Truth About Da Vinci Code

Many may have read the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and many more may be planning to watch the upcoming movie of this same title.

How much of the story is true when it claims, 'All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,' and how much is factual when it alleges 'scientific evidence that the New Testament is false testimony'?

Read all about this conspiracy theory in, The Da Vinci Code - Separating Fact from Fiction, by RBC.

Staying Employed

When you are too free at work
And you are bored
It is a sure tell tale sign
You may soon lose your job

When you are too busy at work
And you feel you are indispensable
It is a good sign
But where is life

Whether you're free or busy
There is no guarantee
Or permanent employability
So look out and pave
Your alternatives
Your destiny

Self Appraisal

The following verses describe my story and my feelings as God is speaking to me ...

"Behold you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?"

~ Job 4:3-6 (NAS) ~

Being Nice

Being nice does not expect others to be nice in return
It does not make demands or judge a person
It accepts sinners as well as saints
Never to turn anyone away
It is willingness to accept despite of
Always ready to give more than receive

It comes forth natural
And is not compelled
It is something within
Not an expression without
It takes on the nature of relative permanence
Rather than something demonstrative or temporal
It does not irritates
But sooth the discourage

Being nice is being considerate
Putting others first before oneself
Not as an expression of weakness
For others to push around
But in meekness and in strength
Reveal the nature of God to all Man

Extreme Singapore

The heat in Singapore is hardly an example of what hell is going to be like, and I am already finding it difficult to endure! Let's not make the mistake to think that we can save ourselves, or we'll end up there! Walk therefore in the LORD, confess our sins, and ackwowledge Him in our hearts, making sure to follow the Light that leads the way ...

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (Eph 5:5-8 NAS)

A Thorn in My Flesh

Few people gets on my nerve, but here is one exception.

I have a colleague from PRC who sticks to me like a leech, not for goodwill, but to check on what I do and the way I do it, so to criticize and disrupt my work. He is the reason I wrote new rules concerning administrative requests for change.

Several months ago, I was at People's Park with my wife booking for my trip to Russia, when he pops in from nowhere, interrupts my conversation with the tour consultant, and asked me things which doesn't concern me. Even the tour consultant was shocked at his behavior and questions my wife who that was to interrupt.

In the office, he nags at me from time to time, as if I owe him a living, simply because he wants a few words change in a document, unconcerned how busy I am in doing other more important things. Though he has the soft copy of the file, but he simply will not lift a finger to do the needed change, and yet in the meantime, he makes changes to everything else in that same document. When I finally change what he wants, he tells me he already has a different version of the document and wants me to combine my changes to his document. All these take time and disrupt my workflow, wasting unproductive time.

Recently, he shifted house from near office to somewhere else, but that does not concerns me, nor am I interested to know where. However, I soon found out on the MRT train this morning. He entered the train a station after mine. I was appalled. There goes my pleasant mornings where I either rest or read my books. This colleague of mine is like a thorn in my flesh, the person who makes me fail to meet my deadlines for the projects I am working on, and reason I have to answer to my boss for my failure to meet the schedules.

I am not a saint, and though I try my best not to dislike people and usually gets along pretty well with people of all cultures, I must say I fail in this. Therefore, like what Paul has said, I must learn to endure, to rely on God and seek His grace ...

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NAS)

... for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me - to keep me from exalting myself!

Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Administrative Changes

Someone got on my nerve, so I wrote the following procedures on Request for Change, Amendment, or Update ...

This document aims to provide guidelines for change request in project documentation.

As expected in every project, changes, updates, and amendments in documentation are inevitable, as new information is received or when errors are encountered. Frequent changes however can be disruptive to productivity, so the following guidelines are suggested:

• Decide who should make the changes - you or someone else?
  
• If you wish to make the changes yourself, please go ahead, but make sure the file is changed to the next version. For minor changes, use alphabetical order to add to current version (e.g. 1.5 to 1.5a), For major changes, add next number after decimal point (e.g. 1.5 to 1.6).
  
• If you wish to have someone else make the changes, please indicate all corrections needed on the HARD COPY of document and give it to the person.
  
