Xmas decorations

Christmas is over and I am in the process of removing the decorations and keeping the Xmas tree. Share with you some pics that I took prior to the Xmas gatherings.

Christmas Spread

Wife and I hosted two Christmas gatherings back to back and that tired us out :) Managed to get enough rest while on leave so now time to update the blog.

We ordered the main 'course' from Cold Storage:
- Christmas Deluxe platter consisting of honey ham 1.5kg, honey ribs 1kg, sun dried tomato chicken breast 1.4kg
- a small and medium butterfly turkey, comes with stuffing and gravy.

The rest of the food were generously contributed by friends.

Take a look at the Xmas spread:

Xmas eve's turkey (small size)











Pasta (made by wife)

Stuffing










Honey baked ham











Salad (contributed by KL):
Sushi platter (contributed by Alvin, Tony, Carol):












Otak (contributed by Carol):
Japanese pizza (contributed by Alvin, Tony, Carol):













Curry chicken (made by Wee's mum):
Apple pie (made by Aik Bing):
Xmas eve's logcake (from Polar Cakes):

Finland and Estonia

From 早报副刊 2006-12-25

芬兰Finland自游行 没淑女也没绅士的国度
文／潘星华

芬兰1808年被俄罗斯强占，1918年争取独立。1906年，芬兰继纽澳之后，在法律上给予妇女选举权和其他政治权利。当地女性独立自强，记者在当地逗留期间，发现芬兰旅游业上自旅游局处长、经理，下至地陪，几乎全是指挥若定、自信过人的女性。

今年6月游莫斯科和圣彼得堡回来，正被大俄帝国久远的历史、绚烂的文化和恢宏的版图慑服之际，8月又接到芬兰航空公司的邀请，有了到距离圣彼得堡不到300公里的芬兰首都赫尔辛基和不到400公里的爱沙尼亚首都塔林旅游的机会。

两次欧洲之旅，给我全然不同的感受。

委婉简朴的小国

　　如果说，俄罗斯大帝国是强悍的、霸权的、富于侵略性的，芬兰和爱沙尼亚两个小国则是委婉、简朴，看似孱弱，却坚韧不拔的。他们在被俄国和苏联征服过的同时，仍然坚守自己的语言文化，等待政权随时的回归。

　　芬兰自1808年被俄国强占，至1918年争取到独立；爱沙尼亚的政权曾经落在德国、丹麦、瑞典、波兰和俄国手中，这些都没有泯灭他们要求独立的心志。几经千辛万苦，爱沙尼亚共和国于1918年宣布独立，可是却在1940年再度被苏联侵占，直到50年后，苏联解体，爱沙尼亚才得以翻身。

　　芬兰于1995年加入欧洲联盟，爱沙尼亚则于2004年加入欧洲联盟。芬兰已是欧洲的富国，爱沙尼亚则在欧盟的协助下，正逐渐恢复自主国的光辉。

全无小鸟依人态势

　　来到芬兰，最引我注意的是芬兰女子的独立性和自强性。她们留给我最深刻的印象，是她们完全与男性平等、“我们是人”，而全无“我们是女人”那种小鸟依人，柔弱需要男性关注爱护的态势。

旅途除了招待我们芬爱之游的芬兰航空公司经理耶里·塔拉(Jere Tala)和波罗的海旅游会执行董事托马斯·米尔克（Thomas Mielke）是英俊潇洒的男士外，举凡旅游局处长、经理、各城市地陪，几乎全是孔武有力、指挥若定、自信心十足的女性。

　　带我们游览芬兰坦佩尔（Tampere）的莎丽（Sari Rinta），有一辆承载18人的小客车，她驾车的技术，自是稳当纯熟，搬起我们10个人沉重的行李，绝对是闲话一句，轻巧自如。39岁的她和丈夫在3年前创业，一起经营这门在她眼中看来很有前途的旅游行业。

男人不送花给女人

阅读资料，我了解到芬兰妇女在欧洲有很大的性别优势。1906年，芬兰成为继纽西兰（1893年）和澳洲（1902年）之后，在法律上给予妇女选举权和其他政治权利的世界第三个国家，同时也是欧洲第一个国家。

　　芬兰旅游局经理卡丽娜·佩尔科宁（Kaarina Pelkonen）

（59岁）感慨地对我说：“我们这里90-95%的女人是职业妇女，男女非常平等。正因为这样，在芬兰已没男人会送花给女人，芬兰的女人已经把芬兰绅士‘杀死’了。我们没有了温柔的淑女，也同时失去了有风度的绅士。”

　　卡丽娜仍然云英未嫁。她说：“年轻的时候，有男孩子在家门口等我，可是我的工作太忙，可以一个月不回家，怎么结婚？虽然我认为女人应该结婚，否则社会没有新生代，世界也没有希望。”

　　波罗的海旅游会执行董事托马斯（41岁）复杂的经历，最足以代表身处欧洲共同体，“大欧洲”时代的欧洲人。在东德一个距离柏林100公里的小镇出生的他，非常幸运地于1986年被派到直属苏联外交部的莫斯科国际关系学院学习，并被分配读芬兰语为第三语文。

　　1991年他毕业的时候，苏联已经解体，他到芬兰的歌德学院教德语，并且和一名芬兰女子结婚。9年后，他举家离开芬兰，搬到瑞典。目前，他的“波罗的海旅游会”，设在瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩。

　　和这名曾在莫斯科受大学教育，目前在瑞典工作的东德男士，谈起已经共有两女一子的芬兰太太。

他说：“我们俩是采用‘协商’的方式，经营这个家庭。我了解自己的意见并不全对，所以，总会听她的。平日，我也让着她。在北欧虽然男女平等，女人的薪水还是不及男人，她们在外面工作，要特别努力。”

