Honey-Do

A new term we just learn from our colleague from US. He took his "honey-do" vacation. He take his leave and stay at home to fulfil his Honey! Do this. Honey! Do that! Working on the house. I had lots of memories. Memories of living in Canada. Living in a house in Canada requires lot of maintenance. Cutting grass in summer, shoveling snow in winter. Do-it-yourself home improvement. Finishing up basement, upgrading the kitchen, paint it yourself, wall paper, plumbing, lights, electrical wiring, just about everything. My ex-boss remodel and rebuilt his house in San Diego all by himself. He consider doing all these activities therapeutic. Come to think of it, I do enjoy the sense of accomplishment after completing the work.

Making millions with Internet

This guy have a business using internet with more than 300,000 subscribers. He nows make "five figure" monthly. This guy spent $50,000 on books and training.

The other featured making millions are hawkers. The top ranked sells $132,000 per month of prawn noodles. His kids do not want to sell the noodle as it is hard work, long hours and have to face the heat all day long.

Money is not everything, it sure helps.

Books and Knowledge

Books are the storehouse of knowledge. Books transmits it ideas, concepts and stories. Knowledge build on each other. Knowledge is increasing at an accelerated rate. The current estimate is knowledge doubles every 4 years. This mean in a 4 year college program, half of what you learn is obsolete in two years.

3,000 new books are published every day. Books expand the reservoir of knowledge.

Knowledge however is not wisdom. Wisdom is attaining insight of all the accumulated knowledge.

The Pleasure of Exercise

Finally, swimming and walking after 3 days of sitting and sitting and sitting. Maybe I need to do some meditating as well...sitting, sitting, the grass grows green.

My weight stood at 86.6kgs. Not bad....

Best way to gain weight is going to meetings

All I do is sit all day long drinking caffeinated hot tea and coffee and snacks on high calories cookies, kueh, cakes and curry puffs. I guess it is boredom or trying to keep awake or just trying to move my body so as I do not fall asleep.

We finished the day long meeting with heavy dinner accompanied by drinks packed with sugars. No wonder we get health problems with this kind of lifestyle.

Long day but good

Today is training day. I have a total of 12 trainees and the feedback was positive. The training programs that are not commonly available and are of interest are Influencing Skills, Managing Your Boss, Strengths, Selling Skills and Windows on Habits.

I will do another short and sweet program next time around:)

Ram Charan

Ram Charan is now the world top consultant as reported in the latest issue of Fortune. CEOs loved him and he travels around the world constantly. He does not own a house until recently. Nothing was mentioned about his immediate family except those in India he left behind. The journalist says Ram talks only business.

My ex-boss had dinner with him as he was the consultant for my previous company as well. His impression of Ram is Ram is all business. There is nothing else in his life. Another colleague of mine attended his talk in KL.

Perception or Reality

My Japanese colleague notices that I have slimmed down. My weight is at 86.8kg at night. So the reduction is only 1 kg. Is it so noticeable? I am happy to hear this. I need to continue to work on the calories intake. Tonight's dinner was Indian food at Kayu's. It is Penang style Indian food and it is very good. I eat loads and enjoys the meal a lot. Have a teh halia and mango lassi. Mango lassi was very sweet. Must have loads of sugar. Teh halia although I asked for "goran manis" or less sweet, it is still quite sweet. This mean my dinner may have set me back. I will have to continue to be viligant on my food intake....

Books seems to be more expensive in KL

The book Happiness I bought in Singapore at MPH was S$26.25 and with 20% discount I pay only $21. In Borders, KL the same book cost RM60. I guess with exchange rate it has almost the same price at list. Borders do not give discount. Kino and Times have 10% for members. Kino membership cost $20 per year. Times membership is free. Once in a while Borders will give 30% coupons published in Straits Times. Borders like to rotate a selection of books giving 3 for the price of 2 deals.

For books both in selection and price, Singapore is more appealing and competitive.

Noisy Thunderstorm

Plenty of lightning and thunder in this afternoon thunder shower. I was on a conference call and the thunders keep roaring. The lightning were scary too. I felt bad that I am disturbing the call. I keep saying sorry, it is me. I should have said sorry, it is God! I was not the one to give the deafening boom.

