Peik Lean Y.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Ingredients:
A group of gym maniacs
A chef and his assistants
A tarot card reader
A measure of Vodka
4 measures of 7up
Red wine to finish off
A deck of tarot cards
Candles
Mood music ~ Dying Young soundtrack, Dreamcatcher album, Bond album, pre-recorded Body Balance music
A pot of Spaghetti
A bottle of Dolmio sauce
Chinese dumplings
Chicken, preferably minced
Potatoes, preferably mashed
Cabbage, carrots, tomato, and whatnots
A little jogging hill ~ Kiara Hill
A little trekking hill ~ Bukit Gasing
Preparation:
Step 1: Preparation and practice time ~ 1- 1.5 hours
Gather a group of gym maniacs.
Set a target to climb Mount Kinabalu via Mersilau Trail.
Organise a practice session up Kiara Hill jogging trail in the pm.
Let them walk and/or run up that little jogging hill.
* Caution: Be prepared for emergence of a little monster that might want to do extra time.
Step 2: Preparation time ~ 2 hours, Eating time ~ 2 hours
Arrange a potluck after the practice session.
Get the chef to start cooking the spaghetti and the Dolmio sauce with minced chicken (to be prepared earlier).
Get the chef’s assistants to prepare the salad and the mashed potato.
Steam the Chinese dumplings as fillers while waiting for the dinner to be cooked.
Get ready the cutleries and set the table.
Prepare several glasses of vodka 7up ~ 1 measure of vodka to 4 measures of 7up.
Serve dinner when ready.
* Caution: Ensure enough cooking utensils before cooking up a storm. Start early to avoid extreme hunger pangs.
Step 3: Preparation and execution time ~ 4 hours – infinity, Sleepover may be necessary
Turn on the mood music.
Dim the lights and light the candles.
Uncork the wine and serve several measures into wine glasses.
Wine served varies according to degree of alcohol tolerance.
Set the table and tarot card reader shall organise the cards.
Gym maniacs take turn to have “fortune” told.
Serve more wine for Dutch courage. : )
When all “fortunes” have been told, tarot card reader shall ask a single question.
Answer the question and let the discussion flow and grow.
* Caution: Discussion may get out of hand and beauty sleep may be sacrificed. Watch out for emergence of little monster again that will deprive everyone of sleep. :P
Step 4: Preparation and practice time ~ 1 – 1.5 hours; Eating time ~ 1 hour
Set alarm for 8.30 am.
Get the troops ready for the second practice session.
Drive to destination i.e. Bukit Gasing.
Start troops on the easy trail across the monkey bridge to the Watch Tower and back again.
Check inhalation and fitness levels along the way.
Drive to mamak stall after practice.
Order as per recommendation ~ tosai garing with chutney, banana leaf rice, etc.
* Caution: Be prepared for emergence of little monster 2.
** Now, repeat the above 4 steps for several months and phooeeyy, watch the results!
The recipe underwent its first UAT (User Acceptance Test) over the weekend. The results are off the charts! Most of the participants are ready, eager and waiting for Round 2. At this rate, by the time Mount Kinabalu trip arrives, the bond would be as sticky as the UHU or the elephant glue!
A group of gym maniacs
A chef and his assistants
A tarot card reader
A measure of Vodka
4 measures of 7up
Red wine to finish off
A deck of tarot cards
Candles
Mood music ~ Dying Young soundtrack, Dreamcatcher album, Bond album, pre-recorded Body Balance music
A pot of Spaghetti
A bottle of Dolmio sauce
Chinese dumplings
Chicken, preferably minced
Potatoes, preferably mashed
Cabbage, carrots, tomato, and whatnots
A little jogging hill ~ Kiara Hill
A little trekking hill ~ Bukit Gasing
Preparation:
Step 1: Preparation and practice time ~ 1- 1.5 hours
Gather a group of gym maniacs.
Set a target to climb Mount Kinabalu via Mersilau Trail.
Organise a practice session up Kiara Hill jogging trail in the pm.
Let them walk and/or run up that little jogging hill.
* Caution: Be prepared for emergence of a little monster that might want to do extra time.
Step 2: Preparation time ~ 2 hours, Eating time ~ 2 hours
Arrange a potluck after the practice session.
Get the chef to start cooking the spaghetti and the Dolmio sauce with minced chicken (to be prepared earlier).
Get the chef’s assistants to prepare the salad and the mashed potato.
Steam the Chinese dumplings as fillers while waiting for the dinner to be cooked.
Get ready the cutleries and set the table.
Prepare several glasses of vodka 7up ~ 1 measure of vodka to 4 measures of 7up.
Serve dinner when ready.
* Caution: Ensure enough cooking utensils before cooking up a storm. Start early to avoid extreme hunger pangs.
Step 3: Preparation and execution time ~ 4 hours – infinity, Sleepover may be necessary
Turn on the mood music.
Dim the lights and light the candles.
Uncork the wine and serve several measures into wine glasses.
Wine served varies according to degree of alcohol tolerance.
Set the table and tarot card reader shall organise the cards.
Gym maniacs take turn to have “fortune” told.
Serve more wine for Dutch courage. : )
When all “fortunes” have been told, tarot card reader shall ask a single question.
Answer the question and let the discussion flow and grow.
* Caution: Discussion may get out of hand and beauty sleep may be sacrificed. Watch out for emergence of little monster again that will deprive everyone of sleep. :P
Step 4: Preparation and practice time ~ 1 – 1.5 hours; Eating time ~ 1 hour
Set alarm for 8.30 am.
Get the troops ready for the second practice session.
Drive to destination i.e. Bukit Gasing.
Start troops on the easy trail across the monkey bridge to the Watch Tower and back again.
Check inhalation and fitness levels along the way.
Drive to mamak stall after practice.
Order as per recommendation ~ tosai garing with chutney, banana leaf rice, etc.
* Caution: Be prepared for emergence of little monster 2.
** Now, repeat the above 4 steps for several months and phooeeyy, watch the results!
The recipe underwent its first UAT (User Acceptance Test) over the weekend. The results are off the charts! Most of the participants are ready, eager and waiting for Round 2. At this rate, by the time Mount Kinabalu trip arrives, the bond would be as sticky as the UHU or the elephant glue!
Friday, October 28, 2005
Remember that piano …
“Remember that piano, so delightful …” ~ lyrics from “I Love Chopin”
Finally, my piano of 20+ years has arrived. It has journeyed over 200 km from my hometown to Kuala Lumpur and it has cost me a hefty RM1,360 to get the piano repaired, transported and tuned. But it has been well worth it if today has been the judge of it!
It’s been years since I have tinkered on those beloved yet very much hated keys. Oh, how I have shed tears of joy and sorrow on those keys. And oh how I have shed blood over the practical exams that go with the territory. There were times when I hated the mere sight of that piano i.e. when friends were calling me to play but I had to stay in to practice the stupid “scales and arpeggios” for the exams. But there were times when it was my salvation ~ when I played a tune from Richard Clayderman’s collection and dreamt of myself running on a beach towards the ruggedly handsome Pat Cash ~ the former one time Wimbledon Tennis Open Champion which I had a major crush on. Oh well, those were the days.
