Sherlock Holmes movie - simply wonderful!

Sherlock Holmes brings me back to my childhood dreaming days.. and this movie added extra goodies, such as showing his thinking process b4 real execution, which is a wonderful surprise! ;-)

official site: click here.

youtube trailer: click here.

Yummy Ribs

Having the Edge

Yesterday, today, tomorrow

Yesterday came,

today has come,

tomorrow is coming.

Know your priority today! ;P

Who's this boy? ;P

Andrew Matthews new book - Happiness in Hard Times

i just found out that Andrew Matthews has released a new book titled Happiness in Hard Times.

Check it out.. i'm reading it right now.. ;-)

Therapeutic cooking

There's so much life lessons to learn from cooking.. no wonder i'm attracted to it..

The process of preparing & cooking is therapeutic.. but not so when it comes to washing the dishes.. ;P

Everything happens for a reason

'Everything happens for a reason' is a concept, not an absolute truth. But it's an excellent concept to embrace. It encourages you to look on the bright & positive side of things or life, and it's never harmful.

From another perspective, it depends on the context you are referring to. Looking thru the 'cause & effect' lens, then everything does happen for a reason, and the reason is clearly there's a cause and therefore an effect.

But if viewed from the individual life destiny, then i believe not everything happens for a reason. It is our interpretation of events and our responses to those events that shaped our own destiny. So, it's our own thoughts that give reasons to everything.

This is my understanding thus far.. and i think it's on the same track as Buddhism..

Who is in control?

Are we revolving around earth or earth is revolving around us?

Are we in control of our environment or the environment in control of us?

Dogs and more dogs..

Korean-style pork ribs

This non-spicy dish is simply delicious!

Salted Chicken Wings

More than 10 years ago i tasted this salted chicken wings and thought it was fantastic.. it's even more surprising to find out from my colleague's wife that she marinated it with only salt and fried it..

So,.. i have kept that event till today.. and finally decide to try it. True enough, it was a success! My wife loved it and we think it's a simple yet great dish. Will try it again and maybe slowly start to improvise it.. ;P

what can i do with cooked barley

It would be a waste to throw the cooked barley away after taking the barley water only..

To reuse, strain out the barley grains as soon as the barley water comes off the heat to prevent them from being too soggy.

*Important*: Sweeten the barley water only after the barley grains are removed.

You can add cooked barley to soups and stews. Note that it can soak up flavours and release little starch. Best suited for Asians and Western soups and stews.

It's robust texture combine well with deep flavours such as duck, beef, chicken, mushrooms, lamb and caramelised vegetables.

Use cooked barley as grain salad base with rice, bulgur wheat or mix it with sweetcorn kernels and fry up fritters.

Combine with brown rice to make as stuffing based for roast chicken.

Puree cooked barley in blender to make a paste to stir in cream soups, stews or even curries to add body. You can even stir into Asian pudding type desserts such as pulut hitam, bubur terigu, Indian Kheer or payasam, black sesame cream and more, to add texture and flavour.

lastly, there's a Taiwanese-style dessert using soft barley grains on shaved ice with lightly sweetened fresh milk. It's plain & delicious.

How to ripen avocados

This is what i gathered so far..

1. Avocados ripen when they are picked.
2. Some types ripen with skin darkened while other varieties have skin stayed the same.
3. The only sure way is to feel the skin.
4. To choose avocados, hold them gently in your hand & press with pad of your palm. Dont press with your fingers as it will bruise them.
5. Pick those that are firm upon pressing or just a little bit of give.
6. Dont buy avocados uneven firmness - likely to have been bruised.
7. At home, keep in cool room temperature till fully ripen - may takes two or three days.
8. To speed up ripening, place them in a bag with banana or apple.
9. When ripen, they give a little without resistance upon pressing.
10. Sliced avocado flesh with speckled or brown in parts, or has brown veiny network running thru it has started to turn bad. Cut those parts away or otherwise throw the whole fruit away.

Bodyworks

Initially may seem scary but after a while u just focus on the scientific element of these real dead people..

