Stay away

On one hand I do really look forward to their visit but on the other hand, I felt imprisonment. I am like what many will brand a connector according to Gladwell's Tipping Point. But on other hand, I really dislike the feeling of being close with another person, having an additional person to add on to my sphere of influence. It just wears me out completely.

I am very fearful and tired of building additional close ties with anyone else to the point, I am rejecting new "friends".... I know I might sound really blunt, unappreciative or even hurtful but I had reach my point of exhaustion and weariness and just want to tell you....

if you really likes me a lot and want to be nice to me.... just do me this great favour...

PLEASE STAY AWAY & DUN BE NICE TO ME!!

Thanks!

5 Secrets to discover before you die

1. Be true to yourself.

2. Leave no regrets.

3. Become love.

4. Live the moment.

5. Give more than you take.

Life's two most important thing is finding happiness and meaning.

Title : The Five Secrets You must Discover before You Die
Author : John B Izzo
Year of Published : 2008
Publisher : Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Time

We always said we dun have enough time in a day. We wish we have 48 hours per day instead of 24 hours. But given with all the time, did we treasure the time we have or just it slip through our fingers? How much time we wasted on doing irrelevant things, going into unnecessary details. Randy Pausch wrote "The Last Lecture" for his children. Sadly, he passed away on 25th July 2008 but he wasted no time to do the unnecessary. He chooses to save that 10 - 15mins of arguing with the cashier to refund his $16 plus double-charge receipts for other more important things, things that matter. As I read, it reflected on us including myself, how often we neglect or fall short to see what's the important things and get all too occupied with the small details in our lives.

Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than what you think.

Treasure Time.

Title : The Last Lecture
Author : Randy Pausch
Year of Published : 2008
Publisher : Great Britain, Hodder & Stoughton

The Humble Pilgrim

Went back to the Cityboy's exhibition today because there was a causal sharing by Dr Lai Yong, the author of Pilgrims on mission works in under-developed parts of the world. He was truly inspirational. I truly and deeply admired his courage and wisdom to uproot his whole family and move to a small village at Yunnan 12 years ago to do what he believes in. It's really remarkable. While most of us are always hesitating and worrying about financial and comfort issues, we always fail to see what is the truly and most important things in life.

When someone draft his will, his utmost concern is always who is going to inherit his wealth in terms of property, cash, bonds, car, etc. Since we are already departed from this world, does it really matters who inherit our worldly possessions? Think deeper, and you will find the answer yourself. For example, wouldn't it be more important that your will states clearly who will inherit your children and spouse. So that you can be assure that your children and spouse will be well-taken care of? What is most important for your children? A child that knows how to laugh? A child that knows how to look into your eyes when you talk to him or her? A child that appreciates and learns life not through google and barney? Or A child that knows how to do 3 digit multiplication and spell Tyrannosaurus at age 3?

Now it's all the "fad" for Singapore students to go to some under-developed countries and get "inspired"... But when they come back, majority will be sharing with you how bad the sanitation was, how backwards the lives there, how dirty the place was, etc etc. We fail to be the humble pilgrim that learns from our visit. We tend to fall too often deeming ourselves as being more able, as being the giver instead of the receiver.

CityBoy shared the case of farmers asking him where the sun goes every night? Did the sun got buried beneath the earth? Or did the sun go and hide in some cave? Well, at first sight, it might makes us seem more intelligent since any Singapore Primary school kid will know that the earth orbits around the sun and it's the rotation of the earth on a titled axis that we can't see the Sun all the time. But we do not know how to use the "Sun" as compare to these villagers that know how to use to sun to grow crops, to tell time, to tell seasons, to predict weather.

We do not need to travel overseas to volunteer, to be able to give, to bloom... we can bloom from wherever we are. We just need to have the humble attitude, the attitude to give, to learn and to receive.

Truly inspiring. I am inspired.

Borderlines

Went to give CityBoy some moral support for his first photo exhibition @ The Substation today. Didn't meet the Dude for more than a year other than our extremely brief meeting during my August Run. Moi was blow over by his works... Nope... Moi is not referring to the technicality of his skills... I am not able to tell. I was swept over by the sincerity in his works.

The exhibition displays photographs that he has taken during a 2 weeks visit in Man Bong, a small village in China's south-western Yunnan. His photos aim to show the multi-layers of village lives: modernisation versus tradition, agriculture versus industrialisation, male versus female....etc. etc.

Had a long chat with CityBoy on his visit to Man Bong and his expressions in various photos.... Moi's personal favourites rank in preference...

1) Breakfast - Showing a farmer taking his breakfast..i love the light and the shadows.