I finally got my fingers on to the keyboard again today. And despite being rusty at it, I could still manage a simple tune or two. : ) My “sight reading” was not that bad considering I have not had to sight read for ages! OK, so the tune that came out wasn’t so melodious and smooth. And yes, I hit quite a few wrong notes as I keep forgetting to play the sharps and the flats. Ok … so what if the timing is off. That’s coz mom didn’t see fit to bring down the metronome. Alright, I have to confess, even with the metronome, I probably can’t keep time. And yeah, my fingers aren’t so flexible and dextrous on the “thrills” and “turns”. Alright, alright … I’ll have to admit I need a few months of practice before I actually sound decent enough to have an audience. :P
And if any of my neighbours are reading this, please bear with me for the next few months. I promise not to overly tax your hearing. But if the sounds from my unit get too jarring, just ring my doorbell. : )
Meanwhile, a piano playing I shall go … yeh yeh yeh!
Finally, my piano of 20+ years has arrived. It has journeyed over 200 km from my hometown to Kuala Lumpur and it has cost me a hefty RM1,360 to get the piano repaired, transported and tuned. But it has been well worth it if today has been the judge of it!
It’s been years since I have tinkered on those beloved yet very much hated keys. Oh, how I have shed tears of joy and sorrow on those keys. And oh how I have shed blood over the practical exams that go with the territory. There were times when I hated the mere sight of that piano i.e. when friends were calling me to play but I had to stay in to practice the stupid “scales and arpeggios” for the exams. But there were times when it was my salvation ~ when I played a tune from Richard Clayderman’s collection and dreamt of myself running on a beach towards the ruggedly handsome Pat Cash ~ the former one time Wimbledon Tennis Open Champion which I had a major crush on. Oh well, those were the days.
I finally got my fingers on to the keyboard again today. And despite being rusty at it, I could still manage a simple tune or two. : ) My “sight reading” was not that bad considering I have not had to sight read for ages! OK, so the tune that came out wasn’t so melodious and smooth. And yes, I hit quite a few wrong notes as I keep forgetting to play the sharps and the flats. Ok … so what if the timing is off. That’s coz mom didn’t see fit to bring down the metronome. Alright, I have to confess, even with the metronome, I probably can’t keep time. And yeah, my fingers aren’t so flexible and dextrous on the “thrills” and “turns”. Alright, alright … I’ll have to admit I need a few months of practice before I actually sound decent enough to have an audience. :P
And if any of my neighbours are reading this, please bear with me for the next few months. I promise not to overly tax your hearing. But if the sounds from my unit get too jarring, just ring my doorbell. : )
Meanwhile, a piano playing I shall go … yeh yeh yeh!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Battle of the sexes or the wits?
I was running through some of my old writings today and came across this interesting exchange which I had with an ex-colleague a few years back. I remembered the fun I had writing it and thought to share this. Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Main characters:
Lord Clarance Sashi ~ denoted by the acronym Lord C
Lady Leanne ~ denoted by the acronym Lady L
End credit commentator:
Mun Keong Esq. ~ denoted by the acronym MK Esq.
Let the battle begin ...
Lord C:
No one can explain but try they can
How God created this marvel called "MAN"
Lady L:
Hear ye! Hear ye! Ye delusional Man
Lord praise be for thy creation of WOMAN
Lord C:
HE created man first with all his best
HE then made woman with what was left!
Lady L:
God created man first I am sure we all agree
HE then made woman and improve a zillion degrees
Lord C:
"Perfection," women say, "is hard to find"
But only if you look through womenkind
Lady L:
"Perfection" in men is certainly hard to find
But in abundance when it comes to womenkind
Lord C:
To be honest, perfection cannot be found
But the male species is the closest around
Lady L:
A broken record I do so hate to sound
But alas! delusional man, there are plenty around
Lord C:
Look at a man from head to toe
and then my dear, perfection you will know
Lady L:
O! Imperfect men, you ain't women's foe
We can't help it if our perfect visage simply glow
Lord C:
The visage of women do glow that I agree
But without make-up, no such glow you will see
Lady L:
Make-up is just the tip of what makes a woman glow
What matters is the inner beauty that really shows
Lord C:
Men explored the earth and civilised the land
and now you women enjoy the conquests of men
Lady L:
Violence and war, that's the way of men
Gentleness and faith, that's the soft touch of women
Lord C:
The soft touch of a woman sure does good
But only in terms of satisfying the manhood
Lady L:
Bedroom and boardroom, woman all "sapu"
Woe to the man who thinks he is being "ampu"
Lord C:
Man don't cry as GOD made them strong
To defend the weak and right the wrong
Lady L:
Tears do not weaken a woman
Apathy do not strengthen a man
Lord C:
Apathy and strength is never the same
Men do shed tears but never in vain
Lady L:
Ah ... I suddenly note a change in the breeze
Man finally admit to shedding tears, gee wheez!
Lord C:
He won't let emotions run his life
Cause that's the job GOD gave his wife!
Lady L:
Emotions does not mean the mind is ruled by the heart
It merely means the mind sees clearer with the heart
Lord C:
Emotional decisions can ruin ones mind
And is a common problem with womenkind!
Lady L:
Wonder why man do so fear emotions
Would he go insane, oh what a silly notion
Lord C:
He is MAN and that is what he will be
He will work hard to feed his family
Lady L:
She is WOMAN and that she shall stay
But it does not mean to Man she will always fall prey
Lord C:
She won't always fall prey but fall she will
She can't help herself for he is her world!
Lady L:
Gone are the days where Man rules the world
Alas! He is mistaken if he still believes he rules the world
Lord C:
Of the load he carries he will not complain
He'll carry it in silence and bear the pain
Lady L:
We ain't at war here, that's not the case
We can't help it if you fall for our face
Lord C:
Fall for her face, that's alright for a start
But a man truly falls after seeing her heart
Lady L:
Hmmm ... finally a wise statement from the MAN
Bet you it's all due to the touch of a WOMAN. :)
Lord C:
For the gift of man, you should thank GOD
For without him, I'm sure you would be bored
Lady L:
For the presence of Woman spices your life
Without which Man will find it difficult to thrive
Lord C:
Spice up our life, you truly wish
But too much spice makes you puke in a dish
Lady L:
Thus it takes a strong man to bear what she can dish
That's such a rarity but is what women wish!
Lord C:
So I would advise you to pray till your final hour
That you would get some of Man's wisdom and power.
Lady L:
If wisdom and power is so sought by Man
Think how far a woman's love can heel a man
Lord C:
Wisdom and power is not sought by man
It is bestowed as part of GOD's plan
So dear woman, let's just make things right
Adore your man for it's futile to fight.
Lady L:
Ahh .. GOD's divine plan for humankind
Is not about battles, is not about war
If you think this is a fight, you must be blind
Coz we women make love, not war!
MK Esq:
At the end of the day
Leanne and Sashi
Will get mushy
Proving once again, HE works in mysterious ways!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Main characters:
Lord Clarance Sashi ~ denoted by the acronym Lord C
Lady Leanne ~ denoted by the acronym Lady L
End credit commentator:
Mun Keong Esq. ~ denoted by the acronym MK Esq.
Let the battle begin ...
Lord C:
No one can explain but try they can
How God created this marvel called "MAN"
Lady L:
Hear ye! Hear ye! Ye delusional Man
Lord praise be for thy creation of WOMAN
Lord C:
HE created man first with all his best
HE then made woman with what was left!
