A story I grabbed from SS's blog.
[[Sending Mum to the old folks]]
Please read & think.
Daughter-In-Law to her husband's mum. "When I cook food which are bland, you will grumble that they are tasteless. Now that I have added more salt, you complained that you can't swallow this at all! What exactly do you want?"
When the son came back, the mother immediately ate the food without a word. She stared at him.
The son took a bit of his mother's food and spitted it out immediately. He ranted at his wife," Didn't I tell you that my mother cannot take too much salty food?!"
The wife shouted,"OK! She's your mum! You cook for her in future!"
After saying that, she stormed into their room angrily. Feeling helpless, the son told the mother,"Mum, don't eat this anymore. I will cook you a bowl of noodles."
The mother said,"Son, you have something to tell me? Don't keep everything to yourself."
Son:"Mum, I am going to get promoted soon and my upcoming working schedule will be very, very tight...and as for my wife...ummm...she said she will be going out to work...."
The mother understood what he meant and said in a begging manner,"Son, please don't send me to the Old Folks' Home.."
The son remained silent and tried to think of a good reason to persuade her mother.
Then he said," There is nothing wrong with the Old Folks' Home.
Once my wife had went out to work, no one will serve you as well as the Home which provides you meals and care. It would definitely much better than being at home."
The son went for a bath after that and went into the Study Room. He looked out from the windows and thought back and hesitated a while....
His mother has been remaining as a widow since she was young with him, and brought him up painstakingly, solely.
She tried all means to earn as much as she could, in order to support him in studying overseas. Yet she expected nothing nor used her past painful experience to threaten his son to be filial.
While now, his wife is threatening him with the stake of their marriage.
"Should I send my Mum to the Home?" He asked himself.
"The only person who will accompany you till the end of your life would be your wife..." said a friend before.
"Your mother is in old age now, and if she's lucky, she might be able to live for a few more years longer. Why not be filial to her for this period of time? Reminded by some relatives.
He was stuck in a dilemma. He did not want to think anymore, in order not to affect his decision.
The son found a Home with high standards, built on a beautiful and tranquil mountain top. He told himself that he would feel much better when the more he spent.
When the son helped his mother into the lobby of the Home, the 42" TV was turned on. The program shown on screen was a comedy. But no one was laughing.
A few old folks, dressed similarly in clothing, were sitting there, in a daze. There was one who was sitting improperly on a sofa, there was one who was bending down to pick up a piece of biscuit from the floor, there was one who was talking to himself...
The son knew that his mother likes sunlight, so he chose a room with ample sun rays shining into the room. By viewing out from the room, was a big piece of greenery scene. A few nurses were wheeling some old folks out for some fresh air.
It was so pathetic of silence in the background. The sun would still need to set down.
Soon it was dusk.
The son told the mother, "Mum, I am leaving."
The mother waved to him to say goodbye, opening her toothless mouth..
He turned back to look at his mother. She was full of grey hair and wrinkled skin with deep set eyes...
He found that she was really old.
He remembered when he was six, due to some circumstances, his mother cannot bring him along with her thus temporarily placed him at a relative's home for few days. He recalled hugging his mother's thigh and begged her not to leave him alone. In the end, his mother never leaves him alone and decides to stay with him.
He stopped thinking and left.
When he returned home, his wife and his mother-in-law were busy discarding things from his mother's room, happily.
One of the discarded items was his tall trophy which he won as First Prize when he was young. He wrote an essay on "MY MOTHER".
The second item discarded was a dictionary. That was the first gift from his mother, who scrimped and saved for a month in order to buy for him.
He shouted, "Enough! Stop discarding anymore!"
His mother-in-law cried," There were so much rubbish. If don't discard, there would not be any place for my stuff.."
His wife continued, "Yeah! Need to dump away that old, stinky bed of your mum too. We will buy a new bed for my mum later,"
He saw some pictures from the stack...they were taken at a zoo and amusement park when his mother brought him there.
"These are precious belongings of my Mum! You can't discard them!"
"What sort of attitude is this? I demand you to apologise to my Mum NOW!" ranted the wife.
The husband said," When I got married with you, that showed that I will love your Mum too. But why can't you do the same too?"
He went back to the Home and saw his mother weeping in between her frail legs. She was missing the moments when her son would apply ointment for her every night...
The son kneeled before her and said, "Mum, here I come. I brought the ointment
too."
The mother said," I will apply it myself, Son! You still need to work tomorrow. Go home, Son!"
Son said,Mum, please forgive me! Let's go home!"
Hope this is inspirational and touching to you. Without our parents, we won't be here.
No parents will resort to harm their own children. They only want the benefits for them.
For Daughters & Sons: Please remember to return gratitude to your dads and mums.
Monday, July 31, 2006
GOAL!
Yeah!!!! I finally scored in a soccer match. A foot placed at the right spot, and the goalie can't do a single thing about it.
It was a good pass to me from the side. I was in front of the goal, just a yard or two. Then, I saw the ball come in, and stuck out my foot - next moment I knew, I saw the ball cross the line between the two cones. RAWKS!
Another attempt came, when I received the ball from Jason, who was in the midfield. I saw the opportune moment, for there were no defenders in front of me; only the goalie was standing there. I made a mad dash for the goal, one on one with the goal keeper. I managed to chip the ball past him into the goal... but it was too high! It went over his waist... But then by the nature of our rules, we don't allow goalies to use their hands, so it's fair. Aiya, if only we had the regular goal posts, that'd solve all the problems. Nevertheless, THANKS J FOR A GREAT PASS! YEAH!
The third chance that I had was a missed chance. I had a cross from a teammate... only for it to go a bit past me. I had stuck my leg out, but it wasn't enough. Later, I realized that he thought I was an opposing defender, so he wanted to get the ball past me instead. Oh well, next time it'll be better.
My last chance was the least impressive. I had the ball, dribbled it up, wanted to take a shot, but the goalie simply shut his legs and blocked the ball. Gee, if we could shoot higher, I'd definitely want to aim high, for I could have gotten it in. Never mind, I'll try to convince those guys next week.
So all in all, I found out that those guys from China play every Sunday, 4pm. I'm joining them.
Random Thought: They actually thought I was Taiwanese! Gee...
It was a good pass to me from the side. I was in front of the goal, just a yard or two. Then, I saw the ball come in, and stuck out my foot - next moment I knew, I saw the ball cross the line between the two cones. RAWKS!
Another attempt came, when I received the ball from Jason, who was in the midfield. I saw the opportune moment, for there were no defenders in front of me; only the goalie was standing there. I made a mad dash for the goal, one on one with the goal keeper. I managed to chip the ball past him into the goal... but it was too high! It went over his waist... But then by the nature of our rules, we don't allow goalies to use their hands, so it's fair. Aiya, if only we had the regular goal posts, that'd solve all the problems. Nevertheless, THANKS J FOR A GREAT PASS! YEAH!
