Purpose?

"Everything we do here has a purpose".
So can I question everything here?
If I do that, I think there'll be no ends to it.

Can't even find the purpose of my life. Why would I care about the purpose of the small things surrounding my life?
I think I'll go bonker if I do that.
Maybe I may question, I may have doubts on some procedures and actions, but it'll mostly just be a passing thought. Gotta let it pass and move along. If not, life would be difficult, won't it?

Somehow, a few people in my life recently makes me wonder "Do I question the purpose of my actions/work?"
Seems like I don't really do that.
Been more conscious of my mind lately.
Most of the time I may question. Isn't this a harder way? Isn't there a better way to do it?
But I'll just let these thoughts pass.
Dunno whether it's cause of the "trainings" I received during my CCA when I was in secondary school that we don't question orders and the authority. Hence, most of the time even if I may have different opinions or I may question the purposed of doing something, but I'll just keep those thoughts in my mind and let it pass gradually.

Well, I guess I'll just continue to be in search for the answer of the purpose of my life and try to voice out some of the question I have in my mind.

Brain

How I wish we could just have a switch to switch off our brain and give it a rest whenever we want to. Isn't the brain the most amazing thing ever? It's working every single second when we're awake. Even when we're sleeping, the subconscious part is also working to keep our bodily functions. It's even better than a machine! Working without rest from the time we were born to the time we RIP.

I've been killing alot of innocent brain cells recently. Sometimes, I wish I could just stop thinking. That'll free alot of things up and make things much easier. But that's impossible.
How can I store all those minute information and details I need to remember? How do I make sure I remember them all?
Information overloaded.

Well, I guess organising and reflecting is the solution.
Gotta store those information and organise them properly for my brain to retrieve them easily and not let them get lost in a pile of useless shit.
Blogging is a way to reflect too.
So this should be considered a first step taken.
Gotta move on next and get organising!


Hopefully, at the end of the day, it's still "saving in progress...."

[Video]George Carlin on Religion and God

George Carlin on Religion and God (uploaded by bjnignog)


Interesting speaker who brings up valid points.

Mary had a little lamb

Just realised I don't actually know the lyrics for the nursery rhyme, Mary had a little lamb!
I only know the tune and lyrics for the verses
Mary had a little lamb
little lamb
little lamb
Mary had a little lamb blah blah blah blah blah blah.
It followed her to school one day
school one day
school one day
it followed her to school one day
blah blah blah blah blah blah.


That's all I could managed.
The actual verse (below) is quite complex huh?


Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow

Everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go

It followed her to school one day
School one day, school one day
It followed her to school one day
Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school

And so the teacher turned it out,
Turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near

And waited patiently about,
Patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
Love Mary so? Love Mary so?
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cry

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."
Loves the lamb, you know, loves the lamb, you know
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."
The teacher did reply



The question is, So where's Mary's little lamb? I don't see it. So why does the nursery rhyme make it sound like Mary is such an innocent little girl?

Oh well, this post won't make sense to anyone reading.

Our Face

Have you ever wondered why people always judge others by their appearance?
I thought about it and came to the conclusion.
Perhaps it's because all the organs of our 5 senses are on our face.
That's why most people would notice other people's appearance or face when you look at another person.
Our eyes, nose, ears, mouth and skin are on our face.
We use our eyes to see, nose to smell, mouth to eat and skin to touch.
So these 5 organs are important to us.
We'll use our 5 organs to look, smell, see and talk to another person when we communicate with them. So when using these 5 organs, we'll somehow be attracted to the other person's 5 organs too.
Therefore in the end, our attention would be on the person's face.

Does that make sense?

What if our eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are not all concentrated on our face?
I think there may be a chance that people won't be so preoccupied with appearance or our face.
Just imagine what would happen if our eyes are on our arms.
I guess that the arms would be the first thing everyone would be looking at when we look at others.
So will everyone end up being preoccupied with having a beautiful arms instead of face?

There's just so much going on on our face that somehow we can't keep our attention away from it.

How to Bend a Spoon

I tried a few times but it still didn't work.
Did it work for you?
Leave a comment if it did so that I know the problem lies with me.