A good experience for all to see what's really inside/behind the skin.. btw, that 'person' is holding up his own skin..

visit Bodyworks website

Julie and Julia - movie

Really liked this movie about cooking, life and love! And how the director blends two persons lives from different times into a single seamless thread of storytelling..

Also, motivated me to improve my cooking! ;P

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvJHsJD8ic

Official website: http://www.julieandjulia.com/

Stumbling on Happiness

While searching on Internet for writings relating to happiness, i stumble on this book titled Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert.

i havent read the book yet, but from some reviews it seemed like a good read.. will try to read it one day.

Some websites with the writeup/review:

http://www.chronon.org/reviews/Stumbling_on_happiness.html

http://enjoyyourmoney.blogspot.com/2008/08/stumbling-on-happiness-summary-and.html

Beef Stew with Red Wine

Beef stew with red wine
500g beef cubed 2cm size
1 mid size potato
1 tomato, 1 big carrot cubed.
1 large onion
Half seasoning cube
half teaspoon salt
Garlic, shallot, oyster sauce, cooking oil, tomato ketchap 1 pkt, red
wine, water

1. Marinate beef cubes with seasoning cubes, oyster sauce, salt. 30mins.
2. Stir-fry with oil, garlic, shallot first. Then add beef cubes till fragant.
3. Add ketchap & water just covering. Simmer 30mins.
4. Add potato, onion, carrot, tomato & enough water to cover. Simmer 30mins.
5. Off heat & add red wine 60ml.

Brand Valuation

Most firms incorporate 3 main ingredients of:

(i) income (what the brand is earning),

(ii) market (comparable transactions), and

(ii) cost (cost to build a similar brand).

Wedding Dinner Cost 2009

These info should help in determining how much Ang Bao or red packet to put in.. ;-)

5 qualities that support being present

Five qualities that support the skill of meditation or how to be present with our experiences.

1. Confidence

2. Energy

3. Mindfulness

4. Concentration

5. Wisdom

Heard these over a podcast a while ago.. in the context of overcoming fear.. still digesting the information.. ;-)

T.H.I.S. - Singapore first Buddhist flim festival 2009

T.H.I.S. stands for Thus Have I Seen.

Happy to attend the Singapore first Buddhist Film Festival 2009 organised by Dharma In Action, a non-profit organisation.

Three films i've watched were:

1. Act Normal (Iceland)

2. Unmistaken Child (Isreal)

3. Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (Iran/France)

Visit the official website at www.thisfilmfest.com

two mother of

Repetition is the mother of skills.

Necessity is the mother of inventions.

Perya (Town Fair) - a Canon 7D Short

Perya (Town Fair) - a Canon 7D Short from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

Simplicity is no simple thing

Simplicity is complexity resolved.

- someone from Apple said that before

You will always be - song

This song is specially written for my wife Shinni on 8 March 2006. This song reflected my feelings of having her always being with me walking thru the darkest hour, the biggest storm.. and still, we will always be, together! ;-)

Lyrics:

There's no need for our history
I only cared the future you and me
Make every step we walk on today
Build on love everyone will feel the same

Bridge:
Oh i know the clouds will come and rain
And the sun wont shine all day always
But i know love will take us thru..

Chorus:
Thru the darkest hour, the longest walk
The biggest storm, and you with me
Thru the deepest sea, the tallest mountain
The sky so high, u still with me.. You will always be.

Singapore Food Fashion

Law of Precession

"Buckminster Fuller, recognised as one of this century's most creative minds, wrote the LAW OF PRECESSION as a part of the goal-setting process. PRECESSION is the principle which always ensures that we gain many things in addition to the actual goal itself. In fact, the most important thing is not reaching the goal itself but what we learn and how much we grow along the way." Being Happy, page 83-84.

Andrew is very wise to share this and i'm grateful for this. Yes, the journey is more important than the end goal. But setting the goal is still as important. In fact, it is vital that we do so and to set off the journey as soon as possible before the procrastinate & scared thoughts conquer your mind!

