What A Brilliant Life

I thought my life is brilliant because...

I tend to wake up when the Sun wakes up and I have no complaints about that.

I have just left a job that was envy to many and soon entering the kind of business, which again is - envy to many.

Lately what goes in my calendar appointments are generally meals instead of meetings.

I thought my life is brilliant because...

What I have in my to-do-list right now, consists of things from watering my sis' plants next door every other day, to registering online for an iPhone 5 daily until they decide to grant me a purchase ticket!
  

My life is brilliant still, with a 2-year old iPhone 4 (iOS 6) by the way.

And someone asked this lady of leisure nicely to be a lecturer.  

Did I hear myself correctly?  I think I did.  

I admire what teachers do, I do.  They all seem to have this fascinating will to make students behave and incent them to learn which, to me, are just beyond plain respectful.  I don't think I can do that, ever.  

Nonetheless, I can probably just about handle being a guest speaker in the form of a stand-up comedian, delivering course materials every now and then.  No problem.  

My life is brilliant not because I have the ability to buy a meal or purchase a commodity but because I have the ability AND opportunity to share my life-long learning with people I care and hopefully make a positive impact.   

I am sure your life is brilliant too, if in doubt, read this to yourself:  The world is your classroom, each day is a lesson and every one you meet is your teacher. 

Brit's Witty Sense of Humour

It's always good to have a bit of a giggle and I feel the Brit's witty sense of humour is the best. 

Here's a little tweet on Twitter earlier: 

"Woman gives birth on London Underground, considers naming the child accordingly. Thankfully the station was Kingsbury and not Elephant and Castle."



Tweets which followed 
(obviously raised by non-Brits): 


How could a woman give birth "on" London if she is underground?

Is the funny part that London is underground? It isn't, right? I mean London isn't, right?

Why would anyone name a kid "Accordingly"?  I don't get it.

I don't get the elephant in the castle part. It just doesn't make sense.

---------

If you are laughing your arse off, welcome on board.

When Love Met Hate in Causeway Bay

When Love met Hate in Causeway Bay,
It was on a normal Sunday.
As each had always gone their own way,
Never crossed at each other till this day.

Love says she wants the day to be a shopping day .
Hate says he is tired and would rather lay.
Love suggests starting off with a nice stroll on the bay.
Hate hesitates but drags his lazy bum out anyway.

Taxi can't enter the area as there are protesters in the way .
Love can't wait, gets off straight away.
Hate chases out, forgets to pay.
Taxi driver goes so mad shouts "Hey".

Queues are everywhere on this very hot day .
You queue for lifts, queue to pay.
Baby little steps from IKEA to SOGO in Causeway Bay,
You wonder how you can wind up in dismay.

How about something to munch Hate says?
Love wants to go crazy shopping foremost she says.
Where's the leisurely stroll, by the way?
Oh yes but you know Victoria Park is hell on a Sunday.

Hate hates it when Love betrays .
Nevermind he takes it easy on this rest day.
At least I get to buy myself a drink if I may?
Sure, grab one for me on the way.

Gucc says no drinks allowed as hate enters the wrong way .
Hate thinks he just saw a main-lander smoking hay?!
Chane staff scans you like an X-ray,
While Louis just have no space for us to land and stay.

It was madness Hate says.
Let's get out of The Lee Gardens if we may.
How about Times Square or Hysan Place, just a short stay?
Hate replies, he's calling it a day.

Fast Food Pairing?

I do try to lead a healthy life, I do.  Occasionally I would climb up the stairs when taking an escalator - it's a form of exercise too, right?

Anyway, there's always temptations around. 

I stumbled upon this ad online and it was from Burger King in the States and I couldn't believe it was for real. 

 
Take a look at what's written underneath the Coke:

"Real full bodied taste with a refreshing bubbly finish, pairs well with a Whopper."

Pairing food with soda and that's so going to class the place up?  You're kidding me.  
 

And look at what Dr. Pepper has to say:

"23 fruity flavors, give it a pop, pairs well with BK Double Stacker."

I say if you are going to have a Double Stacker, you should really be pairing with a doctor!

Hilarious! 

Having said that, in a world where consumers have been conditioned to ignore thousands of marketing messages a day, I have to say, this was a good one.
 