During lunch time, the tide was low and plenty of fishes right at the shoreline. There are schools of a different species of fish. I am glad our sea is teeming with lives. The water is healthy and sustaining life even though it is not that clean.

Happiness by Matthieu Ricard

Ricard is a French living in Shechen Monastery, Nepal. He spends two months a year in a hermitage facing the Himalayas. This is book have a lot of practical advice and at the end of every chapters there is an exercise you can try. Executing the exercise may be a challenge. If we have the discipline, then we will be able to get the benefits. This is no different with the physical exercises that keep our body fit, trim and healthy.

The following is the extract of the exercise at the end of Chapter 2.

Examining the causes of happiness
Take a quiet moment alone and try to find out what really makes you happy. Is your happiness derived mainly from outer circumstances? How much of it is due to your state of mind and the way you experience the world? If happiness comes from outer circumstances, check how stable or fragile they are. If it is due to a state of mind, consider how you can further cultivate it.

Dream

One of the many dreams I have is to retire in a University with a massive library and just do reading and research. Maybe teach young kids some courses or coach them. If I have all the money in the world, I always wonder which University who I live. It should be in a small city with good medical facilities and a reasonable selection of recreational activities.

Arthur C. Clarke is a well known science writer and futurologist. He wrote science fiction as well. He is actually a Professor teaching in the University of Ceylon. He has lived in Ceylon for many years and is very old now. He was interviewed on TV once many years ago. At that time he is with the current communication technology he can live anywhere in the world. Cellphone or internet was not invented yet. Today, the world is a lot smaller and better connected. This mean living anywhere should be easier than 30 years ago.

Where would I live when I retire? I am still pondering...

Mid Life Crisis

I just heard a 53 years old man who is thinking of retiring from his senior level job and selling speakers and other audio products. In the newspaper, a 42 years old who is a high flyer(he is a VP in a multinational) with a homemaker wife and 3 kids worrys about losing his job and thinks he should start his own business.

Is it natural to worry? Why do we worry so much? Is this a subliminal thoughts of everyone? Is it mass media celebrating the richs and the successfuls cause us to feel left behind? How about alternate lifestyles? How can we attain peace and happiness? Are our thinking and values swayed by the information we are exposed? We are hurtling into the future and into the unknown. Is it the fear of unknown? Do we need to think so far? How about the happy-go-lucky type? No worries, let tomorrow worry itself.

NOW, live for the present moment is the Way to achieve enlightenment.

You cannot edit blank!

You can edit bad writing but you cannot edit blank! Jodi Picoult. She writes every day and is bestselling author. Writing is discipline and hard work. Do not wait for inspiration. Do not worry of critics. Do not worry about nasty comments. Just keep writing...

FREE WiFi

It was in the news many months ago that Singapore will have hotspots all over the country offerring free internet. The Wife is busy and I have to assigned to wait for the boys during their tuition. I took my laptop and camp at Swenson's Resturant. Since it is not a Starbucks, I asked if WiFi is available and the waiter does not know. "Try!" he says. I did and wireless@sg came up. All I have to do is to register and it is free. Staying connected is getting easier now in Singapore. Blogging, emails, surfing,... becoming a Free Agent is so much easier now with all the information and connectivity.

I did my work while waiting. Multi-tasking and working anywhere is a cinch. Singapore, the Wired Society.

Accelerated Learning

I am preparing for training next week and consulting a book on accelerated learning. This is interesting concept. Since nineteenth century, printing and textbooks has revolutionize education. Printed words use only a small part of the brain. It is left-brain oriented as well. Current western thinking separate mind from body. Accelerated learning integrates all the different senses for the learning experience. Creating the right stimulating environment and creative teaching methods, accelerated learning help both adult or child to learn faster and retain more.

I am doing adult training. This is a good resource to have.

Walk-a-Jog...

Brisking walking and jogging is a good way to reduce weight. The effect is immediate! Just kidding - it is water loss. However, I am bringing my weight down slowly with the regular walk-a-job in the last few days. My neighbour commented that my waist has reduced. So I am encouraged!

