonies of Mozart, Beethoven and other great composers generally have four movements. The clapping of hands in between movements is therefore uncalled for.
Music is appreciated for the joy it brings to us.
27 December 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Needs and wants
Post 123 “Let your needs not be in want, and your wants not be in need”
My first lesson on needs and wants in basic economics has given me a lasting impression. Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation are our needs while goods and services are wants that we wish for but can do without. One may settle for ordinary clothes instead of the designed and the branded ones; for simple food instead of sumptuous meals; for a roof over one’s head without asking for a mansion; and for a reliable transportation rather than cars that cost more than an ordinary house.
One’s appetite for needs and wants decides one’s happiness index, especially when one tries to keep up with the Joneses. When one uses one’s richer neighbour as a benchmark for social status or the accumulation of material wealth, one is deemed to have manifested one’s inferiority complex. A Chinese saying has it that when one compares oneself with another person, one will die of anger. It is better for one to live a life based on one’s resources in accordance with the proverb of cutting one’s coat to suit one’s cloth.
There are other things that one can happily pursue in life: reading, writing, listening to music, sports, and other lifelong learning activities. They are ‘needs’ necessary to make one’s life fulfilling, and ‘wants’ that are easily available.
“Let your needs not be in want, and your wants not be in need” – Ho Nee Yong
20 December 2011
My first lesson on needs and wants in basic economics has given me a lasting impression. Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation are our needs while goods and services are wants that we wish for but can do without. One may settle for ordinary clothes instead of the designed and the branded ones; for simple food instead of sumptuous meals; for a roof over one’s head without asking for a mansion; and for a reliable transportation rather than cars that cost more than an ordinary house.
One’s appetite for needs and wants decides one’s happiness index, especially when one tries to keep up with the Joneses. When one uses one’s richer neighbour as a benchmark for social status or the accumulation of material wealth, one is deemed to have manifested one’s inferiority complex. A Chinese saying has it that when one compares oneself with another person, one will die of anger. It is better for one to live a life based on one’s resources in accordance with the proverb of cutting one’s coat to suit one’s cloth.
There are other things that one can happily pursue in life: reading, writing, listening to music, sports, and other lifelong learning activities. They are ‘needs’ necessary to make one’s life fulfilling, and ‘wants’ that are easily available.
“Let your needs not be in want, and your wants not be in need” – Ho Nee Yong
20 December 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Hunger is the best sauce!
Post 122 Hunger breeds discontent
I asked my Malaysian friend who has been staying overseas for 40 years to comment on Western and Oriental food. He says that both types of food have their own merits and he likes both. To him he loves Western food, like meat pies, steak, Cornish pasties, ham, sausages, fish & chips, steaks, mushrooms, bake beans, bacon and omelette which are all relatively cheap in Germany. However he says that Oriental food has more variety and he misses Satay, Curry, and Rendang very much. He also loves buffet lunch and dinner in Malaysia where he can have all the varieties of food at one sitting.
It is noted that charges for buffet meals have gone up significantly due to global food shortage. While in Buenos Aires In the early 1990s, my friend took me to a Chinese restaurant for a buffet dinner. The restaurant owner was from Shanghai China. We only paid USD7.00 per person to eat all that we could from more than a hundred dishes served. However there was an extra charge for bottled water. As some cuisines were a bit salty, diners could not help but had to fork out another USD2.00 or 3.00 to pay for the water. The owner was shrewd by not charging higher to include free drinks. He played on the psychology of customers who were attracted by low charges.
The rich and the famous may compare notes on their experiences on expensive food and drink; while the abject poor worry about their next meal. However when one is hungry, every food will be fine. Hunger is the best sauce!
As hunger breeds discontent, leaders know that hungry people do not listen to their political reasoning.
13 December 2011
I asked my Malaysian friend who has been staying overseas for 40 years to comment on Western and Oriental food. He says that both types of food have their own merits and he likes both. To him he loves Western food, like meat pies, steak, Cornish pasties, ham, sausages, fish & chips, steaks, mushrooms, bake beans, bacon and omelette which are all relatively cheap in Germany. However he says that Oriental food has more variety and he misses Satay, Curry, and Rendang very much. He also loves buffet lunch and dinner in Malaysia where he can have all the varieties of food at one sitting.
It is noted that charges for buffet meals have gone up significantly due to global food shortage. While in Buenos Aires In the early 1990s, my friend took me to a Chinese restaurant for a buffet dinner. The restaurant owner was from Shanghai China. We only paid USD7.00 per person to eat all that we could from more than a hundred dishes served. However there was an extra charge for bottled water. As some cuisines were a bit salty, diners could not help but had to fork out another USD2.00 or 3.00 to pay for the water. The owner was shrewd by not charging higher to include free drinks. He played on the psychology of customers who were attracted by low charges.
The rich and the famous may compare notes on their experiences on expensive food and drink; while the abject poor worry about their next meal. However when one is hungry, every food will be fine. Hunger is the best sauce!
As hunger breeds discontent, leaders know that hungry people do not listen to their political reasoning.
13 December 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Music prodigies
Post 121 Talents to be admired
In September 2010, I received an email from a friend in Germany who told me about a recording he made at home from VTV4,Vietnam. In Germany he is able to watch TV programmes from any country he wants. In the email were photographs of young participants taken from the DVD he had made out of the recording. My friend, who is very knowledgeable and appreciative of classical music, hits, folk songs and oldies, said that many would not have expected this to have happened in a Third world country.
It was a very impressive piano contest organised by Dang Thai Son, the Vietnamese famous pianist who won the Chopin International Piano Contest in 1980. The contest was for whiz kids or prodigies from Asia like China, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Indonesia. It was won by the Japanese Kuroki Yukini, 6 years old, playing Chopin Variations on a German Air in E Major.
I have always admired the musical talents of violinists, pianists and the like. How
could they remember the musical scores so well and play so expressively with agility. Indeed virtuosos who are music smart are extremely sensitive to pitch, rhythm, tone or melody of various forms. The young pianists gathered in Vietnam were real prodigies.
Anything that is beautiful, in any form, will be appreciated. Einstein, the scientist, played the violin with such passion that one of his female audience gushed that, ‘he had the kind of male beauty that could cause havoc.”
6 December 2011
In September 2010, I received an email from a friend in Germany who told me about a recording he made at home from VTV4,Vietnam. In Germany he is able to watch TV programmes from any country he wants. In the email were photographs of young participants taken from the DVD he had made out of the recording. My friend, who is very knowledgeable and appreciative of classical music, hits, folk songs and oldies, said that many would not have expected this to have happened in a Third world country.
It was a very impressive piano contest organised by Dang Thai Son, the Vietnamese famous pianist who won the Chopin International Piano Contest in 1980. The contest was for whiz kids or prodigies from Asia like China, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Indonesia. It was won by the Japanese Kuroki Yukini, 6 years old, playing Chopin Variations on a German Air in E Major.
I have always admired the musical talents of violinists, pianists and the like. How
could they remember the musical scores so well and play so expressively with agility. Indeed virtuosos who are music smart are extremely sensitive to pitch, rhythm, tone or melody of various forms. The young pianists gathered in Vietnam were real prodigies.
Anything that is beautiful, in any form, will be appreciated. Einstein, the scientist, played the violin with such passion that one of his female audience gushed that, ‘he had the kind of male beauty that could cause havoc.”
6 December 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
“More is thy due than more than all can pay “
Post 120 Eternally grateful
"More is thy due than more than all can pay" is taken from Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide or the killing of King Duncan, and its aftermath. This is a favourite metaphor of a close relative of mine who studied this during his literature class in a secondary school in the early 1960s. Each time he said to his young listeners, they would automatically ask him to repeat and explain the metaphor. He would then tell them that he owed them too much and that not all combined could pay for it. A person is eternally grateful to the one who has helped him when "more is thy due than more than all can pay".
In a materialistic world, people tend to be more individualistic and less grateful to those who have rendered them help. Some may even go to the extent of returning good for evil. In a society where there is moral disorder, a person who remembers and knows how to repay his benefactors is to be commended. As for children what is of paramount importance is that they should not forsake their parents who are old and weak. What goes around comes around. Children will naturally be old parents one day. How they treat their parents will be how their own children will treat them.
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
29 November 2011
"More is thy due than more than all can pay" is taken from Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide or the killing of King Duncan, and its aftermath. This is a favourite metaphor of a close relative of mine who studied this during his literature class in a secondary school in the early 1960s. Each time he said to his young listeners, they would automatically ask him to repeat and explain the metaphor. He would then tell them that he owed them too much and that not all combined could pay for it. A person is eternally grateful to the one who has helped him when "more is thy due than more than all can pay".
In a materialistic world, people tend to be more individualistic and less grateful to those who have rendered them help. Some may even go to the extent of returning good for evil. In a society where there is moral disorder, a person who remembers and knows how to repay his benefactors is to be commended. As for children what is of paramount importance is that they should not forsake their parents who are old and weak. What goes around comes around. Children will naturally be old parents one day. How they treat their parents will be how their own children will treat them.
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
29 November 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
It is time to take it slow
Post 119 Senior Citizens
My 70- year-old friend told me that he was in a great deal of pain again when he hurt his muscle in his back a few days ago. As compared to the previous injury, it was really bad this time. He had just put some fruits in the refrigerator, closed the door and turned to walk away when a crippling pain shot right across his lower back. Every step he took after that was agony. He jokingly said that the incident was the joy of old age, never a moment without some ailments tailing. Throughout the night he had to keep a hot water bottle on the affected area to ease the stabbing pain. This is all too familiar to senior citizens who are prone to injury.
As a senior citizen myself, I have learnt to take things at a slower pace. I have scaled down the number of things to be done each day so that I need not have to rush to finish the work. There is no point rushing for time and risk falling. Senior citizens must avoid slip and fall injuries at all cost. I have seen a few seniors who fell and fractured their brittle bones and had to be sidelined for active life.
Let the young ones do the running!
22 November 2011
My 70- year-old friend told me that he was in a great deal of pain again when he hurt his muscle in his back a few days ago. As compared to the previous injury, it was really bad this time. He had just put some fruits in the refrigerator, closed the door and turned to walk away when a crippling pain shot right across his lower back. Every step he took after that was agony. He jokingly said that the incident was the joy of old age, never a moment without some ailments tailing. Throughout the night he had to keep a hot water bottle on the affected area to ease the stabbing pain. This is all too familiar to senior citizens who are prone to injury.
As a senior citizen myself, I have learnt to take things at a slower pace. I have scaled down the number of things to be done each day so that I need not have to rush to finish the work. There is no point rushing for time and risk falling. Senior citizens must avoid slip and fall injuries at all cost. I have seen a few seniors who fell and fractured their brittle bones and had to be sidelined for active life.
Let the young ones do the running!
22 November 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Two great pioneer climbers
Post 118 One can be what one wants to be
In 1962 which is almost fifty years ago, I sat for a national examination. In the English language paper was a passage on two pioneer climbers, of which candidates were required to do a summary of it. I liked what I was reading and was impressed by these extraordinary nature lovers: Sir Edmund Hillary, a mountain climber from New Zealand and his Nepalese Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
They were the first humans to reach the highest point on Earth: the summit of Mount Everest in the Himalayas on 29 May 1953. Indeed they are classic examples of people with intra-personal intelligence. They knew what they wanted in life and strived to achieve their goals regardless of obstacles.
I was to be pleasantly surprised many years later to read of another feat by the sons of the great climbers. The son of Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter, also successfully scaled the summit for the first time in 1990. In April 2003, Peter and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, the son of Tenzing, climbed Everest as part of a 50th anniversary celebration. Undoubtedly both of them, together with their fathers, belong to the same category of people who are self-smart.
I took part in the Annual Penang Hill Climb Competition of my former school, Chung Ling High School in 1959 when I was in Form One. The school doctor examined me after I had completed a 400-metre run together with potential participants, and said I could give it a try. I reached the top of the hill just before the prize giving ceremony was to be held.
15 November 2011
In 1962 which is almost fifty years ago, I sat for a national examination. In the English language paper was a passage on two pioneer climbers, of which candidates were required to do a summary of it. I liked what I was reading and was impressed by these extraordinary nature lovers: Sir Edmund Hillary, a mountain climber from New Zealand and his Nepalese Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
They were the first humans to reach the highest point on Earth: the summit of Mount Everest in the Himalayas on 29 May 1953. Indeed they are classic examples of people with intra-personal intelligence. They knew what they wanted in life and strived to achieve their goals regardless of obstacles.