The Party Line

My friends told me I am a great event organiser.  Great is it because it's a job that everyone loathes and I happen to love it? Or because I really am good at it, I wonder. 

I think anything you performed over a hundred times - you are bound to be good at it. Practice makes perfect they say.  

So I have this friend whom I have been organising her birthday parties for the last three years. From guest invitation, taking care of RSVPs, to the logistics and the nitty gritty stuff like how many candles should be placed on the cake!

In 2010 - the year she had her first daughter borned, she requested the birthday party to be a get-away from the baby talks and nappies, strictly "adults only".  Absolutely fine with me and I remembered we had a fun time apart from some who went panicking because they parted with their kids for 2 hours!

In 2011 - a year that was symbolic of mini baby boom among my circle of friends and so we decided to add a line in the invitation that said "We love your kids, bring them with you."  The party went pretty well, apart from the fact that I didn't know kids all love blowing candles and I didn't plan for that many to be blown! 

In 2012 - I made sure I took things into perspective and I think what we are going for this year would be this:

How Much Does A Soul Weigh?

Some believes the body becomes 21 grams lighter at the moment of death, seems to believe that is the weight of the human soul.  Rationally speaking, I don't buy that, but as a marketer, I do buy Din Tai Fung's great use of this idea in their marketing campaign (or the lack of it really).  

Din Tai Fung, for those who don't know, is a famous Taiwanese dumpling chain which has international presence.  The phenomenon of the chain continues to be startling since it was ranked one of the world's top 10 restaurants by The New York Times and more recently awarded one Michelin star in a branch in Hong Kong.

Their food is tasty, no question about that.  What fascinates me, is the art in making those dumplings to precise standards. The dough is rolled to a 6.5cm disc, 16 grams of meat to go in, so that each is to weigh 21 grams and to be wrapped exactly with 18 folds!  No more, no less.  Precisely - that's the soul of the dumpling, the soul of Din Tai Fung, that is there to capture your soul.  

How good is that?

We all have our own ways of eating these delicate dumplings with some ending in disastrous outcomes I am sure - spilled soup or worse, scalded tongues.  

Much to the embarrassment of your dining partner, next time when you are there, take your mini scale out (just kidding)...you might want to pick one up with your chopsticks and examine the broth sloshing inside and go count the number of folds on them before you gobble the parcel (I mean the soul). 

 
 

Cracking The 5 Love Languages

Have you heard of the 5 love languages?  I haven’t in my entire life and until I heard it twice in the last 24 hours and I thought it must have been a hot topic lately, so I went and do some digging.

Apparently, World Peace must have missed out a great deal from not paying attention to the number one New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman's book, who encourages the human race to identify, understand and speak their loved one’s primary love language.

It is basically 5 ways of expressing love and everyone has their own love language.  It is deemed vital for us to know what our love language is so that it is easier for others to make us feel loved by them. 

You know what I am thinking?  I think this 5 love languages theory is going to unite the world - which currently has over 6,800 spoken languages spinning around!  Chapman can cut it with 5, isn't that a great saving?

So...I decided to go find out my native tongue and as I am a lazy bum, instead of reading his book, you might like to go where I went for a quick online assessment to see if you and your loved ones belong to the same tribe - http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/

And precisely because I am a lazy bum, I shall let the pictures do the talking of what my native tongue is.  

And this has no means of saying I don't like to receive gifts or compliments any more, so keep those coming in please!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere

I am here to say this past month or so, the universe seems to have staged a parade full of bright neon signs, demanding my admiration. I always carry the world of inspirations with me, but rarely does the world speak so loudly.

Lately I see signs, everywhere I go.  And the most amazing thing is - they are always thrown right at your face, made sure you won't miss them (as if you desperately needed reminding).  And who likes to be told what to do anyway?  Especially the bold yet touchy feely ones like these, which I happen to just run across today. 

Funny what they do after you spotted them, is that they will silently creep into your subconscious, work their way into the heart, poke you every now and then with a pulse and a beat, "the best thing one can do in life is to be able to follow your own heart", stating the oblivion of ignoring the obvious.  

Then came the interesting battle between your heart and your conscience:


Heart: What if my life is NOT good and I like it that way?

Conscience: But the time to be happy is now.

Heart: If life is what we make it, then why does sh*t happen?

Conscience: Because life is a sacred journey.

Heart: Only if you follow your bliss.