• Please request changes all at one goal whenever possible. DO NOT request bits and pieces of changes every few minutes or hours. Go through, at ONE TIME, all the corrections needed BEFORE passing document for change by someone else.
  
• DO NOT request changes to be made by someone else while you are still editing or working on the document, because it will result in different versions of the document, requiring further editing and additional work to merge the information later.
  
• If you have requested someone else to make particular changes while you are adding your own, please stop the person you request to make changes, and have the same changes added to your own document to save to next version, so as not to create unnecessary confusion and additional unproductive work.


• Request for changes on one document does not constitute automatic similar changes on other documents. Please make individual document changes on hard copy when requesting someone else to do the corrections. Example, a request for change in Data Sheet does not mean automatic changes in PA.


• Do not ask why changes are not made on particular document or in a previous version of the document. The answer is obvious. Either the information was not available at that time, or updates may not have been made to related documents, which is why individual document change request is necessary.

The list goes on, but the above guidelines should be sufficient for now. New guidelines may be added from time to time to help improve productivity overall, for our department. The purpose of this document is not to make life more difficult for all of us, but is aimed at improving our working together as a team.

Looking Forward and Back

When I was much younger, I aspired to be a writer, but was never given a chance to develop in that field of interest. I've since made up for my loss by joining an amateur's writing club some ten years back and attended a Bible college class on Creative Writing "for people who can't not write".

In recent years, I have the opportunity to write in the area of technology for print and digital media in magazines and on the web. I have also written extensively through blogging and participation in a Christian writers' web site.

As an amateur writer, I have been advised to do a lot of reading. My reading favourites are science fiction and fantasy books, although beyond that, I read other genres as well. My favourite authors are CS Lewis, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Growing up from a small town in a remote area where family harmony is seldom within the grasp of a child, my most joyous occasions were that of days spent with my mum in botanical gardens, to which nature walks are still my constant love these days. Walks like these are where I reflect and listen to the sounds of nature, gathering thoughts that inspire my writings.

Now, as my new school term begins, I will be doing an intensive study on 'Writing Techniques', which I hope to learn much to improve my writing skill, and to enjoy what interest me most; in the midst of the pains at work.

Overworked

The past three weeks have been hell on earth!

Ever since I was transferred to the new department at my workplace, I am constantly faced with unrealistic deadlines and multitude of work piling up, waiting to be done. The routine is non-stop rushing, working doubly faster than fast, skipping lunch on occasions, with no time for a break or breather, nor time to drink a sip of water. People in this department are under watchful eyes all the time, and each of us are expected to give account of every minute spent at work.

My days for the next few months have been mapped out with the impossible, and I am not sure whether this may be an indication for me to move on. My thoughts are, since God has given me the talent for writing, and writing is not what this department really needs, is it time for me to seek green pastures or another place where the fields are white for harvest? I don't believe God has given me a talent, only to take it away from me, especially when I have just been given the opportunity to learn more about Writing Techniques for my new school term in this semester. Surely, I have better use of my skill than project coordination and data input, which in practice, do not mix very well with writing. On the other hand, I am not in a position to just quit without a job, because I am in need of the money.

Life is never smooth sailing, and jobs do not easily come by. Wonder what is the next step for me in God's plan.

End of Life

After coming back from my holidays, I found out that my company has transferred me to another department to work on projects, something which I have always hated. I have worked for years on projects previously, and it is the very thing that I have hoped to get away from.
Working on project basis means I have to account for every minute I worked for in the office, monitored by a coordinator, with frequent reports on hours spent on customer, task, and others. My new boss has spelled out that a meeting per week is required for the department to report status, and apart from the multitude of work required, to write reports weekly, one at departmental level and the other for 'personal' tasks monitoring, both which must be submitted to the boss.

Beginning next week, my new school term and semester also begins, and this means I have to juggle again, with new duties at work, which I foresee requires lots of overtime, because, as all projects entail, deadlines are of the essence.

Starting from two days ago, life is no longer fun, and maybe, I'll have to move on again, if my health is jeopardised.

Time

Time waits for no Man
But Man waits all the time
People says to wait and watch
But time flies as we do
And before a blink of an eye
We'll soon realize
We have wasted precious time
In fulfilling moments we have in life
I am an impatient man, always conscious of time. I can't stand delays and I am always running all the time. Little are the moments I learn to relax, because I find time is too short for those who wait.