Lonely Vs Alone

One could be alone, but not lonely.
But does people always feel that being alone is being lonely?
Generally when one see another person alone, most people would think that that person is pitiful or lonely.
For all you know, that person may be feeling perfectly happy about being alone.
Away from all the hustle and bustle of life and happy that he found some time for himself to reflect on things, think about things and observe things.
Isn't that good?
You can just be yourself when you are with yourself.
You don't have to entertain, feel awkward with silence or try to strike up a conversation.

I like being alone.
So does that make me a loner?
Fine if it does.

But I don't mind spending time with people too.
Especially with people I like or can connect with.
But even with people who is hard to connect to, it's interesting to observe them and understand them through their words and actions.

So I don't mind spending time with people, and I don't mind being alone too.
I think that is quite a good thing. Isn't it?
Some people are just afraid of being alone.
What's so scary about that?
Unless maybe they feel insecure alone? Or maybe they're afraid of people's perception of them if they're seen alone?
But if you think people think that you're a weirdo if you're spotted alone, then perhaps you got the wrong perception.
Isn't it you yourself that thinks that you're a weirdo?

Hiya.
I just think there's nothing to be afraid of being alone.
Sometimes one may feel even more at ease and sometimes there may be a new perspective of viewing the world around you when you're alone.
Seriously,
That's nothing wrong with being alone at all.

Interest Vs Money

What should we live for? Our interest or enjoyment or money??
Every morning, we see lots of people rushing to work. Stressed face, stressful workload and maybe mundane and boring work.
I often wonder, how many of those people actually enjoy their work?
Are they working for money or for enjoyment?

I think most people would say that of course work can't be an enjoyment.
We work to earn money.
Oh well.
I guess life is miserable.
Working adults usually spend most of their time and live working.
9-5pm job. Around 8 hours of work per day.
Sometimes there may be OT.
So life goes like that...
wake up at 6/7am.
Eat.
Go work.
Faced with the mundane and boring and repetitive work. Not to add on the stresss.
Then there's 1 short hour of lunch break.
Then work again, until at 5/6pm.
Go home.
Dinner.
Watch 1-4hrs of tv programs. (depends on how late you stay up)
Then sleep.
Next morning, the same cycle continues.

So what's the joy to life?
Maybe only Saturdays and Sundays.
That's what most people probably look forward to.

I'd rather find a work where I enjoy.
Which has a purpose.
Which has something that motivates me.
That keeps me interested and have a passion for.
That's life.

Illusion

Totally cool illusion.

Check this out.

http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/lovely-illusion/#comment-15888

PS. You gotta click on the image to run the gif.

[Video]Vanishing Head Illusion

Vanishing Head Illusion (uploaded by Quirkology)




Interesting. Took me a few tries to get the effect though.

Earning money from the dead

Seems like its quite a good business to do business with the dead.
No, I'm not talking about having business transactions with spirits or ghost but do you know how expensive it may be to buy a space to put your ashes after you die?
For a certain company, the least is 2thousand plus for a space to put your urn and it could go up to 10s of thousands of dollars. Lucratic business isn't it? 5star service for the dead.

In my own opinion, I just think that what's the use? If I'm already dead, what for buy a place so expensive for me merely just to put my ashes? I don't even have any conscious by the time I'm dead. I won't even be feeling anything. So what for buy such a luxurious place for me? If I died, I think I won't even mind if my ashes are just being spread in the middle of the sea. Seems like quite a romantic thing to do huh? Since such scenes are quite popular in romantic movies where the ashes of the dead lovers are being released in a memorable place together.

I don't mind buying a place and investing in it, but the problem is, how do I sell it after I buy? Seems like quite a hard thing to do. Unless I spend my time around old folks and trying to persuade them to buy the place from me. But I can't even convince myself that I need a 5star "hotel" for my ashes to be put at when I died, how will I manage to convince others?