I was to be pleasantly surprised many years later to read of another feat by the sons of the great climbers. The son of Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter, also successfully scaled the summit for the first time in 1990. In April 2003, Peter and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, the son of Tenzing, climbed Everest as part of a 50th anniversary celebration. Undoubtedly both of them, together with their fathers, belong to the same category of people who are self-smart.
I took part in the Annual Penang Hill Climb Competition of my former school, Chung Ling High School in 1959 when I was in Form One. The school doctor examined me after I had completed a 400-metre run together with potential participants, and said I could give it a try. I reached the top of the hill just before the prize giving ceremony was to be held.
15 November 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Schooling can be fun
Post 117 Be active in co-curricular activities
When I was in primary school in the 1950s, I was carefree and enjoyed my schooling.There was not much homework because I finished it during school hours.Tuition was alien to me and my classmates.
When I happened to meet up with my friend at a house party recently, I casually asked his grandson, a primary three pupil, whether he liked to go to school. He told me school would be fun if there was no homework. If given a chance, he would have preferred to stay at home and play. As a retired educationist, I believe that pupils should be active in school co-curricular activities to make schooling more interesting. They will turn out to be of better character than 'bookworms'.
What is more important is that the relationship between teachers and pupils and among classmates will also be enhanced through co-curricular activities. The traditional practice of teachers cancelling outdoor activities to give way to revision for tests and examinations on learning subjects ought to be discouraged.
8 November 2011
When I was in primary school in the 1950s, I was carefree and enjoyed my schooling.There was not much homework because I finished it during school hours.Tuition was alien to me and my classmates.
When I happened to meet up with my friend at a house party recently, I casually asked his grandson, a primary three pupil, whether he liked to go to school. He told me school would be fun if there was no homework. If given a chance, he would have preferred to stay at home and play. As a retired educationist, I believe that pupils should be active in school co-curricular activities to make schooling more interesting. They will turn out to be of better character than 'bookworms'.
What is more important is that the relationship between teachers and pupils and among classmates will also be enhanced through co-curricular activities. The traditional practice of teachers cancelling outdoor activities to give way to revision for tests and examinations on learning subjects ought to be discouraged.
8 November 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The study of the Thick and the Black
Post 116 The crooked pot mender
I took out one of my favourite books to read the other day and found one paragraph which I thought should be shared here. The book is titled ‘The study of the Thick and the Black’. Li Zongwu (李宗吾1880 -1943) wrote this very popular cynical book in 1912 depicting the historical Chinese heroes as having thick skin and black heart to be successful.
However, there are people who may not subscribe to Li’s statement and consider the reading of this book as an anti-climax to achieving a harmonious society. Nevertheless there are also others who feel that the book actually mirrors the basic instinct of human beings who veneer their ‘thick face and black heart’ with a thin layer of integrity. Lin Yutang (1895 -1976), a Harvard scholar and an authority on China and Chinese culture, commented that scholars who had read Chinese and foreign books widely but had yet to read this book, were to regard this lost opportunity as really a matter for regret.
When the rice pot was leaking, a person was called to mend it. After scrapping the bottom of the pot with an iron scrapper, the man told the owner of the rice pot to go and get fire because he wanted to smoke. As the owner turned his back, the mender used a hammer to knock at the pot lightly to lengthen the existing crack. He then told the returning owner while pointing at the crack, “Your cooking pot has a long crack and it was covered with a layer of oil. The hidden crack could only be seen when the pot is scrapped and more nails are needed for the repair work.” The owner had a closer look at the crack and said surprisingly, “You are right! You are right! If I have not called you today, this pot could have become useless.” When the pot was mended, both the owner and the mender were happy to part each other.
When you send you car for repairs, make sure you go to the mechanics you trust.
1 November 2011
I took out one of my favourite books to read the other day and found one paragraph which I thought should be shared here. The book is titled ‘The study of the Thick and the Black’. Li Zongwu (李宗吾1880 -1943) wrote this very popular cynical book in 1912 depicting the historical Chinese heroes as having thick skin and black heart to be successful.
However, there are people who may not subscribe to Li’s statement and consider the reading of this book as an anti-climax to achieving a harmonious society. Nevertheless there are also others who feel that the book actually mirrors the basic instinct of human beings who veneer their ‘thick face and black heart’ with a thin layer of integrity. Lin Yutang (1895 -1976), a Harvard scholar and an authority on China and Chinese culture, commented that scholars who had read Chinese and foreign books widely but had yet to read this book, were to regard this lost opportunity as really a matter for regret.
When the rice pot was leaking, a person was called to mend it. After scrapping the bottom of the pot with an iron scrapper, the man told the owner of the rice pot to go and get fire because he wanted to smoke. As the owner turned his back, the mender used a hammer to knock at the pot lightly to lengthen the existing crack. He then told the returning owner while pointing at the crack, “Your cooking pot has a long crack and it was covered with a layer of oil. The hidden crack could only be seen when the pot is scrapped and more nails are needed for the repair work.” The owner had a closer look at the crack and said surprisingly, “You are right! You are right! If I have not called you today, this pot could have become useless.” When the pot was mended, both the owner and the mender were happy to part each other.
When you send you car for repairs, make sure you go to the mechanics you trust.
1 November 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Talented people
Post 115 Talents make a country great
Many educational reports have singled out Finland and South Korea as exemplary countries which have invested with impact in education. The high quality manufactured products of mobile phones, cars and digital devices of these two nations reflect the high attainment levels of their education systems. Singapore as an island state has also produced top class universities, together with Hong Kong where top notch universities are also found.
Talents are what make a country great. It is therefore very unwise for any country to want to allow brain-drain to take place. In doing so, the development of the country will be hampered. Wealth can be distributed in any way, but not talents. Wealth can be passed on from one pocket to another, but not talents. Talents are nurtured through education, training and perseverance. It takes time and effort for talents to be fully developed and recognized.
A talented person is head-hunted for his ingenuity. He is thus offered high position, attractive remunerations, and a working environment that allows him to exploit his potentials. For a country to remain competitive, it needs talented people to create innovative plans to bring the country forward.
If we never have had, we never miss. Mediocrity never have had, it never misses the geniuses in a talented person. Hence, “Over and over again mediocrity is promoted because real worth isn't to be found.” (Kathleen Norris Quotes)
25 October 2011
Many educational reports have singled out Finland and South Korea as exemplary countries which have invested with impact in education. The high quality manufactured products of mobile phones, cars and digital devices of these two nations reflect the high attainment levels of their education systems. Singapore as an island state has also produced top class universities, together with Hong Kong where top notch universities are also found.
Talents are what make a country great. It is therefore very unwise for any country to want to allow brain-drain to take place. In doing so, the development of the country will be hampered. Wealth can be distributed in any way, but not talents. Wealth can be passed on from one pocket to another, but not talents. Talents are nurtured through education, training and perseverance. It takes time and effort for talents to be fully developed and recognized.
A talented person is head-hunted for his ingenuity. He is thus offered high position, attractive remunerations, and a working environment that allows him to exploit his potentials. For a country to remain competitive, it needs talented people to create innovative plans to bring the country forward.
If we never have had, we never miss. Mediocrity never have had, it never misses the geniuses in a talented person. Hence, “Over and over again mediocrity is promoted because real worth isn't to be found.” (Kathleen Norris Quotes)
25 October 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Child beggars
Post 114 The vast divide between the rich and the poor
With the rising cost of living, many people are experiencing a lower quality of life. Their purchasing power goes down and there is no propensity for them to save at all. Many people suddenly find themselves out of work and live in poverty. Some will be so depressed that they turn to alcohol and are in a stupor all day without money, job or future. The trend now is for the less privileged to show their discontent towards the mega rich whose wealth is more than envy to them.
There have been reports in newspapers and TV programmes about child beggars who are out on the streets begging for long hours to help bring in extra cash for their families. Some are poverty driven and some are child beggars under the control of syndicates. These unfortunate people live in slums and scavenge for food in the dustbins. The rich who live in great affluence live in an island of their own. It is possible that one day shanty homes and street children may be too near their residences for comfort.
Child beggars are one of the by-products of the vast divide between the rich and the poor. They are also the victims of poor governance due to corruption. The world therefore needs to have a new order in economy and integrity in leadership.
18 October 2011
With the rising cost of living, many people are experiencing a lower quality of life. Their purchasing power goes down and there is no propensity for them to save at all. Many people suddenly find themselves out of work and live in poverty. Some will be so depressed that they turn to alcohol and are in a stupor all day without money, job or future. The trend now is for the less privileged to show their discontent towards the mega rich whose wealth is more than envy to them.
There have been reports in newspapers and TV programmes about child beggars who are out on the streets begging for long hours to help bring in extra cash for their families. Some are poverty driven and some are child beggars under the control of syndicates. These unfortunate people live in slums and scavenge for food in the dustbins. The rich who live in great affluence live in an island of their own. It is possible that one day shanty homes and street children may be too near their residences for comfort.
Child beggars are one of the by-products of the vast divide between the rich and the poor. They are also the victims of poor governance due to corruption. The world therefore needs to have a new order in economy and integrity in leadership.
18 October 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dress appropriately
Post 113 Clothes make the man
Mark Twain, my favourite novelist and short story author, was a humourist. He said, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Indeed how could they have gone out of their houses to influence the society without their clothes on? We can only find one in a short tale, The Emperor's New Clothes, written by Hans Christian Andersen, when a naïve child cried out, "But he isn't wearing anything at all!"
Clothes make the man does not hold water for the corrupt. They may look well-dressed, professional and capable, yet are unfit for their positions. The clothes they put on cannot cover their shame of greed, hypocrisy, and incompetency.
Among the ancient Greeks, they believed that 'The garment makes the man' or that 'The apparel makes the man'. Though Greece is a relatively small country in Europe, it was an ancient civilization famous for its many eminent philosophers, culture and costume.
As appearance counts in business and social activities, one should be appropriately dressed. This is to respect oneself and others.
11 October 2011
Mark Twain, my favourite novelist and short story author, was a humourist. He said, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Indeed how could they have gone out of their houses to influence the society without their clothes on? We can only find one in a short tale, The Emperor's New Clothes, written by Hans Christian Andersen, when a naïve child cried out, "But he isn't wearing anything at all!"
Clothes make the man does not hold water for the corrupt. They may look well-dressed, professional and capable, yet are unfit for their positions. The clothes they put on cannot cover their shame of greed, hypocrisy, and incompetency.
Among the ancient Greeks, they believed that 'The garment makes the man' or that 'The apparel makes the man'. Though Greece is a relatively small country in Europe, it was an ancient civilization famous for its many eminent philosophers, culture and costume.
As appearance counts in business and social activities, one should be appropriately dressed. This is to respect oneself and others.
11 October 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Six types of friends
Post 112 Choose your friends wisely
Confucius said, “There are three types of good friends, and there are also three types of harmful friends. To make friends with honest people, to make friends with trustworthy people, and to make friends with widely read and experienced people, is beneficial. To make friends with flatterers, to make friends with duplicitous people, and to make friends with rhetoric people, is harmful.”
As birds of the same feather flock together, you are judged by the friends around you. When you have good friends who have virtues, you learn to have good characters from them. Keep these friends. Similarly, when you have harmful friends who are unscrupulous, your character is in danger of being tainted. Shun them.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed” is an old popular proverb. It means a friend who comes to our help is a true friend, unlike others who disappear when their help is needed. This proverb is sometimes interpreted as “a needy person becomes a friend to get assistance from others”. It is in times of trouble that one’s true feelings are revealed. Nevertheless, it is a fact that true friends are hard to come by. They are far and few in between. Treasure them if you are blessed with some.
You may want to ponder over this quotation: There are three faithful friends - an old wife, an old dog and ready money. – (Benjamin Franklin)
4 October 2011
Confucius said, “There are three types of good friends, and there are also three types of harmful friends. To make friends with honest people, to make friends with trustworthy people, and to make friends with widely read and experienced people, is beneficial. To make friends with flatterers, to make friends with duplicitous people, and to make friends with rhetoric people, is harmful.”
As birds of the same feather flock together, you are judged by the friends around you. When you have good friends who have virtues, you learn to have good characters from them. Keep these friends. Similarly, when you have harmful friends who are unscrupulous, your character is in danger of being tainted. Shun them.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed” is an old popular proverb. It means a friend who comes to our help is a true friend, unlike others who disappear when their help is needed. This proverb is sometimes interpreted as “a needy person becomes a friend to get assistance from others”. It is in times of trouble that one’s true feelings are revealed. Nevertheless, it is a fact that true friends are hard to come by. They are far and few in between. Treasure them if you are blessed with some.
