H^PPY H^ll*w >.< n

Great way to round off October and Halloween Day.

Thunderstorms bashed Singapore these two evenings at around 6 - 7 pm.

Yesterday, I was almost drenched battling the strong winds and rain making my way to the bus stop at Pasir Ris. Fortunately, when the bus arrived at Sengkang, the downpour had subsided to a drizzle.

Today, when I made my way to The Arts House for a free screening of Japanese film "The Most Beautiful Times" which was part of the Singapore Writers Festival, the sun nearly melted me to a pulp. I almost regretted coming out in the heat. But later, I realised that I would have regretted it more had I missed the beautiful film.

It's a very simple story, and yet so engaging, simply because it managed to put forth the most natural human nuances on-screen, so much so that many times, I knew exactly what the character was gonna do next because it's so natural but yet so subtle that I couldn't help wondering how the writer managed to have such a keen grasp on what makes people human.

Oh, haha, I realise I've just written an entire paragraph with no full stops. I've been using a lot of commas in my sentences lately, no thanks to prolonged chat sessions in Chinese where commas seem to be easier to use, especially on the mobile phone.

I digress.

So the film finished around 5.30 pm, thunder was rolling outside, but I decided to stay for the dialogue session with the writer. It's always enlightening sitting through these sessions, listening in and observing how different people have viewed the same film in different light and what sparked the most curious curiousity. Some perspectives were really interesting, though the writer (not to blame him) couldn't really answer: "are the spots where the Singapore audience laughed the same as the ones the Japanese audience laughed at?" The exploration of cultural differences was at the core of the lively discussion, which lasted another 30 minutes.

It was already raining as I stepped out onto the porch of The Arts House. The thunder was loud, but what was more boisterous was the crowd of fans queuing up for the autograph session with Neil Gaiman. I caught a glimpse of the man, whose only work I know is Stardust (and that, the movie version), so there was no point of me hanging around. I wanted to get to the MRT station before the downpour descended upon me. Sure enough, it did just moments before I reached the overhead bridge that led to The Central and to the MRT station. By the time I reached Sengkang, it was still pouring, but miraculously I wasn't very wet. The night was cool, and I was extremely thankful for that.

No trick or treat, just a chilly Halloween night.
v(^___^*)v

MFA

Hmmm ... for the first time in possibly 10 years that I'm seriously contemplating further education (I did roll it in my mind for a bit after I graduated and the economy wasn't doing too well). Perhaps I've been hanging around too many people with such thoughts lately.

Earlier this year, a colleague left to further her studies in Chicago. Then, a friend accompanied her husband to Chicago for his post-grad studies right after their wedding. Now, another friend in Shanghai is mugging for the admission exams to the masters programme at a prestigious university, after which he hopes to further his studies in the US, likely to be Chicago too. An old friend from back in university days who is now doing well in Hong Kong wants to get a PhD degree "before it's too late".

Most importantly, a professor from the Department of Design of the Ohio State University had been sitting next to me in the office for the past 2 days. It's one of the best universities in the US for design-related courses (comparable to Ivy League schools). The faculty is comprised of some of the most well-known names in design research like Liz Sanders.

Today, I found out that I could join the programme as a research fellow or something ... meaning I assist the professors in research work while undergoing my masters course. In return, my course fees would be fully covered and on top of that, I'd be paid a reasonable amount that should cover my living expenses plus occasional leisure travel. Whoa ... Daniel's encouraging me to take this up for he was one of the recipients and today, he's the UX/Design Research practitioner I admire the most.

So I'm certainly going to give it some very serious thought. I've even come up with my pitch for the Statement of Intent. It's a goal I wanna achieve as a design researcher, and this MFA might give me just that. And I'll be fulfilling my dream of studying in the US, and living in a foreign environment for an extended period.

(^___^*)

Besides, since there may never be snow in my life, I might as well head over there to experience the bitter winter of Columbus.

Portraits

I absolutely adore them. They are the easiest to capture, they are also the hardest. They are emotions to the brim, or they could be completely void of them. But somehow, they are never confusing. There is always one unique story that each one of them tells.

However hard I try to my hand at the art of photography, and particularly that of portraits, my own pictures always pale in comparison to what I find on National Geographic. Like this one, I feel so compelled to write about it just by virtue of the picture, as it resonates with my own memories of what I've seen in the poorest parts of China, India, Bangladesh, Egypt. And it reminds me that if happiness can be built on so little, why do I need so much?

Enjoy.

Photo and caption by Leslie Alsheimer

October 19, 2009

It is the light, it is the curl in the corners of the mouth, the sparkle in the eyes, and the unedited and untainted laughter. It is a child that does not yet understand the meaning of poverty. It is the child that has not yet seen the violence and destruction so prevalent in the world. It is the child that lost their mother to AIDS or child birthing complications, yet remains joyous and youthful despite the suffering. Dignity: The quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.

独生子

Seafood on the Sea (17 Oct 09)

Last Saturday, I went on a most amazing foodie trip with some Couchsurfers, organised by the friendliest CSer I've met thus far, Jeffrey. He's especially nice to me because I'm his shifu (and he keeps calling me that) because when he first started out on CS 2 years back and the site did not yet have too many from Singapore, he approached me for help and I got him started and he got himself hooked :) He's the one that's most endowed with the CS spirit!

Well, so ...

We set off at 5.30 am in 3 cars to JB. First stop, chee cheong fun and pancakes, then, dou hua with gingko nuts, then, bak kut teh, then, ice cream, then, prawn sashimi and crabs, then, go fishing for dinner, then, Kota Tinggi waterfalls, no chendol cuz the stall owner's Indian and it's Deepavali, then, dinner at a hawker centre where our sea catches got a royal treatment that agreed with all our tastebuds very much, till we were all so full to the brim and the poor car had to be fed more petrol and a good wash before we headed back to Singapore. I reached home approximately 11.30 pm, and only thanks to Jeffrey who sent us all home.