Conscience: And never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

The Lungs decided to join in the conversation to form a tangent: Good things are going to happen - only if you breathe.

The three of them could have gone on for hours, you get the gist.

I believe when we are true to ourselves and our destiny, the world spins its arms to us.   The universe will also whisper and send us signs we are capable of accepting, embroidered with possible opportunities and directions.  All we have to do is open our heart and listen.


Signs - literally and figuratively, are all around us whether you like it or not.

Hayden's Last Wishes

Do not mourn me in sorrow

but paint me a rainbow.

Shedding a few tears is fine

but do remember me with a smile.

Forget the suffrage in the past

and think only of the joyous part.

Take care of those I leave behind

for they are wondrous, forever mine.

Be comforted to know I couldn't have lived any better

I am very sure we will soon reunite in heaven together.

The Year of Change

I always think I have the best seat possible in the entire office.  I haven't got no window view by the way, and I sit right outside the entrance of the Finance Department. But precisely because of where I sit, I get to see and greet many passerby each day when they go in/out of the department of money matters.  Mind you, it can be very distracting - smelling all that cash flow but can't have no share of any of it - requires a bit of getting used to. 

Anyway...lately, I have noticed the traffic of passerby to the cash vault has increased incredibly.  They all came for one purpose - to settle their last pay cheque with payroll.  I knew because after they came out of the department, many would actually be courteous enough to stop by and tell me it's their last day.  We would exchange handshakes and I would also take that opportunity to tell them when my last day is, keep in touch, etc etc.

Among my circle of friends, I happen to know quite a few who have also recently quit their long-held positions, currently enjoying a career break of some sort.  I have always been a trendsetter in many ways but I can't help but wonder - but a trend of resigning?  What's going on?


It has to be the year 2012.  It has got to be the year of the Dragon spurring all these changes.  2012 is precisely - the year of the dragon. 

The years of Dragons have always been the most auspicious and powerful of the 12 signs of the zodiac they say - one associated with high energy, prosperity, change and mobility. 

I mean just look at 2012 as the world faces crucial presidential elections - in Russia, in France and later in USA.  In fact, I can easily google 40 countries holding presidential elections this year, and when taken together, believe it or not, that's half of the world's GDP holding elections or switching leadership this year!

In my case, after a rather petty, backbiting first 3 quarters of 2012, I am finally in for the ride of my life in this year of change. I can either get ready to rock and roll or, crawl under a rock till it rots. 

Right now, I know in comfort that I am definitely not alone when it comes to facing massive changes, because whatever the future holds, from derring-do, hell-raising to exorbitant fun - nothing against us at all, as we can probably blame the year of the dragon magnifying everything tenfold for us!  

I can only hope you will be in for a ride with me too.  

The Resignation

The letter has been rewritten, rephrased, proof-read, spell-checked. It was then printed, made sure everything was aligned.  

Cross-checked it again before it was signed with with a Mont Blanc Rollerball from the legendary Meisterstuck collection - a pen which seem ever so popular among the managerial rank when I first started working and therefore, I decided I have to get myself one using my first ever pay cheque.  And I did.  No better pen can have that honour to sign that important letter on this very special day! 

Folded the letter so perfectly and placed that into a fitted envelope with care, sealed with a kiss (you wish) and off I went to see my boss smash on dot of the hour. 

He had no idea.  

Like all Brits do, we started off with discussing the weather.  I mean you can never go terribly wrong with that, then we digressed a bit into the regional weather and then went global before we returned to the local, weather again.  Twenty minutes into the hour and we basically covered the whole climatic regime on earth, the unpredictability of weather forecasts nowadays and a couple of other things and that was when I handed him the letter. 

He looked surprised and I wouldn't blame him as we were nonetheless on the calmer side of the weather front the last minute and this minute, we found ourselves in stormy seas.  How predictable was that?  I was also probably the last person in the team who would be susceptible to resigning for that matter.  And practically because I'd imagine myself be rather rusty (the last resignation being merely more than 12 years ago), I thought I needed that 20 minutes or so staging effort, in which the bit on weather forecast came in really handy as a nice little cushion.

The next 20 mins of conversation went exceptionally well, I told my boss why I would like to leave and as far as he's concerned, I have a proper hand-over plan in place, we are good.  And I made sure I keep that door open (just in case I do need to return at some point down the road).

