food in Hokkaido

even more pictures from Hokkaido! ;P

more pictures from Hokkaido

Hokkaido 9 - 16 May 2007

Yup,.. i've been away for over a week holidaying in Japan Hokkaido catching Cherry Blossom!! ;-)

It's the best holiday i ever had.. of course, my beloved wife Shini is with me and also the self-drive tour arrangement is just great!! Really must give thumbs up to Prime Travel.. The food is fantastic! i love Japs food even more now! The people are polite and the toilet is clean.. The street is safe.. The hotspring is really hot and err.. interestingly naked.. ;P

Wish we can go again in a few years time.. after saving enough $$ tat is.. ;-)

Here's some pictures to share..

Meditation - how to meditate?

i believe that there are many methods to meditation. The two i know and have been practicing were (i) object and (ii) non-conceptual meditation.

(i) Object meditation requires concentration on an object. An object can be a flower, a feeling, an idea, a representation of the Buddha or anything you wish to focus on.

(ii) Non-conceptual meditation focus directly on consciousness itself. It is pure awareness of things happening at the most present moment without passing any judgment. Just observing the very nature of thoughts that cross our mind.

The meaning of the word Meditation is familarisation with a new way of being.

Thru meditation we can develop calmness, patience, tolerance, understanding, kindness,.. many good virtues.. But meditation must be followed by actions.. applying newly acquired Buddha's knowledge & wisdom in our everyday life.. If great sessions of meditation doesnt translate into improvement of our whole being, then we need to re-examine our practice. Successful meditation brings us all the goodness as mentioned earlier eg. love, compassion, calmness, patience,.. Only after we are 'matured' and ready, can we then be ready to help others achieve likewise..

note: (a) above info is inspired & extracted from the book Happiness by Matthieu Ricard pg 260. (b) u need to clam your mind first for meditation. And to achieve that, breath in and exhale slowly with yr eyes lightly closed. Focus on yr breathing & nothing else. Return to yr centre. Back to your being. Be present. After a few more breathing or when you feel ready, proceed with the meditation proper..

What's franchising and licensing?

as part of my job i need to know about franchising and licensing.. in order to play the advisory role to my clients.. well, it's also good knowledge if i ever wanna run my own business..

what's franchising?
Today any business wanted to be called a franchise must comprises these 3 key elements:
(i) business/operation system (manual, guide, procedures,..),
(ii) brand (trademark, copyright, design,..),
(iii) royalty fee (upfront, annual, % of revenue,..)
otherwise also known as business format franchising.
example: MacDonald

what's licensing?
same as franchising except minus the business/operating system.
in the past (early days), it was known as product distribution franchising.
example: Coca-Cola bottling licensing

what's the difference between franchising and licensing?
as mentioned above, franchising includes imparting entire business model to the franchisee.
In addition, franchiser takes a more proactive role than licensing which is more passive. Being proactive means that the franchiser will be working much closely with the franchisee to ensure his success and making sure he is operating according to the operating manual. Licensor usually leaves the licensee alone as long as it doesnt breach any contract agreement.

What are the key items in a franchise?
There are 23 key items in a franchise that needs to be addressed or mentioned - with reference to the UFOC (Uniform Franchise Offering Circular).
1. Franchisor
2. Business experience
3. Litigation history
4. Bankruptcy
5. Initial franchise fee
6. Other fees
7. Initial investment
8. Business restrictions
9. Franchisee's obligations
10. Financing
11. Franchisor's obligations
12. Territory
13. Trademarks
14. Patents, copyrights & proprietary information
15. Participation
16. Product or service restrictions
17. Renewal, termination, transfers & dispute resolution
18. Celebrities
19. Earnings claims
20. Other units in the system
21. Financial statements
22. Agreements
23. Confirmation


visit http://www.flasingapore.org/ for more info..