The third chance that I had was a missed chance. I had a cross from a teammate... only for it to go a bit past me. I had stuck my leg out, but it wasn't enough. Later, I realized that he thought I was an opposing defender, so he wanted to get the ball past me instead. Oh well, next time it'll be better.
My last chance was the least impressive. I had the ball, dribbled it up, wanted to take a shot, but the goalie simply shut his legs and blocked the ball. Gee, if we could shoot higher, I'd definitely want to aim high, for I could have gotten it in. Never mind, I'll try to convince those guys next week.
So all in all, I found out that those guys from China play every Sunday, 4pm. I'm joining them.
Random Thought: They actually thought I was Taiwanese! Gee...
Sunday, July 30, 2006
好烦...
一直被中国的朋友叫成 "Eric-AH" 或者 "Eric-UH"。 能不能不要这样子吗？？？两者都听起来像"Erica", 而 "Erica"是女生的名字，不是男生的名字。 我的名字，仅仅是 "Eric"，没有任何"uh"或者"ah"在后头。所以，从今以后，凡有谁叫我"Erica"的，我一律都不会回应。
现在想回来，好像只有张懿和旺亮不会这么叫我。偏偏是我的房东陈斌和诗班的好友俊宁有这个问题......
现在想回来，好像只有张懿和旺亮不会这么叫我。偏偏是我的房东陈斌和诗班的好友俊宁有这个问题......
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Lingustics 100 Post Mortem
Linguistics this evening wasn't the best of all papers. It kinda reminds me of my JC math papers, where I struggled through each question, not knowing whether what I was doing was correct. Of course, the only difference between the JC math papers and this paper is that the JC papers were never the final grade; only my A levels mattered, and I breezed through that one. Rather, this paper was difficult by my own standards. Of 100 marks, I estimate 20 will be deducted. If I am lucky, and have less than 13 marks deducted, I will still have an A+ grade overall, even though I wouldn't get one for the final paper. If not, I will get an A overall.
Study Method
Linguistics is a subject that requires constant practise. Right now, looking back, it seems I didn't give myself enough of the right kind of practise. X' schema trees definitely stumped me badly, and it ate into quite a bit of my time. This is one example of a failure in study method.
Exam Strategy
I found it quite puzzling that I answered the question on Standard Dialects, Regional Dialects and Official Dialects/Langauges, rather than Lingua Franca, Pidgin and Creole Languages. The latter I had revised well, and the former, I was not as well-prepared for. So after the paper, it stumped me that I had actually chosen the former. I believe I didn't read the question carefully enough, resulting in this particular slip.
Other Factors
What else could it be? Perhaps the poor time (it's at night), or the short coursework period (giving little time for practise). But these are not excuses, neither are they reasons. Fact is, I didn't pre-read my materials enough, and I took for granted the ease of 100-level courses.
Implications
This means that come Science One in September, as well as Philosophy this August, I will have to buck up in my attitude. Yes, it's all in the head. No more lax attitude; dilligence and consistency will be my keywords from now on.
Study Method
Linguistics is a subject that requires constant practise. Right now, looking back, it seems I didn't give myself enough of the right kind of practise. X' schema trees definitely stumped me badly, and it ate into quite a bit of my time. This is one example of a failure in study method.
Exam Strategy
I found it quite puzzling that I answered the question on Standard Dialects, Regional Dialects and Official Dialects/Langauges, rather than Lingua Franca, Pidgin and Creole Languages. The latter I had revised well, and the former, I was not as well-prepared for. So after the paper, it stumped me that I had actually chosen the former. I believe I didn't read the question carefully enough, resulting in this particular slip.
Other Factors
What else could it be? Perhaps the poor time (it's at night), or the short coursework period (giving little time for practise). But these are not excuses, neither are they reasons. Fact is, I didn't pre-read my materials enough, and I took for granted the ease of 100-level courses.
Implications
This means that come Science One in September, as well as Philosophy this August, I will have to buck up in my attitude. Yes, it's all in the head. No more lax attitude; dilligence and consistency will be my keywords from now on.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Buggy Computer
Man, more rumbles about my computer. Leon said it right, no random clicking on my computer allowed. One wrong click, and you pay the price of 5 seconds waiting for some context menu to appear. SWITCH!!!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
The Eve of 26 July 1987
I remember the days when I programmed in Visual Basic. It would have taken me just 15 minutes worth of coding to write a program to tell me how long it would be, in minutes, to a specified point in time.
Now, it is almost 21.5 hours to 26 July, 1987. And here I am thinking: what will happen tomorrow? What will I do? Will I just let it go by as another day? Or will I make it a better day than before? How should I live my life?
If I were to plot a graph of life's excitement against time, I would probably see a curve similar to the human blood pressure graph, only in reverse. Life's excitement gradually increases, but it's always filled with highs and lows, ups and downs.
One day every year is always kept just for you. That's because that particular date marks the start of your life. I look back now, and I see how many years I've disregarded it, and didn't cherish it. I treated it as just another day in the life of Eric MJL, just another day to go by. I always relied on others to make it a special day for me; I never bothered to make it significant.
But how does one make such a day significant? Does one go out and party with friends and family, enjoying the atmosphere of friendship in the human race? Does one go and do something particularly rare and exciting, such as going to bungee jump from a bridge over torrent rapids?
(Anybody thinking "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" now?
Too typical for me. Thousands, if not millions, if not billions, have marked their birthdays by inviting friends to a gathering, blowing out candles, and essentially playing together in a day of fun and happiness. But no, it's too typical for me.
Yet, what do I do? Let the day pass? Let it be just "another day in the life" of Eric MJL? Let no. 19 become another statistic in the eulogy of missed birthdays? Get a life man.
No, I won't celebrate it meaninglessly, and neither will I let the day pass. Carpe Diem man, Carpe Diem. That's what Mr. Tham gave all of us in 6-1/1999 of SAJS as a leaving message. Sieze the day. Sieze the day.
I will sieze the day, and mark it as the new start. 19, the age of coming in Canada, shall be my new start. New responsibilities to take on as a youth no longer dependent. New challenges for the young to face. 19.
I reflect back on the ritual of coming of age. Tribal elders make male youths endure hardship to prove their manhood. Singaporean men go through National Service. For me, the ritual was becoming independent, separating from family and friends, from familiarity and closeness, to embark on seeking my own identity and capabilities. Indeed, the rituals across cultures are the same - to get you to stand on your own two feet, to be no longer 100% dependent on your parents, to get you to make your own decisions, to be no longer controlled by authoritative figures but to have a mind of your own.