You may want to ponder over this quotation: There are three faithful friends - an old wife, an old dog and ready money. – (Benjamin Franklin)
4 October 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Songs that I grew up with
Post 111 Pop Tunes in the 1950s and 60s
As a teenager in the 1950s and 60s, I grew up listening to Chinese and English pop songs. Those were the exciting years for post-war babies. Listening to radio broadcast was the main entertainment for us before the emergence of TV. The songs left lasting impressions on me and helped shape my taste for music and songs.
I love, among many,the songs by Pat Boone (Speedy Gonzales; April Love); Connie Francis (Lipstick on Your Collar; Everybody's Somebody's Fool); Elvis Presley (It's Now or Never; Amazing Grace) and Cliff Richard (A Voice in the Wilderness; The Minute You're Gone); and the music by The Billy Vaughn Orchestra. My friends and I would gladly wait for the programme “Top Tunes of the Week” to be on air. To many senior citizens, the songs and music in the 1950s and 60s are ever green. They bring back fond memory of our happy teenage years.
Once I was listening over the radio a song sung by Elvis Presley. Half way through the song, my late father commented, “Why is this singer having so much difficulty singing out the tune?” Elvis was then singing ‘Only You’ at the part where he had to express himself with ‘Ah…Ah…Ah..Ah Only you can make this change in me. For it’s true you are my destiny…”
Whenever this song is played, I thought of my late father.
27 September 2011
As a teenager in the 1950s and 60s, I grew up listening to Chinese and English pop songs. Those were the exciting years for post-war babies. Listening to radio broadcast was the main entertainment for us before the emergence of TV. The songs left lasting impressions on me and helped shape my taste for music and songs.
I love, among many,the songs by Pat Boone (Speedy Gonzales; April Love); Connie Francis (Lipstick on Your Collar; Everybody's Somebody's Fool); Elvis Presley (It's Now or Never; Amazing Grace) and Cliff Richard (A Voice in the Wilderness; The Minute You're Gone); and the music by The Billy Vaughn Orchestra. My friends and I would gladly wait for the programme “Top Tunes of the Week” to be on air. To many senior citizens, the songs and music in the 1950s and 60s are ever green. They bring back fond memory of our happy teenage years.
Once I was listening over the radio a song sung by Elvis Presley. Half way through the song, my late father commented, “Why is this singer having so much difficulty singing out the tune?” Elvis was then singing ‘Only You’ at the part where he had to express himself with ‘Ah…Ah…Ah..Ah Only you can make this change in me. For it’s true you are my destiny…”
Whenever this song is played, I thought of my late father.
27 September 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Old Age Pensioners (OAPs)
Post 110 Chasing after inflation
As a pensioner myself, I have a feeling that with inflation unchecked, ordinary Old Age Pensioners (OAPs) are set to fall into the poverty trap. This is true in real life for those OAPs who live longer. With their pensions almost at a fixed-rate that always lag behind inflation, OAPs who are without other sources of income or savings are at risk of poverty. The longer the OAPs live, the more resources they need to have to cater for more medical fees.
To live longer is a blessing when there is financial freedom. For those who have no such privilege, it becomes a huge financial burden. They will be pushed below the poverty line. Thus, it is always advisable for young people to start saving as soon as they get their first pay. The multiplier effect of savings after 30 to 40 years gives one very rich dividends to enjoy one’s golden years. It is a pity that many people in retirement have to look hard for ways to enhance their income just to survive.
Many countries are facing bankruptcy because of corruption, poor governance and incompetent leaders. This is woe upon the working classes who have to struggle to live. After paying for the house installments or rents, there is nothing much left to pay for the most expensive electricity and gas bills, besides the medical fees and food bills.
With good financial planning initiated early, one can become an OAP with peace of mind in the golden years.
20 September 2011
As a pensioner myself, I have a feeling that with inflation unchecked, ordinary Old Age Pensioners (OAPs) are set to fall into the poverty trap. This is true in real life for those OAPs who live longer. With their pensions almost at a fixed-rate that always lag behind inflation, OAPs who are without other sources of income or savings are at risk of poverty. The longer the OAPs live, the more resources they need to have to cater for more medical fees.
To live longer is a blessing when there is financial freedom. For those who have no such privilege, it becomes a huge financial burden. They will be pushed below the poverty line. Thus, it is always advisable for young people to start saving as soon as they get their first pay. The multiplier effect of savings after 30 to 40 years gives one very rich dividends to enjoy one’s golden years. It is a pity that many people in retirement have to look hard for ways to enhance their income just to survive.
Many countries are facing bankruptcy because of corruption, poor governance and incompetent leaders. This is woe upon the working classes who have to struggle to live. After paying for the house installments or rents, there is nothing much left to pay for the most expensive electricity and gas bills, besides the medical fees and food bills.
With good financial planning initiated early, one can become an OAP with peace of mind in the golden years.
20 September 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Be grateful
Post 109 Do not “remove bridges”
To be grateful is a virtue. In the Chinese language, to be ungrateful is to “remove bridges after crossing the river”. The metaphor tells of a person who makes use of the help and kindness of others to achieve his goal, and thereafter abandon them. It is “biting the hand that feeds you”, an expression for betraying someone who helps you.
As the love of money is the root of all evil, one may find one’s good friend acting treacherously for personal gains. The breach of faith on one party would cause the friendship to falter. Hence, a person of integrity will not allow himself to be dragged into the fight for wealth, status, power and fame, all of which are physical stuff.
The Chinese saying of “People die for money while birds die for food” is reflected on those who “remove bridges after crossing the river”. They are willing to forsake trust and integrity just for personal gains. In a utilitarian society, the search for materials things such as wealth and properties becomes the priority of many people. In the process of chasing after them, more “bridges will be removed.”
“Every time I appoint someone to a vacant position, I make a hundred unhappy and one ungrateful.” (King Louis XIV of France, 1643-1715)
This statement still holds water in the twenty-first century.
13 September 2011
To be grateful is a virtue. In the Chinese language, to be ungrateful is to “remove bridges after crossing the river”. The metaphor tells of a person who makes use of the help and kindness of others to achieve his goal, and thereafter abandon them. It is “biting the hand that feeds you”, an expression for betraying someone who helps you.
As the love of money is the root of all evil, one may find one’s good friend acting treacherously for personal gains. The breach of faith on one party would cause the friendship to falter. Hence, a person of integrity will not allow himself to be dragged into the fight for wealth, status, power and fame, all of which are physical stuff.
The Chinese saying of “People die for money while birds die for food” is reflected on those who “remove bridges after crossing the river”. They are willing to forsake trust and integrity just for personal gains. In a utilitarian society, the search for materials things such as wealth and properties becomes the priority of many people. In the process of chasing after them, more “bridges will be removed.”
“Every time I appoint someone to a vacant position, I make a hundred unhappy and one ungrateful.” (King Louis XIV of France, 1643-1715)
This statement still holds water in the twenty-first century.
13 September 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Business survival in a global village
Post 108 Nationalism
I am really not surprised that many multi-national supermarket giants have called it a day in Japan and Korea. These giants sold off their stores because of the strong nationalistic and patriotic complexes among the Japanese and the Koreans. Unlike in China, foreign shopping chains are doing brisk business there.
If one goes to Korea or Japan, one can hardly see German, French or American cars on the road. This has prompted intervention by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and protest by the European Union (EU). Though the two governments have reduced red tapes, lowered import taxes and other restrictions to make it easier for foreign cars to be imported there, to sell them is not easy. The owners might be looked upon as not patriotic. Hence foreign manufactured cars which are prestigious and expensive are as good as rocking horse droppings in these countries.
People in other developed and developing countries tend to buy anything that is cheap and good even if they are foreign. That is why Japan and Korean can sell their TV, Hi-fi, cars, air-conditioners, and refrigerators in these countries but not vice versa. Thus, we see many Japanese and Koreans cars and household appliances on our streets and in our homes.
A global village can be an open or a gated one.
6 September 2011
(On leave - 30 August 2011)
I am really not surprised that many multi-national supermarket giants have called it a day in Japan and Korea. These giants sold off their stores because of the strong nationalistic and patriotic complexes among the Japanese and the Koreans. Unlike in China, foreign shopping chains are doing brisk business there.
If one goes to Korea or Japan, one can hardly see German, French or American cars on the road. This has prompted intervention by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and protest by the European Union (EU). Though the two governments have reduced red tapes, lowered import taxes and other restrictions to make it easier for foreign cars to be imported there, to sell them is not easy. The owners might be looked upon as not patriotic. Hence foreign manufactured cars which are prestigious and expensive are as good as rocking horse droppings in these countries.
People in other developed and developing countries tend to buy anything that is cheap and good even if they are foreign. That is why Japan and Korean can sell their TV, Hi-fi, cars, air-conditioners, and refrigerators in these countries but not vice versa. Thus, we see many Japanese and Koreans cars and household appliances on our streets and in our homes.
A global village can be an open or a gated one.
6 September 2011
(On leave - 30 August 2011)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The cost of watching football
Post 107 Why world class footballers are expensive?
I was told through email by my Malaysian friend who is now residing in Germany on his football experience. As a student in the UK in 1964, he paid 3 Shillings (RM 1.50) to watch Arsenal against West Ham at Highbury. Watching Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium could now cost football fans a small fortune this season with the most expensive ticket priced at £100 (RM 500).
In contrast, one can buy a ticket to see Blackburn for as little as £10 according to a BBC survey into the cost of watching football. With Blackburn's cheap seats one can get in and buy a £3 programme, a pie and cup of tea, all for £17.50. However, with Liverpool's cheapest seats costing £39, the same package rises to nearly £ 47. If one likes Toffees, also known as Everton, it is slightly cheaper at £42. Spurs are also expensive to watch and fans have to pay £82 for the best seat. How much will the entrance tickets cost be for such matches in 2020 also depends on the price tags of future players.
It is a wonder that billions of people will glue themselves to TV for live telecasts of premier matches during the World cup. One politician was quoted to have said: “Why should people watch in such fervor 22 players chasing one little ball?”
Indeed interest knows no bound.
23 August 2011
I was told through email by my Malaysian friend who is now residing in Germany on his football experience. As a student in the UK in 1964, he paid 3 Shillings (RM 1.50) to watch Arsenal against West Ham at Highbury. Watching Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium could now cost football fans a small fortune this season with the most expensive ticket priced at £100 (RM 500).
In contrast, one can buy a ticket to see Blackburn for as little as £10 according to a BBC survey into the cost of watching football. With Blackburn's cheap seats one can get in and buy a £3 programme, a pie and cup of tea, all for £17.50. However, with Liverpool's cheapest seats costing £39, the same package rises to nearly £ 47. If one likes Toffees, also known as Everton, it is slightly cheaper at £42. Spurs are also expensive to watch and fans have to pay £82 for the best seat. How much will the entrance tickets cost be for such matches in 2020 also depends on the price tags of future players.
It is a wonder that billions of people will glue themselves to TV for live telecasts of premier matches during the World cup. One politician was quoted to have said: “Why should people watch in such fervor 22 players chasing one little ball?”
Indeed interest knows no bound.
23 August 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Character building
Post 106 An admirable personality
A person with an admirable personality has a very charming disposition. He or she is a person with a spark, who possesses exemplary character, good appearance, good education and best upbringing. People with a spark manifest their unique charisma which can only be achieved through character building.
The learning of academic subjects, music, sport and arts nurtures learners to be scholastic, have appreciation of fine arts, self-discipline, concentration, team work, fair play, and intrinsic values like integrity and compassion. The dynamic spark of a person makes people want to be with him because the synergy obtained through such association stimulates them to emulate his example.
There are many politicians but statesmen are very few and far between in many countries. Any country which wants to be a respected nation must have a wide base of citizens who are of good character and possess the required positive traits. They must not only be literate but educated. Only from this broad platform will there be more options for the selection of world class leaders with wisdom and integrity. The rule of mediocrity spells disaster for the nation and the people.
Character building must begin from home and continue in institutions of learning. They are the moral habitats for the nurturing of admirable personalities.
16 August 2011
A person with an admirable personality has a very charming disposition. He or she is a person with a spark, who possesses exemplary character, good appearance, good education and best upbringing. People with a spark manifest their unique charisma which can only be achieved through character building.
The learning of academic subjects, music, sport and arts nurtures learners to be scholastic, have appreciation of fine arts, self-discipline, concentration, team work, fair play, and intrinsic values like integrity and compassion. The dynamic spark of a person makes people want to be with him because the synergy obtained through such association stimulates them to emulate his example.
