My Top 10 Blog Posts

There are pet peeves in life that can really get to my nerves, but on the other hand, gratitude - is generally how I feel about life in general and equally so -  how I feel about your support of my blog - alampy's space. 

However much I hate to have to announce this, I am going to be away for a much needed body repair work done.  And before I drag my bag of bones to the operation theatre where they knock me out for a good few hours, it is time to do the laziest blog post ever!! 

I have pulled out my 10 most-read blog posts from the past 6 months and listed them below, in order of popularity.  Feel free to have a bit of a munch during alampy's extended absence and perhaps you can amuse the would-be bedridden me by identifying your favourite piece.


Musings At A Cafeteria
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2011/11/musings-at-cafeteria.html

Angel of Love
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2012/01/angel-of-love.html

The Various Friendship Kinds
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2011/11/various-friendship-kinds.html

Small Things That Make You Smile
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2012/02/small-things-that-makes-you-smile.html

Met With AIDS Affected Orphans
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2012/02/met-with-aids-affected-orphans.html

Lucky To Have You Mom
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2011/10/lucky-to-have-you-mom.html

Have A Big Heart
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2012/01/have-big-heart.html

Blogging Is Graffiti With Punctuation?
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2011/09/blogging-is-graffiti-with-punctuation.html

Can't See Can Tee?
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2011/12/cant-see-can-tee.html

Just Like It Used To Be
http://alampy.blogspot.com/2012/02/just-like-it-used-to-be.html

Mardi Gras: The Famous Rugby Sevens

Every one of my friends currently binge drinking at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens claimed it has been a great weekend for them so far – even though the specifics are a bit hard to recall.

None of them I knew play rugby, nor do they know the game rules, yet for years, they have been enthusiasts for the annual mardi gras in Hong Kong.  

As they say though, if you can remember what happened at the Hong Kong Sevens, you probably weren't there!

I certainly wasn't there. 

I was...stuck in heavy traffic. 

Draw Something

When I was a kid, I loved to draw.  Alright, scribble - to be more precise. 

Then I got old and too busy and just never quite get back to the old self.

Then came a game named Pictionary - loved that. 

I think many of us have been through the above cycle and that probably explained how the latest No. 1 game on iOS and Android "Draw Something" got so popular.  


It has racked up 30 million downloads in just about 6 weeks, generated about 2 billion drawings and are exchanging pictures at a rate of 2,000 to 3,000 per second! 

I don't really consider that as a game really, as it does not have scores or leader boards, and players involved aren't actually competing against each other but playing in a cooperative manner rather.  And I think that - has played a major part in the immense success of Draw Something - emphasizing social interaction over some game mechanics.

You know what I think they should chuck in as well?  They should consider including an integrated chat (who cares if people use it for cheating), I mean most often than not, don't you feel you want to chat or express yourself after the guessing part?

The Typical Apple Arrogance

Consumers did not expect this.  It does not make any commercial sense either to launch a new product with snazzy features that cannot work in the market in which it is selling.

I am talking about the new Apple iPad, which was unveiled last week amid much exuberance.  The product hit this part of the world with razor-sharp text and images, among other cool features.

But here is the hitch:  the much-vaunted 4G tablet cannot hook up to 4G networks as the device is configured for different radio frequency bands used in the United States.

Just like Hong Kong, many Asia Pacific areas such as Singapore and Australia cannot enjoy the iPad's ultra-fast 4G capability due to different frequencies.  It can hook up with the 3G networks though but that is beside the point. 

It may seem strange that Apple has decided to launch a product with a feature that is incompatible with many markets.  No hardware manufacturer in its right mind would pull such a stunt, but then I guess Apple does not have to make sense, right?   

It has counted on, and can still count on die-hard fans to join snaking queues for the product because the brand has won the hearts of many consumers here and around the world - the typical Apple arrogance at work.

Queue seen forming 2 days before the sale started in Singapore.

I really enjoy Apple products, but the naming of this new one is kind of dumb, if I may say so.

My 4th iPhone 4

Hi readers, 

I am on my fourth iPhone 4 at the moment, believe it or not. 

The first iPhone 4 I purchased 1.5 years ago lasted several months until a battery defect overheated the hardware and would no longer hold a charge. The genius replacement iPhone 4 that I swapped out then, had a hardware microphone issue that I noticed only hours after leaving the store. The third kept crashing and just refused to talk to iTunes.  I am on my number four - going 2 days strong.

It has come to my attention that people who replaced their iPhones tend to go through numerous replacements whereas the rest of them still have a perfectly working original.  I mean it does make me ponder those like myself on our 3rd, 4th, 5th and so on iPhone, can't possibly have all the bad luck, right?   The rest of you seems to be suggesting that the problem could be with people rather than the phones.  

Anyhow, several things I learned from all these replacement exercise, in which you lucky people might not have otherwise discovered. 