"Actually, all we need now is an email from you to your boss, copying HR.  Then you will be brought to a website and with a press of a button, it's procedurally done."

That was probably when I felt strongly the incredible efficiency working in a high-tech company - where everything is so automatic, systematic, hydromatic!   In one word - cold.

"But since you have that letter printed, might as well let me have a read now!"

"Good letter," he said (probably thanking good lord I haven't a word against him).   Frankly, I have no reason to.  He has been really kind - the kind that is almost too fatherly kind to be your boss, if you know what I mean.  

"You still need to go press that button, then it's all systems go, Bob's your uncle."


After all, I haven't had much experience resigning, the last time I did was donkey years ago and I did have to physically "tender" my resignation with a "physical" letter then. 

I returned to my desk and as I scrolled through that HR site step-by-step, I felt so old-fashioned like a piece of antique.  If I were to redo this, I'd still prefer a proper letter and a face-to-face meeting over an email and a button. No question about that.   

The thing is, whatever means it needed me to take, I finally did it.  Procedurally done.  I HAVE officially resigned. 

Hong Kong's Book Scene

Hong Kong - in terms of bookstores, has so far lagged behind many other Asian cities such as Tokyo, Taipei and even Bangkok.  I am thinking, there just aren't that many bookworms around to warrant them, but may be I was terribly ignorant in making that statement. 

With the arrival of Eslite, a Taiwanese bookstore chain, I decided to go for a stroll in what becomes the largest bookstore in Hong Kong, housing some 100,000 titles and promises to open 24 hours on Thur-Sat for a month's trial. 

As a starter, I was greeted with hordes of people wanting to be the first to scope out Hong Kong's latest bookstore. That was all good and expected but for the main dish, I didn't expect to see readers carrying baskets full of shopping, eagerly trying to sweep through the stationery on offer. It becomes very apparent that Hong Kong REALLY is a paradise for shoppers (not readers).  Will Eslite help cultivate some night owl bookworms in future?  We will soon find out, wouldn't we?

Eslite - famous not only for an extensive collection of books but also in-house art galleries, cultural events, designer products and cafés.  While I was awfully disappointed by the fact that the cafe was still closed and I couldn't try their coffee, I stumbled upon a very interesting exhibition - featuring the prominent Chinese artist XU Bing. 

His latest book "Book from the Ground" is created after spending much time travelling around the world, and with all that time wasted in airports, he began to notice the many symbols surrounding him. He thought it would be interesting to use this minimal way of communicating to create a story book. 

For the next ten minutes, I stood there with admiration and desperation, trying to figure out what this sign means. 

It is with the intention from artist HU Bing, that this can be read and enjoyed by everyone, whether literate or not.

I can't decode this and I am feeling so stupid.

Can you get what he's trying to say here?  I am struggling still.

So there I left the bookstore - pondering whether my inability to read this makes me a literate nor a nonliterate.

Tears In Heaven

This is in memory of a wonderful young boy who fought cancer for almost all of his life.  I believe he has lived more in his 5 short years than many of us have in a lifetime.

His spirit and love of life moved all of those around him, and we have truly lost an amazing child to this terrible disease.

No matter how bad
he might have felt,
He always knew how
to make your heart melt.

It's certainly not fair
the battle he fought,
All those who knew him
took in what he taught.

He fought hard to beat
the disease he had,
And would never complain
of feeling bad.

For someone so young
his heart was of Gold,
You would never have known
he was just 5 years old.

Some say silence is golden. 
Others say tears are words the heart can't express.

I don't even have tears run down at the moment, but rest assured that you are in our thoughts - always.

What Makes Good Coffee Better?

"Ah, that is perfume in which I delight, when they roast coffee near my house, I hasten to open the door to take in all the aroma." 

Jean Jacques Rousseau





Coffee is probably the most complex food known to man.  It has over a thousand of flavour components and the nearest comparison would be red wine with 450 chemical compounds in the flavour make-up.  And then we go roast it - resulting in different chemicals being burnt away, others changing, adding to the complexity.

Low-quality beans give bad coffee - that's a no-brainer.
High-quality beans yield bad coffee - that's called disastrous.
High-quality beans end up in a perfect up - that's great but it is just half the story. 