新加坡直飞芬兰每天两班

亚洲经济的崛起，已使欧洲航空公司视为发展市场的契机。从今年10月26日起，芬兰航空公司每天已有两班飞机，从新加坡经曼谷，直飞芬兰首都赫尔辛基。

　　芬兰航空公司区域（新加坡、马来西亚、印尼）经理耶里塔拉（Jere Tala）对记者说：“亚洲和欧洲的旅游来往，每年正以7%的增长率增加。新加坡是我们亚洲发展战略的一个重要城市，我们深信未来有很大的扩展空间。增加新加坡飞往赫尔辛基的航班，让更多亚洲人飞往北欧、东欧、俄国和波罗的海国家，是我们占有更大亚洲市场的策略。”

　　他说，日本名古屋成为芬航的亚洲新站后，芬航在日本已有东京、大阪、名古屋三站，在东南亚则有新加坡、曼谷，在中国则有上海、北京、广州和香港等站。今年11月新添到印度首都新德里的站后，明年5月，吉隆坡将再加入芬航亚洲阵营。

　　耶里塔拉说，去年芬航总载客量是850万人。随着芬航在亚洲设立多个新站，预期这两年的载客量将有明显增加。

Estonia

一本“护照”看尽爱沙尼亚

我在爱沙尼亚（Estonia）的大学城塔突（Tartu），购买了一本名为《爱沙尼亚护照》的小册子。这本小册子，就以一本护照的形式出现。

在它的首页，除了要求我把照片、姓名、生日、性别等一切护照必须具备的资料填上，还有几行字，让人感动。

　　它说：“这本护照虽然不是官方文件，持有者却显示了对这个立足在爱沙尼亚土地上的国家，数百年为争取自由而奋斗的同情之心。这个国家是欧洲最古老的国家之一，有着5000年的历史，是欧洲具有独立主权的最小国家。”

　　掏钱购买这本仅值50爱币（约7元新币）的《护照》时，听旁边一名来自德国的旅游业者说：“要是美国护照，我才买。”幸好爱沙尼亚并没有“国穷志短”，后来一名马来西亚同行看了我手上这本以最精简的文字，图文并茂介绍爱沙尼亚的《护照》，也想购买一本时，已被告知售罄。

爱沙尼亚的首都塔林（Tallinn）是个有850年历史的城市。它的古城，堡垒处处，就算街上的小店，也保留了非常典雅朴实的古风，它已被联合国文教组织列为世界遗产，走在其中，仿佛走进时光隧道般，有时空交错之感。

　　这里到处可以听到芬兰语，可见芬兰游客之多。据说，距离这里仅75公里路的赫尔辛基人，每到周末就乘船来此购物、剪头发、补牙齿，就像新加坡人去新山，香港人去深圳那样。

　　我在赫尔辛基没两下子，用掉500欧元（约1016新元）。到爱沙尼亚去，我以100欧元换来爱币1500元，用了三天，还花不完。由此，我可以了解为什么芬兰人这么爱去塔林。

　　爱沙尼亚的大学城塔突，人口约有10万，大学生就占了2万5000人。建于1632年的塔突大学，是欧洲非常有名的大学。一名来自芬兰，就读生物科学的女生玛丽，原本对塔突一无所知。3年前到塔突大学来过一趟，就被这座大学城迷住。有心当兽医的她说，在塔突大学毕业后，还需要在芬兰读一年半的书，才能正式成为兽医。

　　她说：“我常告诉家乡朋友，到爱沙尼亚来，不要只在塔林停留，应该多走几步路，到塔突来。”

出行锦囊

芬兰

〉〉独立：1917年

〉〉加入欧盟：1995年

〉〉人口：520万人 （每平方公里17人）

〉〉面积：33万8145平方公里。欧洲第五大国家，69%森林、10%水域，有10万个小岛、19万个湖泊。

〉〉首都：赫尔辛基

〉〉货币：欧元

〉〉国教：基督教（路德教会）81%，东正教（2%）

〉〉官方语言：芬兰语（93%）、瑞典语（6%）

〉〉最骄人产品：诺基亚手机, 音乐家西贝辽斯

〉〉时间：比新加坡慢5小时

〉〉怎样去：乘芬兰航空公司，经曼谷，直飞赫尔辛基(12小时)

〉〉网站：www.visitfinland.com

爱沙尼亚

〉〉独立：1991年8月20日

〉〉加入欧盟：2004年5月1日

〉〉人口：136万人 （68%爱沙尼亚人、26%俄国人、2%乌克兰人、1%芬兰人、1%其他），每平方公里32人。

〉〉面积：4万5227平方公里

〉〉货币：爱沙尼亚币。100欧元＝1500爱币，100欧元＝202.25新元

〉〉首都：塔林（Tallinn）

〉〉与邻国距离：芬兰赫尔辛基85公里，俄国圣彼得堡395公里，瑞典斯德哥尔摩405公里

〉〉时间：比新加坡慢5小时

〉〉怎样去：乘芬兰航空公司飞机，到赫尔辛基(12小时)再转飞塔林（45分钟），或乘船去（2小时）。

〉〉网站：www.visitestonia.com

Anniversary

Today is our 1st wedding anniversary, how time flies. However we have a wedding dinner to attend tonight so wife and I will celebrate tomorrow instead. Today being a Friday and Xmas is just around the corner, many colleagues are clearing their leaves. I took the company bus to office this morning and there were like 10 souls on the bus! :) I took leaves for the whole of next week so won't be back in office till Jan 2007.

If you happen to bump into me in my morning journey to work, you will see me at the bus stop, plugged with my earphones, listening to the radio. Perhaps its coincidental, this morning, I heard one of our wedding montage song played on the radio!