In the day and in the night, I stretch whatever available time I have, conscientiously working to accomplish things, to bring meanings in life. I am a failure in letting time go by, without accomplishing something in life, so conciously spend time each day to do the things I like. If I live my daily life, just to go to work and come home to sleep and rest, I feel unease and unfulfilled, so I extend my hours to early morn. This, in actuality, is not a healthy lifestyle.

Do not be like me in living an unrelaxed lifestyle! Learn however what the psalmist says ...

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NAS)

Unsocialable or Thinking Alone

Many people think I am unsocialable because I usually lunch out alone, but the truth is, lunch time is the time my mind is set free to think, relax, and rest, in order to do a better job later.

As a writer, I work better using the mind and writes better creatively when my mind is relaxed. Many time when I rush with time, I lose focus and in the end accomplish nothing. There are of course days when I have to gather all the information I need to write an article or a presentation instead when there is a creative block or a lack of inspiration. In such cases, I often do not achieve my goals and fail to get angle of the story through to my audience. Readers and audiences read a story only because there are points or a point to be made, rather than being flooded by tonnes of information.

On days when my mind is clear and ideas start falling together, I often accomplish the task much faster, usually half the time I spend on compiling information for writing, yet with the article or presentation standing out better than all the hours of pressured compiling and writing, reaching out to the audiences further than ever before. Such is the power of inspiration!

So, you who are reading this blog, the next time you encounter someone like me, don't just jump to conclusion that the person is being unsocialable. You'll never know the real reason why he or she declines lunching with you. Maybe, like me, the person is merely thinking of the next move.

CNY Festivities

The Lunar New Year is around the corner,

so heRe's wisHing aLL Chinese a veRy

HaPPy Chinese NeW YeaR!

ChRisTmaS ... tHus faR

While other people are enjoying the festivities of this season, not much actually takes place for me apart from a Christmas lunch on last Friday at Melt the World Cafe in Oriental Hotel, sponsored by the company I'm currently working for.

Saturday was half a daY at the hospitaL for an ultra scan due to recent health report, with afternoon at the movies, Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Enjoyed the two-hour movie with certain parts extremely touching, especially when Aslan the Lion has to sacrifice itself to be humiliated and cruelly murdered to save Edmund from the hands of the witch.

Today, attended service in the morning, with a Christian artiste and singer, Bobby Michaels, sharing the word and musicals. Beautiful music and carols with a powerful voice. After service, did not go for any special Christmas lunch because everywhere is just too costly and my finances are tied down for a major cold weather holiday trip for next year's Chinese New Year to Saint Petersburg and beyond.

Hope everyone is enjoying the festivities! Here's wishing you a veRy MeRRy ChRisTmaS and a blessed 2006! (",)

Being Considerate

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind regard one another
as more important than yourselves;
(Philippians 2:3 NAS)

Living up to what the Word of God says about treating others as more important than ourselves is never an easy task.

Take the example of a day to day practice of consideration. When the train or bus arrives, do we take our turn in an orderly manner to pace forward or do we push to get in? How do we feel when others jump the queue and go in front of us? Is it being considerate to let them go first? What about the pregnant, the people with children, or the aged weak, do we give way to them and risk being late for work? To what degree are we to be considerate?

Not many days ago, I was at a shop trying to purchase an item that was placed at the bottom of some shelves. I have to bend down to pick the item but because a couple came by seemingly wanting to pass the narrow passage way, I quickly stood up and have my head crashed into some shelves. I found out then that the couple has no intention to pass through the path, but only wanted to see the items there.

When at the walkway of a path in the heartland, many bicycles and people with multiple children and a cradle often occupy the entire walkway, so I frequently bypass them by walking outside the path on the grass to give them room, but this act of consideration often ends in my having a sprained ankle, resulting from being caught in a hole, with mud and grass.

In a fast food restaurant, I always clear my trays after a meal, and sometimes have to clear others' debris and trays in order to have a space to eat. Imagine what the feeling is like watching others dump and mess up their tables with their debris? As a practitioner of consideration, I tend to expect others to do likewise, and this has make much of my life a misery, because, the majority do not practice consideration.

