It's gonna be new.
Starting 1st December, I'll be enlisted into the camp of education. My role in the giant organization is to support the process of accreditation on a proposed degree program. It's challenging, leaving me headache and cracking my brain trying to figure out what I am supposed to do. Well, as the saying goes, doing (acting) feels better than thinking. (And that's why when you're angry, don't do anything is better since doing anything probably makes you feel better but the result isn't pretty under anger).
The flight coming here was a ~.^ As the plane descended and about to touch KLIA, the pilot decided that it's a bad idea after all since he has no confidence that he could perform a safe landing amidst the huge downpour. He pumped the accelerator and we detoured to Penang at the eleventh hour. Yeah, talking about timing eh! Well, the government officer beside me commented that it was probably for the better than taking risk. Waited inside the air conditioned plane, everyone queued very restlessly for the one and only washroom (since we're in the economy class...). Reimbursement? I don't think they know what that is. All we have are apologies and a cup of... mineral water. Approximately one hour on the (supposedly) Penang airport, we returned to our original destination.
Let's hope it's a good start! I'm still getting @.@ over the roads here!
Nov 28, 2015
Feb 9, 2014
Junks in Writing
Today I attended Mr. Chuah's Academic writing workshop. There's one particular part which I'd like to share, and it's about "Cliches & Redundancies".
Mr. Chuah (2013) mentioned that Malaysians' tend to overuse several phrases:
1. in this globalized/ICT era
2. in the society nowadays
3. by hook or by crook
4. part and parcel
5. cooperation from all parties.
I felt that No.5 is my usual go-to conclusion phrase when I can't think of anything better to conclude. The term "Nowadays" is actually a slang, and the formal word should be "Recently". Hmmm.
One more thing is that we fell in love with using "for example", "for instance", "such as", etc when citing examples. Mr. Chuah mentioned that these phrases could be omitted. It's refreshing to know as I always find it hard to replace these terms with other words before starting to give examples.
Overall, the course is beneficial to my writing. As much as I enjoyed this minimalist approach, I hope I could take note of my works and start reducing redundancies. Gambate!
Mr. Chuah (2013) mentioned that Malaysians' tend to overuse several phrases:
1. in this globalized/ICT era
2. in the society nowadays
3. by hook or by crook
4. part and parcel
5. cooperation from all parties.
I felt that No.5 is my usual go-to conclusion phrase when I can't think of anything better to conclude. The term "Nowadays" is actually a slang, and the formal word should be "Recently". Hmmm.
One more thing is that we fell in love with using "for example", "for instance", "such as", etc when citing examples. Mr. Chuah mentioned that these phrases could be omitted. It's refreshing to know as I always find it hard to replace these terms with other words before starting to give examples.
Overall, the course is beneficial to my writing. As much as I enjoyed this minimalist approach, I hope I could take note of my works and start reducing redundancies. Gambate!
Sep 3, 2013
CDs Review: Assorted
Long time no see this blog. What happened in between the gap? I got myself a bunch of CDs.
First, it is this:
First, it is this:
32bit/192KHz Olivia Ong: Audiophile Selections.
I was thrilled by this album. It captures some of her finest vocal performances. She can really sing. Although honestly, I realize why my mom didn't like her voice particularly, the exact reason why I like her so, is because of her nonchalant singing. It lacks absolute emotion, it lacks dynamics. Almost can say her voice sounds flat occasionally. But that's why I love it! It's soothing, suitable for stressful and exhausted moment where you just want somebody to soothe your mood, give you simple encouragement to feel better.
Fav Track: My Favourite Things
Then I have:
HDCD Remastered Koji Tamaki: Wine Red No Kokoro
I don't particularly know why, I just don't understand anything that comes out from his mouth, but then, music isn't just about knowing the meaning of the lyrics, but also feeling the depth of emotion the singer brings out. In this recording, you can feel the sorrow and melancholy, which could sometimes steal a tear or two without you realizing it.
Fav Track: あの頃へ
One of them is:
Love Stories: Pop Song Compilation
One of the best Chinese pop compilation. You can't go wrong with this piece, as it houses many of the familiar heart-breaking love songs of the generation. Get it at Popular! About the remastering logo, I guess it does make the song sounds better, but i can't be sure as I don't compare with the original recordings.
Last but not least:
I fell in love with this!
Olivia Ong: Wait
How could you sing like that? Frankly, this could be the first album which I listened entirely for every track for more than 20 times. I really Lov3 this! Is it special? It is! Is it the greatest album? I don't think if you compare it with the greatest.
But why do i love it?
Fav Track: Wait
Go hear it yourself!