"If you decide that you are going to walk across Europe or.. start a business.., the important thing is not the walk or the business, but what kind of person you need to become in order to achieve your end." page 84.

Mmm.. tis concept is new to me.. never occur to me before.. ;-)

Singapore Lights Timelapse - nice & cool! ;-)

Singapore Lights Timelapse from Weehan Yeo on Vimeo.

Lost Generation

Extraordinary Pantene Commercial

mulist.com -> Order Me template

Check out this mulist -> Order Me template. It allows blogshop owner to create its own list of items to sell with simple order log provided to track your orders. You can also embed this list onto your blog or share it via facebook making ordering your items so much easier!

Visit www.mulist.com today!

Chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.

The power to create - maybe a good thing, maybe not ;P

Power of the subconscious mind

"Thoughts are invisible clouds that go out and gather up results for us. They determine what we reap." Being Happy, page 55.

Dont underestimate our subconscious mind. It's extremely powerful if we know how to use it wisely. I remembered i read somewhere about a technique that uses the subconscious mind to do work.. The method: first, know the issue on hand. Then do research on the subject matter. Learn as much as u can. Then put it aside & attend to other matters. A few days later, come back to it. You will often realise that you have better understanding & grasp of the issue and make better decision. The only cons is that it requires time. So plan yr time properly to use this method effectively.

join this group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=87161767269

Power of words and language

"Many frustrated parents could ease their situations by using language which paints pictures of the desired result in their children's mind. Then 'Dont scream!' becomes 'Please be quiet' and 'Dont spill the spaghetti on your best shirt' becomes 'Be careful when you eat.' These differences may seem subtle but they are very very important." Being Happy, page 57.

Being victim and probably the predator myself, i recognise the power of words or language. We may think nothing of it but it does have tremendous effect on the person you spill on words on.. One thing i learned from Anthony Robbins is that he emphasis on the use of positive words. Like if you wanted to say 'i'm angry'. Try saying 'I'm not happy.' Change the keyword or noun to something positive. This little change in behavior or pattern will have great downstream impact to your life and others around you. Try it! ;-)

join this group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=87161767269

Empty Emptiness

Buddha teaches us emptiness. Out of curiosity i googled images for the word Empty and found the following pictures..

How to make strawberry ice cream

Adapted from Delicious Ice Cream, Parragon Books

Ingredients:

150ml water

200g caster sugar

450g punnet strawberries

300ml pure thick cream

Method:

1. Dissolve sugar in water, then heat until boiling, stirring at all time. Allow it to simmer for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Watch it carefully, it should become syrupy but not change colour. Remove pot from heat & allow syrup to cool completely.

2. Once syrup has cooled, stir in the cream.

3. Puree the strawberries in blender, then mix together with syrup & cream mixture and refrigerate until cold - at least one hour.

4. If using an ice-cream machine, place the frozen bowl on the machine and turn it on. Then pour the cooled mixture into the machine. Churn it accordingly to the manufacturer's instructions. (20 to 25 mins).

5. If making it without machine, pour the chilled mixture into a freeze-proof container and freeze for an hour. Remove from the freezer, beat the mixture with a fork or whisk for 5 mins. Return it to the freezer for another hour. Repeat the beating with fork one more time, then allow it to freeze until firm.

All kinds of mushroom! i love mushrooms! ;-)

Add to this list if you know more!

visit Singapore Merlion ads. Very funny.

click here to view.

We are the World

Contribute to this list - Cut down expense ideas

Click here to contribute to this list.

What Does It Take to be First World?

GreenDay - Wake Me Up When September Ends

LYRICS:

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

wake me up when September ends

like my fathers come to pass

seven years has gone so fast

wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again

falling from the stars

drenched in my pain again

becoming who we are

as my memory rests

but never forgets what I lost

wake me up when September ends

summer has come and passed

the innocent can never last

wake me up when September ends

ring out the bells again

like we did when spring began

wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again

falling from the stars

drenched in my pain again

becoming who we are

as my memory rests

but never forgets what I lost

wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

wake me up when September ends

like my fathers come to pass

twenty years has gone so fast

wake me up when September ends

wake me up when September ends

wake me up when September ends

Billie Jean New York MSG 2001

Michael Jackson is really really good with his music & dance moves - bringing it to the highest level of art form!.. Will miss his talent.

