Monday, August 31, 2015

Saturday


Lunch at Cedele RWS branch. I love Cedele. 

 After sending Colin to class at 9am, I sped off to Vivo City to find the miniature Tic Tacs which Kiki's violin teacher found amusing. She says she liked miniatures (so do I) and asked where she could find these. I thought since Teacher's Day is round the bend, we'll get her the gigantic box of Tic Tac as a gift. And a mini jar of Nutella (Nu Tella).  The Candy Empire at Vivo do not carry them, the other candy store at MBS has moved out, and so I'm left with one last place to search-- Candylicious
at RWS. Luckily, they still have the Tic Tacs there. 



The rest of the Candies are for KiCo's childcare teachers (although they've wrote us an email to specify - no gifts, just hand-made cards), and other teachers-- speech & drama, music, abacus, chinese.


My sis' wedding is round the corner! 
Night time went food tasting at Grand Shanghai. 
 Kids just love to run about, giggle and run at the same time. 


Happy Birthday, my love; Colin.


choosing a cake

 humm... can't remember what they were starring at.. 

 Colin says-- Call Yiyi!

See the plot of land on the left,  that's the proposed MRT site. 
Yeah, it'll be near us, but... I don't know how many more years it'll take to be fully functional.. 
nine years I think.

 The hotel gave us a carrot cake (which tasted quite nice). 
Oh, they forgot the candles ya?




We had a simple affair




 Yiyi asked: Colin, do you remember these trucks?
Colin: Yes, at the shop but you said "see only, cannot buy. 







 We played for hours, went for a swim at the pool, went dinner at Katong Village, had ice cream (Colin likes Mint Chocs, just like me and my sis), Kiki chose "Bubble Gum" flavour. KiCo tried to persuade my sis to stay over but my sis needed to catch up on her slumber.

 My sis taught Kiki to doodle. 



message on a doily. 

Kiki says she had one for Yiyi and she had planned on giving it to her on November (sis' BD) but her Yiyi took it with her anyway.

Since we've all awoken early the following morning, we might as well go to class. 
 
It's business as usual from then.



Thursday, August 27, 2015

Happy Birthday, Colin!

You're 4

 Celebrations at school.






KSTDT

Me:  We'd see how ok? If there's no 3D tickets for "Inside Out", I'll get the normal ones ok?
Kiki: You mean no 3D you will get 4D?
Me: No,,,, it will be 2D, normal.
Kiki: You mean like on my iPad? I don't want normal 2D, I want to watch in 3D like last time in Disneyland like that, can 'touch'.

Anyway.... the cinema near us doesn't have 3D theaters ley....... hum.

All-in-a-day's-work



 My customer, manufacturer's technician and working colleagues. 

 Earlier on this week, we completed one overhaul of a drilling tong. 
Hope the market picks up soon... we need more jobs. 


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Screw drivers have names

Finally the LR41 batteries are in stock. Those are very tiny, flat batteries to be used on one of the fire engines toy, and Kiki's LED mini torch light. Both of them have waited patiently for over 3 months as the shop ran out of that battery and all other shops don't carry them either. 

So last night, they were eagerly waiting for me to 1. dry my hair after shower, 2. pack my bag for work and for badminton game the following day, 3. replace the batteries. 

Meanwhile, the two of them rattled names for each screw driver. The names sounded so familiar. 

After a while, it dawned on me that they named the screw drivers with corresponding colours of the Paw Control Dogs.  Hahaha... so amusing.



Tuesday, August 25, 2015

One Ted Video


 I was watching one, random TED video when Kiki got curious and watched it with me. 
So it says do what you love, be really, really good at it and do it for love and not money. 
I cited for instance, she says she likes Math, so I said eg: You love Math and then you just be very good at it and do it for love, the money will come naturally. (Whatever that means!)  
She asked- but what if I love dogs more than Math?
LOL. Dunno what I'm sprouting. Nonsense. 




Push away shyness, push away self-doubts.
If you can't push yourself anymore, don't worry, your mom will >_<

Seriously, many renowned (or not so renowned) musicians, thank their mothers for pushing them.


The Diamond Cutter



I've put these notes here so I could retrieve as and when. This blog is like my digital warehouse lah.



