dustcloud

Waver

2010-12-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Like everyone else, I am sure I don't have the right answers to everything and I tend to follow the set path other people tried before. Recently I have made up my mind to go full time to build up my business but I am also distracted with the corporate world and its many "benefits".

Hello

2010-11-18T08:44:00.001-08:00

Hello blog,

I have not forgotten you. In fact, I check on you frequently to see if there is any update, like it will happen on its own.

The competition has ended and I am really relieved. I know I am not cut to do this so I am not surprised with the results at all. Just feeling sorry for my partner who spent time and effort on this. I am now going to take a break and stop taking lessons from the studio. Need to gain momentum to do important stuffs I've been shelving.

What important stuffs? Firstly, I'm planning a holiday trip with my family. Netherlands is my first choice but looking at my resources right now, I think I have to settle for Phuket. Guess there is no White Christmas for me this year.

I also need to work harder on my projects. There are 5 more apps to be completed before the new year and I am only at the first one. An interesting idea came to mind recently which will probably take up the entire holiday I have planned in December. :)

Work wise, same old. 2011 will be an exciting year with lots of change

That's it. Whatever is on my mind now.

The train to nowhere

2010-10-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have come to believe that humans being humans, we created 99% of our own problems, individually or collectively.

For example, most people are not happy with their work. Most people have to work more than 12 hours a day and end up being drained of energy and strength. Most people are forced to drive this thing we call productivity higher and higher. And most people are deprived of healthy eating and sleeping even though the world is "producing more goodies"

What's the reason to increase productivity all the time? i'm sure most people realized that most of these processes do not solve our problems but add to them. For example, climate change is a result of selfish consumption of resources. How many people realize they are destroying the Earth everyday? how many of them cared?

The people who are paid with the best salaries reside in the major cities while people who grow important crops and food for everyone else remain the poorest people. Rich city people are living an excessive lifestyle that is definitely not healthy. Overweight cases, depressed people, high level of stress, working like robots. While poor people, suffer from a lack of resources.

I know this is a rather pessimistic view, but I am concerned about where we are all heading. To be honest, is this need to keep increasing "productivity" improving anything at all? Do we need to produce so much meat every year and clear rainforests to make way for farms, so that fast food restaurants can sell more hamburgers to kids? Do we need to keep coming up with new products that only take away more resources? Is it necessary to force workers to be more and more productive to keep up with this "growth".

I just hope future businesses will evolve away from this senseless money making world. Who is really benefiting from the economy of this world today?

Engine Restarted

2010-09-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

I finally have the means to start writing again, thanks to this app I'm using on my iPad/iPhone.

Anyway, I have also started a few websites. Most of them are currently under going work but soon I'll get all of them up.

www.wu-zhongyi.com - primarily used for testing web designs and template for my other sites.

www.enhancelifestyle.com - documents my lifestyle experiments as well as other interesting projects.

www.mylifeincomicstrips.com - plan to use this for the photo stories but I haven't got the time to get to it.

www.djzstudio.com - my team's website. JJ is working on it now

The big picture :)

2010-09-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

I think having the iPad helps in big ways. Like I was just having the monday blues (cos it was officially Monday already) and all the thoughts of what has to be done in the week was keeping me from sleeping and I turned on my iPad and started doing some planning. I love to plan!

Looking at the calender helps me see how things are going to be a few months down the road. I may be having some forms of stress right now but it's not going to be there for long. I was also playing on excel to do some financial planning. things seem to be looking good :). I've been having headaches about it cos the company expenses are mixed up with my own.

I think I can finally get enough peace to go to sleep.

2010-09-19T07:29:00.001-07:00

I remember a friend asked if I was spreading myself too thin.... and I'm starting to think that I am.

What happened? Overly optimistic again. I'm always thinking I can use the limited time to do so many things. Well , in the end, I'm getting stressed up for nothing.

Jaded

2010-09-15T10:23:00.001-07:00

The reason why I'm insomniac tonight is due to some unpleasant events at work, but I'll probably not talk about it. Something I have to face myself.

I was just reading an article on "plasticine men"- people too engrossed with their work that they lose all their senses and goals. They are mostly in their mid 30s and hold a decent white collar job.
Even though there's a fair distribution of plasticine men around the world, a heavy concentration can be found in Asia.

This is precisely what I'm going to talk about tonight. How to avoid becoming a plasticine man.

Well firstly, most people spend more than 8hrs a day on their work. This is more than half of the waking hours spent. So if you're going to spend so much time doing something, it has to be something we like.

How do you know if you like it? The thing is, even with a job that you like, unpleasant things can happen at work too. So it may be hard at times to know if you really love the job. Recently, someone told me a brilliant method to gauge your love: Take the "VIA Survey of Character Strengths" (Google it!!!)

This simple survey reflects the top 5 strengths that you possess. The theory is that if you get to execute/use your top 5 strengths on a daily basis, you can be sure that you're on the right track.

Anyway, my top 5 are:

Your Top Strength

Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

Your Second Strength

Love of learning
You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

Your Third Strength

Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Your Fourth Strength

Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

Your Fifth Strength

Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness
You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.

2010-09-12T10:15:00.001-07:00

Once in a while, I come across people who can inject a dose of inspiration into my otherwise boring life.

I envy people who can identify themselves with their passion. They will never think twice telling others who they are.

I am a runner, I run. I am a dancer, I dance. I am doctor, I save lives. I am a web designer, I make websites.

Simple statements, but it's already good signs that they are passionate in what they do. I mean, if you ask me who I am, I'll probably say, "I'm a sales engineer, I'm doing it for the money. I am not a dancer nor a singer, I'm picking them up to distract myself from work"

.............

Just over a year ago, it used to be " I'm a technology pusher, I move technology :D*"

* - I miss those times :)

2010-07-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hello.....

I'm at a crossroad right now

About the end of my mini retirement

2010-07-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

My week long break is finally ending and i will be heading back to my workplace tomorrow.

During this week, I am glad to have conducted some lifestyle experiments, particularly on outsourcing work. I have also tried to design a lifestyle system which I hope to put in place in a few weeks. Everything is great. But like everything else, once there are some positive results, I get ahead of myself and want to try more experiments.

To conclude the experiments I have done:

3 hour weekly virtual assistant:

1) I have set up a system for my virtual assistant to keep track of deadlines and send reminders to me via google mail and ical. So far, it has got me more organized.

2) Since 60% of my work is done via email, I have ask my assistant to draft some emails, leaving aside those with sensitive information. If this is done properly, I am expected to cut the time I spend on emails by half. Right now, the assistant is in the training stage to get into "automatic" mode. I am hoping that he will draft responses automatically after a few weeks of practice.

3) I have got the same assistant to leave an "open hour" every week. He will either use this hour to convert my name cards into CSV files or do some web research for me. He claims he can do up to 100 name cards an hour. I have not verified that.

Online resources to increase productivity

1) www.elance.com - have outsourced a number of jobs on this site and have got the best people to do it at a good price. Professionals include graphic designers, programmers, virtual assistants and copywriters. I have got a feel on how to finish up an entire project using this site.

2) www.zoho.com - online project management tool I use to communicate with one of the offshore programmers. Definitely usable but I do not like complex interface. I prefer things in simplicity.

