chocolates are the ultimate love!
ps: please forgive me if my recent updates have been anything but engaging!
ps: please forgive me if my recent updates have been anything but engaging!
29.7.09
25.7.09
my favourite boy
back with a new hair cut, a catchy tune, and a good cause. (: he's second only to zhou jie lun!
20.7.09
15.7.09
social grace should not be limited to priority seats
today, i did something that i have never done before in my life.
as most Singaporeans would know, our transport system was deemed by the governing bodies as world class. but what they did not talk about was how our social etiquette and grace is so low class, buay pass or whatever you want to call it.
while there has been 1) the recent give-up-your-seat-for-the-needy campaign (with Phua Chu Kang leading with his "sleeping? don't pretend la!" poster) and 2) the earmarking of certain seats as "priority seats" for the CHAP - i.e. the Children, the Handicapped, the Aged and the Pregnant (okay, i came up with this in line with the government's obsession with acronyms), i think these measures have failed miserably.
this morning while i was on the way to work, i saw an elderly man with greying hair and hunching back board the train. he had two huge bags with him - one of which was an ordinary looking document bag, while the other was a ntuc recyclable shopping bag stuffed with newspapers, umbrella and other belongings. having board the train last, he stood near the entrance, in front of the first seat of the row.
when the train started moving, he held on to the railing at the side and took out his newspapers to read. as all of us know, our trains are not always that smooth sailing. there are often small jerks and slight bumps along the way. so this poor man, started to struggle in order to maintain his balance.
so one stop later, i could not bear the brutality of the sight, and i walked over. i glared at the two person sitting in front of the elderly man, and picked the person who looked more well-educated. i asked, "sorry ma'am, would you mind if you could give up your seat for this man". and having heard the request, she promptly stood up and vacated her seat. the elderly man hesitated to sit down, probably feeling embarrassed or undignified. however, i pointed out that he was struggling on the train. after all, i did catch him glancing at the priority seat several times ever since he boarded the train, which i interpretted as his hope that somebody would be gracious enough.
so, eventually, the elderly man claimed his rights to a seat, and i moved away after thanking the kind lady. when i turned away, i heard her pointing out to the man who was sitting at the priority seat, that he should be the one giving up instead. although she said it in an educational manner, rather than a reprimanding tone (and she probably said it because she was trying to defend herself/hide her embarrassment, which i have unrightfully brought upon her), i was surprised that people actually have that kind of mentality.
when the government decided to label certain seats as priority seats, i didn't think it meant that only priority seats can be given up to the needy. neither should our graciousness be limited to where we are sitting or standing. if the lady's misconception is representative of most Singaporeans, then perhaps ALL seats should be labelled as priority seats.
but then again, i think we, as frequent commuters of public transport (as opposed to policy makers who drive their own cars), would know better that the above suggestion would fall through too. because then, everybody would just wait for somebody to do something as nobody wants to be short-changed.
the main problem is that, we just do not have sufficient social grace. i don't know if its the fault of our government, our teachers, our parents or ourselves.
i am guilty of that too. sometimes after a tiring day of work, it is tempting to pretend that i am sleeping rather than to give up my hard-earned seat to somebody who might not appreciate it. in fact, i have had experiences when i was scolded by the person i offered the seat to, because they felt insulted. but that should not and does not deter me from trying.
as i walked away this morning, i felt an irrevocable sense of guilt and shame. and what's worse, was that i did not understand why i felt so guilty and embarrassed about telling somebody off even though i knew that i had done the right thing. was i guilty because i have embarrassed the lady? because i was unsure if i did the right thing? or that i have failed to adhere to the motto of the society - which was to "mind my own business".
these were questions that i could not answer, and frustrations that i could not bear. it made me feel like all the hao gong ming lessons that i used to have in primary school were nothing but fairy tales about an utopian society.
but still, if you are reading this, i hope that you would slowly inch towards being more gracious towards others too. like how giving up of seats should not be limited to priority seats, social grace should not be limited be surrending your seats for the needy, but also to treat people with care, respect and dignity.
as most Singaporeans would know, our transport system was deemed by the governing bodies as world class. but what they did not talk about was how our social etiquette and grace is so low class, buay pass or whatever you want to call it.
while there has been 1) the recent give-up-your-seat-for-the-needy campaign (with Phua Chu Kang leading with his "sleeping? don't pretend la!" poster) and 2) the earmarking of certain seats as "priority seats" for the CHAP - i.e. the Children, the Handicapped, the Aged and the Pregnant (okay, i came up with this in line with the government's obsession with acronyms), i think these measures have failed miserably.