There are many politicians but statesmen are very few and far between in many countries. Any country which wants to be a respected nation must have a wide base of citizens who are of good character and possess the required positive traits. They must not only be literate but educated. Only from this broad platform will there be more options for the selection of world class leaders with wisdom and integrity. The rule of mediocrity spells disaster for the nation and the people.
Character building must begin from home and continue in institutions of learning. They are the moral habitats for the nurturing of admirable personalities.
16 August 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Never give up
Post 105 Many a little makes a mickle
When I started writing this blog, I planned to do it weekly for three years. As there are 52 weeks in a year, 104 weeks will make up two years. This post is therefore the beginning of my third year of writing the blog. Each short blog may take only 15 minutes or so to write, it represents my belief that little stroke fell great oaks. If many a little makes a mickle, at the end of this third year, I shall have 156 blogs in my account. The message that I want to carry is that the singleness of purpose can make things happen.
The blogs written are intended to be short and concise. The world has become so compact that very few people seem to have time to read for leisure especially great classics of literatures. It is hoped that some readers who happen to cross the path of this blog may pick up some pointers in life here and there. In fact the little minutes which we spend daily in reading over a few years will make a mighty impact on our outlook of life.
I shall always remember a primary school motivational story of a cicada which wanted to learn to fly from a bird. A cicada is a tropical insect with large transparent wings that makes a high singing noise. After a few days of learning how to fly, the cicada gave up for lack of perseverance. One day the cicada was struggling to climb a tree. It was panting and sweating profusely. The tree then told the cicada that by having the ability to fly it could fly over the forest and from tree to tree. The cicada was moved and returned to the bird for more lessons and succeeded. It became the world's first flying cicada.
Never give up on your goals in life!
9 August 2011
When I started writing this blog, I planned to do it weekly for three years. As there are 52 weeks in a year, 104 weeks will make up two years. This post is therefore the beginning of my third year of writing the blog. Each short blog may take only 15 minutes or so to write, it represents my belief that little stroke fell great oaks. If many a little makes a mickle, at the end of this third year, I shall have 156 blogs in my account. The message that I want to carry is that the singleness of purpose can make things happen.
The blogs written are intended to be short and concise. The world has become so compact that very few people seem to have time to read for leisure especially great classics of literatures. It is hoped that some readers who happen to cross the path of this blog may pick up some pointers in life here and there. In fact the little minutes which we spend daily in reading over a few years will make a mighty impact on our outlook of life.
I shall always remember a primary school motivational story of a cicada which wanted to learn to fly from a bird. A cicada is a tropical insect with large transparent wings that makes a high singing noise. After a few days of learning how to fly, the cicada gave up for lack of perseverance. One day the cicada was struggling to climb a tree. It was panting and sweating profusely. The tree then told the cicada that by having the ability to fly it could fly over the forest and from tree to tree. The cicada was moved and returned to the bird for more lessons and succeeded. It became the world's first flying cicada.
Never give up on your goals in life!
9 August 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Forget not an old friendship
Post 104 Old is gold
Having been on retirement for the last eight years, I have been attending numerous gatherings for old boys and old college mates. For once or twice I also joined in for my wife’s old girls’ gathering. During those gatherings, the halls were full of laughter and everyone was in jovial mood.
On two different occasions, I felt the loss of two good friends who were with me during the previous gatherings prior to their passing away. One was an outstanding footballer and hockey player; while the other friend was excellent in his technical skills.
As years go by, the number of participants in our gatherings gets smaller for obvious reasons. For those who are still healthy and active, they are the regulars. They are also the ones who can eat what is served on the table. For those who are suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and other old age illnesses, they refrain from eating certain dishes. They are there for the sake of reviving old friendship of which we appreciate very much.
Old is gold. A page from my primary school graduation autograph album in the late 1950s contains these words: “Make new friends but keep the old; for one is silver and the other is gold.” It is good to have bosom friends whom we can share our thoughts.
“Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say.”
-- Anon
2 August 2011
Having been on retirement for the last eight years, I have been attending numerous gatherings for old boys and old college mates. For once or twice I also joined in for my wife’s old girls’ gathering. During those gatherings, the halls were full of laughter and everyone was in jovial mood.
On two different occasions, I felt the loss of two good friends who were with me during the previous gatherings prior to their passing away. One was an outstanding footballer and hockey player; while the other friend was excellent in his technical skills.
As years go by, the number of participants in our gatherings gets smaller for obvious reasons. For those who are still healthy and active, they are the regulars. They are also the ones who can eat what is served on the table. For those who are suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and other old age illnesses, they refrain from eating certain dishes. They are there for the sake of reviving old friendship of which we appreciate very much.
Old is gold. A page from my primary school graduation autograph album in the late 1950s contains these words: “Make new friends but keep the old; for one is silver and the other is gold.” It is good to have bosom friends whom we can share our thoughts.
“Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say.”
-- Anon
2 August 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The waiting game
Post 103 Time cost
I casually asked a friend who is a businessman to sum up in a few words how his business was being operated. To my surprise he gave me the answer: business here is a waiting game. I did not press him for clarification but just gave him a smile. His time cost therefore depends on how long he has to wait and how urgent the matter is. For me lining up at shopping malls' pay counters is one of the reasons why I avoid going to those places during sales carnivals.
Attending wedding dinners is another test of patience when the waiting game can be a few hours during prime evening time. In a city like Kuala Lumpur, seasoned dinner guests do not even have to bother to look at the time printed boldly on invitation cards. When it says dinner will be served at 7.30 pm sharp, just add ++ to make it 8.30 pm and you will not be far off tangent. Occasionally when VVIPs who were the guests of honour came late, dinner would become supper being served at 9.30 pm.
There was a Punctuality Campaign organized by a Chinese-based political party in the 1980s suggesting that all wedding dinners should start at 8.00 pm and end at 10.00 pm. The rationale was that attending guests could still have quality time with family members at home after dinner. The proposal turned out to be merely a flash in the pan. Old Habits Die Hard!
The waiting game in life sees all of us as experienced actors and actresses wondering when the game would be over.
26 July 2011
I casually asked a friend who is a businessman to sum up in a few words how his business was being operated. To my surprise he gave me the answer: business here is a waiting game. I did not press him for clarification but just gave him a smile. His time cost therefore depends on how long he has to wait and how urgent the matter is. For me lining up at shopping malls' pay counters is one of the reasons why I avoid going to those places during sales carnivals.
Attending wedding dinners is another test of patience when the waiting game can be a few hours during prime evening time. In a city like Kuala Lumpur, seasoned dinner guests do not even have to bother to look at the time printed boldly on invitation cards. When it says dinner will be served at 7.30 pm sharp, just add ++ to make it 8.30 pm and you will not be far off tangent. Occasionally when VVIPs who were the guests of honour came late, dinner would become supper being served at 9.30 pm.
There was a Punctuality Campaign organized by a Chinese-based political party in the 1980s suggesting that all wedding dinners should start at 8.00 pm and end at 10.00 pm. The rationale was that attending guests could still have quality time with family members at home after dinner. The proposal turned out to be merely a flash in the pan. Old Habits Die Hard!
The waiting game in life sees all of us as experienced actors and actresses wondering when the game would be over.
26 July 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A basketball match to remember for life
Post 102 Pandemonium broke out
In the early 1950s I sneaked out and walked about 15 minutes from my house one evening to a school basketball court. The basketball court in the rural area where I was staying was not paved with cement. When players ran around the court, one could see the red dust coming up from the ground. Nevertheless it was a match much awaited for, especially for a little boy of eight years old like me. My childhood friends told me the two teams playing were champions from neighbouring small towns.
Just as the game was about to end, with my favourite team leading by two points, I suddenly heard someone shouting “Red-head soldiers are coming! Red-head soldiers are coming!” followed by a pandemonium at the premises of the basketball court. I was disappointed that the exciting game had to be abandoned and I hurriedly weaved my way out through a panic crowd. When I was about to reach home, I heard my father yelling at me for he had been frantically looking for me. He dragged me to the house and asked me repeatedly whether I knew the great danger I was in.
I learnt in my growing years later that the much feared Red-head soldiers were from the Federal Reserve Unit or better known by the abbreviation as FRU. They were called Red-head soldiers because they wore red helmets. Its main duty is to disperse illegal assembly, riot suppression and to maintain public order.
I wonder who would have won had it not been for the appearance of the Red-head soldiers. I still do not know why they were there. At that particular moment when the game was stopped, I thought the Red-head soldiers were truly the wet blankets!
19 July 2011
In the early 1950s I sneaked out and walked about 15 minutes from my house one evening to a school basketball court. The basketball court in the rural area where I was staying was not paved with cement. When players ran around the court, one could see the red dust coming up from the ground. Nevertheless it was a match much awaited for, especially for a little boy of eight years old like me. My childhood friends told me the two teams playing were champions from neighbouring small towns.
Just as the game was about to end, with my favourite team leading by two points, I suddenly heard someone shouting “Red-head soldiers are coming! Red-head soldiers are coming!” followed by a pandemonium at the premises of the basketball court. I was disappointed that the exciting game had to be abandoned and I hurriedly weaved my way out through a panic crowd. When I was about to reach home, I heard my father yelling at me for he had been frantically looking for me. He dragged me to the house and asked me repeatedly whether I knew the great danger I was in.
I learnt in my growing years later that the much feared Red-head soldiers were from the Federal Reserve Unit or better known by the abbreviation as FRU. They were called Red-head soldiers because they wore red helmets. Its main duty is to disperse illegal assembly, riot suppression and to maintain public order.
I wonder who would have won had it not been for the appearance of the Red-head soldiers. I still do not know why they were there. At that particular moment when the game was stopped, I thought the Red-head soldiers were truly the wet blankets!
19 July 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Why?
Post 101 Why not?
I was asked to say some words of wisdom after giving a talk to a group of thirty graduates. I told them I have some to tell them, if I must.
“Do what you are interested in and good at, and excel in it. When others ask you why, tell them politely why not?”
When we are too concerned about the opinion of others, we lose our designated direction. There is a need for the nurturing of our critical thinking and the ability to make our own decision. All men are born equal but no two persons are alike. Hence it is wise for us to concentrate on only one career in our life and do it well. We know our own strengths, inertia and aptitude. Others do not.
A medical graduate told me in the 1970s that he was not interested to be a doctor. The logical question to be asked was why then did he take up the course? “I did it because my father wanted me to”, he said. He then enrolled for another course in literature. We met up 30 years later and I came to know that he did his medical practice three days a week. He spent more time now travelling with his writing and drawing. He knows what he wants in life.
As a rolling stone gathers no moss, do one great thing which we have a passion for. One is a greenhorn when one is young but becomes an authority in one’s field of study when one is experienced.
I feel good living my own life.
12 July 2011
I was asked to say some words of wisdom after giving a talk to a group of thirty graduates. I told them I have some to tell them, if I must.
“Do what you are interested in and good at, and excel in it. When others ask you why, tell them politely why not?”
When we are too concerned about the opinion of others, we lose our designated direction. There is a need for the nurturing of our critical thinking and the ability to make our own decision. All men are born equal but no two persons are alike. Hence it is wise for us to concentrate on only one career in our life and do it well. We know our own strengths, inertia and aptitude. Others do not.
A medical graduate told me in the 1970s that he was not interested to be a doctor. The logical question to be asked was why then did he take up the course? “I did it because my father wanted me to”, he said. He then enrolled for another course in literature. We met up 30 years later and I came to know that he did his medical practice three days a week. He spent more time now travelling with his writing and drawing. He knows what he wants in life.
As a rolling stone gathers no moss, do one great thing which we have a passion for. One is a greenhorn when one is young but becomes an authority in one’s field of study when one is experienced.
I feel good living my own life.
12 July 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
From a single digit to three digits
Post 100 Follow through on our plan
I attended a motivational course in the 1990s and what caught my attention was the story of ‘eating an elephant’. The facilitator told the class figuratively that it was impossible for anyone to finish eating an elephant within a day. However, it could be done by eating a small portion daily for a year. The moral of the lesson is that when we develop a plan and follow through it with sustained effort, we will succeed ultimately.
When I started writing this blog, I gave myself three years to do so weekly. There are 52 weeks a year and in three years there will be 156 blogs written. It may take two to three months extra to reach the figure due to the vacation taken in between writing. The beginning is always the most difficult. Now that my blog has reached 100, I have left the beginning far behind me.
One of the most common excuses we hear of nowadays is not having enough time. Time is what we make it out to be. When we put our priorities in life in a proper perspective, we can then use our time wisely. One must control the time and not the other way round.
When we have a plan for achieving our target and a deadline for its attainment, we need not lament over the lost opportunity by saying ‘I should have done that!’
