Goddess of Little things

I have entered a new state in life. 

A state of doing nothing, but at the same time, doing everything I wanted to do but have never found the time to do the said thing unhurriedly.

Today I made time. Time for a simple little pleasure of sitting by the window sill and watching the clouds float by. Enjoying the warmth of the morning sun, enveloping the green lush mountain. Peeking into the treasure chest of creative allures.

It was then I made a small promise for myself. Each day I should look forward to savouring the small things in life. 

And just like that, I started my first day of A Year Of Little Things.

KL Msia Makan Guide provided by Siew Fong

Best Food in KL (Non-halal) [Non - Halal Eateries in KL]    Grilled Chicken Wings <image001.jpg> Wong Ah Wah Chicken Wings  This is located at Jalan Alor and has made a really big name for themselves as the best grilled chicken wings in town. The Hong Kong and Taiwanese tourists love this place. They have expanded the operations to cater for seafood enthusiasts by adding deliciously prepared seafood dishes to their list. Wanton Noodles <image002.jpg> Koon Kee Wanton Noodles  This old establishment is a little more than a hole in the wall, on Petaling Street itself. The waiters are a little grumpy and you may have to repeat your order a couple of times but it's worth the hassle. One of those few remaining old coffee shops in the vicinity. Closed in the evenings.  <image003.jpg> Toong Kwoon Chye  Another great place for wanton noodles with barbequed roast pork. Been around for years and is now run by 3rd generation of the family. Also serves up pretty good Herbal Duck Drumstick Noodle soup and yin yang toast. Open 7.30am - 7.30pm Located: At Jalan Bintang, across the road from Century Hotel on Jalan Bukit Bintang. Pork Ball Noodles(Yoke Yuen Fun), Popiah  <image004.jpg> <image005.jpg> Weng Heng Coffee Shop  Serves the best pork ball noodles in town. And not to mention one of the best places to go for a piping hot plate of Penang Kway Teow. If that's not enough, the popiah is superb too! However you'll have to order this dish from the old man who runs his little stall just outside of the shop. It gets really crowded during lunch hour so go early. Located: On Jalan Imbi, opposite the Honda Showroom and round the corner from Sakura Restaurant Prawn Noodle Soup (Mee Yoke) <image006.jpg> Lai Fong Coffee Shop  Another one of those old coffee shops with lots of individual stalls selling all sorts of food. One particular one that sells the Prawn Noodle Soup still remains one of the best choices in town, if you're looking for Prawn Noodle Soup. Closed in the evenings. Located: Jalan Cheng Lock, on the crossroads with Jalan Petaling across from the Jukebox shoe shop Pan Mee (Meen Fun Kueh) <image007.jpg> <image008.jpg> Restoran Kin Kin  This family used to operate under a huge tree nearby but due to developments in the area, they have relocated to a shoplot. A very different style of preparation, one can have it in soup or dry. The dry pan mee topped with egg and is absolutely deeeeelicious! Lunchtime is packed and the crowd is generally made up of accountants. (The big accounting firms are within the vicinity). You'll see what we mean when you get there. Open from 8am to 4pm. Located: Jalan Sultan Salahuddin Lorong 2 <image009.jpg> Adik-Beradik Chua  At the end of a row of prewar terrace houses is this coffee shop selling delicious fish ball noodle soup and pan mee. The chicken rice is quite popular there too and they sell the ever popular White Coffee here! Closed evenings Located: on Tengkat Tong Shin Beef Ball Noodle (Ngau Yoke Meen) Soong Kee Restaurant Try the beef ball with 'loh shi fun' either dry or with soup. It's the best, nothing like it! Open from Dusk till dawn Located: Jalan Tun H.S.Lee, just down the road from Metrojaya at Jalan Silang. Ngau Kee This stall sits on a five foot walkway and opens in the evenings till late The beef ball noodles are good here but hygiene can be improved.(a lot!) Located: Tengkat Tong Shin, just at the bend opposite Corona Inn. Hailam Noodle <image010.jpg> <image011.jpg> Yut Kee Coffee Shop  Great place to go for some hailam noodles(pic). The place has been passed on from one generation to the other so the secret of superb cooking is still very much alive within the family. Closed on Mondays and in the evenings. Also famous for their Lum Meen , Hainanese Chicken Chop(pic) and Roti Babi Located: Jalan Dang Wangi, on the corner just opposite the Wilayah Complex Hainanese Chicken Rice <image012.jpg> Sin Seng Nam Coffee Shop  Noted for its hainanese chicken rice and Chicken Chop. This place has been serving up hainanese dishes for dozens of years and still going strong. If you're in town, try this place. Closed evenings. Located: just to the side of Bangkok Bank close to the central market in town <image013.jpg> Nam Heong Chicken Rice  Most reputable shop serving hainanese chicken rice is the one in chinatown. There are now franchised shops all over town but we still return to this one for a good meal of chicken rice and beef