3) igoogle and all google tools - an amazing amount of resources on igoogle. This is not new to me but I finally have time to examine its capabilities in greater detail. igoogle and and the tools are definitely the way to move into "cloud"

Here's some of the other lifestyle challenges I'm going to complete in a few weeks

1) Get income autopilot project in action

2) Aim to rely less on desktops and try to divert more work to my hand phone. This way, the work that reaches me will be minimized to decision making and I can do it anywhere I want. Something from my experiments tells me that this is very possible

3) Start some thought experiments. I would be interested to experiment on the way we get motivated.

Project Mini Retirement

2010-07-11T03:36:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been talking to me about retirement planning and I have figured that it means living the ideal state of life, which in fact suggests that the current lifestyle that most people are living is not ideal.

I share the sentiment. What I do on a daily basis and what I like to do on a daily basis have become more and more distant. The difference is that the things I like to do cannot wait 50 years later when I can finally "retire" from the current lifestyle.

Like for example, I like to go for a morning jog at the beach every morning when the sun is nice and warm. And I think if I have to wait 50 years for that, it will never happen.

So I took a week's leave and tried to sample retirement. It is a wonderful feeling because apart from doing the things I like, I am also working remotely to get the work done. It got me thinking because if I am stuck in the corporate world, I will be forever expected to work at least 9-5 (but nobody really works 9-5). So it feels really good to be in charge of my own working hours for once.

Did the morning jogs do me good? It did! I was able to enjoy the sun and I think the burning of calories is finally faster than the intake. If only I can maintain this lifestyle!

I also joined in the gatherings of some friends, network with a few people, meet up old friends of whom I have not managed to meet for a long time.

Now for the rest of the week, i'm going to think how it's possible to "retire" now

Project Outsourcing

2010-07-03T00:12:00.000-07:00

I have probably touched on this topic before but haven't really done anything until recently. I started doing homework on outsourcing life and was pleasantly surprised with the things I found.

I started with a trial on this website: www.asksunday.com. This is highly recommended by many users and they have a special way of working. You can either purchase the service of a dedicated Virtual Assistant or you can purchase requests. Requests are typical tasks that will not exceed 20minutes of work on either the internet or the phone.

Every request is charged at about USD$3. I wasn't sure if I was going to require this type of service so I asked for a free trial of 4 requests for a week. I found it wasn't really that easy to think of tasks to outsource. So as a start, I asked for a 20 minute research to compare prices of web hosting services.

Of course the task was not going to be executed immediately unless I gave it to a dedicated assistant, which helped me realize that any urgent tasks should not be outsourced. 4 hours later, I received the compiled list on my iPhone. The quality of work was astounding. In that 20 minutes, the assistant checked out the different web hosting services, checked out reviews of these services and gave his opinion on the top 5 providers. This was more than What I asked for.

I would think purchasing these requests would help for tasks with the following nature:

(1) To pass an information to someone and make sure he/she receives the message. A phone call made by a virtual assistant will save time if the phone call has to be made multiple times before the person picks up.

(2) Web researches. If you are compiling a report or trying to make a decision, you may have several topics to research on. Engaging the Virtual assistants to perform these researches will save a lot of time

(3) To do data entry. Scan the things you want to convert into data and email to the assistants.

However, I found that these tasks were too trivial and started to look for a dedicated assistant. Asksunday was offering a dedicated assistant at US$12 per hour. A little too high for my budget. Thus, I started experimenting on www.elance.com.

Elance is an online platform that help match employers with free lance professionals. I started with a US$5/hr project with one offshore company, which helped me with internet research, time sheet management and compilation of reports. Apart from administrative work, I was also able to outsource part of my iPhone programming to free lance programmers.

This has got me more all excited. Within a week, I found I was performing more project management than doing the actual ground work myself. It got me focused on the important tasks that cannot be outsourced (Or can they?) and also spent more time on decision making.

However, managing the Virtual assistants and the free lance programmers wasn't always a breeze. Communication has to be clear and instructions have to be passed down properly. It would be nice if a system can be established to mange this. And this led me to design a template for this system. The next phase of the experiment is to test if this system works.

More updates!

Credit Card Optimization

2010-07-01T01:56:00.001-07:00

One of the woes in recent times is the handling of credit cards. Recently, I lost track of the amount I have to pay for each card and what they are being used for. It used to be much simpler when I was using only 1 card.

To make things worse, the expenses used for work related stuffs are often mixed up with my personal expenditures. The time spent on tracking the transactions each month is so much that most of the time, I simply ignore the bill and pay whatever I feel like paying.

This has got me to decide on the following

1) Use only one card for personal expenditure, probably the Manhattan card. This is the card with the greatest cash back reward. Forget all the other cards with different vendors discount as they are just not worth the time to save on that 50cents to 5 dollars for each transaction.

2) Use only one card for work related expenditure, preferably one with good overseas coverage and benefits. This should not be mixed with my personal expenditure.

3) Sign up for the RBS card that offers money withdrawal overseas at no extra charge. This is only for emergency situations.

I’m just going to leave the rest of the cards to collect dust

About life’s little woes and their solutions

2010-07-01T01:41:00.000-07:00

Behind every complicated problem, there is usually a simple solution.

I started this as part of an experiment. Like most of my other counterparts in the rest of the world, I managed to get into a “decent” job. I do not know if this is good news or bad news. What I do know is that the problems I faced are exactly the same as what the majority is facing. This led me to wonder why the solutions have not surfaced since many people must have spent time thinking about it.

With this in mind, I started a series of experiments on Lifestyle optimization. This blog will be used to document my findings from now onwards.

2010-05-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

I really wish I have more time for my iPhone app. How can I afford the time?

about Project virus.com

2010-05-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

My colleagues and I were discussing this over lunch:

Is there a www.virus.com ? ?

If it does exist, it must contain the most potent strain of virus online. We were curious enough to find out using our company's computer and to our surprise, this domain name has not been taken up yet. This was both a relief to the company and a disappointment for us.

Imagine the potential of this website. If the website is indeed taken up to house a virus that would infect any visitor, there will only be 2 reasons why people would visit it: One, they want to sabotage somebody's computer; two, they want to hack the website. The idea of hacking such a dangerous site is definitely appealing to any self respected hacker. Should he succeed, he is more than capable to take over the website and instill an even stronger virus of his own.

The quality of viruses would thus improve.

My dream gadgets

2010-04-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

I love to roam, no matter where. In the past 2 years, I have been to more places than I have ever been for the rest of my life. The journeys are very refreshing, but I definitely can make the experiences better. This has led me to list down some "must have" items I must get my hands on before the end of the year.

The iphone

Which I have already possess. The thing is I don't get to use if often when I travel. Roaming data is a killer. But with the SIM card removed, it actually serves as a good note taking and multi-media device. Not to mention that it's camera does help when I need to take snapshots of signs and notices.

The phone saved me from boredom in a few occasions when I was waiting for my flights.

The ipad

Yes, this is the dream device of the year. With this device, I can bring my presentation slides out and do a whole day of planning in a cafe. But I know this gotta wait.

The macbook pro 13"

The macbook air fits my ideal except that it does not equate in computational power compared to this one. This is however, a good to have if I achieved certain levels in my dream chart this year. Maybe if I can really roam the world doing work remotely as and when I like, I'll get this.