Ok, nuff said, I'll let the pictures do the talking (^___^*)

A measure of time

Strange how one can know someone for only 3 months and feel like they've known each other for life. And yet, with someone else, one who is more dear whom they have known for years, one feels like they hardly know each other very much at all.

Is it a matter of taking things too much for granted, or everything just boils down to affinity and destiny? That one has been pre-destined to be more in touch with one compared to the other, and that regardless of how much time and effort, and in some instances, tears and heartache, is invested, that all may in the end be in vain?

Like it's useless looking at the sky for a drop of rain during a drought. For in just one fine night, a storm may awaken, and the fertile land in its aftermath may be the most anticipated, yet a most unexpected pleasure and joy of all that one can receive in a lifetime.

Random thought

Tis the wedding season. Friends getting married, friends' friends getting married. And I wonder.

How many women actually (get to) marry the men they love the most?

Challenge

What happens when a challenge is thrown at you?
Grab it! And be glad that it's another step forward in your development as a person.
v(^___^*)v

梦想，岁月

An old granny having an early afternoon nap at her old house in an older part of Chengdu, a pretty nice rare find :) - Makes me think: While we're sleeping, what happen to dreams? And not forgetting that dreams happen while we're sleeping.

漫长的相思路

The smallness of man against machine ... and time ... as the steam powered train rumbles along its tracks ever so slowly, delivering passengers, parcels and pockets of love from one end to the other.

我的最爱就在成都

My absolute love in Chengdu. Teahouses, and the serenity that ensues. This is a strange paradox, for the best teahouses are raucous. Yet, I find peace in the ruckus.

中国未来又是个什么样的故事呢？

Chairman Mao paraphernalia in the custody of his ex-staff, Wang Anting. Mr. Wang's private collection is now open to visitors in his home, now called Wang Anting Mao Museum.

成都：地下摇滚小酒吧

Underground rock performances, chill ambience, art books @ Little Bar. Average age of audience, 20. Oops, think I bumped it up a little that night..

三星堆: 古属文化

You are staring at a 5,000 year old relic. Believe it.

成都: 等候巴士的那几刻 ...

I missed the bus to the Chengdu panda reserve, waited for half an hour in frustration for a bus that never showed (well, I gave up waiting after that). But in the meanwhile, I fiddled with my camera and shot this. Yes, there's a silver lining in every dark cloud. This picture is one of my personal favourites from this trip, I'm 'feeling' it.

RMB349 = SGD74 = ?

A quick morning chat with Cindy (and Jan Chipchase's post) reminded me of something. Cindy asked if I bought anything for myself from Chengdu. Well, actually I hardly buy anything because I go there quite often so it's like going back to Melaka, or just chilling in Singapore, so the natural reaction of not buying anything like tourists would.

Nor even out of pure temptation. Which I was pretty close to yielding to once, with a pretty knit cardigan from Vero Moda. It's RMB349. It's SGD74. Even a friend in Shanghai said it's only RMB349, it's only SGD74. But I didn't buy.

Because the context didn't allow me to. Because it's not just SGD74 in Chengdu. If I were in Singapore, yes, there's almost no question I'd gladly part with SGD74 for that nice piece of clothing. But RMB349 in the context of Chengdu ... it's too much for me. Especially when I enjoy so much that delicious bowl of 杂浆面 from the tiny store run by a laid-off worker that cost only RMB2.50 (pictured below). How many bowls of 杂浆面 will he need to sell to make RMB349?

Again, the value of a dollar across economies and cultures, or even within them, astounds me.

Google Question ... ?

Today, Google is a barcode. Everywhere in the world, from the mother site in the US, to the smallest nation of Liechtenstein, Google is a barcode. (I also Google-d Malaysia, Laos, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Colombia, Brazil, Germany, Morocco, even Afghanistan ... , they're all barcodes)

All but China. Google is Google 谷歌. And Korea too. Why?

中秋节快乐！

没有特别的月饼送给各位朋友，
就为你们做了一份WALL-E便当，
呵呵 ... 希望喜欢哦！

我今天最开心的
就是收到雪的祝福，
"花好月圆人团圆，
寄去相思和祝愿，
幸福快乐好梦圆。
中秋节快乐!"
(^___^*)

也在观音庙求了
一枝上签，
和两年前的一摸一样，
到底什么意思呢？
虽然不大理解，
还是感到安乐。

2016 Rio!

I didn't know it was yesterday that they'd announce the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games. A friend who was watching the live telecast in China alerted me to it. He was disappointed that Chicago crashed out in the first round. I told him, "It'll be Rio. Beijing had her turn, now it'll be Rio."

This win has far deeper significance for me. And for the world today. The winds are changing, the world order is changing. Emerging economies are slowly but steadily creeping into the limelight, getting the long overdue recognition from the global community. And me, the "emerging nations design researcher" is extremely happy. Will make my case of "let's design for the consumers of tomorrow - those from emerging nations!" easier.

See, Seoul hosted the Games in 1988 (I remember because I collected a bunch of Seoul Games pins that Dad received in the mail - don't ask me how cuz I still have no idea where or who he got them from), and see where Seoul is today.

China will get there. Brazil will get there. Bet your last cents on it. Oh, that signals an impending meeting with my financial advisor for a relook at my portfolio, high time for some emerging markets equities since even the GIC is increasing that portion in their basket.