Jun 11, 2013
Reaction Paper on: [ASKMEN] Sayings That Shape The Man You Are
The Article is Here
Well, it's been a month since I last wrote a reaction paper. Today, I stumbled across a wonderful post in Askmen (Thanks to C-Chuan). It's about important quotes which could inspire, advice and warn us on little things in our life. Since the quotes are ranked according to its subject, I shall have the liberty to pick one and write about my thoughts on it:
To me, it is a difficult task to screen through various books, movies and websites to find the right advice. The digital world allows people from various creeds and brains to voice out themselves. Yeah, the mentioning of FB Status/Tweets reminds me of my daily dilemma to comb through each article and respond accordingly. That was one of the reasons which i trimmed down my profile to focus on people which I want to connect today.
The question for the Plato quote is: How do we know which is wise and which is not? Even the Chinese proverb has such saying: 圣人千虑 必有一失 愚人千虑 必有一得 which means in a count of a thousand ideas/calculations, the wise may have one of them wrong and the fool may have one of them right.
I remembered reading a book warning about NOISE in communication. Noise, or the book name it 噪音, isn't necessary some background sound from the construction activity or the barking of the dogs. It could include DISTRACTIONS from various sources whether intentionally or unintentionally.
To give an example, let's imagine you are searching for a suitable smartphone. You go to hTC store which sells exclusively hTC phones. Do you expect the hTC salesperson will praise other competitors' phones and promote their home brand weaknesses? You are more likely to hear praises on the home brand, and when you ask for comparison between phones of different brands, you will notice the salesperson will highlight the strengths of the home brand and elude the weaknesses.
What about if you go to a store selling various brands? Well, he is more likely to ask what you want and match you to a chosen phone. But will he introduce you to a brand which is low in profit margin? Less likely. Will he say negative things when you are going to choose a phone with high profit margin or the brand which he is going to meet the sales quota? Less likely. He will try his best to sway you to buy something which benefits him the most, and that applies to most businesses.
So, what is Distraction? It is that influence on you to choose or act on something which benefits the person who said it. Even in headphone reviews, I can see a lot of reviews is based on business agendas or fanboy-ism, since nobody likes to think what they bought actually sucks right? Shilling happens all the time, and most of the time monetary isn't involved, but ego is.
So, how do we differ from wise and unwise, and getting the right advice? IMHO, the better way should be to know what we want to achieve, and the criteria to achieve the goal. If you are needing a phone and you have only $500, just ignore any comments of phones above $500 no matter how better the more expensive phone would be. It won't solve your problems on hand. If you know exactly what you want/need, you can better filter suggestions according to your requirements.
Moreover, it would be better if you have a list of trusted experts in similar fields. An expert in a given field is more likely to give better advice than tom-dick-and-harry walking on the street, but it is encouraged to listen to a few advice and react later rather than sticking to one source of advice to avoid myopia and haste decision. This is because how we understand a person advice may differ from the next person's opinion even though both are based on the same ground, perhaps due to the way of presentation or emphasis luring us to perceive things differently. However, be alert on the halo effect. A person who is expert in swimming may not necessary give good advice on how to shoot the basketball, even though both are sports. There are knowledge which can't be transferred and applied easily into other platforms.
Now those are my personal take on how we could discern information from the wise and the fool. What about yours? After reading my thoughts, do you have something to share on how you manage in similar situations?
Well, it's been a month since I last wrote a reaction paper. Today, I stumbled across a wonderful post in Askmen (Thanks to C-Chuan). It's about important quotes which could inspire, advice and warn us on little things in our life. Since the quotes are ranked according to its subject, I shall have the liberty to pick one and write about my thoughts on it:
On Fools
"Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something" -Plato
To me, it is a difficult task to screen through various books, movies and websites to find the right advice. The digital world allows people from various creeds and brains to voice out themselves. Yeah, the mentioning of FB Status/Tweets reminds me of my daily dilemma to comb through each article and respond accordingly. That was one of the reasons which i trimmed down my profile to focus on people which I want to connect today.
The question for the Plato quote is: How do we know which is wise and which is not? Even the Chinese proverb has such saying: 圣人千虑 必有一失 愚人千虑 必有一得 which means in a count of a thousand ideas/calculations, the wise may have one of them wrong and the fool may have one of them right.
I remembered reading a book warning about NOISE in communication. Noise, or the book name it 噪音, isn't necessary some background sound from the construction activity or the barking of the dogs. It could include DISTRACTIONS from various sources whether intentionally or unintentionally.
To give an example, let's imagine you are searching for a suitable smartphone. You go to hTC store which sells exclusively hTC phones. Do you expect the hTC salesperson will praise other competitors' phones and promote their home brand weaknesses? You are more likely to hear praises on the home brand, and when you ask for comparison between phones of different brands, you will notice the salesperson will highlight the strengths of the home brand and elude the weaknesses.