Symbolism in the rituals of coming of age are abundant. Think of the first army uniform Singaporean men receive. Their boots, their name tags, their caps. For those who go on to OCS, their one bar on their coats. Think of the chants and songs the tribal people sing. Then add on the charred, steaming hot coal, or the stick to battle the lion. For me, the symbolism was little. My rental money, my first job, my first courses in university... It wasn't visual or audible; it was intangible. Yet, the symbolism is just as strong. There will be one turning point, where all children will finally grow up and become independent.
19. The new age.
Carpe Diem
Now, it is almost 21.5 hours to 26 July, 1987. And here I am thinking: what will happen tomorrow? What will I do? Will I just let it go by as another day? Or will I make it a better day than before? How should I live my life?
If I were to plot a graph of life's excitement against time, I would probably see a curve similar to the human blood pressure graph, only in reverse. Life's excitement gradually increases, but it's always filled with highs and lows, ups and downs.
One day every year is always kept just for you. That's because that particular date marks the start of your life. I look back now, and I see how many years I've disregarded it, and didn't cherish it. I treated it as just another day in the life of Eric MJL, just another day to go by. I always relied on others to make it a special day for me; I never bothered to make it significant.
But how does one make such a day significant? Does one go out and party with friends and family, enjoying the atmosphere of friendship in the human race? Does one go and do something particularly rare and exciting, such as going to bungee jump from a bridge over torrent rapids?
(Anybody thinking "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" now?
Too typical for me. Thousands, if not millions, if not billions, have marked their birthdays by inviting friends to a gathering, blowing out candles, and essentially playing together in a day of fun and happiness. But no, it's too typical for me.
Yet, what do I do? Let the day pass? Let it be just "another day in the life" of Eric MJL? Let no. 19 become another statistic in the eulogy of missed birthdays? Get a life man.
No, I won't celebrate it meaninglessly, and neither will I let the day pass. Carpe Diem man, Carpe Diem. That's what Mr. Tham gave all of us in 6-1/1999 of SAJS as a leaving message. Sieze the day. Sieze the day.
I will sieze the day, and mark it as the new start. 19, the age of coming in Canada, shall be my new start. New responsibilities to take on as a youth no longer dependent. New challenges for the young to face. 19.
I reflect back on the ritual of coming of age. Tribal elders make male youths endure hardship to prove their manhood. Singaporean men go through National Service. For me, the ritual was becoming independent, separating from family and friends, from familiarity and closeness, to embark on seeking my own identity and capabilities. Indeed, the rituals across cultures are the same - to get you to stand on your own two feet, to be no longer 100% dependent on your parents, to get you to make your own decisions, to be no longer controlled by authoritative figures but to have a mind of your own.
Symbolism in the rituals of coming of age are abundant. Think of the first army uniform Singaporean men receive. Their boots, their name tags, their caps. For those who go on to OCS, their one bar on their coats. Think of the chants and songs the tribal people sing. Then add on the charred, steaming hot coal, or the stick to battle the lion. For me, the symbolism was little. My rental money, my first job, my first courses in university... It wasn't visual or audible; it was intangible. Yet, the symbolism is just as strong. There will be one turning point, where all children will finally grow up and become independent.
19. The new age.
Carpe Diem
Repeat?!?!
Oh man, I've just flipped through my textbooks and I've found: these are repeats of my A level course. (!!!) Calculus is single-variable, has all the stuff I did for integration and differentiation; Chemistry has the exact same topics, and Physics... well, what does one expect from Physics?!?! Only the labs seem to be different; everything else seems to be the same.
Then again, there is an advantage. I'll know how to study for these topics, since I've covered them once. Hopefully, I'll be able to get my pre-readings out real quickly, and grasp the concepts faster than the rest.
Then again, there is an advantage. I'll know how to study for these topics, since I've covered them once. Hopefully, I'll be able to get my pre-readings out real quickly, and grasp the concepts faster than the rest.
Textbooks
Today, I went to the UBC Bookstore to get my textbooks. All of them are used; thankfully, I went early (this is REALLY early... classes don't start until September), so there were stocks of used texts for most of what I needed. The only exception was Biology, where used books weren't available. I asked the lady at the counter, and she said, "Wait till August. There'll be more books coming in at that time." Oh well, it'll still be early in August.
Then, I went to the Mac section and played around more with the MacBook. It's just GOREGOUS! Simple and clean design, powerful on the inside, fully-featured. Gee... And it fits well in my bag too! Ah well, that's out of point.
Then, I saw Call of Duty on one of the PowerMacs just behind the MacBook. Man, I stayed there for an entire hour playing on it. Gee whiz. Whatever it is, it's the end of games for today.
Jeepers, I'm feeling creepily sleepy. And it's 1pm in the afternoon now. Sheesh.
Then, I went to the Mac section and played around more with the MacBook. It's just GOREGOUS! Simple and clean design, powerful on the inside, fully-featured. Gee... And it fits well in my bag too! Ah well, that's out of point.
Then, I saw Call of Duty on one of the PowerMacs just behind the MacBook. Man, I stayed there for an entire hour playing on it. Gee whiz. Whatever it is, it's the end of games for today.
Jeepers, I'm feeling creepily sleepy. And it's 1pm in the afternoon now. Sheesh.
Monday, July 24, 2006
I got it! YEAH!
YA MAN! I'm employed again!
And it was only after the second interview! Gee, his only problem was my availability... which is pretty normal for any student anyways. Well, whatever it is, I know my schedule now, and I know my timetable too, and that'll make scheduling work around my school timetable much easier.
Now, I have to be able to manage my time properly. With Philosophy coinciding with my work, I'm going to want to be able to practice time management skills, so that when the regular term starts, I'll be able to be a more effective time user.
I think... I just think... with so many people having similar time availabilities, I'll need to prove my worth if I'm to be retained as an employee. That means outshining the rest and being an asset to the store. That way, I'll be able to have the option to stay on even after the Back To School season.
Okay, gonna go shopping.
YEAH!
And it was only after the second interview! Gee, his only problem was my availability... which is pretty normal for any student anyways. Well, whatever it is, I know my schedule now, and I know my timetable too, and that'll make scheduling work around my school timetable much easier.
Now, I have to be able to manage my time properly. With Philosophy coinciding with my work, I'm going to want to be able to practice time management skills, so that when the regular term starts, I'll be able to be a more effective time user.
I think... I just think... with so many people having similar time availabilities, I'll need to prove my worth if I'm to be retained as an employee. That means outshining the rest and being an asset to the store. That way, I'll be able to have the option to stay on even after the Back To School season.
Okay, gonna go shopping.
YEAH!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
A New Start
July 26th is coming, and that's when I embark on a new start.
