Last Sunday it's my 3rd year attending the Cheng Beng festival as a part of the Tang family. Again it was a little strange for me because it's 1 thing to pray to your own ancestors... At least you know who you're praying to (i.e. grandparent & great grandparent); but praying at my husband's grandparent grave was different. I've not met them, so I can't really conjure out any sweet memories / remembering any of their presence.
It is an interesting festival though. It not only encourage people to remember the dead & their contribution to the present generation. It also promotes family unity. It is one of those festivals where everyone will converge & meet up at the grave of their ancestors.
I also observed my sister-in-law as she explains to her 5 year old daughter the significance of the prayers & how by having this event, we will remember our forefathers & be thankful for their struggle / effort. For without them, there can never be us. Such a message also promotes fillial piety.
I can't help feeling guilty that we're really damaging the environment though. So much open burning coming from the incence, the candles & paper made in gold ingots / any conceivable object you can think of. Then towards the evening on the news, they shared the new generation of prayers which is done virtually. How? Well, there's a digital tomb stone with digital pix of the deceased. Then you digitally light up the jossticks & candles and burn as much paper "hell currencies" / paper objects as you like. You can also select the flowers / items of your choice to arrange in front of the grave (e.g. chicken / duck / roast pork etc). Interesting huh... It solved the environment polution part, but can't help feeling that it lost the personal touch.
Lastly, as any festival goes, it's getting really commercialized. Imagine cashing in on the dead! I'm shocked that they have paper lingerie (with lacy motives too!), paper massage chair, paper DVDs, paper cellphone, paper foot water-spa-&-massager etc. What next? Paper private jet / paper jacuzzi?!? Go figure... :-)
Monday 31 March 2008
Wednesday 26 March 2008
2040 : End of World?
My hubby & I was watching the news on TV when they reported a claim by a scientist that the world we know today is expected to come to an end by the year 2040. Places like China will turn into deserts & the weather so extreme that it will be unsuitable for man / beasts. The situation is so irreversible that nothing we can do today / the next few years can prevent the emminent distruction of earth.
I turned to my hubby & calculated... "That is 32 years from now! By then I'll be 61 years old & you'll be 73! Maybe it's a good thing that we're still childless; rather than bring him / her into this world to suffer! Let's not have kids & aim to die before 2040"
My hubby look at me as if I've lost my marbles. He then patiently said "What if what the scientist predicted did not materialize? What if we managed to find a way to make earth livable again? Then we'll be a lonely & bitter couple looking at each other with regret."
But what about the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow' where no one believed the scientist & in fact disaster striked faster than initially expected?!?
Hmmmm......
I turned to my hubby & calculated... "That is 32 years from now! By then I'll be 61 years old & you'll be 73! Maybe it's a good thing that we're still childless; rather than bring him / her into this world to suffer! Let's not have kids & aim to die before 2040"
My hubby look at me as if I've lost my marbles. He then patiently said "What if what the scientist predicted did not materialize? What if we managed to find a way to make earth livable again? Then we'll be a lonely & bitter couple looking at each other with regret."
But what about the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow' where no one believed the scientist & in fact disaster striked faster than initially expected?!?
Hmmmm......
Tuesday 25 March 2008
Taxi To The Rescue!
Our group of usual lunch buddies went out for lunch today. We decided to take a walk to a deli 2 blocks away. Storm of course went with her "trusty" umbrella; but the rest of us just walked without protection from the strong tropical sun.
As we were having our lunch, suddenly it started to rain... & rain... & rain... & it pours! Even after completing our lunch, it was still raining heavily.
Storm smiling smugly said, "See... I was right in bringing along an umbrella!"
Irregardless, the rain was just too heavy for her puny umbrella... We also knew that it's pointless calling for a Radio cab because it just doesn't make economic sense for the taxi driver to come all the way to the Deli where we had our lunch, only to drive us to a neighbouring building 2 blocks away. Desperate, we finally decided to call a colleague to help drive over & fetch us! :-)
Out of the blue, a taxi arrived right in front of our doorstep spewing 2 passengers scampering into the building. Relieved, we quickly asked if he would be kind enough to send us to our office. He was reluctant (or maybe he was stunned) at first, but finally agreed.
In the few minutes it took us to reach our destination, Storm commented that she has finally manage to influence the rest of the lunch buddies to bring along their umbrellas in future. Well Storm, sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not the power of your persuasion nor your influence that made us resolve to bring along an umbrella in future... It's the pouring rain? (no signs to express the "duh" intonation, so had to settle for the question mark.... hehe....)