Maybe I can wait for the next refresh? It's unlikely though :)

Adding more colours to my life :)

2010-04-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Learn how to cook a dish - I haven't decide but I'm thinking about fish

Learn to T-brake - and I cannot imagine how I managed to get by without knowing this

Launch 3 applications - should be easy

Formulate my chart - i only need a week

Compete in HK

2010-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

A quick one...

I was digging in my (very dusty) drawers for my tax filing details and I found everything else other than the things I need.

Among the treasures I found are some very old cards sent by my friends. Sweet!

相聚，不亦乐乎

2010-03-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

好久没用中文写字了。。。

在一位朋友的婚礼与老友们相聚，感觉好熟悉。当年吵吵闹闹的我们似乎一点也没变。一眨眼已过了七年了！

七年后的我们各分东西，在不同的职场上赛跑，每个人其实已经历了很多。交换了彼此的经历，我学了好多，对人生道路有了新的启发。

很多感想，但现在打字的述度太慢了！

2010-03-26T23:41:00.001-07:00

One thing I learned is that once a fundamental problem is ignored for the first time, the people involved will become powerless to solve it subsequently.

Once an important issue is overlooked or compromise, people tend to accept it. And this acceptance will cause them to live with the root of the problem and deal with its complications.

Parting

2010-03-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

Loud music, random smses, calendar updates of upcoming appointments, online TV and a whole load of worries about what is going to happen on Mondays. These are the typical distractions that are keeping me from writing and reflecting on this blog.

I took a break from life today, breaking the infinite loop of work after dance and dance after work. I brought a packet of sour cream chips and a bottle of lemonade, costing me SGD$3, which is about the total cost of my life today.

It reminds me how simple life can be if I am willing to lead it that way.

I'm waiting for an email from someone I met on the plane to Thailand. Her name is Lena and she spent the last 10 months doing voluntary work in places like Amazon, Africa and other parts of the world. After her last destination in Chingmai, she would come back to Singapore and resume her work as a Lawyer.

It fascinates me when I meet people who can lead alternate lifestyles from the socially defined set everyone else is having here.

In fact, I am a little sick of the coroporate life even though I have only been in it for 2 years. The idea of working because I am making a living just isn't appealing at all. I do not like to make a living for the sake of it. And that isn't the reason why I came into this industry at all.

I like to push technologies and computer vision is one of the subjects I'm particularly interested in. However, I have not seen much progress in this field in the past 2 years. We are made to push this technology to totally irrelevant places because we need the revenue. The products were created for its own sake, with no answer to the needs of the users.

I was told that making sales has nothing to do with the products, and how true that is. I can fully understand why the other salespeople from other companies have no knowledge of their products at all, and yet they can push thousands of boxes into the customers hands. I know I can never do that, I do not want to do it either.

Hence, I have a strong feeling that is is going to be the end of this current lifestyle. The past 2 years have been a blast. It gave me good expsure, a lot of insights and most importantly, it helped me define what I want in my life. Now I am going to shape it, with some time for adjustment of course.

I will be going after my once in a lifetime experiences

Bloody hell

2010-03-17T01:38:00.001-07:00

I've been doing a fair bit of writing and scribbling everywhere but here.

Anyway, I'm probably wasting time over here. Apart from conducting the trainings, I can't seem to accomplish anything else. The red army demonstration is causing a lot of delay today. On the bright side, I get to spend a lot of time with the partners.

2010-02-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, the little lemons that life throws at you can bring you down a little. It is important to take things in stride and keep walking.

Clutters.... arrrrggggg.

I am a sucker for automation. Since young, I wanted be a designer for smart houses. Things got more exciting when the whole automation concept took a leap and became mobile. Today, I read that it is even possible to automate your life.

How does it work? Hire a remote personal asssitant in India to help you manage your work, conduct researches on your behalf and email you thick reports. Subscribe to internet services for automation in bill payment, appointment setting and laundry collection.

I took some time to list down the daily tasks I have to do, decided that I can probably eliminate 20% without damage, and found that I can outsource almost 80% of the rest.

Pretty exciting eh?

About streamlining

2010-02-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through my phone and I realized I have downloaded more applications than I can handle. The ebooks alone will take me years to finish. I did not even spend more than 5 minutes with most of the applications. Yet, I'm spending at least 30 minutes a day looking for new applications to download.

This is a typical example of why my lifestyle hasn't been optimized. Contrary to my formal beliefs, I now realised that less is more.

About the clutters

2010-01-31T02:27:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get back to writing but I've been procrastinating.

The past year has been very fruitful, even better than 2008. but with everything moving at the speed of light, the things i've overlooked are also accumulating. My room is messier than ever. My laptop is full of junk and has only 325 Mb of disk space left. My important documents are all over the place.

2 years ago, I was at the lowest of my life. And that was the point I've decided that I've got to move out of my comfort zone. I started pursuing a list of things I never imagined I would. This has helped me thus far. It's just the mess that I can't really stand. Hence, I've deviced a plan to get my life in good order again.

I read in a book that all things effective are simple. Strategies that work stem from one single core idea and not a cobweb of intertwined concepts. What I need to do is simply to dedicate a small amount of time each day, no matter how difficult it may seem, to do something about the mess.

The idea is that if I clear the clutters faster than they're built up, I'll be able to clear them before the end of the year.

:)

First of 2010

2010-01-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

It's 2010, the third decade transition I have witnessed in my life.

This time, it was a little special. I was on top of a 60th storey observatory deck with a crowd of Japanese people screaming the numbers in a language I did not understand. And when it hit Zero, everyone queued up to get down the observatory deck. Within 20 minutes, the place was empty.

That's the highly effective and task oriented Japanese for you :)

White Xmas!!!

2009-12-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

In less than 20 days, I'll be sliding or rolling down the slopes in Hokkaido. This is the first holiday I'm taking since work started one and a half years ago. And erm... I'm actually not that excited. Maybe I travelled too much this year.

But this is going to be the first white Xmas, so it's YEAAAAA!!!!! -17 degress celsius!!! I've only been to places with temperature at about 5 degress and I was already shivering under the thick jackets. I really don't know if I got the right kind of clothings for this trip.

Anyway, I'll know in 20 days.

It's going to be Xmas eve then and I'll be missing another dance class. Haha... Somehow I'm more concerned about that.

About bettering mankind

2009-10-10T13:47:00.001-07:00

It started with a question in class two years back.

"When you check the websites, how many companies state their mission as being the most profitable organization?"

Almost none.....

"And that's because every company has a soul. They exist because they believe they are bettering mankind, all in their own ways. And once they are proven otherwise, they'll cease to exist."

But sir, I can name dozens of vocations that do mankind no good, yet they're paying good. Take for example, the stocks traders who learn to click the right buttons at the right time, they're not contributing to the production of anything, and if anything, they're wasting electricity and creating unnecessary paperwork. Why do these people earn so much more than farmers who grow enough food to feed everyone else on this planet?

"Maybe they'll soon be out of existence though I doubt it. Our system isn't perfect, but it's the driving force behind every improvement we'll see. So right now, we have to live with this imbalance"

Do we?

About learning

2009-09-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

When I was a full time learner in school, learning meant memorizing 10 years series and drinking chicken essense.

About efficiency

2009-08-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, someone described himself as being "very unwilling to spend time at work and hence he is obsessed with efficiency." And that to me, and most Singaporeans, was a revolutionary concept that made so much sense.