Lady L:
God created man first I am sure we all agree
HE then made woman and improve a zillion degrees
Lord C:
"Perfection," women say, "is hard to find"
But only if you look through womenkind
Lady L:
"Perfection" in men is certainly hard to find
But in abundance when it comes to womenkind
Lord C:
To be honest, perfection cannot be found
But the male species is the closest around
Lady L:
A broken record I do so hate to sound
But alas! delusional man, there are plenty around
Lord C:
Look at a man from head to toe
and then my dear, perfection you will know
Lady L:
O! Imperfect men, you ain't women's foe
We can't help it if our perfect visage simply glow
Lord C:
The visage of women do glow that I agree
But without make-up, no such glow you will see
Lady L:
Make-up is just the tip of what makes a woman glow
What matters is the inner beauty that really shows
Lord C:
Men explored the earth and civilised the land
and now you women enjoy the conquests of men
Lady L:
Violence and war, that's the way of men
Gentleness and faith, that's the soft touch of women
Lord C:
The soft touch of a woman sure does good
But only in terms of satisfying the manhood
Lady L:
Bedroom and boardroom, woman all "sapu"
Woe to the man who thinks he is being "ampu"
Lord C:
Man don't cry as GOD made them strong
To defend the weak and right the wrong
Lady L:
Tears do not weaken a woman
Apathy do not strengthen a man
Lord C:
Apathy and strength is never the same
Men do shed tears but never in vain
Lady L:
Ah ... I suddenly note a change in the breeze
Man finally admit to shedding tears, gee wheez!
Lord C:
He won't let emotions run his life
Cause that's the job GOD gave his wife!
Lady L:
Emotions does not mean the mind is ruled by the heart
It merely means the mind sees clearer with the heart
Lord C:
Emotional decisions can ruin ones mind
And is a common problem with womenkind!
Lady L:
Wonder why man do so fear emotions
Would he go insane, oh what a silly notion
Lord C:
He is MAN and that is what he will be
He will work hard to feed his family
Lady L:
She is WOMAN and that she shall stay
But it does not mean to Man she will always fall prey
Lord C:
She won't always fall prey but fall she will
She can't help herself for he is her world!
Lady L:
Gone are the days where Man rules the world
Alas! He is mistaken if he still believes he rules the world
Lord C:
Of the load he carries he will not complain
He'll carry it in silence and bear the pain
Lady L:
We ain't at war here, that's not the case
We can't help it if you fall for our face
Lord C:
Fall for her face, that's alright for a start
But a man truly falls after seeing her heart
Lady L:
Hmmm ... finally a wise statement from the MAN
Bet you it's all due to the touch of a WOMAN. :)
Lord C:
For the gift of man, you should thank GOD
For without him, I'm sure you would be bored
Lady L:
For the presence of Woman spices your life
Without which Man will find it difficult to thrive
Lord C:
Spice up our life, you truly wish
But too much spice makes you puke in a dish
Lady L:
Thus it takes a strong man to bear what she can dish
That's such a rarity but is what women wish!
Lord C:
So I would advise you to pray till your final hour
That you would get some of Man's wisdom and power.
Lady L:
If wisdom and power is so sought by Man
Think how far a woman's love can heel a man
Lord C:
Wisdom and power is not sought by man
It is bestowed as part of GOD's plan
So dear woman, let's just make things right
Adore your man for it's futile to fight.
Lady L:
Ahh .. GOD's divine plan for humankind
Is not about battles, is not about war
If you think this is a fight, you must be blind
Coz we women make love, not war!
MK Esq:
At the end of the day
Leanne and Sashi
Will get mushy
Proving once again, HE works in mysterious ways!
Dedicated to you, Mom
With you,
We walked with pleasure through our childhood path
We have certainly felt your wrath.
With you,
We learned that your anger showed that you care
Not that you were unfair.
With you,
We went through thick and thin
And definitely through sick and sin.
With you,
We learned to differentiate right from wrong
And to be always strong.
With you,
We took our very first step
Gained confidence and adapt.
With you,
We acquired knowledge and intelligence
We promise not to pay you with belligerence.
With you,
We feel special, happy and loved
Certainly we return that love.
Therefore mom,
You are not just all nor are you just one
You ARE our number One!
We walked with pleasure through our childhood path
We have certainly felt your wrath.
With you,
We learned that your anger showed that you care
Not that you were unfair.
With you,
We went through thick and thin
And definitely through sick and sin.
With you,
We learned to differentiate right from wrong
And to be always strong.
With you,
We took our very first step
Gained confidence and adapt.
With you,
We acquired knowledge and intelligence
We promise not to pay you with belligerence.
With you,
We feel special, happy and loved
Certainly we return that love.
Therefore mom,
You are not just all nor are you just one
You ARE our number One!
A Tribute to You, Dear Dad
Without your anger and punishment when we are bad,
Without your silent concern and worries when we are sad,
Without your joy and happiness when we have succeeded instead,
Without your understanding and encouragement when we've failed you dad.
Without your love and without you dear dad,
We would not be so happy, contented and well-fed,
To have you here with us makes us so very glad,
And we thank GOD each day for making you our dad.
Without your silent concern and worries when we are sad,
Without your joy and happiness when we have succeeded instead,
Without your understanding and encouragement when we've failed you dad.
Without your love and without you dear dad,
We would not be so happy, contented and well-fed,
To have you here with us makes us so very glad,
And we thank GOD each day for making you our dad.
What happened at Midnight?
Midnight strikes
Chatters delight
Target in sight
Take aim, focus, fire!
Target sought
Chatter caught
Ahh … the morning dawns
What happened at midnight?
Chatters delight
Target in sight
Take aim, focus, fire!
Target sought
Chatter caught
Ahh … the morning dawns
What happened at midnight?
Strangers or friends
Across the cluttered cyberspace they met
Drawn together by mere words across the net
Strangers with no faces, words with no sound
Only with thoughts and ideas, they are bound.
Minutes become hours, hours become days
They learn about each other in this funny place
They know virtually nothing, yet they know everything
Are they merely joking, or is this the real thing?
Is everything only virtual and surreal?
Is nothing exchanged true and real?
Is the fantasy a reality, or the reality a fantasy?
Strangers or friends, is the definition that easy?
Drawn together by mere words across the net
Strangers with no faces, words with no sound
Only with thoughts and ideas, they are bound.
Minutes become hours, hours become days
They learn about each other in this funny place
They know virtually nothing, yet they know everything
Are they merely joking, or is this the real thing?
Is everything only virtual and surreal?
Is nothing exchanged true and real?
Is the fantasy a reality, or the reality a fantasy?
Strangers or friends, is the definition that easy?
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
A moment of temporary reprieve
Like “an Albatross round my neck”, my dissertation is back to haunt me. I tried early this month to extend the suspension period for my studies but to no avail. Due to a technicality in the Business School rule book, I had the carpet virtually jerked from beneath my feet last week when I received an email from the university giving me until 5th December to complete my dissertation. As I was in East Malaysia then, there was nothing I could do. I know though that there is no possible way I could accomplish that feat given the fact that I have yet to start reading the literatures for my dissertation.
My game plan yesterday was to meet with my lecturer and put my cards on the table. I have nothing to lose ~ either he allowed me the extension or I would have to suffer the bitter pill of just getting a Diploma instead of a Master. Of course, that would be very devastating as I have clocked in hundreds of hours for 12 modules of classes, assignments and exams, and is just short of a dissertation to graduate with a Masters. Fortunately, the “honesty is the best policy” phrase actually worked in this instance because I managed to get a temporary reprieve from my lecturer and the Business School Director. The due date for my dissertation is now set at end January. I have three months to accomplish what part-time students take six months to do.
