SA 201

After the unforgettable trip to Cape Town, Kruger Park and Chun's wedding, it was not a hard decision to revisit South Africa once again the moment I have some leave to spare.

This time,we visited the main Johannesburg City and Sun City. My favourite parts being the unique experience of going 250 metres down the claustrophic shaft of the former gold mine in Gold Reef City, venturing into the limestone caves of Cradle of Mankind*, the game drive at Pilanesburg where we saw a family of leopards right in front of us. Oh yeah, you get to touch a li0n cub for 70 rand at Predator World.

Oh, did I mention the weird incident of coming back to the hotel room to find the fridge door open and the 2 red apples missing! (originally there were 2 red & 1 green apple). Subsequently, we realised a M&M and Snickers were taken from the fridge.

The reception claimed the (cheap) thieves to be baboons but I swear our windows are locked and we are on the 5th floor! Ghost, Baboons or hungry cleaning lady? You decide.

And the manmade wave at Valley of Waves really reminds me of a mini tsunami ... and from that, I think I can safely say I cannot survive if 2012 comes.

*The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by UNESCO in 1999, ; it contains a complex of limestone caves, including the Sterkfontein Caves, where the 2.3-million year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus (nicknamed "Mrs. Ples") was found in 1947 by Dr Robert Broom and John Robinson, as well as the Wonder Cave.

Taipei 201

After demise of Lai Cha, was so busy with the whirl of changes that follow that I have no time to update. That includes the trip to Taipei with Da, Wan, Chun, Sean that was fabulous.

There were many unforgettable things about Taipei but the Most has to be the helpful taxi Uncle who went the extra mile to point out to us where to get Cheap and Good noodles for breakfast! He actually came out from his taxi , pointed us to the menu, and just to play safe - brought us into the shop and showed us what sauce to add to the noodles!

Next was yet another Taxi Uncle who has in his front seat his pet doggy, to keep him company throughout the day.

In Taipei, other than the street food, what really leaves an impression must be the extraordinary warm and hospitable people.

In loving memory of Lai Cha (Apr 08 ~ 4 Oct 09)

She was the pretty one .. the princess surrounded by all her 3 brothers when we first met her.

Her marbled-cake patterned fur, big round eyes and many different expressions will forever be missed.

 

One Sweet Day
Sorry I never told you
All I wanted to say
And now it's too late to hold you
'Cause you've flown away
So far away

Never had I imagined
Living without your smile
Feeling and knowing you hear me
It keeps me alive
Alive

And I know you're shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day

5th Day at Home

Finally, there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

Came back to realise that she has defecated in her litter and she was meowing most loudly for me to remove the soiled rugs! Though she has still soiled herself with urine on the rugs, but at least she has the energy to step into the litter box!

Also, when I brought her out from the shower (yes, that's the quarantine area), she also could muster a few steps. Though she couldnt control her pee again, but it was pretty near the litter box once again.

Saw that she didn' eat a bit of the tuna I gave her, decided to try something new, i .e. just gave her the normal biscuits.... Guess what? She wolfed it up like no tomorrow. I hope this is a sign of her recovering and not the sign that we have been starving her the last few days as we gave her what she usually prefers . .the canned food.

Will keep a lookout.

Day 5 of hospitalisation (21 Sep)

She came home, and was all weak and ready eye. I.wondered what was the thing clouding her eyes, and I realised that must be the legendary third eyelid that cats have when they are in pain.

Next day, it got worse . She lost her meow .

Day 4 of hospitalisation (20 Sep)

Lai cha still running fever and seems a tat worse than yesterday. Not quite eating either. Doesn't look good . . . Sigh

Day 3 of hospitalisation (19 Sep)

Went to visit Lai Cha (Milk Tea) again this afternoon. She's still nursing a slight fever but appetite has slightly improved and condition seems better than earlier. However, will still need to monitor for 2 more days.. Thereafter, she will be on special diet for 2 more months and there's no certainty she will pull through unless all's well all the way . Though she was limping as 1 leg was connected to the drip , she was purring for us to take her home when we saw her. Being cooped up in that place with both sick cats & dogs must be as traumatising as being stricken with fever I suppose.