It won't be a dramatic new start. It'll be gradual, slow. I resolve here to change myself, renew myself, make myself better.
August will come, and I will push through Philosophy, studiously reading my textbook before classes. No more slacking.
August will come, and I will pack up my stuff, bit by bit, day by day, awaiting September 2, when I move to Totem Park.
August will come, and I will wrap up Ambrose's DQ website. He's been a great boss, and I hope I have done my work to satisfy him.
August will come, and I will search for a mini-sized refrigerator for my dorm room. Must be second-hand, no brand-news.
August will come, and I will buy all my textbooks and lab manuals for Science One, and prepare myself for the first term of lessons by noting my science definitions and formulas before classes start.
August will come, and I will read through additional resources to improve my study habits.
August will come, but I will not forget Jen, Elise and Rohini, great friends who walked through Asian Studies, my first class, with me.
August will come.
Grant me strength to follow through my resolutions. Grant me strength to develop my personal discipline.
Help me.
It won't be a dramatic new start. It'll be gradual, slow. I resolve here to change myself, renew myself, make myself better.
August will come, and I will push through Philosophy, studiously reading my textbook before classes. No more slacking.
August will come, and I will pack up my stuff, bit by bit, day by day, awaiting September 2, when I move to Totem Park.
August will come, and I will wrap up Ambrose's DQ website. He's been a great boss, and I hope I have done my work to satisfy him.
August will come, and I will search for a mini-sized refrigerator for my dorm room. Must be second-hand, no brand-news.
August will come, and I will buy all my textbooks and lab manuals for Science One, and prepare myself for the first term of lessons by noting my science definitions and formulas before classes start.
August will come, and I will read through additional resources to improve my study habits.
August will come, but I will not forget Jen, Elise and Rohini, great friends who walked through Asian Studies, my first class, with me.
August will come.
Grant me strength to follow through my resolutions. Grant me strength to develop my personal discipline.
Help me.
The Beanery
So now, I'm with Jen and Rohini at the Beanery. I decided that after I drew out the entire blackboard filled with mind maps of Asia, I needed a break. A break I got indeed; I had an hours nap after eating dinner!
Later, they helped me to finish my potatos. We had it with ketchup, however, since I didn't add enough salt to it.
It was filling... after all, its starch and oil, in essence. hahahaha....
Later, they helped me to finish my potatos. We had it with ketchup, however, since I didn't add enough salt to it.
It was filling... after all, its starch and oil, in essence. hahahaha....
Study Session
So I'm here now, in the Hennings Building, with Steve, Jen and Rohini. We're going through our entire coursework in Asian Studies... interesting, very conducive here. I like having a big, big blackboard here for us to think through our thoughts.
I did quite a bit of the big mind-map of Asia. The three themes, Imperialism, Nationalism and Modernization, and the three main countries, Japan, India and China.
Still got more to do...
I did quite a bit of the big mind-map of Asia. The three themes, Imperialism, Nationalism and Modernization, and the three main countries, Japan, India and China.
Still got more to do...
Saturday, July 22, 2006
10 Dimensions
This website shows us how to imagine 10 dimensions. Now that I think about it, it's not that tough after all.
Man, StumbleUpon for Firefox rocks. It gives me random sites like this...
Man, StumbleUpon for Firefox rocks. It gives me random sites like this...
INTJ
Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging
by Marina Margaret Heiss
by Marina Margaret Heiss
Profile: INTJ
Revision: 3.0
Date of Revision: 27 Feb 2005
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.
INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.
INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.
In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.
Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.
Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.
Functional Analysis
by Joe Butt
Introverted iNtuition
INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.
Extraverted Thinking
Thinking in this auxiliary role is a workhorse. Closure is the payoff for efforts expended. Evaluation begs diagnosis; product drives process. As they come to light, Thinking tends, protects, affirms and directs iNtuition's offspring, fully equipping them for fulfilling and useful lives. A faithful pedagogue, Thinking argues not so much on its own behalf, but in defense of its charges. And through this process these impressionable ideas take on the likeness of their master.
Introverted Feeling
Feeling has a modest inner room, two doors down from the Most Imminent iNtuition. It doesn't get out much, but lends its influence on behalf of causes which are Good and Worthy and Humane. We may catch a glimpse of it in the unspoken attitude of good will, or the gracious smile or nod. Some question the existence of Feeling in this type, yet its unseen balance to Thinking is a cardinal dimension in the full measure of the INTJ's soul.
Extraverted Sensing
Sensing serves with a good will, or not at all. As other inferior functions, it has only a rudimentary awareness of context, amount or degree. Thus INTJs sweat the details or, at times, omit them. "I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts" could well have been said by an INTJ on a mission. Sensing's extraverted attitude is evident in this type's bent to savor sensations rather than to merely categorize them. Indiscretions of indulgence are likely an expression of the unconscious vengeance of the inferior.
Famous INTJs:
Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)
Susan B. Anthony
Arthur Ashe, tennis champion
Augustus Caesar (Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus)
Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
William J. Bennett, "drug czar"
William F. Buckley, Jr.
Raymond Burr (Perry Mason, Ironsides)
Chevy Chase (Cornelius Crane) (Fletch)
Phil Donahue
Michael Dukakis, governor of Mass., 1988 U.S. Dem. pres. candidate
Greg Gumbel, television sportscaster
Hannibal, Carthaginian military leader
Veronica Hamel (Hill Street Blues)
Angela Lansbury (Murder, She Wrote)
Orel Leonard Hershiser, IV
Peter Jennings
Charles Everett Koop
Ivan Lendl
C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)
Joan Lunden
Edwin Moses, U.S. olympian (hurdles)
Martina Navratilova
Charles Rangel, U. S. Representative, D-N.Y.
Pernell Roberts (Bonanza)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California
Josephine Tey (Elizabeth Mackintosh), mystery writer (Brat Farrar)
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor
Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense
General Colin Powell, US Secretary of State
Lance Armstrong
Richard Gere (Pretty Woman)
Katie Couric
- U.S. Presidents:
- Chester A. Arthur
- Calvin Coolidge
- Thomas Jefferson
- John F. Kennedy
- James K. Polk
- Woodrow Wilson
Fictional:
Cassius (Julius Caesar)
Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
Gandalf the Grey (J. R. R. Tolkein's Middle Earth books)
Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)
Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' nemesis
Ensign Ro (Star Trek--the Next Generation)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet)
George Smiley, John le Carre's master spy
Clarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs)
Copyright © 1996-2005 by Marina Margaret Heiss and Joe Butt
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Gee, I sound dangerous... hahaahaha
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Gee, I sound dangerous... hahaahaha
Friday, July 21, 2006
Interview - Yay!