Walking and jogging is good for the heart as well. Running is not as good for the heart and joints. Mildly strenous exercises is better for the body than the extreme types.

Disbelievers

Someone commented that Lobsang Rampa is a fraud. I should not believe in him as he is a Canadian White and not a Tibetan monk.

My favorite Buddha saying is "Do not believe just because I tell you. Believe in what you think and feel is true. Go experience yourself." Another is "I can only point you the Way, you have to walk the path yourself."

Lobsang Rampa is not the only author on Astral Travel and Akashic Records or Reincarnation. He is one of the earliest author I know of. There are a lot of mysteries in this world. Our minds are limited. So jumping to conclusions one way or another does not mean the answer is right. The more we know, the more we know what we do not know.

MPH - Raffles City

The MPH in Raffles City has some books on offer. Think and Grow Rich is at 20%. There are others with $4 discount. On the 20% discount display, I like the title Happiness by a French Buddhist monk. He had a high flying career and decide to go to Himalayas to study Buddhism. There were a lot of exercises to help in achieving peace of mind and happiness. The author uses a wide range of knowledge from east to west. So it is an interesting perspective. I quite like it but like to come at the time when it is not so rush to browse and review before purchasing.

Science Fair at Anderson Junior College

B1, the eldest is in Secondary 3. He took part in Science Fair with a group of classmates. They decided to extract reservatrol from grapes. Reservatrol is a phytochemical that prevent cancer and can be found in red wines. His team has to compete with about 40 other projects. They have to do presentation and draw charts and presented their findings. Some of the projects that won prizes are very simple in concept and have good application at home. One is a watering system - Silver. I was impressed by the group that tested boiled water for bacteria over a long period. This team won the gold award. The findings was easy to remember. Bacteria is at highest level at day 9 and day 10. After that the quantities come down again. So it is very safe to drink boiled water that is stored for a long time, the only challenge is to avoid day 9 and 10.

B1's team won silver and he is very happy to get the award and Mum and Dad are proud, very proud.

Another day, another million

I wish I can say this. I can only say another day another teh halia.

So of us are lucky. Million dollar salary and increase by 33%. Earning such high pay is huge sacrifice - opportunity costs, lack of privacy, meeting people, explaining why, etc, etc.

For a man on the street, $50 increase is too much. There are a lot of hungry foreigners ready to much more work for much less money. Who say life ain't fair?

Busy doing Busy Work!

Ever been busy doing plenty of work and feeling empty and drained at the end of the day? I spent my day well, very well. I collected data, translate them into information and work on defending activities done to save my business. I am exhausted by the end of the day. The only complain I have is there is no sense of achievement. Just plenty busy doing lots and lots of activities. Work can be mindless.

The heat is on...

It is a sweltering day. I am sweating profusely in my home office. Here is the disadvantage of working from home - no aircond. I have to pay for my own electric bill. In any office building, it is cool comfort during office hours. I do not know what the thermometer reaches. It is hot and humid all day.

Local weather or global warming, that is the question!

Looking forward to a new work week

Yes, I am looking forward to working next week. There are still stuff that I dislike to do. But I will be in my home office preparing for meeting and training for the following week. Training is for my team as well as some invited colleagues. I open my training to other colleagues for them to be expose to other kind of training other than specific skills training. It is give me the experience and learn from them as well. The interaction with people that I talk to is immensely helpful for me to learn about my audience.

The dynamic with my team is different as I am the "boss". I need to be cognizant of this fact when judging the reactions to my training program. I am toying around several ideas. One is self discovery tests. I like Sun Tzu key message "Know Yourself" I am also learning different training techniques that I can apply. I love to give training. It gives me the "flow". Will give more updates on progress of my preparation next week.

In Search of...

Happiness! Introduction in the book Authentic Happiness brought out the case of two women who took vows and entered into the nunnery at the same time in the same city. Both have written a short sketch of their life on this momentous occasion. One have a lot of positive emotion words and the other has none.