Tomorrow we will bring Ka Fei (Coffee) to the vet too , to check if he got the virus as well, since it's supposed to be common amongst HK cats and that it's passed through faeces & saliva. With their daily ritual of cleaning each other, I'll be surprised if Ka Fei is clear.

After visiting Lai Cha, we went on to Harbour City area to walk around and managed to go to this place in Mira Hotel called Yamm http://www.themirahotel.com/en/dining/yamm.aspx for the amazing buffet. Should be 1 of the better ones i have tried ..

Thereafter, went to watch Accident , starring Louis Koo once again. Somehow the movie reminds me of Final destination 4 that we watched last night. Despite my stomach for all gory and pervasion in such movies, I must admit my paranoia level really went up a notch after watching these 2 movies back to back. Reason being the possibly of such freak accidents happening can be pretty realistic... with or without spiritual intervention or murderous intentions.

Moral of story : Listen to signs but don't be overly paranoid.

A very sad day

Lai Cha is in hospital now .. with less than 50% chance of survival. She is suffering from this FIP disease which is progressive and almost fatal. Now that explains why she has been losing her appetite and is losing weight rapidly.

 

We made a call to send her to hospital instead of putting her to sleep but in the process, I am not sure if we are only causing her more pain in her remaining days. All the times she sits there quietly in her corner, I have thought she was simply reserved and aloof like how cats usually are. However, now then I realise that it might have been her disease that's causing her lethargy.

 

Her weak immune system was evident last year when she started to have cloudy eyes after being "stressed" but I really didn't expect that her time would come so soon. After all, Aki and Yoda have come into the family since 4 - 6 years ago and they have survived well, even though Yoda has been admitted to hospital twice but it's never been so serious.

 

It's heartwrenching to even hear about her pain at the doctors though I couldn't be there. Wish that she wouldn't suffer too much and try her best to recover. I wonder if Ka Fei knows that his sister is unwell, and if that's the reason why he's been purring at 4,5,6 am in the last 2 weeks and we had assumed his bio clock had just been screwed up after we deposited them in the pet hotel.

 

I hope she will survive this ordeal .. this test of 5 days. May the forces be with her.  

In the end, we are all the same

Have had separate incidental conversations with different people on their jobs.. across various industries. Interestingly, I see various insights that are different and yet the same.

 

A is tired of her cushy job as it's the same routine motion month after month, year after year.

B hates her boss and the politics.

C just got transferred to a function that's not in line with her career aspirations.

D got false hope of a possible job transfer.

E feels underaccomplished.

F likes to work as opposed to being a housewife so life's about herself and not just for for others.

G is working for someone who don't share the same ideals and values.

H feels that her boss is really biased and doesn't dare to speak up.

 

Across these conversations, seems that most people don't like their jobs, be it they show it or not. Once heard another wise man say - you should stand up for your rights, make suggestions to change the world/ workspace, influence people...  so you are not merely a victim of the circumstances.

 

Having said that, when is enough enough?

 

Why is it that most people rather stay in jobs they dislike rather than pursue their dreams ? Is it just the opportunity cost of stable salary or is it the fear to venture out into the unknown in the hope of seeking fulfilment ? Or perhaps it's the fear that the dreams we go for may not be the right dreams in the first place? But then again, what is right? The one you succeed but feel little joy or the one that you fail but experience all of life's ups, downs and bewilderment.

 

 

Boat Trip

Day started spendidly to clear skies versus the rains that were intially feared. Was a wonder my bio clock still worked after the late night out with Chun & Sean at Backstage - the jazz bar. Fantastic rendition of jazz pieces including Gao Shan Qing, Qing Ren De Yan Lei and Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin. And was interesting use of harmonica instead of saxophone in my humble opinion. And the lobster pasta in spicy tomato sauce was amazing too! This place definitely deserves an encore.

 

Anyways .. the yacht trip was fun and for a very long time, especially in HK, I have not seen so much skin in 1 afternoon - the designer bikinis galore. We went wakeboarding & for some reason couldn't stand up that quickly & for very long. However, age couldn't be an excuse as the driver of speedboat can still do 360 degree flips in air at age of 46, and look like a 38.

 

Anw, through the wakeboarding, one thing i learnt was that if you don't want to fall flat on your stomach/back versus sinking gracefully..you gotta LET GO. Ain't it like life?

