Attended Cindy's & James' wedding today in a nice Claremont church..... this is truly the year for weddings. Didn't think I could make it originally be'cos of (now non-existent) class but I thought yx would like it if I came, plus I missed her, her mum, Darwin and Claremont in general anyway. They're going to seal off access to our complex anyway, during the fireworks, so might as well leave the insanity behind and spend a nice weekend down south.
The congregation supposedly made up of the couple's religious fellowship; 97% of the people there were Asian-Americans - reinforcing the distinct "no-longer-in-America" feeling of certain portions of LA. This was an affluent crowd of well-to-do Chinese who chose to uproot themselves in the 70s & 80s and raise their next generation in America. The children were all well-groomed and very typical (how typical, I can't really put in words) upper-class ABC. The older generation also displayed traits of upper-class Taiwanese-ness, exuded grace and high-class-ness. People were resplendent in their Western suits and Cheongsams.
Being more adventurous, yx convinced me to wear my black Zhong Shan attire - aka Dr. Sun Yat-Sen style and being sel-conscious I had to endure the probably non-existent feeling of being a sore thumb and sticking out like a clown in the crowd of well-dressed Chinese people who might have thought that I was trying to be funny. Sort of like a character from a bad American kungfu movie where every Asian person knows kungfu and spoke bad English with an even worse accent. But I mean, if Chinese women look nice in their Cheongsams and Indians look great in their traditional costumes, why can't Chinese men wear our traditional formal attire? Hmm... I will try to buy more of such clothing the next time I'm in Shanghai or Beijing.
Anyway, back to the wedding - it was a relatively short one compared to previous church weddings. You have the march-in of the groom, his bestman and groomsmen, then the bridesmaids the maid-of-honour, pretty, pretty yx, the ringbearers, the flower-girls and finally Cindy accompanied by 陈叔叔 (Chen2 Shu3shu2). Cindy looked so serious and solemn.
After the church ceremony, we adjourned to the banquet - at a restaurant that resembled an old mine from the outside, for an afternoon of feasting. Our table was supposedly the sole non-Christian fellowship table, consisting of Cindy's high school teachers and youth orchestra coordinators, Diana (the third in the triumvirate of yx, Diana and Cindy), Liz (D's sister), followed by yx, (Ayi2) and myself. I spent the first few minutes figuring out the technical setup and getting the projector to work. Did I mention that if not for Pauline, the video that yx painstakingly worked on for the past two weeks would not have gotten shown at Cindy's wedding? I forgot to get yx the video adapter for my iBook and luckily Pauline brought it and her PowerBook so we did a frantic transfer of files in the morning before the banquet.
Great video - yx could finally rest at ease. She was pretty stressed out but at least she seemed relieved at the end.
Well, we're going shopping tomorrow 'cos I decided Joshua Tree Nat'l Park is too hot at this time. So hopefully I can get something nice for Datou & PeiTze.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
心残り
Leaving home this time filled me with profound homesickness. It seems common sense that I would miss my family but this time really I think occasions like Gor's wedding always seem to bring us closer together. Or maybe because I only return once a year. Our family has never been known for openly expressing affection in the public eye, or for that matter, directly to one another among ourselves. But I know it by how often Jie calls me up or treats me to dinner, how WZ drives me to the office and pays for everything when we go out, how Gor still gives me pocket $ to spend, how Mummy cooks fish everyday 'cos I hardly eat any in the US, and how frugal Pa suddenly wants to go out for a meal.
This trip, I'm really honored to have helped Gor & Yvonne emcee their wedding 'cos I seldom get to share these kind of moment with my siblings in person. Also am relieved that I didn't mis-speak my lines and embarrass my family in front of 600+ guests! What a grand event. Glad that it's all over and everyone can get a rest.
Sometimes I feel guilty about being the only one overseas while everyone's slogging away back home, and any resentment at the little one getting preferential treatment is definitely understandable. Not that Jie, Gor, WZ ever hinted at such sentiments but still, I don't feel good. Perhaps the only thing I can do is to help communicate among everyone and try to be a "bridge" over troubled waters. One thing that yx taught me was the need to keep in regular contact with Mum/Pa/everyone and show my appreciation often. I am trying and I like to think that I am making a positive contribution.