Why was these two nuns used as examples? It is a well documented fact that people from Utah live longer than people from the neightbouring state of Nevada. But why? Is it the clean air of the mountain in Utah vs the exhaust fumes of Las Vegas. Is it the diet in Nevada - junk food, late-night snacks, alcolhol, coffee and tobacco as opposed to wholesome, farm-fresh food and scarcity of alcohol, coffee and tobacco in Utah. Utah is a State with a lot Momon who live life in a "primitive" way i.e. no coffee, tea or stimulant of any kind, no violence, no cars (only horse carriage allowed). Too many insidious factors are confounded between Nevada and Utah for scientists to isolate the cause.

Unlike Nevadans, or Utahans, nuns lead routine and sheltered lives. They all eat roughly the same bland diet. They do not smoke or drink and they do not get sexually transmitted diseases. The are in the same economic and social class and have same access to good medical care. So with all the usual confounding factors eliminated, there is still a wide variation in how long nuns live and how healthy they are.

The nun with positive emotions live to ripe old age of ninety-eight and has never been sick a day in her life. The other has a stroke at the age fo fifty-nine and died soon thereafter.

Conclusion: Happy people lives longer.

Wondering...

What is life about? Why are there so many stars? What are UFOs? Are there more than three dimensions? If the fourth dimension is time, then time travel is a reality. Just that we, three dimensional being can never understand or experience. How about other realms of reality? Astral travel, or the soul travel to another place separate from the physical body, is this real? How about telepathy or precognition? Many a time, I have this funny feeling about someone going to call and the phone rang.

Is the earth core hollow? What is parallel universe? Do you know if there is another planet orbiting opposite our Earth, we can never see it. There are so many mysteries on earth and in our life. Many questions????

Water, the Giver of Life

I was feeling lethargic and tired. My wife told me we are out in the hot sun and is dehydrated. She was so right. After drinking plenty of coke and tea, I felt better. It is hard to think well when every thing seems to be slow and fuzzy.

Drink Water. For Health.

Hot and Dreary Afternoon

The heat is really getting onto me. I feel so lethargic and exhausted. No mood to do any. Look like it is a good time for nap zzzZZZ

2012

I was browsing books as usual in HK airport transit hall. This title caught my eyes. Mayan prophesied that life as we know it will change in the year 2012. Unfortunately, this book was encapsulated in plastic. I was unable to browse through the content. I decided to check up on Kinokuniya.com and Amazon.com. Amazon has more than 3 pages of titles with 2012. Will there be a significant event or change in 2012?

There were many books that predict the earth poles will shift in the year 2000. Nostradamus quatrain has one that says in July 2000 something major will happen on earth. Well, it is almost 7 years and I am not sure what is the "major" event that has happened since 2000.

The future is hard to predict and even harder to predict with accuracy. It is best we carry on living as usual and be resilient to handle any shocks that may come.

Thank God, It is Friday. YIPEEE!!!

Weekend again. It is wonderful to look forward to the weekend. A time for relaxation, a time for love, a time for family, a time for kids, a time for play, a time for gardening, a time to listen to music, a time for anything except WORK!

It just rained and the weather is cool. The news on global warming is depressing. Good thing is we are considered a rich country and therefore will be affected less. Money cannot buy everything. With global warming, money buy comfort and life. No money, no chance to move to another place for livelihood.

Thank God we are a lucky bunch!

Weight Watching

I weighs 87.2kg last night. So it was not bad not to gain weight in China. However, I have my teh halia this morning and breakfast as well. I feel hungry every time I am home. It is how I gain weight. I have missed the food at home. So I need more discipline to bring my weight down to my target of 82kgs. I bet I will look a lot more attractive at this weight (this is to encourage myself, hehehe)

No Blogging Allowed!

My faithful readers, I am sorry to be out of action for the last few days. In China, blogs are not allowed. Any address with "blog" in it are banned. Hence I have no ability to update. Now in Hong Kong and making sure I continue with my entry:) BT has replied and I agree that he is still blogging. I also recommend his "niece" blog at http://behtong.blogspot.com She is relating her personal experiences when she flew a lot.

Last 3 days was just moving from place to place. It was a busy and fruitful trip. Get a lot of work done. Not sure about results. However, I accomplished my objective. I had great dinners but managed to keep my weight in control, I think. Truth will be known tonight when I weigh in using my regular bathroom scale.