 

The perfect end to the very hot day - hotpot.

 

The perfect end to the night - Moulin Rouge .. the ever enchanting musical that still charms after 8 long years.

Movies I have watched

Think I will start a regular update on movies I have watched as it's really extensive in my humble opinion....And a rating system..

5 stars for MUST WATCH

1 star for MUST NOT WASTE MONEY 

 

In order of recency ...

 

1. Overheard 窃听风云

Rating: 5

Thrilling. Exciting watch but one will still leave theatre affected.

Moral of story: Crime doesn't pay.

 

2. Harry Potter  

Rating: 2

Boring. Almost fell asleep. No climax.

Moral of story: Not sure.... sequel sucks?

 

3. Murderer

Rating: 5

Thrilling with good twists. Pretty depressing so don't watch it on a day you feel down. Gruesome so don't watch after a heavy meal.
Moral of story: Try to stay sane no matter what.

 

4.Sunshine Cleaning 

Rating: 4 

Interesting plot but not action packed. Good for lazy afternoon or plane ride.

Moral of story: Don't use candles.

The eclipse that we won't see in 300 years

The eclipse looks like a burning cresent moon through the solar film which I borrowed from fellow chasers - strangers

Excited as I am , most of the corporate world at quarry bay walks on in apathy to the phenomenon .

Life's beautiful .. even in unexpected places

You know when you are old when ...

1. hear songs like "Forever Love" by Gary Barlow , "Fallen" by Lauren Wood (remember Pretty Woman?)  and you feel completely nostalgic

 

2. you recall that Michael Jackson's paedophilia scandal happened a few years ago (it's been 15 years by the way)

 

3. you are not sure whether you are baby boomers, gen X, Y or Z  

 

4. you have been through the Asia Financial Crisis and the Subprime crisis

 

5. you have survived Mad Cow disease, SARs, Bird Flu, Swine Flu (thus far)

 

My new toy

I am writing this this using my latest toy ... magic by HTC . Amazing touch screen interface. Either this is really good or I am simply too backward to start with . Nonetheless . . Now I am a convert.
Sent from my HTC Android phone.

Guess what? I won a Book on Genghis Khan's leadership ! Here's my submission again .... credits to Chun for her challenge to me!

 

I think a good leader in workplace is

 

- one who doesn't use jargons but let actions speak for itself

 

- one who will not easily jump to conclusions / overly judgmental despite being his wisdom or experience.

 

- one who puts in the effort to coach and understands the hot buttons of each individual

 

- who really embrace diversity & effectively harness it , & is open minded towards differing views.

- one who is enlightened .. self reflecting with keen sens e of self awareness and constantly seek self improvement

- one who is utterly passionate & driven on his purpose and inspires others to do the same , if not more (influence)

- one who may have fear but will never show

- one who will put his head on the chopping board when shit hits the fan (i.e. the accountability part abv mentioned)

- one who drives equitable rewards & punishment

- one who communicates with words & yet beyond

- one who Envisions, Enables, Empowers & Energises

Peace

Perhaps, it's due to the over-exposure to Noise or simply Age. Nowadays, I am finding that I can be at peace with Peace. Sometimes we all need some quiet times , and we all certainly can do with some peace of mind. Hence, peace is good in every sense of the word.

 

Seek and hope I shall find. So, turn off that ..

 

- TV

- MP3

- Radio

- Purring

- Gossiping

- Screeching laughter

- Nagging

- Car Horning

- Alarm Clock

- Construction noise

 

And perhaps, for once, we truly find the peace we deserve.

 

 

Leadership 102

Did I say I submit my blog entry on leadership to 1 of Dymock's competition. If they buy it, then I will get a free copy of the new  book on Genghis Khan. Wish me luck! Anyway, I am trying to make it back to Singapore in the weekend of 7th June. Whoever is reading this, pls email me or message me on Sg line to catch up!

 

I had wanted to share more insights on leadership..but now guess I am a bit tired of the so called leadership... so guess I will talk about sabbatical ..

 

Think the idea of a sabbatical really appeal yet can be very hard to achieve. Imagine getting a sabbatical now, bet you will be confronted with many

 

- are you retrenched ?

