Facebook

I was first invited by a college friend of mine from the States, George, to join Facebook few months ago. He said that it might be a better to keep in touch with each other. Though, I’ve not heard from him since then. I began to use Facebook since then. I do find it is a great tool to look for old acquintences, especially folks that I’ve not seen for long time. Lately, my friends at work are using that as well, as it is getting very popular here. They started to add those third parties tools in the website, like some useful tools like instant messenger, or sticky notes, etc. Also, some silly tools like graffiti wall, sending drinks/coffee/candy/or for God sake a sea creature to your tank, back and forth among all friends. Well, it could be fun some times.

Regarding this tool, I only have two hopes:
Facebook is here to stay and become dominant in the social networking in internet for years to come, unlike Friendster and the others. So, I won’t need to register again to another new tool again in future.
My company won’t block the access of Facebook, so I can continue to use it.

www.facebook.com Amen!

A Map to Infinity!

Superpower

I’ve been interested in ‘Heroes’- the TV show since I knew its existence and had been waiting for that to be shown in Hong Kong for months. Finally, it started to be on TV here a month ago and I’ve become a fan of this show. Since I was a kid, like most others, I’ve been fascinated by people with superpowers. That’s actually the basis of many myths and comic books/TV. When I was young, I was keen to admire or worship those with the greatest power, to see them defeat the villains and the evils. However, as I grow older, as an audience wise, I find it more interesting to view the story as a whole, rather than just the superpower itself. As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker - the greater power you have, it comes with greater responsibility. I think it is more interesting to see people not just have superpowers, but also have faults. That’s why I like the movies of Spiderman and X-men very much. Because they also portrait the human side of heroes and villains. They are not much different from us indeed, they are like us, except they have superpower.

As of matter of fact, with the busy life that I’m having right now, don’t think that I’ve much time watching TV. Besides news program, ‘Heroes’ is the only show that I’m following right now. In ‘Heroes’, there are many characters, I’m still in a stage of getting to know them. Sometimes, like before I fall into sleep, I always try to think about crazy things or imagine things to get relax. One night of this week, I was thinking whose Heroes’ power do I want to have in real life. I think I will want the one from the cop, the power to read mind. I think it is not because I like this the most, but because it comes with the least cons. If I’m Hiro the Japanese guy that can bend time/space, it is great and I will get really rich, but I think I will get old when everybody is frozen in time. It is not good in the long run. If I’m Clarie, the unbreakable cheerleader with instant body regenerating ability, it is great, but I don’t try to get myself hurt anyway. Also, if people find that out, I will become a guinea pig to be study and I don’t want that. The worst is that I may continue to age, but not die at all. That’s a scary thought that everybody you know will die but you stay alive forever. I think I will go crazy. If I have the powers of other characters like if I can fly!? Or go through physical objects! Or paint the future, or have split personality …..nah…..all of them will make me become a guinea pig. So….that’s why I think the mind-reading power is the best, cos it is the power that I can hide from rest. Though I may not able to suppress it, i.e. I will hear people thinking about bad things all the time, or knowing people are lying to me. However, I can choose what subsequent actions I will take or not take. Also, I think it will still be very useful in many careers, like being a psychiatrist, a detective, a lawyer, even as a salesperson. There could be many interest scenarios with that power……..ha ha….I think that I’m just thinking too much this time! Kinda out of my mind! ......

Illusions

These are my favorite pictures of captioned title.

Life lessons (tipbits)

We learn somehow as time goes by. These are some of the things that I learn in that last few years:

* Keeping silence on something is not equal to lying. Often, not saying anything is not intentional. It is not an excuse, but a truth.

* Take it easy can be quite difficult, particularly if the people around you don’t want to.

* Don’t speak just for the sake of it. Make sure your target audiences listen and more importantly, they understand.

* If you want someone to help, give them room. If you are confused and need help, you don’t need to confuse the helper, so he/she understands how confuse you are.

* Concern can generate precaution, worries only generate bad mood.

* It is nice to let the people that you want to share your worries know what do you expect from them after listening to your story. If you just want them to listen, don’t tell them afterwards that they don’t care or worse..not listening, because they do listen. However, if you want them to help, make sure you think about their suggestions and follow up with some actions. Otherwise, problems will reoccur over and over again. Audience will not be interested to listen to the same story again and again.

* If things in the world are perceived in colors, many of them are in the middle of a spectrum. i.e. they are in grey. Black and white exist, but they are extremes and rare. Black is the darkest grey, and white is the lightest grey. The reflection of shinning black is white. White is black in complete darkness. Visually, spray water on a yin-yang symbol in Chinese ink before it dries…it is pretty much how I see the world.