I also found out an alternative route I could take which would eventually prove to be a second reprieve. Should I be unable to deliver the dissertation on time, I would have to “re sit” the dissertation. Of course there is a penalty attach to that. Basically, 50% of my marks will be deducted. I am now faced with a dilemma of doing a mediocre dissertation in three months and getting the full marks for that, or doing an excellent dissertation in nine months but only obtain 50% of my total marks. Not a “pretty” choice but a choice nonetheless!
Then again, I made my bed. Now, I have to sleep on it!
My game plan yesterday was to meet with my lecturer and put my cards on the table. I have nothing to lose ~ either he allowed me the extension or I would have to suffer the bitter pill of just getting a Diploma instead of a Master. Of course, that would be very devastating as I have clocked in hundreds of hours for 12 modules of classes, assignments and exams, and is just short of a dissertation to graduate with a Masters. Fortunately, the “honesty is the best policy” phrase actually worked in this instance because I managed to get a temporary reprieve from my lecturer and the Business School Director. The due date for my dissertation is now set at end January. I have three months to accomplish what part-time students take six months to do.
I also found out an alternative route I could take which would eventually prove to be a second reprieve. Should I be unable to deliver the dissertation on time, I would have to “re sit” the dissertation. Of course there is a penalty attach to that. Basically, 50% of my marks will be deducted. I am now faced with a dilemma of doing a mediocre dissertation in three months and getting the full marks for that, or doing an excellent dissertation in nine months but only obtain 50% of my total marks. Not a “pretty” choice but a choice nonetheless!
Then again, I made my bed. Now, I have to sleep on it!
The road to perdition ...
“The road to perdition is paved with good intentions, bad judgement and terrible outcomes!” And that pretty much sums up what happened. It was a comedy of errors last evening. I saw myself going off in one direction trying to defend someone but the more I spoke, the worse it got. I tried to back-paddle but it only got worse.
Goes to show I am not as good at managing people as I thought. But goodness, I have dealt with so many varied personalities and characters in the last 4 years of my life that I should have been better able to handle any situations than how I did yesterday. Without getting into details, suffice to say I have put my foot in my mouth without having any thoughts going through that pea brain of mine. And I thought that I am maturing in the way I handle people. I reckon I have to go back to Managing People 101. Next time I should stop and think before I speak.
It was a long night of self castigation. And it doesn’t look any better in the bright light of day.
Goes to show I am not as good at managing people as I thought. But goodness, I have dealt with so many varied personalities and characters in the last 4 years of my life that I should have been better able to handle any situations than how I did yesterday. Without getting into details, suffice to say I have put my foot in my mouth without having any thoughts going through that pea brain of mine. And I thought that I am maturing in the way I handle people. I reckon I have to go back to Managing People 101. Next time I should stop and think before I speak.
It was a long night of self castigation. And it doesn’t look any better in the bright light of day.
Words don’t come easy
I have always sucked at giving platitudes in times of sorrow. Probably because having been in the position of the person suffering a loss, I had preferred not to have platitudes thrown my way. Somehow, no matter the intention, there is a tendency that those words come out sounding awkward and false; instead of sympathetic. Besides, when people say those words to me, it would set off the water works and sometimes, I wonder if I cry because I am sad or ... Ok. Freud would have a fine time analysing my brain.
Just last week, my friend’s beloved dog was put to sleep. I did not know what to say, fearing that whatever I say was going to come out sounding clichéd. So, I sent her a text message and offered my sympathies and also a shoulder to cry on should she need one. I have not called her since but told her via SMS that I would catch up with her after she recovers from her grieve.
A few days ago, I found out that a former classmate gave birth to a stillborn baby. The foetus was still in the womb and barely seven months old when they couldn’t detect a heartbeat. It’s been two weeks since the incident and I heard that both husband and wife were pretty devastated. I knew they were both looking forward towards their second child. They have been trying for many years. Their eldest is now five years old. I was shocked because I met up with her just three months ago and she was glowing with health! I tried calling her yesterday but there was no reply. I have no idea what to say to her but … I am pretty sure it has hit her badly because she has not returned my missed calls (usually she is very prompt).
I am still clueless as to what to say to them. Words don’t come easy in situations like this.
Just last week, my friend’s beloved dog was put to sleep. I did not know what to say, fearing that whatever I say was going to come out sounding clichéd. So, I sent her a text message and offered my sympathies and also a shoulder to cry on should she need one. I have not called her since but told her via SMS that I would catch up with her after she recovers from her grieve.
A few days ago, I found out that a former classmate gave birth to a stillborn baby. The foetus was still in the womb and barely seven months old when they couldn’t detect a heartbeat. It’s been two weeks since the incident and I heard that both husband and wife were pretty devastated. I knew they were both looking forward towards their second child. They have been trying for many years. Their eldest is now five years old. I was shocked because I met up with her just three months ago and she was glowing with health! I tried calling her yesterday but there was no reply. I have no idea what to say to her but … I am pretty sure it has hit her badly because she has not returned my missed calls (usually she is very prompt).
I am still clueless as to what to say to them. Words don’t come easy in situations like this.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Back to freedom, back to Gasing Hill
The hills are alive … with the sound of music …. Ok. Ok. I am exaggerating. But Gasing Hill has definitely been calling out to me for months now since my old buddies have temporary quit our weekly workout.
But yesterday, I was back at my beloved hill with a new trekking buddy in tow. And it was exhilarating. It beats any workout in the gym hands down. Here, we breathe in fresh air, not recycled ones. And I could actually feel my pores breathing again. : )
Like a child with an old beloved toy, we scrambled across the monkey bridge and started the short but steep ascent up the hill. We wasted precious seconds trudging and sliding through the muddy terrain. But reached the top we did in less than ten minutes. (We could have made it in less if the terra firma had been drier. Yup! That’s my “competitive spirit” speaking! So sue me! :p) From there on, the terrain flattened out before sloping downwards on a pretty steep descent. Luckily I had my trusty “Salomon” trekking boots and was quite nimble footed as I practically hopped, skipped and jumped my way downwards. My dear buddy was not as fortunate as he had on an old pair of sport shoes. He had to gingerly pick his way downwards; although it looked more like a slip and slide job. Hahaha ….
Up and down went the terrain. And on and on we went ~ sliding across some places, running freely across others, almost falling into a puddle of water at one instance but luckily my buddy managed to pull the brakes before he ran smack into me. It was truly exhilarating. I have not felt so free in a long while. Perhaps it is the outdoors unhampered by walls or air conditioning, or perhaps it’s the terrain that provides surprises along the trail every now and then. Or perhaps I am coming back to something old and familiar that is much loved. Whatever it is, I am a happy camper! It is a bonus that my new buddy could keep up with my pace and actually pressures me into pushing harder forward. We finished the trek in an hour; which was a much better timing than I did with any of my old buddies. And yes, my new buddy is “very” competitive! I can now look forward to exploring new trails and improving my timing on old ones.
My new buddy seems to have taken to the hills like a duck to water. In fact, he was raving about it the whole of last evening. Much as I loved Gasing Hill, I certainly hoped I have not created a monster in my new trekking buddy! :p
Gasing Hill ~ here’s to you and many more exhilarating weekly workouts!