Oh well, I guess the real thing will commence after I move back home.... just hope there's enough time....
This trip, I'm really honored to have helped Gor & Yvonne emcee their wedding 'cos I seldom get to share these kind of moment with my siblings in person. Also am relieved that I didn't mis-speak my lines and embarrass my family in front of 600+ guests! What a grand event. Glad that it's all over and everyone can get a rest.
Sometimes I feel guilty about being the only one overseas while everyone's slogging away back home, and any resentment at the little one getting preferential treatment is definitely understandable. Not that Jie, Gor, WZ ever hinted at such sentiments but still, I don't feel good. Perhaps the only thing I can do is to help communicate among everyone and try to be a "bridge" over troubled waters. One thing that yx taught me was the need to keep in regular contact with Mum/Pa/everyone and show my appreciation often. I am trying and I like to think that I am making a positive contribution.
Oh well, I guess the real thing will commence after I move back home.... just hope there's enough time....
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
A slight difference in latitude...
Attire when boarding plane: Polo tee and comfy pants
Feeling: A little stifled by the heat, trying not to make violent movements to avoid perspiring.
Temperature: 29 degrees C with 96% humidity
Attire after stepping off plane: Same
Feeling: Rather chilly, trying to keep in motion to generate heat.
Temperature: 20 degrees C with 60% humidity
If Singapore had San Francisco bay area weather, it'd be paradise.
Feeling: A little stifled by the heat, trying not to make violent movements to avoid perspiring.
Temperature: 29 degrees C with 96% humidity
Attire after stepping off plane: Same
Feeling: Rather chilly, trying to keep in motion to generate heat.
Temperature: 20 degrees C with 60% humidity
If Singapore had San Francisco bay area weather, it'd be paradise.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
口も方向感がある
I think I've figured out a way to tell which direction I'm flying (North America to Asia or Asia to North America) : ) Namely, how the airline food tasted. If the food is good, I must be going from West to East, but if the food sucks, I must be leaving Asia. Kind of silly, I know : )
Monday, May 30, 2005
What a scorcher
The weather at home, sweet home can only be described as hot and muggy. It is virtually impossible to go through a day without being bathed in perspiration at some point or another. Wonder if others who returned from abroad share my sentiments.
But Singapore is still the place where I grew up in. Or maybe anywhere else can be home, as long as one adapts. Searing temperatures? No problem, design a nice cooling home with appropriate materials and ventilation. Buy suitable clothing. Get used to it.
Went to the market this morning with Ma and Pa - it's a nice routine that is faithfully repeated everytime I come home. To be back in the heartlands is kind of comforting and reassuring, perhaps in the sense that at least some things remain the same. The fish and meat vendors upgraded their fridges and cleaned the stalls more often. The veggies don't smell as earthy anymore and prices in the hwaker stalls have been raised by 50 cents - $1. But the old aunties and uncles who banter and chat with Ma remain the same. I've always admired Ma for her ability to put anyone at ease and in a good humour (even Pa) and she is my role model for interaction with people - sincerity and good humour are welcomed anywhere in the world.
But Singapore is still the place where I grew up in. Or maybe anywhere else can be home, as long as one adapts. Searing temperatures? No problem, design a nice cooling home with appropriate materials and ventilation. Buy suitable clothing. Get used to it.
Went to the market this morning with Ma and Pa - it's a nice routine that is faithfully repeated everytime I come home. To be back in the heartlands is kind of comforting and reassuring, perhaps in the sense that at least some things remain the same. The fish and meat vendors upgraded their fridges and cleaned the stalls more often. The veggies don't smell as earthy anymore and prices in the hwaker stalls have been raised by 50 cents - $1. But the old aunties and uncles who banter and chat with Ma remain the same. I've always admired Ma for her ability to put anyone at ease and in a good humour (even Pa) and she is my role model for interaction with people - sincerity and good humour are welcomed anywhere in the world.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
The Taiwanese have a strong nationalistic streak, and they display proudly it in their monuments.
小白菜
One of the treasures of the national museum - a piece of jade carved (but not colo(u)red) to resemble a cabbage.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
基隆庙口
Outside a famous temple in Taipei, foodstalls gather to serve the pious masses, and what a feast to behold. Every mouthful was a first-time experience and not a single one of them was a disappointment.