5 July 2011
I attended a motivational course in the 1990s and what caught my attention was the story of ‘eating an elephant’. The facilitator told the class figuratively that it was impossible for anyone to finish eating an elephant within a day. However, it could be done by eating a small portion daily for a year. The moral of the lesson is that when we develop a plan and follow through it with sustained effort, we will succeed ultimately.
When I started writing this blog, I gave myself three years to do so weekly. There are 52 weeks a year and in three years there will be 156 blogs written. It may take two to three months extra to reach the figure due to the vacation taken in between writing. The beginning is always the most difficult. Now that my blog has reached 100, I have left the beginning far behind me.
One of the most common excuses we hear of nowadays is not having enough time. Time is what we make it out to be. When we put our priorities in life in a proper perspective, we can then use our time wisely. One must control the time and not the other way round.
When we have a plan for achieving our target and a deadline for its attainment, we need not lament over the lost opportunity by saying ‘I should have done that!’
5 July 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
No heavy school bag
Post 99 It is fun going to school
When I was in the primary school in the 1950s, I had very few textbooks and homework. My siblings and I spent our afternoon in outdoor activities. We slept at 8.30 pm.
The school life of my two grandchildren staying in Southampton, United Kingdom is even more fun. While on vacation to see them, I asked my grandson who is going to be 11 years old to show me his school textbooks. He told me there was none. Learning takes place in a virtual environment coupled with hands-on activities.
His school bag had only one homework notebook to record the assignments to be done within a stipulated time during which he had to do research from the internet. His assignment was to be handwritten. When he took leave from school to be with me for one week, he said he could email his homework to his teacher.
Digital resources are used as teaching aids and pupils are taught to do presentations through power-points. He reads and writes; represents his school in drama, cricket, relay team for a running event, long jump; plays the guitar and the keyboard, and could swim 2500m without a break. He too slept at 8.30 pm.
What a truly holistic education in nurturing pupils to have joy, self-confidence and be healthy and innovative!
28 June 2011
When I was in the primary school in the 1950s, I had very few textbooks and homework. My siblings and I spent our afternoon in outdoor activities. We slept at 8.30 pm.
The school life of my two grandchildren staying in Southampton, United Kingdom is even more fun. While on vacation to see them, I asked my grandson who is going to be 11 years old to show me his school textbooks. He told me there was none. Learning takes place in a virtual environment coupled with hands-on activities.
His school bag had only one homework notebook to record the assignments to be done within a stipulated time during which he had to do research from the internet. His assignment was to be handwritten. When he took leave from school to be with me for one week, he said he could email his homework to his teacher.
Digital resources are used as teaching aids and pupils are taught to do presentations through power-points. He reads and writes; represents his school in drama, cricket, relay team for a running event, long jump; plays the guitar and the keyboard, and could swim 2500m without a break. He too slept at 8.30 pm.
What a truly holistic education in nurturing pupils to have joy, self-confidence and be healthy and innovative!
28 June 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Eat food of different colours
Post 98 Chinese physicians and the colours of food
When my siblings and I were young, our parents consulted Chinese physicians to treat our minor illnesses. They had more confidence in Chinese medicines. As I grew older, I began to understand their preference for Chinese medicines over the western ones. The former treats patients to make them strong to fight the illness while the latter treats the symptoms.
The parts of the body and the different colourful food of nature are closely interrelated. For a healthy diet we were told to eat less “white” food like sugar, salt and rice but eat more “black” food like black beans and dates. We were also encouraged to take in more green vegetables and red food like tomatoes and carrots. The only supplement we took then was the cod-liver oil. It is interesting to note that the price has since gone up 10 times, and the bottle is smaller now.
It is of everybody’s concern nowadays that the quality and safety of food, beverages and milk sold in the market may have been compromised. We now have tainted dairy products, vegetables covered with pesticides, and meats contaminated with strains of drug-resistant bacteria just to name a few.
Besides, the unbalanced diet of the modern affluent society has caused more people to suffer from heart problems, diabetes and other diseases. Chinese physicians recommend that drinking green tea is good for health. The thousands of years of Chinese tea history can attest to that.
21 June 2011
When my siblings and I were young, our parents consulted Chinese physicians to treat our minor illnesses. They had more confidence in Chinese medicines. As I grew older, I began to understand their preference for Chinese medicines over the western ones. The former treats patients to make them strong to fight the illness while the latter treats the symptoms.
The parts of the body and the different colourful food of nature are closely interrelated. For a healthy diet we were told to eat less “white” food like sugar, salt and rice but eat more “black” food like black beans and dates. We were also encouraged to take in more green vegetables and red food like tomatoes and carrots. The only supplement we took then was the cod-liver oil. It is interesting to note that the price has since gone up 10 times, and the bottle is smaller now.
It is of everybody’s concern nowadays that the quality and safety of food, beverages and milk sold in the market may have been compromised. We now have tainted dairy products, vegetables covered with pesticides, and meats contaminated with strains of drug-resistant bacteria just to name a few.
Besides, the unbalanced diet of the modern affluent society has caused more people to suffer from heart problems, diabetes and other diseases. Chinese physicians recommend that drinking green tea is good for health. The thousands of years of Chinese tea history can attest to that.
21 June 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
A family trip to Europe
Post 97 Well- spent holiday
The decision by the European Union to abolish visas and human borders and become homogeneous with one currency has made my family trip to Europe a pleasant one. When the world opens up, one gets to see and experience different cultures and ways of living without any hindrance.
I was on vacation in Europe for two weeks with my family members in May/June 2011. From Dover we boarded the Peninsula and Orient (P&O Ferries), a British ferry operating the English Channel route, to begin our exploration by car. We drove to border cities like Calais and St-Omer of France; Aachen, Germany; Brussels, Brugge and Antwerp of Belgium; Luxembourg; Rotterdam and Amsterdam of Netherlands; London, Reading, Portsmouth and Southampton where we stayed for a few days. We rented a cottage in Ohey, Belgium to make it as our base in Europe and put up two nights at a resort home in Stellendam which is a town in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland.
It was also a trip down memory lane in the United Kingdom which had been home to my family for a year in the 1980s . It is very interesting to recollect how events have shaped our life. In each phase of our life, opportunities present themselves at their heights leading us to new avenues and new fortunes. They become experiences that enrich our life. That is why it is important that we take stock of each phase of our life's journey knowing that an examined life is a meaningful one.
This well-spent holiday offers me ample time to relax, recall the past and re-think my perception of life, besides enabling a closer bond to exist between the family members.
14 June 2011
(On vacation from 25 May -8 June 2011)
The decision by the European Union to abolish visas and human borders and become homogeneous with one currency has made my family trip to Europe a pleasant one. When the world opens up, one gets to see and experience different cultures and ways of living without any hindrance.
I was on vacation in Europe for two weeks with my family members in May/June 2011. From Dover we boarded the Peninsula and Orient (P&O Ferries), a British ferry operating the English Channel route, to begin our exploration by car. We drove to border cities like Calais and St-Omer of France; Aachen, Germany; Brussels, Brugge and Antwerp of Belgium; Luxembourg; Rotterdam and Amsterdam of Netherlands; London, Reading, Portsmouth and Southampton where we stayed for a few days. We rented a cottage in Ohey, Belgium to make it as our base in Europe and put up two nights at a resort home in Stellendam which is a town in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland.
It was also a trip down memory lane in the United Kingdom which had been home to my family for a year in the 1980s . It is very interesting to recollect how events have shaped our life. In each phase of our life, opportunities present themselves at their heights leading us to new avenues and new fortunes. They become experiences that enrich our life. That is why it is important that we take stock of each phase of our life's journey knowing that an examined life is a meaningful one.
This well-spent holiday offers me ample time to relax, recall the past and re-think my perception of life, besides enabling a closer bond to exist between the family members.
14 June 2011
(On vacation from 25 May -8 June 2011)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Fabrication
Post 96 “Nothing will come of nothing”
Old King Lear wanted to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Whoever could flatter him would get a share. His two eldest daughters flattered their father and were rewarded. They were good in fabrication.
The youngest one, however, could not manifest her love for the father in words like her two sisters could. She could only say “Nothing” when pressed to speak up and praise her father. The outraged Lear then told her that "Nothing can come of nothing: speak again", and later excluded her from inheriting any part of his kingdom. King Lear might have misjudged the character of his youngest daughter who was not as sly as her two sisters.
In the present society we may find widespread versions of tales which are pure fabrication. It is satirical that some rich and titled who belong to high society are especially skillful in ensuring that “something can come of nothing.” They tell lies upon lies hoping that those lies can ultimately become true to the uneducated. It takes people with critical minds to unravel the fabrication of the wicked.
24 May 2011
Old King Lear wanted to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Whoever could flatter him would get a share. His two eldest daughters flattered their father and were rewarded. They were good in fabrication.
The youngest one, however, could not manifest her love for the father in words like her two sisters could. She could only say “Nothing” when pressed to speak up and praise her father. The outraged Lear then told her that "Nothing can come of nothing: speak again", and later excluded her from inheriting any part of his kingdom. King Lear might have misjudged the character of his youngest daughter who was not as sly as her two sisters.
In the present society we may find widespread versions of tales which are pure fabrication. It is satirical that some rich and titled who belong to high society are especially skillful in ensuring that “something can come of nothing.” They tell lies upon lies hoping that those lies can ultimately become true to the uneducated. It takes people with critical minds to unravel the fabrication of the wicked.
24 May 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Penang Hill climbing competition
Post 95 An interesting school life!
The Penang Hill funicular railway was opened in 1923. The blue, air-conditioned Swiss-made coaches, capable of ferrying up to 100 passengers at one go only started operation in 2011. The 87-year-old funicular railway system is now history.
In 1959 I was studying in Form One at the Chung Ling High School Penang. The school was and still is the first choice of many aspiring graduating primary school boys. At that time the school, which even attracted students from Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, and other states of the then Malaya, had two co-curricular activities which were the envy of many students from other secondary schools: the annual swimming competition across the Strait of Penang to Butterworth, and the Penang Hill climbing competition. I was interested in the latter.
On one morning, all potential competitors for the hill climbing event gathered together at the school field. We were then told to run round the 400m school field. I did not know exactly why we needed to do so but nevertheless join in the race. After running the 400m, a doctor used his stethoscope to check on my heart beat. Only then did I realize that he was our school doctor and that all competitors had to go through such test.
“Have you participated in this event before?” the school doctor who took time off from his clinic asked me. When I replied in the negative, he told me, “Well, you can try!” I was given the green light to participate in the hill climbing competition!
I did not finish the climb with any prize; neither did I become the fallen climbers who needed help from the Red Cross members at the finishing line.
At the next Hill climbing competition I found myself as a member of the school brass band performing at the top of Penang hill.
17 May 2011
The Penang Hill funicular railway was opened in 1923. The blue, air-conditioned Swiss-made coaches, capable of ferrying up to 100 passengers at one go only started operation in 2011. The 87-year-old funicular railway system is now history.
In 1959 I was studying in Form One at the Chung Ling High School Penang. The school was and still is the first choice of many aspiring graduating primary school boys. At that time the school, which even attracted students from Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, and other states of the then Malaya, had two co-curricular activities which were the envy of many students from other secondary schools: the annual swimming competition across the Strait of Penang to Butterworth, and the Penang Hill climbing competition. I was interested in the latter.
On one morning, all potential competitors for the hill climbing event gathered together at the school field. We were then told to run round the 400m school field. I did not know exactly why we needed to do so but nevertheless join in the race. After running the 400m, a doctor used his stethoscope to check on my heart beat. Only then did I realize that he was our school doctor and that all competitors had to go through such test.
“Have you participated in this event before?” the school doctor who took time off from his clinic asked me. When I replied in the negative, he told me, “Well, you can try!” I was given the green light to participate in the hill climbing competition!
I did not finish the climb with any prize; neither did I become the fallen climbers who needed help from the Red Cross members at the finishing line.
At the next Hill climbing competition I found myself as a member of the school brass band performing at the top of Penang hill.
17 May 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
An impressive tour guide
Post 94 Hakone Lake
The Japanese tour guide who took my wife and me for a pleasure ferry ride at the scenic Hakone Lake impressed me with his knowledge of classical music. While we were having lunch at the lake, I heard my favourite piece of music composed by the Austrian composer, Schubert F.P. (1797 -1828), being aired.
As we were eating trout (a type of freshwater fish) at that time, I casually told the guide that the title of that piece of music was ‘The trout’. He immediately replied to me that it was. I was deeply impressed because he was not just a tour guide; he was knowledgeable enough to know that ‘The trout’ was played while visitors to the lake were enjoying a meal on trout.