Got past the first one! Hope I can cross the second hurdle now...
And if I get past the second hurdle, there'll be a third. That'll be the toughest.
But for now, focus on the second...
And if I get past the second hurdle, there'll be a third. That'll be the toughest.
But for now, focus on the second...
Busy, busy, busy
Past few days haven't been too good. I've been kept busy. First, the second Asian Studies 5-page essay, which I think I wrote okay this time, but then again, I'm still feeling shaky about it. Then, comes my daily Linguistics assignments. Not to mention, I also have to study for the Asian Studies finals, which starts on Monday. Then more studying for my Linguistics finals on next Saturday. Gee, that's so much.
Not to mention, I've an interview for Staples Business Depot (on campus). If I get the job, which I hope I can, I'll get to work at the computer dept, selling... you got it right, computers! That'd be so easy for me. I mean, like, I kinda helped the staff seal a deal with this guy from China, whom I conversed with in Chinese entirely about the specs in the com... things like CPU, GPU, HDD capacity and rotation speed, RAM capacity and clock speed, other factors that affect performance and pricing etc... he bought it in the end. Yeah, granted, he probably already wanted one computer, so he was gonna get one anyways, but I think I accelerated his buying mentality. Hehehe... So I say, I can already translate many of those terms into Chinese and use them fluently, and I already understand computer performance quite well, that I think I won't have any trouble on the job. Now, I just hope I can get the job......
Not to mention, I've an interview for Staples Business Depot (on campus). If I get the job, which I hope I can, I'll get to work at the computer dept, selling... you got it right, computers! That'd be so easy for me. I mean, like, I kinda helped the staff seal a deal with this guy from China, whom I conversed with in Chinese entirely about the specs in the com... things like CPU, GPU, HDD capacity and rotation speed, RAM capacity and clock speed, other factors that affect performance and pricing etc... he bought it in the end. Yeah, granted, he probably already wanted one computer, so he was gonna get one anyways, but I think I accelerated his buying mentality. Hehehe... So I say, I can already translate many of those terms into Chinese and use them fluently, and I already understand computer performance quite well, that I think I won't have any trouble on the job. Now, I just hope I can get the job......
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
家
突然间，iTunes播了“家”这首歌，是陈杰仪的歌。感觉很好听，又不自觉地，想把歌词Blog上来。
家
每一次我感到彷徨 不自禁就会回头望
我知道心中有个地方 一定会有 一盏灯
照亮每一颗黑暗的心房 指引未来方向
沿着生命河流来导航 就能登陆理想
我的家 收藏 我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望 梦就会自由飞翔
我的家 给我 一双坚定翅膀
我的梦 不论在何方
一生的爱 唯有家
再也不会感到彷徨 不会再失意回头望
我要用心中一点烛光 燃放千万户 辉煌
要让繁华的城市更灿烂 世界和平共享
全凭生命河流来导航 一起登陆理想
我的家 收藏 我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望 梦就会自由飞翔
我的家 给我 一双坚定翅膀
我的梦 不论在何方
一生的爱 唯有家
我的家 收藏 我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望 梦就会自由飞翔
我的家 给我 一双坚定翅膀
我的梦 不论在何方
一生的爱 唯有家
世世代代 温暖的家
－－－－－－－－－－
又想到，加拿大是我的家，可是没有收藏我的欢喜悲伤，也没有给我坚定的翅膀。想到这里，肯定有老朋友会说，是新加坡收藏你的欢喜悲伤，也是新加坡给你坚定的翅膀。是吗？是啊！
然而，以前的，都是在一个被控制的环境下所发生的事情。只有在加拿才大终于有机会独立，终于有机会自己制造新的欢喜悲伤，终于有机会展翅高飞。终于，生命前途可以好好掌握，而不是放在父母的控制低下。
新加坡所给我的心理负担，是加拿大不可能会给的。因为我这一生最大的悲伤，就发生在新加坡。可是，这一生最欢喜的事情，也发生在新加坡。哎，真矛盾。这可能是两个“极端”而造出来的问题吧。
旺亮说得好，要保持那个“度”，要不然，肯定会走火入魔，偏离轨道。
还是加拿大的好，让我安心保持度量。
Beautiful British Columbia; Vancouver, the world's most livable city; Victoria, beautiful hometown.
家
每一次我感到彷徨 不自禁就会回头望
我知道心中有个地方 一定会有 一盏灯
照亮每一颗黑暗的心房 指引未来方向
沿着生命河流来导航 就能登陆理想
我的家 收藏 我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望 梦就会自由飞翔
我的家 给我 一双坚定翅膀
我的梦 不论在何方
一生的爱 唯有家
再也不会感到彷徨 不会再失意回头望
我要用心中一点烛光 燃放千万户 辉煌
要让繁华的城市更灿烂 世界和平共享
全凭生命河流来导航 一起登陆理想
我的家 收藏 我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望 梦就会自由飞翔
我的家 给我 一双坚定翅膀
我的梦 不论在何方
一生的爱 唯有家
我的家 收藏 我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望 梦就会自由飞翔
我的家 给我 一双坚定翅膀
我的梦 不论在何方
一生的爱 唯有家
世世代代 温暖的家
－－－－－－－－－－
又想到，加拿大是我的家，可是没有收藏我的欢喜悲伤，也没有给我坚定的翅膀。想到这里，肯定有老朋友会说，是新加坡收藏你的欢喜悲伤，也是新加坡给你坚定的翅膀。是吗？是啊！
然而，以前的，都是在一个被控制的环境下所发生的事情。只有在加拿才大终于有机会独立，终于有机会自己制造新的欢喜悲伤，终于有机会展翅高飞。终于，生命前途可以好好掌握，而不是放在父母的控制低下。
新加坡所给我的心理负担，是加拿大不可能会给的。因为我这一生最大的悲伤，就发生在新加坡。可是，这一生最欢喜的事情，也发生在新加坡。哎，真矛盾。这可能是两个“极端”而造出来的问题吧。
旺亮说得好，要保持那个“度”，要不然，肯定会走火入魔，偏离轨道。
还是加拿大的好，让我安心保持度量。
Beautiful British Columbia; Vancouver, the world's most livable city; Victoria, beautiful hometown.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Soccer at U-Hill Secondary
It was a good game. Felt good doing all that running, running with a purpose in mind - to get the ball and score. Though the game started out poorly for me, I finally found my rhythm, role and purpose in the game.