狗狗在睡觉！
I wonder how this little guy remained asleep amidst all the hustle and bustle of 九份老街 but he definitely looked like he was having some sweet dreams... probably of all the yummy food.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
First day in Taiwan!
stepping out of the plane at chiang kai-shek international airport, i could already feel the stifling heat of the tropics - very reminiscent of home. the people, the traffic, even the air would come to remind me of singapore in the 1980s. i don't mean to imply that taiwan is less modern than singapore but rather, there's a certain charm about formosa that is rather endearing.
after an hour or so, yx's mum, maternal uncle and aunt picked us up and off we went - towards the general direction of taipei and various little districts. it was 7am on a saturday morning, my body was still at 4pm us pacific time so i wasn't looking forward to that period of intense fatigue later that afternoon. yx's relatives' solution was to bring us to many different places to try the local specialties and to keep us awake until nightfall.
thus a whole week of feasting began. i shudder to think how much exercise i'd have to put in to work it off but it was definitely worth it. first we went to the northeastern tip of taiwan, near the coast, to a little town called 九份 (Jiu3 Fen4) (literally, 9 portions) apparently it used to be a thriving mining town until the government ordered everyone to relocate and only nine families were left. as 九份 was quite a ways from town (groceries, daily necessities, food, etc), whenever someone went out to buy dinner, s/he would buy nine portions - hence the name. at 九份, we walked down this street called 九份老街 Lao3 Jie1 (Nine portions old street) where many little food stalls and sundry good stores and souvenir shops were located. Incidentally, Gene & Frances were there a couple of weeks ago and things there were exactly as they described - lots of good food and one could walk through, sampling every single type on sale and walk out at the end, stuffed yet not haven't spent a single cent. we ate some sweet taro dumplings which i hadn't seen before, and sampled tons of other goodies. there were many japanese tourists and i was amazed at how many taiwanese shopowners and service industry personnel could speak fluent Japanese. personally, the thought of working in taiwan became more appealing :)
after 九份, we went to a seafood market where we ate very fresh boiled, succulent squid - another first. the beaches in that region of taiwan were rather dirty and polluted by decades of port activities and careless tourism - much like singapore's. next, we drove on to 深坑 Shen1 Keng1 (deep hole). did i also mention that driving in taiwan would take a lot of getting used to? after the relatively amiable roads in the US, i was taken aback by how drivers are super aggressive yet manage to make their way around without endangering themselves and everyone else. people would cut into one's lane without warning; cars coming from the opposite direction would turn / u-turn 3 meters away from oncoming cars; and for pedestrians, don't worry about vehicles bearing down on you - just cross the road and drivers will magically bend ther cars and motorcycles around you. after many days of careful observatiion i concluded that the trick to be a good taiwanese driver was to dare to do whatever you want to, but do it slooowwwly. no sudden movements please ;P
anyway, back to 深坑.... this was a town famous for stinky tofu and boy was it good! fried, steamed, boiled, braised, sauteed - you name it, they have it, we relished it. there's this craze in taiwan now for Shan1 Cai4 ("mountain vegetables"), or vegetables found in the wild. they taste kind of smooth and are supposed to be very good for one's health. good stuff, man.
our last stop before Xin1 Zhu2 was a town where yx's mum's and aunt's university was located. her mum hadn't been back in years so she was excited at seeing the buildings and hostels of long ago and happily recounted stories.
some funny things about taiwan
- the betelnut girls - scantily-clad ladies who sat behind glass windows, waiting to sell betel nuts - a kind of plant with narcotic properties that people chew much in the same vein as smoking. apparently if one pays more, one can fondle them too.
- number of people who can speak japanese. in many ways, taiwan resembles japan (or vice versa - i don't know who started what first and no offence to anyone who thinks otherwise). for example, the friendliness of service personnel, the "cuteness" or "kawaii-ness" of everyday items - street signs, store displays, electrical appliances, marketing paraphelia etc. even the public transportation system - trains, mrt, busses are very efficiently run. yx's grandparents grew up and were educated at the time when taiwan was ruled by the japanese, so they spoke fluently japanese and retain a deep affection for all things japanese to this day. i was fortunate enough to receive several lessons in "cultured japanese" by her grandpa and even some magazines with which to practise my reading comprehension. darn! i knew i should've brought my dictionary!