In my recent visits to Taiwan and South Korea, I have stumbled upon some fantastically impressive cafes.  And to my surprise, not only do the baristas there really know their coffee, many of the cafes look chic, modern and inviting - that was satisfaction to the taste buds AND pleasure to the sight. 

I was thinking to myself, what makes good coffee exceptional? 

Companion is certainly one and ambiance has to be the other.  


It is no longer just the way we take our caffeine that is determined by our tastes, but the question of WHERE is just as important.  Cafes with creative designs that offer customers an additional aesthetic value - have the ability to differentiate themselves in a huge degree from some of the big chains.

I am thinking communal benches, tasteful books and magazines for the sheer joy of flipping, clean and simple decor, are just some of the essential elements that provide an inviting glimpse of the interior to passer-by.  And then having a panoramic window not only affords a pleasing view to guests inside, it is there to create a very juxtaposing contrast to the world outside. 

After all, cafes are places for communication - a fact which certainly has its causes in caffeine's invigorating effects.  I really think any cafe in existence has to create a communicative and inspirational effect too - there to simultaneously answer to all practical requirements of a functional catering business.

Have a think of the last perfect cup you had.  And ask yourself what was the associating superlative thing that you remember from that very enjoyable indulgence.

At Passport Controls

I have been travelling so much that I can literally wake up in the morning, not remembering where I am at that moment in time.

OK.  That doesn't mean I haven't got the time to blog.  No excuse really because precisely, as I have been travelling to different countries, I should be incredibly inspired. 

And I am.  By the immigration process. 


So often a scary or tedious thing for travellers is it not?  I mean just imagine, an unidentified officer can fire at you with a variety of questions such as the duration of the visit and for the sake of what (can't they read what I wrote in the form?)  And quite often people can feel uncomfortable when these creatures watch faces intently as he/she matches the photo on the passport stamp.

I have been reasonably inspired.   I am fascinated by the fact that certain sounds in nature are beyond the range of human hearing - like the “ thank you” spoken by the immigration officer at passport controls.

 

Shouldn't they be glad someone is visiting their country?  The influx of foreigners are actually the ones keeping them in their jobs.  And I am thinking, perhaps a thank you would be nice, or a return of a smile if the former is too much to ask.  

It Is Good To Wait

The fact that we inhabit time with a past and a future, we end up sticking our neck out, waiting for something, someone, all the time. 

Standing in line, waiting to be served. Often to our disappointment and frustration.

I wasn't sure I had much to say about waiting in a positive light when really - waiting is a painful consequence of someone's bad decisions, is it not?    Doesn't help when our fast food culture of two-in-one shampoo or three-in-one skincare treatments are making us more and more impatient.  Yes.  They even managed to stuff seven years of high school into six nowadays! 

Oh Wait.  We Forgot.

We forgot how notoriously romantic it can be when you are in the wait.  

"I turn on my computer. I wait patiently as it connects. I go online."  Do you remember that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie - set precisely in the era of using a 56K modem to get hooked online?

And what happened to the anticipation for a snail mail to arrive?  Do you recall that excitement when the postman handed you with the one letter you have been waiting for?  And does anyone remember the relish of queuing up for a movie ticket?   Anyone does that any more?   Anyone still with me so far?

We certainly have more conveniences, not a doubt.   I mean, all I need is a smartphone and I can order my groceries, grab my movie tickets, check-in my flight, saving me heaps of time queuing in various places for all these otherwise. 

The paradox is...if the fast food culture we are living in represents time efficiency and instant gratification, why are we constantly feeling the lack of time?  

I stumbled upon this paradoxical thought when I was stuck inside a plane (with no 3G or Wi-Fi network).  The amount of time one spent in "queuing" and "waiting" in airports is indeed - an incredible amount of time.  Worsened of course when you have no internet to fiddle with. 

We should appreciate the beauty of idle time - use that wisely to pause and reflect on our priorities and what is the most needed.  Waiting - won't appear to be so bad after all. 

Yet Another First In Asia

Just imagine this:  having your own personal car porch that requires a car lift to park your vehicle next to your living room up in the sky.

What?  I heard you murmured.

The Hamilton Scotts -  a luxury high-rise residential project in Singapore that allows its residents to park their cars right next to their own units – even 30 storeys up.

Yes, you heard me. 