But yesterday, I was back at my beloved hill with a new trekking buddy in tow. And it was exhilarating. It beats any workout in the gym hands down. Here, we breathe in fresh air, not recycled ones. And I could actually feel my pores breathing again. : )
Like a child with an old beloved toy, we scrambled across the monkey bridge and started the short but steep ascent up the hill. We wasted precious seconds trudging and sliding through the muddy terrain. But reached the top we did in less than ten minutes. (We could have made it in less if the terra firma had been drier. Yup! That’s my “competitive spirit” speaking! So sue me! :p) From there on, the terrain flattened out before sloping downwards on a pretty steep descent. Luckily I had my trusty “Salomon” trekking boots and was quite nimble footed as I practically hopped, skipped and jumped my way downwards. My dear buddy was not as fortunate as he had on an old pair of sport shoes. He had to gingerly pick his way downwards; although it looked more like a slip and slide job. Hahaha ….
Up and down went the terrain. And on and on we went ~ sliding across some places, running freely across others, almost falling into a puddle of water at one instance but luckily my buddy managed to pull the brakes before he ran smack into me. It was truly exhilarating. I have not felt so free in a long while. Perhaps it is the outdoors unhampered by walls or air conditioning, or perhaps it’s the terrain that provides surprises along the trail every now and then. Or perhaps I am coming back to something old and familiar that is much loved. Whatever it is, I am a happy camper! It is a bonus that my new buddy could keep up with my pace and actually pressures me into pushing harder forward. We finished the trek in an hour; which was a much better timing than I did with any of my old buddies. And yes, my new buddy is “very” competitive! I can now look forward to exploring new trails and improving my timing on old ones.
My new buddy seems to have taken to the hills like a duck to water. In fact, he was raving about it the whole of last evening. Much as I loved Gasing Hill, I certainly hoped I have not created a monster in my new trekking buddy! :p
Gasing Hill ~ here’s to you and many more exhilarating weekly workouts!
When will “we” ever learn to take responsibility?
“Saved from the dump” ~ another case of baby dumping headlined the Sunday Star yesterday. A baby had been left for dead in a sports bag near the Tanjung Agas (Muar) dumping area yesterday, so reported the said paper. The newspaper further chronicled nine baby dumping cases since March this year. And this is just a few days short of the news about a poor German Shepherd being neglected to death by her owner in Subang Jaya. The NST on Wednesday October 18th further quoted at least 2,400 animal neglect cases are reported every year in Malaysia. The pity of it all is that the pet owner was only slapped with a RM100 fine under the Animal Ordinance which carries the maximum fine of only RM200 or six months jail or both. Something is definitely wrong with this law.
What is our society coming to? Where did we go wrong? Is life so worthless these days that the perpetrators could not even be bothered to hand their charges over to the respective authorities but instead, leave their children or pets for “DEAD”?! How can one take the responsibility of a life so lightly? It is absolutely criminal!
And to think a few of my childless friends have to go through hell to try to get a child and here you have people “killing” their own kids. Yes, “killing” is the right word. When you leave a baby in the dumpster, would you expect the baby to survive? The person who did that has as good as signed the death warrant of the child!
On another note, just yesterday, a good friend of mine had to put her beloved dog of more than 15 years to sleep due to old age and sickness. It was a very sad occasion. I knew how tough it was for her to make that decision and it took her a couple of months to do so. But in the Subang Jaya case, you have a healthy dog which was “left for dead” by the owner. And yes, “left for dead” is the right phrase to use. After all, when you leave your animal in the house for days without food and water, what do you expect … a hale and healthy dog running to greet you?
When we take a child or a pet into our home and hearts, we undertake the responsibility for that life. We are supposed to nurture and protect until they can stand on their own feet, and even then, we continue to nurture and protect in other ways. In return, we receive love; and in some cases as in our pets, it’s unconditional love. Do we then take that love and trample upon it? It is unthinkable to call it quits halfway through that cycle. But what is worse, is that instead of nurturing the child or pet, we seek to destroy. That is something I could never fathom. What happened to the milk of human kindness?
As much as I like kids and pets, I know that my current lifestyle would not be able to accommodate them unless I am willing to make that sacrifice. And that’s what we have to consider before we undertake such a responsibility. We must be willing to take that responsibility and make those sacrifices! We can’t just take it and leave it at our own whims and fancy. And when the going gets tough, we can’t just say, “Oops! Sorry, I made an error God. Here, I give you back the child!”
When will “we” ever learn to take responsibility?
What is our society coming to? Where did we go wrong? Is life so worthless these days that the perpetrators could not even be bothered to hand their charges over to the respective authorities but instead, leave their children or pets for “DEAD”?! How can one take the responsibility of a life so lightly? It is absolutely criminal!
And to think a few of my childless friends have to go through hell to try to get a child and here you have people “killing” their own kids. Yes, “killing” is the right word. When you leave a baby in the dumpster, would you expect the baby to survive? The person who did that has as good as signed the death warrant of the child!
On another note, just yesterday, a good friend of mine had to put her beloved dog of more than 15 years to sleep due to old age and sickness. It was a very sad occasion. I knew how tough it was for her to make that decision and it took her a couple of months to do so. But in the Subang Jaya case, you have a healthy dog which was “left for dead” by the owner. And yes, “left for dead” is the right phrase to use. After all, when you leave your animal in the house for days without food and water, what do you expect … a hale and healthy dog running to greet you?
When we take a child or a pet into our home and hearts, we undertake the responsibility for that life. We are supposed to nurture and protect until they can stand on their own feet, and even then, we continue to nurture and protect in other ways. In return, we receive love; and in some cases as in our pets, it’s unconditional love. Do we then take that love and trample upon it? It is unthinkable to call it quits halfway through that cycle. But what is worse, is that instead of nurturing the child or pet, we seek to destroy. That is something I could never fathom. What happened to the milk of human kindness?
As much as I like kids and pets, I know that my current lifestyle would not be able to accommodate them unless I am willing to make that sacrifice. And that’s what we have to consider before we undertake such a responsibility. We must be willing to take that responsibility and make those sacrifices! We can’t just take it and leave it at our own whims and fancy. And when the going gets tough, we can’t just say, “Oops! Sorry, I made an error God. Here, I give you back the child!”
When will “we” ever learn to take responsibility?
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Managing change or getting short changed?
Have you ever worked in a situation where you are battling mainstream mentality and work culture on a daily basis? Let me tell you now that it is an exercise in absolute futility. Imagine swimming upstream against a very strong current towards the source which is a massive waterfall. It is a no win situation no matter how you slice it.
A couple of years ago, I was employed in a local conglomerate. Having spent most of my life working in multinationals, it was a culture shock to say the least. But I was warned by my boss then of what to expect. He wanted me to be the “agent of change” and foolishly I agreed. Yeah … right! But you know how it is. You are new. You are eager. You are motivated. You want to change the world! … or rather the little corner of the world that you work in. Oh woe is me! I was fooled by my own naiveté, enthusiasm and arrogance. I was fooled into thinking I could change decades of entrenched work culture and mindsets that had wormed its way even up to the junior and middle management levels!
It was a struggle for me from day one. Folks left office at 5.30pm sharp. Morning tea and evening tea were a must in that work culture. I called a meeting for a product launch preparation which belonged to another manager, and he had the cheek to tell me that it was already 5.00pm and could we hold the meeting the next day. Things that could be done in a day took weeks to complete. Branch managers were suspicious of me; and because I was younger than them, I looked younger and I am a woman, a few of them could not be bothered to give me the time of day. When I worked late, they thought I was hankering for a promotion.