- are you very stressed ? Any problems?

- unhappy at work ?

- why you give up your stable job? Are you in trouble daughter/son?

 

Rather, I think a sabattical is just something that one can consider or is easier to consider if you don't have any obligations now ... or any liabilities. And it should be a viable option before one gets burnt out or baggage gets too heavy & opportunity costs get too high , not after. 

Rainy days and sundays

Weather around here has been peculiar of late, alternating between sunshine & heavy rains. And that day I heard of the squall in sunny Singapore and the worst sandstorm ever in Taiwan ..

 

Throw in the Swine (aka pig) flu , after we barely finish grappling with bird flu ...and a financial tsunami to boot,  it always look like Apocalypse around here. 

 

Perhaps the world will end tomorrow or the year after, I'm not taking any chances. So today, despite the rain, Da & I went down to the literally wet market to buy ingredients for a curry dinner, pick up lilies on the way just because I like it and try the famous cha chan teng I've always wanted to but never find the time. And not to mention the online clothing & wine business.

 

Why wait anymore? Just do it!

Leadership - beyond jargons

So what's a leader?

- one who doesn't use jargons but let actions speak for itself

- one who is enlightened .. self reflecting with keen sens e of self awareness and constantly seek self improvement

- one who is utterly passionate & driven on his purpose and inspires others to do the same , if not more (influence)

- one who may have fear but will never show

- one who will put his head on the chopping board when shit hits the fan (i.e. the accountability part abv mentioned)

- one who drives equitable rewards & punishment

- one who communicates with words & yet beyond

- one who Envisions, Enables, Empowers & Energises

Cats MTV

Soft Launch of Jene @ Weddings

Visit http://jeneatweddings.blogspot.com for clothes you can wear to weddings or to work!

A New Earth...key learnings

This, too, will pass.

 

Is that so?

 

Maybe

 

Acceptance, Enjoyment and Enthusiaism

 

The quicker you are in attaching verbal or mental labels to things, people, or situations, the more shallow and lifeless your reality becomes, and the more deadened you become to reality, the miracle of life that continuously unfolds within and around you.In this way, cleverness may be gained, but wisdom is lost and so are joy, love, creativity, and aliveness.

 

When you completely accept a loss, you go beyond ego, and who you are, the I Am which is conscienciousness itself, emerges. 

 

It doesn't mean you should never lock your door. All it means is that sometimes letting things go is an act far greater power than defending or hanging on.  

 

Complaining is one of ego's favourite strategies for strengthening itself. Every complaint is a little story the mind makes up that you completely believe in.

 

At times, you may have to take practical steps to protect yourself from deeply unconscious people. This you can do without making them into your enemies. Your greatest protection, however, is being conscious. Somebody becomes an enemy if you personalise the unconsciousness that is the ego. Nonreaction is not weakness but strength. Another word for non reaction is forgiveness. To forgive is to overlook, or rather to look through. You look through the ego to the sanity rhat is in every humna being as his or her essence.

 

Thought can at most point to truth, but it never is the truth. "The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon"

 

Spiritual realization is to see clearly that what I perceive, experience, think or feel is ultimately not who I am, that I cannot find myself in all those things that continuously pass away.

 

You become addicted to another person, or rather to you rimage of that person. It has nothing to do with true love which contains no wanting whatsover. Te quiero means "I want you" as well as "I love you" in Spanish. Te amo, which doesn't have this ambiguity, is rarely used - perhaps because true love is just as rare. 

 

 

 

 

 

My story

The rumours
Only I hear
The negativity
Only I sense

The doubts

Only I nurse

The grievances
Only I know

The hurt
Only I feel
The hurt
Only I bear

The hope
Only I see
The faith
Only I maintain

The truth
Only he knows
The correct move
Only time tells

How do you know?

Today I was faced with an absolutely dilemma of a situation, the Evil one and the Good one. The Evil one confided in me for the first time ever and caught me completely off-handed. What the Evil said was so convincing that I doubted the Good one. Until I told the Good one and she shared her side that I decided it was the words of the Good versus the Evil and nothing elses since I was away all these while.

So well I trusted my judgment of friends and I trusted my instinct, my logic and my 6 mths of frenship, I trusted her. Hence, I pray for justice, righteouness and conscience.