Share it with you here, enjoy :)

For your babies by Simply Red (Video Montage song)



Lyrics:

You've got that look again
The one I hoped I had when I was a lad
Your face is just beaming
Your smile got me boasting, my pulse roller- coastering
Any way the four winds that blow
They're gonna send me sailing home to you
Or I'll fly with the force of a rainbow
The dream of gold will be waiting in your eyes

You know I'd do most anything you want
Hey I, I try to give you everything you need
I can see that it gets to you
I don't believe in many things
But in you I do

Her faith is amazing
The pain that she goes through contained in
The hope for you
Your whole world has changed
The years spent before seem more cloudy
Than blue
In many ways your baby's controlling
When you haven't laid down for days
For the poor no time to be thinking
They're too busy finding ways

You know I'd do most anything you want
Hey I, I try to give you everything you need
I’ll see that it gets to you
I don't believe in many things
But in you I do

You know I'd do most anything you want
Every day I, try to give you everything you
Need
We'll always be there for you
I don't believe in many things
But in you I do

Remembering Joseph Barbera

Joseph Barbera, co-founder of Hanna- Barbera Studios and creator of Oscar-winning characters Tom and Jerry as well as Huckleberry Hound and the Flintstone family, died on 18th Dec of natural causes at home. He was 95.

Unless you are living in a cave, you must have seen one of Hanna-Barbera's cartoons. Notable ones are Flinstones, Scooby-doo, Yogi Bear, Smurfs, Jetsons, Atom Ant, Tom & Jerry, Popeye and many more. Personally these are my favourites:


















Wacky Races - If you can remember, there are a few teams to compete who finished the race first. There is this villian team ,the guy with the red/blue hat and the doggie with a cynical laugh (goes something like hee hee hee hee) will always dish out dirty tricks and tactics to foil other teams's plan. The DVD is out, it's on my waiting list :)

Scooby-doo needs no introduction. Who can forgot the Scooby-doo bee where are you theme :) In the later part of the series, they introduced Scooby little nephew Scrabby-doo. Both have signature tunes, Yabba yabba doo and puppy power! :)















Super Friends - The original series were produced by Hanna-Barbera and the characters were under license from DC Comics.

See you can recognise any of the cartoon characters from the following pics:

Christmas Time!

This is my personal favourite Xmas song, not one of those traditional ones but its a rare hit by my favourite singer Bryan Adams.

Christmas Time - Bryan Adams (this is not the original MTV but a clip done up nicely by a fan, check it out):

Lyrics:

We waited all through the year
for the day to appear
when we could be together in harmony

You know the time will come
peace on earth for everyone
and we can live forever in a world where we are free
let it shine for you and me

There's something about Christmas time
something about Christmas time
that makes you wish it was Christmas everyday

To see the joy in the children's eyes
the way that the old folks smile
says that Christmas will never go away

We're all as one tonight
makes no difference if you're black or white
'cause we can sing together in harmony

I know it's not too late
the world would be a better place
if we can keep the spirit more than one day in the year
send a message loud and clear

[Chorus:]
It's the time of year when everyone's together
we'll celebrate here on Christmas day
when the ones you love are there
you can feel the magic in the air - you know it's everywhere
There's something about Christmas time
something about Christmas time
that makes you wish it was Christmas every day

To see the joy in the children's eyes
the way that the old folks smile
says that Christmas will never go away

[Repeat chorus]

Please tell me Christmas will never go away




Take a sleigh ride to Loon's Lagoon to listen to my other favourite Xmas tunes!

Christmas mood

It's just less than a week to Christmas and am starting to feel the Christmasy mood :) Radio stations starts to play Xmas songs, shopping malls all dolled up with nice Xmas decos, no snow but lots of rains lately and the cool weather all help liven the mood here in the tropics.

To me, probably what brings out the mood are the Xmas songs. You can't help but sing or hum to it when you hear the tunes played on the radio or when you entered a shop. Music is never lacking in the house and when I'm cleaning or tidying the house, I will play some cds or switched on the radio. Since Xmas is drawing near, I have also start to play some Xmas cds.

One of them is this Charlie Brown CD, a birthday gift from my friend KL.















Incidentally I got this mailer from Borders this morning in my inbox and this CD is one of their recommendations. Share with you their review:

		Only the Grinchiest among us could resist the charm of Vince Guaraldi's delightful A Charlie Brown Christmas. With bouncing, jazzy takes on traditional songs, as well as originals like the cascading piano magic of "Skating" or the rolling beginning of "Linus and Lucy," it infuses everything from decorating cookies to setting the table with a festive spirit. Recently reissued with four alternate takes, the album remains a perfect holiday accompaniment.

	Audio: Listen to Christmas ls Coming
	PDF: The Making Of A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack

Will be inviting group of friends for dinner + gathering on both Xmas eve and Xmas day itself. Besides the food, I will try to be a good DJ and play some nice Xmas music selections :)

Off to Beijing!

Here I am, at the airport, waiting for my flight to Beijing to attend a training. I arrived at about 7am, breezed through the new check-in terminals, yes no more queues! This is the first time I tried to use this self check-in terminals, the airport personnel was very helpful and I asked him why are people still queuing, he said with a smile "perhaps, they are not so convinced of the service yet". I guess so but when I looked at the queue of about 50 people waiting in vain for their turns to check-in, I think to myself, let's embrace technology to serve ourselves better.

I was wrong to think that 7am is too early in the airport business, once I passed through the passport control, you see travellers buzzing around, having their breakfast, typing away on the free internet terminals, shopping, and I can just hear the cashiers ching-ching all the way :) 7am is indeed not early as I see that there are alot of flights going to other parts of Asia in the early morning so our Changi Airport is really like an airport that never sleeps.

It is always a nice experience for me to be at the airport, just before departure, I will look for the Bengawan Solo outlet to have my good old favourtie soon-kwey but alas today seems too early, the soon-kwey not ready. I am a Teochew boy at heart so you can't take away the soon-kwey from me, it is something that other kweys cannot replaced, hee hee.

Gotta go to departure gate now, flight departing in 30mins time!

Race Statistics

Wah, with the help of technology, my race is being tracked and here are my stats:

1st 10km race

Yeah! I completed the 10km run yesterday at the 2006 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.