At the bullet train station in Tokyo after the day tour, the Japanese guide ushered us into a taxi saying that he had spoken to the taxi driver where to send us. He gave me an envelope and assured me that the taxi fares in it would be more than enough to cover the distance. He was apologetic for not being able to accompany us back to our hotel though it was not his duty to do so. When we reached our hotel, there was more than enough money in the envelope to cover the taxi fares.There was no overcharging.
When one is in a civilized nation, one knows why it deserves to be called the First world.
10 May 2011
The Japanese tour guide who took my wife and me for a pleasure ferry ride at the scenic Hakone Lake impressed me with his knowledge of classical music. While we were having lunch at the lake, I heard my favourite piece of music composed by the Austrian composer, Schubert F.P. (1797 -1828), being aired.
As we were eating trout (a type of freshwater fish) at that time, I casually told the guide that the title of that piece of music was ‘The trout’. He immediately replied to me that it was. I was deeply impressed because he was not just a tour guide; he was knowledgeable enough to know that ‘The trout’ was played while visitors to the lake were enjoying a meal on trout.
At the bullet train station in Tokyo after the day tour, the Japanese guide ushered us into a taxi saying that he had spoken to the taxi driver where to send us. He gave me an envelope and assured me that the taxi fares in it would be more than enough to cover the distance. He was apologetic for not being able to accompany us back to our hotel though it was not his duty to do so. When we reached our hotel, there was more than enough money in the envelope to cover the taxi fares.There was no overcharging.
When one is in a civilized nation, one knows why it deserves to be called the First world.
10 May 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Poem and music
Post 93 A strikingly descriptive poem
I can remember very well till now two stanzas of a Chinese poem which I learnt during my secondary school day in the early 1960s. It was a poem by Zhang Ji (张继):
"From the Han Shan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple) outside the city of Suzhou, was heard the midnight bell reaching the passenger boat" (姑苏城外寒山寺，夜半钟声到客船.)
In the 1990s when I visited Suzhou, China, I was delighted to have touched the bell that sent its sounds to the passing passenger boats nearby. The poem was so picturesque one could form a mental picture of what he was describing. I was not far off tangent in my imagination while being taught this poem in school.
John Keats, the famous poet says, “We read fine things but never feel them to the full until we have gone the same steps as the author.” How right he was!
Fou Ts’ong (傅聪) who won the third prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition, an equivalent to the Nobel Prize in music, in Poland in 1955, commented that there is a close relationship between poem and music. In the year 2000, when Yundi Li of China won the top honour in the competition held every five years, Fou Ts’ong remarked that the Chinese tend to have a strong poetic temperament and thus could play the masterpieces of Chopin, who was a very romantic composer, expressively.
“Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of great and feeling souls.” (Voltaire, one of the greatest of all French authors, 1694-1778)
3 May 2011
I can remember very well till now two stanzas of a Chinese poem which I learnt during my secondary school day in the early 1960s. It was a poem by Zhang Ji (张继):
"From the Han Shan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple) outside the city of Suzhou, was heard the midnight bell reaching the passenger boat" (姑苏城外寒山寺，夜半钟声到客船.)
In the 1990s when I visited Suzhou, China, I was delighted to have touched the bell that sent its sounds to the passing passenger boats nearby. The poem was so picturesque one could form a mental picture of what he was describing. I was not far off tangent in my imagination while being taught this poem in school.
John Keats, the famous poet says, “We read fine things but never feel them to the full until we have gone the same steps as the author.” How right he was!
Fou Ts’ong (傅聪) who won the third prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition, an equivalent to the Nobel Prize in music, in Poland in 1955, commented that there is a close relationship between poem and music. In the year 2000, when Yundi Li of China won the top honour in the competition held every five years, Fou Ts’ong remarked that the Chinese tend to have a strong poetic temperament and thus could play the masterpieces of Chopin, who was a very romantic composer, expressively.
“Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of great and feeling souls.” (Voltaire, one of the greatest of all French authors, 1694-1778)
3 May 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Isle of Wight, England
Post 92 A relaxing break
In 2005 my visit to the Isle of Wight was a day trip to explore its natural beauty. The journey from Southampton by ferry gave me the pleasure of being closer to my two grandchildren who are residing in the foreign land with their parents.
The Isle of Wight is the largest island of England and has been a holiday destination since Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 till 1901. It was an era of prosperity for the British people who had had the pleasure and leisure to enjoy life. Queen Victoria even built her summer residence and final home Osborne House on the island.
I particularly took notice of the name Lord Mountbatten who was the island’s governor from 1969-1974. This outstanding statesman of the British Empire had spent part of his career in Malaya before. In the 1960s there was a Mountbatten Road in Kuala Lumpur. It is now known as Jalan Tun Perak (Tun Perak Road).
The Isle of Wight was home to the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) whose famous phrases that have become commonplaces of the English language include “Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die” and "Knowledge comes, but Wisdom lingers".
When you are surrounded by the natural beauty and serenity of the island, inspiration abounds.
26 April 2011
In 2005 my visit to the Isle of Wight was a day trip to explore its natural beauty. The journey from Southampton by ferry gave me the pleasure of being closer to my two grandchildren who are residing in the foreign land with their parents.
The Isle of Wight is the largest island of England and has been a holiday destination since Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 till 1901. It was an era of prosperity for the British people who had had the pleasure and leisure to enjoy life. Queen Victoria even built her summer residence and final home Osborne House on the island.
I particularly took notice of the name Lord Mountbatten who was the island’s governor from 1969-1974. This outstanding statesman of the British Empire had spent part of his career in Malaya before. In the 1960s there was a Mountbatten Road in Kuala Lumpur. It is now known as Jalan Tun Perak (Tun Perak Road).
The Isle of Wight was home to the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) whose famous phrases that have become commonplaces of the English language include “Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die” and "Knowledge comes, but Wisdom lingers".
When you are surrounded by the natural beauty and serenity of the island, inspiration abounds.
26 April 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
People who live on trees
Post 91 Ignorance knows no barrier
I bought a set of Child Readers in the 70s for my daughter. One of the articles has this introduction written: “Some people in a land called Malaysia live high off the ground in tree houses....” If one thinks knowledge is not important, try ignorance which knows no barrier. As the writer of the passage was from the first world, his ignorance could be the offspring of arrogance. In this case, arrogance fortifies ignorance. As such there was no necessity for him to verify the fact.
The story of "Yelang thinks too highly of itself" (夜郎自大Yelang zi da) in the 120s BC best describes the extent of ignorance of people like the king of Yelang. His kingdom was very tiny as compared to the kingdom of Han. The king of Yelang thought that his kingdom was the greatest in the entire world. Once he inquired rhetorically of the Han emperor’s envoy, “Which is greater, Yelang or Han?”
When the citizen of a country of 20 million asks, “which is greater, my country or India?”, he is “Yelang zi da”, thinking too highly of his country in total ignorance.
People,who do not read, harbour and magnify their ignorance.
19 April 2011
I bought a set of Child Readers in the 70s for my daughter. One of the articles has this introduction written: “Some people in a land called Malaysia live high off the ground in tree houses....” If one thinks knowledge is not important, try ignorance which knows no barrier. As the writer of the passage was from the first world, his ignorance could be the offspring of arrogance. In this case, arrogance fortifies ignorance. As such there was no necessity for him to verify the fact.
The story of "Yelang thinks too highly of itself" (夜郎自大Yelang zi da) in the 120s BC best describes the extent of ignorance of people like the king of Yelang. His kingdom was very tiny as compared to the kingdom of Han. The king of Yelang thought that his kingdom was the greatest in the entire world. Once he inquired rhetorically of the Han emperor’s envoy, “Which is greater, Yelang or Han?”
When the citizen of a country of 20 million asks, “which is greater, my country or India?”, he is “Yelang zi da”, thinking too highly of his country in total ignorance.
People,who do not read, harbour and magnify their ignorance.
19 April 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Swansea, Wales
Post 90 Voices of the Welsh
My one-month stay at Swansea while attending an educational management course there in 1996 had me delighted at the scenic and beautiful Wales. Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales and is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. It is the second most populous city in Wales after Cardiff.
As a music lover, I found the Welsh having a very strong compassion for music and dances. No wonder Wales is traditionally known as “the land of songs”. Indeed it has a history of folk music related to the Celtic music of Ireland and Scotland. One just needs to go to Youtube “Choir of Wales” to enjoy watching and listening to the best musical repertoire, depicting Wales’s rich culture.
I was told by my Welsh friend that there were many international music and dance festivals in Wales throughout the year. He even took me to a school hall where his daughter, who also gave Harp lessons, was practising the stepping dance of Wales with a group of friends. Besides music, songs and dances, the Welsh are also rugby enthusiasts. Their annual encounter with the English team is a crowd puller.
The Welsh are generally bilingual being proficient in both Welsh and English. One can see road signs being written in both the languages.
Wales is charming and picturesque indeed.
12 April 2011
My one-month stay at Swansea while attending an educational management course there in 1996 had me delighted at the scenic and beautiful Wales. Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales and is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. It is the second most populous city in Wales after Cardiff.
As a music lover, I found the Welsh having a very strong compassion for music and dances. No wonder Wales is traditionally known as “the land of songs”. Indeed it has a history of folk music related to the Celtic music of Ireland and Scotland. One just needs to go to Youtube “Choir of Wales” to enjoy watching and listening to the best musical repertoire, depicting Wales’s rich culture.
I was told by my Welsh friend that there were many international music and dance festivals in Wales throughout the year. He even took me to a school hall where his daughter, who also gave Harp lessons, was practising the stepping dance of Wales with a group of friends. Besides music, songs and dances, the Welsh are also rugby enthusiasts. Their annual encounter with the English team is a crowd puller.
The Welsh are generally bilingual being proficient in both Welsh and English. One can see road signs being written in both the languages.
Wales is charming and picturesque indeed.
12 April 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
An eye-opener
Post 89 Demonstration for the least expected reason
In 1991 I was at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada for a short post-graduate course. I learnt a lesson on what could be considered to be an issue warranting a placard demonstration by students while having lunch one day at the dining hall of the university.
There was a group of about 30 undergraduates who walked into the dining hall carrying placards. The students were not satisfied with the ventilation system in the university and demanded that action be taken to rectify it. It was just a small scale peaceful demonstration asking for more fresh air in the building. The protesters wanted their voices heard.
This incident reminded me of the many demonstrations happened in the USA in the
1960s. The young generation at that time protested over other issues in their campuses at a time of social unrest. It was a decade that saw many Civil Rights and Anti- Vietnam War demonstrations; and changes in social norms that were against traditional moral values with the introduction of contraceptive pills. It was the Swinging Sixties of pop music and mini-skirts that swept the world and the placard carriers at Toronto were not born yet.
The Toronto experience was an eye-opener to me. It was never expected of me that stale air in campus building could also trigger off a demonstration!
5 April 2011
In 1991 I was at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada for a short post-graduate course. I learnt a lesson on what could be considered to be an issue warranting a placard demonstration by students while having lunch one day at the dining hall of the university.
There was a group of about 30 undergraduates who walked into the dining hall carrying placards. The students were not satisfied with the ventilation system in the university and demanded that action be taken to rectify it. It was just a small scale peaceful demonstration asking for more fresh air in the building. The protesters wanted their voices heard.
This incident reminded me of the many demonstrations happened in the USA in the
1960s. The young generation at that time protested over other issues in their campuses at a time of social unrest. It was a decade that saw many Civil Rights and Anti- Vietnam War demonstrations; and changes in social norms that were against traditional moral values with the introduction of contraceptive pills. It was the Swinging Sixties of pop music and mini-skirts that swept the world and the placard carriers at Toronto were not born yet.
The Toronto experience was an eye-opener to me. It was never expected of me that stale air in campus building could also trigger off a demonstration!
5 April 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Buffalo
Post 88 An episode in a foreign city
Having crossed the Niagara Falls border from Canada to Buffalo, USA, my family and a few relatives went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. After that we went shopping at a mall as part of the program for our one-day trip. As no one could beat ladies in shopping, I gave up half-way and decided to wait for them at a centre point before going for dinner.
A local white man came and sat next to me at a bench. He must have just taken a few drinks for he looked a little bit drunk. We had a short chat. Unexpectedly he told me,”I admire you people.” I asked, “Why did you say so?” He replied, “Because you all can speak English well.” I thanked him for the compliment.
iAs the drunk will tell the truth, I believe he must have met and spoken to tourists whose mother tongue was not English but were eloquent at it. I would have continued our conversation if he had not fallen asleep. I still remember the facial expression and sincerity of this man whom I met by chance in the early 1990s.