Both Papa Smurf and Brainy were questioning what's that bottle on the table in the photo was... ARGH!! It's Salt, dears.

2) Shy - Group of little girls at play...i love the Symmetrical.

3) Schoolboys - Love their laughter and their inquisitive peering at the lens.

4) Listening - Love the light shadows and focus on the background instead of the foreground.

5) After School - The long shadow... it just makes the brain wonders.

6) Moment of Truth - It also focus on the background instead of the foreground. Never fails to captivate me.

CityBoy likes his photos in B&W... he finds colors "distracting". He is truly inspiring... giving up his job as a professional documentary filmographer to become a freelance photo Journalist.... for the hope that his photos will be voices for his subjects. Noble!!

The photographs are also included in “Pilgrims”, a book by Tan Lai Yong, a humanitarian doctor who has received numerous awards for training thousands of barefoot doctors in the remotest villages of China, as well as for his community development and leprosy work. It is hoped "Pilgrims" will raise funds and awareness for the work of HealthServe Community Clinic, a volunteer health clinic in Geylang that serves the sex worker and migrant construction worker communities in the area.



If you are free, do drop by...

Borderlines: Life In A Chinese Village
15 to 24 February
The Substation Gallery
11am to 8pm daily
Admission: Free
Co-presented by The Substation & the Artists

Surviving Auschwitz : Children of the Shoah

Title : Surviving Auschwitz : Children of the Shoah
Author : Milton J. Nieuwsma
Year of Publication : 2005
Publisher : First ibooks, Inc., New York

This book is non-fiction. It is based from interviews conducted with children survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi death camp. The historical torturing camp where more than one and a half million people were killed in gas chambers, killed by systematic starvation, forced labour, lack of disease control, individual executions, and cruel medical experiments. It was a cruelty of extermination of one human race by another. Cruel sterlising experiments were conducted on woman by injecting liquid acid into their uterus without anesthetics.

This book dictated the story of three main characters : Tova Friedman (TF), Frieda Tenenbaum (FT) and Rache Hyams (RH). TF entered camp 5 yrs 9 mths and was liberated 6 yrs 4 mths. Her parents were skilled tailors so they were send to the camp for making soldier uniforms. FT entered camp 10 yrs 2 mths and was liberated 10 yrs 8 mths. Finally RH entered camp 7 yrs and was liberated 7 yrs 7 mths. She was send to the munitions factory. Those that were too old to work or too young were all killed and the intellectual was also shot to death. The impact of the torture they received in Auschwitz was so great that it affected them till death. TF mom wanted to died so much after the war despite surviving it. FT got divorced despite having a good marriage because of the haunting memories of the war.

A really good narration, simple to read yet not too overwhelming detailed or factual for understanding.

War is cruel.... May we see, and may we never forget.

For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered one and a half million of men, women and children, mainly Jews, from various countries of Europe.

Kira Kira

Title : Kira-Kira
Author : Cynthia Kadohata
Year of Publication : 2004
Publisher : Simon and Schuster, New York

Kira kira is a Japanese word meaning glittering. It is also the first word taught to Katie by her older sister, Lynne. The story was told through Katie, the narrator, and chronicles around the close relationship between Katie Takeshima and her sister Lynne. The beginning of the story was a little slow but mid way through it, I couldn't put it down. The writing is beautiful... through Cynthia Kadohata's writings, Katie felt so real... like a true Japanese American girl somewhere out there. Through the simple eyes of Katie, cynthia Kadohata brought out the struggles of japanese-American family - struggle in terms of prejudice, poverty, cultural difference during the 1950s... she brought about family ties, sister bonds and dignity. it sets me thinking a lot after reading it...

Moi could relate it very well being very closely bonded to my family especially to Twinny. She is the most precious thing in my life... in certain way, the glitter of my life. Like Katie, I am inseperable from my sister. Lynne was always protecting and taking care of Katie and Katie trusted her 100% in whatever decisions that Lynne made cause she knew it's for her own good. Their roles took a reserve when Lynne got very sick and Katie needed to take care of her, a difficult and emotionally devastating job. The story narrated well on Katie's reluctance to become the care-giver and to become the decision maker for both Lynne, her older sister and her younger brother. She was always wishing for Lynne to get well soon so that Lynne could take care of her again... Of course it didn't materialise as Lynne die after a long struggle from lymphoma.