It was difficult to trust my staff when they arranged for sales calls and submitted their claims. Have you ever heard of sales guys arranging sales calls on extreme routes in one day? (In the business that we were in, there was no such thing as monthly or weekly fixed sales routes.) And this could go on for weeks if I do not reprimand them. For example, they would see a customer in Klang in the morning and then arrange to see another customer in Kepong in the afternoon. The next day, they would arrange to see a customer in Shah Alam and then one in Batu Caves. Any sales person worth his salt would arrange the Klang – Shah Alam route in one day and Kepong – Batu Caves route the next day. At least they would try to streamline the sales calls as much as possible. But a few of my staff did the former because they could make huge petrol claims as the company paid quite a hefty amount per kilometre travelled.
Can you imagine a company where employees could engineer their own inter department transfer without consulting their managers and HR actually allowed that to happen? Well, mine did! Even my boss could not stop them. Thinking back, it was quite funny during review time. With such mediocre performance, I gave them an average grade which to me was a mercy grade. I would have rated them below average or needs improvement in any other circumstances. But they rated themselves in the regions of very good to excellent. Their argument, they worked harder than other departments and those guys in other departments have gotten better grades than them. Therefore, I was being unfair.
Every time I hit an extreme low, I would talk to my boss and he would tell me that I should lower my expectations. I was hitting against brick walls after brick walls. Things just refused to budge at my pace or even at a few paces slower than mine. In the end, I actually adapted to their work culture in terms of expectations and results. But I knew that if I carried on in that situation, I would rot. There was hardly any learning and career development at my end. All I learnt was to handle a work culture that I never want to be a part of in the future. After two years plus, I threw in the towel. I could not see my future in such an organisation.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson. Unless you have strong support in middle and upper management to engineer change, you can forget about doing it on your own. Even with such strong support, changing decades of entrenched mindsets is a huge undertaking and there should be a change agent champion at every level of the command chain. Otherwise, being a sole change agent (with limited support from your immediate boss) in the face of massive mainstream mentality is an exercise in absolute futility. In the end, you hurt yourself more than you help the organisation.
Next time before you embark on such a venture, ask yourself if you are managing change or you are getting short changed!
A couple of years ago, I was employed in a local conglomerate. Having spent most of my life working in multinationals, it was a culture shock to say the least. But I was warned by my boss then of what to expect. He wanted me to be the “agent of change” and foolishly I agreed. Yeah … right! But you know how it is. You are new. You are eager. You are motivated. You want to change the world! … or rather the little corner of the world that you work in. Oh woe is me! I was fooled by my own naiveté, enthusiasm and arrogance. I was fooled into thinking I could change decades of entrenched work culture and mindsets that had wormed its way even up to the junior and middle management levels!
It was a struggle for me from day one. Folks left office at 5.30pm sharp. Morning tea and evening tea were a must in that work culture. I called a meeting for a product launch preparation which belonged to another manager, and he had the cheek to tell me that it was already 5.00pm and could we hold the meeting the next day. Things that could be done in a day took weeks to complete. Branch managers were suspicious of me; and because I was younger than them, I looked younger and I am a woman, a few of them could not be bothered to give me the time of day. When I worked late, they thought I was hankering for a promotion.
It was difficult to trust my staff when they arranged for sales calls and submitted their claims. Have you ever heard of sales guys arranging sales calls on extreme routes in one day? (In the business that we were in, there was no such thing as monthly or weekly fixed sales routes.) And this could go on for weeks if I do not reprimand them. For example, they would see a customer in Klang in the morning and then arrange to see another customer in Kepong in the afternoon. The next day, they would arrange to see a customer in Shah Alam and then one in Batu Caves. Any sales person worth his salt would arrange the Klang – Shah Alam route in one day and Kepong – Batu Caves route the next day. At least they would try to streamline the sales calls as much as possible. But a few of my staff did the former because they could make huge petrol claims as the company paid quite a hefty amount per kilometre travelled.
Can you imagine a company where employees could engineer their own inter department transfer without consulting their managers and HR actually allowed that to happen? Well, mine did! Even my boss could not stop them. Thinking back, it was quite funny during review time. With such mediocre performance, I gave them an average grade which to me was a mercy grade. I would have rated them below average or needs improvement in any other circumstances. But they rated themselves in the regions of very good to excellent. Their argument, they worked harder than other departments and those guys in other departments have gotten better grades than them. Therefore, I was being unfair.
Every time I hit an extreme low, I would talk to my boss and he would tell me that I should lower my expectations. I was hitting against brick walls after brick walls. Things just refused to budge at my pace or even at a few paces slower than mine. In the end, I actually adapted to their work culture in terms of expectations and results. But I knew that if I carried on in that situation, I would rot. There was hardly any learning and career development at my end. All I learnt was to handle a work culture that I never want to be a part of in the future. After two years plus, I threw in the towel. I could not see my future in such an organisation.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson. Unless you have strong support in middle and upper management to engineer change, you can forget about doing it on your own. Even with such strong support, changing decades of entrenched mindsets is a huge undertaking and there should be a change agent champion at every level of the command chain. Otherwise, being a sole change agent (with limited support from your immediate boss) in the face of massive mainstream mentality is an exercise in absolute futility. In the end, you hurt yourself more than you help the organisation.
Next time before you embark on such a venture, ask yourself if you are managing change or you are getting short changed!
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Of communication, flaming remarks and resolving issues …
Have you ever been a party to flaming emails and inflammatory posts? Needless to say I have been a witness to one recently that sets me thinking of how counter-productive the entire thing is. Looking back, there have been many occasions that I have been a party to or bear witness to flaming emails and verbal “one–up-man ship” during meetings.
The verbal bit is nothing new as we see MPs (member of parliaments) engaging in such antics and drama often enough ~ some even to the extent of physical abuse. Read the news of the Taiwan parliamentary sittings and proceedings and you would know what I mean. Not that I agree to such a passionate and public display of sentiment but I understand that when it comes to verbal communication, passions run high and hot, and usually one does not have the time (nor the inclination) to think through and reflect before one reacts. The end result is a “free for all” verbal abuse that could escalate to physical violence. That’s the one major failure of verbal communication. People act or say things on impulse and according to emotion, thus they do not think through before they shoot their mouth off.
But written display of inflammatory remarks, attack and counter attack, is that necessary? Or should the blame be put squarely on the technology or the devices that facilitate instant feedback and reply, thus rendering that mode of communication and discussion into a verbal platform. I used to think that written communication allows a person to cool down and organise his thoughts before making a response.
But not anymore if what I recently witnessed is used as an example. And yes, I lay part of the blame on technology. As the turnaround time for the other party to read and reply is almost instantaneous, this type of written communication is tantamount to verbal conversation. As such, the amount of care in the choice of words used is very much reduced. What makes it worse is that all the nuances of body language in the art of verbal communication are missing in this new form of communication, which could have softened the tone of a message somewhat. This increases the potential of the message being misunderstood.
But that’s neither here nor there. I believe the bulk of the blame still lies with the participants of such meetings and forums. Whilst I understand that derogatory remarks need to be dealt with, there should also be a sense check to ensure that we do not get overly sensitive and spent too much time in rebutting such remarks. Inflammatory remarks, whether verbal or written, usually divert the attention of the participants from the issue at hand. All too often the real issues get buried under defensive arguments and egos that demand satisfaction. And sadly, after a lengthy discourse which waste precious meeting time, limited server space or dwindling bandwidth, the real issues are usually none the closer to being resolved.
Thus, the next time when we are faced with such a situation, perhaps we should pause and ask ourselves, “Are we focussing on resolving the issues?”