I want to congratulate my colleague and friend, Kate on her pregnancy. A first time mom, it will be exciting times for her and John, her husband.

Missing Friends

My two cyber friends are not so active anymore in blogging. I guess they must be busy with other things and new career. I still check on their blogs every day. Someone left a comment on my blog before... "Somehow we make friends and it grows on you in cyberspace." Let's drink to that.

Two Days! A New Record...

Yes, I have a new record for not looking at my work. It is two days! I open the Sales Analysis file this afternoon. After that I realise, I have broken my resolve not to look at work this long weekend. Regardless, it is still a new record for me since I returned to Singapore 6 years ago. I loved my work. It is a fantastic job. It is meddling from everyone else that spoils it. It is like a communist system. Everyone should be treated the same and have the same things. So we all become a machine. A work unit. Something very dispensable.

in Philip Yeo, the Chairman of A*Star, words "I am dispensable, but not replaceable." I feel the same way. To your good health, Philip!

Heard of Vaastu?

Last night, I attended a talk by a Malaysian Indian, Selva. He is spreading the knowledge of Vaastu, the Indian Feng Shui. Vaastu is 5,000 years old and is therefore the older than Chinese Feng Shui which is 4,000 years old. Vaastu has many similarities to Feng Shui. It has the 9 box diagram for directions and orientation of the house. The recommendations are quite simple and general. Feng Shui has many branches including Flying Stars, Symbolic Feng Shui and many others now popularize by the numerous books available.

Mr. Selva mentioned the biggest contradiction in Vaastu with Chinese Feng Shui is fishes are not auspicious. I wake up this morning and release a lot of the marine fishes I have caught and put in my pond. It is nice to see them swim away into the open ocean. There are still some in my pond. I will take time to release them all. It will be good karma....

One and half day and counting...

I have not check my work email for one and half day. Ha-ha, this is great achievement for me. I am obsessive-compulsive when it come to work. I am getting my life back. Over time, everything will stablise at a new steady state. I had observed there are several long term employees in the company. They work like government employees. Time in and time out. I realise in order to survive long term, this has to be the right attitude. Other employees who are good have move on to greener pastures.

The choice is simple - clock in and clock out your time. Otherwise leave the company and do something else. If you are in-between then you are just earning frustration for yourself doing a great job with steadily less rewards and more work. Otherwise, be in the group that will get moved and promoted regularly such as expatriates.

Pleasure is a Job Well Done

This morning I spend my time just at my fishes in the pond and savouring the feeling of watching the water flowing. The sense of accomplishment is because it took a lot of time and effort to solve such a simple problem. Cleaning up the filters, scrubbing the pump and the impeller, going to the store to buy the new pumps, testing the water hose and spending a few days worried and thinking about this problem. At the same time I am kicking myself for not finding the root of the problem earlier. I would saved lots of time and frustration.

The old adage is still true. The greater the obstacle, the greater the sense of achievement when you climb the peak.

Millions spent when 10 cts Solution will suffice....

In 1969, Man landed on the moon. I remember reading in a book about how space technology has improve our daily life. This book also point out that millions of dollars was spent to develop a pen that work in zero gravity. The ballpoint pen we use will not work in space as there are no gravity to pull the ink down to feed the ball. The final solution is pressurized helium is sealed with the ink well to at the right pressure so that it can push out the ink as the ball make contact with the paper. The pressure has to be just right as too much pressure with cause the ink to eject out at low pressure zero gravity environment inside the spaceship.

Why did I tell you this story. I have similar experience today. The pump in my pond has not been working well in the last few weeks. I cleaned up the filter twice and still the flow was slow. I bought a new pump at $32 and the flow is just a dribble. I went back to the garden supply store to change to a bigger pump that cost $144. Still no joy! My wife who was giving me the moral support asked if it is the water hose that may be clogged. I changed the water hose and hey presto, the flow is back to normal again. Now I am still with a $144 device that I do not need and the cost of the solution? The hose cost only 50 cents. Life is like this. I wished I did a better troubleshooting. I would have save the $144. Why only when I have paid so much before I manage to get to the root of the problem?