The race begin about 7am, I woke up at around 5.30am, get ready and leave the house around 6.30am. Wife decided to join the run also and I managed to get my friend Choo as well, both as guest runners :) As I signed up officially, I have the number tag and also a little chip thing to be tied to my shoes so that the organisers can track my time as well as to make sure I didnt cheat by making any shortcuts.

The weather was quite kind to us, it was cloudy and breezy, and that makes the jog/run an enjoyable one. Compared to the Safra race I run in September, this is more well-organised, probably it is more large scale, about 31000 official participants. Those who did not register can join in the run too, sans number tags, only thing is you are not allowed to run through the finishing line, will be asked to be diverted to a small lane about 100m before the actual finishing point. The roads are properly blocked and well spaced, and you dont have the problem of rubbing against other sweaty bodies.

I clocked about 1hr 10mins for the 10km run, quite satisfied with the timing, cos didnt aim to compete in any way just to complete. Wife did quite well too, about 1.5hr, her first time running on the roads somemore as she usually run on the threadmill.

Dunno how much calories we burnt but after going home to wash up, we quickly went to BigO for lunch, ordered a crab linguine (cannot change to my fav mee-pok fettucine), need my carbo! Went back and have a power nap for two hours before we indulge in an hour of tu-na massage :)

Next year, come run with us ok? :)

Tribute to the 80s!

Tonight my company is holding our annual Dinner & Dance and the theme is 80s!
80s is my favourite era in terms of music but if you were to talk about fashion sense, i think it is one of the worst! haha, not that I have a good dressing sense to begin with lah :)

I don't have a clue what I am going to wear, and I'm not so "sporting" to really follow the theme, will let others steal the disco-ball light while I sit and enjoy the music :) Do you know what is in fashion in the 80s? I remember Depeche Mode, Duran Duran T-shirts are in trend back then, you just need to wear one of your favourite artiste tees and with blue jeans and you're considered quite hip already :) Those 'hiao' and 'havoc' ones will also fold their school uniform or T-shirts sleeves to a few layers up, haha those were the days. Girls like to wear big ear rings, head-bands, have big hairdo while boys gel up their hair to make it spiky, try to be Michael Jackson wannabe by wearing white socks with black shoes, I would say thats a fashion faux pas to this day that every guy should avoid at all costs :)

You can't forget about the music when you're talking about the 80s. With the help of internet during the late 90s, I was able to catch up alot of 80s music with the help of dedicated fans setting up their idols' webpage. And now with the help of youtube, music fans can watch their favourite MTV that they have no access to before.

I've since set up a site at Multiply.com to host some of my favourite videos, take a swim in Loon's Lagoon to see if you share any of my tastes or not :)

Parking Pontianak

Went to watch the Dim Sum Dollies a week ago in the musical Little Shop of Horrors. The 3 dollies didnt appear much as the main story centers around the flower shop, but whenever they appear, everyone laughs and cheers.

Hope they will have their own show back next year, love their skits and tongue-in-cheek jab at topics/issues.











Share this clip with you, was surprised to find this on youtube, classic!

Personality Test

My friend posted this link http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm in his blog and I decided to take the test to see what it says about me.

My result is INFJ, breakdown as follows:
Introverted 89%
Intuitive 12%
Feeling 25%
Judging 11%

The Portrait of the Counselor Idealist (iNFj)

The Counselor Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and directive and introverted in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions. The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since Counselors have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.

Counselors can be hard to get to know. They have an unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, Counselors are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative. Indeed, because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others, Counselors can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human contact. At the same time, friends who have known a Counselor for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; Counselors value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become aware of another's emotions or intentions -- good or evil -- even before that person is conscious of them. This "mind-reading" can take the form of feeling the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types to comprehend. Even Counselors can seldom tell how they came to penetrate others' feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the Counselor is most likely of all the types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection. Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the Counselor, and can extend to people, things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.

Mohandas Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt are examples of the Counselor Idealist (INFJ).

Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging

Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.

INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ.

"There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.

INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.

Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.

Functional Analysis:

Introverted iNtuition

Introverted intuitives, INFJs enjoy a greater clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes than all but their INTJ cousins. Just as SP types commune with the object and "live in the here and now" of the physical world, INFJs readily grasp the hidden psychological stimuli behind the more observable dynamics of behavior and affect. Their amazing ability to deduce the inner workings of the mind, will and emotions of others gives INFJs their reputation as prophets and seers. Unlike the confining, routinizing nature of introverted sensing, introverted intuition frees this type to act insightfully and spontaneously as unique solutions arise on an event by event basis.

Extraverted Feeling

Extraverted feeling, the auxiliary deciding function, expresses a range of emotion and opinions of, for and about people. INFJs, like many other FJ types, find themselves caught between the desire to express their wealth of feelings and moral conclusions about the actions and attitudes of others, and the awareness of the consequences of unbridled candor. Some vent the attending emotions in private, to trusted allies. Such confidants are chosen with care, for INFJs are well aware of the treachery that can reside in the hearts of mortals. This particular combination of introverted intuition and extraverted feeling provides INFJs with the raw material from which perceptive counselors are shaped.

Introverted Thinking

The INFJ's thinking is introverted, turned toward the subject. Perhaps it is when the INFJ's thinking function is operative that he is most aloof. A comrade might surmise that such detachment signals a disillusionment, that she has also been found lacking by the sardonic eye of this one who plumbs the depths of the human spirit. Experience suggests that such distancing is merely an indication that the seer is hard at work and focusing energy into this less efficient tertiary function.

Extraverted Sensing

INFJs are twice blessed with clarity of vision, both internal and external. Just as they possess inner vision which is drawn to the forms of the unconscious, they also have external sensing perception which readily takes hold of worldly objects. Sensing, however, is the weakest of the INFJ's arsenal and the most vulnerable. INFJs, like their fellow intuitives, may be so absorbed in intuitive perceiving that they become oblivious to physical reality. The INFJ under stress may fall prey to various forms of immediate gratification. Awareness of extraverted sensing is probably the source of the "SP wannabe" side of INFJs. Many yearn to live spontaneously; it's not uncommon for INFJ actors to take on an SP (often ESTP) role.