What about if you go to a store selling various brands? Well, he is more likely to ask what you want and match you to a chosen phone. But will he introduce you to a brand which is low in profit margin? Less likely. Will he say negative things when you are going to choose a phone with high profit margin or the brand which he is going to meet the sales quota? Less likely. He will try his best to sway you to buy something which benefits him the most, and that applies to most businesses.
So, what is Distraction? It is that influence on you to choose or act on something which benefits the person who said it. Even in headphone reviews, I can see a lot of reviews is based on business agendas or fanboy-ism, since nobody likes to think what they bought actually sucks right? Shilling happens all the time, and most of the time monetary isn't involved, but ego is.
So, how do we differ from wise and unwise, and getting the right advice? IMHO, the better way should be to know what we want to achieve, and the criteria to achieve the goal. If you are needing a phone and you have only $500, just ignore any comments of phones above $500 no matter how better the more expensive phone would be. It won't solve your problems on hand. If you know exactly what you want/need, you can better filter suggestions according to your requirements.
Moreover, it would be better if you have a list of trusted experts in similar fields. An expert in a given field is more likely to give better advice than tom-dick-and-harry walking on the street, but it is encouraged to listen to a few advice and react later rather than sticking to one source of advice to avoid myopia and haste decision. This is because how we understand a person advice may differ from the next person's opinion even though both are based on the same ground, perhaps due to the way of presentation or emphasis luring us to perceive things differently. However, be alert on the halo effect. A person who is expert in swimming may not necessary give good advice on how to shoot the basketball, even though both are sports. There are knowledge which can't be transferred and applied easily into other platforms.
Now those are my personal take on how we could discern information from the wise and the fool. What about yours? After reading my thoughts, do you have something to share on how you manage in similar situations?
Apr 16, 2013
Look on the Bright Side of Life
Look on the bright side of life,
we are still alive, we are still living a life.
Most importantly we still have a chance to live,
a chance to a life we always wanted,
a tomorrow we always dream of.
All may be done, but what is to come yet to come.
We still can put effort, put in all our heart,
to make what is to come to be what is to become.
Life is short, but life is not dead yet.
I don't know if we will wake up tomorrow.
But I do know, as long as breathing you can,
something you can do to make life worth living.
Don't lose your faith for what has been done,
Instead, take a deep breathe, and remember,
that we still can make our dreams come true.
Your love is gone, no, you are wrong.
The person may be gone. But your heart is still with you.
Give it to someone who appreciate it more than the one who is gone.
Your money is gone, yes, it may be gone.
But you still have time to make up for the loss,
pull up your knees, and tie up your wounds,
the bright day is not far away as long as you keep moving forward.
Some roads are uneven, it is up and down.
You may be feeling down, because you are on the low side of the road.
Keep moving on, it is hard to push yourself from the bottom to the top.
Don't worry about the effort. You are pushing yourself up,
it means you are going up. So there's nothing to worry about.
Life will reward the strongest heart.
Claim your reward, and be the hero of yourself.
And always look on the bright side,
Always look on the bright side of life.
we are still alive, we are still living a life.
Most importantly we still have a chance to live,
a chance to a life we always wanted,
a tomorrow we always dream of.
All may be done, but what is to come yet to come.
We still can put effort, put in all our heart,
to make what is to come to be what is to become.
Life is short, but life is not dead yet.
I don't know if we will wake up tomorrow.
But I do know, as long as breathing you can,
something you can do to make life worth living.
Don't lose your faith for what has been done,
Instead, take a deep breathe, and remember,
that we still can make our dreams come true.
Your love is gone, no, you are wrong.
The person may be gone. But your heart is still with you.
Give it to someone who appreciate it more than the one who is gone.
Your money is gone, yes, it may be gone.
But you still have time to make up for the loss,
pull up your knees, and tie up your wounds,
the bright day is not far away as long as you keep moving forward.
Some roads are uneven, it is up and down.
You may be feeling down, because you are on the low side of the road.
Keep moving on, it is hard to push yourself from the bottom to the top.
Don't worry about the effort. You are pushing yourself up,
it means you are going up. So there's nothing to worry about.
Life will reward the strongest heart.
Claim your reward, and be the hero of yourself.
And always look on the bright side,
Always look on the bright side of life.
Apr 7, 2013
Regret
There are many things in life,
When I look back,
I wish I could go back to those time,
and do them differently.
I wish I could have undone,
the faults and errors.
I kept asking myself,
why am I so silly?
