28 January 2009

Online business...what the heck, let's give it a shot!


So you see, I have been away from my blog for the longest time.

Those of you who ever so often popped by to see if I have updated anything, but in vain, I do extend my humblest apologies and profuse gratitude to my ever faithful fans...which amounts to about two of you, I think.

It was indeed quite puzzling to see the readership go from 50 hits a week to an all time low of 15 a week and then for some strange reason, over the past week, it went back up to 45 a week. In any case, this is my warm up banter before I share with you on my new baby supplies online business (together with some very visionary partners)!

Yes, in times like these, one needs to take some calculated risks, and so here we go!

The website is meant to fulfill three things:

a) It is Singapore's 1st Online Baby Registry

Question.

What is a baby registry?

Well, know what a bridal registry is? Pretty much the same. We get couples who are pregnant (yes guys, the correct term is that you and your wife are pregnant...don't ask me why!) and ask them to choose items from our list of products. They show this list to their friends who want to get them presents when the baby is born. That way, beaming parents will not be getting 10 boxes of chicken essence and 3 baby strollers. Nifty idea from my wife =)


b) We will try using various products ourselves before we sell them

Yes, poor kid of mine will be the lab rat for the benefit of every newborn out there. But really, we will try our best to test out various products on our kids and if we think it is fab, we will show you our stamp of approval!


c) Online resource

We have realised that many mothers-to-be yearn for information from experienced moms. While all advice should be taken with a pinch of salt, we would like to be known as a reliable source for really useful advice.


And oh, one more thing.....

I'll be blogging about fatherhood on the blog, where time permits!

It's not often you will have a dad do this. But think of it as sharing my fatherly love to the world. (On a more scrupulous note, it is a really good unique selling proposition)

Check it out at www.babywishes.com.sg

cheers!

05 November 2008

I never thought this day would come...


Yes, I never thought that this day would come --- the fact that an African American could be voted the president of the United States.

I used to spend some time in the US some years back and it really opened my eyes, having seen racial discrimination against the blacks personally. Many Singaporeans, or many people around the world, still see the US through their Hollywood lenses, courtesy of their telly. But the United States, in reality, is a really different place. And while this topic is not often touched upon, racism is well and alive in the US.

I was in Boston, MA, in May this year for a course. I spent some time chatting with them on the presidential election and we spoke about Obama and McCain.

"You know what?" I began, "My friends in Singapore and I think that Obama would make a really good president, but we really fear for his life."

"Oh! We all expect that he will be martyred," replied an African American lady course mate.

But what surprised me most was the nonchalance in which she replied.

Having started the conversation on politics, more people started joining in the conversation. Very soon, we were a mixture of whites, blacks and yellow --- yes, yellow would be me.

Interestingly, all in the group were democrats and they agreed in unison that Obama's life would be in dire danger if he becomes President.

"Then why does he still want to pursue this?" I thought aloud.

"It's because he just wants to and he has to," came the swift reply from the same black lady.

And that just sums it all up.

"...because he has to".

That to me is profound.

I would have wanted to spend some time explaining about America's past, but I believe one can easily check it on wikipedia.

The fact that Americans can cast off the shadow of their undignified past and forge ahead to embrace such a dramatic change speaks volumes of a country where only the American dream can be achieved.

President Obama's victory speech was just aired on the TV, and like many in the audience, I have to admit that I was spellbound by his speech. It is extremely rare that you can find someone who speaks with such conviction, ease and authority.

And so to President Obama, you have a tough job on your hands, a very tough job. I trust your ability to make wise decisions that will affect the whole world. But I pray that the good Lord will sustain your life throughout your presidential terms, as He only can.

21 September 2008

Nostalgia and musings

It's kind of strange when you go onto a social networking site like Facebook and you join 'meet' people who share similar experiences with you during the particular time in our lives. Let me give you an example.

I stumbled upon my primary school alumni page (no kidding). Well, it is a relatively popular school in Singapore, but what really got me chuckling was the sight of some class photos that we used to take way back in those days. Yes, way back in those days, we took photos of all classes in front of the same statue with the same poses (by the same photographer, that I am certain of). My goodness! And to read the threads posted by different people, I sure remember some of those names they quoted! Actually, I can say that I am a notch up from most of them --- I actually went back to school about a year back! Some teachers were still there. But of course, most of them have left, retired or moved on to somewhere beyond the blue.