- number of japanese tourists and businesspeople
- polluted air - gave me a sore throat throughout my stay. not sure if i wanna live there long-term.
- amount of good, inexpensive food available 24/7
- friendliness & hospitiality of the people - everywhere i went i was treated very well. people are laidback in general and know how to play hard as well as to work hard.
- cultured behavior. when a taiwanese girl says "welcome" or "thank you" in that special "Die1" (hanyu pinyin pronounciation if you please), one can melt.
- fiercely nationalistic
- politicians are treated like pop stars - given the same amount of attention.
- entrepreneurial streaks can be seen everywhere.
- hotels or apartments for rent have daily as well as 3-hourly rates (Xiu1 Xi2 Shi2 Jian1 or "rest time" as they call it) - for people to have brief trysts. nice packaging but odd that it's so prevalently as to merit an official marketable commodity.
for some reason, i felt at home in taiwan. either the people resemble the older generation of my father's side of the family - speaking Hokkien (or Taiwanese), or that the buildings and weather bore an uncanny resemblance to the 1980s' singapore.
i have a lot to thank yx and her family for because they really went out of their way to take care of me and to show me a good time. i mean, they didn't have to do it but they made sure that i wasn't ignored amidst all the fanfare of welcoming yx and her mum back to taiwan. hopefully i can repay their kindness someday.
after an hour or so, yx's mum, maternal uncle and aunt picked us up and off we went - towards the general direction of taipei and various little districts. it was 7am on a saturday morning, my body was still at 4pm us pacific time so i wasn't looking forward to that period of intense fatigue later that afternoon. yx's relatives' solution was to bring us to many different places to try the local specialties and to keep us awake until nightfall.
thus a whole week of feasting began. i shudder to think how much exercise i'd have to put in to work it off but it was definitely worth it. first we went to the northeastern tip of taiwan, near the coast, to a little town called 九份 (Jiu3 Fen4) (literally, 9 portions) apparently it used to be a thriving mining town until the government ordered everyone to relocate and only nine families were left. as 九份 was quite a ways from town (groceries, daily necessities, food, etc), whenever someone went out to buy dinner, s/he would buy nine portions - hence the name. at 九份, we walked down this street called 九份老街 Lao3 Jie1 (Nine portions old street) where many little food stalls and sundry good stores and souvenir shops were located. Incidentally, Gene & Frances were there a couple of weeks ago and things there were exactly as they described - lots of good food and one could walk through, sampling every single type on sale and walk out at the end, stuffed yet not haven't spent a single cent. we ate some sweet taro dumplings which i hadn't seen before, and sampled tons of other goodies. there were many japanese tourists and i was amazed at how many taiwanese shopowners and service industry personnel could speak fluent Japanese. personally, the thought of working in taiwan became more appealing :)
after 九份, we went to a seafood market where we ate very fresh boiled, succulent squid - another first. the beaches in that region of taiwan were rather dirty and polluted by decades of port activities and careless tourism - much like singapore's. next, we drove on to 深坑 Shen1 Keng1 (deep hole). did i also mention that driving in taiwan would take a lot of getting used to? after the relatively amiable roads in the US, i was taken aback by how drivers are super aggressive yet manage to make their way around without endangering themselves and everyone else. people would cut into one's lane without warning; cars coming from the opposite direction would turn / u-turn 3 meters away from oncoming cars; and for pedestrians, don't worry about vehicles bearing down on you - just cross the road and drivers will magically bend ther cars and motorcycles around you. after many days of careful observatiion i concluded that the trick to be a good taiwanese driver was to dare to do whatever you want to, but do it slooowwwly. no sudden movements please ;P
anyway, back to 深坑.... this was a town famous for stinky tofu and boy was it good! fried, steamed, boiled, braised, sauteed - you name it, they have it, we relished it. there's this craze in taiwan now for Shan1 Cai4 ("mountain vegetables"), or vegetables found in the wild. they taste kind of smooth and are supposed to be very good for one's health. good stuff, man.
our last stop before Xin1 Zhu2 was a town where yx's mum's and aunt's university was located. her mum hadn't been back in years so she was excited at seeing the buildings and hostels of long ago and happily recounted stories.
some funny things about taiwan
- the betelnut girls - scantily-clad ladies who sat behind glass windows, waiting to sell betel nuts - a kind of plant with narcotic properties that people chew much in the same vein as smoking. apparently if one pays more, one can fondle them too.
