Attitude

December Rains @ Esplanade Theatre

2010-08-08T21:03:00.005+08:00

I'm back. After a long while.

Attended the Mandarin Musical "December Rains" at the Esplanade Theatre yesterday. It was a sold-out show, with Kit Chan taking the lead role.

The songs were nice, and we enjoyed the performance.
Support local productions!

http://www.toyfactory.com.sg/

The Customer is Always Right

2009-04-03T21:08:00.007+08:00

They say, "The Customer is always right". Are they?

Not all the time.
But we need to psycho ourselves that they are.

Because happy customers will return, and they bring along friends and relatives, whereas unhappy ones may not come back, and they will bad mouth. Think of the ripple effect.

It doesn't take much effort to go the extra miles for our customers, but it takes a tonne of effort to win back lost ones.

Excellence Service Award

2009-03-20T21:35:00.006+08:00

The collar pin given for the Excellence Service Silver Award.

It is not difficult to serve with the right attitude.

Remember, it is not about 'me'.

It is about 'you and me'.

http://www.spring.gov.sg/exsa/

Drink Cans

2008-10-10T21:29:00.003+08:00

There are generally two types of drink cans.

The Jia Jia can is a 3-piece shell, where the body is folded from a flat piece, and joined to the top and the bottom.

The Coca Cola can is a 2-piece shell. The body is pressed out from one aluminium sheet, then joined to the top. This is the cheaper and faster option nowadays.

Barcodes

2008-10-06T22:38:00.001+08:00

There are two types of commonly used barcodes:
1) 12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC), used by the Americans
2) 13-digit European Article Numbering (EAN) or International Article Numbering (IAN), which Singapore uses.

Some codes (first three digits):
880 - South Korea
884 - Cambodia
885 - Thailand
888 - Singapore
890 - India

Note:
The country code is the country in which the code is being issued, not necessarily the country where the product is made.

Fighting Cancer

2008-09-27T14:34:00.004+08:00

Extracted these from Men's Health magazine.
Seven ways to reduce the chances of getting cancer:

1. Drink Pomegranate Juice
- The juice contains polyphenols, isoflavones, and ellagic acid, which helps fight cancer

2. Eat Blueberries
- The pterostilbene in this fruit has been found to fight off colon cancer, and the fruit also gives us a high dose of Vitamin C

3. Relax a Little
- Getting angry, stressed, and worried all the time increases the chances of developing cancer cells

4. Order Sushi
- Dried seaweed contains polyphenols as well, and contains fibre, calcium, and iron, which are all good for the body

5. Stay in the Sun now and then
- Our body makes Vitamin D when we are exposed to the sun
(prolonged exposure is bad though, due to the harmful UV light)

6. Clear the Air
- Second-hand smoke is a big culprit in making cancer cells in our body

7. Exercise
- Research has found that exercising just one a week is enough to lower the risk of metastatic prostate cancer

Tuesday with Morrie

2008-08-03T21:35:00.004+08:00

Thanks to MH for introducing me to the book Tuesday with Morrie, by Mitch Albom.

It is about the deeper meaning in life, and life skills, that this young man learned from his old professor over 14 Tuesdays. The professor passed away after the 14th Tuesday.

One of the lessons was on Forgiveness.

".... there is no point in keeping vengeance or stubbornness.... Pride, Vanity..... why do we do the things we do?.... Forgive yourself, forgive others. Don't wait. For all the things we didn't do.. All the things we should have done...."

Save the Earth

2007-09-10T20:32:00.001+08:00

I am very perplexed at times.

I carry a recycling bag with me now, and whenever I go to the supermarket, I would use that bag, to do my part in trying to save the Earth.

The other day when I was at the cashier, the woman in front of me required about 25 plastic bags for her groceries.

And I saved one plastic bag that day with my recycling bag.
Sometimes I question myself. Is it worth my effort, when many others do not bother?

Life is like that.
We just do our part if we think it is the right thing to do.

www.recyclelogos.org

Speak Good English

2007-09-05T20:17:00.001+08:00

Saw one girl shouting at her friend at the bus stop the other day: "Why you so late, why you so late??!!"

It has come to a point where many Singaporeans are not bothered about proper grammar usage.

No wonder the government has to start a Speak Good English Movement.

www.goodenglish.org.sg

A-Z of Stress Management

2007-08-26T22:18:00.001+08:00

A - Z of Stress Management

Accept that stress is here to stay.