Famous INFJs:

Nathan, prophet of Israel
Aristophanes
Chaucer
Goethe
Robert Burns, Scottish poet

U.S. Presidents:

Martin Van Buren

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter

Nathaniel Hawthorne
Fanny Crosby, (blind) hymnist
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Fred McMurray (My Three Sons)
Shirley Temple Black, child actor, ambassador
Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader, martyr
James Reston, newspaper reporter
Shirley McClain (Sweet Charity, ...)
Piers Anthony, author ("Xanth" series)
Michael Landon (Little House on the Prairie)
Tom Selleck
John Katz, critic, author
Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary)
U. S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL)
Billy Crystal
Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury)
Nelson Mandela
Mel Gibson
Carrie Fisher
Nicole Kidman
Jamie Foxx
Sela Ward
Mark Harmon
Gary Dourdan
Marg Helgaberger
Evangeline Lilly
Tori May

---

Introverted iNtuiting Feeling Judging

by Marina Margaret Heiss

INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn.

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people -- a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type (possibly by the dominance of the introverted N function).

This empathy can serve as a classic example of the two-edged nature of certain INFJ talents, as it can be strong enough to cause discomfort or pain in negative or stressful situations. More explicit inner conflicts are also not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, there can sometimes be a "tug-of-war" between NF vision and idealism and the J practicality that urges compromise for the sake of achieving the highest priority goals. And the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings.

Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields. Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of "hard logic", and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences. However, the significant minority of INFJs who do pursue studies and careers in the latter areas tend to be as successful as their T counterparts, as it is *iNtuition* -- the dominant function for the INFJ type -- which governs the ability to understand abstract theory and implement it creatively.

In their own way, INFJs are just as much "systems builders" as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ "systems" are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually "blurrier" than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted -- yet it is these same underlying reasons which make the resulting contributions to society so vital and profound.

Board Games

When was the last time you play boardgames?

I went to Settlers Cafe on Saturday to re-live the days when playing boardgames were a regular pasttime. The cafe has been around for 3 years, nice concept where people can gather to play cards, boardgames, eat, drink and make hella of noise without worrying disturbing the neighbours or dirtying the house if one were to invite friends over. There are SO many games to choose from, you have the classics like Boggle, Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo, Risk, even old Maid card games! The staff are always there to help recommend the popular games and explain the rules on how to play etc.

There were 6 of us and we played from 7pm-11pm, each person coughing out only about $12, quite reasonable.

These are the games we played, you might want to check it out:

Sequence: 3 teams of 2 players. Aim is to form a row (diagonally, horizontal, vertical) of five using the chips and place the chip according to the card you draw.



















Blokus Trigon: New version of the ever-addictive Blokus. Now it comes in a hexagonal shape, 6 sided but still 4 players. The shapes are more complicated and it's more difficult to plan your next moves unlike the previous square shaped Blokus.






















I'm the Boss: Abit complicated. Each player tries to make business deal and get as much money as possible. You have to negiotiate with other players and see if they want to join you in the partnership.














Dragon Delta: Fun! Aim of the game is to construct a plank across stones to get across to the other side of the island. Made a blooper by making a illogical step at the beginning of the game, malu but provide entertainment for my friends, haha :)














Jurassic Jumble: Ideal for ice-breaking or warm-up to get everyone in the mood. Something like Heart Attack where you pass the cards and exchange with others to form a set of matching cards, in this case, a category of dinosaurs. Whoever wins will retrieve a bone from the middle of the table and the last one without the bone is the loser.

Is this art ?

This is Frank Gehry's design for our Integrated resort at Sentosa.
What do you think of it?
I think it looks damn ugly! I saw a fish head amidst some junk metal plates in there somewhere! Yucks!



Frank Gehry is best known for his sculptural approach to building design and for constructing curvaceous structures, often covered with reflective metal.
These are some of his famed works:

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao - a modern and contemporary art museum, located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

The Dancing House in Prague.

I like most of his unique designs he has done so far, but certainly not the one he just did.

I certainly hope this design will not be approved else it will be such an eye sore!

爱琴海上的珍珠 - 希腊萨托利尼 (Santorini)

早在1997, 我跟朋友结伴到希腊背包旅行. 去希腊总不能不去它的群岛.
读了这篇文章, 让我回乙当时在 Mykonos 和 Santorini 的迷人景色.
==============

学枫 (2006-10-16)

　　在爱琴海上，我们探索那遗落的珍珠。

　　那是希腊群岛中，距离雅典较远的萨托利尼岛(Satorini)。

　　从雅典出发，凌晨六点多钟我们摸黑来到了码头，乘搭蓝星渡轮（Blue Stars Ferries），全程8小时，只为一睹萨托利尼的风采。

火山爆发后的地理景观

　　公元前约1450年期间，一场灭绝性的火山爆发，引起了海啸和地震，岛中央的土地开始下沉，原本圆形的岛屿变成弓箭状，造就了萨托利尼漂亮独特的地理景观，号称希腊最美丽岛屿，并誉有“遗落在爱琴海上的珍珠”之衔。

浪漫的萨托利尼岛上，蓝色圆顶的白色教堂是最明显的坐标。

　　在轮船开始驶近小岛时，游客都惊艳于眼前的景致：一栋栋雪白的建筑物屹立悬崖陡壁上，浮现在蓝澄澄的海和晴空白云间，浪漫之极。那一刻，我联想起拜伦，想起了这位在希腊独立战争中离世的浪漫泰斗……

在倾斜中攀上了峭壁

　　大约下午3点多钟渡轮抵岸。

　　哪里知道，半个小时前还晴空一片，抵达岛屿时，老天爷却偏不作美，天空开始下起雨滴。细雨纷飞，我们在码头附近的店铺寻找住宿。

　　适逢淡季，来岛的渡轮也只有这么一趟，所以我们容易找到落脚之处。我们决定入住一家位于岛市中心菲拉城 ( Fira ) 的别墅。商议好价格后，别墅的负责人用专车迎接我们。