Then I asked myself,
have I really learnt?
Am I really different today,
that of me yesteryear?
I may not be so different.
I will commit mistakes again in the future.
But how I wish,
Oh I wish I will remember the pain now,
of what I've done before,
and not to let them repeat on me.
When I look back,
I wish I could go back to those time,
and do them differently.
I wish I could have undone,
the faults and errors.
I kept asking myself,
why am I so silly?
Then I asked myself,
have I really learnt?
Am I really different today,
that of me yesteryear?
I may not be so different.
I will commit mistakes again in the future.
But how I wish,
Oh I wish I will remember the pain now,
of what I've done before,
and not to let them repeat on me.
Apr 5, 2013
Rise Up
The harder the negative force,
The more fun it is to withstand the temptation to succumb,
and to rise up to the challenge.
Heroes are born that way
The more fun it is to withstand the temptation to succumb,
and to rise up to the challenge.
Heroes are born that way
思，念。
尘起，尘落。
花瓣飘落静湖面。
风呤，虫啼。
月光洒在思念乡。
人来人往，
总有一个会留下。
日月流失，
留下的人也会走。
光阴不再，
过去的人不会回。
昔日不复，
往事只能再回味。
花瓣飘落静湖面。
风呤，虫啼。
月光洒在思念乡。
人来人往，
总有一个会留下。
日月流失，
留下的人也会走。
光阴不再，
过去的人不会回。
昔日不复，
往事只能再回味。
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http://st.gdefon.ru/wallpapers_original/wallpapers/436082_gorod_noch_ulica_1920x1200_(www.GdeFon.ru).jpg
Apr 2, 2013
Celebrating My Own Lunar Birthday Myself
It's not "by-the-way", it's the main event of my day.
Happy 26th Lunar Birthday to Myself (:
Today was a quiet day. Not uneventful. But I was quite passive about my surroundings. I chose to keep a blind eyes on all those triggers of negative emotions.
There was a procession in town. I brought my family there, knowing that bro loves procession a lot. He had a great time. I was alone wandering around the towers, from Tun Jugah to Sarawak Plaza then Parkson and back to McDonald's. There I ordered a set of 6-pieces nuggets, a cup of fries and coke My seat was at a corner next to a pair of just starting to dine couple. I looked at the narrow table. Opposite my seat was another empty chair. How I wish there was someone I cherish celebrating with me.
I ate quite quickly. Didn't realize why I was munching all the food at that speed, but I was for a moment happy. I wished something while putting in the first nugget into my mouth. It didn't take me 30 minutes and my meal was done, so as the couple beside. I washed my hands, sat there for a moment. Thinking.
What would happen if I send myself a birthday wish to myself?
Of course I didn't at last. I just sent "Testing". And oh my, the message did came into my inbox! TIL I can message myself!
Well, I spent the night sitting in the less ventilated car listening to songs while waiting for my family. They were quite satisfied with this year's procession, albeit one undesirable participants which I heard throwing papers onto the ground. I think it wasn't appropriate as that image felt like something which occurs during the Hungry Ghost Month. Sometimes people do things Ayam Kenot Brain.
Haha. Happy Lunar Birthday to me.
And wish you good luck too.
Cheerio.
Happy 26th Lunar Birthday to Myself (:
Today was a quiet day. Not uneventful. But I was quite passive about my surroundings. I chose to keep a blind eyes on all those triggers of negative emotions.
There was a procession in town. I brought my family there, knowing that bro loves procession a lot. He had a great time. I was alone wandering around the towers, from Tun Jugah to Sarawak Plaza then Parkson and back to McDonald's. There I ordered a set of 6-pieces nuggets, a cup of fries and coke My seat was at a corner next to a pair of just starting to dine couple. I looked at the narrow table. Opposite my seat was another empty chair. How I wish there was someone I cherish celebrating with me.
I ate quite quickly. Didn't realize why I was munching all the food at that speed, but I was for a moment happy. I wished something while putting in the first nugget into my mouth. It didn't take me 30 minutes and my meal was done, so as the couple beside. I washed my hands, sat there for a moment. Thinking.
What would happen if I send myself a birthday wish to myself?
Of course I didn't at last. I just sent "Testing". And oh my, the message did came into my inbox! TIL I can message myself!
Well, I spent the night sitting in the less ventilated car listening to songs while waiting for my family. They were quite satisfied with this year's procession, albeit one undesirable participants which I heard throwing papers onto the ground. I think it wasn't appropriate as that image felt like something which occurs during the Hungry Ghost Month. Sometimes people do things Ayam Kenot Brain.
Haha. Happy Lunar Birthday to me.
And wish you good luck too.
Cheerio.
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