brisket soup! Located: Opposite Furama Hotel and down the road from Swiss-Inn Hotel on Jalan Sultan Fish Ball Noodle Soup <image014.jpg> Adik-Beradik Chua  At the end of a row of prewar terrace houses is this coffee shop selling delicious fish ball noodle soup and pan mee. The chicken rice is quite popular there too and they sell the ever popular White Coffee here! Closed evenings Located: on Tengkat Tong Shin Cantonese Fried Noodles <image015.jpg> <image016.jpg> The Cantonese Fried Noodles behind the lanes - called Tai Shi Tow  This is the best kept secret in KL…the Cantonese Fried Noodles and Hainanese Chicken rice stall. The sang har meen standard has dropped quite a bit however... not worth the RM79 we paid for a plate for 4! Location: On Jalan Silang but closer to the Jalan Tun H.S. Lee junction. If turning into Jalan Silang from Jln Tun H.S.Lee, the alleyway will be on your right. The first lane after the turning. Go thru this alleyway which is also cluttered with stalls selling chinese food, carry on until you get to the end of the alleyway and it's smack there. The lane is directly across the street from Restoran Choon Tian and right beside Hon Ming Textile.  <image017.jpg> <image018.jpg> Soo Kee Mee Stall  Another place that sells Cantonese Fried Noodles, Paper wrapped chicken, and seafood dishes. A favourite is the fried sliced beef and ginger kway teow dish ( Ngau yoke hor) Gets really crowded during lunch and dinner hours so either go before or after the rush hours. The Japanese and Korean expats simply love this place. Opens till early morning hours every day. Closed Mondays. Location: Jalan Khoo Teik Ee, just off Jalan Imbi. Bak Kut Teh Sem Kim Coffee Shop This Bak Kut Teh place that's been around for a long,long time and serves great 'yau fan' or fried onion rice with your choice of pork cuts. Opens till the wee hours of the morning from 5.30pm. Location: Shoplots facing the Tan Chong Motors showroom, on Jalan Ipoh The Old Stall Klang This Bak Kut Teh place has been around for generations and cooks up authentic bak kut teh - the staple diet of the Klang Chinese community. It opens from 5.30am and closes about 11.00am - the early bird catches the worm! This place serves the typical strong chinese tea used to chase down a filling, rich breakfast. My dad's thumbs up anytime. Location: At Lorong Station 1, Klang. As you enter Klang coming from KL, cross the bridge towards Port Klang. Immediately across the bridge as you get to a traffic light junction, take a left and left again and then a right as this is a one way street. Follow this road which shaped in an ellipitical loop which will more or less take to just about where you started but a little further down the road. From here, left and then right into Lorong Station 1. It's the corner shop of a row of old shoplots, right next to a carpark area. Laksa Lemak <image019.jpg> The stall with a blue tin roof  This place serves the best Hakka Laksa Lemak with cockles in town! Open only at night and closed Wednesdays. The wantan and sui kow with its simple preparations, bring back memories of how purity tastes. The ABC or air batu campur is like what we used to have at the canteens in school years ago. Just lots of shaved ice, syrup, evaporated milk, corn and red beans. That's all we need, right?! Location: Taman U Lek, Cheras at Lorong Durian Yong Tow Foo <image020.jpg> Cozy Corner  Right next to the stall with a blue roof top. This place is a really popular place for Yong Tow Foo and is especially busy on weekends. It's open during the day only. Location: Taman U Lek, Cheras at Lorong Durian The mobile stalls at Imbi Corner The car park area here is transformed everynight into an eatery made up of a couple-a-dozen or so mobile(as some will call it: Hawker stalls) stalls. The yong tau foo stall here is one of the best so give it a try. Be sure to turn up early though, the YTF is so popular that it sometimes run out by 8.30pm. However, There are plenty of other things to eat here if you have picky food partners. Location: At the carpark in front of the Honda Kar Showroom in Jalan Imbi corner, facing the Weng Heng Coffee Shop. Restoran Orchard View Yong Tow Foo Good yong tow foo place, Orchard View is now located in a corner shoplot just outside of the congested Ampang viilage area. Try the cheong fun, it's good. Location: It's moved location to shoplots near the Spectrum Complex/Supermarket in the Ampang village area. Yau Char Kwai Stall at the corner This mobile stall is open during the day and fries some great yau char kwai and all the dough sweets that comes with that. Open late afternoons only. Location: At Jalan Alor, just in front of the Restoran Dragon View Penang Fried Kway Teow <image021.jpg> Weng Heng Coffee Shop  Serves the best pork ball noodles in town. And not to mention one of the best places to go for a piping hot plate of Penang Kway Teow. If that's not enough, the popiah is superb too! However you'll have to order this dish from the old man who runs his little stall just outside of the shop (He sets up his stall at around 1pm). It gets really crowded during