Parking is set to reach a whole new level, with a high-rise condominium where every apartment comes with its own private garage in the sky.

First of its kind in Asia (after New York and Dubai),  its residents are now able to drive their million-dollar baby (has to be), into a special glass elevator that will lift the baby from the ground floor to their 'porch' on the same level as their living rooms.
 

Any filthy rich billionaire only requires to pay a mere US$85M for a 3-bedroom flat to make this fantasy come true!

Moved?

Oh well, don't get too excited even if you have the money, because all of the flats were sold shortly after they were released out in the market.

Did The Economist say we are pretty much in recession?   They must have overlooked this crouching tiger!

The Trademark of Annie: Optimism

The notes of the familiar song “Tomorrow" has been reverberating at the back of my head for the last two nights after watching the delightful musical "Annie" - a light-hearted play, something I think everyone at any age can enjoy.

The plot talks about a little orphan named Annie who charms everyone's heart inspite a next-to-nothing start in the midst of the great depression of the 1930s New York. She is determined to find her parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an Orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan.

Despite playing out against the backdrop of the era's misery and poverty, my favourite part of this musical has to be the fact that Annie is terribly optimistic.  She would always find the good side of looking at things, insisting the future will be brighter.

I remember she walks into one of the scenes, carrying a completely different perspective when somebody moans and complains having "empty pockets,"  she quickly suggests, "Well at least you've got pockets."

"Your fingers are cold?  Be glad you have those pockets!"

"You use newspapers for blankets?  Well you can read in bed!"


If a 13 year old can take the desperation, turn it around and bring lots of humour to it.  So can we.

My 8 Quirky Things To Be Thankful For

Oh it has been a terrifically hectic month for me and while writing out a cheque just then, I realised we are already four days into the month of June.

I want to stop and pause for a moment and be thankful for a few things before I forget them.

I am choosing to enchant you with my positive outlook instead of boring you to death with my whining - because - you are worth it. 

1. The bad times, because without them the good times would have no perspective.
2. Rain. It washed my linen but so as the streets, the trees and occasionally our soul.
3. Good and bad side of my father, both taught me something about me.
4. The enchanting creativity from young kids I met with.
5. Solitude. Because when am I ever alone?
6. The ability to fall in love - with a hobby that is.
7. The fact that my first edited book has been published and on sale is just pure exhilarating.
8. The much needed silence like - now.  A chance to reflect on this last month and all the things I have to smile about.

Go make your list and check it twice.  You don't have to wait till Christmas, you know?

Grandma's Wisdom

For the longest time way past my adolescent days, I have been told chocolate milk was made from fresh milk that turned bad.  I was being steered away from drinking chocolate milk.  I have faithfully heeded that advice until Google confirmed they can't find a hit in the www!

Till this day I still want to throw salt over my right shoulder (or is it my left?) after knocking over the salt shaker because my house-mistress said it would keep evil spirits away.

Oh, and here's a good one - you will go blind if you sit too close to the television, or if you cross your eyes, they will stay that way.

You do know the above aren't true (I hope).   I mean if they are true, I do wonder what my house-mistress would say about the salty evil spirits I have consumed over the years! 

I can, however, think of a few instances where the good old-fashioned "grandma's wisdom" has proved to work miracles.  


Non-stop coughing

Rub Vicks VapoRub on the bottom of the feet, cover them with socks at bedtime, can stop the cough almost immediately.  

Alternatively, try shots of whiskey.  It won't kill the germs but my grandpa swore by it as the best readily available cough suppressant one can get.
   

Bloated Stomach

Apparently, gently massaging the skin along the collar bone will release gas by either small burps or if you are persistent enough, big belches will follow.  

Sore Throat

Gargle with salt water - a remedy that works economically sound. 

Ache & Pain

There is nothing quite like a good old fashioned hot water bottle to comfort and soothe those shoulder aches and back pains.

Do you have some of your favourite Old Wives’ Tales to share or tips from your granny that have seen the arc of life? 

Pure Insanity

Have You ever had one of those days when you feel you are just completely spinning off the earth's axis?

Deadlines looming (or whizzing past), the phone keeps ringing, and your to-do-list just keeps piling up.  You have just spent the whole day dashing here and there and none of those on your list got ticked off at the end of the day. 