- number of people who can speak japanese. in many ways, taiwan resembles japan (or vice versa - i don't know who started what first and no offence to anyone who thinks otherwise). for example, the friendliness of service personnel, the "cuteness" or "kawaii-ness" of everyday items - street signs, store displays, electrical appliances, marketing paraphelia etc. even the public transportation system - trains, mrt, busses are very efficiently run. yx's grandparents grew up and were educated at the time when taiwan was ruled by the japanese, so they spoke fluently japanese and retain a deep affection for all things japanese to this day. i was fortunate enough to receive several lessons in "cultured japanese" by her grandpa and even some magazines with which to practise my reading comprehension. darn! i knew i should've brought my dictionary!
- number of japanese tourists and businesspeople
- polluted air - gave me a sore throat throughout my stay. not sure if i wanna live there long-term.
- amount of good, inexpensive food available 24/7
- friendliness & hospitiality of the people - everywhere i went i was treated very well. people are laidback in general and know how to play hard as well as to work hard.
- cultured behavior. when a taiwanese girl says "welcome" or "thank you" in that special "Die1" (hanyu pinyin pronounciation if you please), one can melt.
- fiercely nationalistic
- politicians are treated like pop stars - given the same amount of attention.
- entrepreneurial streaks can be seen everywhere.
- hotels or apartments for rent have daily as well as 3-hourly rates (Xiu1 Xi2 Shi2 Jian1 or "rest time" as they call it) - for people to have brief trysts. nice packaging but odd that it's so prevalently as to merit an official marketable commodity.
for some reason, i felt at home in taiwan. either the people resemble the older generation of my father's side of the family - speaking Hokkien (or Taiwanese), or that the buildings and weather bore an uncanny resemblance to the 1980s' singapore.
i have a lot to thank yx and her family for because they really went out of their way to take care of me and to show me a good time. i mean, they didn't have to do it but they made sure that i wasn't ignored amidst all the fanfare of welcoming yx and her mum back to taiwan. hopefully i can repay their kindness someday.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
清明节
清明时节雨纷纷，
路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有？
牧童遥指杏花村。
Today we remember our dearly departed. Visit their graves, clear the surrounding weeds, talk to them like we used to in yesteryears. Burn some incense, some paper money for them to spend in the afterlife, share some wine and food and chitchat like we did before. Grandma, hope you are doing well. We love you and miss you. Don't worry about us; all your grandchildren have grown up and are doing well. Mum is happy and content too. Even though I can't visit you in person today, you are in my thoughts.
路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有？
牧童遥指杏花村。
Today we remember our dearly departed. Visit their graves, clear the surrounding weeds, talk to them like we used to in yesteryears. Burn some incense, some paper money for them to spend in the afterlife, share some wine and food and chitchat like we did before. Grandma, hope you are doing well. We love you and miss you. Don't worry about us; all your grandchildren have grown up and are doing well. Mum is happy and content too. Even though I can't visit you in person today, you are in my thoughts.
How to speak good Singlish
For those of you who are really interested... http://lifeatngeeann.blogspot.com/2005/04/speak-good-singlish.html
Contrary to popular belief, Singlish does have grammatical rules and a finite number of particles and filler words
Contrary to popular belief, Singlish does have grammatical rules and a finite number of particles and filler words
Thursday, March 31, 2005
La Vida Robot!
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.04/robot.html
One of the best Wired stories I've ever read.