lunch hour so go early. Located: On Jalan Imbi, opposite the Honda Showroom and round the corner from Sakura Restaurant <image022.jpg> The shack on Jalan Chan Sow Lin  The fried kway teow here is served on banana leaf laced plate. The flavour of a well heated wok and strong fire is one of the key ingredients here as the chef, a lone lady fries up for her patient customers. Be prepared to wait. Open daily from 1.30pm - 6.00pm except on occasional Mondays. Location: Jalan Chan Sow Lin facing the junction of Jalan 3. Congee (Porridge) <image023.jpg> Pudu Back Lane  A Pudu back lane is transformed in the evenings into a food street selling all sorts of chinese street food as we call it. The chinese custard is pretty good here and the Congee stall is one of those must haves with locals. Location: Off Jalan Pudu, at Jalan Sayur Fong Wah Teow Chew Porridge This road is famous for its Teow Chew cuisine, and none more enticing than a bowl of piping hot porridge (this is also known as broth in western countries) and all types of preserved vegetables, curry, briskets and other dishes that you can pick and choose at the counters to your liking. The shops here are open most of the day and right through the early hours of the morning. Location: Changkat Thambi Dollah Chee Cheong Fun Kim Lian Kee This is the traditional chee cheong fun without the fuss of fish balls and yong tau foos - just straight forward chee cheong fun with sesame seeds sprinkled sparingly and flavoured with sweet and spicy sauces. Open only in the day. Night time turns into a hokkien mee stall. Location: At the junction of Petaling Street and Jalan Hang Lekir. If you're unsure, it's the corner stall facing the ever popular Longan drink stall. In the evenings, another batch of chefs take over the premis serving customers the ever popular hokkien noodles at this place called Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Fried Noodles <image024.jpg> Kim Lian Kee  This is the one of the family's favorite dinner venues. Been around forever and still as good according to my father, who has been a regular customer since the 50's - long before petaling street became a tourists' haunt. Nights only. Location: At the junction of Petaling Street and Jalan Hang Lekir. If you're unsure, it's the corner stall facing the ever popular Longan drink stall. Weng Heng Coffee Shop Another place which serves hokkien noodles and cantonese noodles. The hokkien noodles here is sprinkled with fried pork fat (chu yau char) . Open nights only too! Located: On Jalan Imbi, opposite the Honda Showroom and round the corner from Sakura Restaurant Seafood  Mei Keng Fatt Seafood Restaurant Everyone's favorite! Well, almost everyone's except those extremely allergic to it. Not cheap but the food is good. Try the pepper crabs or the sweet and sour crabs, and the steamed prawns. Fresh!Fresh!Fresh!! Expatriate haunt … Opens daily: 11.30am-2.30pm; 4.00pm-1.00am Location:No.1, Lorong Awan 6,Kuala Ampang.(In Ulu Klang area) <image025.jpg> Fatty Crab  Of course, this is indeed the most famous seafood place in town. They even have chairs lining the walls for customers to sit while in wait for a table. That's how crowded it can be. The original Fatty Crab restaurant was located at States Theatre in P.J., then moved on to SS2 and finally relocated to Taman Mayang. What's great here? The sweet, sour and spicy sauced crabs that goes well with toy soldiers (toast) or is it the other way round? Location: Taman Megah. Can't miss it. Roasted Duck Rice <image026.jpg> Siew Ngap Fei  This shop has been passed down to the younger generation but the fine touches of granddad's is still in the taste. If you have a penchant for high fat value….this is it. It's delicious and you'd want more but perhaps conscience may pull you back on getting seconds!. Location: Jalan Landak off Pasar Road . . It's not difficult to find Beef Brisket Noodle Soup (Ngau Lam Meen) The Beef Brisket noodle stall This husband and wife team has been selling their delicious beef brisket noodles for quite some time now and has a steady stream of customers every night. Just at the corner of a little lane off Petaling Street , their set up has only a couple of tables or so but well worth the wait. Location: Petaling Street , close to the Jalan Sultan end of the street , where many beer and food restaurants have emerged. Lai Fong Coffee Shop Another one of those old coffee shops with lots of individual stalls selling all sorts of food. One particular one that sells the Beef brisket noodle Soup still remains one of the best choices in town. Closed evenings. Located: Jalan Cheng Lock, on the crossroads with Jalan Petaling across from the Jukebox shoe shop Fish Head Noodle Soup <image027.jpg> Adai Village Fish Head  This is one of the best places in town for a big, bowl of fish head noodle soup. For about RM7, this must be one of the most satisfying noodle dishes around. Can get pretty busy during lunch so be prepared to wait a bit. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Location: Jalan Landak off Pasar Road . Round the corner from Pudu Plaza .

