+ Life | Human Mind

Human Brain X-ray Scan

While waiting for my wife to discuss our next project for the Christmas Bazaar booth that we are taking-up this December, I surfed the net and Sister Celtic's blog came to mind.

She posted a very interesting phenomenon about the human mind. A study by the Cambridge University amazingly proves that the mind is indeed powerful. Read below paragraph and you will see.

CAN YOU READ THIS?

Olny srmat poelpe can
Cdnu'olt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

With the evolution of SMS or short-text messages, and now this, my son's English Teacher's days are numbered! Just kidding.

+ Life | Hello Uncle

Tampines Mall beside MRT Train Station

Coming back from work late so I had to break my fast by having dinner outside at Tampines Linkway FoodCourt. Felt awkward eating without my family.

I have never eaten a meal alone for the longest time I can remember. Had my fill and went off to Tampines Mall to look for a pair of jeans I have been hunting for a while now.

My last few hunts would be at a Giordano store.

Went inside and was greeted enthusiastically by the young male salesperson, but.... he said "Hello Uncle!"

Whamp! It hit me unaware like being smashed head-on into a brick wall. I have yet to realise (or in self-denial?) that I am now 39 years old and look like someone's uncle.

Felt bewildered a while but kept my composure with this "new" brand of reality.

The salesperson was about 19, 24 the most. Always pictured myself and felt like his big brother or something of that age range, never an uncle. I cannot register in my mind as being above 35, I guess (that self-denial again?)

Gave a node and a light smile to him and went browsing at the clothes and jeans section away from him to give myself time to digest this new reality.

One good thing that came out of this incident was that I finally found the pair of jeans I wanted. Pre-faded and rugged-looking enough but not over-the-top "rebellious teenager, fashion-statement" kind of look, just casual.

Never have I bothered so much about a pair of jeans before. Mid-life crisis?

Anyway, he came back to serve me and gave me my size 31 I asked for. Was very helpful explaining to me the different cuts available and checking for available fitting room and showed me the way.

It was a size too big at the waist. Took a peak outside the fitting room door and there he was reflected off the mirror and saw me guestured at him to come.

He gave me size 30 and it fit me just fine. I never looked good in jeans, but this particular pair of jeans was so fine when I saw my colleagues wore it. I just had to own a pair too.

Went to pay at the cashier and this young bubbly lady salesperson served me with such impaccable customer service, friendly with wide smiles, but very importantly she was sincere.

Reminding me if this was my bithday, I would enjoy a 15% discount. Fortunately not. I would be 40 then.

I looked around and saw everyone in the store was young. The salespersons, the customers too. I probably was the oldest person standing there. Sigh.

Would have felt good if there was another person of my "generation". No...wait a minute! I would not want that. He might come in with his son to buy him stuff instead!

I have always grown with brand names like Giordano, HangTen and U2. The polo shirts, the wide-width black belts, the socks and undergarments, even the umbrellas. Not that young anymore, but still I like the style of clothes.

Guess I still am young at heart. That is the best thing I can tell myself.

Anyway, I feel the standard of service at Giordano Tampines Mall is one of the best in Singapore. Well done Giordano! This old guy will be back nonetheless.

+ Life | Crane Vs Crane

Bus Service 72 Route from Yio Chu Kang to Tampines Interchange

Yesterday was a rainy day. The day started sunny when I left for work but started to rain heavily late morning onwards.

Took a cab to work and just had to take a photo of the heavy duty cranes at a construction site in Sengkang East Avenue junction. The rapid development of the island. These cranes can be seen everywhere.

The rain continued on and off through the day until I left work for home, when it reside to a light drizzle.

Took Bus Service 72 from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and had a good ride with very few people on the bus, I got to sit and read a book called "The One Minute Enlightened Millionaire" peacefully.

Yes, I dream to be rich just like the next guy. And yes, it would be nice to be wealthy, a millionaire, but it would be fantastic to share your abundance with everyone you love and the ones who need help.

I will save that for later as I have yet to finish reading the book and absorb its contents and do practical stuff it tells me to, in my quest to be an "enlightened millionaire".

The bus stopped at the junction of Tampines Road and Tampines Avenue 10. I saw for the first time in Singapore, cranes of another kind: the migratory Little Egrets in the wild, on the open field next to HNS Factory.

Easily, there could have been more than a hundred of the shy, yet magnificient birds. Like specks of white in a green field.

The sight made me so happy inside like a child seeing his favourite animal in real life at the zoo for the first time.