This also draw analogy to what happens at work. Many a times, low cost low tech solutions are available. Throwing money and hiring an army may or may not bring the desired results or performance. This is especially true in my company.

Back to the space age problem. The solution? Instead of spending millions of dollars of American taxpayer money, a reliable low tech device that has existed for several decades. It is really cheap and it works! It is called a pencil.

Roti Prata at Casuarina Road

I thought it will be nice to eat "paper" prata today since it is a holiday. The store that sells the Indian answer to Crossiants. Paper prata is thin and crispy. I love crunching and feeling the prata breaking into hundred of small pieces bursting out all the flavors. It is so good to eat it plain, no curry. Then I can savour the flavours of the flour, margarine and yeast. Mmmmm, yummy!

I wake up early and once the boys are up, we set off. The car park was full with a long queue of cars waiting. The store was busy with a long queue of people waiting for tables and takeaway. Looks like other Singaporeans have the same thoughts. It was a long wait and the boys were impatient. Of course, I had my usual teh halia. After breakfast, we took a walk into Pierce Reservoir. There were lots of family walking there and some men were doing their morning exercise.

There was an old man who lie with one foot on the stool and another stool supporting the head and nothing in-between. It is like in the kung-fu movie. He was explaining his techniques to three young men with well-defined physique. I am envious of their 6-pack abdominal muscles. Trying to repeat the old man's trick was impossible. My back muscles do not have the strength to support my weight for even split-seconds.

Take the time to smell the flowers

Birds love to sing early in the morning. It is their morning call. Why does birds sing at dawn? I remember as child when I have sleepover at my grandma's , the cock will alway crow at dawn. The sky will still be dark. It is the farmer's alarm clock. Best clock since time immemorial. I notice grandma always wake up once she hear the crows and her chores. I have no idea what she does since I love to stay in bed. I know she will be cooking collected leftovers for the pigs and feeding the chickens.

The most interesting yet disgusting part of living in a rural village is toilet. It is a squat toilet with a long hole. It is elevated about two feet and the whole platform is enclose in a hut. Your solid waste or excreta will drop to the floor. The scary part is as you are squatting there releasing your discomfort, a pig would come in to eat it up. It will stick it snout up to smell your ass looking for more food. I guess pigs are the best convertor of all kinds of waste.

Hurray, it is the long weekend!

I am so happy the long weekend is here. This is actually unusual for me. For as long as I can remember, I always look forward to Mondays. Work thrills and give me the adenaline high. I am bad during my vacation. Always checking on my emails and calling the office. Recently, my perspective have change. Work is a drag. "Sian" best describe what I do and what I have to do.

Truth be known, I used to look forward to summer in Canada where we work for 4 and half days week. Every Friday we are off at 12pm or we have alternate Friday off. It was a great motivation for the staff. We can explore the rural north of Ontario. We can work on the house and do the do-it-yourself improvements. Gardening was fun and easy. I love summers in Canada. It was a time for love, joy and exploring something outside city life.

In Singapore, the weekends are about food and shopping malls. It gets monotonous after a while. So sian!

Class of '64 RI boys...

Front page news on old RI boys who gather together to publish a book "Under the Banyan Tree" and talk about old times. Noteworthy is not all get good results. There are boys who get zeros for their exams. The reason is because many were poor and have to help out their parents and so do not have much time to study. It is also humbling for many to see others who scored top scores.

The other noteworthy the group consist of a taxi driver and a few millionaires and everything in-between. So going to RI is no guarantee for success. However the norm curve leans to the more successful. Simple - there is only one taxi driver but a few millionaires. The odds of becoming a millionaire is higher for RI boys.

Reflections on Chapters of Life

Life is like a book. It can be divided in chapters. We close one chapter and open another. We keep going from one chapter to the next in sequence. What is passed exist in our memories. We can only reminisce the past, live for the present and hope for the future.

The future is not really a blank page. It is probabilities. Psychic can read future. Hence we all have a destiny. What is my destiny? I wonder.