As we were having our lunch, suddenly it started to rain... & rain... & rain... & it pours! Even after completing our lunch, it was still raining heavily.
Storm smiling smugly said, "See... I was right in bringing along an umbrella!"
Irregardless, the rain was just too heavy for her puny umbrella... We also knew that it's pointless calling for a Radio cab because it just doesn't make economic sense for the taxi driver to come all the way to the Deli where we had our lunch, only to drive us to a neighbouring building 2 blocks away. Desperate, we finally decided to call a colleague to help drive over & fetch us! :-)
Out of the blue, a taxi arrived right in front of our doorstep spewing 2 passengers scampering into the building. Relieved, we quickly asked if he would be kind enough to send us to our office. He was reluctant (or maybe he was stunned) at first, but finally agreed.
In the few minutes it took us to reach our destination, Storm commented that she has finally manage to influence the rest of the lunch buddies to bring along their umbrellas in future. Well Storm, sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not the power of your persuasion nor your influence that made us resolve to bring along an umbrella in future... It's the pouring rain? (no signs to express the "duh" intonation, so had to settle for the question mark.... hehe....)
A Blonde Moment
A blonde moment has striked yet again on Voldy!!
As we all know, the printed receipts, is normally very light possibly from old cartridges that has past due for change; but the company stamp at the bottom of the receipt is very dark because of the excess ink from the stamp pad.
One day, Voldy wants to get her receipt photostated for her record. However, her photocopy result is showing only the stamp & not the printed info on the receipt. So she approached me - the "ever helpful" friend to help. I thought it was a piece of cake... I'll just need to adjust the contrast on the photostat machine.
Happily we walked to the darn machine and open the top of the copier to place the receipts on the screen. Voldy was happily arranging the 2 small pieces of receipts on the glass screen when I stared at it speachless...
It turns out, I don't need to show her how to adjust the contrast after all... Voldy has placed the receipts the wrong side up! The copier was working fine as it copies only the stamp ink that can be seen through the receipts, but the rest of the printed info naturally was not copied.
"Err... Voldy... Your receipts are placed the wrong side up???"
Voldy laughed hysterically; while I'm left dazed by the classic blonde moment courtesy of Voldy!
Moral of the story? Make sure you have your blonde moments only in front of those who doesn't write blogs... :-)
p/s : No offence to the blondes out there... & if it is any consolation, the person committing this "offence" has hair as black as coal! Talk about contrast!
As we all know, the printed receipts, is normally very light possibly from old cartridges that has past due for change; but the company stamp at the bottom of the receipt is very dark because of the excess ink from the stamp pad.
One day, Voldy wants to get her receipt photostated for her record. However, her photocopy result is showing only the stamp & not the printed info on the receipt. So she approached me - the "ever helpful" friend to help. I thought it was a piece of cake... I'll just need to adjust the contrast on the photostat machine.
Happily we walked to the darn machine and open the top of the copier to place the receipts on the screen. Voldy was happily arranging the 2 small pieces of receipts on the glass screen when I stared at it speachless...
It turns out, I don't need to show her how to adjust the contrast after all... Voldy has placed the receipts the wrong side up! The copier was working fine as it copies only the stamp ink that can be seen through the receipts, but the rest of the printed info naturally was not copied.
"Err... Voldy... Your receipts are placed the wrong side up???"
Voldy laughed hysterically; while I'm left dazed by the classic blonde moment courtesy of Voldy!
Moral of the story? Make sure you have your blonde moments only in front of those who doesn't write blogs... :-)
p/s : No offence to the blondes out there... & if it is any consolation, the person committing this "offence" has hair as black as coal! Talk about contrast!
Wednesday 19 March 2008
How Chinese Multiply
I received this video & can't help posting it on my blog. Really interesting (though I can't verify the claim that it is from the Chinese) :
Interesting isn't it....
When my firend sent me this video with the title "How Chinese Multiply" I seriously thought it's a documentary / a research on how Chinese "Multiply" as in increase the Chinese Population. I then found out that it's actually referring to "multiplication" as in maths.... :-P
hahahahaha.....................
Monday 17 March 2008
The Peanut Theory
It was during the usual late evening discussions before leaving for home that Storm & I collectively came up with the new version of the infamous Peanut Theory. It took me quite some time to figure out the way to put this theory into words as the writer's block continues to haunt me. I almost abandoned the idea of ever writing this "Theory" in my blog until Storm reminded me of it & it is with her insistence that I wrote this piece. Thanks Storm for the encouragement. :-)
I'm refering to the ever popular phrase in today's corporate world that's short of resources :
Storm came across this comment that evening & she quickly disagreed because she felt that her fellow graduates are being paid well. So how can the phrase be relevant when these fortunate lots are well buttered & not paid peanuts?