Snowy

for the past few days my wife and i have been kept busy looking after Snowy.. a King Charles Spaniels breed. it's only 6 month old.

it belongs to Shini's colleague who happens to go overseas and my kind wife agreed to look after her for a few days.. but least did she know it's a tough job looking after a dog! especially a puppy!! ;-)

Nonetheless, think we survived! one more day to go.. so, here are some sweet memories for keeps minus all the hardships we had to endure.. heehee..

i will still think of having my own dog when i retire.. ;P

principles for relationships

Not too long ago i wrote about guiding principles for my work.. and i named it SWATS. Recently, i started thinking about developing some principles for my relationships. While my love life is still good, i think it can be better! Once in a while, we get into arguments and quarrels.. but i believe i could avoid those unnecessary unhappy moments if i had been conscious and mindful of my spoken words and actions.

So, after brainstorming within my brain.. here's the principles - LCU SWAP!
L.C.U.S.W.A.P. or LCU SWAP to help me remember stands for:

1. Listening. Most people has problem with active listening, genuine listening to what their partner says. must really learn to listen twice as much as speak. one method is the ability to repeat what the other person has just said. He/she will know u are really listening and they will appreciate greatly. In return, they will listen to u much more attentively.

2. Care & Concern. Must learn to show care & concern even though we do care for our love ones but we seldom show it or express in ways that make them feel it. i think a simple "i love you" or "i'm thinking about u and your well being" goes a long way. Words aside. U can also simply give your love ones hugs and kisses..

3. Understanding. First we seek to understand before we are understood. That said it all. Learn to put ourself into other people's shoes. Seek to understand their point of view. Only thru understanding is conflict resolve.

4. Sensitive. Be sensitive to your love ones' needs. Be observant. Be present. That way, u wont miss a beat.

5. Win-win. Always create a win-win situation for everyone including yourself. Nobody needs to loose. it's not a zero-sum game. Negotiate till everyone walks away happy.

6. Advisory. A consultative arrangement is better than an instructive one. whether u like or not, these days, with more & more ppl who are educated and more capable, no one is gonna sit there and wait for your instructions. So, in relationships as well, your spouse esp a wife wont be the quiet ever obedient one.. she will have a mind of her own. Therefore, it would be wise and correct to treat relationship on an advisory nature.. That said, it is situational too. Also depend on who's the ultimate decision maker. Exercise your own judgment.

7. Patience. A lot of times, we need to be patient with our love ones. Dont be rash. Impatience always create more problems.. Meditation is one of the best methods. Try the breathing method and keeping your mind focus on something of a higher purpose. It works!

Spiderman 3

Spiderman 3 is really the best movie i've watched this year to date! ;-)

The whole movie is well casted and the story really works for me! I really liked the way the movie explore the characters - their past and emotions.. even for the villains - there's a dark and good side in everyone.

i've learned a few lessons in this movie. First, this movie teaches me abt options - there's always a choice in life. It's whether we want to take control of our own life and make that decision. Second, very important, never, never be evil, never be revengeful! It doesnt pay off. Short-term wise, maybe u get that 'high' feeling. But in the end, u end up a lonely, sad and even more angry person. In the show, it demonstrate how Spiderman's get into more trouble after he tries to beat up and kill those evil people.. They keep coming back for revenge!

Finally, one small message that appears in the first two movies is missing in this third installment - Uncle Ben said "Remember, with great power. Comes with great responsibility". Like my wife said, "he has passed that.. now have moved on already.." I guess that's true. perhaps we should all move on.. to be a better man. ;-)

freakonomics

this book really opens up my mind!
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.
Mr Levitt is really a genuine in challenging conventional wisdom.

It reminds me of my younger days - i was innocent and believe easily what was said in the newspaper and all other media.. i've learned not to believe what i hear and see.. not even my heart, sometimes. ;P

Freakonomics makes me think, helps me think and certainly expand my mind.. from questions on which is more dangerous - guns or swimming pool, and from crimes to mothers.. Mr Levitt will definitely have fans but he will also have many critics. That's life i guess. In many ways, i can identify with all that. Coz i've been questioning things all my life. But he used a so-called economics approach to answering those questions.

Lastly, i used to think the subject of economics is only about the pure finance side of things that drives the economy.. On the contrary, it actually studies things that impact people's lives! And attempts to answer why..

From Wikipedia:
Economics is the study of how to satisfy unlimited wants with limited resources. It is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, and the theory and management of the scarce goods, resources, and services.

The word 'economics' is from the Greek for οἶκος (oikos: house) and νόμος (nomos: custom or law), hence "rules of the house(hold)."