The verbal bit is nothing new as we see MPs (member of parliaments) engaging in such antics and drama often enough ~ some even to the extent of physical abuse. Read the news of the Taiwan parliamentary sittings and proceedings and you would know what I mean. Not that I agree to such a passionate and public display of sentiment but I understand that when it comes to verbal communication, passions run high and hot, and usually one does not have the time (nor the inclination) to think through and reflect before one reacts. The end result is a “free for all” verbal abuse that could escalate to physical violence. That’s the one major failure of verbal communication. People act or say things on impulse and according to emotion, thus they do not think through before they shoot their mouth off.
But written display of inflammatory remarks, attack and counter attack, is that necessary? Or should the blame be put squarely on the technology or the devices that facilitate instant feedback and reply, thus rendering that mode of communication and discussion into a verbal platform. I used to think that written communication allows a person to cool down and organise his thoughts before making a response.
But not anymore if what I recently witnessed is used as an example. And yes, I lay part of the blame on technology. As the turnaround time for the other party to read and reply is almost instantaneous, this type of written communication is tantamount to verbal conversation. As such, the amount of care in the choice of words used is very much reduced. What makes it worse is that all the nuances of body language in the art of verbal communication are missing in this new form of communication, which could have softened the tone of a message somewhat. This increases the potential of the message being misunderstood.
But that’s neither here nor there. I believe the bulk of the blame still lies with the participants of such meetings and forums. Whilst I understand that derogatory remarks need to be dealt with, there should also be a sense check to ensure that we do not get overly sensitive and spent too much time in rebutting such remarks. Inflammatory remarks, whether verbal or written, usually divert the attention of the participants from the issue at hand. All too often the real issues get buried under defensive arguments and egos that demand satisfaction. And sadly, after a lengthy discourse which waste precious meeting time, limited server space or dwindling bandwidth, the real issues are usually none the closer to being resolved.
Thus, the next time when we are faced with such a situation, perhaps we should pause and ask ourselves, “Are we focussing on resolving the issues?”
Blogging is ...
Since I started blogging; and blogging regularly at that, I have been asked many times the amount of time I spent writing a post. Many thought that I could produce a post within a matter of minutes and at the drop of a hat. The truth is, conceiving a subject matter to write is simple (as I do have a lot of ideas running through my head at one point or another, and I have a lot to say) but putting it across is a lot more difficult. I do not want to end up with a “written diarrhoea” (as opposed to a verbal one). :p
It takes time to focus my thoughts and build my case, and then refine it into interesting reading. I try to choose my words with care. It is important to remain objective but if I am unable to be objective, then it is important for me to convey my point of view by building a logical case. Hopefully, I have been successful thus far. : ) The whole objective of writing something is to get the point across in a lively and interesting manner without bogging down into too much details and become overly verbose; which I think I am on the verge of doing now! :p
Well, that’s how I create my blog. It is really no rocket science. And of course, the whisperings of a muse in the wee hours of the morning helps! : ) So, why not jump on the blogwagon dear friends? It is a lot of fun! Besides, it is a therapeutic way of working off some of your frustrations and angst. Ha ha ha ….
Welcome aboard!
It takes time to focus my thoughts and build my case, and then refine it into interesting reading. I try to choose my words with care. It is important to remain objective but if I am unable to be objective, then it is important for me to convey my point of view by building a logical case. Hopefully, I have been successful thus far. : ) The whole objective of writing something is to get the point across in a lively and interesting manner without bogging down into too much details and become overly verbose; which I think I am on the verge of doing now! :p
Well, that’s how I create my blog. It is really no rocket science. And of course, the whisperings of a muse in the wee hours of the morning helps! : ) So, why not jump on the blogwagon dear friends? It is a lot of fun! Besides, it is a therapeutic way of working off some of your frustrations and angst. Ha ha ha ….
Welcome aboard!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Know thyself
Quizzes anyone?
I am a real sucker for quizzes especially when they are supposed to reveal what sort of person you are! Not that I believe everything the results yield but I am interested to see how the quizzes are set and how characteristics/ categories can be derived from them. I was reading a neighbour’s blog today and was drawn to do the following . Note the results it yielded. Interesting to say the least … : ) You might want to try it yourself.
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourhiddentalentquiz/)
Your Hidden Talent
You have the power to persuade and influence others.
You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around.
The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it.
Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!
(Leanne say: Wow! Never knew that leh.)
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyouridealrelationshipquiz/)
Your Ideal Relationship is …. Polyamory
You want to have your cake... and everyone else's.
Which isn't a bad thing, if everyone else gets to eat too!
You're too much of a free spirit to be tied down by a traditional relationship.
You think relationships should be open and free, with few restrictions.
(Leanne say: Double wow! By the way, what is polyamory eh? Poly equals many, amor means love ~ many loves ar?)
polyamory n. participation in multiple and simultaneous loving or sexual relationships
Source: Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.6)
(Leanne say: Wow! Lagi "keng"!!!)
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourbloggingpersonalityquiz/)
Your Blogging Type is … Confident and Insightful
You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog.
Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights.
A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time.
You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!
(Leanne say: Triple wow! You learn new things about yourself every day eh?! Flattery will get you everywhere, everytime! :P )
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/)
Your Birthdate: January 30
Your birthday on the 30th day of the month shows individual self-expression is necessary for your happiness.
You tend to have a good way of expressing yourself with words, certainly in a manner that is clear and understandable.
You have a good chance of success in fields requiring skill with words.
You can be very dramatic in your presentation and you may be a good actor or a natural mimic.
You have a vivid imagination that can assist you in becoming a good writer or story-teller.
Strong in your opinions, you always tend to think you are on the right side of an issue.
There may be a tendency to scatter your energies and have a lot of loose ends in your work.
You may have significant artistic talent and be very creative.
(Leanne say: Um … I am flattered beyond words. Hahahaha … )
I was testing out these quizzes by putting in different answers. One thing for sure, there is never really anything absolutely negative said about any specific characteristics. Guess these quizzes abide by the rules that people only want to hear good things about themselves! : ) Any truth in them? Some are pure blarney of course! And others ... *shrugs* ... perhaps the questions do reflect more intellectual thoughts ... your guess is as good as mine though as to the accuracy and authenticity of them. However, any similarity to reality are most likely coincidences and of course, the fact that we want to believe what we read especially if they are flattering ones. Hahaha …
If you are truly interested in understanding your personality, you might want to check out MBTI. Earlier this year, as part of understanding team dynamics, I had the occasion to attend the Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) training. We did a lengthy test answering numerous close ended questions. I think it was about 50-60 questions in all. The results it yielded was extremely interesting. And quite similar to the readings I received several years ago when I did the same test. Running through the questions, you would notice that there are many that cross check against earlier questions (which is very unlike the above). In any case, I neither have the expertise nor the depth of understanding to further explain the details in this post. Should you be interested, you might want to check out the following website: www.mbti.com
Do I believe in the results? Suffice to say that it hits close to home. The good thing about this is that you are more aware of your personality traits. There’s no right or wrong, good or bad traits. They are just ~ our strengths and weaknesses. And being more aware of them, we can then consciously augment the positive traits and mute the negative ones. Personally, I believe that no matter how much we want to hide or put a brave “face” to the world, it is very important we know and is aware of who we are and not live in denial. In short, lie to the world if you must but never lie to yourself. You are what you are. Only when you know and understand yourself, can you then improve upon that and deal more effective with other personality types.