If the man had been sober, I would have had the opportunity to learn from him on social-cultural issues that shape his thoughts and perceptions.
I still appreciate what this gentleman had told me. He made my day in a foreign city.
29 March 2011
Having crossed the Niagara Falls border from Canada to Buffalo, USA, my family and a few relatives went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. After that we went shopping at a mall as part of the program for our one-day trip. As no one could beat ladies in shopping, I gave up half-way and decided to wait for them at a centre point before going for dinner.
A local white man came and sat next to me at a bench. He must have just taken a few drinks for he looked a little bit drunk. We had a short chat. Unexpectedly he told me,”I admire you people.” I asked, “Why did you say so?” He replied, “Because you all can speak English well.” I thanked him for the compliment.
iAs the drunk will tell the truth, I believe he must have met and spoken to tourists whose mother tongue was not English but were eloquent at it. I would have continued our conversation if he had not fallen asleep. I still remember the facial expression and sincerity of this man whom I met by chance in the early 1990s.
If the man had been sober, I would have had the opportunity to learn from him on social-cultural issues that shape his thoughts and perceptions.
I still appreciate what this gentleman had told me. He made my day in a foreign city.
29 March 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Gracious living
Post 87 Performing arts and music
My trip to Washington D.C., a national center for the arts, in the 1990s to attend an international conference on education had an added cultural atmosphere. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts situated along the Potomac River is one of the many surprises for music and art lovers.
I remember reading the quotation of President Kennedy who said that anyone who wants to know whether a country is developed or not should look at the number of performing arts centres it has. This is indeed very true. First world countries are strong economically and so their citizens have the means and leisure to engage in gracious living like attending world class concerts, plays and other performing arts as and when they like.
In the Newsweek cover story "The 10 Best Schools in the World" (December 2, 1991), the USA tops the world in two areas: Arts and Graduate schools. Art is the creation of something beautiful and of intrinsic values in painting, sculpture, music, literature, dance, and drama. Music, painting, poetry and the like are known as fine arts. By having the best graduate schools in the world, it means the USA generally has top class scientists, engineers, lawyers,economists, doctors, inventors and other professionals in the world.
When a country is run by capable leaders at all levels, the fulfillment of peoples’ dream of having a gracious living is a natural and logical outcome.
22 March 2011
My trip to Washington D.C., a national center for the arts, in the 1990s to attend an international conference on education had an added cultural atmosphere. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts situated along the Potomac River is one of the many surprises for music and art lovers.
I remember reading the quotation of President Kennedy who said that anyone who wants to know whether a country is developed or not should look at the number of performing arts centres it has. This is indeed very true. First world countries are strong economically and so their citizens have the means and leisure to engage in gracious living like attending world class concerts, plays and other performing arts as and when they like.
In the Newsweek cover story "The 10 Best Schools in the World" (December 2, 1991), the USA tops the world in two areas: Arts and Graduate schools. Art is the creation of something beautiful and of intrinsic values in painting, sculpture, music, literature, dance, and drama. Music, painting, poetry and the like are known as fine arts. By having the best graduate schools in the world, it means the USA generally has top class scientists, engineers, lawyers,economists, doctors, inventors and other professionals in the world.
When a country is run by capable leaders at all levels, the fulfillment of peoples’ dream of having a gracious living is a natural and logical outcome.
22 March 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A high achiever and a low achiever
Post 86 Foresight and hindsight
I like the following proverb which is also a tongue-twister since my secondary school days:
“He who knows not and knows not he knows not: he is a fool - shun him.
He who knows not and knows he knows not: he is simple - teach him.
He who knows and knows not he knows: he is asleep - wake him.
He who knows and knows he knows: he is wise - follow him.”
Laozi (老子) said, "He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise." The wise has foresight while the fool, the simple and the sleeping may only know the mistakes they made with hindsight. The former is a leader and the latter, followers.
Sunzi (孙子) in his Art of War said,
“If you know thy enemy and know thyself, you will be ever-victorious in a hundred battles.
If you know thyself but not thy enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither thy enemy nor thyself, you will lose in every battle.”
A high achiever is wise and self-made.
15 March 2011
I like the following proverb which is also a tongue-twister since my secondary school days:
“He who knows not and knows not he knows not: he is a fool - shun him.
He who knows not and knows he knows not: he is simple - teach him.
He who knows and knows not he knows: he is asleep - wake him.
He who knows and knows he knows: he is wise - follow him.”
Laozi (老子) said, "He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise." The wise has foresight while the fool, the simple and the sleeping may only know the mistakes they made with hindsight. The former is a leader and the latter, followers.
Sunzi (孙子) in his Art of War said,
“If you know thy enemy and know thyself, you will be ever-victorious in a hundred battles.
If you know thyself but not thy enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither thy enemy nor thyself, you will lose in every battle.”
A high achiever is wise and self-made.
15 March 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Reading Biscuit Town
Post 85 Happy memories of my childhood
During the early 1950s and as a little boy, I used to like the small and round biscuits kept in green oblong tin containers. The then Malaya was still under the colonial rule and it was a privilege that children got to wear shoes, clothing, and to eat food like biscuits manufactured in England.
In 1986 I was studying in Reading (pronounced as ‘Redding’), England and together with my wife and two daughters, we were there for a year. It so happened that while travelling on the upper deck of a bus in town one afternoon, I saw the signboard of Huntley & Palmers. The name was very familiar to me since I was a boy, though at that time I did not know how to pronounce them.
My wife then confirmed that the ‘reading’ biscuits which I took in the 50s were actually manufactured in the town. I was really delighted that the household name in biscuit manufacturing had brought back happy memories of my childhood. I did not expect that one day I would be in the biscuit town to rekindle old dreams!
Huntley & Palmers was founded in 1822 and for the next 150 years, was well known for being "Number One in Biscuits and Second-to-None in Cakes." At its zenith, it was trading in 137 countries. Visitors to the Museum of Reading would be able to see the 1,500 biscuit tins made by the Quaker company.
I’ll never forget the green oblong tin containers which brought joy to my childhood days.
8 March 2011
During the early 1950s and as a little boy, I used to like the small and round biscuits kept in green oblong tin containers. The then Malaya was still under the colonial rule and it was a privilege that children got to wear shoes, clothing, and to eat food like biscuits manufactured in England.
In 1986 I was studying in Reading (pronounced as ‘Redding’), England and together with my wife and two daughters, we were there for a year. It so happened that while travelling on the upper deck of a bus in town one afternoon, I saw the signboard of Huntley & Palmers. The name was very familiar to me since I was a boy, though at that time I did not know how to pronounce them.
My wife then confirmed that the ‘reading’ biscuits which I took in the 50s were actually manufactured in the town. I was really delighted that the household name in biscuit manufacturing had brought back happy memories of my childhood. I did not expect that one day I would be in the biscuit town to rekindle old dreams!
Huntley & Palmers was founded in 1822 and for the next 150 years, was well known for being "Number One in Biscuits and Second-to-None in Cakes." At its zenith, it was trading in 137 countries. Visitors to the Museum of Reading would be able to see the 1,500 biscuit tins made by the Quaker company.
I’ll never forget the green oblong tin containers which brought joy to my childhood days.
8 March 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
"If You're Going to San Francisco"
Post 84 The Hippies
You may want to go to youtube and listen to this song made popular in the 60s. The lyric reflects the culture and radical beliefs of a new cultural movement. The decade from 1960 to 1970 saw the emergence of an anti-establishment Hippies group, spearheading from San Francisco to Canada and other parts of Europe. The hippies were rebels against middle-class values, especially during the 1960s. They adopted an unconventional way of life, particularly in clothes and behavior. I remember their anti-war rallies in the 60s well.
In my two brief visits to San Francisco, I enjoyed watching cable cars plying the city, visiting Fisherman's Wharf, travelling along the famously crooked Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge, and speaking a few Chinese words at San Francisco's Chinatown, established in the 1840s. I also took an hour or so of bus-ride to the Muir Garden for a relaxing morning and a cup of tea during my first trip.
During the 19th Century, San Francisco was the center of the U.S. gold rush, with many early Chinese workers joining in the treasure hunt. The Chinese then called it “Gold Mountain”. However, with the discovery of gold in Melbourne, Australia, and in order to make a distinction between the two gold mines, the Chinese name for San Francisco was changed to “Old Gold Mountain”, and the one in Melbourne, "New Gold Mountain ".
Be it old or new, and “If You're Going to San Francisco”, be sure to “wear some flowers in your hair”!
1 March 2011
You may want to go to youtube and listen to this song made popular in the 60s. The lyric reflects the culture and radical beliefs of a new cultural movement. The decade from 1960 to 1970 saw the emergence of an anti-establishment Hippies group, spearheading from San Francisco to Canada and other parts of Europe. The hippies were rebels against middle-class values, especially during the 1960s. They adopted an unconventional way of life, particularly in clothes and behavior. I remember their anti-war rallies in the 60s well.
In my two brief visits to San Francisco, I enjoyed watching cable cars plying the city, visiting Fisherman's Wharf, travelling along the famously crooked Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge, and speaking a few Chinese words at San Francisco's Chinatown, established in the 1840s. I also took an hour or so of bus-ride to the Muir Garden for a relaxing morning and a cup of tea during my first trip.
During the 19th Century, San Francisco was the center of the U.S. gold rush, with many early Chinese workers joining in the treasure hunt. The Chinese then called it “Gold Mountain”. However, with the discovery of gold in Melbourne, Australia, and in order to make a distinction between the two gold mines, the Chinese name for San Francisco was changed to “Old Gold Mountain”, and the one in Melbourne, "New Gold Mountain ".
Be it old or new, and “If You're Going to San Francisco”, be sure to “wear some flowers in your hair”!
1 March 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Atlanta
Post 83 ”I have a dream”
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, USA. It was also the venue of the 1996 Summer Olympics. While having a short stay there, I visited the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site; the Carter Center, and the Cable News Network (CNN) headquarters at the CNN Center in Atlanta. However, I missed visiting the headquarters of Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta to have a taste of its different global beverages.
In this post I am not writing about the song "I Have a Dream" by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song was one of the top hits in 1979, and which I still hum along occasionally after 30 years of its airing.
I am referring to the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. His "I Have a Dream" is a seventeen-minute public speech. It was delivered on August 28, 1963 and ranked the top American speech of the 20th century. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call for racial equality and an end to discrimination was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. He said in his speech that all men are created equal.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
22 February 2011
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, USA. It was also the venue of the 1996 Summer Olympics. While having a short stay there, I visited the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site; the Carter Center, and the Cable News Network (CNN) headquarters at the CNN Center in Atlanta. However, I missed visiting the headquarters of Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta to have a taste of its different global beverages.
In this post I am not writing about the song "I Have a Dream" by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song was one of the top hits in 1979, and which I still hum along occasionally after 30 years of its airing.
I am referring to the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. His "I Have a Dream" is a seventeen-minute public speech. It was delivered on August 28, 1963 and ranked the top American speech of the 20th century. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call for racial equality and an end to discrimination was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. He said in his speech that all men are created equal.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
22 February 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Aloha Spirit
Post 82 Hang loose
Each time I was in Honolulu I bought myself a T-shirt with the shaka sign. Altogether I have collected five of them. The shaka sign is a popular greeting gesture often associated with Hawaii. It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while keeping the three middle fingers curled. The shaka also means "hang loose", conveying the harmonious “Aloha Spirit” of the multi-ethnic cultures in Hawaii. It can also mean “keep cool”, “hello”, “goodbye” “all right” or “take care”.
First time tourists to Honolulu will very soon be familiar with the ABC Stores started by the Japanese in Waikiki in 1964. It has changed its name to ABC in 2009. The chain of ABC convenience stores is found mainly along the one-mile radius of Waikiki. As I walked along the Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, I would go into ABC to purchase boxes of my favourite Macadamia nuts, for my relatives and friends back home as well.
When I watched the surfers displaying their skills at Waikiki beach, they reminded me of the” Hawaii Five-O” TV-series. The beach at Waikiki is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for boarding and surfing.
It is in Hawaii that one experiences the essence of the Aloha Spirit.
15 February 2011
Each time I was in Honolulu I bought myself a T-shirt with the shaka sign. Altogether I have collected five of them. The shaka sign is a popular greeting gesture often associated with Hawaii. It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while keeping the three middle fingers curled. The shaka also means "hang loose", conveying the harmonious “Aloha Spirit” of the multi-ethnic cultures in Hawaii. It can also mean “keep cool”, “hello”, “goodbye” “all right” or “take care”.
