It's a small world indeed.

I think it was yesterday that I received a forwarded email from my college classmate. The forwarded message contained pictures of this amazing looking tree. The original sender had a blogspot link at her signature, so I thought that maybe it would be good to just go net surfing a while. Maybe I'll find more amazing looking stuff...

 

So anyway, I clicked on the link and appeared on this girl's website, her name is Cely. I was particular interested by the video that she posted, recording an accident . I wanted to know what webhost she was using, because I wanted to post videos on my blog too. Previously I've found OurMedia, but the uploading speed was unbelievably slow. She also mentioned about recording the incident with her camera phone, so I was interested in that piece of info too.

 

So I left a comment on her post, and almost immediately I received her reply. What a helpful, friendly person!! Anyway, we got into discussion about webhost and also camera phones. I told her that I've finally found a good webhost, YouTube (which is currently down at the moment, that's why i'm not providing the link here. Hope it comes good again soon). Since she was so helpful, I thought that I would provide her with some useful information too. I told her to check out my website and see how YouTube has helped me.

 

On my blogspot, I've just posted a video of my own (as I am typing this post YouTube is still down, so you'll have to see my video later). It's a video of VisionCast 2005, one of my first works. Not too long after my email, I received her reply. Now, at this point of time I was pretty shocked. 1, because her reply was quite fast. 2, the subject of the email was OMG, which is short for "oh my god" or "oh my goodness" or "oh my gameboy!!", etc. Now that kind of subject title gets anyone's attention. 3rdly, she actually went and visit my blog and saw the whole video. Hard to find sincere people nowadays mah.

 

But the most amazing thing was that in my video, she found her long lost friend, who happens to be my youth member. Now that's the power of communication, my friends. I always hoped that my blog would contribute something positive to my readers life, and I'm glad that I was the channel that brought 2 close friends back together.

 

Just before typing this post, I visited Cely's blog again. She just came into the blogging world in December 2005, so I managed to see most of her writings, and I enjoy reading her posts. Maybe you can have a look here. I'm out.

Money (2)

Is it just me, or are people (especially young people) using their money unwisely? For the 1 year I've been working, I've witnessed the people around getting materially richer. Clothes, handphones, accesories, cars... Even students seem to be richer than I am. Ya, it's true. I've seen people taking part time jobs during the holidays and spend all their wages to buy a brand new phone. I don't know, but I'm just not that type of person who is willing to carry RM1500, an amount which I've worked for the whole month, and go to a phone shop and buy a phone. Too much risk involved. I've seen people earning 50 % of my salary affording to buy a car.

I sum up my frustration and my amazement at the way people use money with this story - Last night I was in the lift, after sending May back to her house. Inside the lift stood a monk. I'm not sure of his religion, but I'm sure he's not a Catholic. There was silence for a while. Then he took out his camera phone, and called a friend. A MONK USED HIS CAMERA PHONE TO MAKE A PHONE CALL IN THE LIFT. Now you go figure...

Materialism... pulling us off the right track. It's pulling us off the right track...

Money (1)

Monday I received my new contract - a 1 year extension of my employment here in BCSIS, along with a pay raise. For starters, I'm really thankful that I have a job. Then I was given a pretty good salary to start with, considering the market rate for graduates nowadays in Malaysia. It's unmeritted favour, really. And now a raise. I should be happy. But a truth has really dawned upon me like never before. And it's depressing really.

You see, after every Chinese New Year, prices go up. They do it in a very obvious fashion. They would first increase the price by 40 cents during the festive season (and senseless, hungry people would still come), and then they will reduce 20 cents after that. Which means a rise of 20 cents. I'm talking about the dim sum shop across my church building. The prices have gone up so greatly, that they are hesitant to put up the prices for their customers now. Probably the boss is still thinking about the right pricing.

And it has been for the past years that the prices are going up at a certain speed, but the raise in salaries is at a slower pace. Maybe I'm dumb, but this shows me 2 things. 1, is that it is getting harder and harder for an individual to break out of the survival stage, which will ultimately lead to my 2nd point - the longing to be rich will be harder and harder to satisfy. So if you're working and you're in it for the money, you'd be constantly and repeatly disappointed. Again, maybe I'm dumb. There are unconventional ways of earning fast cash Malaysians can try - MLMs (no comment), being an insurance agent, the lottery, etc... No, please, don't tell me about it.

I don't want to work for the sake of money, there's more to life than that. I have to remind myself of this for at least another year.

Lunch (2)

Some people blame my colleagues for being rude; others give me a weird look; maybe my colleagues think I'm anti-social - The idea of having lunch alone seems so unacceptable by many. Don't get me wrong. I love to have lunches with people. It's one of the things I enjoy doing. But recently I've found out that people actually fear eating alone.

 

I had to break this mindset too. One day I just decided that it has to stop. I can't let my fear or mindset of eating alone stop me from eating the things I want to eat (I think it was that day that I started to gain weight). I stepped out of the box, and was determined to enjoy my lunch hour, with or without company. In fact, having lunch alone is pretty fun.

 

For one, you can observe your surroundings better without company, and be amazed by the little details of life. You'll see things that you usually don't see, or have not seen before despite walking the same route for so long. And you surely you don't want to be interrupting your friend's words when you saw something that caught your attention, unless your lunchmate has the same tendencies... Another thing I love to do while eating out alone is to reflect on past events. Just think about the things I could have done better in a certain situation, things like that.... You know, things only you can do when you're alone in a crowd.

 

If you're person that loves attention or trick people, then you should definitely try eating out alone. Order something that smells really good, or something that looks tasty. As you wait for the food comes, take out your fancy camera phone. Take a picture - make sure someone's looking at you take the picture and capture a spot in the restaurant that has no significance whatsoever. Haha, I think it's a cool idea. I would do it!! If only I had a camera phone....

 

Again, just want to help some people who just can't eat out alone for whatever reasons. Try it. If you can't be happy alone, how can you make someone happy? =)

"What? What so funny?"

Girls are mostly slow in getting jokes. Years after watching tv shows and movies with my mom and May, I think it's safe to come to that conclusion. Let me teach you girls how you enjoy comedies to the maximum. Have you ever asked a question while others are laughing at a joke, then you don't get an answer because that person is busy laughing and enjoying themselves? Have you been frustrated by the end of the day playing catch-up with all the humour?

You see, we guys don't get all the jokes either... but one thing different from you and us, is that we are willing to let go. Let go of the jokes that you don't understand, or else you'll be missing out on the next joke that you would probably understand and love while you are seeking an explanation on why the previous joke was so funny.

My thoughts on Valentine's

I think Valentine's Day was a businessman's idea. One smart guy.... Sure there's the story about that Saint Valentine and all. But the idea of actually having a day in the calendar to celebrate?? Can anyone trace back in time and figure out whose idea it was?? ok thank you. I think we can redefine the meaning of this day by the way we celebrate love, or rather, by the way we love throughout the year. It doesn't have to be just about dining or shopping or mourning. Don't let this day control how you live and how you love!!

Ponder this, young people.

The way you use your time will determine if you screw up or build up your life. Invest your time wisely. The wise man builds his house upon the Rock. Invest your time on variables that is of firm foundation, positive impact, and will stand the test of time.