1. Backing up data on a regular basis is absolutely essential
2. The AppleCare Protection Plan is definitely worth investing and
3. Decoding iPhone's unique serial number

Point no. 1 and 2 are self-explanatory.  Point no. 3 is quite interesting.  

Every unit comes with a 11-digit serial number and it contains vital information of where and when the unit was manufactured.

aabccdddeef

aa = Factory and Machine ID
b = Year
cc = Production Week
ddd = Unique Identifier
ee = Color (A4=black)
f = size (S=16GB, T=32GB)

So for my replacement unit - reads a black iPhone 4 with 16GB - produced in week 52 of 2011.


Go check yours now! 

Cat And Router

As any owner will testify, cats will nap on virtually any warm spot around the house and treat it as their personal property.

There's this man who lives in England and has a cat at home.  His cat insisted on sleeping on his wireless router for hours, frequently knocking the aerial with her tail, crashing his internet connection.   The very annoyed owner made a joke about it and posted details and a photo of his problem on a discussion forum on the website of his Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Guess what happened next?

No, the cat didn't understand what his owner typed online (that would be quite an eerie story).

And no, the cat didn't compromise from then on either (they never ever do). 


Here is what happened.  The ISP responded to the post and offered a rather plausible solution.

They sent the miserable user a new router, which he plugged in next to the one his cat was so fond of.  In return, the ISP requested some form of proof that this is not a made up story and hence asked the user to send them more cute pictures of the aggressor!  

This is quite a customer service and quite a solution too - probably until the cat figures out she's no longer able to directly intervene with the internet, peace shall prevail. 

Suffering the same problem at home, are you?  Have a go at your local ISP and see if they would do the same for you.  You don't try, you don't know!

Small Things That Make You Smile

Every now and again, I see those small things that would make me smirk, things such as: elderly holding hands, the ability to make a friend to actually laugh out loud (not LOL) because it's pretty cute to see her laugh, heard jokes that aren't funny but are funny for that reason.  Even things like...it started raining just before I fell asleep.  Things like that.

Recently, a friend of mine told me a real story of two toddlers (age 4 and 3), a pair of lovey dovey seen walking down the street, holding hands tightly.  The elder boy led the way, the younger girl just willingly followed whenever he went.  At one point, the boy heard his mother yelled, 

"James, you are looking a bit hot, please take off your jacket".  

James looked at her mother, then looked at the girl next to him, clinging tightly to his hand, James appeared terribly confused.  The next minute, he looked at the girl in the eye and told her something unbelievably genteel.  

"Hayley, I have to take off my jacket now and I am going to have to let go of your hand for a minute".  

Before the girl could even respond to any of that, the boy continued,

"But don't worry, I will hold your hand again afterward".  

Hayley happily let go of his trustworthy hand, James took off his jacket and quickly return to Hayley's! 

Enjoy life's sweet little tidbits.  Share as often as you can too, if your will permits.

Just Like It Used To Be

We can get attached to people, things and places, you know...the tangible stuff. 

One can also get attached to feelings too if you care to admit.  

I do.  I would deliberately take a journey down memory lane and revisit places where I once belong, just to recollect.  I went back to a frequently-visited coffee house near my old office today, in search of something, a feeling rather.

It has been ages since I last stepped feet there - a spot where I used to watch people, hear politics talking, a station for reminiscing and bonding during my lunch hour get-away.  And today, I went back to purposefully look for Francis - the shop manager - whom we have become friends after a friendly bash regarding their appalling services years ago.

Good old Francis still remembers my name despite my sudden disappearance without bidding farewell.  Delighted to see me, I was welcomed from afar as soon as I approached the counter.  Not only did the lovely drink smells of wondrous gold and prepared just how I wanted it, a complimentary cake was thrown in for us mortals as well.

The lunch hour stretched long into the next hour without me noticing.  As if time has stood still.  

Everything is just like it used to be, but only better!  

They Certainly Didn't Teach Us That At School

As I was looking at the maps that spread across my dining table the other day when trying to pin down places I want to go in my next vacation, I thought, "wouldn't it be nice if there was a map of life" that could sort of guide us along our life's journey?

We do have to resign to the fact that things in life do not often go as planned despite our best intentions.  The thing is, our life has a way of teaching us lessons that we would never have learned otherwise.  Yup.  Definitely not learnt in school.   Some of life's lessons, unfortunately we would rather not have and some of what we learned we wish we never had to. 

If life were predictable and always within our grasps, we will never grow.  The solace is, we can choose to learn and grow from whatever life teaches us, no matter what! 

It is okay to look back once and a while and visit "pity city" for a short stay, but we have to leave it all behind and walk on without fearing the unknown before us. 