The answer is inside you all along

According to an ancient legend, there was a time when ordinary people had access to all the knowledge of the gods. Yet time and again, they ingnored this wisdom. One day, the gods grew tired of so freely giving a gift the people didnt use, so they decided to hide this precious wisdom where only the most committed of seeker would discover it. They believed that if people had to work to find this wisdom, they would use it more carefully.

One of the gods suggested that they bury it deep in the earth.

No, the other said. Too many people could easily dig down and find it.

"Let's put it in the deepest ocean" suggested another. But that idea was also rejected. They knew that people would one day learn to dive and thus would find it too easily.

One of the gods suggested hiding it on the highest mountain top, bu tit was quickly agreed that people would climb mountains.

Finally, one of the wisest gods suggested, "Let's hide it deep inside the people themselves. They'll never think to look in there." And so it came to be - and so it continues today.

Extracted from Success Principles Page 314, Jack Canfield

Travel and humble lemon water

  There are signs that one grows in wisdom. I think mine comes from learning from my travels. 

In the past when I travel, all I seem to care about is what I see. The buildings, the landscape, the souvenir shops. The more I see, the better. And oh, of course, how many photos I take WITH these sights. It also matters the quantity of souvenirs lugged home (the bigger, heavier, more, the better).

Slowly, after becoming more of a seasoned traveller, a curious thing happened. Quality started to take over quantity. Quality mattered more than quantity. It is not how MANY sights, but how MUCH pleasure these sights give me. And how much inner joy I get when I draw them, colour them. Then, it is not just about the buildings, but the food, the sound, the smell. And most of all, the people.  The conversations around the streets, the gesture, the look. The smile. The twinkle in the eye. Suddenly everything comes alive, everything interacts with one another. Everything has meaning.

In fact, funnily enough, once I learnt to appreciate quality during my travel, I started to appreciate other little things in my life. Like the humble Lemon Water. We always had lemon water, I just never appreciated them fully for what they are. Reminds you of the old way which I used to travel. I can only see. But I seldom feel, sense, smell, taste.