When I was told of this, my first reaction was that both the initial comment & Storm's conclusion is not entirely accurate especially in the Graduates circumstances. That was when I came up with my very own "Peanut Theory II" which is :
What's the difference to the 1st Theory? Simple. Though I agree with Storm that graduates are not paid peanuts but their pay can hardly be considered as rich butter too. My conclusion is that because the new generation of smart-ass monkey family - the chimps are no longer contented to being paid peanuts as their predecessor used to, the "Circus Trainers" had to come up with a new remuneration package to attract world class chimps to perform "human" tasks for them. However, as you & I know, today's corporate world is really going towards the lean & mean and out-sourcing everything safe the management team seem to be the solution for all - so pray how can they pay butter?
Hence the "circus trainers" set-up a think tank and came up with a brilliant idea of camouflaging the peanut & come up with the revolutionary "Peanut Butter"! That way the poor-chimps-souls will be deceived into thinking that they are paid in butter, but in actual fact it is still peanuts! Most importantly the peanut butter must be of the smooth variety & not the crunchy ones, so that the chimps continue to be deceived by the "buttery richness" of the peanuts.
It would take another evolution (as in Darwin's Theory) before the chimps realize that their prized remuneration is actually still peanuts in substance. Until then, the circus will continue to have its stream of happy chimps performing human tasks at monkeys' pay.
With this, it will evolve again to the "3rd Peanut Theory", which is :
This is dedicated to the chimps out there who are still not aware that in actual fact they are still being paid peanuts. Hope you enjoyed this little "poke" at their remuneration package.
Regards,
Nutcase Chimp
I'm refering to the ever popular phrase in today's corporate world that's short of resources :
"When you pay peanuts you get monkeys"
Storm came across this comment that evening & she quickly disagreed because she felt that her fellow graduates are being paid well. So how can the phrase be relevant when these fortunate lots are well buttered & not paid peanuts?
When I was told of this, my first reaction was that both the initial comment & Storm's conclusion is not entirely accurate especially in the Graduates circumstances. That was when I came up with my very own "Peanut Theory II" which is :
"When you pay peanut-butter (smooth plz...) you get quality chimpanzees!"
What's the difference to the 1st Theory? Simple. Though I agree with Storm that graduates are not paid peanuts but their pay can hardly be considered as rich butter too. My conclusion is that because the new generation of smart-ass monkey family - the chimps are no longer contented to being paid peanuts as their predecessor used to, the "Circus Trainers" had to come up with a new remuneration package to attract world class chimps to perform "human" tasks for them. However, as you & I know, today's corporate world is really going towards the lean & mean and out-sourcing everything safe the management team seem to be the solution for all - so pray how can they pay butter?
Hence the "circus trainers" set-up a think tank and came up with a brilliant idea of camouflaging the peanut & come up with the revolutionary "Peanut Butter"! That way the poor-chimps-souls will be deceived into thinking that they are paid in butter, but in actual fact it is still peanuts! Most importantly the peanut butter must be of the smooth variety & not the crunchy ones, so that the chimps continue to be deceived by the "buttery richness" of the peanuts.
It would take another evolution (as in Darwin's Theory) before the chimps realize that their prized remuneration is actually still peanuts in substance. Until then, the circus will continue to have its stream of happy chimps performing human tasks at monkeys' pay.
With this, it will evolve again to the "3rd Peanut Theory", which is :
"You Pay Peanuts, You Get Nutcases"
This is dedicated to the chimps out there who are still not aware that in actual fact they are still being paid peanuts. Hope you enjoyed this little "poke" at their remuneration package.
Regards,
Nutcase Chimp
Thursday 13 March 2008
"Virgin" Voter
In the last Malaysian 12th General Election, it was my first time exercising my voting rights. I'm eligible to vote in the last election in 2004, but I felt that I was not exposed / well informed enough to vote wisely; so I decided to give up my rights then, rather than vote for the "wrong team".
So, I'm no longer a "Virgin Voter".... :-p
Jokes aside, I really hope that the latest change in leadership for some states can bring about the long-awaited "check-&-balance" that the then opposition has been harping about. I hope that freedom of speech is improved; because I belief the more we suppress, the greater the resentment. I belief that the people at wise enough to decipher the truth from the false / the facts from the lies without needing inappropriate intervention.