Aspirations

Had some "serious" conversation over lunch today with 2 guys. Topic went from career, jobs to aspirations, goals etc.
So someone asked me a question which usually pop up during a job interview "What is your aspiration?" I answered that I don't really have one. Then he said "they'll ask you this question when you go for job interview most of the time" In my mind I was thinking "So I guess I have to prepare a 100% perfect answer for this kind of question in future. I'll probably think about it when I need to next time. "And "Is touring the world and enjoying life considered an aspiration?" But of course I didn't bother to say anything. I just smiled.

Then both of them came to an agreement that we should have a set goal in life and was kinda "lecturing" me into it. Actually I've still not reached the point where I'm thinking hard about my career path and all those, so I take life as it goes. 看一天算一天吧。活在当下最重要.

I don't really know the 2 guys well and it's the first time ever I chatted with them. It's quite interesting. 1 seems to be quite keen about making money, and I think he's a stubborn guy who thinks that his opinions are right. I think he's quite judgemental too (In his eyes, most likely I'm like a log floating in the middle of the ocean which has no directions and aim). The other guy is older and seems to be more open minded. But he still has his opinions and strong believes. I think he'll be a great father who will give wise advice and discuss serious topics with his children.

So that stubborn guy started to talk about aspiration and was kinda "dissing" me saying that "I know, you're like spending your days as it goes 看一天过一天" and was saying it in quite an annoying tone with some gestures added to it. I just smiled. Whatever.
Then I asked What is your purpose of life?"
Answer was "To earn money." And he continued talking about setting up company, earning more money etc. The more opened minded guy added "After that, enjoy life and go abroad, relax, etc"

In my mind "So the purpose of your life is earning money?" You spend the days when you were young earning and working like a bull, then when you're older, you're still working and earning money. When will it even stop? Since men will never ever be satisfied. When you have more, you want even more. When will money ever be enough? What's worse is that if you can never ever achieve the set amount of money which you aimed for, then won't it be a vicious cycle? In the end, you'll just end up working and working all your life, slogging like a bull, trying to pay up your bills and debts etc. So when you grow old, it'll be your child's turn. Then you'll be staying at home, doing nothing much. Spending your days as it goes or laying in bed or sitting in the wheelchair, trying to win a battle with diseases and illness. Will you even have the energy and health to do what you enjoy and to enjoy life?

That was just what was going on in my mind after I heard his reply. Can't really be bothered to go into a discussion about it with him.

I guess different people have different goals and aims. Can I say that my goal in life is to enjoy life when I go for a job interview? I think most probably I'll just fail the interview if I do that. So I guess I'll have to think of a perfect answer for the question next time if I go for a interview again.
It just seems like people will look up and admire people who are goal-oriented, who have set goals and aims for their career, financial goals, etc. But what's so great about these people. Yes, they may have financial freedom, being rich and able to afford luxuries, but what's the purpose of earning so much money and being able to enjoy these material goods if they don't even love life and enjoy life?

So in the end, I still stick to my believe after the "lecture". I'll live my life to the fullest, enjoying life and spend time doing things I like to do.
What for do something you don't like doing? I won't be able to stand that for long.

命运

命运是什么？
是老天爷分配给我们的人生吗？
如果人生已经被分配了，活着的意义是什么？

有些人命运特别好，一辈子不愁吃，不愁穿。
而有些人命运没这么好，天天担心明天有没有得吃。
有些人事事顺利，到处贵人相助。
而有些人事事不如意，常常有小人陪伴。
有些人常常得到别人的的爱，到处有人疼，有人关心。
而有些人常常被冷漠，被忽略，付出了也被无视。
这都是命运的安排吗？

虽然命运可能安排了我们的出生地点，家庭背景,周遭的环境和运气。
但命运不是一切。
它只是给了你一个定位，一些帮助／障碍。
最后的路是自己走出来的。
没人能决定你的人生。
就算命运没这么好，
最后自己的人身和生命要如何过，
都是自己做主的。

不要向命运低头。

Perth Travel

Travelling is a good time to observe. To see and to feel a different place altogether. Be it a different culture, different lifestyle and different ways in which people communicate. "Different" means that inevitably, there are comparison and that's what I'll do when I travel.