Occasionally, I ask myself whether I should quit being considerate and tell myself not to be the mister good guy anymore. This is the exact feeling Spider-Man faces when he tries to help and gets misunderstood. Such is the life Spidey and I share, frequently misunderstood for being nice, but self-pity is not a solution. There is a price to pay for being considerate, yet it is not something to be given up, simply because with great power comes great responsibility. I am a Christian and I have the power of the Holy Spirit inside me, so I must continue to bear the responsibility in demonstrating

A Worker's Prayer

Teach me each day O God to walk in Your ways
Remind me to always include You in all my plans
Help me draw strength from You while at work
To do what is right and do it well
To rely on You in my weaknesses
And be able to do the things
I have no courage or confidence to do
To exercise miraculous power
And perform wonderous work

Help me O God in my inabilities
Forgive me for my lack of faith
Teach me and lead me to trust You
More and more each day

~ SpideY ~

Cross Cultural Values

Ideologies of the East and the West differ greatly in the way values are measured. What is seen as unacceptable in Asia may be seen as normal to other parts of the world, especially in countries that practise a liberal media system.

Take the example of feedback received on what I wrote about "Age of Deteriorating Morals", which concerns an underage viewing pornographic anime onboard public transport through a portable video player (PVP). Comments from Asians expressed shock and unbelief, while a westerner said the child is just being curious and experimental.

"This is a reality and yet so difficult to believe ... Indeed, this development is getting to be very alarming," says a blogger from Malaysia.

"Totally agree ... very irresponsible parents," says another blogger writing from Singapore.

"... what is shocking to you may have been due to your own perception of when is the right age to come into sex-related stuffs," says an anonymous blogger commenting on the topic in a blog hosted in America.

"I don't believe there is an actual right age to start experimenting with sex," the anonymous blogger continues. "Children will be children. They will be curious and tempted to experiment ... For all you know, most of them probably find it thrilling for a few days but gradually become uncomfortable with the game after that."

In another blog I wrote concerning the dangers of unhealthy practices of voyeurism and pornography hosted in the United States not too long ago, the feedback I received shows conclusively the difference between the value system of the west and the oriental.

"I think it would be immoral not to be turned on by pornography," says an anonymous commenter on my blog. "I think being sexually aroused by images of others is an expression of human empathy; of identifying oneself with one's fellow human beings. I can't see any wrong with that at all. Quite the opposite. "

"I don't reckon there's anything wrong at all with a bit hardcore movie slap and tickle," says an Australian lady. "Me and my bloke ... watch it all the time and we get bonza ideas from it."

From the comments above, we can see that moral perception of right and wrong is seldom the same across different cultures. What we perceive as right or wrong however does not matter, because we are all of a fallen race requiring salvation. For the Bible says:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23 NAS)

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NAS)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23 NAS)

"... if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:9-10 NAS)

Deviance vs Defiance

Society or governance often defines the boundaries of what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior. We live in a world of pre-defined notions of what is right and what is wrong, but what is right in a society may be seen as wrong in another.
In a society where freedom of expression and speech is prevalent, the culture frequently breeds complacency and people demand their rights to information among other things. In a less privileged society, the culture breeds obedience and people conform to a kind of self-regulation in adhering to pre-defined social norms. Neither of the two extremes is ideal, hence a balance is always sought.

Where freedom is restricted, people who question the authorities are often seen as deviants. Prolonged restrictions however beget defiance at every opportunity available, especially when a rule is gray. For example, when the news tell of a magazine or a book that is banned because of inappropriate content, citizens rushed to find ways to obtain the material so they can know what has been restricted or what is hot and juicy. Human behavior is such that the more one is told not to commit a wrong, the more likely the person will choose to defy, if not in front of authorities, will be committed underground.

This is simply the force of nature at work, where unlike poles attract and like poles repel. Many governing systems using authoritarian or socially responsible do not seem to realize that restrictions and constrains breed contempt and opposition, thus increasing defiance. People who defy are not totally to be blamed and variations from norms need not necessary become deviancy. All of us differ in opinions and each of us interprets things differently, yet not of our own, but of a framework within a constructed way of thinking, what is known as hegemony. While we choose to believe we are the ones making up our own minds on issues, we are in truth making decisions based on our upbringing, and our upbringing is based on the education we received, taught by the same people who construct the culture and beliefs.