I know there are many other "BIG", "GREAT" & Noble ideas / projects in plan / at the top of everyone's list such as :
1. Improvement of M'sia's economic condition
2. Lower / maintaining M'sia's high cost of living - especially fuel / toll rates
3. Equal education opportunities - more Chinese / Tamil Type Schools
4. Improve the safety & security of the general public on the streets from crimes of snatch thiefs / plain daylight robbery
5. Improve the general public transport system (no waiting for 1 hour for a delayed Komuter!)
etc.... etc.... etc....
Most of the agenda listed on the newspapers & websites are so great that I find my request to be quite trivial. But since this is my blog, I have the rights to air them anyway.... :-)
I'll start with an analogy.
I was very blessed & fortunate to be brought up in a house with 5 rooms - 1 for my parent, 1 for my grandparent, 1 for my 2 brothers, 1 for myself (the advantage of being the only daughter) & the last spare room is what we call the Study Room. The study room is almost the heart of our house because I remembered it is where my brothers & I do my homework (with no TV sounds to distract us). It is also where the family adjourn to in the evening to read before we go to sleep. It is a room with bookshelves installed to the ceiling & we have rows & rows of books that's being replenished so fast that we ran out of space to store. As a family unit, I feel that we have a very healthy environment to learn & grow.
I was then brought to a "mansion" to my standard because it has 3 floors & a roof-top balcony. The ground floor is a very spacious living room with flat screen TV, Hi-Fi & foot massager; with a dining room, dry & wet kitchen and a maid's room. The second floor is a master bedroom, 2 rooms for the children & a small office space for the dad at the landing of the 2nd floor. The third floor is where the "party" begins; starting from the smallest room converted into a gym room, a jacuzzi room complete with TV & cascading water features, a multimedia room that is equiped with surround-sound system & walls padded as in the cinema with multiple recliners, an "indoor balcony" with a curved glass panel over-looking KLCC & a bar for the landing of the third floor. Amidst such opulence, I'm surprised & sad that there's 1 room missing.... a study room / reading room / library. It's amazing that a house that has a jacuzzi & a home theatre doesn't have a study room safe for the little office that is at the landing & not even a proper room!
It may be a matter of perception, but I feel that Malaysia as a country is exactly like the mansion I was talking about. It has the KL Twin Towers, the KL Tower, Times Square, Mid-Valley Megamall cum the Gardens, it has the KL Convention Centre, KL Sentral (that may I add is not exactly the Central Public Transportation hub) & great sky scrappers... yet we lack good libraries. We may boast we have the National library, but that's it?!? For 20+million people? I have also been to the library in Port Dickson & some of the other town areas; though they are housed in huge & beautiful architecture (& some in a single storey badly maintained building); but the books collection is appaling. I'm sure any average book-loving citizen would have better books collection than these libraries! The facilities also does not encourage people to stay there for long.
In comparison to our neighbouring countries like Singapore & Japan (the only 2 countries I had the opportunity to visit their library); they are heaven in comparison. There are activity rooms, story telling, colourful charts & pictures on the walls, comfortable sofas / clean carpet areas for the children. There are sections for adults with public talks, book launches & new book recommendations. The chairs are comfortable cushioned chairs with tables of the right height to the chairs, rather than stiff plastic chairs with tables that are too high / too low / rotting with termites. The librarians are friendly, helpful & well versed with the layout & items in the library. You can also place a "wish list" if you found a good book / literature that should be added to the library collection. Outside of the library is a cafe & a park to relax for students wanting to relax after studying. There are also "play" areas with life size chess boards / checkers. Most importantly, all these wonderful facilities are for free!
So how can we claim to want to develop "Human Capital" & promote K-Economy, when we're not preparing a condusive environment to develop & inculcate the culture of reading. Instead we have more shopping malls than we care to count with fantastic free feeder busses to link from 1 mall to the other! Instead we have sky scrappers that are filled with luxurious suites / hotels for rent to expats & tourists! Instead we have the Twin Tower to show the world we have the tallest / the Eye on Malaysia to show that Malaysia Boleh.
In the end, we are like the 3-storey mansion. I nice "show-off" equiped with all the luxuries in life but "empty" in substance.
Trivial as my wish may be, I truly hope that we can improve our Human Capital....
Long Live Malaysia!!