Just like how the bulidings in Perth are more sparsely located and spreaded out, the lifestyle of Perth is much slower and relaxed. In comparision, the buildings in Singapore are densely packed and highly rised, just like how the tempo in Singapore is often fast-paced and pressurising. There was once when we were rushing to somewhere along the street and I heard a woman whom we overtook asking her partner, "Are we walking too slow or are they walking fast?"




Alot of times, I'll just stare and look at the sky, admiring how beautiful and endless the clouds are and they just seem alot closer to the ground then those in Singapore.
Actually I don't remember myself looking at the sky in Singapore. Maybe the clouds in Singapore are often blocked by those high-rised buildings which are growing taller and taller each time or maybe because there's often no time to do so.

Somehow, I keep remembering that we spent alot of time travelling around in the car, going from places to places. That is also part of the lifestyle. Often, the shops are quite a distance away from the houses, so wherever we go, we'll have to drive around. And I guess driving around is also a kind of relaxation.

People are generally warm and friendly in Perth. It just seems like the shop keepers are generally enjoying their work and that they don't dread their work since they're often with a smile or a greeting when you pay at the cashier and there's just a feeling of warmth that radiates. In Singapore, most of the shopkeeper have a straight face and there'll be little conversation going on between the shopper and cashier.

Travelling is a good way to see a different world and get a taste of life.
Slowing down our tempo and occasionally taking a deep breathe to observe our life and surroundings may be a good thing to do sometimes since most of the time, we are often rushing here and there without actually thinking about why we are doing so.

Time Wasting

"You're wasting your time"
"Don't waste your time"
"Stop wasting your youth"
"Stop wasting your life away"


So what is the meaning of "wasting time?"
That you're not using full use of your time?

Then what is the meaning of using full use of your time?
Studying? Earning money? Doing good deeds?

Seems like most of the time, "wasting time" is to be doing something you enjoy.
For eg. playing game, slacking, stoning, listening to music, watching a drama, going shopping etc.
"Stop wasting your time at home! Go find a job!"
" You won't have any future sitting at home playing computer everyday!"
"Do something useful"

Seems like most of the time, not wasting time means to do something that would result in a monetary benefit/gain at the end of the day.
That's how materialistic the world is.
So, activities that are not "wasting time" includes
Studying, having a job/completing your work.
Which would eventually result in monetary gains at the end of the day.
Studying> getting a good job> earning more money
Completing your job at work/job> keeping your job> earning money

Then what happens after making use of precious time to do "meaningful things?"
People usually waste their time by relaxing.
Going on a movie (which is wasting time)
Going on a holiday (which some may considered wasting time too)
Retiring.
Which means major time wasting since it means sitting at home for years and not doing anything "useful/meaningful" at all until you die.


So in the end, people make "full" use of their time in order to "waste time" in their later part of their life?"
Funny.

So think carefully before telling others that they're "wasting their time".
It may seem to you that they're "wasting their time" but are they really the one"wasting their time?"
Maybe the one who is "wasting time" is you since you're leading a horrible life doing things you hate doing in order to "waste time" in the later part of your life.
So who's the one that is really "wasting time"?

Yeah, something that is "wasting time" to you may be meaningful and beneficial to me.
You may thing that I'm wasting my time, but I may feel that I've spend my time very well since I'm happy doing something I love and making full use of my life, enjoying my life.
So don't tell others that they're "wasting" their time since different people have different goals and meaning to life.

久违了。。。朋友

好久没这么尽兴地发呆了。 事过多年，就像久违了的好朋友见面一样，有了重逢的快感。 只需一个字来形容。爽。 念书时期发呆和我是最好的朋友。 一有空， 我就会找他做伴。 任何时间地点都会找他陪。 但近几年就有点失去联络的感觉。 很惭愧的渐渐地遗忘了我这个好朋友。。。但幸运的是今天突然心血来潮，突然想起了这位好朋友。 重逢的感觉真爽。 和发呆在一起感觉超棒的！很舒服， 没烦恼， 什么都不用想。脑袋空空的感觉有够High 的。 一瞬间感到世界真美好啊。 大家有空时不妨也找找发呆做朋友吧。 保证不会让你失望。

Yes, I'm Singaporean!

Yes, I'm a Singaporean and I'm proud of it. You may ask "So what are the qualities required of a Singaporean?" I'll tell you about it now.