First time tourists to Honolulu will very soon be familiar with the ABC Stores started by the Japanese in Waikiki in 1964. It has changed its name to ABC in 2009. The chain of ABC convenience stores is found mainly along the one-mile radius of Waikiki. As I walked along the Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, I would go into ABC to purchase boxes of my favourite Macadamia nuts, for my relatives and friends back home as well.
When I watched the surfers displaying their skills at Waikiki beach, they reminded me of the” Hawaii Five-O” TV-series. The beach at Waikiki is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for boarding and surfing.
It is in Hawaii that one experiences the essence of the Aloha Spirit.
15 February 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Fantasy Island
Post 81 Kauai Island
After my Maui’s experience, I was in for another pleasant surprise when my flight from Maui touched down at the international airport in Kauai Island.
The island of Kauai, Hawaii was one of the filming locations of the highly-rated made-for-television film Fantasy Island aired from 1978 to 1984. The enchanting island coastline of the opening scenes of my favourite TV-series almost 30 years ago was none other than that of Kauai, also known as the Garden of Isle. While feasting my eyes with the pristine and idyllic Kauai beaches and the dramatic natural beauty of the island, I thought I could hear Tattoo, played by Herve Villechaize, ringing the bell from the main bell tower, shouting," The plane! The plane!" with each arrival of new guests.
Besides letting my eyes not having enough of seeing, Kauai attractions also let my ears not having enough of hearing. The unique hula or luau is representative of the Hawaiian traditional music and dance, a creation by the Polynesians who first settled there.
You may want to try “Hangi” food which is cooked underground. It is a traditional meal of the island nations of New Zealand and the South Pacific.
8 February 2011
After my Maui’s experience, I was in for another pleasant surprise when my flight from Maui touched down at the international airport in Kauai Island.
The island of Kauai, Hawaii was one of the filming locations of the highly-rated made-for-television film Fantasy Island aired from 1978 to 1984. The enchanting island coastline of the opening scenes of my favourite TV-series almost 30 years ago was none other than that of Kauai, also known as the Garden of Isle. While feasting my eyes with the pristine and idyllic Kauai beaches and the dramatic natural beauty of the island, I thought I could hear Tattoo, played by Herve Villechaize, ringing the bell from the main bell tower, shouting," The plane! The plane!" with each arrival of new guests.
Besides letting my eyes not having enough of seeing, Kauai attractions also let my ears not having enough of hearing. The unique hula or luau is representative of the Hawaiian traditional music and dance, a creation by the Polynesians who first settled there.
You may want to try “Hangi” food which is cooked underground. It is a traditional meal of the island nations of New Zealand and the South Pacific.
8 February 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Millions of stars
Post 80 Maui’s experience
In 1986 I boarded the Aloha aircraft and took a 25-minute flight from Honolulu to the island of Maui where Polynesians were the original peoples to populate it. Maui is a part of the state of Hawaii. While looking out of the room window from a friend’s house at night, I was pleasantly surprised at the sight of millions of stars in the clear sky. It was surreal; resembling a dream. Industrialisation has deprived city dwellers of their pleasure in gazing at stars twinkling.
I had hardly slept for a few hours when my friend woke me up at 4.00am to travel by car to the top of Haleakala National Park. Watching the sun rise there, and seeing the orange-red craters and purple valleys were an awe-inspiring experience. One does not always have the privilege of seeing the clear night sky and stars being overtaken by the sun that lights up the sky and earth.
On our way back from the Haleakala a 10,000 foot volcano, there was a group of bicycle riders who were ready to coast downhill on the same winding road as the cars and vans. I thought biking down the volcano was a dangerous activity. However, there are always enthusiasts who would brave the odds as challenges and for excitement.
When I see stars, I think of my Maui’s experience.
1 February 2011
In 1986 I boarded the Aloha aircraft and took a 25-minute flight from Honolulu to the island of Maui where Polynesians were the original peoples to populate it. Maui is a part of the state of Hawaii. While looking out of the room window from a friend’s house at night, I was pleasantly surprised at the sight of millions of stars in the clear sky. It was surreal; resembling a dream. Industrialisation has deprived city dwellers of their pleasure in gazing at stars twinkling.
I had hardly slept for a few hours when my friend woke me up at 4.00am to travel by car to the top of Haleakala National Park. Watching the sun rise there, and seeing the orange-red craters and purple valleys were an awe-inspiring experience. One does not always have the privilege of seeing the clear night sky and stars being overtaken by the sun that lights up the sky and earth.
On our way back from the Haleakala a 10,000 foot volcano, there was a group of bicycle riders who were ready to coast downhill on the same winding road as the cars and vans. I thought biking down the volcano was a dangerous activity. However, there are always enthusiasts who would brave the odds as challenges and for excitement.
When I see stars, I think of my Maui’s experience.
1 February 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Don't cry for me Argentina!
Post 79 Let’s Tango!
Back in 1996 I attended a conference in Buenos Aires and stayed in the Capital of Argentina for ten days. It took me more than 24 hours to reach there from Kuala Lumpur, with a stopover at Johannesburg, South Africa.
I was crossing the street one day when I realized that it took me a long time to cover half the street. I turned back to count the number of lanes on the road in curiosity. After counting twice, I was amazed that there were ten lanes on half the street. I counted the other half of the street and found that I had to cross another ten lanes to reach the other side. One really needs to be fit to cross the 20 lanes of traffic on foot safely. I vividly remember that it is Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest street in the world.
Most visitors to Argentina never miss going for the Tango Shows. I went to watch the show on two occasions paying USD50 for each show cum dinner. The elegant tango dancers could really perform tango in its essence accompanied by the great tango orchestra in a beautiful and romantic theater room.
To watch the best-known song from the musical Evita, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", being sung and acted as the show’s grand finale in Buenos Aires was the highlight of a memorable evening for me.
25 January 2011
Back in 1996 I attended a conference in Buenos Aires and stayed in the Capital of Argentina for ten days. It took me more than 24 hours to reach there from Kuala Lumpur, with a stopover at Johannesburg, South Africa.
I was crossing the street one day when I realized that it took me a long time to cover half the street. I turned back to count the number of lanes on the road in curiosity. After counting twice, I was amazed that there were ten lanes on half the street. I counted the other half of the street and found that I had to cross another ten lanes to reach the other side. One really needs to be fit to cross the 20 lanes of traffic on foot safely. I vividly remember that it is Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest street in the world.
Most visitors to Argentina never miss going for the Tango Shows. I went to watch the show on two occasions paying USD50 for each show cum dinner. The elegant tango dancers could really perform tango in its essence accompanied by the great tango orchestra in a beautiful and romantic theater room.
To watch the best-known song from the musical Evita, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", being sung and acted as the show’s grand finale in Buenos Aires was the highlight of a memorable evening for me.
25 January 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Vivir para comer or comer para vivir?
Post 78 Live to eat or eat to live?
When I first visited Barcelona in 1996, I was told by my Spanish friend to ‘vivir para comer’ or live to eat; and not to ‘comer para vivir’ or eat to live. He said that Spanish cuisine comprises a variety of seafood easily available from the coastlines and countless unique cuisines served with one’s health in mind. The Spanish are adventurous with new recipes.
The Chinese cuisines are also well-known and highly popular in many parts of the world. The Chinese can cook any dish tailored to one’s wildest imagination. In the early 1990s, I was at the same table with a group of Americans at a dinner hosted by our mutual host in Lanzhou which is a prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China. The menu then included camel paws and other dishes which were too daunting for us to try. We became vegetarians for the evening.
Socrates, the Greek philosopher more than 2,000 years ago, however, believed
that "Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat." His advice implies that one should eat healthily to live and not just eat for the sake of eating.
Do you vivir para comer or comer para vivir?
18 January 2011
When I first visited Barcelona in 1996, I was told by my Spanish friend to ‘vivir para comer’ or live to eat; and not to ‘comer para vivir’ or eat to live. He said that Spanish cuisine comprises a variety of seafood easily available from the coastlines and countless unique cuisines served with one’s health in mind. The Spanish are adventurous with new recipes.
The Chinese cuisines are also well-known and highly popular in many parts of the world. The Chinese can cook any dish tailored to one’s wildest imagination. In the early 1990s, I was at the same table with a group of Americans at a dinner hosted by our mutual host in Lanzhou which is a prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China. The menu then included camel paws and other dishes which were too daunting for us to try. We became vegetarians for the evening.
Socrates, the Greek philosopher more than 2,000 years ago, however, believed
that "Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat." His advice implies that one should eat healthily to live and not just eat for the sake of eating.
Do you vivir para comer or comer para vivir?
18 January 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Weigh one's words
Post 77 To strike the right note
I attended a wedding dinner recently when the lady master of ceremony failed to strike the right note. Instead she sounded a false note that caused a great dent to her seemingly well-cultured character and an embarrassment to the discerning guests. Apparently she was not experienced enough to know that there are certain words of insinuation which should never be uttered, let alone at such a joyous grand occasion of which she anchored.
When one weighs one's words, one is careful with the choice of words in speaking or writing. A word well spoken at the right occasion and at the right time is ‘like apples of gold in settings of silver’. The linguistic skill of being able to use words appropriately, effectively, and imaginatively comes with reading widely and writing extensively.
When I was a little boy, I used to hear adults saying, “Children must be seen and not heard”! This is true if it helps to prevent children who do not weigh their words from innocently divulging a family secret in front of visiting guests and relatives.
11 January 2011
I attended a wedding dinner recently when the lady master of ceremony failed to strike the right note. Instead she sounded a false note that caused a great dent to her seemingly well-cultured character and an embarrassment to the discerning guests. Apparently she was not experienced enough to know that there are certain words of insinuation which should never be uttered, let alone at such a joyous grand occasion of which she anchored.
When one weighs one's words, one is careful with the choice of words in speaking or writing. A word well spoken at the right occasion and at the right time is ‘like apples of gold in settings of silver’. The linguistic skill of being able to use words appropriately, effectively, and imaginatively comes with reading widely and writing extensively.
When I was a little boy, I used to hear adults saying, “Children must be seen and not heard”! This is true if it helps to prevent children who do not weigh their words from innocently divulging a family secret in front of visiting guests and relatives.
11 January 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Gossip
Post 76 Grapevine
Grapevine is used to denote information or gossip, passed unofficially from person to person, that is difficult to trace. It starts and climbs in all directions like a grapevine. For example one may hear about the promotion of one’s colleague through the grapevine.
There is a Chinese idiom on roadside gossip. (dao ting tu shuo道听途说)
Two men, Ai Zi and Mao Kong, were gossiping. Mao told Ai, “There is a duck which has laid a hundred eggs in a day.” Ai did not believe and Mao said, “There could be two ducks.” When Ai still had doubt, Mao quickly added, “The eggs could possibly be laid by three ducks.” Mao topped up the number of ducks to ten but Ai still would not believe him.
Some time later, Mao told Ai, “A big slab of meat was dropped from the sky last month. It was 300 feet long and 200 feet wide.” Ai cast doubt on Mao who then said, “It was 200 feet long.” Again Ai did not believe him. When Mao said, “May be it was a hundred feet long”, Ai asked him, “Whose duck is it that laid the eggs?” Where did the meat fall?” Mao told Ai, “I heard them on the road from others.” Ai then told his accompanying students not to be like Mao who passed on roadside gossips.
The Chinese saying of “Rumours would stop at the wise” teaches us not to gossip.
4 January 2011
Grapevine is used to denote information or gossip, passed unofficially from person to person, that is difficult to trace. It starts and climbs in all directions like a grapevine. For example one may hear about the promotion of one’s colleague through the grapevine.
There is a Chinese idiom on roadside gossip. (dao ting tu shuo道听途说)
Two men, Ai Zi and Mao Kong, were gossiping. Mao told Ai, “There is a duck which has laid a hundred eggs in a day.” Ai did not believe and Mao said, “There could be two ducks.” When Ai still had doubt, Mao quickly added, “The eggs could possibly be laid by three ducks.” Mao topped up the number of ducks to ten but Ai still would not believe him.
Some time later, Mao told Ai, “A big slab of meat was dropped from the sky last month. It was 300 feet long and 200 feet wide.” Ai cast doubt on Mao who then said, “It was 200 feet long.” Again Ai did not believe him. When Mao said, “May be it was a hundred feet long”, Ai asked him, “Whose duck is it that laid the eggs?” Where did the meat fall?” Mao told Ai, “I heard them on the road from others.” Ai then told his accompanying students not to be like Mao who passed on roadside gossips.
The Chinese saying of “Rumours would stop at the wise” teaches us not to gossip.
4 January 2011
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