And I wonder why Heaven put me through challenge after challenge. Hope I emerge tougher and better.

Bottom of Pyramid

Works of Franklin D. Roosevelt The Forgotten Man, April 7, 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt Publishing Information Radio Address, Albany, N. Y April 7, 1932 ALTHOUGH I understand that I am talking under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee, I do not want to limit myself to politics. I do not want to feel that I am addressing an audience of Democrats or that I speak merely as a Democrat myself. The present condition of our national affairs is too serious to be viewed through partisan eyes for partisan purposes. Fifteen years ago my public duty called me to an active part in a great national emergency, the World War. Success then was due to a leadership whose vision carried beyond the timorous and futile gesture of sending a tiny army of 150,000 trained soldiers and the regular navy to the aid of our allies. The generalship of that moment conceived of a whole Nation mobilized for war, economic, industrial, social and military resources gathered into a vast unit capable of and actually in the process of throwing into the scales ten million men equipped with physical needs and sustained by the realization that behind them were the united efforts of 110,000,000 human beings. It was a great plan because it was built from bottom to top and not from top to bottom. In my calm judgment, the Nation faces today a more grave emergency than in 1917. It is said that Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo because he forgot his infantry--he staked too much upon the more spectacular but less substantial cavalry. The present administration in Washington provides a close parallel. It has either forgotten or it does not want to remember the infantry of our economic army. These unhappy times call for the building of plans that rest upon the forgotten, the unorganized but the indispensable units of economic power, for plans like those of 1917 that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Obviously, these few minutes tonight permit no opportunity to lay down the ten or a dozen closely related objectives of a plan to meet our present emergency, but I can draw a few essentials, a beginning in fact, of a planned program. It is the habit of the unthinking to turn in times like this to the illusions of economic magic. People suggest that a huge expenditure of public funds by the Federal Government and by State and local governments will completely solve the unemployment problem. But it is clear that even if we could raise many billions of dollars and find definitely useful public works to spend these billions on, even all that money would not give employment to the seven million or ten million people who are out of work. Let us admit frankly that it would be only a stopgap. A real economic cure must go to the killing of the bacteria in the system rather than to the treatment of external symptoms. How much do the shallow thinkers realize, for example, that approximately one-half of our whole population, fifty or sixty million people, earn their living by farming or in small towns whose existence immediately depends on farms. They have today lost their purchasing power. Why? They are receiving for farm products less than the cost to them of growing these farm products. The result of this loss of purchasing power is that many other millions of people engaged in industry in the cities cannot sell industrial products to the farming half of the Nation. This brings home to every city worker that his own employment is directly tied up with the farmer's dollar. No Nation can long endure half bankrupt. Main Street, Broadway, the mills, the mines will close if half the buyers are broke. I cannot escape the conclusion that one of the essential parts of a national program of restoration must be to restore purchasing power to the farming half of the country. Without this the wheels of railroads and of factories will not turn. Closely associated with this first objective is the problem of keeping the home-owner and the farm-owner where he is, without being dispossessed through the foreclosure of his mortgage. His relationship to the great banks of Chicago and New York is pretty remote. The two billion dollar fund which President Hoover and the Congress have put at the disposal of the big banks, the railroads and the corporations of the Nation is not for him. His is a relationship to his little local bank or local loan company. It is a sad fact that even though the local lender in many cases does not want to evict the farmer or home-owner by foreclosure proceedings, he is forced to do so in order to keep his bank or company solvent. Here should be an objective of Government itself, to provide at least as much assistance to the little fellow as it is now giving to the large banks and corporations. That is another example of building from the bottom up. One other objective closely related to the problem of selling American products is to provide a tariff policy based upon economic common sense rather than upon politics, hot-air, and pull. This country during the past few years, culminating with the Hawley-Smoot Tariff in 1929, has compelled the world to build tariff fences so high that world trade is decreasing to the vanishing point. The value of goods internationally exchanged is today less than half of what it was three or four years ago. Every man and woman who gives any thought to the subject knows that if our factories run even 80 percent of capacity, they will turn out more products than we as a Nation can possibly use ourselves. The answer is that if they run on 80 percent of capacity, we must sell some goods abroad. How can we do that if the outside Nations cannot pay us in cash? And we know by sad experience that they cannot do that. The only way they can pay us is in their own goods or raw materials, but this foolish tariff of ours makes that impossible. What we must do is this: revise our tariff on the basis of a reciprocal exchange of goods, allowing other Nations to buy and to pay for our goods by sending us such of their goods as will not seriously throw any of our industries out of balance, and incidentally making impossible in this country the continuance of pure monopolies which cause us to pay excessive prices for many of the necessities of life. Such objectives as these three, restoring farmers' buying power, relief to the small banks and home-owners and a reconstructed tariff policy, are only a part of ten or a dozen vital factors. But they seem to be beyond the concern of a national administration which can think in terms only of the top of the social and economic structure. It has sought temporary relief from the top down rather than permanent relief from the bottom up. It has totally failed to plan ahead in a comprehensive way. It has waited until something has cracked and then at the last moment has sought to prevent total collapse. It is high time to get back to fundamentals. It is high time to admit with courage that we are in the midst of an emergency at least equal to that of war. Let us mobilize to meet it.