Be aware of our current stress level.

Control our own situation. Do not spend too much time trying to control other people.

Diet - lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, high fibre stuff and lots of water to clear our system.

Exercise regularly, but do not overdo it.

Forgive, don't hold grudges. This will make us happier.

Give and take. Pass good things forward.

Hobbies - to keep our mind relaxed.

Identify our vulnerable spots so that we can plan to deal with them better.

Judge our own performance realistically.

Keep a positive attitude.

Limit alcohol and stimulants like coffee.

Manage money well, and save at least 10% of what we earn. Live within our means.

No, is a word that we need to learn to use without feeling guilty.

Open our mind and hearts to the good things around us.

Prioritise our tasks.

Quiet time - find time to reflect and re-evaluate our goals and plans.

Relationships - nurture and enjoy them. Learn to listen more and talk less.

Sleep well. Avoid keeping late nights.

Treat yourself to something nice once a week, good meal, movie, spa, etc.

Understand things from another point of view. We are not always right.

Verify information before jumping to conclusion.

Worry less.

Xpress - learn to express feelings appropriately instead of keeping it to ourselves.

Yield to others, learn to give way. It is not necessary to win all the time.

Zest for life. Smile and be thankful that we are part of a bigger picture.

(Adapted from Lifestyle magazine)

Medals

2007-08-05T17:35:00.000+08:00

From right to left, the National Day Commendation Medal, Singapore Police Force Good Service Medal, and the Singapore Armed Force Good Service Medal.

Displaying my medals here to spur you all on!

Have a good attitude, and work hard for good causes.

Gregorian Calendar

2007-06-13T20:52:00.000+08:00

The earth takes 365.2425 days to revolve one round the Sun, about one quarter day longer than 365.

So, every 4th year (when the year is divisible by 4), we have one extra day in February to cover this excess. This gives 365 + 365 + 365 + 366 = 1461 days.

But in 4 years, the exact revolution is only 365.2425 x 4 = 1460.97 days.

So in fact, after every 4 years, we would have 1461 - 1460.97 = 0.03 extra days.

This means after every 400 years we would have gained 0.03 x 100 = 3 extra days.

That is why for centennial years (100, 200, 300, 400 etc), only those that are divisible by 400 are leap years. Hence, for every 4 centennial years, 3 will not be leap years. This takes care of the extra 3 days. This is the 2nd rule that most of us would not have known. So the following are not leap years, although divisible by four : 100, 200, 300, 500, 600, 700, 900, 1000, 1100, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200......)

Teach the Young

2007-04-24T19:59:00.000+08:00

Last night's Desperate Housewives ended with the reflection from one of the lead characters. She lamented:

"..... There are so many things that we cannot tell the young, and it is impossible to tell them not to grow up.
Time and again, we tell them that beauty fades over time, but they are not listening.

We say, for every action, there will be consequences, but it meant nothing to them.
That is why we must do our best to protect them."

Very true indeed. Very often, youths feel that they know a lot. Yes, they know a lot of gadgets, and the latest songs and games.
But what they lack in are survival skills and social skills, things that take time to develop.

2007-04-03T21:49:00.000+08:00

Do you know when to use each of the following words?

Regard - "With regard (relation) to the matter you brought up......"

Regards - "Please send my regards (well wishes) to your parents."

Disregard - "Please disregard (ignore) the previous letter I sent."

Regardless - "Regardless (doesn't matter) whether you are male or female..."

Irregardless - a nonstandard term, try not to use this word.

Sharpen the Saw

2007-02-13T21:53:00.000+08:00

The story of the woodcutter

Long time ago, a young man got a job cutting down trees.

On the first day of work, his boss gave him an axe. He chopped down 18 trees that day. He was very satisfied, and his boss praised him.

On the second day, he worked as hard, but only managed to chop down 15 trees.

On the third day, he tried to work harder, but downed only 12 trees.

On the fourth day, he was only able to cut down 5 trees.

He was puzzled, even though he knew he worked very hard every day in the same duration. So he went to his boss.

The boss asked him : Did you sharpen your axe?

Read Steven Covey's 7th habit in his book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

The moral of the story : We must keep improving ourselves.

Back Sprain

2007-01-09T20:41:00.000+08:00

MH and Gene, thanks for spending pre-Christmas with me in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Jet and Jeff, thanks for spending post-Christmas with me in Bangkok.