With the death of Lynne, the family grew stronger and realise the true meaning of life... Katie's parents were slogging very hard at work to pay Lynne's medical bill and to get her a house before her death (her dream)....they worked non-stop to provide and lost the chance of being with Lynne... it was depicted clearly at last part when katie's father got really upset and went to crash the windows of the mean boss whom they were working for... BUT they were poor with dignity. After crashing the windows, he went to apologise and taught katie that one must admit to mistakes so that we can live a life with a clear conscious and our head facing up....

From Katie...

My sister had taught me to look at the world that way, as a place that glitters..."

So even though I wanted her to keep watching me, I wished she would forget about me and never see me crying and never worry about me anymore, even if that meant I was now alone.

The death of Lynne did not crash Katie and her family but gave them more strength to live their lives to the fullest and to live the life that Lynne would have had wanted if she has been alive. Katie's grades got improved and she wanted to stay California by the sea just as once she had promised to move there with Lynne...

This story touches me a lot... it shows a love so strong and great... to live life for the one you love even if you are alone.... cause you love him or her so....kira kira....

Source : Official site of Cynthia Kadohata

Princess Academy

Title : Princess Academy
Author : Shannon Hale
Year of Publication : 2005
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

A Newbery Honor Book and PW's 2005 Cuffie Awards book.. a story evolving an Academy training eligible wild mountain ladies to be a Princess bride for the Prince. BUT this is not any of the ordinary fluffy, predictable fairy tale story with the Princess living happily ever after with the Prince, it's an extra-ordinary tale centering around a 14-year-old girl, Miri from Mount Eskel.

Mount Eskel is a very uru, uru small village in a high mountain of linder where the whole village depends on quarry mining for living. Miri who is more petite in size and frail is being kept from working in the quarry unlike most children in the village and this really upsets her as she feels really useless and small. But she found her self-worth after attending the Princess Academy and her determination to improve the life of the village and to do her family proud.

Shannon Hale is truly a very gifted author. She weaves such a beautiful landscape and image in your head as you read the Princess Academy. The glittering Mount Eskel with precious stone, Linder. Miri who is name after the blue mountain flower that is small but that can conquer rock and climbed, to face the sun. I attempted to find out if there is really a type of blue mountain flower by the name of Miri but found none. If anyone does know, do let me know.

What so interesting about the Princess Academy is Shannon Hale nicely interweaves feminist sensibilities in this quest-for-a-prince-charming, historical-fantasy tale. Like many parts strongly tell us that Miri wants to win and be the Academy Princess to improve the life of her family and make changes BUT she does not want to marry someone whom has never met before, the Prince. Her determination to change and excel despite facing tough competition and unfriendly frictions with her classmates. Her contradicting feelings for a better life and a happier life. Shannon Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and home all in a one, in a simple children story.

Princess Academy is the strong, well-written story of one girl's determination to show that even a small mountain flower can be as valuable as a gold crown. How Miri becomes the strong, resilient and courageous Princess of the Academy. I think in everyone of us...there is a little Miri... ^_-)

Source : Princess Academy - about the book

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Title : The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Author : Kate Dicamillo
Illustrator : Timothy B. Ering
Year of Publication : 2003
Publisher : Candlewick; Library Binding edition

The tales of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread is a Newbery Medal Book. Few years back, someone read it and told me I MUST READ it and wanted to lend me her copy. It seems too much of a children's book and so I didn't really care. Then a year later, another friend read the same book and he recommended it to me too and even did a book review on it. AMAZING!! So the title just so strike inside my mind that this time when I came across this book, I felt I MUST READ it. I finally got hold of a copy and it didn't disappoint. The Tale of Despereaux is one of the most enchanting little stories I've ever read, and I have a feeling it's going to go down as a true children's classic.

The story spins around a Mouse named Despereaux who is an outcast of the mice community for not being able to perform or adhere to what a mouse should do. Despereaux is a misfit mouse who prefers reading books to eating them, listen to hear music and to be able to fell in love with a human. Despereaux fell deeply in love with the human Princess Pea, and that beings a chain of adventures for Despereaux. He needs to battle an unhappy rat who schemes to leave the darkness of the dungeon and a servant girl, Mig to save the Princess.

The story is very simple and straight-forward and the writing style of DiCamilo was really captivating. In such a simple story, it proclaims a message about love, hope and forgiveness. It portrays the contrast between the castle grounds as light and the dungeon as dark. Below is one of the part that I particulary like in the story book about what is LOVE?

I also particularly like the physical binding and paper texture of the book. The sides are even purposely made to be tattered and torn like a book from the LONG AGO. The Tale of Despereaux is an amazing novel for people of every age which will be read for a long time.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Title : The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Author : Mark Haddon
Yr of Publication : 2004

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time won the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year and the 2004 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book. The story is written from a first-person narrative of a 15 year old boy called Christopher Boone, who is autistic with a super logical and intelligent brain but derive of understanding of human emotions. According to the book, other than happy and sad, Christopher is not able to decipher other human emotions.