Picture on the Front Page of Straits Times

Yesterday, I wrote about the Laughter Club of Bombay coming to Singapore and on the front page of Straits Times is an old lady thoroughly enjoying herself. Today, I read the papers again and saw a familiar face on the background. She is my wife's aunt. I could not believe my eyes. So I called her to let her know since I did not notice it yesterday. I found out my sister-in-law picture is in the home news as well. They have gone for the laughter seminar and their pictures were published. Fancy that!

Happiness at Work, Is it necessary?

There is a new theory on work. One title is called Happy Company - what happy companies know to increase productivity. I think it is intuitive that happy people produce good work.

I notices when workers are happy, they are more willing to take up more tasks and work overtime as needed. They follow through better and have better attitude towards Customers. Net result, customers are happy and will buy more. Business grows and grows. Investors will be happy and management will be rewards. Workers? Hopefully they can get some crumbs.

Bombay Laughter Club

Bombay laughter club is in Singapore. It looks like lots of fun and laughter from the picture in the newspaper for the young and old. Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter everyday keeps the doctor away.

Life After Life

Raymond Moody, MD is a doctor who investigated into people who have "died" and revived in the hospital. He found that there is a common thread after interviewing the patients. In the West, the common belief is once you die, you are gone forever or you have gone to heaven or hell. Heaven for those who believe in Christ and Hell for those who are not Christians. This is a simplistic generalisation. Science has a clear answer for death. The body is no longer alive and nature will break it down and give life to other living organisms such as bacteria, worms or plants.

Raymond Moody compare the experience of different patients who have the NDE or near death experience. All says they can see and hear the doctors working on their body. Many see a light and a tunnel. Some who are further into the process go into the Hall of Memories where the current life is fast forward from baby to their current state. Some saw dead relatives waiting for them, others see angels. After being revived, all felt that chasing for money or power are not going to help them with their life. Helping others is the most important thing to do. Many have changed their priorities after the NDE.

Reading Maketh a Man

So say Francis Bacon. Books, magazine and newspaper is the store house and disseminator of knowledge. Today, it is internet. Internet provides quick and easy access to information. Knowledge is accelerating at an increasing rate. The need to learn and unlearn is becoming critical. Training and development is an essential part of one's career as well as a good business strategy.

Reading improves vocabulary and understanding. Public speaking build confidence. Thinking skills increases effectiveness of actions.

Love learning, love life.

The Middle Way

S was surprised that I know the Middle Way. I wonder what would SL, who is a staunch Buddhist, says.

Any Buddhist worth his salt should know the Middle Way. Moderation is basically what the Middle Way is about. No extreme. Do not believe blindly or follow without any preaching or teaching. Test it and if you find it true then follow. If not, discard. The best part is this include Buddha himself. He does not exempt himself from his teachings.

In Sri Lanka and Japan, beside a copy of Bible, there is a copy of the Teaching of Buddha in the hotel rooms. Reading the Teaching of Buddha in a strange bed in a strange room in a foreign country is comforting, very comforting.

The Joy of Training

It is a wonderful on top-of-the-world feeling when my training was appreciated. It helps to get attentive and eager students. All young and upcoming sales reps. They are very enthusiatic and asked all the questions on the issues they face on their day-to-day responsibilities. Conducting training is "flow" to me. Flow is a term coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Psychology expert, for achieving a state of nirvana in work.

With a regular training program, I know the Amazon team(all females warriors) in Thailand will achieve greater productivity. The track record of my team is testimony to learn, develop and grow on people. We grew from a team of 7 for US$3 million sales to a team of 9 with sales of US$11 million. Productivity per headcount increase can be dramatic and the CEO who is passionate about training is Andrew Grove of Intel. It really works!

The Count of Monte Cristo

Saturday Stay-at-home Movie. It is very nice to back to the warm womb of my castle. This old movie based on the classic story by a French author is on. I enjoys the movie. The only complain is there are too many commercials. The advertisements extended the movie by more than half an hour. How I wished I have the dvd. I can fast forward to the interesting sections and finishes the movie.

The story of betrayal and revenge. The ending is sweet. The Count gets his revenge on all his enemies and get back his love and his son.

It is also great to report I did not gain any weight in the land of fabulous food. I am proud of myself.