It's easier said than done no doubt, but hang in there my friend.  And don't forget you have all of us who supports you and your family on your life's uphill, downhill journeys in which we have all benefited so much from being part of the bandwagon.  We learned miracles can happen every now and then as well - as a MERCIFUL thrown-in bonus! 

Add oil - as we all like to say !

Double Standards

You disrespect that woman who has just jumped your queue and hopped on to what ought to be your taxi.

You disapproved your husband when he can't be swift enough to grab one when you were standing outside the shopping mall with an armful of shopping.

You looked down on those kids and questioned how they were brought up when none of them gave up their seats when an elderly boarded the train.

You didn't want your own kid to give up her seat after thinking how heavy her school bag was and what thought to be a long day for her at school. 

If your girlfriend asked you for a back rub and you said no, you are being termed as a real ***hole unless you have a very pressing matter you have to attend to.  You automatically assumed that by this logic, the same rule would apply both ways.  If you are an ***hole for not providing her with a manual release of tension, obviously, she would also be one if she turned you down when you asked for a manual release of tension.


I am of course just saying these hypothetically here to make you laugh (and think hopefully) but as you can easily imagine, the list can go on and on.

We are all human being and human being are flawed - understandably.

We finger-point at people, forgetting when we do so, we actually have 3 fingers pointing to ourselves!

Therefore, next time when throwing stones and boiling tar, make sure lest you get stoned and sticky yourself.

J.Edgar: Best Picture Nominee?

Do you agree that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has pretty much been a staple in our list of TV drama series growing up?   


For me, it started with Twin Peaks in the 90s, followed by X-Files, then more recently, Without A Trace, Criminal Minds, just a few on the top of my head.  If you have been glued and been vastly interested with any of these just like me, not only proved that you are my age, you have one person to thank.  

He is J.Edgar - you can call him the first ever FBI Agent who founded the whole institution in the 1930s. 

Played by Leonardo DiCaprio, the movie gave us a look at the man right up to old age.  After watching it, you will then understand the popularity of detective stories all began from him, who took an active interest in ensuring his bureau was not only well-represented in the media, but that the FBI was depicted in a heroic manner in all instances.

So, is the movie worth a look?  Certainly.

Being a bit of a geek in secret agents and with DiCaprio starring, Judy Dench in it, make this movie a must-watch for me.  A good take-away, is to try your best to ignore the very awful makeup during the 2 hours+ screen-play.  Their makeup artists have somehow managed to totally mess up the looks of the elderly version of not one but everyone.  In return, you might be surprised to get a rather touching love story mixed in, which sort of, balanced it out!

Met With AIDS Affected Orphans

I first came across Chi Heng Foundation (CHF) 2 years ago and have been extremely touched by their charitable aim in trying to help children in the rural part of mainland China who have at least one parent who is living with or has died of HIV/AIDS.

Before that, I always thought helping other people or any charitable institution for that matter would cost me a lot - financially, but very soon, I came to realise lending a hand to those who are in need doesn't have to be expensive at all. 

Today, I have been given a golden chance to meet with a few of the orphans - in which I regard as a great new year present to myself.

Back in the 90s, a blood donation tragedy occurred in China resulting in almost a million people in Henan province alone, being infected with AIDS. Now there are hundreds of thousands of AIDS orphans and Judy is one of them, whom I have spent most of the time today chatting with. 

He grew up in a small village in Henan province and his parents got infected with AIDS and Judy lost them since very young age.  Life after that for him, long story short, has been nothing but miserable.

Talking to him reflected how fortunate my life has been, but the most delightful thing was to be able to hear him speak of his own story of transformation.  How a boy who struggled to hold his head up has now become a university graduate (thanks to CHF's sponsorship).  He is all ready to earn a buck or two as an engineer, but he would rather deploy wisdom in action and help the underprivileged.

I have full respect for this youngster who is full of positivity and energy.  It is things like this which reminded us just how strong we really can be.  We were given this life because we are strong enough to live it.  

As Kelly Clarkson's new song says,


"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,
stand a little taller,
doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone."


So...do what you can, when you can!

Words Just Came Out Wrong

I thought I had a bad start at work today.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that my morning was one big mess, but very soon, I realised it was nothing as bad as what you guys have been through.

In my self-centred world I have ignored the vague hints that I should have called you earlier or something.  I decided to write a line or two in here to express my regrets.  I was looking for the answers and searching for the truth, which didn't even come close to expressing what I wanted the lines to be.

And when that moment came, the moment when we met, all words just came out so spectacularly wrong. 

Has anyone any faintest idea what I am talking about? 

Some say silence is golden.  Others say tears are words the heart can't express.  I don't even have tears run down, but rest assured that you are in our thoughts - always. 



 

Cafe Loisl - A Unique Find

Living in this concrete jungle in Hong Kong can be intense, but there are definitely ways to escape without leaving.