I didn't play in my traditional defensive position, having an abysmal start to the game. As goalie, I let in one goal, as defender, I was out-tackled 8 or 9 times within the first twenty minutes. One can imagine the amount of hesitancy I had in doing my tackles. I only managed to make one good run - when I received the ball from my fellow defender, I passed the ball back to him and moved forward, for him to pass back to me. Following that, I made a run forward, looking out for Jason's position. I passed the ball to him smoothly, and he passed back to me after I ran forward, and then I passed it to this Ghanian guy who was the other striker... only to see it not convert! Gee. I ran back, panting like mad. Following that, I switched back to be a goalie, but then even when defending the goal, my calf kept acting up. I decided to stop at around 1.5 hours in the game, to get some drink, sit down and stretch again. (Serves me right not to stretch before the game...)
Well then, after I came back from the Acadia Park Commonsblock - where I got my bottle of water - I decided to hang out in the midfield. Yet, as a midfielder, I kept running back to the defense. It felt horrible. Nobody was passing the ball to me, probably because my role wasn't very well-defined. I kept getting out-tackeld too. I made up my mind; I was going to try out striking.
And so I plopped myself in the opposing defense area, where nobody was, and waited for a chance. The chance came. I found the ball, dribbled it forward a bit, and then passed it to the right. We inched our way to the goal, and I set up quite a number of plays, mostly from the center-left of the field, but occasionally from the center-right. When a corner came, I headed the ball - but it just barely went over the bar!!! Gee whiz, if only I had angled it downwards a bit more. Haha, well, everything seems to be "just a bit more" to get it right. Unpolished skill. ;-)
Striking went well in other ways too. I was hardly stopped. Perhaps my mass makes me a target tough to stop. Hahaha... another advantage.
So I've finally found a new definition for myself in soccer - I can play as a playmaker, setting up plays for others to score. I'm probably not a good striker - strikers must score - but if I can help set up goals, that'll underscore my value to a team.
Bringing this topic broader, perhaps I'm not the one who's meant to 立下功劳, but rather I'm one who has to 提供机会. I have to create chances for others to succeed, rather that let myself succeed. That way, I'm able to be an effective team player. Hm. Quite a lot to learn from soccer.
Anyways, we lost, in part because nobody on our team could convert well. Maybe I'll try scoring next time round. But the feel of the game - absolutely terrific. Next time I play, I'm playing an attacking role.
I didn't play in my traditional defensive position, having an abysmal start to the game. As goalie, I let in one goal, as defender, I was out-tackled 8 or 9 times within the first twenty minutes. One can imagine the amount of hesitancy I had in doing my tackles. I only managed to make one good run - when I received the ball from my fellow defender, I passed the ball back to him and moved forward, for him to pass back to me. Following that, I made a run forward, looking out for Jason's position. I passed the ball to him smoothly, and he passed back to me after I ran forward, and then I passed it to this Ghanian guy who was the other striker... only to see it not convert! Gee. I ran back, panting like mad. Following that, I switched back to be a goalie, but then even when defending the goal, my calf kept acting up. I decided to stop at around 1.5 hours in the game, to get some drink, sit down and stretch again. (Serves me right not to stretch before the game...)
Well then, after I came back from the Acadia Park Commonsblock - where I got my bottle of water - I decided to hang out in the midfield. Yet, as a midfielder, I kept running back to the defense. It felt horrible. Nobody was passing the ball to me, probably because my role wasn't very well-defined. I kept getting out-tackeld too. I made up my mind; I was going to try out striking.
And so I plopped myself in the opposing defense area, where nobody was, and waited for a chance. The chance came. I found the ball, dribbled it forward a bit, and then passed it to the right. We inched our way to the goal, and I set up quite a number of plays, mostly from the center-left of the field, but occasionally from the center-right. When a corner came, I headed the ball - but it just barely went over the bar!!! Gee whiz, if only I had angled it downwards a bit more. Haha, well, everything seems to be "just a bit more" to get it right. Unpolished skill. ;-)
Striking went well in other ways too. I was hardly stopped. Perhaps my mass makes me a target tough to stop. Hahaha... another advantage.
So I've finally found a new definition for myself in soccer - I can play as a playmaker, setting up plays for others to score. I'm probably not a good striker - strikers must score - but if I can help set up goals, that'll underscore my value to a team.
Bringing this topic broader, perhaps I'm not the one who's meant to 立下功劳, but rather I'm one who has to 提供机会. I have to create chances for others to succeed, rather that let myself succeed. That way, I'm able to be an effective team player. Hm. Quite a lot to learn from soccer.
Anyways, we lost, in part because nobody on our team could convert well. Maybe I'll try scoring next time round. But the feel of the game - absolutely terrific. Next time I play, I'm playing an attacking role.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Late Night Post
Yeah, it's quite late for a post, but I couldn't help it.
(1) Justice Served
So the Italians aren't gonna get any clemency from their own internal investigational body. I just learned that Juventus, AC Milan, Lorenzia and Florentino have all been punished for their corruption. Well, serves them right. I just hope the admirable players of the Italian team, who must be commended for their resilience in adversity, even though they beat France, will get good teams to ply their trade in. Otherwise, this'll spell disaster for the football world - the loss of good talent.
(2) Switching
I'm finally switching! Made up my mind today. Hehehe...
(3) Busy weekend
It'll be busy. That's for sure. Placing my order for my switch. Martial arts class. Leading the choir, with the limited skill that I've got, and also doing accompaniment for the evening gathering. After that, I depart for home, where I continue on my essay. More essay writing on Sunday. Reading a few chapters for Linguistics class. More research on Monday. More writing too. Oh well, spilled over into the weekdays.
(4) Birthday
Leon returns on my birthday. Haha... what a coincidence. Anyways, we're gonna have a meal and celebrate his return and my birthday concurrently. Neat. 2 days later, my switch should have arrived. Can't wait.......
(1) Justice Served
So the Italians aren't gonna get any clemency from their own internal investigational body. I just learned that Juventus, AC Milan, Lorenzia and Florentino have all been punished for their corruption. Well, serves them right. I just hope the admirable players of the Italian team, who must be commended for their resilience in adversity, even though they beat France, will get good teams to ply their trade in. Otherwise, this'll spell disaster for the football world - the loss of good talent.
(2) Switching
I'm finally switching! Made up my mind today. Hehehe...
(3) Busy weekend
It'll be busy. That's for sure. Placing my order for my switch. Martial arts class. Leading the choir, with the limited skill that I've got, and also doing accompaniment for the evening gathering. After that, I depart for home, where I continue on my essay. More essay writing on Sunday. Reading a few chapters for Linguistics class. More research on Monday. More writing too. Oh well, spilled over into the weekdays.
(4) Birthday
Leon returns on my birthday. Haha... what a coincidence. Anyways, we're gonna have a meal and celebrate his return and my birthday concurrently. Neat. 2 days later, my switch should have arrived. Can't wait.......
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Unbelievable!
Totally, totally unbelievable. It's like the highest I've ever scored since I was in Primary 5!