Not many of you know this but there was a time in my life when I actually went back to secondary school but this time, not as a student but a relief teacher. There I was, sitting in the teachers' common room where not too long ago, I had to knock and ask for permission to enter. This time, I actually GAVE permission to students to enter! Sitting there at my desk, I remember looking around me. My former teachers were now my colleagues. And as I was sitting there, along came a teacher who had previously taught me. With a twinkle in her eye, she started sharing some gossip with me about some students and teachers. As she walked away with a chuckle, I remember being a little stunned that the person I previously had to revere and 'respect' was now a peer who was showing her human side unabashedly to a former student. But I guess that just meant that she was treating me as a peer and not anything else. When did this shift in her mindset take place?

My dad has this mantra he reminds himself "Be careful who you offend on the way up, you might have to meet them on your way down".

Right, so I have gone a little off tangent here. But back to my point about sharing similar experiences with strangers during that time of our lives. Can't help being nostalgic here, can I?

I am a big fan of history. Not just the topic and the study of it, but of how we can all learn from our past to bring ourselves into the future. I was just telling The Wife about how I value charting my life regularly and asking myself tough questions about where I am now and where would I like to see myself in the future. I've learnt more about myself in these past 2 years than I ever did in my life. This only means that I am well positioned for things to come in the future. What things might these be? Only the good Lord knows. But this thing I do know:


"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all." Eccl 9:11


Right time, right place...

01 September 2008

Back from my Europe trip

Coming back on the flight from Frankfurt, I could not help but recall that this would have been the 2nd long haul trip I have made this year. Sure, I know of many who are flying all over the world for work. But for me, I must say it is pretty big, especially since it is largely on my expense.

I had just spent 2 weeks --- 1 in Berlin, Germany; and the other in Helsinki, Finland.

The Germany trip was more for a business survey and the time in Helsinki was for my MBA program's International Week.

Going into the trip, I was not exactly looking forward to it.

Why?

Well, I have heard so much about these 2 countries and the work culture (read as rigid and seldom out of the box). For a person like myself who thrives on creative ideas and insights, I thought that I would just try my best to 'live through' this experience.

I was wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Let me tell you why:


1) We are all human

Though our cultures may be really different, but we all work on basic human emotions regardless of our race and cultures. My classmates hailed from Finland, Russia, Korea, China, Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand and Singapore. Our lecturers were from the USA, South Africa, France and Finland. And though our food preferences were one of the most obvious distinctions, inside us, we all work the same way --- we are nice to those who are nice to us; we ignore those who are arrogant and brash; we laugh when we are happy; we cry when our emotions overflow it's threshold.

Yes, we are all the same.


2) As humans we can be really cruel

I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a former WWII German concentration camp and I was not about to miss it. I rented a bicycle, brought it onto the S-Bahn regional train service and took a ride to the town of Oranienburg. From that town, I rode my bicycle to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

It was surreal to say the least. The sky was overcast and threatened to rain as I made my way to the camp. As if upon cue, the sky shed her tears as I entered the gates of the camp, where once upon a time, many prisoners trod this same path towards days and months of living hell, often ending in their untimely death.

I took tonnes of pictures of the camp. The images of the cruelty was enough to turn my stomach. However, what struck me was the cold weather. Here I was towards the tail end of summer and it was chilly. I cannot fathom how it was like during the winter months.

In 1971, Stanford University conducted the Stanford Prison experiment that saw volunteers from all walks of life, taking up the challenge to be prison wardens or prisoners in a simulated prison in the basement of the university. The results showed that even ordinary citizens, when given unlimited power, can abuse it to a level of cruelty no one expects them to achieve.

Likewise, the Nazis specially chose soldiers who were regular citizens in their early 20s to carry out their campaign of 'Final Solution'.


3) Self Discovery

This trip confirmed what I knew about myself; and what I did not know about myself. I really think that it is one of the most important things in life to discover yourself, and often, you need the help of others to tell you the whole truth.