Greeted by European in decor with dark wooden furnishing, fitted with round marble tables, black and white tiled floors, and with one of the oldest newspapers in the world - Wiener Zeitung hanging on the wall, for a split moment, I could really imagine myself in a little cafe in Austria.  

Veering between needing my caffeine fix and bewilderment on a crisp morning, I went ahead and ordered an Einspanner, which consists of 2 shots of espresso with rich and thick whipped cream relaxingly lounged on the top.  They definitely know their craft and I promised the lady owner, Sirkka (during my last visit), that I will blog about this surprisingly authentic rendition here when I returned to the real world!  Well, it took me a little longer than that and in between, I have already visited them thrice!

Sirkka, a foreign yet pretty name to me, is apparently quite a common Finish name. Her husband and herself are seriously passionate about coffee drinking and they knew it is not easy to find such a quaint locale in the bustling city of Hong Kong and the lack of it prompted them to open this Viennese coffee house.   

Sirrka was able to expound at great length on the various coffees available in the city (abbreviated summary: there is no other good coffee available in the city).  Not only was I fed with excellent coffee, I learned that European coffee culture originated from nowhere but Vienna.

Legend has it that in the summer of 1683, bound by a treaty with Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I against the Turks, the King of Poland led about 75,000 men to victory against the Turkish army that had for two months lain seige to Vienna.  The defeated Turks left behind bags of coffee beans which, upon advice of a spy, the Viennese then roasted. 

Thus, from the spoils of battle arose one of the greatest glories of - the Viennese coffee house, where even today citizen and tourists take their ease and restore themselves with gossip or solitude, newspapers, excellent coffee, and superlative pastries.

Cafe Loisl is a wonderful, unique find, pack full of character - a highly recommended coffee place.

The moment you step onto the small front terrace, I assure you can easily stay there all day and watch the time goes away.

Acquired Taste

I vaguely remember I used to absolutely hate coffee, veered away from spicy food, and never really enjoy binge drinking beer.  I am looking at my diet this week and observed where I stand right now.  All I can say is, I love them all.  Also, it used to all taste the same to me, but now I can tell the difference. 

Yup.  That definitely comes with age (along with the accumulating fat). 


As far as fat (I mean taste) is concerned, it definitely can be acquired.  I know personally for example, my first exposure to beer was in college and it was the typical crappy beer. I hated it of course but then you tend to act cool along with your peers so I would often be seen gobbling lager fairly quickly showing off!  Stupid move no doubt, because that was when they quickly handed you with a second pint!

Further down the road, I discovered just how many different varieties of beer there are in this wonderful world we are living in and found a few that I genuinely like and have stuck with them since.  Right now, needless to say is, quality vs. quantity (again, comes with age).

Same with coffee.  I remember working on the acquisition for the first few years I started work, the dreadful deal just didn’t go through.  Man it tasted bad, how can people take it in like water, I had no idea!   To me it was the strong association with wakefulness, alertness and productivity that got me gradually started.  Thanks to the over time and the burning midnight oils, these associations have caused myself to first be tolerant of caffeine and now actively can't quite live a day without.

Nowadays, it is also the association of coffee with a certain lifestyle, and realistically - I would say it is the "escape" moments in life which you so look forward to every now and then which created the need for it. It is also perhaps the pleasant company that you often have when having a cuppa which perfected the splendid acquisition.


I was curious what sort of "tastes" others have acquired and went around asking a few of my friends.  I have a few more to add to the list actually - Vegemite is definitively one and...along the line of non-food category, golfing pops up, crying babies can qualify and, interestingly, living alone per say, can be another! 

Can you think of anything else?

Angel Of Love

You see an angel if someone picks an eyelash off your face. Simply because they don't want you to be seen looking like a fool. They notice these things because they really pay attention and are the first to notice if something is amiss with your beautiful visage!

You have just found yourself an angel if they don't mind running errands for you or cleaning up your messy apartment, or if they can order your food without having to be told what you want.

Somebody loves you like an angel if they don't mind the quietness in the air.

"Hey baby. I think I like you okay. Do you wanna grab lunch together? I think we have just enough to talk about to fill two hours!"

That's not love.

Somebody loves you if they don't care about how much or how little money you earn. It is a relationship where no one is selling something to the other.  No one is the prostitute.

Somebody loves you if they assume the role of caretaker when you are sick. And depending on what they say to you, you will know how much they care about your well-being.

"That is terrible. I hope you will feel better soon!" - earns you a stay in friendship jail;

"Do you need anything? I can come over and bring you get well remedies!" - gets you a cozy friendship suite.


Somebody will always love you and be your angel of love.   If you don't think this is true, then you are probably not paying close enough attention to the people around you.

 

This Time Last Year

I wish I could be more forward-looking but do you sometimes want to recall where you were and what you were doing at this time last year?  I do.  And how I wish I was more like Anne Frank who didn't seem to have a problem keeping a diary as a daily ritual. 