24.5/25 for my mid-term... that's like pawning the test. The only other really high mark I had was 100/100 for my end-of-year exams for Math... that's when I also pawned it.
The mood was right then; this time round it wasn't. I just recovered, mind wasn't in the right state, but I guess I was blessed and lucky. Haha...
Oh, but my gang didn't do as well. I'm helping them next time round for sure.
Phonetics Transcription of Title: [Anbiliv(e)bl]
24.5/25 for my mid-term... that's like pawning the test. The only other really high mark I had was 100/100 for my end-of-year exams for Math... that's when I also pawned it.
The mood was right then; this time round it wasn't. I just recovered, mind wasn't in the right state, but I guess I was blessed and lucky. Haha...
Oh, but my gang didn't do as well. I'm helping them next time round for sure.
Phonetics Transcription of Title: [Anbiliv(e)bl]
Monday, July 10, 2006
An Unusual Sunday
It's 1.57am now, and I'm still up. This entry will be short.
World Cup Final
Events: I woke up this morning eagerly awaiting the World Cup finals. And I was cheering on France, the favorites to win this World Cup final. Pity, though, after 120 minutes of exciting play, they bowed out on penalties to let Italy win 5-3. What a sad moment for France... especially Zizou, who, very interestingly, head-butted an Italian player in the chest at the 110th minute. It's something I wouldn't want to speculate on why, but it landed him the red card. What a way to exit the world soccer stage - by getting a red card.
Thoughts: An exciting play that was marred by Zizou's red-card exit. I feel sad for him. But one must admire the Italian spirit to overcome their domestic struggles and hold out to defeat France. Good play.
An Afternoon of Studying
Events: Even in the midst of France's World Cup disappointment, life still has to go on. Hence, I went to meet Sheen to go to the computer lab to work on our Linguistics assignments. They went pretty smoothly, and we managed to crack a few questions, althought I'm not sure we answered them correctly. But never mind, it was good enough.
Sheen works at Staples, and told me he could get me a laptop at 35% discount if I wanted one... condition: it has to be a Staples PC. PeeCee!!! NOOOO!!! Never mind, if I really can't get a Mac, I'll consider a PC.
Thoughts: Average. I don't have feelings about work. Haha...
Dinner with Relatives
Events: So after studying, I went to the bus loop to meet Uncle Praphant and Patrick. They're seemingly the most 'normal' in my extended family from my dad's side. But during dinner, what was ordered was the most exotic Chinese food I've ever had at one table - this monster-sized crab. Eeeewwwww...... I politely rejected to eat it. Other stuff was more normal: soy-sauce chicken, noodles, wintermelon soup, lamb spare ribs... the only vegetable dish was dou miao. I promptly cleaned up the dou miao (of course offering them copious helpings too), and then went off to their hotel to pick up my adaptor. Then I went off, and went home.
Thoughts: Relieved to know that they're okay, and relieved to be home.
Working into the Night
Events: After coming home, I finally received a reply from my boss, and updated the DQ website accordingly. That took me all the way to 1.30 AM in the morning... time to sleep...
Thoughts: Today was unusual, because I'd usually have nothing on, and hence have a free day to myself. Not anymore, it seems.
World Cup Final
Events: I woke up this morning eagerly awaiting the World Cup finals. And I was cheering on France, the favorites to win this World Cup final. Pity, though, after 120 minutes of exciting play, they bowed out on penalties to let Italy win 5-3. What a sad moment for France... especially Zizou, who, very interestingly, head-butted an Italian player in the chest at the 110th minute. It's something I wouldn't want to speculate on why, but it landed him the red card. What a way to exit the world soccer stage - by getting a red card.
Thoughts: An exciting play that was marred by Zizou's red-card exit. I feel sad for him. But one must admire the Italian spirit to overcome their domestic struggles and hold out to defeat France. Good play.
An Afternoon of Studying
Events: Even in the midst of France's World Cup disappointment, life still has to go on. Hence, I went to meet Sheen to go to the computer lab to work on our Linguistics assignments. They went pretty smoothly, and we managed to crack a few questions, althought I'm not sure we answered them correctly. But never mind, it was good enough.
Sheen works at Staples, and told me he could get me a laptop at 35% discount if I wanted one... condition: it has to be a Staples PC. PeeCee!!! NOOOO!!! Never mind, if I really can't get a Mac, I'll consider a PC.
Thoughts: Average. I don't have feelings about work. Haha...
Dinner with Relatives
Events: So after studying, I went to the bus loop to meet Uncle Praphant and Patrick. They're seemingly the most 'normal' in my extended family from my dad's side. But during dinner, what was ordered was the most exotic Chinese food I've ever had at one table - this monster-sized crab. Eeeewwwww...... I politely rejected to eat it. Other stuff was more normal: soy-sauce chicken, noodles, wintermelon soup, lamb spare ribs... the only vegetable dish was dou miao. I promptly cleaned up the dou miao (of course offering them copious helpings too), and then went off to their hotel to pick up my adaptor. Then I went off, and went home.
Thoughts: Relieved to know that they're okay, and relieved to be home.
Working into the Night
Events: After coming home, I finally received a reply from my boss, and updated the DQ website accordingly. That took me all the way to 1.30 AM in the morning... time to sleep...
Thoughts: Today was unusual, because I'd usually have nothing on, and hence have a free day to myself. Not anymore, it seems.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
An Entry In The Life Of...
Well, myself. I've finally decided to write a proper entry detailing everything that happened today, plus my own thoughts. And I think I'll structure it properly, for once.
A Good Start
Events: Finally, I made a good start to the day. I slept early last night (midnight, rather than 3AM), and then I woke up early too (8AM, not 10AM). I swear I'll sleep early tonight, which means I must finish typing this entry before 11.30PM. Woke up, took a shower, and settled down to read my morning e-mail. This routine's become ingrained in me; I'll not change it for a while.
Thoughts: It feels good to sleep and wake early. Somehow, it feels disciplined too. I must keep this up.
The Climax Of The Day
Events: After updating the Lynn Valley DQ website, I went on to rollerblade to the UBC Rec Center for my Hung Gar Kung Fu class. Boy, this was a tiring one. We had to complete the Fook Fu Fist style (伏虎拳术) 44 times - all because it's two guys' birthdays, one turning 21, one turning 23. You do the math. Well, whatever it is, it was a very, very tiring exercise, and I barely could rollerblade back home at my usual speed. I hope I wake up with aching muscles tomorrow, though, for that would indicate that I've grown again - in muscle-mass, not fat-mass.
Thoughts: A tiring but well-disciplined morning and mid-day. Feels good.