　　离开码头，车子驶上了一弯狭窄陡峭的山坡路，我们在倾斜中攀上了峭壁。在车上，热情的负责人滔滔不绝地向我们介绍岛上风光，还说那朦胧细雨在五分钟后即会停止，说得十分有把握。

　　大约15分钟的路程，我们来到菲拉城。菲拉城是萨托利尼的首府，在市镇里有公车总站、银行、旅行社、餐馆等。

在伊亚，喜见这临崖阁楼，有股留在斯地做隐士的冲动。

　　镇里高高低低错落有致的典雅屋宇，沿着弯弯的海岸线层层矗立着，蓝白纯色映入眼帘，雨中恍似梦纪行。

　　我们下榻的别墅就在市中心步行不到15分钟之处。或许当地人酷爱大自然，这里的房屋大多以纯白和湛蓝色彩为主，为萨托利尼营造另番风味，我们居住的别墅也不例外，感觉很幽雅。

　　海岛上的晨早，阳光和煦，轻洒在屋檐上，教堂清脆的钟声划破了沉静的大自然，唤醒一天的复始。

享受岛上一景一物

　　迈步岛上街路，没有车辚辚，马萧萧，放眼尽是碧蓝一片的爱琴海，清新爽朗。日子忙忙碌碌，难得弗届尘嚣，偷上几许闲暇，我们贪婪的去享受岛上的一景一物，逸趣盎然。

　　难怪，这里被公认为希腊蜜月假期的理想胜地，市场上还推出许多游萨托利尼的蜜月配套。

　　我们走过色调缤纷的门墙，花光叶影错杂篱边，也路过沿海房屋，在峭壁上矗立，颇有个性。我忙碌摄景的当儿，有几番冲动，很想很想，向前去串串门子，看看屋内又是怎样的一个春天。

纯白和蔚蓝构成了这里的房屋特色。

蓝白风情

　　萨托利尼的南部，是闻名的阿克罗蒂里（Akrotiri）遗迹。

　　曾经，在这里发掘出了不少历史文物，有精美的壁画以及陶瓷器，出土的一幅幅《春天》 、《羚羊》、《拳击少年》等色彩鲜明的壁画，现今已展现在雅典国立考古学博物馆里。

近距离接触“红海滩”

　　我们到达的阿克罗蒂里，如今是一片以棚架搭起被包围起来的广场，供考古学家钻研遗迹。

　　其实，岛上有不少明媚的海边，是夏日里东欧人避暑的好去处。阿克罗蒂里的附近，即是声称的红海滩。红海滩之所以“红”，是火山爆发喷出的熔岩积累。然而，当我们在近距离接触后， 发现“红海滩”其实是“红岩石”，有点儿被哄的感觉。

　　沿着萨托利尼海边的红岩峻岭，从海面上望去，有如一脉峭崖衔连到辽阔无边的云天，气势磅礴。据悉，在炎夏时节，这里是沸沸扬扬的一片。

“红海滩”，名副其实的红岩峻岭。

　　没有旅游旺季的喧嚷，我们则乐在静谧中悠游。

　　除了萨托利尼红海滩外，岛上还有好些海滩，如弗利哈达海滩（Vlihada），佩里沃罗海滩（Perivolos）和卡马里海滩（Kamari）等，其中以位于岛中央东边的卡马里海滩最为热闹，并以黑沙滩闻名遐迩。

　　毕竟，萨托利尼历经一连串的火山爆发，给岛上增添了不少的特色。在岛屿弓箭型的顶端，是一个叫做伊亚( Oia )的小镇。午后，我们从菲拉城乘公车前往。

明信片上的招牌风景

　　车子驰骋在转折迂回的石路上，窗外不断更替着一幅幅旖旎的景致。峥嵘起伏的山峦，巍峨中呈现着众多色彩淡雅的房屋。放学后的学生成群在嬉戏，一副天真写意。

　　在伊亚，我们尝试去觅寻那明信片上的招牌风景。

　　在许多介绍萨托利尼的照片中，都以蓝色圆顶的白色教堂为重要坐标。

色调缤纷的门墙，花光叶影错杂篱边。

　　走近当地民宅，有临崖阁楼，有弯曲石阶，纯净祥和的一栋栋建筑物，令人心胸舒坦。这里没有摩天高楼，也没有那叫“电梯”的东西，我们足足浏览了一个下午。

　　那一刻，我忽然觉得，自己是抛开世俗的隐士。只可惜这里四处窜跑着三三两两的狗群，一不小心，脚底踩得正着的是一堆粪便，实在有几许的煞人风景。

　　伊亚的景色独特宜人，据说，这里有最美丽的夕阳西沉。可惜的是，那一夜，我们却没有见到日落美景，没有见到那冠为世界上最为迷人的日落。

　　生活中的得与失，很多时候就凭那一份契机。

《联合早报》
（编辑：冯玉君）

Mother of mine

I saw this remarkable Finnish film "Mother of Film" yesterday. It was shown as part of the annual European film festival, organised by the European society of Singapore.

The story is about Eero, a war child, who was sent to Sweden to seek refuge when Finland was in war during World War II. Eero was separated from his mother and was assigned to a foster Swedish family. The foster mum did not like him initially but their relationship grows and Eero slowly accepts her as his mother.














The film has great cinematography, with each frame looking like a picturesque postcard. The film was Finland's entry to the Oscar foreign film category in 2005 but did not make it to the final five.

I have not seen a movie for a while that touches me as much as this one did. Perhaps the loss I've been through before allow me to immerse myself to the character's anguish and pain, I can't help letting my tears flow ...

Weather with you

Finally can see blue sky!
Yes our weather has been hit by haze for the last week and every morning when I get to work, the sky is always so grey and misty.