Perspectives - Selling Shoes story

Long time ago, i attended a creative training. The trainer was not impressive - the session was boring in fact. However, one takeaway for me is this story he shared with us which i remembered to this day. Here's the story.. but i modified it a bit..

One day, John the GM of a shoe company assembled David and Tom to his office. And he told them that he intend to find new market for his shoes. Separately, he sent them overseas toa developing country. David who flow off first reached the place and was dismay to find that the folks there were so backward that they dont wear any shoes. Tom arrived a day later and found the same conclusion. However, he was happy with his findings.

A week later, back in John's office, the GM asked them for their assessment. David, in his rather depressed tone, said that there is no market as no one there wore any shoes! GM then turned to Tom who was grinning all this while. When it's Tom's turn, he said he saw great potential there as no one wore any shoes! So there's a huge market to be filled. A very big market gap waiting for them to develop! ;-)

Lessons learned: (i) see things thru different lens, (ii) employ people who view things differently from you, (iii) always challenge your beliefs & creativity

What is a browser?

I am shocked to learn that many people still dont know what a browser is.. maybe we took it for granted all these days.. ;P

yummy Tofu Cheesecake in Singapore - can order online!

or visit BakinCow.com

Running a home-based business

If you have been retrenched or sick of your present job, you may be inclined to think of starting your own business. It can be a tough but rewarding journey. And many may not have the big budget or financing needed to rent an office or hire staff.. So, probably the next best thing is to do it on your own and at home.

I've listed 7 pointers below to help us in our thinking process.. like a checklist..

1. Niche market. There're many businesses out there selling millions of goods or services. So, you must find your own niche to differentiate yourself from the rest. Otherwise, you will end up in the commodity section where people fight on price alone.. Apply market segmentation wisdom here.

2. Branding. Even if you are a small player, branding is still important. Whether you are selling your service or simply yourself, you need to brand it. Branding is not just a nice looking logo. It is everything about your business, practices, product/service, image & you! Even how your website looked reflect the intrinsic value of your brand.

3. Be creative. Be innovative. To stand out from the crowd, you have to be creative and innovative in all aspect of your business. Being small means you can be flexible in your offering to prospects. Use that to your advantage.

4. Have a plan - financials, milestones & targets. And follow thru while fine-tuning along the way. Even a one-man outfit still need a good plan. Set revenue & profit targets. Set milestones. Set review date. Do perform scenario planning - best, normal & worst case scenarios. Finally, the most important for startups is the cash-flow management. In it, you must learn to manage your receivables well. You may have booked your sales but if no real money flow to your bank you will not be able to sustain for long. Beginning stage, look at your plan on a weekly basis..

5. Quality Service. Customer-oriented. All said, at the end of the day, the question is whether you deliver value to your customers. And service is one of the most important factor you must consider! In whatever you do, be customer-oriented.

6. Internet & technology as a tool. Make full use of Internet & technology to make your business more effective & efficient. Do note that these are just tools, however. Just because everyone is on facebook and twitter you must have a presence there too. It all depends on your target market. Do consider your ROI (return on investment) in these areas. For example, if your target audience dont use the internet or google most of the time, it may not be wise to invest much time, effort & money on Google ads. Having said that, you must review the status quo periodically as consumer behavior changes over time.

7. Do not mix work and play. Even though you are at home, do separate working and family times. At best, separate your work area as well. Discipline is called for at the highest level here. And try to keep in touch with the world out there! Sometimes you may be too closed up that you loose touch with the rest of the world. Call your ex-colleagues & friends out for coffee and catch up with them. Know what's going on other parts of the business world.

Buy invaluable stuff.. just for fun!