Housemaid

I went to the agency to pick up my housemaid from Indonesia last evening. I think her arrival is definitely a new mini-chapter of my life. For Cora and I, it is a challenge. Cora usually needs more time to adapt to new changes. Living with a stranger is definitely something she has to cope with, especially during her maternity leave. She will have to handle the maid most of the day. She has to find a way to get use to it…as soon as possible. For her the day-to-day changes should not be too different, at least it won’t have too many changes to the things at home from her perspective. Things that are being done by me now will be done by the maid. She doesn’t need to do them anyway. Hopefully, things will work out quickly that it won’t put additional stress on her, cos she has to physically and mentally prepare for the delivery. Also, possible post-birth depression is something that I’m concern about. Just cross my fingers for now.

For me, I’m a boss of someone at home. It is a big change for me. Ha, I'm not Cora's boss and vice versa. Anyway, if things work out, I can finally free up some times to do other things which are still most likely not mine, but Cora’s or ours, i.e. taking care our BB.

Well, my initial impression of our housemaid is nothing special. It’s gonna take time to really know how she is. I think I've the patience needed to guide her. Hopefully, she will pick up her tasks without breaking too many things or causing too many irreversible damages. However, I think the trickiest part is about the issue of ‘trust’. I don’t trust her now and I don’t know/think if I will ever trust her like a member of my family, which is something simply ideal. The way I see is trying to reach a mutual ‘comfort zone’ that serve our respective interests. I think/hope I can think in her shoes to see how I should treat her and know better about her interests other than the obvious – i.e. $$$. Well, I’ve heard enough bad things about terrible housemaids in the news. God forbid, hopefully ours will be a ‘reasonable’ one. We will never know until she goes bad. Just cross my fingers for now again.

A Compromise between East and West

Welcome to Beijing Olympics 2008!

Future

‘Future’ is always unknown. Once it is known, it is ‘present’ or ‘past’.

‘Future’ is bright because the ‘present’ is good. So, with the law of Karma, ‘Future’ should have good results. ‘Future’ is bleak for vice versa reasons.

‘Future’ nurtures insurance industry, gambling industry, stock markets, etc. With ‘Future’, those industries have no reason to exist.

‘Future’ gives us the reason to get up everyday. We want our future to be good, so we work hard now.

It is because ‘future’ can be changed, that’s why we are busy in the present.

Some folks kill themselves, because they think they have ‘no future’.
We don’t know the exact Karma of death for the spirit of the dead person.
When he/she is alive, he/she didn’t know what will happen after death neither.
His/her suicide is based on his/her assumption that the unknown afterdeath must be better than the relatively known future in the living world if he/she stay alive to face it.
I find that just not logical and silly.
Cos, his/her death just unfairly leaves his/her burdens and consequences to the livings: the friends and family.
What a selfish way to treat friends and family! I think they should simply forget this person.

There is no such thing as ‘no future’. It simply means the future is bleak and unpleasant.

If there is really ‘no future’, it is the end of our world.

Ratatouille

I went to see Ratatouille with Cora last Friday evening. Both of us enjoy this movie very much. I think this movie the best movie that I've seen in this year in terms of 'everything' - story, visual, and the flow of the script. Though Transformers was impressive, Spiderman 3 was ambitious, I think this movie balanced everything very well and I would rank this movie behind Toy Story 2 as the best Pixar movie so far. I think the most impressive technique of this movie is the lighting. It create a very real and attactive scenary of Paris as well as in the kitchen itself. The characters are likable too.

As always, there are messages behind this kind of Hollywood animation. For this movie, the main theme is that 'Everybody can be a cook!'. Actually, it means 'Everybody can do anything as long as he/she has a heart and ability to'. It is very American. Also, it touchs on the issue of discrimination as well: Just because you are a rat and people (even your dad) has perception what a rat is supposed to be, if you disagree and you can standup to against the stereotype and be what you want to be. The movie plays that very well. This message is very thoughtful and 'American' as well. I like this movie so much and definitely I will get the DVD when it comes out and enjoy this movie again in future.

Read and Think

Lao Tzu has said (correct me if I'm wrong that he didn't) that:
If a person only read and doesn't think, it is wasteful, but....
if a person only think and doesn't read, he is dangerous!

When I think of it, it is very interesting and true. Books, media, writings by others are all either facts or 'digested' knowledge from the others in their context. If a person doesn't 'digest' them to become wisdom, a person's knowledge base may growth, but he/she will not be able to 'use' the knowledge wisely, so it is a waste.

However, if a person only dream about what he/she desires and carry them out without understanding their implications to the others and the world or even just to themselves, that person can do a lot of harm.

I don't think I'm the latter one, but I think I really need more time to 'digest' in today's environment with such massive amount of information bombarding me via internet and other media. I think I need some quiet moments to think about things.