Singlish
The first and most important skill which will make you a Singaporean and allow other people to single you out from an international crowd is the ability to speak Singlish.


Cannot make it lah if you need to read this book to understand Singlish.

Yes, Singlish may seem to be an extremely easy "language" for a Singaporean but it may be more than difficult for a foreigner. Singlish allow Singaporeans to identify with each other and allow us to convey our message across in a more personal and effective way. Netherless to say, I'm an expert in Singlish.
Here's what my MSN conversation may look like:

Me: Hi
Friend: Hello
Friend: Wat you doing now?
Me: Sian lah, nth to do, so shake leg loh.
Friend: Wah, good loh. Can slack. I busy until siao juz now, so many customers.
Me: Haha. So cham ah? Too bad for you loh.
Friend: Eh, you free later or not? Wanna go town walk walk?
Me: Ummm ok loh.
Friend: Don't pang sey me and go pak tor with your bf later hor.
Me: yalah. Cya later.
Friend: bye

Catch no ball? Then you're probably not a Singaporean. Its quite easy picking a Singaporean out from an international crowd just by listening to the way we speak. There was once when I was shopping in Bangkok with my friends and the shopkeeper asked "Are you all from Singapore?"
When asked how she know, she answered that its by the way we speak. Not surprising indeed.
Not only in real life, its easy spotting a Singaprean in online forums just by the words they use or the way they type too. Sometimes in forum, there were times where I find it hard to avoid using Singlish to get the tone of my message across. For example,
Q: Are you very bored now?
A: No lah.

Without the lah, it just seems too serious. The lahs, lehs and lohs make it so much personal and make the tone much more relax and laid back.

Sales, Kiasu
Besides Singlish, I love discounts, sales and freebies too.

(credit: http://virgoblue.files.wordpress.com)

I just can't walk past a sales without stopping by at least for a while to take a look at it and check it out. I'll go to a place really early if there are any sales on items that I really wanted, so that I can grab those offers and bargains before they're gone. Yeah, call me kiasu.

Now, with the internet, I often take part in online contests and source for good deals and bargains on the internet. Yeah, the interenet makes things much easier now.


Queuing


(credit: http://paulcsc.moblog.com.sg)

Queuing and sales is somewhat connected. My philosophy: When there's a sales or extremely good bargain, there's gotta be a queue. So whenever I spotted any queues, I'll check it out and see what is the queue about.
I queued hours before at the Creative Warehouse Sale to buy my Creative Zen Mircophoto at a bargain price.
I cut out the coupon, and queued for an hour plus to get free Coffee Prince mug and poster at Bugis from U-weekly.

(Pic from my blog: Starsonscreen.blogspot.com)

I queued at twice at Suntec for an hour plus to buy donuts at Donut Factory when there was still the donut craze. The good thing is that the craze had died down and there's not much queue for the donuts now. But weirdly, I've not bought donuts recently now that there's no queue.

I joined the longest queue numorous time at food courts to get food even though I've not tried the food before. (Remember my philosphy? When there's a queue, there has to be something good).

There are other numorous occassions which I queued for something, but its just too tedious to list them all down. You get my point.

Late

(credit: passingdaes.blogspot.com/)
Being late for concerts and wedding dinners has become a habit. I used to be very early when I meet-up with my friends was younger last time, but I realised that everyone else is late. So there's no reason to arrive early and wait for the other people when that's not much difference when I'm late . As a result, I'm often late for concerts and meet-ups with my friends now. But there's not much of a difference since everyone else is late. I found out that I just have to be late by a few minutes of the scheduled meeting time in order to arrive just at the right time.So now, I'll mostly arrive right on the dot or a few minutes later and most of the time during large gatherings, I'm still one of the earliest to arrive.

This characteristic very much explains the reason why I'm making my post minutes before the closing dateline for the contest. Hope I'll still qualify for the contest on time!

Lastly here's a funny video I found on Youtube.

WE LIVE IN SINGAPURA the MTV version(credit: NCHProductions)

Yes, I'm Singaporean! Blog Contest
Check out other Singaporeans at mySingapore.sg