I can no doubt refer to the electronic version of my memory keeper but that's not what I really want. Until I found this one line a day: a five-year memory book! 

This 365 daily entries appear five times on each page, allowing users to revisit previous thoughts and memories over five years as they return to each page to record the current day's events. Nothing comes neater than that.

I highly suggest this to anyone who has always wanted to keep a diary but somehow cannot seem to stick with it. I also love the fact that each year you can look back and see what you were doing on that exact day the year before.

There is no pressure on this page to be absolutely brilliant, or to prove that every day was an amazingly life-changing day in order to make it worth jotting in your diary.   A line or two suffice and looks like keeping a diary won't be that off-putting from 2012. 

Have A Big Heart

I watched a documentary recently about blood donors and receivers.  It illustrated blood supply and demand are not always in balance and showed how some people, even with heaps of money, wouldn't have been fortunate enough to live an extra day without these selfless blood donors around. 

We all know how great it feels to do something you enjoy and have people appreciate it, even if you are not getting paid for it. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not to say you should give in order to get.  But if you think about it, the moment you put in more wood in a fire place, the fire will give off more warmth.  Give and give and you will surely receive.  Perfectly fine if you don't, but just don't be surprised when we look back on to our lives at some point and found out - it has been nothing but ash. 

Don't go set off a fire now.  I can suggest you with something less drastic to start with, such as - giving blood!   

Happy New Year + 6 Days!

Six days into the new year and it seems everybody has a plan for 2012.  A fresh, dazzling plan for the sparkling New Year. Splendid.  

What about me?  Do I have a plan? 

I do in fact. 

The idea popped up when the clock stroke 12 at midnight hour on new year day.  That was when everybody was furiously trying to get online, sending messages in Whatsapp and what not, only to find out hours later that none of the messages you intended to send got sent!  I then realised the majority of us forgot something very fundamental - hardly anyone cared to pick up the phone that minute and do the "I just call to say I love you" thing!  

Remember a few years back when we all tried to get through the line on the dot, trying hard to impress that special someone?  Well, my sis and I dialled home to our folks on that smashing first minute of the year and the line wasn't jammed at all.

It's never too late to do it now, I mean, it's only 6 days into the new year.  To attend to those you love, you don't absolutely need a reason to call them, really.  

We all know what to do from now on, don't we?  Just what ARE you waiting for?

At this very moment for me though, it is definitely about time to detox after the excesses of December.  During hibernation, I realised with introspection not being a strong suit, I shall not attempt making any New Year resolutions.  Not for real-life, and not for blogging-life.

Same old, same old.  You readers deserve much more than that, so please keep your arms and legs in the cart at all times and remain seated until the train has come to a complete stop.  Hang on. Alampy shall continue.   

Wish you all health and happiness throughout the year!  

Wrapping Up

2011 is drawing to a close, and that means it is time for me to gaze back into the past year and see how I flair with my 2011.  What better tool than Facebook when all one needs to do is to go back to one's wall and it chronologically flashes back the year in review for you just like that.  It boils down to a few things it does.
      

My year started off with a surprise birthday party of a lifetime and ended with an enjoyable month-long vacation.  That just about sums it up nicely doesn't it?  And in between, I have been on snowy land, burnt like a lobster, witnessed the autumn foliage and cruised sandy deserts. Simply can't ask for more. 

The greatest achievement of all time has to be the success of conquering the fear of heights.  No more sweaty palms as such when I stood tall in the world's tallest buildings.  The fact that I was invited to be the editor for my friend's book has been the most honourable thing I have engaged myself in.  Producing blog posts on a regular basis becomes quite a chore but I am glad blogging remains purposefully fun and that my readership has doubled compared to the year before.  Oh...and by the way I managed to change my favourite password "letmein" to something less predictable!!

On the less glorious ground, I have played numerous games of golf and still struggling to find the sweet spot! Wore killer dress which barely fit and managed to trot with a pair of 3-inch heels on for an entire night - now that's a record.   Reunited with some friends whom I haven't met for two decades and realised just how old I really am.  My alcohol tolerance level has also been an obvious aging indicator of mine throughout the year, which reminds me - I am not to embarrass myself any more in front of anyone in the coming year - I promise.

Thank you for sticking with me and lent me your generous support when I was most in need of constructive advice (you know who you are).    I am super-duperly grateful to the year, granted with good health, great food, surrounded by ultra kindliness and that I have friends and family around always to share life's little treasures with.

Before I sign off, I would like to wish you all a happy and prosperous new year of the invincible Dragon!  Cheers!

What's Worth Going Under The Knife For?