The story started with Chistopher's neighbour's dog, Wellington, being murdered with a garden fork. Christopher loves animals and sets out to solve the murder in his own logical way, like Sherlock Holmes. I really like the way Mark Haddon wrote this book. It's deeply funny, piognant and fascinating protraying the world from a boy with autistic. It also helps me to understand more about people with Autism and also remind me of the movie "The Rain Man". Whether something is a blessing or a curse is really up to individual's perception literally.... It's an AMAZING book. Grab for it.

Here are some parts of the novel which I found rather intriguing..

Chatting where people say things to each other which aren't questions and answers are aren't connected.

People often say "Be quiet." but they don't tell you how long to be quiet for. Or you see a sign which says Keep off the Grass but it's not clear whether to keep of the grass around this sign or keep off all the grass in the park because there is lots of grass you are allowed to walk on.

I think people believe in heaven because they don't like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don't like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish.

Source :
1) Wikiepedia - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
2) Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Before the Music stops

Title : Chicken Soup for The Singapore Soul: Stories to Inspire and Uplift the Hearts of Singaporeans
Author : Jack Canfield; Mark Victor Hansen; Leong Chin
Yr of Published : 2007

YUP!! Finally a singaporean's own chicken soup version. The stories are closer to hearts; we can relate to the values and backgrounds easier. "BEFORE THE MUSIC STOPS" tugs my heart... cos I know that her, the author... How does it feels living everyday not knowing when you will wake up and you can't see any more, hear any more... This book is available at all major bookstores and NTUCs. Go GRAB IT!!

We always see the goodness the beauty of things and become jealous and envious too quickly; but we never see the struggle, the pain, the sweat, the tears, the fear behind... humans are judgemental... humans are stereotyping..we just like to assume and jump into conclusions. That's human nature. Sigh....so how???

Open up your heart and mind...

listen carefully...

think before you jump the gun...

Ask before you jump the gun...

Society will be more compassionate and caring. It's ironical that our Govt is re-talking about working towards a more gracious, considerate and courteous society. It's just show how ungracious, inconsiderate, incourteous, selfish and ugly we, the inhabitants of this teeny weeny island are. Our SPACE, already soooooooooooo small liao and people still want to tsk tsk tsk, push push push, my way my way.... REALLY NO EYES SEE. =(-_- )=( -_-)=

The only way to teach compassion is to give it out, for the only way to understand it is to receive it. So yes, it can and should be taught, for it is a necessity in such a selfish world. So Parents do re-enforce this in your kids by at least doing the very basic like asking them not to scream and make a dim in public places; take off their shoes when they want to stand on public seats in the MRT. I think compassionate is "genetic", ugly parents do "produce" ugly kids. So if you dun set a good example, your kids cannot automatically be kind, gracious, considerate and nice hor.

Of course it's not that easy to be truly compassionate and considerate and to teach that to your kids. It does require a considerable courage and patient. But more often, we tend to use anger to solve problem in the fastest and most "effective" way. But one must remember that, Yes!! Anger can indeed solve problems, but there is always a cost to it. We build resentment in the people we show our anger towards. And so it's a vicious cycle.

Gracious start from YOU!!! Be Kind!! If you want others to be!!

Note
Just to explain about the emoticons I am using, in case someone think likewise...

(1) =(-_- )=( -_-)= ... it means no eyes see and shaking head.

AND to that cutie cutie,

(2) {{ (>_<) }} ... Don't mean radiating anger or emitting psychic power... it just means shivering with cold.

Le Fantôme de l’Opéra

Buttercup went to watch Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical - The Phantom of the Opera and didn't really quite understand this lovely tale... my favourite love story... And so I thought I should blog about the Le Fantôme de l’Opéra here.

The Phantom of the Opera is a French novel by Gaston Leroux and I had read the translated version by Lowell Bair. I had also read another of Gaston Leroux's earliest work, The Mystery of the Little Yellow Room (translated). My curosity and interest for the Phantom of the Opera started when I first watched NBC's 1990 two-part television series starring Charles Dance and had been smitten to try find all possible information relating to the Phantom of the Opera. Till now, I had strong belief that this story was true and that Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, an eccentric, physically deformed genius who terrorizes the Opera Garnier in Paris, France. He builds his home beneath it and takes the love of his life, a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé under his wing was true.