Heard this tune played on the radio while I was travelling to work today, Weather with you by Crowded House, nice cheery song that helps jumpstart my day, I like.

The chorus goes:

"
Everywhere you go,
you always take the weather with you
"

but certainly in our context here, don't take the haze with you ok? :)
Take the sun with you wherever you go!

Enjoy the MTV:

网上卡通片《黑屁股》

从小就很喜欢看卡通片.那天在报章上读到有这部可在网上下载的flash卡通片《黑屁股》,听起来挺有趣也挺有创意的,毕竟花3年4个月花的制作时间.















狗狗雨夜流浪，三千万电影赚人热泪--黑屁股

原创：www.a-hha.com

《黑屁股》讲述的是都市里，一只长着可爱黑屁股的小狗的故事，它在雨夜的街头流离失所，看尽人间冷暖。据张毅自己说，这部仅16分钟长，分4段可供网民独立下载的flash足足花掉了制作团队3年4个月的时间来创作。他又算了笔账，若按每月砸下去20万人民币计算的话，《黑屁股》简直是flash领域里的“超级大片”了。而一组黑屁股小狗被6名小孩围攻的镜头，更是苦煞了技术人员，张毅坦言，在网络的世界里，这组看似简单的镜头，简直相当于在传统电影里指挥千军万马。

现在这部耗资三千万港币的影片，终于出炉。感动上映……

第一集
第二集
第三集
第四集

人群里，
车流中，
一只显然没有家的小狗，
它要到哪里去？
生活里，
错身而过的问号，
是夜深人静之后的不安，
更不安的是；
你虽然想到，
也片刻辗转，
但是，仍然沉沉地入睡。
突然明白，
一只不知去从的小狗，
是不可追忆的痛伤，
甚至，是希望入梦而不可得的一个影像。
突然明白，
那是生命里最大的成分，
爱别离，
怨憎会，
求不得，
突然地明白，
恍如闪电。

哈姆雷特

那天才blog了电影《夜宴》与Hamlet, 早报在星期六的副刊也写了同样的文章.

林仁余－哈姆雷特　无法不忧郁

● 林仁余

　 　看电影《夜宴》之前，刚好看了DVD中劳伦斯·奥利维尔(Laurence Olivier)扮演的“哈姆雷特”。算是巧合。看着银幕上的葛优章子怡，以及讲究到做作的美术设计，脑子里重叠的是黑白画面。奥利维尔的电影《王子复仇 记》是1948年的作品，只有黑白灰色，只有搭设的内景，可是丹麦王子深邃眼神却比华丽服饰更叫人难忘。

　　据说奥利维尔曾经好长一段时间连演《哈姆雷特》的舞台版，把忧郁举棋不定的王子诠释得丝丝入扣，却因为每晚的几个小时都得陷入王子无法复仇的悲伤中，虽然只是演戏，结果造成内分泌失调。

　 　上一代的艺术精品往往是创作者投入生命的结晶。和朋友说起演精神病演得最出神入化的演员大概就是费雯丽(Vivien Leigh)，看过她在《欲望号街车》中饰演神经质的布兰奇的人大概都不会反对。那也是黑白电影，1951年的。后来才知道，《欲望号街车》舞台版在伦敦 首演时，女主角就是费雯丽，导演正是奥利维尔，当时他们是夫妻。她曾说，塑造银幕上的布兰奇，奥利维尔对她的影响比电影导演卡赞(Elia Kazan)更大。有机会把电影《哈姆雷特》中奥利维尔的忧郁狂躁，和《欲望号街车》中的费雯丽那种精神状况在毫无预警中如行云流水般流动的状态作比较研 究的话，该有不少收获。听说后来费雯丽婚姻遭遇许多挫折，还得了抑郁症。

　　或许因为付出生命力量，作品中的形象才如此慑人。可是那是前 一代人的作风，现在作戏多了，就如《夜宴》那样的就一个“玩”字了得。“玩”成为口头禅时，尽失去当初应有的无拘束的潇洒。现代人大概只能这样，经典在我 们手中大概只剩下小品。就如偶尔在路上见到园艺公司的货车载着满车小树在奔驰时会想起莎翁另一出名剧《麦克白》中女巫对野心家的预言，当整座树林移动时就 是你的末日。树林怎么可能移动？那是砍一棵树都得花费不少力气的时代，野心家当然可以安心去谋反。高速公路上超速飞奔的小树林很快失去踪影，我又和麦克白 说再见了。

　　我们的生活方式已经很不合适读《哈姆雷特》原著。每天有一小段时间读书的人，已是珍奇动物，可是那样的间断时间只合适读电 视剧式的书本，每10出分钟被广告打断，上厕所听电话开冰箱带些什么吃的喝的再回来继续。过去时代的书不是为如此生活方式而写的，它们要求的是一对一的义 无反顾的绝对忠诚及毅力；当时或许不需要太大毅力，因为那是很容易静静集中精神阅读的时代。

　　看DVD原来是再读《哈姆雷特》的前奏，希望借助奥利维尔的魅力增补一点毅力，现在被《夜宴》插了进来，哈姆雷特全被搞得灰头灰脸，奥利维尔的风采也打了折扣。看样子只好再请梅尔杰森(Mei Gibson)的现代版《哈姆雷特》来拔刀相助才行。

Hamlet

Watched The Banquet 夜宴 starring Zhang ZhiYi and Ge You last weekend. If you have read the review or watched the movie, you will know that the story is based on Hamlet.

Over the years, there have been quite a few movies with this Hamlet theme as well, you might have watched them. One of the memorable one is from Disney's The Lion King: Simba as Hamlet, the young prince, King Mufasa as Hamlet's father who becomes a ghost and Scar as Claudius, the uncle who tries to take over the king's throne.