this morning while i was on the way to work, i saw an elderly man with greying hair and hunching back board the train. he had two huge bags with him - one of which was an ordinary looking document bag, while the other was a ntuc recyclable shopping bag stuffed with newspapers, umbrella and other belongings. having board the train last, he stood near the entrance, in front of the first seat of the row.
when the train started moving, he held on to the railing at the side and took out his newspapers to read. as all of us know, our trains are not always that smooth sailing. there are often small jerks and slight bumps along the way. so this poor man, started to struggle in order to maintain his balance.
so one stop later, i could not bear the brutality of the sight, and i walked over. i glared at the two person sitting in front of the elderly man, and picked the person who looked more well-educated. i asked, "sorry ma'am, would you mind if you could give up your seat for this man". and having heard the request, she promptly stood up and vacated her seat. the elderly man hesitated to sit down, probably feeling embarrassed or undignified. however, i pointed out that he was struggling on the train. after all, i did catch him glancing at the priority seat several times ever since he boarded the train, which i interpretted as his hope that somebody would be gracious enough.
so, eventually, the elderly man claimed his rights to a seat, and i moved away after thanking the kind lady. when i turned away, i heard her pointing out to the man who was sitting at the priority seat, that he should be the one giving up instead. although she said it in an educational manner, rather than a reprimanding tone (and she probably said it because she was trying to defend herself/hide her embarrassment, which i have unrightfully brought upon her), i was surprised that people actually have that kind of mentality.
when the government decided to label certain seats as priority seats, i didn't think it meant that only priority seats can be given up to the needy. neither should our graciousness be limited to where we are sitting or standing. if the lady's misconception is representative of most Singaporeans, then perhaps ALL seats should be labelled as priority seats.
but then again, i think we, as frequent commuters of public transport (as opposed to policy makers who drive their own cars), would know better that the above suggestion would fall through too. because then, everybody would just wait for somebody to do something as nobody wants to be short-changed.
the main problem is that, we just do not have sufficient social grace. i don't know if its the fault of our government, our teachers, our parents or ourselves.
i am guilty of that too. sometimes after a tiring day of work, it is tempting to pretend that i am sleeping rather than to give up my hard-earned seat to somebody who might not appreciate it. in fact, i have had experiences when i was scolded by the person i offered the seat to, because they felt insulted. but that should not and does not deter me from trying.
as i walked away this morning, i felt an irrevocable sense of guilt and shame. and what's worse, was that i did not understand why i felt so guilty and embarrassed about telling somebody off even though i knew that i had done the right thing. was i guilty because i have embarrassed the lady? because i was unsure if i did the right thing? or that i have failed to adhere to the motto of the society - which was to "mind my own business".
these were questions that i could not answer, and frustrations that i could not bear. it made me feel like all the hao gong ming lessons that i used to have in primary school were nothing but fairy tales about an utopian society.
but still, if you are reading this, i hope that you would slowly inch towards being more gracious towards others too. like how giving up of seats should not be limited to priority seats, social grace should not be limited be surrending your seats for the needy, but also to treat people with care, respect and dignity.
14.7.09
spongeblob squarehat
here are my top three picks from the graduation ceremony:
taken by my brother, and edited by yours truly. (:
taken by my brother, and edited by yours truly. (:
12.7.09
a day of many good news
today had been a really long day, running between several places.
witnessed my brother's commencement this afternoon, and although i was bored by most of the speeches (especially those by the vips, because most of them seemed to be giving a guest lecture rather than a graduation or congratulatory oration), i was nonetheless touched by a few that were delivered by their own graduands. they were much more inspiring and engaging, giving the crowd a better grasp of their journey by offering snippets of their college life. as i watched my brother march up the stage to receive his award, i understood what he meant by a huge sense of pride when he attended my commencement earlier this week. while these ceremonies commemorated the end of our education, i am glad to know that both of us have excelled in our own ways, and prouder that he remains the faster runner whom i would always strive to catch up with.
some call it sibling rivalry, but i see it as a healthy kind of competition, that propels me to work harder.
my only regret for the afternoon was having to leave my family abruptly in order to rush for my next appointment, and missing the opportunity to catch up with many of the familiar faces that i spotted among the crowd. many of them were my previous classmates from my secondary school or junior college days, whom i have not seen since we parted for our separate ways.
but i guess when you pit yourself against murphy's law, the latter always win. however, i remember the valedictorian of the day reiterating - "be thankful, that we are rich" - rich not in monetary terms, but rich in our experiences, and rich in our relationships. therefore i reminded myself that i must be thankful for every good thing that has happened today.