Though there is no supporting evidence to support the authentic of Leroux's story but the abduction of Christine Daaé, the disappearance of Viscount Raoul de Chagny, the death of Count Philippe, the crashing chandelier, the existence of the underground lake under Paris opera house and even the rumoured opera ghost did exist during the period. But the story might be beautified under Leurox's hands. The story evolved around the triangle love between Christine Daaé, her childhood sweet heart, Raoul and her music teacher cum Opera ghost, Erik.

The part that I was so much smitten with was the part of Christine's genuine sympathy and love for Erik. Though she had agreed to marry Erik to save Raoul and the Perisian instead of love but she had kept her promise to be his living wife. She displays her love for him by crying with him, not running away when he takes off his mask, and even kisses him on the forehead. This granted Erik a happiness he never thought possible. In despair, Erik releases Raoul and Christine and gives them his blessings to marry. He asks only that Christine come back after his death, and bury him with the ring he gave her.

"Oh, daroga, I felt her tears dropping onto my forehead - my forehead! They were warm, they were sweet, they flowed everywhere under my mask. Her tears! They mingled with my own tears in my eyes, they even flowed into my mouth... Ah, her tears, on me! .... ..... We cried together! God in heaven, you gave me all the happiness in the world!"

True love forgives and accepts and sets free... such a lovely story.. *heart melts*

Copper A Dog's Life

Title : Copper A Dog's Life
Author : Annabel Goldsmith
Yr of Published : 2006

Someone gave me this book for Christmas and I had just done finishing reading it. I love animals especially dog tremedously and lots. The sincere and precious friendship and trust that a dog extend to you will always be impeccable, unlike humans. That's perhaps why I love being with dogs.

Reading Annabel Goldsmith's Copper A Dog's Life triggered a lot of thoughts. This book is interesting as the story was written from a dog's view instead of a human view - the tale of a curly-tailed, shaggy bearded mongrel called Copper from birth till death.

My present dog, Boy came to us when he was 9 years old, partially blind but relatively ok despite his age. He used to like following me around the house, chasing after cats, doing little tricks like laying on his back, sitting down; etc when he first came to us. Despite his many health problems and his deteriorating sight and hearing, it never once really bother us. We have taken it to be a part and parcel of life.

As I was reading through Copper's end days, it dwell on me whether Boy shared the same feeling as Copper. He lost his sight, lost his hearing, he got knocked into things all the time. He doesn't enjoy walk nowadays cos he felt lost. It ends up just me cuddling Boy and walking around the park or the beach. He got really tired which such walk despite not putting even down his legs and walk. He slept through most of the day these days... Compared to my previous dog, he is really less active and weaker.

It dreads me, bothers me to think the time Boy will go.. just like my previous dog and rabbits. He too, will join them in heaven when his times come...But as the poem penned inside the book "They are not dead who lives in hearts. They leave behind," Treasure every moments as you breathe and the time spent with your loved ones. Not in terms of the number of days or hours but how much you made the best out of the time together... Love you, Boy.

Choices

"It is choices... that show what we are truly are, far more than our abilities."

Dumbledore to Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeu

Title : Le Petit Prince
Author : Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Yr of Published : 1943

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. This is the famous line uttered by the fox to the Little Prince in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince (translated as The Little Prince in English). There are also two other main points in the book, both spoken by the fox which are also very meaningful. They are: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important". These are essentially the little things that even a child know but essentially we had failed to see it ourselves from time to time even when we know and understand it.

Throughout the book the children's view on the world, on the main points of the human life and relations between people, which is represented by the Little Prince and partially by the narrator, is set off against the "grown-ups'" one, revealed in memories of the narrator and in the characters, met by the Little Prince on asteroids. But the author underlines, that the "grown-ups" are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people."

Book Review

Title : Eats, Shoots and Leaves
Author : Lynne Truss
Yr of Published : 2005



--------------------
Lynne Truss is regular host on BBC Radio 4, a Times (London) columnist, and the author of numerous radio comedy dramas. She wrote quite a number of books e.g. "Talk to the Hand" and she is a very critical novelist with a very different and sharp point of view. Her books are also very easy reading.

I got to know her when a classmate did a book review on her bestseller "Eats, Shoots and Leaves". Below is the review written behind...


A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

So punctuation really does matter, even if it is only occasionally a matter of life and death.


Interesting isn't it? How many times have we written :-
1) Valentines Day instead of Valentine's Day
2) The children's books got wet instead of the children's books got wet.
3) Pizza's Hut instead of Pizza Hut without the apostrophe.

Wanna test if u are really good in punctuation? Try the Punctuation Game