Here is a disturbing trend: Between 1996 and 2010 the number of teenagers aged 13-19 having elective cosmetic surgery has increased by 548%.  From around 14,000 procedures to 76,841 last year, according to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

I was most perplexed to read news about some parents offering their kids bigger eyes and larger breasts as Christmas gifts!  Our society is fast becoming a cookie cutter and not one person has a unique image.

Instead of the pure obsession with breast augmentations, can we ask for a bigger soul to love each other?

Instead of the sheer hollowness in eye enlargements, would anyone care to ask for a widening in horizons?

We are all making a list and checking it twice.  Gonna find out who's stupid and wise!

Can't See Can Tee?

Hit the driving range this morning, bored the daylight out of me and got distracted by this golfer in front. 


He was consistently hitting the sweetest sweet spot annoying everybody and I soon came to realise - he's blind!

Yes.  Blind as in visually impaired and can't see.

I am blind too, I mean, 1) I can't see the words on his t-shirt until much later.  2) I kept miss hitting the ball.  I MUST be blind!

He has this coach next to him who, prior to his every stroke, assisted in describing distance, direction and helped with club head alignment behind the ball.  From this point, the man was pretty much on his own.


This person in front couldn't see, yet he was hitting perfect shots. 

The person behind him can see, yet hers was all over the place. 

A valuable lesson learnt today - golf IS for anyone who wishes to play.  

When there's a will, there's a way.   

I Love Golf. I Love It Not. Love It. Not

I sometimes wonder how much I actually love playing golf - a game which essentially means focusing to wack a white ball into a 3-inch hole using different sticks!  And then repeat 18 times of that, which easily takes up half a day. 

For the numerous sports I have endured, I think it is safe to conclude I loathe golf.  There's nothing more depressing than playing a terrible round of golf in which you were really excited about. 

The harder I wanted to hit good shots and shoot for lower scores, the worse I played.  The problem was, no matter what method or gimmick you tried, no matter how much money you spent on clubs and lessons, no matter how much you practised, you still missed a shot or two at worse, sliced and hooked at best!   

Most frustrating.

And yet do you know what frustrates me even more?  It is the fact that I don't want to give up! 

Reason being: I just can't quite get myself to accept I am never going to be good at hitting a tiny ball and see it flying in the air over a long stretch of field, calling penalties on myself every now and then, before it finally goes into a hole!

Even typing this out makes this sports sound like something ridiculous.  There you go...an entire post devoted to the hatred of golf!

I know this is reading more like a whiny diary entry than one of my normal blogs but I have a feeling every golfer has been here before.  I just need to get it out of my head, it probably wont repeat.

Vacation To-Do-List

Over dinner, my father was asking me what I plan to do for my upcoming long vacation.


I thought I had it all figured out and I happily told him the list of things I have planned for, the people I am meeting and the places I am heading to. 


"A whole lot of planning goes into this time of year, kid.  Why not put yourself on that list of things as well?"  

Right.  Point taken.

It's like what they say in the safety demonstrations on plane rides. 

"Please place your oxygen mask on yourself before you tend to your child."

To-do-list No. 1: An invigorating full body massage tomorrow is in order!

Feet On The Ground, Head In The Cloud

My home PC went on strike the other night, where the blue WordPerfect 5.1 screen of death got me down and missing DLL files made me frown.

I did the requisite rain dance but things were still wonky.  Panic attack led me to believe it was time for some extreme action - either reboot and reinstall Windows or...perhaps look into switching OS. 

I also took the opportunity to tap into what the world is buzzing about - cloud computing. 

I think so far, the best part of cloud computing has been that wonderful use of the word "cloud". 

Telling users their data is in the cloud is like telling a kid his dog has gone to -  doggie heaven. You and I know there is no doggie heaven as such and likewise, your data isn't floating in a cloud so to speak.  It is in fact, residing in a datacentre somewhere in a rural part of the world.
 

Honestly, none of that cloudy concept is new.  Think Hotmail, your Blog, your Facebook.  All of them aren't stored in your local hard drive, but are accessed by an umbilical cord linked to the internet.  How new is that?  But somehow it became ever so cool when Apple does it with the introduction of iCloud.

With iCloud, I can keep all devices on the same page with all my stuff. Take a photo on my iPhone and the photo got shot up to doggie heaven cloud and then rain falls back down into my iPad and whatever else I have as long as it's - made by Apple.

The trend is basically saying, as more and more of our data evaporates off our hard drive and ascend into doggie heaven, Steve Jobs up there will get more control over us.

I suppose a lot us will like to have it both ways i.e. feet on the ground, head in the cloud.  Down the line though, we may be forced to decide: If I can totally trust doggie heaven / Steve Jobs in heaven, does it mean I can demote my home PC entirely?

Simple (Is) Better

Just as Chinese characters have a traditional and a simplified version, I discovered the same applies to good old conversational English!

Let's compare the Queen's English with some Singaporean English (Singlish), which I came to master.