Back to lemon water. Waiters in posh restaurants wait upon tables with a glass jug of water, slices of lemon fashionably added - perhaps for colour? I just never thought too much about them, except that the lemon slices looked kind of nice and adds a touch of glamour to what is plain tap water. Then as I grow (wiser, I hope) I see beyond the superficial addition of lemon slices and grasp the underlying goodness of lemon in water. The wholesome health benefits, the alkaline qualities that lemon brings to plain water. That drinking lemon water can be a source to promote good well-being. 

Signs of wisdom? Appreciate more would be mine.

1,000 year of annoying the French

We had our annual Hong Kong bookfair over the weekend (july 24), an event I look forward to with much eagerness each year. So do 1,000,000 other HK people, judging from the armpit to armpit crowds each year. Thankfully we see as much books as we do people's armpits! Gross.

I bought enough books to bend double my husband's and my back, carrying them home. Not unlike ancient soldiers returning home from pillaging, ladened with battle spoils. One book that I never even knew about, let alone scheme to buy it, was this book called 1,000 years of annoying the French. Obviously written by an Englishman/ Stephen Clarke faithfully used up 600 over pages to minutely record the countless things that Britain has done to snub at the haughty French darlings. I am laughing all the way, because it is so entertainingly humourous. Anytime I would replace my Sejarah textbooks with this wicked book.

The other books in the sack are my usual thoroughfare of "How to....." this or that. I am not sure what really is my life long passion for How to books. Is it because subconsciously I feel like an unfinished masterpiece and therefore constantly reading up on "how to...." in an attempt to finish the unfinish myself. Or it is because my (work)life is enough of a drama/adventure/terror that all other fictions, including Harry Potter is bland in comparison, and therefore I only read "how to..." books to escape the humdrum of corporate life, and act like a messiah of change at work. Whatever is the cause, I have now a few dozen books that boast of its capability to "develop self confidence & Influence People", "Lead a new Generation (steve jobs)", Innovation Secrets (still Steve Jobs), the Richest Man in Babylon, Tuesdays with Morie, sun tzu the Art of War etc etc.

funny enough, the book I am reading most is the 1,000 year of annoying the French book. Bet this is annoying my subconscience!

Cooperation is the key to success

Story by Jean Xujing of SHU MBA

Have you been to the temples? When we enter one temple, we will see the Maitreya Buddha, who is always kind and smiling. On the north of him sited a black guy who is Veda. But according to the legend a long time ago, they were not in the same temple, but were in charge of different temple separately. 

 

Buddha is warm hearted, happy and optimistic man, so he attracted many people to come to the temple for worship and pray. He therefore earned so much incense and money for his temple. But he is not a careful man and not good at managing the money and accounts.  As a result, he still made the ends meet. 

 

However, Veda is a master of accounts management but he is too serious and never being smile. Few people likes him. So his temple was nearly always empty, without people and without incense. 

 

Kwan-yin found this problem in his investigation. So he arranged Buddha and Veda into one temple. The Buddha was charge of the public relations and he stand at the front of the temple, smiling to welcome the people praying.  The Veda was charge of financial, He isstrict and serious, and good at accounting. As a result, the incense of the temple got more and more prosperous!  

 

So co-operation is the foundation of success. The ability of single people is so limited, but if many people cooperate together, the power will be tremendous!

Chopsticks - the art of simplicity

The humble chopsticks is a very simple thing, just two longish straight sticks, held together in one hand. It can help pick food up accurately and deftly, shovel rice into mouth, stab at fishballs, flick away unwanted bits of food from the bowl, stir soup, etc. And it is easy to clean, even easier to carry around. The entire 10 course dinner (except soup!) can be eaten or slurped up with a pair of chopsticks. Contrast this with eating a full course of Western meal. How much silver lines up around and above our plate? Imagine the washing after that. Or try carrying it all in your handbag.


Chopsticks are the most visible and practical essence of practising the Art of Simplicity.