There is in fact only a thin line differentiating deviancy and defiance, and the people of the new generation know this very well. What parents and society think of the children who disobey and the ones who do things their own way, should realize this is a result of too much constrains and restrictions. Without freedom, people cracked under the yoke, and become defiant. This is how it is of the society today.

Consultative Management

All of us know the many different styles of managing a country or a company or even our subordinates. We sometimes use authoritarian style, at other times liberal style, and occasionally consultative style.

The Bible records one of the ways King David manage his team of warriors in making decisions, through the use of consultative management.

1 Chronicles 13:1-4 (NAS)
Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader.

David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul."

Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

If you are a good leader, a CEO, a director, a manager, or a supervisor, here is something you can learn from king David in the ways he manages his team. Learn to listen to the people at times. Use consultative management, but ALWAYS make decisions with God in your plan! Be sensitive to your staff, colleagues, and subordinates.

Vintage Car

I like vintage cars, especially when it is GREEN in color, my favorite color.

IMM is exhibiting some cars currently with two vintage cars. My dream vintage car is the following:

Vintage Car (Front View)

Vintage Car (Back View)

Age of Deteriorating Morals

I was seated next to a boy of about twelve years old on the train a few days ago. He appeared totally caught up with whatever he was playing on his electronic device.

At first I thought it was just another gaming device, so I did not bother to find out what he was playing, but being always curious to find out the latest gadgets in the market, I took a glimpse at the gadget he was using. What I saw was a device with a relatively larger screen than most gaming gadgets, apparently, a PVP or Portable Video Player as I found out later. On the screen of the device, an animated video movie was being played.

The video played by the boy appears to be just another of those Japanese animated movies telling of teenage girls in classrooms and about their daily lives, something like a family story, so I did not bother much and decided to rest my eyes to sleep. When I opened my eyes later, I could feel from the gestures of the boy that he has become intensely excited, almost oblivious to all his surroundings, engrossed, stiffen, and possibly intoxicated, so I simply had to take a peek at what he was doing.

What I saw on the video was not a family type of movie of a harmless school girl story, but a 'Hentai' type of pornographic anime showing a scene of the school girl tied up and being raped by the professor with her wailing in tears! That really shocked me!

Students these days have too many gadgets to play around, and many of these are unnecessary and sometimes even harmful. To think of underage boys and girls watching videos of such materials on a mobile gadget makes me think what has become of the new age generation today.

Parents these days are too ready to sponsor their children to buy such devices, but few are responsible enough to bother about finding out the harm such gadgets may bring. That is as much as we can say about parental guidance.

Busy or Free?

We often complained about being underpaid and overworked, and we envy people who are seemingly quite free at work. Question is, is it better to be busy or free?

In a workplace consisting of employees, productivity is of utmost importance to a business. If a worker is not fully utilized, the business cannot thrive, and if a business cannot thrive, the business will sooner or later die. If everyone else is working hard and there are staff that are not, it is not a sight to admire, because it means the department or the section requires less staff than they currently have. This means essentially some staff are probably destined to be fired because they are not busy enough.

Being busy and overloaded with work often means the need for more staff, but if more staff is added and some become free, it is time for some to move on. I am saying this not without experience, as I have been invited to leave before. When I was employed to provide professional services some years ago, I was trained, certified, and after three months was still not assigned any field job. I knew therefore that business in the area I was trained in was not picking up in the region where I was to cover – South East Asia, and before long, I was given the golden handshake.

That handshake meant almost three years living without income, apart from bits and pieces received from freelance jobs. I have apparently left a 'secure' place to join the corporation because I could see potential in them, but after five months, I was retrenched. To the employer, it seems normal for them to hire and fire, even though all other areas of their business are doing well.

Is it therefore better to be busy or free? Consider now from a different light what it means by being overloaded with work, because it may just be the reason why we are still employed.