How to cut an ice cream cake

Tools required : Knives and Hot water and 2 eager Cats

我的感動 ....

A lil late but still before midnight..... Happy happy birthday babe ......Happy Birthday Jun !!! That is my thought...Qida says he sponsor me... May your wisdom ever grow and your vigor ever renewed and your beauty ever shine. ..Dear wife, happy birthday to you..... Happy birthday Jie. ..Mom say your chinese birthday is tml! Passion fruit cake ..... hard as rock ice cream cake

Happy Birthday to me

What a way to start my 27th year of life!


Yeah right ... I won't even dare to wear bikini now with the recent attack of the chicken pox ...

Do you know that this year my lunar Birthday is 1 day after my Ang Moh birthday but do you know that I only got 1 present? Cox only my mama knows that...and I knew it only yesterday.

Do you know that absence makes the heart grow fonder but do you know that distance also makes the eyes grow sharper and the brain grow wiser?

Do you know that good friends you make in your childhood days are truly friends to keep but do you know that the greatest friends are like stars, very far but always there?

At this grand age, I am grateful

for having a loving husband, family, friends & cats
for knowing that I am loved and blessed

for keeping the passion alive
for having the guts to dream and going for it

for growing older and hopefully wiser
for getting chicken pox as an adult and not dying

The Law of Jante

Yesterday I read about the Law of Jante.....apparently a concept with Scandanavian origins that advocates Mediocrity as it will help minimise problems in your life. To quote Paulo Coelho ,

“You aren’t worth a thing, nobody is interested in what you think, mediocrity and anonymity are your best bet. If you act this way, you will never have any big problems in life.

The Law of Jante focuses on the feeling of jealousy and envy that sometimes causes so much trouble to people like Ari Behn, the husband of Princess Martha-Louise. "

Today I watched a movie, Melena, which I think reflects that very accurately as well for her beauty is what led to much envy, rumour mongering and finally to her tragedy.

Watch "Malena" Movie

Having said that, if medicrity is meant to be the main purpose of life ... there will be no innovation and progress and greatness .... Thus, I think everyone should make it a point to break the Law of Jante!

Dare to dream and go for your dream! Don't let anyone tell you you can't or it doesn't matter. Because it does.

Rediscovering my Passion

There is a silver lining to getting chicken pox. The inordinate amount of time I have to myself allows not only utmost focus on Project SA, but also the time to rediscover my green passion.

Just as it was meant to be, I spotted an online course offered by the Lund University in Sweden on Sustainable Development and it's free of charge. Course starts in late January but the only problem is the deadline was 15 Dec 08. Nonetheless, I sent in my full application .. full CV, motivation letter and Uni degree (yeah I got desperate for an electronic copy so I got a picture using my digital camera).

If the world conspires to help me achieve what I want, then let me be chosen for the course!

This will boost up the credentials I will have for the Project SA which is my greatest dream I have right now.

May the forces be with me!

South Africa Adventure

First Impressions




Of Seals, Penguins and Monkeys



The very exciting Kruger Adventure




At the rehab centre and the grounds of the Zebra Lodge