Briton : Hello, my name is Bond.  James Bond.  Did anyone call for me a few moments ago?

Singaporean : Hello, who called?


Briton : I beg your pardon Sir, but we don't seem to have what you are looking for.  If you could just bear with me for a moment, I can certainly call another outlet of ours and run a check.

Singaporean : Wait ah...I check for you.

Briton : Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door?

Singaporean : Can pass or not?

Briton : What do you propose we do before dinner?

Singaporean : So how?

Briton : Hey, put your wallet away, the drink is on me.

Singaporean : No need lah.

Briton : I am terribly sorry, I could have said so earlier if circumstances allowed that.

Singaporean : Aiya, I would say so if I could leh.

Briton : Under no circumstances you are allowed to cheat

Singaporean  :  You die die can't cheat one.


A Singaporean will tell you "Simple better".  Let's put aside the grammatical context of that two-word sentence (didn't know a sentence can be that short for a starter)!

Exactly.  That on its own, forms a brilliant demonstration of the sheer efficiency and effectiveness of communicating with the astonishing - Singlish!

Simplifying A Classic Mathematical Problem

A decadent box of chocolates adorned the living room.  

When Audrey saw it, she couldn't resist and ate 1/6 of the box.
Then along came Betty who refused to admit she ate 1/5 of what Audrey has left in the box.
Hungry Benson arrived, took out 1/4 of the chocolates that remained.
Later that day, Mandy happily finished off 1/3 of the remaining.
By the time I returned home, I managed to have 1/2 of what was left.
When my sister Amy discovered the delicacy (much later), only 4 pieces were scattered inside the box.

Just what did Audrey manage to have?

Apart from a clogged brain, she might have...Diabetes! 

LOL

You Are The Apple Of My Eye

I first came across this idiom from Stevie Wonder's song "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"...its lyrics goes like this...

You are the sunshine of my life. That's why I'll always be around.
You are the apple of my eye. Forever you'll stay in my heart.


It means someone pleasantly sweet and of great worth, whom you cherish above all others.  Just like our eyesight.  It is so precious, if someone is called this as an endearment - is deemed equally precious.

They don't seem to write flowery songs like this now, do they?  And I wonder why. 

What is it that gives the great ballads their special feel and flavour that kept us playing the oldies over and over?

Call me old-fashioned but I am thinking there was something much more nuanced and subtle alive in the music world back then, harmony-wise, lyrics-wise and in many ways I struggle to describe.

May be...gone were those days.  

It is awesome to have movie like this one, which steers us to reminisce the old, revalue the current and relive what comes in future.   

Email Etiquette

I come across this a lot at work: 

It is my job to respond to emails because some people expect an immediate response via email, even though it is not seemingly urgent. 
 
What a sad state of affairs - we have all become professional email responders, haven't we?  

Realistically, it is essential that we respond to emails but I never think email should be considered as an "immediate response" type of tool in a matter of urgency when you have something called IM, which denotes "Instant Messaging" and that's exactly what it is there for.  Alternatively, we can simply call the party by picking up the good old tool called a "desk phone"  - which probably has been taking up a corner of your desk collecting dust as we speak. 

You don't sit in front of your mailbox waiting for mail to arrive.  You will go fetch it when you can, deal with it in your own time and you are not going to let the pile of mails upset you when you see them.  Why should we treat emails any differently?

Hello...I hope we don't have to slap ourselves every now and then to remind us we are humans and that we are capable of dealing with things such as...electronic mails.  

The Various Friendship Kinds

Have you ever think of the many different types of friends we can have. 

There are those who you deal with only on a professional level where professional and business etiquette must be practiced.

There are those party friends who you would immediately think of when you want some bit of fun and that they are great to be hanging out with.

There will always be some which seem to have a solution for just about everything...Some zen friends who are permanently non-stress, do you have some of those?

Some, you would only think of when your bank balance is fast depleting and you needed someone to pay your dinner bills.  Then on the other hand, there will be some who will only pop up when they want to ask you for some favours. 

Some are hard to catch, they are almost always never there when you called but then you haven't quite given up on them just yet.

There are of course some buddies whom you grow old with, that you know each other so well that you can share the most intimate hair (I meant fears) and sentiments with.

There are also those special kinds that you think of from time to time, but never have the gut to pick up the phone and call.  Whose voices you so long to hear, opportunity presents itself every now and then but you just never quite grasp the chances on time for a meet up.  

Some, how ever distant they are, they will never be forgotten. 


To me, friendship is a relationship where both individuals can have a great time together, with whom there are less ego fights, with whom I can have open conversations, and who will prove loyal.  

No one is perfect, including me, and so no relationship can ever be perfect.  And, to tell you the truth, I’m pretty weird,  so it would be highly unlikely that I can meet my exact duplicate on this earth! 