When picking up heavy objects, squat down to pick up. Do not bend down like in the picture!!
www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1433.html

Lying

2006-10-13T21:21:00.000+08:00

One of you asked: "Why do people lie? Just say the truth can le mahx."

People lie for various reasons; to avoid punishment, to avoid reality, to obtain something illegally, to cheat, to hide the truth, to hide a secret, too embarassed or too shy to tell the truth, to get someone angry, or just to have fun, etc etc. There are also people who are compulsive liars (similar to an addiction).

It's just like, everyone knows that smoking is bad for health, but there are still many smokers.

Don't question why others smoke or why others lie. They surely have their reasons, or perhaps they are simply foolish.

What we can do is ask ourselves how we can react to such actions.

Show others that we are one level up.

Change Yourself

2006-10-11T19:09:00.000+08:00

Change ourselves to suit the world, instead of waiting for the world to change to suit us.

There are many things in life that we cannot control, and these are the things that we should not lose sleep or get angry over.

For example, if a lot of people are queue-ing at one food stall, we can always go for another stall. Some of us insist on buying from one stall, complain about the long queue, stress over the waiting, and get very unhappy over it. For what?

It is faster for ourselves to change, than to wait for others to change.

We do what we can within our control and capability. Some people need more time to grow up. Some people will never grow up. After a certain limit, it is up to these people to wake up on their own, if they ever do.

Dont waste your time on people who doesnt want to change (after you have tried your best to help them), but rather, spend time with people who are keen to improve themselves. You will find that you are happier and that the outcomes will be more fruitful that way.

The Value of Time

2006-10-01T23:07:00.001+08:00

To realise the value of :

One Year: ask a student who has failed his exam.

One Month: ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

One Week: ask a producer of a weekly tv program.

One Day: ask a daily wage worker who has a family to feed.

One Hour: ask a person waiting outside the emergency room of a hospital.

One Minute: ask a person who has missed the plane.

One Second: ask a person who has survived an accident.

One Milli-Second: ask an athelete who came in second-place at the Olympics.

Time waits for no Man.
Are you making things happen, or letting things happen?

Discipline

2006-09-19T17:38:00.000+08:00

Last night's Grey's Anatomy.....

One of Dr Burke's friend died, and he recalled what the friend once told him.

"I may not be talented or smart. But what I lacked in, I made it up with Discipline."

Yes, most of us are not born talented in any particular thing. But we can still do well in something, if we have the discipline to work hard for it, practise non-stop, and never give up.

Politeness

2006-08-17T18:48:00.001+08:00

There has been a lot of talk that Singaporeans are not gracious enough.

It was also reported that, although Singapore has attained a first world economy, first world living standard, first world infrastructure, first world government, but our behaviour is still third world.

We did badly in a Reader's Digest "politeness test", which was conducted in 35 cities around the world.
The details can be found in the July 2006 issue. You can also search for the gist on their website; www.rd.com.

Some simple things that we can do to be polite and gracious:
- say thank you
- hold the door for people behind us
- press the door-open button when others are stepping out of a lift.
- let the elderly have your seat on the bus or MRT
- praise your mum's cooking, regardless of the food taste (a white lie vs a evil lie?)
- talking softly in the public, not cutting queue, not using vulgar words
- many many more...

Abilene Paradox

2006-08-08T17:39:00.002+08:00

The Abilene Paradox refers to a situation where a group of people chose to do something together, when actually all (or most) of them didn't want to do it.
There is a story behind it.

An example:
It was exam time. You wanted to focus on your revisions.
Then someone suggested going out.
You assumed that your group of friends wanted to take a break, so you went along.
The few of you hung out the whole day, and in the end everyone regretted not revising their work.
But none of you voiced it out, thinking that everyone had a great time.
This is Abilene Paradox.

For a job to be done effectively, we need to get out of our Abilene Paradox.
All we need is one or two persons in the group who dare to voice it out.

Have the courage to say what you think is right and what you think should be improved upon. If everyone just play along, because they didnt want to offend or disappoint the rest, then the group, as a whole, will never be effective.

Encourage and remind each other to study hard and to work hard.

Giving and Taking

2006-07-16T09:33:00.000+08:00

Give and Take

Those of you who have watched "I Not Stupid 2", do you remember the opening phrases?

"When was the last time you praised someone? When was the last time someone praised you? Very long ago, right?"

When you receive help or praises, pass it forward. Do something nice to someone everyday.