漫游欲

你有漫游欲吗 ?
这篇文章是在星期六早报副刊刊登的:

虎威

　　很喜欢Wanderlust 这个字。它原本是德文，但也用在英文词汇中。翻看英汉字典，或把它翻译成“浪游癖”、“旅行癖”的，都不合我意。这个词，用英文解释，是“a strong desire to travel”——我认为“癖”一字用得不好，总让我想起“酒癖”、“赌癖”、“怪癖”。所以把Wanderlust称为“漫游欲”——到处漫游的强烈欲 望。

　　漫游欲我肯定有。从小就有。七八岁时便梦想飞往有春夏秋冬的国度，现实中，只偶有机会到邻国的哥打丁宜瀑布，却也雀跃万分。到了 念中四那年，学校的军乐队赴港台巡回演出，作为乐队一员的我，第一次坐飞机到遥远的地方去，心中有说不出的快活。往后的海外军训、国外留学，因公的异地出 差、考察，私人的异域旅行、度假，渐渐地扩大实质上漫游的版图，却填不平心中漫游的欲望。

　　我肯定有漫游欲。不然无法解释为什么会那么 喜欢舒伯特的音乐、弗里德里希（Caspar David Friedrich）的创作。尤其是舒伯特那些关于旅者的歌曲、弗里德里希描绘旅途的油画。渺小的旅人，面对着雄伟的大自然——或许是千山万壑，或许是汪 洋大海，不知道前面的风景会是什么样的，却还是渴望着要出发，要启航。

　　但我的漫游欲比起一些四海为家，不断地从一个地方移居到另一个 地方的人来说，却必定是“轻淡”得多。我只是每隔一段时期，就会“不安于室”，想去新地方走走看看。走走看看之后，又会回返，并不一定要变更作为“据点” 的 “室”。这似乎与Wanderlust的另一个解释“a strong desire not to stay in one place”——不在同一地点留驻的强烈欲望——有点出入。用这样的解释，我的漫游欲似乎便不能算是漫游欲。

　　无论如何，漫游确是我生 命中重要的一部分。身边的亲人早就接受了这个事实。想想从前漫游对他们的影响，以及现在漫游对他们的“无影响”，颇为有趣。早期，每次的出国仿佛都是件大 事。必定有人到机场送行，事前总会有一番讨论，到底该买些什么免税商品，回国之日也肯定会有人接机。早期，电讯业不发达，长途电话难得一打，但抵达异国后 报平安的电话总是要打的。靠书信与家人联络有时很靠不住。有一回单枪匹马到意大利旅行，写给家人的明信片迟了好多天才到家，害得老妈寝食难安。

　 　最近频频到国外出差，印度、越南、中国……四处走。和家人说“明天我要到Bombay 开会”，效果就好像说“明天早上我要到Boon Lay开会”一样，没有人会当成是件特别的事。行李箱常常准备好，随时可以拿起上机。还备有出差专用皮包。里面只有一张信用卡，看看是去哪个国家，再把哪 个国家的现钞添上，就带着上路。而每段旅程除了坐机的时间外，都是有可能随时以手机与家人联络的。但因为“去孟买”好似“去文礼”，相互的联络只在于夜间 一通电话的寒暄，也就够了。

　　这样的生活方式，必定能满足我的漫游欲——你真的这么认为么？未必。都说了：具Wanderlust的 人，是不甘心于留驻在某一个定点的。当任何一种生活方式变成一种不变的方式时，他们便会去找寻另一种方式。他们爬了一座山，又想爬另一座山，抵达一个岸， 又想航行到另一个岸。

　　他们不断地在漫游。

Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you

If you have been following the local news for the past few days, you might have read about the spute being our leader and Malaysia.

It all started when our MM told a forum in Singapore that it was vital for Singapore, a predominantly ethnic Chinese state, to stand up to its bigger, mainly Muslim neighbours, Indonesia and Malaysia.

He made the following statement:

"Our neighbours both have problems with their Chinese. They are successful. They are hard-working and therefore they are systemically marginalised,"

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/060915/3/43gi5.html

Don't you think it is uncalled for? Whether the statement holds any truth is one matter, in the first place, what rights do you have to talk or criticise on other countries matters? Heard of 家有家规, 国有国法?

I liken this to Neighbour A telling others how her Neighbour B is mistreating one of her 3 kids, not giving that kid enough food to eat, pocket money to spend, freedom to play etc whereas the other 2 kids were allow all the incentives. Each family has its own rules and how do you feel, if your neighbours were to do the same, go around making comments on how you should run your family ?

Mahathir hits back with the following reply:

"You are not that clever. In a small group, perhaps you seem clever," Mahathir said, referring to Lee.

"But when (Lee) goes to China, the Chinese there don't want to listen to him. The Chinese in China don't think much of him and it is a fact that he is marginalized by Chinese in the world," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.

"We should have an independent investigation on why the Malays are left behind in Singapore," Mahathir said. "They are pressured, marginalized and oppressed. That is the kind of government founded on the views of Lee Kuan Yew."

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/23/asia/AS_GEN_Malaysia_Singapore_Lee.php

You may want to debate if the statement holds any truth or not but that is not the essence of the argument. My personal motto: "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you".

You may say this is freedom of speech, why can't people make comments freely, well fine, then be willing to accept criticsm as well from others. Just mid this month, FEER was sued again for libel:

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18882

Call Center

Just finished reading the book by NY times columnist Thomas L. Friedman. It talks about how technology has evolved over the years and people are connected wirelessly between countries and business are done remotely.

The book also touches on how China and India is competing and getting alot of business in the US. Lenovo buying over IBM laptop business and many companies outsourcing to India in areas like technical support.

I work in a technical support field and in my daily job, I deal with support centers. I've seen big corporations including my company, outsourcing their support center to India, Philippines and Malaysia among others.

Here are some funny videos on call centers, enjoy:



Call center movie

Happy Feet

You might have catch this trailer for the coming animated movie Happy Feet while at the cinema. So cute! The penguins were so adorable and Robin Williams did a darn good job in his Spanish renedition of the song "My Way". The film will be in theatres Nov and stars Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, among others


Check it out!



Another one: