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Captain's Log - The Final Chapter
Weather - Cool
Mood - Mixed

I am now moving to the Two Eggs blog. It has been fun sharing my thoughts with you on this particular blog. All good things do come to an end.... BUT you can continue to read my funnie antics in the new blog I am sharing with my Baby.

Do drop by and update your links/bookmarks. Here goes!!!

 
Captain's Log - Chapter 59
Weather - Cool
Mood - Settled

Now Reading
1. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
1. LOTR (The Return of the King) - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Getting Rid of Gout
3. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
4. The Meaning of Things - A C Grayling

CNN Headline: British envoy among Turkey dead
Such headlines have been the norm since Osama struck the World Trade Center in 2001. I can't help but feel a sense of numbness to such developments. What kind of world are we living in where maniacs go around blowing innocents into bits and pieces.

Guess Quentin Tarantino is the only sane guy around.

Let's pray for peace.

 
Captain's Log - Chapter 58
Weather - Cold
Mood - Normal

Now Reading
1. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
1. LOTR (The Return of the King) - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Getting Rid of Gout
3. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
4. The Meaning of Things - A.C. Grayling

"Should the tolerant tolerate the intolerant?"
This question resonated, struck a chord, within my 'self' as I read the book The Meaning of Things. Guess I will be pretty philosophical in the next few weeks.

Back to the question. So should the tolerant tolerate the intolerant? My mind was whirling with thoughts on how to answer this question. The word 'tolerant' itself signifies, for want of a better word, tolerance. Thus, the logical answer is 'Yes'. Thus, the logical me would have gone with the 'Yes' group.

But Grayling (the author) said that the tolerant should not tolerate the intolerant. This is beacuse tolerance has to protect itself. The simple answer is profound as I have never thought of things in such a manner. All logic is out the window. This is good as our mental models of the world should be 'stirred & shaken' (James Bond style) once awhile.

I intend to reflect on this and see if I am one of the tolerants or intolerants. Once I know how I behave, I can improve myself. That's the least I can do for society.

 
Captain's Log - Chapter 57
Weather - Cool & Comfy
Mood - Drowsy... am I awake???

Now Reading
1. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
1. LOTR (The Return of the King) - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Getting Rid of Gout
3. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
4. The Meaning of Things - A.C. Grayling

Of Maps and Life
Was given a $20 Kinokuniya book voucher by my friends for my birthday. At first, I planned to buy a book that I really wanted. But the fact is, I did not have anything in mind. So, on a planned trip to the bookstore with my hunnie, we searched high and low for something that would interest me.

Considered photography, geography, life sciences books/pictorials. However, none of them caught my eye. As chance would have it, as we were walking along one of the aisles, my hunnie just picked up a book about philosophy and life. Viola! And now I am reading it - The Meaning of Things.

Some parts of the forward got me thinking. The statement by Socrates "A unconsidered life is not worth living". This statement evoked within me a feeling of having spent the last 20-odd years of my life drifting from one point to another. Thus, to live life to the fullest means reflecting on it. One has to think about the value, principles, choices we hold or make in this life.

The real world is like a maze. To fully live in it, we can either (a) drift along in the maze and go with the flow when a junction appears ahead of us, or (b) to reflect on our actions, value etc. And through this reflection, we have a map of how we want to navigate through this life.

I am sure that I have wirtten something on this previously. Thus, I am one of the many 'map' readers who get too bogged down by the routine scenery (routine-ness of life) of the road we are travelling in that we forget to refer to the map. While I admit it is difficult in trying to live a life being fully aware of everything, the fundamental thing here is to try. To not even try is to fulfill the prophecy of Socrates.

With that, I pledge to myself to start charting my way forward. It's ok to get lost once awhile, but a clear direction must always be in our minds as we move this maze called life.

 
Captain's Log - Chapter 56
Weather - Nice and cool
Mood - Fresh

Now Reading
1. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
1. LOTR (The Return of the King) - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Getting Rid of Gout
3. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham

Kill Bill
While I enjoy my movies with a dash of violence and gore, I found Kill Bill to be splashed, if not, dripping with it. This has definitely been one of the most violent movies my eyeballs has seen thus far.

Don't get me wrong. I thouroughly enjoyed it! This is my first Quentin Tarantino film, and guess he has just won himself another fan. The blending of so much violence with humour is artfully done. Where can you get a movie where people are dying and feel-good music is playing in the background. Yeah, only in Tarantino's films.

Will be looking forward to Kill Bill Vol. 2. If you have yet to see it, advice to you - skip Matrix Revolutions, got for Kill Bill. You will enjoy it!!!

 
Captain's Log - Chapter 55

Weather - Cold........
Mood - Ok Lah!

Now Reading
1. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
1. LOTR (The Return of the King) - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Getting Rid of Gout
3. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham

How a molehill becomes a mountain - Office Politics 101
One of my staff recently finished a project. It is one of those projects which my unit produces, more or less, on a regular basis. But it soon turned out to be a powder keg of contention.

This product has generated a flurry of feedback and comments. Comments like why was certain party was not consulted in developing the project. Why the the interests of units likely to be affected not factored in the product. the list goes on and on like a abroken record.

I do see the validity behind some of the comments. But in the end, what struck me most of the selfish interest behind all of them. Yes, I agree that bosses/supervisors should protect their units/staff - it is a must in their jobscope. But to take it to this extreme is, to me, ridiculous.

For me, I see all the units in my organisation as working towards a common vision. But all this bickering does not help. Guess this is a lesson for the idealistic me. The lesson for me is not to indulge in such activities in the future.

 
Captain's Log - Chapter 54
Weather - Cool
Mood - Sleepy

Now Reading
1. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
1. LOTR (The Return of the King) - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Getting Rid of Gout
3. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham

A Tribute
Life in Singapore is hectic, if not, stressful. Since a young tender age, the idea that a fulfilling life consists of: a house, car, card, cash and club, has been drilled into my brain The venerable 5Cs of the Singaporean Dream. Pardon the pun, the title of my blog could subsconsciously be linked to this.

Guess I have spent a better part of my life pursuing the Cs. Am in a reflective mood today as I just celebrated my mum's birthday. Born into a traditional Chinese family in Malaysia, my mum was brought up in a highly feudalistic family system, at least that how I undertstand it. Her family have the Chinese bias towards grooming the boys, while letting the girls do the doestic household chores. Thus, my mum never had any formal education beyond the primary level.

To her, a fulfilling life is one which she ensures that everyone in the family in well taken care off. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, coaching etc. are but basic chores that my mum oversees in the household. Despite doing these in the past three decades, she still insisting on carrying on with the hectic pace. Admiration fills my heart whenever I think about the sacrifice my mum made for my family. Despite our pleas to take time from household chores and enjoy life, she has yet to fly on a plane or visit any place beyond Malaysia.

Deep inside me, I believe my mum has already done everything she could in bringing up 2 wonderful kids, myself included. Our house is always spick and span. It's time for her to take a good and well deserved rest.

As for her birthday, we (myself and my hunnie) bought her a handbag which we saw in Robinson's. My mum was really happy with the gift as she saw it previously, but did not purchase it as she's a thrifty lady. Am glad that I bought for her something that she really like.

Here's a tribute to my mum and all the wonderful mums around the world.

"Ma, thanks for everything. I love you."