I did not get to snap a photo of it but will be ready everytime I pass that area. Wish my son could see that awesome sight too.

+ Life | Lighter Side

Received and email from an office colleague today about potatoes. Office politics taters to be exact. With the many little life's irritants, below are some truths but from a humours point of view:

• Some people never seem motivated to participate, but are just content to watch while others do the work. They are called "Spec Taters".
• Some people never do anything to help, but are gifted at finding fault with the way others do the work. They are called "Comment Taters".
• Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do, but don't want to soil their own hands. They are called "Dick Taters".
• Some people are always looking to cause problems by asking others to agree with them. It is too hot or too cold, too sour or too sweet. They are called "Agie Taters".
• Some people say they will help, but somehow just never get around to actually doing the promised help. They are called "Hezzie Taters".
• Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not. They are called "Emma Taters".
• Some people love others and do what they say they will. They are always prepared to stop whatever they are doing and lend a helping hand. They bring real sunshine into the lives of others. They are called "Sweet Po Taters".

Hats off to whomever created this humor. Now, which one am I?

+ Life | Life's Irritants

I was late for work today even though I was on time leaving home. Just one of those days irritating days, I guess.

While waiting for a cab for more than 10 minutes and finally had to call for one, it set me thinking. Why is when you really need it, it is not there?

Then it started me thinking more of the same situations that I have been having, this recurring phenomenon. I came up with a list of whys:

• Suddenly no cabs around when you need one.


• Cabs become scarce when it is your turn in the taxi queue.


• Stuck in a traffic jam when you need to be in a conference call in a few minutes time.


• The PC hangs-up when it is urgent to print something for the meeting.


• Cannot control but cough violently when in a crowded bus or train.


• Always an important family event invitation pops-up clashing with a bodybuilding event marked on the calendar months before.


• Felt very sick the night before but seemed to feel well when at the doctor’s.


• Pop a zit when I need to look my best for a function.

All these are trivial questions or irritants as compared to the horrid happenings around the world today. Something psychological maybe, but they still bug me since I can remember.

There should be more. I will add on to the list until I get some kind of enlightenment on each one of them and rid them off my irritants list.

+ Bali | Paradise Destroyed

Was sitting and watching the TV when a news flash at the bottom read that fours bomb blast had taken place in the island of Bali, Indonesia.

I spontaneously stood-up in anger, looking for my wife to tell her of the terrorist act. She was praying, so I had to pace to and fro at the dining area trying to cool down while waiting her.

She was shocked too when told and frowned in disbelief asking why would anyone want to do such a terrible thing again to a peaceful and wonderful place. My question exactly, why?

We should know, because we had our second honeymoon in Bali. We stayed at Kuta and shopped at around Kuta Beach area too. That was the place where wanted to conceived our son, but delightfully found out that our son was already with us, in her, a few days before we left the island.

Bali is a beautiful place. The beaches are incredible. The natives are friendly and peaceful people. The crime rate is the lowest I think, because the believe in retribution strongly.

If they commit any sin however small, they may not get the wrath of punishment from their god, but their descendents may pay for their wrong-doings.

They are very respectful of their passed ancestors. They believe their late ancestors are still with them in spirit. That is why every home has a pagoda-like structure in the compounds of their home, where their ancestors live together with them, still as a family.

They bury their dead ones in a temporary grave about five years and exhume the remains for a proper cremation before they can bring home their ancestor's spirit to live with them to complete the family again.

Everyone has a skill either brought down from their parents or learnt from a voluntary institute, even self-taught, mainly handicrafts.

Handmade jewellery of silver, wood-carvings, bags, batik printed-shirts and blouses, the young ones are everywhere peddling their merchandise on the street.

Everyone is an entrepreneur to catch the tourist buck, never resort to crime to earn a living. That is something wonderful and I remember that that is heaven.

I do not understand why the terrorists are targeting Bali and killing the Balinese in the process if they are so hateful of foreigner - westerners to be exact.

No amount of vindictive retaliation to whatever wrong doings that are happening elsewhere could justify this horrible act. Being a Muslim, this is definitely not the peaceful teachings of Islam, period!

These are innocent people - peaceful natives and tourists alike. They are not soldiers ready to die for a cause.

These are cowardly acts, masking a revenge for the fight for freedom of defenseless people in their own homeland elsewhere. These are terrorists on a killing spree, nothing more, nothing commendable about it, just disgusting to me.