You go home, get some rest, and the next day you seem to have pressed the replay button of yesterday and you are haunted by the same scenario. Then comes the long-awaited weekend which is never quite long enough of course.  And then it is another week of the same. 

If this is too familiar - this serves as an alarm for you do something about this very contagious insanity. 

I don't have anything wicked to propose.  But since you feel like you are spinning off this crazy earth's axis anyway, why not try tilting the angle of your insanity and look at it differently, might be a sane idea for now.

Come back and tell me if this worked for you because if it worked for you, it might work for other human beings too! 

Come As A Guest, Leave As A Friend

Historically, coffeehouses were important places for groups to gather and discuss issues of the day.

Today we have arguably seen this experience diminished, forgotten.

Many of us get our daily caffeine boost at the local Starbucks or other commercial coffeemakers.  For the sake of waking ourselves up, we duck in, pay quickly, and on we go, head on with our lives.   Alright, in certain days, we might decide to plug in our laptops, appeared to be toggling with some office documents but really, it was for perusing Facebook profiles, and for that, we might linger on for a bit longer. 


With the overwhelming establishments of cafes in town, two friends of mine recently decided to join in the bandwagon and opened a small cafe.  Tough competition is obviously one thing, how to run the business is another.  While we applause their bravery, you don't read fear in them at all because - they have it all figured out. 

They have figured out the very one thing that is going to differentiate themselves from the rest.  And that is - the philosophy of why we drink coffee beyond our need for one. 

They believe what they have, is truly a place that separates from home and work; A neighborhood hub for meetings, socials and gigs.  Or, as they'd like to call it - a platform for guests to create new communities and connections. 

They would like to have you "come as a guest, leave as a friend".  

A motto as simple as that.  And they mean it.  

Think about it.  When was the last time you had great coffee, good buddies and great conversation?

Not Eating Properly?!

A patient walks into a doctor's office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear.

"What's the matter with me?" he asks the doctor.

The doctor replies, "You're obviously not eating properly!"

"I see. Lately I observed that I have been talking with my fingers too. Is there a cure for that, doctor?"
 
The doctor replies, "If you can discard your smartphones and revert back to your good old analog phone, that helps and you could be talking again in no time!"

In this era, email and texting are just plain handy isn't it?  You allow the recipient more flexibility in answering, usable amidst noise and even allowing to a certain extent, a medium of flirtation less invasive than a phone call but quicker than a snail mail. 

If you think about it, very few among us yearn for a world in which the only music is classical, the only dance is ballet and daily clothing requires corsets and waistcoats.

As such, we don't necessarily have to take the drastic approach like the doctor suggested above.  We might as well embrace a brave new world where we can both talk with our fingers, and our mouth.  And trust me - it certainly won't hurt to revisit the formidable letter-writing every now and then, should romance be missing in air. 

An Organic Saturday At School

Kwok Siu Lau Hall, for many of us old girls, myself included, is to be associated with solemnity of morning assemblies or perhaps the cold line-ups of desks during the season of examinations, if you asked me. 

The purpose of my recent visit provided a fresh new perspective to be appended to the nostalgic part of my school memories. I was back to school with a mission - as a mentor - and was struck by so many great moments worth accounting for. To start off with, the young lady who greeted me at the desk asked, "Are you our mentor?  We’d love to have you."

“Wasn't I lucky to be assigned to a group of courteous students”, I thought to myself.   The afternoon that followed was definitely one that was fun-filled, most valuable.   

A handful of old girls in my year volunteered to take part in the school's mentorship program and we were summoned to enjoy a Saturday afternoon bonding with our mentees while engaging ourselves with an entirely foreign, do-it-yourself activity - the making of organic lip balm.

Not knowing what constitutes as ingredients in the balm that we put on our lovely lips virtually every other hour or so, cooking up our own lip balm sounded like a daunting task to most of us in the first instance.  However, with incredible teamwork of trial and errors, coupled with hours of laughter, it was seriously quite easy. 

The whole process involved precision in the measurement and preparation of each and every ingredient in correct proportion.  The timing and coordination were also vital in the execution.  Our given task was to produce one lip balm per person and much of the fun was derived when we had to pick the best tube within our group to compete against the representatives from 15 others.  The job was particularly tough for us as our group was the largest of all, with 12 tubes of dazzling designs to shortlist from!