During the course of the program in Finland, we carried out exercises and simulations that unveiled our strengths and weaknesses. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the outcomes, which set me thinking about positioning my competitive edge in this world (to my christian friends out there, no, I have not turned into a humanist. It actually is rather Biblical...wanna know how? Talk to me) and how I have the potential and ability to play on the world stage.

What was even more interesting was to see other friends discover themselves during the course of this week. It manifested in many ways. Mostly, it was unpleasant but it was the whole truth, and I believe that if they continue to take it the right way, they will go far.


Enough of my rambling. But if there is one more thing I want to add --- the food on Lufthansa is HORRIBLE!

29 July 2008

Obama -- Saviour of the World?

I love this article about Obama from Gerard Butler of The Times of London. Fantastic! (It helps if you have some knowledge of the Bible and world politics)


He ventured forth to bring light to the world

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”


In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

He travelled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media. He ventured first to the land of the Hindu Kush, where the

Taleban had harboured the viper of al-Qaeda in their bosom, raining terror on all the world.

And the Child spake and the tribes of Nato immediately loosed the Caveats that had previously bound them. And in the great battle that ensued the forces of the light were triumphant. For as long as the Child stood with his arms raised aloft, the enemy suffered great blows and the threat of terror was no more.

From there he went forth to Mesopotamia where he was received by the great ruler al-Maliki, and al-Maliki spake unto him and blessed his Sixteen Month Troop Withdrawal Plan even as the imperial warrior Petraeus tried to destroy it.

And lo, in Mesopotamia, a miracle occurred. Even though the Great Surge of Armour that the evil Bush had ordered had been a terrible mistake, a waste of vital military resources and doomed to end in disaster, the Child's very presence suddenly brought forth a great victory for the forces of the light.

And the Persians, who saw all this and were greatly fearful, longed to speak with the Child and saw that the Child was the bringer of peace. At the mention of his name they quickly laid aside their intrigues and beat their uranium swords into civil nuclear energy ploughshares.

From there the Child went up to the city of Jerusalem, and entered through the gate seated on an ass. The crowds of network anchors who had followed him from afar cheered “Hosanna” and waved great palm fronds and strewed them at his feet.

In Jerusalem and in surrounding Palestine, the Child spake to the Hebrews and the Arabs, as the Scripture had foretold. And in an instant, the lion lay down with the lamb, and the Israelites and Ishmaelites ended their long enmity and lived for ever after in peace.

As word spread throughout the land about the Child's wondrous works, peoples from all over flocked to hear him; Hittites and Abbasids; Obamacons and McCainiacs; Cameroonians and Blairites.

And they told of strange and wondrous things that greeted the news of the Child's journey. Around the world, global temperatures began to decline, and the ocean levels fell and the great warming was over.

The Great Prophet Algore of Nobel and Oscar, who many had believed was the anointed one, smiled and told his followers that the Child was the one generations had been waiting for.

And there were other wonderful signs. In the city of the Street at the Wall, spreads on interbank interest rates dropped like manna from Heaven and rates on credit default swaps fell to the ground as dead birds from the almond tree, and the people who had lived in foreclosure were able to borrow again.

Black gold gushed from the ground at prices well below $140 per barrel. In hospitals across the land the sick were cured even though they were uninsured. And all because the Child had pronounced it.

And this is the testimony of one who speaks the truth and bears witness to the truth so that you might believe. And he knows it is the truth for he saw it all on CNN and the BBC and in the pages of The New York Times.

Then the Child ventured forth from Israel and Palestine and stepped onto the shores of the Old Continent. In the land of Queen Angela of Merkel, vast multitudes gathered to hear his voice, and he preached to them at length.

But when he had finished speaking his disciples told him the crowd was hungry, for they had had nothing to eat all the hours they had waited for him.

And so the Child told his disciples to fetch some food but all they had was five loaves and a couple of frankfurters. So he took the bread and the frankfurters and blessed them and told his disciples to feed the multitudes. And when all had eaten their fill, the scraps filled twelve baskets.

Thence he travelled west to Mount Sarkozy. Even the beauteous Princess Carla of the tribe of the Bruni was struck by awe and she was great in love with the Child, but he was tempted not.

On the Seventh Day he walked across the Channel of the Angles to the ancient land of the hooligans. There he was welcomed with open arms by the once great prophet Blair and his successor, Gordon the Leper, and his successor, David the Golden One.

