It is a few days now that I have been up and around like 6-9 in the morning! I am amazed at myself. Not sure how long this will last.
I mean - being up and about in the wee hours of the morning is usual. Temperature is cool. The silence of the night is so peaceful. Actions and thoughts of the day comes and one reflects on the 'good' and 'bad' things we have done. It is generally in front of the computer and a cup of aik-cheong coffee beside me; whilst the 'yohurt chicken', the rare-bits, and/or the rock buns that is baking in the oven.
But now things are different! Seven to nine in the mornings brings forth very different 'noise'. There are the school buses charging up the road; screeching to a stop as they pick up the kids for the morning session. The mothers screaming at their children who forget their water-bottle or lunch pack. Then we have the doors of cars and electric gates opening, as office workers leave for the office. Do you know that each electric gate have its own sound?
Yup! I heard all that! All these cacophony of sounds are like phonetic groan of people starting yet another 'busy' day. Not necessarily pleasant if one dwells into it. The toils and sweat of humanity begins and one habituate to it; forgetting their soul and objective of life.
It is a total contrast to the best sound of the morning; which comes just before that! The first chirp of the bulbuls and cuckoo brings forth a new morning! It always sound so cheerful. It is as if they are greeting one another constantly. It is as if they were singing:
'This is the day! This is the day! This is the day that the Lord has made!
And so I will now go to work, with a little skip in my steps and hum a little tune! I will choose to remember that this is the day that the Lord has made! Amen!
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Showing posts with label life reflections?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life reflections?. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
life..
You know when we are down, we search for a meaning in life. Most of us turn to a god. But if you don't have a God to believe in, what do you do? You will be amazed at the various ways people go about it. Many of my neighbours actually subscribe to the daily horoscope. You'll know because the minute they turn on their Facebook, they go online to some predictions for the day.
How do we believe in a God that we don't get to see, but have made a conscious choice to follow. The people who actually survived during the 2WW generally have a God they cling to. It is very much a matter of mind over matter.
But we are not at war. We have a mundane life if not so mundane jobs. I mean, this picture is so appropriate. Here we thought we are okay, if not perfect. But there is always someone or something which will spoil the perfect life or picture we want to have.
So the moral of the story?
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.
(not sure who wrote the observation, but serves as a useful reminder)
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How do we believe in a God that we don't get to see, but have made a conscious choice to follow. The people who actually survived during the 2WW generally have a God they cling to. It is very much a matter of mind over matter.
But we are not at war. We have a mundane life if not so mundane jobs. I mean, this picture is so appropriate. Here we thought we are okay, if not perfect. But there is always someone or something which will spoil the perfect life or picture we want to have.
So the moral of the story?
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.
(not sure who wrote the observation, but serves as a useful reminder)
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Saturday, February 20, 2010
CNY 2010 ... gimmel, resh and yod...
Oh! talking about surfing facebook and virtual farming! Not all is bad or a total waste of time you know. Though I have not been spending any time 'studying', I did have had some 'lessons'.
I actually found Greek and Hebrew 'neighbours'. So I tried to 'read'.
As far as Greek is concerned, I am totally lost and Greek is still totally Greek to me! For one, we learnt and use small alphabets mostly in elementary Biblical Greek. So sight-reading or recognization of the Greek alphabets takes time. Saving grace is I could recognise a greek word, without knowing it. However, curiosity is enough for me to find out why modern Greek, at least the computerised Greek are all in Capitals.
On the other hand, though it is very early days in our Hebrew lectures, I could recognise the Hebrew alphabets almost immediately. I mean, lo and behold, I could read the alphabets of a lady's first name - gimmel, resh, yod, transliterated as gry. But my delight is short lived. I have to confess that it is as far as I could go. We have just about learnt the vowels. Hence, I did enlarge the font size to ensure that I have not missed any dots and/or dashes ie the vowels. Yes, vowels are represented by dots and dashes. But there aren't any! Oh well, I would just have to be patient and persist.
See! virtual farms and computer games are educational! Don't pooh pooh things away, too easily.
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I actually found Greek and Hebrew 'neighbours'. So I tried to 'read'.
As far as Greek is concerned, I am totally lost and Greek is still totally Greek to me! For one, we learnt and use small alphabets mostly in elementary Biblical Greek. So sight-reading or recognization of the Greek alphabets takes time. Saving grace is I could recognise a greek word, without knowing it. However, curiosity is enough for me to find out why modern Greek, at least the computerised Greek are all in Capitals.
On the other hand, though it is very early days in our Hebrew lectures, I could recognise the Hebrew alphabets almost immediately. I mean, lo and behold, I could read the alphabets of a lady's first name - gimmel, resh, yod, transliterated as gry. But my delight is short lived. I have to confess that it is as far as I could go. We have just about learnt the vowels. Hence, I did enlarge the font size to ensure that I have not missed any dots and/or dashes ie the vowels. Yes, vowels are represented by dots and dashes. But there aren't any! Oh well, I would just have to be patient and persist.