We are not perfect, but we do meaningful things, so that our lives are meaningful..... and you will find that everyone is happier too.

http://www.oprah.com

Winners and Losers

2006-06-13T14:55:00.000+08:00

Winners vs Losers

Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.

Winners see the future;
Losers see the past.

Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

Winners make commitments;
Losers make promises.

Winners have a plan;
Losers have an excuse.

Winners say "I must do something";
Losers say "Something must be done".

Winners say "It may be difficult but it is possible";
Losers say "It may be possible but it is difficult".

Winners makes mistakes, they learn from the mistakes;
Losers makes mistakes, they keep repeating them.

The Will To Win

Blood Cells

2006-06-03T21:22:00.000+08:00

Up to two types 0f molecules appear on the surface of red blood cells: A & B, and the blood type is classified according to the presence of these molecules.

Type A: Has only 'A' molecules.

Type B: Has only 'B' molecules.

Type AB: Has both 'A' and 'B' molecules.

Type O: Has neither 'A' nor 'B' molecules.

Two different blood types cannot be mixed together as they will clump together and can cause fatality (death).

So, when donating blood or performing blood transfusion:

A person with Type A blood can donate blood to a person with Type A or Type AB.

A person with Type B blood can donate blood to a person with Type B or Type AB.

A person with Type AB blood can donate blood only to a person with Type AB.

A person with Type O blood can donate blood to anyone.

Of course, there are other sub-types due to the positive (+) and negative (-) Rh factors, the presence or absence of a certain type of Rhesus protein.

It's good to know what blood type you are carrying in you.

~taken from Reader's Digest~

Carpe Diem

2006-05-24T18:55:00.000+08:00

Carpe Diem

CARPE DIEM means 'Make Each Day Count', or 'Sieze the Day'.

Done something meaningful each day? Something that adds value to your life?

"He who knows nothing, and knows not that he knows nothing, is a fool - avoid him.

He who knows nothing, but knows that he knows nothing, is ignorant - teach him.

He who knows, but knows not that he knows, is asleep - awake him.

He who knows, and knows that he knows, is a wise man - follow him."

EQ IQ & AQ

2006-05-14T09:33:00.001+08:00

Intelligence (IQ) is the measurement of how good we are with book knowledge, powers of deductive reasoning, grasping of complex theories, memorising facts and interpreting figures.

Smartness (EQ) is the measurement of how we handle ourselves and others with finesse, the level of our interpersonal and communication skills, ability to say the right things at the right time, and the ability to make good decisions.

Adversity Quotient (AQ) is the measurment of how fast we can stand up again after we meet with failure or unhappiness. People with high AQ seldom find excuses or blame themselves and/or others.

An example to illustrate:
Doctors need high IQ ('cos they can't give the wrong medicine).
Nurses need high EQ ('cos they are the ones who take care of the sick).
Sick patients need high AQ ('cos they need will power to get well soon).

IQ, EQ and AQ can improve with age and experience, but they mostly depend on whether we accept our weaknesses and on our willingness to improve ourselves and move ahead.

John C. Maxwell [An author who wrote many books on leadership and teamwork] said:
"A man must be humble (EQ) enough to admit his mistakes, smart (EQ) enough to gain from them, and strong (AQ) enough to correct them."

You see, we don't need to have high IQ to be successful.

Tons of tests in the following website to understand yourself:
http://www.queendom.com/tests/alltests.html

Seven Habits

2006-05-09T19:56:00.003+08:00

Stephen Covey has a book called "The 7 Habits of Effective People". [There is another book titled "The 7 Habits of Effective Teens".]

In a gist:

Habit 1 : Be Proactive
Do things without having people to tell us so.
Prevention is better than cure.
Plan and think ahead, to reduce the possibility of things going wrong.

Habit 2 : Begin with the End in Mind
Know where our target is, so that we do not take a long time to achieve what we want to do.

Habit 3 : Put First Things First
Prioritise our tasks.
What are the "must do", the "should do", the "good to do", and the "dont do also nevermind". There is also the "die die also cannot do".

Learn to use an organiser or a planner (some call it a diary).
A successful person does not rely on his memory alone.

Habit 4 : Think Win Win
A win-win situation is when both sides are happy with the outcome.
It is not always that we must win and the other person must lose.
Sometimes it's about give-and-take.