the rest of the day was followed by a friend's proposal, whom many of us had the privilege to hide behind the walls and watch the entire process. he went on his knees, and asked for his girlfriend's hand. she hesitated, he persevered, she nodded, he slipped the tiff & co ring on her finger, and finally they held each other tightly as they embrace the beginning of their lives together. we erupted in euphoria, and made our appearance to extend our heartfelt congratulations.
it is not just the marriage of two individuals, but the convergence of two souls, two hearts, and two families. i think it is such a blessing to be able to find a kindred spirit whom you can spend the rest of your life with. and because of that, i think they are really the richest among the rest of us.
hungry and tired, i made my way to my last appointment of the day - a barbeque with some of my closest friends from university. in the two hours, we managed to catch up, reminisce about the past, and even gossip about some of our mutual acquaintances. to sum it up, it was a good time spent with good food and good company. and because of them, i am thankful, for their cooking fills my stomach, their laughter fills my heart, and their friendship fills my life.
so, i have given my thanks for the day, have you?
witnessed my brother's commencement this afternoon, and although i was bored by most of the speeches (especially those by the vips, because most of them seemed to be giving a guest lecture rather than a graduation or congratulatory oration), i was nonetheless touched by a few that were delivered by their own graduands. they were much more inspiring and engaging, giving the crowd a better grasp of their journey by offering snippets of their college life. as i watched my brother march up the stage to receive his award, i understood what he meant by a huge sense of pride when he attended my commencement earlier this week. while these ceremonies commemorated the end of our education, i am glad to know that both of us have excelled in our own ways, and prouder that he remains the faster runner whom i would always strive to catch up with.
some call it sibling rivalry, but i see it as a healthy kind of competition, that propels me to work harder.
my only regret for the afternoon was having to leave my family abruptly in order to rush for my next appointment, and missing the opportunity to catch up with many of the familiar faces that i spotted among the crowd. many of them were my previous classmates from my secondary school or junior college days, whom i have not seen since we parted for our separate ways.
but i guess when you pit yourself against murphy's law, the latter always win. however, i remember the valedictorian of the day reiterating - "be thankful, that we are rich" - rich not in monetary terms, but rich in our experiences, and rich in our relationships. therefore i reminded myself that i must be thankful for every good thing that has happened today.
the rest of the day was followed by a friend's proposal, whom many of us had the privilege to hide behind the walls and watch the entire process. he went on his knees, and asked for his girlfriend's hand. she hesitated, he persevered, she nodded, he slipped the tiff & co ring on her finger, and finally they held each other tightly as they embrace the beginning of their lives together. we erupted in euphoria, and made our appearance to extend our heartfelt congratulations.
it is not just the marriage of two individuals, but the convergence of two souls, two hearts, and two families. i think it is such a blessing to be able to find a kindred spirit whom you can spend the rest of your life with. and because of that, i think they are really the richest among the rest of us.
hungry and tired, i made my way to my last appointment of the day - a barbeque with some of my closest friends from university. in the two hours, we managed to catch up, reminisce about the past, and even gossip about some of our mutual acquaintances. to sum it up, it was a good time spent with good food and good company. and because of them, i am thankful, for their cooking fills my stomach, their laughter fills my heart, and their friendship fills my life.
so, i have given my thanks for the day, have you?
5.7.09
4.7.09
lovely things
on a lazy saturday, i boarded a random bus and plopped myself on the first seat i saw. my head was feeling heavy so i leaned back and rested my head against a ledge. as i looked out, the clouds were dense and bountiful, their white bodies boldly defined against a light columbia blue. they hung placidly in the sky, as if they were catching a quick siesta while basking in the warmth of the afternoon heat. as the bus moved through an unfamiliar landscape, i was thankful for the air-condition and lightly tinted window, which saved me from the blazing heat and the scorching rays outside. soon, as my mind calmed down, my eyelids began to sink and i fell into a deep slumber.
i live for moments like this.
3.7.09
walking on sunshine
so i've got a respectable pay, amiable colleagues, a convenient location, a short commuting time, a wise mentor who has streamlined many operations and set the path, and the privilege to travel between centres so i won't have to be stuck at the same office, a pleasant neighbourhood with coffeeshops, supermart and confectionery, a good window view where i can look out whenever my eyes are strained, an energetic director who values staff training and development, and even lunch is provided at the centre so i can always eat in during rainy days.
with so much in my hands, what more can i ask for?
with so much in my hands, what more can i ask for?
1.7.09
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