Clean questions

1. And is there anything else about (coachee's words - cw)?

2. And what kind of (cw) is that (cw)?

3. And that's (cw) like what?

4. And where is (cw)?

5. And whereabouts (cw)

6. And then what happens?

7. And what happens next?

8. And what happens just before (cw)?

9. And where could (cw) come from?

Example: M - manager, C - coachee

M: And what you like to have happen?

C: I want to understand why our organisation is not more successful

M: And when (you want to understand why our organisation is not more successful), your organisation is like what?

C: You could say its like a machine

M: and what kind (of machine)?

C: (Pause) It is like a combine harvester, I suppose

M: And is there anything else about that (combine harvester that your organisation is like?)

C: Its flexible with interchangeable parts depending on the type of crop

M: And is there anything else about (it being flexible with interchangeable parts?)

C: Timing is so important. too early or too late and you will miss the opportunity

M: And then what happens?

C: We go through the cycle again

M: and where could that cycle come from?

C: It is the natural order of thins (Pause). That's it. We have to educate the new recruits on the naure of the cycle. They try to rush things or they give up too quickly. If they knew about the cycle......

Presentation skills

One of the most painful things in corporate life is to sit through presentations that are dull and long winded, and worse, have no inkling what the presenter is rambling on and on about. Not too long ago, I was right in the realm of one of the worst presenters. Perhaps not dull nor long winded, but definitely rambling far too quickly since I was very nervous to present. The faster I got over it, the better. So, once I get to the podium, the goal was to rush through the slides as quickly as I can (as if I was in an Olympic sprinting competition!). Not surprisingly, I left the podium feeling breathless and almost weak at the knees. And my audience, I wonder, through my hurried ramblings, clouded thoughts, if they understood anything, let alone understood it all.

Thankfully, I came to my senses, dug deep into my pockets, cough up more money that I could afford and enrolled for a one-to-one presentation course. My coach was really strict with me - almost like a drill sergeant. Often I would describe our coaching relationship as "love-hate". He made me go up to the podium as many times as I could muster, videotaped parts of my presentation and Lord forbid, show it back to me, pointing out the flaws! That part I hate. But then again, I could slowly see improvements, a little bit here, a little bit there. This part, I love and revel in.

I once described to my coach that having no slide (or a blackened slide) is like standing without clothes in front of my audience. Without the PPT, I felt stripped of my thoughts and my words. My mind would be as blanks as the slide. Slowly slowly, I started to rely less on the presentation slides which were either cramped full with words or with pictures, to no slides even.

Now, I love presenting.

 Each slide is clean, with either one thought, one photo or a few words. Not only did this improve my rapport with the audience, the most wonderful thing of it all is that I no longer spend hours after hours on preparing my PPT slides. With the saved time, I could spend more time making the presentation impact more powerful, the idea transmission clearer and I could sleep easier the night before the presentation.

One clear benefit of improved presentation skills is that I could reach a wider audience with my ideas, with my thoughts and my sharing. Sometimes 20 to 40, even occasions of a few hundred. And because I am at ease with presentations, my ideas come shining through - point by point, my story rings loud and clear, enabling others to be inspired or to take action; and even not, as least, I dont think they were bored silly. 

Take heart, if I can learn to present, so can any one. What's more, one can surely learn to enjoy presenting like I do. All the best!

Once you see it, you can be it

Three steps to be what you want to be

1. See yourself enjoying the fruits of your success

2. Walk yourself backward to your current situation, and note each step along the way

3. Move forward by taking your first step

The key to your journey is feeling in your heart you have already arrived before you started

Extracted from Doug Hall's Maverick Mindset

The journey begins － A Lasallian Brother in China

I first met Brother David when I was about 12 (and that, for the records, was a looooong time ago). Brother D is the younger brother of my ku-cheung, husband of my ku-mah. Ku-mah in turn is my father's elder sister. And Brother D is a Catholic priest of the La Salle order. In other words, I am sort-of like his niece.


Always with a quick smile, a kind word and a hearty laugh, every one warms up to dear Brother D easily. 