From - The Virgin Voter
So, I'm no longer a "Virgin Voter".... :-p
Jokes aside, I really hope that the latest change in leadership for some states can bring about the long-awaited "check-&-balance" that the then opposition has been harping about. I hope that freedom of speech is improved; because I belief the more we suppress, the greater the resentment. I belief that the people at wise enough to decipher the truth from the false / the facts from the lies without needing inappropriate intervention.
I know there are many other "BIG", "GREAT" & Noble ideas / projects in plan / at the top of everyone's list such as :
1. Improvement of M'sia's economic condition
2. Lower / maintaining M'sia's high cost of living - especially fuel / toll rates
3. Equal education opportunities - more Chinese / Tamil Type Schools
4. Improve the safety & security of the general public on the streets from crimes of snatch thiefs / plain daylight robbery
5. Improve the general public transport system (no waiting for 1 hour for a delayed Komuter!)
etc.... etc.... etc....
Most of the agenda listed on the newspapers & websites are so great that I find my request to be quite trivial. But since this is my blog, I have the rights to air them anyway.... :-)
I'll start with an analogy.
I was very blessed & fortunate to be brought up in a house with 5 rooms - 1 for my parent, 1 for my grandparent, 1 for my 2 brothers, 1 for myself (the advantage of being the only daughter) & the last spare room is what we call the Study Room. The study room is almost the heart of our house because I remembered it is where my brothers & I do my homework (with no TV sounds to distract us). It is also where the family adjourn to in the evening to read before we go to sleep. It is a room with bookshelves installed to the ceiling & we have rows & rows of books that's being replenished so fast that we ran out of space to store. As a family unit, I feel that we have a very healthy environment to learn & grow.
I was then brought to a "mansion" to my standard because it has 3 floors & a roof-top balcony. The ground floor is a very spacious living room with flat screen TV, Hi-Fi & foot massager; with a dining room, dry & wet kitchen and a maid's room. The second floor is a master bedroom, 2 rooms for the children & a small office space for the dad at the landing of the 2nd floor. The third floor is where the "party" begins; starting from the smallest room converted into a gym room, a jacuzzi room complete with TV & cascading water features, a multimedia room that is equiped with surround-sound system & walls padded as in the cinema with multiple recliners, an "indoor balcony" with a curved glass panel over-looking KLCC & a bar for the landing of the third floor. Amidst such opulence, I'm surprised & sad that there's 1 room missing.... a study room / reading room / library. It's amazing that a house that has a jacuzzi & a home theatre doesn't have a study room safe for the little office that is at the landing & not even a proper room!
It may be a matter of perception, but I feel that Malaysia as a country is exactly like the mansion I was talking about. It has the KL Twin Towers, the KL Tower, Times Square, Mid-Valley Megamall cum the Gardens, it has the KL Convention Centre, KL Sentral (that may I add is not exactly the Central Public Transportation hub) & great sky scrappers... yet we lack good libraries. We may boast we have the National library, but that's it?!? For 20+million people? I have also been to the library in Port Dickson & some of the other town areas; though they are housed in huge & beautiful architecture (& some in a single storey badly maintained building); but the books collection is appaling. I'm sure any average book-loving citizen would have better books collection than these libraries! The facilities also does not encourage people to stay there for long.
In comparison to our neighbouring countries like Singapore & Japan (the only 2 countries I had the opportunity to visit their library); they are heaven in comparison. There are activity rooms, story telling, colourful charts & pictures on the walls, comfortable sofas / clean carpet areas for the children. There are sections for adults with public talks, book launches & new book recommendations. The chairs are comfortable cushioned chairs with tables of the right height to the chairs, rather than stiff plastic chairs with tables that are too high / too low / rotting with termites. The librarians are friendly, helpful & well versed with the layout & items in the library. You can also place a "wish list" if you found a good book / literature that should be added to the library collection. Outside of the library is a cafe & a park to relax for students wanting to relax after studying. There are also "play" areas with life size chess boards / checkers. Most importantly, all these wonderful facilities are for free!
So how can we claim to want to develop "Human Capital" & promote K-Economy, when we're not preparing a condusive environment to develop & inculcate the culture of reading. Instead we have more shopping malls than we care to count with fantastic free feeder busses to link from 1 mall to the other! Instead we have sky scrappers that are filled with luxurious suites / hotels for rent to expats & tourists! Instead we have the Twin Tower to show the world we have the tallest / the Eye on Malaysia to show that Malaysia Boleh.
In the end, we are like the 3-storey mansion. I nice "show-off" equiped with all the luxuries in life but "empty" in substance.
Trivial as my wish may be, I truly hope that we can improve our Human Capital....
Long Live Malaysia!!
From - The Virgin Voter
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