So I took a moment to appreciate all my friends, no matter which way they come to me, or how long they stay. We only get to stick around on this earth a short while so...make the most of it.

Siri-ously Speaking

Purely out of curiosity, I can't wait to grab hold of Siri - iPhone 4S's latest voice-recognition personal assistant - who, according to Apple, is able to tell your wife that you are running late, or send a note to your friend.  


Hypothetically, Siri does what you say, finds the information you need, then answers you just like you are having a normal conversation with a human but this time with a device - the iPhone.

Right...exciting as it may sound, don't think your wife will be particularly impressed with that when you have the time to ask for help from Siri personally but don't have the time to tell her yourself that you are running late!


Then you might try instructing Siri to send a note of apology to your wife.  Sounds viable too but, how impersonal will that make you, seriously?


What happened to the "I just call to say I love you" era?  

Musings At A Cafeteria

I was observing each and every passerby while sipping my coffee alone on a fine autumn day.  There was just me and another woman in the cafe - on a quiet Saturday morning. 

A gentleman decided to join us, he ordered his coffee and sat right across me.  He looked at the woman sitting opposite him and admired her legs which had tasteful black tights on heels.   Nice calves, he thought.  Then he moved on towards her chest.  She was wearing a white silk blouse buttoned part way up.  Nice rack, he mused. 

This was the time when the man looked around, mindful that a man his age shouldn't be staring at a young woman for long.  He probably didn't think I noticed him and so he returned his gaze to this woman - whom at the time, was feverishly punching the keys of her iPhone. 

That woman shifted in her seat and her bosoms swayed.  They are definitely real, he thought, a smile creeping up on his face.  The fake ones don't jiggle like that, he reasoned.   What he didn't realise before I did, was that he had tilted his coffee cup and his coffee was spilled all over the table and started dripping on his pants!

Why men are so boobs-crazy, I have no idea.   

Staining Whites

Red wine, coffee, chocolate - all good things until they land on your favourite white blouse or jeans.

I spill all the time.  I am particularly aware of that situation whenever I am on light-coloured clothing.  No matter how careful I am whenever I eat or drink, I still manage to stain clothes on a regular basis.  Please tell me I am not alone!

White clothing tends to transcend the trends don't they?   Well, not any more as I have found this instant stain remover "Tide To Go" in the size of a marker pen that has worked wonders.

We know we don't want to let that stain get too comfortable and the best chance of getting it out is to tackle it as soon as it happened.  I have applied the product as soon as I noticed the stain, and even if I can’t completely remove the grime, the pre-op made it much easier to remove before it made its way to a washing machine.

I've tried it.  The security it provides is worth the extra space in my handbag.

Interesting Auto-Replies

I know I have not been blogging in the last few weeks and people are getting tired of seeing my auto-reply with my extended absence.  I have just got to say that I also get to read some pretty interesting auto-replies lately.   


A colleague responded to my email with an auto-reply that says something in the tune of: 


“I’m traveling to xyz and I’m not available to answer your message at the mo. Don’t be offended as I am not even reading mail from my family members!”

Classic.


In my very humble opinion, this is just not acceptable.  I mean, what could these people possibly be doing that necessitates ignoring their family members like that?  What's more, it was just plain stupid outlying the fact to the recipients your lower than low prioritising skills, isn't it?

Family members are only with us for a short time on earth.  It’s a cliché.  
Somehow people just don’t get it.  


At the end of your life, will you regret not working more or not being there for your loved ones more?

The Amazing Colours Of The Fall

The red maple leaf, whether on a tree or on the Canadian flag, seems to to have grown to become synonymous with the Canadian nation.

 

The changing fall foliage never fails to delight me.  As my friend and I were marvelling the nature's beauty in the land of Maples, I can't help but wonder how maple leaves turn red and where and when the vibrant yellow and orange will help herald a change of season from summer to fall.

So this is how - bringing you back to a bit of grade 8 horticulture biology. 


When winter days are short and dry, many plants stop making nutrients and the chlorophyll in them which gives the leaves the green colour goes away.  That is how orange and yellow emerge.  These colours have always been in the leaves all summer just that the green has them covered up.  Some leaves turn red and this colour is only made in the fall from the nutrition trapped whereas brown colours basically come from wastes left in the leaves.


After a wonderful week of nice warm temperatures, fall is slowly making its way here.  One of my favourite things about this season is feeling the cool but warm breeze on my face in the afternoon or right before the sun is setting.  

The chill is definitely in the air now, with it comes shorter days and the promise of Thanksgiving and Halloween right around the corner, which means Christmas won't be too far fetched too.

There really is nothing quite matches the anticipation of autumn after a hot summer.  Consider yourself fortunate if you are living in one of the temperate zones on earth where you get Autumn.  Let's enjoy a season filled with change.