Releasing Lives

I heard on radio this morning about pet sellers facing difficulty in getting buyers for birds, ever since the news of bird flu. One of the sellers told the reporter that many people buy birds in bulk to 'release lives' (fàng sheng) as an act of setting free or liberating 'lives' in captivity. This sets my mind thinking.

In order for ‘lives’ to be set free, these ‘lives’ must first be in captivity, else there cannot be any experience of liberation or freedom. Does this mean in order to do the good in releasing lives a greater evil must first take place in capturing these lives? Does it mean in order to appreciate freedom, lives must first be in captivity?

Many religions today believe in releasing birds as an act of setting free the captives. A look at the American Express advertisement of Richard Gere sponsoring a girl to release multitude of birds, and the many Hong Kong television serial dramas will show this is true. This method of liberation is a good way to make the bird sellers rich. The sellers capture the birds and people pay money to release them, an act I consider enterprising.

Let us see these beliefs in human equivalence. Few of us will ever think of ourselves as totally liberated with complete freedom. We are in some sense captives in a prison, no matter how much ‘freedom’ we have, so long as we have governance. Governance is by no means totally bad, because it provides some form of order and liberation, without which we may become out of control. Liberation, in this sense, means we must first be in captivity, and only in captivity and deprivation, can we experience what it means to be free.

In the day Man chose to disobey God, Man has fallen and chosen captivity. Since Adam’s time, we are already in need to be set free, and this by no means is possible by the act of releasing birds from their cages. We were not created as captives, so we cannot say a greater evil is needed in order for us to experience freedom.

Freedom is not something we can purchase by doing good. We are essentially slaves to sin, and we need help to be set free. Freedom needs to be paid in blood, without which liberation from sin is impossible. Jesus, for this reason, has paid the price by shedding His blood on the cross for you and me, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 NAS)

If you have not found Christ and invite Him into your heart, let me invite you to do so now. Jesus can liberate you from the hold of sin and give meaning to your life on earth. No longer do we need to live lives without meaning or aim, for the love of God can encompass and overwhelm you to experience true freedom in the LORD.

Christmas Trees

It's Christmas season and a time for festivities! Enjoy it with me by reading 'A Christmas Story'! (",)

JoY of Traveling

Singaporeans are great vacation travelers.

Every time when there is a public holiday that falls before or after a weekend, or when there are two days of holiday, or when two public holidays fall between a workday,people disappear from the city-state to travel the world.

Take a look at the pictures here on a normal day and on a day during an eve of a public holiday, or a day between two public holidays and you will know what I mean!

For a preview of the places you can go on your vacation travel, visit the group blog Vacation Travel!

Happy holidays! (",)

The 'JoY' of Marriage

... from the author of Old Master Q (Lao Fu Zi)

Blogging Offence News Aftermath

Negative publicity about blogging recently has affected many people, including the non-bloggers.

News pertaining to the jailing and punishment of bloggers over offences of sedition and porn has raised considerable concerns in the public community, resulting in negative effects and pseudo-perceptions of blogging and online activities as a dangerous affair.

In a blog created by a student less than a month ago, the blogger wrote about how she has secretly started her blog and how her parents would 'kill' her if they found out. A few days after she wrote that blog, she has ceased blogging completely, leaving her last words as having been found out.

The news is not without having an effect on me too. Don't get me wrong, I am not against blogging. I have been blogging for sometime, and I have found it extremely helpful for sharing, educating, and getting to know new friends. What I am saying here is its effect on me resulting from the daily hounding of my better half who reminds me constantly of the dangers I may be in, getting upset over my 'addiction' to online activities. The truth is, I barely spend more than five per cent of my available time in Net activities, even though I do communicate in online communities and blogs. I suspect the real reason is probably because I have not been spending enough time with my companion, but considering the fact I am a worker and a student at the same time, I am in actuality already barely grasping with time.

The way news is presented can affect the way views are perceived. If presented negatively, its effects may result in unfair perception of blogging and online activities as totally bad. In reality, however, blogging is a useful way of communicating and sharing, and online activities have helped build a unique sense of closeness in a global world, which have never before been possible prior to the introduction of cyberspace.

Psalm 23 for the Information Age

The Lord is my programmer, I shall not crash.
He installed His software on the hard disk of my heart.
All of His commands are user friendly.
His directory guides me to the right choices for His name's sake.