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Peaks and Valleys by Dr Spencer Johnson

Another great book by Dr Spencer John, the guy who wrote 'Who moved my cheese'.

This time, he tells a story about life's ups and downs using the peaks and valleys analogy.

I especially like his way of teaching someone life's skill without telling someone.. instead thru storytelling craft.. ;-)

In a nutshell, it (my own interpretation) teaches us that during life's peaks, (i) Be Humble, (ii) Save resources for rainy days, (iii) Help others, (iv) Be nice.

And during valley days, (i) Stay vigilant, (ii) Reflect more, (iii) Prepare for upturn, (iv) Still Help Others, (v) still Be Nice! ;-)

Andrew Matthews life philosophies - join facebook group!

If u are a fan of Andrew Matthews life philosophies, do join this facebook group!

10/20/30 in business idea presentation

Read from somewhere the following pointers when doing a presentation to potential investors.

It's called the 10/20/30 rule of powerpoint.

a) 10 slides at most for your presentation.
b) present no more than 20 minutes.
c) font size no smaller than 30 pts.

The idea is to keep clear & concise with your business idea. The ten topics that a venture capitalist cares about are:

1. Problem
2. Your solution
3. Business model
4. Underlying magic/technology
5. Marketing and sales
6. Competition
7. Team
8. Projections and milestones
9. Status and timeline
10. Summary and call to action

Do you agree with his point?

The website link.

His video is very interesting too! Guy Kawasaki "The Art of the Start" @ TiECon 2006

iPhone 3GS finally available in mid June!

Curry chicken and vinegar pig's trotters

Read from newspaper. Drive there. Tried it. Not bad! Though wished there're more meat..

But the stall lady Ice said they used the bony portion as the elderly loved it tat way and it's the traditional way too.. Perhaps a mix may do better..

Nonetheless, this family food stall biz is worth a visit! ;-)

Venue: Blk 156 Yishun St 11

new chef Marco in Hell's kitchen

This is wonderful news! Just read that Marco Pierre White will be starred in the Hell's kitchen taking over Gordon Ramsay.. And if we all remembered Ramsay whose foul-mouthed everyone, White will be the direct opposite of him..

As White said, he will do three things differently in the show - (i) he will not swear, (ii) he dont belittle people, (iii) he doesnt bully people, (iv) he feeds everyone within the time frame. It's a direct hit at the show's predecessor! ;-)

Some facts: (i) Ramsay once gave White a dressing down that brought him to tears when the former's a chef probably many years ago! (ii) White is a self-taught cook working his way up from a kitchen apprentice, (iii) White now 48 is the youngest UK chef to receive three Michelin stars at age 33.

A little research on Internet, saw his pictures with him holding cigar or cigarette.. ;-( hope he will give it up!

Nonetheless, i wish him luck & hope to see him on TV soon.. ;-)

"I am the person i am because of the experiences i've had, whether they are good or bad. And the greatest teacher in life is pain. Without feeling the pain, you never obtain the knowledge which prepares you for the future life. So i have no regrets." - White.

Unique outdoor dinning experience - Romanza

It is truly unique to dine with your date out in some park.. quite romantic.. definitely not common sight in S'pore.. this young biz Romanza is doing just that! As more ppl seek more interesting way to romance.. maybe let Romanza folks plan & organise one for you?! ;-)

Dried Food goes online

How times have changed in Singapore.. now u can even purchase dried foods online!

Check out http://www.hengs-empire.com/

Amazing life of Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan

Documentary


The Helen Keller Story - Part 1


The Helen Keller Story - Part 2



The Helen Keller Story - Part 3

Tough People

Tough times never last
but tough people do.
- Zig Ziglar

'Up' movie

Seem like a good one! may go and watch..

Innovation process - Divergence then Convergence

It is easy to think that innovation is born out of being innovative. Or simply in the minds of one or selected few.

Well, the initial times - maybe. But for a company to grow, it has to be a build-in capability to be acquired.