Personality tests anyone? : )
I am a real sucker for quizzes especially when they are supposed to reveal what sort of person you are! Not that I believe everything the results yield but I am interested to see how the quizzes are set and how characteristics/ categories can be derived from them. I was reading a neighbour’s blog today and was drawn to do the following . Note the results it yielded. Interesting to say the least … : ) You might want to try it yourself.
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourhiddentalentquiz/)
Your Hidden Talent
You have the power to persuade and influence others.
You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around.
The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it.
Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!
(Leanne say: Wow! Never knew that leh.)
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyouridealrelationshipquiz/)
Your Ideal Relationship is …. Polyamory
You want to have your cake... and everyone else's.
Which isn't a bad thing, if everyone else gets to eat too!
You're too much of a free spirit to be tied down by a traditional relationship.
You think relationships should be open and free, with few restrictions.
(Leanne say: Double wow! By the way, what is polyamory eh? Poly equals many, amor means love ~ many loves ar?)
polyamory n. participation in multiple and simultaneous loving or sexual relationships
Source: Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.6)
(Leanne say: Wow! Lagi "keng"!!!)
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourbloggingpersonalityquiz/)
Your Blogging Type is … Confident and Insightful
You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog.
Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights.
A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time.
You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!
(Leanne say: Triple wow! You learn new things about yourself every day eh?! Flattery will get you everywhere, everytime! :P )
(http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/)
Your Birthdate: January 30
Your birthday on the 30th day of the month shows individual self-expression is necessary for your happiness.
You tend to have a good way of expressing yourself with words, certainly in a manner that is clear and understandable.
You have a good chance of success in fields requiring skill with words.
You can be very dramatic in your presentation and you may be a good actor or a natural mimic.
You have a vivid imagination that can assist you in becoming a good writer or story-teller.
Strong in your opinions, you always tend to think you are on the right side of an issue.
There may be a tendency to scatter your energies and have a lot of loose ends in your work.
You may have significant artistic talent and be very creative.
(Leanne say: Um … I am flattered beyond words. Hahahaha … )
I was testing out these quizzes by putting in different answers. One thing for sure, there is never really anything absolutely negative said about any specific characteristics. Guess these quizzes abide by the rules that people only want to hear good things about themselves! : ) Any truth in them? Some are pure blarney of course! And others ... *shrugs* ... perhaps the questions do reflect more intellectual thoughts ... your guess is as good as mine though as to the accuracy and authenticity of them. However, any similarity to reality are most likely coincidences and of course, the fact that we want to believe what we read especially if they are flattering ones. Hahaha …
If you are truly interested in understanding your personality, you might want to check out MBTI. Earlier this year, as part of understanding team dynamics, I had the occasion to attend the Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) training. We did a lengthy test answering numerous close ended questions. I think it was about 50-60 questions in all. The results it yielded was extremely interesting. And quite similar to the readings I received several years ago when I did the same test. Running through the questions, you would notice that there are many that cross check against earlier questions (which is very unlike the above). In any case, I neither have the expertise nor the depth of understanding to further explain the details in this post. Should you be interested, you might want to check out the following website: www.mbti.com
Do I believe in the results? Suffice to say that it hits close to home. The good thing about this is that you are more aware of your personality traits. There’s no right or wrong, good or bad traits. They are just ~ our strengths and weaknesses. And being more aware of them, we can then consciously augment the positive traits and mute the negative ones. Personally, I believe that no matter how much we want to hide or put a brave “face” to the world, it is very important we know and is aware of who we are and not live in denial. In short, lie to the world if you must but never lie to yourself. You are what you are. Only when you know and understand yourself, can you then improve upon that and deal more effective with other personality types.
Personality tests anyone? : )
Monday, October 17, 2005
Secret Garden
Lush, rich, full-bodied and passionate music ... this is a keeper!
Anyone into world music?
I discovered this group, Secret Garden, several years ago. Check out their album Dreamcatcher and Earthsongs. I love most of the songs in the Dreamcatcher album but my favourite is the “Song from Secret Garden” track. The collection of songs in that album is very soothing and great to wind down after a stressful day. The music arrangement is pretty simple but it’s the beauty in that simplicity that I find so refreshing.
In the words of the Amazon.com reviewer, Leslie R. Marini, on the Dreamcatcher album, “…Lush, rich, full-bodied, and passionate, Secret Garden stands eye-to-eye with other successful Celtic/world-music hybrids such as Loreena McKennitt and Clannad. Highlighted by the ethereal vocal styling of Gunnhild Tvinnereim ("Nocturne") and the tender laments of Karen Matheson ("Prayer"), Secret Garden weaves a mystical tapestry of classic Oriental notes, Irish flutes, deep bodhran, and bold violins. With the crystalline quality of pure water, Secret Garden descends over one's spirit in a tranquil waterfall of renewal, as demonstrated in "Sigma" and "Songs from a Secret Garden." "Elan," which originally appeared on the album Dawn of a New Century, reflects the fire that burns at the heart of Secret Garden. The song soars with a wild, sea-swept energy, a true soundscape of white-sand beach and blue sky. A bonus cut, "Last Present," closes out Dreamcatcher with a simple, balanced melody--poised and inspiring.”
Earthsongs is a recent discovery. I just fell in love with “Sometimes When It Rains” (the first track) the first time I heard it. The rest of the album is ok but not as good as Dreamcatcher.
So, grab a glass of wine, dim the lights, relax on your sofa with your legs up and enjoy the beautiful music from Secret Garden.
P.S. In case there are Secret Garden fans out there, let me know should you have the music notes to the songs. Would love to get my hands on them. : )
Anyone into world music?
I discovered this group, Secret Garden, several years ago. Check out their album Dreamcatcher and Earthsongs. I love most of the songs in the Dreamcatcher album but my favourite is the “Song from Secret Garden” track. The collection of songs in that album is very soothing and great to wind down after a stressful day. The music arrangement is pretty simple but it’s the beauty in that simplicity that I find so refreshing.
In the words of the Amazon.com reviewer, Leslie R. Marini, on the Dreamcatcher album, “…Lush, rich, full-bodied, and passionate, Secret Garden stands eye-to-eye with other successful Celtic/world-music hybrids such as Loreena McKennitt and Clannad. Highlighted by the ethereal vocal styling of Gunnhild Tvinnereim ("Nocturne") and the tender laments of Karen Matheson ("Prayer"), Secret Garden weaves a mystical tapestry of classic Oriental notes, Irish flutes, deep bodhran, and bold violins. With the crystalline quality of pure water, Secret Garden descends over one's spirit in a tranquil waterfall of renewal, as demonstrated in "Sigma" and "Songs from a Secret Garden." "Elan," which originally appeared on the album Dawn of a New Century, reflects the fire that burns at the heart of Secret Garden. The song soars with a wild, sea-swept energy, a true soundscape of white-sand beach and blue sky. A bonus cut, "Last Present," closes out Dreamcatcher with a simple, balanced melody--poised and inspiring.”
Earthsongs is a recent discovery. I just fell in love with “Sometimes When It Rains” (the first track) the first time I heard it. The rest of the album is ok but not as good as Dreamcatcher.
So, grab a glass of wine, dim the lights, relax on your sofa with your legs up and enjoy the beautiful music from Secret Garden.
P.S. In case there are Secret Garden fans out there, let me know should you have the music notes to the songs. Would love to get my hands on them. : )
Sun, Sea, Sand … the three S
Bask in the tropical sun, the turquoise waters and the white sandy beaches of Sapi, Manukan and Mamutik islands.
Peik Lean Y.
Peik Lean Y.
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