An Afternoon of Music
Events: So after cooking some macaroni for lunch, I set off to the Chapel for choir practice. Suddenly, I'm a music expert; I've been teaching the reading of musical scores, albeit it's just some basics. Today's lesson was about the sharp and flat key signs, and how they're supposed to be read. Additionally, I gave some more practice identifying notes on the scores, and
included identifying flats and sharps too.
Following that, we went on to practice our singing, and then tried out one song for the day. Lots of errors to correct:
Thoughts: Music lifts the soul, but only if done right. In my mind, I keep debating whether to tell Zhang Yi that we should actually reduce the number of people who perform, so that Acapella can be done most effectively. His vision, however, is to make the choir group all-inclusive, so everybody may join in. I guess our visions are different, since we're coming in from two different perspectives. I haven't a problem with his desire to have more people in the group; technically, however, it makes things more difficult to control.
A Busy Night
Events: And so I continue on with more music. Accompanied for the group at night, but made some blunders here and there. Oh gee. Well... part and parcel of life. After that, I left for home without staying on with the Youth Group, and completed parts of my Linguistics exercise. Tomorrow, I complete the rest with Sheen at the Computer Science labs -- hope it'll be a productive time with him. And then I bummed out the rest of the night dreaming about getting a MacBook. Gee....
Thoughts: Too busy to think. I think... well, what an oxymoron there... that I should get some sleep for tomorrow. Hahahaha...
A Good Start
Events: Finally, I made a good start to the day. I slept early last night (midnight, rather than 3AM), and then I woke up early too (8AM, not 10AM). I swear I'll sleep early tonight, which means I must finish typing this entry before 11.30PM. Woke up, took a shower, and settled down to read my morning e-mail. This routine's become ingrained in me; I'll not change it for a while.
Thoughts: It feels good to sleep and wake early. Somehow, it feels disciplined too. I must keep this up.
The Climax Of The Day
Events: After updating the Lynn Valley DQ website, I went on to rollerblade to the UBC Rec Center for my Hung Gar Kung Fu class. Boy, this was a tiring one. We had to complete the Fook Fu Fist style (伏虎拳术) 44 times - all because it's two guys' birthdays, one turning 21, one turning 23. You do the math. Well, whatever it is, it was a very, very tiring exercise, and I barely could rollerblade back home at my usual speed. I hope I wake up with aching muscles tomorrow, though, for that would indicate that I've grown again - in muscle-mass, not fat-mass.
Thoughts: A tiring but well-disciplined morning and mid-day. Feels good.
An Afternoon of Music
Events: So after cooking some macaroni for lunch, I set off to the Chapel for choir practice. Suddenly, I'm a music expert; I've been teaching the reading of musical scores, albeit it's just some basics. Today's lesson was about the sharp and flat key signs, and how they're supposed to be read. Additionally, I gave some more practice identifying notes on the scores, and
included identifying flats and sharps too.
Following that, we went on to practice our singing, and then tried out one song for the day. Lots of errors to correct:
- Cannot hold notes
- Starting on the wrong key if no note is given as a guide.
- Singing off-tune.
- Not being able to catch up with the speed.
Thoughts: Music lifts the soul, but only if done right. In my mind, I keep debating whether to tell Zhang Yi that we should actually reduce the number of people who perform, so that Acapella can be done most effectively. His vision, however, is to make the choir group all-inclusive, so everybody may join in. I guess our visions are different, since we're coming in from two different perspectives. I haven't a problem with his desire to have more people in the group; technically, however, it makes things more difficult to control.
A Busy Night
Events: And so I continue on with more music. Accompanied for the group at night, but made some blunders here and there. Oh gee. Well... part and parcel of life. After that, I left for home without staying on with the Youth Group, and completed parts of my Linguistics exercise. Tomorrow, I complete the rest with Sheen at the Computer Science labs -- hope it'll be a productive time with him. And then I bummed out the rest of the night dreaming about getting a MacBook. Gee....
Thoughts: Too busy to think. I think... well, what an oxymoron there... that I should get some sleep for tomorrow. Hahahaha...
Friday, July 07, 2006
Old? How old is old?
Really, for a computer, what age is considered old? Is it 3 years? Is it 5 years? Is it 6 years? Is it 10?
Trusty old pal - 5 years old now. But he's behaving old. Everything's slowed down. I can't run multiple apps like I used to, simply because the demands of modern apps are too taxing on my Fujitsu. Sometimes, Firefox slows to a crawl; at other times, it simply doesn't respond for 3 or 4 minutes at one go. Fireworks can't handle high-resolution images without hanging for at least 2 minutes everytime I change from vector tools to bitmap tools. When I do work on OpenOffice Writer for schoolwork, I need Firefox open with it too to do research - and then my com slows down even more.
Here's the big catch: when I do web design and development, involving Dreamweaver, Firefox, Flash, Fireworks and OpenOffice Writer and Calc all open at the same time... voila, welcome to snail nation.
In other words, my computer sounds old, looks old, and behaves old... but is that a justification to get a new computer? Or should I simply wait till my system permanently crashes and I lose all my data before I get a new computer? Or should I get one soon, and move all my data there first, and then wait for my old com to crash?
Somebody give me an answer...
Trusty old pal - 5 years old now. But he's behaving old. Everything's slowed down. I can't run multiple apps like I used to, simply because the demands of modern apps are too taxing on my Fujitsu. Sometimes, Firefox slows to a crawl; at other times, it simply doesn't respond for 3 or 4 minutes at one go. Fireworks can't handle high-resolution images without hanging for at least 2 minutes everytime I change from vector tools to bitmap tools. When I do work on OpenOffice Writer for schoolwork, I need Firefox open with it too to do research - and then my com slows down even more.
Here's the big catch: when I do web design and development, involving Dreamweaver, Firefox, Flash, Fireworks and OpenOffice Writer and Calc all open at the same time... voila, welcome to snail nation.
In other words, my computer sounds old, looks old, and behaves old... but is that a justification to get a new computer? Or should I simply wait till my system permanently crashes and I lose all my data before I get a new computer? Or should I get one soon, and move all my data there first, and then wait for my old com to crash?
Somebody give me an answer...
Monday, July 03, 2006
Recovered
Actually, it wasn't hay fever, but flu. But then after ravaging my body for 5 days straight, with medication, and probably a fitter-than-usual body, it was cured. (The docs all said 7-10 days from when it starts before it's healed.)
In any case, I managed to go for an outing with the UC Chinese Youth Group, and we all had a tremendous amount of fun out at Bowen Island. More photos coming on my "Life in a Photo" blog once the photos from Luo Pan come in.
In any case, I managed to go for an outing with the UC Chinese Youth Group, and we all had a tremendous amount of fun out at Bowen Island. More photos coming on my "Life in a Photo" blog once the photos from Luo Pan come in.
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