What seems like a thousand years have passed since that childhood memory of him, and suddenly, I heard news that he has retired a few years back and now lives in a remote Chinese hamlet in China, teaching English for free. Records of his teaching, his travails and joys of a simple life in the heartland of his ancestors can be found on www.lasallechina.com


His writing style is light and warm (like the real person) and quite often, with a touch of humour. 


A sample of his writing (and also shows his popularity)


"At lunch on Thursday, one of the ladies in Baijiang made the remark that it was hard to invite me over for a meal.  I assured everyone that I always accept the first invitation and will not change, no matter who invites me later on.  It was then someone suggested that in order to avoid the discomfort of “failing to invite laoshi” that I fly a red flag on top of my house so that villagers will know that I already have an invitation for a meal.  One villager even suggested that I fly a green flag when I need a meal! "

Gratefulness....

Gratefulness is the trait of a great person.

On the flip side of the coin, ungratefulness must be the trait of a little person. And it hurts, and is unsettling to be working together with people who are ungrateful. And the funny thing about ungrateful people, they are also spiteful, with lots of bitter things to say about you, and about the team, and the world around them.

Thankfully in my work life, I have only met two of such people, colleagues that you have made an effort to help develop their skills to enable them to grow in their roles; and when they have what they want, they not only push you away but say a lot of "things". Well - only two in my entire career. Thats really not much, I guess.

Perhaps ungrateful people are rare in this world.

Thank God for that!

Where do you want to go?

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."

The meaning of marketing

(sent by Lynn Liu - Oct 2010)

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing"

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising"

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - That's Telemarketing"

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (ofthe car)for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride andthen say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"

5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry ! me?" - That's Brand Recognition"

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. - "That's Customer Feedback"

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. - "That's demand and supply gap"

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him - "That's competition eating into your market share"

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. - "That's restriction for entering new markets"

Wonderful Colourful Vibrant Ethiopia

Little boys at Queen Sheba's Ruins stand high on the fence to ask us for sweets. All of them wore clothes that are either in tatters or patched up in a few places. Nonetheless, their smiles are sweet, their manners gracious.

On far left, the 14th century colourful frescoes from ceiling to floor, all depicting stories from the Bible. These frescoes - still vibrant in their varied hues inspite of the years, are hidden inside plain monasteries made of bamboo, wood with thatched roof.

On right, a faithful man cloaked in white shawl and headdress makes his way to the monastery for evening prayers.

Locals walked everywhere. Some more fortunate ones travel in horse-driven carts like this.

Tourists like us get the 20-seater bus with a wisp of airconditioning thrown in.

Brisk business at a local convenience stall, even the camels have to queue up to buy a drink!

Me in quiet reflection at the obelisk site in Aksum

"A slow day in business", pictur of a local souvenir shop

Colour memories all sketched in my travelogue, of a vibrant and beautiful country and people.

High tea in style

Jennifer Crewes made a score of scones, whipped up clotted cream and produced fruit jam from a jar, and voila, we had Devonshire High Tea at home. Complete with English Porcelain teacups and saucers, and a three tiered plate to hold the tasty scones.

Love....

A heart that loves is forever young - Greek Proverb.

Happy Valentine's Day 2011

Drawing at Egypt's Alexandria Qaitbay Citadel.

老佛爷驾到 (The arrival of Empress Dowager)

I always think of myself as pretty nimble footed and flexible. That was, until last week, when I had to navigate the steep lava-rocks down towards the Blue Nile Falls in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia. Blue Nile Falls ranks 3rd in the world as one of the grandest falls.

On the way down, a local boy, Tefra, probably seeing my shaky knees, handed me his walking stick - fashioned from a tree branch. Sturdy stick in hand, already I felt much better to negotiate the climb. After a few minutes, Tefra offered me his hand, which I gladly took.

For the next few hours (climb was downwards to the Fall, and then up again - back to the bus), I felt like Grand Old Empress Dowager Cixi. Shaky knees, breathlessness, and one big stick in hand, and a young man's hand on the other!

Story of two pebbles

A farmer owed a local rich but very ugly and old man a lot of money. And the farmer had a beautiful young daughter that the old rich man favours. The latter proposed to the farmer to waive the debt in return for the hand of the beautiful daughter. Both the farmer and daughter were shocked at the proposal.