Systems and processes have to come into play as a growing business has no way be dependent on only a few smart people.. This is where the company must tap on every soul's to generate the ideas necessary for next level of growth & play.

I recommend adopting the divergence then convergence concept to innovation. It can well be turned into a process where you first diverge to gather as much ideas as possible without shutting off seemingly foolish or crazy ideas. This gives opportunity to build up more ideas from existing ideas.

Only when it's about to be exhausted, convergence should take place. Filtering process is needed here. Ideas can be grouped and those that can be tested or prototyped fast should be given a chance.. adopting fail early, fail fast concept. And of course, done within budget..

Not all innovation processes are the same. Every company will, in the end, end up with their own unique innovation process. This is because the process is very much influenced by the culture, people, practices, industry,.. So no two company will share the exact same process.. But the macro thinking and concept remain the same.

Some more pointers:

Divergence - motivation, teamwork, brainstorming, field trip, ethnography, ideas generation, build ideas on ideas, forums, leverage on Internet..

Convergence - preliminary & staged filtering, criteria, prototyping, testing, market soft launch, reward system, risk mgmt,..

9 things start up must know but no one tells you so!

From my working experience with small & medium size companies, these are the 9 key things that most are unaware.. especially for new startups..

1. Sustained earnings within 3 months. It is tempting to spent plenty of time looking for money and developing products.. and unintentionally loose focus on earning money in the beginning months. People wanted to improve & perfect their products first before rolling out to the market. But that may be a mistake. Learn from Google in this business era. Roll out fast. Improve later. Fail early. Fail fast. Early revenue will boost confidence & morale in the company.

2. Receivable management. Cash flow is the name of the game in recession. But actually it is a day to day operation imperative. Issuing invoice is not the end. You must monitor the process & progress. You may even need to call the client's accounts dept. Make friends with them. Understand their process. Who's signature required. Timing of their invoice processing. Active receivable mgmt is needed. Dont just sit there and expect people will write you a cheque.

3. Be close to the customer. Never, never leave your clients to your sales folks! You must go out and meet them. Get to know them. Get close to them. Know their needs and wants. No matter how busy with other operations activities you must never make this mistake.

4. Public relation. People thinks PR is expensive. But Internet is reducing the cost and you can do it for free by doing it yourself! Do your own press release. Write your own blog. Submit your release to news agency. Do it consistently overtime it will bear fruits.

5. Brand is not just a logo! It is everything! From people, process, product, company.. all represent the brand. Learn key elements of branding and protect it no matter what.

6. IT as an enabler. IT is not the business unless you are one tech firm. But leverage on IT to improve your efficiency & effectiveness.. especially customer experience.

7. Know your IP. Intellectual property is very important today since everything we do is in the form of intangibles. Tangibles such as hardware, equipment & building values are not as high as the intangible assets in today's context. Therefore, learn about the most common forms of IP and how you can protect & exploit them eg. copyright, patent, trademark, design,..

8. Competitors' response to your moves. If you play chess, you will know you need to think a few steps ahead and predict the opponent's moves and respond accordingly. But surprisingly, few does this mental exercise in real business world. Many have this great idea and implement it without considering how competitors will react and how you would need to respond.

9. Exit strategy. Most people hate to think about business failure. But over 90% of businesses failed in the first few years due to various reasons. Also, exit strategy doesnt cover only failures. It also include selling the firm at a good profit or go IPO at a right time, or exit the market you serve.

If you have more ideas to add or comments, please let me know. I love to learn from you too.

Comments/Input from others:

- Good Partner. Having a good partner is a must. It's really tough to do everything on your own. That's not running a business. That's self-employed! yes, many people have told me that good partner is hard to find.. thus, many gave up.. They dont trust any partner anymore! But how can anything progress without trust in business? We just have to be vigilant, have check & balance and lookout for good people.

- Auto-pilot. Build systems. I was reminded and remembered that i always challenge myself to auto-pilot my team or dept within the shortest amount of time, say 9 months. To achieve that, you need to develop systems, processes & procedure, simple guidelines or principles. Most people prefer to made the decision themselves. Maybe they like to feel like boss. Maybe they just like to make all the decisions! But that's not the way forward. I prefer to empower my staff and set boundaries and markers. They still come to me for urgent & important matters. But most will be handled by them.