Habit 5 : Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
This one is the most difficult to explain, and difficult to achieve.
An illustration: In any situation, take time to understand the truth, take time to think carefully, so that we do not jump to the wrong conclusion, but able to come to a smart and wise decision.

Habit 6 : Synergize
Take time to recharge ourselves where necessary, do things with a zest!
Give praise to people who are doing well.
Sweet talk those who are not.

Habit 7 : Sharpen the Saw
Try to improve ourselves by learning new skills and updating our knowledge to stay ahead of other people.

What Drives You Nuts

2006-05-01T09:03:00.000+08:00

Reader's Digest surveyed 3600 people across Asia on the things that irritate them. Here's the top 10 items:

1. Bad drivers : road bullies, reckless drivers, slow drivers, blur drivers.

2. Queue-jumpers : people who cut queues.

3. Spitting in public : this is more apparent in China.

4. Poor services and manners : that's why we need to move towards a Service Culture.

5. Litterbugs : People who throw rubbish everywhere except into the rubbish bins.

6. Poor personal hygiene : body odour, bad breath, smelly socks or shoes, untidy dressings.

7. Dog mess : irresponsible dog owners leaving dog poo in public places.

8. People who swear : vulgarities, shouting in public.

9. Noisy neighbours : loud music, quarreling, babies crying etc.

10. Smoking in public places : effects from second-hand smoke.

Some other items on the list:
People who are not punctual, people talking loudly on mobile phone, mobile phone ringing in cinema, traffic jams, road works, kissing in public, etc......

The item I find most amusing:
Taiwanese are very irritated about many of their elderly people wearing too much makeups.

Watch your language

2006-04-08T22:37:00.000+08:00

Just for fun...

On a signboard at the exit door of a bus:

"When you exit, please be sure to lower your head and watch your step. If you miss your step and hit your head, please lower your voice and watch your language. Thank you."

````````

On a more serious note..... do you talk very loudly in public places, including on the bus, inside the cinema, etc?
It's an art to know how to talk and joke in a whisper mode. Do you know how to do it?

A bit on Singapore Law for your knowledge. Chapter 184, Section 14 of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act states that:

"Any person who makes any noise by any instrument or other means in such a manner as to cause or be likely to cause annoyance or inconveniences ......... in any public place shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000."

Replying SMS

2006-03-27T19:30:00.000+08:00

Here's something I observed.....

Most of the time, when I sms young people, and if I asked more than one question, the reply is usually only the answer to the last question.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For example:

Ken : Yo, hv u submitted the form to the office? Wat lesson is ur last period tmr? See me immediately after sch tmr can?

You : OK.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Duh!

The moral of the story is:

Always ask the most important question last!

Will Smith

2006-03-25T21:58:00.000+08:00

Extracted this from Reader's Digest.

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned...."

When you use credit cards, keep track of how much you use, and spend within your means.

"...to buy things they don't want...."

You would have heard of what is a 'need', what is a 'want', and what is a 'luxury'.

Often, we do things because others are doing it. We buy things because others are buying it. We find that we are constantly spending money to buy things that we do not really need.

Thanks, Will, for reminding us.

The Truth

2006-03-19T21:42:00.000+08:00

A quote in one edition of Reader's Digest:

"You dont need a long memory if you tell the truth."

I totally agree.
If you tell the truth, you dont need to remember what you said.
You just tell the facts everytime you talk about it.

But when you lie, you need a good memory to remember what you lied, because you need to tell the same lie, or produce more lies to cover this lie.
In some point in time, you may confuse or contradict yourself.

Have the courage to tell the truth,
or choose to refrain from saying anything if you cannot let the truth out.

Miss Universe

2006-03-18T08:35:00.000+08:00

So much hypes on Miss Singapore-Universe Pageant on tv these few weeks.

I think, to win the title, not only does the girl need to have beauty, she must know how to say the right things, be quick-witted, be humble, and be sincere.

Most of all, she needs luck.

(Actually, you need most of these things to be successful in life too.)

I remember when Chile's Cecelia Bolocco won the title in 1987 (held in Singapore), she said something like "I can speak a little English, but I am answering in Spanish so that my country can understand what I said."... (there was an interpreter).

I felt that this was a sincere and thoughtful answer.

Miss Universe 1987 .......................Miss Universe 2005 ..........Miss Singapore 2005
(Cecelia Bolocco)............................(Natalie Glebova)................... (Cheryl Tay)

Work harder, Singapore girls !