In any case, the shrewd old man wanted to make the proposal "fairer" to the young lady. He said, I will put two pebbles into the bag and you pick one. Should you pick a black pebble, you are to marry me and I will extinguish your father's debt. If you pick the white pebble, you do not have to marry me, yet I will still extinguish your father's debt. If you picked neither, I shall have your father thrown into prison.

With that said, the old man picked two pebbles from the ground which is full of pebbles and put them in a bag. The young girl's sharp eyes caught the old man stuffing two black pebbles into the bag. What can she do? Expose the cheat? Or sacrifice herself? Or let her father go to jail?

What would you do?

This calls for lateral thinking over logical thinking (For more on lateral thinking, read Edward De Bono's books).

....

....

...

What the girl did was she reached into the bag and picked out one pebble. And dropped it onto the ground (full of pebbles) before anyone could see the colour of the one she picked.

"Oops. Clumsy me." announce the young girl apologetically.

"Never mind. The pebble left in the bag would prove which pebble I picked first", offered the girl, knowing very well, the other pebble left in the bag is surely black. And that way, "proves" the first pebble must have been white.

The old man did not dare to reveal he cheated in the first place and therefore had to extinguish the debt without a bride in return. This is how the young lady turned a seemingly hopeless situation to a most advantageous result, with a little bit of lateral thinking.

Moral of the story - a solution exists in every problem. Just take a moment to examine it from a few more angles.

(This interesting story extracted from a PPT circulating on the internet)

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

Sight see Shanghai by Metro

Aha! Now I can conquer Shanghai on my own with this little book in tow. Although all written in Chinese (gulp), I am very excited to be exploring Shanghai's nooks and crannies on foot, by train and trying all the culinary delights!


Listed in the book are 9 lines with over 39 big "must-stopover" and 328 places to eat, shop, see, have fun.


Woohoo, Shanghai here I come with my train travel card in hand. 


(The book on right cost RMB39.80)

Winter Wonderland in Shanghai

This morning, when I threw open the curtains of my bedroom, I was delighted to find a winter wonderland waiting just outside my window. everything looks like a dream. snowflakes swirling and falling so softly, the streets dusted with a white powder and the cars shivering silent in their shroud of snow. The trees too took on a new set of white clothes and if they were in a costume party, no doubt they are pretending to be Christmas trees!

With a hot cup of tea in hand, I spent a few minutes on the balcony. In the cold, admiring the snow, catching the fresh air, enjoying the tranquility and serenity of the moment. How happy I am in Shanghai, with its array of unfolding beauty.

You raise me up

Whatever achievements we have clinched, or status in life or at work, let us always be grateful and remember all those "bear"s whose shoulders we have stood on to get to where we are today. Our mother, our father, elder brothers and/or sisters, husband or wife, teacher, boss...each had a role to play. May we spend a moment to silent thank these special people who has raised us up to a higher level, a level which we could not have gotten there on our own efforts or intelligence alone. Be grateful.

Creativity - Surmounting mountain(s) of fear

Rachel Chan, my dear friend who is famous for her creativity and also for being at the very frontiers of innovation and design, threw a small party for her creative "oddball" friends. Ali, a University Professor teaching creativity and innovation from Canada, to Iran to China and HK, Jane a coach and social architect, Fiona a business development guru, Dirk a fancy hotelier, Edmund a microbiologist turned designer, Cecilia a little bird with big wings of change, Patricia a newly minted government official bent on making HK creative and me, a dreamer, planner, realist - all rolled in one.

For one hour, as we sipped champagne, drank beer, heady tody and orang juice, we explored the tenets of creativity. What kills it? What makes it burst forward?

The first thing is fear. Fear is one of the killers of creativity. One prefers to "keep the harmony" (sounds so Chinese!), not stand out, not to ask questions and not to question authority or the way that things are being done. Out of fear of upsetting others, of disrupting the system, the way of "life" as everyone else knows it. Fear.

Only when we overcome fear, we can step forth into the realm of creativity.