Even though I scroll through the problems of life,
I will fear no bugs, For He is my back-up.
His password protects me.
He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies.
His help is only a keystroke away.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And my file will be merged with His and saved forever.

Amen.

NoTe:
This 'psalm' is NOT an attempt to modify God's Word! It's simpLy a hypothetical funny presentation of a 'creative' (or sick) mind. This information Age version of a 'psalm' is sent to me by someone I know, so I am sharing it with you, hopefully to cheer up your day! lol (",)

Fallen ...

After two days of consecutive 'marathon' working on study assignment through early mornings up till 3am and 4am, I am now fallen ... taken ill with dizzy spells.

However, even when a person is sick, work don't get done by itself, so I'll still be needing to slog, even with a 'swimming' head. I really need a break badly, but with about six written assignments to go and an exam third week of next month, all pleasants dreams are forgotten and I just have to continue to hang on!

Depressing ...

I am going into a depressive mode again, because I used to be a perfectionist and expect high standards in everything I do, but now I cannot.

With me at hand is an overdue study assignment, and another due Friday this week, and a third due next week. I am inefficient at work and lack the concentration because of tiredness, probably because of insufficient sleep, resulting in doing everything imperfect, and I just cannot accept that.

I cannot accept the fact I am accomplishing nothing in everything and anything I do, yet there are still so many things waiting for me to do. I am not doing anything right nor to my very best because I am ill-stricken at mind.

Sometimes I just want to give it all up, so to retain my sanity, but life is such, not everything is up to us to decide. With money invested in studies and the risk of losing my job, I simply cannot neglect and inefficiency is just not something to accept.

So, I am back to overdrive mode, hoping against hope for better days to come! If you find a mad Spidey swinging aimlessly these days ... just don't expect too much, because I am just trying to keep myself sane!

Confession of a Pusher

It irks me that I am a pusher and I have to do it daily. It is not as if I am enjoying it, but I don't really have a choice.

Let me tell you my story, how I became a pusher. I work it a place remote from public transport and I have to take a feeder bus to reach my destination. Each time the bus arrives, a huge crowd will gather to enter to a one door entrance up the bus. There is no queue whatsoever nor the cue to know the exact spot where the bus will stop, so everyone will have to move discerningly to position a good spot when the bus is seen arriving.

When the bus arrive and stop, all hell will break lose and everyone will be rushing to get up the bus relentlessly. Some passengers however will be stricken with fear of stampede and freeze without moving forward, and that is where I become a pusher.

I push people to move forward to reach the bus. Many people surrounding the bus will try all angles and means to make their way forward and up, inch by inch, step by step, but with some fear stricken people ahead, there is seldom chance to reach the goal. The only way, therefore, is to PUSH ahead using a finger or one's body, with a stare that can kill, to make sense to the person ahead, to quit being a stumbling block and move forward and up.

This is my story of how I became a pusher, and it is an unpleasant daily experience for me, because I have always pride myself in acting gracefully, but for this case, I do not have a choice, so if you are one of my victims, I hope you will understand.

Disney @ Causeway Point

Disney promotion at Causeway Point from Septemeber 2-18, 2005!

Hold On Together

Here's a very meaningful stanza from Diana Ross's song, If You Hold On Together ...

Don't lose your way
With each passing day
You've come so far
Don't throw it away
Live believing
Dreams are for weaving
Wonders are waiting to start
Live your story
Faith, hope, glory
Hold to the truth in your heart

Travel Collectables

Flirting Online

Many people use words to flirt with others on the Net through chat, comment in blogs, and e-mail, with others whom they can only 'see' or imagine from photo images or avatars representing them.

In the 'real' world, people who flirt online may really be quite tamed, while people whom seemingly keep silent and use ordinary pictures to represent themselves on the Net may be reversed.

Words, verbally spoken or casually written, are often assumed harmless because people on the Net seldom meet each other and unless they do, nothing physical can happen. However, the truth about words is that it can send sensory signals to a person's innermost being, triggering roaring desires hidden within.

Whether we think of words as harmful or otherwise, it is prudent for us to be wise, to note the things we say, to keep ourselves from harm's way!