Friday, September 29, 2006

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.

Monday, September 25, 2006

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。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 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

Monday, September 18, 2006

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

Saturday, September 09, 2006

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:

Friday, September 08, 2006

有趣的语言易位

在网上读到这段有趣的语言易位

满祥广

江西、湖南、四川三省的人爱吃辣椒,一个地方比一个地方厉害,所以人们就说:
江西人不怕辣,湖南人辣不怕,四川人怕不辣。
在以上的话中,三个字的位置互换后,意思就发生了微妙的变化,多么巧妙。这种形式叫易位

一名著名学者有一段名言,表白了自己与众不同的思想。他说:人家说了再做,我是做了再说;人家说了不一定做,我是做了不一定说。
,这两个字易位马上反映了两种截然不同的态度,让人回味无穷。

Just for Laugh, it's Friday!

Have been quite busy this week, didnt get to rest after I came back from my business trip, went straight to work on Monday. Glad it's Friday!

Share with you this funny clip :

Read first before you watch the video clip (simple content translation) :

Motorist : May I know what is the time now?
Cow Owner touch the cow's balls, and say : it is 10am.
Motorist doubted : Are you sure?
Cow Owner touch the cow's balls again and answer : Yes.
Motorist then tune his watch with doubt, and drove off for his appointment.

Later on, the Motorist return from his appointment and asked this Cow Owner again. He has tune his watch at the exact time while he was at the town for his appointment.
Motorist : May I know what is the time now?
Cow Owner touches the cow's balls again and reply : its 3pm.
The Motorist feel unbelievable and ask the Cow Owner how he know the time by touching the cow's balls?
Cow Owner : ...

The Miracle Rain Tree

Ever see a tree that actually "rains" ? No, it's not the common rain tree that I'm talking about :)
Well, read from papers yesterday, a 'miracle' tree, an angsana to be exact, was spotted "raining" at Empress Place near the Asian Civilisation Museum.

This was actually an art performance put up as part of the Singapore Biennale 2006.
The cool concept was created by Dutch artist, IEPE, quite interesting huh. Rain occurs at random times throughout the day.

According to the news report, "IEPE does not want to reveal the secret behind the rain making.

Instead, he says the question that should be asked is: what's the meaning of it all?

"What's the meaning of a miracle? What does a miracle teach us? Is there more beyond rationalism or is it that we have to believe in fantasy? I think it gives people a good feeling and gives them a chance to not to think but to experience," said the artist. "

I thought it will be even appropriate if the artist create this concept on the real raintree, isn't it? I like raintree, in particularly the shape of its crown or dome, dunno the exact term for it. Mediacorp movie sideline Raintree Pictures used the raintree design as its logo.

Come to think of it, it is easy to visualise and not difficult to implement this rain tree concept, wonder what will the artist's reaction be if i have a suggestion to use the flame of the forest tree :)