For a typical Singaporean, the only reason to be efficicent is to take up more work.

2009-08-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd week after the Merlion competition and it has been good. I'm starting to shift my focus back to work, cleared some clutters and am now finding the passion that once brought me into this job. Ultimately, I know this is where I want to belong. So will I take up the hobby again? Yes I will, but it'll be at a comfortable pace.

FRAME

2009-07-28T05:33:00.001-07:00

Find out

Repeat

Agree

M&E

2009-07-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

In the crowded Acoustic where the band was playing, my exchange with a business contact was somewhat peculiar.

"We went to the same school in the same year!" He exclaimed.

My business contact was a seasoned drinker, danced with a burning cigarette and apparently feeling very comfortable in a local pub. Afterall, he's been in Vietnam long enough to feel that way.

"And I've been working in Shanghai and KL for a year each"

Prior to this, I was convinced that success comes with age. It's not realistic to be thinking (even thinking) about talking business to business men who have been in the field for decades. I considered myself lucky to be providing support and learning under one of them who's just 10 years senior. I thought my exposure was defintely going to direct me in the right direction. If I'm learning from a person who's 10 years my senior, I probably might just reach there in 10 years.

And this person I'm talking with is someone who is born in the same year as me.

From an engineering point of view, it's proven that things can definitely be faster.

2009-07-10T09:08:00.001-07:00

I was born in the 80s, a child of the 90s and now that it's almost a decade into the new millennium, nothing much has changed. The songs that are playing in my head are the hits from MLTR. I meet up with my teenhood friends on a regular basis doing what we did that made the teachers call up our parents to persuade them to buy a thicker cane. I rush over meals and have food all over my mouth. I am always excited when I'm exposed to a new environment or picked up a new activity.I'm stuck in my time, my bubble, or whatever you want to call it. This one isn't going to burst.

2009-05-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

Own only what you can carry with you: Know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag. – Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Russia writer)

2009-05-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Split seconds, I kinda rushed into a decision and I haven't got the time to understand what happened....

but why worry? We only live once eh?

2009-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

if only......

2009-05-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

This isn't news but swine flu doesn't come from the pigs.

2009-05-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

3 days of rest.... real rest..... just sleep sleep sleep

Dancing with the stars

2009-04-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

7 minutes of pure inspiration. This clip makes me want to master the samba so I definitely will be taking inter samba. I'm just thinking if I should continue with Rumba but the idea of doing things half way really disgusts me.

Anyway, something just reinforced the concept that wherever there's humans, there's politics. But you can choose to be in or out.

2009-04-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling very disappointed right now because I'm having too little control on how my life should be.

Social responsibilities, family expectations, personal hopes, dreams, work ethics, wishes, commitments... they all seem so heavy now. Everytime I thought I got it right, reality will slap me awake. They just can't go together. Social responsibilities against dreams, family expectations against wishes.

On the bright side, this is probably a reminder. Never get too comfortable. Never settle. :)

I feel a little tired with people trying to decide how I should live, even with the best intentions.

Random thoughts at 3am with a very itchy foot

2009-04-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

I am really running out of time.....

Do I really have the right formula for life?

How long will this last?

I really have to treasure family ties

I don't understand what family problem is about. But I guess it takes really matured thinking to have a problem free family. In any case, give and take.

I'm aware of my problems but should I change them? Will it be for the better?

Sometimes I wish there's a shortcut to where I wanna be and I feel ashamed that I'll think that way

how do you change the set of thinking that's been around for centuries?

My bubble's about to burst

About desensitization

2009-04-19T10:54:00.001-07:00

It's the end of the week again so here goes the same rubbish...

This time, I'm thinking about how weeks and months just passed like they're not significant at all, yet all the while important things are happening.

It's like travelling down a road at high speed. The beautiful scenery passed so quicky there's no time to admire, but the distance is covered. And when people asked if you've been to those places, you say YES and they go WOW. And you begin to wonder if you've really been to those places.

That's the best I can describe this before my bedtime. And no, it's very different from following motion. It's desensitization. Things that should cause excitment don't give you any feelings at all.

I believe it's not something bad though

An apple one day!!!

2009-04-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

After months of expressing my lust over his iphone, Bernard told me that he might sell it to me soon, because the next generation of iphone is going to be out....

Wahahaahaha

Dancing like lovers

2009-04-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Dancing Like Lovers - Mary MacGregor

This is my favourite song for the week :) I hope I have the chance to dance to this music again.

How do we get endless inspirations?

2009-04-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Today, like any other sundays, I spent an hour in the library with my laptop and a few books on Waltz, SQL programming, interior design and business management. And as you can tell, I didn't really know what I was doing in the Library, except that I was looking for my constant dose of inspiration.

About a year ago, I realised that I was doing too little with my life. 24 years and I was under achieving. As much as I hated to agree with that, I had to admit that I was hiding too much in my comfort zone. I seldom ventured out of it to explore what I can do with my life. And after giving it a few tries, I found I can fall in love with anything!

Everything that happened after was a blessing. I ended up in a job that's too good to be a first job. I picked up a few other hobbies such as dancing. And speaking of which, I had never ever imagined I would take up dancing!

The story goes like this. Long long time ago, which is like er... one year ago, I watched an interesting movie called Step Up 2 and I was impressed with the moves. I jio-ed T, who was in similar circumstances as I was, to join break dancing with me. He told me he knew of a studio and said he'll arrange for classes. Then 2 months later, he told me he decided against it cos we're too old to break our bones. I almost jumped over to bite him for wasting my precious 2 months.

1 month later, he told me that he knew of a ballroom dancing class that's fun and said he'll arrange for classes. I didn't hear from him for another 2 months after that. Then one day while I was visiting a friend's church, he told me he signed us up for classes.

And it was hurray to ballroom dancing. T did not attend a single lesson but he introduced us to a new hobby. Weiguang and I ended up joining that class and Yuwen got in under influence. And Weiguang proposed to her in class. Ahahaha.

Since today's the last day of the current dance classes, I shall write more about what happened in dance classes. The most obvious observation for myself is that I am OBVIOUSLY not dancer material. And that is an understatement because I don't even progress like how a normal person would. It was initially depressing to be the slowest person in class. Allan, out of concern, would come to me from time to time and asked if I understood everything he said. It was a really difficult question to answer.

You see, I understand the words when he told us to "Press harder on the floor" "Step on panadols" or "Squeeze harder and isolate the muscles" or "feel your partner's weight with your closed palms" or "Lead your partner with energy!" But translating that to something I need to do, it's really difficult for me. It doesn't help when I look around and everyone else was nodding in agreement. I felt really stupid in that class.

All the while I was looking at people who progressed so fast that I gave myself so much pressure and I didn't enjoy dancing at all. A few times, I just stood quietly at the corner and hoped the dance lessons would end soon. It was never me to leave the lesson halfway unless I have to. But the pressure drained all my energy, all the joy I could enjoy in class. I kept thinking why I couldn't do a simple weight transfer. Why I seemed to be a deaf man dancing in the music. Why couldnn't the beats follow me!!! Of course, the more I suck at something, the more I want to do it properly.

So I signed up to do the medal test and went out there to dance in front of everyone. It wasn't a big ddeal, but it helped me overcome a few things. Firstly, I never did find time to practise during the weekdays until I decided to sign up. Secondly, I just wanted to get the comments of the judges. Thirdly, and unexpectedly, the examinations iinvolved dancing infront of a crowd and i had to overcome that. And fourthly, I worked my ass to fix up the mirrors on the wall.

Like all other things, committing into something will definitely yield some results. I still dance badly, but I think i can get the beats without having to chant out loud now. And I'm feeling more relaxed in the classes, though the technique classes still stress me out.

It felt a little like graduation today because I've seen some results from the events in the past few months. Dance classes will resume on the 9th of May and i'm still thinking which classes to take. Maybe I like to use the time for something else, maybe not. The vision of becoming a decent dancer is very appealling to me.

Ah.... I have digressed away from the topic..... again! I can somehow link all these back because dancing does give me a lot of inspiration. Many techniques in class can be translated to the real life. But it's 12.35am and it's a new exciting work week so... it gotta wait. I do hope I'll write it down sometime in the week because once the thoughts are gone, they'll get forgotten.

Okie!!! Work's coming in a few hours and something important's waiting in the office. Do it well!!!

Somehow, the3 end of the week is always a big thing to me.

The engineers and the girl

2009-04-01T08:29:00.001-07:00

During the war, a heated discussion took place among the engineers.

"Now that only 15 planes are left, we need to decide how we should fortify the planes"

"Armour the places with bullet holes! Those places obviously can't withstand attacks!" Said a bright engineer. The rest of the team nodded along.

"No Daddy!" A tiny voice came from the back of the room. It was the engineer's little daughter who was waiting in the corner. " We should protect the places without holes, because the planes that never came back got hit in those places!"

Blink!

Broken nail, bloody toe

2009-03-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

It didn't hurt that much when I was stepped on the foot this afternoon. It only started to hurt after I saw what's inside the socks.

Tempted to post up a picture to remind myself never to make a wrong step again.

Ready to launch

2009-03-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've got a happy problem

I'm going to figure how I can afford to stay on my own in 2 years time. My dream is a one bedroom studio in a service apartment but that's going to burn a big hole in the pocket.

Alternatively, maybe an opportunity to outstation will do?

Or maybe I can hope that the stock market CAN perform better than expectations so I need not worry about the financial issues

Or should I buy toto every CNY?

Whichever... it's going to happen!

2009-03-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Haste......

One thing I realised is that just like good times, bad times never last too... so just live through it and the good times will come again!

I don't really like exhibitions. You can't see immediate results from it and there's prolong hours of talking. It doesn't help that I was suffering from sore throat and running nose. There were some exciting meetings though. Most of them work related. Hopefully I can follow up on them soon.

BE OVER!!!

Mobile blogging Trial

2009-03-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

If this works, my mobile machine is another level up th^satistactory scale!

The feeling of breaking through is amazing. For months. I've been trying to access the office email on my mobile to no avail. Tonight. I randomly adjusted some settings and Ta da! The email was connected!

The next challenge is to organise the 2OOO over emails on my device.

Speaking of getting organised, I'm going to reorganised all the messy information I'm postirg everywhere, including this blog. I realised things that shouldn't be here are here, & things That aren't here should be here.

To complete my mobile Test, I'll Attach a random image

2009-02-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

A decade ago, a mobile pager that was able to receive single line text messages was a very amazing thing. It was very hard to imagine that 10 years from then, the mobile world would evolve beyond recognition.

In more than one way, people and machines are getting more connected. The IP cameras that are replacing the analogue cameras are able to stream highly compressed videos over the wireless backbone, allowing common folks to access camera views on their mobile phones. One such app for iphone allows users to retrieve snapshots from the EMAS to monitor the traffic.

The GPS is no longer just a navigation system. It can be used by health apps to monitor running distance and speed and the app will convert the data to info on calories burned.

Couple that with dietary calculators, you now have a personal training coach that is watching your progress.

Remember the time when you have to rely on floor traders to shout under the giant electronic charts to place your stock orders? They went out of job a few years ago when the internet took over. And now everyone is able to chart out their analysis on the mobile phone.

Entertainment? Talk about movies, music, blogs, games and the new networking applications. Fun can be anywhere. But I must admit that the games for window mobile is really being under utilized. A platform like that can do much better.

And very soon, remote control features such as accessing VPN on your pc in real time. Opening gate access from remote positions. Heating up your food before you even reach home.

The mobile world is just too exciting. I'm looking forward to see how the world will change with this.

It's a matter of perspective

2009-02-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

And how true it is! One thing I remember from 'mind over stress' is that there can be 101 stressors in your life but you don't have to be stressed if you react positively.

External factors can be hard to control but how we react is our choice.

One Singular sensation!

2009-02-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Confession: I can never dance properly, but I think i like it too much to give it up

I am possibly the worst student ever in that studio. I can tell from the instructor's face. I make all the mistakes there can ever be. The moves are wrong, the counts are off, the steps are forgotten, the terms are not remembered, the shoulders not relaxed, the knees are locked, the left feet are plenty, the mind's a blank, the shoes are screaming, the partners' toes get stepped and... they get stepped again before I toss them to ram into someone else.

=)

I like to smile at my silly mistakes even though someone else has to suffer for it. I'll learn....

3 interesting things I heard this week

1) There isn't a right one, it's just how wrong you'll go. Cos the right one is always somewhere out there

2) Fake it till you make it

3) I forgot the third one!

Explanations later.... or if I bother

5am... saturday

2009-02-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

And again! I'm still awake....

Here's a song that's playing in my head the whole day

If You Believe - Sasha

nice eh?

Mobile test

2009-02-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Yea!!!!

Mobile blogging test

2009-02-04T07:57:00.001-08:00

ij;

Get your preferred Email name!
Now you can @ymail.com and @rocketmail.com
http://mail.promotions.yahoo.com/newdomains/sg/

Somewhere in Time

2009-02-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

Somewhere In Time (Music for Dancing) - Tony Evans & His Orchestra

Love the world

2009-02-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

I was reminded of this commercial that made me smile while I was spending my new year on an overseas assignment. It gives you the idea that there's so much happiness around if you appreciate the things around you......

I love the world

About breathing

2009-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

I know many people are fighting their battles but like what my colleague told me...... don't forget to breathe!!!!!

Yup.... it's something so simple that it's always overlooked. The thing that makes you happy can be just a deep breath of air into your lungs.

5 - 10 mins of cuppacino time.... happy food!!!!!

2009-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Somehow, all my attempts to sleep early failed...... I probably am destined to have a very sleepy working life.

Anyway, while trying to get to sleep tonight, a lot of thoughts came to mind, particularly about work. Just half a year ago, I was jumping over the moon for being in the job that deals directly with computer vision. After a few projects, the excitement slowly fade away and I'm being thrown a few challenging tasks. That's ok, because the initial excitement can't hold that long. If I like something, I got to like it for all its different faces. Not just that one that attracted me into this line.

And I spent a lot of time thinking how I could possibly make a difference. At some point of time, I was so envious because most of my other friends in other industries just need to go with the flow. Nothing more is expected. But I know I shouldn't be, I have long decided to take up something that gives me the opportunity to do something new. I just am being frustrated because I haven't came up with anything good. I do not want to depend on guidance anymore. I have to seek a few answers myself.

It's, of course, easier said than done. Where do I begin, or have I already began? I have no answer. Every path i'm taking now can result in anything. I lack certainty. I do not know what's waiting at the end of every path. I just keep walking. And I do not know what's missing. Foresight? Confidence? Or maybe they're all there.... I'm just impatient?

Work isn't about not making any mistake now. It is about finding the right answer. I do have problem convincing others and myself that I have the right answers to move everyone forward. Yet, if I simply follow, I don't feel comfortable at all. At the end of the day, I figured this is what I need to work on. Don't waver that much!!! I need to be firm!

Being firm was something that came naturally to me in my younger days. I would not have problem drawing lines, making demands to others and making a point across. In addition, I was able to do it without offending anyone because I was very sensitive towards how others feel. It was the ideal state of being assertive, not aggressive. I was very proud of that.

That was what it's like for serious work. My social life was a little screwed up because I was much more easy going when it comes to socializing. There were times people take advantage of that and there were times I allow them to do it again and again. I thought it was weird to demand respect from others, especially if it's not for work. It amazed me how I can display two extreme characteristics at different times.

These days, I don't go to the extremes anymore. I no longer tolerate people who don't show respect. At the same time, I seemed to have lost that assertive self I valued very much.

If this seems like I'm doing my identity search, it isn't exactly the case. I've done that long ago. It's just that people change and along the way they gain some and lose some. Sometimes, they look at where they are and they think about what they've lost. A tint of regret and that's it, they move on.

Arggggg..... just 2 hours to 5am. I should start solving my sleeping problems

The post New Year Effect

2009-01-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

In the past, new year brings new resolutions. Somehow I'll feel super motivated for a few days or even a few weeks in some lucky years. This year, however, i'm just going to miss waking up late.

It's probably due to the 4 days of detachment from work. My dream yesterday was about my customer tearing up a proposal which I spent many nights working on. First nightmare of the year.

Speaking of nightmares, i seldom get those. My subconscious has a strong defence mechanism that will transform me into something stronger or uglier than the monsters chasing me. So every dream about frightening monsters will end up with me as the monster slaying hero, provided the alarm clock don't interrupt me.

So this year, I'm not expecting lots of nightmares too.

Every year, I try to feed myself with some motivations. This year, it'll be the addidas sundown marathon. To be more precise, my motivation is the finisher tee..... This will mean I'll need to improve my usual route of 2km to a 42km one in 4 months time. Hopefully, this initiative will get me up to speed.

Work wise, I've decided I want to be adventurous afterall. 2009 isn't so optimistic but it is going to be a great year to learn. I want to work harder and learn faster. I need to be more decisive at work and I need to make good decisions. i need to get more prepared for situations and seriously, I'm thinking how I can make more time for work without affecting my personal life. Something to ponder.

Some exciting thoughts on finance management as well. This year there're so many cheap stocks that I just can't bear to spend the money on a new LCD TV or a wii. instead of spending time in a shopping centre, I'm now window shopping for good stocks. Defintely want to gather a basket of good stocks by June. 2009 will be my foundation building year.

hobbies... I'm currently contented with learning ballroom dancing, blading and frisby. I suck at dancing, but that's no reason to give up halfway. Maybe someday it'll be like blading. I keep falling till one day, i can glide!!!

Ok... I don't know where this is going anymore so i'll stop here.

The evacuation

2009-01-20T03:27:00.000-08:00

I was working in the demo room the other day when Jarren ran up to me and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"QUICK!!!! We have to get out of here!!!" he screamed as he dragged me out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"What happened?"

"I farted"

2009-01-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have to write more because my writing speed has really gone down a lot but I've really got no inspiration on what to write. Even with a very eventful 2008, a new year spent on an overseas assignment, new hobbies picked up, new thoughts, new ideas and new passion.

That's what my rant will be about today, inspirations. Inspiration does so many things. It's the fuel that keeps your passion burning. It's the spark for great conversations. It's the motivation behind all great works. And it's the exact thing that I seek so constantly with no idea how to start.

I need to get inspired on the way to get more insiprations

Finally, a break!!!!

2008-12-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

It isn't fair to say I'm too busy to rest. I'm just too greedy trying to fill my time with interesting activities. And I've been occupying myself with so many things at work that I'm only clearing the Off in Lieu for National day this 26th.

And thus, I have 4.5 days of personal time to use. Since there's no dance lessons or blading this weekend, I shall catch up on things that were supposed to be done a long long time ago.

I'll start with painting the wall back to lily white......

Xmas Xmas!!!!!

2008-12-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

It's confirmed.... I can spend my christmas at home :)

2008-12-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

It's said that we learn best by making mistakes, but how much of it is tolerable?

I'm talking about implementing new technological solutions for professional projects. In the Singapore context, "professional" would mean that it must be either a 100% success or a failure that will never be known. And a 100% success for new technology is definitely too high an expectation. Hence, it's always the second case.

We know that technology takes time to be refined. People come up with good ideas, transform them into projects, discover problems, fix them, new problems come out, fix them again, new problems surface yet again, sweep under the carpet and ta da!!!!!!! New stuffs.........

How long can this last before we blow our own cover???

I feel like a student again

2008-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Left left right.... In In out....

:)

2008-12-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

Very often during my business trips, the other business associates and the clients will look upon me as a baby. And that's simply because I am very much younger than they are. Instead of feeling out of place, I like to see it as a good thing. At least I'm really exposed to environment outside my comfort zone and I won't take too long to catch up.

One of them told me something very inspiring:

Youth is a very good currency. Use it well and there's endless possibilities.

I'm going to use it good.

2008-11-23T08:22:00.000-08:00

The thing that drives me is a very strange sort of motivation. While I won't say what it is, it is very effective because I constantly find problems with myself to improve on. So this kinda motivation probably derives from some inferiority complex that has to be managed properly.

Good thing about having this driving factor is that it really drives. Because at any point of time, I cannot stop thinking how I should improve myself and how time is really running out. On the other hand, I don't want my confidence to shutter because I keep thinking I'm not good enough.

It's a little like tug of war. Confidence VS this strange motivating factor.

2008-11-11T09:35:00.001-08:00

From the way it was written, Tuesday with Morrie was probably a true story. That's something worth noting because it was both real and logical, considering most real things aren't really logical.

Its most important lesson (at least for me) was about dealing with emotions. This would be a really strange subject to me in the younger days because I did not experience enough back then to know much about it. I had little patience with people who let emotions get the better of them and I always had the disillusion that I was more matured. When I did go through something unpleasant, it was a shock that I didn't do better than the people I used to look down on. That changed me a little, and strangely, it was for the better. It made me feel more complete.

The advice in the book was this (Not exactly but here's my interpretation): Everyone goes through all sorts of emotions. Anger, misery, self-pity, jealousy and hatred are some of which we always want to avoid. However in reality, we do experience them because we're human and there isn't really a point trying to convince yourself otherwise. Instead, learn from it and evolve. Let the emotion go through you, see what it does, see how it started, but keep a mind on what's happening. When you do that, you learn what it is about and the next time you'll manage it better.

And somehow I link this to a phrase that I like very much: "The only way not to make mistake is to do nothing, which in our time, is the biggest mistake of all." This isn't telling you to make mistakes diberately (for people planning to rob a bank), but rather, it's about not giving up dreams because you want to avoid the consequences of failing. Yes you may fail, and everyone definitely will at some point of time, yes you'll be sorry, yes things may not work for you... and at the end of it, you have something valuable. You've sailed through a storm and you'll be stronger for another one.

I wasn't many things I wanted to be, and for most of them, I still am not. But there's never a doubt that someday I will, because I'm willing to move out of my comfort zone now. Because I no longer care if I'll fail. Because I'll spend the rest of my life wondering if I don't work for what I want

And....... this is my thought for tonight

Unpolished diamonds

2008-11-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Paul Potts, the winner of Britain's got Talent, might have been easy to overlook with his seemingly nervous appearance. It must be sheer guts that has made him decide to stand in front of millions of viewers to perform what he thought he's good at. Except that it wasn't good. It was great.

See how he transformed the uninterested crowd into a wave of cheers.

Not everyone will spakle like a diamond. But then again, not everyone has the guts to try.

random

2008-11-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of thoughts worth documenting but I just couldn't sit myself in front of the computer to go through it unless I sacrifice a night of youtubing (which is exactly what I'm doing tonight)

Let's start with this. In engineering school, we were frequently asked if we liked machines or human better. It was an important question because one group would be trained to talk to machines and the other would be trained to talk to people about machines. At that time, I couldn't decide which was better.

I like machines and I appreciate the beauty of technology. I like new creative features on the high tech gadgets but I never ever had the patience to explore their full capabilities (and their limits). I couldn't understand how one device interface with the other without doing extensive studies and many hours dozing off. And that means my love for machine was a superficial one because it would never go as deep as it should be as with the case of the system engineers or the system designers.

I like socializing too and I like to think I'm more into it than most people. I'm a team player and at some point of time, other people must get involved in my work. That said, it doesn't mean I'm good at it. I try to interact but not everyone clicks. And I've recognized that as a fact of life and I can't possibly please everyone even though that would be the aim.

Ok. Not totally true. Nowadays I'm too lazy to try to please everyone.

Anyway, I guess that's how I ended in my job, because it gave me the best of both worlds. On one hand, i get to meet people and talk to them about problems and solutions. On the other hand, I get to design solutions on a macroscopic level and overlook the microscopic details (which is both good and bad).

Talking about work, these 4 months have been very interesting. While I like many things about my work, I got to say that I feel inadequate at times. Call it insecurity, or maybe I'm having low self esteem, but I don't get to benchmark my performance with other fresh grads because this isn't a typical entry level job. The people I'm dealing with are in this field for quite a while and are more experienced than I am. And that can't be the excuse for being green because the world doesn't care if you're level in the playing field. You're either in it or you're not.

I wonder many times if I'm in or out. Good news is that there are people who give encouragement and tell me I'm doing good. Bad news is that I can think of many reasons why I'm not. Well, the better news is that I am not going to complain about it and do nothing. With time, I believe I can excel. I just don't think my speed's good enough.

Out of the many things I lack, I think I should start focusing on building up self confidence. It's a very interesting story, confidence is usually the sole factor that determines my performance. On occassions I'm armed with good confidence, I'll do things that amaze myself. On other days, even the simplest task would fail.

And confidence is reinforced by a lot of things. Knowledge, personal grooming, good sleep, exposure, experience... blah blah blah. I've got a good idea where to start.

Ok... quite sleepy now, so it'll be good sleep for now.

2008-10-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Lady Luck has been smiling on me..... and since I'm given so many opportunities, I must do what it takes to get the results

2008-09-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

weekends passed too quickly..... time to sleep :)

New day awaits.

3 days of mid twenties life

2008-09-27T10:43:00.001-07:00

2008-09-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be in my mid twenties in 30 minutes time.... so fast!!!!!!!!!!!!

My biggest birthday present this year is the completion of my first sale and project implementation.... wahahahahaha

2008-09-19T10:20:00.001-07:00

I have been very destructive at work, even for my own work.

Burned the converter, twisted the pins, lost track of things.... blah blah blah

Damn sian

But then again, I didn't get to focus. Been switching between different tasks frequently. But this is perhaps how it's going to be so I got to learn how to work around this.

Okie...... AAR on monday!!!

Mooncakes anyone?

2008-09-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Mid Autumn celebration was very interesting this year. And it reminded me that a lot of time has passed.

So how did I do in my work? I don't know. I still am thankful for the role and industry I'm in. But is it common for everyone or I'm not coping too well? Seems to have hiccups here and there. Or am I not working hard enough? I've been spending a lot of time, but maybe not in the right things?

Whichever it is. I won't have time to review this until my project ends.

What would you like to do this year Mr ZZZ?

The Olympiastadion

2008-09-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

The information I'll be sharing might not be true at all, but it is thought provoking nonetheless.

The stadium which hosted the Olympic games in 1972 was a revolutionary construction even by today's standard. It was designed to imitate the Alps which explains its hanging canopies of acrylic glass.

Unknown to many, what sparked this construction was a demonstration by the builder to support a hankerchief with a few chopsticks. He assured the officials that he could materialize the stick model into a renowned building that can stand for the longest time. Given today's engineering requirements, he wouldn't even be allowed to build a pillar.

And there it is 40 years from then... standing

About the art of coffee making

2008-09-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Two different types of coffee powder and a coffee machine and.... ta da...... very good coffee.

It seemed that easy when Mr Chew was doing it. But when I make my own coffee, it didn't smell anything like good coffee. In fact, when I make coffee, the whole office would start to stink.

Funny how coffee powders react differently to different people.

Good thing is that I don't get to taste my own coffee because I always make them for my guests. I gauge my improvement by observing the expression of my guests and see how much is left at the end of the day.

The record now stands at half a cup. Haha. Going to make it a quarter soon.

幸福不是必然的，是要靠自己努力争取和珍惜

2008-08-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

今天在看港剧时偶然听到这句话，给了我很多的感想。

其实，长了这么大，我从来没有认真地看待人生。可能我觉得事情总是会往好的方向发长吧。这一生中，从没有经历过太大的挫折。念书，交友个方面也没遇过太大的困难。虽然没做到最好，却非常地安于现壮。可能我真的太懒散了，但我以为知足就是幸福。

我这幼稚的想法渐渐地被残酷的现实破灭。不知到为什么，今年好像注定要上一堂堂的社会课。经历了心痛，经历了心酸，也经历过了愚蠢，好像跌进了深渊一样，好渴望雨过天晴。现在雨是过了，但是不是晴天已不重要。自己象麻痹了一样，不再期望有好事发生，只要不再跌倒就好了。

想想，有时还是会怀恋那个不董事，对未来充满向望的我。虽然知道这个我不可能在这社会上生存，但如果可以的话，我真希望能留着那乐观的态度，继续相信人生的精彩不仅如此。

2008-08-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Having a PDA really helped a lot in increasing my productivity last week, but when I saw the iphone, I feel my gadget's not that interesting anymore...

Still feel my speed's not good enough. Working through the weekend.

2008-08-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the more I avoid failing, the further I am away from success.

Yes. Life's not completely smooth and pretty or that would be very boring. A little hiccups and setbacks here and there makes the wonderful things even more wonderful. So probably that's why we all get tested sometimes.

I hope I'm doing the right things. Obviously, I'm implying self doubt by asking that question. But I can't know...

I do what i think is best

2008-08-25T09:56:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wish I can just get it out of my head......... can I be indifferent???

4.06am

2008-08-22T13:06:00.001-07:00

my brain refuses to sleep because it wants friday to last a little longer...

I want a KS20

2008-08-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm totally happy with my K810. Good camera, intuitive controls, stylish design, but it's just not meant to last. The cables are giving me problems. And I find that I don't take that many pictures.

Recently, I've been beowing the KS20. Not a new phone but it seems to provide very attractive features. Apart from being slim and stylish, it is windows powered which means I can do my doc and xls on it, tho I really hope to have a pps editor which is not available anywhere in the market.

Wonder if i can get used to using stylus quickly... the phone doesn't come with a num pad

Anyway, the camera would be a downgrade since LG isn't famous for its cameras. It's more famous for fridges so probably they should include a freezer in the phone. They can call it the penguin.

LCD display I'm not so sure. Been wanting to try it in the handphone shops but the sales people tried to push samsung omnia to me. Why would I want to pay an additional 400 dollars for something similar??? Basket. I do hope that I can watch movies in reasonable quality since I usually spend lots of time running around.

I'll probably will get it tomorrow, or next week. Got to be over the weekends so I'll have time to figure out how to use it.

Excited... haha

2 years

2008-08-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

What is 2 years to you?

I've never given it much thought in the past. But looking back at where I stand in every 2 years, I realise that 2 years can really make a lot of difference. And most of the time it's so different that you cannot associate the lifestyles at all. Only that the differences are not really planned, not deliberate and things just change without being even noticed.

And I'm done looking backwards. I want to look forward now and plan for where I want to be in the next 2 years. I can't be just a passenger riding on chances. I know this is probably the most critical 2 years in my life.

In many areas I'm really short sighted and myopic. I was never a patient person and I didn't believe in delayed gratification. But then, I always know the biggest success in life cannot be rushed for. So this time, I'll work steadily towards it and I'll let nothing distract me.

2 years later... Zhongyi will be very different again, except this time he has planned for it.

2008-08-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Somehow it feels like I've lost the ability to organize my thoughts. Here's random rojak

A few interesting ideas came to mind recently, but I forgot what they are soon enough. I only remember this weird dream with a man throwing daggers at me because I failed to perform a magic trick. funny.

At work, it's new things everyday with new challenges. Nothing much to complain but I just hope I can go even faster. Tomorrow shall be the day I'll finish that proposal I ought to finish long ago... I hope......

Meeting up with the HRM friends was really fun. One of the best sundays I got in a long time. But I probably will need to commit my sundays to do something more productive... maybe blading?

Cab fare to robinson road in the morning is 30 dollars..... BASKET

Just found that so many friends are working in the same area. And food in CBD is as cheap as what we get in school... so shiok

It still comes back to me when I sleep at night. But now, I don't want to blame myself anymore. Just found myself quite foolish in the first half of the year. But like what they say, if it doesn't kill you it'll only make you stronger. Who are you to tell me all these things anyway?

And... I know circumstances are different and I'm adjusting to the new lifestyle. At the expense of not meeting up and catching up with friends. And I do give selective attention. But then, nothing I can do because there's only 24 hours a day. And I enjoy the new life too much to revert back to my old lifestyle. So we'll see how this goes.

Heavy flu.........

Saving up to go into investment in december. Recently knew a friend who's a trader and his job sounds damn good. Probably can learn more from him since he's just working beside my workplace.

Super running nose

Waraku is damn nice lah................

Scratch on my watch and it really pains my heart to see its pretty face scarred.... argggg.... but like all things, it'll become invisible after a while. I ought to learn to take care of my things

burp

Thinking of going for a good massage. Maybe foot reflexology would be good.

2008-08-12T05:50:00.001-07:00

Mr Zhongyi will buy his psp IF the company is moving to farfaraway...

2008-08-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on the breakwater, the group of us made a decision to go sky diving next year

... you can only do this when you're young.... ahahahaha. Just gives me no reason to say no.

2008-08-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

It better not rain today...

2008-08-08T12:09:00.001-07:00

You're probably aware that singaporeans have been programmed with a social timeline. You can find that almost all males will marry at the same age, have the same number of children, buy flats at the same time, performing similar duties and take up the same roles.

Funny eh??

About purpose?

2008-08-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this since I was really young. Is there a higher purpose in life other than purely surviving and procreating? If yes, what is it? Enlightenment? Bettering mankind? love? Wealth? Or simply do good and feel happy about it at your deathbed? All of these can be profound yet shallow depending on how u look at them.

And then as I grow, I realised that maybe there isn't a single universal purpose. Everyone seems to have the choice to decide on what they ought to do and how they can feel accomplished about their lives. That said, many don't get to live it. And many others feel misguided after a period of time. So sometimes it felt like we're making a blind guess and hope we hit jackpot.

You know, life is very amazing. Its complexity suggests that its origin is unlikely to have caused by a random mixture of events. However, when you look at things such as cockroaches that go around feeding of scraps and laying eggs. You'll start wondering where this everlasting lineage is heading?

Same for men. Yes, we do improve our brains. But at the end of it, what for? When we finally can hit the speed of light and time travel; or have all the answers the universe hold; or hold the capacity to shower everyone with love and care. Then what?

I know this is bo liao in the midst of a tender submission. But it does make some sense right?

probably that's why lots of people want to believe in afterlife. It can't just end here right?

2008-08-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Mr Greenhorn..... learn fast!!!!!

2008-08-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

After half a year of soul searching and bouncing up and down, I still have no idea what went wrong. I just gave up thinking and chuck it under the carpet hoping it will disapppear. It isn't my priority anyway. But... in my mind I am hoping I'll face it again some day in better circumstances.

Use this time to do whatever adjustment you need to do ok zy...

2008-07-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Half full or half empty?

2008-07-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

that's it

About last wednesday

2008-07-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Life is a long journey. And in this long journey, we make many milestones.

Last wednesday was a day with many milestones. The most important one, which was also the most boring one, was my convocation. It was a long afternoon dragging a long blue gown around and making sure that the funny mushroom shaped hat won't fall off. And we stoned for 2 hours waiting for 500 other people in blue gown to receive the cover for their certificate.

What a waste of half day leave. But then again, they say this only happens once in a life time so I'd better be there.

I've been reading about the inspiring commencement speeches given by Steve Job and JK Rowling. Of course I didn't expect someone like them to come to my convocation, but the person they invited wasn't someone whom 99% of us knew. Having said that, he did give a rather inspiring speech because he quoted from Steve Job and JK Rowling. haha.

Something which appeared to be more original was this:

If we look around us, we are like little speckle of dust on this small island, which is a little dot on the globe, which is just a little blue marble in the solar system, which is a collection of little rocks in the boundless universe. From this, we know how small we are.

But there's a catch.

We also know how big we are when we look around. Each one of us is unique. We can never find another person who is exactly the same. We are all gifted differently and we can contribute to mankind in different ways.

So it is up to us how big we want to be. A small speckle of dust can improve the whole of mankind. It can change the world, travel into space and discover the secrets of the universe and life itself.

Something along this line...

The second milestone on that day, which may appear to be insignificant compared to my convo but it's much more interesting... is the Dark Knight!!! Hahaha. After reading so much about how good it is, I finally got a chance to watch it and it's really quite good. 4.5 stars!!! I'm keeping half a star cos they changed rachel dawes.