Cheers!

An Inspirational Video 1 - The Law Of Attraction

Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries! Part 1 of 3

This is really inspiring! I shed tears watching this very special person speaking.. guess i will watch his video every time i fall down..

Worth doing

"Anything worth doing

is worth doing well."

- Philip Stanhope

Interesting pictures

List of Twitter tools

Simplicity is no simple thing

"Simplicity is no simple thing"

- Charlie Chaplin

Bootstrapping your business

An interesting book on 'Bootstrapping your business' by Greg Gianforte with Marcus Gibson.. though i dont agree with everything but it's thought provoking enough to give me new insights..

On page 27, Sales = True Needs + Budget + Authority to purchase from you.

Think of it, i actually did test RightNow software before! and must say theirs really not bad.. ;-)

about the future

"One doesnt discover new lands

without consenting

to lose sight of the shore

for a very long time"

- Andre Gide

note: How true it is.. that sometimes the future's beyond our wildest imagination

Pedestrian Crash Test Dummy

How things have evolved.. from focusing on people inside the car to pedestrian in a car crash.. good thinking.. but wonder how it affects a car's design..

Much Ado About Nothing - theater cum picnic

For the first time, we went to Fort Canning to watch the open air theater cum picnic show Much Ado About Nothing.

And yes, we truly enjoyed ourselves! The weather was great.. just after a heavy downpour.. The atmosphere, the people, the theater, the acting, the comedy,.. everything was just fantastic! ;-)

A unique experience i will never forget.. think there were over 1,000 people on the green.. we sat at a nice spot.. just observing people picnicking in close proximity is already interesting enough for me.. more people should try this..

"A hilarious showdown between the sexes unfolds in Shakespeare's dark and dazzling romantic comedy.

Directed by Edward Dick who directed the hugely successful tour of Romeo and Juliet for Shakespeare's Globe as well as A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Sydney Theatre Company. He also directed Twelfth Night for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

Starring Adrian Pang (MediaCorp Artiste) with Jason Chan, Michael Corbidge, Wendy Kweh and Julie Wee."

Interesting quote..

BG Chan said "Dynamism cannot be equated with age. It is a state of mind".

REINCARNATION, past life evidence, PART 1 & 2

This too shall pass

Once a King called upon all of his wise men and asked them,
"Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every
circumstance, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me
when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?"
All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all questions?
Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy, every
sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought.

After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed
to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on
paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity.
Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems
to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under
his Diamond ring.

After a few days, the neighbours attacked the Kingdom. It was a collective
surprise attack of the King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but
lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following
him. His horse took him far away in the Jungle. He could hear many troops
of horses following him and the noise was coming closer and closer.
Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road - that road
was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet
deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished.and he could not return
because it was a small road. The sound of enemy's horses was approaching
fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he
remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read
the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was – "
This too will pass."

The King read it. Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! It too
will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the
mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure
have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days
of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. Calm come on his
face.
He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural
beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of
his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He
relaxed and forgot about those following him.

After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy
coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and
were not on that path. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and
fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he
returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at
the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a
festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on the King from every house, from
every corner.
People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am
one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.:

With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.
Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him
of the message. He opened it and read it again: "This too will pass" He
became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he
moved to a state of utter humbleness.

If this too is going to pass, it is not yours.
The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours.
You are just a watcher. Everything passes by
We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life comes and goes.
Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own
life.. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the
moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass
away. Life just passes away. There were friends in the past. They have
gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends
tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in the past. They have gone.
There may be enemies in the present. They too will go. There will be new
enemies tomorrow and..they too will go.

There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the
law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all
the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows.
All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will
pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two
faces of the same coin. They both will pass away.

Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true
face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you,
which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable?
It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change.

Experience it, Understand the spiritual dimension behind this