This book is written by Michael Roach, he is a Buddhist monk (Tibetan) and worked in the diamond industry for many years. He lives in New York City. His recount on his work is both humorous and insightful.

Briefly

Two ways of seeing hidden potential in things. One- "see" this nature by reading explanations about it (eg: from books) and then sitting and thinking hard about the explanation unit you understand the potential and can use it. Two- go into deep state of meditation to "see" the potential in your mind's eye.

The Diamond Cutter is even more ultimate that the diamond, given that the diamond is the hardest element on earth.

Mis-perception about Buddhism, about each person's inner spiritual life in general. Buddhism taught that there us a time and place for taking on the life of a scheduled monk, for living apart from the world in order to learn to serve the world, but serve the world we must. and to do so, we must be in the world. (hence his corporate life).

The very people who are attracted to business are exactly he ones who have the inner strength to grasp and carry out the deeper practices of the spirit- thoughtful, resilient, thorough, insightful. 

You can have your cake and eat it. ie. You can make millions (dollars) and have time to meditate. 
The question is how we make the money, where it comes from, how to continue income, whether we keep a healthy attitude about the money.  A person with greater resources can do much more good in the world than one without.

Nothing in itself is a good thing or a bad thing. It just depends on who's looking. It appears good to some people who benefit from it, bad to people who are hurt by it. It is empty of quality. It is neutral, empty or blank, and emptiness is its hidden and ultimate potential. A bad thing is never bad from its own side.

Be compassionate regardless. 

Your current experience is your (previous) mental imprint. 
Your current choices and actions will form your mental imprint. 
To change or influence your future, arrest your current mental imprints. 
The mind can be impressed in an especially strong way, when something kind or unkind is done to someone who is in great need. The strength with which they are planted depends on the various factors we have outlined, including our intentions, the strength of our emotions, how well we recognise what we are doing, the style with which we act, the degree to which we "own" our actions afterwards (responsibility & ownership), and certain details of the person whom we have acted- eg: someone in great need, someone who has been helpful to us, or someone of exceptional character.

Be wary of your natural reaction to a problem. 

 Pointers

  1.  Maintain a generous sate of mind. 
  2. Maintain an ethical way of life. (actually, the books says "very ethical")
  3. To stay healthy, refuse ever to get angry.  
  4. Take joy in constructive and helpful actions. 
  5. Practise deep states of concentration, aka meditation
  6. Learn the principles of hidden potential and mental imprints
  7. Be compassionate towards others. 
Good results cannot come from an unethical action, any more than a sweet fruit can come from the seeds for thorns. 

Solutions to various, various problems (business & personal)

  1. Share your profits with those who have helped you produce them. Be very strict about never making a single penny through any improper action. It is not the amount you share that determines the strength of imprint, it is your willingness to share whatever you've made, even if it is not a lot. 
  2. Stop being envious of others and their businesses. Concentrate on making your company and yourself innovative, creative and fun. Don't be unhappy about the success of others. Be happy for their success. 
  3. Do not be arrogant, regardless level. Sit with the troops, listen to those who work with you. 
  4. Stop comparing yourself to others or others to yourself. Enjoy what you have. 
  5. Be really careful never to engage in implicit or explicit talks that aim to split up other people.
  6. You fix your world by fixing yourself. 
  7. Maintain high integrity of yourself. Your business decisions will be crisp, decisive, effective. 
  8. Stop being a cheapskate. Be generous, everybody prospers with creativity. 
  9. Keep your promises. Keep your commitments. 
  10. Are your priorities in order?
  11. Face up to the deficiencies in your own broad viewpoints about why greater things in the world happen. 
  12. Help others find a place to stay when they need them. Be generous. 
  13. Choose your associates wisely. (integrity)
  14. Unpleasant words may be harsh but sarcasm is worse. 
  15. Eliminate any unhealthy interest in the woes of others including your competitors. Even the so-call public obsession with the troubles of celebrity or famous people. Do not fascinate in others' problems. Feel empathy. 
  16. Think straight. 
  17. Stamp out unhappiness in every form. 
  18. Do not wish failure upon others. 
  19. Be visionary enough to create new wealth, not restrict ourselves to what has existed up to now. 
  20. Consciously take joy in the success of everyone around you. 
  21. Look out for your employees' health. Do not overwork. 
  22. Be honest. 
  23.  Be straightforward. 
  24. Do not respond to negativity with negativity. Do not respond violence with violence. 
  25. Avoid anger at all cost. Do not get upset.
  26. Be respectful towards others. 
  27. Extend help with others seek from you. Loan them your workers. 
  28. Have a gratitude mental attitude. 
  29. Eliminate sexual harassment or lewdness at any level including jokes, clean it out.
  30.  Be a reliable and responsible spouse. 
  31. Do not think "me" or "you",  view others as part of you. 
  32. Do not take solo pride in your achievements. There is a team of people who made it possible, including the guards, janitors, anyone even if their roles are limited. Be sensitive. 
  33. Do not gossip. Think before you speak.
  34. You can't just blindly trust what you grew up with or accept blindly what is popular or legal at any given time in that little part of the world you call 'home'. One man's poison is another man's meat. 
 Others:-