Not sure if you would agree but I feel like every time I needed to look for lip balm in my handbag, the tube would have grown legs and mysteriously walked away.  Very gladly, after an afternoon of concerted effort, we all went home with an extra tube.  We even imagined we can stop standing in line at stores to buy new ones, now that we have mastered how to make our very own organic one from scratch.

Our winning formula certainly caught a fair share of attention from the panel judges, even we didn’t win any prizes at the end, I found myself energised by the intense creative spirit, enthusiasm and sheer talent of everyone involved in this exercise.  

And to my glorious mentees - choosing to sit in a hall on a beautiful day beyond school hours – intent, eager to learn and ready to take on the world, all you youngsters who do not already know, are indeed winners! 

My Cell Phone Chronicle: 1995-2012

Do you remember all the mobile handsets you have owned?  

I did a stock-taking of mine out of oddity and here's what I have been through...

 
1995-1997: Motorola CD920
My first ever cellular handset (dual band: GSM900/1800)


1997- 1998: Ericsson GH337
Ericsson was a hit, it was fashionable and everyone carried one.




1998-1999: StarTAC 75
The so-called "wearable phone" was the world's smallest and lightest then. It weighed just 88g & it was an envy amongst my peer.
 
1999-2000: StarTAC 130 Slim
As if 88g was not light enough.

 
2000-2002: Kyocera 200
When everyone chose the trendy Japanese manufacturers, I had eyes on the Korean bet. I liked it light, practical and different.

 
2002-2003: Siemens SL45
Bought it as soon as it came out in the market - a rather expensive choice back then but was the first MP3 phone with reasonable audio quality - Felt rather good carrying a trend setter. 


 
2003-2003: Nokia 6600
My first handset with a camera - though I said I didn't want to be Nokia slave then.

2003-2004: Nokia 6100
Surrendered to the slim, lightness and the all-rounded feature of this handset.

2004-2005: LG 8120
My first 3G handset that can make video calls.

2005-2006: Sony Ericsson K608i 
Sony + Ericsson = first time when style & practicality got married.

2006-2007: Nokia 6288
Boomerang to the Nokia camp as this phone was a bargain and honestly flawless after all.


2007- 2009: Sony Ericsson K810i
Totally impressed by its Cybershot 3.2M & its AF function.



 
2009-2009: Sony Ericsson W995
Classic slider technique, a mechanism that was strangely addictive when I had it in my palm.



2009-2010: Sony Ericsson Aino
The Aino has pretty much everything - plus a simple-but-snappy touch media menu.


 
2010-present: Apple iPhone 4
Finally - the Apple defiant has converted to iPhone in 2010 and this device has become the longest I have hung onto till this very day.
 

Can't help but wonder...what would be my next pick?

What You Focus On Expands

There is an old saying, “What you focus on expands."

Have you noticed when you buy a car or...a pair of sneakers, you start noticing people driving, wearing the same model as you?

The same theory applies when we stared at every tick of the clock, the minute would always appear much longer than we thought.  

That is because we are hypersensitive when we focus on the very one thing we care.  It's all good if the thing in focus is a positive thing. 

I observed some Facebook friends of mine who would consistently use the same sort of vocabulary in their status updates.  

"Awful, terrible, horrible, sad, angry, pity."  You get the picture. 

Their daily drama revolves around their rather negative judgment of people and events that are, in their evaluation - awful or/and terrible.  Needless to say, their existence would also turn out to be resentfully sad as a result of their self-pity talk and projection. 

What you focus on expands.  And negative energy flows where negativity goes.


Another fine example - let's just say you are a "weigh-a-holics" and you weigh yourself daily at the very least.  You would be stepping on and off that bathroom scale of yours each morning several times in a minute, wishfully thinking that a lower figure might magically appear between your feet.  I wouldn't necessarily say you are insane because I happen to know a few including myself who do that religiously.  

I realised though, the morning weighing exercise can either make my day, or most of the time, break my day.  Two pounds can easily be vanished after a night of dehydration and the same can be added on after you ate a cow in your last meal!  Then I told myself, why let that affect my mental and emotional state of my day? 

If you look good, feel good and are in good health, who cares about a stupid number anyway?  If you are not, I trust your wits should know fairly well what ought to be done too. 

Positive energy flows where positivity goes.

Stay focus - only on the positives.