“You like Penang?” A friend once asked.
I guess I do. I didn’t spend much of my growing up years here but I spent almost all of my school holidays in Penang when I was younger.
There’s something about Penang which is charming although the traffic can be crazy at times. But Sundays are good days for exploring Penang, at least the little nooks and crannies where the tourists won’t go. But I cannot be too sure. These days, tourists are a heck of a lot smarter and know more than the locals. I take that back. Friends of mine who are occasional visitors to Penang often confound me with the places they find and the unknown things they experience.
Things and experiences I take for granted at times.
Today it was Armenian Street. I’ve been to Teresa’s Edelweiss Cafe all but once and I’d been raving about it to Nic. The ambience and the decor can really sweep you back into an era where life moved a little more leisurely.
Month: July 2005
Make Your (Own) Funny Story
It’s one of those days that you just want to kick back and start savouring the weekend. (Yes, even for people who work at home like me.)
I got this by poking around someone’s blog and found it to be just the thing to trigger some creativity in all of us. It’s fun and it’s definitely fast. I just did one in under 5 minutes so if you want to humour yourself, and your friends, and show off a bit of your film-making skills, this is the place for you. It includes some great music too. And if you’re well-versed in Flash, you can contribute your skills and create a character or two.
But before that, have a look at my own movie here.
(The speed is a bit fast, and there’s no way I could tweak the speed but I hope it’s readable! If not, you can play it again and again!)
Yes, I Work From Home
I am sure my neighbours wonder about me and my other half all the time. I used to get out of the apartment at 8 plus in my formal business suit, ready to get my car started so I can get to work on the dot. Everyday for the past couple of years.
Suddenly, it all stopped.
Now I no longer do that because I work from home. Well, I don’t lounge around in pajamas (I think that’s just plain laziness if you don’t get out of your sleeping attire when you are not sleeping!) but I still sit in front of my computer. In fact, it’s now a laptop instead of the regular PC.
The Tragedy of Life?
I am the type of person who shies away from watching tearjerkers at the cinema. I don’t like to walk out of the cinema feeling melancholy. I much prefer to laugh my cares away with some comedy, with a chuckle and a smile and a dozen good feelings in my head the minute I get out of the darkened cinema hall.
Because I am the type who feels deeply for others. Empathy is my strong point. It is also my Achilles’ heel. It drives me to involve myself in activities I usually won’t get into, but emotions, once they get you, never leave.
That Indian Thing
I know why I love Penang, despite its crazy traffic jams and rude motorists who jump into my lane when I am happily driving along.
The culture.
Where else can you get, side by side to Chinese establishments, little enclaves of Indian shops which seem to have been forgotten by time? In Penang, Little India is vibrant and alive, in more ways than one. The colours are strong, and the air smells of curries and spices and incense sticks.
One of the best ways to sample the culture and its people is to break out of one’s comfort zone and go shopping in Little India. Be it Queen Street, King Street, Bishop Street or Penang Street, there’s always something happening – Indians going about their daily shopping, stopping by a shop for a quick bite and drink, or just strolling about, buying their colourful clothes.
This Thing Called Divorce
The SMS came a week ago.
The gist of the message was: July 14th would be the day she would walk out a free woman.
She would be officially divorced from her ex-husband.
And yesterday, at about 10.20am, I got another SMS from her. Finally, after all the waiting, she did walk out of court a free woman. Unencumbered by her past.
The first thing I did was to send her a message of support. That I was truly happy for her. I truly was because I knew she had been waiting for this day for the longest time.
She’s a happier person this way, and she’s found much strength in herself, after walking out of a bad marriage.
Fired for Blogging…
You know, blogging is bigger than ever these days. Everyone knows what a blog is. It’s happening. It’s big and it’s set to grow even bigger.
But here’s even better news…people can get fired for blogging!
Shocked? Don’t be.
Usually it happens when you are working for some company (hence, you are an employee) and you start blogging, and writing how unhappy you are with certain co-workers, or why you didn’t get that raise when you were supposed to.
A stewardess in the US is appealing her case right now because she posted some photos of herself in uniform on her blog and she got sacked.
Another blogger got fired because he posted photos of the new Mac G5 on his blog.
So what’s the moral of the story?
Blogging is public, and blogging can get you in trouble if you are not careful, especially in the States.
And if you want to blog dangerously, make sure you are your own boss. That way, no one can fire you.
Hungry and Foolish
I loved this piece. It was sent to me by a good friend, James. Once in a while, I need this kind of heartwarming inspiration.
Thank you James!
Read on…
This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005 at Stanford University.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college.
Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life.
That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The Silva Mind Method
I first read The Silva Mind Control Method three weeks ago and then picked up The Silva Mind Control Method for Getting Help from Your Other Side recently. Both books are by Jose Silva, the founder of the Silva Mind Method.
The Silva Mind Method is about relaxing the body and mind to the extent of slowing down the brainwave frequency in order to produce a positive result.
Now what does all this mean? In our everyday lives, we use a lot of our left brain to help us think, rationalise and justify actions, speech and thought. But our brain is not only made up of the left side. The right side also matters. The right brain is about the creative side of you, as opposed to the left brain which is about being logical and rationale.