One of the best Wired stories I've ever read.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
The glow of a lightbulb (电灯泡)
How does it feel to live with a couple? Does one feel constantly left out or does one comfortably tunes them out in time? I wonder about this sometimes, watching q's and d's behavior in the house. It must be irritating to have us around, living in our own little world at times and trying to be part of theirs at others. I do wish we can live like cool Friends-style housemates, being comfortable with one another's quirks and not being awkward over something as simple as who's using the coffee table at a particular time. E.g. Person #1 is sitting at the coffee table, watching TV and sees Person #2 coming towards the table with a bowl of noodles. A sudden urge for over-the-edge politeness gets into Person #1 and he/she retreats from the coffee table, ceding the entire big-enough-for-four table to Person #2, just because it is the _polite_ thing to do. Argh! Real friends don't do that! In a real friendship, #2 would go, "Hey, mind scooting over a little?" and #1 would scoot over unhurriedly and reply, "That smells good! Mind if I try some?" Which got me thinking about why things are still awkward in the house... and that leads us back to the original question: Is being single and living in a house with a couple irksome? I dunnoe. It's good that d moved in, so that q has a companion to 'even the odds'. Let's work together so that it won't end up being the couple against the singles : )
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Ole ole ole ole, ole, ole, ...
World Cup dreams
The best local production I've seen in a while. Sure brings back a lot of memories. I long for the day when I will be reunited with my soccer buddies...
The best local production I've seen in a while. Sure brings back a lot of memories. I long for the day when I will be reunited with my soccer buddies...
Canadian bagels
Recently, I learnt that Canadian bagels (Montreal, the bagel capital of the world, to be precise) are the best! Believe me, no bagel made in the USA can possibly compare to one of their Canadian counterparts. Maybe it's the honey, maybe it's the wood-fire oven, maybe 'cos they aren't mass-produced and true to the original recipe, but they are GOOD. Slightly sweet, soft, best when freshly toasted. Wonder why they don't make 'em like that here. Thanks yx!
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
ESC SF 2005
Took a break for the Embedded Systems Conference in San Francisco. Pretty good stuff - seeing what's out there and how people market their products. Also manned a demo booth for two days, talking to curious attendees and anyone I could snare from the crowds. It was nice watching how the marketing people schmooze and mingle with just about anyone, spinning all the engineering work into marvellous-sounding sales pitches. Now that's a skill to learn...
Anyhow, getting a chance to see one's project all the way from the drawing board to the conference booth is very satisfying.
Anyhow, getting a chance to see one's project all the way from the drawing board to the conference booth is very satisfying.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Nature red in tooth & claw
A little morbid perhaps, but the relentless quest for survival in the natural world never ceases to amaze me. Within a shallow tidepool in Half Moon Bay, hermit crabs fall upon an injured shore crab. One would usually expect the little hermits to be harmless, gentle creatures but you should have seen their ferocity in this case.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
More on Datou
I realize that I neglected to mention what Datou likes to do when he is not enjoying the moonlight with Pei Tze and what he does for a liviing. The most accurate information I have actually dates back to the summer of 2003, before we graduated. Throughout the years, Datou has been a 文武双全 kind of person - working hard and playing hard. When he is not doing geeky stuff on his computer, Datou likes to run, play basketball and take part in outdoor activities like hiking and camping. Some of my best memories are of our camping trips. There are few things better than relaxing around a blazing campfire after a long day of trekking over hills and valleys, across rivers and through forests. Hopefully when he has time, we can go camping again, eh, Datou? Even though the Singapore military mandates that Datou should not undertake any strenuous physical activity, he can complete a 10km run with ease. And when the lift to his flat breaks down, he relishes the 22-storey dash up the stairs. During normal working hours, Datou is a security specialist at the IDA (Infocomm Development Authority) of Singapore, helping to plot, oops, I mean, to plan the current and future manipulation, sorry, progression of IT security and infrastructure in Singapore. If you own a cell/handphone or use the Internet, chances are you have already benefited from his work. Nowadays, Datou is looking into how data-mining, a pet topic of his which he spent countless hours on at Stanford, can help cyber-security and improve life for people on the planet. This is actually a pretty interesting field which I'm sure he'd be happy to discuss with anyone, given the chance. When he is released from his 6-year incarceration, we plan to form a startup and save the world with our technology (and get to live comfortably in the process)!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
大头Bighead