And suddenly, with the men appeared the archangel Gabriel and the whole host of the heavenly choir, ranks of cherubim and seraphim, all praising God and singing: “Yes, We Can.”

25 July 2008

That's why I love Republic Poly.....

Well, time to show my loyalty to the school that I teach in (over here, we call it 'facilitating').

I was walking past a class room today when I came across this really interesting and creative piece of 'graffiti'.

Each class has a couple of floor to ceiling glass panels to allow people to either look into the class or out of the class. On one class that I passed, the class used markers to draw on the glass panel. I suggest you zoom into the photo to have a clearer read of the words.



I smiled appreciatively as I took a photo of this. My time at JC, I never saw such creativity. But then again, I could be biased. Anyway, this was 'graffiti' created in good humour and extremely creative! I wonder whether it was part of their project work.

It brings to mind of the good humoured pranks played by American college kids in the US. I've heard of how a whole dorm of students pretended that it was the start to a brand new day in order to trick their friend who was in deep sleep at 12am (it was his b'day). When he awoke, he went to the toilet, thinking it was time to prepare himself for the day, his dorm mates all went back 'to sleep' and turned off the lights.

Of course, who can forget the pranks (hack) that MIT students pull off on their Great Dome, which is a dome to a building on campus. When one of the Stars Wars movies was released, students spent all night 're-decorating' the dome as R2D2 (i believe). Of course, there were instructions to school officials on how to dismantle the mess they created!



Long live harmless creativity!

23 July 2008

Do you fail to notice the beam in your eye?

**Warning. Pictures below are explicit and could be disturbing**

When I first read the headlines to this piece of news, my first reaction of shock lasted for all of 5 seconds. The next 5 minutes was that of sadness...a deep sadness that made me wonder if all humans are capable of such inhumane behaviour.

The place is at a beach in Torregaveta, just north of Nap­les, Italy. Sunbathers and swimmers were enjoying a summer's day at the beach. 4 young girls who were gypsies (known to locals as Roma), walked the length of the beach to beg and sell trinkets to the tourists and sunbathers.

In many parts of Europe, gypsies are looked down upon as uncultured people who are a nuisance to the public. And you thought that only India had the caste system. In Italy, there is a deep hatred for the Roma as they have been associated with crime and begging. Many of these Roma are not Italian natives, but have come from Eastern Europe, seeking a better life.

Being children, these girls were drawn towards the ocean and started playing in it. However, 2 of the girls found themselves in trouble. These 2 girls went on to drown in the choppy waters. They were related to each other but were not sisters. They were aged 11 and 12. What was to come was worse.

As onlookers rushed in to save them in vain, they laid out their bodies on the beach and covered them with beach towels. And then the activities on the beach went back to normal. People continued sunbathing near the corpses. Others played soccer nearby. Families went on to have their lunches, all within metres from the 2 dead girls.

'It was surreal,' as quoted by one of the witnesses.

Our natural reaction is to condemn those holiday makers. But ponder a little longer, and you realise that it does not take much for us to be guilty of similar acts.

Ever walked in the subway stations in New York City? At some of the bigger stations, beggars line the walkways as they call out to you for alms. After a while, you become so numbed after seeing them day in and day out, that once when a beggar fell to his knees to beg in front of me, I deftly side stepped and continued walking.

Now, I am quite a kind soul. But that incident disturbed me for some time, even after 8 years.

How could I have been so immune to human suffering so quickly?

Hop over to some countries in South East Asia and you see kids begging in the streets. They come knocking at your car window, urging you to hand them some monetary gifts. Some women have resorted to borrowing babies from other mothers, to use them to paint a sadder picture to the passer-by. Locals advise us not to wind down the window to give any money to any of them, lest we end up having a whole street full of beggars barricading the car and the road.

Honestly, if I were one of the beggars, I would do the same! Anything to put food into my stomach.

I do not see myself giving money to all the beggars on the street. It might not be the wisest move. But my point is this --- does it affect you that people are begging, and that there are others more worse off than you?

Of course, the gypsy girls' death is causing an uproar in Italy, especially among the Roman Catholic Church and the politicians.

But then again, are we all fighting for justice or are we just hypocrites?