See! virtual farms and computer games are educational! Don't pooh pooh things away, too easily.
________________________________________
... CNY 2010 - technology
Time has flown. I was looking forward to two more days before we have to go back to reality and real life. Yes, it is that somber. Modern technology ie the computer with its emails have been flying back and forth. Looming ahead is some not so nice negotiations. It will be sorted out, eventually; games we have to play every year and just part of working life.
But I did have a great time for the last few days. Not terribly restful and found out a couple of things! So what happened? Did the normal duty of visiting the elders and relatives, picked up a few Ang Pows on the way. Yup, still unashamedly doing it.
Then I have a confession. I did not do any work ... oops!... I mean study! The rest of the time was spent on Facebook, farming away. But it is not all bad.
Had a more comprehensive insight on the type of people who play virtual farming. Classifying them into couple of groups of 'farmers' are:-
a. Honest farmers:- there are a group of folks who are obviously elderly; taught how to play by their children - to keep them occupied; and be in touch with the 'outside' world and their own children. They are honest folks, as they laboured away on their farm. These generally have less than a hundred 'friends'. But it soon grows as they learn more.
b. Street-wise farmers:- then there is a group, who are obviously 'young', as in not defined by age. These group are obviously IT literate, and have found ways to 'beat the system' or street-wise. In addition to the cursory farming, they spent as much time visiting their neighbours. This enables them to collect if not snatch points ie bonuses and gifts without having to labour much. They also collect 'friends' or neighbours like one would collect dust, and have from a thousand to four thousand neighbours.
Actually a more appropriate description of these group is 'pirates of the sky' or 'vultures of the web'. Many of the honest farmers are amazed as to why one's 'gifts' are snatched away within 5 seconds. One lady actually wrote and scolded them, on her wall. There are ways, of course, to stop such encroachment. Until the Honest farmers learnt of it, they are being exploited. Very much like real life. Meanwhile 'ignorance' is bliss'.
I believe that Farmville is making millions for Facebook or Zyxna. I am sure there is a 'counter' which collects the number of hits, every time one visits a neighour. Such hits would be sold to advertisers; not that many people actually have time to read the advertisements on the side.
Meanwhile, for the last few days, I have made use of and took advantage of such knowledge. Why farm so labouriously?
- Make use of what we know
- and/or take advantage of the position we are in,
- or be ignorant and be exploited.
All very much part of life, whether in an ordinary game of virtual farming, secular life or religious institution.
Not for me to judge. We just have to answer before HIM, when at the appropriate time!
____________________________________________
But I did have a great time for the last few days. Not terribly restful and found out a couple of things! So what happened? Did the normal duty of visiting the elders and relatives, picked up a few Ang Pows on the way. Yup, still unashamedly doing it.
Then I have a confession. I did not do any work ... oops!... I mean study! The rest of the time was spent on Facebook, farming away. But it is not all bad.
Had a more comprehensive insight on the type of people who play virtual farming. Classifying them into couple of groups of 'farmers' are:-
a. Honest farmers:- there are a group of folks who are obviously elderly; taught how to play by their children - to keep them occupied; and be in touch with the 'outside' world and their own children. They are honest folks, as they laboured away on their farm. These generally have less than a hundred 'friends'. But it soon grows as they learn more.
b. Street-wise farmers:- then there is a group, who are obviously 'young', as in not defined by age. These group are obviously IT literate, and have found ways to 'beat the system' or street-wise. In addition to the cursory farming, they spent as much time visiting their neighbours. This enables them to collect if not snatch points ie bonuses and gifts without having to labour much. They also collect 'friends' or neighbours like one would collect dust, and have from a thousand to four thousand neighbours.
Actually a more appropriate description of these group is 'pirates of the sky' or 'vultures of the web'. Many of the honest farmers are amazed as to why one's 'gifts' are snatched away within 5 seconds. One lady actually wrote and scolded them, on her wall. There are ways, of course, to stop such encroachment. Until the Honest farmers learnt of it, they are being exploited. Very much like real life. Meanwhile 'ignorance' is bliss'.
I believe that Farmville is making millions for Facebook or Zyxna. I am sure there is a 'counter' which collects the number of hits, every time one visits a neighour. Such hits would be sold to advertisers; not that many people actually have time to read the advertisements on the side.
Meanwhile, for the last few days, I have made use of and took advantage of such knowledge. Why farm so labouriously?
- Make use of what we know
- and/or take advantage of the position we are in,
- or be ignorant and be exploited.
All very much part of life, whether in an ordinary game of virtual farming, secular life or religious institution.
Not for me to judge. We just have to answer before HIM, when at the appropriate time!
____________________________________________
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