Who is Datou? He is a simple, honest boy from the small town of Jurong East in Singapore. Datou was born with a prodigiously large head, an attribute that was to be both a blessing and a hindrance (more of the former than the latter) to him throughout his life. For example, in his younger and more tentative days, the fact that his head consisted of 60% of his total bodymass allowed strangers and new classmates to easily break the ice by making fun of him. Having an easy-going nature (besides, what can he do?), Datou always responded with a smile and some lame attempts at humour, which earned the ready affection and respect of his peers and elders. Fortunately, nowadays his head has ceased to outgrow the rest of his body and Datou looks more proportional (just take a look at pictures from his younger days and you'll see). Of course, a considerable head mass comes with a considerable intellect; Datou is indeed a brainy boy, excelling in many geeky disciplines such as math and computer science. But what never ceases to amaze me is his religious faith and continual quest for spiritual development. If there's one person I know who embodies all of the good things about Christianity, it is Datou. And if the meek shall inherit the Earth, then you can be certain that one of them has a _big_ head. He is, like all of us, an ordinary person who faces choices between right and wrong, good and evil at all times. And the simple yet remarkable thing is that Datou takes the trouble to find out what the right thing to do is, and he does it for the benefit of the people around him. Although he can be headstrong (no one is perfect lah) at times, I'm sure that in the days to come, he is destined for great things, in his career, as a friend, a son, a husband and a father(that is a little scary to imagine). The next time you see Datou, don't be shy - approach him, ask about his head, and you will find that this short paragraph does not even begin to describe all his redeeming qualities and the wonderful person he is.
Geeky geeky
Anyone who has laboured long and hard over a problem will appreciate the journey taken to the final goal/solution. After working on a demo for the past few months, I am finally seeing a concrete system take shape, one that can not only be appraised by engineers but also by non-techie folks, like my mum. It is amazing how much the people around me know, 'cos without their suggestions and expertise, most of it would not look like what it is now. In fact, I have little clue about how most of the final solution was implemented : )
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
The teeth of wisdom
I wonder how many years does it take for us humans to evolve away from wisdom teeth.... Having extracted two of them last Friday, I can attest to the fact that trying to prevent the food that you're chewing from migrating to the sides of your mouth (where the molars are) is very challenging indeed. Feeling stitches on your gums is also a strange sensation.
And after having porridge for the past four days, I never want to see any watery, soupy food again! Give me a nice deep-fried chicken drumstick!!!
Like what yx says, you never miss the simple yet essentials things like your molars until you lose the use of them. Thankfully, it's temporary.
Here's to all wisdom teeth sufferers - hang in there!
And after having porridge for the past four days, I never want to see any watery, soupy food again! Give me a nice deep-fried chicken drumstick!!!
Like what yx says, you never miss the simple yet essentials things like your molars until you lose the use of them. Thankfully, it's temporary.
Here's to all wisdom teeth sufferers - hang in there!
Sunday, February 27, 2005
白い巨塔(The White Tower)
Why does it take simple things like a walk beside the water, a touching drama series, even a relaxing chat to make one appreciate how wonderful life is? To be able to see, hear, smell, taste, feel, to have family and friends who care for one another, to have a roof to sleep under and even warm clothes - these things are always around us but often fade into the background. Excuse my philosophical rambling, but it is at times like this when I ask myself, what is the purpose of work? What's the point of engineering things when emotions are not involved? Granted, the satisfaction of seeing code run successfully or working silicon gives me a sense of fulfillment, but where's the passion, where's the imagination that frees the mind and lets it soar? 白い巨塔 or "White Tower" is the best drama series I've seen in a long, long time..... filled with good guys who are not 100% good, and bad guys who aren't all that bad - in other words, they're human, and each of us can perhaps hear echoes of ourselves in the characters. Thoroughly absorbing.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Transportation for the masses
There are few things more frustrating than running to the bus-stop in order to catch a bus which turned up ten minutes' late, and then arriving at the train station just in time to see the train move off. Given that if the bus had been on time, I would not have to wait 33 minutes for the next train and risk missing my appointment.
Fortunately all went well...
Fortunately all went well...
Friday, February 25, 2005
Hajimemashite! はじめまして！
First entry of the year - feeling very inspired after a trip back home
and to Tokyo. There're so many nice blogs out there and hopefully this
will become one in time.
and to Tokyo. There're so many nice blogs out there and hopefully this
will become one in time.
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