  1. Causes come before their results- enjoy your good fortunes and continue your good deeds. 
  2. Causes are smaller than their results- a small, good deed goes a long way to those in need. 
  3. Growing things takes time- put your mind to thinking good. 
  4. It helps to track- do the 'six-time book' tracking system. Track your thoughts & actions. 
  5. Understand what you're doing (makes it infinitely stronger)- have integrity ingrained in your subconsciousness. 
  6. Always end with the act of truth- and honestly toward everyone you come across. 
Take a "Circle Time" once in a week, take a day off work; rest, pursue a hobby, go sight seeing, go meditate, a restful mind allows creative insights and brilliant ideas for work and personal life.

Take a "Forrest Time" (the book doesn't say how often), two weeks off work, off from mobile phones, mobile devices, off social contacts. off emails. Get in touch with nature. (Forrest time is not the regular vacation time).

Keep yourself healthy. Exercise.

Look at it this way-
For instance, you've got your boss yelling at you over a 'crucial mistake' you've made.
To the boss' wife, that man is not a mad man, in fact she sees him doing something right.
To your colleague who had been competitive towards you, the yelling is pleasant.
To your boss, he is never bad nor wrong from his own views.
Therefore, 'a yelling boss' exists in your perception, by yelling back, you would have made it concrete. To "prevent future yelling bosses", you would refuse to yell back. What you could do is to get creative and solve the problem at hand.










Monday, August 24, 2015

Weekend August



Aunt Julie called and ask me if I want a set of these new, commemorative notes or not. 
I said- Don't want lah, for what? Keep, keep, keep, also never use it. 
She went- Don't want? I queue up ley you don't want? Everybody also queue up you know. 
I said- Okay lor. Just one set.


Elsewhere from the internet.....
 Sent this picture to Synnie. I said - Hey hey, we go make this suit for CNY. 
She sent me a "wildly in love" emoticon. 
I replied- but cannot so low cut
She replied- Of course lah!  



From my online marketing group, one member is a "quit smoking" coach and she does it via phone. 
I was wondering how she charges, like, is it per session, per minute, per phone call or what.
There are always things to learn about other people's businesses.
Then I went to visit her website and saw the note above. 



She asked, "Are there any male roles out there that they don't mind switching to female?"
So the filmmakers tweaked a little to give her the role.
That's what I call - Asking the right questions. 




I have always thought that I am too serious; most people wouldn't bat and eyelid when they rattle  mindlessly about this and that and that and this. They don't take words literally and they have no slightest intentions of fulfilling their superficial remarks. Anyway, I just let them pass because birds of a feather flock together. 




 Mushroom pizza, the French kind. (Pissaladiere). 

 Chendol in an Atas presentation. 

Where I grew up, I used to watch my uncle make the Green Jelly Chendol at night. The process involves boiling starch, add food colouring and I'm not sure if there were other ingredients, perhaps pandan leaves. Pour the starch over a big, metal sieve that is placed over a big bucket filled with cool water. The tadpole shaped Chendols will set and harden overnight. That business was to supply to the Chinese restaurants. 

 Sunday night